#but! i do have opinions. and one of those opinions is. that those that think connie's existence is genuinely weird or a joke. are weak

[amielbjacobs]

I have to admit I was immediately suspicious of these results, just on the face of them. I consider myself a proficient reader despite my patchy educational background (GED, no college education, moved schools a lot, homeschooled, etc), and this is, as the OP mentioned, exactly my cohort - 28-32, not "kids these days." While I've noticed that other people my age typically don't have the same vocabulary as I do, it beggars belief to say that the average college-educated person in my age group can barely read at all. People my age are chronic texters and tweeters, how is this possible if they're so confused by unfamiliar text that they hallucinate dinosaurs into it?

With that prejudice out of the way, I went into the study with two questions: 1) Would I be considered a problematic reader by this study? and 2) Is the average person as bad at reading as this study presents?

I think it's fair to say that the study has demonstrated some kind of difficulty reading in the study sample, but I also think that the methods of the study have exaggerated the severity of this difficulty. A couple things that stuck out to me:

The sample chosen. I would say that the language used here is pretty abstract, even by the standards of Dickens. It's also a sample from the Victorian era, which causes both linguistic and historical problems (i.e., it's easier for a reader to parse the bits about "Gas looming through the fog in divers places in the streets" if you understand that they used gas lighting in the Victorian era). The use of this sample as the only sample means that the researchers can't distinguish between difficulty reading texts from the Victorian era and difficulty reading modern texts. I agree that it's reasonable to ask English majors to be able to understand a passage from this book, but from a scientific perspective, it robs the researchers of the ability to make fine distinctions.

The time limit. I timed myself reading 3 paragraphs of this text, and came up to about 3 minutes. That means that likely it would take me 7 minutes to read the sample paragraphs. (I couldn't time myself reading the sample paragraphs because I already read them while I was reading the study, so I moved on to the next few paragraphs.) I am a much faster reader than a lot of people; I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that the average person might take 14 minutes or more to read this text in ideal conditions, which isn't too far off from the total 20 minutes allotted for the interview. With this in mind, I think that 20 minutes is too brief of a time limit to get a good view of people's reading abilities. When you introduce time pressure, people will read in a different way than they would ordinarily. I know the study says that they didn't have to get through the full seven paragraphs, but they presumably knew that they only had 20 minuted allotted, and they could see the seven paragraphs presented to them. Essentially, introducing time pressure robs the researchers of the ability to distinguish between bad readers, and very slow readers. It also increases the risk of the subjects becoming very nervous - more on this in point #4.

The "talk-aloud" method. This method strikes me as very different from the way in which one normally reads a text. Several times, the researchers describe the subjects treating each sentence separately and being unable to carry context forward from one sentence to the next. But is this weakness inherent to the subjects, or is it created by the methodology of the study? Surely a method in which you stop after each sentence to discuss and interpret encourages the reader to take each sentence separately rather than as a whole. It also forces the subjects to use multiple different types of skills at once: first, they have to understand the passage, then they have to put that understanding into words comprehensible to other people, and lastly they have to actually speak those words. In my opinion, it would have been better to give the subjects a choice of methods (recording or writing) and then let them create a translation of the passage in their own time.

The Researcher Is Present. This is, imo, the biggest problem with the study. The facilitators are present all the way through the interview, leaning over the subjects, prompting them for more info and even, at one point, laughing at the subject's misinterpretation of the text. I'm not saying this to judge the facilitator who started laughing; what the subject said is funny. But people are social animals and having to explain yourself to another person who might laugh at you is inevitably going to affect what you say and how you feel. Being a subject in this study sounds like hell! It's an incredibly awkward setting, and you can see in every excerpt how nervous all the subjects are. Are the subjects always this bad at reading, or only when they're nervous? We don't know, and we can't know, because of the methodology.

The Researcher is Present, pt 2. With any study that has any kind of self-reported element, the researchers run the risk of being told what the subject thinks the researchers want to hear - that's unavoidable. But by putting the researchers physically in the room, one on one, with the subjects, you crank that element to 11. The researchers repeatedly criticize the subjects for not stopping and looking up more words or concepts that confused them - but they don't consider the possibility that the presence of the facilitators is what's stopping this. In an ordinary social setting, it's socially unacceptable to just stop and google every word that you can't understand, and I would argue that the setting of these interviews caused the subjects to feel this social pressure. The researchers also take the subjects' assertion that they could read the rest of Dread House with no difficulty at face value, and wonder at the source of this false confidence. But they're not considering how humiliating it would be, as a college english major, to admit "no, I don't think I could make it through this book" to a person who's just watched you struggle through seven paragraphs (and who might have laughed in your face about it!). Of course 100% of the subjects claimed they could read it with no problems!

In conclusion, I think the researchers are probably right that these subjects exhibit some degree of difficulty reading, which isn't great for English majors, but I think their methodology has significantly exaggerated it. I hypothesize that some of the more sensational interviews (the women who thought whiskers belonged to a cat, the woman who thought there was a megalosaurus roaming the streets of 19th century London) might be explained by subjects absolutely panicking and losing the ability to think rationally. I would also be interested to know if the facilitator's expectations about each subject shaped the interviews; I couldn't help but notice that all of the problematic and competent readers were described with she/her pronouns, while the only "proficient" reader cited had he/him pronouns.

i appreciated this study: "They Can't Read Very Well: A Study of the Reading Comprehension Skills Of English Majors At Two Midwestern Universities"

essentially, a pair of professors set out to test their intuitive sense that students at the college level were struggling with complex text. they recruited 85 students, a mix of english majors and english education majors - so, theoretically, people focusing on literature, and people preparing to teach adolescents how to read literature - and had them read-while-summarizing the first seven paragraphs of dickens's bleak house (or as much as they made it through in the 20 minute session). they provided dictionaries and also said students could use their phones to look up whatever they wanted, including any unfamiliar words or references. they found that the majority of the students - 58%, or 49 out of the 85 students - functionally could not understand dickens at all, and only 5% - a mere 4 out of the 85 students - proved themselves proficient readers (leaving the remaining 38%, or 32 students, as what the study authors deemed "competent" students, most of whom could understand about half the literal meaning - pretty low bar for competence - although a few of whom, they note, did much better than the rest in this group if not quite well enough to be considered proficient).

what i really appreciated about this study was its qualitative descriptions of the challenges and reading behaviors of what the authors call "problematic readers" (that bottom 58%), which resonated strongly with my own experiences of students who struggle with reading. here's their blunt big picture overview of these 49 students:

The majority of these subjects could understand very little of Bleak House and did not have effective reading tactics. All had so much trouble comprehending concrete detail in consecutive clauses and phrases that they could not link the meaning of one sentence to the next. Although it was clear that these subjects did try to use various tactics while they read the passage, they were not able to use those tactics successfully. For example, 43 percent of the problematic readers tried to look up words they did not understand, but only five percent were able to look up the meaning of a word and place it back correctly into a sentence. The subjects frequently looked up a word they did not know, realized that they did not understand the sentence the word had come from, and skipped translating the sentence altogether.

the idea that they had so many trouble with every small piece of a text that they could not connect ideas on a sentence by sentence basis is very familiar to me from teaching and tutoring, as was the habit of thought seen in the example of the student who gloms on to the word "whiskers" in a sea of confusion and guesses incorrectly that a cat is present - struggling readers, in my experience, seem to use familiar nouns as stepping stones in a flood of overwhelm, hopping as best they can from one seemingly familiar image to the next. so was this observation, building off the example of a student who misses the fact that dickens is being figurative when he imagines a megalodon stalking the streets of london:

She first guesses that the dinosaur is just “bones” and then is stuck stating that the bones are “waddling, um, all up the hill” because she can see that Dickens has the dinosaur moving. Because she cannot logically tie the ideas together, she just leaves her interpretation as is and goes on to the next sentence. Like this subject, most of the problematic readers were not concerned if their literal translations of Bleak House were not coherent, so obvious logical errors never seemed to affect them. In fact, none of the readers in this category ever questioned their own interpretations of figures of speech, no matter how irrational the results. Worse, their inability to understand figurative language was constant, even though most of the subjects had spent at least two years in literature classes that discussed figures of speech. Some could correctly identify a figure of speech, and even explain its use in a sentence, but correct responses were inconsistent and haphazard. None of the problematic readers showed any evidence that they could read recursively or fix previous errors in comprehension. They would stick to their reading tactics even if they were unhappy with the results.

i have seen this repeatedly, too - actually i was particularly taken with how similar this is to the behavior of struggling readers at much younger ages - and would summarize the hypothesis i have forged over time as: struggling readers do not expect what they read to make sense. my hypothesis for why this is the case is that their reading deficits were not attended to or remediated adequately early enough, and so, in their formative years - the early to mid elementary grades - they spent a lot of time "reading" things that did not make sense to them - in fact they spent much more time doing this than they ever did reading things that did make sense to them - and so they did not internalize a meaningful subjective sense of what it feels like to actually read things.

like, i've said this before, but the year i taught third grade i had multiple students who told me they loved reading and then when i asked them about a book they were reading revealed that they had absolutely no idea what was going on - on a really basic literal level like "didn't know who said which lines of dialogue" and "couldn't identify which things or characters given pronouns referred to" - and were as best as i could tell sort of constructing their own story along the way using these little bits of things they thought they understood. that's what "reading" was, in their heads. and they were, in the curriculum/model that we used at the private school where i taught, receiving basically no support to clarify that that was not what reading was, nor any instruction that would actually help them with what they needed to do to improve (understand sentences) - and i realized over the course of that year that the master's program that had certified me in teaching elementary school had provided me with very little understanding of how to help these kids (with perhaps the sole exception of the class i took on communications disorders, not because these kids had communications disorders but because that was the only class where we ever talked, even briefly, about things like sentence structures that students may need instruction in and practice with to comprehend independently). when it comes to the literal, basic understanding of a text, the model of reading pedagogy i was taught has about 6 million little "tools" that all boil down to telling kids who functionally can't read to try harder to read. this is not productive, in my experience and opinion, for kids whose maximum effort persistently yields confusion. but things are so dysfunctional all the way up and down the ladder that you can be a senior in college majoring in english without anyone but a pair of professors with a strong work ethic noticing that you can't actually read.

couple other notes:

obviously it's a small study but i'm not sure i see a reason to believe these are particularly outlierish results (ACT scores - an imperfect metric but not a meritless one IMO for reading specifically, where the task mostly really is to read a set of texts written for the educated layperson and answer factual questions about them - were a little bit above the national average)

the study was published last year, but the research was conducted january to april 2015. so there's no pandemic influence, no AI issue - these are millennials who now would span roughly ages 28-32 (i guess it's possible one of the four first-year students was one of the very first members of gen z lol). if you're in your late 20s or early 30s, we are talking about people your age, and whatever the culprit is here, it was happening when you were in school.

i think some people might want to blame this on NCLB but i find this unconvincing for a variety of reasons. first of all, NCLB did not pass because everyone in 2001 agreed that education was super hunky-dory; in fact, the sold a story podcast outlines how an explicit goal of NCLB was to train teachers in systematic phonics instruction, because that was not the norm when NCLB was passed, and an unfortunate outcome was that phonics became politicized in ed world. second, anyone who understands anything about reading should need about ten minutes max to spend some time on standardized test prep and recognize that if your goal is truly to maximize scores... then the vast majority of your instructional time should be spent on improving actual reading skills because you actually can't meaningfully game these tests by "practicing main idea questions" (timothy shanahan addresses this briefly near the top of this post). so i find it very difficult to believe that any school that pivoted to multiple choice drill time in an attempt to boost reading scores was teaching reading effectively pre-NCLB, because no set of competent literacy professionals would think that would work even for the goal of raising test scores. third, NCLB mandated yearly testing in grades 3-8 but only one test year in high school; kansas set its reading and math test year in high school as tenth grade. so theoretically these kids all had two years of sweet sweet freedom from NCLB in which their teachers could have done whatever the fuck they wanted to teach these kids to actually read. the fact that they didn't suggests perhaps there were other problems afoot. fourth, and maybe most saliently for this particular study, the sample text was the first seven paragraphs of a novel - in other words, the exact kind of short incomplete text that NCLB allegedly demanded excessive time spent on. i'm not really sure what universe it makes sense in that students who can't read the first seven paragraphs of a novel would have become much better reader if everything else had been the same but they had been making completely wack associations based on nonsense guesses for all 300 pages instead. (if you read the study it's really clear that for problematic readers, things go off the rails immediately, in a way that a good program targeted at teaching mastery of text of 500 words or less would have done something about.)

all but 3 of the students reported A's and B's in their english classes and, again, 69% of them are juniors and seniors, so like... i mean idk kudos to these professors for being like "hold up can these kids actually read?" but clearly something is wack at the college level too [in 2015] if you can make your way through nearly an entire english major without being able to read the first seven paragraphs of a dickens novel. (once again i really do encourage you to look at the qualitative samples in the study, lest you think i am being uncharitable by summarizing understandable misunderstandings or areas of confusion that may resolve themselves with further exposure to the text as "can't read.") not to mention the fact that most students could not what they had learned in previous or current english classes and when asked to name british and american authors and/or works of the nineteenth century, roughly half the sample at each college could name at most one.

the authors of the study are struck by the fact that students who cannot parse the first 3 sentences of bleak house feel very confident about their ability to read the entire novel, and discover that this seeming disconnect is resolved by the fact that these students seem to conceptualize "reading" as "skimming and then reading sparknotes." i think it's really tempting to Kids These Days this phenomenon (although again these are people who in some cases have now been in the workforce for a decade) and categorize it as laziness or a lack of effort, but i think that there is, as i described above, a real and sincere confusion over what "reading" is in which this makes a certain logical sense because it's not like they have some store of actual reading experiences to compare it to. i also think it's pretty obvious looking at just how wildly severed from actual textual comprehension their readings are that these are not - or at least not entirely - students who could just work harder and master the entirety of bleak house all on their own. like i don't think you get from "charles dickens is describing a bunch of dinosaur bones actually walking the streets of london" to comfortably reading nineteenth century literature by just trying harder. i really just don't (and i say that acknowledging i personally have had students who like... were good readers if i was forcing them to work at it constantly... but i have also had students, including ones getting ready to enter college, who were clearly giving me everything they had and what they had was at the present moment insufficient). i think that speaks to a missing skillset that they don't know are missing, because they don't have any other experience of "reading" to compare it to.

just wanna highlight again that although they don't give the breakdown some of these students are not just english majors but english education majors a.k.a. the high school english teachers of tomorrow. some of them may be teaching high school english right now, in case anyone wishes to consider whether "maybe some high school english teachers can't read the first seven paragraphs of bleak house?" should be kept in mind when we discuss present-day educational ills.

[curvfie]

I wonder how would the beasts or ancients react to darling have a deep soft spot for kids. I mean, they do still care about other cookies but baby fever hits differently.

I would imagine darling spoil all the child cookies there like feeding acorn for pancake cookie, giving gumball cookie a whole ass art supplies, etc etc.

