#don't judge a book by the cover children people can have different voices than you expect

[thelov3lybookworm]

Okay so I just came across a short where Timothee Chalamet wraps about baby face with Domingo (idk his name correct me if I'm wrong lmao I only know him cus of the espresso song he did 😭) and like....

First of all, HOW IS HIS VOICE THAT??? I DID NOT. I DID NAWT THINK HE WOULD HAVE A VOICE LIKE THAT.

But also. THE LYRICS??? HIDE YOUR GRANDMA???

Yeah no I really did think of him as an innocent pookie wookie just cus he had a baby face huh 😔

[devcted]

"I'd be lucky to be your friend too reggie..." she smiles shyly, pressing her lips together as she scrunches her nose a little. before today she couldn't really imagine a world where someone like her would be noticed by someone like him, his clothes alone said 'im too good for you' but the more she got to know him the more she realizes that you can't judge a book on its cover. he was sweet and thoughtful, much smarter than a lot of people she knows and he also had a very gentle heart, one that was a lot bigger than probably even he knew. he seemed to carry a lot of shame about his upbringing which broke her heart but at the same time a truly bad person wouldn't be ashamed of coming from a not so great family, most purebloods were proud of what they were but regulus acted like he was almost embarrassed to tell her.

bee didn't talk about her family much, not like this at least. she's a bit embarrassed to be sharing so much of herself but it also feels good, just to have someone to talk to about stuff that eats away at her and he seemed more understanding than even she could be of herself. she laughs a bit when he calls her father an idiot, mostly because nobody ever dared speak about good ol' amos diggory with anything but praise, how perfect of a father with the perfect kids and perfect wife, a good job, how could anyone not like him? "well maybe I should bring you home so someone can finally tell him how hard I'm trying. he doesn't listen to anyone but the sound of his own voice...." she pauses realizing that might sound too mean. "sorry." she smiles sadly before blue eyes flicker towards the boy. "I don't know much of your brother, we live in a world where people tell me dragons are evil and werewolves aren't equals...the world is wrong about a lot especially the ministry. besides, it doesn't matter what I think of your brother or what anyone else does it matters how you feel and that's all I care about."

she giggled a little at the thought of him going to her tiny house and just collapsing because there wasn't enough fine silk to lay his precious head on. she doesn't think he's that picky though "feeding you cabbage by hand doesn't sound very appetizing...but you are certainly welcome to visit if you ever really wanted to. my mother loves company, I think it's an excuse for her to just have more kids around."

there's a soft gasp that leaves her at his next words. "I can't believe you just called me a liar..." she giggles. "all I said is I don't think I'm a great cook, I certainly don't have the experience of a noble house elf but I wouldn't mind...cooking for you if you really wanted me too." that is if they ever have a life together outside of this train. they talk a lot about a future like there is one, where regulus is coming to the diggory cottage for tea and a home cooked meal but what if they aren't even friends the moment they step off the train? the thought makes her sad because he's the first person to ever make her feel this way...and selfishly she wants to feel this way with him forever.

he tells her that he thinks she'll be the greatest magizoologist this world has seen and it makes her heart flutter because she hopes it to be true. not because she cares about fame or wants to be remembered, she just wants to do the right thing and save creatures, she wants to make a difference in this world so one day maybe she'll have children who would grow up and not have to see the way things are now.

regulus apologizes but should be truly be the one saying that he's sorry? amos never did, he never said he was sorry for making her feel this way or making her wonder if her own father loved her. she remembers when she was younger and things were better, he would tuck her in at night and kiss her on the forehead but one day things shifted and it was like something in him changed, he no longer had time to space for a daughter just his pride and his son. "not everyone thinks so highly of me the way you do reggie but thank you...." she offers a sad smile.

it makes her swallow a little when he says the word 'date' cheeks redder than before as she imagines him holding her close and he's reading that book in his sweet voice. "I'd like that...with you." she says dropping her gaze shyly as she smiles to herself.

if she didn't know any better she'd think he was actually flirting with her which surprises her a little because she can't imagine why, a guy like him could have a hundred girls with a snap of his long and beautiful fingers but instead he wants to give her his attention and take her on dates, it makes her a bit giddy inside to think about biting down on her lower lip hard to contain a smile. "it's a good thing you don't have to worry about sharing me then isn't it?" she teases gently, smiling up at him as she tucks her hair behind her ear. she shouldn't be as happy as she is that he says he doesn't like other girls like that but she doesn't want to share him either. "I doubt this is the first time anyone has ever though so highly of someone as wonderful as you are."

"but, but what if i..." she stops herself not wanting to ruin the moment any further despite how nervous she really is, no one has ever offered to kiss her before certainly not like this and not someone like him. so it was a big deal to her that she doesn't totally suck at it, she wants him to remember her lips when they kiss but for reasons that make him excited not want to throw up because she used too much tonuge or something...unless you're not supposed to use tongue when you kiss? where would the tongue even go? she lets out a shaky sigh trying to collect her thoughts as blue eyes try not to stare at the way he pulls off his coat, somehow making her feel hotter as she plays with the sleeve of her sweater.

she finds it sweet the way he sets the fabric down for the niffler, alfie taking the opportunity to curl up in it and make himself comfortable. their compartment suddenly feels so much smaller and the air feels heavier now that he's closer, he smells good and looks beautiful "but I want to be good at it...so you remember me." she says shyly, blue eyes flickering up to find his gaze as he takes her chin in hisbhand ans guides her to do so. she feels like she could faint right now, eyes falling to his pink lips as they slowly move closer to hers but before she has a moment to catch her breath he's pulling her in and kissing near her lips and then... without much warning his lips are pressing into hers, making a soft gasp leave her lips as blue eyes flutter closed, it's like she leaves her own body for a moment, none of this feeling real as her palm rests against his chest allowing him to cup her face and pull her in close. once she's able to collect herself enough she kisses him too, following his guidance with his lips as she kisses him back gently and almost eagerly, allowing him to deepen it with a soft purr leaving her lips.

He’ll never understand her kindness, after all of the rumors he’s probably heard of her. But he’s appreciative nonetheless, smiling thinly at how she calls him lovely. He probably doesn’t deserve such a compliment, which is the first time he’s thought such a thing. He’s been showered in compliments for the entirety of his life and never once had he wondered if he was worthy of one, but sitting in front of Bee makes everything feel different. How could his mother hate someone so lovely, and what did it say about him that he spent so much time acting as if she was always right? “And I’d be lucky to have a caring friend such as yourself,” is all he says in return. Would she want to be friends, after this? Or would they split ways and be sorted into their respective houses, not speaking again? The thought makes his chest clench in a way that’s unpleasant, which is strange because he’s only just met her. But Regulus is spoiled and not used to being denied beautiful things– or girls, for that matter.

She offers to be there for him when it comes to Sirius and he looks away. He should feel embarrassed that he brought it up— his family was always drilling into him that he shouldn’t, but she makes it too easy to forget himself with her warm and comforting presence. She even says she doesn’t know if Sirius did it, which is more grace than his own family has given him. He doesn’t understand Bee’s kindness, especially since they both know how his mother would treat her if they met. It makes him guilty in a way, as if he doesn’t deserve such a sweet smile from her. “No, it’s been no trouble, talking to you about your family. I’m just glad that you trust me, both because I like you and I want to be able to tell you your father is an idiot if he doesn’t see how special you are. It’s only taken me a half hour to see as much.” He pauses, frowning thoughtfully still. “You’re the first person who’s ever told me you’re not sure if Sirius is a murderer.” It feels significant how, even if he can’t place it.

He rolls his eyes when she teases him about living in a castle. “Yes, I’m sure to suffocate because the air of your cottage isn’t expensive enough.” He smiles at her. “Shouldn’t you invite me in and make me feel welcome, as a prince? Feed me those cabbages by hand, if I ask it.”

Regulus doesn’t believe her when she says she’s only okay at cooking. “Yeah, I think you’re being humble. I’ll have to see this cooking for myself, then, to assess if you’re lying.” He’s teasing her, but only because he thinks she’s amazing. She knows things he’s hardly even touched, with his own life experience.

It seems special to him, how she isn’t afraid of venomous tentacula, even though she probably should be by all accounts. Is that why she doesn’t seem afraid of his family or his brother? He realizes that she’s probably the most gentle person he’s ever met, because who else would be this kind to creatures that want to eat witches and wizards? Then again, people use the fact they’re predators against dragons all the time, so maybe this isn’t so different. He wonders how his dream job as a child had been so close to the one Bee chose, having a fleeting thought about the two of them together, as if destined to be. She reminds him that venomous tentacula have a lot to offer and be excited about. He thinks about that excitement, and what it’s done to him in only the past hour of knowing her. “I think you could make people excited about paint drying, if you wanted… Your interest is infectious. You’re going to be the greatest magizoologist the world has seen.” She’s going to teach so many people about creatures and help them along the way. He only hopes he’s going to be lucky enough to witness it.

