#and the one who lives never says that they're not

[teletubbyinlipstick]

...okay, hear me out, just please hear me out, ur honor. Minors DNI 🔞

Witch!Reader who lives in a cute cottage in the woods, chicken, ducks, goats, and the likes run about the yard. She's got 5 cats, and recently, there's a black cat that keeps wondering closer, wary but curious.

She has no doubt in her mind it'll soon be 6 cats wreaking havoc around her property.

Witch!Reader is a nature specialist who has a good hand in healing and flowers (teehehe), and her 4 husbands are all too happy to get whatever she needs for her crafts. They're protective and giving, doting and so sweet in their ways.

John Price is a grizzly bear shifter that has a yearly ritual of migrating downstream for 3 weeks in late winter. Unfortunately, the reader isn't able to go until the last week of his migration; as all winter, she must be at her cabin, her and her powers as dormant and sleepy as the earth around them. When she's finally able to see her beloved again, she's often in tears sniffling softly into his burly chest.

He coos and cuddles her into his arms, scenting her thoroughly.

He's missed her just as much.

Then there's Simon Riley, a grey wolf shifter who stands 8ft at shoulder height when in wolf form. He's protective and spends 2hrs in the morning patrolling the area and remarking his scent to warn others who may lurk around at the smell of a young witch with no coven. He then spends an hour at night giving a final patrol, Johnny and Price often tag along for this one. They've noticed gremlins travel closer near fall when they themselves migrate to the caves up north.

Gremlins are tricky, though, onry by nature and have no qualms targeting and stealing from younglings of all kinds if they think they can get away with it. Gaz took the liberty of snapping a gremlins neck after it threw poor witch!reader across the yard, diving for some duck eggs. The boys spend the better part of two days soothing her sore body.

Lots of dick to help :)).

Speaking of Gaz, Kyle is a water nymph, his deep connection to water, and by association, nature cause him and the reader to bond fastest. It was him who kissed her first, who got to put her legs over his shoulders first, and he's a bit arrogant about it. This has landed him face down ass up while Johnny shows him where to shove his arrogance, milking him until he's begging for a break. Gaz is cheeky though, he pouts up at Price thinking Johnny will get the same treatment instead it ended with both of them bent over, cheeks red and spanked raw with a vibrator taped to their cocks.

Johnny is a faery, more specifically a Ghillie Dhu. Him and Simon met first in the dense Scottish highlands. Simon was wounded, and in the months it took to heal, Johnny had wormed his way into his heart. It was only after they both traveled across borders that they stumbled upon the readers' cottage. It took two less the two weeks, and Simon caught her riding Johnny in the chicken coop. 2 eggs cracked on the ground beside them where the basket had tipped over. Reader had been terribly apologetic trying to get off of Johnny, but the fae kept her grounded with big hands on her hips, planting his feet firmly before pistoning up into her repeatedly. The sweet witch had no choice but to take it, eyes rolled back and twitching cutely as she squirted on the faeries chest.

Upon returning to earth, the coop was covered in flowers and overgrown vines. Her face erupted red she's never orgasmed so hard she grew things unintentionally. The two men cooed, and she then noticed they had moved her out of the hut and onto Simon's shirt he so nicely laid out for her.

Let's just say they put the rabbits to shame that evening.

Sweet Witch!Reader, who loves her big, strong husbands ❤️ loves when they paw at her while she bats her eyelashes so sweetly. Loves when they take her anywhere and everywhere. She can see the worry on her face when she's in a clearing practicing a new spell. Especially when it goes a lil haywire, and she ends up with a 2nd degree burn across her right leg. Hiccuping into Gazs chest as Price works a healing salve on her leg. She gets a good, long, orgasm for her trouble dopey smile on her face, a hazy content look in her eyes after.

The burn long forgotten.

Anyways lemme know if yall want more lmaoo

[cjlouwho]

The Gift of Going Gray

When Tommy looks in the mirror, the man who looks back isn't the same one that used to be there.

Well, technically it is, but it's doesn't feel like it.

The man Tommy sees now is grayer than he used to be. He used to think about dying his hair when he was young, but he never did it. Now, his body is doing it for him.

He's excited to see what he looks like when every strand is silver. He hopes his beard matches.

He's got wrinkles and laughter lines. Marks and ripples and crevices every time he moves his face, which some may look at with hate. He sees it as a happy life well-lived. He hopes he gets more.

The hairs on his chest match his head, but they're far more sporadic. As he rubs lotion over his pecs, skin a little less willing to stay moisturized, he wonders if those hairs will look invisible against him once they've all lost all their pigmentation.

He pumps out a little more lotion and moisturizes his arms. Still big, still muscular, still strong, but they get sore easier now. Need a little extra recovery time between workouts. Can't survive without monthly massages anymore.

His stomach is different. What was once defined abs is now a soft belly, more nourished than it ever was before. He's not trying for abs anymore. Doesn't really feel a need for it. He's healthy, he knows that, and that's what matters.

His hands have little wrinkles. Barely noticeable unless you really look, but he takes the time to really look. They're rough and calloused from years of manual labor, but the newest addition is the most exciting. Barely there ridges that you can run your fingertips over. Veins that are easier to see than they used to be. Skin that's thinner easier to cut.

There's a tan line on his ring finger. Which in and of itself isn't a sign of aging, but it sure as hell feels like it.

He'd never felt more grown, more centered, more sure, than the day he said, “I do.”

That tan line is a part of him now. Will be there, right under his engraved, gold ring, even when he's laid to rest.

If he doesn't stretch first thing in the morning, his back is likely to lock up on him sometime during the day. His knees require Icy Hot mid-shift.

He got his first pair of reading glasses last year. He couldn't believe the difference. Now there are five different pairs of glasses lying around the house, another pair in the truck, and one kept in his locker at work just so he always has them.

Once he's finished with his lotion, he opens the medicine cabinet and grabs a colorful bottle. His doctor recommended he start taking a multi-vitamin. A special one for older men. He's not actually sure it does anything, but he knows it doesn't hurt anything, so he chews the gummy everyday. The strawberry ones are his favorite.

He remembers when he was young, he used to joke his grandma about how she was always cold. She's laugh along, but she told him that one day he'd get it. One day he'd get cold faster too.

He keeps a space heater in the bathroom now when he showers. Pajamas went from sweatpants and a sleeveless shirt to sweatpants and long sleeves. He keeps socks on almost all the time. The ones he wears at home have little rubber grips on the bottom so he doesn't slip up on the tile floor. They're a literal life saver.

While his grandma got jokes over being cold, his grandpa got jokes about having to get up to use the bathroom during the night. When they'd take Tommy on trips over the summer, his grandpa was always saying that he needed the bed closest to the bathroom. Now, Tommy takes the side of the bed closest to the bathroom. Sometimes, he stops drinking water after seven just so he can reduce midnight trips to the bathroom.

Some people think it's ridiculous, how much he enjoys growing old. But he's seen the alternative too many times. At work, sure, but also in life. So many people he knew and loved whose life was cut short before they ever learned what getting older meant.

Growing old was a gift. And Tommy was grateful for it.

[wonderjanga]

Imagine Billy and Mary and Freddy say from the start that they're siblings.

And the three of them somehow are all homeless street kids. Chaotic little gremlins.

And one day Black Adam sees them transform and is like 'WHAT THE ACTUAL-'.

And you choose what happens next-

Teth didn’t even know how this happened. Or, well, he does, but he’s still having a hard time comprehending it. See, he was minding his business in an appropriate(suspicious) disguise while scouting Fawcett for the Champion. As for why he was looking for the champion, it was because the man was missing. The champion having disappeared was suspicious, considering the man washed over his city like a hawk. Anyways, he was walking around when all of a sudden he just spots this child with the bluest eyes he’s ever seen with a little girl who also has the bluest eyes he’s ever seen. The little boy unfortunately noticed him.

Billy: “Can I help you, mister?”

Ah. Adam was staring. Though, that was mostly because the young boy looked strikingly like Aman. Anyways, Adam didn’t even know how it happened, but one moment he was talking to the kid, the next he was giving him a bunch on Kahndaqi currency as if that’ll be useful to the boy. The kid still took it though.

Billy: *bright ahh smile* “Thanks, mister!”

