#and therefore extend some empathy towards them

[lefreck]

I wish more people put their age on their blogs because at least then I’d know that the horrible post they made was because they are 18 and cringe and not because they just have excruciatingly bad opinions and an inability to critically think

[fushiglow]

Gojo cares a lot, actually

Perspective and empathy in Jujutsu Kaisen

Once again, I see accusations that Gojo only cared about people in relation to their strength. I can't believe that 236 and 261 haven't put this idea to bed already, but let's go over it again for the class. Here are some thoughts on the importance of perspective and empathy in JJK. Spoilers for chapter 266 ahead!

In 236, Gojo tells Geto he loves everyone. This single line, direct from the man's mouth, should be enough. However, moments later, Nanami says, "You never cared about protecting people". So why do some readers only take one of these perspectives at face value?

Perspective matters in JJK. Often, characters and even the narrator state things that are only true from their perspective in a given moment. What you choose to believe says more about you than it does about them — an idea I explored in my analysis of 236.

This is particularly important when it comes to Gojo and Megumi, because the moment they meet is the only (?) scene in the whole of JJK that we get to see from two perspectives.

The second time, the reader understands the emotional weight of it for Gojo — but Megumi doesn't. He's kept in the dark, so of course he thinks about their meeting in different terms.

Once again, whose perspective are we going to take at face value? From Megumi's point of view, he wasn't offered a choice. From Gojo's point of view, he extended to a child the little agency available to him.

Offering a choice is something Gojo does consistently throughout JJK — pick your hell. It's one of the ways he shows care for others that goes unrecognised, so it's ironic that readers and characters alike misinterpret it for a lack of empathy. However, this is no coincidence.

For much of the series, Gege keeps Gojo at a narrative distance from the reader. Most of what we know about Gojo comes from what other characters tell us, and our view of him is therefore coloured by their perspective.

However, while Gojo laments the distance between himself and others, he fails to recognise that he's the one maintaining it — and not because of his strength or his technique. He has admirable goals, but he chooses to work towards them alone.

There are many occasions where characters reach for Gojo, but he refuses to let them past his metaphorical Infinity out of a sense of duty and perhaps misplaced belief that he alone can or should bear this heavy burden.

All of Gojo's actions are about preserving the humanity of others at the expense of his own. That's precisely why he chooses to become the "monster" alone. In this way, Gojo is flawed but he isn't uncaring. Again, it's a matter of perspective.

Gojo sees strength as the solution because it's all he's ever known. However, recognising the strength of others doesn't mean that's all he sees — because Gojo knows that dehumanisation acutely. What's more, 261 also suggests he thinks of "strength" in different terms to others.

When they meet, Gojo tells Megumi not to get left behind. However, he later says he was "left behind" when Geto defected. We know Gojo's physical strength eclipsed Geto's, yet Gojo only refers to himself as "the strongest" alone after Geto dies.

Before that point, there's nothing in the text to suggest that Gojo ever stopped thinking of the pair of them as "the strongest" — as a unit, as a duo. This suggests that strength, for Gojo, is something much more intangible, much more sympathetic, and much more human too.

What do the strongest characters in JJK all have in common? Indomitable will, courage in their convictions, an overwhelming sense of self. Looking at strength through this lens shines a new light on Gojo's goal of raising "strong" allies.

When he forces a third option in Shibuya, Gojo proves that strength doesn't have to come at the expense of compassion. In the later chapters of the Shinjuku Showdown arc, Yuta, Yuji, and the rest of Gojo's allies reinforce that idea ten times over, and I have every belief that Megumi will soon do the same.

To suggest Gojo only saved Megumi for his technique is unfair when he has consistently proven himself committed to protecting the futures of others, even "weak" non-sorcerers who have nothing to offer him. Once again, it's all a matter of perspective.

Gojo's way of caring is still caring, even if it doesn't look familiar to you. His only flaw was closing himself off from others and choosing to care from afar. However, just like Gojo never stopped reaching for Geto after he left, Gojo's allies never stopped reaching for him.

There's a phrase we use to describe looking at things from another perspective: putting yourself in someone else's shoes. I think it's very telling that Gojo's allies have taken that literally — Yuta by stepping into his skin, and Yuji by standing in his place in 266.

TL;DR: Gojo cares a lot, actually. If Gojo talking about his innermost feelings can't make you empathise, and the students he supposedly "doesn't care about" recognising his burdens can't make you empathise?

Well, that says far more about you than it does about him.

Come read my fics about this!

In His Shadow explores the ways Gojo keeps his distance from Megumi, who isn't equipped with the tools he needs to reach him but finds his own ways to show he cares, born from ten years of history together.

Rivers Crossed, Mountains Scaled explores Gojo and Megumi's relationship through the vehicle of SatoSugu — why Gojo took him in, whether Gojo really gave him a choice, how Gojo sees him.

Hope you enjoyed the post! I love you, Gege Akutami ♥️

[achaotichuman]

*Laughs maniacally as I crack my knuckles*

Y'all mfing know what time it is.

Acotar rant time

And thank you @hieragalbatorixdottir for the suggestion of dicussion.

So straight off the bat, Feyre x Amarantha is better because it's sapphic, which automatically makes it 1000% better than feysand. But for the sake of discourse, we will continue.

Lets discuss Rhysand vs Amarantha's relationship with Feyre.

When Feyre learns of Amarantha in Acotar, she has freshly returned to Prythian, and is shocked to find her lover has been kidnapped and the place she now calls home has been raided and destroyed. Looking like a graveyard.

She is told of Amarantha through Alis who finally reveals everything to her. Along with Amarantha's story, that being of her sister and alluds to Amarantha falling into some kind of insanity from grief.

And Feyre extends empathy towards that. She acknowledges Amarantha's torment for losing someone so close to her. Feyre has sisters and can relate to the kind of pain of wanting to protect them.

When Amarantha and Feyre meet for the first time, there are no shields on their personalities. Feyre sees Amarantha truly and wholly, her whole person on her own terf. Feyre is showing her rawest, most vulnerable self, and is standing right up to her and not backing down. Taking no shit from her.

Amarantha is morally grey and content with her wickedness. She doesn't apologize for the things she does, nor does she try to justify them. She is there for her business and her business alone without any regard for others.

Now lets flip this around. Feyre met Rhysand in very dire circumstances too. She was in a vulnerable, raw environment, in a land she did not know, being threatened to be SAed by three men.

Rhysand came in and saved her, except unlike the meeting with Amarantha he hiding his true self, whereas Feyre is completely on display, shocked and no doubt in some emotional pain from the encounter. So already there is a power struggle right off the bat, except it lacks any real emotion from Rhysand's end.

Rhysand has the similar experience of losing his sister, but he never really shows any real grief for losing his sister, she is more or less a past unfortunate tragedy.

Rhysand is morally grey, but not really because he actually hates it, he was the secret hero all along and whilst he continues to do horrible things unforgivingly, its actually morally right because it's for the 'greater good.'

Comparing Rhysand to Amarantha, and the story Feysand attempts to convey, Amarantha is the better choice.

She is everything Rhysand attempts to be but pulling it off better and with a much hotter attitude.

Even Rhysand steals Amarantha's line 'Feyre darling'. Amarantha also succeeds in her conquests, whereas Rhysand routinely falls flat. Amarantha dreams big whereas Rhysand doesn't seem to have any kind of future really in plan. We see them going from 'we're going to be High King' to 'We'll only show favor to Velaris, and not even the rest of our lands'

Plus Amarantha and Feyre have much better banter, with Feyre being in an incredibly emotional environment and routinely going off at Amarantha, whilst Amarantha takes it all in stride, extremely curious towards Feyre's behavior. Aka, they have good tension throughout the entirety of their interactions.

Amarantha see Feyre go through victory and loss, and keeps throwing challenges at her to push her forward and Feyre throws it right back.

They have a push and pull dynamic that is lacking with Feysand, because Rhysand doesn't push nor pull, he merely exists and Feyre is drawn to him regardless of his actions.

Therefore, Feyantha, is better than Feysand.

[elusive-mayfly]

If there was one thing Nai never thought would happen, it's that he'd have any empathy towards a human. When that happened, the new "it will never happen" thought was that he'd fall in love with them. And when that happened too, it was already too late.

Nai's a complex man with many thoughts stored away in his mind. He's tactful. Nothing happens without having deliberately been thought out.

The Great Fall was mentally his undoing. He believed he was doing the right thing. He believed he was giving not only himself freedom, but his brethren. It didn't matter what stood in his way, he would face it and he would be victorious. And when his actions presented fruitful, there was no turning back.

He did what he set out to do. A chain of events were presented to him and there was no other option. A never-ending battle was presented to him and he was the crux. That never bothered him.

What did bother him was when he extended a hand to Rem, his own mother, she chose them instead of him. Whether or not Nai admitted it, he loved Rem in his own way and having her reject them was the nail in the coffin: if his own mother chose the monsters over her own sons, she was also a monster.

And when Vash chose the monsters immediately after, that was enough. The sacrificial act of saving them was not appreciated. That was proof enough that Vash had been manipulated and was too far gone, at least at that point. In time, Vash would come around. In time, Vash would open his eyes... just like Nai did. It was inevitable.

Nai hid his sorrow, burying it deeper and deeper until it was just a fragment of a memory. He might not have even realized he held that grief.

Whatever lingering feelings he had were a waste of time. The love he held for his brother was what drove him to continue, but other than that, he didn't need these useless human feelings. Was he disappointed Vash didn't immediately side with him? Yes. But it would all be rectified eventually, so why process those emotions at all? Nai would always protect his brother.