He softens at the way she stumbles when she says her dad loves both her and her brother, recognizing uncertainty in her beautiful blue eyes. It sparks anger in him, just knowing that her father made her question if she’s loved. He shouldn’t have such a reaction over someone he just met, but it’s difficult not to with Bee. “I’m sorry,” he says, his gaze falling. It’s his fault for wording it like he did, making her think of such a thing. “That’s not what I meant… He does love you, even if he’s not showing it as he should. I mean, who wouldn’t?” He can’t imagine anyone being able to resist loving Bee. “And I hope I can eventually help you feel fully visible.” He doesn’t like that she ever has to feel invisible at all– someone so incredible should be the most recognized witch in their world, but then again he would be jealous of everyone getting her attention instead of him.

It’s impossible not to adore her, especially when he’s holding this book and her soft niffler, enjoying everything about her. “Read it to you?” he repeats, teasingly. “That sounds like a date. Curled up on a Slytherin couch with you in my lap, reading it into your ear…” Green eyes look down at her and then up again, to her lips.

She cares so much about how much his mother loves him and it strikes something in him, making his body warm. Did she feel the same thing he was feeling for her? He wants to protect her from her family; make sure she knows how amazing she is and always achieves her dreams. He’s amazed that she’s not been interested in dating before, because surely she could have her pick of anyone she wanted with a face like that. “Then I’m honored to be the first, and I’m not complaining. I’m bad at sharing, anyway.” He doesn’t want her to like other guys, or date them. The thought makes him irritated, so much so that he almost forgets how upset his mother would be if he was thinking of a half-blood from a muggle sympathizer family like this. “I don’t care about other girls– I’m just glad you think so highly of me.” What would he do if she thought he was beneath her league? He would understand if she did, because she’s so impossibly beautiful and good.

She stutters at first, when he offers a kiss. She’s red in the face and he wonders if that’s a good or bad thing, especially since she’s struggling to answer him. “Bee,” he responds, gently. “I’m not going to think kissing you was like kissing a dead fish.” His tone is almost amused, shifting to allow Alfie off of his lap as he sets the book to the side. 

Taking his coat off, he places it on his seat, glancing down at the niffler. “You can wrap up in that; it’s comfortable enough for a prince. Yes, such as yourself.” It makes him smile when Alfie takes up his offer, keeping himself warm in the fabric with his small snout poking out.

Turning, he moves to sit beside Bee now, because she did say she wants to kiss him too, even if he’s clearly made her nervous. “And I don’t care if you’re good at it, anyways.” She could be ‘bad’ at kissing and he would still think it was amazing because it’s her. So he leans toward her, taking her chin in his fingers and gently guiding her to look at him. Gazing into her big, pretty eyes, he traces his thumb against her delicate chin, their lips only a few inches away now. Almost hesitantly, he places a gentle kiss at the corner of her perfect lips, his body immediately going warm. Then he kisses her again but in the center of her soft mouth, moving his own slowly against hers. The hand that isn’t holding her face settles on her waist, pulling her closer to him on the seat as he deepens the kiss a little, waiting to feel her reaction.

[letarasstuff]

Normal People don't know their IQ

(A/N): Inspired by me, who recently discovered normal people don’t know their IQ, while I was tested two or three times already...

Summary: A certain someone is the only way to get the UnSub. But there’s also something different that makes her special.

Warnings: Angst (fluffy end, I swear), language, mentions of rape and torture, mention of dead people, the usual CM stuff I guess Wordcount: 2.0k

✨Masterlist✨ _________________________________________

“Garcia, I need you to look into high school teachers, who are suspended or fired for inappropriate behavior towards students and live in the area of the kidnappings”, Hotch orders in a stern voice. But you can’t blame him, after all there are currently six dead teenage girls and one missing. One can only hope and work as fast as possible to get her back to her parents alive.

The team is working a case in Sacramento, California. Teenage girls get abducted on their way home from school, are held for exactly a week and are killed by a simple cut to their throat. The torture they have to endure beforehand isn’t as simple. The last two also show signs of rape.

The dumbing sites are different parks all over the city. The placing happens overnight only to have the girls found the next morning by a clueless jogger or stroller.

“Let’s go over the profile again, I feel like we are missing something”, Rossi commands. His gut feeling tells him only that much, he just has to find out what it is.

“It’s a white male in his mid thirties to late forties. He blends in, so he has to be or has been a teacher. Someone who looks like they belong into a school isn’t suspicious”, Spencer counts the facts.

“The victims all look similar, probably resembling an ex-wife or girlfriend”, Morgan adds. Before he can get into the depth of the torture a phone rings.

“My lovely crime fighters, I got an address. Charles Collins. philosophy and history. Got suspended for suggestive talk towards his female students. He is also said to stare at them and certain body parts for way too long and way too obvious. Gross. Annnd that- wait”

“What is it, Garcia?” Hotch asks after a moment of silence, which is unusual for the ever bubbly tech analyst.

“You got your profile wrong. Collins doesn’t take these girls because of an ex flame.”

The team looks at each other in confusion. Garcia always stresses how she isn’t a profiler and can’t judge over people, because she only wants to see the good in them. How is she able to tell that the profile is off?

“Shoot baby girl, we don’t have much time left”, Derek urges her. He wants nothing more than to have this SOB finally behind bars. The whole team wants that.

“He has a daughter. Technically it’s not his daughter, it’s someone else’s, but he is her foster father. Go and please save both girls!”

Penelope doesn’t have to say it twice. After a brief thank you and goodbye the team is on their way to the given address. As soons as they get there, everyone notices the absence of a car in the driveway. Hotch sends Spencer, Emily and Derek through the back door, the rest goes in from the front.

“FBI! OPEN UP!”

It’s needless to say that nobody opens up. There is no other way than kicking the doors down.

After entering the house and clearing the first floor, Rossi points towards the stairs that leads to the first story. There are only two rooms. A bathroom right hand and a closed door left hand.

Morgan counts quietly down before also kicking this door down and screaming “FBI!” But he seemingly talks with air, because there is no one to be found. Once again the team swarms out to look for evidence or clues.

As Spencer looks through the room they cleared last, he sees various things that make him smile. Several bookshelves are flooded with all kinds of genres, authors and covers. At first he can’t make out in which way they are sorted. But a closer look makes him realize that they are sorted by the author’s birth year. The doctor is kind of impressed, because that means the person knows when they are born in order to find a certain book. He likes the idea, it is a nice little challenge.

While he investigates further a sound makes him stop. He sends a text to Emily and waits for her. When she enters the room Spencer gestures to her to keep it quiet. Then he points to the bed.

They lower themselves down to the floor at the same time on each side of it. A girl, no older than 14 years, lays there shivering in angst. With big doe eyes she looks at Spencer and whispers:

“Please don’t hurt me.”

A while later the team is back at the station with the girl sitting in one of the interrogation rooms. The temperature is already set down, though Hotch feels really bad for it. Still there is another girl out there waiting to be safed.

“Baby girl, what can you give us on her?” Morgan sets his phone in the middle of the table and switches the speaker on.

“Our little girl’s name is (Y/N) (Y/L/N), fourteen years old. Parents were deemed to be unable to look after her since they are both heavy drug addicts and didn’t even register her crying for two hours straight. Since the age of six months she bounces through the system with nobody wanting to keep her longer than two years. They claim she is too smart for them and want somebody to look after her, who can challenge her intellectually.

“Collins took her in one and a half years ago. He got her signed up in several activities after school, like chess and academic decathlon. As of right now she is a junior with an opportunity to graduate next year. Her teachers describe her as incredibly bright with a complicated way of thinking.”

“Complicated way of thinking? Her intelligence was neglected for years, so she gave herself her own challenges. I found her books sorted by the birth year of the authors. She found ways of making things more difficult for herself, that’s why she fabricated strange ways of thinking. This is often found in children with high intelligence, who are not boosted enough by their environment”, Spencer explains, getting more and more furious.

His colleagues feel that this is a sensitive subject for their resident genius. JJ comfortably puts a hand on his shoulder, making the tense go away.

“Emily and Dave, I want both of you to interrogate her. We need to know where he hides the girls. JJ, try to hold the press off for a bit longer. Morgan, Reid, I want you to watch and look for tells or anything else”, Aaron orders.

Everyone works on their given task immediately.

You don’t need to be a profiler to see that (Y/N) is scared out of her mind. She has her feet on her chair and her head lies on her knees. When the two agents enter, she tries to at least fake some kind of composer. But she fails miserably at it.

“Hello (Y/N), may I call you that?” Emily begins in a soft voice. The teenager nods shyly. “Good, (Y/N). My name is Emily Prentiss and this is David Rossi. We are agents from the Behavior Analysis Unit from the FBI. Do you know why you are here?” The teenager shakes her head.

“Ok, let’s cut the chase”, David's voice booms through the small room. “You know exactly why you are here. From what we saw in your room you are an incredibly smart girl. How high is your IQ? 130? 135?”

“147 a-actually”, she nervously corrects the agent, never meeting his eye. The team notices this fairly quickly.

