#especially in regards to his anger bc that is a very complicated thing for him it doesn't go away post bo83 like

[mad-hunts]

it may be too soon for me to talk more about jack mathis after just posting about him, BUT idk, i just want to emphasize just how different he is compared to the rest of the mathis family. because although jack is certainly not perfect himself, and can arguably be pretty immoral himself, i think a big part of why jack does what he does is his desire to be loved by barton / make his father proud of him despite the fact that... well, he is debatably treated the worst out of all of his siblings, along with the fact that barton is not at ALL a good example of a guardian. and quite possibly also because he is afraid of barton. so yeah, uhhh, that's really kind of sad whenever i think about it. like jack honestly is STARVING for warmth not just from his father but in general. and this translates to him confiding in his sister, matilda, most of the time because they have one of the closest sibling relationships in the whole mathis family. but even that is not enough sometimes as having your emotional needs neglected makes you feel terrible constantly.

so jack will try to get rid of this touch starvation he has and try to feel less metaphorically cold by taking extremely hot showers until his skin turns pink and raw. plus, he even has an outdoor cat that he secretly befriended that he'll let in sometimes through his window as well as cuddle with to alleviate his need for warmth, since both of these thing's seem to help with it (even if it's just a little bit). but anyhow... on a less sad note, jack knows how to play the electric guitar and is a ballet dancer; the latter of which he is trying to pursue professionally. so, he is also different from the rest of the mathis family in that way. they all seem to want to get into medicine, after all, but jack himself DESPERATELY wants to get away from it even if he won't express that out loud and go into the arts instead. this is due to all of the horrible things going on related to it that he witnessed while he was growing up. thus, like i said before in my previous post, jack does in fact appear to have some sort of moral center and doesn't like to kill people but sees it as something that is unavoidable in the case that he has to protect his family / someone learns that he does have a bit of blood on his hands — albeit, much less than the other's in the mathis family. though this is not to excuse any of the bad things that he's done, of course, because everyone has to take responsibility for their actions regardless of what the circumstances might be.

i just wanted to highlight that, even amongst a family that seems like they are one of the most immoral and deprived in gotham city, that there could be slivers of hope + morally dubiousness in them.

[bravevolunteer]

michael's complexities are so intriguing and one of the many reasons i love him but oh god does it kill me as a chronic overexplainer

[redrobin-detective]

Ben 10 lore that exists in my heart regardless of canon

- Ben’s personality in his mid-late teens is a mix of his Alien Force and Omniverse self. On the surface, he’s very cheerful and kind even if he is a bit of arrogant showoff. He makes jokes and plays around and acts as if he isn’t bothered by the things in his life. Those who know him best understand a good portion of his outward confidence and cockiness is just a facade to cover up his insecurities and to project the ideal, effortless hero. While sometimes seen as immature, most beings know Ben 10 means business as he takes his unofficial job and people’s safety very seriously. He’s clever, adaptable, charismatic and empathetic which makes him a formidable opponent and a loyal friend. Doesn’t open up easily but if you get to him, he become so dearly attached. 

- Drinks smoothies so much for several reasons. Comfort food go brrr, reminds him of the good easy times with him Gwen and Kev. It’s also a light but generally nutritous food to give him energy for heroing. Anything too heavy and he’ll be puking (both from physical and emotional stress). Though he jokes about his mom’s health foods, his are a crazy concoction of add in proteins and vitamins/minerals bc he knows he’ll out and out collapse without it. (Still has on occasion bc boy still doesn’t eat right/enough)

- While Fame is exciting for him at first he soon begins to detest it. Not the fans, no, he can’t bring himself to hate the people who look up to him. But he hates the constant attention, that he can’t walk outside without being mobbed. the only place he feels safe is his hometown where most people are so used to him and his weirdness that they don’t react much anymore. Takes to wearing a cape and face shield when going out anywhere so he can actually get things done without being recognized and mobbed.

- Part of the reason Bellwood isn’t concerned with Ben is partially because ben’s been weird and alien for as long as they can remember but also many don’t realize how famous/powerful he is. Yeah that’s just Ben Tennyson over there, sometimes he turns into funny creatures- wait what do you MEAN he’s the savior of the universe?? He cried over a spilled smoothie the other day.

- Does mostly online schooling by the time he’s 15. At first he tries to do half day things to maintain something of a normal life but it quickly becomes overwhelming and dangerous him/the school. Finishes his GED early but the Plumbers and Azmuth make him take additional college level and alien courses to prepare him for his future role. Ben gripes but really does love learning all these things, especially on his terms (ADHD and stress + the public school system do not always go hand in hand). He’s a quick learner when he deems the information important and is made accessible to his learning needs.

- Ben definitely has ADHD speaking of which, it was nearly uncontrollable as a child bc his free-spirited parents didn’t believe in medicating. Ben convinced them he needed it and after some trial and error, found meds that worked. As he became more involved in heroics/growing up he had to change his medicine regimen (resulting in him being a bit more off the rails in OV) and needed antidepressants and therapy to manage it better. As an adult he has a whole litany of coping mechanisms (good and bad yes) and regularly checks in with his therapist and doctors to keep things under control. 

- Has a complicated relationship with his necrofriggian children. Considers himself their mother and worries after them. They too feel a connection to their parent despite this being unusual for their species. A few visit (some more than others) while they grow while others maintain distance. Ben never breathes a word of them to the media for fear of them being targeted. Still he keeps an eye on them and ensures all 14 mature to adulthood (another rarity for the species). Checks in every now and again with the ones who don’t want to see him and those that do. Two join the Plumbers and Ben is both proud and worried. His youngest becomes partners with Rook Ben.

- Just in general loves kids, they’re his favorite fans and while he’ll grumble at pushy adult fans he always smiles and kneels down for the little ones. Not so secretly wanted to have children of his own but knew it was a risk overall and used a lot of that energy with mentoring and teaching. Eventually had Kenny later in life (late 30s-40s) and was over the moon, becoming such a loving and doing parent or as much as he could be with his hectic schedule. 

- Omnitrix can’t come off, never has at any point since it first latched onto Ben’s arm. Azmuth tried and failed to get the device off, doesn’t let Ben know for many years as he feared the consequences. The watch loves and protects Ben even beyond it’s programming making him much more durable to damage and releasing energy charges when he’s threatened. Not even removing Ben’s arm would separate them. They’re stuck for life.

- Ben does have Anodite heritage but the Omnitrix actively suppresses it and uses the built up energy to power the transformations which is why ben is mostly unaffected by what should cause a massive energy drain on him. Theoretically if Ben learned to harness and safely use his Mana at an early age like Gwen he would have been fine but letting it build up without safe outlet meant activation would have killed him. Omnitrix Ben, however, went his whole life not knowing of his latent abilities and how the watch saved his life.

- Ben’s eyes get more green and glowy as time passes from the Omnitrix. At first they think its a trick of the light but by the time he’s an adult his eyes are pretty much glow in the dark. His veins light up too after long stretches of using the Omnitrix. Its vaguely unsettling to people who aren’t used to Ben.

- Max and the Earth Plumbers work so, so hard to keep teen Ben on Earth when half the universe is blowing up their comm lines asking for The Ben 10 to help with whatever problem of the day. Ben himself doesn’t quite understand when he’s younger the prestige and expectations on his shoulders. Max throws up a million and one roadblocks so Ben can live as normal a life as possible while he still can. Still, while doing that he Still overloads Ben with expectations and responsibilities on earth and beyond. He becomes a soldier again with Ben as their greatest weapon. He never forgave himself of losing sight of his grandson underneath the hero esp after Ben’s breakdown. 

- Rook partnership with Ben ends not long after Omniverse with his promotion to Magister. Ben tries to play it cool but the thought of another loved one/teammate leaving his tears him apart. Max revealing that Ben most likely wouldn’t get a new Plumber assigned partner since he’s almost an adult and won’t need it and Rook accidentally missing their last smoothie run due to a scheduling mishap causes Ben to snap and have the nervous breakdown that had been building for almost a decade. He completely loses it for a little while and needs to take an extended leave of absence from school and heroics that lasts about a year. Spends time recovering both on Earth and Galvan Prime, does some diplomatic training, learns about aliens, actually confronts the stress and loneliness of his life. He comes out the other side stronger but still fragile and exhausted.

- Ben’s above mentioned breakdown brings him closer to all his friends who didn’t quite realize the extent of Ben’s burden. Rook had been under the impression Ben didn’t like him all that much so the knowledge that his departure was the final straw for friend/hero’s collapse was shocking. Ben and Azmuth also become closer, the Galvan becoming fiercely protective of the boy seeing as his Earth family didn’t do well to keep him safe. It takes years for him to get over his anger at Max for putting so much on his grandchild. Ben makes more friends, in and out of the hero business, finally gets a therapist and gets some of his burdens eased a bit. It’s not a sure fire fix and Ben has several smaller breakdowns the rest of his life but its something.

- Azmuth was straight up suicidal before he met Ben for the first time. Ben gave him back hope for the universe and his ability to create items for peace not weapons. The boy infuriates him, frightens him, frustrates him but Azmuth cannot deny in his heart of hearts that he loves Ben dearly. He’s very upset at Ben’s breakdown and doesn’t know how to handle the worst of the initail outbursts. Azmuth talks Ben down from a suicide attempt. He reaches out to Ben that he Too felt overwhelmed by pressure, thought himself only good for war. Ben’s arrival in his life saved him and now he will do the same for Ben. It’s the first positive step forward in Ben’s recovery.

- For no other reason than I like it, Azmuth primarily refers to Ben as Benjamin (mostly to annoy the kid but he likes the way it sounds too) and Ben in softer, more serious moments. 

- Professor Paradox continues to flit in and out of Ben’s life. He says its because Ben is the most equipped to handle universal peril (true) but he’s also just very fond of the boy. Ben, existing in so many forms and having such importance also exists a beat outside of normal reality which Paradox identifies with. Ben is naturally attuned to time related problems because of this (instantly IDing Spanner as from the future before being told later deducing him to be his unborn son). Plus Ben named him, way back when. He’s just drawn to Ben.

- Adult Ben, while being seen as an impressively skilled fighter and champion, really has his strength as a universal diplomat of sorts. Based out of Earth, he helps mediate and defuse conflicts, advocate against tyranny and overall preserve peace and balance. He’s not perfect, he makes mistakes and sometimes is forced to become violent (and yes kill) but overall is regarded as a peacekeeper, something younger ben simply couldn’t understand. 

- Gwen gets her degree and primarily does work with advocacy and teaching about magic/alien culture. While she and Ben are still close, there’s a bit of a frustrated divide in that she isn’t helping him share the burden of the universe. Gwen never wanted to be a hero and has enough worth to not shackle herself to a job that’ll burn her out. Ben loves heroing but gives too much of himself away trying to fix everything. They get into screaming arguments that it wouldn’t be so bad out there if she just helped him but she refuses to budge and says he shouldn’t make himself do so much. They always make up and thy still are each other’s closest relationships.

