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class-a-fanatic · 1 year ago

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This really does further empathize that everyone’s media perception is going to be subjective to one’s own definitions and views.

There’s going to be objective fact to canon, but a lot of it is also going to be up to interpretation. The world of cinema would a lot more boring if everyone had the same idea about everything. If the storyteller isn’t directly telling what something is/isn’t, it means that no one wrong OR right about their interpretation.

At the end of the day, you’re just going to be wasting time trying to assimilate others into a singular perspective. Let people develop media literacy! We bring no valuable points to the table by being single minded robots.

Once we stop attacking people for having opinions based solely off of interpretation, I honestly think we can have better fandom discourse and discussion.

Anakin Skywalker and the Semantics of Redemption

So everyone knows that the scene at the end of Return of the Jedi is something of a source of mild controversy. Are we supposed to see Anakin as redeemed because he became a Force Ghost? Is that the intended message behind the story? If it is, does Anakin truly deserve to be redeemed?

My personal take on it is that we are probably supposed to understand Anakin as redeemed, but that it doesn't really feel like a satisfying ending to me because Anakin never really does anything particularly worthy of what I would consider redemption, and that I don't really think Anakin COULD be redeemed even if he had survived.

That take has garnered me some... interesting... responses from people. I've had people tell me that I'm an inhuman monster for refusing to believe Anakin could be redeemed at all. I've had people argue that obviously Lucas thinks he's redeemed, so nothing else matters. I've seen people say that it's ridiculous to think he ISN'T redeemed, that's the entire point of the story and I've missed the whole theme of the saga if I don't get it. The politer responses have included people telling me what THEIR definitions/interpretations of redemption are and how they've made Anakin's ending fit into that.

If you're familiar with me at all, it won't shock you to discover that this sent me digging through the online dictionaries that seemed pretty reputable (for context, I used Merriam-Webster, Encyclopedia Brittanica, dictionary.com, vocabulary.com, and Collins Dictionary) to seek out "the true definition of redemption" to see if I could put the issue to rest in any way. What I ended up discovering there is no "true definition of redemption" to be found, even in the dictionary. I know. Absurd. How dare they.

Instead, once we eliminate the definitions that don't really apply to the situation (things that are more monetary in nature), most of the dictionary definitions fell into one of three categories: theological, internal, and external.

The theological definition appears to say that being redeemed means being completely freed of sin, totally absolved of everything. My assumption is that, given its origins, this generally means forgiveness by your god because you or someone else has done something to cause that complete absolution.

The internal definition is more about making the choice to improve yourself. It doesn't necessarily matter if other people see you differently (though it seems to be an expected side effect), so the redemption is about what's happening internally in how YOU see the world and your place within it.

The external definition is about how other people see you and, most commonly, about atonement and making amends. Now you could make the argument that the definitions could be implying that just the act of TRYING to atone or make amends is enough to count as redemption as opposed to needing to succeed at it in order to count, but generally the definitions seem to be implying that if you've actually MADE amends, THEN you are redeemed.

All of these are perfectly valid definitions of redemption according to these dictionaries. Redemption is a word that can be used to mean more than one thing depending on which definition you tend to associate with it the most or even just depending on the context or the person you're talking about. One person's definition of redemption is not necessarily the one and only way to view redemption. My definition may not be yours and it's definitely not the same as a lot of other people's.

In the case of Anakin, some people are maybe looking at him through a more theological context and if the Force has forgiven him via his own sacrifice or Luke's, he is then freed of sin and completely absolved for all of his crimes, happy endings all around.

Some people see redemption as an internal choice to do better or improve yourself and so Anakin's one good choice to save Luke at the cost of his own life is enough to redeem him in general even if it changes nothing about the evil things he's done.

Some people see redemption as an external thing that happens if you are able to truly atone or make amends for things you've done and change the way people view you and so Anakin can't be considered redeemed because he just dies before he can DO any of those things. Some of us go even farther and say that he'd never be ABLE to do any of those things even if he DID survive due to how much damage he's truly done and how unchangeable some of his choices are, so he'd never truly be able to be redeemed even if he spent the rest of his life making better choices.

Redemption is going to mean so many different things to so many different people. And that obviously is going to impact our views on Anakin and his ending in ROTJ. It'll work for some, and it won't work for others. But what I'm starting to come to terms with is that there's just no one way to view redemption. So someone who sees him as redeemed isn't necessarily WRONG. But in the same vein, someone who DOESN'T see him as redeemed is EQUALLY correct. Lucas himself seems to have said a few different things on the subject and sometimes sees Anakin as saved or redeemed and sometimes doesn't.

Redemption is a complex topic, obviously, but I'm sticking with my personal definition and interpretation because it's what feels right to me. But if someone else wants to go with a different definition because it's the interpretation that feels right to them, I'm not going to contradict them. Just don't try to come onto my blog to tell me that MY interpretation is wrong and that I'm some kind of unfeeling asshole because my definition of redemption is different than yours. I've got the damn dictionary receipts to back me up now.

#anakin skywalker critical #I like the distinction between the different types of redemption #because I have seen the discourse around the rotj ending and OOF it can get messy #another reason why our perception of media is subjective to our own

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terrencerex8 · 4 months ago

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Are We Being "Brainwashed?"

I know now politics is my greatest vice. The more I want to stereotype one side is "good" and another "bad," the more my beliefs are disproven by witnessing contrary behavior both good and bI know now politics is my greatest vice. The more I want to stereotype one side is "good" and another "bad," the more my beliefs are disproven by witnessing contrary behavior both good and badI know now politics is my greatest vice. The more I want to stereotype one side is "good" and another "bad," the more my beliefs are disproven by witnessing contrary behavior both good and bad. My preconceived judgments of others are consistently incorrect. In the past, I have chosen the safety of being a "moderate," but our parties have become so divergent, those in the middle find themselves in a deep chasm. That said, I have witnessed too many good people seduced by rhetoric, deceit, and emotional appeals. I feel I'm not being fair to myself and others to be silent. It all reminds me of the movie adaptation of Orwell's "1984" in the scene where Richard Burton is torturing John Hurt until he stops seeing four fingers after great torment and whose perception becomes clouded until he's earnestly not sure how many fingers he sees. I know from being a student of Social Sciences and Human Communication, that this phenomenon runs parallel to information given by former CIA Podcaster, Andrew Bustamante a.k.a "The Everyday Spy" https://andrewbustamante.org who speaks at length about brainwashing.

The most common "brainwashing" we see is in religious cults. The methodology is almost always the same. First, you separate the subject from friends and family. This is so the cult can control all the information you receive and block out any contrary reasoning to the cults vision of the "reality" they have framed. Perhaps you may know some true-life examples of this with demagogues and pundits that tell you all news media is false except for one or two sources. Next, you bombard the subject with concepts that create cognitive dissonance to break down traditional beliefs and customs to confuse him or her, until they question what they know, however tried, true, and factual. Your goal is to break down the persons belief system in order to implant your own beliefs that are generally to the benefit of only the leader, conveniently enough. These new "data sets" are then reinforced over and over again, in the same way, until they are set deep into the psyche.

Another tool in the manipulator's toolbox is "incrementalism." If you offer a radical belief system to someone all at once, you will likely be met with a strong backlash that may simply reinforce the antithesis of your coercive language. But if you slowly introduce reasonable data slowly, over a span of time, you can rebuild that person's belief system, without them even knowing they've been intellectually influenced. I wonder how many of us have been "brainwashed" by the constant deluge of ideological opinions we have been bombarded by? This is why I, and many others have become so skeptical and cynical about the government and politicians in general. It's not that we're pessimistic, or our beliefs have become "dystopian," it's just many of us are rightfully distrustful of data we are presented with. We are "dyed in the wool" critical thinkers. Our makeup is to question our perceptions and challenge our own beliefs. We know that our precious belief systems are like complex equations; one wrong factor, and the entire calculation could be wrong. We are open to new information, but critical of it. Our beliefs, like in scientific knowledge, can change depending on new and novel information that could change everything. I have mentioned Andrew Bustamonte, but I'd also like to address Edward Snowden.

Snowden, who some see as a social justice warrior, and others an enemy of the state, still made it clear about the very real and literally stated purpose of the CIA, sans the tinfoil hats, and, I'm paraphrasing here but "the purpose of the CIA is 'National Security,' and the collection of intelligence from foreign entities, sometimes referred to as 'assets' if they are complicit in giving up useful information. It is not the job of the CIA to protect American citizens, it is their job to protect the interests of the 'State.'" Although the agency officially states its concentration is on foreign threats, information has already been made public about the CIA's involvement in experimentation with citizens in the "MK-Ultra" mind control project in the 70's. https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/06760269

Another subject I’d like to address is a tactic employed in public influence and rhetoric, and that is a term coined "Doublespeak" by William Lutz, a linguist. In his novel by the same name he expands on the way language is used to manipulate our perceptions. Said "doublespeak" has been popularized by the phrase "Politically Correct" Which spawned a popular show by Phill Marr, the humorist and social commentator we all know, and I hope, respect, as he has the ability to address the "B.S." we are so often fed by both parties, and has no problem "tongue lashing" each and doing it in a way that both informs, and makes us laugh at subject matter that can be controversial. To demonstrate "doublespeak" I will "verbally redecorate" (doublespeak) a common term we mostly associate with negative connotations, the very term "brainwashing." Suppose I was to instead call it something like "cognitive retraining" or "intellectual restyling." Now, it doesn't sound so bad. In this way, "taxes" became "revenue enhancement" and taxes that didn't go directly down the drain, became known as "value added taxes."

Perhaps one the most influential figures in public discourse is the "polymath" linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and political activist, Noam Chomsky, and his book "Manufacturing Consent." Without doing a deep dive into his research, I will give you a simplified model of "manufacturing of consent:" suppose you are given the choice of two options by an authority figure, but neither choice is in your own personal best interest. Say for instance, we are given the choice of "death" or "taxes." Colloquially known as our only sure things in life. But perhaps we might have other options? What if the "aging gene" was cracked, or a good accountant could write off our taxes? Either way, we consent to the choice, which would almost invariably be paying taxes, and even though we are not really given a proper selection of choices, we do not feel an injustice has been done since we were actually given a choice instead of either negative outcome being forced.

Finally, as Jean-Paul Sartre once stated: “We are our choices.” Given that many of these choices may have been influenced, we must ask ourselves how much our makeup, our “essence” is of our free will and what has been formed by our environment—by greater authority? If this is so, have these factors formed our perceptions in a way that benefits us, or exploits us?. My preconceived judgments of others are consistently incorrect. In the past, I have chosen the safety of being a "moderate," but our parties have become so divergent, those in the middle find themselves in a deep chasm. That said, I have witnessed too many good people seduced by rhetoric, deceit, and emotional appeals. I feel I'm not being fair to myself and others to be silent. It all reminds me of the movie adaptation of Orwell's "1984" in the scene where Richard Burton is torturing John Hurt until he stops seeing four fingers after great torment and whose perception becomes clouded until he's earnestly not sure how many fingers he sees. I know from being a student of Social Sciences and Human Communication, that this phenomenon runs parallel to information given by former CIA Podcaster, Andrew Bustamante a.k.a "The Everyday Spy" https://andrewbustamante.org who speaks at length about brainwashing.

Finally, as Jean-Paul Sartre once stated: “We are our choices.” Given that many of these choices may have been influenced, we must ask ourselves how much our makeup, our “essence” is of our free will and what has been formed by our environment—by greater authority? If this is so, have these factors formed our perceptions in a way that benefits us, or exploits us?adI know now politics is my greatest vice. The more I want to stereotype one side is "good" and another "bad," the more my beliefs are disproven by witnessing contrary behavior both good and bad. My preconceived judgments of others are consistently incorrect. In the past, I have chosen the safety of being a "moderate," but our parties have become so divergent, those in the middle find themselves in a deep chasm. That said, I have witnessed too many good people seduced by rhetoric, deceit, and emotional appeals. I feel I'm not being fair to myself and others to be silent. It all reminds me of the movie adaptation of Orwell's "1984" in the scene where Richard Burton is torturing John Hurt until he stops seeing four fingers after great torment and whose perception becomes clouded until he's earnestly not sure how many fingers he sees. I know from being a student of Social Sciences and Human Communication, that this phenomenon runs parallel to information given by former CIA Podcaster, Andrew Bustamante a.k.a "The Everyday Spy" https://andrewbustamante.org who speaks at length about brainwashing.

#youtube

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bijoyconverterf · 11 months ago

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Little tiny titties

Harmony reflects the beauty of life. It’s something we all seek in our lives, and it is a natural state of balance that makes everything feel just right. And when it comes to women's bodies, there's a lot of diversity, uniqueness, beauty, even flaws, that make them perfect in their own way. In fact, harmony helps us reconnect with our inner selves bringing life into the world. This article focuses on the discussion about women’s bodies, specifically how small breasts are connected to Littletinytitties.com harmony, well-being, and Femtech solutions. Exciting, isn't it? Let's explore this further!

Just like with anything else, some women love their boob size while others don't. But here's the thing: There's no "perfect" size or shape for boobs. Everyone has their own preferences and needs, and that's okay! Whether you feel your best with larger or smaller breasts, it's all about finding what works for you and makes you happy. It's also imperative to recognize the impact of societal expectations on our perception of breasts. Over the years, the ideal changed from voluptuous curves in the 1950s to a more diverse range of sizes in the 1960s and so on. Today, many women choose to keep their small boobs, while others may opt for a reduction or a different approach altogether. The key is to find what feels harmonious and true to yourself, regardless of what others may think. Ultimately, the most important thing is to embrace and celebrate our bodies, no matter their size or shape. We all deserve to feel comfortable and confident in our own skin, and it's up to each of us to find what that looks like for ourselves.

Are My Breasts Small?

Defining what constitutes "small boobs” can be a complex issue, as there are many factors at play, and there may not be a clear-cut definition. It's important to understand that breast size, shape, and cup size are largely influenced by genetics. Additionally, there are some medical conditions that can lead to the underdevelopment of the breasts, such as micromastia, which is defined as an abnormal smallness of the breast.1 Similarly, breast size can differ based on various factors, such as measurement techniques and proportion to body type. For example, a B cup may be considered normal for one body type, but small for another. Thus, it's key to understand that breast size is subjective Littletinytitties.com and varies from person to person.In addition, cultural and socio-demographic factors may affect this perception, according to the Breast Size Satisfaction Survey (BSSS),2 the largest cross-cultural survey on this matter so far, which surveyed women in 40 countries with an average age of 34. Based on this survey, one may extrapolate that many countries have a different perspective on what represents very small breasts. While there are many reasons that can influence how one defines it, eventually the answer is personal to everyone.

Why you should Embrace your Small Breasts?

Some small-breasted women may feel emotionally affected and this can be due to a wide range of factors. For instance, the media often portrays a certain standard of beauty that is not necessarily an accurate representation of reality, including what is considered a "normal" breast size. Also, retouched pictures and unrealistic body standards can negatively impact women's confidence and self-esteem, leading to a sense of imbalance and disharmony within themselves. BSSS, published on Elsevier, noted that two out of every three women on this planet, a total of 70.7%, feel dissatisfied with the size of their boobies. A total of 48% of survey participants desire a bigger bra size, while 23% would like a smaller size, and only 29% feel happy with their current size.3Professor Viren Swami, who conducted the survey, is a well-known social psychologist specializing in body image and human appearance. In his research, he also found that breast size dissatisfaction is partly linked to both low self-esteem and levels of happiness, including poor psychological well-being.4As the latter can’t obviously be associated with every woman, what is crucial for women to know is that there’s no one "right" breast size and that other women feel the same way. So, how to feel better?

Taking Action Beyond the Bra: Guides, Solutions and Support

When feeling dissatisfied, women should remember that they are not alone:

Creating Communities among Women: This is incredibly important as it provides a sense of safety, support, and belonging. Being part of a community of like-minded individuals can help women to feel heard, understood, and valued. This, in turn, can lead to improved well-being and happiness.

Focusing on Self-Acceptance and Well-being: Having really small boobs shouldn’t be a stigma. Taking steps towards self-acceptance can have a huge impact on our well-being and how we feel about our bodies, especially when it comes to breast health. BSSS found that feeling unhappy about breast size can lead to avoidance behaviors that could harm our breast health, especially if we feel anxious or embarrassed.5 But don't worry! There are many ways to practice self-acceptance. From celebrating our strengths to cultivating self-compassion, becoming more self-aware and adopting positive practices, all can help us feel more comfortable and confident in our own skin. 6

Normalizing Discussions Around Breast Health Aesthetics: Becoming knowledgeable about the solutions provided by the Femtech industry is super important for women. My Breast Harmony Movement is on a mission to empower women to take care of their bodies and minds. By starting open dialogues about breasts, we aim to help women make informed decisions that align with their best interests.

At the End of the Day, it's about increasing awareness and taking action to find balance and harmony in all aspects of life—for physical, emotional, and mental well-being. This extends beyond just our bodies, but also to work, relationships, friendships, communities, and our innate connection with our nature and inner selves.

So, it’s time to break the ice and get real about boobs. Let's have a heart-to-heart and share how we really feel about them. Let’s support each other and talk!

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beesbraindumps · 11 months ago

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What's up with the Barbie movie??

In light of the Golden Globes, let's talk about Barbie. It’s mind boggling to me how someone was able to take one of the most successful movies of the year and reduce it down to one thing “a classic doll with big boobies”.

It’s ridiculous. This reductionist perspective is not only absurd but also frustratingly predictable, considering the comment was made by a man.

I’m just so tired of women’s achievements being brushed off as if it was nothing. Oppenheimer made $850 million globally. Wanna know how much Barbie made? $1.36 billion.

Now I’m not shitting on Oppenheimer, but the two movies are in vastly different categories. A movie like Oppenheimer should rightfully stand on its own merits but due to the “barbieheimer” phenomenon, it just gave another reason to undermine women’s accomplishments.

And well the "barbieheimer" trend was cute and fun, it inadvertently creates yet another box for women's projects to fit into, reinforcing the notion that women must dilute their accomplishments to be more palatable to society. Another standard it should’ve conformed to.