But that disappointment in both Rem and Vash's rejection would fester in ways he didn't realize.

The fateful day you two met, these disappointments came to light. It doesn't matter how it happened, or what happened at all. One act of kindness or empathy and Nai was immediately hooked, much to his dismay.

He was starved for some kind of positive reinforcement and he would continue to seek it out whether he realized it or not. He was crippled beneath the weight of your actions and surprisingly... he didn't want it any other way.

He spent a long time denying it. You were a human and therefor you were the enemy. He could kill you if he really wanted to... but he never did.

Eventually, he began feeling... empathy for you, something he never thought were possible. Was it an eye-for-an-eye mentality? Because you showed him kindness, he felt like he needed to do the same? Maybe not to the same extent, but...

Maybe it was the looming threat of your rejection. Nai had cared only for two people in the past and they rejected him. Could he handle being rejected again?

He wouldn't give you a chance to reject him. Ever. You want to live? Done. You want an apology? Begrudgingly, it will happen. You want attention? It will be done. You want... love? ... you can have it.

At first, he just believed you were the exception. All humans are disgusting abominations... except you. All the humans needed to die... except you. It took him a long time to accept that your empathy towards him was what made you human. Your humility towards him is what made you human. Your forgiveness towards him is what made you human. And maybe humanity wasn't... all bad...

Maybe a small part of his ideology was wrong.

Maybe.

Begging him to leave everything behind was excruciating. Asking him to give up everything he had worked for and everything he believed was asking him to give up every part of who he was. You were asking him to tear down a century of growth in the (possible) wrong direction. The humans needed to be punished for their misdeeds and he was the messenger. To deny the messenger the act of delivering justice was, in his mind, cruel.

What convinced him was the conceiving of your child. Neither of you knew if you could conceive until it happened. But when it did, there was no denying that he already betrayed his cause. Plants would always be superior. Plants would always deserve more. And humans were a product of destruction, and deserved just that...

... but the middle ground, this child of both plant and human blood, was such a beautiful sight to behold...

And the thought of killing you or the child was something he could not do.

How do you rid the planet of an entire species save two people? Because if you make the exception, where is the line drawn? Humans were filled with flaws such as hypocrisy, and Nai could not fall to these weaknesses else he become exactly what he despised.

So what do you do when you feel you are forced to give up your life's purpose? You find a new purpose.

And finally, the tale of Millions Knives was over. Gone without a trace. The looming threat of his return would always be present, but people could finally breath a sigh of relief... at least for now.

There wasn't a bone in this man's body that knew how to live a domestic life. When you don't need to eat, you don't cook. When you don't need to sleep, you don't dream. There were many things he felt were expected of him that he could not bring to the table. How do you provide what you have not had provided to you for over a century?

Running away from his problems would never be an easy answer. He was forced to lay down a lot of his pride and ego to be able to fit into this... quaint life that he never wished for but so desperately wanted to keep.

But he can learn. If a mere human could do it, so could he.

Eventually, he got used to lying beside you during the night. Despite not needing it, he would sometimes sleep... but most of the time, he'd lie awake and think many a thought.

Did he regret his actions? That was complicated. What he did was for the plants. For his brother. He would never regret his loyalty. He would never regret his beliefs.

But something would always gnaw at him knowing to hate all humans meant to hate you and his child, and he couldn't bring himself to do that.

He would never be able to take back what he had done, and in truth, he didn't want to. Whether that painted him as a villain or not didn't change his mind. He could never adapt a new line of thinking, not entirely.

You knew this. And he knew you knew this.

But the one thing he didn't know you knew... is in the middle of the night when the whole household was supposed to be sleeping, Nai would sneak out of bed.

Maybe it was a need to feel a connection to something he had lost. Maybe the child called to him in a way you couldn't hear. Something drew him from your side during the dark of night that begged him to hold your child.

And with the infant in his arms, the two would glow in the small nursery. The communication between plants that you could not hear but could see. It coloured the room with a dull blue light and lingered in your mind as a beautiful and comforting scene.

Nai would never tell you he did this. And as your child grew and eventually forgot these kindred moments, he would never tell them either. But the message he was trying to convey would always ring true: he would always protect his family.

[12pt-times-new-roman]

lore and character/class updates from tonight's episode:

Caes Mosor still stands as a massive, 11-story structure in the middle of the ruins of Molaesmyr. The cracks and fissures that run through the streets appear to emanate from it.

There are still bodies here, entangled with roots and mostly skeletal. They have been reincorporated with the voluminous, thriving corruption, creating twisted, almost beautiful murals and sculptures.

UNDEAD TREES!! (note, because I had to look it up: the trees that Caduceus encountered in the A2 crash site did not register as undead when he used eyes of the grave on them.)

There are also spores that permeate the air around the city, all coming from these twisting, vibrantly red trees that have bits of bone protruding from them. Their branches form hands, the bark has a semblance of eye sockets and a mouth. The Bells Hells can't tell if the trees are mimicking corpses, or if they once were corpses.

Frida knows the decompose cantrip!

FCG casts divination, and it appears to work. They hear the wind pick up, and it clears a path through the fog toward Ludinus' tower. Now, divination was among the spells listed by the Vellum Steeple as one that was tried unsuccessfully -- so are the gods settling into a new defensive position, and therefore mortals are able to contact them because they're stationary again? Or is it just that FCG in particular is being shown favor by the Changebringer? And if it's the latter, what does that say about the gods' favor to player-characters, and what does that say about fate and destiny when metaknowledge is considered?

The ghosts are doing a weeping angel thing, closing in on the group whenever they're not being looked at. They are elven in base structure -- angular features, long ears -- but their features are twisted and elongated.

Empathy domain clerics get divine strike instead of potent spellcasting at 8th level, implying that the subclass is more melee-oriented than range-oriented.

A winged creature watches them from Caes Mosor. Frida and Deanna see a creature with thin, leathery wings, with ribbon-like strands that trail from the 35-foot wingspan. Many, many taloned legs extend from the body, and there is no head -- just shoulders, a torso, and a bunch of legs.

The symbol of Molaesmyr is of a white tree, whose branches extend to the sky and whose roots encircle a white sun-like thing that's subterranean. (I'd put money on this being a depiction of a Luxon beacon.) The upper part of the crest is almost identical to the "elven" half of Uthodurn's crest.

Apparently "talking through some stuff" during a short rest can restore FCG's stress points.

Seething Storm is a reskin of either hunger of hadar, storm sphere, or conjure volley.

Dire wolf-like creatures are chasing the party, but their features and faces are elongated, almost like a mole. Their torsos and hinds extend into a serpent-like body that conjoin 30 feet later into one pair of hind legs, like a chariot pulled by 5 wolves.

Wait, Imogen have "infinite sending"? How, and since when?

Regardless, an 89 on a d100 allows the message to go through despite the leyline interference, due to the close proximity between her and FCG.

Deanna summons a spiritual guardian to protect the path they're taking as they climb up the Guildhollow Tower, and it looks like a big, angry, werewolf Chetney.

OHHHHH that creature is a "wolf king," like a rat king!

The inside of Ludinus' tower — the Guildhollow Tower — is mildewed, old, musty. Like the rest of the city, it's been picked through and looted by many, many people over centuries; there are bodies here, the remnants of a camp, all sundered, and much newer than the tower itself.

Has anyone written an academic paper about Matt's use of music in Critical Role, especially in mid-late C2 and C3? and if so, can someone write that? because there's so much mastery there it's insane

Even through the damage this room has sustained, there are elements of very expensive furniture and decoration, as well as patterns and designs that match Ludinus' vibes.

On the next floor, it appears that everything in here is crooked and tilted not because of someone throwing everything against the door, but because things were displaced in the blast. But again, the entire floor has been thoroughly looted.

Despite that, Chetney finds pieces of paper and cloth with elvish writing on them, mostly obscured by the root growth. Some has been torn off and taken, so it's broken up, but Deanna begins to read.

One cloth scroll is notes, self-written annotations, bullet points. "Patterns of arcana across cultures and time, Exandrian calendar patterns, repititions of magic, fonts of arcana that overlap with celestial events... noting where things continue to recur over long and short periods of time." This proves that Ludinus was studying the exact same thing in Molaesmyr as he is today: the movement and cyclical patterns of the leylines. It also bears resemblance to Ryn's research that the M9 found.

Another details "historical specialists, people to reach out to... names like Vatora, doesn't ring a bell; Laerryn, doesn't ring a bell; Vishtaron, doesn't ring a bell... there's also part of a small journal, a series of vellum pages torn from a religious tome. There are circles and notes talking about temple propaganda, inconsistencies and elements of religious rites that are contradictory and in of themselves proof that there is no real truth or plan in what the gods present. It looks like someone is preparing a speech, almost like an Exandrian TED talk, on what is wrong with the religious rites... you notice a heavy emphasis on the Matron, a lot of self-written notes about 'what's her name? I have to find her name. There is power in names.'"

Chetney finds a weird part of the wall, and by casting light at it, Deanna identifies it as an arcane lock that needs magic to open. This is very similar to the locks we saw on doors in Aeorian crash sites in C2. Frida vaguely recognizes the type of lock, but can't remember how to open it.