Black Adam: “Yes…” *wondering if the kid used mind control for a moment* “I am now off to go torment Captain Marvel. Good day, stupid children.” *flies off*

Mary, Freddy, and Billy: *offended* “Hey!” *watch him go*

Billy: *still watching him fly off* “…Adam really sucks at disguising himself.”

Freddy: “No duh, he literally said he was gonna go torment you.”

Mary: *picks up one of the coins Adam gave them* “Do you guys think we could trade this with a fairy for money? They like shiny stuffs.”

Billy: “We probably could.”

Anyways, fast forward, three months and Teth, whenever he was in Fawcett, which was unfortunately becoming more and more frequent, kept feeding and giving money to these three little urchins that are somewhat (it’s actually more than somewhat, but he would never admit it) tolerable.

Then, the fateful day came. The children were standing at their usual spot, and Adam was flying over. Then, the blasted little old bald fool with the glasses, psoriasis or Savana or whatever his name was started attacking. The children ran into an alleyway, and because of the fact Adam could care less about Savannah he flew after them because the alleyway looked shady. He was then greeted with the three of them… transforming… into his worst enemies. Specifically, the one who looked like Aman, Billy, transformed into the Champion.

After the fight with Sivana…

Black Adam: “You…”

Marvel: *startles* “Black Adam! What’re you doing here?” *suspicious*

Black Adam: *ignores him and is kind of angry monologging* “I’ve… I’ve been giving you three money and food for months… You’ve been making a fool of me!”

Marvel, Junior, and Mary: *share looks with each other cause ‘uh oh, he knows*

Marvel: “Uh… well, no. We all actually eat all that and make good financial choices. All the money I get from my job goes to rent, and on top of that we all work odd jobs for food and utility money. You’ve been a great help.” *super duper sincere*

Junior and Mary: “You’ve helped us a lot, mister!”

Black Adam: “You’ve still been making a fool of me! Also, why do you three have the power of the Living Lightning?! You’re children!”

Junior: “So?”

Black Adam: “So, none of you should have anything to do with the Rock of Eternity or being the World’s Mightiest Mortal!”

Mary: “That’s more the Wizard’s fault, not ours. Or wait no, that’s Billy fault cause he’s the one who gave us our powers.”

*silence*

Black Adam: “…I can’t believe I’ve been fighting children the entire time.”

Junior: “I know, right? And you still lose.”

Black Adam: *wants to get angry at that but just can’t muster it* “I…” *in his mind says ‘f this’, turns around and flies off*

Adam basically stewed in anger while in Kahndaq before he came back after like a week and started feeding and giving money to the kids again. He now just ignores the fact that he knows Billy is Cap and just chooses to believe that they’re two different people and still fights him.

[dreamerimpossible]

How protective would he be?

Warnings: +18 content, dark content, manipulation, obsession, possessiveness, unhealthy relationships, canon violence.

Characters: Jeff the Killer, Masky, Hoodie, Laughing Jack, Ticci Toby.

Jeff the Killer

6/10

He appreciates that you know how to protect yourself. If you can't, he'll protect you, but he'll make you feel terrible every time he saves you. He gets irritated easily and doesn't like to feel like you're a problem. He's a jerk who has a lot of enemies, so you'll probably have to defend yourself from several people who are going to want to hurt you. This is a constant argument with him, but this man breathes and lives off toxic bonds, so for him it's fine and perfectly normal. He normalizes his fights and arguments and doesn't feel like anything is really wrong. If someone insults you or belittles you, they're dead. He usually defends you from everyone, even if you're wrong.

Masky

8/10

Pretty good. He protects you silently and without making too much of a fuss. But he does it every time without getting tired. He never scolds you or makes you feel bad, because he doesn't want to accept himself that he cares enough about you to not let you die. He is in constant denial and tells himself that his body reacts on its own whenever you are in danger and that it is not really that he wants to protect you. He does not get the full score because he will not defend you against the operator. If he decides to hurt you, you are alone. Masky cannot do much in those conditions. However, he will feel a lot of rage and could become twice as possessive of you.

Hoodie

8/10

He is also pretty good. He will not let others hurt you. He will play with you in various ways, but he will not let others do it. The difference with Masky is that Hoodie will let you know every time he saves you in order to get you to let your guard down with him and give him all your trust. He might also kill people who did minimal harm to you, just to prove to you that he would do anything for you. After he has all your trust, you are deeply entangled in his web, and it is practically impossible to get out of there. The good side is that no one will ever hurt you; the bad side is that you are losing your sanity because Hoodie likes to keep you dependent. He wouldn't defend you from the operator either.

Laughing Jack

9/10

If you are with him and give him time, he is constantly enthusiastic about you. That means he'll overprotect you from everyone. He'll influence you in a bad way, putting things in your head against others so that you'll get away from them and be alone with him. His level of protection goes beyond the limits of insane, reaching possessiveness. You'll probably think that no one can do anything bad to you and start acting more freely, hurting everyone. He'll let you do whatever you want; no one can touch you. But don't you dare leave him alone. Never. Don't ever think of leaving him abandoned, because the people who were hurt because of you could conveniently come back to you at the most unexpected moment.

Ticci Toby

5/10

I'd like to give him a higher number. But I don't give it to him because you'd have to constantly protect yourself from Masky. It's not that Toby doesn't defend you, but let's just say that Masky is selfless enough to continue bothering you. Also, add that Toby is very dangerous when he is upset; you would have to protect yourself from him too and be careful not to ever bother him. The level of protection he gives you against strangers isn't enough for what you have to go through with people you're close to. It's not like they can actually hurt you, but the constant threats and scares eventually become too much to bear. And it's not like you can escape from Toby either. I don't think Slenderman will mess with you if Toby is obsessed with you, but everyone just sees you as their toy.

[kneel-before-queen-loki]

Hi, due to circumstances beyond my control I live with some conservatives. Their actual answers have varied somewhat over the years, but here are a few I've gotten:

-It should be the parents' responsibility (mirroring their beliefs on sex ed and some of their beliefs on education quality)

-The government shouldn't be given complete control over our childrens' diets (mirroring their beliefs on universal healthcare and the remainder of their beliefs on education quality)

Both of these slot into a larger worldview they use to inform their voting decisions, that being that parents know what's best for their children. Regardless of how much research has gone into the decision, if they feel it's being taken away from parents (or from God, who counts because they view him as top parent, they're both very Christian), that means it will result in harm, because the government can never be as good at knowing their children as they are. This worldview is also the origin of their beliefs about LGBTQ+ (or any, really) children's rights to withhold information from their parents, their feelings about vaccines, and also, in a roundabout way, their belief that the best thing a woman can do with her life being stay-at-home motherhood, because working mothers are depriving their children of the only person they believe truly knows and can accommodate that child's needs. When questioned about situations of abuse, the consensus was that such situations are terrible (one of the greatest sins¹), but good parents shouldn't be prevented from taking care of their children just because there are bad parents.

¹I haven't gotten them to say this outright yet, but I have a reasonable degree of certainty that because they believe in punishment in the afterlife, they think that it shouldn't be a priority to punish most abusive parents, because punishment should be left to God. The only exceptions being murder (including abortion) and sexual crimes.

This has some interesting repercussions: they're my parents, so frequently my mother will be entirely convinced that she knows what I need or want, even if I have communicated in no uncertain terms that I would deeply hate for her to do that thing, because she's my mother, making her the divinely appointed authority on my needs.

Her main advice to me upon becoming a mother also reflected this worldview: that I know best for my baby, the doctors do not. It was irrelevant that the vast majority of the doctors that were working with me had children of their own, because they were only authority figures on their own children, not on others.

whats the oppositions view on child hunger

[firelxdykatara]

The thing that always hits me about season 5 is like... Buffy is just so fucking tired.

It comes on gradually, and of course season 6 is widely known for Buffy's depression arc, but the seeds are well and truly planted in the season before it because I think season 5 is when it truly starts to hit her that... she was never supposed to live this long.

