#he and his family are looked upon as inferior in a society because of their origins and are hated back home; the plinths are notorious

[lauren-210]

All the more reasons as to why he is the best and why I fucking love and adore this man. ❤️

I haven't peeped much of it, but I did see people calling Sejanus a spoiled kid and I'm like I LOVE HIM EVEN MORE BC HE IS A SPOILED KID AND HE DIDN'T KNOW HUNGER AND HE STILL KNOWS THAT KEEPING THE STATUS QUO ISN'T THE WAY TO GO.

the empathy of this man

especially when you compare him to mf Coriolanus Snow who KNOWS hunger and STILL thinks people deserve this because they're not people but animals

the parallels between those two; Sejanus, kind because of his nature and nurturing of his mother, ten years in the Capitol and not letting those bullies erode his soul, not letting them harden him, he does NOT betray his kindness even as it could help him integrate better, no, he chooses loneliness no matter what over spoiling his soul

and over there is Coriolanus Snow, who does EVERYTHING for image and status, who fake befriends people on the basis of how they benefit him, having poor Tigris, the literal kindest baby, try to nurture him and pull something good out of him, and she just.. fails

and like, yes, Snow had trauma. but sorry it doesn't excuse becoming a dictator

Sejanus, too, had trauma. they all went through war. while, yes, Sejanus had food to eat, he was plagued by loneliness and guilt all his life and let me remind you this is a KID

people expecting him to be crafting plans just don't get it. he's a teenager that feels guilty as fuck and wants at least a few people to do better if he can't save everyone. because he can't, he can't stand by and watch more cruelties until he MAYBE inherits his father's money. and then what? he's not the only rich person in the Capitol.

either way, it's unlikely he could have led some revolutionary rebellion (he certainly had the grit and passion, though) because he had no backing and the ONE person who he trusted was a mf SNAKE and was actively sabotaging him

where was he gonna get allies for a rebellion? Capitol where he was hated because he wasn't like them? District 2 where he was hated because he didn't belong to them either? District 12 where he was a Peacekeeper, the police of the Capitol?

he was doomed from the start. he was too good and he couldn't play the long game because he was feeling so powerfully about everything and was NOT calculating like Snow. he was not the strategist Snow was.

he was a smart, kind, lonely boy who wanted to do good.

[vickyvicarious]

So... Masters and Men, eh? There are several different perspectives at play in this chapter:

Mrs. Thornton

"[Workers strike] For the mastership and ownership of other people’s property [...] they are a pack of ungrateful hounds [...] they want to be masters, and make the masters into slaves on their own ground. They are always trying at it; they always have it in their minds".

Mrs. Thornton speaks very harshly of the workers, and she seems to explicitly view the situation as opposing sides, with the 'lesser' one being the aggressor. Part of the pride she takes in her lifestyle is linked to being brave enough to face them and 'fight' against them. In fact, the quote about that is really interesting to me, because she claims they're "a people who are always owing their betters a grudge, and only waiting for an opportunity to pay it off," but in some ways, she could be seen that way as well. At least in the sense of family history/social status, the Hales are supposedly the Thornton's superiors, right? And Mrs. Thornton is very prickly about being seen as inferior herself. A lot of it seems to be genuine pride and dislike of their (Southern) priorities, but some is definitely defensive. And I could see some nasty high society person using similar wording about Mrs. Thornton herself having a grudge against her betters. Certainly, as someone who herself had to struggle tremendously to climb to the point she's at now, I find it easier to see her believing others will want to do the same (though she attributes more malevolence to their actions).

Mr. Hale

"I should say that the masses were already passing rapidly into the troublesome stage which intervenes between childhood and manhood, in the life of the multitude as well as that of the individual. Now, the error which many parents commit in the treatment of the individual at this time is, insisting on the same unreasoning obedience as when all he had to do in the way of duty was, to obey the simple laws of ‘Come when you’re called,’ and ‘Do as you’re bid!’ But a wise parent humours the desire for independent action, so as to become the friend and adviser when his absolute rule shall cease."