- Ben marries Kai in a political move, Kai is Asexual and Ben Aromantic. They didn’t love each other but they got on well enough and Ben was really feeling the stress of carrying the hero burden so Kai also being involved made him feel like he wasn’t alone. Both were also so tired of the universe constantly asking about their love life and said ‘fuck it we’re married leave us alone’. Gwen was always mad about it feeling Ben deserved better but the two of them were happy with it. They had separate rooms, mostly separate lives but they became strong friends and supports with their strictly platonic marriage. They had Ken via Invitro in an incubator and were loving if extremely busy parents. 

- Also from the moment he appeared, Ben knew that Spanner was his future son, Kenny. He played ignorant and then was kind of deliberately teasing him in future encounters. He knew the rules of time and didn’t want to disrupt things further even if he was angry and worried as heck about why Ken felt the need to time travel. When future Ben catches up in the timeline, Kenny gets SUCH a lecture. 

- Ben isn’t quite immortal but he’s also not entirely human anymore either. The Omnitrix not only keeps him safe from most harm but it lightens the effect of aging. Ben 10 is active many, many years when most humans would have been forced to retire. He’s not sure how long the watch will keep him alive and it terrifies him. Gwen too is functionally immortal however she ages like a normal human, then when her natural death came, shed her skin and became a fulltime Anodite. So in the end, it was her and Ben together wondering which of them will die first. Gwen has trouble retaining her humanity as pure energy and swears she’ll let herself fizzle out when Ben goes. When that’ll be however...

[maidenvault]

i can't speak for other people who disliked 2022 selina but i personally felt like selina was constantly undercut in that attempt to make her softer. there's little to NONE genuine respect for the trauma she underwent and the rightful anger and vindictiveness she resultantly felt over it and there's little thought given to how large the divide between her and bruce would actually be if more writers following mindy newell took this as seriously as she did when she initially wrote it. it was frustrating to watch bruce use her and condescend to her only for her to ultimately forgive him within the span of days when he made little to no effort to earn her forgiveness. bruce never asked selina to be softer with him bc he understands her need to be suspicious of men. i think y'all are just too used to bruce's mistreatment in regards to her…

Well, I’m not the most well-versed in Catwoman comics or the developments her character has had over the many years so I’m not simply “used to” anything when it comes to this ship. This view certainly might need re-evaluating but TBH I kind of wrote her off at one point as a character who’s been mishandled by male writers so often and has such a relative dearth of great material in the comics that it’s not really worth trying to get into DCU Selina beyond the handful of classic stories everyone recommends. Sooo yeah in my heart I really only care about 2022 batcat and I can’t speak to how it compares to them in the comics except in a very general way.

I think it’s important to realize that the differences between these two are not necessarily neatly resolved once and for all just because they come to have more of an understanding of each other by the end of the film and show that they care about each other. It’s a complicated relationship full of tension in both a sexy way and negative way. @cityhalloween has explained really well here how an identity reveal would probably only complicate their relationship more because of the vast differences between her and Bruce Wayne, especially because her becoming Catwoman will change things. Even with the dysfunction between them that probably isn’t going away, I just don’t think Selina compromises anything in herself by giving into her feelings in an emotional moment a couple times, or being willing to take a risk with someone who might very well let her down when nobody has ever been there for her and he makes her feel cherished. It makes Selina much stronger than Bruce in a way that she isn’t so committed to just going through life with her guard up all the time to protect herself.

Selina’s known terrible men her whole life, but I just buy based on their interaction that she and Batman have a connection beyond words, that they intuitively recognize something familiar in each other. She’s perceptive enough and knows him well enough after their limited interaction to see that he is a total mess but his intentions are good and he really does care about her. I don’t think she would call him out on his ignorance and tell him her whole traumatic story if she didn’t think he was capable of listening, owning that he has been wrong, and truly learning, all of which he does.

If you’ve come here because of this post and the meta linked there as I assume, I don’t really know what more I can say that hasn’t been said. I don’t know what more would have satisfied you in terms of Selina’s pain being acknowledged, when her whole story and her connection with Batman is entirely about that pain, unless you just wanted her to kill her father. I just don’t think that’s who Selina is and I think Batman stops her because they’re alike enough that he can see that. I totally understand if you just can’t personally enjoy the ship because of Bruce’s behavior toward her, but I think anyone can dislike it and still respect that other fans like me feel strongly that she’s a great character and that she means a lot to many fans of color.

[omegasamwilson]

I literally had a panic attack when I watched Ayo take off Bucky's arm. I was born without my left arm and see a lot of myself in Bucky. I have a prosthetic and had to stop the episode and watch it later. And it really hurt me to see your completely disregard that and say I have no right to be upset. It really pisses me off. I'm fully acknowledging that Bucky did a terrible thing, and he needed to be stopped. But she didn't have to remove his arm. He wouldn't have hurt her. To see you refer to his arm in the tags as a weapon further hurt me. It's not a fucking weapon, it's his fucking arm. You're trying to twist this into a race issue when it's about fucking ableism. I'm brown not black so I don't know if you'll accept my concerns with your post

Hi, one, I apologize for what is sure to be a very long and very frustrated statement. But I’m dealing with a lot of shit rn (actually related to race and ableism specifically) but I wanted to respond because my ADHD ass will forget otherwise.

Okay. One, you say “he wouldn’t have hurt her.”

We, the audience, knows that. Ayo did not. What she knows is that the man before her was an assassin and sniper, even before he was captured and forced to kill by HYDRA. He was a WWII sniper and seemed to be quite skilled (I’m going to assume that’s one of the reasons HYDRA tried to experiment on him and picked him to he the winter soldier.) In any case, this newly reformed (and at the time, just barely reformed. As in, he was healed a month, maybe two months before the events of infinity war. So he’s been healed for a whopping seven months.) This newly reformed assassin, who had been the victim of either chemical or otherwise mental subjugation freed a terrorist from prison.

Not only did he free a terrorist from prison, he freed a terrorist that was obsessed with HYDRA. If any terrorist knew a back door to unlock the winter soldier again, it would be Baron Zemo, who knew each and every one of HYDRA’s secrets.

While Shuri is definitely brilliant, it’s entirely possible that HYDRA buried a safety within their “asset” just in case he was able to break his programming. It’s entirely possible that it was so well buried amongst the labyrinth that is the brain that even Shuri couldn’t find it. After all, Shuri isn’t a neuroscientist, and the brain is largely regarded as the final frontier. So it’s entirely possible that she missed buried programming.

So, we have a person that got rid of HYDRA’s programming seven months ago that just freed one of the only people on the planet that could have the information that could potentially reactivate the winter soldier. And THEN, we have a video of this man “acting” as the winter soldier in madripoor. This was uploaded on the internet and I’m assuming that Ayo saw it.

What proof does Ayo have that he won’t hurt her? That she won’t weaponize his arm and hurt her? What proof does she have that he’s not under Zemo’s control, that Zemo can’t control him in a second. The only thing she knows are that Bucky Barnes freed a terrorist that had access to all of HYDRA’s information, the terrorist appeared to control the winter soldier in madripoor, and it is entirely possible that there is buried programming designed to deactivate the winter soldier.

She deactivates it, realizes he’s fully in control of himself and says, “bast damn you, James.” As in, “fuck you for freeing a terrorist and acting like it isn’t a big deal. You are clearly acting on your own accord in this.”

And yes, it’s different being Black vs. being Brown. It isn’t to say that racism and ableism don’t intersect with Brown folks because obviously it does.

But l specifically asked for Black opinions bc of the demonization of Black folks, especially the trope of “big scary Black women” or “big scary Black men.”

It’s ironic I see this today when I have a story that is so relevant and anger inducing.

I work with white parents of Black children, usually through adoption since I work primarily with lgbt parents, but I do have some cis het white parents raising Black biological kids. One of the parents and friends got into it today because her autistic Black child got into it with their sibling (also disabled). The sibling intentionally triggered their older sibling and punched them and it escalated to the point where the bigger sibling finally reacted and shoved the younger sibling. It broke the younger kid’s glasses. The youngest is legally blind and needs very expensive and specific prescription classes to even have 20/40 vision.

The mom called the police on her child and the kid was arrested and charged. She is 15. Mom described the kid as aggressive and awful and terrible and all sorts of names. A ww called the police on her Black 15 year old child having a meltdown. And she played into stereotypes that Black people, Black women, are aggressive/scary/angry. A ww could’ve gotten her child killed for having a meltdown because she broke a white child’s disability aid.)

A ww couldve gotten her child killed because she played into anti-Black stereotypes. That white people need protection from them. Even when the white child was initially the aggressor in the scenario.

Sure, it’s different, but it plays to the same stereotypes. Poor white disabled person needs protection from the aggressive scary Black person, and we’re just going to assume that the Black person was being unnecessarily aggressive because it plays into all of the stereotypes about Black people. No, there’s no way that this Black person was making a decision based on a series of evidence that could point to them genuinely being harmed.

(By the way, in the scenario of the two kids, I think they both needed help and support, and that the police shouldn’t have been called period.)

Nope, it’s just an aggressive Black person being ableist.

The same systems that have everyone seeing Bucky as a cute little uwu cinnamon roll in need of protection are what caused everyone to see Ayo as an aggressive ableist Black woman. White people usually get the benefit of the doubt. The best intentions are believed even when the evidence clearly says otherwise.

The evidence Ayo had indicated that she had no idea whether the winter soldier could’ve been reactivated and whether or not Bucky could’ve been under zemo’s control. She had no idea. None. She made a decision based off that information. And the fact that Bucky didn’t react strongly indicated that he was acting on his own accord.

Mayhaps, Ayo might even have been trying to trigger the winter soldier. I just thought of this but it makes sense. That the WS would react very defensively and even potentially deadly to that level of fighting, even if his previous orders were different.

In any case, this situation isn’t comparable to every day disabled people because our disability aids to not double as weapons. Most people can’t do more harm with a prosthetic limb than they can with a regular limb. Bucky can. Bucky’s arm is also a weapon and that fact complicates matters considerably. If bucky’s arm were simply a regular arm with typical strength, it’d be a no brainer situation. But it’s not. We don’t know the wakanda enhancements of his arms, but we know in the comics, he could kill with a single punch using his arm. He uses his arm tactically to map his surroundings. He uses his arm to send off EMPs that can disabled weaponry. It even has a retractable blade for close combat. It is a disability aid that it also a weapon. It was designed to be a weapon. The normal conversations around disability aids don’t fit it because no one today has a disability aid that could kill someone in seconds and even cause larger scale damage with a targeted EMP.

And finally, I want to say this, I am truly sorry that you had a panic attack while watching the episode. That is never fair and it’s never fun to be triggered by television shows.

I do hope this helped to better explain and clarify my perspective.

[marysfoxmask]

I've always HC'd Colin to be a victim of what we would call now Munchausen By Proxy on the part of his staff - they never said he could go out, kept telling him he was sick, never told him he could even leave bed, gave him treatments that he didn't need - it's classic medical abuse. Colin is ten, and calling his neuroses his own when they were definitely created by the people around him lets everyone else at Misselthwaite off too easy.

Though I do agree with your main point that having a disabled character who *stays* disabled is very important and Dickon's disability shouldn't have been written out (though in my head he has a severe facial deformity bc of the way Burnett described him as like carved out of wood.”