Why do we always have to dilute ourselves to make society more comfortable? Women are always trying to conform to some kinda of box or standard but guess fucking what, the box is different everytime! You will never win.

Moreover, the backlash against the Barbie movie from some people (not gonna name names) were under the impression that it was an anti-men campaign because apparently when men aren’t the center of attention it means they are the antagonists. The main threat was the majority female cast of the Barbie movie, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, given its subject matter. Giving women the chance to share their narratives without men doing it for them.

The Barbie movie being about barbies (aka women), shocking.

For too long, men wrote women however they wanted (over-sexualized, insane, materialistic, clingy, and the list can go on) but simply put, they wrote us as they saw us with their own distorted portrayals. Yet here’s a classic taste of men not being able to taste their own medicine.

Meanwhile, critics argue that the only male characters in Barbie are shown in a negative light, demonstrating typical male behavior ( creepy, useless, dominant, ex). However, maybe they were given a new perspective, a woman's perspective. For once male toxicity is shown in major media lacking romanticization, which is why some view it as negative. When in reality, the rose coloured glasses were just removed.

However, this is more than just about the Barbie movie. It’s about the double standard between men and women, not just in Hollywood but also in our daily lives. More often than not I’ll see videos on the internet of men doing the bare minimum and the comment section is filled with “where can I find one like him??”, “brb sleeping on the highway”, “need someone to treat me like this''. News flash this isn't revolutionary, and if you saw a post about a woman doing all that you wouldn’t even think twice.

Doing the laundry, cooking dinner, watching their own child, all basic stuff. Yet, since these are all activities society is used to seeing women do, when a man does it we all basically trip over ourselves. So as some say, the bar is literally in hell.

Additionally, our perception of being treated right has become so warped from toxic media portrayals of relationships that someone showing basic consideration deserves awards. This is also affecting how young girls will view love and relationships, which is worrying considering the ‘teen shows’ that are out there now.

For that reason I think the honest portrayal of men and the relationship between Barbie and Ken is a good thing, giving younger girls the chance to see that you don’t have to be in a relationship at all, especially one that doesn’t make you happy.

In conclusion, the discourse surrounding Barbie and its reception highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of gender dynamics in media and society at large. Women's achievements should be celebrated on their own terms, free from the constraints of outdated stereotypes and unfair comparisons. Only then can we begin to truly appreciate the diversity and complexity of women's experiences and contributions.

#barbie #brain dump #dont take this too seriously #golden globes

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mitamicah · 4 years ago

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Spoilers from both Trollhunters the book and Trollhunters the series!

While reading the book I was really impressed with how many differences there were between the character so I have worked on giving my take on six characters from both media, book vs series, and how they differ from each other :3

I should mention that while there was illustrations in the book I tried for the challenge not to copy those but follow along the describtions in the book - when possible - to give my own interpretation of the characters ^v^

Steve

First up we have Steve. Starting out as the stereotypical bully in both version their paths seperates quickly resulting in two different ending for the musuclar blond Jorgensen-Warner is the book version of Steve. Here's how he is described from our first encounter with him: "He was handsome but in the oddest way- He eyes were too small and his nose piggish: he had a ridiculous amount of hair and a couple of teeth that looked like fangs. Yet somehow in combination these features were sort of mesmerising. His unnatural muscular bulk and odd way of speaking -crisply, politely, as if he were a foreign student who had learned English in class - completed the strange package." page 21-22 For his outfit I went with the description of him on page 224 "[my clothes] ... didn't cast me in the best light when compared to Steve Jorgensen-Warner, who looked rather rakish in blue jeans and a shirt - definitely not a blouse - opened to the third button. He dribbled the ball casually with his left hand." The bold passages is added by me This Steve is later revealed to be a changeling aka a troll Before we go on: can any of you explain to me what a "ridiculous amount of hair" even means :'D? I had a lot of trouble with this prompt because isn't this so darn subjective :'D? and the official art look way less ridiculous than I'd figure it'll be :'D x'D Palchuk is the series version of Steve. His facial appearance being way less specific (I'd say he has normal sized eyes, a big roman nose and some more or less normal teeth) and his way of speaking is definitely not polite. Like book Steve, this Steve starts out with pushing smaller guys into lockerrooms yet after that he becomes way less of a terrifying bully and much more of a silly goose who brings a lot of the comic relief in my opinion Douxie says it best in Wizards when he calls Steve the "village idiot" x'D I do not recall seeing Steve being that sporty in the show, he is much more interested in becoming homecoming king no basketballs around x'D While book Steve is revealed to be the enemy (a troll) series Steve joins the "good guys" creating the creepslayerz with the character Eli Pepperjack

Blinky

Blinky is just called Blinky in the book Here's a bit of description of him "The third [troll] had scarlet eyes, eight of them on long stems. (...) The thing from my house glided toward me with a surprising grace for something with an indetermined number of legs, all of which were hidden behind a patched kilt scaled with layers of medals, prizes and trophies and award ribbons. An incalculable tangle of tentacles twined around one another as if dying to squeese something to death. As it passed the oven, the firelight revealed olive-green skin, reptilian texture, and lacquer of slime lubricating its undulating appendages Its moth a horizontal gash.. " The bold passages is added by me So yeah this Blinky is quite something :'D I stopped caring to draw tentacles after a while but overall this was silly but fun to draw since his teeth later is described as big as traffic cones I believe he must be very tall :'D Also he's close to blind Has a bit of a dirty mouth but in a very "read" way if it makes sense :'D cannot seem to stop calling Jim dimwitted and tiny and Tobias big :'D Blinky's full name in the series is Blinkus Galadrigal he has six eyes instead of eight and they are all working just fine, thank you very much x'D His tons of tentacles and legs has been replaced by four arms and two legs and while he is still olive-green he is now made of tone like texture just like the other trolls the kilt turned into shorts and he is quite a bit smaller now not even as tall as Jim He still has this very academic way of speaking yet he is way nicer to Jim calling him "Master Jim" instead of "the short one" x'D

ARRRGH!!!

Book ARRGHHH!!!s full name is Johannah Mmmm ARRRGH!!! and she is a pretty big deal warrior among the trolls in the book - she's so badass in fact Blinky has decided to call her by her last name to honor her for her deeds for trollkind Here's a qoute from the book describing her appearance "The goliath emerged from the tunnel as comfortably as a dog from a doghouse, coarse black fur pouring into the chamber before I could make out any actual arms or legs (...) Even beneath the fur I could see loops of muscles flexing. (...) ARRRGH!!! was built like a gorilla but three times larger: Two arms, two legs, and, thankfully, just two eyes. Horns, curled like those of a ram (...) The thing's orange eyes cast about with animal perceptiveness, and it used its snout and sniffed. Its jaws fell open to reveal a purple, slavering mouth armed with haphazard daggers of teeth." Page 75-76 The bold passages is added by me (Also worth mentioning: the qoute is from before the protagonist knows of ARRRGH!!!'s gender which is why he calls her an 'it') At other times in the story we learn that ARRRGH! has quite scarred arms and really wishes for better tooth hygeine; so much so that Tobias actually end up making her a brace out of chicken wire :'D Idk I find it quite adorable :'D Now unto the serie's ARRRGH!!! - first up he is male, his name is Arghaumont and he is famous for another reason than Johannah: he was a general of Gunmar but retreated from the war making him a traitor to his people yet a hero for the good trolls in the series. Series ARRRGH!!! is likewise built like a gorilla but made of stone and having a mane long and green like it is moss his horns is way smaller and less curvy and his teeth hygeine is never brought up also his face is way less dog like x'D

Tobias

Book Tobias' full name is Tobias M. Dershowitz yet he is going by 'Tubby' or 'Tub'. Here is a describtion of him from the book: "You could call Tobias Dershowitz chubby, if you were being cute, or husky if you were being diplomatic. The fact is he was fat, and that was only the beginning of his problems. His hair was a thick, orange, out-of-control hedge. His face spilled over with the kind of freckles that make kids like Tub look like overgrown toddlers. Worst of all were his braces, marvels of modern torment: whips of stainless steel crisscrossing each tooth seperately and lashed to a dozen silver fasteners. The braces clicked so much when he spoke, you expected sparks. At least he was tall..." page 27 The bold passages is added by me The outfit I went with is described on page 259 like this: "He stood in the driveway decked out in his best approximation of a ninja: black tennis shoes, black sweatpants, a black hoodie, a belt made from a red curtain sash, and an oversize fanny pack holding his gear (...) It was unfortunate that the fanny pack was lime green..." To describe Tub is a bit difficult because sadly he is not much in the story as I'd liked - mostly he is being quite serious and let us know he is not happy by being sidelined not speaking troll nor being invited on hunts which I completely understand tbh :'D What I do find interesting is how Tub and series Jim has seem to have switched roles a little bit: In the series Jim is the one giving a speech about how he is insecure about his place in life and how he wants more - in the book this is Tub in more than one occassion: "We have to accept who we are. And before you ask, I'll tell you. We're nobody. We have no life. We have nothing to look forward to. We're not special. I just want it to go away. All of it. The stupid being scared. Doesn't it seem we've been scared forever?" page 37 "Jim, you're wrong. We were meant to do this. This is exactly what we've been waiting for. They've chosen us. Of all people! Us! (...) Jesus, Jim, take a look at my life! You know what I'm worth! To anyone? Zero! Nothing! I'm a fat loser and will always be a fat loser. Until this. This is like a present. Full of, man, I don't know. Hope?..." page 196 (talking about trollhunting here btw) Oh yeah and book Tobias gets this badass scene where he uses his dentist's tool to kill trolls I loved that Now series Tobias is way different :'D first up his name is Tobias Domzalski and his nicknames are Toby and Tobes. He is way shorter and has more neat hair (what is it with the series neating up the hair :'D? x'D). He also seems way cheerier and pretty happy with his place in life more or less Unlike Tub, Toby is in it from the start being an important player in the story He doesn't have the same drive to be something more than he is as Tub has instead Toby is going with the flow starting out quite afraid of everything troll and ended up being as brave as the rest of the team *tbh Jim's scared out of his wits too so they mimic each other x'D* Where Tub has dentist tools Toby gets a badass hammer so I'll say its an upgrade

Claire

First off we have Claire Fontaine, a foreign student from no other than Scotland with a taste for military clothing and liqourice Here's how she's described in the book "She tucked her long dark hair behind her ear and left ir with an adorable smudge of white dust. I thought she was beautiful, though she wasn't in the classic sense. The popular girl would say she wasn't skinny enough. They would also point to the fact that she didn't wear makeup or do anything to tame that hair. And her clothes -well, what could be said about her clothes? Her boots were not sexy and knee-high: in fact, they were ankle-high and rubber-soled and looked picked from military surplus racks, an array of pea-green coats and multi-coloured slacks, all of which looked as if they'd been through actual World War II combat. And that beret she wore before and after school wasn't of the look-at-me-I'm Frensh variety: it was more in the style of I'm-going-to-invade-your-country-and-be-your-new-dictator. Only one thing didn't make sense: that bright pink, exceedingly girlish backpack that inexplicably hadn't one anti-establidh patch sewn onto it (...) Oh, I forgot to mention that Claire Fontain came from the UK. That's right- the girl had an accent. I think you are starting to get the picture." page 30-1 The bold passages is added by me It is hinted at that Claire is quite tall and a great deal taller than Jim (more when I get to him) and she is actually a whole year older than Jim since they both have birthday May 2 but Claire is 16 while Jim is 15 Since Trollhunters in this story is not a "protected title" (aka the chosen hero type) Claire ends up being one herself even though nobody even herself didn't know: AND. SHE. KICKS. BUTT! She's even better than the guy that had 40+ years experience so yeah safe to say she's badass :'D Even before that she has a hilarious scene calling out Steve in the wildest shitstorm of Scottish slang I lived for it x'D She's described quite a few times with lots of bracelets, sometimes made of wire so I gave her a bit of both She's not really a part of the popular group but has her own thing going on Now onto Claire Nuñez the series' version of this badass Here Claire is hispanic and pretty much one of the most popular girls seen around her style is way more ... I've called it punk rock in purple but Idk exactly what to call it x'D she's shorter than Jim and slimmer looking than her book counterpart She enters the story not as a trollhunter but as a victim of having her brother stolen by changelings and as time progresses she becomes a fastlearning and quite competent sorcerer dealing in shadow magic Unlike Fontaine, Nuñes is seen wearing make up, shorter hair with dye in it and hair clips instead of bracelets

Jim

First up we have book Jim. His full name is James Sturges Jr. and lives with his single parent, his dad, after his mother went away the day before his birthday in start May and never returned. Sturges Sr. had been traumatized loosing his brother to trolls although none of the characters didn't know this yet - only Senior had seen the creatures making him paranoid and in turn making Jim very embarrased about his father. At the same time Jim seems to honestly worry for his father and his behavior too makes Jim very cautious and fearful a character. Book Jim is pretty much a typical teenager for the most part He is seen to be a tad clumsy and not exactly brave really. And the author's choice of basically not describing him anywhere made my job way harder trying to be book accurate :'D So I've mostly inspired him of the official illustrations in the book Here's what I could find about our little trollhunter First off: he's a short fellow that is first mentioned on page 14; "Sunshine is important for growing boys." (...) "I am not growing" I took after my dad when it came to size and was still waiting for that growth spurt everyone kept raving about. "In fact I think I'm shrinking." This is brought up most of everything Jim through the movie from him not being able to reach a point of a chalkboard (page 32) to people's dissapointing sighs taking meassurements when he is chosen as Romeo (107) and him wearing super high heels for the same reason (224) but also Blinky directly calling him a "little fellow" (page 127) On page 27 we learn that he is getting a bruise on his chin after being slammed into his locker by Steve Lockers he has been thrown into enough to have learned to open them on the inside :'D He is a skinny fella which Tobias so politely call "lack of muscletone" due to "glandular" at page 120 He is not very good at anything describing his room full of stuff from hobbies he tried and failed at (page 63) The longest describtion about his appearance is probably page 105: "I lowered my eyes and regarded the chewed, dirty fingernails holding my script, thes scuffed shoes on my feet, and realized that these were the symbols of my pityful life: worn-out, insignificant, ready to be thrown beneath Dad's industrial mower" It pretty much says it all when this is the longest quite I could find :'D For the outfit I mostly went by the small describtion on page 89-90: "I tucked the medallion beneath my shirt. After a full day of wearing it, maybe the rest of the suffocating fear would go away too. My plan was to dart into the kitchen, grab my sweatshirt and be out of the house. " I added jeans since he is said to wear jeans on page 283 - the medallion sneak out beneath the sweatshirt/shirt on page 97 which is why I added it on top here as well Now since there's a bit more to both versions of Jim due to their role as the protagonist I've added in a little extra features here being the medallion in the book vs the amulet in the series and the weaponry given to the characters For Sturges we have the medallion who's described like this: "It was a bronze medallion conntected to a rusty chain. It was engraved with a foreboding crest: a hideous, snarling face; indecipherable markings of a sevage language, and a magnificent long-sword across the bottom." page 9 The medallion is treated like it is a common artefact if a bit rare in the book - its purpose is to translate trollspeak for the wearer. Jim is giving two swords in the book; a rusty longsword he calls Clairesword (do I need to explain this one?) and a cutlass he calls Cat #6 after the one cat at Tobias' house that liked Jim x'D For Sturges' personality my feeling about him is that he is a bit more ... passive than his series counterpart. He is not really standing up for himself that much and would rather blend into the background. This qoute from Claire sums him up pretty nicely I believe "You're a good person, Mr. Sturges. A bit gloomy, but good" page 246 I do like that Jim in this version is a Taurus (I am a taurus too x'D) born on May 2nd so that's a plus It is probably also worth mentioning that in this world trollhunters aren't a chosen hero type like in the series: trollhunters or paladin was once a title held by many warriors yet now there's very few left. Sturges was a proud paladin family making Jim a chosen candidate for the honor of becoming a trollhunter but he is not the only one - or even the best - in the book. In fact out of the three trollhunters we learn about I'll say Jim is the weakest (and he is not even the least trained; ouch :'D) Jim doesn't get a nice armour like his series counterpart either but is seen in the illustrations wearing a blue hoodie (like the one in the little doodle) The full name of Jim in the series is James Lake Jr. He is the child of a single parent and lives with his mother whom Jim "mothers a lot" (Tobias' words in the first episode) This Jim is pretty "tall for his age" (Jim's own words uttered quite a few times across all three series) yet with quite skinny legs (he is called out for this by multiple characters). He is much more competent in life than his book counterpart being an exceptional cook, good at Spanish, seemingly alright in PE and at school he seems to stand pretty good if only holding himself back. Unlike book Jim, series Jim seems much more active and longing to be something more than he is - he is seen to be quite brave and protective of his friends, very kind and selfless. Also even from the start he seems much more nimble than his book counterpart being able to climb the robe (a feat book Jim didn't do before later) and with his training as trollhunter he becomes even more badass Trollhunter status in the series is way more important since the title is given to only one chosen warrior of Merlin chosen by the amulet of daylight (the medallion in the book). This also makes the amulet way more special and important in the series which probably explains its shine up from rusty bronze thing to silver and blue. While Lake Jr doesn't have named sword he does have a magical armour and sword made of daylight We do not know the exact birthday of Lake Jr but the creators have replied to a fanquestion saying it would be around fall especially October so by that estimate Jim is probably a scorpio pretty far from the before mentioned taurus in the book While Jim Lake Jr isn't seen with long lasting bruises in the original series he does get two more permanent scars in Wizards

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thegardenchronicles · 3 years ago

Note

What should we do when our moms sl*t shame us

slut shaming

noun

the action or fact of stigmatizing a woman for engaging in behaviour judged to be promiscuous or sexually provocative.

also read as

a word used by some people to criticise others, especially women, who are comfortable in their sexuality due to their narrow-minded, century-old, illogical, and frankly, absolutely fucking stupid beliefs.