Beasts/ancients : the kids, or us?

Darling : my children (aka gingerbrave and his friends)

Beasts/ancients : *watches darling leaves while carrying them* man, they didn't even think about us.

Who would you think would have beef with them or would be understanding?

I’m definitely going to hell I read “darling” as “dild0” 😭🙏

TW: Death, Trap Baby, S/A..?

part 1

The beasts [I’ll do ancient later]

Mystic Flour Cookie

Mystic Flour Cookie consider such affection towards a child meaningless..

To her it’s nothing more then just another distraction towards the path to the apathy that she wants YOU to also seek.

she would often give you the gaze that says ‘I’m not mad.. I’m just disappointed.’ Whenever she sees you engage with other children’s including Cloud HaeTae Cookie.

Even if Cloud HaeTae Cookie assure you that it is just her behaviour now.. you can’t help but to feel distance, she really did change huh?

Burning Spice Cookie

He despises children’s.. he consider them weak pathetic and waste of dough..

Although he did enjoy crushing those numbskulls back in the days when he wasn’t sealed and he wasn’t scared to do it again considering how bored he feels..

If it entertains him he might also slaughter them right in front of you, he always consider your such affection as a waste of your own time.

But then again if you really do have soft spot for these weaklings.. why not make one with him? He sureeee.. can give a strong breed.. beside you wouldn’t mind it now would you..?

Shadow Milk Cookie

he LOVES and HATES children’s.. he feel like vibing with them at the same time he consider them annoying..

But once he learn about your soft spot for those little monsters.. he will definitely brag about it, heck even suggesting that you and him should have one that will bring beautiful deceit into this world!

Why of course you rejecting his advances as usual.. but hey he’ll do anything to get your attention/affection [he definitely didn’t steal a kid from orphanage..]

Eternal Sugar Cookie

oh boy.. once she learns about your cute little sweet soft spot.. she’ll definitely DEFINITELY tease you about it, she loves seeing you flustered after all

Whenever you’re passing by she’ll definitely try to cover up the fact she makes her angel’s do her chores why? Cuz the angel’s almost are identical to literal children’s which is why she doesn’t wanna upset you or.. make you think she’s enslaving them..

She’ll often discuss about the future or maybe how’ll your and her’s baby look if you two had one.. of course she’s tryna get you flustered but.. she mean her words..[Take care of your little pp chat 👋 /Jk]

Silent Salt Cookie

they.. have no opinion.. over children’s.

If you likes children’s or have soft spot for them, they’re okay with it as long as they aren’t bothered about it themself.

Despite the silence the only thing I think they can do is to tolerating the children’s little cry, they hate that only thing.. but regardless they don’t really care.. so you’re cool.

[alessiamalfoyzabini]

Moondir - 01

Pairing | moondir!OT7 x human!Reader

Word Count | 5,6k

Warnings | +18, angst, dirty and crude language, references to mass extermination, MC is forced to have a gynecological examination, discomfort and humiliation, references to future forced impregnation practices, MC is evaluated as if she were an animal, this is not for minors.

This fanfiction is dark and yandere, if you don't like the genre, don't read and if you are not of age, don't read.

I don't want to hear any complaints in the comments, thank you.

This does not reflect my way of thinking or living at all, it is just a work of fiction, it is like watching a horror movie, many of us love horror movies, but we would never dream of what we see in those movies happening in reality as well.

Simply put, this story was written for entertainment purposes, it should not be seen as a reflection of my values, opinions or morals. I absolutely do not condone such acts.

⤷ Summary | The Moondir, born of the Moon Goddess' love for a wolf, were persecuted and enslaved by humans for merely existing. Moondirian women have been captured and killed in the most heinous ways, men have instead been forced to do dangerous work in place of the humans themselves, and after more than a century, this has virtually brought their race to the brink of extinction. A group of Moondirian rebels have succeeded in their quest to regain their freedom, and not without the use of the crudest violence. Their females are now gone, and it will be human women who will help them repopulate the world.

➢ Author's Note | Hi, guys! 🥰 Here I am back with the story I had announced a few days ago, it will be divided into chapters, be sure to always read the warnings in each chapter! I'm very excited because I've been thinking about this storyline for a while and I really hope to do a good job 🤧 Let me know what you think, I love you ❤️

Taglist is open: @katherine-kookie - @btsuga-d - @pantara - @angelicsmilesworld - @lennieharper - @takemeaway5402 - @jiminismine4ever - @m00njinnie - @ke1k029 - @velvet-stardust2002 - @darkuni63 - @douknowbts - @aiiselle90210 - @fewercascade - @mageprincess7 - @get-that-brain-working - @whipwhoops - @dragons-flare - @seokjins-luigi - @pjmsneverland - @jimincrystal - @ajkwww - @ungodlyjoon - @hecateslittlewitchling - @namjoonsbuspass - @xicanacorpse - @btssimplove - @antisocial-mochi267 - @reallygenerouskoala - @dabishou - @themwordsblog - @deluluisme - @justanarchiveforfics - @blackberrywonie - @the-holy-hobi - @justlikecrazy - @herareila - @furioustrashlover - @mar-lo-pap - @dachshunddame - @pantaral81 - @lattejimin - @withmuchluv-tannie - @calmyourtitts7 - @plushjeno - @rafesbunniebby - @rms-expensive-girl - @polnaraffsrack - @rg2108 - @paramedicnerd004

Main List

Is it really so strange for you to find yourself at the feet of the man who swore to destroy your family?

Although your brother has downplayed his words over the years, you have now had the confirmation you so feared. Min Yoongi meant what he said and came back to end your existence, dressing as the icy captain of his team.

“I see you're all right,” he murmurs with a smile that does not reach his feline eyes, devoid of any human warmth. He looks down at you, imposing his presence on you, and you find yourself forced to bite your tongue not to answer him curtly. But, in fact, your silence only seems to provoke him.

One step forward from him and you find your chin clenched between two cold, ungentlemanly fingers, “I don't like this look, Y/N... I've always told you that sooner or later I'd wipe it off this pretty face,” his hot breath brushes your face, making you shiver. Mint and tobacco. A typical male smell that he didn't have the first time you met him.

You still don't respond to him, though you can't help but notice how much he has changed. The thin, shadowy young man like a ghost is gone; in his place is a hard, unreadable man. His high-quality jacket sparkles with prestigious medals and accolades, his tight pants highlight the sinuous lines of his athletic legs, and his solid leather boots shake the floor with every imposing step he takes.

You in comparison are just a little mouse who should beg that man.

“Will you die quietly, Y/N?” a question asked in a distant, mean tone. As if he hasn't known you for a lifetime.

You tighten your lips, releasing yourself from his grip angrily before spitting a stream of saliva straight into his face. Some soldiers remain impassive, others widen their eyes, stunned by your audacity or perhaps your death wish, but Yoongi remains perfectly calm and, with one hand wrapped in a dark glove, picks up the trail of saliva slowly creeping down his snow-white cheek.

“Interesting... proud to the end,” he murmurs with an amused grin, his eyes twinkling with interest as they return to scratch your fragile skin, “Yes... pride is a trait I've always detested about you,” he admits, using the same hand with which he picked up your saliva to nod to his men. Suddenly two of them grab you by the arms impetuously, holding you down for their captain.

Your heart speeds up and you can feel the dull thump pushing against your eardrums. A shameful fear grips your stomach as you see him approach further. He slowly kneels in front of you once more to whisper in your ear, undisturbed.

“The women of my race were just like you; beautiful, proud and fierce,” he begins, using a tone so sweet it makes you shiver.

His race. Moondir.

Neither beasts nor humans. Born from the union of the Moon Goddess with one of her strongest wolves.

Creatures born specifically to strike terror among the humans, great enemies of the Goddess, who, however, sought and found a way to enslave the Moondirians and succeeded. But after a century of mistreatment and starvation, the Moondirians have managed to rebel against the dictatorship, saying no more to those chains made of abuse and suffering, succeeding in setting up a rebel group worthy of opposing human power.

Now they have taken control of every country and rule with ferocity, taking revenge not only for the mistreatment they suffered but also for the extinction of their women.

The Moondirians have been forbidden to procreate, and to be safe, every female of their species has been killed.

Guilt compresses your chest when you think that none of those women were given a dignified or quick death, even more so when you remember that your father and brother willingly took part in that carnage.

Yoongi squares you with a new ferocity in his gaze, “Can someone remind me what human practice was when one of our women was captured?”

A faint frantic murmur rises from the soldiers, observing you in turn with disgust.

Another man approaches you, with a cadenced, light step; he is as tall as Yoongi and wears, along with the typical uniform, a stiff, black cap with silver embroidery that lets you know he is a lieutenant. His plump, soft lips are tight in a severe, irritated line, distorting his real beauty.

“When a Moondir woman was captured, they would rob her of all her possessions, proceed with forced undressing, and after a whole series of shameful abuses designed only to humiliate her, they would end the practice with a bullet in the head, if they felt generous enough that day to let her die right away.”

Yoongi nods in his colleague's direction, “What do you want me to do in this case, Jimin?”

Your heart leaps into your throat, peering into this man's furious amber eyes you can already get a taste of what will happen to you. But why is Yoongi leaving the choice to someone else?

“We are not inferior to humans, we should show them that we are capable of worse,” he barely manages to hold back a snarl that makes your skin crawl.

You will die. Like your brother, like your father, like your mother. There is no way they will leave you alive, and perhaps that is the best thing that could happen to save at least some of your dignity.

The Moondirian - Jimin - finally turns to his superior, “But without killing her of course, we need her.”

Suddenly the world comes crashing down on you. What does he mean by “we need her”?

Yoongi's icy bearing begins to chill even your bones, his satisfied grin makes you nauseous.

“What are you going to do?” opening your mouth to give breath to your fears costs you quite a bit of effort, the acid in your stomach begins to churn, clamoring to rise back up into your esophagus.

“We have no more women, Y/N,” he says softly, “You will be one of the many other humans who will help us become what we once were, which is a great and powerful people.”

Some sneer among the soldiers, others turn away to let Jimin, who no longer seems interested in your fate, pass by.

“Will you kill men and use women to bring others of your kind into the world?” at your choked question, Yoongi returns closer.

“Have you regained the use of speech, darling?” you shush immediately, shuddering at the feel of his palm brushing your face, “That's it, good girl,” he murmurs before moving closer to your ear again, “We've already killed most of the men, we'll kill the others we flush out of their shit holes, and as for the women... we're already having a great time fucking them like whores.”

A knot in your throat prevents you from swallowing the tears you are trying so bitterly to hold back, “You're a bastard,” you hiss in his direction, making him burst out laughing.

“And you will soon be a whore with your thighs open and your lap always full of cum, just like all the others.”

Your stomach churns with disgust and you eventually vomit, even putting your soul back in.

Contrary to what Yoongi said, you are not thrown into a cell to suffer the pains of hell, at least not right away.

You are forcibly yanked out of your home by a pair of snarling soldiers, you turn to gaze with tears in your eyes at those old walls that saw you come into the world and grow up. You have nothing left in there now. Your family was never rich, what your father and brother did was for the good of all, but you cannot deny the satisfaction in their faces every time they completed a mission.

The punishment for their sins affected you, too, because you grew up on money made from the skin of many other people.

“Get in, woman,” a soldier rudely shoves you into a military truck, you are practically surrounded by men more like beasts, and a ridiculous squeak escapes your lips as a disgusting taste makes you curl them, it was not a good idea to vomit.

You observe their uniforms and the weapons they hold against their well-placed bodies. You recognize everything, even the men in your family wore those uniforms, the Moondirians took and looted, now possessing what once belonged to humans.

“Where are you taking me?” you ask, trying not to let your voice tremble, and almost no one pays attention to you. Only one turns toward you, reserving a wicked grin.

“Trust me, human,” he chuckles, “You don't want to know.”

Discouragement assails you and you pay attention to the night landscape you see out the window, or at least what allows you to see the large bulk of the soldier standing in front of you with crossed arms.

“Don't ask too many questions,” he grunts, nailing you with an ugly glare, “The stench of your fear is making me nauseous.”

If possible, those words agitate you more; your father had told you about this ability of theirs, but you never really believed it. Other than Yoongi, you never saw a Moondirian in your life, and Yoongi was anything but sociable. He worked in your father's place, and as absurd as it sounds, even the poorest family was entitled to own at least one Moondir wolf. It was just one more way to humiliate them, but you child could hardly have known that. To you he was simply a sullen boy of few words, someone your brother had taught you to ignore for everyone's sake.

When Yoongi managed to escape, your brother and father-although concerned- scoffed at his words of vengeance, words that stuck with you for a good ten years, more than enough time for the Moondirians to create riots, revolts, murders and conquer all there was to conquer.

Mankind, from the height of its arrogance, believed it had everything under control, until little by little the throats of all the most important Leaders were cut, throwing the world into a black crisis from which it was then impossible to recover.

“Hey, human,” grunted another, “We're here, come on down.”

With trembling legs, you are dragged listlessly inside an old building that you recognize as a long unused hospital, inside-despite the long years of neglect-there is still the pungent smell of disinfectant and the neon lights work quite well. Inside, it has been kept clean and tidy, although employees at the front desk are missing and the main entrance is virtually deserted except for a few soldiers posted on guard duty.

The firm grip on your arm is painful, but you dare not say anything to the wolf who is escorting you. Rather you are terrified, wandering with spirited eyes from corridor to corridor, watching the hospital signs without really seeing them. You hate hospitals, you hate everything about them, and you don't understand why they brought you here.

A desperate wail escapes your lips as the wolf stops in front of a metal door with an opaque glass porthole.

"Straighten your feet, you fool! You look like a damn-"

“Hold your tongue, soldier,” the metal door slowly swings open, two blue eyes rimmed with long, thick lashes stab at you from all sides, while in response that soldier stiffens, “We need cooperation, if you treat her that way you will make my job more complicated.”

The man who opened the door is continuing to talk to the wolf at your side, but he does not look away from yours, he is firm and stern, making you petrify on the spot.

It is not just embarrassment or fear what you feel, it is something more visceral, a disarming awareness. Those blue eyes are laden with promises the man has every intention of keeping, a threat whispered gently, your heart beating so hard and so fast you don't question that he is listening with rapt attention.

Then, as if your gazes hadn't just nailed each other, he waves you in.

You try to put one foot in front of the other, aware that you have no escape route in that place, and when the soldier begins to follow you as well, a low growl of warning makes the hair on your neck stand up. But the warning is not for you, it is for that wolf who instantly freezes.

You don't know who this man is, but he must be someone with a lot of power, because up until a few moments ago that soldier was playing up, while now he looks more like a dog on a leash.

Making yourself as small as you can, you walk uncomfortably into the medium-sized room, eyeing the clean linoleum floor, then the light green walls with a few medical posters posted, finally the desk filled with papers and files locked in large binders.

“Have a seat,” the man says, pointing to an examination couch that makes you shudder. You search your eyes for medical instruments such as needles, gauze and who knows what else, but beyond the smell of disinfectant you see nothing else.