Mr. Hale doesn't attempt to dispute the idea that the workers are inferiors, and he's clearly not willing to go too far because he wants to keep the peace. But he tries to suggest that Mr. Thornton look upon them as growing and learning, and be indulged of their 'mistakes' or 'outbursts', so to speak. When talk again turns to the two sides as being opposed to one another, Mr. Hale says, "is not that because there has been none of the equality of friendship between the adviser and advised classes?" He's certainly in favor of mending relations, and he doesn't believe that opposition is inherent/necessary, but his approach is sort of benevolently condescending. This too fits well with his background and the kind of thing Margaret was used to before they move here.

Nicholas Higgins

...it were the interest of the employers to keep them from acquiring money—that it would make them too independent if they had a sum in the savings’ bank. [...] I heard, moreover, that it was considered to the advantage of the masters to have ignorant workmen... [...] But he—that is my informant—spoke as if the masters would like their hands to be merely tall, large children—living in the present moment—with a blind unreasoning kind of obedience.

Higgins (who isn't here and whose words are being relayed second-hand) is the one who first brought up the workers-to-children comparison, but he did so in a distinctly scathing way. He's very bitter about the 'masters' and is definitely displeased at being looked down on. But it's not just resentment. He recognizes the balance of power that is at least in many cases being deliberately maintained. The workers aren't allowed to be too independent because then they can't as easily be used however the masters want. His views are sort of a reverse of Mrs. Thornton's... the employers are the aggressors constantly shoving the workers back down. Wanting them to be ignorant, never to think for themselves, to be dependent and unquestioning. As someone who has very few options even when it comes to helping his daughter dying due to a factory-related illness, his bitterness is fully understandable.

John Thornton

"But because we don’t explain our reasons, they won’t believe we’re acting reasonably. We must give them line and letter for the way we choose to spend or save our money." [...] "I agree with Miss Hale so far as to consider our people in the condition of children, while I deny that we, the masters, have anything to do with the making or keeping them so. I maintain that despotism is the best kind of government for them; so that in the hours in which I come in contact with them I must necessarily be an autocrat." [...] "And I say, that the masters would be trenching on the independence of their hands, in a way that I, for one, should not feel justified in doing, if we interfered too much with the life they lead out of the mills. Because they labour ten hours a-day for us, I do not see that we have any right to impose leading-strings upon them for the rest of their time. I value my own independence so highly that I can fancy no degradation greater than that of having another man perpetually directing and advising and lecturing me, or even planning too closely in any way about my actions."

Mr. Thornton has quite an interesting mix of views here. He claims that it is necessary for him to be a despot; but he feels he has no right to interfere with their personal lives. He talks scornfully of their strikes and says if they knew why he's taken his stance, then they would act differently, but he refuses to tell them why. He agrees that they're like children, but then says he respects their independence and is treating them like he'd want to be treated. Thornton does seem to have a better understanding of the independent nature of the people here, but he uses that reasoning to justify remaining completely uninvolved in bettering the situation. He asks if he has any right to impose his own views on them just because he's their boss - and that's a fair point, but also, he's kind of doing that regardless? It's his belief that an honest and straightforward, if demanding 'master' is both more respectable and incurs loyalty/becomes an example to follow. It's his belief that the workers should blindly obey him because he's in charge, and that this is better for them. And as someone with so much power over their livelihoods, he can operate based on these views. If they feel otherwise, they don't have the power to change that. When they try with strikes, he's willing to get into a power struggle that he admits will hurt him as well as them, rather than let them 'win' even just enough to make him admit his reasons why. Even though he claims their interests align with his, he seems to feel that they don't or can't understand this, and thus conflict is inevitable. In fact, I think he was the first one to call it a "battle of the classes." Thornton's backstory is very much a "pulled myself up by my own bootstraps" success story, and because he did it by working really hard and practicing lots of self-discipline, he seems to think anyone else who fails to succeed is at fault for not working hard enough. He didn't question his bosses, he just put the work in! And so on. Of course, pretty sure he was always of a higher class, and that's going to be a factor for all of these people regardless, but still, I can easily see him thinking that it's their fault for not knowing how to save their money carefully enough. And thus dismissing their complaints.

