#and not put herself on a pedestal of knowledge

[bending-sickle]

my mother physically unable to let me utter a single sentence without interrupting me and then completely ignoring me like i’m just ambient noise when i complain about how utterly frustrating and rude it is

[genericpuff]

I’m gonna have to disagree with you that Kaos is any better than LO. It’s all the same bull crap.

Kaos just seems like live-action LO, both having a boring storyline with bad or fetishized characterizations of the Greek Gods and figures, and both looking artistically beautiful and some cool concepts, but badly executed. The only difference is that Kaos has more LGBTQIA+ themes than LO, has a tiny bit more Greek references, and gets much darker. That’s pretty much it.

As a Greek who studies our myths and stories extensively, I’m tired of the west trying to take and rearrange our stories and retell them ‘with a modern, western lense’. It’s exhausting and infuriating.

It’s time the west gets over its fascination with us and move on.

Fair opinion! Honestly, the initial post I made about it was after only watching the first couple episodes. Now that I've finished it, I can definitely see actual glaring issues with it, both in their characterizations as well as in how they kind of lose the intrigue after a few episodes of the setting and elements of them being gods. Which are all issues that LO have as well.

Though I will say, LO has those issues far more than Kaos does, but what really separates LO from Kaos, in my opinion - the creators of Kaos aren't pretending that Kaos is more than it is. To me, Kaos isn't in any way a singular Greek myth retelling, more so a fun "Greek epic" style story featuring the gods in a modern setting, the way LO could have been if Rachel hadn't tried to make it into something bigger than it was (and if she didn't put herself on a pedestal as a "self proclaimed folklorist"). I can watch Kaos and appreciate it as a fun Greek myth inspired piece of media because that's pretty much all it's trying to be. Meanwhile LO gives us middle-school-level writing with very little real Greek myth influence (aside from what it benefits Rachel to do so) that even goes so far as to outright disrespect the myths that they were based on... all the while people praise it as the greatest Greek myth retelling ever.

I think Kaos is miles better than LO because it at least tells a more coherent story than LO ever could have, with a lot more attention paid to the stylization of a Greek epic (compared to LO which tried and failed to implement those same things, such as the Fates, self-fulfilling prophecies, and witty narration as to retell a story that's already happened).

Granted, that story still takes a lot of liberties with the source material (some that I enjoyed, others not so much), but in that regard, I refer to the above - Kaos isn't trying to be an actual retelling like LO did, so I view it the same way I do as something like Hercules or Hades, where the people who made it clearly love Greek myth and wanted to do some Greek myth-inspired story with their own twists on the narratives, and it paid off in a story that, in spite of their flaws, still feels intentional and thought out.

LO, by comparison, is just a mess of ripped off half-baked ideas thrown at a wall and filled in with self-fulfilling power fantasy garbage written by someone who claims to have deeper knowledge of the myths but clearly doesn't. It's hard to enjoy LO in spite of its flaws because it's all flaws and they're so deeply-rooted in the context of Rachel's own biases and sexual preferences that you really can't separate it from that once you know if it.

I do have some criticisms of Kaos and some of its more creative choices - Hera cheating on Zeus with Poseidon (literally wtf lmao), Persephone still being the "I went down there willingly!" archetype (though at least she's not 19 in this, the casting for her and Hades was great), as well as the fact that things weren't wrapped up by the end of the first season which really bums me out because now it's up to the mercy of Netflix to give it that second season - but ultimately, from a story-writing perspective, Kaos absolutely did accomplish having an actual narrative with themes and goal-driven writing that LO failed in having. That comparison doesn't make Kaos a 100% perfect show without flaw, but I made the comparison initially anyways because much of what I enjoyed in Kaos was what I expected from LO (and ultimately didn't get).

That's just my own two cents though! And I need to make it clear - I am not a Greek person! I have no say or merit within the discussion regarding Greek myth and how it's been appropriated!! - so ultimately... my opinion of these things really aren't as valuable as someone who actually is Greek or studied heavily in it.

So that said, I can completely see the merit in your own arguments that a lot of these "modern retellings" tend to miss the point of the stories they're trying to retell (esp with the criticisms I outlined above) and are often chewed up through a Western lens. The lesser of two evils is still evil. But if we're purely talking Kaos vs. Lore Olympus here as modern entertainment that are both attempting similar things... I'd be way more likely to rewatch and recommend one over the other. Plus there are a lot of adaptions out there made by Westerners / non-Greeks that are incredible and are, at the very least, amazing stepping stones into the world of Greek myth for those who want to learn more about it. Out of the pool of ongoing modern Greek myth retellings/inspired works - Blood of Zeus, Hades/Hades 2, Kaos, Epic: The Musical, Hadestown, Hercules, Percy Jackson & The Olympians, and Lore Olympus - it's not hard to guess which one I'd be the least likely to recommend as gateways into Greek mythology. If those titles were organized in a list of best to worst, Kaos isn't at the top of that list, but it's sure as shit higher than LO 💀😆

[unusualindigo]

Regarding your ranni post i'm curious, how is she not clever? Personally I like her but I'm interested to hear your thoughts.

Essentially, it boils down to what she shows ignorance of in-canon. Like, not knowing about Radahn holding back the stars, and therefore her destiny, when the entire Carian destiny has always lain in the stars... kinda shows me she's not that knowledgeable.

That and she calls your scheme to get into her service to look for the cursemark, which is presented to be about as subtle as a brick to the back of the head, clever. Like, she considers that clever.

And finally, her Age of Stars doesn't solve... anything, really? Godwyn's zombie plague still rages on, the Flame of Frenzy is still around, as is the Scarlet Rot and her plan is to... pull an Elon Musk and just fuck off into space?

Even the Night of the Black Knives was pretty simplistic, as she only really had to kill herself at the same time Godwyn died, which she probably had a signal spell or something for.

Like, when we come upon her, she's not really doing anything other than hiding. She's made no progress in her plans, and without us and Sellen, never would have.

It's the same problem Miquella got put through in the DLC. Both of these characters are said to be clever, and hell, the base game sets Miquella up as the smarter of the pair based on his accomplishments and invention, and it feels like the DLC made his plan nonsensical and idiotic retroactively (hence why the plot makes no sense) to prop up Ranni.

But I digress, both characters are said to be clever, but a lot of the in-game information we get, when some thought is put into it, shows them both to be not all that competent.

Ranni's flaws are just more evident to me thanks to the DLC's inconsistencies and insistence on making Miquella Marika/Griffith 2.0 without any thought to if that makes sense making Ranni seem like even more of an author's pet than she already was.

Like, I mostly hate Ranni because the game puts her on a pedestal and doesn't offer you the chance to meaningfully stop her or turn on her without refusing to engage with her questline properly.

If there was a Ranni boss fight option, or an ending option to betray her somehow, I wouldn't be nearly as critical of her.

But neither of those exist, so here we are.

[allastoredeer]

*Raises hand*

I liked your first deep dive! Quick question though, how do you think Lucifer reconciles his rose-colored memories of heaven with his learned fear of it?

In the show he came across as largely exhausted by dealing with them up until More Than Anything where we see him imagine the bright silhouettes of his siblings and those of the exorcist weapons moving in on Charlie.

It seems like, on some level, he recognizes the danger and corruption there, but the superiority from being an angel is such a strong part of his psyche that he can't let himself acknowledge it outside of these small moments.

Thank you!

I think Lucifer is exhausted with dealing with Heaven, but I think most, if not all, of that exhaustion relates to having to deal with Adam during & after the Exterminations. Considering only a select few people know about the Exterminations, such as Adam and Sera (it didn't look like the rest of the jury/counsel during the Heaven episode knew about it, they all seemed surprised), it'd make sense if Lucifer was working with Adam most of the time, as I can't imagine Sera involved herself in the Exterminations outside of giving Adam the go-ahead.

When I think of Lucifer and his relationship with Heaven overall, I think of ✨religious trauma✨

Growing up in such a strict, religious household (for lack of a better word), however corrupt it was, doesn't take away the happy memories he made there. It doesn't wipe away what he was taught and the rules that he molded his life around.

I think, while Lucifer knows that Heaven isn't all sunshine and rainbows, when he reminisces about Heaven to himself, he lingers on the good times, like his memories with the other archangels, the wonder and awe of creation, watching the galaxy expand, and all the times he spent with his family. All those tender moments he misses having. The ones that make his heart ache with yearning.

It's easy to put people/concepts/things on a pedestal, especially in the privacy of one's own head where you're free to rationalize to your heart's content, and I think when Heaven cast Lucifer out, a part of him believes they were right to do so. He thinks he deserved it.

He didn't fall from Heaven first. He fell from his ego. He was so certain that giving Eve the apple was the right move. He believed, with all his heart (🎶or whatever angels have🎶) that he was doing what was best - for Lilith, for Eve, for Adam, for humanity.

But he didn't anticipate the consequences of his actions because, in giving Eve (and then Adam later) the fruit of knowledge, did shatter everything Heaven worked for. He shattered the order that the Seraphims, the other archangels, he, himself, had worked tirelessly to maintain. Evil, the entity that they've fought off since the beginning of existence, was now on Earth. In humanity.

And he did that. (And Lilith, technically, but I don't think Lucifer puts much of the blame on her).

Of course Heaven would cast him out. They had every right to. He ruined everything. He's the embodiment of pride because he believed he knew what was best for humanity, he thought he knew better than the Seraphims, the archangels, even God, and the shame he feels is in direct correlation of that pride because he realized he was wrong.

He was wrong.

I think when he was first cast out from Heaven, he was angry. He felt unjustly punished. He felt like Heaven was in the wrong. They were the ones making the mistake. So, he turned to the Sinners to learn about them, their lives, their choices, to prove that he was right, but all he saw was wickedness and cruelty.

Just like Heaven said.

He kept searching.