“Even better, normal people don’t know their IQ. So you know what your forster father does. You saw the news, you read the papers, you heard your classmates talk. In addition to that, the girls look alarmingly similar to you. And all of the sudden Charles is more often out than usual. So do us a favor and come clear.” Then he pulls out a picture from a manila folder on the table. Emily tries to intervene.

“Rossi, don’t. She is not the UnSub. (Y/N) is just unfortunate to be at the wrong place.” “She might as well be another UnSub if she doesn’t do anything to help us. Do you know how long you are going to jail for helping hi-”

“I don’t know anything. I- of course I saw what is h-happening. A-and I connected the dots a long time a-ago. You know, Charles lost his job and that’s a stressor. T-then Child Service was investigating him, because of the suspension’s reasons. I-I couldn’t do anything. I had no evidence, the police wouldn’t believe me. I asked him once wh-what he thinks about, you know, what’s happening. He slapped me and told me to not talk about it again. I’m so sorry, I wanna help. The only thing that comes into my mind is an old cabin he once mentioned when I first arrived at his. B-but I don’t know if it helps you. P-please, I don’t want to go to jail or juvenile, I-” Then (Y/N) breaks down into tears.

Emily is in an instant by her side trying to calm her down, while Hotch gives the information to Garcia. As soon as she finds the location, JJ takes a seat next to (Y/N) and the rest of the team flies out.

“You don’t have to be scared of him anymore, Sweetheart. My colleagues will find him and he will be tried and convicted. He will never be a threat to you again”, the blonde tries to comfort her.

“Whenever I leave an abusive home, there will be another one that’s exactly the same. The only difference with Charles was that he seemed to understand me. He helped me. There’s nobody who is willing to do what he did for me”, she admits sadly.

It breaks JJ’s heart, because her words are true. Even though he is a killer, Collins did help her. But she is also determined to show the young girl that he isn’t the only one who can do that. That there are more people out there, who are kind and as helpful if not more.

Not long after this the team brings the man into the station, Morgan guiding him with a deadbolt-like grip.

Rossi spots (Y/N) in a break room with a hot drink in her hands. While making his way over there, Spencer follows him. He wants to talk with her as well.

“(Y/N) I’m sincerely sorry if I hurt you earlier. I didn’t intend to scare you, we just had to act quickly and you were the only source of information available. I also wanted to tell you, that your achievements are astonishing and I guarantee you a bright future, maybe even at the FBI”, he winks at the end of his last sentence.

“I understand, Agent Rossi. But doesn’t everybody know their IQ? I assumed everybody gets at least tested once in their life in some way”, she asks with surprise in her voice.

At that the older man is speechless. Of all things she could accuse him of legitimately, (Y/N) goes with the most innocent question.

“Actually, not everybody gets tested. A reliable test has to be done by a psychologist and most people don’t go to one. Furthermore there has to be a valid reason to do one, that’s why a great part of the population doesn’t know their IQ”, intervenes Spencer. He has to infodump, since the last time was over half an hour ago.

“But you also have to differentiate between the several kinds of intelligence, because intelligence is way more than being good at math. There…”

Rossi stopped listening to the excited interaction between the two geniuses. Instead he watches their body languages and facial expressions. He hasn’t seen both of them more at calm than they are now.

After all there might be a way for (Y/N) to get a little Happy End.

[your-brilliant-lady-m]

Part 4 - Basic Concepts of Miraculous Ladybug: Glamour

You can call it however you want: kid's show logic, superhero disguise logic, magical girl show logic, cartoon laws, suspension of disbelief, etc. But the fact that nobody recognises Marinette, Adrien and others when they are suited up IS NOT BAD WRITING. It's one of the main laws of this genre. That's not because characters are stupid, okay? So, being frustrated that everyone in the show acts stupid about this "wearing a mask that covers only eyes" trope is strange. This criticism is not valid or fair.

But, this trope has to make sense in-universe as a worldbuilding and narrative element.

Miraculous doesn't give us much direct information on how glamour works. And in this case, I think we need both SHOW and TELL. Because if you don't establish the glamour rules clearly, you are going to run into problems and create unfortunate implications with your storytelling choices.

Appearance

Miraculous obviously gives our heroes magical glamour. In "Lady WiFi" we find out that masks can't be taken off. It's magic. No other explanation is needed.

Miraculous can slightly change the appearance of users (eyes, face shape, height and hairstyles). People can identify and notice the hairstyles of heroes (numerous Ladybug wigs, statue in Copycat). Jagged Stone points out the change of hair when he mistakes Chloe for Ladybug ("Antibug"). But it's just a costume. There is no magic that prevents Jagged from understanding that Chloe isn't Ladybug. So, how does it work? But it's forgivable because it's cartoon logic. Suspension of disbelief works here, I suppose. I won't judge this too harshly.

Glamour also obviously prevents people from making a connection that Marinette and Ladybug have identical hairstyles. So people know that Ladybug wears her hair in pigtails, but magic does not allow them to notice similarities.

Another important question. Does glamour work on Kwamis? Can they see who is behind the mask?

New York Special makes it clear that magic does not affect robots and they can see through glamour. Does that mean that Markov, AI built by Max, knows the identities of Ladybug and Chat Noir? And it's never addressed.

Plagg in "Frightningale" says that holders can subconsciously choose their superhero appearance. This is actually pretty interesting and I like this idea a lot. Except the show is not consistent with this. The transformation of Master Fu looks identical to Nathalie's. And we have seen how different from each other Ladybug and Black Cat holders looked in the past. At the same time, Master Fu and Nino have different takes on Turtle superhero suit.

Age Glamour

Does age glamour exist? Do people see Ladybug, Chat Noir and other heroes as adults even when they look like teenagers to the audience (their height and build are smaller even when they are transformed)? Is that why no one ever questions the fact that children nearly die on a daily basis?

I mentioned unfortunate implications earlier. Well, this is where they come into play. Let's talk about "Copycat". A lot of people discussed it before me, so I won't bore you with details.

When I watched "Copycat" for the first time Theo's crush on Ladybug didn't bother me, because I thought that he sees Ladybug as his peer, a girl who is about 20-23 years old. Theo is an artist, his character design is that of an adult. He has his own studio, its appearance indicates that he did serious commissions in the past. The guy has no idea that Ladybug is like 13.

But then we get "Heroes' Day" and "Ladybug". And Hawkmoth calls them "kids", which means that there is no age glamour. Others see Ladybug and Chat Noir as teenagers. Perhaps, other Miraculous users aren't affected by age glamour. Therefore regular people see all heroes as adults but other heroes are able to guess their age more or less correctly. But you must spell this thing out because the audience can interpret "Copycat" differently. If there is no age glamour, then Theo is crushing on a teenage girl and he is fully aware of this fact. And this doesn't look good for your show.

The "No Age Glamour" theory is further confirmed in "Sapotis" where Alya just straight up analyses voice recordings and says that Ladybug is a girl their age. If glamour exists then it should also cover technology. Kwami can't be photographed. Face and voice recognition software shouldn't be able to analyse transformed superheroes and detect their identities in any way.

Besides, after "Sapotis" Alya should definitely be sure that Ladybug is not 5000 years old (also not an adult), especially after she wore Miraculous herself and was one door away from detransformed Ladybug.

SEASON 4 UPDATE! There's no age glamour after all.

In "Furious Fu" Su Han calls Chat Noir a child without knowing his identity. It means that everyone knows their superheroes are teenagers. "Copycat" can't be saved from that, uh, subtext anymore. No one questions the danger of their job or the balance of their lives outside of the mask. No one doubts their competence after "Origins" ever again. No one becomes annoyed after being bossed around by two teenagers in spandex. You had many opportunities to drop these details into the narrative. Someone could have been akumatized over this (I will not be ordered around by some magical kids!).

I don't know why writers decided not to use at least this idea and slightly adjust "Copycat" if they got rid of the age glamour completely. It can be explained as kid's show logic, but unfortunately, I'm reluctant to do it. If many characters sympathise with akuma victims on-screen, why not with the teenage superheroes who must fight them?

New York Special had this weird focus on collateral damage out of nowhere (the damage done by sentimonster Robostus) and yet it has 0 effect on the main story. No one in Paris is pissed that their 2 teenage protectors weren't there.

Ironically, "Furious Fu" and that one remark made by Su Han also created unfortunate implications for other moments in the show. Just hear me out. Apparently, Jagged Stone wrote a "thank you" song for Ladybug knowing that she is 13-15 year old child back in "Pixelator". Fandom is more than happy to roast Lila for lying about saving Jagged Stone's cat and him writing her a "thank you" song. Fandom claims that Lila's tale could harm Jagged's reputation, when he wrote a song for teenage Ladybug several weeks prior. Meanwhile, in-universe this lie is 100% believable.

If we put on "realism glasses", then both this whole song situation and Theo's crush in "Copycat" have uncomfortable implications. However, the show's canon can't be viewed and criticised through "realism glasses". I admit that bits and pieces of my criticisms are affected by these "glasses", but, ultimately, I'm trying to be fair and concentrate only on things that can't be justified by "cartoon logic and worldbuilding".