For centuries people, especially women, have been slut shamed constantly, by their family, friends, community, in the media, on the internet, by society. But why?

The History of Slut Shaming

We will not argue over what led to slut shaming, there are multiple reasons why that may have evolved, dating back to the 12th century or something possibly. Either way, i do not find it relevant to discuss that right now.

There may be no exact date for when slut shaming came into existence, however, it does not take a genius to realise that slut shaming has existed for centuries, whether under that name or not.

It can be argued that when societies developed, at some point, certain rules developed. Men to be tough, unemotional, etc. Women to be meek, decent, etc. These rules were made and followed for reasons I do not understand. Unfortunately, seemingly everyone agreed, and soon this became a standard of what is acceptable and what is not.

Therefore, if anyone crossed this boundary, or this imaginary line, or opposed against anything other than the collective opinion of society, they were judged. More than that, their name was dragged through the mud, their family's name was dragged through the mud. They were just wrong. And no one tried to listen to their reasoning.

Slut Shaming Now

Slut shaming remains what it started as, standing up for your beliefs, crossing that line. Majority of that time, the word "slut" is used to describe people displaying behavior of promiscuous activity, whether they actually engage in those acts or not.

More importantly, it is a word used to judge people who are comfortable in their own skin, and who express their sexuality openly, disguising the real meaning under the veils of "indecent", or "inappropriate" or "un-ladylike".

Perception and Slut-shaming

It is important to remember that, the very center of slut shaming, the very idea it revolves around is perception.

Perception is subjective opinion. Perception is also dangerous. Perception is especially dangerous when this subjective opinion is shared by multiple groups of people, communities and societies.

Through this perception, is what leads people to slut-shame.

Why Is This Word Still Used?

Using the word slut, is just another way to make people feel bad for doing natural, humane things. It is just another way to police and govern people's minds, bodies, behavior, character and actions. It is just another way to criticise and put down people who know their worth. Many times people just use the word, because they fail to hear out the other opinion, the opposition, the challenge. Because it is easier to yell "SLUT!" than listen.

The Silver Lining

Nowadays however, especially with feminism and related social movements, the word "slut" has been reclaimed. Now it is used as an empowering word by people, to show that they are proud to be living in a sense of self where they express themselves completely, openly, happily. Maybe not always free from the judgement of others, but fulfilled and satisfied according to their own standards.

Dear anon,

Your situation makes me extremely angry. No one in the world deserves to be slut shamed. Especially not by their own mother.

You deserve love, happiness, and a community where you can be respected. A community without judgement, whatever acts you engage in, whether you engage in them at all or not.

Unfortunately, your mother is just one of the many others who does not understand you. I do not wish to slander your mother, but I have extremely poor feelings about her judgement of using that word, especially in a derogatory sense. You do not deserve that.

As for your question, what you can do, is reach out to people you trust. People you know who will accept and love you the same, without judgement, unconditionally. If you are not in the position to engage and build a community in real life, you can build one right here. I am here for you, you can tell me anything. I understand that the internet may not be ideal, however, it is the least I can do. You are welcomed here with open arms. I hope you can find a safe space to express yourself to the fullest soon.

Maybe one day, whenever you think is right, you can tell her how you feel. Maybe she will understand, maybe she will not, you cannot control her reaction. Either way, I hope, on that day, you feel satisfied and complete.

This post is by no means a complete analysis of slut-shaming; there are many aspects that I have not covered. It is also important to remember that this is exclusively my opinion, my perception, just as the idea of slut-shaming. To each their own perhaps, however, if you ever face the choice of choosing rejection or acceptance, of choosing division or unity, of choosing hate or love, choose acceptance. Choose unity. Choose love.

love, crystal 💮

#anon ask #astro notes #astro observations #spirituality #astrology #astro community #tarot #tarot community #divination #feminism

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strazem · 4 years ago

Text

I noticed that I’ve been getting blocked by a lot of Ososan artists lately and... At this point I’m sure it’s because of bad rumors and misinfo getting spread about me in discord servers. I’m going to put a lot of this under a readmore because I don’t want to clog people’s dashes with this, but I really want to clear the air here as I feel like there are a lot of things being left out of the narratives people are telling about me, and also the fact this is still happening and has been for four-five years, isolating me from a lot of the ososan community and hurting me in a very deep way...

Now, first off, I’m not here to say that over the past 4-5 years I wasn’t immature and childish. There were many times where I was, even to the point the behaviors could be seen as abusive or toxic even if that wasn’t the intention. I was in my early to mid 20s and had serious issues with oversharing my thoughts and feelings with people I really only knew casually, usually to the point of making them uncomfortable. I would also use all caps a lot, not really realizing the effect it had on people, making others feel like they were being shouted at. I would also act immaturely when I saw that other roleplay blogs were getting more attention than mine, even though the ones I had were for OCs, which meant that of course canon characters would get more traction.

Again, I was very young and not very socially developed. I am by no means trying to use my autism as an excuse, but rather an explanation.

Prior to getting into Ososan around 2016, I did not have any “real life” friends, that is, friends I knew in person. I did not know anyone my age and socializing was, and still is pretty limited to just my immediate family. Almost all of my interactions were online, and even that I struggled with. I had recently gotten out of an abusive relationship as well, and was just starting college. I did not think about how others felt enough and was too concerned with saying my piece and sharing my own opinions, making everything about me or about how I felt, and less about the other person. Again, this is something I’ve struggled with for most of my life as part of my ASD, but I’m still not excusing it by any means, especially considering the fact that other people ended up hurt.

I think the main issue was how immature and self-focused I was if I’m being honest, and how I would tend to make everything about me and how I felt and what I made.

My intentions were always good, that never changed. But as people have stated to me before, good intentions don’t mean anything if the outcome is bad. My immaturity really ended up hurting a lot of other people’s feelings and causing a lot of resentment, and I am by no means saying that anyone has to forgive me or be “ok” with me.

What I do wish though is that perhaps people who I have had struggles with in the past could refrain from spreading biased opinions of me to people who have never even met me. I understand wanting to support your friends, and I also understand that when someone you know tells you someone is “bad news”, it’s natural to take their word for it, especially if they only show screenshots of me at my lowest rather than when I was trying my absolute best to be a good friend, despite my immaturity.

However, I’ll be honest and say that I do think that this behavior in general seems counterproductive and perhaps even concerning... If there’s someone that upset me in my past, I don’t tell others or divulge about them to new people I meet unless I felt they did something actually illegal. I remember misinforming about someone in the ososan community based on false claims and I still feel guilty about it to this day, so I’ve also been guilty of this in the past. It’s also important to keep in mind that if someone is really making someone out to sound terrible or horrible that there is usually a bias clouding their perception. I've sat and reflected a lot on my own biases these past five years in therapy, and at the end of the day, I don’t think most people have bad intentions, at least not lonely kids in a small fandom. I think it’s a lot of miscommunication, lack of confrontation, and fear rather than any malicious intent.

Because if there’s one thing I know that I’m not, it’s a manipulator. I straight up do not have the social intelligence for that. I would all caps, I would get upset and leave chats and worry people, I would go on rants that people couldn’t talk me down from, or get too emotionally volatile, or put my own emotional issues onto other people by panicking and venting and putting on a scary and upsetting scene, but I never tried to manipulate anyone or turn anyone’s friends against them. The only two instances I can think of that even come close to me “warning” anyone about someone (and not for blm*tsu related reasons) happened in 2018 and 2019, well after all of this was (I assumed) done with.

Most of my issues that people have gotten upset with me for was regarding my social immaturity, self-centeredness, altercations, public panic attacks, public mental breakdowns and a tendency to go off on emotional and heated rants, especially in public areas and in public chats. That’s why this thing about me being a manipulator seems misinformed to me, because I’ve never been great at DMing or talking to others one on one, I think anyone that’s known me will agree. Many of these altercations happened in public group chats.

I’m assuming that many of the bad rumors being spread about me are regarding my skype days back in 2016-2017, back before discord became the new norm for online chatting and servers and such, as well as a very specific “drama” that happened on anti-bl oso-twitter concerning people that had met in an osomatsu-san kin discord server (which I was not in or even knew about).

Essentially, I befriended some of these people on twitter through people that had been in my second skype roleplay group (the first one I made was in 2016 I believe). I was unaware of any previous dramas or issues and was even unaware that said “person of interest” was even upset with me or thought I was toxic or bad. I had figured we had just stopped talking due to naturally drifting apart. Of course, in my young and naive mind, before understanding “social media etiquette” I went to go ask them why they had blocked me on twitter (I had started being active on twitter during that time.)

And of course, in my immaturity, was freaking out and panicking about having been blocked by someone I thought was a friend to people in my second roleplay group chat... As always... Ugh.. It wasn’t anything malicious though, just confusion and me being scared I had done something wrong.

One member in the roleplay group though, who I guess was a member of the osomatsu-san kin discord, started going off about said “person of interest”, claiming they had gotten their friend into a car accident and that they had groomed minors. Another person in the roleplay group felt the allegations were crazy and unfounded and left. Meanwhile, I was just lost as to what was even happening, I wasn’t aware these people were this connected or knew each other and admittedly, did a pretty poor job as a mod/admin that I didn’t stop the discussions sooner.

I have no idea if the claims were true or not, I imagine they were exaggerated due to bias, I have no idea, but then the same person who had made those claims showed me screenshots that “person of interest” sent to their mutual friend about me. How I was scary and toxic, that I had upset lots of people.. That they were panicking that I even contacted them on tumblr with a friendly “hello!”

Naturally, I responded with confusion. Again, my autism makes it very difficult for me to realize when people are upset or frustrated with me, especially over text. At the time, I couldn’t think of anything I had done to upset them and was very hurt and confused, as our last actual interaction had been seemingly positive.

I did not try to turn anyone against them though. Here’s what actually happened: After being given this info, I also learned that there was a small discord group of the friend group that the person making the claims was from. I joined it hoping to learn more or get some sort of clarification only to find out that this entire group was very upset with “person of interest”. Like very upset. They made claims that this person lied, that this person liked to play victim as a way to manipulate others, that they had groomed two of the people in the group, that they had said unsettling things, that they would do strange and backhanded things ect. Again, I don’t know if these statements are true and I’m not trying to claim they are, I just know that this group of friends had been very upset with "person of interest” before I had even come into the picture. They were already planning on cutting them off!

I did not sway anyone or say anything, I was literally just there in the hopes of finding out if I’d done something wrong.

Of course, this doesn’t at all excuse when I was still friends with “person of interest” and subjected them to my barrage of emotional baggage and panic attacks. I just want to make it clear that I never sent anyone after them or tried to turn their friends against them. In fact, I even tried to help them when they came to my twitter DMs asking me for help. I was already incredibly scared of pissing anyone off in general, and tried to keep things peaceful on both sides. When I asked the second roleplay group if they’d be okay with them rejoining, it was a unanimous “no”... I distinctly remember offering to still roleplay with them one on one and to make a new group that they could be in (and this was even after I had been shown the screenshots of them calling me toxic, which I still wasn’t holding against them!), but the offer was turned down.

I’ve noticed this very distinct pattern over the years of me running into a lot of issues due to miscommunication as well. It was very rare that people would express with me how they were feeling, or when they did, it was usually during one of my panic attacks, which were often bad enough that my brain would repress the memories of what happened during them the second they stopped, and it was rare that I would actually go back and read the things I said. People have had a very easy time going to others and complaining or venting about me to friends, but have had a very hard time actually telling me these complaints themselves, as themselves. I don’t really blame them, as we were all pretty young and given how much I freaked out publicly, it would make sense to be scared of how I might react. Not to mention there were probably things in their own pasts that made something like confrontation difficult. However, what I don’t understand is why this would still be happening five years later... I would assume by this point people would have moved on, especially regarding spats within fandoms.

I hold no ill will towards people in my past who’ve gotten upset with me, I do not hold grudges, and for the most part, if someone wants to cut contact with me, I just accept it and move on. But now that I’m noticing that these false claims are being spread around to other people in the fandom, people who weren’t even involved in these situations, blocking me based off of... Stuff they’ve heard about me... I felt a need to say something.

Honestly, my biggest wish or hope is that, given that it has been five or so years, that people who have never spoken to me or met me before maybe give me another chance? If I have personally hurt you, I don’t want you to feel the need to reach some sort of conclusion with me, or forgive me, or whatever...

But at the very least, perhaps people could be more careful when sharing personal issues we went through with other people, people who know very little about me and who I am and only know me through the lenses and narratives of people who felt slighted by me.

I have changed immensely over the past five years, more than I can even describe. I am not the same person mentally that I was, I have had therapy, I have had help, I have reflected, I have become more sensitive to other people’s thoughts and feelings. I even managed to help a friend of mine get therapy! I was not perfect, I behaved irrationally, but I do think it’s important to drive home the fact that it has been a few years and that I’ve made a lot of progress and that as I’m nearing 30, I have mentally matured quite a bit.

Again, no one from my past has to forgive me, I am not here to dictate how people should feel about me. I am just here to try to share my own side seeing as how I am unable to join most ososan servers and communities nowadays, and thus have a harder time being able to get in contact with or reach others.

I’ve been dying to say something, but kept worrying that it would stir up negative feelings or memories for others, but it’s getting to a point now where I’ve felt so isolated and hated by the fandom for five whole years that I’ve actually started having thoughts of self-harm again for the first time in awhile. I’m not saying this to make anyone feel guilty, and I haven’t acted on the thoughts, I just need to be honest.

This sort of behavior on the internet; gossiping about others, spreading misinformation about others, using a position of influence within a fandom to keep someone from making friends in fandom spaces... Or maybe people don’t even realize how much their words can affect others? Especially if they’re well-liked and exist in a lot of spaces. I’m sure there are no actual bad intentions when people say these things or vent to their friends.

And while I explained that one specific incident in detail that was with a specific person, it is not the only issue I’ve gotten myself into over the years either. I simply spoke about that one as I am just guessing it’s the big reason a lot of this is still going on to this day. I behaved poorly enough in the past that separate groups of people have ended up mad at me, regardless of even knowing each other. I was incredibly troubled, dealing with the aftermath of an abusive relationship, overworked with my animation assignments, and incredibly clueless in social situations or trying to relate to others. Again, these aren’t excuses... But explanations. Mentally ill people are not well, that’s why it’s an illness. In 2016-2017, I was at the lowest of my low, and continued to be until around the Fall of 2019. I have also matured significantly since, and have been working with a far more effective therapist as of late 2018, which I think is why I had such a positive change by 2019, as well as finding wonderful and supportive friends who truly care about me.

I know this is getting really long, too long honestly, but I really needed to get this off my chest...

I’m trying to decide whether or not this will be one of my final posts on tumblr as a whole, as I don’t think I will be able to participate in enjoying ososan publicly with how isolated I’ve been over the years by various groups and people; I think by this point the reputation is too soured for me to be a part of the community. Again, probably not out of malice, but fear and resentment at how I’ve acted.

The fact that I’m seeing more than a few people in ososan fandom I’ve never really spoken to, or people I was mutuals with blocking me is enough I think for me to consider calling it quits for public enjoyment. The fandom is already very small, and the anti-bl side is even smaller, so everyone is pretty interconnected and rumors can spread very easily. There’s no way I can compete with that, especially if I’m barred from most servers anyways.

I’m still going to mull it over, but again, if you’ve never met me, or if you’ve only seen screenshots of me from 2016 while panicking or allcapsing or at my worst... All I can really do is hope that maybe you’ll be able to see past these things and consider giving me a chance.

As for the people I genuinely did hurt, I know I’ve said sorry many times now, even on my old blog Nutastic which I abandoned for similar reasons, but I don’t know how else or how better to prove how genuinely sorry I am... Because the proof of regret is in changing and becoming a better person, and there’s not much chance to see if I have or haven’t if I’ve been cut off.

No one has to forgive me, but perhaps at least entertain the idea I might’ve changed over the course of five years, and that telling people how I was back then instead of who I am now seems a bit unfair. Again, I suppose I dug my own grave by behaving like that in the first place, but I always try to show empathy even to people who wronged me at a low place in their lives, unless they were incredibly abusive and cruel.

At the end of the day, we’re all just people trying to enjoy a show about wacky sextuplets, and I don’t think anyone actually has any ill-will in their hearts, or has it in them to be “bad”, specifically on the anti-bl side. I don’t hold grudges, there’s no one that I currently have blocked unless they are a bl or a man that made me uncomfortable. My DMs are always open, as is my askbox.

Feel free to ask me anything or confront me about anything, though admittedly, doing so through anon makes it hard for me to reply as I don’t want to post anything potentially upsetting publicly.

And I will try to come to a decision about whether or not to pull a Jenna Marbles and leave social media for good out of regret and declining mental health. I will most likely make a post about it when I’m feeling more capable.

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope your year is going good so far despite... Well, everything

#//VERY LONG #//important

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gryfon-spanish-werewolf · 4 years ago

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Uuh dunno if you would like this prompt : Anna and Elsa as a mythical creatures.

Would love too see what you will write them as ^^

@like-redhead-probably I sat thinking about this ask for a long time, because while I IMMEDIATELY thought of one for Elsa, Anna’s absolutely eluded me. And I know you were probably looking for a story, but I am unable to stop myself from first EXPLAINING my choices xD

I was already thinking about the myth of the Hulder (or huldra if we’re speaking of the creature in general instead of the specific Norwegian myth) for other story-related reasons, and as I did more research, I felt like the Hulder REALLY shared similarities with Elsa.

Generally speaking the huldra is a Scandinavian myth of a pale skinned, blonde or brown haired, attractive young woman who lives in the wilderness, often luring men away with song or dance to be killed or misled, stuck wandering forever. Sometimes she’s connected strongly to water, and instead of making men lost, she drowns them. Sometimes she is described as similar to an elf or fey-like creature, with characteristics related to other Huldufolk (we’ll get to them later) such as living in a parallel world, or a world Underground, and therefore preferring caves or appearing and disappearing suddenly. Sometimes she is depicted as having a hollow back, or a cow’s tail, which she hides out of embarrassment or to conceal her true identity. Which… how cute is that?