More wickedness. More cruelty. It got worse the more he looked, but he kept looking, and kept looking, desperate to prove that Heaven was mistaken. That they were the ones being harsh and excessive. But hundreds of years went by and his conviction started to fade and it was replaced by the biting, burning resignation that:

Heaven was right.

He was wrong.

His anger became shame. His confidence became humiliation. His inspiration became inhibition.

He tries to keep creating, to keep dreaming of a better world, to believe in humanity, but he's proved wrong time and time again until he just...loses hope. Loses his fire. Loses his will to dream. Loses himself in his memories, and shame, and humiliation, and homesickness.

Heaven was right.

He was wrong.

And he was foolish for thinking he knew better than them.

And the worst part is, he still misses his home. He misses the Seraphims. The other archangels. He misses the familiarity. Their rules were strict, but when you listened, when you abided by them, you were safe and secure and welcome. You belonged.

And that's the picture Lucifer was painting for Charlie when he told her stories of Heaven. How beautiful it was up there. How everything seemed so perfect. You were always surrounded by good and right and light. Whereas down there, in Hell, it's nothing but wicked and evil and darkness.

The difference between Heaven and Hell is in such stark contrast in his mind, having lived in both, he can't help but yearn for what he knew. For what he remembers. Thinking about it, while it fills him with a bone-deep humiliation to ever face his peers again, he still wants to go back to them.

And, of course, he made a new home with Lilith and Charlie. He has friends. He has the Sins. He made a life for himself in Hell, and it's a good life.

The problem is the Sinners. The reminders of his mistake. The source of his pride and his shame. They are supposed to be his, but he doesn't want them. Their very existence is a blight.

His definition of right and wrong, while not exactly the same as Heaven's anymore, is similar enough that he does look down at Sinners for ending up in Hell. He looks down at them for the sins they committed, which is hypocritical, because he's in Hell for the sins he committed.

But he's different, you see. He did it for them. He was trying to give them a better life and they were the ones who ruined it. They abused the gift he gave them. He was cast out of Heaven for them. He'd lost so much for humanity, and they still have the gall to make all the wrong decisions. They have the gall to continue proving how wrong he was.

And he hates them for it. It's irrational. It's selfish. It's prideful. He's still got some of that holier-than-thou angel mentality, just like Sera when she first met Charlie and Vaggie. "You are blessed to be here." "Of course this is just temporary, I'm sorry you can't stay." Just like St. Peter when he automatically assumed they were in the wrong place, and then told them to "keep their brimstone off the floor" during his song -- however cheerfully and politely he sang it, it was still pompous.

They were all welcoming, but oh so condescending (except, perhaps, Emily, but even she, I think, has that internalized mentality, as she was telling Charlie she was going to love Heaven so much she wouldn't want to go back down to Hell, which I read as still seeing Heaven as superior, even if she doesn't consciously realize it. I mean, of course! It's Heaven! Who wouldn't want to stay, right? It's where everyone wants to be). That's the mentality Lucifer grew up with, and parts of that is still squirreled away inside him, though it's directed at the Sinners. It's not the Hellborns' fault they're in Hell, after all. They were born there. He has comradery with the Sins, they were all a circus troupe once, they're all in Hell together. Lilith and Charlie are his family, the light of his life. Why would he have any animosity towards them?

But the Sinners? Being in Hell is all their doing. It's their fault they ended up there. All they had to do was forsake evil and choose good, and they couldn't even do that.

And no, I don't think Lucifer's thinking IS that black-and-white, I think he can understand Lilith's compassion for Sinners on some level, but I think he tends to lose himself in his emotions when it comes to the Sinners and defaults into the mindset that Heaven = righteousness. And if Heaven, the pillars of good, deemed a Sinner wicked, then there has to be some truth to it, right?

The Sinners have certainty proved themselves to be wicked time and time again, so why would it change? Why should he assume that every Sinner is different when they have been deemed "bad" by the pinnacle of good? The pinnacle of good would know what bad is. It just makes sense.

When Lucifer talks about Heaven outwardly, especially when Charlie wants to set up a meeting with them, he gets nervous. Anxious. Fearful, even. Speaking the words out loud, he starts reliving his trauma, except this time, he sees it all happening to Charlie. Charlie has the same conviction in her dreams that he did. She has the same pride that he has. The same firm, unmovable belief that what she's doing is the right thing. That this is best for humanity.

He sees himself in her, and thus, the only way he sees this ending is her being humiliated. Torn down. Cast out. Left nothing but a husk of what she used to be. He imagines Charlie losing that fire in her. Of losing her will to dream.

He sees her becoming him, and that terrifies him.

He, at least, understands what he would be getting into if he went up to Heaven (the very thought of going back up paralyzes him with fear, but he would know what to expect at least, he's lived there for most of his existence). Charlie doesn't, though. She's only heard stories. The stories he told her about how beautiful and amazing Heaven is.

She doesn't know the rules. She doesn't know how strict they can be, and him not being there with her to protect her from it scares him. He truly doesn't want her to be hurt by them like he was, because he now knows just how capable of hurting someone Heaven is. He'd rather be hurt again, then let what happened to him happen to Charlie.

He REFUSES to let Charlie turn out like him, especially for beings as detestable and vile as Sinners.

I think at the end of the day, Lucifer sees himself as the problem. He's the source of all the conflict (another aspect of his pride!)

Not Heaven. While they abandoned him and cast him out, he still thinks they were right to do so. It hurt, it humiliated him, it fills him with so much pain just thinking about it, but in his mind, they were right.

And he was wrong.

That, and keeping Charlie from making the same mistakes he did, is all that matters. 

[joesalw]

Hi, I'm an ex swiftie and I have so much to say about taylor swift. I have a lot bottled up inside and this felt like a safe space to get it out. I hope you don't mind.

I feel like taylor as an artist doesn't have an identity of her own anymore.

like billie, lana, sabrina, ariana, beyonce, shakira, britney, avril, olivia they all make a specific type of music. Although many of them have made genre bending music but It's common knowledge that not everything is for everybody. Now this is where miss swift comes in.

she was going great with her first three albums but then the shift from country to pop to alternate to pop again and now whatever the hell the toilet paper department is supposed to be has lost her off the rails. Her albums are more suitable to her boyfriends than herself.

red- jake gyllenhall ( indie record that's much cooler than mine) but red is actually a very cool indie record

1989- calvin harris (or one could say harry styles), he is known for making upbeat electro pop music

folklore, evermore- joe (listening to his interviews and the type of intellectual, introverted personality he has, not to mention he actually worked on the albums himself with her seems like the type of music he would listen to).

and TTPD about matty healy ( which is not the most flattering album)

her dating life isn't about her finding a soulmate or true love. It's about finding a temporary muse. she sticks to them like a leech and sucks until she's done and then moves on to the next victim.

I was actually very excited about midnights because it was painted as her "seizing her own identity" and "returning back to pop" especially with anti hero, lavender haze, mastermind and yoyok I felt like this time it was about her and her demons. not some villain in her life. It felt refreshing after her constantly victimizing herself. I loved the stupid "I'm the problem, its me" thing.

Now, after every breakup, her latest ex boyfriend has to pay the price for breaking poor little taylor's heart. But since she had been with joe the longest and during that long period of her time, she never said anything bad about him, put him up on a pedestal, she was so in love and content that we, the audience who have been with her journey with her numerous boyfriends felt like he was the one. he's the best one. there are no more problems. but then this does not last either. At first neither of them revealed the reason for the breakup. which was fine and it probably should've stayed that way because when taylor started to reveal more about it, that's when things started to go south for her

she tried to paint him as the bad guy. like he was such a terrible boyfriend, he didn't want to marry her because he was depressed boo fucking hoo. being depressed is not as big of a crime as she tried to make. It also doesn't help your image when you confess to emotionally cheating on the alleged love of your life about a fucking nazi.

Miraculously this time taylor didn't get away with it. She didn't get to date the nazi. so she proceeded to throw a tantrum on her latest "masterpiece" about how she hates her fans and she's so miserable and depressed. again boo fucking hoo. dragging old drama with kim and kanye out of which she came out the winner but also dragging their child into this?? (like what did the kid do to you?)

I hate how everyone conveniently forgot that taylor dated connor kennedy when he was still a minor (she was five years older than him) and immediately after his mother died, bought a house in his neighbourhood to get in his circle and crashed his cousin's wedding and when the groom's mother asked her to leave, she ignored her??(what kind of psychopathic behaviour is this?)

Not to mention the lack of support for palestine, after wanting to be on the right side of history, per formative activism, fake feminism, stealing candy from olivia who's like half her age or something, using sabrina to rub salt on her wounds, blocking charlie in the uk charts, and now trying to re-write history like "I wrote folklore and evermore alone on the phone with aaron and jack" Does this woman ever stop?

She lost a lot of respect with that one. The excitement i felt for midnights is gone. she hasn't changed, she will never change. But I'm tired. I can't keep up with her anymore.

Now what's going to happen? I'll tell you what. she and travis will break up and then she's going to drop another "masterpiece" and bitch and moan about how much of a terrible boyfriend her was. And its going to be in the genre that travis likes because taylor doesn't make music about herself, always about her boyfriends. She's not going to grow up. But I have. I can't put up with her anymore.

!!!