As if he has read your mind, the man gives you a sarcastic smile and it is as if a veil is lifted from your eyes, making you see past his blue ones. The first thing that strikes you are the full lips bent in that mischievous smile, the shape of the cupid's bow is enchanting, and smooth black hair manages to graze the base of his neck, while his bangs almost cover the well-defined line of his elegant eyebrows.

“Do you fear medical equipment?”

You tighten your lips at that blatant tease, feeling mixed emotions. You can't even remember the last time you've been to a doctor; you don't even know if this man is one.

“Are you a doctor?” you ask abruptly, almost as an accusation.

“Sort of, yes - not the way you humans understand it, though,” he replies with a shrug, shrugging off the partition to pull out a wheeled cart where medical tools are stored. You pale when you notice a speculum.

You take a quick step backward, toward the door, with every intention of escaping, and the man quickly turns to stare at you with slightly dilated pupils, no need for him to growl to freeze you once more where you are, “No risky moves, human,” he warns you in a deeper voice, “I'm still a wolf,” he hisses, gritting his teeth hard. Then you see it, a deep scar around his neck, which only moments before was covered by the tips of his hair and the collar of his lab coat.

“I don't want to be touched by you,” you murmur, terrified. You've always refused to face a gynecological examination, but you know what a speculum is for and you're uncomfortable with even the thought of him...!

You shake your head, but the man is not intimidated by your statement.

“It's going to happen what needs to happen, girl,” he replies, disinfecting his hands and putting on sterile gloves, “Now lie down on the table, after the examination we'll talk a bit so I can register you in the system.”

You didn't understand half a word he just told you, but his voice is enough to convince you not to take any steps.

The man snorts slightly, bowing his head and squinting his unusually blue-colored eyes.

“You should listen to me, I'm not going to hurt you... I'll probably also be the only man who will touch you gently enough not to make you cry” his words hit you like a violent slap, a knot tightens your throat and suddenly your eyes fill with tears.

“I didn't do anything wrong, I don't deserve such treatment,” you murmur swallowing the pain, the man stares at you with an impassive expression.

“Many of us have said the same thing, yet humans still played God by hunting us down, killing us and enslaving us” his harsh words make you realize that he will not listen to you, he may speak to you with an unusual calm, but the hatred is always there, ready to burn you, making you guilty of actions you never committed. Violence only breeds more violence.

“What will really happen to me?” you ask fearing your fate.

"If I deem you eligible, you will be escorted to one of our procreation centers, our staff will complete your genetic tests, and you will be assigned to the right males."

You will be raped, and not just by one man, but by many.

“Like a beast,” you blurt out angrily, incredulous and disgusted. Yoongi did not lie.

“Yeah, like a beast,” nods the man, “But you always have a choice: Are you going to lie down on that exam table, allowing me to figure out if and how healthy you are, in the most humane of ways, or do you want those soldiers to take you one at a time - or even more together - so that you remain pregnant in the most inhumane of ways?”

A shiver of terror squeezes your gut, making you want to vomit again.

Silently and with a lost look you begin to take off your shoes, “Wise decision,” he nods, beginning to arrange a gray monitor, “You can leave your underwear on, if it will appease you.”

You swallow bitter tears with each layer of clothing that leaves you, you feel humiliated as it is, but what other choice do you have?

When only your bra and peach-colored cotton panties remain on you, you slowly reach for the exam table and being very careful not to brush against the man who is now waiting for you sitting on a wheeled stool, you lie down with an insane urge to cover yourself from head to toe.

With a satisfied murmur he picks up a bottle, spreading clear gel on your lower abdomen, the icy sensation of the gel giving you chills, making you wince.

“What's your name?” the doctor asks, focused on the monitor-apparently able to read the strange shapes that appear between the grayscale image as he slowly moves the probe across the area of your abdomen. He pushes the probe across your skin for greater visibility and you stiffly murmur your full name

“My name is Kim Seokjin, and if you come back into the program, I will follow you as a doctor for a long time,” he replies, pushing the probe toward your lower abdomen, “Lower your slip a little.”

The request fills you with discomfort, but you do as he tells you, the fabric drops a little more with a slight rustle, and the probe reaches down to touch your pubis. You remain rigid as a statue, scrutinizing Seokjin's expression, but never once has the man looked at you with strange, slimy eyes. He is absolutely professional as he creates freeze-frames, occasionally asking you to take deep breaths and other times to remain totally still.

“Good, now place your legs in the stirrups, I will proceed with an internal examination.”

You widen your eyes, staring at him pitifully, “D-Do I have to?” you hate yourself for the tiny, terrified tone you used, but fear and shame are eating you alive.

The man - Seokjin - freezes for a moment, staring at you with a strange shadow in his blue eyes.

Finally, he sighs, “When was your last period?”

You think for a while before answering, "I think -- about two weeks ago? I guess have a regular period...?" you answer a little unsure, you haven't exactly kept track, because...

“Have you had sexual intercourse recently?”

At her question your skin heats up, turning redder than a tomato, “I-I... no, I mean... I haven't had any, ever” you bite your lips in embarrassment. You know very well that at your age it's strange. Your father always complained that at over 20 years old you were still not married, but it simply didn't happen, you never forced yourself to do anything, although there was no shortage of opportunities.

Seokjin's eyes shine for a single moment, but it is enough for you to catch his amusement.

"Basically I have no reason to proceed internally, but I still ask you to let me continue with my examination, I will only touch you superficially, I will go no further. Is that enough of a compromise for you?" you breathe shakily, nodding slowly.

You slip off your briefs and with a courage you don't feel you have position your legs on the stirrups, spreading them apart. Your heart pounding in your ears as you wait for the exam to end, you stiffen when the man touches your intimate area, going so far as to do something you've never allowed anyone else to do.

“What are you-” the words die in your throat, you feel the sensation of latex gloves against the entrance to your vagina, and two fingers checking its elasticity and shape. Your stomach clenches in raw shame, but you remain still, acknowledging the gentle, shallow touch, just as he promised.

“Right now I am checking the appearance of your vulva and the general elasticity of your entrance, to make sure there is no redness or sores, but everything seems to be okay,” he announces as he walks away, “You may wear your panties again, but remain lying down,” he announces, leaving you confused.

If the exam is over, why would you stay lying down? A wave of panic turns you pale; it is so intense that Seokjin turns in your direction with a stern look.

“Your smell is steeped in fear, woman,” he scolds you, tossing the latex gloves into the bin next to the monitor, then handing you some Kleenex to remove traces of gel, “If I wanted to do anything to you, believe me, I would have done it by now.”

You swallow before nodding, accepting the Kleenex and lying back down.

“Now I'm going to check the general state of your body,” he informs you as he returns to your side, in awe you watch as his hand rests on the soft skin of your abdomen, claws you didn't notice before glisten under the neon light of the room, but the touch is so gentle that the claws don't even reach out to touch you. The Moondirian's blue eyes slowly clear as a gentle tingle invades your body. The sensation reminds you of a lover's lips lightly brushing kisses against your skin, causing delicious shivers throughout your body, you find it quite natural to close your eyes, relaxing against your gloomiest expectation.

Seokjin continues his examination minutely, your blood flowing like peaceful waves inside your body, with the palm of his hand he moves closer to your chest, until he touches the curve of your breasts covered by the cotton bra. Although he has reiterated that he has no strange intentions, the sensual movement of his hand along your most sensitive skin makes your throat contract, a movement that immediately attracts his attention.

He thus begins to murmur something in a language unfamiliar to you, a song as sweet as a bird's song. You feel welcomed into a big hug and find yourself instinctively sighing, your heartbeat finally beginning to calm.

After another two minutes, the words stop and the warmth of his hand leaves your body, rousing you from that brief respite.

“You have excellent blood circulation and your vital organs are healthy, you are healthy,” he announces, “Now you can get dressed.”

You blink quickly, still with a foggy and confused mind about what exactly he did, "What happened? I felt strange," you whisper more to yourself.

“Do you know what the people of Moondir are like, Y/N?” he asks you, sitting down at his desk as you quickly get dressed, shake your head in denial, and Seokjin crosses his arms.

"We came into the world through a Goddess; our father was a wolf. We are connected to nature in more ways than one, and every Moondirian is born with the ability to rule an element. My element is Water, and with it I can control any kind of fluid, including blood, and through blood I listened to your body," he explains as if it were something very easy to understand even for someone like you.

When you sit in front of the Moondirian doctor, you can't help but ask, “Why are you so kind to me?”

His pointed smile leaves you breathless, and not positively.

“I know what you're up against, that's all,” he replies, igniting a flame inside.

"Are you doing this out of pity? I don't need it!" you growl, trying to retain some dignity, but Seokjin shakes his head.

“You are more stubborn than a puppy,” he sneers, before lowering the collar of his lab coat, finally allowing you to see the scar around his otherwise pale, sculptural neck. The mark is deep, but it is so old that it has lost the bright color of blood, blending in with the rest of the skin, “Do you know what this is instead?” he asks you.

You don't know exactly why such a devilry had been invented, but you remember that Yoongi, when he still worked for your father, always wore a thick electrified collar. The memory sends shivers down your spine, because you witnessed what that terrible object could do-it took at least a whole day for Yoongi to recover from those horrible shocks.

When you don't answer, Seokjin chuckles, “Of course you know, I can tell from your smell that you are aware of it, but maybe you don't know the reason behind its use.”

“Was it to punish you?” you ask, but the man shakes his head.

"Worse, it was suppressing our sexual instincts. “ he reveals with gravity, ”They exterminated our women to prevent us from procreating, and to prevent us men from feeling desire they designed a contraption as small as it is powerful and useful for their purposes.“ in his blue eyes you see a shadow drop, and when he resumes looking at you, there is no amusement, ”Out there you will find many of my kind who will not mind taking you by force, they have endured over a century of sexual deprivation, there is no one left to keep them on a leash, Y/N."

The world seems to be collapsing on you, you know the people of Moondir are not human, you know they are part wolf - beast - so you also have reason to think that you will be dealing with unscrupulous men, “Will I die like this?” you whisper with trembling lips, unable to believe that such a thing is happening to you of all people.

"No, you will not die. You are healthy and your body is mature, you are perfectly eligible for this task, and you will be cared for by experts at the procreation center, every kind of relationship will be followed, documented, and if there is a need, someone will step in to rescue you."

“That doesn't me-” but whatever you would like to say is interrupted by another man who opens the door wide without knocking.

You petrify like a marble statue, returning alert and anxious, how long has it been since the visit began, an hour? More?

He entered as if there was no one inside the room, if you hadn't dressed in time would he have had the horrible opportunity to look at you?

“You're early,” Seokjin does not seem pleased with the newcomer, who does nothing to apologize.

“You took too long this time, and I was wondering if you finally gave in to your instincts,” shrugs the other. He is a perfectly fit Moondirian specimen, his clothing similar to that of Yoongi and Jimin except for the camouflage color.

His deep green eyes nail you to your chair with vivid, eerie interest, his brown hair pulled back allowing you to peer into his face without any problem. His elegant features almost hide the madness behind those cheerfully cunning eyes. He reminds you more of a fox than a wolf.

"Stop it, Hoseok. I'm working," the other picks him up harshly, beginning to sign and stamp papers with a strange red, pungent-smelling substance.

"Oh, yeah? And here I thought you were examining these women for another reason,” he laughs lightly, approaching you with an all too confident stride, “One that involves very little words and more the body."

You move imperceptibly away from him, your survival instinct is warning you this Moondirian is different from Seokjin. Definitely. He seems more dangerous, more driven by his baser instincts.

“You're rambling, as usual” Seokjin unceremoniously hands over a freshly compiled file of documents, “She's eligible, don't damage her” Hoseok's smile turns meaner as he teams you from head to toe.

Then he takes a long breath, appreciating something, “I can't smell that other weird gel you use when you dilate them, you haven't examined her inside and it only means one thing,” he sneers alluringly, Seokjin's blue eyes light up with irritation.

“It means you won't touch her, she'll get safely to the center and you'll stay away from her after that, got it?” he asks with a certain amount of patience.

There is something unspoken in the air, you speculate that this Hoseok did something to one of the women and that Seokjin was not particularly happy about it.

“A hundred years of abstinence and you're acting like you're not feeling the effects, they fried your brain in that shithole and now you don't work anymore?” but the wolf's clear provocation - Hoseok - falls on deaf ears, Seokjin's attention is back on you, watching them both wordlessly.

A hundred years?

Can a Moondirian really live that long? That would explain Yoongi's youthful appearance. Aside from his more trained muscles, he hasn't changed a bit.

“Hoseok will take you to the nearest procreation center, he will see to it that you arrive safely, no matter how unreliable he may seem, I can assure you that with him by your side, no one will dare touch you with ill intentions.”

You nod as if intoxicated, casting a nervous glance at the man with the incredible green eyes. As unbelievable as they are disturbing.

“Yes, little flower ... you won't have to fear any one except me.”

‘You filthy bastard, try touching me and you will find that you are not the only one who can bite.’

Keep that furious thought to yourself, tightening your arms around your body protectively.

“One more thing,” Seokjin resumes, blatantly ignoring his colleague's response, “As I told you at the beginning of the visit, no rough movements, they excite us more than you think,” the doctor's warning hovers in the air like a gunshot, and you don't know if you will end that long day with all your limbs in place.

You leave the hospital with a weight in your chest; you are eligible.

Before you left, you asked Seokjin one last question, you asked him what would happen to you if he didn't find you eligible for their new repopulation plan, the doctor's glazed look was more than enough of an answer, then had come Hoseok's whisper at your side, amused.

«In that case I would have taken care of it, little flower.»

In a sports sedan that attracts far too much attention, you observe Hoseok, who drives in a relaxed and cheerful manner. As if he were a normal civilian and not a Moondirian trained to kill.

The profile sculpted with an almost aristocratic grace unnerves you. He is an animal of the worst kind, not deserving of that beauty, much less all that freedom.

“If you keep staring at me like that you're in danger of wearing me out, little flower,” you gasp, taken aback and appalled by the pointed smile he turns on you, “But I can give you a picture of me if you like me so much.”

In response you avert your eyes, pointing them to the clean but unusually empty streets. The razing has stripped the city of its soul, the once colorful and brightly lit stores are closed and empty, others have broken windows with obvious signs of struggle.

A frightening thought begins to creep into your fragile mind.

“You have killed the men and are using the women for your own purposes, but what about the children?” you ask in a hoarse whisper, your eyes lost in nothingness.

Hoseok snorts slightly through his nose, turning onto a highway.

“We are not so cruel, little flower,” he says almost bored, "Children have purer and more elastic minds. They have learned to fear us because of you adults, now they will learn to live with us, nowadays it's called a ‘reset’."

Children are not to blame, he does not say but that is what his words imply and you sighs relieved. Apparently, Moondirians have animal instincts in every respect, just as they love to hunt their prey when they run away, they also tend to take care of cubs, regardless of species.