- @chasingtheskyline

i’ve heard that munchausen’s by proxy is a pretty common diagnosis for colin’s sickness, and i think it does fit to an extent, but i believe munchausen’s by proxy is considered so dangerous because it’s intentional on behalf of the caregiver, whereas i think mrs. medlock and the misselthwaite staff are genuinely helpless and just trying to do what they can with the circumstances they’ve been given. it’s especially easy nowadays to ignore the class hierarchy at work here—mrs. medlock and co. are beholden to mr. craven, who’s abandoned his duties as father of colin and master of misselthwaite. they can’t criticize his negligent parenting to his face because he’s likely to have them sacked for their impudence (folks like mrs. medlock and martha would always be aware of that risk). they’re also laboring under period era difficulties like lack of support for premature babies (more on that later), psychology being only a budding field at this time, and lack of education in general (neville craven is the only person educated in matters of health and medicine located locally, and even he’s busy with other patients in thwaite, given he’s not a rich man and has to make money elsewhere). i don’t envy the stress and strain the servants at misselthwaite are under in regards to colin and his fluctuating health. 

while i definitely agree that, as adults, they should have put their collective foot down and made more of an effort to help him, they’re still beholden to a classist system where the plain common sense of susan sowerby would never reach “master” colin’s ears unless mary, with her lack of regard for what’s proper or not, intervened. it just wasn’t done back then—even if mrs. medlock and co. had doubts, they couldn’t reasonably be expected to voice them, especially since colin eagerly wields his class privilege like a cudgel.

it’s a minor detail in the text, but something i’m surprised hasn’t been mentioned more when discussing colin is that he’s a preemie! lilias died when she was heavily pregnant, certainly in her third trimester. straight out of the gate, colin hasn’t had the full time needed to grow and develop in the womb—which is definitely a source of birth trauma. premature babies are noted to be more prone to mental illnesses like anxiety and depression than typically maturing babies, and they also may have weak immune systems and other health problems. obviously the staff at misselthwaite wouldn’t have the exact clinical knowledge of this, but it doesn’t take a medical degree to realize “mom injuring self and dying in childbirth = not the strongest circumstances to start off life in.” i’m sure they coddled him so much not because they instantly thought he was sick from the moment he was born, but because they knew that, as a premature baby, colin was more likely to be ill than other babies allowed to grow to term. 

it’s also important to note that the staff could be interpreted as essentially protecting baby colin. they kept him in his room because they didn’t want him to die, unlike his hysterical (pun intended) father, who ranted and raved that the baby might as well die because it’d be a hunchback like him, and at the moment of colin’s birth, at that. that in itself could be a reason to diagnose colin with munchausen’s syndrome by proxy—his father’s rantings when he was a baby—but i don’t think that’d officially qualify, since mr. craven had next to no contact with colin directly after this, and i believe munchausen’s by proxy is meant to refer to sustained abusive patterns of behavior. i think munchausen’s by proxy is a technically correct interpretation, as there’s nothing really stopping it from being true (aside from the question of intent, which i find significant—is it really munchausen’s by proxy if it happens entirely by accident due to lack of education by his caregivers, or due to fits his father had at his staff when he was a newborn? i’m just not sure), but i personally find it narratively unsatisfying.

mary diagnoses colin with “hysterics,” which, per freud, was “a psychiatric condition variously characterized by emotional excitability, excessive anxiety, sensory and motor disturbances, or the unconscious simulation of organic disorders.” i think he definitely has some sort of undiagnosed (obviously) anxiety—his tantrums, which seem to me somewhat akin to panic attacks (though significantly different in a few ways), as well as depression (lack of appetite, intense negative thinking, lack of sleep, anger, loss of interest in things like going outside [maybe that’s cheating, as he never really had an interest to begin with in going outside], lack of energy, and even physical pain. both anxiety and depression was folded into the label of “hysteria” back then, so i definitely don’t think it’s an unreasonable interpretation. 

the misselthwaite staff also weren’t totally helpless, though; they did suspect that colin would do better if given fresh air as he grew up, but his constant illnesses due to his weak immune system kept him inside because he feared getting worse, and not going outside meant his immune system stayed weak, and so he kept getting sick. mrs. medlock saying that colin’ll “die for sure this time” when he had typhoid was definitely awful and completely unjustifiable, but to be fair, she also thought he was so feverish he didn’t hear her. not that that’s really an excuse, but...it’s complicated.

the staff at misselthwaite do care about colin, whereas caregivers who give their wards munchausen’s by proxy generally, at least in my understanding, don’t (though feel free to correct me on that, i really only know about it from what i’ve read of the symptoms on the internet and the gypsy blancharde story; the latter in particular notes that the victim’s caretaker wasn’t terribly mentally stable, which from what i understand is a fairly common element to illnesses like these). i don’t think mrs. medlock or the misselthwaite staff would ever want colin to come to harm for their own sakes; they’re careless and foolish, harmful at worse, but i don’t think i’d call them abusive, merely because of the complicated class dynamics at play. colin’s a rich boy who has the power to send them away if they displease him; his word is law at misselthwaite. blaming the staff for not caring for him properly in that sense is like chastising the native servants in india for not caring for mary properly; there’s more nuanced factors at play here than just the dichotomy of “child vs. adult,” though that is important.

(sorry for the unwieldiness of this reply! this is a side blog, and i haven’t yet figured out if there’s a way to reply from those yet, so i figured this might be easier!)

[paralianprince]

FULL NAME:  Peter Maunsell Kirkland  NICKNAME(S):  “Sea” (which he adores) or sometimes “Pete” (which gives him a rash every single time he hears it) AGE:  physically 14, chronologically 77  BIRTHDAY:  2 September    (he’s kind of weird in that  1. the actual day he began existing is concretely known and not in any way lost to time, but  2. it wasn’t anywhere near his founding day as a micronation.  so technically it’s actually in February but that’s COMPLICATED so WHATEVER he just IGNORES THAT)

SPECIES:  micronation personification  NATIONALITY:  english  GENDER:  male PREFERRED PRONOUN(S):  he / him ORIENTATION:  very in denial  RELIGION:  protestant - though fun fact, one of the rooms of the north tower is technically a multi-faith church  OCCUPATION:  moderately popular twitch streamer of humourous miscellany.  “STORYTIME!  MY HOUSE GOT TAKEN OVER AND I GOT SHOT?  (NOT CLICKBAIT), recounted while i clean my kitchen”   “reading your creepypasta suggestions with my mouth full of marshmallows”   “playing cs:go while BLINDFOLDED”,  that kind of thing.  also volunteers at a children’s reading group at the library and makes for a delightfully lively narrator  STATUS:  doing pretty well overall!  FANDOM:  hetaliaaa  FACE CLAIM:  don’t really have one ! 

                  RELATIONSHIPS:

PARENTS:  technically none, but he regards his first prince and princess as having fulfilled that role to him.  SIBLINGS:  eng|and, mostly!!  and though technically, this connects him with a LOT of people through eng|and, it’s hard for him to feel close to most of them unless he knows for sure that they’d regard him as an important member of their family, and not just Some Weird Irritating Micronation Who’s Just Kinda There.  they might be fond of him without him realising, but even then he’s slow to trust that.   he’s undecided whether Wy is more like a sibling or a cousin, but she’s... one of those, at least. shihong (kow|oon walled city) is a very important and deeply treasured Shitty Older Brother Figure and Generally A Bad Influence as well !!

SIGNIFICANT OTHER(S):  none, but heaven help him he gets so many stupid shitty crushes on his stupid shitty friends  CHILDREN:  he is the.   ENEMIES:  hopefully nobody, but occasionally eng|and (it REALLY depends), and his own best friends sometimes find themselves The Enemy Zone, because being the age that he is it just be like that sometimes. 

                 PHYSICAL TRAITS:

EYE COLOR(S):  bright clear blue, with green tinged in around the pupil.  like this!  HAIR COLOR(S):  sandy blond  HEIGHT:  about 5′5″  BODY BUILD:  looks like he should be really sturdy but is actually falling over himself constantly  NOTABLE PHYSICAL TRAITS:  he impulsively talked Adrien (Wy) into piercing his ear in the middle of the night during a sleepover at her house, so i guess he has that now!  his palms are calloused and rough, and he has a narrow scar on his upper-right arm where a bullet grazed him during the takeover of his house in 1978.  (he thinks it’s badass and will show it off to anybody.) he’s a bit far-sighted, but doesn’t wear glasses except at home, for using a computer or reading. 

              PHOBIAS AND DISEASES:

PHOBIA(S):  any land animal bigger than approximately a large dog (is not a phobia per se, but he finds them alarming and stressful to be around).  he’s similarly uneasy with violent sea storms and bad weather in general.  MENTAL DISEASE(S):   seasonal affective disorder, during the winter.  he’s self-conscious in a way that might qualify as a social anxiety, because he’s so hyper-aware of how other people might perceive him and often anticipating criticism or ridicule (which clashes pretty heavily with how outgoing he wants to be), but that might just the way his personality developed.  this last one doesn’t bother him like 97% of the time, but every few years he will suddenly get hit with this intense paranoia and exhaustive vigilance, and becomes afraid of leaving his house, which usually lasts a few months and goes away on its own. 

also, i’ve probably accidentally made him adhd coded just bc i also have that to a pretty intense degree, and so write from that perspective.  especially the way his anger just surges up out of nowhere, like damn 

PHYSICAL DISEASE(S):  none really ! 

                    PERSONALITY:

USUAL MOOD/EXPRESSION:  cheeky, supportive, encouraging, and playful - or ornery, dodgy and defensive if stressed out. 

                         MISC:

SKILLS:  repairing things and mechanics in general - especially in the “take it apart and figure it out by trial and error” fashion.  rope tying, swimming, football, navigation, climbing, firearm operation, keeping a level head during a crisis, and packing suitcases really efficiently.  he’s also recently taken up bookbinding.  and he’s actually pretty good at chess!   HOBBIES:  MUSIC!!  LITERATURE!!  travelling, video games, anime, taking things apart and putting them back together, household chores (especially cleaning), messing around on the internet, writing bad gundam wing fanfiction  ANIMAL:  albatross, cormorant, humpback whale, (obligatory seagull) 

                         STATS:

COMPASSION:  8/10 EMPATHY:  7/10 CREATIVITY:  5/10 MENTAL FLEXIBILITY:  7/10 PASSION/MOTIVATION:  8/10 EDUCATION:  4/10 STAMINA:  8/10 PHYSICAL STRENGTH:  9/10 BATTLE SKILL:  7/10 INITIATIVE:  9/10 RESTRAINT:  5/10 AGILITY:  3/10 STRATEGY:  6/10 TEAMWORK:  7/10

tagged by @strekkingur​ THANK U BUN ILY !!!!!!! 

