#control of expression

[nefelibatat]

So if I were to take away from this moment something deeper than “man Sevika's a freak”, I'd point out that we've seen the same tactic not long before.

What does this say about Caitlyn? She's fighting dirty. She's fighting like a cornered rat. She's fighting like a Zaunite.

And first of all there's hypocrisy. Caitlyn's been calling these people animals and monsters and whatnot but when placed in an identical situation she responds identically. Case in point: getting so mad at Jinx for terrorizing people out of grief that she goes ahead and starts to terrorize people out of grief. Sevika's expression afterwards is mostly “joke's on you I'm into that” but there's some surprise there too — you wouldn't expect that move from a Piltie.

Then there's desperation. Because she needs revenge; she needs it or she'll never ever forgive herself for what happened. So she'll throw away her morals and her dignity and just do whatever it takes to achieve the goal, whether it means chomping on someone like a feral raccoon or becoming a military dictator… which puts her in the same mindset as Zaunites, all of whom are desperate to survive and a lot of whom could never afford morals and dignity in the first place.

[lettuccine]

pov: you play poker game with marcille

[fascinationstreetmp3]

every time i think about how armand as rashid is a kind of visual echo of how he looked as amadeo i want to explode

like... his big brown eyes... all his little expressions... his hair...

[kastalani123]

Not my usual content, but I just. I wanna ramble, ig.

Do you understand how baffled I was about how the vampire book, written by a man in 1897, is essentially a PSA about how important proper communication is?? Even after I scrolled through Tumblr, saw the memes, read people geeking out about the relationships (platonic and romantic) in Dracula, I was still caught off guard, because. Like. Everything in this book is about communication.

Sure, it's kind of a given, considering it's an epistolary novel partially made up of letters between the characters, but. I dunno. From Dracula controlling Johnathan's lettres, van Hellsing refusing to tell anyone shit, the men keeping Mina out of the loop, to Mina using her telepathic link with Dracula, it's. It's literally all about how important actually talking to each other and sharing information is. Fuck, throw in the fact that "Harker", Mina and Jonathan's, arguably the main characters, last name means "to listen"/"eavesdropper", and that the book is Mina's in-universe creation to help compile, organize, and share what they know about Dracula, and the book's very essence becomes centered around information-sharing!

And I just. The narrative punishes just about every secret hidden, every time the characters don't communicate. There's the obvious, Dracula keeping Johnathan from sending out letters for help and Mina getting bitten because the men leave her home alone, but also. Van Hellsing not telling Lucy's mom that the garlic flowers and closed windows and so on are the treatment and she is not to touch them is what kills Lucy and her mom! They maybe could have survived if he just told them what's happening/what he's doing! And even the godsdamned telegram he sends to Seward! If he had just addressed it properly (communicated to the telegram boy properly!) then Seward wouldn't have been late and maybe could have prevented the massacre!

There's also Jonathan's diary right after he finally reunites with Mina, and obviously Mina's whole ✨ thing ✨ with the diary during their wedding is like. Peak romance, but Johnathan doesn't fully get better until Mina reads and shares it with van Hellsing and van Hellsing assures Johnathan that he's not insane. Sure, it's an oversimplification of PTSD and healing and such, but it makes sense, especially if you consider communication and information sharing as a major theme! Only sharing his experiences, reading through them himself after blocking off the memories, is what heals him! He cannot get better without knowing what happened, and without others knowing what happened, because knowing and sharing is important.

Renfield's also an interesting case. I don't have the book with me right now to check, but as far as I remember, he tries to talk about Dracula, tries to get Seward to release him from the asylum so Dracula can't use him against Mina, but is dismissed entirely; as a consequence, Dracula gets in the building, kills Renfield, and bites Mina.

Even the language barriers! The villagers Johnathan meets on his way to Dracula's castle try so hard to warn him of the danger but they can't. They can't, because they don't speak enough of the same language, but they try so hard. But whatever does get through to Johnathan, such as that woman begging him to take the crucifix she gives him — that might've saved him. It keeps him unsettled and wary and he does keep the crucifix, which wards Dracula off. They can't communicate the full extent of the danger, but what they managed is probably responsible for him surviving.

And the whole idea is even mentioned in-text! Sure, Lucy saying that a wife ought to share everything she knows with her husband is definitely sexism-flavoured, but Johnathan says it too! He says that his idea of an ideal marriage is one without secrets! And Johnathan is effeminate, yes, he spends a good chunk of the book as the "damsel in distress", but he is still the hero! He is still the one who kills Dracula (with Quincey), and can therefore be assumed to be an intended role model. The (male) main character and hero of an 1897 novel says that a good relationship relies on communication. Sure, he doesn't always stick to it, mostly by agreeing to keep Mina out of the loop when van Hellsing pushes for it, but that doesn't discount that that is what Stoker set as the ideal.