Because throughout history, Slayers have been incredibly short-lived. They make it to adulthood if they're very lucky, and at the age of 23 Buffy is officially the longest-lived Slayer in history. At 20, she had already well surpassed the average, and she's really starting to feel it. It's no coincidence that this is the season when she starts giving up on the life of the normal girl she'd been so doggedly clinging to, refusing to give up just because she's the Slayer, since season 1. She drops out of college, her mom dies, Riley leaves (and she didn't even love him but he was something normal and good and she couldn't help but cling to him even when she knew she shouldn't and no thanks to Xander's terrible fucking advice but ANYWAY), she has nothing but being the Slayer and taking care of her sister--who isn't truly her sister but finding that out doesn't matter because she is in all the ways that count.

And she's tired. Because she's just one girl, one woman, with the weight of the world on her shoulders--and every other Slayer in history was eventually crushed by it, killed by the very darkness they were destined to fight (and die fighting), most of them never even making it this far. So she's standing there, hearing Dawn tell her that she has to let her go, to let her sacrifice herself to save the world because it's what she was created for, it's the only way- and she remembers.

Death is your gift.

And on the face of it, yeah, her death is the gift she gives to her sister to ensure she lives, and to her friends and the world to ensure they are not consumed. But also? Death is her gift. And it's not just realization dawning on her face in the rising sun--it's relief.

Because finally, finally, she can just let go.

She doesn't have to fight anymore. She doesn't have to suffer, or lose anyone else, or lose more pieces of herself. She can just stop. She can just rest.

Because the universe calls for one single champion, one teenage girl in all the world to fight all the powers of darkness and evil. And at the end of it all, the world offers her nothing in return except this--true and final peace. Death is her gift, and she rushes to meet it and she thinks finally, finally, she can just stop fighting. Stop everything. The world will be ok without her, there's always someone else to take up the mantle. She doesn't have to be the one everyone else is counting on. And she's so exhausted and so ready.

And then she wakes up in her own coffin. And all that suffering she thought she'd finally been allowed to escape crashes down on her a hundred fold, and of course she would stagger under its weight. But I think deep down some part of her blamed herself even for that. Because she'd been so ready to give up, stop fighting, end her own torment and then... her friends needed her back so badly that they ripped her from the only sliver of true peace she'd known since her Calling, and how could she say they were wrong for it when she feels so very wrong to her core for being so ready to let go in the first place?

Idk where I'm going with this, just feeling a lot of emotions about Buffy Fucking Summers today I guess.

[librarycards]

it has been interesting seeing the tides turn back from people criticizing the education system to making fun of individuals for lacking knowledge (eg. the meme like "actually, they told us about the scramble for Africa in hs, but you were too busy doodling.") have you noticed this too/ any thoughts?

i think that those points aren't very kind, but are in many ways not only correct but expressing rightful frustration at (mostly white) students' selective memory for historical events/general knowledge, contingent upon whether or not they believe said information applies to them. like, i'd wager the average high school aged kid in africa probably has more knowledge of the scramble for africa (though they may not know it in normative u.s. textbook terms) than many u.s. students, despite a nominally more "developed" educational system. why? bc when you're living in a multiply-colonized society facing the material impacts of said ongoing colonialism every day....this shit is not avoidable. you know it whether you want to or not. meanwhile, many of those living in the imperial core - at least for now - can literally and figuratively tune out the violent realities that they (we) are party to + beneficiaries of. in a choice between being razzed for not paying attention in school, and having my community razed, enslaved, and stripped of resources in order to satisfy colonial greed....well, i'm gonna taking the razzing any day, even if it seems mean.

i also think the age dynamics here are worth noting: people say this to each other from adult to adult, typically because the ignorant adult claims that the u.s. educational system alone is at fault for their lack of knowledge (always concentrated around issues of empire and white supremacy and, curiously, never about the fandom they happen to be obsessed with....). except...no. because they're adults with an internet connection - the accusation that they were "doodling in history class" is a gesture at a broader set of decisions to remain ignorant & incurious long after history class/high school has ended. maybe your school taught you about the scramble for africa (most likely it was at least mentioned) and maybe not. but in a conversation between adults on a global internet, with free resources only keystrokes away (and in many cases bundled and handed to us by public scholars) the choice to "keep doodling" is an active one and a political one, and the blame rests on the shoulders of the privileged who refuse to learn about empire's "Others".

[laswells-ashtray]

Which of the COD guys/girls would be trinket people?

Or what hobbies in general you you think they have?

I'm so glad you asked.

I've said it before, I'll say it again, I think John has a collection of lighters that he's accidentally or deliberately stolen from people throughout the years. Nikolai helps add to it after finding out about it and spotting two of his own lighters in there.

Kate keeps sword-themed trinkets but she isn't entirely aware of the fact that she keeps sword-themed trinkets. She has a sword-themed letter opener, bookmark, pin, set of paper clips and a knife that has no real purpose other than to look like a sword, it's barely usable. But she doesn't think she's a trinket person, those are just things she picked up because she likes the way they look. No one will tell her because they don't want to ruin her fun.

Ghost has been given so many silly ghost-themed objects over the years that he has a shelf full of them and then that expands to two other shelves. He starts to get offended when his birthday or Christmas goes by and he doesn't receive any mini ghost-themed items. He has a Ghoaster [coaster] on his desk with his ghost-themed halloween mug on it that he uses to hold pens.

Alex has a thing about mini items. Mini frying pan that came from a kids toy? In the box, mini dice? In the box, a tiny pair of scissors? In the box. He doesn't put them out anywhere, he has has a little wooden box full of mini items that he keeps for his own amusement and he tells Farah that he's leaving it to her in his will.

Rudy likes weapon-themed trinkets, he will just put them about the house and Alejandro is so used to it that he typically doesn't say anything. Slightly chipped ceramic revolver on the shelf next to their plant? Looks good, solid artistry. Switchblade themed hair clips that neither of them have a use for? Clip them to one of the ties that they never use either, they're nice decoration. Small, worn brass shotgun that just appeared one day? Paperweight for takeout menus.

Hobby wise, Graves likes fixing broken watches or clocks that he finds in his free time. He'll give the watches to a Shadow if he sees them without a watch and if not, he'll donate the clock/watch to a thrift store. His only exception was a small vintage clock he found that had been gifted to someone for their years of work at a home that helped kids. The clock was worn, scratched and just not that pretty, the owner of it was likely dead so he kept it for himself. It's the one thing he lets himself be sappy about.

Gaz can crochet, he just doesn't unless he's at his parent's place. His mum daughter him and his siblings when they were young, he was the only one who actually enjoyed it. When he's staying at home, on the nights he can't sleep or can't stay asleep, his mother will find him in the living room and she'll hand him hooks and yarn. They'll sit together crocheting for hours while they catch up on Coronation Street and bitch about what's happening.

Valeria only does so for herself and she rarely wears it outside but she can make jewellery with wire. It gives her something to do with her hands and she's good at it, it's the one thing she has to herself that no on else knows about and she can enjoy it privately.

[misseviehyde]

UPCYCLED

Madeline was shocked when she opened the present from her daughter to find two sexy pearly hooped earrings nestled amongst the tissue paper.

The earrings seemed familiar somehow, yet she couldn't quite remember where she'd seen them before. A slight chill ran down her spine, almost a fear reaction, yet she couldn't say why.

Her daughter Katie smiled proudly as her Mom lifted them out of the box and eyed them suspiciously.

"They're not really my style darling," she whimpered.

"Exactly Mom. You need to try something different. You've become a total social outcast since Dad left. You dress like an eighty year old spinster, spend all your time online or in front of the TV. You need to get back out there."

Madeline lowered her head and choked a sob. Her daughter was right. She was an overweight loser who spent all her time at work or sat at home wrapped up in a cardigan reading by the fire or watching trash TV. She was a total dork. Her brief relationship with Katie's Dad hadn't even lasted that long. He'd left her for his secretary, a hot high maintenence bitch who could give him what she never could.

She hadn't even had sex in eleven years!

Katie looked at her Mom... the holes in her sweater, the lack of makeup, the grey in her hair, the overweight tummy and felt pity. She did love her Mom but Madeline was frustratingly introverted. Her Mom was something of a disappointment.

Katie had been shocked and surprised to find the old hoopsd earrings in a box in one of her Mom's drawers. They were sexy and hot, so unlike anything she'd expect her Mom to own. She'd taken them to a jewellers and had them upgraded. She hoped the upcycled earrings reminded her Mom of a time when she was young. Maybe it would bring a spark back.