TAGGING : @haknam​ @toberoundistobefree​ @serenesecession​ @bates--boy​ @liachtaschta​ @goldenmerc​ @bel-paese​ @brassandblue​ @ofanglia​ @gebrochener-adler​ @teableeds​ @blalejonet​ @gildedscripture​ @toulousc​ @mateshit​ 

[devinsfm]

joe keery. cis male. he/him.  ／  jack devin just pulled up blasting video killed the radio star by the buggles — that song is so them ! you know, for a twenty - four year old radio show host, i’ve heard they’re really impulsive, but that they make up for it by being so captivating. if i had to choose three things to describe them, i’d probably say obscure vintage horror comics, blurry photographs of mysterious figures in the woods, and vivid descriptions of spine - chilling tales  . here’s to hoping they don’t cause too much trouble ! ( sam, 23, est, she/her )

hey there, demons ! *ba tum tss* i’m sam and i never do this, but i really felt like it was time for a change, so i drew lots of inspiration from some of my favorite ocs and i love what i’ve come up with ! character info is under the cut and please feel free to message me if you would like to plot !

i. stats

𝔣𝔲𝔩𝔩 𝔫𝔞𝔪𝔢: jackson willard devin

𝔭𝔯𝔢𝔣𝔢𝔯𝔯𝔢𝔡 𝔫𝔞𝔪𝔢𝔰: jack, spooky guy, the night watchman 

𝔥𝔬𝔪𝔢𝔱𝔬𝔴𝔫: salem, massachusetts

𝔡𝔞𝔱𝔢 𝔬𝔣 𝔟𝔦𝔯𝔱𝔥: ocotber 31st, 1995

𝔷𝔬𝔡𝔦𝔞𝔠: scorpio

𝔬𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫: demisexual

𝔬𝔠𝔠𝔲𝔭𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫: host of the graveyard shift, a radio program airing every weeknight from 12am to 5am

𝔭𝔬𝔰. 𝔱𝔯𝔞𝔦𝔱𝔰: captivating, witty, resolute. 

𝔫𝔢𝔤. 𝔱𝔯𝔞𝔦𝔱𝔰: impulsive, gauche, naive.

ii. history

jackson willard “jack” devin was born on halloween day ( yes, really ) in salem massachusetts ( yes, really ). his mother stayed home with him as he was growing up while his father is a boston cop turned sheriff of the county and he’s an only child.

outside of the popular tourist spots, his hometown has a very close - knit, stuck in the 80s vibe. it’s the sort of place where everyone knows everyone for their entire lives because no one ever leaves and no one new ever moves in. phone and internet signals are nearly impossible to come by, so the local arcade and the video store still have quite a booming business in the year 2020. jack grew up in a not - so - typical small town suburban gothic environment, his dad’s income being just enough for them to get by every month.

he was an energetic kid who cycled through all sorts of interests, trying out everything from little league ( disaster ) to music lessons ( not as much of a disaster, but he wound up getting bored of it ). nothing seemed to really stick until he got his first horror comic : a vintage issue of tales from the crypt with tattered, yellowing pages. he was five years old and paid five cents for it at an elderly neighbor’s yard sale and from that moment on he was hooked. it started with the comics, but he quickly expanded his horizons to movies, books, and television in the genre of horror.

he got intro drawing and that was the only thing besides his newfound interest in horror that he could sit still for. at first he would just try to re - draw the panels in his comic books, but soon he was drawing anything and everything that caught his interest and he was getting good. he was being homeschooled by his mother at the time, but once friends and family and, well, everyone took notice of his skill, they were encouraging his parents to nurture his talent.

his parents fought about it. his dad didn’t see the value in his skill and wanted him to instead focus on academics, aspiring towards his son one day becoming a lawyer or a businessman or even following in his footsteps. jack never wanted that for himself. he was homeschooled by his mom up until then and she believed in him. it was with her blessing that he would go to a real school for the first time at the age of fourteen, starting off his freshman year at a high school that was a thirty minute train ride away in boston and catered exclusively to youth who demonstrated an exceptional talent in some area of the fine arts.

jack did well in school, but his grades probably would have been a lot better still if he didn’t start purposely acting out as his relationship with his dad got worse and worse. he started skipping classes, getting caught trespassing in cemeteries at 2am, and smoking a lot of weed. 

when it came time for college, jack planned to attend art school. he swears he did. he looked a few schools on the west coast to get away from his dad for a few years yikes and planned to apply, but on the deadline date he got so high that he forgot to submit his portfolios. yes, really.

he loaded up his van ( a turquiose monstrosity he painted to look like the mystery machine ) and headed out to california anyway after telling his parents that he would be attending UCLA. of course, they quickly found it that it was a lie and his dad was furious. the two got into a huge fight over the phone and things were said. the result is that jack and his father haven’t spoken to each other ever since. 

he did lots of odd jobs while he was on the road and basically lived in his van, which didn’t change right away when he decided to settle in LA, but he eventually got a job fetching coffee for the late night employees at a local radio station.

it was the typical, cliché story : the regular late night host called out of work at the last minute, there was no one else around and they were going to be on air in ten seconds. jack was thrown in front of the microphone and told to think fast !

he did, and the listeners loved him for it. whether it was his ramblings about horror movies or his thick boston accent or his reckless use of swear words on live radio, he turned out to be a massive hit. the successful night earned him a gig as an occasional substitute deejay, and with each broadcast he grew more and more popular, and about two years ago he was finally given his own program.

the graveyard shift is a radio program that airs every weeknight from 12am - 5am in the los angeles area and on apps such as iheartradio. jack hosts the show as his ( thinly veiled ) alter ego the night watchmen and discusses topics such as the paranormal, conspiracy theories, and all things horror. it’s one of the most popular programs of the time slot in the country.

it’s something that he never expected or picturing himself doing, but now he can’t imagine doing anything else. he’s become really passionate about revitalizing the field and bringing radio into the 21st century. he signed a HUGE contract with the studio when his show first started and now he’s a quite well known radio personality in the area and across the country.

iii. extras

huge stoner. high as fuck 90% of the time, and the other 10% of the time he’s probably still high, just not as fuck. 

well known for his on air antics. he’ll light a joint in the middle of his radio show, he’ll prank call a friend and broadcast it to the entire city, he’ll curse in every single sentence and skate by on the after hours excuse when he’s reprimanded for it. he’s so outlandish and bizarre and like nothing that’s ever been heard on the radio before, and it just draws people in.

he often seems shy in person, but it’s more like he’s just a little socially awkward, something which also shines through in occasional non - malicious but blunt remarks and general lack of regard for what people think of him. he really just...doesn’t care.

genuinely seems to believe it’s either halloween day and / or the year 1986 at any given moment as that’s about as recent as his pop culture references get. he’s never heard of the k*rdashians, he doesn’t know what the mcu is, and the phrase yeet means absolutely nothing to him. mention any of it to him and he’ll just stare blankly bc he honestly doesn’t have a clue.

HOWEVER, he did start the area 51 meme from last summer.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

still draws. especially if he has to still for a stretch of time, then he’ll take out his latest sketchbook ( he goes through a lot of them ) and start doodling. he’s still quite good, mostly in his favored comic - esque style.

BIG CHAOTIC ENERGY and ZERO IMPULSE CONTROL

a chatterbox with friends but don’t be fooled...he’s been giving his own dad the silent treatment for almost seven ( 7 ) years now. it’s his preferred method of expressing anger towards someone because he isn’t really a fan of confrontation, but he’s maybe a liiiittle bit stubborn.

most of the time he’s a really easygoing person, a good friend and very loyal to the people he cares about. well - meaning, not the best at advice but he’s more likely to try and cheer a person up anyway. 

he has a pet pied ball python named the crypt keeper ( tkc for short ) who he sometimes just carries with him because he likes to just chill wrapped around jack’s hand and arm. 

iv. wanted connections

maternal or paternal cousins ( their grandparents probably live in boston or new england but otherwise anything goes for this )

close friends

friends

guests on his radio show 

fans / haters of his radio show

people who don’t like him / find him annoying

exes ( 1 - 2, can be on good or bad terms )

“casually dating” but it might get real complicated soon - allie james

( these are just ideas and i’m trash at coming up with stuff, so please don’t feel limited by what’s listed here. )

[izaswritings]

May I ask you how Varian sees Adira? He've been with her for a time already and I was really curious abou the bond they have, especially after the last chapter, the slap scene and all.

Haha, a valid question!! And I guess the answer is... it’s complicated??

(putting this under a read-more bc it got LONG, ahahaaaaa)

The thing is about Adira is that she is VERY much a secret-keeper. She doesn’t like sharing personal information, she definitely doesn’t like sharing secrets, and very little can change her mind on this front. When it comes to teaching Varian especially, she wants to have him try and figure out things himself, thinking it a better lesson than if she just told him directly. These are all traits that... Varian just doesn’t do well with. He’s had a lot of bad experiences with secrets and being kept in the dark--a lot of unresolved issues with his dad especially, which is a whole ‘nother bag of worms--so Adira’s secrets, and her currently withheld knowledge about his dad especially.... well. Yeahhhhhhh, not a good mix. 

On the OTHER hand, despite that, Adira is pretty much the only reason Varian's doing somewhat okay during FotM. She’s kept him moving, fed, clothed, and sheltered for the past six months, taught him fighting so he had a different avenue for anger rather than just stewing on it (ie, sparring instead of destruction)... Varian at the end of Labyrinths, while free, had no idea what to do. While he’s still just figuring out what he wants in FotM, Adira’s presence has kept him moving. She’s pushed him to keep going, no matter what, and that’s equally important. Varian isn’t doing okay at the start of FotM, but without Adira? He’d be a WHOLE lot worse, and on some level Varian is well aware of this. 

Regarding the scene when Adira slaps him in particular, though... on Varian’s end, it’s definitely a shock? While he has issues with Adira, he does trust her. He doesn’t trust her to tell him the truth, but he does trust her to have a reason for what she does. The slap is the first time Adira has ever hit him--the first time she’s ever lost her cool--and for Varian, it’s incredibly frightening, and has definitely shaken that trust a bit. 

I do want to say something though!! I love Adira. She’s a complicated character with messy motivations, and in this alternate universe especially, she’s also dealing with a lot. Remember, in this timeline, King Edmund died in his attempt to attack the Moondrop, and Moon took over the whole Dark Kingdom. And now, to add salt to the wound, the Dark Kingdom is gone. Obliterated. Adira has as much baggage with the black rocks as Varian does, and recent events have shaken her just as much--she just hides it better. This isn’t at all an excuse for her behavior, but I hope it serves as an explanation? Future chapters will hopefully explore this more in-depth-- both Varian and Adira are very messy people, and their relationship is equally complicated!!! But trust me when I say I have plans for these two. They’ll figure it all out eventually! In this case, Adira has definitely made a huge mistake--hitting someone in your care is no joke, and I’m not brushing that off--but the real test of their relationship will be what comes after. Will she apologize? Will she work to do better? Will she take strides to make sure it never happens again? 

In many ways, Adira and Varian are asking themselves the same questions... just about different situations.

Ahhhhh, sorry this got so long!! I have a lot of thoughts, ahaha. I hope this answers your question!!