Chet climbs upward and plants his hand directly into a crimson cocoon, and the entire party watches as something pinkish-red begins to emerge, like an ooze of skinless flesh, a molasses of muscle — faces emerge from it, bestial maws that stretch out from it as it slams onto the stone in the center of the chamber. It has no form, like it hasn't decided what it wants to be yet... "it's drawing inspiration from you and whatever denizens of this city has walked its paths as these arms and tendrils and teeth begin to take form in this mass of chaotic, hungry, insane life that wishes to say hello to the new occupants of this tower."

[eretzyisrael]

by Dion J. Pierre

Dozens of members of Harvard University’s graduate student union have resigned in protest of its response to the Hamas terror group’s Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel and what they described as the union “repeatedly ignoring” concerns voiced by Jewish and Israeli members.

Since Thursday, more than 30 members resigned, according to the Harvard Crimson, the campus newspaper. The members were joined by over 70 other Harvard students who signed on “in solidarity” a letter that circulated social media explaining their decision to leave the union.

In the letter, the students said they were “profoundly disappointed” with the union’s actions since Hamas, the Palestinian terror group that rules Gaza, invaded Israel on Oct. 7, massacred over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped over 240 others as hostages. It was the deadliest single-day attack on Jews since the Holocaust.

Rather than pursue a “shared agenda of solidarity,” the union has “repeatedly ignored and derided the concerns of many of its Jewish and Israeli members,” according to the letter. “Despite becoming increasingly vocal on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, [the union] has at no point acknowledged, let alone condemned, the horrific attacks on Israeli civilians on and since Oct. 7. This refusal to extend empathy to Israeli and Jewish students at a time of escalating antisemitism is a shameful failure of solidarity.”

The students also cited the body’s delay in issuing a statement condemning antisemitism and Nov. 10 endorsement of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement, which seeks to isolate Israel from the international community as a step toward the Jewish state’s eventual elimination. Beyond endorsing the BDS movement on Nov. 10, the union also voted to sign a statement calling for a ceasefire in Gaza — a move that critics argue would allow Hamas terrorists to regroup to target Israel.

“Jewish and Israeli members and allies seeking to raise concerns in union meetings about campus antisemitism have been dismissed as ‘privileged,’ told they had ‘nothing at stake, unlike those students with family members now under attack,’ and accused of wielding ‘white supremacist power’ and being ‘complicit in genocide,'” the letter read.

The students noted that the graduate union recently signed a letter that referred to Israel as “the murderous Israeli regime” and accusing it of “ongoing genocide.”

Amid such hostility, the resigning students wrote, they have tried to “engage in good faith” but have reached their limit.

“For the last month we have engaged in good faith,” the letter continued. “At this point, however, it has become abundantly clear that HGSU-UAW [Harvard’s graduate student union] has no interest in supporting the safety and wellbeing of all students impact by the conflict. We are therefore left with no choice but to announce our resignation from the union.”

The graduate union is affiliated with the United Auto Workers labor union (UAW), which represents about 400,000 members including some graduate students and academic workers.

In a statement to the Harvard Crimson, HGSU-UAW Trustee Max Ehrenfreund responded to the resignations.

“These resignations are not merely symbolic, but materially limit the union’s capacity to advocate for its workers,” Ehrenfreund said. “For that reason, we will be reaching out to all of the resigning members to hear from them individually to understand how the union can better serve them and to figure out what we might be able to do to convince them to sign a card again.”

The union’s unofficial “BDS caucus” recently issued a statement deriding efforts to get the union to issue a more thorough statement condemning antisemitism, saying it “feeds into a right-wing narrative that paints the recent wave of protests and consciousness-building in the Palestinian struggle as ‘incidents of incitement and calls for violence against Jewish and Israeli students.'” (Are these a**holes kidding? EY)

Harvard has been a hub of controversy since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, with the school coming under fire for what Jewish and pro-Israel voices have described as allowing antisemitism and anti-Israel hatred to proliferate on campus since Oct. 7.

[clippy]

okay this is just gonna be a bunch of rambling so feel free to ignore this cuz it's mostly just me kinda venting and Processing feelings abt being objecto into the void

like okay. i am in a spot where i think i have a very complex relationship w my objecto-ness because of how it is currently manifesting itself in regards to the Clockboy Crush

like in the past, my main crushes that i would consider like, important, and in recent enough memory that they still affect me today, were

Clippy (who is a fictional character; he is sentient in his source but, again, fictional, so he cannot reciprocate feelings)

and Miles (my old car; a real object, but one that I owned and therefore i could essentially project whatever relationship i wanted onto us. realistically, i know he couldnt reciprocate, as he was not sentient irl, but something about him made it seem like he did love me back in a way. it's very complex and hard to explain to literally anyone who doesnt have my brain)

in both of their cases, i would selfship with them, draw them, personify them in certain ways, and have gijinkas of them

i think some extra context that is important is that the relationship i had with Miles is VERY different than the one i have w my current car, Lawrence, who has different vibes to me. like i genuinely get the feeling he only just. tolerates me. lmfao. he is so sexy to me but like, we do not gel like how me and miles did. (which again, is a weird thing to think about and kinda disproves the "oh objectos only want to be with objects because they cant reject them!" mindset in my case like bro why would i "headcanon" my car as not thinking im a sex god he's madly in love with)

anyway this is where the clockboy stuff gets. complex. like. OBVIOUSLY. i have a huge crush on him. i selfship w his objecthead design, and that does extend to his irl version to an extent. obviously, again, i realistically know irl he cannot reciprocate the feelings i have toward him

however... similar to miles, i do get a Vibe from him. there's been some coincidences that seem so specific that it's like. hard to shake that it's not something deeper... and again, i know deep down it's all in my head but at the same time... my hyper empathy toward inanimate objects has always made me instinctively think that most objects have *some* sort of soul.

it's all so complicated and confusing and hard to explain and it's two sides of my brain fighting each other at all times over this. i dont think either side is fully right.

and what sucks is like, when it's about Miles, it's easy to keep to myself and on the down low in a way. i was the only person on earth who would have possibly loved him in that way.... but Clockboy falls into public object territory. while the odds are low that anyone else feels the exact same way toward him, it's not impossible

im not like... opposed to the idea of "sharing" a public object but it's a really complex thing to me. like for him specifically, however, it makes me uncomfortable and i dont... understand why. jealousy is probably the closest word to what i would feel but it doesnt seem entirely accurate.

ive been extremely fortunate to see him irl more lately, and have had a couple experiences that i cant fully disclose (for privacy reasons. nothing weird, i promise. like if i got to be any physically closer than any other guest to him, you would already know it by now. but, just know i have connections and dont want to jeopardize things for anyone lol). like i mentioned there's just been a vibe to him. like part of me does think it is something deeper. but then i question if it's something he would do for anyone else... it's so hard to know.

i'd like to think im special to him, somehow. if he can feel that way about people. he is special to ME, and i just wish i could tell him and have him know it. i would give almost anything to have like, 2 minutes of back and forth communication between us to make sure he knows that.

at the end of the day i know none of that really matters and i should do what makes me happy. like spending time near him is "enough" for me i guess. i know i will never get to be any closer to him than someone standing near him in the queue line. i can never have any form of intimacy with him, no form of privacy. i will never get to own him in a way that lets me be with him everyday in a way that would "matter"

anyway i know this like. is not "normal person" behavior and i know this isn't like. entirely healthy mindsets to have. 90% of the time i dont even like, think about this stuff this deeply but it's on the mind tonight...

im not trying to like, compliment fish or anything, but the reason im posting it is i guess if any of my objecto followers have any like. words of advice or reassurance or something about public objects i wouldnt mind if u sent them my way

(also im kinda in therapy again so if i post this here, if it starts eating away at me, i can find my Thoughts again to read to my therapist if i ever tell her im objecto lmfao)

[phantasmaw]

Came to a realization earlier today at work that nothing scares Sovann (both in default verse & genpact verse) as much as a kind deity.

I could easily extend that to kind individuals in general, but considering their (insofar) fraught relationship with the divine and those perceived as divine, a kind deity is nothing short of terrifying for them. Cruel gods, impartial gods, distant gods, ambivalent gods, fair gods, quiet gods-- they know how to contend with those well enough. They won't default to violence the way they were taught purely out of spite, but that doesn't mean they won't antagonize. The genuinely kind ones, though, the ones who handle all matters in grace, who prioritize their followers but welcome those not of their faith with open arms regardless, who can look at filth and offer a gentle smile, those are the ones that petrify them to the point of immobility. Especially if that kindness is extended towards them. The fear doesn't creep in. It grips them all at once, it strangles them and fills them with nothing but frigid terror and panic. Because... why? Why, then, did all that have to happen? How are they supposed to contend with knowing kindness did (and does) exist, and yet things ended the way they did for both them and their siblings? Logically, they cannot wrap their head around that such cruel fates weren't deserved. Lowly creatures born of sin and night should be conquered, not cared for. Even if they refuse to accept that's how they were naturally born, that's what they were inevitably molded into. They should claw their way through all the wrong in the world to earn scraps thrown off the table. But they also deserve everything good in the world, don't they? A kind deity only further exacerbates the paradoxical dichotomy that they are stuck in: I am nothing and therefore I deserve everything, I am everything that could have been and therefore deserve nothing.

It also exacerbates their maladaptive responses to what most regard as basic social etiquette/empathy. They were conditioned to revile a world they wanted (and still desperately do want) to love. It makes them want to bite, maim, kill. Ironic, considering it would prove those long-dead false gods right. The only thing that would hold them back from going for the throat in those moments is that fear. What comes after kindness? They don't know. And it's not the unknown they fear, but the prospect of finding out. Naturally curious as they are, there were a great many things that were off-bounds for them-- that was chief among them. And it would be betrayal of the worst kind, wouldn't it, to thrive at the cost of the mercy they gave their siblings with sliced throats?