Margaret Hale

All I meant to say is, that there is no human law to prevent the employers from utterly wasting or throwing away all their money, if they choose; but that there are passages in the Bible which would rather imply—to me at least—that they neglected their duties as stewards if they did so. [...] ...I see two classes dependent on each other in every possible way, yet each evidently regarding the interests of the other as opposed to their own: I never lived in a place before where there were two sets of people always running each other down. [...] ...you are a man, dealing with a set of men over whom you have, whether you reject the use of it or not, immense power, just because your lives and your welfare are so constantly and intimately interwoven. God has made us so that we must be mutually dependent. We may ignore our own dependence, or refuse to acknowledge that others depend upon us in more respects than the payment of weekly wages; but the thing must be, nevertheless.

Margaret relays Higgins' words, and speaks on his behalf. She seems to have a position closest to her father, in the sense that she feels it is Mr. Thornton's duty to aid the people under his rulership. She seems guided ultimately by religious ideals of the relationship between people, but also recognizes that the situation involves an inherent power imbalance and thus responsibility on the part of the one who is at the top. As much as Thornton might deny it, he does have incredible power over the people. But he is also dependent upon them. Her talk about dependence is really interesting because she's the first person to portray it as extending in both directions. They are dependent upon him to employ them; but he is equally dependent upon them to work for him. In this way, she goes a step further than Mr. Hale seemed to, and recognizes both sides as at least closer to equals. She clearly isn't suggesting that every worker should be seen as having the same rights and roles as Thornton, but neither does she view them as either entirely isolated in their independence, or entirely subservient in their dependence. It's a complicated web in which everyone plays a valuable part. Fighting against one another is by necessity acting against your own interests, in a way. Once again, I think her having these beliefs fits very well with her background as someone who did operate in a more noblesse oblige way and clearly felt she was better than certain other classes, but also experienced being the social lesser/supported one when taken in by her Aunt.

[albertfinch]

NOISE – THE ENEMY OF OUR SOUL  

Life can get busy and noisy!  In 2023 this is the world that we live in, the world we get used to. How we deal with the busyness and noise makes all the difference in how we are able to walk with awareness of God's presence.

Luke 8:14-15 - "And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience."

Busyness comes in the form of our work, trying to meet our needs and wants, and sometimes just by filling in space to keep from getting bored. Busyness can be a form of noise as well. Noise is that which keeps your head filled with all forms of activity. You have your own busy thoughts, then you have your family's thoughts, then your extended family, then your boss's and co-worker's stuff as well as everything else you can think of.

SET YOUR SIGHTS ON GOD

With noise the enemy of your soul attempts to keep you distracted from what really matters in life -- seeking and pursuing your calling in Christ. When a person becomes extremely self-focused, they are filled with noise. This is where everything begins to revolve around them. Those who have their minds on the things of the Spirit will lift their sights toward God.

We need to make a habit of getting quiet before God, still all the noise of voices and the soul. Our society is geared to be noisy with busyness as the gauge of whether you are accomplishing anything. We need to be committed to just "soak" in God's presence.

God has a much better plan for our lives than busyness and noise. It is true that God has work for us to do -- advancing and bearing fruit for His Kingdom.  As a matter of fact, Jesus is and was always working.

John 5:17 - "But Jesus answered them, 'My Father is working until now, and I am working.'"

THE FATHER'S BUSINESS

The way Jesus found and approached the work the Father gave Him was always directed, inspired, and motivated by the Father's heart. He was busy doing His Father's business (see Luke 2:49).

There is a vast difference between the business that is saturated with the spirit of this world versus that which is directed and anointed of the Holy Spirit. We are in the world, but not of it. That means we may be about doing some of the same kinds of work that others are engaged in, but we have a different source of strength, peace, motivation, and inspiration. Because of this, the work that we are engaged in has the blessing and favor of God upon it.

