#endless family hypocrisies

[lightdancer1]

One of the big reasons I think that it's always a bit of a bad thing to forget the Endless really aren't human:

Is because, and I admit here that this is from the POV of someone who does most, if not quite all, of my fanfics from a Death-centric perspective flip both because Gaiman did Dream well and like prequel Anakin there is only so much man pain and mangst I can take before wanting to reach through the screen and strangle the son of a bitch. Disliking Dream as a wangsty jackass who is the architect of almost all of his own problems does not mean being blind to how dysfunctional the Endless as a whole are.

Yet at the end of the day Dream is not your pantsfeels, he's the in-universe true architect of fear and maker of all nightmares, the guy who casually sends a woman to Hell because she told him no. He is inhuman and fickle and dangerous for any mortals that cross his path.......and as a being of story he is also bound by story-logic to pursue the path that makes the better story at the expense of multiple logical and even emotional reactions.

And in terms of this Dream is not really so different to the rest of the family. Even Destruction, when he walks off, very much remains an Endless and is still Destruction. He doesn't become human, he doesn't give up his powers and he goes into a long rambling set of justifications on that and believing simultaneously that the Endless interfere too much in human affairs and turns his group of friends into a minefield to ensure he stays hidden. Destruction, in short, is a flaming hypocrite at best and should not be taken as the reliable one true truth. None of the Seven Endless are that.

So what does all this have to do with Death? Simple. She will outlive the universe and Death of the Endless will be a title and a moment in time. Unlike any of the others she did outright completely quit and walked out and where Dream's captivity and Destruction's hippie moment didn't cause immediate unraveling of reality as opposed to the realm Death did. She is unlike the other six in ways that would and do contribute to why there's so much talking past each other.

The other six, even Destruction, all see their natures as intertwined with their functions, spheres, and all that go with them. Every hundred years for a day Death gives up all that power and becomes fully, truly mortal. She takes the step none of the others can bring themselves to do, and in spite of being the one that outlives the universe, she has died the most of all her kin and the DCU being what it is probably more than a few of those deaths were not pleasant ones. And this is without the equally logical assumption based on Overture that we only see the Earth mortal day, that there were and are such days on all worlds, in all forms of life.

And as I've brought this up before, too, Death's little apartment is not her realm. The realm is only glimpsed partially once, in her second miniseries and it looks every bit as dark as a realm called 'sunless lands' would. With the exception of Destruction all the other realms are seen in detail and not just a partial glimpse. Death has that detachment from that realm, which is as much a part of her as she of it.

In short, unlike the rest of her siblings I think Death is if anything in the comics the least truly focused on duty and much as I consider the 'none of them came for me' to be a good example of Dream's self-serving hypocrisy as he'd hate and scorn and react violently to anyone that actually did and Gaiman is repeatedly on record as noting that, I see the 'our purpose is our function' line as a bit of self-serving hypocrisy in the interest of cheering up her brother. Death couldn't and doesn't take dealing with her function or being an Endless well. She walked out, she keeps trying to turn herself mortal, she will one day continue to exist but no longer be an Endless.

Thus in the end, there is a great irony here. Dream is too rigidly bound by duty to ever truly entertain the idea that he could leave and figure out how to do so short of dying. Death is too frantically eager to discard her Endless status to figure out why anyone would, given the choice, choose to remain one even if it hurts them.

[flwrkid14]

Hi! Can we get some more Jason Todd: Dad Mode Activated? 🥺👉👈 maybe about how Jason helps Tim with his crushes or maybe like how to cope with some mental health struggles/ Tim comparing how different Jason lectures him to Bruce’s lectures?

Hi!! Thank you so much for the ask! <3 These are such great concepts, and I’d have so much fun exploring them! While I’m not sure I’ll make a full post for this, I’d love to share my thoughts on how these ideas could play out!

For Jason helping Tim with crushes, I feel like he’d totally be that dad—the one who embarrasses you in front of your crush on purpose. Tim, of course, doesn’t tell Jason about his crushes for this exact reason, but Jason is way too observant not to figure it out anyway. Imagine them out together (because Jason has once again dragged Tim away from his work to make him take a break), and Jason spots Tim’s current crush walking down the street. He’d nudge Tim with that smug, teasing grin of his, going, “Timmy! Look, Timbo! It’s Bernard! Isn’t he a good friend of yours? What’s he doing out here? Let’s go say hi!” And then, before Tim can protest, Jason’s already dragging him over, while Tim is blushing furiously and muttering curses under his breath. Jason’s embarrassing as hell, but... it’s also endearing. And for Tim, who didn’t grow up with that kind of playful, teasing love, it felt oddly nice... even if his dad was now enthusiastically talking about his cuddling habits when sleeping (screw him for being touch starved) to a very confused Bernard.

As for coping with mental health, Jason would be such a huge advocate. Realizing that Tim is his kid now—and that he’s essentially a dad—would really push Jason to work on his own mental health. He’d know he can’t preach good habits to Tim if he’s not setting a good example himself (because independent Tim Drake—who grew up without much supervision—definitely needs someone to lead by example. He needs proof that taking advice from someone else is worth it, especially when his own methods have always worked just fine for him).

So Jason starts his own mental health journey, taking active steps to improve himself, and Tim notices. And it hits him hard, because none of his parental figures before—Bruce or Jack—ever did that. They never cared about their own well-being for his sake, to be better parents to him. Seeing Jason make that effort makes Tim feel so incredibly loved and valued.

Jason wouldn’t just lecture Tim or bark orders at him; he’d actively help him build better habits. He’d set up mandatory family dinners once a week to encourage better eating patterns and help Tim develop routines that supported a healthier sleep schedule, tailored to his needs, once they realized the standard eight hours a night just wasn’t realistic for him.

It’s these little changes that make Tim realize just how different Jason is from Bruce.

Jason doesn’t demand things from Tim that he doesn’t practice himself. He wouldn’t tell Tim to stop working late if he wasn’t also putting his own work aside and calling it a night. If he’s telling Tim to eat better, he’s leading by example—packing ready-to-go meals for both of them when there’s no time to cook. Jason shows Tim why these changes are worth it, through actions and positive outcomes.

Bruce, on the other hand, never did that. Whatever Bruce told Tim to do was just an expectation. He’d demand Tim do better or lecture him without ever showing how or why it mattered. If Bruce criticized Tim’s performance in the field but was himself guilty of being distracted—like running off mid-patrol for a rendezvous with catwoman—Tim just nodded along and tuned him out. Bruce’s hypocrisy made it impossible for Tim to take him seriously.

But Jason? Jason shows Tim why he should listen, fixing his own behavior and performance first before ever asking the same of Tim. And that difference speaks volumes. For Tim, who’s used to parental figures endless demands with no understanding behind them, Jason’s approach feels like a breath of fresh air—and the kind of support he never knew he needed.

hopefully that lived up to your expectations! <3

[merwgue]

Tamlin is one of the most misunderstood and controversial characters in the ACOTAR series, and while some of his actions—like locking Feyre up—were inherently wrong and abusive, they stem from deep-rooted trauma and manipulation, making his story much more complex than people give him credit for.

1. Trauma from Amarantha – 50 Years of Hell Tamlin spent 50 years under Amarantha’s rule, being groomed and manipulated. He was powerless to save his court and the other courts from suffering, and that burden fell squarely on his shoulders. For half a century, Tamlin lived under the constant pressure of being the one to break the curse, with everyone’s freedom hanging on him. He was traumatized, broken, and desperate, having endured endless torment. This trauma shaped his every decision when it came to Feyre, and while his actions—like locking her up—were wrong, they were driven by deep-seated fear and an overwhelming need to protect her, which he saw as his only chance at redemption.

Tamlin’s fear wasn’t just about control; it was about trying to keep Feyre safe after having lost control over everything else for decades. But, of course, that doesn’t excuse his abusive behavior. It was wrong, but it’s important to understand where that behavior came from—trauma, manipulation, and the belief that if he failed to protect her, he would fail once again.

2. Reactive Abuse in ACOWAR – Feyre Deliberately Provoking Tamlin In A Court of Wings and Ruin, Feyre plays a dangerous game of provoking Tamlin to make him react in ways that paint him as the villain. This is reactive abuse. She comes back to the Spring Court with the intention of tearing it down from the inside, manipulating Tamlin’s emotions and pushing him to his breaking point. She does things deliberately to make him angry and hurt him, knowing he will react out of frustration and heartbreak.

While Tamlin’s actions in earlier books were abusive, Feyre’s calculated manipulations in ACOWAR cannot be ignored. She deliberately enrages him, knowing exactly what buttons to push, and when he reacts, he’s painted as the bad guy. But let’s not forget: Tamlin was already mentally broken and reeling from losing Feyre, and she intentionally took advantage of that vulnerability.