What Katie didn't know though was that these earrings were NOT Madelines.

Long ago, nearly twenty years ago now, they had belonged to Madeline's bully Ashley. The traumatised Madeline had stolen them as an act of rebellion and daring, keeping them as a reminder of how cruel and evil some girls could be. Ashley had been the epitome of a cruel and dominant Alpha Girl. She had been the most popular girl at school and had made Madeline's life a living Hell. That was why she had felt instinctive fear when she saw the earrings.

"Why don't you try them on Mom?" asked Katie as Madeline looked at the hoops suspiciously. There was something not quite right here, but she also felt a dark temptation to put on the earrings. With a shiver she took out her own simple studs and slid in the bitchy hoops.

They looked like something a rich bitch would wear and to Madeline's surprise she felt a surge of confidence and pride as she admired her new earrings in the mirror. Her back straightened a little and her posture became more confident.

"Wow Mom, you look great," smiled Katie.

"Yes I do don't I?" purred Madeline, ignoring her daughter. "I never imagined I could ever feel sexy again, but now I do. It makes me wish I could start over again. Be young and hot and popular again. Not that I was ever popular, but imagine if I had been?"

Madeline's lips twisted into a smile as she imagined herself as Katie's age... but hotter... worshipped by hunky boys and served by beta girls. Beta girls like Katie.

She shook her head causing the hoops to tinkle and came back to herself. "Thank you darling, I love them."

"You don't have to wear them if you don't want," smiled Katie.

"No... I want to wear them. I think I'll leave them in. They feel... good."

***

Madeline snarled as she tore through her wardrobe. It was two hours since her daughter had left and she had been in a frenzy since then.

These clothes she was wearing felt pathetic, but nothing in her wardrobe suited her either. She tipped over her makeup table. Pathetic too. No wonder her husband had left her.

She needed fashion, she needed expensive makeup. She needed to look hot.

Madeline staggered to the mirror. Her body was burning, her brow feverish. She felt like she was on fire, but it felt good. It felt like all the weakness inside her was burning up. It felt like she was becoming stronger and more powerful.

"Yesssss," she hissed as she gazed at her reflection. Could it be? Her skin looked younger, her waist thinner. Surely it wasn't possible but it almost looked like she was... transforming?

She reached up and touched the earrings. They tingled and in that moment she remembered. "These... these are Ashley's earrings."

She nearly ripped them out in fear and disgust... but another part of her suddenly thrilled at the thought. These were HER earrings now. Her foolish daughter had given them to her not even realising what they were.

Madeline groaned. These strange feelings, the changes to her body - they must be something to do with the bullies earrings. She should take them out now whilst she still had the strength to remove them.

Her hand wavered by her ear...

She moaned and a wicked smile lit her lips. Mmmmh, it was already too late. She wanted this so badly now...

She was going to become a bitch...

***

Madeline writhed on the floor in ecstasy. It was five hours now since she had put on the earrings. Her desire to remove them had completely faded an hour ago. She was damned and she didn't care. She welcomed the evil now flowing through her. She wanted to be completely remade.

She had stripped down to her underwear. Her once flabby body was drenched in sweat. Saggy skin had tightened and wrinkles vanished. Greying hair was now bright blonde and her ass was tight and round.

A demonic grin on her now young and pretty face, Madeline rubbed her pussy and screamed as she squirted again to drench the carpet with more of her juices.

"Fuck yes. Hahaha I can't wait to get FUCKED!"

Madeline?

No... she was no longer Madeline. She was Maddy now.

Maddy grinned as she imagined all the evil mean things she'd do now she was an eighteen year old bitch.

"Steal my daughters boyfriend, bully her and make her suffer... fuck YESSS!"

Maddy groaned as her already dripping pussy got even wetter. Long slutty fingernails decorated each finger now and she rubbed her sensitive clit, screaming as her warped mind filled her with pleasure.

Every inch of her was now built for narcissistic pleasure. She was a Goddess.

In her body, her soul had been warped and corrupted beyond recognition. Kindness and love were now alien emotions to this bitch. Selfishness and ego ruled Maddy's personality. She was now a spoiled brat who only cared about herself.

The earrings had corrupted her beyond recognition.

Maddy purred as she orgasmed again. She couldn't wait to go shopping.

***

"Hey loser," laughed Maddy as Katie walked into her apartment.

Her boyfriend was lying on the bed naked, drained and exhausted from the marathon fuck session he'd just had with Maddy. Seeing Katie, he blushed and slipped off to the bathroom.

"Who... who the fuck are you? What are you doing with Richard?" screamed Katie.

"Ohhh don't you recognise me dear? It's me... your Mommy. I'm still wearing those earrings you bought me. Isn't this what you wanted? Didn't you want your Mommy to be more outgoing and find a man?"

Backing away Katie screamed as Maddy leapt up and with superhuman strength lifted her up and pinned her against the wall.

"Madeline is gone. From now on you call me Maddy... or even better, Mistress. Your man is mine now and you are going to be my loyal beta servant."

"No! I won't let you..."

Katie screamed as Maddy suddenly jabbed something into her ear, then the other.

A pair of stud earrings marked with the symbol for beta.

"Oh you will. I bought these from the shop where you got these earrings improved. Turns out they make magic jewellery. Those Beta Studs won't take long to make you into my subservient slave."

Katie sobbed as she felt the fire drain from her. She could already feel a terrible temptation to serve Maddy growing within her.

"I bought ten more pairs of these beta earrings. You're going to help me pierce all your friends until they all worship me. What do you say?"

"Yes Mistress Maddy," groaned Katie as to her horror she felt an urge to worship and admire Maddy swell in her chest.

Yes... she had to serve. It would be hot to make others serve Maddy.

Clicking her fingers Maddy laughed as Richard walked back into the room.

"She's been neutralised just like I promised. Now if you don't want me to take out that stud earring I gave you, you better come here and fuck me again."

Richard grinned and bent Maddy over the bed whilst Katie watched happily subservient.

Yes... life was going to be better for everyone from now on. Maddy would make sure of it.

THE END

[astraeus-tree]

Can you write something with Damian X Reader where R is an extremely intelligent girl, to the point of having discovered the secret identities of the entire Batfam only two months after moving to Gotham, and who is constantly in the Bats' action scenes (Like she shows up anywhere they're fighting criminals just to recite one by one the reasons why she's sure they're the Waynes, even with all of them denying it and pretending she's a complete crazy person. A bonus if Damian "hates" her (it's actually just misunderstood love because she's just awesome and he can't handle himself)). By the way: your Batfam fanfic is great!

Sometimes Things Aren't As Plain As They Seem

Pairing: Damian X F!Reader

Warnings: Self harm, blood, mention of torture near the end

Reader and Damian's age aren't specified and I'm really sorry but you can tell I gave up at the end I've also never written for Damian so he's probably ooc

You've held a secret for the past few months now.

No one else knew this secret of yours. Well, except the people involved in this classified information. Namely, the Wayne family and those close to them. In fact, this secret wasn't even yours to share.

What this secret was? The identity of the vigilantes that patrolled the streets of Gotham. Yes, the birds, the bat and those that worked with them in Gotham.

Your first hint was almost instantaneous after moving here. After all, who would have enough money for all those gadgets that Batman uses? Almost every citizen has come to realise that he doesn’t have any powers— with the exception of a few—so the only other reason would be man-made technology. But those costed money, and most people in Gotham could never afford those, so that left the rich or those with connection to them.

After this realisation, you made it your mission to find out their identities. It was a personal goal of yours, another thing to add to your list of achievements. And you did it. Just two months in to living in Gotham at that.

However, you needed confirmation. You were almost certain you were right, but you needed one final confirmation. You had doubts. The main being that it was hard to believe that someone from the high society of Gotham would even think to help the poor without a hidden motive. Bruce Wayne—Batman—had proven himself multiple times, yet the doubt would linger at the back of your mind.

So what better proof than word from the mouths of the heroes themselves?

Lately, Damian’s been dreading the patrols around Gotham. The reason being was this girl, around the same age as him, you.