[euryvices]

after exclusively listening to rap music for almost three days, here are my thoughts (a beginners guide to the culture from a beginner herself) + a playlist of recs <3

if you start reading this, please please read till the end (and maybe reblog with suggestions as i'm still new here.) this is (maybe?) a guide for other people who are outside of the hiphop culture, but who still get affected by it and it's fluctuations. (tags at the end, playlist at the end, most of my thoughts at the end.) disclaimer - i have not slept or showered in the three days it took for the preparation of this, whatever it may become. this is all my adrenaline rush and black coffee talking. may my opinions piss you off. godspeed.

hiphop, the term often interchangeably used with the term rap, is actually more than just rap and the inculcation of it. there are four elements to hiphop, which exists as a broadly classifying term for the culture inherited by the people of color who lived in a specific area of america, the bronx. they are :- rapping (or MCing), deejaying (or turntabling), grafitti paintings (or tagging) and b-boying (or break-dancing). But I believe there's a fifth element - the interpersonal connections formed with the knowledge transpired, as the legend DJ Afrika Bambaataa once stated.

before we get to the explanation of the last one though, let's talk about the first sub-culture - rap. rapping is the figure-head of hiphop culture, with more than 12.8% of people worldwide listening to rap. it's a subculture that's based in the bronx, but has travelled so far that today, there are indian rappers, slovakian rappers, etc.

nothing beats a good beat and soul-poetry, which is rap. (shoutout to the producers and the music arrangers who make the music pop. these are the people that are the backbone of the industry.)

coming to the part where i become opinionated : before we understand the culture, let's understand the types of people involved in hiphop culture, starting with the rappers.

the archetypes of rappers : 1. the zeus : this refers to the proud type of rapper, whose talent trumps their behavior, but in several instances fails to see the errors of their ways. rap is very competitive, but these rappers refuse to be humbled (jay-z did slowly find vulnerability after the birth of his daughter, but his legacy remains to be cool ego). they canonically have a lot of ego and have been put on a pedestal by their followers, who form a sacred sort of club around them. it's not even a bad thing, but from an outsiders perspective it can make them feel unreachable, or terrifying - like the lord of the skies, zeus. examples for this can be :

2. the white flag : these rappers are honestly my favorite type. they have too much love and serenity to engage in rap beef*, and they continue spitting bars while finding the serenity of life in every thing. it could be because they value their own peace, or because other rappers know it would be curtains if they beefed with them. either way, they mostly stay unbothered and just...do what they love. some examples are :

(*when i say beef here, its strictly restricted to diss tracks against other rappers)

3. the shakespeares : rappers that write like their hands are dipped in god's blood. these fine lyricists make rap what it is, make the genre what it is. they may also fall under another category, "the zealots" as their words stem from a place of anger, love, hatred, mutiny - strong feelings that invoke strong feelings. while some other rappers don't care about the lyrics (see, "the blue balls") these rappers are all about a message they need to bring to the table. some examples are :

they are called lyrical rappers.

4. the rabid dogs : while the title of this archetype sounds rude, it's definitely not. these rappers are the ones that, while similar to "the shakespeares", write their own tracks but are also out for blood. they have looked into the light unblinking, and then gone for a coffee run. frankly, they terrify me and they should terrify you too - but the respect for them is unparalleled. they are the underdogs/rabid dogs/obstinate toothed rappers that fuel the competitive streak rap needs. some examples are :

they are also called hardcore rappers. *

5. the zealots : these rappers were actually my first introduction to the genre. very similar to "the rabid dogs" and "the shakespeares", these rappers can sometimes be full of blood-lust, or sometimes write very soul moving pieces. it all depends on the day. they have a strong message they want the world to hear. and hear we do. "the zealots" often talk about growing pains and the impact their upbringing has had in their art. their hearts and souls contain what the rap movement embodies - freedom, and the quest for it. some examples are :

they are also called conscious rappers.* some gangsta rap* also falls under this category.

6. the blue balls : some people are good at conflicts, but others are definitely not. these are rappers that are good, but would not know how to release a diss track if the manual came and read itself aloud to them. they are the exact opposite of "the rabid dogs", whose tracks are native to their fighting spirit. these rappers on the other hand, release good tracks but cannot handle confrontation, especially when faced with an opponent who has better aim than them.* some examples are :

(*this refers ONLY to specific instances of the rappers career and is not an overall view of their art. but if a rapper is unable to respond properly to any sort of confrontation, they don't get any of my respect and fall under this category)

7. the slammers : admittedly, when i'd heard the truth about specific rappers my father used to listen to, or my friends listen to, i'd recoil in shock. "the slammers" are the type of rappers that should be/are in jail for horrific crimes against the human condition. i don't mean of the small kind, such as possessing drugs, etc. etc, i mean truly terrible crimes. you can argue that "oh, separate the art from the artist" but with rap, a genre based on the culture and the self, can you really do that? personally, i don't believe it can be done, and no, this isn't an invitation to argue over the semantics. that being said, some of their music truly does hit, even though i wish they didn't.

don't even want to call them examples, but they are :

8. the beat bottoms : i love these rappers within an inch of my soul. while a lot of conscious rap is based on knowledge of the self, these rappers are their antithesis. their music is all about the flow, how the vibes make you feel. lyrics aren't the main concern here, but that's all good - it's about providing your soul a reprieve from the more hard-hitting stuff. some of them even add autotune and make the music soothing. all in all, super catchy stuff. some examples are :

they are also called melodic rappers. *

9. the artemis : stereotypically, rap (as far as i've consumed) has been dominated by men in the industry. this category of rapper refers to the women in the industry who either play by the rules, or break free of them. it's hard to beat a person at their years-of-patriarchal institution. it's also true that while some of these rappers do not essentially fit the bill of what good rap (to me) must be, there is no doubt that there's more need for women in the rap game. one of the first female rappers signed was only able to hit a minor success, despite the songs being gold. nowadays, we see an upward trend with women in rap, and female representation in the rap genre, but as far as i can see, there doesn't seem to be many women in the conscious stream of rap. some lovely examples are :

10. the clowns : saving the most hated for last, this type of rapper is the kind that tends to lie. a lot. it could be about their ghostwriters, or their surgeries, or things in general. while some of their music is indisputably good, it is not as thought-provoking as "the shakespeares", nor as inspired as "the zealots". they have all the ego of the zeus" archetype and all the guts of "the bad bitches" archetype, but none of the talent behind it. however, the issue isn't the lack of deep lyrics, its the lying to the public eye, or actively harming the culture. these fodder rappers are necessary to create adversity in the movement. their main difference from "the blue balls" is in the fact that they are disingenuous & harmful. disappointments are :

to summarize :

now, what exactly are the different types of rap?

oldies : these are institutional hits, the types of songs that pop off even today. some of these raps deserve jail time for the way they absolutely slap.

grannies : rap that doesn't have substance, beat or...anything, really. these raps are (in my opinion) an absolute snooze fest. granny panties vibes. 10/10, would not recommend. if these raps were a hoop, i'd set the court on fire. there's nothing i hate more than uninspired, stupid music.

melodic : this kinda rap provides rest when you listen to a lot of conscious stuff, or if you're super into the sound and not the message this is right up your alley. melodic rappers are godsend, as they combine the two opposing worlds of fast-paced lyricism, and good, soul-soothing music.

hardcore : the people that rap hardcore are crazy. there, i said it. these raps are fast-paced, they are vicious, they are reminiscent of that feeling you get when you're in a coma and your heart speeds up cause someone put poison in your drip bag. it's my favorite type of rap, after conscious rap.

conscious : i love this kind of rap. it has meaning, it has soul. it looks into your house and tells you what's wrong and how to fix it. conscious rap has been the driving force of so much change, personally in my life, and overall in the dynamics of the movement.

mumble : personally, this is the type of rap i loathe the most. i get it, you love playboi carti, but i am a lyrical girlie. if i don't get the lyrics, i am prone to not particularly fucking with a song. no disrepect to carti, i love some of his work (as soon as genius comes out with the lyrics). as mother gothel said, "bitch stop mumbling"

chopper : think hardcore rap but doing bench presses on speed x2. sometimes i wonder if these chopper rappers have lungs or they can just perform osmosis through their skin.

drill : this is a relatively new type of rap that surfaced only in/around the 2000's. it's like if gangsta rap had a different type of flow, something i can't put a name to. some of this kinda rap makes me sick, some of this kinda rap makes me want to lock & pop.

whatever the fuck those uk dudes be doing : imma be very honest, i have no idea wtf any uk rappers are except central cee. after maybe sleeping for a day, and showering, im going to actively start listening to more uk rappers (probably). so far, i understand uk rap to be based off the jamaican immigrants style of rap, a few bands and also dance?

gangsta rap : this is the type of rap i cannot begin to comprehend as someone very, very alien to the gang culture of america. i can say though, that some of the records under this type of rap are goddamn terrifying and give me an adrenaline rush.

if you've read this far, you're probably wondering what exactly "the movement" is, that i've been referring to for more than half of this written blog. so let's go back in time.

back in the '70's and 80's, block parties became a thing in america. in 1964, a historic act called the "Passage of Civil Rights" allowed african-american people to actually fight back in case of discrimination based on color. but, the seeds and stems of racism still existed at the time. black people, who had arrived onto america as slaves as you've probably read, were forced into the margins of society by the continuous hindrance they faced because of white people. they weren't even allowed into the same schools and given a level playing field in the first place! it was terrible, and wrong. and a lot of the children of that era found the inequality to be preposterous and as a result, they met up and started creating music, or dancing, or simply talking about it.

if you wonder why hiphop hadn't started before that, think about it. in a land like usa where white people and police used to be considered the upper echelons of right and justice, who used to target black americans and use them as scapegoats - do you really believe a bunch of black people before 1964 would feel safe enough to hangout publicly and just jam? it's another thing ofc that these pioneers didn't really care about that at the time and were more focused on getting their anger out - creating art from hate.

we've talked enough about the rappers and rap. now, let's go back to the tenets.