Could the existence of age glamour solve this problem of unfortunate implications and other concerns mentioned above? YES. Is it better for the narrative? YES. Is essential for the story? NOT QUITE. Could the absence of age glamour be called an irredeemable storytelling flaw? NO.

Disclaimer: On a side note, only older audience can notice these implications. Children, the target audience, most likely won't understand this subtext simply because they don't have enough experience. So, perhaps, this criticism is unfair, because these moments only look weird to me as an adult. It's like an adult joke in a cartoon that you don't get until you reach a certain age.

There's nothing technically wrong with adult writing a "thank you" song for a teenager. It's just an expression of gratitude. However, unfortunately, we live in a world, where adults normally wouldn't write songs for teens to express gratitude only. In real life similar actions would imply pedophilia and would be actively scorned by the public. No one would risk their reputation like that even if their intentions were genuinely pure and sincere. But this show can't be viewed through "realism glasses", because it's a cartoon and in certain cases we as the audience must use suspension of disbelief and pretend that certain things are possible for plot to happen.

Su Han also wants to give Ladybug and Black Cat to adults. Why didn't Master Fu do this then? Writers don't give us any explanation. Throughout the show we never question this up until the moment it's revealed that adults don't have time-limited powers. Then comes "Furious Fu". Story suddenly becomes self-aware here. Because apparently nothing prevented Fu from giving the most powerful Miraculous to adults who won't have time limit and will be more effective against Hawkmoth (see part 3 for more details).

I have a very good example of Age Glamour done right. It works in the story. There is no confusion or unfortunate implications. There is like one plothole connected to the glamour (it's been years and I still can't forgive them for Cornelia and Caleb) but otherwise, it's a pretty solid example of both show and tell. Clearly, writers wanted to avoid uncomfortable implications which are present in "Copycat". I am talking about W.I.T.C.H. comic books and animated series.

If you are not familiar with it, I'll give you a brief explanation. The story follows 5 girls, the Guardians of Kandrakar who are chosen to protect their world and parallel ones from evil. They receive magical powers from the amulet known as the Heart of Kandrakar. Their powers are based on elements: fire, water, earth, air and energy. Our main characters are about 13-15 years old. In the animated series they are younger and they attend middle school, making them 12-14 years old. But the transformation makes them look 18-20. They look like young women to each other and to other people. At the same time, people can recognise them, their looks and voice don't change. Most people don't know that they are really teenagers when they are not transformed and these people don't know that magic can make them look older. That's why everyone treats Guardians like adults when they are transformed. Comics establish this fact in the very beginning. In first issues characters state that they look older, we are also shown this multiple times.

In fact, one of the first side plots revolves around the fact that Irma uses her powers to sneak into the disco club to meet up with her crush. Irma is 13 at the beginning of the series, she is a high school freshman. Her crush, Andrew Hornby is a senior guy 17-18 years old. Irma has liked him for a long time and wants to impress him, so she decides to be clever about this. She transforms into her Guardian form of the 18-year-old girl, hides her wings, sneaks out to the club after her parents are asleep without any problem, and meets Andrew, who obviously doesn't recognise Irma in this girl who looks about his age. Smitten Andrew offers her a ride and 13-year-old Irma doesn't understand the implication of that offer, so she accepts. And, obviously, he decides that she is interested in more than just a ride home, since she agreed, and the comic implies that he fully intended for them to have sex in the backseat of his car. But Irma understands the implication only when Andrew tries to kiss her. She panics and turns him into a frog. And she actually pulls this "I need to look mature" trick more than once over the course of the series.

It's not the only situation where this age difference is handled well and makes sense. People who know the main characters in everyday life remark on their older appearance during transformation. Sometimes people flirt with Guardians when they are transformed. In one of the side-novels centred around Cornelia, she is worried that the prince of the realm they helped to save from famine would try to marry her. That never happens, but Cornelia actually brainstorms with her friends about how to tell the prince that she is really 15.

There are many other plot points where this happens, but I think that you got the idea. I really like how "Age Glamour" was handled in W.I.T.C.H.

How do we fix this? Create the situations where people offhandedly mention "Age Glamour" in the presence of Marinette or Adrien, use Kwami for this.

"Don't worry, dear. Chat Noir and Ladybug are adults, who know what they are doing. I am sure that they will handle this. "

Theo could say: "Oh, I wonder which university Ladybug goes to?"

"So, does that mean that other people see us as grown-ups, Tikki?"

A few words and boom, problem solved. Then allow the "show don't tell" rule do the rest.

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

I don't know how much this adds to the discussion regarding Animorphs being children's lit, but I think it's important to keep in mind that kids' books can get away with heavier themes than kids' shows tend to, so if someone's coming into the discussion with the framework of "for children" they may need to keep in mind that as a book it can cover more ground than a tv show that grownups just have to glance at to decide if it's "too much" for their kiddos (whether it is too much or not).

This definitely adds to the discussion of Animorphs as children’s lit!  I think you’re hitting the nail right on the head.  Many people don’t realize this (I didn’t realize this until I was in college and had a class on the subject) but television shows have to justify themselves to a metric shitton of people before they’re allowed to go on the air.  Books only have to justify themselves to a moderate-sized committee, if that.

People who have the power to veto content on TV shows include (but are not limited to): individual writers who have a particular idea, head writers who don’t like the idea, script editors who might take it out, directors who refuse to film what they don’t like, videographers or artists who add their own creative vision to ideas, visual effects teams who can cut things based on budget, voice actors who can protest decisions they don’t like, episode editors who might take an idea out, producers who won’t back anything that might cause controversy, studio executives who can pull content that’s not “on brand,” national network crews that can decide not to air certain content, local network crews that can also decide not to air certain content, and future “backers” who might decide not to invest in a show based on its content.

People who have the power to veto content in books include: the author with the idea, the agent who publicizes it, the editor who polishes it, and the publishing agent who sells the idea.  At most.

Nowadays, one can self-publish one’s own work with ZERO outside input, or else very little.  The Martian was read by exactly two (2!) people before Andy Weir put it on the internet, and it became an international bestseller.  It would be possible to make a self-published TV show with that little outside input… but most platforms wouldn’t promote it, and would probably take it down if it got hate-reported or had content violations.  Not only that, but (as Cates pointed out) books get edited as content that has already been written, in a story that already exists.  Shows get edited in the context of deciding whether it’s worth the trouble to write an idea that’s still hypothetical.

Television is ultra-conservative (in the sense of never rocking any boats in any direction) because it has to please hundreds of people with creative input and to justify its multi-million-dollar budgets.  Books can reach the minimum production value necessary to be good with the influence of one person (okay, lbr, two people) and fifty bucks for printing or web-hosting fees.  That’s the reason that only 42% of non-animated roles and 39% of animated roles go to women on TV, including only 12% of non-animated roles and 4% of animated roles going to women of color.  By contrast, 63% of children’s lit on The Atlantic’s bestsellers list is written by women, about female protagonists; that’s not counting books by men about female protagonists.  (They didn’t collect data on authors’ ethnicity; if anyone has this stat, HMU.)

It’s the reason that Arthur just made national news THIS FUCKING YEAR by depicting a same-sex (traditional) (Christian-coded) wedding ceremony, one that local networks in Alabama chose not to air.  Meanwhile, in 2015 Cates presented a conference paper about the history of kids’ picture books with queer protagonists, a history that goes back to 1981 (Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin) and covers such mainstream 1990s series as Bruce Coville’s Magic Shop and Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants.  We see the importance of the lack of gatekeepers: for instance, the author of Heather Has Two Mommies struggled to get a mainstream children’s press to pick up her book, so she went to a lesbian publisher, which ended up creating an entirely new branch for children’s books.  (Apparently there were entire publishing houses just for lesbian books in 1987?  The more you know.)  One other interesting case study for queer content is Gore Vidal: in 1948 he published what would today be classified as a YA gay romance novel (The City and the Pillar) but in 1959 he had to “code” and hide the queer content in the Hollywood film (Ben-Hur) that he also wrote.  Television to this day uses queer-coding in lieu of actual romance, especially when it’s kids’ TV (see: Legend of Korra or Adventure Time), while children’s literature has already made the push all the way into demanding that the queer romances in Grasshopper Jungle and Geography Club be more intersectional.

To be clear, it’s not like children’s books have carte blanche in this regard — Applegate and Grant have both apologized for having to code Mertil and Gafinilan rather than just marrying them off, and have expressed regret over not getting to write an openly bisexual Marco or openly trans Tobias.  But kids’ books can still fly under the radar of the wowsers in a way that kids’ shows often cannot.

Anyway.  Queer representation is obviously just one of a plethora of issues that get very different treatment in children’s books vs. children’s shows.  There are plenty of others.  Children’s shows can depict violence, but have to treat it as silly or inconsequential and avoid showing blood.  (Because that’s a great way to teach kids about not harming others!!!)  Children’s books can have as much blood — and, apparently, as many spilled entrails — as they would like, as long as those things don’t happen in the first couple of pages or make the cover summary.  Neal Shusterman is responsible for some of the most cringe-inducingly silly AniTV episodes, and also some of the most brutally unflinching works of children’s literature I’ve ever read.  American screen media are no longer subject to the Hays Code, but its marks still remain.  American literature has pretty much always been the Wild West, and with the advent of online self-publishing, the west is getting wilder.