“Don't be so relieved, woman,” his sharp teeth gleam under the flickering light of the road lights, “I would think more of myself than of others if I were you.” There is something true in his words, you can feel it in the way he utters them. Hoseok must have gone through hell, and you are sure he will put you through it too. Like a personal gain.

[jyndor]

I'm sorry, I do not want to be condescending or disrespectful to people who were more casual fans of rogue one, but it does not escape my notice that the initial response to this show before it aired was mostly "who asked for this???" so for those people, people who did not care a lick about cassian before the show, yeah of course they did not come in with expectations about who he is or the things he has to be and do in order to fit with a film that they don't really care much about.

for many of us who HAVE cared, who WERE ride or die for a cassian show from the moment it was announced, this has been an exercise in frustration and frankly even hurt. so when I say what I am about to say, it isn't because I think we are the only people whose opinions matter. but I am tired of being told since s1 aired that I just don't get what tony gilroy is trying to do, or that I am just a petty shipper, or that I lack media literacy which LMFAO. and I am also aware that my love of this character and the film has absolutely colored my feelings about the show - which I think is probably a better watch for people who did not come into the show knowing or caring about cassian andor as a character.

I understand what gilroy was trying to do. I think he was very successful with s1 even if I didn't like the choices he made for cassian's backstory. but s2 is a different story, and I think the show failed to deliver on what was setup by the first season but more importantly by the film. rogue one is about love - same as andor. the different kinds of love that exist between people, that people have for their communities and for all living beings. the idea of a revolution, to rogue one/andor, is beyond just hating the oppressor - but loving the oppressed, and having a clear understanding of what is to be done to build a brighter future.

this is why the relationship between jyn and cassian in rogue one is the HEART of the film. full stop. whatever the end result (which is of course what matters the most) this was a central part of the story very early on in development of the film, and it also is present in so many of the supplemental works - including in official art, in comics, and of course the novelization.

basically at one point in development, the character who ends up cassian andor is an isb spy who is in a relationship with rebel soldier jyn erso, and only when he sees what happens at jedha (probably jedha, may have been called something else at that point but i don't remember, this is all off the top of my head) does he become a true rebel. at another point, the film ends with jyn and cassian escaping scarif, and then there is a wedding, presumably theirs in the future. of course this ends up getting scrapped because lucasfilm lets the writers kill off everyone at the end, but that doesn't mean that jyn and cassian do not have a romantic element to their relationship.

jyn and cassian are loosely named after the original legends characters who get the death star plans - jan ors and kyle katarn, who are romantically involved.

multiple people involved in the film have said there is probably a kiss that was filmed in the elevator. diego luna was always VERY clear even through andor s1 press that jyn erso was at the very least extremely important to cassian (and back in the day he even said they'd be together and selling fridges lmfao), was his mirror and someone that he felt a serious connection with. diego and felicity clearly played their dynamic as romantic, even if nothing ever happened between their characters because they did not have the time.

the novelization by alexander freed is FULL of clear romantic subtext and outright text especially from cassian's pov. absolutely none of this makes it canon that they WOULD have gotten together had they lived, but it does show an intention that existed for almost as long as the characters did in development - that jyn and cassian's story is a love story, and that it is a love story that ends before it can really begin. that is the tragedy of rogue one - these are people who finally find their home (all of them, not just jyn and cassian, in the cause) and they have to die to save that home. and also it is their home because they WOULD die for it - for the rebellion.

though rebelcaptain has one of the most intimate scenes i have ever seen in star wars (the elevator scene) it is not physically intimate. so to many people that means it's not romantic. which is a shame because it's such a beautiful moment of emotional vulnerability, where these two people finally have a quiet place to just be together, to let all their walls down and belong, but since people are fucking idiots now they think cassian is wishing jyn was ANYONE else lmfao

but that doesn't change the reality of how beloved rebelcaptain is. rebelcaptain immediately inspired so much from the fans - for a mf ship to get as much love as it does to this day is a real testament to how much it is loved by fans. over 5k fanfics on ao3 for a niche non-explicitly canon mf ship is wild. it's the 7th most written about ship on ao3 for all of star wars media. again, for a ship in ONE movie.

of course, a prequel was never going to make jyn and cassian's relationship canon before they even meet. still it is a core part of rogue one and as such I would expect it to haunt the narrative of andor, which it does to some extent, especially in the first season but also in the second. this is not my issue with the show at all because again i understand where they are going with it.

my frustrations with the show are not about cassian having a committed relationship with someone else either. arguably that could have done a lot to move his character to the man who we see in rogue one - and to me it didn't all that well imo because the show doesn't treat cassian andor as if he is an established character with established motivations that we have known for almost TEN years.

my problem is that the show spends more time and energy building up a wonderful ensemble and doing pretty great plot for THEM than it does building cassian into the man we see in rogue one. it wastes too much time in s2 doing a whole lot of nothing, actual nothing, when it needs to be GIVING us what we need. not just what we want. meaning, if you are going to make the case that cassian is talking out of his ass on eadu, you better make that case well - or it won't fucking work.

SHOW us your work, gilroy. don't just tell the audience that cassian is suddenly a great leader, we need to SEE IT. i believe he is but the show does not give any real evidence for it.

it's storytelling 101 - show, don't tell. and considering this is CASSIAN'S backstory, it's a cardinal sin for so much of the development of cassian's core motivations in rogue one to be afterthoughts told to us offhandedly.

an egregious example of this is his relationship with bix.

in a single film, we see more evidence as to why cassian and jyn are so well suited to one another - be it as partners in the rebellion, as friends and/or as potential lovers - than we see of cassian and bix in the entire show. i do not say this to disrespect bixcass shippers, you do you boo, but because honestly I believe this is part of a fundamental problem with andor.

because I actually think the intention of the show is to make that point to us - that bix and cassian are NOT well suited to one another, that they may each be someone that the other WANTS to love, but they are not who they NEED. but I don't think the show gives this the time and attention it deserves.

we are told that bix and cassian are exes in s1, and we see that they broke up because of various incompatibilities - cassian running off and being inconsistent, cassian prioritizing his own needs and wants over bix's, cassian not being open to emotional vulnerability, bix wanting a normal life with a normal guy, etc. no matter how clear it was to me that they had unresolved emotions between them, it was also clear that one of them was always going to hold the other back.

s1 has the room to breathe but also isn't trying to overcome these issues. that is why their friendship, their dynamic, in s1 works on multiple levels - even if I do not ship them - because the show isn't trying to push aside their issues in s1. the first season sets up multiple paths: one that is two first loves who romantically reconnect after a period of personal growth, and one that is two first loves who find that they are better off as friends because their incompatibilities would not be sustainable under the weight of building a revolution. both of which, in order to line up properly with rogue one, would have to end in great tragedy of some sort. not necessarily fridging, but a separation or complete severing of ties because their GOALS ARE NOT THE SAME. not necessarily their goals for the rebellion, although the show does make that clear, but their PERSONAL goals.

it seems as though the show understands this too. the problem comes down to s2 not having the time to explore some very important foundational parts of this supposedly central relationship - or the interest in doing so either.

we do not see them reconnect, which is whack. so not only do we not see how their first teen romance worked (we are just told about cassian sneaking into bix's room lmao) but we also do not see how they fall back in love. because I'm sorry, love is a choice. love is an active thing we must work for. it is not easy, especially in conflict. we see how not easy it is between them once they have already committed to each other, but we do not see WHY they made the choice to rebuild their relationship with one another again, or HOW.

yes, cassian saves bix at the end of s1. okay? bix is deeply traumatized, and we never really see her deal with it. no, the girlboss 2015 era bad bitch coruscant blowout does not count. we also do not see cassian deal with literally any of his traumas either, but we don't see him deal with much.

it seems as though they get back together because they feel like they SHOULD - okay, well then show us WHY. this is supposed to be the heart of the show, right? well show me why that heart beats.

because what I see is cassian and bix fighting, being unwilling to let the other make choices for themselves (bix especially but cassian is guilty of this too) and bix basically reverting to a version of herself we never see in s1, which is a docile, tea-making housewife. cool cool but WHY?? where has it ever been established that bix caleen wants to be a homemaker? that CASSIAN wants that in a partner??

in fact, in the first fucking episode of s1, cassian EXPLICITLY mocks timm for picking a woman who is unruly and rebellious. that moment establishes that cassian understands bix will never be passive, it is not in her nature, and that he doesn't WANT her to be. he thinks timm is a bad match for her because of timm's own preferences for a partner being kind of incompatible with who cassian understands bix to be.

and yet - am I supposed to believe that bix's traumas have changed that core part of her? that a woman who chooses the rebellion is content with not doing ANYTHING? with tea making???

not only is this strike three for tony gilroy passifying a rebellious woman in some way for another character's story (jyn erso, cinta kaz and now bix caleen) it is also totally hard for me to buy because it's not even EXPLORED.

WHY does bix spend her time doing very little (except of course all the stuff she does earlier on offscreen apparently)??? WHY is the rebellion not utilizing her very important skillset (comms and mechanics) when the same revolutions that gilroy has clearly studied so much for this story would have made her very, very useful?

as I said earlier, I think the show makes a decent case for why they ultimately are incompatible. in the end, it comes down to a lack of trust that the other will do the right thing. bix leaves cassian (when she is pregnant; clearly the baby is meant to be cassian's) to go back to the place where she was sexually assaulted for Reasons because she is "choosing the rebellion" but what she is really choosing is to raise a child that cassian would probably want to know about without him even being aware of their existence.

what she is choosing is to not distract cassian from ~his destiny~ which lmao okay sure whatever but GIRLFRIEND you should not have to make that choice. you should trust that he is committed to this ideal you believe so strongly in that you are willing to leave everything behind for good.

because the truth is that yes, bix says that she'll find him someday, and yes, cassian thinks he'd like to find her someday too, but the truth is that this is a betrayal. this is a partner not only forcing the hand of someone they love for an ideal they both supposedly believe in, but also taking away the choice of the partner to have any say in whether or not he has a relationship with a baby that he helped create lmfao. of course a woman has no obligation to involve the genetic father in a baby's life but it's clear that we are supposed to think this is an act of love on bix's part, but... i'm sorry, bix seems to understand (like cassian) that there really is no likely future for their relationship. so if anything, it is selfish. okay. cool, then why is the final scene shot in a way that makes it look sweet and hopeful??? lmfao it looks insane because it IS an insane thing for a person to do.

and am I supposed to believe that cassian and bix would be having unprotected sex during a war???? with their traumas of losing their parents young????? sorry its always been a no for me with rebelcaptain and its a no period.

cassian, who has had his choices taken from him all his life, has this choice taken too - and fuck no I do not get with that, especially not when bix was not forced to do any of this. she CHOSE to leave cassian at his most vulnerable, after witnessing a genocide, something he himself is a survivor of, in order to keep him in the rebellion? girl bye

cassian is overprotective of her to a fault, and it gets them into fights. after her girlboss moment does she even do anything for the rebellion besides "choose" the rebellion for cassian? i literally do not remember a second of her doing anything besides pouring tea and yapping.

so we do not see her recover from her traumas, but we are to assume that she's better now because she tortured her torturer. okay cool, that COULD have been an interesting way to show the audience that revenge does not heal, and certainly not using the pain and suffering of oppressed children to do so will not heal. this could have played into cassian telling jyn to leave krennic at the end of the film, juxtaposing the way he led bix to harming herself further with the way that he asked jyn to spend their last moments together, free from the taint of an easy kill when he knew it was likely krennic wasn't gonna make it.

nope instead we get absolutely nothing. bix suddenly seems okay! great, cool but how did she go from drug addled and struggling with ptsd to beautiful sexy housewife who just so happens to never do anything with any of her skills again from that point?

and that does not serve cassian's story at all. it doesn't even serve her own.

one thing the show does well for her is how it handle's bix's assault. but again, this is how tony gilroy radicalizes bix, as if being tortured by the audio of oppressed murdered children is not enough. there's another avenue for her radicalization: in the first episode, timm mentions a wobani job. meaning bix and timm are working with the prisons (aka labor camps aka concentration camps) for her business. okay well imagine what it would be like to realize that you've been directly profiting off of a system that your friend/lover was enslaved by???

bix as an undocumented woman of course IS of course at risk, and it isn't wrong to show us what that means. the show does make a point of exposing how at risk marginalized women are - from kerri possibly being at the brothel to the way the imperials speak about the dhani women to bix's assault, it's a part of the story and i have no problem with it.

but the purpose was to radicalize her. and what is the purpose in radicalizing bix? to force cassian into serving the rebellion.

even though by then, cassian should be BEYOND committed.

and it's not even something he gets to confront, not really. while it seems to me that they both know their relationship is done for good, while the show seems to recognize that bix was out of pocket for that, why then the image of bix with baby??? why make it seem like she did something good for cassian?

i know, i know. legacy. but i'm sorry that's a legacy that cassian has no ties to but blood. and that's just genetics. not relation, not choice, not family. not necessarily.

it would have made far more sense to show a scene of what cassian was running TO - maybe to jyn, which would have made sense given the shot of saw, but also maybe to bodhi and galen, maybe to anything but what who left him behind and what he was always supposed to LEAVE behind in order for the show to stick the landing.

[aceshigh10987666]

So, this is a case of "You're not wrong, you're just an asshole." (The NHS isn't incorrect but they are doing things that are hurtful.)

They're not wrong. Rates of being transgender are something like five times higher for autistics than for allistics. It is true that if you compare a group of trans kids to their classmates you will find higher rates of autism. In a safe, supportive world I'd agree with the conclusion that screening for diagnoses is good and this is a population that should be screened.

But in a social and political climate where people are choosing not to get diagnosed with autism to avoid discrimination by those who have access to their medical records, this is a move that puts trans kids at risk for additional discrimination. Additionally, you know they're not going to do good things with the statistics that emerge from this. They'll easily see that there is a higher incidence of autism in trans people and then the next wave of transphobia will feature ableism.

Somewhat off topic, but if anyone is curious why autism and transgender identities are linked, here is my opinion as an autistic. Devon Price noted that autism is linked to higher rates of trans and nonbinary identity in those who were raised as girls. In my opinion, the biggest reason for that is the autistic style of communication which is more direct, more literal, and more factual. It's more similar to the communication patterns men use than it is to the patterns women use. Autistic boys stand out as weird compared to other boys but autistic girls have an additional challenge in trying to communicate with their female peers.

Also, autistics aren't typically interested in following trends or meeting norms for gender expression. When we have a distinctive style it is often anachronistic. This creates even more distance between the autistic who was raised as a girl and their peers. For an autistic who was raised as a girl I think the obvious conclusion is that I am not a woman. I do not look like or act like the other women. I have more in common with men. From there it's natural to question whether you're trans or nonbinary and to embrace those gender expressions as an expression of your sense of being different from allistic women.

I applaud that. Embrace the gender identity that works for you. No criticism here at all. It's easier for me to interact with people when they're expecting me to communicate like men do. There are fewer miscommunications and misunderstandings. And what is gender expression anyway? It is so deeply not a big deal to be gender nonconforming, or it shouldn't be. It only is because of prejudice.

