#and yeah i know there aren't many people like that but they are out there and they do baffle me
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catboybiologist · 13 hours ago
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I have an online(tho we've met irl a few times) trans friend, who like many if not most young queer people has unsupportive and generally horrible parents. She's financially dependent on them for food and medicine for her chronic illness, so currently transitioning, or being out to them or publically, is entirely impossible.
I also happen to have been born into, if not wealth, than moderate excess of the kind most never get close to. The costs her parents cover aren't even that high (for me), and im sitting on savings i objectively do not need.
How do i convince her to let me help, if not as a gift, at least as a loan she'll repay once she's done with uni and gets a job.
There's no one correct answer here, and I don't claim to have a solution for you. I'm hoping others can contribute. I'll say what I can but this is NOT going to be universal.
However, I will say that, from someone who's been in a kind-of similar situation as your friend: your friend is likely extremely jumpy and paranoid about the concept of being dependent itself. At least with her parents, its the "evil she knows". If you offer to pay for things she's going to be defensive and scared of still being dependent on someone, but just changing that dependency from one person to another.
This is nothing about who you are as a person, or her perception of you. This is a baseline level survival instinct that she's likely developed. And to be fair... yeah, she's kind of right to have it. You sound like a sweet person, anon, so I'm not dissing you- but there are too many extremely real horror stories of people jumping from one abusive, dependent situation straight into another.
Someone having power over her in that way, even if its someone she likes and trusts, is still a terrifying situation for her.
The support I needed the most in a similar kind of situation was figuring out how to be independent, and working through a plan to do so. I never had a friend who was wealthy enough to contribute financially to me (although some offered anyways). But, I did have friends who sat me down, helped me apartment hunt, taught me financial skills I never learned, helped me covertly set up new bank accounts, give me advice on how to secretly put away money for a while, and get myself independent.
This may be bad advice. But, you might want to start there. Help her develop a plan and/or timeline for what being independent from her parents looks like up front. Then, if there's a "gap" or spot where things would be uncertain for her, like a period of time where she would have to search for an apartment, a job, financial aide, or whatever, offer to be her optional safety net. Don't offer things up front. Work through how she's going to get herself independent, and then become her plan B, not her plan A.
You sound really sweet, anon, and I'm hoping everything works out for both of you.
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sammywilson · 15 hours ago
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Marvel's confirmed that Sam has already assembled his team. Meaning whatever publicity stunt is going on, there are Avengers who are formed, who probably have a base, who are already operating in the background already. I'm a 100% sure, his team ain't posting for photoshoots, but Joaquin's instagram is surprisingly full of random images of their base, the Cap cave, and the other teammates. Here are my predictions on who I think is going to be on his team and why: Joaquin - This is a given. This is Sam's partner, the kid he's mentoring, and Joaquin is THE Falcon. (Can we please give his suit some claws like he has in the comics? That shit would be so cool!) Bruce Or Jen - I think Bruce is pretty much still around. We got that confirmation at the end of Shang-Chi. He's still doing Avengers things, he's in contact with Carol/Wong. I think both Bruce & Jen should be part of team. And if not Bruce, I'm sure Bruce will point out his cousin. Thor - Hear me out, I know a lot of people think he's not gonna be on Sam's team. Hell yes he is. This man has been trying to fight with his teammates for like three movies now. He fought with the guardians, took directions from Quill, and then I think during his movie, after losing Jane and finding love he's at that space where he probably wants to be a part of something bigger. I don't know if Thor is earthbound, but if he is, it's a fucking given he will follow Captain America to the heart of every battle. Shang-Chi - This is a given. Absolute given. Marvel has done nothing with him and you know Sam's seen the bus footage. Also, he has connections with both Wong and Bruce, which means he will absolutely get recruited. Shang-Chi is the one I'm sure about, and I'm so excited to see how their dynamics will be. Black Panther - I think this is another given. Lemme tell you why. Sam's relationship with Wakanda is thriving. He has had multiple upgrades to his suit. He's been operating as Captain America for two years, and we've seen what that suit can do. It's incredible and it sure as shit wasn't that advanced at the end of Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He got the nanotech/vibranium helmet, he literally flies faster than a jet, and his suit is built to carry extremely heavy loads, his wings literally has blades that can slice through metal easy -- like all these upgrades didn't come out of nowhere. Shuri has been upgrading his suits, his tech, and everything is so entuned with him, so you can tell he's been at this for a while with how easy he wields the tech and fights. So yeah, him and Shuri probably have a really close bond off screen. Otherwise, the smartest person in the world ain't got time to be doing all of this. Okay back to Shuri and her role. So far, everyone I listed is broke as shit. Including Sam. Shuri is going to take up Tony's mantle (and I'm pretty sure T'Challa was the financial backer of the Avengers in the comics, right?). She's going to be the money person, the tech person, and the absolute asskicker as Black Panther. She's gonna be the heart of the group, I can feel it. And with a team -- I think she's gonna start to find herself again. Give me scenes with Joaquin and Shuri, PLEASE, I will bleed for crumbs. Ant-Man - We cannot forget Tic/Tac. Sam and Scott go way back and they're close friends, you can tell with how many times he was name dropped. But I'm sure we won't get the Wasp because Evangeline Lily quit acting (good, she's a scientology weirdo and antivax). --- Also I think the Avengers Compound they are using, isn't the one upstate. I think because Shuri's funding them, it's going to be in Wakanda and that works because Sam's Avengers aren't in the public view, they are working in the shadows, so it makes sense. IDK Maybe I'm giving the Russos too much credit for hoping for this, but we will see, but judging by the fact that Anthony is filming with the main cast + RDJ, I don't think they're going to sideline him.
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olderthannetfic · 3 days ago
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https://www.tumblr.com/olderthannetfic/782420803705880576/you-know-on-some-level-i-respect-the-people-who
Okay yeah, really bad tone from me here. Me writing this is me being jealous of people who do write these fics. And I let my jealously color my vision with bitterness. I'm a coward that cares too much about what people think. There are a lot of things I wish I made but the fear of being self-indulgent or the fear of not doing it well enough to excuse the self-indulgence stopped me. And unfortunately, no amount of telling myself to not care gets me to not care.
So I do honestly admire the people who can push pass the anxiety and fear of creating things you like. Its really nice to see how many people aren't stuck in their own head about this. Gives me hope one day I might get out of my own head myself.
I want to apologize for my condescending tone. There are many ways to say what I meant and I choose the worst possible way and created an insult instead of a compliment and for that I'm sorry.
--
I couldn't write for shit until I started looking at things with my reader brain instead of my "They're seeing me naked, AAAAH" writer brain.
Readers don't see you being self indulgent: they see tasty feels.
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zooophagous · 15 hours ago
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The world had gotten smaller since Strauss was young. Fine goods like spices, sugar and coffee were once the coveted treasures of world traders, And now they were so commonplace they were widely regarded as “cheap.”
The Himalayan Yak restaurant was not cheap. Not according to the reviews that dotted the page beneath the address on Artemis��� phone. It barked orders and directions in a flat monotone.
“In one thousand feet, turn right.”
Strauss hated that grating, tinny voice. His delicate senses were quickly being overwhelmed by it, and the encroaching scent of spices as they found the parking lot. He was unable to eat any of the food here. He wondered if his opinion of the smell would be different if he could safely taste it. 
Part of him was jealous. The smell was rich and complex. Humans had a wealth of flavor available to them. He really only had one. A metallic tang and nothing more. Though, inwardly, he was relieved by that. No surprises at dinner, and that suited him fine.
“So, Troy’s favorite is a vegan yellow curry. If there is a customer who frequently orders it, we likely have Troy cornered.”
“I sure hope you're right. I don't know how many vegans are in this town. Small town Minnesota isn't exactly chock full of them. Should make it easier to narrow down?”
“Yes. It will work. I have a good feeling about it.”
Strauss went inside first, only to wrinkle his nose and step back. The smell of spices was tolerable, yes, but the smell of garlic gave him pause. He coughed into his sleeve.
“Van Helsing. Perhaps you should do the talking.”
“Right.” She cleared her throat And approached the counter.
“Hi, how many?” The cheerful hostess greeted the sullen pair.
“Actually, I was wondering if you could help us. See, we um. We're looking for a missing person.”
“Ok?” Came the suspicious reply. 
“Do you… have anyone who orders the same thing a lot? Like especially vegan dishes? Probably for take out?”
“I'm sorry, are you with the police?”
“Well, no, but we know the person and-”
“I'm sorry, our business records aren't really something I can just show people. For privacy reasons and… Yeah.”
The hostess was visibly uncomfortable. Strauss was already nearing the end of his patience as the hot smell of cooked garlic stuck like oil to his nose and eyes and made him blink back the irritation.
“Let me try. Ahem.”
He stepped in front of Artemis rather rudely, and stared down at the much shorter hostess like a looming shadow. His voice was deep, authoritative and, as Artemis listened, oddly almost alluring. 
“Guten abend. I am Mr. White. My associate and I are private investigators working on a missing persons case. It is imperative that we get answers as multiple lives may be at stake. Our target is in grave danger, both himself and those near him may be affected. You will allow us access to records. Now.”
Artemis raised her eyebrows in surprise as the vampire worked his magic. She watched the poor dumbfounded hostess with bated breath- if she fought back at all the illusion would collapse and they might be in trouble.
The hostess stood silently for a moment before finally breaking the tension with “y-yes, ok, sorry. Here. What did you want to see?” She began fidgeting with the ipad at the counter.
Artemis breathed a sigh of relief as “Mr. White” explained what he needed. “I am looking for a customer, a frequent customer, who only orders vegan dishes. He likely orders his food ‘to-go’ and frequently orders yellow curry. He is white, young, but likely not using his real name.”
“Ok, ok. We only have a couple of regulars who only eat vegan…an-and only one of them has an address in the system.”
Strauss glared hawkishly at the iPad screen. “Should have known.”
“Should have known what?” Artemis asked.
“Take this address down and put it into your navigation system. I know where Troy is.” Strauss shook his head as if he were disappointed. He turned to the hostess who now looked dizzy, and very confused.
“Vielen dank fur die hilfe. Do not speak of us to anyone. You could jeopardize the entire investigation. Is that clear?”
“Yeah… Yes. Of course.”
“Good. A beautiful evening to you.”
He turned on his heel and marched back out into the parking lot, grateful for fresh air.
Artemis trotted after him. “You're sure you know? How? Where is he? And WHAT was that? Did you hypnotize that poor girl?”
“Yes I did. I did not harm her. I simply asked more forcefully than you did.” Strauss declined to answer the rest of the questions as he climbed into the cab and waited for the annoying robotic voice to lead them once more to their prey. 
“I cannot believe I did not think of it sooner. I am so unbelievably stupid. Hunger must have left me bereft of senses. And Troy… he is the most stupid of us all.”
Strauss grumbled in his seat.
“Wish you were a little less esoteric about this.” Artemis asked with a hint of a barb in her voice.
“Trust me Van Helsing. You will get your lycan. We are on the fastest route, and you will have your answers in seven minutes.”
The car rolled quietly down the side streets. Strauss sat looking angrier by the moment in the front seat but still saying nothing. “In one thousand feet turn right.”
Artemis slowed down for the turn. The red marker grew ever closer on the digital map until Strauss took off his seatbelt and jumped from the car while it was still in motion.
“Hey- HEY! Strauss! Where the Hell are you going?”
“He's in here.” Strauss marched up to an unassuming looking little house, hardly bigger than a bread box and shaped like one too. He pounded on the door.
A meek looking but familiar face appeared. “Mr. Strauss? You're alive?!”
“Hello Samuel. Let me in.”
Strauss didn't ask, but demanded. Sam stood back and let him enter. Strauss disappeared into the house with Artemis following behind. She exchanged wide, confused glances with Sam as she passed.
Strauss stomped into the living room with a scowl. “Hello herr Cunningham.” 
Troy sputtered on his soda, and dropped his video game controller as Strauss yanked him to his feet with a snarl.
“Do you have ANY idea how long we've been looking for you! Did you think you'd just leave us behind? Never say a word?”
“Get OFF me man!” Troy shoved his palm into the vampire's nose, Strauss reacted with a curl of his lip and a slap of his own. Back and forth, blow for blow, the slapping escalated to shoving and Strauss was sent into a wall where a framed poster fell and became a casualty in the vampire-lycan wars.