Don’t judge a book by its movie.  And don’t judge a book by its show.  AniTV is tame and silly, treating its violence as inconsequential and its characters’ mental health struggles as harmlessly or innocent.  Animorphs has the courage to show that when you shoot a man he doesn’t just silently fall over and disappear but bleeds and screams and dies, that being a victim or a perpetrator of such violence can leave even “innocent kids” fighting for their lives against PTSD and depression.  It has the courage… but it also has the freedom to do so.  That’s an extremely important distinction that should not be overlooked.

[sportanime-maniac]

Can you do a scenario of Tsukki, Bokuto, Akaashi and Ushijima when his gf and her bff have their language and inside jokes? Like her bff said somethink like "Excuse me waiter, there's a hair in my cake" or "The cap drops straight onto the jar" her gf and bff are crying and snorting but he don't understand nothing? Sorry if this is confusing also sorry if I write something wrong Polish is my first language :) Have great weekend

Firstly you’re writing is amazing for English not being your first language. Secondly, you have an awesome week! And thirdly, THANK YOUUU ❤💙

Tsukishima

For some reason, he thought it was a good idea to accompany ____ and her best friend out for a meal. How very wrong he had been. They got to they cafe and sat down. Tsukishima could hear the two girls talking but couldn’t understand a word they were talking so fast. He sighed and pulled out his phone to pass the time, before a waitress came.“Hello, please can I have the fish jar?” Yukiko asked. (I made this up idk, but I imagine it to be a rainbow in a jar. So different types of fish in layers with vegetables etc).“Certainly,”“Could I have the lasagne please? Nothing quite as eccentric as Yuki here,” she teased her friend.“Yes of course,”“Just some strawberry cheesecake please,” Tsukishima requested. When the waitress walked away, the two girls just burst out laughing and glancing at each other.“What did I miss?” Tsukishima asked, with his usual bored look.“Kei, you’re amazing!”___ cried with laughter, just as Yukiko snorted.“Uh, can you stop? You’re attracting attention,” he asked them. They stopped laughing so hard but their bodies were shaking so hard from the laughter that it was evident something was still funny.“Can you at least tell me what’s so funny so I don’t look stupid and gormless here?” he almost hissed at ___. She sobered up quite quickly after that.“Sorry Kei. It was an inside joke from when we were kids. We uh, we had nicknames for people we did and didn’t like, so when these trivial things come up in conversation, all he’ll breaks loose. But the person named Strawberry Cheesecake…” she took a breath to stop from laughing “…was someone who neither of us will get over the stupidity of,” she explained.“Well it wasn’t really their stupidity. More like they tried too hard - as in they tried too hard to play the class clown, and failed miserably. At the time it was the most hilarious thing we could think of,” Yukiko explained further. Tsukishima nodded, still a little unsure. He could have sworn they were acting high or drunk.Shortly afterwards, their food arrived. Yukon took the lid off her fish jar, and nudged ___.“Hey…” she said, And dropped the lid onto the jar, not from too far away. It landed and they broke into fits of giggles again. ___ started choking a little on her food, which only increased Yukiko’s entertainment. She was almost crying. Tsukishima gave his girlfriend some water and she calmed down, sighing and holding her stomach.“You two are impossible!” Tsukishima exclaimed, exasperated at their behaviour.“Sorry…” they apologised like chastised children before ___ spoke.��Say, Kei, is that hair in your cake?“she asked with a straight face. Yukiko disappeared from view, falling off the seat. ___ had a very good poker face, and so restrained from laughing, but Tsukishima wasn’t buying it."Alright I’m never coming out with the two of you ever again. Your mental age decreases about 20 years, and you arent even 20 yet!”

Bokuto

“Kou-chaannnn!!!” Yukiko called, waving him and his girlfriend ___ over. The two girls hugged and grinned at each other. Bokuto had never been out with the girls before, and he wasn’t sure what it entailed, but there was no practice on, Akaashi and Kuroo were busy, so what else was there to do.“Are you coming Koutarou?” ___ asked, holding her hand out. He latched onto it and a large grin appeared in his face. He loved holding hands with his ___. They went into a few shops, before spending a longer time in a clothes shop. Bokutos wasn’t really paying attention. He was in his own world. Or least he was until ___ almost doubled over from laughing. He looked between her and Yukiko, trying to see what was so funny, but coming up with nothing. Yukiko had a dress and a suit round her neck with the coat hanger (you know, wjem you try something for length and put it round your neck without actually trying it on?), with one on either side. When they didn’t stop laughing, he started to feel Emo Bo coming out, but he didn’t want to ruin his girlfriend’s day out with her best friend, so he managed to suppress it.“___…?” he asked, looking at her with utter confusion. She smiled at him and took hold of his hand again.“Sorry Koutarou, it’s just and inside joke me and Yuki-chan have. You don’t need to worry,” she told him, ruffling his hair with her other hand. Just from that simple action, Bokuto’s emo side dissolved away, being replaced with adoration for the female in front of him.

When they got home at the end of the day, Bokuto whined and begged ___ to tell him all her inside jokes with Yukiko so he didnt feel as left out next time.

Akaashi

Akaashi’s girlfriend, ___, and her best friend were having a movie day in, and since he had nothing better to do, he decided to join them. They first watched a film called Eragon (I RATE THIS BOOK SERIES NOT THE FILM) and it went by fairly smoothly.“Well, I guess as a warm up film it was ok, but the books are still a million times better,” Yukiko, ___’s best friend judged, shrugging.“I totally agree,” ___ nodded.“So do you want to do a Lord of the rings binge or a Harry Potter binge?” Yukiko asked, indicating like an air hostess. Akaashi had never seen his girlfriend go from serious to crying with laughter so quickly. Sure, he was happy she was laughing but BOY WAS HE LOST. Instead of voicing his confusion, he stood up and started walking to the kitchen.“Do you want some popcorn?” he asked, and ___ squealed.“YES PLEASE!! LOVE YOUU!!” she called and Akaashi nodded. This was normal. ___ liked to voice her love, while Akaashi struggled to show emotion, so only did so when they were alone and at the right time. It worked for them and they had been going out for more than a year now.

When the Fukurodani setter entered back into the room, he identified the hobbit being played. All the dwarves had just started singing Misty Mountains. He put the popcorn down and kissed his girlfriend quickly. She grinned and glanced at him, smiling, before looking back to the TV.Soon enough, Bilbo was running out his house with the contract and running through the Shire.“I’m going on an adventure!!” both ___ and Yukiko quoted and burst out laughing again, both thinking of the same incident a few years ago. Akaashi let out a sigh. He had a feeling something like this may happen.“___, if you’re going to be laughing, could you explain what it is you’re laughing at, so i don’t feel so clueless?” he asked. She apologised profusely.“I’m sorry Keiji. I will do,” she smiled, grateful to have a boyfriend who spoke his mind so clearly.

Ushijima

He had just finished in the volleyball club at school, and had decided to spend some much needed time with ___, his girlfriend. She had been patient and let him practice as much as he wanted over the past three months, for which he was truly grateful.The captain walked over to her apartment and heard laughing from inside. Frowning, he knocked on the door.“Stop it!! Someone’s at the door,” he heard her laugh, before scurrying to the door, opening it.“Wakatoshi? What’s wrong?” she asked.“Who else is here?” he asked. She blinked.“Just me and Yukiko,” she said. He sighed. They were having a tickle fight. Of course. See the relationship Ushijima was in was unorthadox to say the least. ___ was happy, smiley and HYPER almost all of the time, while Ushijima…well, he wasnt.“What are you going to do?” he asked. She shrugged.“We hadn’t decided. She just arrived,” ___ replied. They walked through to where Yukiko was sprawled over the sofa.“Hello Ushijima-san,” she greeted. The two of them never got past the formalities, since Ushijima was too intimidating, and they didn’t really spend much time around each other.“Yukiko-san,” he returned the greeting.“So shall we go out somewhere?” ___ asked, a little sad that they were being so formal.“Sure,” they both said simultaneously. Yukiko grinned and ___ bit her tongue, cheeks straining against the smile.“Okay…so where to?” she asked.“The beach?” Ushijima suggested. Yukiko gasped.“No way! Do you see any ready bikini bods round here?” Yukiko asked, dramatic. ___ once again coughed to cover up her laugh.“Maybe not the beach in the middle of winter Wakatoshi?” she suggested. He blinked.“Oh yeah I lost 3 months to volleyball,” he muttered to himself. The two girls couldn’t hold it back anymore, and burst out laughing. The male looked at them incredulously…well, to the experienced eye his expression shifted microscopically.“___?” he asked. She looked at him, her eyes filled with joy and amusement. “Why are you laughing?” he asked.“Its just…something me and Yuki saw a few years ago, And it’s been an inside joke since. About the beach. She reminded me of it, sorry!” ___ cried. He just shook his head and walked into the kitchen.