In almost every patrol, you had interrupted them. You had somehow found out their routes for their patrols, even when they tried everything to make it impossible to track them. When questioned, you would say that there is a pattern in everything, that’s what made people human. Human, not a hero, not a killer, just human.

You would constantly put yourself in danger, just trying to get an answer from him and his father. You would always list reasons why Gotham’s vigilantes were the Waynes. It was almost endearing annoying.

In fact, you were a danger yourself. You were a risk. You could easily spill their identities.

So tonight, he would warn you. Save you. Unfortunately for you, his job was to analyse anything and everything about someone suspicious, and in his family’s books, you were one. Fortunately for him, you were easy to find, because just as you said, there is pattern in everything.

It was another night of you trying to get your final, solid evidence. You snuck around the streets of Gotham, heading to the area where you next expected Batman and Robin to start their patrol.

As you made you way, you felt eyes boring holes into you. You reached your hand into your pocket, clutching the pocket knife inside. As you heard a thud of a pair of feet landing on the ground, you turned around, shoving the knife at the person’s throat.

Your eyes widened when you saw a familiar domino mask staring back at you. Robin—Damian Wayne. What the hell? You’re usually the one to look for them, not the other way around. What’s with this turn of events?

“(Last Name).” His voice is sharp, not even bothered by the knife pointed at his neck.

“Robin? Why are you here? You’re not supposed to be on patrol yet.”

“Of course you would know that.” He mutters under his breath. “You’re putting yourself in danger. You need to stop or we will make you.”

“I- what?” You stumbled back, confused at his words.

“Stop following us. For your safety and our own.”

“Well maybe if you finally gave me answers, I’d finally leave you guys alone.” You cross your arm and roll your eyes. You knew you were being stubborn to a fault, but you really wanted this confirmation.

“And what will you do with this information?” He returns the action and raises his eyebrow.

“Nothing. Swear on my life.”

“And how should I trust you?” He asks, skeptically. There was an awkward silence between you two for a moment. You stared into each other’s eyes, before you put the knife to your palm and let the blood dripple down on the ground.

“May Lady Gotham herself place a curse on me should I lie.” You see his face twist, trying to make sense of what you just did. This was probably a stupid idea, but you needed answers. After all, the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back.

“Why did you do that? Do you know what you’ve just done?” Robin was dumbfounded. Who in the world would someone in their right mind make an oath like that just for some answers? Apparently you. He was almost amazed.

“Of course I do. Just tell me what I want to hear already.”

“Fine. You’re right. Will you stop putting yourself in danger already?” He sighs defeatedly. A smirk forms on your face, another goal achieved.

“I was right.”

“You were right.”

“Well, that’s all I needed! See you around wonderboy!” You turn on your foot, not waiting for his reaction to your nickname for him, and start walking back to your house. You’ll definitely be recording this down in your journal when you arrive.

“Hey wait! You hand’s still bleeding!” You stop in your tracks and look at your hand and back at Robin, now confirmed Damian Wayne.

“It’s fine, it doesn’t hurt that much. I’ll just bandage it up at home.” Actually, it did hurt, but you wanted to look cool in front of him. I mean who wouldn’t want to in front of the guy they like?

Another silence falls between you two. You could see the conflicted look on his face, even with the domino mask covering half of it. You mentally laughed at his expression. After a few seconds, he seemed to finally come to a decision. He reached for your wounded hand, and you hesitantly let him hold it.

“At least let me help. I have some gauze in my utility belt to cover it.” This boy really was full of surprises, first coming to you to threaten you and now he’s helping you fix a self-inflicted wound. You truly chose the right guy to have a puppy crush on.

“Alright.” He held your hand gently, like you were fragile glass that would break in one wrong move. He pulled out a roll of gauze and wrapped it around your hand. You can hear him muttering stuff under his breath before finally speaking up.

“You’re actually crazy. why would you make an oath like that?”

“Aww is little birdie concerned about me?” You teased him.

“(Last Name).” He remained serious, but you reply with a chuckle.

“I don’t plan to break it, so it won’t affect me at all.” He looks up at you, a disapproving frown on his face. You return with a smile and his face flushes before he goes back to fixing your hand.

He finishes up quickly and lets you go home.

As you finally walked back home you could feel somehow following you, but you didn’t feel threatened. You knew it was Robin.

The next few nights, you left a few art supplies on your window sill, and by the time you would wake up, they would be gone

This eventually evolved into letters that you would write to him. At first, you were met with silence, but you pursued. Eventually, you would finally see a reply and from then on, you two became friends.

Unspoken words lingered between you two.

They remained unspoken until a rumour goes around the rogues of Gotham that you knew the identities of the vigilantes.

You, not having any connections with them, lived in blissful peace. That is, until you’re kidnapped and tortured for your knowledge.

You spend hours in pain, never spilling a word. Not only because of the oath, but also to not put Damian in danger.

After a few hours, you were finally saved. High in emotions, Damian accidentally takes his anger out on you, before realising his grave mistake.

He isn’t greeted with your smirk, no, instead he sees your tears. That’s when he’s forced to confront his feelings.

During your recovery, he visited almost every day, apologising profusely.

The tension doesn’t go away even after your fully recovered, but you slowly but surely warm up to him again.

It takes a while to get your friendship to normal, but when it does, you get closer and closer.

In fact, you would say you two were closer than before. So it would come to no one’s surprise when you two eventually ended up in a relationship.

Some explanation -

The oath is basically self-explanatory. Should you break it, Lady Gotham would place a curse on you. It honestly just came to my mind while I was writing this and I liked it so I decided to add it

I also wanted to play around with the sentient Lady Gotham so yeah

Anyways, I'm so sorry this is kinda bad 😭I might rewrite this one day since I'm really not satisfied with it

I had to dance around the topic of reader being smart because I honestly didn't know how to write that

Tysm for the request tho! As much as I struggled with it, I absolutely loved the idea <3

I wanted to go into more detail but I got writers block in between and didn't want to make it multi-part so I had to do that last part like that 🥲

You guys know the drill, any mistakes are free to be pointed out and I will fix them as soon as possible

Don't know if anyone actually reads my long ahh A/N's, but if you do, asks are encouraged as I do love to interact with people and they give me motivation

[uglyandworthless]

I HATE PPL who say shit like this, FIRST OF ALL, YES I DO tend to keep ALOT OF cats, BUT A MAJORITY are OUTSIDE CATS, my neighborhood is overpopulated with cats because they breed more here and spread out all thru the area, so I take care of outside cats cuz alot of em end up dead and the shelters in my area DO TAKE HOMELESS animals and stray animals, BUT THEY'RE ALSO OVERPOPULATED, so they can only get SO MANY....not all outside cats are safe from freezing TO DEATH, OR OTHER DANGERS, I never put my cats in danger, I only tried to protect them and care for stray cats and animals, PPL DM me such shitty things and send such mean ANONS when I'm already depressed and mentally ill and have autism, ALSO I never said I was homeless or on the street....AT LEAST NOT PERMANENTLY, I live in a run down house after going thru assault and abuse in SEVERAL WORKPLACES AND JOBS and losing them so i lost my apartment and ended up in my grandmas very old run down house she owned before she died and the city and government aren't helping me EVEN WITH GOVERNMENT Assistance even tho i have a history of mental illness, anxiety and autism, and JOB AFTER JOB I WENT THRU SOME SORT OF ABUSE OR ASSAULT OR DISCRIMINATION, I DONT NEED HELP BECAUSE I CANT GET A JOB OR IM HOMELESS, I need help because I can't seem to keep a job because EVERY SINGLE ONE HAS MADE IT HARDER FOR ME TO MAINTAIN MY MENTAL HEALTH BECAUSE OF ALL THE ABUSE I GO THRU IN THE WORKPLACE

a black trans women is in need of help

@miracleon63rdstreet is a black trans women who has gone through absolute hell and back. She is currently in a lot of debt and she and her cousin don’t have enough money to feed her cats and her cousin’s kids. She is living with her cousin and her cousin’s electricity bill is due on the 10th

if anyone could give her money on her cashapp, venmo, paypal, or chime it would be greatly appreciated

[lastoneout]

Anyone saying that the "tarrifs targeting red and swing states" thing is good is getting an insta-block BTW I've already seen people in the general tags saying we deserve it and that they hope everyone in Texas and Florida and every other red/purple state suffers immensely and it's sick. Our states have some of the worst voter suppression and largest marginalized populations. Trump doesn't give a fuck about his voter base, and neither does like any GOP politician, targeting red states in the hopes that making republican voters suffer will prompt GOP Governors and Congressman to stand up to Trump will never work. Like keeping us poor and illiterate and unemployed is HOW THEY STAY IN POWER. They do not give a single shit about the American people, so long as they can eat(and they will be able to no matter what) they couldn't give a less of a shit about their constituents starving. Hell, us starving will probably make them happy because they can paint you as the enemy and rile up whoever the fuck here is still allowed to vote in two years, which, statistically will not be the starving non-white, disabled, and queer people.