The shoving became wrestling and growling, when Strauss did something unexpected. He wrapped his arms tightly around Troy and held still, force hugging him till he stopped moving. Troy carefully reached up with his one free hand and patted Strauss on the back. “You ok there big guy?”
“No I am not ok.” Came the somewhat weepy reply. “I thought my friend was dead. And now you have returned from the grave.” 
“Hey… hey it's ok. I'm sorry.”
“Why didn't you tell us you were ok?” Artemis asked as she finally dared to enter the room with the supernatural combatants.
“It's not because I don't like you guys or anything ok? I was just going through a lot of stuff. I mean I killed a guy. And I was scared that if I tried to find you I might get caught. I sort of thought YOU were dead.”
“You could have checked before writing us off.” Strauss finally released his grip and wiped his nose messily on the back of his hand.
“You're right, you're right. But I was scared of what I might find. Scared I'd get caught myself. I thought maybe this would be a good way to… I don't know. Disappear? Lay low?”
“You should have left town then. This place is crawling with Witchfinders, and Sylvain. you're lucky you're such a shut in or you would have been caught already.”
“Yeah well. If you found me, it was only a matter of time I guess.”
“Yes. I'll have you know I used your own tricks against you, Cunningham. Baited the trap with your favorite food. You should consider expanding your culinary horizons.”
Troy huffed through his nose. “You're one to talk, Mr. White mice. How have you been getting fed lately with the Institute all busted up?”
“Largely Troy, I haven't been. That is a large portion of my problem. If I cannot find a feed I will be forced to take one. And that will most certainly be my doom.”
“So what do we do?”
“I'm glad you're using “we” here.” Artemis smiled sadly. “The short answer is, we don't know. We have to find a way to prove Strauss innocent … or else find a way to get into permanent hiding.”
She sat down on the couch with a sigh. “Neither option is easy or attractive. But the third option is to just give up.”
“You can give up. The most they will do is imprison you. Strip you of your titles or clearances. They will kill me.” Strauss replied flatly. “They will also kill Troy if they catch him. And Ursula is likely not going to survive either.”
“Right. We need to put together a plan.”
“Um. Excuse me.”
Strauss, Troy and Artemis turned to Sam, who stood in the doorway looking awkward.
“Um. Can I um. Can I get you guys anything to drink? Or a snack? I don't have any uh… any blood I can give you but I have water, coffee, soda, beer…”
Strauss looked at his companions and then back to Sam. “I will take that beer. Perhaps we all need one. It will be a long evening.”
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yannig · 2 days ago
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Miscommunication is the entire point, actually
I've complained about the total and complete lack of communication between Charlie and Babe, because I don't like miscommunication tropes on principle. They're rarely done well, and even then they frustrate me a lot.
However, after some time to cool off, and some nice reminders from people on here that said miscommunication is very much in character, I am pretty confident the show is going somewhere with said trope, and not just struggling to find conflict in the story.
(which, considering the kind of show Pit Babe is, would be a pretty big red flag, especially that early in the season)
First of all, it's more than just Babe and Charlie struggling to communicate about Willy. It's also Jeff straight up refusing to tell Alan that his visions are coming back, even when he asks. It's Sonic avoiding North and dancing around whatever the actual issue is.
That makes 3 (romantic) relationships hindered by miscommunication! Out of... well arguably 3, at this point in the story. Pete and Chris aren't anything yet, and Kim and Kenta still haven't been on screen together this season!
That's not a coincidence or laziness, that's a deliberate theme. The writers clearly have a point to make.
Which is reassuring, because there is nothing more frustrating (and worrying) than a theme that seems to exist on accident, or a plot-line that writers don't seem invested in.
The second reason I'm certain this is deliberate is because some characters in this show can communicate, and are written in a very pointed way.
The first one is Kim, because my man has always been very straightforward about who he is and what he wants, telling Alan he's changing team because, as much as they're pack friends, X-Hunter is not what he needs as an athlete. He's both very open and clear about why he's leaving, and reassuring that they're still friends and it doesn't change anything off the track (though the fact that he didn't appear in ep2 does diminish that a bit). Great job, 10/10, communication goals, you'll need at least that to get through Kenta.
The second one is Alan, who is trying very hard to model healthy communication for Jeff, even if it doesn't seem to be working yet. It's the way he tells Jeff that he can come to him about anything, but doesn't push when Jeff deflects. It's the way he tells Jeff he's sad about Kim leaving and lets himself be comforted. It's also the way he shows Jeff by including him in all his decisions: Jeff clearly knows before anyone else about North's promotion and Dean's return, and we see him with Alan and Dean in the kitchen when Dean first arrives (I would not bet on Jeff waking Alan up in the opposite situation).
The third one is North, trying desperately to reach Sonic over the entire canyon Sonic has unexpectedly dug between them. It's the way he change the subject himself when Sonic doesn't answer his question about the phone call, the way he offers a group meal since Sonic seems uncomfortable with him, the way he ends up asking clearly if Sonic is avoiding him when nothing else seems to work, the way he's still trying to find the right thing to say even as Sonic is leaving. He wants so desperately to get some footing with Sonic he's trying every possible approach, reaching toward him again and again and again. It's not working, but boy is the poor man trying to open communication back up.
So yeah. This feels very pointed. There are just too many elements that revolve around communication for it to not be deliberate.
At this point, I'm pretty convinced communication is gonna the central plot-point and theme of the season and probably half the character arcs. Is there scheming going on with Tony and Willy, plus all the research for the serum? Yes. But it's all gonna hang on how the characters can or cannot communicate with each other.
Mind you, deliberation doesn't guarantee quality. But we do get a much better chance at an interesting development. And the fact that this theme is so obvious so early makes me pretty confident they know where they are going.
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spots-lights · 3 days ago
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What are the Star Trek work shifts?
Yeah, i know, the real hard hitting questions!!! I've been thinking about this a lot because I've worked places with 8hr, 12hr and 16hr shifts. They all have their benefits and uh lots of drawbacks.
I think in an ideal situation it would be 3 x 8hr shifts. TNG runs this, they tell us that they regularly run 3 shifts when Jellico becomes captain of the Enterprise and he adds a 4th shift, Delta shift. Everyone loves a nice tidy 8hr shift, plenty of time for leisure and sleep, BUT you need a massive crew. If you have 100 positions over a 24 hr period you'd need 300 crewmen.
I remembered that information specifically because LWD already had a Delta shift. This would imply to me that the Cerritos is running a 4 x 12 hr shifts, with a shift change every 6 hours. BUT we see Beta shift and Delta shift interacting quite often, and there are some rare instances where they do work together. It makes me laugh a little, I think the people who wrote the show haven't worked shifts like these. If they were running 4 shifts A B G D, they would not work together aside from mandatory 16hr overtime, but would also have no overlapping free time. Inversely, if the shifts were A B D G the crew of B and D would have overlapping time off during A shift, but would also be working 1/2 their shift together. I think in a narrative sense, 3 shifts fits better with what we see in the show. But with 4 shifts we can fudge it a little and say "days off"/"breaktime"/"everyone's late all the time" NO you cannot convince me that they're only working 6 hr shifts. To fill 100 positions in a 6hr shift you'd need 100 people each shift (400 crewmen) vs 50 for each 12hr shift (200 crewmen).
I wouldn't be surprised if VOY and occasionally ENT + DS9 are running 3 x 16hr shifts. Voyager for obvious reasons. Over a 24 hr period to fill 100 positions you'd only need 150 people.
Shifts for DS9 are a bit more speculative. On Memory Alpha they say that the station goes from a 3 shift schedule to a 4 shift schedule to be more flexible and allow the crew to rest. This would imply that they go from 16 -> 12 or 8 -> 6. With how many emergencies the station has, I just don't think they're regularly running 8 hr shifts, especially not the senior staff. Do you see how many Raktajinos they're drinking at all hours of the day? People on a healthy sleeping schedule don't do that!!!
And finally I know some people might think "This is a utopia! There's no way they'd be working 12/16 hours!!!!" I have been at several extremely remote work/board jobs (Alaskan seafood processor) and the longer shifts aren't that nasty when you cut out all the extra things you have to do on daily basis. 4 hrs (or less) of free time a day seems brutal, but when most things are only a 2-5 min walk away and groceries/cooking/laundry are done for you, there's plenty of leisure time, especially when you throw in a day off every now and then.
Now that we have the sifts broken down, here's some other questions:
WHO mans the bridge while the Captain/main cast is sleeping??
DO they ever dim those lights???
Does the ship just stay in one spot all night while everyone is getting their ZZZs?
(Also big shout out to the people who wrote the Mem Alpha Duty shift page for being more crazy about this than I am)
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analviel · 20 hours ago
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DC comic writerd always wanna rush characters into growing up EXCEPT FOR TIM OH MY GOD
I agree with everything except for killing Tim lol bcs no, there's a limit to how many of Jason's milestones he's also gonna meet
Yes exactly exactly for Babs and and Dick!
Steph is overdue for a space mission. Also personally, I want nunchuks for her (is that how you spell nunchucks)
Gosh I want that for Duke so much! Also imagine Damian always cameoing as his younger brother who may or may not actually be enrolled in the same school. But mostly the focus gotta be with him and his crew.
Duke (and sometimes Damian) drop by Babs' dayjob as a librarian to pester her on his current case and just generally pester her.
Like just, I'm imagining an animated scene of Duke and Damian talking about a case with Babs (because no one outside the Batfam is supposed to know her real identity so none of Duke's crew does) and then a sudden voice 'Delievery!' and Damian perks up and we're introducing a grinning Dick with pizza.
I don't actually mind Dick being a cop but at this point I just want it as a job he HAD, so yeah, let's go with USPS. He could be anywhere in the country lol.
Then Duke is doing his episodic cases and one in particular leads him into a fight in a mask and we encounter a gang war and then a flash of black and he's got a back up so they tie it up quickly. BlackBat motions for him to follow her. Cut scene to a bat hideout and Cass takes off her mask.
You know those animated scene where the scene freezes on a close up and we get an intro of, ex. Cassandra Wayne, Black Bat, Duke's older sister. Hates shirts that aren't croptops. Yeah I want that to happen, with the Duke crew, Babs, Damian, Dick, etc.
Cass shares with him the case she's investigating that brought her through almost three cities now and back to Gotham, tied to that last gang war, and they end up closing it up together.
We meet Tim several episodes later where Duke comes home to the manor to find him and Damian already playing a video game. Tim helps them for this newest case, but only in the investigating part, leaving the final bust to them because his main case at the moment was a W.E/corporate thing vs Delon Cusk. Tim's introduction does not include coffee whatsoever. And at the end of this episode/case, Tim fishes them out of the water into his murderboat.
Selina Kyle also appears for a bit, dropping a basket of kittens for Damian, Duke asks her about something related to his new case of an priceless antique.
So Duke is the focus of all of this, and we get him in his class with girl troubles, a few scenes where PE poses a problem for him for a completely different reason than his classmates, all while he's having superpower problems, except unlike Spiderman he's got people he can call in a pinch to cover for him. And also now and then we get a peek of news clip or a social media comment about the Waynes implying how reserved they are save for a couple of family members and some rumors and suppositions about them. And then the next news is about the Red Hood shooting someone, or JLA, or another Wayne project. It is heavily implied that much of the other Bats except for Signal, Robin, and Red Hood, are more likely to be with their teams or helping out with Batman Incorporated in an International capacity. Just to keep them away.
Almost every other episode opens up with him fighting a Githam Rouge in broad daylight.
Neither Bruce or Batman appears even once, except maybe his name in an email.
I didn't expect to write so much.
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a-griffin-in-the-sky · 1 day ago
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Oh my god finally someone else who feels the same way I do... I also feel like not all transgender people are evil! At the same time, I feel like the transgender community DEFINETLY has some issues that needs to be worked on.
I feel like there are some real, respectful, kind trans people out there but the thing is that doesn't change the fact that the transwomen community in particular needs some major improvement.
Using rape as a threat, trespassing spaces specifically for afab and afab women, guilttripping and manipulating afab lesbians into dating or having sex with them, etc. Don't get me started on how alot of it isn't even them being transgender, its about having a messed up fetish.