[devinfm]

joe keery. cis male. he/him.  ／  jack devin just pulled up blasting video killed the radio star by the buggles — that song is so them ! you know, for a twenty - four year old radio show host, i’ve heard they’re really impulsive, but that they make up for it by being so captivating. if i had to choose three things to describe them, i’d probably say obscure vintage horror comics, blurry photographs of mysterious figures in the woods, and vivid descriptions of spine - chilling tales  . here’s to hoping they don’t cause too much trouble ! ( sam, 23, est, she/her )

hey there, demons! *ba tum tss* i’m sam and i also write parker ( @prkrfm​​ ) which is the best place to contact me for plotting!

i. stats

𝔣𝔲𝔩𝔩 𝔫𝔞𝔪𝔢: jackson willard devin

𝔭𝔯𝔢𝔣𝔢𝔯𝔯𝔢𝔡 𝔫𝔞𝔪𝔢𝔰: jack, spooky guy, the night watchman

𝔥𝔬𝔪𝔢𝔱𝔬𝔴𝔫: salem, massachusetts

𝔡𝔞𝔱𝔢 𝔬𝔣 𝔟𝔦𝔯𝔱𝔥: ocotber 31st, 1995

𝔷𝔬𝔡𝔦𝔞𝔠: scorpio

𝔬𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫: demisexual

𝔬𝔠𝔠𝔲𝔭𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫: host of the graveyard shift, a radio program airing every weeknight from 12am to 5am

𝔭𝔬𝔰. 𝔱𝔯𝔞𝔦𝔱𝔰: captivating, witty, resolute.

𝔫𝔢𝔤. 𝔱𝔯𝔞𝔦𝔱𝔰: impulsive, gauche, naive.

ii. history

jackson willard “jack” devin was born on halloween day ( yes, really ) in salem massachusetts ( yes, really ). his mother stayed home with him as he was growing up while his father is a boston cop turned sheriff of the county and he has one sibling, a younger sister.

outside of the popular tourist spots, his hometown has a very close - knit, stuck in the 80s vibe. it’s the sort of place where everyone knows everyone for their entire lives because no one ever leaves and no one new ever moves in. phone and internet signals are nearly impossible to come by, so the local arcade and the video store still have quite a booming business in the year 2020. jack grew up in a not - so - typical small town suburban gothic environment, his dad’s income being just enough for them to get by every month.

he was an energetic kid who cycled through all sorts of interests, trying out everything from little league ( disaster ) to music lessons ( not as much of a disaster, but he wound up getting bored of it ). nothing seemed to really stick until he got his first horror comic : a vintage issue of tales from the crypt with tattered, yellowing pages. he was five years old and paid five cents for it at an elderly neighbor’s yard sale and from that moment on he was hooked. it started with the comics, but he quickly expanded his horizons to movies, books, and television in the genre of horror.

he got intro drawing and that was the only thing besides his newfound interest in horror that he could sit still for. at first he would just try to re - draw the panels in his comic books, but soon he was drawing anything and everything that caught his interest and he was getting good. he was being homeschooled by his mother at the time, but once friends and family and, well, everyone took notice of his skill, they were encouraging his parents to nurture his talent.

his parents fought about it. his dad didn’t see the value in his skill and wanted him to instead focus on academics, aspiring towards his son one day becoming a lawyer or a businessman or even following in his footsteps. jack never wanted that for himself. he was homeschooled by his mom up until then and she believed in him. it was with her blessing that he would go to a real school for the first time at the age of fourteen, starting off his freshman year at a high school that was a thirty minute train ride away in boston and catered exclusively to youth who demonstrated an exceptional talent in some area of the fine arts.

jack did well in school, but his grades probably would have been a lot better still if he didn’t start purposely acting out as his relationship with his dad got worse and worse. he started skipping classes, getting caught trespassing in cemeteries at 2am, and smoking a lot of weed.

when it came time for college, jack planned to attend art school. he swears he did. he looked a few schools on the west coast to get away from his dad for a few years yikes and planned to apply, but on the deadline date he got so high that he forgot to submit his portfolios. yes, really.

he loaded up his van ( a turquiose monstrosity he painted to look like the mystery machine ) and headed out to california anyway after telling his parents that he would be attending UCLA. of course, they quickly found it that it was a lie and his dad was furious. the two got into a huge fight over the phone and things were said. the result is that jack and his father haven’t spoken to each other ever since.

he did lots of odd jobs while he was on the road and basically lived in his van, which didn’t change right away when he decided to settle in LA, but he eventually got a job fetching coffee for the late night employees at a local radio station.

it was the typical, cliché story : the regular late night host called out of work at the last minute, there was no one else around and they were going to be on air in ten seconds. jack was thrown in front of the microphone and told to think fast !

he did, and the listeners loved him for it. whether it was his ramblings about horror movies or his thick boston accent or his reckless use of swear words on live radio, he turned out to be a massive hit. the successful night earned him a gig as an occasional substitute deejay, and with each broadcast he grew more and more popular, and about two years ago he was finally given his own program.

the graveyard shift is a radio program that airs every weeknight from 12am - 5am in the los angeles area and on apps such as iheartradio. jack hosts the show as his ( thinly veiled ) alter ego the night watchman and discusses topics such as the paranormal, conspiracy theories, and all things horror. it’s one of the most popular programs of the time slot in the country.

it’s something that he never expected or picturing himself doing, but now he can’t imagine doing anything else. he’s become really passionate about revitalizing the field and bringing radio into the 21st century. he signed a HUGE contract with the studio when his show first started and now he’s a quite well known radio personality in the area and across the country.

iii. extras

huge stoner. high as fuck 90% of the time, and the other 10% of the time he’s probably still high, just not as fuck.

well known for his on air antics. he’ll light a joint in the middle of his radio show, he’ll prank call a friend and broadcast it to the entire city, he’ll curse in every single sentence and skate by on the after hours excuse when he’s reprimanded for it. he’s so outlandish and bizarre and like nothing that’s ever been heard on the radio before, and it just draws people in.

he often seems shy in person, but it’s more like he’s just a little socially awkward, something which also shines through in occasional non - malicious but blunt remarks and general lack of regard for what people think of him. he really just…doesn’t care.

genuinely seems to believe it’s either halloween day and / or the year 1986 at any given moment as that’s about as recent as his pop culture references get. he’s never heard of the k*rdashians, he doesn’t know what the mcu is, and the phrase yeet means absolutely nothing to him. mention any of it to him and he’ll just stare blankly bc he honestly doesn’t have a clue.

HOWEVER, he did start the area 51 meme from last summer.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

still draws. especially if he has to still for a stretch of time, then he’ll take out his latest sketchbook ( he goes through a lot of them ) and start doodling. he’s still quite good, mostly in his favored comic - esque style.

BIG CHAOTIC ENERGY and ZERO IMPULSE CONTROL

a chatterbox with friends but don’t be fooled…he’s been giving his own dad the silent treatment for almost seven ( 7 ) years now. it’s his preferred method of expressing anger towards someone because he isn’t really a fan of confrontation, but he’s maybe a liiiittle bit stubborn.

most of the time he’s a really easygoing person, a good friend and very loyal to the people he cares about. well - meaning, not the best at advice but he’s more likely to try and cheer a person up anyway.

he has a pet pied ball python named the crypt keeper ( tkc for short ) who he sometimes just carries with him because he likes to just chill wrapped around jack’s hand and arm.

iv. wanted connections

maternal or paternal cousins ( their grandparents probably live in boston or new england but otherwise anything goes for this )

close friends

friends

guests on his radio show

fans / haters of his radio show

people who don’t like him / find him annoying

exes ( 1 - 2, can be on good or bad terms )

“casually dating” but it might get real complicated soon - allie james

( these are just ideas and i’m trash at coming up with stuff, so please don’t feel limited by what’s listed here. )

[hadnothing]

kiun is a lot more complicated than he gets credit for welcome to my ted talk -

ok so hear me out. this shinki. is fucking insane. just, what the fuck is happening? let’s break this down. oh boy. 

he’s a fucKING LIGHTNING DRAGON. so, he’s one of exactly two shinki we’ve seen with extremely ‘abnormal’ manifestations. this implies that he’s, honestly, probably led an incredibly traumatic and weird life given the track record we can see of how other shinki have forms that are very symbolic of their past occupations, their personalities, etc. sadly we’ve not seen that in canon yet. so i have a lot of hc about it but i also want to see if he gets revealed in the next few chapters or anything first, so i won’t post anything for a little just to find out, you know how it is. if i get impatient i’ll just spill eventually so it’s fine.

but genuinely, kiun is fascinating. he’s incredibly old, to start with. it’s dropped in the manga that takemikazuchi’s forced reincarnation was directly before the reign of the  first Japanese emperor, jimmu (660 bce). kiun was employed on the day of said reincarnation. so this implies that his death was very, very long ago. and he really lacks the generally uppity-ness one would expect from a noble, so he was also likely a peasant.

i’m not even going to touch on the fact that he’s got blonde hair in this and seemingly always did post-death. well. maybe a little. i don’t think it’s natural. i’m thinking he may have straight up died by lightning strike, but i’m not sure. i have some logic to work out on that later. i realize that most likely it’s just a style choice of the creator and doesn’t really matter, but i like everything to have a reason bc i’m a dickhead.

but yeah, so he’s a fucking lightning dragon. what’s with that? oh, and he can change his size seemingly at will. and he bleeds, which implies that he does have something of a physical form underneath the lightning, at least circumstantially. which is...you know, interesting, but not particularly weirder than any of the other things we’ve seen happen with shinki. but, anyway, my whole point here is that he does then have a physical form underneath the lightning which he can display if he likes. my guess is that there’s just seldom a reason to, so he doesn’t. this isn’t a major thing, but i think it’s really interesting and opens up new avenues of communication and interaction.

the main thing i really want to talk about though, is his personality. because we see him mostly as just a sort of airheaded guy. very sleepy, a bit formal, quite lonely and generally not in some regards what we would expect a guidepost to be. 

this is fascinating, especially since takemikazuchi on meeting him pre-incarnation and after taking him into his employ notes that kiun is a reflection of himself more than anyone or anything else has ever been - this god, who is known for being reckless, angry, vengeful, uncontrollable, wild - and asks him to promise to stay by him. so what does that say about kiun deep down as well?

of course, the fact that he reincarnated that night after being murdered by his elder shinki for being too uncontrollable complicates things, but keep in mind: kiun keeps this promise. he never stopped keeping it. and it’s interesting, because i think that the reason that take claims him as an echo of himself is that deep loneliness. their personalities are too vastly different (even though i do think that kiun has some anger issues that he’s supressed an incredible amount during his service in order to perform well). they are both these really undefinable beings; they’re sort of the shape of something recognizable, but not really, and they’re massive as concepts. you can’t contain lightning. you can’t shape it. it simply is, and when it strikes, it’s fast and decisive. they both make their decisions this way.

so it’s absolutely fascinating to me that kiun keeps this promise, especially in agony. i don’t think he stood idly by during the execution either - in fact i’m quite sure he probably begged to be used against the elders and was denied. because realistically, the only way that execution could have ever commenced is by take’s consent, because if he had called for any of his other shinki (not the elders, if they were drawing lines to deny him), they couldn’t have not answered his call. he let them take his life. yeah, he fought, and there were collateral deaths, but i think that's genuinely just pride. because at the end of the day i don't believe there wasn't a way for him to call for aid if he truly wanted it.