God has given us a privileged communion with Him where all of our steps are ordered by Him. Because of this, we no longer walk according to the multitude of voices, but rather His voice alone. This eliminates the unneeded busyness that has not been meant for our lives. By confessing and meditating on the inheritance and promises to the believer in God's word we receive the revelation of BREAKTHROUGH out of our old mind-sets.

THE FINISHER OF OUR FAITH

His yoke is easy and His burden is light (see Matthew 11:30). We are liberated from the noise of this world as we walk by the one voice of His Spirit. When we become focused on His desire (God's PURPOSE for our life), we lose focus of self. It no longer is about us, but about what He desires in regards to our lives. Seeking to fix ourselves never fixes anything but only makes it worse because we are trying to fix things from an inferior place in our own strength.

Hebrews 12:1,2 - "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

As our focus is on Him we make progress being transformed into His image. So not only does God get all of our attention, He makes things right in our lives as we set our sights upon Him and doing the things He has CALLED us to. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. Many let Him be the Author (i.e. they start right) but don't allow Him to be the Finisher. Let Him take your life from beginning to end. He will make all things good in your life!

Mark 1:35 - "And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed."

As we let God order and inspire our thoughts -- one at a time throughout the day with His peace, we enjoy our days with Him! We do our very best each day to find time to spend alone with God (see Luke 11:42). It is in those times that we discover the DESTINY that He has for us.

Can you feel the depth of God’s heart calling to you in this season? Can you feel the depth of your spirit desiring Him more than your next breath? Launch out , and launch into Him. It is in this place that your wilderness becomes a fruitful field.

Expect faith upon faith to rise up! Expect advancement from strength to strength!

Expect to go from glory to glory as God opens impossible doors for the advancement of His kingdom through His CALLING on your life.

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

[yestrday]

I have a question!

So in Academy au, let's say that the reader has a brother, who likes to fight and tease reader, what will the genshin boys do with this? Let's say the reader cares for their brother in secret, like a Diluc and Kaeya relationship, they often fight but there are some scenes where they show that they do care for each other.

What would they do?

to be completely honest, this feels like a situation that would deeply affect diluc and kaeya!

the falling out from so many years ago has greatly distanced kaeya away from his adoptive family, to the point where he lives separately from the dawn winery manor (of course, in a luxurious penthouse funded by his father because hey, gotta mooch off when you can). if the brothers pass by each other in the halls they try to not notice each other at all, but when their eyes do meet there is both obvious hostility and a melancholiness they try to hide.

perhaps their relationship worsens when they finally meet you, the hardworking student who, despite all your flaws, has become their unwilling savior. you soothe diluc's disgust for the impureness of society, the last hope of a perfect soul. kaeya has become dependent on your presence no matter how much he tries to hide it behind a flirty facade. you give one hope, the other companionship.

so when the two manage to stumble upon you and your brother, nostalgia and a dull ache in their chest make it hard to breathe.

you're both fighting, shouting swears, and hissing threats with such animosity that it's hard to distinguish whether or not they're real. you stomp off, obviously frustrated, while your brother puts up a finger and sticks a tongue at your back. the following day, however, they find you running after your brother while waving a lunch box in the air. you nag at him for forgetting his lunch ( they find out that you've dutifully woken up early and cooked your family's meals ) while he complains to you for making the box's contents all messy and ugly.

he comes off a brat, your brother, and the red-and-blue duo also thinks so. he whines and teases you, not mindful of your boundaries, and he seems like he doesn't do anything for you in return.

more time passes and they finally glimpse the soft smile whenever he hears your name being praised by admirers, or the sparkle in his eye when he sees your name on trophies and medals hung in the halls. there is jealousy, sure, some inferiority complex, but he tries his hardest. diluc sees how hard he works to not muddy your name. kaeya observes how heated he gets when someone mocks you and your low standing.

it becomes apparent that you siblings still have the bond that they used to have. the kind where you can still smile and care for each other openly despite your differences.

it's a surprise when kaeya and diluc are suddenly face-to-face with your brother whose eyes brim with immense suspicious. he threatens them, the fool that he is, to stop lurking near you. he sees how they look at you and how dark and despairing their gazes can get.

they've suffered enough for the family, your brother hisses with a crack in his voice. they don't deserve any of this anymore.

it's the first time in their journey to claim you as theirs that they've truly hesitated.