People want to deny this completely and pretend it isn't real and its insane to me... people always scream "TERF" but like. I am starting to wonder if TERFs are really as bad as people make them out to be? Personally, I am not in full agreement with terfs who think transgender people don't exist- but I do feel like as I said before, it has issues needing acknowledgment.
The thing is, the TERF community isn't even aggressive or violent for that matter. There are so many other communities that are genuinely violent and dangerous, but TERFs aren't one of them. The TERF community from what I seen, just defend AFAB rights. But I feel like, people see this as a bad thing because it is a community of afab women.
People seem to be so okay with ignoring transwomen attacking afabs, or even encourage it... How is it that, transwomen can scream rape and it is TERFS- afab women who simply want to defend other women -are the ones that are harassed instead?
Anyway I hope it is no bother to send in a ask. I recently feel like I discovered I may believe in some TERF ideology. (Again, I believe in transgender rights despite this.) I was hoping maybe you have some blogs with similar beliefs to recommend? Thank you for reading btw, hope your day is lovely.
Terf is a Male right Activist dog whistle, be good people, everyone!
(Did I use that right? I dunno, but you know what I mean.)
My motto is always to question everything! from both sides, no matter what!
its mroe of just sniffing around what other radfems rebloga dn going through there, since well there is so much troll, porn content int he radfem tags, one day we might be able to have our space back, but yeah males filling a women place with dicks....its on brand for them lolol
Thank you! Hope you have a good day as well. always search for more information, only an idiot thinks they know everything
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caligvlasaqvarivm · 5 months ago
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Actual Ultimate Classpecting Guide
For real this time.
Buckle up, this is a really long one. For everything that's posited, I can provide textual evidence; that being said, I'm not going to be including the textual evidence within the essay itself, because it's already long enough as-is. As such, please feel free to ask for clarification or sources on any assertion, and I'll do my best to provide.
Before we begin, there's some things to discuss about how we're going to be approaching classpect in the following essay. In numbered list form for our short attention spans:
1. There is a concept Hussie talks about multiple times in his book commentary, "personality alchemy" - the idea that there are these "platonic ideals" of certain characters, which can be mixed and matched with others, in order to create new characters. The examples he gives are of how Eridan was a proto-Caliborn, how Kanaya has shades of Jade, how Nepeta was a proto-Calliope, and how Sollux and Eridan have shades of Dave in them. Classpecting is fundamentally a form of this personality alchemy:
2. Class describes the character's arc and emotional hurdles, while Aspect describes the character's base personality traits by which this arc is experienced.
3. For example, all three Seers struggle with hubris: Rose's need to be the smartest person in the room led to her being manipulated by Doc Scratch, Terezi's obsession with meting justice led to her engineering a situation where the only option was to kill Vriska, and Kankri's desire to be seen as a spiritual leader amongst his friends led to him furthering their divisions and harming them.
Then, when their pride is shattered, they cope by inflicting willful self-blindness: Rose turns to drinking herself stupid (the opposite of Light's sway over knowledge), Terezi gets down with the clown (the opposite of meting out Mind's justice, as it's a Gamzee W), Kankri goes celibate (Blood L) despite his clear romantic feelings for certain teammates.
4. As for Aspect: note how all three Life players share the personality traits of optimism, stubbornness, and obstinacy. All three Breath players share an immaturity and naïvety, and are quite frankly irresistible to people for some reason. All three Light players share a need for the spotlight and a tendency toward long-windedness and persnicketiness. So on and so forth.
What's interesting is, if you start analyzing characters that share Classes and Aspects, these specific types of similarity crop up over and over - all our Knights struggle with insecurities and facades, both our Bards have a crisis of faith. All three Breath players have an aspect of immaturity and childishness to their characters, and all three Light players are deeply concerned with appearing intelligent and feeling important.
5. As a result, this guide is NOT intended for classpecting real life people, because we are complicated, we contain multitudes, and we don't have arcs. This is primarily an analysis of what Class and Aspect mean in Homestuck based on textual evidence, because I genuinely believe that you can basically figure it out if you read carefully.
6. Duality, and the idea of "equal and opposite," are major themes within Homestuck - Prospit and Derse, Skaia (described as a crucible of birth and creativity) and the Furthest Ring (the literal afterlife). Which classes are involved in an Active/Passive split, and opposing Aspects, are the same way. This is the primary method I used to determine the Active/Passive pairings and opposing Aspects. After all, as Callie describes, both Thieves and Rogues are classes "who steal" - so, too, do I try to unify Classes by a common theme, even if they diverge wildly in how that theme is expressed (as Thieves and Rogues do). In the same way as the opposite of "up" is not "apple," but "down", because "up" and "down" are both fundamentally concerned with relative vertical position, so too can be defined concepts like Breath and Blood, Hope and Rage, Light and Void - as well as the reasoning behind Class pairings like Heir and Page, Maid and Knight, and Seer and Mage.
7. Descriptions for both Class and Aspect are left deliberately vague and up to interpretation within the comic itself, and this is by design: the actual manifestations of an Aspect can vary wildly given the Class, and even individual person, that it's tied to. Calliope even makes note of the fact that, under the right circumstances, someone can manifest effects that appear to be the opposite of their aspect. She's also careful to couch her language in "may" and "can" - because these concepts are intentionally somewhat nebulous and malleable. As such, while this guide certainly lays down what can be gleaned and inferred from the text, do note that Homestuck runs on a soft magic system, and as such, nothing stated is firm, 100%, must-always-be-this-way - just an overview of what we've seen.
8. There is often great overlap between Aspects, Classes, and Classpects - which Calliope herself notes. Heart and Blood are one of the most salient, as they both have a fixation on relationships, and Calliope mentions that under the right circumstances, a Classpect may even be able to manifest what appears to be the opposite of their Aspect. Again, Homestuck operates on a soft magic system, so this is a feature, not a bug.
ASPECT
There's a little less to say about Aspect, not because it's less complicated, but because "base personality traits" are much more nebulous compared to Class's sway over character arc. Still, Aspect represents the fundamental way a character is, and thus, color every interaction that character has. There's a reason Ultimate Selfhood is sought through Aspect, not Class - Aspect is the core of the character's being, what makes that person that person.
That all being said, Class has major sway over how an Aspect manifests, and certain classes can even invert the Aspect and even the character's role in the party. As such, these descriptions must be parsed carefully in relation to Class. Moreover, due to the soft magic system, there is at times overlap between unrelated Aspects, which can also be exacerbated by Class - Heart and Blood being the most obvious in this regard. Still, overall, you'll find the Aspects to be fairly distinct from one another.
Please also note that every Aspect can deal with its literal counterpart by default - Light players can wield lasers, Breath players can wield the breeze, et cetera. Because this kind of goes without saying, and because the non-literal stuff is more interesting to discuss, I'm not really going to go into too much detail about the literal qualities.
Finally, something interesting to note is that nearly every Aspect follows its own Hero's Journey cycle - full actualization for each one usually means reaching around to its opposite Aspect, and taking lessons from them - for example, Breath players need to learn maturity and responsibility, while Blood players need to learn relaxation and whimsy. Thus, an Aspect at its worst manifests in two ways - either a toxic overabundance of the Aspect's worst traits, or such a dearth of the aspect that it begins to resemble its opposite. Only by reaching into the opposite, however, can the player be tempered and reach full maturity - can they become more of who they are.
SPACE / TIME
Space and Time are both concerned with physical reality, goals, and the way one approaches them.
Space is associated with "the big picture" - with recycling, reproduction, and the interconnectivity of all things. The aspect also presides over the enjoyment of the journey over the destination - Space players serve as reminders that the present moment is as important as the end goal. Space is often a more passive Aspect, being the stage upon which the story is set. They're the hosts of the party, and the one who marks the ending.
Its players reflect these tendencies, often being feminine, with penchants for life-giving acts such as gardening. Their personalities tend towards frivolity and silliness, finding it difficult to stay on-topic or bring full gravitas to serious situations. Perhaps a better word would be "distractable;" when the aspect is so concerned with all things in connection with each other, it's easy to lose track of details, and it's easy to enjoy things simply as they come. Space players tend to be kind, patient, and forgiving, which is a strength as much as it is a flaw; it's easy for malicious actors to take advantage of this compassion, or for the Space player to find themselves in a poor situation by being overly permissive. They can easily be painted over by stronger personalities, and tend to struggle with romantic relationships, as they attract many with their kind and giving natures, and few are naturally so considerate of the Space player in turn.
"Passive" is a good word to use; at a toxic overabundance of their Aspect, Space players are trampled underfoot. They become enablers, servants to dark forces, or so lost in their own worlds that they neglect the one they live in. With their Aspect "inverted," a Space player becomes a demon of poor prioritization. Distracting not just themselves from their true purpose, but others, too, the Space player will wreak havoc by overemphasizing unimportant topics and ignoring important tasks. This superficially resembles Time, in that the Space player will become fanatically dedicated to their task, but note that the poor prioritization is still Space-esque at its core.
Still, within this nadir is a valuable lesson: the strength of self-assertion, and the determination to see a goal through. These will allow the Space player to weed their garden, separating good from bad, allowing it to flourish like never before.
Time, in contrast, is associated with "the little things" - with details, minutiae, and processes. Time presides over the struggle toward something greater, the endurance of hardship with an eye on the prize - the destination over the journey. Time players are the ones keeping track of the tasklist, marking off each item as it reaches completion; they are the tireless workers keeping the whole engine running.
Time players, thus, are ones whose lives are marked by struggle. They are highly goal-oriented; in contrast to how Space players can easily move from goal to goal, task to task, Time players feel bound to see things through to the end, finding satisfaction only when they've achieved their desired result - and only until they come across the next goal in their journey. A Time player isn't happy without a goal to work towards, a craft to polish, a prize to win - but this driven nature can easily be its own downfall, as it leaves little room for the player to admit to their own shortcomings, or ask for help from others. Moreover, their focus on minutiae can leave them blinded to the bigger picture, and it's easy for a time player to fall to despair, able to do nothing more but spin their wheels. They're prone to directionless anguish, frustration, and resentment towards the seeming futility of their actions, becoming destructive and defiant even when it doesn't serve them to do so.
At a toxic overabundance of their Aspect, Time players become explosively destructive. The ultimate "goal" of all things is death, with which Time is associated, and accordingly, Time players have a penchant for aligning themselves with futility and entropy, struggling so hard that their thrashing leaves a trail of annihilation in their wake. With their Aspect "inverted," Time players detach entirely - they can become so fed up with struggle that they simply opt to lay their weapons down and let the end take them. It's very easy for them to come to the conclusions that either everything matters, or nothing matters. This superficially resembles Space and its big picture thinking, but note that its framework of struggle, and whether or not a goal needs to be pursued, makes it a Time concern.
But the inherent meaninglessness of existence is, in itself, an important realization to make - that whether or not anything "matters" in the grand scheme, things can still be worth doing, worth caring about, and worth investing in. This realization allows the Time player to attack their goals with renewed vigor and greater clarity, which in turn means that the party becomes an efficient, well-oiled machine.
BREATH / BLOOD
Breath and Blood are both concerned with directionality, interpersonal relationships, and autonomy.
Breath is the Aspect governing freedom, liberty, and independence; it is a force that breaks shackles, clears out social norms, and refutes "the rules," whatever those rules may be. Breath players can't be tied down, whether by physical bonds, societal rules, or even the ineffable forces of the narrative itself. They are leaders of example, pioneers, and trailblazers, opening new paths for their teammates to follow.
Breath players are goofy and gullible, often with hearts full of childlike whimsy, naivety, and even immaturity. They are friendly and well-meaning, fond of simpler things, and easily swayed by others. They approach the world with a sincere and innocent good-naturedness, like a baby animal before it learns to be fearful of danger. Something about this sincerity seems to make Breath players irresistible to others, and they often find themselves the subject of romantic attraction. However, in this childishness is also the great pitfall of many Breath players - their natures are naturally conflict-averse, and egotistical the way a child can be, failing to see beyond themselves. They can be incredibly callous when not considering the consequences of their actions, or the viewpoints of others.
At their worst, Breath players are irresponsible and callous. They'll shirk the consequences of their actions, blaming anybody but themselves, or simply choose not to care who they hurt in order to get what they want. They may even choose to stop making choices for themselves, leading to the "inversion" of their Aspect - a voluntary loss of freedom and independence, derived from an Breath-like aversion to responsibility, which superficially resembles the bondage of Blood.