I know it's a bit of an elementary observation given the types of trauma Sovann holds, but kindness really does scare them. They don't know how to hold it. Especially not from anyone divine or anything touched by divinity. And, well, isn't nearly anything in the world touched by divinity in some way or another?

[clowngags]

Shipping with the Joker && Joker’s Sexuality

Joker essentially views people as mostly objects (she possesses very little if any human empathy), and therefore any person is a potentially sexual object insofar as they fulfill certain prerequisites (ie: physical attractiveness, flexible morality, willingness to take direction, threshold for violence, etc.). Subsequently, Joker can instantly become sexual with any person who hits these particular buttons for her– it doesn’t necessarily mean she plans to fuck this person, or even wants to fuck this person. I mean, it could mean she wants to fuck them, or it could mean she’s using her sexuality to manipulate them, OR it could mean she’s briefly considering how they might look suspended from the ceiling in a studded leather harness getting publicly gang banged by men in clown masks for her viewing pleasure. Who can say?? Joker’s sexuality is a bit like Schrodinger’s cat, in that she both does and does not want to fuck someone… until the time comes to open the box, and it is what it is.

Hence, Joker is likely to be sexual, or sexually intense, or say dirty things, or inappropriately touch (with the mun’s permission, ofc) another muse. It doesn’t necessarily mean she’s trying to get with them or start a ship or what have you. So I guess heads up (pun fully intended).

This brings me to my next point: on shipping. Joker may take a shine to someone and start fucking them regularly, but it doesn’t necessarily mean she’s developed any sort of emotional attachment to them. Often, her sexual partners are just talking sex toys to her.

If she does develop affection towards another human being (which does happen on occasion), sex does not necessarily have to be involved (it can, but it isn’t necessary). It really only means that this is her person now, and if anyone fucks with her person, it would be like someone threatening to key Joker’s car. I mean, can you imagine if some asshole was like “heyo, I’m gonna key your car”?? They’d have about six bullets in them before they hit the ground. Don’t fuck with her shit. Don’t fuck with her people, don’t fuck with her business. It’s not really out of a sense of chivalry so much as it is a bizarre ownership, and it may often extend to people within her employ.

Joker is capable of loving someone. It would be a very shallow love, though, and it would never, ever be healthy. I did originally develop this blog to ship with a Harley Quinn that no longer exists, so I do largely have that understanding of how a relationship, a real romantic relationship, with the Joker could theoretically work. Joker could love someone: if they were persistent, if they were absolutely devoted to her, if they would do ANYTHING for Joker and still were smart enough and deadly enough not to have to rely on her. But it would take a very twisted mind with an appetite for (self) destruction in order to get there.

[lionheartslowstart]

Is It Ableist?

(Disclaimer: I am not calling ANYONE mentioned in this post ableist, and I just know someone is going to read this and accuse me of that. Well, I’m not, so please don’t assign meaning to my words unless I literally say something.)

A lot of people don’t like me, and that’s fine. I’ve been that way pretty much my whole life - people either love me, or they hate me. I’ve yet to meet a single person who feels “meh” about me, and I’m okay with that. I’m loud, intense, blunt, and my dial is stuck on “authentic.” I’m not capable of being disingenuous, even if I wanted to be.

Unfortunately, something I’ve found is that, sometimes, people will decide they don’t like me because I don’t adhere to certain expectations, or rather, I communicate in a way they don’t like. Often times, my intentions go entirely misunderstood and the person in question refuses to hear me out or accept that they misunderstood me, because they essentially can’t accept that someone communicates in a different way than they, as in the majority, do.

A perfect example of this would be last fall, when I was hurt by the actions of a few classmates. I posted about it on facebook because I was hurt, and genuinely asking for advice. I didn’t use any names at all, and I tried to be as vague as possible while still sharing my feelings and asking for help on how to handle it. Apparently, some of my classmates saw the post and because extremely angry with me. Their response was to completely ostracize me and talk about me behind my back, some of them even becoming outright hostile towards me. I did try reaching out to one of the only classmates who still treated me like a person, and they responded by saying they didn’t recommend I reach out to anyone else, partially because my brand of expressing myself, aka sending long-ass paragraphs, was “overwhelming,” and partially because they believed everyone else just needed time to cool off first.

But here’s the thing, that’s literally how I express myself. I send long paragraphs at a time because I want to make sure nothing I say goes misunderstood. (You know, like how this whole mess started in the first place?) So, without realizing it, this person basically told me how I communicate is overwhelming, and therefore it would be better for everyone if I kept my feelings and explanations to myself. I’m sure that’s not how they meant it, and I’m sure their intentions were good, but that’s what they said, because I’m not capable of communicating differently. This is just another example of how autistic and allistic people speak a different language. I’ve gone my whole life being told my feelings are “too much,” or being punished because I’m misunderstood. It’s literally a lose-lose situation. No matter what I do, I’m always wrong.

Not only that, but the others never actually cooled down. Yes, there were maybe two people who grew a little warmer towards me, but no where close to how I was treated in the beginning of the semester. Overall, nothing changed. My texts went unanswered in the group chat, I was barely spoken to by any of my classmates unless absolutely necessary, and when I did directly address someone, there was a 50% chance I was met with open animosity. I finished the semester feeling alone, rejected, and, frankly, bullied. (And yes, I would consider extreme, intentional isolation a form of bullying.) It was like I was transported back to elementary school, minus the outright name-calling verbal abuse.

And yes, as time has passed, I can see their side more, and I can understand why they were hurt and upset by my facebook post. But to this day, I still don’t understand why they were so angry. I really, really can’t. Moreover, I can’t wrap my head around why they weren’t willing to hear my side, why they weren’t willing to forgive me, and most importantly, why they weren’t willing to extend any empathy towards me, or make an effort to understand my feelings at all, or why I made the choice I did. Why is it that the people who preach the most about empathy are always the last to show any? It felt very much like they just decided this one choice, this one action, was enough to prove I was a bad person and worth not only writing off completely, but worthy of outright vitriol? If I’m being honest, even though I do understand where they’re coming from, I honestly don’t think what I did was that bad. A conflict, sure. Hurt feelings, sure. But to be completely alienated and treated the way I was? I truly don’t understand, and I don’t think I ever will.

Another example is something I wrote about maybe a year ago, when one of my best friend’s other best friend told me she thought I was a bad person. I’m paraphrasing of course, but I don’t know if I could have taken it any other way. A recap: we had spent some time together with our mutual best friend over the course of several months, and she and I had started getting more comfortable with each other. She started encouraging me to be more comfortable in my own skin and embrace who I am. So I started doing just that. And after one day of my letting loose, she decided I was arrogant, selfish, and judgmental. And the only reason I found out was because I confronted HER. Instead of being honest with me, she was rude to me all day, snipping at me randomly over things I didn’t understand. Even my best friend was thrown for a loop. So I reached out to this person, asking if there was something I did that made her angry with me, and she let rip. I found it ironic that she would call me arrogant and judgmental, since she was judging me so quickly and again, without any further discussion from me. She also kept preaching about how there was no “one, universal truth or way to do things,” but also was speaking as if HER way was the one way. She even went as far to say that she pushed her friends to do things that she felt were better for them. That doesn’t sound humble to me. Something else that really got me was that she accused me of bragging all day? I can’t for the life of me think of what she was talking about. I know for a fact I wasn’t bragging, because when I do, I preface it by saying “I’m going to brag for a second.” (You know, because I’m so fucking self-conscious of how I come across.) Either way, this whole ordeal triggered a massive depressive episode. Once again, here is someone encouraging me to be vulnerable and to be myself, and the moment I do, they reject me. 

As I’ve said, it seems that no matter what choices I make, no matter how I communicate, I’m wrong. Damned if I do, damned if I don’t.

Where am I going with this?

Recently, I’ve seen a number of autistic people, especially unmasked autistic people, discuss how their relationships started suffering once they started unmasking. That suddenly their friends and loved ones started avoiding them, or acting strangely towards them. When they would call their loved ones out, and ask if it was because they were autistic, their loved ones would say, “No, of course not! I would never judge you for being autistic! You’ve just changed.” And then those people would go on to list a bunch of behaviors the autistic person engages in that they don’t like. And guess what? All of the behaviors they don’t like are related to being autistic! Then, of course, when the autistic person points that out, their allistic loved ones just won’t hear it, and accuses them of using their autism as an excuse, or insisting that their autism has nothing to do with it. This leaves the autistic person feeling frustrated, unheard, rejected, invalidated, and then like they’re stuck masking with these people if they want to keep those relationships.

Now, I’ve always said I don’t support the idea of “this is me, deal with it.” And that’s true. Work can always be done, people can always change if they want to. That said, this isn’t about willpower or hard work. Autistic people’s brains are wired differently. Period. We’re not using our autism as an “excuse.” We’re explaining that our brains literally work in a certain way, and that’s why we do the things we do. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure there isn’t currently a way to rewire the human brain, at least not without an expensive procedure and high risks of irreparable damage. (Not to mention the ethical implications.) Still, even with the autistic brain in mind, of course there are ways autistic people can compensate. (Duh, many of us have been doing it our whole lives.) In fact, I’m pretty sure autistic people are the LEAST likely to do the whole “screw you this is me” thing. Perhaps because we’re so used to compensating for others. We can absolutely make an effort to communicate the way our allistic loved ones need us to, or to curb certain behaviors that upset our allistic loved ones. But that’s the thing: It takes EFFORT. It’s hard. We need patience and gentle reminders, just like anyone else. The big difference is that, many of these are expected in allistics, and therefore not considered a challenge to adhere to. But for us, it is.