which makes it so much more incredibly cruel that his powers were bound upon reincarnation, and he was only given kiun to express himself. and as his guide. this newly dead shinki, who (as far as we know) had never served before and had no idea what he was doing, and didn’t truly know his master yet. and now his master doesn’t know him, because he no longer remembers kiun’s naming, but he still belongs to him. his vessel has already been declared.

and kiun has had to, more or less, just...do what he’s told from two directions for all of this time. he had to learn to be a guidepost, and yet his true loyalty is to take, not the elders, so he has to learn how to appease them without prompting another execution, and serve without being a traitor to his master’s wishes. (not surprised he’s always tired.) and it’s so sad, i think, because the really strong implication is that the elders left kiun to raise the new take, and at the end of the day that had to be the most frustrating thing in the world for them both. he couldn’t tell him who either of them used to be, or really what he was supposed to do. all he could do was stay by his side. and care.

which is, i think, a heavy part of why take is so bitter and sometimes cruel to his shinki. he doesn’t understand himself, he is full of resentment, his closest companion and really the only person he cares for he isn’t sure that he can trust. and kiun is really faded. i think this is a huge part of why his most defining feature is being an exhausted ditz. he’s so distracted by always fretting after take that it makes his functionality in literally anything else essentially shit, because he wants more than anything to keep his master well. he drowns his own desires and personality in the interest of service. and it’s really fucking sad, because takemikazuchi is almost generous in that he allows his shinki to have relationships, and be free, to mingle. kiun doesn’t do any of that. he has no friends. no lovers. he glues himself, absolutely and completely, to take. and that’s self-punishment at its finest, because while he’s practically all of his master’s happiness he can’t see that. he blames himself for all of takemikazuchi’s misery since his reincarnation. and in a way take does too, but he forgives him for it except in the moments where he’s enraged beyond belief, and then it’s weaponized.

their relationship is a bizarre, tangled mess of emotion and frustration spanning millennia. they both have incredibly deep affection towards each other that they don’t admit, because it isn’t proper and they are both super steeped in tradition. take is selfish; kiun will always serve his whims until he thinks that take is destroying himself. they are apart only when kiun is asleep or when takemikazuchi tells him to be gone. i genuinely think that they probably have adjoined quarters (if not just straight up shared) and their codependency is absolutely bonkers. they both look to the other for instruction and affection while trying to retain an autonomy they have no idea of how to gain, and it’s ultimately just tragic.

but neither of them will give it up. they’re part of each other. 

[shellheadtmarc]

Connections

fallout bullshit round two, this time featuring zetta reynolds, because zetta is another hugely important person to tony in context and it probably looks like the trashiest shit without the actual behind the scenes context that hasn’t gotten threaded bc mala and i are both slow as fuckin christmas.

okay.  buckle up.

+ once upon a time, before the world became chernobyl on steroids, there was a company called stark industries.  the owner of said company was tony stark, and moonlighted in a group of extremely unique people who called themselves the avengers as the high tech armored superhero called iron man.  tony was atoning for all the weapons he’d built and designed over the years, especially in understanding, through his own brush with death, how devastating those weapons could be.  he was also incredibly outspoken against the government and what it was doing with regards to its own people with regards to personal liberties and freedoms.  this company - which offered safety nets for employees that did find themselves being investigated by the government in forms such as legal fees - employed a lot of people.  one of those people was zetta reynolds, who worked in the boston branch.

+ if tony ever met zetta before the bombs, he honestly can’t remember it.  it’s been a very long time for him.  her files are probably still somewhere on the stark dataspine, though he’s never gone digging for them.  who she was and who he was are people that don’t really exist anymore.  that world doesn’t really exist anymore.

+ one of the first things that should be noticed - and actually not incredibly obvious - is that tony and zetta are actually very similar.  they’re both brilliant.  they’ve answered the fate that’s been handed to them with anger - though in separate directions.  they’re both incredibly fiercely protective over the people they love.  they have the same sense of humor.  they both had super shitty childhoods that have shaped them as adults.  it’s why when they get along everyone around them should be terrified, and when they fight everyone should be even more terrified.  the major difference between them, surface-wise, anyway, is that zetta is incredibly loyal to the railroad, and tony considers them to be too tunnel-visioned without an “after” plan to be sustainable long term.

+ honestly, they even favor physically somewhat.  big dark eyes, dark curly hair, killer jawlines.  this is going to be important soon, pay attention.

+ zetta is the sole survivor of vault 111.  you know what that means.

+ tony and zetta hook up fairly early on in his time in the commonwealth.  and by hook up i mean sleep together.  but wait, you say, isn’t tony already probably running with maccready??  yes, i answer, he is!  but tony and mac aren’t a thing for a while, and zetta and tony never really are.  it’s like…a one time thing.  that’s it.  in the end, they’re close?  but it ain’t really like that between them.  they wouldn’t work - tony’s too open in being demonstrative.  it’s gross.  he loves her, in her his own way, but it’s just not that kind of love.  she’s someone he can trust implicitly, and that’s a thousand times better in the wasteland that being stupid in love with her.

+ since this is tony’s companion verse, that’s what he is:  he’s one of zetta’s companions.  except it’s not fallout 4 flavor mechanics companions it’s more…equal partners in interest with reclaiming the commonwealth.  he’s as often off doing his own thing as he is helping her with something - and most of their stuff has to do with the settlements, not questlines.  it should also be noted that, between her, stephen, tony, elle, thor, and loki, questlines are split up among them because it’s unrealistic to expect one person to do all of them.  anyway, between all of them, they rub their heads together and make magic shit happen in the commonwealth.

+ so.  about that one night stand tony and zetta have.  see, tony’s tinkered on himself.  he got his hands on some institute flavor fev while back in nyc, broke it apart, made it what he wanted, and put it back together (much like 616 extremis) and used himself as a lab rat to test it.  friendly, frequent reminder he’s not a super mutant, the same way 616 tony was never a true extremis enhancile.   he thought he’d kept the coding to make himself sterile in it.  turns out not so much - he’s an engineer, not a biochemist, and there he and zetta are finding out yeah so uh.  that drunken one night stand resulted in a baby.  she uses stephen as a doctor, because he’s prewar, too.  makes sunday dinners all kinds of interesting.

+ quinn is just quinn.  their plan is to let him decide what last name he wants to use when he gets older, and between zetta’s bunch and tony’s bunch, not only are quinn and duncan (and synth shaun, because honestly he can’t be forgotten…how did we end up with a set of all little boys how did this happen i sure don’t know) the three safest kids in the commonwealth, they have a massive extended family that include a sorcerer supreme, norse gods, spies, the entire railroad, the minutemen, super mutants, and superheroes.  he’s got all of zetta and tony’s smarts and looks, and that means r i f p world when he gets older.

+ they share custody, obviously.  i mean, it’s not like it’s a legal arrangement, it’s the commonwealth, but it’s the principle of the thing.  anyway, outside of the lovenest zetta built for her bunch on spectacle island (casa del deacon) that everyone’s supposed to stay out of but tony and only then when he’s there to get quinn (if you can’t see tony rolling his eyes about it i need to step up my game), honestly…the whole group lives in…well, i wouldn’t quite completely call it a commune really, but they’re like a neighborhood where everyone on the street is related to everyone else.  they come and go as they need to, but it actually satisfies tony’s need to keep everyone as close as possible.  sunshine tidings and nahant (the town around croup manor) are the usual suspects, though you’ve got fort hagen, as well.

+ to clarify:  after the one whole night, later tony’s in a monogamous relationship with maccready, zetta (depending on verse iteration) is either with deacon?  or in a poly relationship with ferran (who is a whole other kettle of fish right there) and deacon.  sometimes her husband riley survives the gunshot from kellogg just barely and they’re able to bring him round with the same super soldier serum mix rhodey got popped with before the bombs, using the immortality serum traded to the government by jack cabot.  it’s…it’s complicated don’t worry about it.

+ they’re enough alike and work in the same fashion enough that they make good emotional punching bags for each other.  zetta knows she can fling everything she’s got at tony and that he can take it, and the opposite is just as true, and it spares some hapless settler from facing the brunt of either of their tempers (because if you don’t think tony stark has a temper i have News For You).  on the flipside, they’ve gone through practically the same nightmare and can be vulnerable with each other, though that’s far less likely.

+ zetta reynolds would happily punch howard stark in the face.  well.  she’d happily punch anyone in the face that has done tony dirty on some level, once he’s one of “hers”.  and don’t think for a second he wouldn’t go the mat just the same for her. 

ask about muse connections : accepting : anon

[kevinhaas]

Homewreckage.

@sv-ev asked for Stan Frederick fanfiction. I, being the loch ness monster at the bottom of the Slenderverse cesspool, obliged.

80% awful comedy, 20% awful melodrama and 100% bullshitted nonsense, this is the antitheses of “In-Character” writing. I hope you still enjoy it, dude, and that is makes you laugh.

(Also, it’s a “““ship”““ fic (bc ofc it is), so if you wanted to maybe you could convince that other guy to read it with you. 👀 asdfghioiuhgvb )

"We can't keep meeting like this," Stan says. His tone is flat and in the darkness of the motel room, his expression is hidden. Like always, Noah notes bitterly, he keeps himself unreadable.

Noah snorts. "Uhh, whose idea was this in the first place, Stan? It sure as fuck wasn't mine."

Stan drags his hands down his face with a long, drawn-out sigh. Noah had a point, but Noah was also kind of a bitch.

He twists his wedding band between his fingers and reminds himself that he only loves Noah for his sweet, sweet bod. Much like the very heterosexual Harvey Milk or Oscar Wilde, Stan was not gay-- he simply appreciated the male form. He especially appreciated Noah's flat ass and unkempt beard when he was pounding him into the mattress-- platonically, of course.

"So, what? You wanna break up?" Stan suggests, tired. That would probably be the best solution. As much as Stan would miss having someone to do weird butt stuff with-- since he could only do weird knee  and elbow stuff with his wife-- it had become hard to justify all the trips down to Florida. Originally, he had just told Susan that Slenderman's tomb was in the tropical rainforests of Miami and that in order to vanquish him, he had to exum his horcruxes and expose him to the morning sun after destroying them.

Susan, who read Harry Potter and thought horcruxes were real, was originally sympathetic. But when it took him more than a few months to machete his way through the lush Miamian canopy, she began to grow suspicious. He had told her-- while hastily concealing the lipstick mark from Noah that decorated his collar-- that Suitman Mansuit had sealed a chunk of his soul in a Nokia cellphone and instantly her anger softened.

Fondly, Stan regarded how open-minded and magical his wife was. She was beautiful and loving and funny and perfect; their personalities meshed together well and every day with her was a gift.  Unfortunately, as I mentioned two paragraphs ago, there was no butt stuff, and since Stan was a heterosexual man, that was enough to make him stray.

His thoughts are interrupted by a pillow right to his got-damn head. "Stop inner-monologuing like you're on daytime TV!" Noah shouts.  His lips quibble, and as hard as he tries to perpetuate his internal anger engine, he can't will himself to stay entempered with his paramour.

"Of course I don't want to break up!" Noah flings himself into Stan's waiting arms. Noah looks up at him, eyes moist and shining. "Why can't you just leave your wife? I want to be together."

It was a loaded question, so complicated but so simple.

