#but that shouldn't affect places that HAVE

[saveourskinship]

The hīkoi also travels the length of the country. We are a nation of islands and yet the hīkoi marches.

Every member of the hīkoi will have touched places some MPs have only ever heard or but not seen with their own eyes.

And they are walking. MPs fly in, fly out, drive everywhere, disrespecting the environment with their pollution and usually only visit the urban centres or the tourist hubs.

The hīkoi will go to the small towns who survive of strength of will and love of tradition alone. The places too small to be deemed worthy of government aid.

At the hīkoi yesterday, one thing that surprised me (though it shouldn't have) was the cleanliness. The majority or people were respectful and carried their trash with them.

Yesterday, the protest did not end at Parliament. The hīkoi travelled to Waitangi Paek and held a concert. This is significant. Waiata (song) in integral to Māori culture to begin and close an official setting. In my organisation we perform karakia to open and close our formal meetings and say karakia kai before group meals.

Having the Te Whanganui a Tara (Wellington) leg of the hīkoi end in concert peacefully ensured the protest did not endanger anyone Parliament workers while celebrating Māori culture.

Also this is not just Māori. Pasifika flags were flown, Palestine flags, Rainbow flags, Australian indigenous flags. I saw Niue, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Tokelau, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji to name but a few. Yes, the Treaty Principles Bill affects Te Tiriti but we see it for what it is - a symbol of snowballing. Where they come after one, they come after all.

We stand, we fight - with mana and words, we fight - and we march.

Kia kaha - stay strong.

I think there's something very frustrating about how so many activist events, like the haka in the New Zealand parliament, are brushed off as spontaneous acts of passion instead of carefully planned and coordinated efforts. I see it a lot of with indigenous activists especially, and it feels like a lot of people lean on that idea because they like the romantic idea of activism being spontaneous passion but it's incredibly infantalizing to ignore the efforts that these activists and protestors and politicians put into making these things happen, making their voices heard and preparing their communities and allies to stand as a united front when it's time.

[theoncomingchaos]

Easy steps that could have improved the Lucanis Romance

Pacing:

Make the cake scene the first romance scene. He cooks little treats for everyone anyway. It would be a good friendly scene that gives a chance to build the relationship. We could see that Lucanis cares and is paying attention to what Rook likes, give Rook another chance to flirt, and let us see that small uncertain smile to make it clear Lucanis is interested but hesitant. Maybe a companion makes a comment about how much more effort he put into Rook's dessert than theirs. Lucanis quickly escapes the room with Spite telling him to turn around and offer to hand feed Rook. Spite is a menace.

Make the wall scene the commitment scene, but don't break Lucanis's character. He isn't good at romance, he has no experience with it, he wants it so badly and has read romance novels, but he shouldn't be confident and suave about seduction. Not after what happened with Viago. Instead, have a talk about why Lucanis has been distant and hesitant, allow Rook to reassure him, then let Lucanis so, so happily give in.

In the cafe scene, let us really talk about Spite's place in the relationship and learn more about how they are actually doing. Particularly, how they affect one another.

Let us kiss and chat to our L1 whenever we are at the lighthouse. Let us ask about their lives, factions, etc. Maybe Lucanis can invite us to the book club!

Additional Scenes I wanted:

Romantic gondola scene! After we escape the Crow party let us have a moonlit gondola scene!

Cooking together for the team. Flirty flour fight included. If Rook ends up on the counter all the better.

Varric warning us to be careful with him and comparing him to Anders. Yes, I know the truth, yes I am in denial. Real or not I want it. Continue the tradition!

More of Viago's reaction about a Rook de Riva and Lucanis being a thing. We could see him find out about it and then maybe in a banter Lucanis could mention having been threatened. Maybe Lucanis could even talk about the irony of the fact that his first crush was a de Riva and now his first love is a different de Riva. Rook actually chimes in: "I would have appreciated the dagger." "I'll get you an even better one next time we are in Treviso."

Caterina finding out- especially for a de Riva Rook. Caterina demanding they have dinner together.