Don't laugh while innocent people suffer just because you don't like how a, let's be real, miniscule percentage of them voted. Voter suppression and interference was at an all time high, Trump basically admitted in front of god and everyone that Elon Musk fucked with things so he could win and the only reason no one did anything is because he's so old and so used to lying it's almost impossible to tell when he's being serious or just rambling bullshit.

Don't any of you fucking dare take joy in the suffering of innocent people. Hell, you shouldnt take joy in Trump voters suffering either, because you know, no one should have to starve and fear for their lives at all but I know actually holding true to your political beliefs is kinda hard for some of you so whatever. Just remember that laughing while people suffer is what the enemy does, and you're supposed to be better than them. At least, that's what y'all solid blue state assholes keep saying. Maybe shut the fuck up and act like it for once.

(Also I am not pretending to know what Canada should do, aside from protect their own citizens as well as swear to take marginalized American people fleeing for their lives, but I feel like you could just do country wide tarrifs instead of specifically singling out states who are only red due to massive voter suppression and election interference?? Always remember, if every single eligible American voted the GOP would never win another election for the rest of fucking time. So yeah, they're right to act, I just don't fully agree that they way they've chosen to act is going to work they way they think it will, which sucks for everyone on this goddamn continent.)

[anintelligentoctopus]

imagine if the new dashboard post layout with the icons inside the posts made making fake posts convincing even easier haha would that be fucked up or what

12 notes

🎹 breadboxed reblogged walterneff November 3, 1957

🍺 duffys-tavern-official Follow February 19, 1957

if anyone saw playhouse 90 last week... well, not to name names but as someone from new york who has worked in television (and specifically in live comedy) i'll just say that when it comes to certain big names on your screens sammy hogarth is not as far from the truth as you might think jsyk

🎶 johncharlesdailynews Follow February 20, 1957

It's Milton Berle, folks

#as someone who until recently also worked in television yeah it's definitely milty

4,741 notes

🌄 steinbecked Follow November 3, 1957

if i was john cassavetes i think i'd fall in love with sidney poitier too

1,649 notes

🚬 l-s-m-f-t reblogged theshadowknows November 3, 1957

🎀 we-have-the-stars Follow July 17, 1957

friendly reminder not to ship jj hunsecker and sidney falco they are super toxic and are they really the impression you want to be giving the public about homosexuals

🚬 l-s-m-f-t November 3, 1957

have you ever been outside

#firstly of course they're toxic that's the POINT that's fun of it #secondly i really don't think fan writers writing about burt and tony breaking the production code #are having much impact on public opinion

8,435 notes

🎙 orson-well-i-never reblogged getyourkicks November 3, 1957

🥒 pickleinthemiddle Follow May 15, 1955

he rock on my hudson until i bend of the river send post

🧶 herockonmyhudsonuntili Follow May 19, 1955

hey

4,861 notes

🦩 neddieseagooned reblogged louisianagayride November 3, 1957

🌹 i-like-ike Follow October 8, 1957

just a reminder to keep an eye out for possible communist interference in next year's midterm elections we have evidence of communist subversives trying to influence our free and democratic institutions if anyone is telling you not to vote or to vote third party because the democratic party aren't progressive enough they are trying to undermine your liberty no only kidding but i had you there for a minute didn't i

🥀 i-lick-ike Follow October 9, 1957

;-)

🌹 i-like-ike Follow October 9, 1957

don't know as i like that url

15,205 notes

📻 eddie-anderson reblogged mrs-calabash November 3, 1957

🎷 bebopappreciator May 12, 1954

here's how adlai can still win

8,859 notes

🐱 bisexualphilipmarlowe reblogged homophobicsamspade November 3, 1957

🪀 henrywallace Follow April 30, 1952

alan ladd and humphrey bogart: manlets or a short kings? greatest series of letters to the editor in the history of publishing ended by the editor after 8 months of furious letter writing

🪀 henrywallace Follow April 30, 1952

is mickey rooney a manlet? letters page discussion ended after one week after everyone agreed

🦆 captains-balding Follow January 14, 1957

rip humphrey bogart, the greatest short king of them all

🪀 henrywallace Follow January 14, 1957

BOGIE FUCKING DIED??

#thank god that's not how i found out

73,652 notes

🎼 take-the-a-train reblogged bodyandsoul November 3, 1957

⚾ waittilnextyear Follow October 7, 1957

walter o'malley it is on sight motherfucker

🌴 copacabanaset Follow October 12, 1957

be sore at robert moses pal he's the one who wouldn't let o'malley build the dodgers a new stadium in brooklyn

⚾ waittilnextyear Follow October 13, 1957

brother i've got two hands

#then who'll be fucking sorry

3,276 notes

🌆 gillespies reblogged take-the-a-train November 3, 1957

🌳 milestogobeforeisleep Follow September 7, 1957

not to be insensitive but some of the huac hearings were so funny fellas like ‘i saw sterling hayden at the communist party meeting!!!’ brother... what were YOU doing at the communist party meeting 👀

✒ lesbianeffieperine September 18, 1957

Does John Garfield mean nothing to you people

#yeah yeah 'brother what were YOU doing at the communist party meeting' People Lost Their Livelihoods Sally but yeah. big joke.

3,477 notes

🌲 worksprogressassministration November 3, 1957

kind of a milf. reblog.

[angelinthefire]

Ekko, Viktor, and dialectics

Ekko is a really fascinating character because he has comparatively so little screen time, but is so important to the story of Arcane.

I started to get into my thoughts on him in this post, and I wanted to expand on those ideas some more. And to especially focus on the question of why Ekko is the one who's able to stop Viktor (and give Jayce the opportunity to do his thing), and the significance of Viktor's line, "that device can't be."

To start, let's talk about what Ekko represents.

(As before, I'm going to recommend watching these two videos about Ekko, they're really good)

Ekko occupies a unique place in the narrative. In a story about duality, he exists at the point where dualities meet.

For example with time. Arcane is full of characters who are either very focused on the future, or very focused on the past. You have Vander who can't get over the failed rebellion, and Silco who invests everything in his vision for Zaun. You have Jayce and Viktor who are all about progress, and Vi and Jinx who struggle to escape their past. etc.

Ekko is the one character who fully embraces the present. He honours the past (as we see with the mural), but as he tells Vi, brooding on the past will just make you go crazy. Nor does he have great dreams for the future, his focus is giving people a good life now. He doesn't think that far ahead because he sees the potential in the present moment.

I would also argue that Ekko exists at the intersection of order and chaos, which is probably the greatest duality that exists in Arcane. Partially by virtue of being in the present: Entropy states that systems move from order to chaos over time -- in the past there's order, in the future there's chaos, the present is where they meet. But also because of what he's actually doing in the story.

One of the manifestations of Order vs. Chaos in Arcane is the conflict between Piltover and Zaun (obviously Piltover representing order, Zaun representing chaos). There's an interview with Silco's voice actor where he says something along the lines that he didn't really give up his dream of Zaun for Jinx, because to him, Jinx embodies all chaos that he sees as Zaun's strength, that makes Zaun what it is. Ekko and the Firelights are definitely Zaunite, but they reject Silco's chaotic vision of Zaun; and they reject the oppressive order of Piltover as well. They aren't entirely removed from the situation though, they live on the edges.