3. Feyre Destroying His Court – Overkill Feyre’s decision to destroy Tamlin’s entire court is a massive overreaction. Yes, they broke up, and yes, Tamlin made mistakes, but wiping out his entire kingdom because of a failed relationship? It’s spiteful and malicious. Feyre didn’t just want to hurt him emotionally—she wanted to ruin his entire life, his legacy, and everything he had worked to protect. And for what? A breakup? The level of destruction she brings to the Spring Court is wildly disproportionate to Tamlin’s mistakes. She knowingly and willfully destroyed the home and people he loved, leaving him with nothing but ruin.

4. Tamlin Saving Rhysand’s Life in ACOWAR – And Still Getting Trashed Tamlin’s good deeds get completely overlooked in favor of villainizing him. In ACOWAR, he literally saved Rhysand’s life during the battle. Rhys was on the brink of death, and despite everything, Tamlin stepped in to rescue him. Tamlin put aside his grievances and his heartbreak to do the right thing, proving that despite his flaws, he still cared enough to save someone who had wronged him.

But instead of gratitude or any kind of recognition, Rhysand continues to trash Tamlin in ACOFAS and ACOSF. He makes snide comments, mocks him, and even invades Tamlin’s court just to taunt him. It’s infuriating when you consider that Rhys wouldn’t even be alive without Tamlin’s help. How can someone who owes his life to Tamlin continue to treat him like dirt? It’s an example of how skewed the narrative is in Rhysand’s favor.

5. Rhysand’s Hypocrisy – His Own Crimes Ignored Let’s not forget that Rhysand literally murdered Tamlin’s family. Yes, Rhysand’s family suffered a great loss, but they initiated the blood feud by attacking first. Tamlin’s family was killed in retaliation for Rhysand’s father and brothers attacking them, and yet, all the sympathy is directed at Rhysand’s loss. Tamlin’s pain and trauma from losing his entire family is brushed aside, while Rhysand’s grief is front and center, as if only his loss matters.

Rhysand is glorified, and his family’s death is framed as this great tragedy, but Tamlin’s loss? Barely a footnote. It’s a double standard, especially when you consider that Rhysand’s family brought the conflict on themselves. Tamlin’s trauma from losing his family is completely ignored in favor of building up Rhysand as the hero.

6. Rhysand Telling Tamlin to Kill Himself – Beyond Cruel Rhysand’s treatment of Tamlin post-ACOWAR is downright despicable. Tamlin is left broken, suffering from depression, having lost his court, Feyre, and his family. Instead of showing any empathy, Rhysand invades his court and tells him to kill himself. This is someone who is already at his lowest, and instead of being left in peace, Rhysand shows up just to make his suffering worse. It’s not just toxic—it’s cruel beyond measure. For someone who has supposedly suffered so much himself, Rhysand shows an astonishing lack of empathy for someone else in pain.

7. Tamlin as a Victim of Trauma – Deserving of Understanding In the end, Tamlin is a victim of years of trauma, manipulation, and immense pressure. His actions were wrong, but they were driven by fear and desperation, not malice. Tamlin suffered from Amarantha’s grooming, lost his entire family because of Rhysand’s blood feud, and had his court destroyed by Feyre’s revenge. He is not a one-dimensional villain; he’s a deeply flawed character who was broken by his circumstances.

While Tamlin’s mistakes should be acknowledged, it’s unfair to completely vilify him while Rhysand gets away with far worse. Tamlin’s trauma, pain, and losses are real, and they deserve to be treated with the same understanding and empathy that Rhysand’s story receives. At the very least, Tamlin deserves recognition for the good he has done—saving Rhysand, fighting for his court, and suffering through immense trauma without any support. Tamlin deserved better from both the narrative and the characters around him.

(This took me an hour to write I better see NO ONE discrediting me🤣)

[anshelsgendercrisis]

You condemn antisemitism at every turn, but then you turn around and fully support a colonial regime that does nothing but exterminate Muslim and Christian Arabs, or anyone from the Middle East who isn’t aligned with your agenda. They brand them as inferior, uncivilized, barbaric, and even less than human—animals. Yet, you conveniently ignore the systemic violence and ethnic cleansing being committed daily. The irony is astonishing. How do you manage to stay silent on the massacre from yesterday? People being burned alive while attached to their IV machines, hospitals bombed, children murdered in cold blood—yet you remain too afraid to call out your own soldiers, the real terrorists here, the ones whose hands are soaked in the blood of innocent civilians.

But of course, you'll find another excuse, right? Was KHHHHHamas there ? Isn't that the tired line you always use to justify these atrocities? Is that the excuse you'll use for shelling homes, schools, and hospitals too? Zionism is not just an ideology—it’s a racist and colonialist sect bent on domination and erasure. It doesn’t matter how you try to twist it; the fact remains that your system is rooted in supremacy and the subjugation of others. And don’t think we haven’t noticed the growing global awareness. The world is waking up to the truth, despite the propaganda you hide behind.

Even a survivor of Hiroshima, a man who knows what it means to witness mass death, broke down in tears over the horror happening in Gaza. The suffering of children, civilians, families—and yet, instead of empathy, Israel attacked him, proving once again that anyone who dares to question your narrative is immediately branded an enemy. Doesn’t this only solidify what we’ve been saying all along? Your ideology is rooted in racism, colonialism, and oppression, and no amount of excuses, fear-mongering, or manipulation can hide that anymore.

The hypocrisy is glaring: cry foul when it comes to your own suffering, but endorse and enable genocide when it serves your cause. You can’t have it both ways. Justice and humanity cannot be selective. The blood of Gaza’s children is on your hands, and no amount of justification will cleanse it. The world is watching, and no longer buying into the endless cycle of excuses, deflections, and lies.

sorry chief not reading all of that.

[harocat]

for the reverse unpopular opinion meme.... jiang yanli! (it's not really a challenge, i just want to hear nice things about her and i enjoy your opinions on female characters fsjfldsf)

AHHH OKAY. I don't really know how nice this is because it is sad, but it's positive because it comes from my love of the character.

I am rotating in my mind at all times the tragedy of Yanli! Not her death, though obviously that's tragic, but her lived life up to that point. There is so much focus on the way Madame Yu treats WWX and JC, and I do get that because it's much more blatant how she mistreats especially WWX. But JYL was held back as well.

Even though there are female cultivators in the series, Madame Yu included, Yanli does not seem to be given that opportunity. In the book she doesn't even get to go to Cloud Recesses with the boys. It seems like Madame Yu wants her to be a perfect wife for the marriage arrangement she set up, but then she also berates JYL when she does 'domestic things'.

JYL is so quiet, and she doesn't draw attention to herself, and yes, part of this may be cultural, but it's also because she's been beaten down by Madame Yu. It is a tragedy that she is never able to become the person she deserves to become, not just because she dies, but because of that.

This is one of the reasons I do love her relationship with WWX so much. She's scolded for her kindness, scolded for treating him as part of her family instead of like a servant, and over and over she goes against what may be considered societal norm to express how much he means to her, and how she views him as her family. She's the only one who does this, and her love for him helps her overcome her lack of assertiveness, the way she's had the dominant personalities of her other family members (okay maybe not JFM lol), sort of... drown her out up to this point. She's able to be strong when her love for her little brother, the chosen family she alone refuses to disavow, is what fuels her.

There are endless stories about romantic love between men and women that defies class, defies societal norms, etc., but with them, it’s the love between a sister and the little brother she chose to make her own.

And I think you can even link this to the corruption, hypocrisy, and classism of the cultivation world, because it is that very love, which goes against societal norms in the jianghu, that ends up causing her death (at the hands of the same cultivators that are attempting to 'protect' everyone). They are everything.

[shallowseeker]

There are a lot of nervous breakdowns in SPN that are very tied up with delayed grief reactions.

S4 Sam - Drinking demon blood is a reaction to losing Dean; to being horrified that Dean could die and having a disgust-reaction to his weakness as a way to protect himself from the emotions he has about Dean's mortality; Sam was desperate to be stronger. He couldn't unpack why.

S6 Cas - Being murdered by Heaven (Raphael), and though he returned to Heaven to be "the new sheriff," he was paranoid of even the angels close to him because of *waves at all of S4-5* That paranoia and withdrawal into himself reached into every relationship he has. He watched his loved ones suffer, so he decided to be the one to "Put a Stop to It--to All of It"

S7 Cas - Nihilism; (The endless repetition of life and deriving no meaning from it; route of flowers being a predestined plan is also a "nothing matters" nod); Feelings of guilt and the need for penance, terminating in s8 "suicide" / wanting to stay in purgatory *is* suicide btw

S8 Cas - Brainwashing redux; Guilt, lots of changes here, as a result of the brainwashing he needs space to figure out what he's feeling and who he trusts; ALSO Feeling afraid of heaven (re: The great escapist and Matatron "Heaven's powers always spill over (to the humans)" and "Who's it gonna be, Castiel, her or YOUR family (human family)?"