Before the 11th century, the myths were focussed more around the Huldufolk, which literally means “Hidden Folk”. There are lots of stories as to why and how the Huldufolk came to exist, but for the purpose of Elsa I think it most appropriate to look at the Christianization of the myths. Why?:

Frozen and Frozen 2 are modern movies made by an American company and Christianity is nigh untanglable with American culture, they take place in ~1840s Norway, F1 has a dedicated place of Christian congregation depicted in said movie, an official royal crowning overseen by a Christian faith leader, and the adaptation of Frozen generally comes from author Hans Christian Anderson and therefore should take his life and society into account, etc.

The Christianized myth says that one day Eve was washing her children (presumably after Cain, Abel, and Seth) in the river, when she heard God approaching. Ashamed that He would see her kids unclean, she hid the half she wasn’t done bathing, and when God asked, “Where are the other children?” Eve claimed that she had all of them present, indicating the clean ones. This gave God pause, but in the end He said, “Then let all that is Hidden, remain Hidden.” The children that Eve lied about became the Huldufolk, unable to live among humans. These people would eventually become characterized as dwarves, elves, fairies, etc., as time and interpretations rolled on, the huldra being just one of many mythical “species”.

So. Who is Elsa? She’s a:

fictional, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, fair-skinned young woman who led thousands of men wlw to wander helplessly into the dark caves and wildlands of social media with a power ballad and a jaw-dropping transformation sequence

Okay I’m joking… mostly…

In fact my interest in choosing the Hulder for Elsa lies purely outside of any romantic or sexual appeal, especially since Elsa as a character exhibits next to 0 romantic or sexual interest across two whole movies and an additional two shorts. Indeed, there’s a reason people headcanon her as either asexual, aromantic, or both! No, the reasons I chose the Hulder are:

Elsa’s name

Her upbringing

Her duty as queen, and

Her general behavior, specifically in regards to Frozen 1, as Frozen 2 Elsa is, at times, an almost completely different character

Elsa’s name was chosen very specifically by the filmmakers because it means “God is my Oath”. Oaths are binding, heavy, and invoke the maker’s or subject’s actions and personhood in the future. In Elsa’s case specifically, it invokes divine witness: perfect for a queen, someone born to rule. A promise to be fair, to uphold, to protect, to lead, to be a dignified and honorable face for the country. And Elsa was so ready to be that… except for the powers of course. Or at least, when they became something other than a magical gift of wonder and joy. When they became dangerous. Then there comes another oath, spoken to powerful creatures of magic, the Trolls, and born from parental fear: “She can learn to control it.”

Binding, heavy, invoking of Elsa’s future. As she grows, Elsa becomes closed off, quiet, hiding in her own home. She still takes her duties seriously, but now that she has been Other’d, taught to hide herself and her curse, she is just as much shadow as person. To young Anna, Elsa must have been almost ghostlike, disappearing right when Anna thought she’d cornered her, only to reappear sometime later down the hall, out of arm’s reach.

God promised Adam and Eve that their children would inherit the earth, even after leaving the Garden of Eden. Then suddenly that changed, due to Eve’s fear and shame of her unwashed children, and some would now inherit Underground, or somewhere else entirely. The lost children of Eve had become Other’d, needing to hide, disappear, and resort to inhuman tactics just to exist. Maybe they’re jealous, maybe they're just tricksters. But it’s not their fault. And it wasn’t Elsa’s either. Another reason they are similar.

Now, it’s not all doom and gloom for the Hulder, or for Elsa. While the Hulder is generally known for her more chaotic and negative attributes - just like our favorite snow queen, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. There are a few myths that say burning a charcoal fire -instead of a coal or gas one- is most pleasing to the Hulder, that she’ll even watch over it during the night, and wake the sleepers in case something happens. If a traveler leaves supplies behind with a note or offering for the Hulder, they will travel safely. In fact, some people leave caches for her, as though to cater to specific requests. Coming across the Hulder by chance can have a multitude of outcomes, but if an astute observer spots her cow tail and mentions it, she may become shy and run away. Don’t mention the empty back though, that’s almost certain death.

Basically my point is… trade out the word “traveler” for the name “Anna” and we can draw all the similarities we want. Anna did all of those things, in a way. Anna gave Elsa a little gift of their favorite snowman every Christmas. Anna knocked on Elsa’s door and spoke to her, treated her kindly despite the distance between them, literal and metaphorical. It’s not hard to imagine that Anna left little notes around the castle, hoping Elsa would find them, read them, and know that Anna still loved her, still missed her. And, well, hopefully Anna wasn’t setting any fires and falling asleep next to them - but Anna always kept a light on for Elsa, in her heart. And it flickered and wavered sometimes, but it was a strong fire most days. And we know Elsa was always drawn to it, drawn to Anna because she loved her right back. Loved her first, even. And because it was a warmth that pleased Elsa, she tended it, quietly, carefully, warmly. Like putting a blanket over an Anna that had fallen asleep in the painting room, refusing that slice of chocolate cake so Anna could have two desserts, and listening, for hours and hours, days and days, for the sound of Anna’s glorious bonfire-like soul outside her bedroom door. Even when her secret was revealed, Elsa believed that the best way to protect Anna’s life, her flame, was to distance herself, running to a secret, special place all her own - much like the Hulder might run away back to the Underground.

And this last part’s just me, but I’d like to think that if the Hulder was treated kindly, respected, and given dignity, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if someone came across her accidentally. That instead of being instantly drowned, or the Hulder becoming sheepish and attempting to run, it would feel recognized. It could be called by name. And instead of feeling the need to hide it’s Otherness, it could be treated as part of it, and cared for just the same. I don’t even need to be subtle here: Anna called Elsa by Name, really saw her, and reframed her darkness into light. Anna hasn’t fought God yet, but she did walk through hell and back for a sister that everyone else saw as a threat, monster, and sorcerer. A category 9 Other. Too bad for them, Anna’s got a Category 10 heart.

Speaking of. We finally got to Anna.

Anna was difficult to pin down because to me, Anna is so very, very human. That’s what makes her special! Yes, yes, you could throw any mythical creature at Anna and the fun part would be trying to make it work within her personality and characterization BUT since the question was Anna AS a mythical creature, that changes the game! The word ‘creature’ itself tends to conjure something distinctly INhuman. So I…. tried, and cheated maybe a little. Because I picked for Anna the Norse Valkyrie.

Most people know what Valkyries are so this one takes significantly less explaining. Valkyries are women that are warriors, shieldmaidens, and the hands of Odin, and they choose who lives and who dies during battle. Their chosen dead ride with them to Valhalla, while those they choose to live are usually granted honors in life. There are the darker sides of Valkyries that paint them as blood hungry maidens waiting on the sidelines before a war, singing the names of who will die with glee… but generally speaking the version of Valkyries that most people know and admire today are accurate! And thank goodness because attempting to depict Anna the other way would probably give me an ulcer.

Anna, much like the Valkyries, is a woman of valor and strength, who is perceptive, guides others, sees into people’s hearts and reveals their goodness. Valkyries are also warriors of prowess themselves, and Anna in Frozen 2 with that ice sword? We all know she was ready to use that for real. She also exemplifies traits that Valkyries both look for and have! Bravery in the face of danger: hello Marshmallow, Elsa’s own blizzard, Hans’ lethal sword strike, LIVING MOUNTAINS, and a damn collapsing.... dam. She also defends those who cannot do it themselves: saying publicly that, “My sister is not a monster… she was scared, she didn’t mean any of this,” even if that cast suspicion or doubt on herself, and the crown, as a whole. Anna knew and believed in Elsa, despite all the years and heartbreak and anger. Despite the impossible magic that literally just happened before her very eyes. Belief in character, despite appearances. And once they were reunited, Anna made every effort to stay by Elsa’s side because she STILL had that faith in her. Anna’s name means “Grace” or “of Grace”, and damn if she didn’t extend that to the person others found most unworthy, even to Elsa herself. Valkyries see what others don’t, and their decisions are final.

[Deep breath] SO! You asked for Anna and Elsa as mythical creatures. You got… a small academic paper, by social media standards xD. I intend to write a little piece about a Valkyrie who encounters the Hulder on the edges of a battlefield and… realizes she never made a choice about this particular woman. And wonders why she can’t ;). BUT I didn’t wanna leave you hanging any longer. Hope you like my choices!

Oh also, nobody asked, but Kristoff is a werebear. No research required

#there's almost 2k words to this uhhh..... eyup that's all I have to say about that #the inner academic kinda popped out #begging to be utilized after a few dusty years xD #I have links to all this stuff btw if people want them #but now I should REALLY go to bed #or I'll be slowly flame-broiled by a certain someone who is about to find out I'm awake in the worst way possible #like-redhead-probably #mythical creature au #Hulder!Elsa #Valkyrie!Anna #mythology #also yes I know I didn't stray far from Scandinavian territories for the mythical choices I couldn't help it #once I got digging into the huldra I had a hard time looking anywhere else #still I think Valkyrie fits so nicely for anna #she might as well be on irl tbh #Elsa #Anna #my writing #and yeah I'll get to a little short story bc they're so CUTE like this!!

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librarian-of-orynth · 5 years ago

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Why Jo and Laurie Should Never End Up Together, Not Even in a Retelling

I’m back, sort of! I posted this rant over on my book blog and wanted to share it here, because I think it’s incredibly important.

I’m angry and frustrated.

Little Women is one of my favorite stories. It was my favorite movie of 2019. It’s an iconic book with incredible characters and a strong female presence. Today, I particularly want to speak about Jo and Amy March, and their relationship to Laurie. One of the things that frustrates me is that people want Jo and Laurie to be together, so much so that there’s a book being released–a retelling of Little Women–called Jo and Laurie, by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz.

Now, let me preface this with saying I don’t have a problem with retellings. In fact, I love them, especially when they are loose. That way, the author can tell their own story, one that’s simply inspired by a fairy tale or classic novel.

Here’s the thing, though. Jo and Laurie isn’t a loose retelling. It is, essentially, changing the outcome of the Little Women story. I haven’t read the book, but based on the description and the title, I think we all know how it’s going to end.

And I have a problem with that.

In changing the love pairing of the book, not only is Jo’s identity erased in lieu of a romance that would never work, Amy is going to come across as even more of a villain, as not only is she one of the “meaner” March sisters, she is in love with Jo’s (now apparent) love interest. This completely undermines Louisa May Alcott’s original story and is a blatant means of disrespecting Little Women.

Let’s talk about Jo March. She is an independent, headstrong, stubborn woman who prizes her writing over all else. She isn’t concerned with romance or marriage, and she gets criticism for it. For Jo, she doesn’t have room for more love in her life; her love is for her writing and her family. So, it makes absolutely no sense for Jo’s character to want to be with someone like Laurie. Yes, she does mention towards the end that she is lonely and wants to be loved, but that is not the same as being in love, as Marmie cleverly points out. Sure, it may be easy to get love from Laurie, but at the end of the day, she cannot love him back. Her heart is already taken by her writing. Ultimately, yes, she does marry by the end, but, as Greta Gerwig’s fantastic adaptation pointed out, marriage and a happy ending is what made books sell.

Even though Alcott had her married by the end, it’s still very clear that Jo was never really destined for marriage. Again, this makes sense, because Jo is Louisa May Alcott, who never married and continued her passion for writing. See the similarities? So makes no sense for Jo to be with Laurie, or even want to be with him. She doesn’t want or need romance.

Also, Jo isn’t necessarily into men. The energy she gives off is big lesbian vibes, much like Louisa May Alcott herself. However, the concept of being a lesbian wasn’t in the forefront of anyone’s minds at the time of publication, so it’s not like they had a word for it or understood it. By putting her with Laurie, this part of her identity is erased and frankly hurts the people who see themselves in Jo. It invalidates their identification with her character, which can be damaging and disheartening. Plus, erasing a character’s identity (particularly a character who already exists) only to replace it with what you want is a disservice to the legacy of Little Women.

Also, Jo and Laurie just don’t make sense together. As my friend Rebecca rightly pointed out, sure they love each other, but it’s platonic love. It’s the kind of love that childhood friends feel for one another, not the kind that leads you to marriage. Jo likes to spend time with Laurie because he’s her friend and they have fun together, not because she wants to kiss him, like Amy. If anyone does belong with Laurie, it’s Amy, but I’ll get to that later.

Jo and Laurie don’t make sense together. Jo even said as much in Gerwig’s adaptation, when she explains her reasoning to Laurie as to why they wouldn’t work as a couple. And her reasons are legitimate!! They wouldn’t work, not when Jo’s life is dedicated to her writing. Again, she doesn’t have the time to focus on romantic love when she’s an aspiring writer.

Forcing their romance in Jo and Laurie just doesn’t work. And here’s some more reasons why. It’s out of character for Jo. It’s a retcon of the actual story. Laurie realizes they wouldn’t work, too. They are best friends, and that’s that. Truly, I don’t think anyone should mess with that.

Okay time to talk about Amy March, one of my all-time favorite characters. In the book, Amy and Laurie get together. It’s the perfect outcome: Amy saves her family by marrying rich (marriage is an economic proposition during this time, after all) AND she gets to marry the guy she’s been in love with for forever. Amy is the only one in Little Women who understands the plight of women, made extremely clear in Gerwig’s adaptation when she speaks with Laurie of marrying Fred. Obviously she marries Laurie instead, but the result is the same.

Again, as my friend pointed out, Amy is the hero of Little Women. She’s the one who gets married, brings money into the family, and, essentially, saves them from poverty. It’s heroic.

If Jo ends up with Laurie, though, like we can assume in Jo and Laurie, then Amy isn’t a hero. She’s a villain who’s in love with Jo’s man and the antagonist in the March family. We’re already given negative perceptions of Amy by some of her actions, the most significant being the burning of Jo’s writing. This is one of the most heartbreaking moments, particularly in the film as you must watch the pages burn and know that Amy is responsible.

This paints Amy as Jo’s antagonist and also turns her into a villain who doesn’t want her sister to be happy. So, when she ultimately marries Laurie, gets her happy ending, and also saves her family? It redeems her! She’s not this selfish girl who steals her sister’s man; she’s saving her family by marrying a rich man she just so happens to be in love with, which works because Jo isn’t in love with him romantically, anyway. She just wants a BFF.

So, Amy isn’t an unlikeable character; she’s just a sibling who fights with her sisters and wants to ensure they have enough money to survive. Little Women allows us to understand this. I doubt, however, that Jo and Laurie will give us this same character development.

Let’s think about some hypotheticals here: Jo likes Laurie. Laurie likes Jo. Amy likes Laurie. Jo and Amy fight over Laurie. Amy does something bad and becomes the villain. Jo and Laurie end up together, leaving Amy’s character in the dust and her development completely erased. See the problem?

And I know that might not be what happens, but even if the book only focuses on Jo and Laurie as characters, it’s still a disservice to such an incredible character like Amy, who goes through, arguably, the most transformation in the story. She’s also one of the strongest characters, and by taking her out of it, you’re erasing her contributions to the March family entirely.

I could talk about Jo and Amy March forever, but I now want to switch to the subject of fanfiction, because it’s blatantly obvious that Jo and Laurie is a fanfiction retcon of Little Women.

I don’t think it deserves space next to Little Women, not with the way it’s anticipated to end. It completely erases the story of Little Women, especially for younger people, who may pick up Jo and Laurie and assume this is how the story ends. Unfortunately that leaves readers unaware of the strength of Alcott’s work.

Also, why are you trying to be Louisa May Alcott? These are her characters and her story. I understand that the copyright is long gone and it’s public domain, but still, don’t you have some creativity? Why not write a story with your own characters and plot, instead of retconning an iconic work and completely butchering it? I’m so frustrated at the lack of creativity. Like, if you want to write Little Women fanfiction, I’m here for it and I’ll support you, but don’t try to publish it and make money off of it. It’s not your work, it’s not your characters, and it’s not fair to Alcott and her legacy.

No is allowed to make money off of fanfiction, and that’s completely justified. I’m a fanfic writer myself, but even I wouldn’t dare to try and publish a story using someone else’s characters. I mean, it’s illegal, immoral, and just plain wrong. They are the original author’s characters, and no one should be making money off of them but the author. Again, if you want to put it on Archive of Our Own or Tumblr or on social media, go for it, but trying to sell it is just plain wrong. And Jo and Laurie is no exception. These are Alcott’s characters; if you want to write about them and change their story, go for it, but if you try to get it published? Shame on you.

Obviously I’m frustrated with Jo and Laurie, bu I encourage you to make your own decisions regarding the book. Keep in mind, though, the importance of Louisa May Alcott and the legacy of Little Women, as well as the significance of characters like Amy and Jo March.

#little women #louisa may alcott #jo march #amy march #march sisters #laurie #jo and laurie #amy and laurie #marmie #rant #opinion

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amethystiridescence · 4 years ago

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I debated a lot about whether to post this as I'm worried about it being misconstrued but I feel there's a lot of points that merit discussion. I'd definitely be open for people's thoughts on it.

tl;dr: society has an unhealthy deeply interwoven obsession with sex/romance as a be all and end all, and I think it's a large contributor to sexual violence against women.

Regarding the discussions that Sarah Everad’s case has reawoken, there are few voices trying to invalidate the most common argument by saying “there’s no point telling men not to rape/murder because the messed up men will do it anyway”. But this is an extreme simplification of the matter at hand. The issue lies with the perpetrators of course and NEVER the victims. But we need to explore what breeds the mentality of the perpetrators as SO many women have recounted their experiences, so it’s obvious that the problem is widespread at varying levels. The levels range from the simplest catcaller to cases like Elliot Rodger and Sarah Everad’s killer.

My belief is that a lot of the mentality surrounding the violence and aggression towards women stems from male entitlement. That phrase alone is a buzzword, and again its often used with a simple-cut phrase with “women don’t owe men anything” which is entirely true, but whilst unlearning entitlement is a step further than telling men “don’t rape”, its still not tackling the problem at its roots.