I'd also argue that Ekko represents life. In his fight with Jinx, the show really plays up the animal imagery that's associated with them, with Jinx's crow as a harbinger of death, and Ekko's firelight bug, that brings light. Of course there's his whole thing of "It's not enough to give people what they need to survive, you need to give them what they need to live." And then there's the tree. Ekko's commune is probably the most organic-looking location in the show. (I think Caitlyn is the only other one we see in natural surroundings - there's the shooting grounds in her flashback [which takes place in fall when evereything's dying] and then there's the very manicured garden that she goes to. Both of which contrast with Ekko's tree).

And then of course there's Ekko's season 2 story arc. He gets what he thought he wanted with Silco dying, but then the chem barons fighting to take his place makes things worse (which Ekko seems to have never thought ahead to the future enough to consider). He's losing hope, and the tree starts to die. His trip to the alternate universe shows him what kind of potential exists in the things he gave up on (in Zaun, and in Jinx), so that he can go back and fight, not just for his isolated anarchist commune, but for his whole city. He learns that "It's never too late to build something new" - the potential exists now to do that.

That's also when he gets his special power, the Z-drive, that lets him fully make use of the present moment.

Now that that's established, let's talk about dialectics.

Stick with me, I promise this is relevant.

So dialectics is basically the philosophy of change.

It started with the Greeks. Think Heraclitus, "the only constant is change", “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man” etc. Everything is flowing, interconnected, transforming into each other. But dialectics as a form of thought was formalized in Socratic argument. "Dialectic" comes from "dialogue". You have a thesis, and an antithesis, and they come together to produce a synthesis. Two opposites coming together to form something new.

Fast forward to the late 1700s/early 1800s, and we get Hegel. Who's into dialectics, but sees the Socratic form of it as a "lifeless schema" - it's too formulaic. For Hegel, dialectics is a way of explaining an ongoing process of change through contradiction. All motion is created by contradiction, and motion is inherent in all things.

So for example, there's the unity and interpentration of opposites. Two things that mutually oppose and condition each other. Like two poles of a magnet, prey and predator species that evolve in response to each other, or the working class and capitalist class. They are opposing forces, but neither would exist as such without the other. This also often involves things turning into their opposite, like the polarity of the earth reversing every so often, or someone's greatest strength also being their greatest weakness.

There's the process of the negation of the negation - that is, progress takes place, but not in a straight line. It's more like a spiral, that moves upward while also circling back on itself. Things repeat, but never the same way. Cycles of life and death are a classic example of this, one generation has to die for a new one to take it's place, but the new generation is not a repetition of the one that came before, it has new mutations, or takes on new lessons, or there's more individuals.

And there's the process of quantitative changes building into qualitative changes. This is the idea that change happens slowly, and then all at once (often caused by a shock to the system). Like supercooled water that freezes when it's shocked. Or tension building up in continental plates until there's an earthquake. Or mutations building up in a species until it becomes a new one. Or evolution more generally takes place through punctuated equilibrium, stages of stability, large extinctions, and rapid diversification.

Now, Hegel would not have used any of the examples that I just used, because he was a philosophical idealist - that is, he thought ideas were the driving force of history, not material forces. He also thought that he had developed the Absolute Idea, which capped off the long historic process of development. And that the German state was the realization of the Absolute Idea.

Karl Marx was the one who took Hegel and said, the stuff about change through contradiction is very useful, but the Absolute Idea stuff is ridiculous, let's apply the logic of dialectics to the real world. And then he wrote Capital.

And that's dialectics! Change happens through contradiction, contradiction and change are inherent to life. Contradiction is inherent to life, which means the potential for change is inherent to life. (seriously though, it's really useful analytical tool, if you want to learn more about dialectics, start here)

Back to Arcane!

So, I'm sure you can see how dialectics is incredibly relevant to the themes of duality in Arcane. Like how Zaun and Piltover mutually oppose and condition each other. How there's so much repetition, but each instance has a new layer of meaning. How characters develop along a path and then there's a shock that accelerates things, and how a lot of them became their opposites in season 2.

And this brings us to Viktor.

There's a few characters who make very explicit statements on the theme of the show. Viktor is the one who monologues the most extensively about it though.

His little speech about evolution having an end point is interesting, because it shows even before the attack on the commune, he didn't really get it. The "glorious evolution" is very "Absolute Idea" of him, imagining history has an end point.

But of course the more important part is his monologue at the end of the episode.

To quote directly: "I understand now. The message hidden within the pattern. The reason for our failures in the commune. The doctor was right. It's inescapable. Humanity. Our very essence. Our emotions. Rage, compassion, hate, two sides of the same coin, inextricably bound. That which inspires us to our greatest good, is also the cause of our greatest evil."

Very dialectical, right? He's talking about the unity of opposites. But what's interesting is where he goes from there.

Viktor sees that contradiction, and thinks the solution is to resolve the contradiction, to end it, to solve it like a puzzle.

But what's essential about the unity of opposites is that they don't resolve. They don't cancel each other out, they don't form some lukewarm whole, they co-exist as opposites. A magnet isn't a homogenous mix of positive and negative charges, it has two poles, that's what makes a magnet what it is. The contradictions of a thing are what give it it's characteristics, what give it its movement, and its life. Life itself is a contradiction, an ongoing process of decay and rebirth.

Viktor talks about "The sublime intersection of order and chaos," but he doesn't get what's important about it, that the contradiction is the source of life.

But that's something Ekko does understand.

Ekko's experience is not entirely dissimilar from Viktor's. They both saw the problems in society, and for both of them their response was to try to build these idylic little communes. But they couldn't wall themselves off from broader society, the conflicts of the world made their way in.

But while Viktor concluded that the thing to do was to eliminate contradiction, Ekko learned that the inherent contradiction of life means that there is inherent potential in everything, potential for change, for good alongside bad, and that you can fight to make the potential good into reality.

An end to contradiction means an end to change, which means an end to life. Imperfection is life, perfection is static and dead. This is something that Viktor learns eventually, with future Viktor saying, "I thought I could bring an end to the world's suffering. But when every equation was solved, all that remained were fields of dreamless solitude. There is no prize to perfection, only an end to pursuit."

Ekko represents the true, living intersection of order and chaos, the potential that exists in the contradiction. He represents life. And it's because of that that he's able to stop Viktor.

Viktor is insanely over-powered by the end of the show. It's not sheer power that stops him. It's Ekko using the potential of the moment with his time power who's able to get in a hit against Viktor. And to hit him with the thing that Ekko has mastered, the Z-drive, the physical embodiment of the present, of the meeting of past and future, of potential, of contradiction.

For all of Viktor's efforts, he can't erase contradiction. He thinks he's fixing humanity, but then all of a sudden he's hit with this thing that shouldn't exist. "That device can't be." But it is. It exists because of the potential within humanity, it exists because of Ekko.

[postsforposting]

that's an incredibly negative view. i don't think people should default to steelman; i do think taking a positive view, especially of toneless plain text, should be the default. it makes for a pleasant atmosphere. unfortunately people, especially online, seem to think the meanest view of those around them is.....a good thing? how it should be??? that there's no other way to do things???

we really can just. not. do that. believing other people mean well is....a pretty basic requirement not only for civility but also for simple geniality.

and again, "it sure can be stated in a negative or entitled way, but that is true of literally everything. that isn't the nature of the sentiments expressed here." i didn't rephrase anything.

the difference is your attitude vs mine about other people that neither of us know. everyone knows a "bad attitude" sours everything, not because the rest of the world is suddenly foul, but because that's what you personally see. most people have the self awareness that's a personal problem and they should not change how they treat other people based on....personal mood. you can feel annoyed while understanding "annoyance and selfishness" is your own miasma and not what others meant.

that's. really the entire thesis. if we're going to declare hate is the default, and it's this hard for people to understand, perhaps we need to demonstrate why that's a bad idea.