Anyway, my point in discussing the possible origin of increased trans and nonbinary identity in autism? It's to add the thought that maybe there isn't an ableist explanation for the difference in rates, but rather, a sensible one. One that is based on the fact that autistics communicate in ways that are clearly different from the patterns that are typical for women.

Saw this on Reddit today. Things just keep getting worse.

[toastytrusty]

to elaborate on my last post abt leftist/non leftist takes in andor. the entire show has complex political storytelling None of it can be discussed solely through story archetypes of "good" and "evil." for example syril's character. he did not have a "redemption arc." you are not supposed to "forgive him." he is killed (by one of the people he oppressed!) because his actions are unforgivable and that is the narrative justice he deserves. the audience being encouraged to sympathize with him does not equate to him displaying "the good within evil."

the point of his character arc is that humanity does not survive under fascism. he is an antagonist, yes, but he is just as much a victim of the *real* enemy of the narrative (fascism!) as every other character in the show is. everyone suffers under fascism, even those who serve it. his individuality is stripped from him; he is conditioned to obey, to further the goals of his superiors, to place career ambitions over everything, all without questioning why. which leads him to participating in things he does not agree with. when he learns what's really happening on ghorman, his worldview is shattered. he was raised to believe the empire is infallible, and discouraged from developing his own opinions. but he does. he does, because he's human, and the people he meets there are human, and when he is faced with it, he cannot fathom the violence he has helped inflict upon them. that is his own tragedy, and a tragedy shared among the little people who serve at the behest of an imperial machine. when they realize how much damage they have done it's too late. it's not redemption, it's recognition. in an ultimate form, it would be acceptance. (think the imperial lieutenant double agent from the aldhani arc in s1. "you'll hang for this" "7 years serving you? i deserve worse than that") there is no good and evil dichotomy to be found here, no matter how nuanced you try and make it. andor is a show about victims, not heroes. you can't place the actions of characters in vacuums without reconizing that they are REactions, and everything they do is just as important as what is being done to them

[rollinouttahere-writes]

Hello yes you see my exact vision I was also thinking Castlevania type vampire!!! In my mind she's also just sooooo smitten and taken back especially at first, like almost tsundere levels because how is this dude not terrified what is HAPPENING and he's just his regular "if a woman asked me to die I'd ask her how she wants it" self

This idea has bewitched me. Have a "drabble".

Silence was the status quo in your estate. This was simply the way it has been for centuries. Your days of travel and adventure were long behind you. Now you spent your endless days in quiet solitude. Reading your amassed book collection, tending to your gardens at night, indulging in hobbies both new and old, those kinds of activities. The only time when you would leave your property was when your thirst became impossible to ignore.

So imagine your shock when you heard a ruckus echoing through your halls. This wouldn't be the first time someone was foolish enough to enter you castle in hopes of stealing your riches for themselves, but they usually at least had the foresight to be silent.

Such is life, you suppose. You are a touch parched tonight.

With how loud your intruders are, locating them is a simple matter. Your steps make nary a sound as you walk down the well memorized halls, though you're sure you could get away with stomping to your heart's content without risking being heard.

Upon entering the foyer, you spot numerous people milling about, rather carelessly in your opinion. Nothing about your castle indicates that it's a vacant property, so you would think that they would exude at least some level of care and restraint. But no. Some boy in a tacky straw hat is running around like he owns the place, loudly yelling to his companions about how "cool" your decor is. At least he has taste.

A woman with orange colored hair is yelling at him to shut up before whoever lives here take notice of them. Too late for that. You wonder if she is the group's leader with how authoritatively she's speaking.

Several more people are meandering through the room and taking it in with awe... There also appears to be a small bipedal deer amongst them. How quaint. If nothing else, you can appreciate that they have made your night a little exciting.

The group proceeds to make this even easier for you by splitting up. It was more than apparent that they were completely oblivious to what kind of creature dwells here. They most definitely weren't skilled vampire hunters, that much could be assumed.

Time to begin the hunt. You slip through the shadows of your dimly lit abode and exit them in the main kitchen. An admittedly under utilized portion of your home due to the nature of what you are. It was maintained for appearance sake and nothing more. You loathed messes and filth.

Only one of the intruders was in here. A young, blond man with a cigarette dangling from his lips. He was eying the vast collection of copper cooking ware you had dangling from hanging racks, appearing to be quite impressed with them. He takes down one of the pans, running his thumb over the engraved handle.

"I do hope you're not planning on preparing a meal here. I must warn you, you'll find the pantry to be rather barren."

He jumps at your voice, nearly dropping the pan in the process. He whips around to stare at you, and you grin in response, making sure that your pronounced canines are more than visible to the man. Terror created a lovely tang in blood.

Fear was the expected response from anyone who bore witness to you. What exactly you were was plain to see since you took no care in masking it. You wanted your prey to know what they were up against. It kept things exciting. Would he scream in horror? Pitifully beg for his life? Hopefully he wouldn't faint, that would be dreadfully boring.

A gasp leaves the man, and then he runs. Not away, as you anticipated, but toward you. The man falls to his knees before you and clutches one of your clawed hands in his own. Are those... hearts in his eyes? What on earth?

"My fair lady! If I had known someone as beautiful as yourself was here, I would have made it my mission to greet you first!" He kisses the chilled skin of your hand, "My sincerest apologies for barging into your home. Though, if I'm being honest, I don't regret it. My life would have been worse off for never having seen you."

It's been an age since you've found yourself baffled by a mere human, and yet, "What manner of trickery is this?"

His eyes widen in surprise, and he scrambles to get up to his feet while still holding your hand in his. "I would never trick a lady! I'm being genuine! How can I make it up to you? Are you hungry? I'll make you something to eat right now!"

You eye him dubiously. His behavior is odd to say the least. For a moment you question if he's trying to distract you so his compatriots can sneak up on you. Using your powers to observe his group through the shadows, you find all of them wandering elsewhere. They aren't in on whatever scheme he's up to.

"I'm not interested in the kind of meal you are alluding to." You pull your hand free from his, with some effort, and bring it to your face. You drum your clawed fingers on your jawline in an attempt to give the man a clue as to what you are. Much to your chagrin, he does not appear to be paying attention.

All that he's focused on is staring into your eyes with an oddly... soft expression on his face. No one has ever looked so at ease in your presence. He sighs dreamily, "You have the most breathtaking eyes I've ever seen."

Many would consider you breathtaking in a sense, but more so because an encounter with you would result in someone never needing to take another breath ever again. However, that did not appear to be how he meant it. By all accounts, it seemed he was genuinely taken with your crimson eyes. What an odd man.

You begin to slowly circle him, examining him like a specimen. He continually turns so that he can always be facing you. "Tell me, what is your name?"

"How rude of me, I can't believe I forgot to introduce myself!" He bows with an exaggerated flourish, "Sanji, at your service, my dear!~"

An interesting name, but not one you recognize. That doesn't necessarily surprise you, given your hermit lifestyle. He's young, even if he has made a name for himself, it wouldn't have happened until very recently.

Sanji closes the gap between you and grabs your hands again, both this time, and holds them to his chest. "Do you have a name, or can I just call you mine?"

It's debatable if it's his cluelessness or audacity that floors you more. You let out an exasperated sigh and shake your head at him, "You haven't the slightest idea who you are talking to."

He tilts his head in confusion, "Well, no. That is why I asked for your name. I would like to get to know you."

"That is not what I meant." You free your hands yet again and grab his jaw with one, then start to pull him with you, "Come, boy."

"Yes, ma'am!" My, he's agreeable. There's a wetness on your hand that has you looking back at him, half-expecting him to be drooling with the way he's been acting. But you know what it is before you even fully look at him. The metallic tang reaches your senses first. A steady stream of blood is dripping out of his nose. Usually you have to try harder to get someone to bleed. Truly an odd man.

You bring him to an old silver mirror, "Look here." You watch his lone reflection, but he's solely focused on you. Oh, good lord, he is helpless. You squeeze his face and speak more firmly, "Look in the mirror, Sanji."

Finally, he looks in the mirror. His eyes immediately go to the left of his own reflection, where yours is supposed to be, but he doesn't find it. Confusion settles on his face once more. His eyebrows knit together as he looks at you, then the mirror, then you, then the mirror again.

There we go. You withdraw your hand and bring it to your mouth, "Are you understanding the situation that you are in? What is in the room with you?" You lap up the blood on your hand. It has a unique flavor profile that you've never experienced before. It's almost... spicy? You don't hate it.

In lieu of a coherent answer, Sanji makes a alight choking sound, accompanied by more blood gushing out of his nose. His face is bright red in spite of the blood loss.

A quiet chuckle escapes your blood red lips, "Is that a yes? Are you finally getting scared, dear Sanji?" You grab his tie and pull him closer, "I will be taking you up on your previous offer after all. I'm simply famished, and you'll make for a lovely little beginning course."

Sanji suddenly regains his composure and stands up straight, "You're hungry?" Without waiting for an answer from you, he loosens his tie and undoes some of the buttons on his shirt, then tilts his neck to the side and stares at you expectantly. You're dumbfounded.

"What on earth are you doing?"

"Giving you what you need. You're a vampire, right? Then you need blood, and I'm giving it to you." Every word is spoken very matter of factly, like all of this is just a given. As if it's completely normal to offer up your life to a demon of the night.

Is this a trap, or is this man insane? "You're giving it to me? You are aware that I can kill you, are you not? This is typically the point where one would be running for their life, not offering it to me on a silver platter."

Sanji remains resolute. "You said you were hungry, and I made a vow to feed everyone who is hungry. You're no exception. I will feed you, no matter what."

All you can do is stare at him. He meant every word of that, you can see the sincerity in his eyes. Despite knowing the danger, he is willingly offering himself to you. All because you said you were hungry. You step closer to him, and he bares his neck more in response.

The blue veins on his neck are plain to see. It would be easy for you to sink your fangs into them. To drain his blood and life from his body, then move on and pick off the rest with a renewed energy. That's how this sort of scenario always played out.

Your hands find purchase on his chest. He shivers under your touch, and his breath hitches as your hands start to slide upward in the direction of his shoulders. Just before you reach them, your hands grab his tie and tighten it to where it should be.

He blinks in surprise and looks down at you. You take a step back, "You're unwell."

"I'm not sick, I would never offer you my blood if I thought it would make you ill!"

You huff, "I was speaking to your mental fortitude. Offering your blood to a vampire is completely asinine."

Sanji pleads his case, "But you said you were hungry, I can't just not take care of that for you."

"I wasn't being truthful when I claimed to be parched. I was merely attempting to frighten you. A fool's errand, it would seem." You look Sanji up and down. He was intriguing, you can't deny that. Perhaps this was a result of your mundane life, but you found yourself wanting to see more of him. To understand his fascinating mind. "Now then, I want you to acquaint me with your cohorts. I would like to properly meet the people invading my castle."

"Of course!" Sanji grins and eagerly offers his arm to you. You take it, gently hooking your arm through his. He practically has a skip in his step from the contact. There isn't so much as a hint of fear in him. How fascinating.

As he leads you down your own halls, you continue to silently observe Sanji. What a strange soul he is to behave so generously to a monster. To show kindness in the face of certain death. How long has it been since you were treated in such a way? Centuries, but you can't even be certain how many with how long it's been. Even your own allies would only show nothing more than respect. You were business partners at best. But Sanji...

"You may introduce me as (Y/N)."

He repeats your name with reverence. You enjoy the way it rolls off his tongue. You want to hear it more.

[zepskies]

hiii lovely happy wednesday 🫶🏽:) random question while i’m on my 10 :D this kind of goes hand in hand with your coffee shop headcanons if you squint, but in your opinion what coffee shop pastry would the boys (your favorite jackles characters) choose? 🤎

if that makes sense, like I think beau would really like our dulce de leche cheese danish :p or like ben might like a jalapeño cheese bagel lmao

again I loveee your insights <3 it makes work more entertaining for sure cause then i’m thinking of your responses at random times lol 💗 + I hope you’re having a wonderful week !!🫂

Happy Wednesday, friend! 😘 Oh yay! I love your random questions, and I love coffee shop pastries. 🥐 ☕

Dulce de leche Danish sounds amaziiiiing. 😩 And thank you!! I'm flattered that you love my insights - and that my little rambles infiltrate your brain! lolol 🥰💜 Hope you're having a great week too, hun! Mine is ok so far. I have a lot coming up tomorrow, so this is a fun distraction until then! 😂

HEADCANON: Coffee Shop Pastry Orders

Dean Winchester

*snorts* You mean the human garbage disposal?

We all know Dean's not picky about food. Though since he's drinking an espresso in his coffee order headcanon, I think he'd go for something indulgent to fill his stomach, like a cheese Danish, a couple of donuts, or if they have it, a brookie. 😂

He's very happy to show it to you and Sam when he brings it over to your table, strolling over on those bowed legs. Sam, of course, wears that half amused, half judgy look of his.

"It's a cookie mashed up with a brownie, Sam. Best of both worlds."

Beau Arlen

Beau the basic latte guy needs a basic (but delicious) coffee shop confection to go with it, so I'm going to say he's into coffee cake.

He likes them crumblies on top and a nice, warm cinnamon swirl in his cake. 👌🏽

Just be warned. He's probably going to have you order him another slice of cake while he's still working on the first one.

Soldier Boy (Ben)

Like Dean, this guy's not all that picky about food post-captivity. Of course he likes good food, but he's also highly indulgent in most respects.

"I like what I fucking like," as he often tells you with a smirk. That goes for food, drugs, and frisky women (of almost all ages).

That being said, since we paired him with a cold brew, he'll probably want something classic, like himself: a glazed donut or a slice of marble pound cake with that thin strip of icing on top.

However, I think he could be persuaded (by you) to order something a little adventurous. He'd be game enough to try a jalapeño cheese bagel, with hash browns, and that donut and/or slice of pound cake on the side...

And he'll probably tell them to pack him up an extra bagel for the road. 😂 🥯

Russell Shaw

Russell's another one who's highly self-indulgent lol. He ain't picky about food, that's for sure. He'll eat junk food just as easily as a five-course meal from a Michelin star restaurant.

But since he got paired with a flat white, I think he'd get the biggest cinnamon roll he can find. He'd ask if they could warm it up for him, get that icing all warm and running down the sides, sticky and sweet.

And he looks at you mischievously while he licks his fingers afterward. ✌🏼

(He's only satisfied when he makes you blush.)

AN: Do you agree with these? Got other pastry orders for these guys? 💜

I love working on these HCs every time, no matter how simple or complex the prompt is. 😂

Join My Patreon ⟡ Get early access to new stories, bonus content, and first looks at upcoming stories. Top-tier patrons can even send me requests!