Men in our society have been exposed to lifelong conditioning through mass media and social-engineering. We are more than familiar with movies/tv series where romantic/sexual attention from a woman is often a reward/end goal for the male protagonists. Sometimes there are men pitted against each other vying for the affections of a woman like it’s a coveted prize, and it’s normalised with humorous portrayal. Or sometimes sexual/romantic interest is not a reward, it’s a given, no matter what kind of person the male character is; see any series where a conventionally unattractive/unpleasant man always keeps his devoted, conventionally attractive wife despite his obvious flaws (Peter Griffin, Homer Simpson, Fred Flintstone). Then of course there’s the normalising of not taking no for an answer and constantly persisting and being rewarded eventually for it; for example The Notebook is considered a very romantic film but the male character literally threatens to kill himself to make her agree to date him. And of course there’s very damaging concepts presented by films like the 40 Year Old Virgin, but we’ll come to the negative sex-shaming in a tick.

Luckily thanks in huge part to movements like #MeToo, the idea of consent and ‘no means no’ is being more consistently normalised in modern mass media. Netflix’s Sex Education explores this but it’s still guilty of making the female love interest the end prize goal for the male protagonist.

Now it’s not just in media that this environment of coveting sexual/romantic affection as the ultimate goal is encouraged. Its a socially-engineered thing. A lot of us are aware of the double standard in which men are revered/congratulated by their peers for being sexually/romantically popular with women whereas women are shamed, but we often don’t talk about the poisonous culture in which men who aren’t sexually/romantically active or “successful” are shamed and humiliated. How many times have we witnessed people shaming or embarrassing their mates for not having a romantic partner or ‘not getting some’ or even worse, for being a virgin? The culture surrounding virginity is disgusting, it’s both shamed and coveted. This also ties into insults surrounding size/functionality of genitalia and how men are taught that’s one of the worst kind of insult they can receive. Same goes for insults surrounding “haha you can’t get laid/get any”. Plus some men deliberately pass down this mentality and on top they encourage younger male peers/family members to “keep at it” and “don’t take no for an answer” as if teaching younger men how to ‘get women’ is an important lesson that must be passed on.

One thing that’s also alarming is that this taught drive for sexual/romantic attraction is so inbuilt that men are taught to bypass a lot of principles for the chance of it, such as lying about their interests or faking a personality to keep a woman interested. I’ve also seen men forgiven for tardiness because they ‘got lucky the night before’ (that expression itself feeds into this ‘covet/reward’ culture). Only last week I was watching a video about how women were sexually harassed with deeply unpleasant/objectifying comments online whilst doing Twitch streams and I saw a man reply “Women complain all the time about getting attention, they have no idea how lucky they are, I’d kill for a woman to desire me like that”. Men are inherently taught by both peers and media that their entire self-worth is largely determined by whether they receive romantic/sexual attention, no matter how insincere/damaging it is. Hell, even when discussions about men who’ve committed atrocities against women come up, instead of sympathising with the women who have been hurt and those whose are more scared as a result, men instead tend to lament “men like this guy ruin it for other men, they spoil my chances with other women because women assume I’m like him”. A lot of this is a large part of why incel culture is more dangerously rife than it should ever be. The mere words ‘involuntarily celibate’ are all that’s wrong with what I’m discussing.

Lets be clear, society’s inbuilt social hierarchy around sexual/romantic frequency is poisonous to everyone, especially women and the way so many shape their lives around how ‘attractive’ they’re perceived as, and of course the damage it does to the barely-fledged self esteems and images of teenage girls.

Plus both genders suffer in nearly equal ways under some lenses. People who choose to live without a romantic partner are assumed to be “unable to find love” or “unfortunately lonely” (although its worth noting the semantic sexism of bachelor vs spinster). People who are virgins beyond their teens, hell even just beyond legal age, are pitied/shamed. And people stay in abusive relationships because society's taught us that being unhappy is better than being alone. It’s impossible for people to pass through life without being subject to the social perception of how ‘successful they are in love/sex’.

But in particular with men, it’s incredibly dangerous as it destroys how men perceive themselves, teaching them that women are a given or a prize and if they don’t receive, they’re shamed. Combine that with social engineering of which in general, men are taught to express their anger/frustration with physical exertion or violence. This lays groundwork for male entitlement at its most damaging and dangerous, because not only does it wreck the mental health of men who constantly wonder why they’re not getting what the world taught them they should receive, it also sows the seeds of violent thinking in some. How many times have we as women (as is our basic right) refused the advances of men in public and they’ve responded angrily, and sometimes they’ve been laughed at by their peers as it happens. Humiliation is a degrading and powerful thing and for those who’ve been taught to react aggressively to situations, those with weaker self-esteems (thanks to a myriad of sexist reasons eg 'man up') and those with lack of proper mental health help (again, a huge male-centric problem eg;'boys don't cry'), it can lead to breeding resentment, self-loathing, sometimes suicidal tendencies but more crucially, the anger/vengeance/entitlement that resides in would-be stalkers, rapists and murderers. Elliot Rodger called his murderous rampage a “Day of Retribution” as he lamented “having been at college and still being a virgin” and said he had “no choice to exact revenge on the society that had “denied” him sex and love. He targeted a sorority whose members he had deemed the “hottest” at his college, “the kind of girls I’ve always desired but was never able to have”.

You can see I’ve been carefully trying to toe a line between not excusing the behaviour of men who treat women horribly as a result of all this and more, but also understanding the damaging conditioning in which society has woven. Teaching men “don’t rape” and “women don’t owe you anything” are basic steps, but we need to tackle issues deeper than that. We need to stop teaching everyone that being sexually/romantically desired is NOT the be all and end all of life, that being sexually/romantically desirable is not the sum of someone’s self-worth, and that there is NO shame in being without a partner or not being sexually active.

I understand that society’s obsession with sex/romance/attraction is deeply interwoven and its not going to be unlearned in a day, but can you imagine a world where teenagers are raised being told that their attractiveness/desire popularity doesn’t define their worth to others. Can you imagine a world where women don’t constantly make the majority of their concerns about how attractive people perceive them as before how kind/intelligent they’re perceived as? Can you imagine a world where people don’t feel pressured into sex as virgins, or pressured into relationships where they’re unhappy because it’s better than being alone? Where someone can be without a partner and be their own person without people assuming that its chosen solitude and not liberated independence.

I know romantic/sexual companionship is very central to how the majority of people operate. But consider this, a world where sex/romance isn’t a heavily pressurised must-do, but an opt-in and opt-out path where people can explore at their own pace and with their own limitations and boundaries without people constantly passing judgement on it. Its an idealistic idea, and seeing the way that asexuals are mistreated is another factor in just how society shames those who opt-out of sexual activity. But I believe a lot of this discussion can lead to more practical steps than saying “don’t rape”

How about;

Don’t shame anyone for being a virgin at any age.

Don’t shame anyone for not having a partner.

Don’t shame anyone for not being sexually active.

Unlearn phrases like “get lucky” and “winning the girl/heart”.

Don’t use insults aimed at size/functionality of genitalia.

Don’t insult people based on their appearance.

Just a few ideas to start undoing the entitlement culture that puts so many women in danger.

And of course, wearily I’ll state the disclaimers.

None of this behaviour discussed excuses even the most ‘harmless’ of catcalls, let alone the reprehensible behaviour of the worst offenders. I just think it’s important to understand the finer points of what breeds this consistent societally inbuilt violence and hatred against women. I really really cannot state this too much, this is not a victim-blame, women do not deserve a single infinitesimal part of anything they've gone through just because they insulted some dude's penis.

Being sexually/romantically active is never ever a bad thing of course provided it’s legal, safe and fully consensual. It just shouldn’t be the only path that people feel forced to take.

Briefly, someone might argue that its okay for me to promote that being sexually inactive is all peachy keen is hypocritical when I'm in a happy relationship, but if I was single, you could just as easily argue that I'd be trying to validate being without a partner for my own gratification.

And yes. We know. Not all men. I know plenty of people, not just men who see past a lot of the shaming and conditioning, and continue to liberate themselves from society’s warped expectations of what they should be doing with their lives. But try this, YES ALL MEN are subject to this sexual/romantic obsession that the world forces on them. When a director chooses to have a man portrayed as the butt of a joke because he’s rebuffed by a woman, he’s sending out a message to all men that some of their worth is determined on whether a woman accepts their affections. Whenever a man snidely jokes to his friends that someone he knows can’t get a woman, he teaches his friends that their lives are only validated on whether they can attain partners. Not all men may not be predatory. But all men are targeted by this conditioning. And as a result of all this, all women are afraid.

Followup: Men receiving non romantic affection is largely shamed as well and as a result its not nearly as common as it should be. Men receiving platonic affection doesn't happen nearly as much as it should, because men are taught that platonic affection is never platonic because if it comes from men it must be gay, and if it comes from women, it must come from a place of attraction. This can tie into the larger discussions already at hand regarding men's mental health and the lack of support it recieves.

#metoo #survivor #thoughts

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worldismyne · 4 years ago

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Analysis: Warrior's of Hope (Peds Psych 101)

SPOILER WARNING FOR DANGANRONPA ULTRA DESPAIR GIRLS

This post will look at the Warriors of Hope as a group. Now since we are talking about the Warriors of Hope, we will be discussing child abuse. So if at any time you feel things are getting to you or need to decompress after the essay, feel free to click this link.

What is a Paragon?

To start, we will be focusing on the paragon trope, defined by Overly Sarcastic Productions as a hero that is both righteous and charismatic; your "do no wrong" hero, if you will. They do what is right all the time because of their personal beliefs. Protected by a heavy coat of plot armor, they gather a small group of companions who learn through their example to be better heroes; and together they overcome evil and spread peace throughout the land. That’s the basic formula of a paragon hero, if you want or need a more in-depth explanation, I would strongly suggest watching OSP’s video.

In the first game, we follow Naegi, your textbook paragon hero up against Junko Enoshima, the queen of charisma. I feel it important to mention that Junko, while almost a paragon in the way she gathers her followers, is missing the key ingredient of knowing she’s doing is right, because she admits to the opposite. She’s doing the wrong thing on purpose to see what will happen and how far she can take it.

While in the second game you look at Hinata (our paragon hero) up against Komaeda; someone who believes wholeheartedly they are right, but lacks the charisma to rally allies in-universe. You can love Komaeda all you want, but no one during the game's central plotline seems to particularly like him or want to follow him. Which makes Junko and Komaeda foils of each other in a way, each consisting one half of the paragon trope.

So what does this have to do with Another Episode? Simple, the dynamic is flipped. The Warriors of Hope are each paragon’s in their own right, varying on the scale of righteous and charismatic. But what makes them villains is that what they believe to be right, is in fact horrendously wrong. Their righteousness and charisma become their greatest flaw when pointed at the wrong enemy. It showcases how this type of character can be equally dangerous on the “wrong side”. We see this especially in Nagisa, who has openly convinced himself the ends justify the means. A place where children can be safe is the top priority, nothing can stand in the way of this ideal, not even the lives of other humans.

Additionally the real heroes of this tale are two halves of the paragon hero, like Junko and Komaeda. We have Fukawa; hideously unliked by everyone around her but righteous to a fault, and Komaru; an ordinary girl who appeals to everyone, yet has no strong beliefs outside of her need to feel safe. We are reminded throughout the game over and over again that the reason Komaru was picked as the heroine was not because she wanted to help others, but because as an ordinary girl. And this isn't portrayed as a bad thing. When teamed together, Fukawa and Komaru formed a paragon duo strong enough to overcome the obstacles before them. The game flat out states they are meant to work together, in order to make up for each others shortcomings.

So it is here we see the typical dichotomy of Danganronpa flipped in Another Episode. In which two character types that were typically used for villains are up against a group of paragons set on a path of destruction. Bringing to question, if someone like Naegi were to be sent on the wrong path, could they be redeemed and change direction?

And the answer the game gave us… was no.

At both the end of the game, and the end of the anime we are left at a standstill where neither side will move. No outside force can change how a paragon thinks other than the paragon themself. Sure outside circumstances may kick-start introspection, but they can not change the way this type of character progresses by force. Not to say that change is impossible; but that journey would take more time then both the anime and game could allow, especially if we were to cover all five characters. But further discussion on the matter should be left on a character, by character basis.

Age and Developmental Stages (Time to Get Scientific)

As a BSN with a particular interest in pediatrics and psychology, a great deal of my analysis’ will refer back to my classes. Writing characters under the age of eighteen can be really difficult for writers, especially if they are not in constant contact with at least one individual from the age group they are trying to portray. Often times in media, we find child characters to be annoying, grating, and unrealistic; because on an instinctual level, we understand that's not how children that age typically act. You won't see an eight year old acting like a teenager, or six year olds throwing tantrums.

This is especially important, because children are not bound to the same rules as adults when it comes to understanding the world around them

According to Kotoko's mother, Kotoko was still 10 years old while she was alive. And while we can't determine when exactly her murder took place, we can say it happened shortly after the despair incident but before Junko was locked in the school. Since the children still refer to themselves as Super Elementary School Levels, they can be no older than 13 based on the Japanese school system making them range anywhere from 10-13. So what does this tell us about how they should think?

Erikson’s theory of child development indicates they are just now gaining their own sense of identity outside of the roles they had been assigned. There is pressure to look to the future and what they want to be when they grow up. If they don't see a place for themselves in society or dislike the role they've been forced into, they will be more likely to rebel and cave to peer pressure. We see this especially with Nagisa who struggles between his role as the new leader verses his previous role as the dutiful son. If they are on the younger side, their sense of self worth relies heavily on the praise of their peers and mentors, seeking approval of their accomplishments. They define themselves through peers and test values/belief systems against society.

Above all else is an inherent inability to understand abstract concepts, or ideas that extend beyond where they are and what they know. Simply put, they cannot understand why adults are bad or that someone may have an ulterior motive. They know that their parents were bad, so all adults must be bad. This idea is reaffirmed when their peers share the same conclusion.

Everything is black and white, good or bad, right or wrong. They are just beginning to understand that an idea, such as freedom, means something different to everyone. Until they fully comprehend this, they are unable to fully empathize with individuals that don't share their viewpoint. When it comes to things that are not physical like love, empathy, morality, justice; they simply can’t understand it the way adults do.

In their mind, their view is right because they are good, anyone who disagrees must be wrong and therefore bad. This is not a moral thing, it’s how they cognitively process the world.

This is in no way saying their actions were justified. Simply, that they were just beginning to understand that there are things outside of what we see/say/do. The idea that someone can be both good and bad, nice yet dishonest; was not something they knew before Monaka betrayed them.

Coping Mechanisms in Children

When it comes to abusive situations, a huge emphasis is placed on power and control. Children in these situations will do anything to seek the control they do not have. This can include laying low, people pleasing, hurting themselves or others, aiming for over-achievement or perfectionism. It's not entirely uncommon to see children using multiple coping mechanisms at once, jumping from one to another until they regain a sense of safety and stability.

In times of stress, children will exercise their ability to control their perception of what happened. This can include denying the effects of trauma (Masaru), detaching their emotions from what happened (Kotoko) and failure to see that something can be positive and negative at the same time.

Children may also try to change or justify their situation. They can try to rationalize, or explain why something bad happened to them, even if the explanation is not grounded in reality (Jataro). Or they may try to please/appease those who hurt them by seeking approval (Nagisa).

I cannot emphasize enough the importance power and control has over children in these situations. Power is safety, exercising that power is a reminder of that safety.

Building the Children's Paradise has less to do with recreating Lord of the Flies, and more to do with creating a place where they have control over everything in their environment (rules, peers, and who is allowed close to them). Anything that threatens their position of power is an immediate and personal threat to their own sense of safety. For example, the peers they consider friends are brainwashed into doing exactly what they say. The only adult allowed near them acts as a slave to be manipulated and mistreated.

The Influence of Role Models and the Importance of Subjective Information

We know very little about their parents from a omnipotent view. With the exception of one letter from each parent, all information comes from their victims. However, there is still much we can determine about them, in how the children themselves behave.

According to the "Identification" theory; a child's behavior patterns, beliefs, and values are greatly influenced by their parents. And not because it was something that was taught, but it was something they saw routinely growing up and adopted themselves. While this does not eliminate their ability to make their own choices, a great deal is to be said about learning through example. Self destructive behaviors like substance abuse, low self-esteem, and violent behaviors are often traits learned by watching their parents. We know in great detail about what the parents did to their children, but very little about what their parents did to themselves or peers.

Likewise, the kids have an opposite view of Junko which is equally as biased and inaccurate. According to the Warriors of Hope Junko is sweet, caring, and blameless. As someone who met one of their most neglected needs, she represented a sense of security and love they never had. But we all know Junko's true nature and how manipulative she can truly be. The children actively deny any accusation against her because she became, essentially, their surrogate parent. It's not clear how involved she was with them, but we are given a sense that at face value, she took care of them the way a big sister ought to. Once again, an example of this black and white thinking still held by the children, it also gives us insight on the validity of their information.

Questions like "Why does Junko want to destroy the world?", "Why is my dad an alcoholic" or "Where’s the rest of my family?" may not have occurred to the kids as important, and certainly were not included in the original narrative. With no intent to excuse the abusive behaviors, it's important to keep in mind we are given a very narrow and subjective view of their home lives that purposefully excludes any positive redeeming aspects. This is all by Junko's design; as a way to keep them in a traumatized, despair-induced state that would facilitate the killing of adults.

We know this, because several rules of the Children's Paradise Commandments expressly forbid remembering the past and emulating the behaviors exhibited by their parents (including Nagisa trying act as a competent leader). Any positive influences their parents (or any other adults) had are actively being repressed to perpetuate the massacre of Towa City.

Cultural Considerations

If you're reading this, there is a high probability that you live someplace other than Japan. Your views on everything are influenced by the culture you grew up in, and just because we can relate to other cultures, doesn't mean that we completely understand them and the issues their country faces on a daily basis. The best we can do is look at the window they provide us.