DJ Afrikaa Bambaataa, who was one of the most well-known DJ's of his time, said knowledge was one of the main pillars of hiphop, and I believe he's right. Almost every song I've heard thus far that absolutely embodies the culture is steeped in wisdom. the genre is essentially passed down from generation to generation. this creates interpersonal relationships in the rap industry that are like no other. ofc, gangs also create interpersonal relationships in the rap industry as the two are also intermixed, but i would like to idealistically believe that many rappers bond over the message they want to send out to the younger generations, the legacy they will leave. not to say that hiphop and rap were always about gangs. the origins of hiphop were to stop drug use and gang violence i believe, but as the movement changed so did the message. the power of rap went from the masses to the the people who controlled them, as does every other sphere in life.

but that doesn't mean rap has lost it's edge. it's very much a competitive field, with each rap artist trying to out-rap the other. the competition is what creates a forum to diversify ideas, maintain the standard of rap, ensure the best came out of every artist's work, and shine light upon the on-ground issues in america. but over the past few years we've seen a dynamic change. something even a newbie like me can pick up on.

the mainstream has almost always been populated by white artists and white art. this is the case in every field of life, not just rap. while sugarhill rap gang did put rap in the mainstream in america, it wasn't until eminem came around that hiphop became a staple, an actual mainstream. he opened the doors for a whole new set of rap listeners - the white american majority.

it's not surprise that there are more white people in america than black people. 61.6% of people in america according to the 2020 census identified as white alone. rap, being a musical genre that is ethnically tied with the african-american community of america, did not obviously appeal to the white masses at first. but then, as the culture shifted and the doors to rap opened, there came about so many casual listeners that were white people. nothing wrong with that, until rappers started to cater to the white audience instead of doing their own thing.

i firmly believe you should never, EVER forsake your art for the sake of your audience. rap is about the ghettos. it is about people from marginalized sides of america and the struggles of it. it is not fodder for edgy teenage white boys who want to say the n-word while you rap it. if you're a white person, or a poc like me, or any slightly privileged person listening to rap, it's important to remember that this is not your culture. no matter what you do, even if you drown yourself in black paint and play into stereotypes, you will never be a part of the culture. you can aid the movement. you can donate to blm charities. you can relate to the songs. but you can never say that you are a black person. i can't believe i have to actively say this. but there are so many desi men who feel comfortable using the n-word in a derogatory way just because they are hidden behind a phone screen.

moreover, unless you share the life experiences of the people for whom rap is actually ABOUT, then you don't have the right to call yourself an actual rap artist. i'll say it again - rap and the african-american community in the u.s is intrinsically linked.

just like how indians have bollywood music/our own classical music, brazillians have samba, russians have kalinka, etc. etc, rap music is native TO black people. this is exactly why artists like drake, who not only used his blackness as a persona and refused to accept his white side, was taken down for his disingenuity.

an issue i find within rap though, is the hypersexualization of female bodies and how that affects female rappers. you don't see many mainstream conscious female rappers, because most female rappers have to sell their image via their sexuality. and overall, the treatment of women associated with rappers is questionable sometimes. as we progress as a society though, im hoping that all this will settle.

enough of my silly yapping though. here's a playlist. it's been arranged in the order of each artist showcased in this list, then the recommendations i got from this post, and then a few songs i just vibe with.

thank you for reading this post. for all the people that genuinely want to understand rap properly. im proud of you. understanding a genre not native to you is a different experience, but to see african-american culture - the strongholds of a community that has survived after some of the most horrific times, only through the power of their steadfastness and sense of community - you can't help but feel a swell of respect. maybe that's all we really need to understand.

thank you @staaapler, @need-a-name-101, @marblebees, @honeyppie, @thelazaruscomplex, @skullinahat, @salthat, @unihumanitia, @nicknova6, @stopitbahis and @samtalksmusic for the recs. im going to pass out

[tokiro07]

Undead Unluck ch.220 thoughts

[Here For a Good Time AND a Long Time!]

(Contents: thematic analysis - happiness/autonomy)

All Up From Here

What'd I tell ya? You don't give things a numerical score, cus something better is always capable of coming along. Tozuka himself even incorporated my exact feelings into this chapter!

"I'm as happy as can be, Andy." "What are you talkin' about, Nico?! It's all up from here!!"

Acknowledging that you're happy is of course an important first step to actually being happy, but to say that you can't be happier is to say that you'll never be this happy again, like a preemptive refusal to accept greater happiness in the future

This is also why I don't personally like to throw around "peak" as a compliment, because again it implies that nothing compares now and never will again. It puts the recipient on a pedestal, and forces all further interactions to be analyzed exclusively in comparison rather than on their own

Take me for example: long-time readers of mine know that Medaka Box is my favorite manga of all time, but as UU has continued to grow and evolve artistically and narratively, I've been forced to reexamine my relationship with both series. By insisting that nothing would ever surpass Medaka Box in my heart, I've been actively holding my opinion of UU down, refusing to change the shape of the hole that Medaka Box left in my life to fit UU, afraid that doing so would cause me to forget Medaka Box

...Huh, that sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Andy telling Nico to look forward rather than becoming complacent with his current happiness or previous joys is actually a perfect capstone to their last meeting in the previous loop, as Nico's inability to allow Mico to make him happy in Ichico's place was ultimately what allowed Ragnarok to reach a critical point as quickly as it did. He certainly won't allow it to get to that point again, but rooting himself in the high of getting married rather than looking forward to the perpetuity of married life rings a bit of a bell, and one that Andy is quick to silence

This Too Shall Pass

Andy himself needs to take a future-focused stance like this, as if he doesn't, he would certainly go insane...again. In L100, he spent 200 years trying to kill himself because he saw no future in his immortality, just a constant waste of time with no purpose or goal. He would never find love, and any love he did find would be fleeting, as he would watch everyone he cared for slip away. He'd peaked when he had his gang in the Wild West, and everything since then was downhill

Until he met Fuuko

Once Fuuko was in Andy's life, suddenly every day was better than the last. Every day was fun, every day was worth living, and even when he couldn't see her anymore, when he was stuck eternally burning alive on the sun, he knew that there would be a day when the suffering would end. Because he had something to look forward to, the knowledge that things would get better, Andy was able to put up with literally the most painful hardship anyone has ever experienced without a word of complaint

All thanks to Fuuko

No Fate But What We Make

Fuuko, of course, went through the same thing, just on a much smaller scale. She went through ten years of believing that there was no future in a life where she couldn't touch anyone, and the only thing that kept her going was the serialization of a manga. Once it ended, so too did the roadmap of her life; if the only thing she could look forward to was the next chapter, there was no future without one

It was only when she met Andy that she began to see possibilities for herself, that that there was a reason to keep going. Because of Andy, Fuuko was able to look ahead and make a real plan for herself, to commit to multiple preparations and contingencies across 200 years of loneliness, to lay the foundation for her and everyone else's happiness

All thanks to Andy

But Fuuko interestingly takes the opposite approach here. While she builds her future, she seems to think of it as a culmination of the past. She says that the moment of their meeting wasn't the start of their story, but rather Andy's very creation was the start, that he and his life choices are what brought the present and future into possibility. Fuuko attributes all of her successes to him, a domino chain that simply swept her along

But just like Andy corrected Nico, so too does he correct Fuuko

"It started with you, Andy. If you were never born, then I -" "Ha! It was just dumb luck. You're the one that turned that luck into fate."

In this moment, Fuuko has an external locus of control, believing herself to have been dealt a bad hand and that she just got lucky when she swapped out her cards, but that's not what Andy sees. He sees a woman who made the right calls with what she had, who swapped out the right cards and made the right bluffs to turn a bad hand around and win big anyway, and he doesn't want her to lose sight of that

Just like he doesn't want Nico to think his life is going downhill, he doesn't want Fuuko to think her life isn't in her control. If life isn't in your control, then neither is your happiness; anything you have can be taken away, and you forfeit the ability to take it back. Again, Andy can attest to that: he only found Fuuko by sheer dumb luck

No one orchestrated their meeting, it just happened, and it was only because Fuuko made the choice to embrace the consequences of that meeting that their lives turned out for the best. If Fuuko hadn't pushed herself to kiss Andy and save both of them from being captured by the Union, she likely would have been killed and he probably would have somehow found his way back to being Victor, this persona fading into nothing while still remaining unnamed

When hardships inevitably come Fuuko's way again, she needs to understand that she can't rely on luck to save her, but she can rely on herself. She's proven it a thousand times, and even become someone that everyone else can rely on; with her own hands, she defied everyone's destinies and forged a happy ending for all of them. That's not something that could have just happened by the whims of fate, only by the choices of someone with the strength to take control of their own life. After 100 loops with only subtle variations thanks to the minimal interference of the only one who could, the 101st has the chance to create the perfect ending specifically because Fuuko chose to interfere when given the opportunity

And now she has the opportunity to interfere one last time

Let's Enjoy Life

We've talked about it endlessly at this point, but Ruin is a clear foil to Andy in a ton of ways, and this chapter is a perfect illustration of that concept, literally. Not only is this fight happening on the bridge where Andy and Fuuko first met, the flow of the battle itself is like a speedrun of the first 20 chapters

The meteors and lightning from last chapter, getting hit by a vehicle and reduced to a head (the train in ch.1 or the truck in ch.2), having his body sealed by specially made Union containers (eye-scar guy in ch.1), getting pummeled by Void on the highway (ch.2), facing Shen immediately after (ch.3), then jumping straight to being launched into space by Nyoi Kinko (ch.16). Even the way he talks, insisting "this isn't enough to kill me" is pretty much exactly what Andy and Victor would say whenever anyone would hit them with anything - because he thinks they're trying to kill him

But that's not the goal. It never was

Tozuka played a fun little trick on us from the very beginning of the series. By calling UU "the story of [the] quest for the greatest death ever," the expectation that was set up was that we would see the most extravagant, bombastic and show-stopping death ever put to page, that the goal was to find the one thing that could actually overcome immortality. He made a promise that the story would end with Andy's demise and all the spectacle that came with it

With this chapter, it is clear that this was a promise that Tozuka had no intention of keeping

Not in the sense that Andy won't die, I have a hard time seeing this series ending without that punctuation to his story, but the death itself is no longer the purpose of the journey, and I would argue never really has been. The "greatest death ever" is one that comes at the end of a fulfilling life, one where the deceased is surrounded by people who love them and, even through the tears and grief, everyone can look back and smile. This was the lesson that Fuuko learned in ch.1 as she fell to what she thought was her death; the suicide that was meant to end her suffering simply put into perspective how empty her life had been, and being saved, being held, being shown affection by Andy showed her what her life could be

Ch.1 was a perfect preview of the rest of the series, because as I've said many times over by now, Andy and Fuuko's stories are near identical. Just as Fuuko learned that life needs to be lived for death to have meaning, so too would Andy. And now, two hundred and twenty chapters later, Tozuka has finally paid off that slow burn by having Andy acknowledge that he enjoys life!