[tarobytez]

disability in the Six Of Crows Duology; an analysis of Kaz Brekker, Wylan Van Eck, and the fandom’s treatment of them.

****Note: I originally wrote this for a tiktok series, which im still going to do, but i wanted to post here as well bc tumblr is major contributor to what im going to talk about

CW: ableism, filicide, abuse

In the Six of Crows duology, Leigh Bardugo delicately subverts and melds harmful disability tropes into her narrative, unpacking them in a way that I, as a disabled person, found immensely refreshing and…. just brilliant. 

But what did you all do with that? Well, you fucked it up. Instead of critically looking at the characters, y’all just chose to be ableist. 

For the next few videos paragraphs im going to unpack disability theory (largely the stuff surrounding media, for obvious reasons) and how it relates to Six Of Crows and the characterization of Kaz Brekker and Wylan Van Eck, then how, despite their brilliant writing, y’all completely overlooked the actual text and continuously revert them to ableist cariactures.

Disclaimer: 1. Shocker - i am disabled. I have also extensively researched disability theory and am very active in the disabled community. Basically, I know my shit. 2. im going to be mad in these videos this analysis. Because the way y’all have been acting has been going on for a long ass time and im fuckin sick of it. I don’t give a shit about non-disabled feelings, die mad

Firstly, I’m going to discuss Kaz, his play on the stereotypical “mean cripple” trope and how Bardugo subverts it, his cane, and disabled rage. Then, I am going to discuss Wylan, the “inspiration porn” stereotype, caregivers / parents, and the social model of disability. Finally, I will then explain the problems in the fandom from my perspective as a disabled person, largely when it comes to wylan, bc yall cant leave that boy tf alone.

Kaz Brekker

Think of a character who uses a cane (obviously not Kaz). Now, are they evil, dubiously moral, or just an asshole in general? Because nearly example I can think of is: whether it be Lots’O from Toy Story, Lucius Malfoy, or even Scrooge and Mr.Gold from Once Upon A Time all have canes (the last two even having their canes appear less and less as they become better people)

The mean/evil cripple trope is far more common than you would think. Villains with different bodies are confined to the role of “evil”. To quote TV Tropes, who I think did a brilliant job on explaining it “The first is rooted in eugenics-based ideas linking disability or other physical deformities with a "natural" predisposition towards madness, criminality, vice, etc. The Rule of Symbolism is often at work here, since a "crippled" body can be used to represent a "crippled" soul — and indeed, a disabled villain is usually put in contrast to a morally upright and physically "perfect" hero. Whether consciously on the part of the writer or not, this can reinforce cultural ideas of disability making a person inherently inferior or negative, much in the same way the Sissy Villain or Depraved Homosexual trope associate sexual and gender nonconformity with evil. ”

Our introduction to Kaz affirms this notion of him being bad or morally bankrupt, with “Kaz Brekker didn’t need a reason”, etc. This mythologized version of himself, the “bastard of the barrel” actively fed into this misconception. But, as we the audience are privy to his inner thoughts, know that he is just a teenager like every other Crow. He is complex, his disability isn’t this tragic backstory, he just fell off a roof. It’s not his main motivation, nor does he curse revenge for making him a cripple - it is just another part of who he is. 

His cane (though the shows version fills me with rage but-) is an extension of Kaz - he fights with it, but it has a purpose. Another common thing in media is for canes to be simply accessories, but while Kaz’ cane is fashionable, it has purpose.

The quote “There was no part of him that was not broken, that had not healed wrong and there was no part of him that was not stronger for having been broken.” is so fucking powerful. Kaz does not want nor need a cure - its said in Crooked Kingdom that his leg could most likely be healed, but he chooses not to. Abled-bodied people tend to dismiss this thought as Kaz being stubborn but it shows a reality of acceptance of his disability that is just, so refreshing.