The long answer was Henrich's Theory or Fates. First studied in 1717 by Hemlick Henrich, the Theory essentially states that the time at which one met a person determined the relationship those two might have. The younger the age two persons are when meeting, the more likely they are to retain incredible importance in each other's lives. However, the persons one might meet in adulthood often fail to have a lasting impact. (It was for this reason that 97% of eHarmony users that has met their spouses online would later kill and devour them. [Citation needed]) It was a complicated psychological theory, and the second-most praised one in Quacks Quarterly, right after every single thing Sigmund Freud had ever written.

Stan had met Susan and Connor in his impressionable post-fetal stage. They'd all grown up together, forming an intense bond. As a result, Stan had porked both of them and married at least one. Noah, however, hadn't come into his life until many years later, when his brain had already formed a protective cocoon around itself in order to keep out the sexy (but negative) influences that came with adulthood. Specifically, telemarketers and the Amish. The short answer was--

"Dude, I'm straight. YOU'RE straight. 'No homo' doesn't work if we run away together."

Noah rubs his eyes and shrugs. "I just thought it could be a bro thing, ya know? Just us traveling the country in a convertible, sharing a bed in seedy motels." He smiles shyly, sniffling. "Maybe buy a house in the 'burbs together, adopt a couple kids. Have a garden and a dog. There's nothing gay about co-parenting a dog, Stan"

Stan tenderly rests his hand on Noah's own. With an equal amount of soft tenderness, he whispers, "Noah, co-parenting a dog is kinda gay."

Noah grasps his hand. "It doesn't have to be gay," he murmurs. "It doesn't have to be."

"But you mentioned kids too."

"Nothing gay about two non-related men raising kids together."

"Noah." Stan sighs. He strokes Noah's hair, pressing their foreheads together. "We need to be realistic. We can't go on like this."

"What're you saying, dude?"

Stan's eyes flicker down and he smiles, bittersweet. He knew this was coming-- he'd known it for a while. He should have brought this up months ago, when their relationship was fresh, not so attached. It would have hurt then, certainly, but not to the extent that it did now.

The words that rested on his tongue made his stomach churn and his lungs ache. A lesser man would chalk this up to heartburn, but despite the Supreme Taco Party Pack from Taco Bell that they had shared before holing up in their love nest, Stan knew deep inside that this feeling was not gas, but regret. Regret that he couldn't bifuricate himself into two equally handsome dudes, like a sexy little worm.

But he couldn't. He had to choose between the love of his life-- his shining star, his rock, his hope. The one whose very presence could paint the grey sky blue and who was also really good at everything, especially late-night cuddlepiles-- And Noah, who let him put it in for free.

It was a tough call.

"What I'm saying, Noah, is... we're brover."

Noah stares at him for a moment-- or, Stan assumes he does. It's still too dark to see- in stunned silence. Then, wordlessly, he gets up and dresses, most likely putting his shirt on backwards before he walks out the door, slamming it behind him.

Stan isn't sure what did it: the finality of the declaration, so much like a knife in Noah's guts-- or the shitty fucking pun. Like his sexuality, Noah's temper really could go either fucking way.

Regardless, as Noah walks out of his life, there's an enormous amount of relief. It was a euphoric release of burden, comparable only to the feeling one might get by telling every one of their Twitter and YouTube followers to literally fuck off.

Stan flops back into the bed, which still smells of...whatever it is people in Florida bathe with. Orange juice, he thinks. He finds his phone, with its bulky waterproof case.

Stan calls his wife.

[rxry]

hey babes ok imma do my best to explain rory lmfao here we go .. it’s long ok 

grew up in a pretty chill area. has a twin brother named emmett and they’re basically your textbook siblings. love to embarrass each other, roast each other and then beat the shit out of each other then just cycle back to bein #Bros because u know. Boys.

he was extremely close with his father that worked as a producer which meant he basically grew up on music & that’s what gave him a serious love n passion for it. rory, as you will see, is a huge dolt sometimes but music is his thing he just is in Love with it

so he’s been playing instruments and writing music for as long as he can remember tbh?? he’s That Kid during his school years. his brother emmett also has a love for music but it’s more lowkey. rory wants to make it a career whereas em just has a band on the side more as a hobby – em is actually a tech nerd and is going 2 school for computer science unlike rory who is a trashball

CANCER TW .    // uhhh when they’re like sixteen or so their mum gets diagnosed with cancer, which is tough on the whole family tbh. emmett is especially gutted bc he’s real close with her but everything really falls apart after their mum starts treatment. their dad finds it way too difficult and p much leaves them in the middle of the night with nothing but a note that basically says ‘sorry but i didn’t sign up for this’

a nightmare, honestly. rory is a very emotional person –– even though most of the time it manifests in anger or rebellion tbh, anyone who knows him Knows he’s just emotionally overloaded 24/7.. it’s not that he doesn’t care it’s that he literally cares Too Much. emmett is much more reserved, so he just decides he hates his father and moves tf on. rory is so gutted because him n his father were so close that him & his band decide fuck it, leave school and decide to play dive bars until they get discovered.

this causes massive tension back home because rory basically leaves his ill mother and also leaves emmett, who has to DEAL with their ill mother and cope with their dad leaving all on his own. it’s a gross situation, but their mum is a Tru Mother and knows her kids.. doesn’t really hold it against rory ‘cause she knows why he did it. emmett takes longer to come around because he’s just a bitter bitch, but they’re brothers and they do love each other so with time things iron themselves out.

rory actually does get discovered and he gets Big. like big big. massively big. he spends the next couple years pumping out song after song, album after album to ride the wave tbh and this boy.. LOVES being on stage. loves it. so he tours as much as he possibly can and just..... loves life tbh he’s living the dream

your Male Taylor Swift –– he was honestly so notorious for having flings & hook ups and writing songs about them?? not necessarily all bad tbh, it’s a mixture of everything, but it was sort of an Iconic thing re: his music lmao. everyone Knooooows if you get involved with him, in a few months time ya better be wary about turning on the radio. 

but rory, even before stardom, has really always been a reckless and impulsive person? he’s always been a partier, somewhat mischievous and loves just doing shit for the sake of it. plus he’s diagnosed with bipolar, so that combined with irregular schedules, drugs & alcohol and the ability to do whatever the fuck he wants really fucking runs him into the ground.

he refuses to take his meds either because so much of his inspiration actually comes from riding those emotional highs & lows, it’s what he writes about, and he feels just massive creative block when he’s too stable or just plained numbed out by shitty medication. it fucks too much with what he loves, so it’s not worth it to him.

tho in the end it bites him in the ass because all the substance abuse catches up to him to the point where he can’t.. really get shit done. too high, too drunk all the time tbh. emmett starts trying to help him write shit and get his life together but it’s only so long before he burns the fuck out. 2 many run ins with the law and too many missed commitments and his manager tells him he needs to take a break or his career is going to be in the toilet.

so after some mandatory counselling basically his shot is to switch things up for a bit until he learns to deal with himself, then he wants to get back out there. still, he loves music too much to completely abandon it, which is how he ends up on treble makers.

honestly, he kinda resents it. he’s your modern day 80s washed up rockstar working on a musical tv show and he kinda fucking hated his life at first. but after sobering up more and clearing his head by being away from all the poor influences, he knows it’s probably his best shot. plus, he actually thinks he doesn’t hate acting so much. plus, the good reviews will pump his ego which.. is always great in rory’s books.

he does well on the show because he’s completely trained as a performer –– this bitch spent almost every waking hour and then some performing, and he’s prepared to do it at the drop of a hat. for everything else he misses, that energy is literally shoved into his performances. it’s raw & it’s good – so it’s one thing people can’t complain about when it comes to rory. 

personality-wise it’s complicated. by all this asshole-ish behaviour you’d think he’s a total mindless dick with zero regard for anyone. and it’s true in a sense but mostly completely unintentional. like i said, completely ruled by emotion, so it’s hardly ever on purpose that he does dickish things, at least to the people he cares about. with his reputation, a lot of people just think it’s a retired rockstar with a bad attitude and they’re not wrong, but there’s definitely more to rory than meets the eye. most people that know him know that he works in extremes.. so as bad as he can get, he can also be extremely good and is capable of being the most dedicating, loving person you’ll ever come across. he doesn’t craft a dick persona, the public just enjoys focusing on the gross parts, but his good emotions also run rampant, so when he loves you, you’ll know and he’ll do everything to make sure of that.

he’s a lot to handle but really good at his core, if you can wade through the fact that he’s completely riddled with issues and self-destructive behaviours tbh.

he’s also ?? just funny ?? like he’ll flip off the paps if they’re annoying him, but also is just jokes 80% of the time if nobody’s actively trying to piss him off and will prob just flash them his ass, get a laugh, wave, blow some kisses n move on with his life. sometimes he’s just a giant kid tbh. if you take him too seriously you’re probably in for trouble, because he basically just loves 2 troll & roast people for the fun of it. he is so dramatic at times but he knows it, so chances are he’s probably just being melodramatic to yank your chain and get a laugh out of you.

anyways this is my adorable problematic son soooo pls bring him all the plots. 

[cfijerusalem]

Watching Over Zion Report 26th July 2018 (14th Av 5778)

The Word

But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find Him, if you search after Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey His voice. For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that He swore to them. (Deuteronomy 4:29-31)

For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent. (Zephaniah 3.9 KJV)  At that time I will change the speech of my returning people to pure Hebrew so that all can worship together." (Zephaniah 3:9 Living Bible)

POINTERS FOR PRAYER

As we continue to battle on in prayer regarding the difficult days that we live in – especially in relation to the issues with Gaza, please continue to be vigilant in your prayers, seeking the LORD God over all the troubles of His people Israel. Please continue to pray for both Jew and Arab living in the land (and the many other people groups), along with upholding all who are called to minister in this field.

Please continue to lift before the LORD the tired and embattled Israeli people.Pray that the whole Nation, from the Politicians, through the IDF, to every woman and son, would look to the Lord their God to renew their vision. May the nation of Israel turn to the LORD God of Israel to wait upon Him and seek His face, may they be as a light to the nations.

Today, I believe the church is in danger of kindling God’s anger – as many within the church are either dismissing large sections of Scripture and standing against Israel, or largely ignorant due to the lack of teaching on this subject in churches.In the days that we live in, it is worth reading Numbers chapters 22 to 24. For blessed is he who blesses Israel, but cursed is he who curses Israel (Genesis 12:3; Numbers 24:9).As I write this report, CFI UK are involved in the ‘Refuel’ Festival in Scotland. CFI's Paul & Mo Hayes are working at the CFI stand at the Refuel Festival in the wonderful grounds of Gordon Castle Estate, on the banks of the River Spey, in the Scottish Highlands (Monday 23rd July to Saturday 28th July 2018). Following this CFI are at New Wine for two weeks, before moving onto the ‘ONE Festival’ in Lincoln.Please seek the LORD for a greater understanding of God’s prophetic word about Israel, so that we can pray more effectively, and pray earnestly for God to give many in the Church the burden to pray for Israel, leading to a greater understanding of the current situation within Israel and the Middle East.Pray that your church may be blessed in blessing Israel, according to God’s promises.