In Japan mental illness is a taboo topic to discuss publicly. It's seen as something to be ashamed of or suffer in dignified silence to protect the family's reputation. Equally taboo is the discussion of child abuse, with the Japanese government only starting to track of cases in 1990. 50% of all sexual abuse cases go unreported because of Japan's cultural stance on upholding strong moral values closes off the discussion, in a “it could never happen here” sort of way.

Foster homes in Tokyo are packed to capacity with kids that were taken from their abusive environments with nowhere to go. Not because people don't care, but because culturally, the discussion of abuse and having an adopted child are not embraced the same way as in other cultures.

In fact, both Kotoko and Nagisa point out that the surrounding adults wouldn't help them. It's not entirely unthinkable, given Japan's history, that they had tried to reach out for help; only to be let down by a system that was still adapting to discussing the topic. The revolution of reporting and advocating for children's rights is still a new and growing practice in Japan.

When Danganronpa Another Episode released in Japan, the number of child abuse cases were the highest ever, surpassing 70,000 reported cases for the first time and has been rising since they first started reporting cases. This isn't to say people were abusing their children more over the last few decades, but that people's stance on reporting abuse has drastically changed and continues to improve. Games like Another Episode not only champion the cause of child advocacys among newer generations, but spreads it to a wider audience, including people who will form and change the governmental and social aspects of Japan's culture in the future. Games like Another Episode provide an important platform to discuss societal issues that have for years been ignored because talking about them was 'uncomfortable.' To unironically quote G.I. Joe. "Knowing is half the battle."

Abuse in DR

The topic of child abuse is not a new one to the DR universe. In fact several characters share similar childhoods and have spoken quite openly about them.

(Masaru: Oowada, Kazuichi)

(Jataro/Monaka: Fukawa, Mikan)

(Kotoko: Sayaka, Hiyoko, Akane)

(Nagisa: Togami, Ishimaru)

What separates the Warriors of Hope from the other characters, is their age and proximity to these negative events growing up. We closer see the impact of what these things to do to their personality and worldview because they're still children. It's all the more heartbreaking because we understand, while dramatized, it is something very real and in some cases, relatable. Seeing their stories play out, makes us uncomfortable, because we know that there are children out there that experience similar pain and there is very little we can do about it at the very moment we are reminded these things exist.

However, it is important to acknowledge the things about society that upset us, as it is a crucial step in orchestrating change.

I'd like to end by highlighting charities and organizations working to fight child abuse in my own country. If you do not live in the United States I would highly recommend finding reputable charities in your area that are working to help, if you are interested in volunteering or donating to the cause.

Thank you so much for reading this crash course through child psychology and I look forward to seeing you in the next analysis.

http://www.ylc.org/

https://promisehouse.org/

https://lnfy.org/

#danganronpa #ultra despair girls #danganronpa another episode #danganronpa ultra despair girls #drae #long post #character analysis

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echoes-of-the-clockwork · 4 years ago

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Book Three: Pestilence (Ignis x Reader) Chapter Seventeen

"Yes, we're finally here!" Prompto cheered as Cid docked the boat in Altissia's harbor. Once the vessel came to a complete halt, the group disembarked and headed toward the city.

Noctis was leading his companions but was stopped when the man guarding the entrance to Altissia called out to him. "Sir! What is the purpose of your visit?"

Noctis rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think of an excuse without giving away who he truly was. "Purpose? Uh..." He looked toward his friends and Cid before deciding to entrust the situation to Pestilence. "(Y/n), a little help."

The ivory-haired girl stepped past Noctis and leaned over the counter, whispering in the man's ear. The boys exchanged glances when they wondered what she could possibly be whispering to the stranger.

Then, a smile blossomed on the gatekeeper's face as the girl pulled away. "Sorry for the inconvenience, Ma'am. I hope you have a wonderful time." He opened the gate, allowing everyone through. They waved farewell to Cid as they entered Altissia.

Gladio asked the one question that was on his and the other boys' minds. "What'd you tell him?"

(Y/n) spun around and faced the boys with a grin. "Oh, just a harmless lie."

She went to turn her back and walk further into the city, but the shield grabbed her shoulder and pulled her to a stop. He was itching to know the whole truth. "Oh, no. You're not getting away that easily. Tell us what you told him."

"Your curiosity will not let this rest?" She folded her arms across her chest, tapping her finger against her upper arm.

Gladio smirked. "Nope."

"A shame, really," she sighed. "Because my lips are sealed. Your curiosity shall never be quelled."

"What?" Prompto gasped. "I want to know!"

"As I said, my lips are sealed."

Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio groaned in disbelief while Ignis was amused at their reactions. He wanted to know just as much as the others, but he remained silent as he continued to watch (Y/n) torture the others with silence.

<-----------<<<<<

After exploring a small portion of Altissia and eating a proper meal, Gladio suggested searching for the man Cid mentioned on the boat. "You wanna check Weskham's place out?"

"Yeah. "Let's all go to Maagho!"" Prompto responded cheerfully.

"Perhaps we'll even make it in time for tea," Ignis comments.

"Oh," (Y/n) gasped excitedly. "I hope we do. Altissia has quite a selection of flavorful teas. That is one thing I do remember from my first trip here."

"So, Iggy likes coffee and (Y/n) likes tea. What a match," Prompto snorts with laughter.

"Match made in heaven," Gladio snickered, eyeing the couple. "When's the date?"

Pestilence stopped and faced him with a hand on her hip. "Date?"

The shield stared down at the shorter girl. "Heard you and Iggy talkin' about it on the boat."

"Eavesdropping," Ignis corrects the brute.

"So you were listening," (Y/n) sighed. "Regardless if you overheard or eavesdropped, our private affairs are only for our ears."

Gladio looked over at the advisor, nudging him in the side with his elbow. "Think you can handle the lady?"

The tactician adjusted his glasses with a faint sigh, choosing to remain silent. The Horseman glowered weakly at the tattooed man. "What kind of question is that?"

"You're Iggy's first girlfriend."

The snowy-haired girl sighed in disbelief, looking away from Gladio. "Are you insisting Ignis doesn't know how to treat me to a proper date?"

"Far from it. He knows how to handle the ladies, but I don't think he realizes his true potential."

Pestilence placed a hand against the side of her head, heaving another sigh. "What company we keep..."

"Indeed..." Ignis added with his own exasperated sigh.

Gladio didn't hear their mumbling and gestures to an empty awaiting gondola. "Better make this quick so the lovebirds can go on a date."

"Then we better start looking now," Noctis said after a prolonged silence.

<-----------<<<<<

After a lengthy, peaceful gondola ride, the group successfully located Maagho. They stepped off the gondola and entered the bar, immediately being spotted and greeted by the man behind the counter. "Welcome to Accordo, lads and lass. Cid mentioned you'd be dropping in. Weskham Armaugh, as you've gathered." His eyes traveled over to Noctis and smirked lightly. "My word, you've grown, little prince."

Noctis hums in confusion, the man behind the bar ringing no bells in his head. Weskham chuckled at seeing the boy's confused expression. "Ah, but of course-you were only a babe at the time."

The five head over to the bar. (Y/n) sat down directly in front of Weskham, offering the man a gentle smile. "May I ask for your finest cup of tea?"

The man bowed his head slightly. "Right away, M'lady." Weskham disappeared for a couple minutes before reappearing with a hot cup of tea. "Here you are. It's on the house."

She thanked him, blew on the tea, and took a small sip. When she tasted a hint of cinnamon and vanilla, she smiled in delight. "What an exquisite, delectable taste."

Prompto guffawed at her comment. "You sound like Iggy."

"It's a blend I made myself," Weskham proclaims. "I only provide the best for one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."

(Y/n) took another sip before setting the porcelain cup onto the matching plate. "I must have a tag with my name and status on it somewhere."

The man shook his head with an amused smirk. "Not at all. Cid gladly informed me of who you were. It's an honor to meet you, Pestilence. The Four Horsemen is one of my favorite stories to tell."

The Horseman looked up from her cup of tea. "I pray such a tale does not frighten away your customers."

"You'd be surprised how many of my customers enjoy the tale as much as myself." He looked toward the others, who sat in the chairs beside Pestilence. "So, this is your maiden visit. Enjoying it so far? You doubtless have many questions, so ask away."

Noctis' eyes narrowed in suspicion. "This country is a part of the empire, isn't it?"

"Morosely, yes..." (Y/n) muttered from in between Noctis and Ignis, her comment going unnoticed by all.

Weskham chuckles at his cautionary question. "You're wary, I understand. But there's no need to jump at every shadow. Just be aware that the terms of our independence grant the empire free reign to come and go as they please."

"We'll bear that in mind," Ignis replied.

"It's admittedly a one-sided arrangement," Weskham confesses. "Most everything we do requires Niflheim's permission, and they wouldn't knowingly permit the Oracle to appear before the public. How our government spun that is quite a mystery. Is there anything else?"

Noctis decided to ask about Lady Lunafreya first. "You really think Luna will make an address?"

Weskham nodded, resting his hands on the countertop. "If every recent radio broadcast is to be trusted, absolutely."

"Where is Lady Lunafreya?" Ignis inquired.

"In the city somewhere, but no one has caught so much as a glimpse of her. The media has been conspicuous in its silence on the matter, which speaks volumes of government intervention. That'd certainly explain the rumors of disgruntled imperial officers leaving the city."

"How suspicious," (Y/n) comments before taking another sip of her tea.

"I'll say..." Noctis muttered in agreement before asking his next question. "So you see lots of Niffs around here?"

"We do," the bar owner answered. "Sometimes even at my place. Theirs is a familiar presence, and the citizens don't think much of it. Though, the high commander did cause a stir when he showed up the other day."

"Ravus..." The soon-to-be king mumbled under his breath.

"Friend of yours?" (Y/n) asked.

"Far from it..."

"The elder brother of Lady Lunafreya," Ignis stated in a slightly hostile tone.

It didn't go unnoticed by the girl. "Not an admirer, I see."

"Hell no," Noctis scoffed.

Weskham continued once the others were silent. "So soon after they felled the Archaean in Lucis, his arrival fuels rumors that they will next come to Altissia. The empire's not content ruling all the land-they want the heavens as well."

"If one tastes the blood of sovereignty, such a thirst shall never be quenched 'til all is conquered," (Y/n) said. "King Aeshema knows such subjugation all too well."

"The daemon king?" The tactician questioned with a tone of bewilderment.

Pestilence nodded. "Yes. The reason why daemons wander Eos at night is to prevent an uprising. King Aeshema forged a contract with his subjects to keep them in check. If the daemons were to ever overthrow His Majesty, the netherworld would crumble and daemons would flock to Eos day and night."

"Couldn't he help us take down the empire? I mean, he's a powerful immortal, too," Prompto chimed in.

The Horseman shook her head with a small frown. "Unfortunately, no. If King Aeshema were to leave Hell, the daemons would run rampant. While they posses a certain level of intelligence, their thirst for control overthrows such perception. The only time the daemon king could possibly leave is when his subjects roam the land of the living, but even that is risky."

"Guess we're on our own then," Noctis sighed. He leant his arms on the countertop, asking his final question. "Is anything changed with Leviathan?"

"For now, it's business as usual at port, but word is the government will soon open the Altar of the Tidemother," Weskham explains.

"In preparation for the rite," Gladio added.

"Ah, but on the other hand, they're scrambling to stockpile emergency provisions. This begs the question: if they're anticipating that the Hydraean will wreak havoc, why would they allow the rite to proceed?"

"If knowing summoning and receiving Leviathan's power would aid in the downfall of the empire, many in governmental affairs would risk all," (Y/n) replied. "Even wrecking the city is a viable option."

"Yeah, but what about the people who live here?" Prompto asked.

"Even knowing the possible outcome of the rite, the government officials will protect their people at any costs."

"Indeed, we would," a person stated calmly. The group and Weskham turned their heads in order to see the owner of the voice.

The bar owner chortled lightly. "My dear Camelia, it's been a while."

Camelia's eyes trailed over to the four boys and girl. "I heard about your distinguished guests."

"Ah, you've an ear for gossip."

"Lady, gentlemen," Camelia rounded the bar, wishing to chat with them. "I won't waste your time nor the time of an immortal. My name is Camelia Claustra."

Ignis knew the woman's status all too well. "First secretary of the Accordo Protectorate."

The first secretary's gaze focused on Noctis. "You should know we have Lady Lunafreya in our care. And the empire demands we surrender her."

The raven-haired boy's eyes widen at the news. "What?"

"Yet I am loath to acquiesce unless we stand to profit. Hence I've come to discuss terms...with the King of Lucis. If you've a mind to talk, come to my estate." With those final words, Camelia left.

Weskham watched the elder woman walk away with a sigh. "She can be oblique at the best of times, but I assure you her heart is in the right place."

"Oh. Okay," the gunslinger muttered.

"At any rate, you must be weary from your journey. Might I suggest you seek your beds for now and ponder matters anew in the morning?"

Noctis nodded in agreement. "Yeah, think we'll do just that."

"Then, to the Leville." (Y/n) finished her tea and led the boys out of Maagho. While the city has changed since her last visit, she still was able to navigate the streets with ease and find the Leville without asking for directions. She stood in front of the hotel with her hands on her hips, the four boys lined up behind her. "Here we are, gentlemen."

"Guess the city hasn't changed much if you were able to find this place without asking for help," Noctis comments.

"There are an abundance of new buildings and businesses, but the street layout is nearly the same as it was a century ago," she explained. "The Leville is where Raiden and I spent our nights after we exhausted ourselves exploring the city. Also, it seems you've a guest, Noctis."

Noctis looked into the lobby and spotted a familiar figure. He entered the Leville as he eyed the woman. "Gentiana."

With sealed eyes, the messenger delivered her cryptic message. "Ahead lies a future uncertain, yet sure is the astral memory, wherein the King may walk." Before the boy could react, she vanished.

Noctis stared at the spot Gentiana once stood as the others stood behind him. Prompto was the first to break the silence. "Well, that was...sudden."

"I expect no less from a divine being," (Y/n) stated.

Noctis turned around to face the girl. "You know Gentiana?"

"She has visited the Inner Sanctum countless of times. We'd chat for hours over tea," Pestilence smiles. "Her wisdom is vast and I find joy in conversing with her."

"I never can understand what she says," Prompto confesses under his breath.

"No need to linger on the subject," (Y/n) said, deciding to change the subject once she heard a small growl from the blonde's stomach. "You four must be famished. Shall we search for an eatery?"

"Definitely," Noctis agreed in a heartbeat. "I'm starving."

"But shouldn't we go and talk to Camelia first?" The gunslinger questioned.

"Yeah, like we have any other option," Gladio stated.

Ignis, on the other hand, opposed visiting the first secretary so soon. "There's no telling how events will unfold. Let us prepare before making our way. I also suggest we find an eatery."

"Yeah, she can sit tight a while. My stomach can't," Noctis said, leaving the Leville lobby with the others in tow.

<-----------<<<<<

After a lengthy, peaceful meal, (Y/n) stood up from the table and wandered over to the edge of the nearby canal. She stared down at the glistening water, watching the sun bounce off the surface.

When she heard a group of scrambling footsteps, she turned around and saw Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio rushing off. She blinked owlishly as she watched them vanish into the streets of Altissia without her or Ignis. She crossed her arms as the advisor sauntered over to her. "My, they seem to be in a hurry."

"It appears so," Ignis sighed in exasperation.

The Horseman offered him an innocent smile, knowing what the three boys had in mind and decided to not waste the time they were graciously given. "Since those three scampered off, we've time for ourselves. Shall we explore?"

"Let's," Ignis simply replied.

The two departed from the eatery and began exploring what all Altissia had to offer.

#ffxv x reader #ffxv #final fantasy xv x reader #final fantasy xv #ignis x reader #ignis scientia #prompto argentum #gladiolus amicitia #Noctis Lucis Caelum

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bijoyconverterf · 11 months ago

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Little tiny titties

Are My Breasts Small?

Why you should Embrace your Small Breasts?

Taking Action Beyond the Bra: Guides, Solutions and Support

When feeling dissatisfied, women should remember that they are not alone:

So, it’s time to break the ice and get real about boobs. Let's have a heart-to-heart and share how we really feel about them. Let’s support each other and talk!

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mymelodyheart · 4 years ago

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Starting Over Chapter 29 ~The Reality~

Geillis sat at her kitchen table, looking bright and chipper and way too put together at seven AM Tuesday morning. Geillis had invited herself over for breakfast and coffee before Claire started her shift at The Royal Hospital for Sick Children. It had been ages since they've seen each other, and a much-needed catch up was just what they both needed.

Before she'd started her new job, it had been a tense and hectic past few weeks. While Jamie had been away most of the time in London, Claire had been preoccupied applying for a residency program and meeting for job interviews. When the news of Gerald Forbes' arrest, Geneva Dunsany's stripping of gold medals and investigations in William Dunsany's business' dealings reached her, she'd dreaded her name would be mentioned in the newspaper and evening prime time news. To her relief, Ned Gowan had made sure that didn't happen. Only certain parts of the recording were released to the media, specifically the section where Forbes admitted to spiking Jamie's drink and accepting bribes from Dunsany. Since her voice was disguised with an audio editing application, it had been automatically assumed the sting was done by an undercover reporter; hence, no questions were further asked of the identity of the voice.

The days that followed were even made more stressful after Frank pleaded her to drop the charges against him and requested an out of court settlement, offering her monetary compensation instead. Not having the heart to see a licence stripped away from a brilliant doctor, Claire conceded under the condition he wouldn't practice medicine in Scotland for five years and that he would work for Doctors Without Borders for at least two years before returning to England. Frank agreed without contest, and a settlement was made and signed. But it was only when she had her belongings that he'd been keeping, returned and was informed he'd left Edinburgh for good, was she able to relax and concentrate on her future.

"So, Jamie is back in London again," Geillis remarked, in-between bites of her toast. "Another business trip?"

Claire filled their mugs with coffee and sat down. "I guess you can call it that. Jamie was invited by BBC to a morning show interview," she explained. "And while he's there, he's doing a few photoshoots for some razor commercial and finalising the sale of his properties. He should be back by tomorrow."