"where is the content"

if we interpret the meaning in your way, this is someone who is either new to fandom or to a particular website. it is a normal question to ask. most people in the world never even know settings and manuals exist, let alone look at, understand, or change them: the things that control their experience. for clarity given the nature of this conversation, i do not mean "haha what a fucking entitled jackass" in the sense of your use of "ignorant"; i mean "figuring out and understanding things is hard for most people". let alone people who are new to a thing. asking something like this is normal, expected, and necessary. responding in the tune of "what an asshole" is unkind and establishes a gross atmosphere.

i daresay a lot of people are familiar with the lucky 10,000 comic. everyone likes that, but when it comes time to practice it? yeesh.

you misunderstood what i said above; i don't think it would be useful or correct to dismiss that as ""fucking ignorant"". it sure does make a lot of people feel good to do that though. which is the problem.

even going "where is the content????" is often "i am frustrated that i can't find these wonderful things everyone else easily finds, will someone show me". "where the fuck is everything" is the same idea in a much more combative tone; for some strange reason, it seems like that would be seen LESS negatively given the worldviews in this post.

imo, generally people ask "where is the content" to express that they have noticed there is less now than there used to be. hence: i love this so much, why don't other people.

people write in the style of how they talk when having an in person conversation. generally nobody goes around delicately crafting their punctuation to avoid the slew of wrong interpretations that are possible with any statement. let alone the cultural differences that can contribute to that. people assume you're going to understand them, or at least that you'll ask for clarification and not default to jumping down their throat. like, you know. the way people navigate normal conversations.

i don't know why people should have to put that much effort into what they say, while listeners not only don't but aren't expected to put in any thought to how they're interpreting it. the speaker has to accommodate literally every possible way they could be interpreted, including batshit aggressive ones (which means they have to assume their listeners are both.....ignorant....and nasty? unpleasant way to live.), while the listener gets to assume their knee jerk and negative assumptions are perfect and they can't have possibly misunderstood or inserted things that aren't there?

fuckin weird.

"why has all the hype died down"

if most people understand this, either this person is one of the ones that do not, or they don't mean it strictly literally.

if they do not understand it, again, asking why is a normal and expected thing. lucky ten thousand, yeah? responding negatively to that is....not nice. does not create a pleasant atmosphere. i don't think most people are familiar with serious fandom; most people aren't part of it, meaning they watch a thing, like it and move on without engaging further. the "fandom" people are generally familiar with is juggernauts that have lasted decades, things with dedicated yearly events: things that have never died down and the average person always likes. it is normal to think that if you like a thing, you don't suddenly stop. that's wrong, but it's how people think of fandom.

if they do not mean it literally, imo it usually means something to the effect of "why did people stop liking this". a normal thing to ask, especially if they also don't understand the fad nature that most fandoms go through.

"Why is there no more content why did everyone leave"

follows naturally from the previous. "there is nothing" generally means "i can't find anything". it's a request for help. people are uninclined to phrase it as "please help" because.....a lot of people respond to that with "haha what a fucking ignorant asshole". it should not be hard to see why that's destructive.

it could also mean "there is way less", which again, is normal to wonder. "there is way less" is only asked if you....want more. because you enjoy it. that brings us to

"it's about the blatent dismissal of creators' work and being content-hungry"

which you unambiguously mean in a negative way.

"i am sad that there is less" does require that the speaker enjoy the content and would like more. that is....the opposite of "blatent dismissal". the most common fan question is "will there be a sequel" and "what's the release date". you seem to think those are disgustingly hateful things to ask, which is a bit odd given that most fandoms get upset when their canon content is cancelled.

"i like this so much that i want more" is second breakfast and elevensies type behavior. of course people are.....content hungry. i think it's a bit mean to take gollum's view that pippin and merry are nassssty wicked hobbitses for that. it should be obvious that such an attitude drives people away and makes it feel like their appreciation isn't wanted.

....

i gotta say, i'm tickled pink that people who identify as "serious fans" deny that there can be meaning beside what you personally interpret, especially when the common fandom sentiment is "oh that was a clumsy accident, it doesn't mean anything deeper" while.....inserting all this extra meaning for actual, real, people who haven't had years to craft what they mean. we imbue two seconds of thought with hatred, but nothing for years' worth of a deliberate act?

"there is less" is about those who stopped. it is not about those who remain. it's quite obviously not about you. to answer with "it's not dead, i'm still posting" is to insert yourself where you weren't addressed. sir this is a wendy's. even when it IS a personal question, that's not inherently a demand to perform, it is literally just interest in you and your thoughts. "why" is not a hateful question. and even, EVEN a personal question, you still really can just. not answer at all. regardless of the valence you assign to it.

people are always going to have the same questions as other people, because every day someone new shows up, or someone old has a new thought. reality and your reaction to it are separate things. if they were not, we would have to shout down every kid asking endless whys, since obviously the parent's annoyance and frustration must be synonymous with the kid being a hateful greedy dismissive monster telling its mother she's not good enough, a child who needs to be taught that expressing interest is a sin. bad way to go about interacting with other people, if i do say so myself.

if you don't enjoy the culture of having everything you say reprocessed into its secret and true evil meaning that you obviously totally intended, perhaps we should. just not do that. to other people. as a general rule.

hostility is unpleasant to be around. there shouldn't even be "doubt" to benefit from, but even then, assuming other people aren't evil should not be treated as a sin. whereas doubt literally is a canonical sin.

'Where is all the Deadpool and Wolverine content'

'Why has all the hype died down'

'Why is there no more content why did everyone leave'

Meanwhile the people who are making the content are left feeling insulted because lord forbid we're not enough. Dude stfu and make your own stuff or didn't complain.

Do you see me whining about Boondock Saints? No! Because that's an old franchise and there's not near as much stuff as they're used to be, but I love everything that comes from it. And I don't ever complain.

[baphometsss]

my childfreeness is projecting again so here, have some of my childfree headcanons

Solas is sterile because he's old as fuck and his balls just don't make baby batter like they used to (Trick lk confirmed this teehee 🩷)

Did they ever work though?? I mean he literally just manifested as a fully grown man like all the ancient elves did. Iirc that's why modern elves don't have DNA. We never seem to find out when they started having babies naturally so it's possible he was always sterile (kind of like in TRC when Ronan pulls people out of his dreams and they don't even have internal organs)

Taleani Lavellan has always liked spirits and animals more than people because they're kind of uncomfortable around kids and people in general so not breeding is a very natural choice for them

Not to say they don't care about them at all bc she had a duty as her clan's midwife and helped all the new mothers out etc but she just doesn't have a clue how to talk to kids and has no desire to learn

Solas also doesn't know wtf to do around kids and either ignores them or talks to them like they're fully grown adults while they stare back at him blankly

He also canonically doesn't like loud noises and bollocks Blackwall for training the kids right outside his room in DAI

"Not now kitten Daddy's lamenting his war crimes and I have to talk him down again"--Lavellan probably

Being childfree makes them focus on each other a whole lot more. Makes me think about that old photo of some soldier returning from war to meet his kid for the first time ever and just shoving it under his arm upside down so he can kiss his wife. That would be Solas as a dad

Seriously they would have 0 time for that kid while the other was present . Tough luck kiddo your mother's wearing a low cut top today and her titties look divine. Go play in the Fade and don't come back for at least a couple of hours

Straight up Gomez and Morticia Addams if the kids weren't there

Absolutely fucking awful parents . No time to be normal when there are blighted titans to deal with

Also they can explore the Fade much further and learn so much more without having to get a spirit babysitter in

They can nerd out over all the new discoveries they make and do all the dangerous experiments they like without having to worry about the safety of a person with no sense of danger

They can have impromptu shags on the kitchen table and not worry about getting walked in on and scarring that kid mentally with their outrageous sex life

When they're stressed from a hard day of titan soothing and they just want to relax and talk they don't have to fight the bedtime battle or deal with whatever stinky mess the kid made

Lavellan doesn't have to worry about losing her teeth, or becoming incontinent, or having any of the myriad health issues that arise from pregnancy and childbirth with limited resources to do anything about it

Solas can teach Lavellan how to take a big wolf form like him once he binds her to his life force so they can live forever and it won't endanger the kid

Taleani doesn't give a shit about having a legacy but who needs one anyway if you live forever?

No kids stuff littering the house means more space for books and dangerous artefacts and frescoes that won't get ruined by sticky hands

No arguments about how to best raise a child. Just arguments about philosophy and war crimes

No kids mean they can sleep all they want and have epic dream escapades without interruptions

Just. No kids in the Fade prison allowed. Or the Fade. Or within a 500 mile radius of Solas and Lavellan. Seriously who the hell thought that was a good idea in the first place