Furthermore, why are we always expected to go the extra mile for our allistic peers? Why is it that the responsibility always falls on us to force ourselves to engage in behaviors we wouldn’t normally, to essentially try to rewire our brains? How come the neurotypicals are rarely, if ever, willing to meet US halfway? I don’t buy that “well we’re the majority” crap. If you care about someone, or care about having a relationship with them, you should be willing to make compromises for them, period. Especially if we’re talking about literal brain function here. The bottom line is, I think neurodivergent people, especially autistic people, are taken advantage of. We’re told our whole lives that honesty is the best policy, that we should be ourselves, that we should always be empathetic and cut people slack. And then we’re punished for doing those things, and we are never afforded the same courtesies. Frankly, it’s bullshit. But that’s a whole other conversation.

The big question that I’m really trying to get to is this: Is it ableism for people to dislike someone because of their autistic traits?

I’m honestly on the fence with this one. After all, people are allowed to dislike someone’s personality. And since our brains are literally wired differently, that means our personalities are affected by that. While a person can make efforts to change their behaviors, it’s not like we can exactly change our personalities. My understanding is, once the core personality fully develops, that’s kind of it. So in that essence, it’s fair for allistic people to decide not to like us, since they are responding to our core personality traits. On the other hand, like I said, our brains are literally wired differently, meaning we have no control over how that affects our lives, including our personalities. Therefore, is it discriminatory to dislike someone for those same autistic traits? Is it akin to, “I’m not attracted to X/Y/Z race?” If it is, that means it’s a product of our society, rather than a problem within ourselves, the autistic people. Allistics, the majority, are taught that these traits are bad, and therefore, they quickly learn to dislike us. Maybe that means that aversion can be unlearned as we continue to progress as a society?

Like I said, I’m really on the fence with this one. I’m not going to sit here and say people aren’t “allowed” to dislike me, or that if someone doesn’t like me, they’re automatically ableist. Not at all. But I also do believe that a lot of the time, allistic people do end up disliking autistic people for reasons having to do with their autism, and that’s not right. I’m sure there’s a line somewhere, but we haven’t quite figured out where that is.

[bwhitex]

Components of the ARC Triangle through a Jungian Lens

Introduction

I just got back from going to a Meetup group that was focused on relational health where they talked about many different therapeutic principles. They introduced the ARC triangle, which comes from Scientology, during this group. It is a model created by L. Ron Hubbard that puts emphasis on Affinity, Reality and Communication as necessary factors for understanding and improving human relationships. Because I wondered how this might intersect with Carl Jung’s work in analytical psychology, I decided to look it up more deeply. His theories of collective unconsciousness and archetypes provide much insight into interpersonal dynamics within relationships as part of his broader framework for understanding them in general through this lens alone should have been enough to intrigue anybody who was listening closely but even so also mine too at least just slightly more than usual given what we were talking about here today – And so if we can somehow manage integrate these ideas together then not only would it lead us towards better comprehension around the whole thing but also open up new areas where such understanding might be applied; or at least that’s what I thought before beginning my investigation anyways. So essentially what I’m aiming for with this project is an attempt at merging some practical aspects found within Scientology together alongside deeper psychological insights coming out from Jungian thought patterns themselves.

   Affinity

Affinity within the ARC triangle as viewed through a Jungian perspective is emotional and psychological connection echoing archetypes engrained in people. According to Jung (1964), these connections are rooted in collective unconscious which serves as a storehouse of inherited human experiences and archetypes. Such affinity may be manifested when similar archetypal patterns occur invoking natural ties between individuals. The resonance – not only emotional but deeply psychological- that creates these connections can shape interpersonal dynamics. A more essential type of closeness can be reached by intuition and empathy between individuals leading to deeper relationships. Jungian theory implies that acknowledging and connecting with these unconscious elements may enhance emotional bonds that are critical for meaningful relationships, thus, exploring affinity from a Jungian standpoint encompasses understanding how our emotional links are shaped by affectional influences of archetypes and contents of the collective unconscious.

   Reality

In terms of jung’s point, reality in the arc triangle refers to shared understandings or agreements on symbolic or archetyapl levels among two or more persons. Symbols were highly valued by Jang (1959) in accessing deeper layers of psyche which formed basis for common reality perception. This common reality transcends factual agreement into mutual acknowledging complex often subconscious mental processes. Incorporating such symbols will lead to greater degree of mutual understanding among people involved. This jungian notion about reality suggests that true accord should bring together internal worlds of various individuals through using common symbolism language within them; this way communication becomes stronger improving understanding therefore allowing genuine interactions between people.So, establishing a shared reality in Jung’s terms means aligning ons inner symbolic landscapes so as they can deepen ad enrich our interpersonal connections.

  Communication

According to Carl Jung, communication involves more than just exchanging conscious ideas; it extends to sharing subconscious contents and emotions. He posited that proper communication goes beyond the conscious mind into the unconscious where our true intentions and feelings lie (Jung, 1960). In light of this, good communication must therefore connect the different parts of an individual’s psyche between awareness and unawareness thus fostering deeper comprehension as well as relationship. This process encompasses not only words but also symbols’ meanings and emotional undertones attached to them which are expressed or interpreted during conversations. Such an approach helps people align their worlds better thereby strengthening their closenesses too. Implied by this theory is the need for honest understanding through integration of hidden messages into dialogue in order to achieve genuine connection based on Jungian thought. Thus, making improvements towards communications from jungian perspective means creating a climate that allows for open sharing of both manifest and latent materials.

 Interrelationship in the ARC Triangle from a Jungian Perspective

Enhancing Communication in a Jungian context means more effectively bridging the conscious and unconscious realms, which enriches both Reality  and Affinity. By conveying not only conscious ideas but also unconscious feelings and symbols, individuals can achieve a deeper mutual understanding and connection. Increasing Affinity, according to Jung, involves recognizing and resonating with the archetypal patterns that emerge in interactions, which enhances communication and establishes a stronger shared Reality. This shared reality is not just about agreeing on external facts but involves aligning deeper psychological and symbolic understandings. Such alignment facilitates not only better communication but also strengthens the emotional bonds between individuals, thereby enhancing overall relational dynamics. Therefore each component of the ARC triangle supports amplifies others thus leading to holistic improvement in interpersonal relationships.

  Conclusion

Looking at affinity reality communication triangle through jungian psychology lens allows us see how these three elements interact within human relationship systems . When we take into account collective unconsciousness from Jung’s work alongside archetypal patterns as seen in ARC configuration ,it becomes clear that there is more depth to interpersonal dynamics than what meets eye. This approach not only connects two major psychological perspectives but also enables people have closer and meaningful connections with others. Exploring these ideas either during therapy or personal growth can enhance one’s self awareness while dealing with other people . Therefore as we continue investigating on these points it will help us understand better relational health practices thus giving us applicable tools towards our own development as well as professional therapeutic intervention.

References:

Jung, C. G. (1959). The archetypes and the collective unconscious. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Jung, C. G. (1960). Psychological aspects of the mother archetype. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press

Jung, C. G. (1964). Man and his symbols. London: Aldus Books.

[queenslandartschool24]

Sculpting Success: How Art Education Shapes Children's Abilities?

Art education plays a crucial role in the overall development of children. It goes beyond just being a creative outlet; it has numerous positive impacts on their cognitive, emotional, and social well-being. This blog explores some of the key benefits of children learning art.

Firstly, Art Class in Brisbane enhance cognitive development. Engaging in artistic activities stimulates the brain and encourages critical thinking skills. When children participate in art classes, they are encouraged to observe, analyze, and interpret the world around them. This process helps them develop problem-solving abilities and enhances their visual-spatial skills. As well as promoting imagination and creativity, art encourages children to think outside the box.

Secondly, art education has a positive impact on emotional development. A child's emotions can be expressed safely and expressively through art. Through various art forms, children can channel their feelings, whether it be joy, sadness, or anger, into a tangible creation. This process helps them develop emotional resilience and self-awareness. Moreover, engaging in art activities promotes relaxation and reduces stress levels, allowing children to express themselves freely and find solace in their artwork.

Thirdly, to cognitive and emotional benefits, art education also fosters social development. Art class in Brisbane provide children with opportunities to collaborate, communicate, and interact with their peers. Whether it be through group projects or art exhibitions, children learn to share ideas, listen to others, and work together towards a common goal. This cultivates their social skills, such as teamwork, empathy, and respect for others' perspectives. Art also acts as a universal language, transcending cultural and linguistic barriers, allowing children from diverse backgrounds to connect and appreciate each other's artwork.

Fourthly, learning art nurtures self-esteem and self-confidence in children. As they explore different art forms and experiment with various techniques, children gain a sense of accomplishment and pride in their creations. Art classes provide a supportive environment where children's efforts are recognized, fostering a positive self-image and boosting their confidence. This newfound confidence can extend beyond the art classroom and positively impact other areas of their lives.

Conclusion Art education has numerous positive impacts on children. It enhances cognitive development, emotional well-being, social skills, self-esteem, and cultural appreciation. By nurturing creativity, critical thinking, and self-expression, art classes provide children with valuable skills that can benefit them throughout their lives. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize and encourage art education for children to unlock their full potential.