S8 Sam - Great big Sam nervous breakdown; totally paralyzed and running away. Even Amelia-Sam was part OF the freakout, something Amelia's father, someone that knew her well and cared about her, recognized (Amelia doesn't wanna go back to her husband, because he can *die* and maybe she's like Sam too in that she's completely allergic to grief, hey?); Sam oscillates between CHECKOUT OF REALITY and WE GOTTA STICK TO THE HUNTING CODE(TM) the same way Dean clung to the simpler hunting code at the beginning of s7; "Don't choke!" Both boys veer between all-or-nothing with regards to the hunting life

S9 Dean - Gadreel and Kevin and feeling like he was doing the wrong thing; Sam's willingness to commit suicide; Cas's symbolic suicide, then Cas falling — we see in Dean’s speech to Metatron that he was desperate to also "Put a Stop to It--to All of It" and his reasons were spelled out clearly, protecting Sam and the distress over Cas's grace/falling/being wronged BY Metatron

S10 Sam - Reacting to Dean's death AGAIN; Reacting to the terrible knowledge that everyone was always sacrificing for him and not the other way around; also a delayed grief reaction to how his family locked him up for detox; and of being an addict himself and fearing that it would end in black eyes and blood (he's not exactly wrong, either; he just went too far)

S10 Cas - Delayed reaction to Jimmy Novak's passing; meeting Claire and wanting to be "like a human"; his guilt was so overpowering; also dealing with his hypocrisy (re: Metatron) about wanting to stay on the earth

S10 Dean - Loss of free will redux, but in the disinhibited direction; dealing with feelings of shame over the loss of free will and past experiences where he also felt powerless or manipulated; he (like Claire Novak) overall tends to choose forgiveness, trying to understand and give grace to those who wronged him; also dealing with being Cole's "Azazel," the parallel to Claire dealing with her "Azazels"

S11 Cas - Delayed reaction to Dean dying in s9, reaction to his grace power reduction (he got his grace BACK and it was damaged), also feeling powerless to protect anyone; the attack dog spell etc etc; Sacrifices himself to the cause

S12 Mary - Huge breakdown because she was ripped from her life and is grieving her entire family as she knew it; feeling like she can't escape from hunting and she corrupted John and in reading his journal she empathizes with his plight while struggling with the cruelty of it; she decides if she can't escape then maybe she can "Put a Stop to It--to All of It."

S12 Cas - Still struggling with the mortality of the human fam (First Blood) and his lack of strength, See Lily Sunder and Stuck in the Middle with You as crisis points. Was enticed by Jack keeping his power because that means he'd have a fam member who could outlive him. The script taps into Cas's wants: Kelly to be at peace, Sam to be free, Dean to be *ahem* thankful, and himself to be strong. Nephilim gives him a cause to not feel guilty about being on earth because it's a Mission (TM)

Nervous breakdowns, man. I can keep going. There are so many nervous breakdowns. SO MANY. And when you look at them AS nervous breakdowns, they make more sense.

[hcfiles]

She wants to be relevant. So, she needs to make the trial and the PR stunt big things. And Henry Cavill is being of great help. The trial is now, just a clickbait promoting her name. This woman was nothing, but a big inconvenience. But, apparently, Henry Cavill doesn't agree with that. He proudly and a few times, insisted on kissing her publicly to show his support for her, also declaring he was "proud of being her man". So, she can be the worst. He doesn't care. It's a job and she might be a "colleague" of a fake plot - Now, an endless PR stunt as damage control, a lie he will have to carry with him forever. He doesn't care if her rep jeopardizes his integrity. The problem is he depends on it to make a living. Actors without fans' support are invisible.

When is Henry Cavill going to realize people are not jealous of Natalie? What would people be jealous of? A promiscuous unknown with no talent nor professional skills rather than being on her knees, dating an idiotic shallow man, with no self-confidence, no emotional intelligence and arrogant enough to think people are mad, because they can't have him? There's nothing to be jealous of. Natalie is just the pitiful next in line (Who will be present for a long time helping him to stick to the lie of the fake paternity). People are mad, because he surprised his fandom by teasing them to exhaustion with lies and hypocrisy, while exposing a woman to public humiliation and using immoral management strategies as damage control on this dirty PR stunt.

He was first, criticized by a TV host on National TV. And fans just gave their opinion on it. And he didn't like it. The criticism wasn't addressed to his most recent PR, wrongly chosen to boost his image or intentionally, chosen to screw him. This response from fandom to his fake dates always happened, it wasn't a big deal and he always expected it. The fact is, this time, he wasn't counting that the PR's promiscuous rep would screw his perfect prince image. So, they both decided to tease the fandom, putting fuel to fire to have others to blame to send a message they didn't care, when they were both actually ashamed of themselves. The criticism was on YOU, Henry, who tried to make your fandom accountable for your stupidity by criticizing them with your "enlightened" speech, because they called you out for selling them lies.

The criticism was addressed to YOUR Character, hypocrisy and lack of courage; to YOUR management team, to the immoral strategies used in the immoral plot they put you in and to the role YOU accepted in this circus, while "following the lead". It was addressed to YOUR arrogance, while considering yourself a superior being, above criticism. Who do you think you are, Mr. Cavill? God? Just because of fame? Please, give me a break! Fame doesn't make you free of criticism nor perfect or above immorality. It only gives you a fake shield and a God complex, which was surely, pumped to the highest levels in YOUR case, who used a poor, mentally ill redneck to be that shield.

YOU threw a woman under the bus and used her to defend yourself from the criticism you had for being a dude. You never faced the consequences of YOUR decisions and choices, but used a circus to escape from it exposing a woman to public execration, while hiding behind her pregnancy and a fake paternity plot. What an example of gentlemanly! A pitiful, mentally ill and gulable-for-attention promiscuous, "dating" a gorgeous, hot, sweet, but pathetic dude. Man! It's not only a brilliant couple. It's the f**king perfect and pathetic match! I wish both the best and a long living marriage. Oh! Wait! There's still no public marriage, despite "proud of being her man" and having her, "his" baby, while execrated for him.

Hum... 🤔 Henry Cavill, YOU owe Natalie Viscuso a marriage. What is it? Aren't you "proud of being her man"? So, put a ring on it, include her in your family core and give her your family name, will you? It's the least your promiscuous deserves. Not a fake, but real marriage. If you guys aren't married yet, using this circus to announce this engagement.

[theoutcastrogue]

Spectacles in Constantinople (other than chariot races)

[by Marcus Rautman]

Reconstruction of early Constantinople

Like any great city, Constantinople was a nexus of social space, civic ceremony, commercial entertainment, and endless diversion. Medieval observers saw a busy urban environment where streets and plazas were regularly taken over by processions, churches and monasteries were filled with clergy and worshipers, and competitive games and performances took place in the open-air hippodrome.

The unruly intensity of enthusiastic crowds could also have unforeseen consequences, and on occasion violence and riots flared. John Chrysostom and other guardians of public decorum warned that attending mass spectacles could lead to laughter, immodest and licentious behavior, impulsiveness, and loss of responsible identity. While theatrical shows were generally improvisational, their potential to critique and undermine social order was clear to officials like Justinian (527–65), who suppressed Christological mimes and withdrew funding for their public performance. Some of the most negative views came from bishops attending the late seventh-century Council in Trullo, whose canons discouraged clergy and monks from attending the hippodrome and condemned exhibitions of mimes, wild animals, and public dancing.

Yet other sources make clear that organized spectacles were inseparable from the intensity of city life, with state-sponsored processions, games, and performances growing out of playful, demonstrative interactions experienced every day in street, market, and home.

On stage

Acrobat, musician and dancer, silver cover of a bowl, 12th century (in the Hermitage)

Theatrical entertainments were another popular spectacle inherited from classical times. Roman citizens had long been in the habit of attending public performances and several open-air theaters are known in early Constantinople. Unlike classical drama, stage productions in late antiquity aimed at visual rather than literary appeal, and ranged from choreographed group performances to individual displays of acrobatic and illusionist skill. One of the most elaborate forms of stage performance was pantomime (pantomimos), a ballet-like retelling of familiar mythological tales known in the third century BC. Commanding public stage or private dining room, a single interpretive dancer assumed well-known character roles by wearing distinctive costumes and trappings. The expressive eloquence of non-verbal performance was reinforced by instrumental or sung musical accompaniment.