But if they are able to overcome these tendencies, a Breath player will learn what true responsibility looks like - responsibility for themselves, their choices, and the effect they have on others. Armed with this, a Breath player's ability to break bonds can be focused into a clear force for good, clearing away all obstacles and harmful societal standards, leading the charge into something new and beautiful.
Blood, in sharp contrast, is the aspect that governs bondage, contracts, and interdependence. It is a force that binds. Under Blood's sway are not only romantic entanglements, but familial, friendly, and societal ones as well. This aspect sees overlap with Heart, but the division is this: Heart concerns itself with feelings, and Blood concerns itself with compatibility. Blood players are diplomats, forces that remind us all that we are more similar than we are different, and that that similarity should bring us together when we are on the verge of pulling apart.
Blood players, reflective of their Aspect's association with bonds, tend to be neurotic and obsessive. They have a tendency to over-examine and overthink, constantly fretting over the infinite and infinitesimal variables that influence the shape of society and interpersonal relationships. However, this judgmental nature stems from a deep well of idealism and empathy; Blood players can't help but care about others and wish for the best for them. In a way, this makes them one of the most mature members of the team, being concerned with its overall well-being. Unfortunately, their prowess does not extend inwards, and their assessment of themselves is usually direly incorrect - all the worse because Blood players always feel responsible for those around them. Blood, being the Aspect concerned with interdependence, is the weakest one when all alone.
Thus, it's easy for the Blood player to wind up controlling - desperate to make sure everyone is moving according to their vision, they'll become iron-fisted dictators, with a "my way or the highway" approach to social interactions. It's easy for them to wind up pariahs of their own making, becoming so critical of others, or so adamant about enforcing their own will, that they inadvertantly sever their ties - something that superficially resembles Breath's independence, but is truly a result of Blood's neuroticism.
But with that space and separation can come great clarity. Blood players must learn to relax their grip, and allow people room to breathe - including themselves. Once able to grasp that sometimes bonds must be forged with a soft touch, Blood players' natural empathy shines through, allowing them to build something so much kinder and greater than the sum of its parts.
LIGHT / VOID
Light and Void are both concerned with knowledge, ontology, and "narrative relevance".
Light (as well as its counterpart) are perhaps best understood through the lens of "narrative" - this idea that, of all things that do and don't exist, and all events that do and don't happen, only the ones put to page are "relevant". Thus, Light is associated with knowledge and luck - that is to say, it's associated with the knowable, the objective, and the concrete, and the ability to determine "important" events. Light players have read the book they're participating in, and able to serve as luminary guides from one plot point to another, lighting the lampposts for others to follow.
Light players, naturally, are erudite and educated, possessing keen intellects and cunning minds. They are fond of knowledge itself, of markers of status and prestige - whether that's wealth, the adulation of the masses, or a massive library. They harbor a desire to be important, to be seen, to be acknowledged, and are happiest when they are looked up to. Conversely, they deal poorly with being looked down upon. Their confidence transmutes easily into hubris, and they struggle with having that pride challenged. As such, they tend to be volatile and unpredictable, quick to retaliate against those who threaten their egos, or obsequious to those whose acknowledgement they desire.
Their desire for the limelight can quickly spell disaster - they can become incredibly cruel, harsh, and egotistical in their pursuit of narrative significance. They forget, in their obsession, that they, too, are fallible and flawed, and the inevitable reminder can come very harshly. Light players struggle with moderation, and as such, when they feel shame, they'll often take drastic measures to cope with it - deliberately darkening their own influence or intellects, removing themselves from the "story" entirely - something which superficially resembles Void's penchant for the background, but which is firmly rooted in Light's obsessive need for drama.
But in experimenting with narrative insignificance, Light players can reach an epiphany - in their absence, others may shine, and that can be a wonderful thing. Light players, then, can learn to shine not just for their own sakes, but for the sake of others, allowing them to weave a story even more brilliant than any that can be weaved alone.
Void, in contrast, is the blank spaces between the words. That which is secret, subjective, unknowable - these are Void's domain. It's associated with taboos and hidden things, sexuality and pleasure. It's also associated with the empty canvas - the blank space before creation, and the oblivion to which creation is eventually destined for. Thus, it stands for infinite possibility, though the collapse of those possibilities into a reality removes that reality from Void's domain.
Thus are Void players ever cosigned to the background, though this generally suits them fine. Void players are very self-possessed. Where Light players tend to exaggerate and complicate, Void players are honest and simple, preferring straightforward solutions. They don't tend to think very hard, instead letting intuition and emotion guide them to where they want to be - which makes them one of the more stable personalities on a team. However, this simplistic, feelings-driven approach often leads to pleasure-seeking behavior, poor impulse control, and overindulgence in vice, and from there, to irrelevance, with which Void is so closely interlinked.
Void players are especially prone to vice, and at their worst, will become so drunk on pleasurable activities that they pursue them to the active detriment of the party's goals or the Void player's self-improvement - making them the ultimate irrelevant character. They can also very easily drag others into their mélange, with a forcefulness that resembles Light's illuminating guidance, but which is ultimately rooted in Void's pursuit of personal pleasure.
But there's a lesson to be learned in Light's domain: how to bring themselves into relevance and greatness. A Void player, once they learn to pursue not just personal pleasure, but a greater satisfaction for the collective whole, can drag the Void behind them, kicking and screaming, to where it'll be of use.
MIND / HEART
Mind and Heart are concerned with what it means to be a sentient being, with identity, and with why we do what we do.
Mind is the Aspect associated with logic, rationality, karma, ethics, and justice. To a Mind player, they "are" because they "think". They are keenly aware of the consequences of every action, and well-versed in cognition and behavior, such to the point of manipulating others with ease. Deeply concerned with the "effect" of cause-and-effect, Mind players are always cognizant of debts and credits, where justice is owed and where it has been over-meted, and their subtle machinations culminate, like well-placed dominoes, in grand and explosive finales.
Mind players are schemers - it's in their nature. They have a tendency to view the world as a puzzle or game, with themselves and the people around them as pieces on a board, and set as their standard rules the laws of ethics and karma - owed debts and overhanging credit - guilty and innocent. Mind players are wickedly cunning, and have an high success rate with every scheme they commit themselves to, but the grand downfall of all these tendencies is that they tend to lack in a sense of identity, and have a poor grasp on their own emotions or desires. While they may know how to provoke a desired reaction, they don't know how to change someone's mind. They often find themselves grappling very painfully with their own selfhood, with feelings of emptiness, inadequacy, or uncertainty.
Thus, a Mind player at the worst zenith of their Aspect is heartless and cruel. Leaving no space for empathy or even personal feelings in their plans, the Mind player will plot for an ending as heartless as they are. But a Mind player is never truly without emotion, and ignoring their own feelings causes them to manifest in terrible ways - Mind players have a tendency to seek toxic, codependent relationships, hoping to find external validation, subjecting themselves to the wishes of others, which can appear like Heart's fixation on feelings and desire.
But in recognizing their own need for emotional validation, and the importance of their own feelings, a Mind player can realize that there's an entire dimension to the game they've been playing that they've been ignorant of. When a Mind player learns to temper their schemes with empathy, compassion, and kindness, how much more success they'll see - and how much happier that grand finale will be!
Heart, then, is associated with feelings, motivations, intuition, the soul, and the self. To a Heart player, they "are" because they "feel" like they are - and they're keenly aware of the multitudes that are contained within themselves. Deeply concerned with the "cause" of cause-and-effect, they're drawn to desires, those of themselves and of others, especially where strong feelings are concerned. Heart players are gifted with an intuitive understanding of those around them, both their good and bad qualities, and are tasked with the grand task of bringing out the best.
It stands to reason, then, that Heart players have a firm grasp on who they are and what they want. For the same reasons, it's difficult for a Heart player to truly hate or condemn another person, because they are so adept at understanding them. However, this understanding comes with a price - because the Heart player is so aware of themselves, they can't escape their own worst traits - nobody self-loathes as accurately as a Heart player can. Nor can they ever truly be untruthful with another, making them poor manipulators. Capable of presenting a different facet of themselves as the situation calls for it, certainly, but just as it's impossible to lie to a Heart player, who always knows how someone really feels, it's impossible for a Heart player to lie to themselves.
With this sincerity comes vulnerability. Heart players wear theirs on their sleeves, and at their worst, this can make them demanding, needy, and sensitive - so eager to connect with others emotionally that they'll cramp themselves to fit others' desires. But they can't ever keep this up for long; Heart players have a tendency to withdraw from others after being hurt too often, finding it easier to be alone and silent about their feelings than to deal with the pain of rejection. They may even work to manipulate others, preying on their emotions and desires to force them to act in their worst interests. This superficially resembles Mind's cold logic, but unlike Mind's cool rationality, Heart's aloofness is a mask, an attempt to avoid pain by pulling away.
But this isn't purely a negative, because a Heart player can learn a healthier form of detachment, and separate out healthy and helpful desires from harmful and detrimental ones. Given this clarity, the Heart player becomes the team's emotional core, able to raise up each teammate's best qualities, while helping them deal with their worst, enabling everyone to be the best possible version of themselves - which the Heart player knew them to be all along.
LIFE / DOOM
Life and Doom are concerned with outlook, with journeys, and with trials and tribulations.
Life is an aspect concerned with healing, growing, and improving. It is associated with beginnings, optimism, and positive emotions. The very essence of Life lies in its healing abilities, in this idea of overcoming the odds and triumphing over hardship and difficulty. Life is action, movement, and motion, and its players can scarcely hold still. Life will find a way - and Life players harbor the same immutable belief; they are the most stubborn weeds in the garden, the cockroach that survives the apocalypse, and the beating heart that refuses to stop.
Life players tend to be optimistic and confident. They are self-assured individuals, with a stubborn belief that good things are on their way, and any hardship they face is not only temporary, but something that can be overcome. They can find the silver lining in any cloud, and enjoy themselves under any circumstance. They love to nurture, to care for others, though this love has a tendency to be one-sided. Indeed, Life's stubborn nature is its players' greatest pitfall; their persistence easily becomes obstinacy, and their confidence can become condescension. Their self-assured nature easily becomes egotism, and they can have great difficulty grappling with those who don't share their views - even coming to oppose those who bring emotional pain and suffering that can't be easily fixed.
It's very easy for a Life player to decide another person isn't worth their attention, and opt to leave them behind - after all, Life has to move forward, no matter what it tramples in the process. At their worst, they're stubborn to the point of not listening to anyone but themselves, confidence becoming blockheadedness. This focus on forward progress without looking back can even cause Life players to become harmful to others, so focused they are on their own growth that they don't notice that they're choking everyone else out. This may resemble Doom's death in its worst case - arresting everything else, eventually blocking even their own path with unruly, out-of-control fecundity.
Thus, a Life player needs to learn to more gracefully accept Doom's influence - to pause, slow down, and consider viewpoints that are negative, unpleasant, or difficult. A Life player, endowed with moderation, will be able to cultivate a bountiful garden, rather than an unruly jungle - a place for all to flourish and live in plenty, never wanting for anything.
Doom, then, is the aspect concerned with death, with rest, and with endings. Doom is associated with suffering and with negative emotions, with peace, with sleep, and with dreams. Doom players have a natural penchant for prophecy, and are often dual dreamers, able to take advantage of both Skaia's oracular clouds and the Horrorterrors' voices over Derse. All things must eventually come to an end, and not all times will be good; in these troubling times, Doom players shine, as they are the guides who call the murk home, and know best how to navigate rough waters, course-correcting until the storm passes.
Doom players tend to be deeply pessimistic. They experience, to a much more magnified degree than others, negative feelings and impulses, and it's difficult for them to see the world without seeing its flaws, first and foremost. They are not healers, but commiserators, those who understand greatest that sometimes there's no way to deal with tragedy but to simply sit with it and wait for it to pass. The counterpoint to Life's insistence on breathless positivity, Doom is a reminder that pain, grief, sadness, shame, and guilt are not unnecessary things - in fact, excising them can lead to terrible consequences. Doom players are the universe's martyrs, often taking it upon themselves to course-correct, to sacrifice themselves in order to give others a chance to continue on, to avert a terrible fate.