[codenamesazanka]

I feel like I can’t stress enough how important Spinner is to the ‘My Villain Academia’ arc, and how badly I need BONES to give him the attention and care in portraying him that he deserves. BONES have been pretty faithful to the manga, they’ve followed the story and brought each scene on the page to the screen... Except for some reason not when it comes to the Villains. Maybe it’s because arguably the Villains wasn’t the focal point of the show and they weren’t what most viewers watched the show to see; fine, but that was the case in the beginning and no longer.

Shigaraki Tomura, his exploits, his character, his story *is* the manga: the Heroes and protag react mainly to him and his actions, his past and motivations is one of the main factors that caused the current central conflict, and resolving his character arc is what will probably bring the whole series - to its end or near end. Yeah, imo I argue that everything about him moves the plot along.

Unfortunately(?), I think Horikoshi-sensei realized/decided/planned this a bit too late in his pacing. He said himself during the Stain arc or so that at first, he wasn’t planning on doing villain profiles - he wanted the villains to be scary.

But for the time being, I have no intention of writing about [the villains]. I do the introductions because l personally like those sorts of behind-the-scenes things, and also because I want my readers to feel a connection to the characters. But with villains, I decided I can't have them too likable. They're supposed to be terrifying.

Often it’s what we don’t know/understand/predict/expect (and therefore can’t get a grasp on) that makes things scary/uncomfortable/dislikable. The Villains were strange, seemingly erratic and incomprehensible in their behavior and motivations, malicious without rhyme or reason. Even now, I think a lot of people still think they’re just ‘completely evil crazy psychopaths’.

Anyways, the quote from him is from Volume 7. A whole bunch of volumes later in Vol. 23, he decided nvm: “The story has evolved beyond that point, so I'm ready to start doing villain profiles.” As he said himself, the profiles are to help the readers connect with the characters, make them relatable and likable. That’s what My Villain Academia is all about in the meta sense - to demystify Shigaraki Tomura and his ragtag chaos friends, to give them depth, and to induce interest in their stories, if not sympathy. Hype them up for the rather major roles they play in this ‘final arc’ of the series.

Enter Spinner, the lizard ninja guy.

Besides his unusual looks, Spinner is really, truly nothing special. He’s got a weak quirk, he holds no title of being the strongest or smartest or whatever member of the League, he’s not related by blood or thematically to any major players in the main conflicts, and his ‘tragic’ backstory is completely mundane compared to his allies - he was bullied as a child, and so is fueled by resentment. In the events leading up to the start of the arc, Spinner is the most moral and understandable of the Villains - has a ‘good’ reason for his crimes (eradicate corrupted Heroes), has standards on who he’s willing to fight (questions attacking the police and anyone with a ‘true heroic spirit’), and wants a concrete game plan instead of aimless discord the rest of the League seems alright with.

Once the arc starts, we immediately learn the basics of his character - he’s got a heteromorph quirk that makes his appearance a humanoid gecko and it’s something he was born with that he can’t control, and yet he faces discrimination from literal KKK-type cultists who refuse to see him as human. This was more or less his life in his small, rural hometown, harsh enough that his heart had become ‘completely empty’. It’s simple, it’s relatable and an realistic analogy anyone who has faced prejudice and harassment and been hurt by it can understand.

All this is so Spinner ends up being the most normal and typical sympathetic of the League of Villains, which sets him up to be a sort of ‘gateway Villain’. It’s why he’s narrator. He doesn’t understand at all the crazy All For One shenanigans, he’s thinks Shigaraki is an incompetent weirdo, and he asks what we were all thinking: “Shigaraki Tomura, what the fuck are you doing.” Quite obviously, Spinner’s meant the audience surrogate and so he is. That being a core of the way the story of My Villain Academia is told means it needs be followed by the anime adaption.

This core sets up the rest of the arc - sets up how we will come to view Shigaraki Tomura and his backstory, alongside the rest of the League Villains, their relationships and dynamics with each other, and who they are at heart. Shigaraki’s telling of his distorted origins in Chapter 222 is horrifying as it is already; but it’s Spinner’s worried-facial-expressions reactions littered throughout the chapter that adds to it by telling us one major thing: Spinner’s an empathetic guy, because he immediately feels a kindred spirit with Shigaraki when the latter talks about the hollowness he feels. So begins the audience surrogate’s change of opinion and us readers going along with it, and also: that Shigaraki Tomura now has Spinner’s concern and attention - and is deserving of it.

Pardon the sudden heavily edited quote, but CS Lewis says,

Friendship arises...when two or more of the companions discover that they have in common...which, till that moment, each believed to be his own unique [burden]. The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like, "What? You too? I thought I was the only one." ...And instantly they stand together in an immense solitude.

That’s almost word for word Spinner in that moment, suddenly realizing he’s no longer as alone as he thought. He’s no longer as alone, and this means perhaps neither should Shigaraki. Because established in that very chapter, too, is the hate in Shigaraki’s heart fueled by his grief and despair, the loss of his family, past, and faith in others, his misery of thinking he’ll never feel good again. Yet - there’s Spinner, willing to extend some empathy and care, the very antidote to all that Shigaraki had revealed. Because the desire for companionship (or at least the lessening of the pain of loneliness) is universal, even among villains - maybe especially among these villains - we probably love to see it. Want to see it.

On that basis - friendship borne out of empathy - Spinner puts his faith his leader, puts his trust and support, and the rest of the arc is us following the tension of whether he was right to do so. Whether Shigaraki would live up to what Spinner expects of him, whether Spinner will side with Shigaraki despite their earlier conflict. Whether they could become friends, or something like that. And once they do, the consequences of this as things spiral more and more out of control, beyond this arc - that Spinner would know Shigaraki well enough to do something crucial at the turn of a battle later, that Spinner would stick by Shigaraki’s side when he’s in danger, that Spinner is loyal enough to Shigaraki to help him as a friend should.

Through Spinner, we come to see Shigaraki, originally incomprehensible and terrifying, as someone beyond a Villain or a leader, but rather someone valued as a person, a friend, a fellow silly gamer nerd. He’s still scary, of course - just less so, with a seed of doubt of his doom that Spinner - and only Spinner, by virtue of his specific narrative and emotional role in this arc - planted in their characters and the story.

It’s because of Spinner that MVA works, by itself, and as a stepping stone towards the rest of the series. So he really needs to be everything he is, was, and more in the anime adaption please BONES oh my god please

[cancerjupiter]

🔥 fire moons 🔥

aries moon

Probably the simplest, most bluntly honest and emotionally direct of all the Moon signs, they tend to be single-minded when involved in their latest enthusiasm, not liking to be bothered (least of all by “emotional” distractions or someone else’s “personal needs”). Most of them will have thousands of such interests in their lives, each of which takes on a feeling of pressing importance and tremendous urgency … until they lose interest when the source of excitement is no longer new. Very action-oriented and thus often a bit pushy, they frequently react impatiently, even when they are not nearly so annoyed or irritated as others may assume from their explosive behavior. Aries above all needs new challenges throughout their lives. Often fearless, the one fear Aries Moon does have is fear of boredom. They always need a new challenge.

They are usually poor listeners, not just because of their obsessive self-interest but also because they tend to jump to conclusions (unless they have, say, lots of Gemini or Libra in their charts, in which case the result is people who can be superb at “active listening”—quickly grasping the essentials and energetically giving lots of instant feedback). Actually, as one perceptive woman with Aries Moon pointed out to me, they need to feel that they are not influenced by others, and therefore they appear not to be listening to others’ advice or observations. And yet, months later, they may inadvertently reveal that they heard it very well and even reflected on it and accepted it later.

Easily bored, restless, rather self-centered, they are by nature competitive—even though many of them don’t like to acknowledge it. They simply have to be the best at everything! As one woman wrote, “Two women I know with Aries Moon are domineering. They think they know all the answers, and that they are always right” (AQ). However, even though instinctively competitive, they do not tend to hold a grudge since they move on to their next interest so quickly—unless they see the other person as an enemy to their freedom who is trying to control or limit them. They are in fact extremely self-sufficient; they prefer independence and the freedom to act without restriction and rarely seek any kind of input from others.

Women with Aries Moon (or Sun for that matter) often use “toxic masculinity” at least in a gentle, non doctrinaire way, because they respect strength and competitiveness, and thus have little time for weeping and moaning from others.

Men with Aries Moon tend to expect a lot from women. In women it gives a strong sense of purpose and freedom.

A thirty-year-old female wrote the following about men with Moon in Aries:

“They seem to totally involve their attention in a very direct and powerful way in the scrutiny of new “data,” often to the extent of monopolizing conversations or others’ attention until their interest wanes or changes focus. They’re also very self-centered: their ideas, their action, their feelings come first, and they don’t usually have a lot of empathy for the needs or feelings of others; they’ll listen, but they’re not consistently good with feedback or support.”