And now he wants Ruin to do the same.

"I've got one rule and one rule only!! ... Now, c'mon, You follow it too!! Let's enjoy what life has to offer!!"

"You follow it too."

Andy doesn't want to kill Ruin. He wants Ruin to understand the truth. Ruin loves the world, and that's a start, but he wants to eliminate the thing that makes the world truly beautiful - the people in it. Andy's "ridiculously long life" was pointless because he was alone, and Ruin's life is set to be just as long. He insists that he only needs the Rules, but how long can that sustain his soul? At best, madness is all that awaits him, but as we said, a life that accepts it will never be happier is one that has accepted it will be unhappy

Ruin needs to be shown that his way of life will only lead to unhappiness, and that there's a better way. That loving people and being loved by people is better than hating them and isolating from them. Just like Andy drifted through life ambiently allowing things to happen to him, taking opportunities as they came along rather than actively working towards a goal, so too is Ruin losing control in this fight. He's getting smacked around like a rag doll by the culmination of the life that Andy lived, and the Rules he hid behind to distance himself from humanity can't do a damn thing to help him

When Andy thought there was nothing more he could do, that he had to sacrifice himself to the Union to keep Fuuko alive, she stepped up to save both of them, reaching out to someone else for the first time. That was the moment Andy's life started to change, the moment that Andy was truly born, and I believe that Ruin is about to learn exactly what that's like

Undeath and Rebirth

The official twitter gave us a fun bit of insight this week: in L100, the mark over Ruin's eye that I've been calling a scar this whole time was actually a birthmark. While the mark from Remember on Andy actually is a scar, it was present from the moment of Andy's creation, making it functionally identical to a birthmark

But now, in L101, both of these birthmarks are gone. Andy no longer has Remember, and Victor is no longer trying to return, so his wound has healed; meanwhile, Ruin's natural birthmark has been subsumed by a wound. Andy is no longer defined by his origin and now can look toward the future, while Ruin is likely hiding from his origin, covering it up and ignoring the implications of it

Andy was reborn and able to heal, but Ruin is more damaged than ever; more ruined than ever. With his birthmark gone, the pain of his past can be left in the past, but by marring himself so grievously, there will always be a reminder of it. It will only be once Ruin learns to look forward like Andy, like Fuuko, that he will be able to heal and be reborn as well. It is only then that he will cease to be ruined

Conclusion

Of course, this is all assuming that Tozuka actually cares enough about Ruin to keep him around and actively develop him. For all I know, this is going to be another Kururu situation where I'm filling holes that Tozuka only ever planned to leave empty, but as I've said a thousand times, Tozuka has built up more than enough good will for me to give him that benefit of the doubt. I wholeheartedly believe that Tozuka has a plan for Ruin (and hopefully for Kururu too), but in the end I'll still be okay with it either way so long as he uses them properly to develop and analyze Andy and Fuuko

At the end of the day, Ruin's character has given me another angle to approach our leads from, and that's what a good foil is supposed to do. Even if Ruin doesn't accept the lessons and is made to be an illustration of what happens when one refuses to live their life no matter what, that's just as good narratively, even if it's sad to think about. We'll just have to keep reading and enjoy what Tozuka has to offer, whatever that may be

...Ah, crumbs, do I need to change my sign-off???

The original translation was "let's enjoy life," but presumably for either accuracy or dramatic flair, David Evelyn went with "what life has to offer" this time. Now that it's been introduced in canon, that's the quote that's going to become iconic, and most people won't know about Tozuka's convention appearance or the chapter blurb that only appeared in the original magazine run! "Let's enjoy life" is inevitably going to be forgotten as the phrasing of the sentiment, so should I fight the tides and stick with the original, or accept reality and adapt accordingly...

...Well, when I put it that way, after everything I've said in this review, I think my choice is pretty clear. If anyone wants me to go back to the old way, let me know, but for now:

Until next time, let's enjoy what life has to offer!!

[slaybestieslay946]

i was just reading some 1 star reviews of the secret history (because i was curious lmao) and it got me thinking about some of the points people raised so heres my two cents that have probably been repeated to death already but who cares.

First of all, I think it’s interesting just how many people took issue with the characters being ‘snobby and one dimensional’ when that is precisely the point. In the first ‘book’ or section, Richard specifically tells us how he views these people with a sort of admiration or ‘gloss’ that stops him from seeing any and all flaws they may have.

He idolises them from the very moment they’re introduced, going on long ramblings about they’re beauty and intellect and the like. He doesn’t notice things like Charles’ abusive tendencies or Henry’s manipulation or Francis’ constant anxieties because he doesn't view them as human, and instead as godlike.

This of course is his fatal flaw, his ‘morbid longing for the picturesque’ that he describes in the first chapter. He is willing to overlook these flaws and instead focus only on the aesthetic of their lives and interactions. He is even willing to go to extreme lengths to preserve this idealism, such a participate in the murder of Bunny when he in fact should’ve had no part in it.

Therefore I think it’s illogical to suggest that the members of the greek class had no personality and development, when that is in fact untrue and precisely the point. They remain, in Richard’s memory, almost like beautiful statues, that have no real depth and substance.

Even when he discovers the truth about them, he still struggles to reconcile this knowledge with his desire to preserve their aesthetic beauty.

This leads me on to another point I often see raised in critical reviews of this book, in which people refer to Donna Tartt as being the one to admire these qualities, rather than the character of Richard.

It is something I often see in spaces online, in which people struggle to discern and distinguish between the opinions of the author and the opinions of the protagonist (more like narrator in Richards case).

I believe it has something to do with an obsession with moral purity in online spaces, where people struggle to understand the nuance that, while Richard is the main character, we are not necessarily supposed to agree with his beliefs, and he is not some kind of self insert for the author herself.

Instead he is written as a critique of elitism and obsession with aesthetics. From the beginning he idolises these people who do not deserve that kind of praise and worship. He is desperate to win their love and approval, but remains an outsider until the very end, no matter what he deludes himself into believing.

Tartt is warning us against the dangers of putting other people upon a pedestal, a sort of unconquerable moral high ground, as Richard did with the Greek class, and as the Greek class did with Julian.

In the end both of these relationships crumble, because they are entirely founded upon fantasy, in particular aesthetic fantasy.

feel free to disagree with me, these are just my inital understandings as ive still not completed my second read of this book and there may be some things i havent considered. if you have anything to add, please let me know!

[hologramcowboy]

During covid, I remember Jensen and Danneel did a video with someone (I want to say Jewel but I could be wrong), and Danneel brought up her own “anxiety”, and said she keeps a pill (maybe someone gave her?) as a reminder or something, that supposedly gives her the strength to get through whatever it is that bothers her.

I don’t know why but that kind of shit bothers me. As someone with anxiety and depression, I have to take medication, as well as my family members do as well. How many people do you think wish they can just hold onto a pill and be like, “Well, as long as I got this pill in my pocket. I’ll be just fine.”

It just sort of seemed mocking to me. Like it’s her own security blanket.

I’m sorry if I seem ranting or out of place here, but I can’t help but feel like this woman is delusional and she should really think before she speaks, especially if it’s about something she has no personal experience or knowledge about.

Danneel was merely trying to make herself relatable by touching upon the subject of mental health and I agree with you 100%, as someone who suffers from depression, her comment came off condescending to me. Because it invalidated a very real truth when it comes to imbalances the brain can have, medication is what helps balance the chemicals in someone's brain so it is absolutely delusional to expect healing as long as that imbalance is not dealt with. Plus, the message behind it is "There's no such thing as mental issues, I can just decide to keep a pill in my pocket and be fine", very dangerous if you ask me and it also shows how entitled and disconnected she truly is. Ages ago on Twitter she also invalidated someone's mental issues. Does anyone have a screenshot of that? No matter what example you favs give you, please, please, please take care of your mental health as fandom can very easily turn into a ground for mental issues. Just look at the overly obsessed Jenneel stans who keep sending hate to everyone who disagrees. Another example is hellers and their maintained delusion and the abuse they enact to ensure it is accepted as a reality. What I am trying to say is that fanaticism can very easily lead to mental imbalances of a serious nature so no matter what ignorant people like Danneel Ackles say, please always take care of yourselves and get whatever help is needed. There is absolutely zero wrong with taking a treatment when it is needed and it benefits your well being. Thank you, anon, for sending this in. It's so important to openly talk about mental issues and normalize care. The trouble with putting mindless celebrities like Danneel on a pedestal is exactly the toxic messages she ends up sending out. This is why I admire Genevieve, she does her research and speaks openly about topics that are important and does so by adding value to the discussion as opposed to Elta's couch activism and constant failure to engage conversational intelligence and critical thinking.

[the-great-knight-gay]

Character Analysis: The Seven (Riordanverse)

Each of the seven have issues:

Percy is suicidal as in most of his POVs there is a large lack of regard for his life, multiple times stating he believes people will be better off without him and even stating he wanted to drown in TLF and SoM. On top of that... Physically abused as a kid. C'mon we all remember and hate Gabe. I hate how his entire character was literally forgotten about, despite the fact that an abusive parent should stick with a kid for quite some time.

Here's my headcanon for that. It wasn't forgotten, just not acknowledged. We all remember in the earlier books Percy was pretty much apologizing for doing anything right. That's a trait instilled in people who are used to getting abuse for doing anything. I could just be reading into it too much, and I probably am, but it's the only thing that reassures me that this wasn't forgotten about.