By contrast, the less decorous antics of mimes and mummers offered broadly comedic diversion in the tradition of burlesque and slapstick. Expressive mime (mimos) performances had an equally long history, with plots drawn from easily recognized, often transgressive aspects of everyday life: family dramas, mistaken identities, infidelities, crime, violence. Requiring no scenery and few props, mimes moved freely from stage to street corners and taverns, delivering lively action supported by flutes, pipes, lyres, singing, and drums. Acrobats and jugglers appear in different media and are mentioned by late medieval authors. The depiction of small, costumed, and sometimes nude figures on carved ivory boxes of the tenth–twelfth centuries suggests the broad parody and implicit social commentary of playful display.

Like other forms of mass entertainment the theater was viewed by authorities with suspicious tolerance. Chrysostom and others saw the manipulative inauthenticity of dramatic roleplaying (hypocrisis) as inherently blasphemous. Naturally the unpredictable and emotional response to public performance contributed to immorality and political subversion. Performers were seen as inhabiting the social margin; foreigners, slaves, and especially women were regarded as morally irresponsible, even as they were invited to play in the palace itself. Prokopios’ overheated account of Theodora’s stage career likely drew on widespread prejudices about the moral fluidity of the entertainment community as much as its enduring popular acclaim.

On the streets

Broad, porticoed streets were among Constantinople’s most characteristic urban features. While major processions stuck to these primary routes, secondary streets in peripheral quarters saw myriad local celebrations. [...]

Streets were busy throughout the day. Carts and wagons kept to the main roads, with porters carrying their loads through uneven, winding alleys. Food vendors, scribes, and moneychangers lined the porticoes, which were good places to meet people and pass time with friends. Keeping passages clear of debris and lit by torches at night was up to shopkeepers, who might briefly expand their domain by setting benches and tables for customers outside their doors. Floor mosaics, graffiti, and game boards carved into the paving of porticoes reflect the attractions of recreational leisure. Observers note the boisterous conviviality of restaurants, taverns, and baths, where acrobats, illusionists, and jugglers shared their talent at close range. Trained bears, birds, and dogs were always reliable attractions. Mime-like performers and storytellers continued to play back streets and tavernas.

— Marcus Rautman, "Entertainment" in The Cambridge companion to Constantinople / edited by Sarah Bassett. Cambridge University Press 2022

[questionsonislam]

What is intention; how should it be?

Intention reminds us of firstly five daily obligatory prayers or fasting. We ask the acceptance of God with these worships. And we beforehand voice this intention. The opposite of acceptance is hypocrisy. Acceptance is for God, but hypocrisy is for the public. In the first, divine mercy and favor are the object; in the latter, however, seeming nice to people and receiving their compliments and applauds are the object. And this is, in my opinion, another kind of begging.

It is a huge unwariness to take the way of hypocrisy and to try to make ourselves liked by others in a world in which everybody likes their own selves. However, the self craves for being deceived and enters this dead-end street consciously and willingly.

It is depended before anything else on the condition of intention for us to lead a happy life and to reach the place of bliss in our eternal travel that begins with death. Just like our intention in our worships is for the acceptance of God, so should our intention in worldly dealings be such high aims as to gain money and provide for our family legitimately, being an exemplary rich person to encourage others to work in the circle of halal-that which is legitimate- to assume responsibility in the economic growth of our country and to make our country more powerful against the enemies. The worldly workings we handle with this intention can have fruits also in the Hereafter. It is stated in the Risale-i Nur Collection, in the Fourth Word:

With the right intention, all the other acts of someone who performs the prescribed prayers become like worship.

We have recounted some of these right intentions above.

Such intentions as to be superior to others, to be famous, to make our rivals jealous, and to receive applaud and regard that the self likes leave the fruits of these workings and strains just in this world. We cannot bring with us anything to the Hereafter for all our efforts.

Bediüzzaman point out a very important point in the explanation of the verse: Worship your Lord Who created you and the ones before you so that you may achieve the rank of piety.

Man must worship his Lord firstly because He is his Lord. The ranks and favors he will reach after this worship are secondary in importance. Dont we experience a small example of this in showing respect to the elderly?

Why do we respect our father?

Because he is our father; not because he will give us presents or leave us inheritance. In the second way, there is benefit in our love and so it is muddy and not pure.

Therefore, this point is highlighted in the verse with the expression Worship your Lord instead of Worship God.

We will worship our Lord because He is our Lord. We owe endless debts of thanks to our Lord who puts the plan of our bodies into a drop of water, who shapes this drop and makes it a human being and who equips our souls with feelings. And worship is the best expression of paying this debt. A believer makes it clear that he is aware of this fact by intending the acceptance of God before worship.

In the Risale-i Nur Collection, intention is likened to soul: Intention is a soul. And the soul of this soul is sincerity. (Mesnevi-i Nuriye)

The visible parts of deeds are like body; and their aim is soul. Just as the body finds life through the soul, so do the deeds find life through intention. And the soul of intention is sincerity, i.e. performing worship only for the acceptance of God and expecting no other reward.

The one who fights in the way of God and the one who fights for loot visibly do the same thing. However, if the first one dies he becomes a martyr, or if he lives he becomes a ghazi-victorious fighter for the Islamic faith; but the latter has lost the honor of martyrdom from the beginning. There is no reward or him except the loot.

An important point:

Man can make his small deed universal with intention. We make our intentions universal by saying in the prayer: Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help. In the Risale-i Nur Collection, in this subject three communities are pointed out: While we recite this verse, we can intend all Muslims, or we can also intend all cells, all organs and feelings that function in our body, or we can intend all the creatures that perform their worships by fulfilling the duties they are given.

Another point that calls for attention in the issue of intention: Like worships, recalling the name of God and other invocations must only be for the acceptance of God. Only by this way can they bear the seal of sincerity and be accepted. If man supplicates or invokes God for the betterment of his worldly deeds, sincerity is shaken and he cannot achieve this result either.

For the benefits may not be the reason for the invocation and may not themselves be intended and sought. For they are obtained when unsought for, as a consequence of the sincere invocation, as a favor. If they are intended, it damages the sincerity to an extent. Indeed, it ceases being worship and looses all value. (The Flashes, the Seventeenth Flash, Thirteenth Note, the Second Matter)

[kerink]

i can't stop thinking about these bits from it devours

in relation to the newest episode, about the different types of science and the relationship between science and the logic of night vale

i think both nilanjana and carlos express janet lubelle's values in these scenes and give us a richer idea of what the culture of the university of what it is is like.

nilanjana spends the entirety of it devours feeling like an outsider even after living in night vale for four years. her arc is not only about learning to make a home but also about expanding her view of what science can be. she's the only member of carlos' team doing what we, the audience, would describe as real science. luisa and mark do science within the rules of the wtnv universe, things that are nonsense with no practical value or application except to be a deus ex machina later in the story. nilanjana says their type of science is what wins awards and grants, but she does her work because "She simply wanted to study the nature of the world." who does that sound like? the reason nilanjana doesn't feel at home in night vale is because she's operating on the rules of the real world rather than acclimating to the rules of night vale. carlos even tells her: "Maybe it’s not about them accepting you. Maybe you have to accept them first.”

carlos spends the story single-mindedly devoted to his experiment. carlos has a moral code that structures his work, focusing on doing good and minimizing harm. he doesn't want to kill the centipede until he feels he has to, specifically to protect his family. (it's interesting when nilanjana wants to kill it to protect the town he avoids that conversation, and it's not until janice is threatened that he changes his mind, something to consider further later.) but carlos also spends the story shifting blame around, first he blames the city then the church then the city again. it's only after everything's said and done he's able to see that it was him all along causing harm. it was him and his science that was threatening the town. but carlos is unable to see his own hypocrisy, saying of the city counsel that its "placing its secrecy above our safety, pretending it’s trying to protect us" - carlos, aren't you pretending you're trying to protect people when really you're trying to bring what's secret into the light? and who does THAT sound like? carlos believes that anything that can be studied can be fixed and anything that can be fixed can be made safe.

night vale is an "unravelable knot of mistruths and misdirection" that can never be fully understood and appreciated by people who believe "in simple scientific truths." carlos said the first step towards him accepting night vale was accepting their world view: "But it wasn’t that he didn’t see the things that I saw, he just interpreted them differently. I was afraid of him and all the people of Night Vale because of that." this is something nilanjana struggled to do and something lubelle seems uninterested in doing.

it's been said before that it's likely carlos left for night vale in the first place because he didn't fit in at the university and was open to investigating a rumor. he built his own team, and given that luisa and mark seemingly adapted easily to the rules of wtnv's universe and nilanjana eventually came around too they were also a bit atypical for university staff

however, while the team was able to adjust to the town using carlos' ethical standards as a framework, carlos isn't without his own university cultural holdover. carlos is an avid workaholic who believes in scientific import above all else. his perfect self and perfect reality as express in the condos liveshow was: "endless rows of Erlenmeyer flasks, and every one held a liquid, and all of the liquids were bubbling, and before each one was a notebook of numbers, and above was a dial with more numbers. I saw all of this, and I understood—I need to get to those flasks. Each liquid was bubbling. There were numbers. I’m going into the condo. The condo is perfect. It is perfect, and I understand." a reality in which he can endlessly do science and, most importantly, understand

carlos' value of do no harm is the only difference between him and lubelle and, ostensibly, the university as a whole. he has the same drive to study and understand that lubelle has, but stopped his experimentation once he realized he was the one destroying the town. even so, it took getting to that point for him to stop even refusing to hear nilanjana's perceptive about what science should be.