In chapter 22 of SOC, we see disabled rage done right - when he is called a cripple by the Fjerdan inmate, Kaz is pissed - the important detail being that he is pissed at the Fjerdan, at society for ableism, not blaming it on being disabled or wishing he could be normal. He takes action, dislocating the asshole’s shoulder and proving to him, and to a lesser extent, himself, that he is just as capable as anyone else, not in spite of, but because he is disabled. And that is the point of Kaz, harking back to the line that “there was no part of him that was not stronger for having been broken”. 

I cried on numerous occasions while reading the SOC duology, but the parts I highlighted in this section especially so. I, as many other disabled people do, have had a long and tumultuous relationship with our disability/es, and for many still struggle. But Kaz Brekker gave me an empowered disabled character who accepts themselves, and that means the world to me. 

Keeping that in mind, I hope you can understand why it hurts so much to disabled people when you either erase Kaz’s disability (whether through cosplay or fanfiction), or portray him as a “broken boy uwu”, especially implying that he would want a cure. That flies in the face of canon and is inherently fucking ableist. (if u think im mad wait until the next section)

Next, we have Wylan.  

Oh fucking boy. 

I love Wylan so fucking much, and y’all just do not seem to understand his character? Like at all? Since this is disability-centric, I’m not going to discuss how the intersection of his queerness also contributes to these issues, but trust me when I say it’s a contributing factor to what i'm going to say.

Wylan, motherfucking Van Eck. If you ableist pricks don’t take ur fucking hands off him right now im going to fight you. I see Wylan as a subversion another, and in my opinion more insidious stereotype pf disabled people - inspiration porn.

Cara Liebowitz in a 2015 article on the blog The Body Is Not An Apology explains in greater detail how inspiration porn is impactful in real life, but media is a major contributing factor to this reality. The technical definition is “the portrayal of people with disabilities as inspirational solely or in part on the basis of their disability” - but that does not cover it fully. 

Inspiration porn does lasting damage on the disabled community as it implies that disability is a negative that you need to “overcome” or “triumph” instead of something one can feel proud of. It exploits disabled people for the development of non-disabled people, and in media often the white male protagonist. Framing disability as inherently negative perpetuates ideals of eugenics and cures - see Autism $peaks’ “I Am Autism” ad. Inspiration porn is also incredibly patronizing as it implies that we cannot take care of ourselves, or do things like non-disabled people do. Because i stg some of you tend to think that we just sit around all day wishing we weren’t disabled. 

Another important theory ideal that is necessary when thinking about Wylan is the experience of feeling like a burden simply for needing help or accommodations. This is especially true when it comes to familial relationships, and internalized ableism.

The rhetoric that Wylan’s father drilled into his head, that he is “defective”, “a mistake”, and “needs to be corrected”, that he (Jan) was “cursed with a moron for a child” is a long held belief that disabled people hear relentlessly. And while many see Van Eck’s attempted murder of Wylan as “preposturous” and overall something that you would never think happens today - filicide (a parent murdering their child) is more common than you would like to believe. Without even mentioning the countless and often unreported deaths of disabled people due to lack of / insufficient / neglectful medical care, in a study on children who died from the result of household abuse, 40 of 42 of them (95%) were diagnosed with disabilities. Van Eck is not some caricature of ableist ideals - he is a real reflection on how many people and family members view disability. 

Circling back to how Wylan unpacks the inspiration porn trope - he is 3 dimensional, he is not only used to develop the other characters, he is just *chefs kiss* Leigh, imo, put so much love and care into the creation of Wylan and his story and character growth that is representative of a larger feeling in the disabled community. 

That being said, what you non-disabled motherfuckers have done to him.

The “haha Wylan can’t read” jokes aren’t and were not funny. Y’all literally boiled down everything Wylan is to him being dyslexic. And it’s like,,,, the only thing you can say about him. You ignore every other part of him other than his disability, and then mock him for it. There’s so much you can say about Wylan - simping for Jesper, being band kid and playing the fuckin flute, literally anything else. But no, you just chose to mock his disability, excellent fucking job!