In fact I don't think Rick really understood the implications of what Gabe's actions would have done to Percy as he stated that in the upcoming show Timm Sharp's performance as Gabe had everyone laughing and I think that's the only thing I am slightly apprehensive about in the show.

His lack of self-worth is honestly probably a result of Gabe and I feel so angry that it was never touched.

Annabeth has abandonment issues as nearly everyone she has ever loved has left her at some point. Her mother disowned her after TLH, her father chose her mortal family over her and ignored her as she grew up, Luke betrayed her and Thalia joined the Hunters. There was even that time when Chiron was going to leave for good in SoM. That was why she was so threatened by Rachel. Because she was taking away the one good person left who stood by her.

Yes I just ignored Grover. I realize that.

Jason suffers from image issues as he was put on a pedestal from day one, even as a child just because his daddy was a king. He does NOT get enough credit my man suffered as a kid. This was probably one of the only ones where Rick actually tried to address the problem and eventually he found his calling and grew past that. Then Trials of Apollo came along. *Ugly sobbing intensifies*

Piper suffers from neglect from her father who didn't have enough time to spend with her and from her mother leaving. Even when her mother was there in Charleston, she paid much more attention to Hazel and Annabeth than she did to her own daughter.

Leo... Where to start? The kid was homeless and slept in sewers. That on its own is just sad but even more, he believed he was the reason his mom was dead. He was shunned by his own flesh and blood and was forced to retreat behind the comfort of his machines and even then, Festus was brutally taken away by those lasers. Rick really just pulled out the most brutal, sad backstory for this kid ever.

Frank is one of the less traumatized ones but still, a dead mother and having to watch his home burn down with his grandmother inside? Not good.

Hazel... Pulled out of time into unfamiliar circumstances. Having to deal with the knowledge that her childhood friend moved away, thinking that it was his fault that Hazel left (Sammy and the diamond). Having to deal with the knowledge that she was part of the reason one of the giants had risen. Forcibly exiling herself from Elysium into Asphodel just so her mom wouldn't suffer. And speaking of her mom... Maria Levesque's treatment of Hazel, acting as if she were a curse and not a living child, making her sympathize with the Minotaur of all creature, would leave lasting scars on all of them.

The most consolation I can get for this is that it looks like most of them have managed to move past all of this. Jury is still out on Annabeth and Percy as I have not read CotG yet but I'm hopeful.

Except Jason. They just had to completely overhaul him by ripping away the relationship he had with Piper, which didn't need to happen, right before he died.

My reason for not liking the Jasiper break up is the fact that, the argument that they were forced into the relationship happened at the wrong time. This was after they had done a fresh start of the end of BoO. Anytime before that I can understand, but at that point? There was no reason. Then they just had to kill my boy. RICK I SWEAR TO ALL THE GODS IF THIS HAPPENS TO ANYONE IN THE WRATH OF THE TRIPLE GODDESS AND WHATEVER THE FINAL BOOK OF THIS NEW TRILOGY IS I WILL FIND YOU!

Apologies I get a bit worked up sometimes.

DON'T KILL GROVER

It's a bad habit.

PERCABETH BETTER NOT FACE ANY RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS THEY ARE PERFECT DON'T RUIN IT!

Anyways, Knight out!

Go check out my Ao3 and Wattpad

No Riordanverse fics yet as I am still focusing on my Pokémon OC story but just you wait! It's coming!

[queenofmalkier]

Queen Nynaeve is nowhere to be seen in the second of the season

Interestingly, the showrunners seem to be favoring Egwene by making her the hero in both season finales. However, I have high hopes for Nynaeve's character development in the next season, depending on how the writers handle her storyline. One thing that I don't enjoy about the books is the lack of Nynaeve's point of view in the later books and the disregard for her safety by her friends. Nynaeve is my favorite character, and it's disappointing to see her become an afterthought to move the plot forward at times in the book, so I am happy with the show expanding her storyline. With that being said, I was disappointed with the finale, but I do see a path forward in season 3 and future seasons. What are your thoughts on the lack of focus on Nynaeve in the second half of the season? What is your expectation for season 3 and future Lan and Nynaeve moments?

I love this ask because I have so many thoughts.

To start with, I have felt disappointment with Nynaeve in the show not being straight up BAMF. I want to see her get hulk!mad and blow stuff up! SHE ANGY!!! But when I take a step back from my violent need to see Nynaeve commit violence of all forms, I'm actually left pretty satisfied with what they've done so far?

Season 1 was about establishing everybody, including Nynaeve. We needed to see that she came from a position of power and respect in the Two Rivers despite her young age. People trusted her because of her knowledge, because she'd proved herself worthy of that trust.

As she's older in the show we don't see the outbursts she's known for in the books nor does she whack people with a stick, but that's too be expected. She's grown past feeling like an imposter as a wisdom - though she still feels the sting of it, as evidenced by how she interacts with Moiraine.

We see her do some incredible things, and then we see she's capable of wielding some truly awe-inspiring power.

Season 2 takes that Nynaeve and scares the hell out of her. I think Ishamael said it best - she's afraid of power. I have a whole schpeel on the arches that I want to do because I think that episode (mostly) hammered home that pure terror she has about wielding the one power, but that's for another day.

Contrary to the books, Nynaeve isn't treated as another novice. Instead these mythical, powerful women she does not trust are borderline obsessed with making her channel . They keep talking about her potential, about her gift, about what she'll do... but none of them is really talking about Nynaeve al'Meara doing those things. They're thinking about the woman they want her to become: Nynaeve Sedai.

They don't even ask what she wants.

The fact that she has a block and cannot control her power is explored more in the show than it is in the early books, in my opinion. Later books she breaks down and admits just how afraid she is, but instead we're getting that earlier - in the arches, she can't heal Tam, then later she explodes in the same rage she did in season one but nobody is healed, nobody is saved.

Close your eyes, think of a flower. We've seen Nynaeve react negatively to that statement more than once, and I think that's a really, really good way to demonstrate just how unlike the other Aes Sedai she is. "It doesn't work for me like that!"

It's heartbreaking to see, and it's why Liandrin is able to manipulate her, because she doesn't treat Nynaeve like everyone else, nor does she really put her on a pedestal. She challenges her, she shows her the possibilities, she tells her there's no one way to be an Aes Sedai. She makes Nynaeve feel seen. (Putting aside the stolen Siuan scenes.)

Ryma is also able to break through Nynaeve's fear because she approaches it on Nynaeve's level, from a place she'd understand. No flowers, no soft petals. Healing.

Without Ryma there she cannot heal Elayne's leg, and she's so hurt and upset that she can't, but she can still help. She still has all the knowledge of a Wisdom inside of her. It lessens the blow of being unable to channel through her fear.

As much as I want to see Nynaeve channeling like a beast, I'm enjoying watching her work her way through her fear in a way that will make her channeling later on feel earned.

I'm hoping in Season 3 that she acknowledges that fear, as well as her feelings of being a failure to those around her when that imposter syndrome comes back in full - and that she gets past it with the help of Egwene and Elayne, two women who see her for her, and not for the power she can wield.

In regards to Lan/Nynaeve if we don't get the ring scene in Season 3 I'm gonna be so upset lol. It's really difficult to judge where they're taking things from here - how's Tear going to fit in? The hunt for the Black Ajah? Are we staying together? My guess is the 'better together' theme of Season 2 is going to expand to Rand breaking up the gang again because of his own fears, but I really don't know and I'm trying not to overthink it.

[rwby-encrusted-blog]

Hey, can we talk about how Weiss is the luckiest Member of RWBYJNPR?

Just real Quick?

Like no one should compare traumas, it's not a competition. But. like.

Weiss has suffered the least of them all? But was somehow also the worst of them in the beginning?

Because She had

Abusive father

absent, alcoholic mother

threat of being attacked because of her name

Has a scar over one eye, doesn't show signs of impairment

And then she got better as a person and personally suffered

Forced 'home' by evil father

getting kidnapped

getting stabbed with a spear

...

Home literally falls into the water

Watched her team fall into the void.

Ever After shenaningans?

That's it.

That's all her own personal suffering, and for a lot of that she had friends and family, like Klein or Winter, or RWBY! She even left WHitley alone when she was young, clinging to winter!

Compared to;

Ruby

Mom presumed dead

Dad was depressed

uncle was alcoholic

Raised mostly by sister

entered into a combat school early (This one IS negative for her)

Jumped into and active cannon

hunted for her eyes

watched a friend die in front of her. Like. Four times, even if one was a mouse and the other was an illusion

Watched Yang Take a hit and Fall into the coid, assumed she was dead.

a friend that came back to life died to another friend

feels the weight of the world is on her shoulders

LITERALLY ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

Yang

abandoned by mother

step mom presumed dead

father was horribly depressed

uncle was an alcolholic

had to raise sister

lost arm

abandoned by partner and sister.

Had to kill to survive

Self sacrificial tendencies.

Watched Sister she had raised attempt to Commit suicide

so yeah she's got abandonment issues

Blake

Is a minority, suffers from peoples racism.

Abusive, genocidal ex-boyfriend

Said Ex attempted to murder her and Yang, forcing them to kill him instead.

More Racism

Watched the woman she loved sacrifice herself.

AND JNPR

Jaune

His parents actively kept him from pursuing his dream

Criminally negligent, literally didn't know the basics of Hunting

Given Terrible romantic advice by dad

bullied, blackmailed, beat down on.

constantly belittled and denied by his crush (I don't blame weiss for saying no, but it still hurt him)

First person to believe in him Kissed him, Didn't believe in him, ran off to her death.

Suffered severe imposter syndrome and survivors guilt, along with depression and suicidal thoughts

never felt good enough

Nearly got Weiss killed because of Cinder

Took anger out on oscar, Regretted it

Nearly got his team killed because they agreed with his plan to steal an airship

Neo beat up his team! Stole the Relic of Knowledge!