[scripture-pictures]

https://victorcarjan.blogspot.com/2018/11/bible-case-for-no-have-baby.html?m=1 Scripture to back up why I think its wrong to have babies!

Isaiah 13:8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them;

they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth:

they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

1st: A horrible punishment from God is letting some guys know they will be in pain

like a woman giving birth!.....normally never have to think about this;

but if its so bad to me, why would I accept this precept of "nature" to put the girl I theoretically

would really love, in this sort of punishment!

Is it a punishment?

my answer is YES!!

Genesis 3:16

“Unto the woman he said,

I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and

thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children;

and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”

2nd Definitely a punishment the amount of pain they go through!;

so one way to avoid this punishment would be to avoid having the babies right?

I perceive, that is what I would do and if one is truly a believer and has faith,

then they would be willing to wait until the after-life right?

ISAIAH 56:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs

that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;

5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place

and a name better than of sons and of daughters:

I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.

3rd point: Eunuchs, as far as I understand, means like a barren man;

a man that doesn't have babies, or can't have babies, or chooses not to have babies.

Sounds like God says he will reward them better than the sons and daughters!..

.so then its a reward?

Jesus in LUKE 23:29

28But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem,

weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.

29For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say,

Blessed are the barren,

and the wombs that never bare,

and the paps which never gave suck.

30Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills,

Cover us. 31For if they do these things

in a green tree,

what shall be done in the dry?

ISAIAH Chapter 32

9 Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice,

ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.

10 Many days and years shall ye be troubled,

ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.

11 Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones:

strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.

12 They shall lament for the teats,

for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

4th: who are they? I'm not sure!...but as I remember at this point, the context of his message

was that it was good to not have babies at least in those days for sure!..

but its a help to an argument using scripture as the sword and shield to state its better to

not have babies in this world presently in.

ISAIAH 54:1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear;

break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail

with child: for more are the children of the desolate

than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.

5th: Clearly God, creator, is saying to woman to sing and be happy and rejoice

like she won something by not having babies!.. she avoided a major punishment

of woman by not having babies, I believe that is certainly true!...

Jeremiah 16:1-4

1The word of the LORD came also unto me, saying,

2Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons

or daughters in this place.

3For thus saith the LORD concerning the sons and concerning the daughters

that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare

them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land;

4They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented;

neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth:

and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and

their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the

beasts of the earth.

(sounds like the Feast of the fowls at the end of the days as mentioned in

Revelations and in the old testament of Ezekiel,

please fear God and pay the respects due to make full good of these warnings)

Jeremiah 4:31 For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail,

and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child,

the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself...

6th ahh, pain...the first child must be a lot worse than its true;

the first one hurts more and after that its been opened already and stretched out

so I guess it makes sense..but I just don't like it anymore at all. its too gruesome sounding..

Jeremiah 13:21 What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee?

for thou hast taught them to be captains,

and as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee,

as a woman in travail?

Jeremiah 22:23 O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars,

how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee,

the pain as of a woman in travail!

7th: Its not gracious and its a punishment; and its a warning from God to man,

that if you do wrong won't you get punished like a woman in travail or something?

HORRIBLE!! thus if I conclude its a horrible punishment how can I then justify

wanting to put someone through it?

Prayer; please God never let me have to go through pains

like a woman in travail or anything like it;

or like how Krillin from dragon ball z was depicted in those videos to help understand scripture;

please help me;

I do believe that before the punishment it was different having babies;

I don't know how exactly; but clearly different since it says greatly multiplying the pain..

8.24.18 2.34 A.M. update

Thoughts: Thus then, if we be towards the end of the world based on all the signs shown;

we may be in a similar scenario

ECCLESIASTES 3:5 a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

1 JOHN 3: 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin;

for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin,

because he is born of God.

Leviticus 12 WHY SIN OFFERING FOR HAVING BABY?

1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2Speak unto the children of Israel, saying,

If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child:

then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days

of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.

5But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean

two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of

her purifying threescore and six days.

6 And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter,

she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon,

or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle

of the congregation, unto the priest:

7 Who shall offer it before the LORD, and make an atonement for her; and

she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath

born a male or a female.

8 And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles,

or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the

other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her,

and she shall be clean.

MISCELLANEOUS

Jesus said in MATTHEW 24:19

19 And woe unto them that are with child,

and to them that give suck in those days!

Jesus said in LUKE 21:22+23

22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days!

for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.

Jesus said in MARK 13:17

17 But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

This regarding HOSEA 9, I believe can be best understood when referencing the passage

in ECCLESIASTES where the preacher saw all the oppressions done under the sun and praised the

dead more than the living, and said that better than both the dead and the living was that which never

existed. We also have Jeremiah in the book of JEREMIAH wishing he was never born, and Jonah in

JONAH wishing for death, and even Elijah wanting to not live. So if the world is a painful place to exist,

to bring a child into that world wouldn’t be righteous, and thus,

God giving them a miscarrying womb could be a greatly misunderstood mercy!

Who would feel good about bringing a child into this world to have it

be treated like the woman in Gibeah from Judges 19?

HOSEA 9

9 They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: therefore

he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.

11 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.

12 Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them,

that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!

13 Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place:

but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer.

14 Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

Only more recently did I see this prayer by Hosea as a prayer of Mercy and love.

I wonder if others had similar experiences searching for the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

Also remember Rachel died during giving birth to her 2nd Child,

Genesis 35:16 ...and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. 17And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have

this son also. 18And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing,

(for she died) that she called his name Benoni:

but his father called him Benjamin. 19And Rachel died...

Jeremiah 9:24 King James Version (KJV)

24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.

[riftid-fox]

Please! Sign the petition and share! You know how much the series put and emphasis on this?

A lot of people are forgetting that, Rob Paulsen, the OG voice of Raphael, later, the TMNT 2012 Donatello voice, is now, Foot Lieutenant for ROTTMNT and, He's The Voice Director For The Freaking Show! Like, he's a legend! And you guys actually WANT to erase what's the legacy of the show?

You guys are so messed up, like, let's be honest, ROTTMNT has gotten so much bad reviews because "They all act like Mikey!" "The're so annoying!" Like, I understand that, I wasn't the most welcoming either, but I give it a chance, and it's really good! The show and the animation are amazing, the designs of each turtle are different because they all are different species, and what's up with Leo not being the Leader? They emphasize that they give a chance for Leonardo to be a teenager, because we often forget that, in fact, they all are TEENAGERS, Raph is 15, Donnie and Leo are both 14, and Mikey it's 13! (if I'm not mistaken!) And, you often forget that Leo it's the second youngest, he's younger than Donnie and Raph in Rise, that's why Raph had to step up as a leader, his the oldest of four! Leo it's getting the chance to be a teenager. Also, the fact of Splinter being, well, more relaxed? It's because he was a KUNG FU MOVIE STAR, yeah, *SPOILERS* he explained that he was destined to be a warrior to protect he world, blah blah, but he decided against it because that "legend" was SO OLD! He didn't care! And, how you see the responsibility of all of Leo's reincarnations? In the 80s show he was the leader, but more relaxed and juvenile, the 2003 series were dark as the OG comics, and people are forgetting those because "They are not adapt for children!" Guys, the kids these days watch ACTUAL blood, and the parents are like "Yeah, that's Good!" But with TV ANIMATED series, they're like "That's to violent!" You guys realize that TV series are meant mostly for a greater audience than just kids, right...? Like, take The Simpsons or Bob Burger's or Family guy, those are CARTOONS meant for ADULTS (or a more mature audience) but you let your kids watch it because, they're CARTOONS, and then asked the school why you kid got into a fight or began drugs or something if they NEVER watch bad stuff like that?

The 2003 series where meant for a more mature audience, but still got "banned", like, the official accounts of TMNT are mostly not showing stuff of these series because they want you to think TMNT it's more a child like series, the 2012 series, yeah, it wasn't the better, but it wasn't that bad either considering being the first 3D show, I liked it, and that's how I got into the TMNT fandom, a lot of people did, and then you're saying that the 2k12 series shouldn't exist because they're bad? You know how many artists you might be following that got into the TMNT fandom thanks to the 2k12 series and you want them gone?

They explained that the Rise series where going to give a more 2D style because they wanted to got back to the roots, and make it a different versions.

Just tell me how much trauma did Leo got, a bunch, *SPOILERS* he saw his father died, like, to many times already in the 2k12 series. Like, come on! He needs a rest!

It's time to Rise Up!

To show these type of people that the ROTTMNT fans are not gone! That it can be good it you give it the chance! Just as a the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover" and people say they don't, but they have never saw Rise and have said that it's bad, your actually doing what you say you would NEVER do!

These show actually represents how it's to be a teenage mutant Ninja turtle in a present era, yeah, they don't really use the typical trench coat and hat for when they go out, but they can actually use clothing, just as the 2003 versions.