Aries Moon can be outspoken and tactless. Their emotional reactions to stimuli seem raw, completely spontaneous and uncensored.

leo moon

Those with Leo Moon react warmly, generously, and often with enthusiasm and/or humor. There is a childlike simplicity about them, and in fact their notable pride often resembles that of a child as well. These people need recognition and demonstrative affection, and their pride is often hurt if such attention is not given in sufficient and public ways. Like all the fixed signs (Taurus, Scorpio, and Aquarius being the others), Leo is a sign of extremes; and it is therefore difficult to paint a balanced picture of their personal tendencies. They are often shallow and prone to flattery, and yet they have considerable personal integrity, which is not usually compromised. Needing to live up to a big and rather dramatized image of themselves, the Leo Moon person can be rather a show-off. But they do it with such innocence and high expectations that they are often forgiven for their tendency toward self-absorption and dramatization. In fact, it seems they are so in need of attention and so childlike themselves that in very few cases do they have room for children in their lives, even though they often have a natural way with kids and can be great parents. Although not a scientific fact, all the Leo Moons I can think of offhand have either no children or only one child.

They can be loyal, sometimes blindly loyal to the point of foolish behavior that has a negative impact on everyone concerned; and they can be generous (but they do not mind if others notice their benevolence). Shortsightedness is perhaps one of Leo Moon’s worst faults. Some “cannot see past the ends of their noses” and are so self-absorbed that they do not even notice others’ reactions to their sometimes obnoxious, grandiose behavior. This shortsightedness surprisingly extends to their understanding of their own potential. It has always amazed me how many Leo Moon people (with innate talents and ability in abundance!) sell themselves short and wind up worldly failures in comparison to what they had the ability to do. I cannot help but suspect that one reason for this is that their huge pride prevents them from ever listening to (or asking for) honest feedback about themselves. Perhaps they secretly fear that they are not quite up to their self-image. They are known for being insulted easily, so they naturally do not want to expose their fragile ego to criticism, no matter how well-intentioned. But unless they develop a deeper self-understanding and the ability to accept authentic personal communication from others, they may remain engaging in their earnestness and simplicity, but it can eventually wear thin, like a person who never grows up.

Leo Moon people have a capacity for encouraging others that can be extremely supportive and strengthening in a crisis. They can be as solid a support system as one could ever want, but in other cases they seem fanatically convinced that they are having a great, positive impact on others (regardless of the truth) and they want to be thanked for it. Being admired is a central need in many with this Moon placement. (Note that Leo Moon is much more passive than Leo Sun, who is usually busy creating and doing.) There is a deep-down feeling of needing to live up to an image of bigness and greatness, even if they wind up resenting others for not noticing all that they have given. In short, the vast range of Leo Moon personalities evokes extreme reactions, and they are probably included in anyone’s list of people whom one has either deeply loved or strongly resented! Note the extreme and varied qualities noted about Leo Moon in this questionnaire response:

“People with the Moon in Leo always like to be on top of things. They like attention and some can be easily appealed to through the ego. Moon in Leo makes for dynamic personal expression. These people tend to make their presence felt.… the person often tries very hard to make others see them as somebody special, getting mixed reactions from others. While tending to be somewhat opinionated these people can make good listeners, can be very concerned, very caring even if a little overbearing. Moon in Leo is gregarious, dynamic, and can be very creative.”

Another perceptive observation about them:

“Moons in Leo are emotionally melodramatic. They’re easily upset, and tend to get fixated on what they’re feeling, sometimes to the point that their feelings become a major issue in which everyone around them has to participate. They like the excitement of having everyone’s attention on them, even when the price for that is an argument or some kind of conflict. Once they’ve satisfied themselves that they have everyone’s full attention, they’ll usually happily drop the issue and magnanimously allow someone else the “spotlight.” They’re performers.”

sagittarius moon

Tolerant, broad-minded, with a buoyant attitude toward life, those with Sagittarius Moon are idealistic by nature and instinctively react with a philosophical attitude toward any setback, knowing that the future (not the past!) is what matters. They are most comfortable when exploring ideas, ideals, or outdoor places and love a sense of freedom without limits. The distant horizon is always felt as more appealing than the here and now. They particularly need mental freedom (including religious and spiritual room to improve themselves), since their aspirations are not just high but boundless. In fact, the term “upbeat” was invented by a Sagittarius Moon! As one Sag Moon woman always repeated as her mantra, “I see the glass as half-full, not half-empty.” They like to entertain groups of people with their humor. In fact, they want to say yes to every opportunity; they want to feel that life is unbounded by any limits, and so they tend to instinctively promise far more than they can ever deliver. They assume, I suppose, that everyone else forgets as many immediate details as they do, a habit that backfires when angry friends and colleagues confront them demanding to know why the promise did not follow through. As a questionnaire reply asserted, “A need to be all things to all people” characterizes Sagittarius Moon. Generosity and “bigness” are dominant factors in their lives and in their sense of reality and self-image.

Sagittarius is the sign most likely to be oblivious to the realities right in front of them that are obvious to everyone else, so focused are they on the distant goal. Since the road to hell is paved with good intentions, Sagittarius Moon people need to be sure that their goals and ideals are grounded in what is truly possible. They do need a large guiding vision to motivate them in life, but they also need periodic times of self-examination to assess whether they are themselves living up to their ideals. They like to preach to others (usually “helpfully,” in their view), but if something does not work out, well, that is not their problem. Sagittarius Moon people rather dislike the heaviness of daily “reality” and personal or emotional problems.

They have difficulty handling any criticism and often in fact become more indignant than any other sign—a pride that is usually hidden and often surprises others who take their positive, happy demeanor at face value. As Donna Cunningham wrote, “The things that set Sagittarius Moon people off are having one of their pet theories or convictions demolished”. This pride, manifesting at times as a rather exalted view of oneself (perhaps as the only one who can reveal the “truth”), is part of the dualistic nature of Sagittarius, the symbol for which is the centaur—half horse and half human. Sagittarius has the lifelong task of integrating their more idealistic nature with their more unrefined, impulsive, egocentric tendencies. At their worst, they are so proud of their “honesty” (sometimes viewed by other people as tactless bluntness) and of their own moral or intellectual righteousness that—unless more humble or sensitive factors are also dominant in the chart—they can be so uncompromising in their mode of expression that they are often perceived as inconsiderate and unnecessarily hurtful.

Perhaps the key for Sagittarius Moon people to feel authentically at home with themselves is to apply their honesty to themselves as bluntly as they express it to others! They often think too highly of themselves and want to project an admirable image to others. They like to feel idealistic and upstanding, but if they look at themselves honestly, they often have to admit that they are not as impeccably honorable as they like to think; for they can rationalize their behavior as well as anyone when it is convenient or advantageous to do so. Sagittarius Moon is thus a good example of the fact that how people feel about themselves (always directly related to the Moon in anyone’s birth chart) is not necessarily how others see them and their behavior.

A couple quotations from questionnaires can round out this description of Sagittarius Moon:

“Easygoing, gets along with and accepts strangers without discrimination—though sometimes self-righteous and snobbish. Independent emotionally, doesn’t seem to need so much from one as they can get from many.”

“Moon in Sagittarius can be very high-minded, they respond very actively to life. These people can try to push others or just be domineering in general. They can be a little pushy but this is generally out of enthusiasm. For both sexes, can be very direct. For men—very honest in attitude, they say what is on their mind. For women this is also a very blunt placement. Both sexes can often be tactless; they speak the truth as they see it and figure that others should just accept it no matter how hard it is to swallow.”

[heniareth]

For astala 🌲🌻

Thank you so so much for these questions XD It has been so much fun to answer them and I have discovered several things along the way. Without further ado, here are the questions and the answers:

🌲 How deeply does your OC feel? Are they typically empathetic or do they have a hard time connecting with others in this way? What are they like when offering support and comfort to someone they care for?

Astala feels deeply and with great immediacy (there is a personality model/proto-psychological theory (as Wikipedia puts it) called the four temperament theory. It describes four types of people (sanguine, choleric, melancholic and phlegmatic) defined by whether or not they feel feelings intensely and how quickly they experience an emotional reaction to a given event. Astala scores high in both areas and would therefore be a choleric person)

She is also pretty empathetic, which coupled with the intensity of her emotions makes for some intense emotional life

She has learned to differentiate between her own and other people's emotions pretty well however, and maintain a distance between both. This is good, because otherwise things would get VERY confusing or others' emotions might figuratively run her over

(It doesn't always work. Sometimes she gets snappish at people because she feels them get angry at her even though she's done nothing to merit that anger in her eyes. The other person meanwhile might not even be aware yet that they're angry)

But because of this she's very good at figuring out what kind of mindset people are in. It has, for example, helped her when she worked at the tavern and needed to figure out what that patron in front of her wanted (aka. if the shem in front of her was trouble or not)

It's very useful to figure out what's going on with people, try to understand them and figure out how to best help

And Astala tends to try and help if there's no ill intent in the other person. She just doesn't always know how to. With friends and family it's not hard because she knows them well and can read them easily. Here she often jumps straight into action bc she knows what to do.

With strangers or acquaintances she prefers to maintain some distance and, rather than do a lot of guesswork, ask what they want If they don't know what they want, she'll listen in the hope that they'll discover it as they go. If they don't figure it out... well, they've tried

She is, however, not one to get sad or angry alongside with somebody. She doesn't mirror the emotion back. It's theirs and theirs to deal with. She helps if she can, but her empathy doesn't extend to the point where she takes on the other person's emotions

In fact, she actively tries to stay calm when somebody else is upset so they can lean on her instead of suddenly having to deal with her emotions as well as their own

This has been a bit of brainstorming, so maybe my writing will contradict me in the future? But I feel like I have a relatively solid grasp on Astala, so I'd like to think most of this will remain true, in one way or another. Also this has become somewhat psychological, which I enjoy XD

Off to question number 2!

🌻 What little things do they notice about people or the world around them that make them happy? What tiny little treasures do they find in the normal every day that makes the world seem a little brighter for them?