[irisbaggins]

This isn't going to be as in-depth as my other meta (I am too tired after Uni and thinking about different literary theories), but I've seen some folks point it out and wanted to add my own two cents:

From the way I view Evan's behaviour since the killing of Philtrum, I read it as him becoming defeatist towards his own nature. He truly believes he's a bad person, who doesn't deserve love nor happiness. He chafes against any assertion that he's loved or cherished, and he clashes with anyone attempting to assert that he's valuable and loved just the way he is. The only person who he doesn't outright clash with is Sam, and that is - I believe - only due to the fact he saw and experienced her emotions and feelings, and therefore cannot quite dispute them. With Jammer and K he can, because he doesn't have that insight into their true feelings. He can make assumptions, then, and run with that idea.

Why does this matter, then? Well, I've noticed how Evan pushes back against the three, and how it differs with each person. Because he does clash against all of them, just differently depending on the person. With Sam, he doesn't outright deny her claims, but it's clear he doesn't believe her fully. He just doesn't say it because it makes her sad and, after every kindness she's shown him, he doesn't think she deserves to feel like that. With Jammer, we've seen him either outright challenge him - how he's mentioned to Jammer's teammates and the lack of talking about his inherent magic - and we've seen him doubt and distrust Jammer's overt affection - not believing they're family, despite Jammer's insistence that they are. And with K, Evan has never truly believed himself worthy of love, but he doesn't quite understand that that's the issue K has with him, and therefore thinks K just wants to "change him" to fit their worldview (instead of being that K wants to "fix him" in terms of his self worth etc.).

Evan clashes with all of them, and I argue that it's because he doesn't see himself as worthy of their compassion. I would have to re-watch the first few episodes of the season to be sure, but I have the distinct feeling that Evan's refusal to believe in his friends' compassion started after killing B2, something he did without hesitation and without direct remorse. And I think that's the core issue, here. I believe that's why Evan is so adamant in his position, in his belief of his unworthiness, in his desire for power and control; he truly believes he became what he always feared, and he's both accepted this and is also denying it. He pretends everything's fine, yet he also cannot escape the feeling that he's doomed. He called himself heir to the evil house, something he's always denied. I think that alone is an insight into Evan's mindset; he thinks himself evil, which places him in direct opposition to his friends who he believes to be good.

I talked about K and control, and how they can - in their attempt to pretend - be hurtful in what they say. I argue the same is true with Evan, but instead of being directly self-sabotaging with his speech, he's doing it indirectly. He's placing himself as someone they shouldn't trust, and he himself might not be consciously aware of it. He's self-sabotaging, at least from the way I read his actions, especially in light of K's conversation with Tabby. He doesn't trust that the affection of others is genuine, and therefore will treat it as if it weren't. And he's only gotten worse, I think. Yes, he can throw out affection and "I love yous", but receiving them? He doesn't know how to handle that, and will either just go along with it quietly, or question it directly.

Evan's trapped within a negative feedback loop, and I think this is only heightened with his conflict with the Qohlye, and his conflict with him. Specifically, I'm thinking about the ways in which Evan refuses to actually understand why he was given the book, and why it's a horribly sad thing to happen to him. Not because the Qohlye thinks Evan is only meant for sadness, but because the Qohlye understands and knows that the book will only lead Evan to a darker place in a desperate attempt to keep control. The Qohlye is sad, I think, because he knows Evan will happily walk a path he himself doesn't want just to keep his friends close - something that will, in the end, only lead to great sadness. Just take his near sacrifice when saving K from death in the first season, or killing B2 in this season. Evan is a self-fulfilling prophecy, and the Qohlye sees this, and sees Evan refusing to attempt to understand it. That's the sad part, I think. That's where that grief comes from. It comes from seeing a bright and kind kid destroy themselves because of them believing themselves unworthy of love.

I could go on with this topic, but I think I'll end my rant for now by concluding with this: Evan hasn't acknowledged the demons directly since he discovered they had returned, and I am very worried with what's going to happen in the last two episodes. Especially with the references to "kill your dad" and all. Evan is such an interesting character to analyse, especially since he's such a flawed and complex character. Often, what I've noticed with him, is that it's what he doesn't say that leaves the most impact. And him not acknowledging his own emotions and his own fears regarding his nature is quite telling. Especially as he's positioned himself as a wizard killer. I'll probably write some more meta at a later date regarding him - as well as meta on K, Jammer, and Sam, as I find all of them so incredibly fascinating. But I shall end the post now before I fall asleep typing, because I am dead on my feet. So, if this post makes no sense, really sorry about that! Will probably refine it later when I'm dodging writing about my thesis.