Please, don't let these be over, give it a chance, and if you don't like it, just said it "I don't really like it, but I appreciate what they're trying to do" simple as that, If someone starts to insult you because of that, just ignore them, like read it, make a mad draft, and erased it after letting your anger out, simple, you don't have to harm someone verbally! Just enjoy what you can have, and if you don't like it, try to be polite!

RISE UP FOR RISE OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES!

http://chng.it/LK6rHqCG

RISE OF THE TMNT NEEDS OUR HELP!!

Nickelodeon is not giving Rise the love and respect it deserves! Now there’s a rumor that Season 3 is canceled. Even if it’s a rumor we have to do something.

We need this beautiful show off Nicktoons and back on Nickelodeon.

I created a petition! Please share if ya can!

WE NEED TO RISE UP!

Oh, and I’m not making this because I believe the rumors. I just believe that Rise needs to be treated much better. It needs to be on Netflix!

[checanty]

HELLO this might be a little personal so if you don't want to answer this question I completly understand. I was wondering how you deal with your (art)-anxiety (you know the thing: self critisism and knocking yourself down all the time, being scared shitless about the future because life is getting real now). Do you have some tips or thoughts? X

Alright. So this is a big topic. It’s not always easy to tell since we tend to make sure to project our best self via social media, but anxiety and self doubts are not especially rare with artists including the ones you think have *made it*.  However, while I can talk about how I personally deal with anxiety, we all feel differently and not everything that works for me will work for you. Take what’s useful to you and leave the rest here. I’m just a silly 23 year old spewing nonsense into the void.

Also, if you struggle and feel like you need help, please do the scary thing and reach out to somebody you trust and/or talk to a mental health professional.

And obviously this is not a complete list because I have come to the realization that at the pace I’m writing we’ll be old and grey by the time I’m done.

Anyways here we go …

I. Assorted things

a. First, it helps to acknowledge that imposter syndrome, the fraud police or however you want to call it is a thing. Once I identify that nagging little voice for what it is, I can call it out on its bullshit. Sometimes it just haunts me in the back of my mind and I actively formulate the negative thought out in an ‘Ah yes, I’m a lazy little shit, that will never be good enough. That what you wanted to tell me, brain? Well, you gotta come up with something new because I know this trick and it’s not true.’ fashion. It helps me to recognize the pattern, pull it out into the open and then reject it. It’s easier than having my head buzzing with negative fragmented ideas that can continue to fester until I can’t deal with them anymore.

b. Trust others. When a person says they like your work? Trust that they do. Don’t draw the conclusion they’ll be your über-fan and throw money at you or that they’re an art critic guru, but take them by their word. That person likes your work and that’s awesome! (Obviously my grandmother predicting me to become a great artist won’t mean it’s true, but I believe she means it.)Also, somebody hires you for a job and it’s super scary and you feel like your going to fail? Trust the person who has hired you. They’ve seen your portfolio, they pay you (make sure they do), they believe you can do it. They’re not stupid.

c. When you’re sitting in your pajamas surfing the internet, eating cereals with a fork trying to eat away your felt 3000 failed drawings (But you’re lazy, so really you only drew like 5 things, but they’re so bad the failure counts for more.) of the day it’s hard to believe you can ever be as pro as those glorious drawing machines on the internet with their polished websites and portfolios who make it look so easy.

Now imagine stumbling upon yourself on the internet. What do you see?Your latest cool artwork, your work ethic (even if you really just queue your posts cleverly) … And this is just your online presentation. Think about the artwork. You know your stuff. You see it all the time. You know all the frustrating bits and problem areas. You know what parts you’re just winging or obscuring by drawing decorative ornamental elements on them and pretend it’s your style. Other people don’t. (They might if you tell them. So try not to be too negative about your work.) Try to see your work with their eyes. Design a book cover mock up with your artwork (or whatever is applicable to the area you want to work in) and imagine it’s by somebody else and you just stumbled upon it in a book shop. You might realize it’s actually kind of okay …You might actually start to really like some of your works. (or all of it.)

d. Trust in the fact that drawing is a skill that is constantly developing. Even if you’re not at the level you need or want to be at, as long as you practice and keep at it you’ll eventually get there. It’s a process. It might be a really slow one. But there’s just one direction to go and you have time. You do. Even when other people your age (or younger) seem to have made it (whatever that means), it’s frustrating, alright. Have a cry, that’s ok. Get back to the drawing table. You’re on different paths. Stay off the internet for a while if comparisonitis gets too bad. There’ll always be people who are better than you. Focus on your work. (My drawing teacher’s advice on this was: Get inspired, not frustrated. Which is easier said than done.)

e. Learn a new skill that has nothing to do with your art, simply for the joy of learning it and then fail a lot. It’s a lot easier to learn being accepting of your mistakes and failures this way. It’s much easier to learn when nobody judges you (grades you. Makes you take tests.). I’ve started yoga and learning a new language last year and I am still bad at both, but whenever I mess up my vocabulary or can’t do a pose it’s … okay. Nothing bad happens. And it’s lots of fun. The failing. The times when things do work. It’s easier to realize a mistake isn’t the end of it all when you practice with something that doesn’t already come with all the old pressures and expectations.

f. Get your sleep. No screens before bed time, seriously. Those are an invitation for insomnia. Try to keep a regular sleep schedule. I sound so boring with my whole scheduling habit, but it helps a lot.

g. Find a way to release stress. Do something besides work. When I find it hard to allow myself to do non work related things I tell myself being good at what I’m doing or being successful early on doesn’t actually mean much when it means I’m burned out by 24 and dead by 27. It’s really hard to follow your passion when you constantly fantasize about running away to hide somewhere in a forest cave living only on dirt and roots until you eventually poison yourself or freeze to death.

What also helped me to stop feeling like I’m not working enough was using a timer so I could show myself by the end of the week how much I have gotten done.Also using a schedule. And sticking (at least roughly) to it.(Although it takes a lot of trial and error to figure out how to best put your schedule together. It’s important to be aware of how you’re feeling and to be able to make some changes to accommodate your needs. Don’t start out by assuming you’re always your best and most productive self. Are you doing something that will probably exhaust you? Factor that in. Figure out how much you can actually effectively work. Buffer days in case you have deadlines. You might get sick or have a bad art day. Time off for regeneration. Don’t do the ‘I work best under pressure a day before the deadline’ thing if you can help it.)

h. Realizing you got time and you don’t actually have to be a fully functional amazing, successful artist person by, like, tomorrow. You don’t. You take the time you need. You make sure you’re okay first. Figuring out what exactly is important to you and what you really want to be and do takes time. It takes going down the wrong path sometimes. I started out wanting to be a comic artist, but ended up doing creepy dark fantasy illustrations. Now I’m realizing that this is not everything I want to do. It’s a process and nothing you do is in vain, but things take time.

(–> Goal setting on the other hand is a great way to succeed at something, but you have to know what you want first. Of course you can set a goal and realize on the way that you have no interest in reaching it anymore. I guess then it depends on what your goal is whether you want to continue or change course. E.g. I’d finish that big project you’ve been working on for years, but maybe stop trying to get that job you actually don’t want anymore.)

In a similar vein … Learning to be patient with oneself. Patience is always good.

II. The future is scary and I don’t know what to do

a. Research first! The monster is way less scary when you can see it clearly. Only once you know how it looks like you can plan on how to slay it. (It might not even be a perfect plan, it just has to be good enough to make you feel like things might turn out okay.)Hit the internet, read a lot. Learn what you can. See how other people do it. Ask questions. Try to find out where your crowd hangs out. My personal advice is to be a bit careful with those 10 ways to be a successful artist articles depending on how in depth they are. I either find them not especially informative or they’re a great way for me to spend the rest of the day crying (even and especially when they’re supposed to be motivational. There’s so much motivational stuff out there that really just makes me feel super insecure.) because after reading them I’m pretty sure I don’t do any of those things and am a horrible person anyways. Articles dealing with matters in a more nuanced manner might often be more to read, but have been way more helpful to me.

Some resources that help(ed) me a lot (consider I’m mostly doing fantasy art, so it might not all be for you):

http://muddycolors.blogspot.deAmazing artists and art directors sharing insights. There’s a lot. Maybe matching this ask’s subject:

Arrogance & Doubt

How to get what you want

The secret to success in art

@dearartdirector here on tumblr. Make sure to check out their prior asks&answers before sending them your questions. There’s already a lot of important stuff in there.

Bobby Chiu’s Youtube Channel1FantasticWeek Podcast (& Facebook Group)Drawn&Drafted

Giuseppe Castellano’s Blog and #arttips on Twitter

For children’s books: find the hashtag #kidlitart on Twitter

Otherwise try to find blogs and podcasts about what you want to do.

III. Everything is too much and I can’t manage or think or …

a. Sometimes things just get too much and I put everything on hold and write through it. I think faster than I can write, so putting thoughts to paper slows me down. I also see the stuff in my head written out and it is easier to confront it and recognize what actually makes sense and what doesn’t. The process is obviously different every time, but basically I try to boil down what upsets me and then find ways to deal with it conversation style. (I usually even include the bits where I don’t know what to say and then write exactly that down.)For example I’ve written  myself through some phone call anxiety last year by listing what I am actually afraid of and why it makes me feel insecure and then writing down what I know to be actually true.