[sundaypenacony]

⋆｡°★ [5] Thoughts about the new leaks - Part 2

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ WARNING: This post will talk about a lot of story leaks and character leaks in general. This post will talk about an analysis I did before which mentions a religious cult named "The Family" by David Brandt Berg which is known for SA but besides that, it is also known for, abuse, shunning, religious discrimination, conversion therapy, ritual abuse, child abuse, etc.

Credit to StepLeaker for the leaks , the_chanels and blednay

⋆｡°★ Story Leaks

⋆｡°★ Storyleaks P1

Isn't the Trailblazer having so much fun...! As always!

I am just lost who the heck the "Clock Boy" is supposed to be... Also Watchmaker is interesting to see... I do wonder what the hell is going in this leak, I wonder if this is a kind of "dream" that is happening, because why would Sampo turn into that but also why would Sampo attack Trailblazer out of nowhere?

⋆｡°★ Dream Hotel

Also what could the Dream Hotel exactly be? Well I tried to look into on of the Relic setsnamed "Penacony, Land of the Dreams" where one of the relics is named "Penacony, Land of the Dreams" which I assume is the hotel the leaks are talking about.

Okay so, reading the description of the relic does give a little bit more information about what this hotel may be.

It is mentioned when entering the hotel the scenery gradually becomes more and more incredulous and it feels like one has been lifted by silk how other quests may even walk on walls and defy gravity. This is also mentioned in the leak, how the Trailblazer is floating. They than go on to mention things that are very different to what it is originally.

Then the most important part is mentioned: "They were never awake, but are instead witnessing Penacony's true nature in a dream - a place where time stops in a neverending dreamscape." When they enter the hotel they are under the rule of The Family and how some quests who have suffered a lot of pain come to this hotel to soothe their worries and wounds.

Afterwards, they go on to mention the past of this hotel and how "the thread that weaves the dreams comes from reality" which suggests a connection between dreams and real-life experiences and how the fabric of our dreams, the imaginative and often surreal scenarios we experience during our sleep, is influenced by the events, emotions, or situation we encounter. The dreams are shaped by our experiences in the real world.

Than something else they mention is how the Hotel used to be an IPC (Interastral Peace Corporation) prison where countless inmates were relocated to salvage the overflowing Memory Bubbles for the Garden of Recollection. "People repeated their endless toils until their bodies were as heavy as lead, but their souls became as light as bubbles. At some unknown point in time, the small cells cut off access to reality, but people's consciousnesses became linked in dreams. In the midnight bell, that shared dream seemed so real, reflecting the sheer hypocrisy of reality."

In the Link Rope (which will also be mentioned more about later), they go more into the IPC past of the big metropolis. They mention how the IPC sent a huge number of prisoners to the Asdana star System in an attempt to stop a catastrophe from spreading. There, people reclaimed memoria, gradually becoming lost between fantasy and reality. The spherical work chambers in a vacuum became an unforgettable "memory" for the prisoners. When others who regained freedom went to discover the dreamscape, the cages went along with them and they mention how they instead of trying to destroy the inescapable nightmares, they embrace it and add "colour" to this place.

Then they go on to mention how The Destruction stopped the IPC and how the Trailblaze "connected this frontier to the other stars" which probably implies how they did an expansion of exploration beyond localized area. And then The Harmony (Xipe) was the one to establish and encourage peaceful relations.

After this happened, they erected a myriad of skyscrapers and rebuilt it into a metropolis that is a new place for dreamers in search of wealth and opportunities and the best place for those who want to search for indulgence and pleasure. And the rest of the text greatly emphasises how they don't talk about the past.

We also have the Link Rope of this set named the "Penacony's Dream-Seeking Tracks" which talks about how only people who "stay and dream" are considered to have officially arrived at Penacony. Now I wonder how many people have gotten stuck there...

They talk about the Spheroids which are the main transportation in the dreamscape metropolis and guide guests around every place of the city. BUT! They also mention how the vehicles are actually imprisonment cages and how they were originally used to lock up prisoners.

Also, they start to mention some places in this metropolis named the "Moment of Daybreak", "Moment of Scorchsand" and a stadium called the "Moment of Stars".

"In the present, the fast-moving colorful Spheroids moving all over Penacony and the slight reverberations coming from within them... are all quietly hidden in the light of the dream city, blending in with the ambitions and laughter, like a land of dreams where time forever stands still."

⋆｡°★ Storyleaks P2

Well now that we know what this Hotel is and that we have more info about Penacony we can continue!! I feel like what the Trailblazer at the moment is experiencing is sort of a dream, but I do wonder how much of this is actually a dream and how much isn't.

A couple of characters are mentioned after this and for people who are unware of who they are here is a list!

⋆｡°★ Firefly / Sam

Firefly or also knows as Sam is a leaker character for Honkai Star Rail who is a Stellaron Hunter. They were the one to go with Kafka to recruit Blade and held Blade down to give Kafka the time to convince Blade and went with Blade and Kafka to recruit Silver Wolf.

In the story the will reveal they're Sam by saying:

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hide it from you, I just... I just wanted to get to know you as 'Firefly' instead of 'Sam'. Wil you forgive me? You will forgive me, right?"

It is also mentioned that she is frail girl who is searching for the meaning of life.

⋆｡°★ Archeron

In leaks it is mentioned how she comes to Penacony as a Galaxy Ranger and attend the Family's banquets. She later reveals her true identity as an Emanator of the Void. She is an IX emanator of Abundance, a "Self-Annihilator" born out of nothingness with no memory or past, wielding a sword that cuts off the path of life. (cough Sigma kinnie ok bye)

She is described as a cold and silent intergalactic ronin, an ascetic imperial maiden. She has embarked on a lonely journey for vengeance, but still seems to have goodness in her heart.

⋆｡°★ Black Swan

She is the memo keeper of the Garden of Recollection. I think her voice line leaks explain it better than what I can say really. It is mentioned how she cannot get into trailblazer memories.

⋆｡°★ Adventurine

Adventurine is an employee of the IPC Strategic Investment Department. He is a coworker of Topaz and it mentioned how Diamond (their boss) has given him a major project involving Penacony (wow how surprising IPS cannot stay away huh).

⋆｡°★ Robin

Robin: A leader of The Family - a faction aligned with the Path of Harmony on Penacony. She appears in the Dreamscape as an agent of Watchmaker - the true master of Penacony - and sends invitations to members of all the families to attend a banquet on Penacony.

She also has some insane powers that she uses to get people to join The Family, like holy macaroni see this. Also it mentioned how she wants to eliminate Watchmaker so...! Let's say she is NOT loyal to them.

⋆｡°★ Storyleaks P3

OKAY YES- Now we are back to the story leaks! Sorry, I had a lot to explain first before we could really get into it. The trailblazer is at the hotel mentioned above and is basically really experiencing all the effects of this hotel. I do wonder how Watchmaker got into this... Especially when they make such a big connection between real life and a dream and how much life influences dreams.

At the arrival of Penacony, I feel like they were getting used to the weird gravity thing in the Hotel and then meet Robin and Sunday (<333 theeeemmmm explodes). There was also another leak of voicelines between these three:

"Robin: Are you all right?

Trailblazer: I seem to be seeing hallucinations…

Robin: Haha, this is normal for people who enter "dreamland" for the first time.

Sunday: It seems that this guest isn't used to the change from reality to the dream world. Don't worry, this kind of weightlessness is common among travelers who are new to the dream world.

Sunday: Robin, please help our friend better adapt to this dream.

Robin: Leave it to me.

Robin: It's okay. Just relax. It'll be over soon.

Robin: "Breathe in." …… "Breathe out." ……

Robin: You are now in complete control of your dreams, {NICKNAME}—welcome to Penacony."

So this is the part where they get introduced to Penacony.

Now for the part where they mention Firefly having a teardrop in the corner of her eye, I feel like this is something that happens later after certain events that I cannot predict, sadly,,, Trailblazer is I think getting some kind of dream again that does resonate with reality.

And well than! Firefly and Archeron get into a fight...! GREAT! I feel like Archeron, as how is mentioned, does have a kind heart so I feel like she may be protecting the Trailblazer because they know about them being Stellaron Hunters, though I am a little unsure about this claim.