Unfortunately, this tendency also brings with it a tendency for Doom players to wallow in misfortune, or worse, to take themselves out of the picture, giving up entirely on seeing a better ending. As if energized by their own sense of futility, a Doom player at the "inverse" of their aspect may seem to echo a Life player's focus on forward progress and motion, actively spurring their team on towards an untimely demise.
A Doom player must learn to harness this sense of progress for good, rather than harm. A Doom player, once able to grasp the joy of life even in the greatest depths of despair, will be able to fill even the darkest hours with peace, meaning, and hope.
HOPE / RAGE
Hope and Rage are concerned with permission, and are the lens by which we define reality.
Hope is described by Hussie in the book commentary as being "framed as the most powerful aspect" because it is, literally, an aspect that defines reality. Its specific ability is lies in reducing the "fakeness attribute" of something, thus making it "real". Hope is associated with convictions, with idealism, with faith, order, holiness, and, of course, with magic - which Hope turns real. Hope is permission itself - a reality-breaking ability to look at the world and decree that it must be another way, a way in which the Hope player believes it ought to be.
Thus, Hope players tend to be hard-headed zealots, with no self-awareness whatsoever. Their inclination towards powerful beliefs makes them very difficult to dissuade from a path they've set their minds to, and their specific suite of abilities makes them terrifyingly likely to make their vision come true. Hope players are usually not particularly cunning, nor particularly intelligent, nor even particularly empathetic. Given the Aspect's focus on conviction and faith, it's usually very difficult for Hope players to notice anything occurring beyond their own minds and feelings. Thus are Hope players hopeless optimists, hopeless romantics, and hopeless in general - often great sources of embarrassment to their teams, as their naked sincerity is painful to witness. However, their ability to define reality does not leave them when their beliefs are faulty (which they often are, given Hope players are not particularly introspective, either), which is what makes a Hope player so dangerous.
A Hope player can easily be set on the wrong path - as convicted as they are, and as difficult to shake from that conviction as they can be, Hope players can easily march down a path of destruction, if not persuaded with a deft touch and gentle guidance. In the event that their faith is broken, Hope players easily become despondent and lost, floundering and wishy-washy, which superficially resembles Rage's self-consciousness, but is truly just a lack of direction.
But Rage has a powerful lesson to teach Hope players - that of questioning themselves, interrogating their own beliefs. Once their convictions have gone through rigorous scrutiny, revised into the best, brightest versions of themselves they can be, a Hope player is a worker of miracles - speaking into existence a beautiful future on faith alone, proclaiming that how they see the world is how the world shall be.
Rage, then, is the power of denial. If Hope reduces the "fakness" of a thing, then Rage reduces its "realness". Rage, too, is a means of defining reality, in this case taking a torch to the aspects of reality that it rejects. In more passive Classes, this works in subtler ways, stoking others towards destructive fury. Rage is associated with anarchy, chaos, revolution, destruction, anger, and nihilism. A Rage player will not suffer a world that does not satisfy them, breaking it to pieces, such that something new can take its place.
Therefore, Rage players are prone to harboring anger and resentment, discontentment with the status quo, and faith only in that what currently exists must somehow be dismantled. However, unlike Hope players, who can't help but be pathetically sincere, Rage players are incredibly self-conscious, and often try to mask and hide their embitterment and anger. This, ironically, leads to further ostracization, as others can tell they're being inauthentic. This only further compounds their sense of alienation, and drives them further into smoldering resentment. This makes Rage players sound volatile and dangerous, and they are - but the same fury that moves them is the fury that ignites revolts and tears down oppressive regimes, a necessary and vital well of energy and momentum. It takes careful handling to ensure that the team's Rage player can channel this energy towards righteous causes, rather than marking all as a target for their destructive ire.
In the worst-case scenario, the Rage player turns that rage out indiscriminately, deciding that there is nothing worth fighting for - only unpleasant things to be brought to ruin. This is Rage at its toxic overabundance. Conversely, a Rage player can retreat so harshly into their mask that they allow others to dictate their beliefs, taking them to heart - an action motivated by Rage's destruction (this time, turned inwards) that superficially resembles Hope's convictions and faith.
The true path for a Rage player is a healthy balance - to allow themselves some of Hope's sincerity, and by doing so, to become more sincere and true. This will let them release the pressure of their mounting ire, such that it can be converted into productive, rather than destructive, energy - the heralds of a revolution, razing away the faulty, corrupt old systems such that something better and new can take their place.
CLASS
As previously stated, Class governs a character's character arc - the character's starting circumstances, whether their conflict is primarily internal or external, and what major aspect of their Aspect becomes a hurdle for them to overcome.
In the same way an Aspect's sways tie into the character's base personality, the character's Class abilities tie into the kinds of struggles they face, and have great influence on how their Aspects manifest.
That being said, a character - and their Class - are always subject to their Aspect, as their Aspect is tied fundamentally into who they are. Thus, it can be said that a Light player will always have an affinity for knowledge and provide Seer-esque guidance even when not in a Seer role, a Doom player will always have prophetic abilities even with a non-prophetic class (note that Mituna, an Heir, still had prophetic visions, despite those generally being the realm of Mages and Seers), and a Life player will always have a penchant for healing, even paired with a destructive Class like Prince or Thief (the Condesce, after all, could still extend life; a Prince of Life would likely manifest not as one who causes plants to wither and die (this would actually suit a Prince of Doom), but one who destroys in the way of nature overtaking an abandoned shack, or a forest breaking down a body).
This means that when a character's Classpect inverts their Aspect, it doesn't mean that they suddenly become a hero of the opposing Aspect - rather, it means that, at their very worst - at the nadirs of their character arcs - they will lean so much into their Aspect's worst traits that it will superficially appear as the opposite, when all it really is is an absence of themselves. Dave, a Time player, usually so attentive to detail (despite his disaffected facade, he's always paying rapt attention to Karkat's rants, and noticing all the clues pointing to his destiny of defeating LE), at his lowest emotional point (arguing with Grimbark Jade after sobbing about his lost childhood whimsy), states that he doesn't think Lord English is that big a deal, and never even did anything directly bad to him or his friends - when he was literally directly haunted by LE via Cal his entire childhood. Similarly, Rose drinks herself stupid in order to cope with her mother's death.
Note how, superficially, this almost appears to be an invocation of Space's "big picture thinking," its passivity and permissibility, or how Rose's case appears to be Void's tendency to indulge in vices and pleasure - but they're not. Time's worst traits superficially resemble Space, Light's resemble Void, and vice versa - Grimbark Jade is the Condesce's taskmaster, and Porrim at her worst was as much of a nag as Kankri, trying to do a Time player's managerial job. Horuss and Equius at their worst won't shut up and won't stop talking over their partners. So on and so forth.
Finally, Calliope tells us a couple things about Active/Passive pairings. The first is that Calliope introduces the idea of paired classes with the idea that both Rogues and Thieves "steal" (and later, that both Princes and Bards "destroy"). This presents the idea that both classes can be roughly summed up with the idea that every pairing can be summed up with a common theme.
The second is her description of what makes a Class Active versus Passive - that Active Classes move their Aspect to benefit themselves, whereas Passive Classes allow their Aspect to be moved in order for others to benefit. In a way, they're like active and passive voice in grammar (to tie in with the way Classes and Aspects are so tied to ideas of narrative and character arc) - an Active Class performs their Aspect, and a Passive Class allows the Aspect to be performed "by others" (the famous piece of advice regarding telling the two apart being that a sentence written in passive voice can have "by zombies" tacked to the end of it - eg, John is attacked "by zombies", as compared to active voice - John attacks).
Thus, the Class pairings, along with their basic themes, are as follows:
KNIGHT - / MAID +
"One who controls."
Knights and Maids are paired together through two key factors: the first is that they both hold leadership or managerial roles; the second is that both classes carry the connotation of serving a Lord. Fittingly, they are both struggle with the control of malicious forces - Knights with prophecies indicating their role as heroes, Maids with direct usurpation by malicious forces.
PAGE - / HEIR +
"One who inherits."
Pages and Heirs are paired together because they both fundamentally deal with the great inheritances placed before them. Pages can come into incredible, limitless power - but they must struggle and work hard for it; Heirs begin the game in societal comfort and wealth, and must learn to defect from their decadence.
THIEF - / ROGUE +
"One who steals."
Thieves and Rogues are highly adaptable, as Thieves are capable of fantastic on-the-fly adaptation, whereas Rogues have an infinite toolbox at their disposal. They are both provocateurs, shakers of the status quo, though the Thief does so for personal gain, while the Rogue does so to right injustice.
MAGE - / SEER +
"One who guides."
Mages and Seers are tied together by the gift of prophecy and future sight. Seers are privy to the endless branching paths that the future may take, while Mages are gifted with the ability to outright determine a future that will certainly happen, appearing to be prophecy.
WITCH - / SYLPH +
"One who changes."
Witches and Sylphs are individuals blessed with great magic, but poor judgement. Sylphs heal and nurture, but are drawn to those with strong desires, and enable them to cause great harm; Witches, meanwhile, possess strong emotions, which they often use as moral guidance, for better or worse.
PRINCE - / BARD +
"One who destroys."
Princes and Bards are representatives of society - the one who determines its course, and the one who recounts its passing. Princes suffer from a toxic overabundance of Aspect, and are prone to spectacular meltdowns, whereas Bards are always poised for a crisis of faith. Both are responsible for catastrophic failures - but also breathless victories.
INDIVIDUAL CLASSES
KNIGHT
"One who controls [Aspect] or controls using [Aspect]."
Knights are frontline warriors, rallying points behind which the party falls into line. Although they are often leaders, just as often, they are logistical planners, strategists, or simply the team's beating heart. They are almost always thrust into positions of narrative significance, often carrying grand destinies or even outright heroic prophecies on their shoulders. The are the party's rallying force, its center, and a guiding light - the one to lead the charge, behind which the party will follow.
The primary character struggle a Knight will have is with crippling insecurity. Knights are prone to self-loathing and imposter syndrome, and will often adopt a façade in direct opposition to their aspect (ie, their fundamental personality) in order to cope with their feelings of inadequacy. Thus, their relationship with their aspect becomes love/hate - though they're naturally drawn to their aspect, and even naturally skilled at utilizing it, they have a tendency to become their own worst enemy, as their insecurities make them push their façades, and their façades distance them from their aspect.
"Controlling their Aspect" means that the Knight has easy access to their Aspect, wielding it like a tool or weapon - for good or for ill; "controlling using their Aspect" is what grants Knights their leadership abilities, able to dictate how others ought to act in accordance with the Knight's Aspect - whether their understanding of their Aspect is high or low, whether their advice is good or bad.
Therefore, at their worst, a Knight will fall prey to their insecurities, retreating into their facades, rejecting their Aspect, which will allow disharmony or misuse of it to proliferate throughout the team. They may even wind up deliberately twisting their Aspect's presence within the team so that they never have to be confronted by it; these distortions ripple outwards and eventually culminate in major catastrophes, all on account of the Knight's negligence.
But at their best, a Knight is a shining beacon and guiding light; when they come to terms with themselves, and allow themselves to be comfortable in their own skin - when they no longer allow themselves to be ruled by their insecurities and anxieties - they ensure that their aspect is harmonious wherever it appears throughout their party, and can wield it expertly as a weapon, as if it were their own flesh and blood.
MAID
"One who allows control through [Aspect] or allows [Aspect] to be controlled."
Unlike Knights, which take positions of frontline prominence, a Maid is a managerial presence in the backlines, though no less crucial for the smooth functioning of a party. Just as the invisible hands of the hired help keep a household running, the Maid will be called upon to provide vital services to keep the game stable, even if those services are more noticeable by their absence than their presence. Maids are often the party's unsung heroes or even shadow leaders, tugging at invisible strings, fingers on the pulse.
A Maid's primary character struggle will be that of escaping oppression. Maids tend to start the game in positions of subjugation or subservience, especially to malicious forces, and their abilities often end up being exploited to serve their masters' ends. Therefore, one may even have the impression that a Maid is ruled by their aspect, held prisoner and slave - at least until they're able turn the tables.