TISHA B’AV

[Above photo: The Western Wall with fallen stone by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90] 

Last weekend, starting on Shabbat, was the 9th of Av. On this day in history many tragedies have struck the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. Many fast during this day and some read the book of Lamentations as well.  Within the Messianic community in Israel they pray for many Jews to have an encounter with their Living Messiah. And as this day recalls the destruction of the first and second temples in Jerusalem, they also pray for many to be added to the “third temple” that God is building in His city today – the Living Temple made out of living stones – the Body of Messiah.

History tells us that the First Temple was destroyed on the 9th of Av (423 BC).  Then, in 70 AD, the Romans destroyed the Second Temple on the same day as the first – thus fulfilling a prophetic word by Yeshua (Jesus) in Matthew 24:1-8.    Following this, under the leadership of Simon bar Kokhba, the Jewish people rebelled against Roman rule but were brutally butchered. The date of course being - the 9th of Av!

There are so many other ‘coincidences’ regarding this date, such as the Jews were expelled from England in 1290 on the 9th of Av.  World War II and the Holocaust, historians state, was actually the long drawn-out conclusion of World War I that began in 1914. And yes, amazingly enough, Germany declared war on Russia, effectively catapulting the First World War into motion on the 9th of Av, and one final event - according to many sources - the first Gas Chambers in the Holocaust were lit on Tisha b'Av (9th of Av). If all these dates are actually true, then it’s certainly a strange series of events. 

On 9th of Av lights in the synagogue are dimmed, candles are lit, and the curtain is removed from the Ark. The cantor leads the prayers in a low, mournful voice. This is to remind us of the Divine Presence which departed from the Temple.  Interestingly, on Sunday, a stone weighing 220 pounds fell from the Western Wall while women were praying nearby. Miraculously no one was hurt from the falling stone. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said “a great miracle occurred this morning when the stone, weighing some 100 kilos, fell near a praying woman and did not harm her.”  The stone that fell is one of the original stones used by King Herod to build the Western retaining wall of the Temple Mount back in 19 BC, about 2000 years ago.  The original Second Temple was built by Jews returning from Babylonian exile in 516 BC. King Herod thought that the Second Temple was too small, so he built four retaining walls around Mount Moriah to then refurbish and rebuild a magnificent, huge, Second Temple structure on top of the Mount. What is known today as the Western Wall (or Wailing Wall), is the Western wall of the four retaining walls that King Herod built to hold the new rebuilt Second Temple.

The rabbi of the main Western Wall plaza called for public “soul searching” after the incident. “This is an unusual and most rare incident that has not occurred for decades,” said Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch. “The fact that this powerful incident happened a day after the 9th of Av fast, in which we mourned the destruction of our temples, raises doubts and questions which the human soul is too small to contain, and requires soul-searching.”  May the nation of Israel turn to the LORD God of Israel to wait upon Him and seek His face, and may they be as a light to the nations. And may we – the church – rise up and be counted as we are also called ‘to be a light’ (Matthew 5:14). 

ERDOGAN: HITLER’S SPIRIT LIVES IN ISRAEL NATION-STATE LAW

[Above photo: The Israel Knesset - by David P Soakell]

Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan said this week that “Israel’s Nation-State Law legitimizes oppression and shows that Israel is a fascist and racist country where the spirit of Adolf Hitler has re-emerged”.  Erdogan, speaking on Tuesday to members of his ruling AK Party in parliament, said the law shows Israel is “the most Zionist, fascist and racist country in the world,” and called on the international community to mobilise against Israel.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by saying that under Erdogan, Turkey was turning into a “dark dictatorship,” accusing the Turkish president of “massacring Syrians and Kurds.”  Other Israeli officials also responded harshly to Erdogan’s claims. “The State of Israel will not accept morality lectures from a dictator who hunts down and murders members of the Kurdish minority in his country and elsewhere,” said Education Minister Naftali Bennett.  However, many nations and many media reports have labeled Israel’s ‘New Jewish State Law’ as very “controversial”.  The UK Guardian reported that “The European Union has led a chorus of criticism after Israel passed a controversial law declaring that only Jews have the right of self-determination in the country. Adding that the legislation would complicate a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, the EU joined Israeli Arab political leaders and liberal Jewish groups in the US in flagging up concern, with some saying the law amounted to “apartheid”.”  But is this really the case?

The State of Israel has always had Hebrew as its national language. Many Christians and Jews believe this was a fulfilment of an old prophesy in Zephaniah where we read, “At that time I will change the speech of My returning people to pure Hebrew so that all can worship together." (Zephaniah 3:9 - Living Bible).  Without doubt, Hebrew has become a living language again, after being dormant for nearly 2,000 years (previously it was just used for religious purposes, a bit like Latin in the Roman Catholic church). The language was revived largely by one man, Eliezer Ben Yehuda.

As mentioned, regarding the language of the State of Israel, Hebrew has always been the main language; however Hebrew, Arabic and English are seen on all the sign posts and road signs etc.  Try driving in an Islamic Arab country and expect this! The alleged “controversial Jewish nation-state bill” doesn’t make much difference at all, but naturally, the ‘Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) supporters and Palestinian Solidarity groups will not care as it gives them more ammunition irrespective to the truth.  Regarding the national language however, in essence, could it not be similar to the UK?  After all, we have lots of languages – just look on the retail consumer items and especially within the NHS and one will see Arabic, Hindi, Punjabi, Chinese, Turkish, etc. etc. but the language of Britain is English. Does that make the UK an “apartheid state” because our national language is English? Of course not! 

[Above photo: Israeli road signs in Hebrew, Arabic & English by David P Soakell]

What follows is the final version of the bill approved by the Knesset plenary:

Basic principles: A) The land of Israel is the historical homeland of the Jewish people, in which the State of Israel was established. B) The State of Israel is the national home of the Jewish people, in which it fulfills its natural, cultural, religious and historical right to self-determination. C) The right to exercise national self-determination in the State of Israel is unique to the Jewish people.  

The symbols of the state: A) The name of the state is “Israel.” B) The state flag is white with two blue stripes near the edges and a blue Star of David in the centre. C) The state emblem is a seven-branched menorah with olive leaves on both sides and the word “Israel” beneath it. D) The state anthem is “Hatikvah.” E) Details regarding state symbols will be determined by the law. 

The capital of the state: Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel.

Language: A) The state’s language is Hebrew. B) The Arabic language has a special status in the state; Regulating the use of Arabic in state institutions or by them will be set in law. C) This clause does not harm the status given to the Arabic language before this law came into effect.  

Ingathering of the exiles: The state will be open for Jewish immigration and the ingathering of exiles.

Connection to the Jewish people: A) The state will strive to ensure the safety of the members of the Jewish people in trouble or in captivity due to the fact of their Jewishness or their citizenship. B) The state shall act within the Diaspora to strengthen the affinity between the state and members of the Jewish people. C) The state shall act to preserve the cultural, historical and religious heritage of the Jewish people among Jews in the Diaspora.

Jewish settlement: The state views the development of Jewish settlement as a national value and will act to encourage and promote its establishment and consolidation. 

Official calendar: The Hebrew calendar is the official calendar of the state and alongside it the Gregorian calendar will be used as an official calendar. Use of the Hebrew calendar and the Gregorian calendar will be determined by law.

Independence Day and memorial days: A) Independence Day is the official national holiday of the state. B) Memorial Day for the Fallen in Israel’s Wars and Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day are official memorial days of the State.

Days of rest and Sabbath: The Sabbath and the festivals of Israel are the established days of rest in the state; Non-Jews have a right to maintain days of rest on their Sabbaths and festivals; Details of this issue will be determined by law.

Immutability: This Basic Law shall not be amended, unless by another Basic Law passed by a majority of Knesset members.

So really, Israel’s new law doesn’t change much at all, and calls of “apartheid” are way off base. I can’t believe the enormous fuss it created within Israel and in many nations. The law changes virtually nothing about life in Israel because Israel has, from the moment it was born, been a Jewish state. Indeed, when David Ben-Gurion, the country’s first prime minister, read the country’s Declaration of Independence in Tel Aviv on May 14, 1948, he said that those assembled to ratify the document “hereby declare the establishment of a Jewish state in the land of Israel, to be known as the state of Israel.” 

The problem is that, 70 years after its founding, the fundamental principles that led to Israel’s creation are still controversial among those who oppose its very existence.  Whether the law needed to be passed now is another issue, but the charges of racism or apartheid are out of order and false. Unlike every other nation in the region, Israel remains a democracy, in which all of its citizens have equal rights under the law. These include voting rights and representation in the country’s parliament, the Knesset. Many Arabs and minorities serve in government, particularly in judicial and diplomatic posts.  Like all other countries, including democracies, Israel isn’t perfect. But the tension that stems from this situation has been exacerbated by the fact that their Arab and Muslim neighbours have been seeking to destroy Israel since the day of its rebirth.

ISRAEL TO THE RESCUE AGAIN

As you may have seen on the BBC News, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) carried out a special and extensive humanitarian aid operation in the 210th Division to rescue the members of the “White Helmets” humanitarian organisation, whose lives were in danger, from the war zone in southern Syrian, and transfer them to a neighbouring country.

The White Helmet aid workers were risking their lives to save others, and now they have to flee themselves. This is indicative of the situation in Southern Syria where the Assad regime and its Iranian and Russian allies are reconquering the rebel held areas. Now activists who have worked in the rebel-areas are running for their lives.

The operation to evacuate the members and their families (mostly children) was carried out at the request of the United States, Canada, and the UK. More on this story here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-44915099

ISRAELIS SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES OF LIVING UNDER HAMAS TERROR

Since April 2018, arson terrorism has caused thousands of fires in agricultural fields adjacent to the Gaza Strip. Israel has suffered more than 400 rocket attacks in the past month. Here, Israelis speak up about the constant terror on the Gaza border – terror that affects both Jewish and Arab Israelis. They all suffer the consequences, and sadly there are no winners on the Israeli side. However you may be surprised at their opinions and comments.  Eddy Plonsky, a dairy farmer working on Kibbutz Or Ha Ner near the Gaza border states, “I don't hate them, I hate what they are doing.”Another farmer from Kibbutz Nir Am, Ofer Liberman states, “We want peace. From our point of view, we would prefer to live as good neighbours and work our fields together.”  Another Israeli interviewed was Karen Halperin, a mother living in Kibbutz Bror Havil. She states, “When I run with my children at night to the shelter, I think of the mother in Gaza on the other side of the fence. Her child is scared as well. We are trying to raise a generation that will not hate. But you can't love those who try to hurt you... and frighten you... and you're scared.”

Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza launched more than 200 rockets at Israel just last weekend. Israelis near the Gaza border had to spend the night in bomb shelters as the Israeli army (IDF) told them to remain no further away than a 15 second run from the bomb shelters. This short video takes one and a half minutes to watch. Do listen to the stories of these Israelis from communities bordering the Gaza strip, sharing their experiences of living under Hamas terror, and having watched it, do pray and pass it on. Watch video here

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David Soakell Media Correspondent Tweet me @David_Soakell

Sources: Unless stated, personal sources throughout Israel, the Israeli Embassy London, The Jerusalem Post, Israel National Radio & i24news.tv/en