And than Black Swan just drags the Trailblazer away! GREAT! Like they aren't having enough already lol. Blackswan is the one that is the memo keeper of the Garden of Recollection. I think they do have something to do with the IPS because of the entire "prison where countless inmates were relocated to salvage the overflowing Memory Bubbles for the Garden of Recollection". Hence why Aventurine is there, who literally WORKS for IPS and got a job for the Penacony from his boss. I do feel like it has something to do with the Garden of Recollection but absolutely the past of the hotel and Penacony in general with the IPS.

THAN! Look at that! Robin's fake death! Which confirms this event all took place in World 3 where Robin performs her own death in order to force out and eliminate Watchmaker...! Dang the puzzle pieces are really connecting now...

The story feels a little chaotic at the moment and there absolutely some parts between the leaks missing.

⋆｡°★ Light Cones Leaks

Baptism, ah, here I go again back with my Christian references.

Okay, so the emphasis on cleanliness and the idea that "truth eludes impurity and can only be approached by purity" resonates with the Christian concept of moral purity and the idea of being cleansed of purified thoughts by repentance. Christianity often talks about living a righteous life, how the lightcones talk about how the idea of truth is approached through purity is probably them saying how like in the Bible maintaining moral integrity and avoiding behaviours is considered sinful. Furthermore, the concept of purity and truth is found in passages in the Bible like for example in Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God".

⋆｡°★ Chinese

I DON'T KNOW CHINESE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO TRANSLATE THESE WELL ENOUGH BUT I DO READ SOME THINGS ABOUT PENACONT AND THE GARDEN OF RECOLLECTION SOBBING

I will try to translate these some other times and get more into it, but I cannot promise good translations because my Chinese knowledge is very very limited.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ THANK YOU FOR READING!

[rafealsamuel]

Be Honest. Nothing good can come without that.

America (as a nation, as a set of controlled systems/institutions) cannot stop (or is unwilling to prevent, not sufficiently motivated) HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, basically a million Children for disappearing, going missing every single year. America (as a nation, as a set of controlled systems/institutions) is not stopping their own babies from being murdered to profit the medical mafia.

IF YOU IMAGINE that you can build ANY kind of meaningful goodness, virtue, or blessing ON TOP OF THIS , then you are smoking some potent spiritual CRACK. You're in delusion and disconnected from fundamental realities. If there is no "Fear of the Lord" then the foundation for valuing human life is eroded, up for grabs, or negotiable.

God says that America started so good and ended so badly. Yes, I know there were occultists and Mason occultists woven into the founding fathers. But when the Puritans were SERIOUS and mad a COVENANT with God, God listened and took it seriously! Parts of America PRETEND to hate slavery, but then shop at WalMart which EMBRACES slave labor. And do secret sex slavery in every city. We have so many WILLFUL blindness, and more contradiction. We only have the corruption that we TOLERATE or are unwilling to address and get serious/firm about!

We have churches that LOOK all virtuous, but are they? Are they going door-to-door in their own communities praying WITH THE POWER OF GOD, against poverty, disease, broken relationships, against Fatherlessness, etc. If they are not doing this, they are severely out of alignment with the Kingdom of God. Are they effective CHANGE AGENTS at the family level, the community level? Without this, the rest of the CONSTRUCT of America is a facade, full of meaningless virtue signaling. We will never be great when, in reality, our highest commitments are all SELFISH. God did want to use America as a world example against the idol worship, the godlessness, and the corruption in so many other nations. But we are CORRUPTION-FRIENDLY. We are the FORM of religion, without the GOD POWER to be unselfish and loving.

God cannot and will not bless structures that are from the Kingdom of Darkness. Pretend goodness never fools God. American worships money and elevated lifestyles, not heroic love. We cannot clean up anything without a RIGHT HEART as the foundation. So forget about the political circus, and its endless lies and peacock posturing, full of fancy PLUMAGE but no fierce commitment to purity and truth. We are a mess. We as a nation LIE to ourselves, let alone the other nations. Stating these facts is not to hate on America; this is to hate on what is evil in any nation, but not to SUBSCRIBE TO FALSE SOLUTIONS. So many GOOD LOOKING things our there are full of semi-covert and fully-covert agendas.

Pray for a heart of wisdom, discernment and understanding. And pray for a heart without guile, and sincere love. Love is willing to do what is INCONVENIENT in order to bless those around it. There is nothing worth participating in or having in America, without this foundation.

America has a serious addiction… to many things, but I'm thinking of its addiction to PREMATURE SELF-CONGRATULATION. Let's be in reality. Let's not be teamed up with situations designed to look good, sound good, but lack God's selfless love. You are judged by your heart. Choose wisely. Pray fervently.

Admit the contradictions, the hypocrisies and the shortcoming that each of us have and deal with - so that we can be honest, be in reality, and welcome in God's power to save. God can work with your honesty, but never with pride.

[battleangel]

Third Eye Realizations

🧿Abolitionist

🧿Liberation

🧿Justice

🧿Climate Change

🧿Protecting the Earth & the environment

🧿Socialism

🧿Community

🧿Banding together

🧿Pooling our resources

🧿End child hunger & poverty

🧿Eradicate homelessness

🧿Universal medical care

🧿Universal college & coding education

🧿Bodily Autonomy + Womens Rights

🧿Kemet

🧿Ancient Egypt

🧿Isis

🧿Decolonizing the mind

🧿End paternalism + patriarchy

🧿Toxic masculinity

🧿End corporate America

🧿Restoring communities not policing crime

🧿Legalize marijuana & psychedlics

🧿End prison sentences for non-violent crimes (exception financial manipulation where people & families lose life savings like securities fraud)

🧿End school to prison pipeline

🧿End criminalization of normal childhood behavior of black & brown boys in elementary school that leads to juvenille halls, early prison records & sets them up for a life of crime for something they should be getting detention for

🧿End overmedicalization of black women by psychiatry & disgusting abuse of power through misdiagnoses, forcible drugging & forced hospitalizations

🧿Remove Protestant work ethic from public consciousness

🧿Strengthen unions & labor laws

🧿Stop prioritizing profits over people

🧿End preventable deaths from starvation, homelessness & curable illnesses and diseases by providing a universal living (not "minimum") wage, affordable housing & medical care so people stop dying needlessly in the "richest country in the world"

🧿Remove organized religions influence from laws, education systems, public sphere & culture at large as it has caused hatred, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, racism, persecution, genocide, unjust laws, oppression, suppression, indoctrination, brainwashing, forced baptisms, trauma, upheld patriarchy & paternalism, reinforced bullshit feminine ideals, subjugation of women & their forced submission to the "head of the household", dogma, blind faith, zealotry, corruption, grift, theft, "tithes & offerings", sex abuse, emotional abuse, psychological coercion, child abuse, hypocrisies and wars.

🧿Societal realization that feminine doesnt equal women, masculine doesnt equal men, anyone can wear makeup, heels, dresses, business suits, tuxedos, grow facial hair, not shave their legs, have acrylic nails, etc. and it has nothing to do with genitalia, sex or assigned gender at birth and everything to do with Spirit (as the Native Americans know with 2 Spirit), energy and how Source has divinely chosen to manifest itself in each individual soul and that expression of Source is as unique and individual as our fingerprints and if that expression is through gender affirming transitions, surgery, medical care, facial feminization surgery, changes in physical appearance, hormones, drugs then that is how that persons soul has chosen to express themselves in this temporal, corporeal, temporary and physical plane of existence -- the soul, our energy, Source, the divine is what truly matters and noone should question anyone elses unique soul expression which can be expressed and communicated in literally millions of different ways, through body art, body modifications, tattoos, piercings, hair adornments, permanent makeup, the list is literally endless and gender identity expression and gender affirming care is just one of these millions of ways and should not be demonized, hated, feared or legislated against.

🧿Opioids like fentanyl, percoset, oxycontin, etc. are dangerous, harmful and addictive. Millions are addicted and millions have lost their lives for no reason other than to enrich pharmaceutical companies. We can be healed with plants and herbs and we can be healed with our selves and our own inner healing power. We dont need these synthetic, unnatural, harmful & deadlydrugs. They should be made illegal.

🧿Cancer is nothing but a cottage industry and a money making tool -- with all the trillions and trillions donated and decades upon decades of research, where is the cure? Same with arthritis, lupus and other autoimmune diseases. Prescription drugs exist to make pharmaceutical companies richer, thats it.