"Allowing their Aspect to be controlled" means that Maids are capable of directly dispensing their aspect unto others - a Maid of Time can dispense time unto foes, pausing them in their tracks; a Maid of Life can grant so much life that they can revive the dead. Their boons are great and direct, straightforward in a similar manner to Knights. "Allowing control through their Aspect" grants them their uncanny managerial abilities, as their aspect dictates the realm in which nothing occurs without the Maid's knowledge or permission, a realm made available to whomever the Maid's allegiance lies with.
Thus, at their worst, the Maid becomes a saboteur. Exploited by malign forces, their abilities to allow control over others through their aspect, or control of their aspect, makes them perfect vehicles by which their aspect can be hijacked or usurped, and made to turn against the party, and they often find themselves placed into these positions through no fault of their own. It takes the party banding together to shake off the forces that would keep a Maid in bondage.
However, at their best, Maids ensure that the party can never go too far off the rails. There is a place for everything, and everything will be in its place; a Maid is a supply line, a safe haven, and a promise that everything will be neat and tidy when the party returns from war. When the Maid belongs to themselves, their homestead becomes a fortress, and nothing occurs under the Maid's watchful eye without their express permission.
PAGE
"One who works to inherit [Aspect] or inherits [Aspect] for themselves."
Pages are a class defined by promise. As the name suggests, a Page begins weak, but has the great potential to develop into one of the most powerful players in the game. The exact nature of a Page's powers are vague, not because they are insignificant, but because they are so great that it's difficult to encompass them all. At the apex of their arcs, Pages are capable of miraculous feats, overpowering even Lords and Muses - if only they could reach that point and stay there.
A Page begins the game weakest of all, reflective of their long journey of growth. Where most classes only fall into deficit of their Aspect at their lowest emotional points, Pages begin their arcs in deficit - exhibiting character traits opposite to those their Aspect normally encompasses. Moreso than any other class, a Page must learn to grow into their Aspect. Weak-willed, naive, and easily hurt, Pages require careful nurturing if they're to come into their own.
"Working to inherit their Aspect" describes the endless journey of growth the Page must undertake - one with many missteps, backslides, and setbacks along the way. Still, they "inherit their aspect," meaning that their full potential, when realized, is overwhelmingly great - practically becoming their Aspect in humanoid form, capable of utilizing it to its glorious full potential.
However, their nature defeats them, and even if they can attain this state, the Page usually can't stay there for long. At their very worst, the Page's deficit of their Aspect's better qualities can turn the Page into a gravitic well of misfortune - an albatross about the party's neck, the centerpoint, if not inciting incident, of a massive disaster, as their team is sucked in by the Page's natural weakness.
But this is only true as it contrasts to a Page at their best - having grappled and won with the greatest of all weakness, a Page is poised to come into the greatest of all strength. Shown kindness, compassion, and support, a Page at full power reflects a party at their best. A Page at full strength is breathtaking to behold, an unstoppable force of nature, their Aspect made manifest.
HEIR
"One whom [Aspect] grants inheritance or inherits [Aspect] for others."
Heirs, in contrast to Pages, start the game strong. They usually belong to the upper echelons of their respective societies, a position of great wealth, leisure, and comfort, and are set to be inheritors of even greater wealth. Similarly, their Aspect comes to them as if of its own will - it is powerful, but difficult for the Heir to control, reflecting the wealth and status they've enjoyed as birthright.
An Heir's main challenge is that of examining their privilege, and learning where they wish to spread the gift they've been given. Because of their positions of sheltered comfort, Heirs are not particularly world-wise, and often harbor massive blind spots to the suffering of others and the ills of society. As such, they tend to be fairly aimless, given great power but no strong motivations, and have a tendency to simply indulge in their Aspect without contributing great help or hindrance to their team at all.
The Heir's Aspect is practically an independent entity. Being one whom "their Aspect grants them inheritance" refers to how the Heir starts powerful, able to summon their Aspect to perform great, miraculous acts. However, it is highly intuitive and difficult to control. The Heir's challenge lies not in attaining great power, but in attaining control over, and the ability to direct, their existing abilities. Once they do, they can "inherit their Aspect for others" - Heirs become a conduit through which their party can experience their Aspect, making it a usable pool of wealth for them all to draw from. However, because of their comfortable positions, many Heirs end up dallying, finding no pressing need to do so.
But this dallying hides a ticking clock. An Heir's inheritance will come to them, one way or another, and if they aren't ready to receive the great responsibilities that come with such great power, then the power will eventually consume them. An Heir with no clear direction will eventually become lost to their Aspect, entirely removing both from play. Like how wealthy inheritors simply become part of the status quo, so, too, does an Heir disappear into their Aspect, fixing it in place.
Thus, Heirs must learn where they have been blind, where they have been foolish, and what it means to be underprivileged. Then, once they turn their energies towards addressing those injustices - to taking responsibility for building a better future - when their wealth comes to them, they'll be able to distribute it where it's needed most. An Heir, fully-realized, brings their Aspect to heel, and makes it a resource available to their entire team, as if welcoming them all into the family.
THIEF
"One who steals [Aspect] or steals using [Aspect]."
Thieves are, as the name suggests, greedy - much of their arc revolves around a desire to amass wealth, though what's considered "wealth" varies based on the Thief and especially their Aspect. They tend to be callous people by nature, capable of ignoring or trampling over the feelings of others in order to take what they want, in the hopes of filling an emotional void the Thief may not even be fully aware of.
The Thief's playstyle is one of careful resource management. Reflecting a natural tendency to take "wealth" from others, Thieves are unable to use their Aspect without first "stealing" it - a subtractive act which leaves the victim bereft of the Aspect, weakening them in the process. Because of the finicky nature of these abilities, it takes great cunning to be a Thief, and the Class both demands and requires the player to be adaptable, flexible, and quick on their feet, able to effect complicated schemes and engineer the perfect situations for their powers to have the greatest effect. Thieves aren't necessarily strong, but they have a very high victory ratio, because they're experts at turning a situation to their own advantage.
"Stealing their Aspect" refers to the fundamental way in which the Thief class is played, this resource management game; "stealing using their Aspect" reflects how the Thief often becomes a malignant force within the party, viewing their own teammates as caches of wealth to plunder. Thieves are naturally prone to hurting others for their own purposes, craving drama and attention, and being of such callous dispositions that they're able to perform extreme acts of cruelty given the right motivations.
Thieves often become a target of ire within the party, disruptive forces whose quest for personal wealth and fulfillment comes at the cost of those around them. At their worst, they can bring so much heat down upon their own shoulders that the party feels the need to treat them like an enemy, which is disastrous for party harmony. Moreover, it's disastrous for the Thieves themselves, as Thieves seek wealth to compensate for some emotional emptiness, and making enemies of their friends only serves to deepen their ennui.
Thus, a Thief must be taught that true happiness and fulfillment doesn't come from the struggle for wealth, but from the building of something better with those they care about. A Thief, thus turned to heroic purposes, becomes the party's pinch hitter - an adaptable spy, an unpredictable maverick, an element of surprise - and above all, a reliable ally, capable of turning any tide in the party's favor.
ROGUE
"One who steals from [Aspect] or steals [Aspect] for others."
Rogues, on the other hand, call to mind such figures as Robin Hood, stealing from the rich to distribute to the poor. Rogues are at their best when they're agents of a well-planned heist, as they possess an unlimited toolbox - their own Aspect - to play with. Their Aspect is a treasure trove, just waiting for the Rogue to plunder it and share its riches - if only the Rogue can figure out how.
Rogues are forces of revolution. They naturally carry a rebellious spirit, one which bristles at injustice, takes a stand against authority, and questions the status quo. Their ideas are unfocused, however; they know they must rebel, but usually don't start with a clear idea of against who or what. They know that their society is injust, but they don't know how to address that injustice. They know there are villains, and may even know these villains' identity, but they don't know how best to defy them. In a similar way, they're often lost as to how to utilize their Aspect beyond its most basic applications, and usually require external assistance in order to bring out its full potential.
Rogues' true potential lies in "stealing from their Aspect" - an additive act, rather than a subtractive one, as a Thief's stealing is. Rogues are capable of removing their own Aspect's sway over another entity, allowing it to exhibit the characteristics of the opposite Aspect; a Rogue of Void can create things out of nothing, a Rogue of Heart can tease out behaviors and actions. They can also "steal their Aspect for others," allowing them access to their own Aspect's suite of abilities as well. This allows the Rogue incomparable flexibility, their abilities - like their dispositions - rebellious and subversive.
But their rebellious spirit, coupled with their lack of understanding as to who their real enemies are, is dangerous when left unchecked. Rogues often suffer from a failure to start, giving up on trying to understand the deeper implications of their abilities, and of the society they can't seem to find contentment in - but they can also suffer from a worse fate: rebellion without a cause. Rogues' free spirits can lead to them bucking the status quo in ways that actively harm others, performing acts of taboo or poor taste just because that rebellious energy needs to be put to use somewhere. These can have disastrous knock-on consequences, as some things are taboo for good reason.
Thus, Rogues need to be guided - to make connections with others, and come to a greater understanding of the world at large. Once they know their target, and what needs to be done, the Rogue makes sure there are no obstacles along the way - no safe is uncrackable, no prison inescapable, and no problem unsolvable, so long as the Rogue is there to work their magic.
MAGE
"One who guides [Aspect] or guides [Aspect] for themselves."
Mages are prophets, of the "always correct" variety - or so it seems. In actuality, Mages don't "predict" the future, they "choose" it - in a setting where the future is mutable, the Mage's ability is to speak into existence a future they desire, to tip the scales of causality and collapse possibilities into a single definite course. Their Aspect is the lens through which their "prophecy" occurs, a realm in which they command the fabric of reality itself.
As if to karmically balance this incredible power, Mages are afflicted by deep and terrible sadness. They start the game miserable, having been subjected to the greatest injustices their Aspect can offer, tormented by guilt, shame, and self-loathing. Their worldview has been shadowed with a lens of suffering and anguish, and so, too, is their view of the future. Mages usually begin the game having already set several prophecies into motion, and these early prophecies are usually obstacles that the party must overcome.
Mages "guide their Aspect" - this refers to the way their prophecies, that is, their chosen futures, always come true. Their visions may be limited to the sway of their Aspect, but it remains a powerful ability nonetheless. "Guiding their Aspect for themselves," then, outlines the Class's Active nature - the futures the Mage picks must be ones the Mage believes will come to pass.
Unfortunately, Mages have a tendency to pick ugly futures. This isn't out of malice or anger; this is because Mages start the game sad, and without intervention, grow sadder. They're prone to spirals of negativity, self-loathing, and depression, and as their outlook dims, so, too, do their forecasts. Mages suffer, but even suffering can grow familiar - can even appear comfortable or desirable, if the Mage suffers long enough. It's easy for them to grow so accustomed to misery that misery is the only outcome they can see - spelling doom for the rest of the party, one prediction at a time.
But a Mage whose party shows them kindness and forgiveness, compassion and empathy, can pull them out of their misery. How beautiful, then, the future appears! A Mage who believes in a brighter future is a force to be reckoned with. When a Mage can bring themselves to say, "and everyone lived happily ever after," you had better believe they did.
SEER
"One who who is guided by [Aspect] or guides [Aspect] for others."
Seers, meanwhile, are the true future-sighted, able to see the myriad paths the future could take. Like Mages, their Aspect serves as the lens by which their vision is colored; the Seer can sense, with fine accuracy, which paths are closest to the sway of their aspect, and which paths will take them further away. As if gifted with a guide to the game, their intuition is tied directly to the mechanics of SBURB, and they serve as the party's guides, a role indispensable in a game with so many moving parts.
Seers will struggle with blindness, first by hubris and ego, and then by self-harm. Seers begin the game quite full of themselves, proud of their prowess in their Aspect - usually arrogantly so. When this pride is inevitably shattered, Seers have a tendency to deal with their feelings of shame and guilt with willful, self-induced blindness - as if flipping a switch, they become ashamed of the pride they once placed in their Aspect, and seek to place as much distance between it and themselves as possible. There's comfort in ignorance, even if it renders the Seer useless.
Seers are "guided by their Aspect" - able to sense its presence, they gravitate toward it, and towards futures with it in abundance. And, in the same way, they "guide their Aspect for others," lighting the way for others down the path of greatest reward. Seers truly love their Aspect, no matter how much they may misplace their faith in it, and seeking it out is a great joy for them.