"Oh that's good but why aren't ye staying over at his place? Besides me wanting to have a nosy in his posh apartment, it's nearer to yer work and more convenient for him to see ye when he returns from London. And hello ...less carbon footprint."

She took a sip of her coffee and leaned back on her seat, twisting her head from side to side to relieve the tension in her neck. Her new job wasn't as demanding as in the Royal Infirmary; nevertheless, she felt the effects of the long hours at work. "Jamie already suggested that but he's away most of the time and I kind of like my place and ..." she trailed off, shrugging.

"Aaand ... it's a huge commitment and too soon after ye've just got yer stuff back from Frank and ye think he's more into parading himself in the public's eye than he's into ye," Geillis filled in the blanks before scooping some egg into her mouth.

Claire didn't answer, as she toyed with her fork.

"Ye miss him, aye?"

She nodded, giving her friend a wistful smile. She did miss Jamie a lot. Ever since the problems with his former agent settled, she'd seen less and less of him. She knew he was trying to put together something for the future, but at the worse of times, she felt mildly resentful not seeing him as much and hated herself for feeling that way. They've been wrapped up in their own bubble of bliss, she hadn't thought about where their relationship was heading to. Their feelings were out there, larger than life and scary as hell, and now they have to find a way to make this thing work in the real world with their conflicting schedules. But lately, with Jamie's numerous endorsements pouring in, to represent big-name companies and merchandises, she wondered if their relationship could survive and if there was even a hint of truth in what Forbes had told her that Jamie was meant for the limelight.

"Ye think Jamie is going to be lured back to his celebrity lifestyle and ye're waiting for the bomb to fall, is this what's this about?" she asked as if uncannily reading her thoughts.

Damn the girl for being so perceptive. She straightened up on her seat and smeared butter on her toast. "What makes you think that?" she asked, trying to look nonchalant, which was silly really considering Geillis could read her like a book.

Geillis rolled her eyes and sipped her coffee. "It's pretty apparent ye're not too thrilled with the load of work he's getting. But if he's going to start this rugby academy ye were talking about, all the exposures and the money he could earn from those adverts will help."

"You're beginning to sound like Forbes," Claire scoffed, pointing the butter knife at her. "And I don't like it."

"And ye're letting fear and doubt grow its ugly head," she quipped, toast shrapnel spraying out from her mouth.

"Good God, Geillis ... that's gross. Don't talk when you're mouth is full."

"Stop changing the subject," Geillis admonished. She crunched down on her toast and gave her a false smile, deliberately exhibiting bits of food between her teeth. "In a perfect world, ye could both get what ye want, dream job and time for each other. But that's no' the case, so ...if ye have issues with Jamie's work and wotnots, ye should be more proactive in addressing them instead of sulking."

"I'm not sulking ...or maybe I am a little. But here's the thing ... I've only seen Jamie for two days for the last couple of weeks. Even when he's here in Edinburgh, either he is unavailable and rushing off somewhere to meet someone important, or he's in the gym. When I'm at his place, he's either too tired to do anything, asleep already, or he has to wake up early ...so there's really no point of me staying there. It's nuts really, I'm seeing less of him now that we're together than when he was trying to pursue me. We talk and text a lot on the phone, but it doesn't make being separated any easier. This evil paranoia is constantly nagging in my head that he's bored with me and finding limelight more exciting. But then he makes up for his absence by regularly checking up on me or having food delivered either at my workplace or here at home because he knows I forget to eat sometimes. And my distrustful and illogical side creeps in and tells me he's just keeping me interested. But when he's holding me, all those whispers in my head shut up."

Geillis wiped her mouth with a napkin and reached for her hand. "Ach, hen, he loves ye. Ye ken fine I have this built-in radar inside me that can detect bullshit from miles away. That man of yers lights up like a Christmas tree whenever ye're around. Why not talk to him and tell him how ye're feeling."

"God, no. I sound already petty and clingy hearing myself talk. Not going to happen."

"Hmmm, have ye been reading things written about him in social media again?" Geillis asked, already knowing the answer and looking on disapprovingly. "Jamie already told ye not to."

Claire sighed and slumped back in her chair. "I can't help it sometimes," she reasoned. "I see something nice written about him, and that makes me happy, and I look for more, but then I end up reading gossips about him that aren't true. I'm supposed to be prepared for this. When Jamie and I first got together, I knew what I was getting into, and I knew our relationship would have some degree of disappointment and compromise. I understand Jamie's work is very important to him, and quite rightly so. But it's still difficult to accept that I'm someone whose boyfriend is lusted after by thousands of women and the way my work colleagues talk behind my back and look at me, serves as a reminder. I thought those days in the limelight would be over when he told me about the academy, but it seems the interviews and photocalls have doubled. I need to find a way to be alright with that because I know those public appearances will help promote his academy. It's just that when I rarely see him, it's so hard and I can't help but think it's the start of our end."

"Quit that rubbish talk for crying out loud! Ye just have to remind yersel' its just work," Geillis pressed in a firm tone. "Whatever is happening right now doesn't change the way he feels about ye." She got up, taking her plate and mug over to the sink to rinse them and put them into the dishwasher. "His popularity has a short lifespan, Claire, most especially now that he's turning down work left, right and centre from other networks. Once the academy is up and running and the talk about his BBC award dies down, the news will be onto something new. And as for Jamie, he will eventually fade into the background as he wouldn't have time for anything else other than building his new business venture. Nobody knows how long this ride is going to last, so he might as well take advantage and get as much exposure out of it."

"I know, I know. You're right with everything you said." Claire cleared the rest of the dishes on the table and stood up. "That's why I don't want to say anything to Jamie. You taking Jamie's side when you've always taken mine can only mean I sound really downright pathetic."

Geillis dried her hand and turned around to face her, giving her a thoughtful smile. "Not pathetic at all and I understand why ye're worried. Not everyone would have been able to handle being in a relationship with Jamie. God, if he was my boyfriend, I'd never let him out of my sight because he's too pretty for his own good. But as an objective bystander, I can hundred per cent assure ye, that man is working his arse off to get that business of his going so he can have a normal life with ye."

She packed her laptop in its case and drank the rest of her juice. "That's what I tell myself all the time. It's just hard when we hardly have a moment to ourselves and when I'm left alone with my own thoughts, that's when it becomes dangerous. All these niggling doubts surface from out of nowhere and play havoc with my logic."

"Ach, Claire. Sometimes I wish ye could see the way he looks at ye when ye're not looking. He looks at ye like ye're the sun itself and it makes me want to puke seeing all that lovefest spewing out of him."

This time Claire laughed out loud and allowed the tension and uncertainties of the future to slowly fade away. Thank God she had Geillis to talk sense into her. After everything that happened recently, she really needed to exorcise all those demons that Forbes and Frank left behind because unless she did that, they would continue to rule her waking hours, even though they were no longer in their lives,

..........

Claire stripped off her clothes and climbed into the shower. She had forty-five minutes to get ready before Jamie arrives. She'd received a text earlier while at work telling her he was in the airport in London waiting to get into the plane and he would be heading straight to her as soon as he landed and they would go out on a dinner date.

The water was hot, and it felt good just to stand there and let it run over her skin as she tried to release the tension in her muscles. It had been a long day at work running from ward to ward, and although she loved her job, working with sick children was often challenging since it affected her more on an emotional level. They were innocents and should be untouched by illness and injuries and be out there thriving and healthy instead of being in the hospital. Despite trying her hardest to remain professional, it still proved difficult to not get attached to her young patients.

Suddenly realising the water was getting colder, she quickly lathered some shower gel on her skin and shampoo on her hair. When she turned around to rinse herself, she nearly screamed when she saw Jamie on the other side of the shower stall, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and a lopsided grin plastered on his face.

"Jamie! Bloody hell! You shouldn't sneak in like that! Jesus! You nearly gave me a heart attack," she scolded, quickly washing the suds off her body.

Jamie chuckled, as he took a huge towel from the rail. "Ye didn't answer when I called out yer name. So I just waited for ye to finish, hoping to hear yer rendition of one of Paloma Faith's songs before ye notice I'm here."

She turned off the water and stepped out of the shower into the towel Jamie was holding. He wrapped it around her and smiled.

"Hi!" he whispered.

She tried to step back. "I'll ruin your suit. I'm all wet."

"I dinnae care." He pulled her back into his arms, and she stretched up on her toes to kiss him briefly.

When she drew away, she stared up at him. "Let me dry my hair first. I shan't be long."

"No' yet." She held her breath as Jamie leaned down and kissed her tenderly. Oh God, how I've missed him! His lips were so soft and warm, making all the air rush out of her lungs. He sucked at her bottom lip before pulling back and angling his head to kiss her again. Though his body was tensed and hard, the delicate way he moved his mouth over hers demonstrated leashed restraint like he wanted to savour the moment instead of giving in to the hormones that were raging between them. If his intention was to make her forget what she was about to say or do, he was succeeding immensely.

Gradually his kisses became more intense, and she gave up trying to think and allowed herself to just feel, letting her muscles melt against his body. He cupped her breast, and when she moaned and gripped his shoulders tightly, he grunted in frustration and gently drew away.

Glancing down at her, he tucked his tongue into his cheek and shook his head. "Ye should get dressed before I give ye a reason to go back and shower again." He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "Christ, I've missed ye so much."

Her heart did a pirouette. It was so bloody absurd that after the all this time, Jamie could still make the air catch in her chest and her blood rush with force, just by looking at her. "I missed you too," was all she could muster, feeling the heat creep up her face.

He cleared his throat. "I brought some Thai takeaway. You get dressed, and I'll prepare the table."

"Oh! I thought we were going out," she said, unable to hide her disappointment.

He swallowed and nodded, the muscles in his jaw, working overtime as he took her hands. "I'm so sorry, Sassenach. I had a last-minute phone call from this guy who'll be rewiring the sports complex. He's coming all the way from Glasgow, and I need to show him the floor plans and the list of gadgets I need installing. I'm just as disappointed as ye are that we can't go out." He linked his fingers through hers. "The next few weeks are going to be crazy as hell, but I'm doing everything I can to make sure we'll have more time together. That's a promise."

"That's alright," she murmured, trying her best not to act like a child whose lolly had been taken off her. This was the sixth time he'd cancelled their date, and it didn't help that they hadn't been out together for weeks and that she hadn't seen the sports complex yet. Her brain concocted tons of reasons for all the cancellations, and not one of them was good, but she immediately tamped down the thoughts when she saw the worried look on his face. Sighing, she gave him a reassuring smile. "You go ahead a prepare the food. I'll just quickly dry my hair, and I will be out soon."

Before she could turn away, he hauled her back into his arms, and then cupped her face with both hands and kissed her deeply, almost making her believe everything was fine.

"I love you, Sassenach" he said against her lips. "I promise I will have more time for us soon."

He held her for a few more heartbeats, and then with an effort, he pulled away and headed out the door.

When he left, she leaned her forehead against the damp bathroom tiles. "I love you too Jamie. So much it hurts to breathe sometimes," she whispered to the wall.

..........

Another three weeks went by, and Claire was determined to ignore her growing sense of apprehension about Jamie and her inability to deal with his lack of presence in most of her everyday life. She felt like she had a countdown timer running in the backdrop, and she was just waiting for it to reach zero when it would reveal they were over for good.

She sighed and ferociously tug the weeds out of her garden bed, venting her frustration in her back garden vegetation. Her mood didn't improve when she envisioned herself becoming one of those women who obsessed about their man, fearing they wouldn't be able to cope once the relationship was over. Shut it, Beauchamp! Stop being pathetic and grow a pair!

Nearby, Geillis was collecting all the weeds she'd pulled out and placing them into containers for compost. She didn't want to heap more of her relationship worries on her friend, thinking she's beginning to sound repetitive and whiny.

Even though Jamie was away a lot, he would drop by a few times, helping her with shopping when she didn't have the time to refill her pantry and repairing things that needed fixing in her wee cottage. She tried not to pressure him about sleepovers since she'd refused a few times to stay at his place. Not that Claire didn't want to be with him, but he was hardly in his apartment, and when he was, he spent his time catching up on sleep or speaking with important people on the phone. Over time she realised, he was workaholic, mostly when it involved something he was passionate and excited about. And it made her wonder if that was the reason he never had any proper relationship during his rugby days.

Jamie had often enough apologised for not always being there for her and asked her to give him more time and trust him, and she was trying her utmost best to do just that, even though patience and trust are two things she was beginning to have a short supply of.

"It's yer day-off. Aren't ye seeing Jamie today?" Geillis asked, getting up on her feet and kicking the dirt off her boots.

"Nope. Apparently, being interviewed by some local radio station and filming for Irn-Bru commercial is more appealing than spending time with his girlfriend." She cringed inwardly the moment her pettiness came out in full force, unable to contain what she truly felt any longer.

"Ach, hen. I ken it's been a difficult time for ye both with yer long hours and his busy schedule. Surely, ye ken he'd rather spend time with ye."

"I know, Geillis. Don't mind me at all. I'm just in one of those moods. Think nothing more of it." She dusted off her hands and got up. "Anyway, I'm trying not to dwell on those things. I have to get ready and meet up with John ...you know John Grey from St Leonards', where I did my temp job?" When Geillis nodded, she continued. "He's got a day-off too, and his boyfriend is on a business trip to France. So we thought, since we're both boyfriendless today, we'd hang out together. You can join us if you wish."

Geillis waved her hand. "I'll pass. I have a gig tomorrow for a group of seven-year-olds. Need to organise their party hats and goodie bags. I'll clean up and go." Then she pulled her in for a hug. "And enjoy yersel' and try not to worry about Jamie. He's probably thinking the same of ye ...ye not having enough time for him with yer long hours at work. Just have a little faith with the man, alright?"

"I will," she smiled, kissing her on the cheek. "In case you finish early with your prep for tomorrow and change your mind about joining us, we'll be in The World's End."

Geillis pulled back and made a face. "I doubt it. It's a bath, chamomile and books for me tonight and then early to bed. Need to save my energy for those bairns tomorrow. Kids nowadays are so hyper and fueled with so much sugar, I can hardly keep up with them. But ye go enjoy yersel', and I'll stop by one of this morning for breakfast." And with that, she spun around and headed towards the house.

As she put away her hand garden tools into a bucket, she took deep calming breaths and made a decision to stop thinking so negatively. It had been ages since she'd been to the pub and maybe a change of atmosphere and a few beers with her friend John would improve her mood. She wished she could talk to Jamie right now, but she knew he was working and was probably in the middle of an interview or shoot. She would just have to wait later to send him a message once she's come back home.

As if thinking of Jamie willed him to call, her phone buzzed in her jeans, and when she looked at the screen, it lit up with his number. A wave of elation rushed through her cancelling all her earlier doubts. "Hey, I was just thinking about you and wondering when it's best to call you up. I wasn't sure if you were in the middle of something."

"I have a few minutes before I go on air." He sounded slightly hoarse if not tired, but still, she could hear a smile on his voice. "How are ye today, Sassenach?"

She reminded herself he was working hard for his sports academy, and she needed to be a more understanding girlfriend. "I'm great," she replied, trying to be more cheerful than she felt. "I'm just cleaning up after a bit of garden work, and then I'll head out for a few drinks."

"With Geillis and Joe?"

She picked up her bucket of tools and headed towards the shed. "Actually, no. I'm going out with John."

"John? Who's John?"

She thought she heard the clipped tone in his voice but shook her head, thinking she imagined things. "You know John. The head doctor of St Leonards' where I did my temp job. We both have a day-off, so we thought we'd hang out together for a couple of beers. It's been ages since I've been out and I thought it would be a nice change."

"How come Geillis or Joe is not coming with ye? Are they working?"

"Joe is away somewhere ...God knows where. And I've asked Geillis to come, but she has a gig to prepare for tomorrow." She opened the door to her shed and slid in her tools before closing it again and heading back towards the house. "It'll just be a couple of drinks, and then I'll head back home."

There was a long pause in Jamie's end. "Jamie? You still there?"

"Aye, I'm here," he sighed. "The air is getting colder, Sassenach. Make sure ye dressed up warmly when ye go out."

"It is getting a bit nippy," she admitted, looking at her watch. "Listen. Got to run. I'm running a bit late."

There was another silence for a few seconds before he spoke. "Ye ken I love ye, don't ye, Sassenach?" he asked.

She took a deep breath and smiled. "Of course, Jamie. And I love you too. But I really have to go. I'll speak to you soon ...well, as soon as I get back home. I promise." And then she turned off the phone before he could say another word since she was already running late. As she stepped into the house, she felt loads better already than she did earlier after hearing Jamie's voice. In fact, she was beginning to look forward to having a night out with John and having a refreshing pint. Maybe, later, if she's not too tired, she would pay Jamie a visit to his apartment and surprise him. With that in mind and with more lightness in her heart, she showered and got ready for her night out.

#melodyheart #startingover #Claire Beauchamp/Jamie Fraser #outlanderfanfic

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mimzy-writing-online · 5 years ago

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Writing a Blind/Visually Impaired Character: Blind Jokes

The question is, should you include blind jokes in your story? Is it okay or is it offensive? How can you avoid being offensive?

We’ll talk about all that.

So if you haven’t seen me around yet- Hi! I’m Mimzy, I’m a writer and I run a writing advice blog. This blog is full of writing advice posts I personally made as well as posts from other people that I found useful. There are also writing memes, tag games, and wip updates. I sometimes share updates from my current work in progress, A Witch’s Memory, which features a blind main character.

This post is part of an extensive guide to writing blind characters that continues to grow with time. Link to the masterpost of those guides:

https://mimzy-writing-online.tumblr.com/post/185122795699/writing-a-blind-or-visually-impaired-character

Disclaimer: I am a visually impaired person who has been living with blindness for about two years now. I have lived with the world seeing me as blind and I know how it treats me because of that. I have made plenty of blind jokes in the past. I have also written two blind characters. However- in this particular case, it is more my opinion than fact, and someone with different blind experiences than me might feel differently.