⋆˙⟡ Get notified when more HCs drop! Follow my fic library blog - @zepskieswrites - with notifications on. 💜

Dean Winchester Imagines

Dean Winchester Masterlist

Beau Arlen Masterlist

Soldier Boy Masterlist

Russell Shaw Masterlist

Main Masterlist 

Dean, Beau, Soldier Boy + Russell Tag List (Part 1)

@kazsrm67 @foxyjwls007 @luci-in-trenchcoats @lamentationsofalonelypotato @waynes-multiverse

@mostlymarvelgirl @roseblue373 @this-is-me19 @emily-winchester

@deans-spinster-witch @sanscas @hobby27 @kaleldobrev @spnwoman

@samanddeaninatrenchcoat @pieandmonsters @globetrotter28 @midnightmadwoman @chevroletdean

@lyarr24 @ladysparkles78 @spnfamily-j2 @deansbbyx @chernayawidow

@mimaria420 @stoneyggirl2 @fics-pics-andotherthings-i-like @waywardxwords @twinkleinadiamondsky

@my-stories-vault @0ccvltism @rizlowwritessortof @cookiechipdough @mrsjenniferwinchester

@fromcaintodean @k-slla @jackles010378 @deanbrainrotwritings @alwaystiredandconfused

@mrlonelycat @deans-daydream @leigh70 @aylacavebear @kmc1989

@siampie @rubyvhs @winchestergirl2 @winchester-whiskey

[linkspooky]

THE PHILOSOPHY OF KAGURABACHI

So, Kagurabachi is my favorite manga in shonen jump right now, but my enjoyment of it comes from a different place than most people's. While I liked the first chapter, the manga did not really click for me until chapter 17 when Chihiro was forced to recognize that his enemy had interpreted the actions of his dead father entirely differently, and he was fighting with a conviction too, even if Chihiro did not agree with that conviction.

Since then, Chihiro has slowly been changing his outlook on the world from a simple avenger to acknowledging the complexity of the world around him and this is the most interesting aspect to me - Chihiro and his changing beliefs over the course of the story.

I have been waiting in anticipation for Chihiro's reaction to learning the truth about the war, and the genocide one of the sworsman carried out with his father's weapon. We see his reaction this chapter and I was a little bit surprised to say the least.

Chihiro states that it's wrong to kill all five of the sword-bearers in order to disarm the nukes essentially, remove the potential for anyone else to cause another disaster and wipe out hundreds of thousands of more people. This seems inconsistent with something that has been Chihiro's belief since chapter one, his entire mission is to take his father's swords back in order to make sure they never end up in the wrong hands and can't be used to hurt innocent people.

I had to ask my friend @kaibutsushidousha for Chihiro's reasoning here, but thankfully Comun is really smart and has good taste:

I feel like Chihiro is extremely influentiable. He has a lot of moral opinions inside his head, but can only use one at a time. And the one he holds changes easily depending on the most recent thing people tell him. What he's currently holding is how much he relates to Iori, so he's in it to prevent Iori from losing a father like he did Only once that's resolved that he can start thinking about his other moral opinions that conflict with this one.

When I read that I returned to the question of: what are Chihiro's morals? I finally realized the answer that Chihiro is practicing what we call moral relativism. If we dig in a little deeper we can see some of the ethics and morality that Kagurabachi is exploring in the story as a whole.

LETS TALK ABOUT ETHNICS

Moral philosophy is defined by the oxford dictionary as "sign up to pay a $9.99 subscription in order to read the rest of this article."

Moral philosophy is the study of morals. What people do, how should they act, what principles should guide their lives. Which started out all the way back with Plato who argued for the "form of the Good." Plato was theorizing on where higher-minded ideas like "justice" comes from and his conclusion is that these ideas exist as "Forms", perfect, eternal, and changeless concept existing outside of space and time.

Plato asserts that goodness is a force outside of us, that pushes us to strive towards things like justice. His argument essentially that good is inherent, that people possess the spirit of good inside of them and that drives them to seek out good.

This is what you would refer to as moral absolutes. That morals exist outside of us and they are absolute rules we should follow. "Goodness" isn't just an idea, it's a force which compels us to do good.

Rules like "Don't kill people" are absolute. They don't exist because someone wrote down in a law that it was bad to kill people, but because the moral principle of "don't kill people" is universal and should be followed by everyone.

The question is if these moral principles are absolutes then where do they come from? Plato put forward the idea of an objective moral order linked to a transcendent reality, while Aristotle believed that morality came from objectivity and human nature.

Under Christian doctrine morals are also absolute and there is an idea of good which we all strive for, but the reason those morals are absolute is because they are given to us by god. "Don't kill people" becomes "Thou must not Kill."

The opposite of moral absolutism that morals exist as a set of rigid principles that exist outside of us, is moral relativism. Moral relativists assert that there are not "objective" morals, usually following two basic principles.

1.  Moral judgments are true or false and actions are right or wrong only relative to some particular standpoint (usually the moral framework of a specific community). 2.  No standpoint can be proved objectively superior to any other. [SOURCE].

If I say "killing people is wrong no matter what the situation because human life has inherent value", I'm arguing for moral absolutism. If you rebuttal with "Chihiro was killing human traffickers, who if they had lived would have created more victims" that is an argument for moral relativism.

To dive deeper into moral relativism though, let's explore one of the biggest critics of moral philosophy.

In Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to the Philosophy of the Future, Nietzsche rejected the works of all of the moral philosophers that had come before him, especially to Plato who argued for that "form of goodness." He took a special offense to the idea that good and evil and in the first place. Nietzsche suggested the modern man and the modern philosopher needed to reject good and morality entirely.

"Let us not be ungrateful toward it, althought it must certainly be admitted that the worst, most drawn-out, and most dangerous of errors hitherto has been a dogmatist error- namely, Plato's invention of the Pure Spirit and the Good as such. But now that it has been overcome, when Europe, rid of this nightmare, can again breathe freely and at least enjoy a healthier sleep - we, whose duty is wakefulness itself, are the heirs of all strength which the struggle against this error has fostered. turning the truth on its head and denying perspectivism itself, the fundamental condition of life, to speak of the Spirit and the Good as Plato of spoke.

Nietzsche's took particular umbrage with the idea that good is fundamental and innate. That these are not concepts just made up, but they just exist... somewhere.

"Here we need to learn to think differently, as we have learned to think differently about heredity and "innateness."

In Nietzsche's viewpoint humans aren't rational creatures striving towards some objective good, but rather they are extremely subjective, and all of them fallible to their own personal biases. People aren't driven by the spirit of good, they are driven by emotions and instincts, and their own personal values.

"Conversely, in the philosopher there is absolutely nothing impersonal; and expecially his morality furnishes a decided and decisive testimony as to who he is - that is to say, in what order the innermost drives of his nature relate to others.'

One of these most important drives is what Nietzsche labeled "the drive to power", but it could also be translated as the "drive to agency".

"A living being seeks above all else to discharge its strength - life itself is will to power - self-preservation is only one of the indirect and most frequent results thereof."

A lot of the material covered in this book is a criticism of christian doctrine, which puts forth that we must follow these absolute morals because they are imposed on us by god. Nietzsche pointed out and rightly so that for a large chunk of european history, a peasant class has been ruled over tightly by an aristotcratic class, one that is supported by the church.

His explanation for why the peasants never rebelled against the aristocrats and why this structure remained in place is that christianity wishing to keep the lower class complacent began espousing morals about "turning the other cheek" and "the meek should inherit the earth". Suffering under the boot heel of the rich and not fighting back became a moral virtue. In Nietzsche's mind the church has hoodwinked the general population into believing that instead of rising to power they should remain powerless and suffering in this lifetime, for the reward of happiness in some theoretical afterlife.

"From the beginning, Christian faith is a sacrifice: sacrifice of all freedom, all pride, all self-confidence of spirit; at the same time it is enslavement, self-mockery, and self-mutilation."

I'm not going to go into religious philosophy, but I do think these are important questions to ask. Why does the church tell us we shouldn't envy our neighbor? Why does the church tell us we should not desire for more than we have?

You could apply this very easily to the modern day. Several christians say that trans people are immoral, because god says there are only two genders and these two genders are absolutes there is no wiggle room. Not only is being transgender immoral, but also they have the right to create laws regulating what people do to their own bodies. Governments have to make laws violating people's personal autonomy like this for the greater good? But, for who's greater good is this?

Nietzsche's describes the origin of christian morals as master and slave morality herren- und sklavenmoral. Master and Slave morality has some negative connotations so let's try to explain this using memes instead.

[Source]

Nietzsche's assertion was that the chads of the world don't listen to the church and the people in power telling them that suffering is righteous, that they should fast, and stay impoverished. That they should not make a morality of suffering like it is some kind of virtue.

"It cannot be helped: we must mercilessly call to account and bring justice he sentiments of surrender, the sacrifice for one's neighbor, and all self-renunciation-morality ... There is far too much magic and molasses in these sentiments "for others" and "not for myself" for us to not have to be doubly distrustful...

The chads of the world are out there employing chad morality. They are goated enough to invent their own morals, to think for themselves, and assert their own power. Not only is the nietzschian viewpoint that morality is relative, but also that a free thinker must create their own morals.

Which is where we finally tie this back into the manga, is Chihiro as a character following Nietzschian principles? Is he employing Chad morality to become a truly goated individual?

Has he taken the steps beyond good and evil?

Well, to start with you would have to ask what Chihiro's morals are which is a hard question to answer because they are not consistent. Early on he states that the swords are to: defeat evil and protect the weak. He definitely believes that evil exists.

However, he doesn't view them as absolutes. He admits himself that murder his horrible, that killing people makes him a monster and therefore evil, but he also believes that this evil is killing others can be done to commit good.

There's a pretty obvious contradiction in Chihiro's ideals. He is simultaenously both a killer, but also a hero protecting others. He maintains that same paradoxical view of his father and the other sword-bearers, they are responsible for the deaths of countless people but they are still: "heroes." Chihiro may be going to hell for everyone he has killed, but there's still a nobility to what he is doing.

The idea of going to hell and being punished for his evil means he knows on some level murder is horrible and he'll eventually face punishment for it, but he is going to do it anyway even if he goes to hell?

Is there a paradox to this statement? How can one be a hero and a murderer at the same time? For Nietzsche there isn't. Nietzsche would argue that following christianity's ideas of meekness and turning the other cheek you can never be a hero, and the only way to be a hero is to transgress.

That the only people truly capable of being heroic are not those who passively turn the other cheek, but those who have the strength to to fight back and assert themselves.

"A man who seeks to achieve goathood, looks upon every one whom he encounters on his way either as a means of advance or a delay and hindrance - or as a temporary resting-place. His characteristic, lofty kindness to his fellow-men is only possible once he has reached the height from which he rules."

So, let's touch briefly upon Chihiro's choices again. Chihiro's father is murdered and he is left alive with a scar, and all the blades his father made to end the war are stolen by criminals except for one. Chihiro could have gone into witness protection like Iori and lived a normal life. You could see that in one of two ways, Chihiro is deciding to be above revenge and trying not to continue the cycle of harm. Or you could see it as Chihiro passively accepting all of the harm that's done to him, shutting up and taking it instead of choosing to fight back against the evil done to him.

Chihiro has a second choice which is assert his will-to-power, and evolve into Chadhiro someone who has the power to fight for what he believes is moral.

A man who says: "I like that, I take it as my own. nd will guard and protect it from everyone", a man who can conduct a case, carry out a resolution, remain true to an idea, keep hold of a woman, punish and overthrow insolence, a man who has his indignation and his sword, and to whom the weak, the suffering, the oppressed and even the animals willingly submit and naturally belong; in short, a man who is a master by nature- when such a man has sympathy well! That sympathy has value.

Because Chihiro embraced Chad morality and became the Chadhiro, he gained the power and strength to help people, people who would not have been helped if he did not decide to become an avenger.

So you may ask in the first chapter what does it matter that Chihiro did not quibble over slaughtering human traffickers in the first chapter? He was using his power to do what he thought was right, killing criminals in order to prevent them from selling any more human beings in the future.

Then I would ask: Who gets to decide whether they deserve to live or die?

The Nietzschian response is Chihiro does. Chihiro decides his own morals for himself, and has the power to assert them over others. In fact if he didn't, he would be completely ineffectual. If Chihiro passively turned the other cheek and forgave his enemies, then he would not have the power to help anyone.

Is there something wrong with this? As we see in the story, Chihiro is very principled, he hates unnecessary killing, he has sympathy for people like Hakuri and Iori and won't sacrifice them for the greater good.

He's even capable of putting aside his revenge if it means saving people like Hakuri and Iori. If all morality is relative, then isn't Chihiro just doing what everyone does, deciding for himself in the moment what is moral and what is not?

Even in opposing Samura's decision to disarm the nukes that could potentially blow up the country at some point in the future Chihiro is raising an interesting point, is it fair that an orphan like Iori has to lose her father because of a danger he might represent? Is it alright to trample over an orphaned little girl and take her father away?

If Chihiro has the power to protect the people he wants to protect, to punish the people he sees doing evil and harming innocents, then what is wrong with him asserting this power even if it means killing people?

Is the option to choose to passively suffer somehow more noble?

"It has the same effect on them as Epicurean philosophy on the sufferers of higher order by refreshing, refining and effectively using suffering and finally even sanctifying and justifying it. There is perhaps nothing so admirable in Christianity and Budhism as the art of teaching even the lowest to elevate themselves by a piety to a higher, illusory order of things and thereby keep themselves satisfied with the actual world in which they live in great hardship - but precisely this hardship is necessary!"

Well alright, it seems like we've got this figured out. Chihiro is someone we can trust, because he creates his own morals and he has freed himself from the biases society's morals. We can trust he will do good, because he has the strength to always think for himself and follow his own morals and he doesn't submit to anyone else. Chihiro would never submit to anyone else's morals, and he would especially never join a shady government organization that was totally cool with doing nothing when humans were being sold on an auction block in the auction arc.

Oh, wait hang on a second.

DR. STRANGELOVE: OR HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB

The flaw with moral relativism is that it is at best incoherent and vague. Let's take the nietzschian argument, if there are special people in this world who have the right to transgress over other people in order to achieve great things, like the way Chihiro has murdered so many in order to achieve his revenge then how do you distinguish that type of special person from a normal person.

"They begin executing other people?" "If it's necessary; indeed, for the most part they do. Your remark is very witty." "Thank you. But tell me this: how do you distinguish those extraordinary people from the ordinary ones? Are there signs at their birth? I feel there ought to be more exactitude, more external definition. Excuse the natural anxiety of a practical law-abiding citizen, but couldn't they adopt a special uniform, for instance, couldn't they wear something, be branded in some way? For you know if confusion arises and a member of one category imagines that he belongs to the other, begins to 'eliminate obstacles' as you so happily expressed..." Crime and Punishment

This quotation is taken from Crime and Punishment where the main character Raskolnikov is discussing with a detective his theory that certain people have the inherent right to remove obstacles out of their way in order to achieve greatness. The detective's counter argument is the obvious: Well, what makes them so great exactly?

Well, from Nietzsche's perspective there are in our society members descended from an ancient Aryan race... wait, what?