This is why a Seer at their worst is so tragic. By inducing intentional blindness within themselves, they are functionally deadening the strongest part of their soul. No matter the temporary relief this brings to the sharp, jagged pain of shame, it invariably deepens the Seer's suffering, as they deny themselves not only their own joy, but their ability to help others - another act which inherently delights them.
Thus, a Seer needs to be made to deal with their shattered ego head-on, to accept their own shortcomings, to become at ease with the idea that they don't have all the answers. Once their vision becomes clear, and their view becomes honest, the party nevermore has to fear becoming lost or straying from the path - the Seer will see to that.
WITCH
"One who changes [Aspect] or changes [Aspect] in others."
Witches are the winds of change, tweaking reality all around them until it suits their desires. A Witch is presence that commands both fear and respect, and their Aspect bows down before them, reduced to a mere minion in the Witch's presence, ready to attend to all their needs. In a way, the Witch's powers are straightforward - they can manipulate their Aspect as they desire, changing its qualities as they see fit. "How they see fit," then, is where the issue lies.
Witches are usually of "outsider" status, never truly being part of the society from which the rest of the party descends. Free from the same rules and common sense that govern the others on their team, Witches instead operate on a value system heavily reliant on their own emotions. What a Witch deems to be correct, to be true, or to be righteous, are often based not in any objective measure, but in subjective, emotional bias - and they're emotional creatures, indeed. Prone to fits of great anger, Witches can be benevolent one second and malicious the next, and their abilities let them imprint, to a greater degree than any other Class, their desires onto the world that comes after them.
Witches "change their Aspect," as in, the crux of their abilities lies in manipulating the qualities of their Aspect in their surroundings - extending, shortening, magnifying, shrinking, growing, removing… so on and so forth. It's a fearsome power. They also "change their Aspect for themselves" - their Aspect is hapless but to obey their desires; Witches change the world to suit themselves, and their feelings of how things "should" be often become how things "are" in short order.
Thus, a Witch who has been swayed toward evil entities and nefarious ends is a truly dangerous opponent - and it is unfortunately easy for this to happen. Witches' social isolation means they tend to trust their emotions, and a force that flatters these emotions can easily win a Witch's trust. By the same token, those that fail to flatter the Witch are often considered enemies, even if they're benevolent forces. A Witch's morality can thus become warped and topsy-turvy, which has grave consequences for the world that the Witch then shapes.
Therefore, a Witch's struggle lies in learning to see beyond their own emotions, to take in the opinions and assistance of others even when it seems superficially unpleasant, to move beyond the childlike rejection of that which is uncomfortable. Once able to see a more nuanced form of right and wrong, once able to tell evil from good, Witches can build even utopia.
SYLPH
"One who allows [Aspect] to change others or changes [Aspect] for others."
Sylphs are nurturers and healers; they bring to mind fey folk whose very footsteps cause plants to grow. Wherever they go, whatever they touch, all becomes suffused with the Sylph's Aspect, which flourishes under their careful cultivation. Sylphs adore their Aspect, and their Aspect adores them; Sylphs generally feel at peace with themselves, surrounding themselves with what they like.
A Sylph's main challenge - or rather, the main challenge that Sylphs wind up posing the rest of the party - is that Sylphs are enablers. They're attracted to those with strong wills and extreme dispositions, amused by the havoc they wreak and pleased by their attention. Sylphs love to pick out favorites and lavish them with care and attention, excusing any wrongdoing on their behalf and shielding them from consequences. At the same time, those who don't strike the Sylph's capricious fancy find themselves discarded in the Sylph's mind, shut out from the boons the Sylph can provide.
A Sylph is "one who allows their Aspect to change others" - this almost always manifests as healing, as it's an additive ability (that is to say, the Sylph can grant more of their Aspect to someone). "Changing their Aspect for others," on the other hand, explains this enabling nature of theirs - the Sylph will intervene to make the world into a playground for their favored individuals, even to the point of turning other, less "interesting" teammates into playthings for the Sylph's beloved.
Thus, while the Sylph themself isn't particularly prone to wild mood swings and acts of malice, their influence can still cause disaster by allowing unscrupulous individuals to flourish - even encouraging their worst tendencies. A Sylph's touch is subtle, but that subtlety only lends it an insidious quality, as the Sylph quietly works against the good of the many for the cruel, selfish pleasures of the few. At their very worst, the Sylph can deem themselves their only favorite, and render everyone else a minor character in their one-man show.
Thus, Sylphs must be challenged. They must be made to reckon with the fact that favorable treatment is not necessarily kindness, and that bias can easily become harm. When a Sylph is able to grasp the difference between bias and doing good, and tune their approach toward that greater good, uncolored by bias and personal preference, then there is no place safer, kinder, and more conducive to growth than the Sylph's embrace.
PRINCE
"One who destroys [Aspect] or destroys using [Aspect]."
Princes are the most anxious, psychologically anguished members of a party. They suffer from a toxic overabundance of their Aspect - its traits are taken to an extreme, and not only the Prince, but those around them, are made to suffer for it. Princes are naturally set on a path of self-destruction, the culmination of their uncontrolled accumulation of their Aspect, and their meltdowns are spectacular, taking their Aspect - and whoever is unlucky enough to be in the same room - with them.
A Prince's challenge, therefore, is as simple to understand as it is difficult to overcome. The Prince needs to learn how to calm down, relax, and find inner peace. Princes are terribly prone to circular thinking and downward spirals. Their natural inclination is to feel anxious and responsible, like they carry the weight of the world, and this causes them to act out in extreme and aggressive ways. Eventually, others pull away, put off by the Prince's intensity. This only deepens the Prince's malaise, and Princes are - pushed by this hovering sense of urgency and catastrophe - willing to employ drastic, desperate measures to enforce compliance with their wills. They wake on their moons early, reflective of their driven natures. They're determined to a frightful degree, and no sacrifice is too great, no work too dirty, if it means achieving what they see as the greater good.
Princes "destroy their Aspect" in this way - by presenting their Aspect at its worst, they make others take distance, ruining it for everyone else. Their hard wills, intense emotions, and unshakeable drive to do what (they feel) needs to be done - at any cost - is their source of power. Thus, Princes "destroy using their Aspect" - their toxic overabundance of Aspect lets them channel it into a pure, annihilatory force; what they lack in the delicate utility of the other classes, they make up for in raw, ruinous power. Princes can easily deal the greatest damage in a combat scenario, their ability to destroy overriding nearly everything that would stand against it.
Thus is the problem with Princes. They're ticking time-bombs of anxiety and frustration; when they finally go off, they carve a path of destruction, before ultimately self-destructing, leaving no trace of their Aspect behind. Not only that, but it's very difficult to defuse the bomb early; Princes have finicky, aggressive, and complicated personalities, and tend to react poorly to straightforward attempts to calm them down and reason with them. They often appear to be their own worst enemies, marching inexorably toward their own destruction.
But Princes not only can be saved, but must be saved. They must be saved because kindness and compassion must exist for their own sake, and a Prince rescued from their own worst tendencies is living proof of the truth of that sentiment. A Prince, given the peace they need to reorient their priorities, will not rest until they see a brighter future realized. They will be the first to rise, and the last man standing, banishing - as if by royal decree - all obstacles, all enemies, all misfortune, and all ills.
BARD
"One who invites destruction through [Aspect] or allows [Aspect] to be destroyed."
Bards are the wild cards of a party, responsible for both improbable victories and catastrophic defeats - sometimes both in a single session. The methods by which a Bard works are a mystery to even the Bard themselves, which make it easy for the party to dismiss their powers - and, by extension, the Bard themselves. After all, who would expect there to be consequences for something so ridiculous as a Bard?
Bards are usually targets of abject ridicule by their teams. They can't help it - they're religious types, or at least types that hold great, lofty, ridiculous beliefs near and dear to their hearts. A Bard's primary struggle invariably winds up being a crisis of faith. Bards begin the game with a positive, "correct" faith in their Aspect; however, something will inevitably occur that shakes the Bard's faith in this viewpoint to its core. In this state, Bards are incredibly fragile, and it's very easy for them to succumb to whispers of cruelty and destruction, for their beliefs to warp, and for the Bard to come to serve the worst aspects of the society they represent.
A Bard "invites destruction through their Aspect" - their powers are subtle, but have catastrophic effects. Bards are instinctively drawn towards causing the first flap of a butterfly's wing, which cascades into a grand, impossible karmic backlash. They "allow their Aspect to be destroyed" by being the conduits for the forces of their faith - whatever faith they hold - to wreak unimaginable consequences across the game.
Thus, a Bard must not be allowed to fall into darkness. The cost is too great. They must be treated with kindness, patience, and sincerity, and given a chance to re-establish their faith in a better, brighter future. If this can be done, then at the party's direst moment - in their darkest hour - they will find that kindness paid back a thousandfold, as an innocuous act by the Bard that no one remembers balloons into a miracle.
#homestuck#homestuck analysis#classpect#classpecting#classpects#homestuck classpect#this essay is 10k words long#you may be wondering why i didn't split it up into smaller essays and the answer is pretty simple#so many of these ideas are interconnected and interrelated that it's not actually useful to hear about JUST Hope or JUST Maids or JUST Heir#like even aside from the equal-and-opposite splits#(which is how some of the less thoroughly explored classes and aspects need to be understood)#there's things like how pages actually start in deficit of their aspect personality-wise#jake has few convictions and is wishy-washy - tavros lacks freedom and independence - horuss lacks simplicity and emptiness#this isn't something you would “get” if you didnt know about the way aspect is tied to personality#it's fascinating because if you compare characters that share the same class similar things keep jumping out#but yeah again i have textual evidence to support every claim so please feel free to ask#i just couldn't justify doubling or even tripling the length of the essay to include things like#'ever notice how karkat - the BONDS and FRIENDSHIP knight - has a big Leader Who Dont Need No Friendship persona#and how dave - the Details and Minutiae knight - has a disaffected coolkid who doesn't give a shit about anything persona#and how latula - the Justice and Cunning knight - has a loud dumb obnoxious gamegrl nice-to-everyone persona#which she even admits is a persona she uses to hide how smart she is out of the apparent anxiety that people won't like her otherwise#i know people will object to the heir thing because 'mituna was oppressed on beforus' but let me clarify here#heirs are set to inherit comfortable lifestyles and wealth *by the standards of their society*#john is literally the heir of crockercorp and equius is blueblood nobility#but if you really think about it those aren't necessarily happy outcomes either#john would've had to become a stuffy businessman like Dad (and an evil capitalist lol)#and equius is also Still Oppressed and would've had to become a murderer cop#but it's still a position of wealth and comfort *for their society* - mituna would've been culled (like sollux)#but that would've meant being pampered and provided for#which is a great deal by the standards of his society regardless of how good or bad (bad) it actually is in practice
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transmasc-tabris · 6 months ago
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People saying that Davrin and Lucianis are really mean to each other or that Neve is an angry bitch if you help Treviso or that Taash is mean for finding Emmrich weird... Wouldnt last an hour in the asylum where they raised me or whatever:
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tvboxi · 4 hours ago
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i think this exactly puts my feeling into words. i have seen so many people either pulling the 'she's a kid she doesn't know any better' card and thinking Eclipse is completely in the wrong, but then i see people treating Charlie the same as an adult and thinking she should have that level of maturity even though she is literally eleven still.
I think the reality is in the middle. Yes, Charlie is a kid, she doesn't have the same understanding of most things, but that doesn't excuse all of her actions and she needs to be told when she does something wrong and that it shouldn't happen again. Instead of that, everyone seems to just let her do what she wants with little regard for how others are effected because 'she's trying to help people'.
And this rant isn't meant to be a dig at Charlie- more at everyone else. They continuously enable her and now that she has finally pushed Eclipse too far and crossed the line over and over, they act shocked and like this is just out of nowhere.
He went too far, yes, absolutely, but she did as well. Multiple times. The thing that actually pushed him over the edge was literally having his dignity, mobility and free will taken away. And everyone just laughed??? Like yeah, they got her to change him back, but it shouldn't have happened in the first place and they should've told her that that was wrong immediately instead of letting the situation drag on for as long as it did. Charlie is under a lot of stress, having someones life in your hands is something no one should have to deal with. That doesn't excuse the way she's been treating Eclipse and the way no one stepped in or said anything about it.