🧿Satan was made up for Christianity, which is a bastardized & stolen form of kemet, Mary is a bastardized Isis & Jesus is a bastardized & fake ass Horus. There is no hell, hell is never mentioned once in the Old Testament, it was made up later for the New Testament to control and enslave. We are in hell, thats literally where we are now, what else do you call millions of children dying every year of starvation, from homelessness, from completely preventable & curable diseases when Apple is a trillion dollar company? What do you call the Earth dying because of profit and greed and capitalism? What do you call pointless wars over inside government jobs? What do you call genocide, systems of oppression, police killing unarmed Black men with absolute impunity, prison industrial complex, military industrial complex, school to prison pipeline, corporate amerikkka working people to death into literal early graves, money being valued over living human beings with unique souls, forests being destroyed, colonialism, colonizers, government experimentation, MK Ultra, minders, greys, the Bohemian Grove...youre in hell literally now.

🧿Decolonize your mind, heal yourself, commune with nature, unplug and disconnect, exit the rat race, stop treating yourself as a machine when you are a beautiful soul, stop overworking, stop hustling, stop overeating, stop overdrinking -- ethanol is a poisonous depressant, so how do you "drink to have a good time"?, stop overspending, stop overconsuming, stop retail "therapy", tap into yourself, tap into your soul, stop endlessly scrolling and tapping your phone, tap into Source, we are all infinite beings and they treat you like you are an inconsequential cog to be replaced -- if you die today, your job will replace you tomorrow i was a corporate recruiter and saw it happen more than once, listen to ocean waves, float weightlessly in a dark pool, stop listening to 24/7 news, stop being 24/7, youre not 24/7, you have a natural circadian rhythym, replenish your depleted melatonin levels, they treat you like a 5 below knock off when you are expansive & divine, stop killing yourself to make a CEO that doesnt know who tf you are and his shareholders richer they will brush your ass out the door this fall with the estimated 2 million more people being laid off, stop making yourself a number, stop being a statistic, stop being plastic, stop playing their game, be an individual, be yourSELF, know the Self, know Self, know thy Self, cant run away from Self forever, look inside because thats where all the answers are and thats the only place they dont want you to look so you google it but baybee what did people do before google, stop shortening your attention span, you are more than a Tik Tok, read a book, fight the power, fight the machine, take a slow leisurely walk to nowhere to do nothing, stop existing and curating your entire existence for social consumption on social media, you are not a thing to be consumed, you were wonderfully made by Source, you are Source, realize who you are and open your eyes...🧿

[simplegenius042]

could i get some silva's hope pls?

Of course @sharkyboshaw!

Silva's Hope (or the Hope County Arc) is one of the main FC5 fics that is the pinnacle star of Far Cry The Silver Chronicles. It's my deputy Silva Omar's main story and (mostly) follows the events of the game up until certain points (things start to change like with her final hostile confrontation with John and when Joseph talks about his dead wife and child). This fic delves into Silva's past (the Archipelagoes, Elsa, Irene and their daughter, her father and his Congregation, Paul, his apostles, the massacre, so much more) and present (Hope County, the Resistance, the Ryes, Faith, her grief, so on), as well as her fight for the future, both her own and the county's. I've got this "thematic paralleling" going on between Silva's past and present, how it seems to be going down the same, when in actuality that's the illusion Silva is stuck in and just can't let go of. A lot of it is still under development, but with what I've written so far? I'm liking the direction its heading.

Silva's Hope tackles themes of dealing with loss, trying to find yourself again, a total deconstruction on the black-and-white moral view of the world, the importance of relationships (familial, platonic, and romantic) as well as the deception and hypocrisy that hides around every corner in both allies and enemies alike (or in this case how those two things are embodied in a single character and even a group... I'll give you a hint; it's not Joseph, nor is it Eden's Gate, but they certainly do play a part with those themes).

Silva struggles a lot... and not simply with her fight to just simply exist as she is in the face of ideals and occupations that either seek to ensure she doesn't or restrict her future to a set course. Externally and internally, from past and in present, Silva deals with demons. Which really sucks when she's putting the county's survival on top of her own shoulders, and her medication to suppress that trauma that's built up within her for years has run out and being constantly drenched in a hallucinogenic airborne drug that can project anything from a person's psyche if the local Bliss handlers aren't around to steady it sure doesn't help.

Case in point, the snippet of the closing act of an unnamed chapter below the cut:

[TW/CW: Inhalation of hallucinogenic drugs, arson, maybe attempted murder (of self?), swearing and mentions of war crimes]

With slow breathes, Silva awkwardly rolled around to face the destruction she caused.

Holding herself upright by anchoring her arms around her knees, she watched with stoned grey eyes as fire vacuumed in the green mist, consuming it like an endless fuel, dazzling with sparkles more than Gaius' clothing ever did. It was a mesmerizing sight, one that she needed to get away from, but she couldn't find the energy to do so.

A small portion of the populace in Montana needed her help, and here she was, watching a florist's conservatory crumble to the weight of itself to be consumed by flames that she had set alight.

Lindsey and Whitehorse would probably be pissed at her for destroying the laboratory, but Virgil had asked her to bring down the Bliss operations, however she pleased. She's sure this will earn at least a pleased laugh from Lader once the news reaches the woman.

Though beautiful in its own way, Silva thought she'd... feel more catharsis from burning this building down. Maybe she was just tired, but she felt disappointment that this wasn't as satisfying as seeing Zhan's Monastery burn and crumble over the cliff side.

The soft crunch of grass echoed from behind her, a mimic of the real thing she could guess, and with a heavy weight pushing against her mind, she could guess who it was behind her.

"I'm not apologizing Faith," Silva stated aloud, allowing her bluntness to carry clearly across, "You and I both knew this was an inevitability. So you can keep your holier-than-thou "these flowers bring hope" sentiment to yourself, cause I'm not in the mood for it."

No verbal answer came, only the silent treatment that Faith liked to frequently use when something displeased her.

For someone who proclaimed that Joseph freed her from herself, she certainly had a habit of keeping thoughts to herself. A difference I've noticed between Faith and Zhan... the bruja demoniaca was far more honest than the young woman she encountered now.

Silva opened her mouth to say something to Faith... but her words were lost as soon as she heard that chuckle from behind her.

A chuckle. Not a giggle, the childish, playful, frustrating, melodic giggle Faith let slip whenever she tried to bring down her guard, whenever she tried to get the deputy to open up, whenever Silva told a joke when she felt comfortable to do so. This wasn't the giggle she hated herself for finding to be nice and safe to be around.

This was a haunting chuckle that mocked her, a chuckle amongst the maniacal laughter which entrapped her within the night terrors that persisted almost every night when she could receive sleep. A chuckle, sophisticated and condescending, belonging to a young woman of high-class, shameless in her heinous immorality, an apathetic warmongering merchant who specialized in chemical warfare, producing nightmarish poisons and concoctions that resulted in the slow deaths of families and communities, horrifying the likes of Kamski to the point the older man couldn't bare the idea of facing her.

A chuckle that should never even be able to uttered again, not amongst the living. The chuckle that belong to the Apostles' proclaimed "Herald of Death"; Zhan Tiri, the only woman she would call a bastarda despite how little it emphasized the amount of blood that stained the woman's hands underneath the dark gloves.

"Such foul words Silva. And here I thought you appreciated my honesty," the wicked viper chastised from behind, giving a demeaning tsk, "You should wash out the filth in that mouth of yours with some soap... the toxins would certainly be doing you a favor."

Exhaustion forgotten, nausea forgotten, bruises forgotten as coherent thought froze and her body took action instead. Grabbing the pistol from her holster, Silva did not care for how many bullets were in the chamber, for whatever number would be good enough for her, as long as she got a good shot, like last time. But last time was with her last bullet, for the illusions wasted most of the lead.

The deputy aimed, grip shaking as she stared at the small woman, still donning her black dress, gloves and heels. A beaded head strap rested on her forehead, a purple gem in the middle. Her faded dark hair was still braided in twin buns, her face holding dark circles belonging to a chronic insomniac who voluntarily overworked herself, the smirk highlighting the black lipstick she wore. Her purple eyes still held the same hunger, the same arrogance she had until Silva put a bullet between her eyes.

Silva's wide eyes refused to blink, for even a moment to lose sight of the mistress of toxins could end in her retching up her own blood if she wasn't careful.

"You're... no, you're dead," Silva uttered, shaking her head as she took a step back from the woman who was only a head shorter than her, "I fucking killed you!"

Zhan Tiri's eyes widened her mouth agape as she feigned a gasp, gloved hand to her mouth, "Did you now?"

Zhan Tiri lips pursed and her brows furrowed as she began examining herself, hands patting down on her body and then tracing her forehead for the hole that Silva knew she fire her last bullet through.

Finding nothing, Zhan Tiri looked to Silva and gave a mocking shrug. her grin showing the fangs disguised as teeth.

"Are you so certain about that?" Zhan grinned, showing the fangs disguised as teeth.

Silva tried to control her breathing, body protesting as she remained standing, focusing her aim towards Zhan's forhead again.