"Was Nietzsche Woke?" Philosophytube

Nietzsche died in 1900, but fascists loved using his ideas as justification for their actions, especially Hitler and Mussolini. Does that make Nietzsche specifically responsible for it, well not really because he's dead.

Instead of discussing whether Nietzsche's ideas are inherently fascist which I think is a boring discussion, I am going to touch why fascists find these concepts of moral relativism and nietzsche's rejection of morality so applicable to their won ideas and the answer is that it's vague. If your entire belief system is just "everything is relative" then you're not really operating under any kind of consistent rules.

Trying to string together a consistent ideology from Nietzsche's writings is hard because so many of its writings contradict itself, that his message becomes very vague. Trying to describe what moral relativists believe is like trying to describe post-modernism or porn to other people, I don't know how to describe it but I know it when I see it.

I talked about how earlier that if you reject the notion that "Thou must not kill", then Chihiro has every right to assert his power over the human traffickers and kill them in order to punish them. Yet, if as Nietzsche argues that the "drive to power" exists within everyone then what about the human traffickers? Don't they have the same "drive to power" and right to assert their power over other people, in this case by kidnapping humans and selling them in order to make money? If there are no objective morals, then slavery isn't objectively evil either. Neither Chihiro or the Human Traffickers are good or evil, they are just both asserting their power. Then Chihiro isn't the moral victor, he's just STRONGER than them.

"All morals are relative" is in itself, paradoxically, a moral absolute. As much as Nietzsche challenges us confront our own biases and challenge what society taught us to think for ourselves, there's also no such thing as an unbiased person. If you read Nietzsche's work, a lot of what he says is also parroting pretty common attitudes of Jewish people at the time in germany.

Chihiro is definitely not unbiased either, he is extremely biased by his hero worship towards his father. So far we have seen him completely sidestep the greatest moral dilemna of this entire manga.

When Oppenheimer was released, a lot of Japanese people protested the movie, especially the decision to focus on the man who made the bomb instead of the over 200,000 victims that the bomb created.

The swords are nukes. They are explicitly nukes. They were dropped on an island nation and wiped out the entirety of the population in order to end a war. Nothing short of godzilla crawling out of the water to attack Chihiro could make them more obviously a metaphor for nukes. 200,000 is around the estimated number of dead at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The enemy had surrendered, a peace treaty was signed to preserve the civilians of the island, and then one of the five swordsmen decided that was not good enough and killed 200,000 people in an instant.

Who's fault was this?

Well, one obvious one is the guy who made the nukes in the first place. If that weapon had never been placed in the hand of the fifth swordsmen, then he never would have had the means to kill an island full of 200,000 people.

The justification that the Kamunabi give is that they needed the magical swords in order to fight off the invaders, and if they didn't have those swords the number of casualties would be much higher.

I am an American and this is the exact same justification I have heard over and over again for Nagasaki and Hiroshima. "Well, the japanese never surrender so way more people would have died in a land invasion if we didn't drop the bombs."

The underlying point though is that if you decide who gets to do what based upon who has the power to do it, then that very quickly slides into fascism. Why did the last swordsman decide that he had the right to kill 200,000 people because someone gave him the power to. He used his power to do what he believed was right even if it means stepping on other people, and eliminate his enemy.

Is Chihiro killing criminals the same thing as killing an entire island's worth of people? Not necessarily, but in principle Chihiro is killing people because he believes he has the right for himself to decide who lives and who dies, and the way he asserts that right is by power.

Am I being reactionary by saying that Chihiro's philosophy that he is entitled to revenge resembles fascist ideology and can spiral out of control into fascist ideology? Well, maybe - but objectively right now Chihiro is working for a government that committed a genocide against a nation of 200,000 people that they had signed a peace treaty with and then covered up the fact that they committed that genocide in the first place.

It's also very easy to fall right down that slippery slope. Fascism is very appealing to people who are feel they have been injured or victimized by something, and want the power to take vengeance against that vague something.

Chihiro would not kill civilians right now, he draws the line very clearly and will even give his life to protect civilians but it is also true that Chihiro is not unbiased and his morals are very bendy.

As I said above, Chihiro says he that he will do anything to protect innocent people, but if that's the case then shouldn't he be in support of killing Samura and disarming the nukes even if it means all the swordwielders have to die?

He is making a personal judgement that Iori is more important than the potential deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people, not based off of any ethical principle but because his dad died and he relates to Iori and she also loved her father.

Chihiro's morals are not consistent and well-thought out, and that is dangerous because Chihiro doesn't really submit to anyone's authority other than his own and he definitely does not follow due process. We as the reader have to trust Chihiro's judgements that he is a moral person, but Chihiro is biased.

Chihiro is currently working for the government organization that decided to cover up their mistake in killing an island full of people, use the heroes as propaganda and brand the island dwellers as inhuman savages, and then not disarm the nukes.

Why didn't they disarm the nukes? Is it because the government thought it was unfair to kill the four other heroes for the actions of one of the swordwielders and that they didn't deserve to be punished for rewarding their country? Or is it because of the much more likely reason that they didn't want to give up the magical swords that could completely wipe out an enemy army if they ever needed to use them for self-defense again?

For example, if the Kamunabi had done the opposite then what then? What if the Kamunabi had arrested Chihiro's father in front of his son, dragged him into court, gave him a fair trial and then decided to hang him for his crimes against humanity in his decision to build the bomb I mean the swords.

If that had happened would Chihiro have accepted the decision, or would we be reading an entirely different manga where Chihiro was fighting against the government in order to avenge his father?

That's a hard question to answer, because Chihiro's morals are so vague and easy to influence. Hopefully Chihiro will figure it out for himself over the course of the story, because as badass as Chihiro saying that he'll choose to face god and walk backwards into hell in order to get his revenge I think it would be much better if he found some other reason to live for revenge by the end of the story.

[vesseloflukola]

It’s not believable is it? Maybe it is not supposed to be…

Whatever is actually going on bts at the moment, I get the impression that Nic and Luke can’t give us actual crumbs right now. I think they are currently leaving things to the critical thinkers.

I want to address their outfits…both for the British Vogue & Netflix BAFTA party and the BAFTAs themselves..

Their outfits for both the party and the BAFTAs coordinated with one another. They were very couple coded. We didn’t get any pictures of the two of them together at the party or at the BAFTAs.

We know that their stylists talk and that they coordinated Luke and Nic’s looks while they were on the WT and at the two premieres for Season 3. Their stylists did a great job!

Why are Nic and Luke still being styled to coordinate?? If they really wanted to sell that they are ONLY co-workers and that Luke is with someone else, their stylists would make sure that their outfits didn’t coordinate in any way. Better yet, they might style them so that they clashed if they were photographed together.

I believe that a NDA is in place and I believe as part of that NDA Luke has to do certain things to get A some kind of attention and recognition. I believe he has been checking off a lot of boxes lately.

However, I am now of the opinion that even though Luke and Nic can’t give us outright crumbs, that they CAN give us hints. I believe these hints are for those of us in the Lukola fan base who are paying attention. I think the coordinated outfits are one of these hints.

I think Luke doesn’t necessarily have to be believable in his “relationship” with A. I think he may just have to check off the boxes of the agreement. I DO think that there are a lot of people who somehow DO believe that the narrative he is trying to sell is real. I think thats enough for A.

Let’s be honest, I think they know we are the “delulu” fandom who look for reflections in silverware and glasses. I think they realize that we are super analytical and we already figured them out a long time ago.

We know they and their teams are all over SM (including Tumblr) and see our theories. I do think they have used some of our blogs and comments as “feedback” to help sell things a little more, but I don’t think WE are the ones they are trying to sell anything to. We are a smaller group of “truthers” and we know what we know based on all that we have seen.

I also believe that they have people around them (MUAs, friends like JVN, etc.) who help give us hints as well. I think they do it with songs they post and carefully worded posts and stories. I think all we need to do is pay attention and not spiral as we wait for the truth to be revealed.

[centrally-unplanned]

I don't really have anything big to add to Scott's Curtis Yarvin call-out that isn't really already in the post, which is just something someone had to write "for the record". Curtis Yarvin is, of course, an absolute joke of a thinker - but Scott was the person to write this post because he likes the joke. I respect that, a lot, because writing - even nonfiction writing - is primarily entertainment, and you really shouldn't delude yourself otherwise. I don't like Curtis Yarvin, I find his prose insufferable, but there are people like Yarvin who I enjoy who bat about as well on the accuracy scoreboards - The Last Psychiatrist is my own Yarvin-like, someone with impeccable prose who never cared about proving any of their points beyond what was needed for the punchline. Reading a hater who can't see that is like listening to someone's opinion on anime who thinks finding 2D girls hot is Fake News; they aren't capable of "getting it" enough for their opinion to register.

Scott gets it, Scott likes Yarvin, he has read his duct-tape edifice on how you can do "Dictatorship - but Good This Time!" with joy and attention. Which is why he is the best-positioned to call him out for being an absolute sell-out who has contradicted virtually everything he ever wrote in his glory days. Which he obviously has, but someone making the case with citations is valuable proof for your instincts.

Tracing Woodgrains noted that the framing of "selling out" is not cynical enough, that all of Yarvin's contextual caveats and exhortations for apolitical excellence were just a smokescreen, a pretextual shield against criticisms from the liberals as he smuggled populist authoritarianism through the door. To me, this debate is a distinction without a difference because they buy into the idea that 2000's Yarvin was serious at all to begin with. You think the guy writing headlines like these:

Was trying to maximize his odds of building a new political movement? Of course not - he was writing coolboy headlines to set you up for his edgy zinger punchlines about how slavery was good. I am sure he dreamed, like all writers did, but he was far too intelligent to ever think those dreams would really go anywhere in the real. Dude was blogging on the internet. This was a hobby, for fun, and for influence amoung bloggers. And what made it fun was all the complicated rules and nth-level steps to make the system bespoke - if you just said "kill everyone who opposes you" you don't have a blog, you have a tweet. Everything was in service of making good posts.

And then reality decided to punk itself and a cultural wave of conspiracy-brained charlatans took over the American Right and were happy to smash any square peg into the gaping maw of it round, sucking void of aggrieved, performative destruction that didn't care enough to protest. Yarvin nearly missed it happening, running some fringe programming start-up for more than half a decade while the New Right cast about for slightly-less-embarrassing justifications for its illiberalism. But fate gave him a pass on that, this is his time; and now he has to, essentially, pretend he is part of a movement he is in fact tangential to.

You see how that isn't selling out or pretextual? The entire job has changed. None of this fits. Certainly, it is a form of selling out - but entertaining blog posts are not convictions one can really sell. Certainly, it is a form of latent authoritarianism - but entertaining blog posts aren't actual policy platforms one can really dog whistle. That applies far too much agency to any of this - Yarvin has no business being in the room in 2025. Mencius Moldbug isn't even here anymore.

You can really see that in his response to Scott's post, which Hanania neatly mocks. It is basic-bitch culture war anti-elite nonsense that contradicts itself on even a cursory Google check, because it is just barely-warmed-over leftovers from other New Right thinkers. There is no prose here, no effort, no joy. These tweets are 9-to-5. This is a new guy; one that just isn't nearly as fun.

[ghostinthelibrarywrites]

Chapter Two of Wedding Vows and Other Lies has been posted, in which Charles makes a (maybe terrible) decision, Crystal has opinions, and Edwin is menaced by a child's toy.

Excerpt:

“Right, mate,” Charles whispers. “Hear me out.” “Hear you out ?” Edwin shoves a wool coat that smells like mothballs out of his face. Judging by the dust hanging heavy in the air, Walter’s coat closet hasn’t been cleaned out in many years. “Have you gone mad, Charles? What are you doing ?” “Saving you from your shit family, that’s what.” Edwin pinches the bridge of his nose and takes a deep breath, immediately regretting it when he inhales a good deal of dust and begins to choke. Once he recovers himself, he demands, “By proposing?” “It’s like they said, isn’t it? You need to marry someone to inherit. I’m volunteering.” “Volun—Charles, you cannot just marry me!” Edwin realizes his voice is too loud, especially since there’s surely someone outside the closet attempting to eavesdrop, and lowers it to a whisper. “This is absurd.” “Why not?” Charles actually sounds hurt. “I can sign something, if you want, saying I won’t try to take all the money.” “Of course you don’t need to sign anything.” There’s no one Edwin trusts more than Charles. “But you can’t actually want this.” “Course I do. If anyone deserves ten million pounds, a summer house, and a fucking castle—” “It’s not a castle.”  “—It’s you, not those knobs out there. Think about it, mate. Ten million pounds, you’d have all the time in the world to work on your next book. We wouldn’t have to live in Crystal’s in-law suite anymore. And it’d piss your family off, which I think makes it all worth it.” “But marriage—” “Crystal already says we’re like an old married couple on acid. What’s the difference?” “Actual matrimony is the difference.”

[balrogballs]

What do you think about people who don't condone sibling incest?

Firstly I missed your calming presence, my dear incest anon back from hell 🥺❤️

Secondly, the one thing about this website that I find so difficult to understand as a recent transplant is why on earth there are real humans who act like “I do not condone sibling incest” is some kind of resistance slogan they’re chanting on underground insurgent radio like brave activists deserving of commendation, risking life and limb to break free of the Incest Carceral State which locks people up if they don’t write at least one mandatory story every fortnight about Tweedledum and Tweedledee fingering each other…

…as opposed to the default opinion that most people subscribe to when it comes to real-life sibling incest, including those creative souls who do actually write stories about Tweedledum and Tweedledee fingering each other. Like congratulations, Incest Gandhi, the torchbearer of genetic diversity, you have broken free from the yoke of government mandated brotherfucking.

[cerastes]

Any thoughts on stronghold protocol?

I think it's very fun and an excellent concept, but it needs fine tuning if they want to make it a permanent mode.

The concept is solid and I love it: Familiar units work differently because 1) of the auto-battler nature of it, where you set up everything and then let the game do its thing, especially important in this being the fact that skills activate based on effective auto attack range, and 2) there's no distinction between melee and ranged tile, and the maps are linear, simple rows that are designed around you having to necessarily meet the enemy yes or yes.

That in of itself is fun thanks to the variety of units and restrictions placed on the usual rules of engagement: You need to make sure your unit can actually activate their skill in a meaningful way, so you can't put Goldenglow or Laptop on the far back and global snipe, they won't activate unless an enemy enters their range. There's also a fun team-building aspect, more micro and immediate than Integrated Strategies, since you know what you'll be fighting from second 1 instead of having to gimmickproof your party in case of X or Y, with X or Y perhaps never happening in your run (ie: getting an Anti-Gopnik setup ASAP in IS3 if going for Last Knight ending). The items, cost opportunity, and ability to deploy doubles or make a strong Operator out of having three of them all make for a fun time, plus, every Operator costs 3 Coins no matter their Tier, meaning there's a very explicit incentive for you to upgrade your Supply Level ASAP so you can start getting those Tier VI Operators.