Watched so many of his Friends fall into the Void

had to assist in a Friend's suicide

Family Sword (And therefore legacy) Broke

LEFT BEHIND BY WINTER, WHO COULD HAVE VERY EASILY SAVED HIM.

Lost in a Goddamn fairytale world for a decade or two, alone. on a beach. ALONE.

Drank poison because that's what the story said to do. Couldn't even fucking die right.

The Paper pleasers. Just everything with the paper pleasers

His friends, once reunited with him, thought he had gone insane (He kinda had lost it, but really who wouldn't have?) and They didn't believe him. That hurt.

Pyrrha and Penny Illusion by NeoCat

Damn Jaune really is the Spider-man of RWBY, isn't he. His story is fucking sorrowful.

Pyrrha

Put on a pedestal above her Peers, very lonely

Object of affection focused on someone else

Given a nonchoice to protect people.

Fucking Died. Has remained dead. haunts the narrative.

Ren

parents died

lived on the road most of his life

His power is literally emotional repression

only had Nora

Lost his new family in the Void.

Nora

presumably never had a dad

abandoned by Mother

Lived on the road

only had Ren

That Shock-Force-Field thing in Atlas, left with permanent scarring.

Family Fell into the Void.

So, like. Can Weiss spread the wealth a little bit? In terms of luck?

The rest of them could probably really use it.

OF COURSE

None of this is to say Weiss Hasn't Suffered, she really has suffered in her own ways.

But like.

Not as much as any one other individual in her group.

[alittledizzy]

Hi, I have zero knowledge of dream and george and stuff other than enjoying you talking about them, Can you explain to me whats going on and why people hate dream all of a sudden?I'm am nosy ngl and also he seems like a good guy from when you talk about him?!

he is a good guy, tbh. i will stand by that unless something happens in the future that gives me genuine reason to rethink my opinion.

as far as why people hate him - it's not all of a sudden, it's been a slown burn over the past year. i have a few reasons why i think it.

but the main theories:

he was very, very, very successful. and anyone that is very successful and ends up on a pedestal subsequently ends up with groups of people that want to see that pedestal crumble and the person fall. i think the anti base simply began with thinking if he got that successful he deserved to not be, out their favorite streamer deserved it instead. he also cheated at minecraft, so there's that. (but if you want a full blow by blow of why the cheating wasn't intentional - and that has been verified by third parties - that's gonna need to be a separate post.) also isn't it a funny sentence to even say. "Cheated at Minecraft." i know i have the perspective of not being in the fandom at the time it happened but it's so unserious. but it did impact public perception.

some streamers just hate him because his audience is full of women and queer people and dream himself is not straight. i would say these are more strictly outside of the mc community but it still also impacted public perception. dream is also very vocally appreciative of the fanbase he does have.

he made the careers of many people and those people became resentful for being known for being part of the thing dream made. they turned bitter wanting to be known for their own projects instead. those people express that bitterness toward dream and the dsmp and then their fans take cues from that and ramp them up to eleven, like it's a personal vendetta it is their responsibility to carry out.

he has been accused of things that are not true and do not stand up to the least bit of scrutiny. but the internet is a game of telephone and sometimes all it takes is one person whispering in the ear of another person for something to be considered fact in the realm of common knowledge, when it's just not and never was true. the most recent example of this is when a small content creator - eighteen himself, and drunk when he tweeted it - said dream took an 18 year old girl to his hotel room to get drunk at vidcon. the facts: the hotel room was a master suite so no one was in a bedroom, it had a living room. they had an open room party for their friends where they played board games. a friend of dream's asked if they could bring a friend of theirs along and that friend of a friend happened to be a eighteen year old content creator. she was not invited by dream, she was not given alcohol specifically by dream, she was never alone with dream, and the most important fact: she herself was not uncomfortable because she asked if she could come back the next night. the girl in question asked the cc that made the accusation to take the tweets down and he issued an apology the next morning saying he didn't have the facts right. but what will people that hate dream remember from this? he had an eighteen year old drinking in his hotel room, with none of the context. so this scenario times a dozen times over the past years eroded his reputation.

upset and confusion over dream's public response to technoblade's death. i think that dream hero-worshipped techno and when he died dream did what dream does and reached out to try and help. he clearly became close to techno's family, including visiting with them and working with them on projects and - according to technodad himself - offering invaluable behind the scenes support. i think other content creators were closer to techno himself and probably feel upset and put out that dream's grief is so public and recieves more attention because when dream cares for someone he just wants everyone to appreciate that person. i don't think that's dream's fault, but i can also understand how someone that knew techno better privately might be upset.

[yeonsols-garden]

Now with the latest chapters of Yeonwoo's Innocence coming out, there has been this constant theme of people thinking that Haesol is the toxic one in the relationship or that she didn't try hard enough and I would like for you all to understand what dramatic irony means.

Dramatic Irony is a literary device where the knowledge of the knowledge of the audience is significantly more than the knowledge of the characters themselves.

I would like to remind you all that Kang Haesol knows nothing. We are getting the story from Yeonwoo's point of view therefore we are significantly more lenient towards him because we understand his thought process throughout the story. We are seeing the story from his point of view therefore we understand his thought process and are a lot more likely to be understanding of his motivations and of his perspective.

And even though that is the case we still have to understand that KH has her own point of view in the story as well.

Even though we get the story from Yeonwoo's point of view there are many moments in the story where we get bits and pieces of what Haesol is thinking. And in all those moments it is clear as day that she cares deeply for Yeonwoo and wants him with her.

We also have to remember that Yeonwoo is seeking Haesol's affection when he already has it.

Yeonwoo is not understanding of the fact that he already has Haesol's affection. Haesol already likes him but because he is so caught up in his own world and in his own insecurities he is unable to see that.

Throughout this breakup, we have seen that Yeonwoo's reasoning for why he's breaking up with Haesol is because he feels like his affection for her is a burden. And what specifically spurred this about is the confession that he keeps on getting from Seo-Joon. Now in all honesty I blame her. This is all her fault if she had not talked to him when he blatantly rejected her and told her 'No I do not like you and I never will like you' This honestly most likely would not have happened.

Yeonwoo is a very emotionally intune person and he does not realize that the way he feels is not going to be the way Haesol feels.

This is in part due to the fact that he puts her on such a high pedestal that he forgets that she has her own issues.

There are many instances where we get moments of realization that Haesol herself is not normal either. She is severely emotionally repressed and emotionally numb, she does not understand herself her likes her dislikes, or any of that. She doesn't even know why her mood pluments when she's separated from Yeonwoo for a little while. She spent all day with him comforted him yet the thought of oh I must like him never comes to her mind. there's a problem here and its clearly shown.

It is safe to say that she does not understand herself whatsoever.

What she does understand however is that Yeonwoo is important to her. She may not get that she likes him romantically but she gets that she likes him.

Her actions throughout the series have proven as much it is very obvious that she likes him and in these latest chapters where we get the Revelation she has liked him since day one of seeing him is proof of that. It is monumental astronomical proof that I think needed to be shown because even though I understood it it seems like many people have not understood that that yes in fact she likes him. (as if her literally asking him to stay the night when she hates people coming over to her place is not proof enough)

I have said it many times and Haesol is a character whom you need to look at her actions and not her expressions when understanding her. Her expression and the way she thinks about her feelings will not tell you anything because she herself does not understand them therefore she cannot express them.

When understanding characters like Haesol you must look at their actions and you must put the pieces together of what they really think based off of that.

(Haesol is a female version of the duke archetype in shoujo manga and manhwa. with characters like that it is shown time and time again that you have to look at their actions toward their love interest NOT THERE WORDS! That is literally part of the whole appeal of those types of characters.)

We as the audience know what has happened to Yeonwoo. We understand why he and Junhyuk are so codependent with each other we understand why Yeonwoo's self-esteem is in the gutter.

Haesol does not.

Haesol knows nothing because Yeonwoo refuses to tell her anything.

He is so caught up in trying to seem like the perfect person for her that he does not realize that she already likes him. They both care for each other and that is the reason why their miscommunication is so disjointed. They care about the other's opinion of them and therefore they are always on their best behavior.

There's that and Kang Haesol is a gentleman. Like she is extremely respectful and extremely careful when dealing with Yeonwoo because she knows it's something is wrong but she does not know what.

(look at these two! She so careful with himmmm!! *Jelously bites my handkerchief*)

So when people talk about her character and say all these things like she is a red flag or how she was not a good girlfriend to Yeonwoo I would like you all to remember what kind of character she is and especially remember the fact that we as an audience know more than she does.

[silentmoonlightgoddess]

I have just trudged out of a fandom that I loved a few years ago, having to seperate myself from a TERF author who I once thought the world of. It made me realise that I was wearing the rose tinted glasses of an adoring, mindless reader, something I despise and vowed never to be-- mindless, not adoring. It came to a point where JKR could no longer be given the benefit of the doubt after she repeatedly proved herself to not just being a TERF and a proud, unrepentant bigot, but also clearly funded the harm caused to vulnerable demographics of our society with her reach alone and her perfectly targeted works and well crafted nonchalance over the existence of my trans and non binary siblings.

It took a lot of heartache to finally admit to myself that there was no going back to her, when my mind had already realised a long time back that she was a dangerous problem promoting a dangerous thought process among the many people that adore her. People still blindly flock her, calling for dehumanising people and taking away rights. I got over that, now its happening again, on a smaller scale, a different issue overall, but the lesson is the same.