Next up on “ableds stfu” - infantilization! y’all are so fucking condescending to Wylan, and treat him like a fucking toddler. And while partly it is due to his sexuality i think a larger portion is him being disabled. Its in the same vein of people who think that Wylan and Jesper are romantically one sided, and that Jesper only kind of liked Wylan, despite the canon evidence of him loving Wylan just as much. You all view him as a “smol bean”, who needs protecting, and care, when Wylan is the opposite of that. He is a fucking demolitions expert who suggested waking up sleeping men to kill them - what about that says “uwu”. You are treating Wylan as a burden to Jesper and the other Crows when he is an immensely valuable, fully autonomous disabled person - you all just view him as damaged. 

And before I get a comment saying that “uhhh Wylan isn’t real why do you care” while Wylan may not be real, how you all view him and treat him has real fucking impacts and informs how you treat people like me. If someone called me an “uwu baby boy” they’d get a fist square in the fucking jaw. Fiction informs how we perceive the world and y’all are making it super fucking clear how you see disabled people. 

Finally, I wanted to talk about how the social model of disability is portrayed through Wylan. For those who are unaware, the social model of disability contrasts the medical model, that views the disability itself as the problem, that needs to be cured, whereas the social model essentially boils down to creating an accommodating society, where disability acceptance and pride is the goal. And we see this with Wylan - he is able to manage his father’s estate, with Jesper’s assistance to help him read documents. And this is not out of pity or charity, but an act of love. It is not portrayed as this almighty act for Jesper to play saviour, just a given, which is incredibly important to show, especially for someone who has been abused by family for his disability like Wylan, that he is accepted. 

Yet, I still see people hold up Jesper on a pedestal for “putting up with” Wylan, as if loving a disabled person deserves a fucking pat on the back. It’s genuinely exhausting trying to engage with a work I love so much with a fandom that thinks so little of me and my community. It fucking shows. 

Overall, Leigh Bardugo as a disabled person wrote two incredibly meticulous and empowered disabled characters, and due to either lack of reading comprehension, ableism, or a quirky mix of both, the fandom has ignored canon and the experiences of disabled people for…. shits and giggles i guess. And yes, there are issues with the Grishaverse and disability representation - while I haven’t finished them yet so I do not have an opinion on it, people have been discussing issues in the KOS duology with ableist ideals. This mini series was no way indicative of the entire disabled experience, nor does it represent my entire view on the representation as a whole. These things need to be met critically in our community, and talked about with disabled voices at the forefront. For example, the limited perspective we get of Wylan and Kaz being both white men, does not account for a large portion of the disabled community and the intersection of multiple identities.

All-in-all, Critique media, but do not forget to also critique fandom spaces. Alternatively, just shut the fuck up :)

happy fucking disability pride month, ig

[saintobio]

vice versa.

↳ zen’in naoya/reader

perhaps all naoya needed is to get a taste of his own medicine. and that is, from the female version of him.

genre. explicit smut, 18+

tags/warnings. naoya zen’in, incest, stepcest, hate fucking, profanity, misogyny vs misandry, fellatio, unprotected, spanking, degradation, dom/sub elements, fem!dom, switch, face slapping, hair pulling, asphyxiation, clan heir!naoya

notes. it’s finally finished plz here’s my zen’incest entry for @dilfhub’s everything-cest collab <3

To be born a woman in the Zen’in clan was already a nightmare in itself.

But to add more to that abomination was being related to Naoya Zen’in. The very idea that you and him shared half of the same blood flowing through your veins was as revolting as it could get. He, a brother who was only a month older, was the same man that made you wish that you had the option to choose whichever family you were going to be born in. Because with all due respect, you never would have chosen to be a Zen’in.

It need not be said that any women living within the walls of this estate were demeaned on a daily basis. Nothing was new upon hearing the words full of bigotry from the group of men that you recognized as family—not by choice, but the lack thereof. Because of the clan’s outward prejudice against women, it birthed your antipathy towards men. The best way to contradict their misogyny was through misandry.

Both of you grew up having attained vastly different values. There was no sugarcoating to the fact that you saw yourself to be inferior from your brother in terms of strength, but you were far smarter in matters that required logical reasoning. Not to say that Naoya was a brainless jerk, although oftentimes the words that he would carelessly spout certainly made him sound like an overconfident male bimbo.