Now, what are the mode's weaknesses? Well, it's very hard to bounce back from a bad hand. If you just don't get something decent in the first 4 rounds, it's VERY hard to come back from that. You do have multiple lives and some rounds you just gotta lose and try again later, but if you didn't manage to win against an enemy, your odds are Very Bad for the next round because now they are even stronger while you may not increase in power significantly; Rerolling the shop is very cheap at 1 coin, which is encouraged until you can get a unit or item you can use, but at the same time, the deeper you go into the match, the more necessary it becomes to be able to make triples to get enhanced stats and free high rarity recruits, because Beagle can only tank for so long before she starts getting Bloodline of Combat'd out of existence in three attacks. In other words, RNG plays a huge, huge role, which is to be expected in a game mode that is as auto as its ever gotten in a game that has always had execution be involved in its endgame, but at the same time, it wouldn't kill to add some more consistency to your matches, such as the ability to spend perhaps 3-4 coins for a reroll that guarantees a Supply Level Tier recruit or a Supply Level -1 recruit, making it so you can pay a significantly more steep price in order to get something that's more likely to start paying dividends back when you are already on the back foot.

Now, this isn't an issue with Normal Mode, because that one isn't overtuned. It's Hard Mode (or Core Protocol) that really needs some fine tuning. I'm lenient on it because, well, it's literally the Hard Mode, it's meant to be hard and I want it to be more difficult, but there is a huge disparity in difficulty when it comes to the possible factions you are fighting: Hard Mode Sarkaz + Convicts is way, way easier than Hard Mode Sankta or Icefield + Anything. Sankta are insanely difficult, FAR more than any of the other factions in my opinion, with an enemy that's bulky, needs 4 block, and restocks Ammo to enemies that can use it meaning the Bomb Car Carts can produce infinite Bomb Cars to nuke the hell out of your composition, when they express counter to Bomb Cars is to not block them in the first place... Which is impossible due to the way the maps are built, as mentioned before. The way the HP scaling works, you'll never be able to meaningfully kill the Bomb Cars consistently before you get nuked, made all the more difficult by the Sankta units also including the Stun Crossbowmen from the Schwarz event and the freaking Lost Colossus from IS2 for some reason, so you are constantly eating long Stuns while you get Zerg Rushed by Bomb Cars that explode for lots of damage if blocked, or take Lives if they get past you, either because all your Block is already taken, or because your entire line is Stunned. Mind you, not even having two S3 Lumen is enough to take on this onslaught, as once you start actually blocking the Crossbows, they will stun their blocked, making for just too many units for Lumen to unstun, even when cloned. The only counterplay is literally to just have gotten a broken set up before this escalates. Which is... Kinda ass from a player experience perspective. I understand it's Hard Mode, but losing to the game not giving you the perfect storm of things you need, a very unlikely molotov cocktail of Operators and Items, to meaningfully play against this raw amount of units and crowd control, can be very frustrating. It's like I'm really playing late Overwatch 1 with all this crowd control.

In many ways, it's very reminiscent of SSS 1.0 where it was just very, very unfun because you could just get absolutely shafted by bad luck and Physical Damage was worthless. Unlike SSS 1.0, however, this is a temporary mode that they can refine and rebalance for an eventual permanent addition, which I think would be very, very fun. Overall, I love the game mode, and I hope they make it permanent. Right now, I think Hard Mode should be taken as something truly difficult, and Normal Mode for general play, because Hard Mode is pretty overtuned to the point where even factions that aren't the Evil Two, like Sarkaz, can completely shit over you with their Lifesteal guys, and if you get to Round 13 and have no counter to Mudrock, good fucking luck.

[vampiricalxdata]

“This could be a trap to get you and Nichole.”

“No, not him.”

“You’re lying to yourself.”

It’s the 2nd episode of season 6. After a seemingly impossible reunion between mother and daughter, this line stings like a slap in the face.

It’s inflammatory. It’s accusatory.

It’s also loaded as fuck.

And it stands on the back of everything the audience has seen and learned.

Holly: The Activist. The Mother.

(In that order.)

In season 2, we get to learn a bit more about Holly. We know she’s a doctor and a feminist. We know it was her connections that help Luke and June nearly escape. Now, though, we get to know what kind of mother she was.

Baggage (2x03) starts with June in the Boston Globe. She’s trying to understand Gilead, how it came to be. She remembers her mom taking her to a Take Back the Night rally and it’s an admission of admiration. For her strength and bravery and passion.

But then it’s followed by her voicing to Nick the shame she feels leaving Hannah behind. He tells her it’ll be better for everyone. (And at this point Serena is reaching her peak cruelty so he might be right.) But June rebuts. “Better never means better for everyone.” Thanks for that one Fred. And all he can do is hold her. Because they both know there is no right answer. There’s just taking the next step forward.

So June spends the rest of her escape trying to find a way to be okay with it by reflecting on her relationship with Holly. Which, evidentially, is a complicated one.

June struggles to meet the expectations of her mother. Holly fails to see the value in her daughter.

It’s not without love, though. And by the end, June recalls a happy memory. Driving with Holly down an open road, bare feet on the dashboard, Gwen Stefani playing in the background. It’s silly and happy and free.

But it does begin a reoccurring pattern for the pair. Because despite the love, they’re at constant odds.

Holly’s unimpressed by June’s publishing job. She disapproves of June’s marriage to Luke. Admonishes her for having Hannah baptized.

And we never really see June defend herself against the criticisms. Not in the kitchen, when she masks her hurt over Holly’s opinions of her job and future marriage. Not in the church, where she chooses to shush her mom rather than state her reasons for doing it.

Holly frames the choices as frivolous and passive.

“It’s time to get out in the street and fight, not play house.”

It’s an unfair assessment that ironically disregards June’s agency. But it’s also not made lightly.

And later, while talking to Moira in the red center, June concedes to Holly.

“You were right,” Moria says.

“So was she,” June admits.

It’s as close to a compromise as these two ever really get. It becomes a spark in June’s transformation.

And by the time she gets to Alaska, June’s no longer the woman she was. She’s not the woman who “played house.” She’s not the woman being led blindly from point A to point G, like in Baggage.

June’s a legend in her own right. She’s saved kids and marthas. She’s survived Serena and Fred; torture and bombs. She’s pissed off Gilead so much so that they’re sending assassins to Canada. And she has, not one, but two commanders in her pocket— Lawrence and Nick.

But Holly doesn’t know any of that. She doesn’t know how her daughter changed.

“You’re not a spy. You’re not a soldier.”

“You don’t really know what I’ve done mom.”

And that’s the moment Holly learns about Nick.

Not “Mom I’ve been psychologically tortured within an inch of my life when they made me and all the other handmaids think we were getting executed.” Not “Mom I was waterboarded.” Not “Mom, I organized getting 80+ kids out.” Not “Mom, I’m the reason those letters made it outand Nick helped.”

Because it’s too late for explanations. Their base dynamic already reared its ugly head:

The critical mother; The daughter who won’t stand up for her choices.

“Drivers are eyes.”

Yes, thanks for that information. This is definitely news. June stays silent.

“And now he’s a commander.”

June is receiving the full weight of what this implies.

“This could he a trap to get you and Nichole.”

That gets a reaction.

“No,” she laughs.

Because the idea of Nick trying to trap them? Insane. Unbelievable. The literal antithesis of everything Nick has done. I don’t even know that Bizarro World!Nick would pull that.

But instead of saying that, she’s bound to the same cyclical pattern she and Holly always end up at.

With a slight change, because this time she reverse Uno cards Holly.

“You have to show up and fight.”

“I was wrong…All you can do is survive and protect the people that you love.”

“All you can do is survive and protect the people that you love.”

Sound familiar?

The fight devolves quickly after that.

You’re fucking a n*zi.

You abandoned me.

Words meant to wound. Statements that beg for context.

Is he a fascist? Or was he just trying to survive and protect the ones he loves?

Did she abandon June? Or did she think she was leading by example?

Questions that ultimately go unanswered even at their resolution. Because June and Holly don’t bend to the other’s perspective. Because Holly doesn’t trust her daughter to make informed decisions. And June doesn’t trust her mother to hear her when she talks.

Instead, they return to territory they’re familiar with.

“No mother is ever completely a child’s idea of what a mother should be. And I suppose it works the other way round as well.” -Baggage, 2x03

Only this time, despite the struggle to accept the other’s POV (old habits die hard), they find common ground in baby Holly’s safety.

And for them, that’s enough.

For now, that’s enough.

“Raise your daughter to be a feminist. She spends all her time needing to be rescued by men.”

It’s worth noting: This is the first time June is ever confronted about Nick.

Luke would rather not bring him up at all, except when necessary for Hannah. Tuello seems to have fairly positive opinions on him, if at least an understanding of the moral ambiguity that goes with the role. And if Moira has reservations we certainly never hear it.

Up until now she’s toed a line with Nick & Luke, letting her geographic location make the choice for her. When she’s in Gileadand no man’s land, she’s with Nick. In Canada, she’s with Luke.

But season 4 ends with a definitive blurring of that line via the location of a literal one: No man’s land. An area that goes on to serve as the back drop for a number of trysts (Fred’s death) and collusions (Noah’s birth).

So, what does that mean for June?

As the series comes to a close, she stands at the precipice of her role as both revolutionary and leader.

And as all of these threads of the story come to a head in New Bethlehem, there’s a glaring problem; a defining choice she has yet to make.

A choice that at first glance appears to be purely romanticnot that there’s anything wrong if it was. A choice rooted in self actualization.

She’s not just picking a partner, she’s choosing the person she wants to be.

Luke & June: A leader. His right hand.

With Luke, she has a tendency to defer to him. To be more passive. It’s a role they’re both used to.

So when they’re reunited, they clash.

And while Luke is more or less who he was, June is far from the woman he knew.

This June is filled with so much unadulterated rage that she is sincerely incapable of containing it.

She’s strategic and fierce, and sometimes cruel. And try as she might to find her way back, Gilead is always there. Taunting her and twisting the knife.

And even when they find new ground, even when Serena gets to Luke and they march off into no man’s land, he’s still trying to lead June.

They dance and sing in the abandoned bowling alley, despite her protest. When they get caught by dollar store Fred, there’s no strategizing how to get out. And rather than listen to June about how to act, he ignores her.

Then when he decides to join Mayday, it’s not hand in hand with June.

“It’s my turn to fight for Hannah.”

Not, let’s do it together. Not, we’re partners in this.

Luke is angry. He intends to be a leader. He intends to be impressive and useful.

It’s admirable.

But he’s as naive as he was the day Zoe stopped him in season 1. And June —the new June— doesn’t soften blows. She tells him he doesn’t know what he’s getting into. Just like Zoe did.

And this dynamic only serves to pull them apart.

Because for June and Luke, the relationship they had has fossilized. Their connecting factor is Hannah. And as important as it is, it can’t save them when they’ve become so different.

If they can’t move forward together, what is it they gain from preservation?

Nick & June: A partnership. A team.

Which brings us to Nick.

The fascist commander of Gilead.

The soldier prodigy who couldn’t keep a job.

The emotional mess who couldn’t get through a temp agency interview without it getting physical but was even tempered enough to be a key player in the destruction of one country and construction of another.

The driver so astute and so important to the cause he wasn’t issued a woman in the three years Gilead existed.

A man so dedicated to Gilead he risked his life to get his girlfriend and baby out (2x) because he knows it’s not a good place?

A man who lives in so much grey you’d think it was a DesiLu production. *cue crickets*

In truth, the fog surrounding Nick is speculation buried in inflammatory language. So, instead we focus on what we know.

Ironically, what we know about Nick can be summed up in a single line spoken by the same woman who called him a n*zi.

“All you can do is survive and protect the people that you love.”

Because that’s what Nick does.

He did it when he fell prey to the Sons of Jacob to support his dad and brother. He did it when he went to Mayday to get June out. Twice.

And not for nothing, but when June showed up at that plane in Baggage, another driver showed up, too. Another driver who was an obvious stand in for Nick. A driver who was shot and dragged out from the plane just before they captured June.

Point to Nick, because he doesn’t just protect the people he loves, he survives while doing it. And June, is the exact same in that regard.

Whatever compromises she has to make, whatever parts of herself she has to sacrifice, is worthwhile if it means getting a step closer to Hannah.

Whatever it takes.

And Nick accepts that. Even if it means trying to free her from Gilead prison. Because his role with her was always clear. He doesn’t lie to her, doesn’t tell her what to do or how to act (except when advising her on how to be safe). He never admonishes her for leaving baby Holly with Emily. And when she pushes back at him at the Boston Globe, he gives her his gun. But he doesn’t stop her.

Because he never stops her.

Because Nick knows exactly who June is. And he may not know what crazy shit she’ll pull next but he knows she will. And he accepts it because he accepts her.

And in exchange, June has offered him purpose. A family. A reason. “More than this bullshit life.” And what a motivator it’s been.

Because as a team, June and Nick strengthen each other. Even apart, their influence is palpable.

It took Tuello 2 minutes in a room with Nick and unconscious June to see it. It took Lawrence even less.

Because together, they’re partners.

[a-man-in-the-crowd]

Plural Lenore Plural Lenore Plural Lenore? Talk more about that

this reminded me that i STILL haven't made that long post about why i think lenore is plural guys i'm 💔

an assorted list of things that make me think lenore is plural (only off the top of my head, there's probably other stuff i'm forgetting rn) for the sake of answering your question anon:

in multiple episodes we see her 'inner voice' speaking, often addressing her as 'you' as if the voice is someone separate (annabel has had her inner voice shown once too but that was one time when she was spiralling)

in earlier episodes the inner voice's colour seems to shift

adding onto this, in my opinion it seems there are MULTIPLE of those inner voices. i don't have my notebook on me rn but i believe the three i picked out were the problem-solver voice, the observer voice, and the self-doubt voice

self-doubt voice specifically tends to refer to lenore as 'you'

in episode four, lenore goes through her suitcase and wonders "what kind of person even was i" in a way that suggests she'd never own this stuff — which is odd, because later we see morella immediately identify her locket. i don't see much reason why lenore's stuff wouldn't be stuff she'd want with her, especially considering the two other suitcases we've seen have stuff that definitely belongs to their owners

in the ring the bell arc annabel lee says something very odd: "you look like lenore. you speak like lenore does. you act like lenore, especially around everybody else. but there's something missing."

just the WHOLE THING about leo

like the vibes between leo and lenore are so different that other people have differentiated them

the fact lenore's inner voice says her mother always said she was touched in the head makes me think there's been Something with her for a while and cdds are known to develop in childhood

there's a some tiny little interactions lenore has with herself that makes me go "real."

the beginning of the dementophobia trial where she's trying to console her past self and literally talks to her like she's a separate person... and the past self responds in kind

hope you enjoy anon! <3 i really do wanna make a longer, more organized post abt it but i have sm on my to-do list. i'll really really try though bc this is a hc i hold very dear to me and it feels strange i haven't gotten to properly sharing it yet