The last part looked somewhat like this: You’re safe. You’re sitting in your room on the floor and there is nobody around. Nothing can happen to you. You are physically safe.It is their job to help you. If you don’t know something, they will help you.  If they are mean it is not on you. They might have had a shitty day. Also, they don’t know you and their opinion on you has no influence on your life. They talk to a lot of people in a day and will probably forget you. You are not important enough to ruin somebody’s day. If they make fun of you at home it has no influence on your life.Just be as polite as you can be and you have nothing to feel bad about.

And so on.

Most negative thoughts are similar. e. g. ‘I’ll never achieve anything.’ vs writing down successes (as small as they might be): I’ve been able to feed myself for a week. I can speak a second language. I survived school. I’m keeping my rats alive. I know myself better today than I did last year.

When I feel like I’m dancing on too many parties and feel like I am constantly forgetting something or feel just vaguely haunted I try to figure out what the immediate issues that freak me out are. Being as specific as possible. Being as honest as possible. It’s not like anybody has to see what I’m writing. This is not just about art. It’s about everything, even and especially the petty little things. If you gather enough of those they can be crushing. Once they’re all written down I can decide which have priority and which I can put aside. The important part is to make a conscious decision (really, decision making. Sometimes stressing about making a decision is worse than making the wrong choice.). I don’t have to answer my friend’s Facebook message today, I can just tell them I’m currently stressed out and will get back to them at some later point. Or let them wait for a day or two. They’ll survive. I can simply say no to this or that thing. I can totally schedule this thing to next week and not think about it until then. (Actually write down when you’ll do it, though. Everything you write down you don’t have to keep juggling in your head.)

Then I write down possible solutions for what is still left. Afterwards I figure out which ones I can implement and which one’s I cannot (for whatever reason.). What can I do right now? (Starting with the easiest fixes. That might be doing the dishes that have piled up over time.) What can I schedule? I need to have plan of action* for every problem on my list. Sometimes it doesn’t mean I’ll solve it, but at least I’ll feel like I’ve done everything I currently feel capable of doing.

* Those may be suuuuper small steps. Or maybe even acknowledging it scares me, but accepting that it is something I cannot influence and therefore something that just goes into my calendar and out of my brain. It’s a lot about planning and scheduling for me.

b. I use a friend of mine and my  mum for reality checks sometimes when my brain gets stuck on something totally irrational and I need somebody to explain to me why I don’t make sense.

(I also use my friend when I’m not sure whether I’m interpreting a message or social situation correctly. Good to have a second opinion when your paranoid brain sees cryptic messages and overt criticism everywhere.)

c. When I feel I’m about to freak out and can’t sit down to write or think something through I have a book lying around that I can grab and read aloud until I calm down. I like Jack Kerouac for this because I don’t have to try and understand what is going on. It’s just a stream of pretty words and sound.

[shawnakat]

Trump is Now President: Don't let the hate win

I keep meaning to write more, I really do. Unfortunately, it seems that I’m usually driving when the muse hits and I mentally come up with a really long post I want to share and by the time I get home I’ve forgotten the words I came up with. I try to write anyway but end up giving up and saving it as a draft, waiting and hoping for the words to come back. You should see how many drafts I have…Tonight, however, this post just jumped out at me while I sit here waiting for my phone to charge before bed.

Today a new President was sworn in. A man who many (myself included) don’t feel should have won. That point is no longer relevant; he’s officially the President like it or not. All we can do now is stay vigilant and use our voices and actions to keep him in line. Who knows, maybe the people who voted for him were right. Maybe he’s not going to do a bad job. Maybe things will get better…only time will tell.

It got me thinking about things though. Ok, maybe I’ve been thinking about this for a couple of days. I’m actually afraid for my daughters’ futures. I’m afraid of what things are going to be like when they are older. The way things are going I don’t think the prospects are good. People are just plain mean anymore.

I didn’t used to think that. Beyond the way my mother was and a few people here and there, I genuinely thought most people were generally nice. Either things have gotten worse or I was extremely sheltered and the Internet has opened my eyes. You tell me.

It’s heartbreaking to read the news most days. Parents killing their children, children killing their parents, strangers killing each other, the racism, anti LGBTQ, anti-muslim, cops shooting unarmed black people, people killing cops, rapes, raping babies, shooting up an elementary school, school shootings in general…I could go on and on but I’m going to get depressed so I’ll stop. You get the point. It’s heartbreaking.

I actually cry while reading the news most of the time now. You can laugh but I kind of consider myself an empath. I’m a really good judge on other people’s emotions (almost like I can sense them) and when I see or read about people hurting it hurts me. I’d stop reading it but I don’t want to sit here with my head in the sand anymore. As much as it hurts I want to know, I need to know, so I can help make a difference. I’ve mentioned before that I was abused but I’m not sure if I said I lived a sheltered life or not. Yes, it’s possible to have both. We never went ANYWHERE beyond school, the store, and sometimes church. We didn’t watch or listen to the news; very sheltered. I believed most people were fairly decent because in our small town, most of the people I encountered were decent. I believed racism was gone because I didn’t ever see it.

As an adult I see now that I was wrong.

I like to read through the comments sections of news articles and Facebook posts and I’m astounded at the amount of racist remarks I’ve read. I shouldn’t be, but I am. In June Jesse Williams gave a very controversial speech when he accepted his award. It ticked a lot of people off big time! I’ll admit to being one of those people. But here’s where I differ from a lot, if not most, of them: I was so upset because I LOVE his character on Grey’s Anatomy and I was offended by what he said that I couldn’t stop thinking about it…the more I thought about it the more I tried to justify myself. And wouldn’t you know, the more I tried to justify myself the more I realized he was right and I was wrong.

I don’t remember exactly where my argument with his speech started but at some point I remember thinking “I don’t see color when I look at people, I’m not racist!” But that thought was quickly followed by “ok, maybe I do see color, I have eyes there’s no way around it.” Somewhere along the line I was angry about his ‘white privilege’ comment. I’m poor, grew up that way. Where’s my privilege? But of course that was followed by “ok, so I can be relatively sure I’m not going to be shot by police at a routine stop, and ok, people don’t automatically assume negative things about me based on my skin color, in fact I have never been judged by my skin color and never will be… OH THERE’S MY WHITE PRIVILEGE. You don’t have to agree with me. You’re agreement on the matter doesn’t change the facts.

Once I saw my privilege I set out to do better. I started following a ton of civil rights awareness type accounts and basically any account that pointed out racism and how to overcome it. I’ve started calling out coworkers and family on anything remotely racist, and I also started talking to my girls about it more and telling them about and making them watch the news. I want them to be aware. It’s not much, but it’s a start. It’s why I call myself an activist in training… During one conversation I asked Abby if she knew it wasn’t ok to judge someone based on the color of their skin or physical appearance. Her response was the best I’ve ever heard, “Of course it’s not ok. Never judge a book by its cover, you don’t know what’s on the inside.” -She’s 9.

I think I might have went down a rabbit trail; sorry. So anyway, I was wrong and racism still exists. But it’s more than that. People are really mean, especially online. Read any article about a child going missing or getting seriously hurt or dying and a good number of those comments are blaming the parents. Without any proof or evidence! What happened to compassion and empathy? What happened to waiting until we have facts before crusifying people? Are people getting worse or just finally showing humanity’s true colors because of the anommity of the Internet?

I know there are kind and compassionate people out there, I know I can’t be the only one. I can’t be the only one that watches a movie or clip about the civil rights area or slavery and cries when I see the atrocities done to black people, I can’t be the only one whose heart breaks watching or reading the news, but sometimes I wonder where they are. We need to get louder. We need to overcome all the hate with kindness. Now more than ever, and not just because of our new President but also because hate seems to be running rampant these days. Love Trumps hate, or so I’ve read. In my attempts to be louder, I like to use the hashtags #BeKind and #TheWorldNeedsMoreKindness in my tweets. I like to start the week with a good morning tweet and then quote it while tagging as many people I can think of to let them know someone is thinking of them and hopefully make them smile. More recently I’ve started trying to make most of my tweets inspirational and reminders to be kind. My feed is full of #BeKind tags now. Because of this, I’ve started using an old account I haven’t logged into in years and am in the process of moving most of my TV and fan accounts I follow it. I don’t want my fan obsessions to overrun my kindness tweets…not that I’m mean, exactly, when live tweeting my shows, but I sometimes get a little grumpy…I’m not perfect.

I think I’ve forgotten my point…except to say that the world really does need more kindness. Yes, Trump is now our President, yes people are killing their children and children are killing their parents, and yes, the news in general is showing the future to be pretty bleak, it doesn’t mean we have to sit back and let things get worse. We can actively work to make a difference by spreading as much kindness as we can. Don’t let the hate win.

#BeKind