Zhan Tiri took a small step closer, the vindictive grin on her face never disappearing, "Surely you have more to say to me than this? After all, Paul did say we were fami-"

Silva fired her pistol. She heard the bang. She saw the projectile hit the target.

But no body fell. No body laid on the grass at all. In fact, Zhan Tiri disappeared in a puff of green mist, unlike the grey of her Torment.

Silva glanced around for the bruja, turning to the foliage, to the road, to the burning conservatory and the Angels that laid unmoving, then back to the spot Zhan was in, only to be face to face with the woman.

Silva couldn't act fast enough before Zhan burst in a cloud of Bliss as she pushed the deputy. The push wasn't physical, so Silva wasn't effected.

However, she could not stop herself from tripping on herself when the Bliss clouded her vision, coughing as she slipped and stumbled, tumbling down the short slope til she was closer to what was one Jessop Conservatory, the surviving green mist worming its way to leech off the deputy.

Silva pushed herself up, catching sight of the deceased Apostle who stood with a haughty posture.

Silva eyed the short woman, catching breathes of Bliss as she panted, and defiantly said, "You're not real."

Zhan hummed inquisitively, "Perhaps. But I'm real enough for you, sister."

"Cut the shit, you never cared for his spiel on "family", not in life and certainly in death... you only endured it for the resources he could provide," Silva countered, one hand on her pistol, other hand reaching for her dagger.

"In some ways you are right," Zhan Tiri concured, "But in other ways... well, I guess we'll never know."

The herald looked to the Bliss spilled about, the flames ever consuming the drug, and rested her gaze on the Angels behind Silva.

"But this surely is quite the scene you've made. And what a waste for this... "Faith" girl of yours," Zhan said with a faux pout, "All that time and effort set back who knows how long. On the bright side though, her talents lives on, if only wasted for that prophet. I think I'd be a far more better mentor, wouldn't you agree?"

Silva gripped the handle of her dagger as she pulled it out, the Bliss tied around her wrist.

In her peripheral, she thought she saw movement with one of the Angel's bodied, but ignored it in favor of keeping her eyes on Zhan.

"Get out," Silva drew her dagger to sit alongside her pistol as she gritted out with venom, "Of my fucking head!"

The surrounded bodies of Angels started convulsing, muffled groaning and screaming coming from behind their masks, catching Silva's attention. Zhan Tiri smirked.

"If you can fight for it."

Silva counted the Angels rising up from the ground, the ones she swore she took out with her rifle not moments ago. Shit, SHIT, why couldn't have the explosion consumed them too?!

"This has been such a pleasant welcome back for me, Silva," Zhan told the deputy, Bliss circling around the deceased herald's heels, raising her like she was on a colossal podium, "But now?"

Silva raised a gun at the towering Zhan, the Angels standing at their full heights around the Deputy. Glancing about, aiming her weapons in defence, Silva could count three unarmed while four held an assortment of tools like rakes, shovels, pipes and a burnt picket from a broken fence.

"Shall we pick up..."

Silva noticed how a mist of Bliss started rising up and grow in size around them, closing off the sights of the conservatory and the surrounding foliage.

Turning back to her old foe, one of the leading heralds of the former Apostles alongside Paul and his other "children", now held twin balls of Bliss, and was on a higher vantage point that looked like it could move. With a grin wide with shameless maliciousness and directed at Silva, the deputy was starting to wish she was confronting Faith now.

"...where we left off?"

Despite how much her body ached, Silva couldn't back down from this, despite how much she was going to hate it. Whether this was the Bliss, her psyche, or through whatever impossible means, real... she only had one thought to encapsulate how she felt in the moment before the Angels made their first move.

Fuck my life.

[greenapplebling]

I only know what's happening bc of your latest Mikayuu post, BUT EFF YEAH THAT'S HYPOCRITICAL OF THEM IF THEY DID THE SAME. And I say that as someone who doesn't read the manga and has no attachment to these characters (I don't know why I was following the Mikayuu tag, but holy carp I'm glad I did)

Hi, anon! Thank you for the ask 🫶🏻

I was genuinely confused about what post were you referring to specifically bc I haven't made a post about the manga for a year now? (and I kinda dropped it so I gotta catch up someday)

But everything about this manga is hypocritical. The narrative, the characters, the readers/fans... Everything

Not even Yuu is exempt from this and the 2 biggest examples are 1) how much he fights Mika and others to keep Mika alive (who's been ready to kick the bucket for at least a 3/4 of the story) but the moment his own life is on the line and Mika asks him, pleas him, to not throw his life away the moment he gets to, Yuu looks like a scolded child and immediately throws himself into danger (granted, you can argue Mika is being a hypocrite too but I'll get to that later)

2) there's a chapter where Yuu is asked if he's truly ready to destroy the world (or what's left of it lol) to revive the children of the orphanage he grew up in, his family, and to turn Mika a human again and Yuu answers: "I don't give a crap about the world" and 3 doritos (chapters) later, when they encounter another possessed seraph, Yuu tries to talk him out of triggering an apocalypse by talking about how humans don't deserve this ("Haven't humanity suffered enough?"). Sir, it hasn't even been a day since what you said before

While Mika has his moments of hypocrisy (mainly revolving around the point I talked about earlier and of which I could keep talking about bc I could argue he's not exactly a hypocrite about that, but it might seem like it at first glance), he's the only character who has maintained mostly consistent throughout the story (outside of the vampires who haven't changed since they were first introduced, I don't really count them). He's kept his goals, morals, flaws and virtues, which is incredibly appreciated when it comes to a story that instead of developing and letting their characters grow it changes them to fit the narrative. What I think people don't like about Mika and criticizes him for is that, despite being the second protagonist, he barely has any weight on the story (which I agree with, but haters take it a little too far sometimes). He only exists as a foil and an extension of Yuu

And I won't touch the subject of the Shinoa squad, Guren and the fans bc this will be endless lmao

[swordsandarms]

A thing that makes one of the major points used against Rhaenyra ludicrous (what she does for her children, no matter what - her motherhood experience in any form) is that is the the ONE endless defence used for Alicent instead, on the other hand.

For Rhaenyra it's - "She had children out of wedlock, she brought death on them herself. It's hypocrisy to stand up against people calling them bastards/go to war/threaten/etc."

For Alicent it's - "Aegon is a rapist but she is her baby! Aemond is a violent sadist but he is her baby! What is she to do? Of course she does unscrupulous things out of motherly love! Of course she wants a conflict if she has the slightest suspicion they can be in danger!"

There's also of course the part where motherhood in itself as a burden/trial is a contender of sympathy for Alicent but none at all for Rhaenyra. Both women have multiple almost back to back pregnancies as is their duty. Alicent receives endless sympathy, but Rhaenyra at most indifference, and in many cases even exasperation with her audacity to be shown it's a dire struggle for her as a woman, too, and that it comes with strong motherly feelings and bodily danger.

It is also the fact that even before Rhaenyra has her children to be considered liable for, Alicent's side of motherhood in offence against the 'threat' of Rhaenyra already started. The narrative paints Alicent as not even 'at fault' for their existence, due to how the relationship between her and Viserys is presented in the show (there's pushback against even moving the 'fault' to Otto, if it means being in a negative connection with Alicent's family feelings association).

So suddenly Rhaenyra has the fault of her own existence to carry then, cut short before even introducing the grace of either blameless or guilty motherly feelings in her case.

Before she does anything, she gets disqualified from any grace allowance whatsoever. For one can discuss the faults of Viserys here, but it only comes down to the fact that not only is she not given the same grace of "protective mother, even when in the wrong" that Alicent gets, she doesn't even get the allowance of the "protected child, even when in the wrong" that Alicent's children get by extension.

(And I'm not saying Viserys has any ground for the same "graces in faults" as a parent that are extended to Alicent - and yet not to Rhaenyra - but even to Otto as "acknowledged bad doer, but father").

The point I am trying to make, I guess, is that the obvious partiality is very outstanding when it comes to people raising such "graces" for Alicent.

(And, yes, I've given thought as to whether it happens in reverse when to comes to defending Rhaenyra and her children instead, but it only gets quantified: there is no excusing children making mistakes and being protected when a 6 years old Luke ends up taking Aemond's eye, but "grace" is expected when an adult Aemond actually kills Luke (we can only assume Alicent will not only forgive him but protect him from consequences - the lawful penalty for killing - instead of giving him up to be convicted for manslaughter - killing someone even if unintentional, as the show painted it - for "peace" - essentially, that she would give a son's life for a life, as she once asked for an eye and was appraised as "in the right" in commentaries); there is no "grace" expected for Rhaenyra standing by her children while having the 'fault'/'crime' of being bastards - which even if put on her is not on them - but "grace" is expected in Alicent still standing by her son while a rapist - even of her own daughter! - because of motherly feelings - which is his very own fault and crime, etc).