We need to stop glorifying authors and putting them on a pedestal. We need to call out our authors for their questionable work. There are may examples of this and I am in a fandom that is currently going to the dogs. The fandom in question is already a niche that most people would eye with judgement, but as a series based on multiple mythologies and taking inspiration from them in its creation, it is understandable to an extent. When I first started out reading The Underworld Chronicles by rotXinXpieces on Wattpad, also known as Izzy or Rotty to his/their fans, I was 14. I was intrigued by the intricacies of the plot, the characterisations, the universe it was set in, I went in with a clear understanding of what I was getting into, religious divergences, the incest that was rampant due to mythological reasons, the fact that the universe itself was one that was very unlike the one we know and live in...yet, very similar. The universe may be different but the stories are the same. Rotty started out with the premise of how SA and PTSD, torture are a common happenstance in the world both our and their fictional creation, the difference being that we hush it up and they don't want to. They wanted to portray the realities of the world. The UC series is very open about homosexuality and very fluid with sexuality, which was fantastic for someone who was part of the LGBTQ+ , community and was reading about characters that were not heteronormative.

The change became apparent with the newest arc in the series, it felt like Rotty completely ruined the original characters in favour to portray that the new gen was fun and better and improved, but in reality the books read as though the new gen characters were being glorified and a bunch of hopeful self inserts, the plot was translucent at best and was stagnating as each book moved on, the original characters seemed to have lost their charm and had turned into poorly written OCs and the new gen seemed to just "know" better despite being literal infants in comparison to characters with thousands of years of experience and knowledge. One example is their book, The Dragon, about Hadrian, one of the "Cousins" he/they are a non binary character who is a dancer, and self admittedly a virgin, overnight Hadrian goes from sexually curious virgin to sex god extrodinare within the span of a single conversation with one of their uncle's who is into BDSM, now Hadrian too is a Dom with no flaws and perfect. They are a warrior that people fear going up against because he is the Dragon. He manages to take down his stalker who's here to abduct him as an important piece in a villainous plot being hatched, Hadrian captures his attacker and sone interesting things go down, while his busy falling in love with this supposed abductor, another one shows up and simply abducts him and he's dragged off to wherever. Just like that, where did legendary dragon go? They escape with a severely SAed and tortured prisoner that leads us to The Prisoner, where our protagonist, Four/Niko just spends half the book fainting every other chapter, which understandable, but then it keeps happening a ridiculous amount of times, Niko also rejects his family and starts touting about how he wants to marry River, this dude with an army because he wants an army to get his revenge, which would make sense....if his parents had literally not been two kings of two different but harmonious realms with very strong armies at their disposal. The book skips a solid 8 months of what was supposed to be his recovery and Niko goes on to push for the marriage regardless, having fallen in love with River. These are just two big examples.

Rotty just published a new one shot in their book of one shots for this series, and it has finally come to a head where every other book is just every other character getting SAed (very descriptively) and having to escape and overcome trauma--- except, not one character goes to therapy, not once. The oneshot portrays two characters that absolutely despise each other and the story of it reads as if one is manipulating the other into a dubiously consensual scene at best, the manipulator in question being a self proclaimed therapist who has extensive knowledge of the others history of being SAed throughout the story. The one shot was supposed to be a "gift" to someone who requested it, and later claimed it as "Not that deep and you guys are acting as if rotty killed your family in front of you, stop hating on it." And "out of all the things that could traumatise you in the series my little sinship (also known as ghostship) is where you draw the line?"

And I don't think people realise that the issue isn't the sinship, but the nature of the one shot itself and how it reads, and like a lot of the series, especially the more recent books, it seems to just be graphic descriptions of SA over and over and over again.

Rotty does not mediate any of the arguments and goes as far as to give off a very odd vibe with his recent replies to readers who question them. Like the fame (which isn't that widespread) and the glory of having authored such a brilliant series has gone to their head and now anyone questioning their odd literary creations is immediately wrong and that they know best. The one shot what originally uploaded and was lacking very important, very much needed conext, When questioned about what the chapter was and why was it non con, Rotty replies with a "well I have more context than you do....and I think I wrote that so I know what I'm saying lol".

They later uploaded the edited version with all the initially removed context which slightly better, but leaves a nagging sensation in my mind as to the change of dialogue.

If the edited out parts were simply added back why did the last dialogue from the therapist character change from "(character name)....you don't need my permission to date (character)" to "Welcome to the family"? I would go as far as to say that a lot of the fandom would reject this nightmare one shot as being a part of canon, this is the cursed child dilemma all over again. Some people like it, while others reject it.

All in all, I fear that this is going to turn into another fandom I have to leave, because the author has let the power go to their head, and readers are still wearing their rose tinted glasses and worshipping them, ultimately, standing up against an author with decent fanbase is not the ideal thing to do, but the reality is that Rotty has turned into the very thing they hated, and the lifeline on this fandom and how much the fans are willing to tolerate a shoddy replica of what use to be a spectacular book series with infinitely great potential before it all goes to Hell in a handbasket is simply a matter of time. The sands of time are running and whether the series can be revived to its initial glory in the pending rewrite is yet to be seen.

(Edited to remove an admittedly unsavoury and ill worded comparison of JKR to Rotty, the only comparison here being that I love the works of both authors but have had to seperate myself from JKR and engaging with most of her fandom and having to seperate from another beloved fandom for DIFFERENT REASONS. )

***Also extending my sincerest apologies to anyone, but especially Rotty for wording it badly, but I do not consider Rotty as a destructive or harmful person towards any demographic of people. As a non binary person myself, this would be shameful and quite hypocritical for me to compare JKR's TERF behaviour to Rotty's, which is not what I was comparing at all, although I had definitely worded that ending horribly.

[ae-neon]

you mocking feyre for not being able to read is tearing her down for something she can't control.

you say she's barely an adult, but she's twenty years old. you're taking a horrific tragedy that affects 12 million (according to my government's statistics) girls under eighteen are forced into every year and using it to shit on a fictional couple you don't like.

as for the breeding cow and lapdog comments, i seem to have mistaken you for someone else, and if that is the case i apologize.

also addressing the illiterate fans thing, even if i was just an irate nesta anti, you are not a person who's opinion i care about.

all this to say something very simple: the words you use matter. the negative connotation you speak about feyre with (belittling her for her life experience, choice of partner, using housewife as a negative word) matter. there is misogyny in the way you speak, whether you see it or not.

so while yes you absolutely can speak on the misogyny in fandom, you should do it with the open caveat and knowledge that you have several times spoken with misogynistic language. and unfortunately, that language you use does in fact make you less credible within the overall conversation.

"Belittling her for her life choices" why do you keep confusing me with other people? Or are you just making general accusations again?

Telling me to shut up about the misogyny in these books because I'm not cheering the main character's every decision is not the feminist move you think it is

Firstly, feminism is not putting every woman or every action by a woman on a pedestal. Some women are complicit in not just upholding systems of oppression but benefiting from them.

Let's take Feyre for example

Since you obviously know nothing about me: I have said Feyre has every right to stand up for herself, that she has no obligations towards Nesta, that she is a strategic thinker etc

I have also said she has narcissistic tendencies and makes stupid decisions and that she's unsuited to the position of HL - partly because of her lack of education

That last thing is probably the one that got you red in the face but ask yourself why only the criticism is counted as belittling her life choices?

I am not mocking Feyre for being unable to read something she can't control but then rejects the offer Tamlin makes to teach her?( I mocked a stan for using the first few chapters of acotar to call Nesta lazy when in those chapters she chops wood twice)

When I point out Feyre's illiteracy, it is mostly to point out how sjm put no effort into developing the character or showing us how Feyre is suddenly qualified for the highest administrative seat and power over others lives. She - like the rest of the nepotism gang and their greasy king - uphold and benefit off of the labour and oppression of others.

I live in a country where unqualified and corrupt people - including the wives and girlfriends of important men - use nepotism to benefit themselves so excuse me for not being happy for her

Also I don't think I ever used the term housewife in a negative connotation??? - again not sure where this is coming from since I and many other people have actually pointed out how the elder Archerons domestic work in the cabin years is devalued (again, because this book and it's fans tend to be misogynistic)

Now about the child bride thing.

First, I want to explain in the simplest terms possible : removing context and intention from what is said in order to make it seem like meaning can only be derived from the words themselves is not only an obtuse and disingenuous act, it's also an act rooted in racism and misogyny.

I don't have the energy to get into it but for example, certain cultures have practices not rooted in misogyny but rooted in gender. If someone from that culture says "women don't play this instrument and men don't wear black" and you swoop in to tell them they are sexist, are you not being racist and ethnocentric? Context matters.

"cunt" is a word rooted in misogyny but you're not gonna accuse someone of being a misogynist for using it are you?? Sometimes it's not even meant to be an insult, sometimes it's an aesthetic praise, "she got a buzzcut and dyed it green, that with the sock boots, ugh, she looks so cunty"

Sorry for literally having to teach you but with that can you understand that when I say Feyre is a child bride - the context pertains to the fictional book I'm addressing???

I am not talking about 12 year old girls in arranged marriages. I am talking about a fictional character in a book that was sold to teenagers and told them that the kidnapper groom was the "feminist king"

You, suddenly using the very real issue of child sex trafficking and how many girls are affected in your country, as a shield for Feysand of all ships is the act of insanity.

Which do you think adds more to the issue : me saying child bride or sjm writing a book for kids where a 19yo gets kidnapped and then marries her kidnapper?

Maybe the word gets a reaction out of you cause you're finally confronted with the horror of the situation? Idk and idc

Secondly, I don't appreciate this attempt at tone policing. (Another thing you do thats rooted in misogyny and racism - guess you're less credible now or something?)

You don't have to like the way I say things for them to be considered worth anything. Your understanding is not the standard I have to adjust myself to.

The kicker here is that I have said, more than once, I am not an unbiased source of information or content nor have I ever claimed to be

So on every level of this attempt to bash me, you have failed to bring anything worthwhile to the table.

You can just disagree with me because you like Feysand, I'm literally not gonna judge you but you don't have to do Olympics level mental gymnastics to try find some way to discredit my posts. (Which again are just half-joking rants on my personal blog)