Also, just wanted to add: If anyone has like, any points, disagreements, or just general thoughts about this post and my takes, I'm happy to hear them! I'm always up to hear what others think of my takes, especially if you disagree. It always fascinates me to hear what others think about characters and a story, so please do not hesitate to interact if you have your own two cents!

[spinchip]

Ooo okay after that I gotta say I am super interested where Nya goes in this AU. Is she mostly just resentful of Kai (he's her brother AND wants to stay out of this Super Cool Destiny that she wishes she was apart of) or does it affect her friendship with the other ninja (I'm assuming outside of Lloyd) too?

Also was NOT expecting Zane to wait Multiple Seasons to drop the "guess what Im a robot" lore. What makes him hold off, and what would make him finally spill the beans?

She's resentful of the boys and shes mad she's resentful lol. it's a lot of feeling excluded, forgotten, and consistently underestimated. Kai still sees her as his little sister in need of constant protection. he doesn't want her to fight. it was his job to make sure she would never be put in danger. he coddles her despite the fact she doesn't need or want it. He thinks there are things she just can't do. Jay sees her as more of an independent woman, but he takes Kai's cues on this. he doesn't want her fighting either. Cole knows nya is smart and capable but shes not part of the prophecy, so why needlessly endanger herself? this is their job. they're the ones who have to handle the pressure and the pain that comes with it. he doesn't think she can't, he just thinks she shouldn't have to. Zane feels similar to cole but he won't stop nya or stand in her way when she wants to do something. She says she's going to do *insert crazy dangerous thing here *? Zanes like "Okay here are the odds of success and exactly what you'll need to be able to pull this off" cuz he's wise enough to know he won't be stopping her lol. this makes kai and jay very upset with him. Pixal encourages her in every aspect of it all. go crazay. i'll help you build your own mech suit girl. iron man style. lloyd takes his cues from kai and wu, so if nya asks to help him with something he tends to err on the side of "No, i can handle this." (which also comes from feeling like he needs to prove himself as the green ninja)

Zane holds off on telling them he's an android because... well, he's weird. he's offputting. he's strange. he is always 'other.' and because of that, despite being homeless for years, he has never found a place to call home. he doesn't fit in. he is never accepted into the group. when the others finally start to include him... he's not going to do anything to jeopardize that. he's protecting himself. he doesn't see a way where this revelation won't change their attitude towards him.

he would have never told them if not for an injury that made it impossible for him to keep it a secret any longer

[david-watts]

dr who leaving britbox outside of the uk meaning it’s likely the only legal way to access it via streaming will be d*sney this is hell

[uncanny-tranny]

If you mess with somebody's mobility/life-preserving aid and all you got was yelled at by the disabled person in question, just know you got off easy. Fucking with somebody's aid can easily become a matter of life-or-death, so you have to understand why somebody would "lash out" about that.

[izzy-b-hands]

Was doing okay holding back all of the fear re: the potential election outcome until literally this second what the fuck to my brain lmao

[newby6320]

Based on my experiences, there are two main reasons for this.

The first is that "Autistic people don't have kids" is a very strong very pervasive implicit bias (at least in the US, I can't speak to other places). This bias is built on a stack of other biases and misconceptions about autistics (Autism only affects children, autistic adults can't care for themselves, autistic people can't fall in love, women aren't autistic, etc.) and is so incredibly powerful that when I've told people that I am both autistic and a parent, they pretty consistently are only ever able to retain one of those two facts. It's like both of those ideas are incapable of coexisting in people's brains. So for most people, the fact that Jack and Maddie have kids will automatically and unconsciously blind them to the idea that they could be autistic.