Astala isn't good at seeing the silver lining when she's in a situation that is, for one reason or another, uncomfortable. She'll perceive it as bad and write it off as such. Because of that, little things that make her happy really depend on the moment

But there is one things that make her happy regardless of what kind of day she's having, and that is acts of kindness from other people (towards her or towards somebody else). Those can lift her spirits even in the darkest moments

When she's having a good day, however, she's very appreciative of good food, a fun song or story, colorful flowers, the breeze when it carries a nice smell, or a garment made out of nice fabric. Basically things that look, sound, taste, feel and smell nice

(If she had to pick favorites, it'd probably go as follows: plums or meat (or both together in a stew!) as her favorite food, the night air by the sea as her favorite smell, pebbles being dragged over rocks by the waves as her favorite sound (it sounds like this), the endless starry night sky as her favorite thing to look at, and for touch, she'd probably being fully submerged in water and feeling the current pass you by)

Those things make her happy, but the real treasures are good moments with people she loves: the acts of kindness mentioned above, a conversation, a hug or some help while doing her hair, sharing a story, a song or a laugh, those are the daily occurrences that Astala treasures. She's very much a people person

This was a challenging question because Astala isn't very big on getting cheered up by the little things the way I am. I had to turn this around in my head for a bit before I got the answer, but it makes me get to know her all the better

Thank you so much for both questions!!

[aces-to-apples]

Your Reputation Precedes You

A response to “On Fandom Racism (and That Conlang People Are Talking About)” because lmao that cowardly bitch just hates getting feedback from people that she can’t then harass into oblivion

i.e. God I Wish I Could Use The Tag Fandom Wank Without The Titty Police Nerfing My Post

-

To be frank, I'm not here because I think you or any of your little cronies are going to change your minds. If the 'name' wasn't a giveaway, your group of ~likeminded individuals~ have quite the reputation for espousing ableist, antisemitic, and, yes, racist views under wafer-thin the veneer of "calling out racism." I think we both know that what you're actually doing is using the relative anonymity of the internet and progressive language to abuse, harass, and bully fans that you personally disagree with. You and your group are toxic, hateful, and utterly pathetic, using many peoples' genuine desire to avoid accidentally causing harm and twisting it into this horrid parade of submissiveness to You, The One And Only Arbiter Of Truth And Justice In Fandom. Never mind that you have derided autistic people as lacking compassion and empathy, that you've used racist colonizer dogwhistles to describe a fictional culture based heavily on real live Maori culture, that you've mocked the idea of characters having PTSD, or that vital mental health services are anything more than "talking about your feelings with friends uwu." Let's just ignore that you have ridiculed the idea of adults in positions of power exerting that power over children in harmful and abusive ways, that creating transformative fan-content that doesn't adhere to the spirit of canon or wishes of the original author garners derision and hatefulness from you, and that you've used classic abuser tactics in order to gaslight people in your orbit into behaving more submissively towards you in order to avoid more verbal abuse.

Let's toss all of that crucial context aside in favor of only what you've written here.

What you've written here is nearly 3,000 entire words based on, at best—though, admittedly, based on your previous behavior, I am actually not willing to extend to you an iota of good faith—fallacious reasoning. You posit that a constructed language, to be used by a fictional religious group located in an entirely different galaxy than our own, is othering, racist in general, and anti-Asian specifically. This appears based in several suppositions, the first being that a language unknown by the reader will, by nature, cause the reader to feel alienated from the characters and therefore less sympathetic, empathetic, and caring towards the characters. That idea is patently ridiculous and, I believe, says far more about your ability to connect to a character speaking an unfamiliar language than any kind of overarching truth about media and the human condition. New things are interesting; new things are fun; the human brain is wired from birth to be fascinated with new things, to want to take them apart, find out how they work, and enjoy both the process and the results.

The second supposition this fallacy is based upon appears to be that to move away from the blatant Orientalism of Star Wars is inherently anti-Asian. While I find it... frankly, a little bit sad that you cling so viciously to the Orientalist, appropriative roots of Star Wars as some form of genuine representation, that's really none of my business. If you feel that a Muslim-coded character bombing a temple and becoming a terrorist and a Sith, a white woman wearing Mongolian wedding garb, a species of decadent slug-like gangsters smoking out of hookahs and keeping attractive young women chained at their feet (as it were), a species of greedy money-grubbers with exaggerated features and offensively stereotypical "Asian" accents, and an indigenous people wearing modesty garb based on the Bedu people and treated by most characters as well as the narrative as mindless animals deserving of murder and genocide are appropriate representation of the many, varied, and beautiful cultures around the world upon which they were "based," then that is very much your business. Until you pull shit like this. Until you accuse other fans, who wish to move away from such offensive coding and stereotypes, of erasing Asian culture from Star Wars. Then it becomes everyone's business, especially when you are targeting a loving and enthusiastic group of fans who are pouring their hearts and souls into creating an inventive and non-appropriative alternative to canon.

Which leads into the third supposition, that a patently racist, misogynistic white man in the 1970s, and then again in the 1990s, intended his universe to be an accurate and respectful portrayal of the various cultures he stole from. I understand that for your group of toxic bullies, the term "Death of the Author" holds no real meaning, but the simple fact of the matter is that George Lucas based his white-centered space adventure on Samurai movies while removing the cultural context that gave them any meaning, because he liked the idea of swords and noble warriors in space. He based the Force and the Jedi Order on belief systems such as Taoism and Buddhism, but only on the surface, without putting any real effort into into portraying them earnestly or accurately. He consistently disrespected both characters of color and characters coded to be a certain race, ethnicity, culture, or religion, and likewise disrespected and stole from the cultures upon which he based them. He was, and continues to be, a racist white man who wrote a racist story. His universe has Orientalism baked into its every facet, and the idea that fans who wish to move away from this and interrogate and transform the text into something better than what it is are racist is not only laughable, but incredibly disingenuous and insidious.

As I said, I am not writing this to change your mind, because I truly believe that you already know that "cOnLaNgS aRe RaCiSt" is a ridiculous statement. The way you've comported yourself in fandom spaces thus far has shown to me that you are nothing more than a bully who knows that the anti-racist movement in fandom can be co-opted for your benefit. If you tout your Asian heritage and use the right language, make the "right" accusations and take advantage of white guilt and white ignorance, you can have dozens of people falling at your feet, begging for forgiveness, for absolution. And I think that gives you a thrill. So, no, none of this will change your mind because none of this is genuinely about racism—it's about power, it's about control, it's about fandom being the only space where you have some.

So I'm writing this for the creators of this wonderful conlang, which has been crafted by multiple people including people of color, who don't deserve this nonsensical vitriol, and for the fans reading this manipulative hate-fest, wondering if they really are Evil Racists because they don't participate in fandom the way you think they should.

Here it is: fandom has a lot of racism, antisemitism, misogyny, queerphobia, ableism, etc. baked into it. Unfortunately, such is the nature of living and growing up in societies and cultures that have the same. The important thing is to independently educate yourself on those issues and think critically about them—not "think critically" as in "to criticize" them, but to analyze, evaluate, pick apart, examine, and reconstruct them again in order to come to a well thought-out conclusion. Read this well-articulated attack on a group of fans who have always welcomed feedback and participation, are open about their backgrounds, their strengths and weaknesses, and wonder who is actually being genuine.

Is it the open and enthusiastic group who ask for the participation of others in this labor of love? Or is it the ringleader of a group of well-known bullies who have manipulated, gaslit, and then subsequently love-bomb people who did not simply roll over at the slightest hint of dominance? The ones who spent hours upon hours tearing apart, mocking, deriding, and falsely accusing authors of fanworks and metatextual works of various bigotries and -isms, knowing that those evaluations were spurious and meant only to cause harm, not genuine examinations of the works themselves or even presumed authorial intent. The ones who made their own, quote-unquote, community so negative and toxic that even after the departure of a large portion of them, including this author in particular, that community still has a reputation for being hateful, toxic, and full of mean-spirited harassers who will never look critically about their own behavior but only ever point fingers at others. The ones who are so very determined to cause misery wherever they go that as soon as their usual victims are no longer immediately available, they will turn on each other at the slightest hint of weakness.

This entire piece of (fan)work is misinformed at the most generous, disingenuous at the most objective, and downright spiteful when we get right into it. The creators of Dai Bendu, along with various other works, series, and fan events that these people personally dislike, have been targeted because it is so much easier to harass, bully, and use progressive language as a weapon against them, than it is to put any effort into making fandom spaces more informed, more positive, more respectful.

As someone rather eloquently put it, community is not a fucking spectator sport. You want a better community, you gotta work at it. And conversely, what you put into your community is what you'll get out of it. This author and their friends have put a lot of hate into their communities, and now they're toxic cesspools that people stay well away from, for fear of contracting some terrible form of harassment poisoning.

Congrats, Ri, you've gotten just what you wanted: adoring crowds listening to you spout your absolutely heinous personal views purely to live out some kind of power fantasy, and the rest of us staying well away, because fuck knows nothing kind, helpful, or in good faith has ever come from Virdant or her echo-chamber of petty, spiteful assholes.

No love, bad night.

P.S. Everyone actually in the Dai Bendu server knows your ass got kicked because you didn’t say shit for a full thirty days and ignored the announcement that inactive members would be culled. You ain’t cute pretending like it’s because you were ~*~Silenced~*~ after ~*~Valiantly~*~ attempting to call out racism. We see you.