Some blind people love blind jokes, others hate them. Some will make them because they are blind, but will hate when sighted people make them. Everyone is different and all their experiences and opinions are valid. I’m of the opinion that everyone deserves to have their boundaries respected, and for some people that means not making jokes about their disability.

“Well, my blind friend loves blind jokes! I can make them!”

Maybe with that specific friend, if they’re really okay with that, but if another blind person tells you to stop- you MUST STOP. It’s basic human respect, and someone living with a disability deserves respect.

So, should you make blind jokes in your story? Read to find out.

I think the best thing I can say is to proceed with caution and to think this through.

This starts with your blind character. Answer some questions-

What is this character’s sense of humor outside of blind jokes?

How does this character feel about their blindness?

Have they been bullied or discriminated against or treated badly because of their blindness?

What kind of bullying and discrimination was it? What did those people do?

How comfortable is this character in social situations? With friends? With family? With strangers?

What kind of confidence does your character have? Both in themselves and in their abilities and disability?

Answering these questions might tell you how your character feels about blind jokes.

Someone who is more sarcastic or who has darker humor might love blind jokes. Someone with a more tame or a flatter sense of humor might not like them.

Someone who hasn’t accepted their blindness yet, or who struggles with it, might not like jokes because it’s still a sensitive subject.

Someone who was bullied by others might have had blind jokes made about them. This has a double side. It might cause them to hate blind jokes altogether. It might cause them to want to reclaim blind jokes so that others can’t use it against them.

How comfortable they are in a situation might change if they make them or not.

Blind jokes can be a bit like self-deprecating humor. Insecure people make self-deprecating jokes to cope with their insecurity. Other insecure people don’t, because those jokes make them feel worse about themselves. Confident people might make self-deprecating jokes because it doesn’t affect them. They might also not do that.

It depends on the person.

So some blind people make blind jokes, others don’t. Some love when other people make blind jokes because it proves how comfortable they are as friends, some hate hearing sighted people make blind jokes.

Should your sighted characters make blind jokes?

I’m of the opinion that they shouldn’t. For a lot of people, their only exposure to people with disabilities is through media and public figures with disability. That is true for me as well.

I know lots of people with invisible disabilities, I know very few people with visible disabilities. And in person I’ve only met one or two people who are blind or visually impaired. Most of my exposure to the disabled community is through the internet.

And I’m disabled.

So abled people have even less exposure than that, and have fewer reasons to reach out to the disabled community. So their exposure comes from media.

Which is why sighted people so easily believe the myths of blindness.

Quick run down of myths:

Myth: blind people see nothing. Truth: only 10% of people living with blindness see nothing. Most have at least some light and shadow perception.

Myth: all blind people have a cane or guide dog. Truth: a lot of people who are legally blind or who are low-vision don’t have either, usually due to the idea that they “see enough” to not need it, which often times comes from internalized ableism and not being “disabled enough” for accommodations.

Myth: all blind people have cloudy or messed up looking eyes. Truth: The appearence of someone’s eyes depends on the cause of their blindness. Examples- Cataracts create a cloudy-film over the eye. Retina diseases are internal and don’t affect the outside layers of the eye, creating normal-appearing eyes.

Myth: all blind people wear dark sunglasses. Truth: some do, some don’t.

Myth: all blind people have super hearing. Truth: blind people learn to use their hearing and other senses more than their sight.

But all these myths are perpetuated by media, and people with no real life exposure to a subject rely on media.

Guess what! Your stories are media and people will learn through your stories.

So how you write your character affects what people know and think about blind people. So if your character says “yeah, blind jokes are cool all the time and I never mind” then readers are going to think that’s the universal truth for blind characters.

“But my blind character’s sense of humor is perfect for blind jokes!” you say.

Great! Just be aware of the fact that you’re teaching your readers to make these jokes, so maybe set aside some time in narrative for the blind character to explain that not every blind person likes jokes, or that some who do might not like it from certain people, or might find some jokes more offensive than others.

“But this particular joke is hilarious!” you say.

Are you sure? Because to date I’m not sure I’ve met a sighted person with an actually funny and original blind joke. In fact, it seems most sighted people make the same universal crappy jokes, some more maliciously than others. For the first year of blindness I didn’t mind it, but after a while of multiple repeats and some toxic friendships I grew to hate them.

“You really hate blind jokes, don’t you?”

Well, no. I like blind jokes from actual blind people who experience being blind.

And I do make jokes, but I make blind jokes for one specific reason.

It’s not to make my disability “easier to deal with” or use humor to help the complicated emotions a disability gives me. My blind jokes aren’t a coping mechanism. I’m very happy, and I don’t see my blindness as a curse at all.

The reason I make blind jokes is to make my blindness “easier to deal with” for sighted people, especially when meeting strangers. Because sighted people always feel awkward when meeting a blind person, and also because many people don’t really get that I’m blind or don’t know how to ask about it. So I make a joke or two to show I’m comfortable talking about it, followed soon by a non-blindness joke to show that I’m still a real person behind my cane and my sunglasses.

(Yes, I wear sunglasses. I am that stereotype, but that’s because I’m painfully, medically light sensitive. Not all blind people wear sunglasses all the time, and those that do use it for many reasons, i.e. fashion or light sensitivity or not having to worry about being judged for a lack of eye contact)

“So blind jokes are only funny when blind people make them?”

Usually, but that’s because they know when they find a joke offensive, and have heard all the generic ones before, and know when they hear one they like. They’re not going to make the unfunny, offensive ones because they know better.

Okay, I lied. I’ve maybe heard one or two actually funny blind jokes from a sighted person in my blindness experience, but those were occasions when someone wasn’t trying to make a blind joke, it was something said that was funny in the moment.

Like my girlfriend at the time running a red light and saying “don’t ever do that when you learn to drive” and then stopping to realize I would never learn to drive, but that she’d said it because she was teaching a friend how to drive and was getting into that habit of giving advice while in the car. And she said, “wait, never mind, you’re never going to drive.”

It was the absurdity of the moment combined with the strange high of being in the crazy situation of being lost trying to find our way home after a great date and running a light in a unusually quiet street in the middle of the night. I was already in an elated place and the mood was great and that’s what made the joke enjoyable.

“Okay, I still don’t know the difference between a good and a bad blind joke. And my character is still the kind of person to make them, so what do I do?”

Oh, great, so here’s my final piece of advice.

Hire a Sensitivity Reader

(Or find a blind beta reader if this is fanfiction)

Sensitivity readers are for authors looking to publish their work professionally, where their name is on the line and if they miss the mark when writing a minority it will reflect badly on their name and on future published works.

Publishing houses have their own editors to review manuscripts before they’re published officially, and they usually hire their own sensitivity readers as well. Why? Because their name is on every story they publish, so they’re also accountable if a book featuring awful bias and inaccurate stereotypes is published through their company. That’s not to say they won’t occasionally print one rotten apple of a book that slipped through the cracks, but they know to invest in people who identify the rotten apples.

If you’re self publishing, then you already don’t have a copy editor to make sure everything is in place, and you certainly don’t have a sensitivity reader.

When you’re self publishing you will be investing your own money into getting this book out into the public, so invest your money wisely and make sure this book isn’t ready to cancel itself the second someone realizes how awful the representation is.

“So I need a sensitivity reader for one disabled character?”

Uh, you need a sensitivity reader for just about everything. Sensitivity readers are not just for disabled characters.

There are sensitivity readers for all the minorities and unique experiences you could think of, and then some. Sensitivity readers have unique backgrounds and they use their life experiences to read your book through the lens of that background. They will tell you when you were inaccurate about something, when you used a stereotype or wrote something problematic, and hopefully keep you from publishing something that could be damaging to your book and your reputation as a writer.

Please note, you can choose to ignore their feedback and advice. You’re not required to listen to them, nor are you required to get one, but going without may put you at risk.

I’m going to quote from the Quiet House Editing and their website. They are a company that connects you to sensitivity readers, child readers (if you’re writing children’s books) and beta readers. And their website has an extensive list of different types of sensitivity readers (some of which I’d never considered before)

Their website

http://www.quiethouseediting.com/diversityreading.html

Subjects that diversity readers may be able to help you with (not an exhaustive list):

Adoption (all aspects, including transracial and international adoptions) Ageism Alcoholism, substance abuse Bullying, cyberbullying Class, socioeconomic and poverty issues, first-generation Culture Domestic violence Eating disorder, obesity, body image Emotional abuse End-of-life care, death attitudes, hospice and palliative care, etc. Ethnicity and race Feminist and gender issues, including abortion Geek culture (dealing with a love of comics, anime, etc.) Generational issues (i.e., millennials, baby boomers, etc.) Immigrant culture Indigenous cultures LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, but this category can also include intersex, asexual, pansexual, and other terms) Mental illnesses and disorders (anxiety, autism, depression, bipolar, OCD, paranoid personality disorder, dissociative disorder, Stockholm syndrome, PTSD, ADHD, schizophrenia, and more) Physical illnesses and disability. This includes chronic illnesses, as well as illnesses with a severe impact (cancer, for example) Religion, atheism, paganism Sex abuse and sex assault, including child sex abuse and rape Sex workers, porn performers Tokenism (being the only person of a race or culture in a group)

I’m going to add some links to articles about sensitivity reading that I’ve read recently that can help explain the process more thoroughly, including finding a sensitivity reader, the money and business aspect of it, and what you can expect from their services.

https://blog.reedsy.com/sensitivity-readers/

https://writerunboxed.com/2017/03/03/what-a-sensitivity-reader-is-and-isnt-and-how-to-hire-one/

So, in conclusion:

You can write blind jokes, I’m not saying you absolutely can’t. I’m saying you should be careful when doing so. Proceed with extreme caution. If you can, you should find a sensitivity reader.

If any blind people want to give their perspective and opinion on the subject, please do so. I’m only one blind person with one experience, and it’s not universal. Blindness is never universal.

Hey, did you like this advice? Do you like this blog? Do you want to support it?

I give free writing advice, answer asks, and give private consultation for writing blind characters, all for free.

I have set up a ko-fi as a way to save money for self publishing costs for A Witch’s Memory, which includes a blind main character and is in it’s first stage of editing.

I have zero intention of ever charging for the services of this blog, but financial support is always appreciated. You never have to donate if you don’t want to, I never expect that, but even a few bucks goes a long way in helping me get there.

My ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/mimzyreiner

Thank you for reading and making it this far!

#writing advice #writeblr #writing a blind character #writing community #actuallyblind #my advice #mine #blind character #sensitivity reading #blindness

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mitsoftwere266 · 4 years ago

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IT,BSIT,BSIT in Hyderabad,BSIT 4 years program

The main point brought up in Natalie Wexler's new book The Knowledge Gap is almost an untimely idea. It's in the book's epilog. After a convincing, book-length contention for offering an information rich instruction to each kid and archiving our baffling absence of progress in doing as such—to raise understanding accomplishment, advance equity, even, she proposes, to end school isolation—the writer mentions an astonishing objective fact.

"I'd love to highlight a school locale, or even a solitary school, and state: This is the manner by which it ought to be done," Wexler composes. "Shockingly, I presently can't seem to see an American school that reliably consolidates an attention on substance with an instructional technique that completely misuses the capability of writing to construct information and basic intuition capacities for each youngster."

That is one damnation of an arraignment of American schooling, and shockingly, a bold one, since seemingly it raises doubt about the mission of her completely announced and energetically meaningful book. From one perspective, the case for content can't be made time and again or too decidedly, and Wexler does it well. By setting such a large amount of the book in real study halls among genuine educators and kids she does E.D. Hirsch, Jr. better than Hirsch himself. Nonetheless, it is telling—and a bit of discouraging—that more that 30 years after Hirsch burst almost coincidentally onto success records with Cultural Literacy, the urtext in the information rich tutoring group, Wexler can't name a solitary school or area doing it right. Along these lines The Knowledge Gap can't be seen as a reminder for American schooling. The caution has been ringing for over thirty years. We have hit the nap bar and turned over. Also, that's, well… disturbing.

Front of "The Knowledge Gap" by Natalie WexlerWexler is the most recent in a line of backers – myself included – who have differently shaken their clench hands or their heads, tragically, at American schooling's untouchable powerlessness to come right on substance. The reasons schools and locale have not bet everything on information and set up a sound, aggregate, and painstakingly sequenced central subjects are not difficult to recognize, and Wexler lists them completely and competently. Above all else, schools, educators, distributers, and others remain determinedly connected to the evidently mistaken thought that understanding cognizance "is a bunch of aptitudes that can be instructed totally disengaged from content," she composes. Training is a state-level issue under our Constitution, which makes a public educational program, a typical element in different countries, a nonstarter, "and regardless," Wexler noticed, "our nation is most likely excessively assorted for such a push to work." Indeed. At that point there are the regular convictions that "small kids are essentially inspired by subjects that identify with their own lives," that scholarly substance is "'formatively improper' for the early evaluations," and "that training ought to be youngster focused" organizing understudies' inclinations and capacities, and giving educators less expert in curricular dynamic. That these gauzily Romantic thoughts regarding youth and Piaget's "stage hypothesis" are bought in to uncritically in American schools can be ascribed to the field's helpless handle of "the fundamental science about how we learn." Then there is additionally an insight among educators that any set educational program "infringe[s] on their opportunity to show whatever and anyway they needed." Beyond the four dividers of the study hall, parent activism "has zeroed in on disposing of or diminishing testing instead of on what the educational program ought to resemble if testing vanished," Wexler composes. What's more, obviously, there's simply the unflinching object of The Tests which "sent the message that subjects other than perusing and math aren't significant" while fortifying—almost requesting—a perspective on perusing cognizance as a substance unbiased set-up of abilities.

"It's difficult to comprehend why an issue as major and unavoidable as the absence of substance in primary school—and sometimes, center school too—has gone unnoticed for such a long time," Wexler composes. This is my solitary critical purpose of conflict with the creator. The absence of substance has not gone unnoticed. It's gone unaddressed.

In the event that the limit and will to get this privilege existed, there ought to be not one illustration of schools and areas who are executing an information rich educational program well and reliably. There ought to be bunches of them.

Washoe County, Nevada was one such model and Wexler dedicates an interesting part to the Core Task Implementation Project, or CTIP, in Reno—a grassroots, instructor drove activity that arose naturally following the state's appropriation of Common Core, a long way from very much supported fights over the guidelines in Washington, and away from the glare of media inclusion. "Keeping CTIP going felt like a round of whack-a-mole: one voting public would be pacified, however then another would spring up with complaints," Wexler composes. Urgently, protection from educational program and substance wasn't the issue. "The issue was more that the locale continued endeavor new activities, some of which appeared to be working experiencing some miscommunication, and those activities outweighed CTIP." Sobering stuff yet enlightening: Even with attention to the requirement for information, submitted faculty, a sensible degree of regulatory help and promising outcomes, it actually self-destructed. Having worked for Hirsch's Core Knowledge Foundation, I have seen this myself. Today there is a model school. Tomorrow there's an administration change, another activity, or staff mass migration. Change is hard. Keeping up it is more diligently still.

Wexler takes care not to accuse educators. Teaching perusing appreciation as a bunch of discrete aptitudes instead of an impact of information and jargon, for instance, is "essentially the water they've been swimming in, so widespread and underestimated they don't address or even notification it." That is both right and unacceptable. Eventually—maybe now—educators, the directors who enlist them, the schools that train them, areas, contract the executives associations and entire states just should raise their degree of complexity pretty much this. There is no alternate route forward at scale. It is dazzling if singular educators, and even whole schools and regions get this (anyway quickly) yet just to the extent that this adds to the solitary thing that can close the information hole: a discount change in the way of life of training and more noteworthy complexity about training, fortified by smart strategy that remunerates a patient interest in information. Everything else should be ignored.

Without question there is more prominent gratefulness for the fundamental part of foundation information in perusing perception than in 1987, when Cultural Literacy went through a half year on the New York Times blockbuster list. Where there used to be none, there are a few English Language Arts educational programs, both monetarily accessible and uninhibitedly available "open instructive assets" intended to fabricate information intelligently, aggregately, and consecutively, for example, Great Minds' "Mind and Wisdom," and, from Hirsch's own philanthropic association, "Center Knowledge Language Arts." So there is mindfulness, even advancement, only not as much as we scholarly children and girls of Hirsch might want. Wexler noticed that early rudimentary instructors "spend a normal of just sixteen minutes every day on social examinations and nineteen on science." A country that comprehended the reasonable and convincing connections between foundation information and proficiency that she unloads would be humiliated by these figures and request more: more history and science, however more craftsmanship, music and the full scope of breathing life into content that would "reestablish grade teachers to their legitimate spot as advisers for the world" as David Coleman winningly puts it.

"Educators endeavors will prove to be fruitful just on the off chance that they comprehend what to search for," Wexler notices. Too bad, not and still, at the end of the day. For the full advantages of an information and language rich training to arrive at its full blossom, it requires not one educator to get this, but rather every one of them, and for them to facilitate their endeavors to prepare for holes and redundancies. I'm not exactly cheerful this is in the offing, which is the reason school decision has moved to the highest point of my own favored approach alternatives. Better for promoters of information rich tutoring like Wexler and like me to persuade one school to do it directly than to go through the following 30 years pushing the stone up the slope just to have it move back over devoted and sincere teachers like the people in Washoe. In the event that straightforward rationale and the immense load of intellectual science can't motivate changes by and by, maybe fruitful models may create more prominent interest. School decision isn't referenced as a switch for change in The Knowledge Gap, in spite of the fact that Wexler properly disagrees with ed reformer and contract administrators who have been truly no less at fault than "the norm" instructors in neglecting the proof on the significance of information. She takes note of that some sanction the board associations, including KIPP, Uncommon Schools, and Achievement First "saw that a couple of schools with a more substance centered methodology hadn't endured a similar drop [on more thorough Common Core adjusted tests beginning in 2013]. So they started retooling their rudimentary educational plans to zero in additional on substance," she composes, another marker that the fundamental job of information as a driver of understudy results has not gone "unnoticed."

#EDUCATION #MIT #BSIT #IT IN HYDERABAD

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