The second is an issue that I've seen both in and out of fiction and is particularly prevalent on Tumblr. That is the idea that someone can either be a "good" (perfect) parent and a good person OR a "bad" (imperfect) parent and a bad person, no one can be an "bad" parent AND a good person. The problem with the dicotomic world view is that disabled/neurodivergent people, inherently, cannot live up to the standards of "good" parent. Ignoring the fact that the standards for "good" parenting are a completely unrealistic internally inconsistent fantasy no real person abled or disabled could ever live up to. Being disabled means that there are some things you simply cannot do and some of those things will be things involved in parenting. So the belief that "bad" parent equals bad person requires the simultaneous belief that being disabled makes you a bad person (since being disabled makes you a "bad" parent) and implies the belief that disabled people shouldn't have children (since they wouldn't be able to be "good" parents and only a bad person would want a child to have "bad" parents). Most people who buy into the "bad" parent means bad person world view are actually vehemently opposed to the idea that being disabled means you're a bad person or that disabled people shouldn't have kids, so they are going to naturally shy away from anything that will make them realize that they have subconsciously absorbed those beliefs. Thus, when people look at Maddie and Jack and immediately recognize that they don't even come close to meeting the bar of "good" parent, they subconsciously close off the possibility that Jack and Maddie's "bad" parenting behaviors could be anything other than intentional malicious acts, because to do so would mean acknowledging their own ablist unconscious biases.

I keep coming back to the fact that almost no one writes Jack and Maddie as autistic. Nine times out of ten, if their obsession with ghost hunting has a cause, it's that it's a Big Scary Ghost Obsession. Never a special interest, always an Obsession or, even better, they just don't love their kids.

But both of them:

Are oblivious to many social cues and norms

Have very little volume control

Are well-known for infodumping compulsively

Are extremely trusting

And Jack specifically:

Mentions that most clothing makes him itchy

Prefers to express his feelings bluntly

Relies on scripts when struggling with social problems

While Maddie:

Has trouble reading people when she's not specifically trying

Is not a good at deception even when she tries

I'm not saying it's canon, I'm just saying that the restricted and intense nature of their interest doesn't have to be sinister in and of itself.

[autumnoakes]

can i say it now?

sage of time/time powers didn't make sense for totk zelda. at ALL.

when in botw, before the calamity, in aoc, did she EVER show an affinity for time powers? i get that it was like this sort of. hidden power kind of thing, but it still doesn't make much sense. not for zelda.

[interpolationz]

my brother just explicitly said to me that he doesn't believe children should be allowed to see queer people and i want to put my fucking head through the wall

[selfinflictedgunshotwound]

not my online friend trying to have the "not all zionists" conversation with me rn

[obstinatecondolement]

Having a random panic attack about my stupid Work Trauma from this year. It never fucking ends.

[fluffykitteninabox]

Hate it when 90% of a fandom misgenders a canonically trans character because "ThE cHaRaCtErS iN tHe ShOw Do iT tOo!!"

[gentlethorns]

i have always been and will always be utterly fucking insane. help

[confinesofmy]

the other day with the fam i got triggered by something that seemed like a really obvious trigger to me but like hey nobody's a mind reader so whatever and after stupidly enduring it for about 20 minutes i expressed discomfort and my one cousin was like oh come on just one more and i said "oh i think i'll just go home now" (like informatively i mean not threateningly) and then they were like aw :( okay, okay we'll do something else and i do think this was marked down as another 'wow adam is so neurotic' moment but i was talking about it in therapy today and my shrink made The Face so when i got home i called the cousin i'm closest to from that group bc suddenly i felt better equipped to explain "hey <that> reminds me of <this> and that's why i withdrew like that" and we had a good little conversation about what to do next time and reassurances on both sides re: if i leave that's okay and re: if it happens again that's okay BUT her initial response was to say "but <that> isn't <this>, they're different things" and it felt like she was telling me i was wrong and i hated it bc i knoooow they're different i'm not fucking STUPID why is your instinct when i'm explaining why i got upset to tell me why it shouldn't have upset me are you serious shut up!!! but whatever. i laid the groundwork for next time to be easier and anyway "tough" conversations like this strengthen relationships. it's fine.

[noxtivagus]

dfhaskdfjsdkf good day 😭