I just. I love this book so much. It subverted just about all expectations I might've had about it and I'm so glad for it. It's undeniably a product of its time, with plenty of racism and sexism and ableism, but it's also so. Not, at the same time? It's so good.

[felix-facade]

NOBODY TALK TO ME

[alexandritefang]

Nothing better than watching a sub's demeanor visually changing into a fully relaxing one. When they're safe around you to the point they just take every command with that delighted expression they only show once you help them reach that particular space in their minds.

[consultingfujoshi]

the way the lumon logo appears around them is so chilling... like they're somehow making it seem like this was sanctioned or even encouraged by lumon when we know for a fact it wasn't. lumon taking credit for every shred of genuine connection its employees have when in reality they have been fighting lumon directly for the right to make those connections this whole time!! lumon has worked to dissuade the innies from fraternising at every turn because employees who care for each other more than they do the company become ungovernable AS WE LITERALLY SAW IN THE S1 FINALE and they somehow STILL manage to turn this around and sanitise this very clear act of revolution into something that continues to uphold the system. there is no part of the innies lumon cannot claim for themselves, not even their defiance!!!

[ssamorganhotchner]

“I chose to stay silent”

The face I chose to stay silent with:

[noopypng]

crushed like a bug

[statisticalcats2]

I feel like a lot of people, even if they don't realize it, just truly do think that Jews are supposed to be a minority with little power wherever they are and it's bad and suspicious when they're not.

Criticize all the Muslim majority countries there that have it enshrined in law that the government needs to be majority Muslim and only Muslims can hold the highest positions and then maybe I'll trust you're sincere in your concerns about Israel "fixing the game to always keep Jews in power".

[bumblingbabooshka]

Tuvok is not as autistic coded in-narrative compared to what I've seen of Spock or T'Pol where they're othered heavily by those around them and have themes and arcs about struggling/striving to fit in BUT I do think he provides the vital autistic representation of not really angsting about your differences from other people because you're too busy and unaware and then even when you ARE made aware you mostly just think 'glad that's not me'. I think it's vital to have that sort of totally unbothered rep. I love that Tuvok is completely satisfied and proud of being Vulcan, doesn't long to experience emotion or struggle with a desire to express himself in a way his crewmates will understand, to be closer to them. I love that he has a long time and close friend that respects who he is and doesn't try to change him and that how close they are isn't framed as being in spite of his Vulcan nature. I love that being Vulcan isn't framed as a hindrance to him, like a roadblock to living a full and rich life. He has a wife and four kids and is a devoted husband and father. He's getting into gay horror scenarios. Tuvok was born on autism planet and he's thriving.

[oriorchids]

and now

odile

[no1-tvgirlfan]

thinking about the theory that all the characters/trains in stex are based off of people control actually knows in real life and they sort of insert themself as rusty in their dream.

pearl is obviously a girl they have a crush on. maybe shes a new neighbour , a new kid at school. maybe if we’re getting sentimental she wears a pearl necklace which gave control the idea of naming her pearl.

greaseball could be controls older sister , maybe shes a little mean to him sometimes , as siblings often are , maybe thats how she manifests as a big bully in their dream.

dinah is controls older sisters girlfriend , she probably thinks hes cute and tells controls older sister to lay off of them and stop being so mean. control probably thinks that dinah is too good for greaseball since shes so nice to them.

the other coaches could be their sister’s girlfriends friends maybe? they come round sometimes to hang out and are often pretty nice to control as well. i like to think their personalities manifest as their own type of train , like yes the irl dinah gives them snacks sometimes so shes a dining car , irl tassita is always telling irl greaseball to shush so hes a quiet coach , the irl belle is always having sleepovers so shes a sleeping car. etc. etc.

electra could be a new kid at school , a bully perhaps , the comps are their little posse. irl killerwatt could be a kid who gets in a lot of fights , irl wrench is someone who is always hanging around the medical bay , irl joule is a misbehaving child who maybe set something on fire once (dynamite truck) , god knows why irl volta is a freezer truck.

the irl freight are just the class clowns. a bit annoying to control but they’re still his friends.

momma obviously represents his mum.

the engines are maybe a couple more bullies , maybe theyre in the year above , control doesnt like them very much. they hang around with their older sister and are always teasing him.

thats just my thoughts on it. i think its a cool theory is all.

[mintjeru]

midnight rendezvous

🖤 turning fanweek 🖤

day 1 alpha!yuder | horror game au | genderbend

[yuwuta]

people have got to be nicer to and about kids

[elipri]

Omg the theory that Loki covers his eyes bc he'd be caught lying otherwise is becoming more plausible bc GUESS WHO ELSE CAN'T LIE TO SAVE HIS LIFE AND AVERTS HIS GAZE....

Do y’all see my vision—