And don't get me started on Henry telling everyone to let Charlie yell at Eclipse- like dude, maybe we don't let our kid yell at an unstable and still grieving person who's under mass amounts of stress and hasn't had a break in who knows how long?? He should've taken her away the minute she started yelling.
tldr: everyone sucks. kids actions aren't excusable just because they're kids, and it's mainly the fault of people who should be teaching them better and not just standing by as they do whatever. justice for eclipse v4.
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Eclipse is finally hearing the words he’s needed someone to tell him
from himself
That fact makes it even more painful.
No else is coming to comfort him so he needs to comfort himself in the only way he knows how to get through to himself.
No one understands himself better than himself and so far, everyone except Andrew, Andy, and Jake have used something he’s opened up about in the past even minorly have used it against him. But they’re just kids, they can’t comfort him. Not in the way he needs
He should still be able to trust the other adults around Charlie to tell her right from wrong because he doesn’t trust himself, but so far they haven’t. Instead enabling her until she goes too far
I honestly think this arc is either going to end with Eclipse dying, leaving, or just isolating himself again and I’m honestly so worried for him
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problemswithbooks · 2 months ago
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Onyx Storm and LGBT+ Rep
How does everyone feel about the LGBT+ rep in the series post Onyx Storm? Personally, I'm not very impressed.
Now, the LGBT+ rep was never the best. Frankly it was always a blink, and you'll miss it type deal, but I have to say after reading Onyx Storm I'm seeing some worrying signs.
One thing I noticed in particular was that the two main LGBT+ characters we have are the only ones without clear love interests/ they're the characters pointed out as sleeping around and unattached. This is in comparison to the straight side characters, who almost all have clear end game love interests or close relationships with one person. The straight characters also have their love interests as part of the side cast, who have at least some lines, as opposed to the LGBT+ characters whose lovers are barely mentioned by name, let alone are a part of the group.
Take Dain. He's one the main side characters. This book it appears his love interest and end game (because no one simply has a crush in a romance novel, or breaks up) is Sloane. Sloane didn't have many scenes in this book, but she's still around, she still has moments. She's apart of their Wing. She has multiple interactions with Dain on page. Also she was a pretty big character last book, who has family ties with an important character from the first book.
In contrast, Ridoc. He was a major character in this book, getting far more scene time than he did in previous installments. He's gay and the only thing we know about his love life, something that's been brought up multiple times, is that he loves sleeping around. In the book where he gets upped scene time, his only romantic interaction is flirting with a new Flier who never shows up again. The only other thing he does romance related (if you can even call it that) is to jokingly mock his straight friends for having steady partners, instead of living it up by sleeping around.
Rhiannon gets similar treatment, though she's not as much of a player. Rhi is an incredibly important character in the first two books and Violet's bff. Her romantic partner is a woman called Tara. They have an off and on again relationship, that is implied to simply be sexual, not romantic. Tara maybe gets a line in one of the books, but I can't recall it at all. Tara is in First Wing.
Unlike the straight characters (or at least those pursuing opposite sex relationships) these two prominent LGBT+ characters are not allowed to have romantic interests, only sexual hook-ups, none of which who are other important side characters, therefore get zero character interactions.
Also, the only LGBT+ character that had a romantic partner (who again is not part of the main friend group) died in this book, so that's not great.
I'm not saying that Yarros has to write an epic LGBT+ romance, but it'd be nice if she at least gave one of these characters as much care as her straight side characters get in the romance department. I mean, would it have killed her to have Ridoc or Rhi have crushes on someone in the main friend group and have cute interactions with them, similar to Dain and Sloane, or Sawyer and Jesinia, or Imogen and Garrick? Why can't Ridoc be interested in Bodhi and get some cute moment during the sparing matches?
I doubt it was intentional, but Yarros is playing into the trope (especially with Ridoc) that LGBT+ people are very promiscuous and rarely have meaningful relationships based on love, rather than sex. Past that, it really feels like they aren't treated the same as the 'straight' characters (because they could be bi) who get at least some dialog with their love interests, who in turn have scenes independent of that relationship, because unlike the LGBT+ characters' love interests, their crushes are important to the story.
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camp-counselor-life · 8 hours ago
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Soooo, I'll do all of the replies at once
themysciraa
How volunteering works is so weird because a fair number of organizations treat volunteer opportunities as a service provided to volunteers as opposed to volunteers providing free labor for an organization??
I think it's a really common mindset, though one that is shifting. I think a lot of it is the organizations often see volunteers and staff as working towards a common mission, just in different ways, but forget the whole volunteers aren't paid part sometimes.
I won't excuse this mindset, but I will say that, at least at [council], when staff feel that they're the ones providing the service, some of that is the customer service/drama inherent with having a thousand or more adults for every front-facing staff member.
But you are entirely correct, volunteers do provide free services, and some organizations recognize that more than others. Volunteering itself is an interesting concept, not that work for pay is not also just a concept
cave-of-bats
And GSUSA is raising it's fee over the next few years, making it harder for *anyone* to join! $65 two years from now! Who can pay that!
Yeah, that's bonkers how high the girl fee is going, AND that they wanted to raise it higher. Good news on the adult fee, it's going to 30 (from 25) and staying there, at this point.
My council is doing a really robust FA (financial assistance) system for kiddos at least, where they have a form that you can request to have your kid's fee covered. I have lobbied for adult FA for a long time, and it was taken away by the board for this coming year to make up the increased costs for youth FA. But, if people volunteer with the outreach team, we do pay for their membership, so there is at least one option for us.
estranging-unity
Honestly I don't feel like so many actually do though, like both the other youth organizations I've volunteered with get you your background check for free after you commit to volunteering with them (including the one I got a higher level, fingerprint background check for) and don't have any other fee. Makes me feel a bit iffy about people trying to justify Girl Scouts volunteer fees by saying that "most" organizations make you pay to volunteer with them because it seems like "most" don't or they have a smaller, one-time fee if they do, other than people apparently having to pay more for "Lions Club" or "PTA" membership fees.
I don't know that it's "most" but it is quite a few. The ones I know charge are:
Our capitol county in [state]
Most school districts in [state]
The IRC (International Rescue Committee)
Scouting America
The University's hospital (from experience)
Several of our outreach partners
There were a few others as well, but it's been a minute since I really tried to find volunteer opportunities outside of work related stuff. I'm glad you've found other volunteer opportunities that didn't charge. They are for sure out there, but there are also a lot that you have to pay for, more than there should be.
The point of the post was that we should NOT charge anything. I don't think GSUSA charges because most or many organizations charge, though that was a justification they cited in the special session.
They say they charge for the reason that themysciraa talked about: GSUSA says/thinks that they provide a service (to girls) and also to volunteers (and to councils, but that's another story). They have proved that mindset in how the special session went.
I will say they are working on changing what is a pretty pervasive mindset, depending on the council & staff member. But still, there's issues there.
Something that genuinely baffles me is the fact that *so many* organizations require people to pay something (membership, background check, etc) in order to volunteer.
And it's not $10, $15, no, it's $50+ the cost of fingerprinting (another $15-20) and stuff like that.
Side note: GS is a little different because, fun fact, that $30 adult membership does NOT cover your background check, because GSUSA doesn't run those, they pass that cost along to the council, who gets... $0 of the $30 membership fee. But that's for another post.
Anyway, I really just, I don't think it should cost money to volunteer. I genuinely don't. I think that, if you want to serve your community, it should be completely free, with the option to cover the costs if you can.
It makes volunteering incredibly inaccessible. A few years ago, I was looking at different volunteer options, in a variety of sectors, and almost all I had to pay for the background check. At this time, that would have been not doable for a lot of people, and still isn't.
I get it, it's a potentially significant cost to the org, and you don't know if the new volunteer will work out. But, by essentially charging $50+ for a volunteer to even get in the door, you are seriously limiting the socioeconomic backgrounds of your volunteers.
It's also like... rarely small orgs, who probably do need to save that expense, it's like huge nonprofits and full on government organizations (like our county, in the top 100 US metro areas by population, requires volunteers to pay for their background checks), so we can't even be like, oh, they truly don't have the funds. No, these are orgs who definitely do.
There's no point to this rant, I just think that it should be free to volunteer.
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teh-nos · 2 months ago
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"but what if an author wakes up to 10 comments they need to reply to?" well realistically that's never going to happen to most of us and certainly not within the window of time where ao3 is limiting our replies but have fun over there in Popularity Land
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cryolyst · 4 months ago
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i've been thinking a lot about how the need for efficiency can contribute to dangerous driving. it isn't the only factor, of course, but there's this desire to get things done as fast as possible, and get mad at people for having the audacity to not go at your pace. people honking as soon as the light turns, running lights, not bothering to properly check before going at intersections, cutting people off, to name some common examples. it's a manifestation of "time is money" and we have to rush things. in all cases, including driving, impatience is often discourteous, but with driving it can also become deadly.
#not really a point to this it's just been on my mind and last reblog just brought it up to me again#obligatory yes i know there are cases where people make honest mistakes or have other things going on that are in fact time sensitive#and that driving too slowly or overly cautiously can also be dangerous and cause accidents#but overall i'm just commenting on how especially in the city there's this mindset of going fast all the time.#like. we can and should practice taking a few extra seconds to let someone cross the road.#this applies to pedestrians too! like too often i see ppl running out onto really fast oncoming traffic!!#like yeah jaywalk if there aren't many cars or they're far off down the road or the light is just turning. whatever.#but ppl will cross in the middle of streets across several lanes of traffic that is going. so fast. like let's wait a little bit yeah?#the road may be hostile to pedestrians and designed in a way that doesn't account for how we need to cross#but the way ppl will refuse to wait a few seconds for the walk light on intersections with walk lights#or walk the few meters to get to the intersection. it's endangering and for what? to stick it to the car drivers? to shave 30 seconds?#idk. just think we need to all slow down a bit. it's ok to take time to do things.#before we had standardized time and shit i don't think ppl got this mad that someone showed up to a scheduled thing 16 insect chirps late#it's really annoying that everyone feels this sense of urgency all the time even when there isn't anything truly urgent happening#not on an individual sense but in a societal one. it's baked in with the capitalism and all.#they speak!
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musical-chick-13 · 1 year ago
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Regarding the previous post, I think the way I approach trying to evaluate a piece of art is asking "Do I think the positive things I get out of it outweigh the parts of it that I don't like?" And when I call something a "guilty pleasure" song/show/book/piece of media/etc. it's really more in the sense of, "Given who I am as a person, the flaws I've found in this should be complete dealbreakers for me, but somehow they aren't, and it makes me feel like I'm having an identity crisis."
#like. I think something like...idk shiki or cxgf excels on multiple levels. I understand why I like them. given the things I look for in art#it makes sense that these shows would speak to me because they make the effort to showcase those things I look for. because the people#in charge of those works clearly valued the same kinds of things and cared about seriously exploring them.#but with something like. uh. ctrlz. that is NOT the case and I frequently found myself going 'why would anyone make this writing#decision?' but I still sat through all 3 seasons of it! I still really enjoyed it! those flaws SHOULD have made me give up according to#personal history but they never did. and I very very much genuinely question why. I have NO IDEA why I still care about this#silly convoluted teen drama show so much. but I do. I wrote SO MANY FUCKING POSTS ABOUT IT.#I really love wicked the musical. I've heard many people call it 'hokey' or 'cheesy' or 'objectively bad' but here's the thing! I DON'T#think it's bad!!! like literally at all!!!!!! and it does do some genuinely cool things in regard to the music and the way the characters#develop and what the show says about the nature of prejudice and human connection. is it like. idk Serious™ the way that something like#Parade is? no. but it doesn't have to be. it does what it sets out to do and it does it well and this is why the whole '''objective#evaluation''' thing doesn't actually mean anything. I value thoughtfully-constructed music and dynamic female characters#(which this musical has). I value stories that deal with the complex and messy feelings that come with being a human (which this musical#has). I value stories about 'other'ness and romantic subplots that aren't just built on 'This Girl Is Pretty' (which this musical has).#and I value professional displays of technical vocal ability because I know how fucking DIFFICULT that is (which this musical...if you cast#it well...has).#if you value something else in a musical then yeah you will probably think THIS one is '''objectively bad'''#if you don't see the point of musicals as an art form you will probably think wicked is '''objectively bad'''#do you see where the problem with categorizing analysis like this is??
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