“There’s nothing worse than a woman convinced that she can surpass a man.”

You’ve heard worse things from him since you were both juvenile—raised in a traditionalist clan who all share the same established set of ideals against the weak. Should a clan member failed to possess curse energies or inherit the family’s curse techniques, they were to be ostracized and reduced to nothing more than having a powerful surname. There was a big wall separating the gamut of respect that was granted for both men and women in this family and you were on the farthest side of the spectrum.

You are a Zen’in. Act like one and be grateful, they said. You should stand proud.

And yet, you were looked down on for being the child of a past servant that became your father’s concubine. You were born out of wedlock and you were enforced with the knowledge that you should be grateful for carrying a well-regarded family name.

They surely made it sound as if possessing the last name would grant you a respectable leverage in the hierarchical Jujutsu society. While that may be true to a certain extent, there would have been no reason for the likes of Toji and Maki to force their way out of the clan in spite. If being a Zen’in was a pride, why would the physically gifted family members choose to leave? In support to the previous statement, it was because the clan only cared for their nobility status and political influence. Everything else beyond the aforementioned didn’t amount to the same level of importance.

Ranking second from the three biggest sorcerer families just beneath the Gojou clan was enough proof to how high up the ladder your family was in. They embedded these facts to your head to make you realize that you were blessed by all means.

You didn’t consider yourself to be. Not when you had to see Naoya and his annoying pretty face every single day, bullying you for being both a woman and a daughter of a servant. The moue on your face was perpetually displayed for whenever the man was within your vicinity.

You despised just everything about him. From the way he opened his mouth to the way his eyes would trail on you in a condescending way. The way he would talk down to every women he saw, limiting them to just objects of lust and mere decorations to this patriarchal society. At most times, he would carefully watch your movements with a smirk as though he was forming concupiscent thoughts in his empty head. He was one to visit your quarters late at night, bothering you with his sexist sputtering while seeing you dressed in your silk nightgown. Those sharp, narrow eyes would gleam over the sight of your exposed collarbone and thighs. He praised you for being nubile, but would insult you for having only your face and body to make up for your lack of understanding as to why men were superior over women.

You despised him—or you believed you did—yet when the corner of his lips would upturn into a handsome smirk, you found yourself being pulled by the gravity of his attraction. How could such a beautiful man live with a rotten soul? Because of his despicable personality, you wanted to cascade a downpour of antagonism on him. You wanted to yell at his face, scratch his back, pull his hair... no.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. You weren’t supposed to have him in your room at night whispering on your ear and saying how much he wanted to corrupt your feministic beliefs. He would blather about how much of a brat you had been by not properly doing your role as a woman in this household, all this while he was peeling your kimono off your body to leave you nothing but bare of any clothing.

“Did you know I like buxom women?” he mocked, pushing you to lay on your back against the mattress. “Maybe those with a shapely ass, too.”

“Do you think those women prefer you?” you scoffed as you watched him rid himself of his own worn fabric. His silhouette was illuminated by the faint light that passed through the room’s shōji. The translucent sheets affixed to the lattice frame kept the both of you sealed from prying eyes, especially with the help of the murky night sky that casted your chamber in more darkness than light.

No one would know that for tonight, you were ready to sin for this man. As his lips dove in to feather open-mouthed kisses on your neck, a series of breathy moans rolled off your tongue. He was fairly good with how he kissed your neck as if he had grown familiar of your most sensitive areas. So good, you dug your nails onto his back. Your breasts were pressed against his bare chest, igniting your lust with the shameless skin-to-skin contact.

“Shh.” He quickly had a finger pressed on his lips, gesturing for you to hush up.

There were silhouettes of servants walking through the halls, and with a manly hand covering your mouth, none of you two spoke another word until the shadows have disappeared.

“Naoya-sama isn’t in his room, Miss,” a female servant reported to the head servant.

“He might be taking a night stroll to relax his mind,” said the lady, walking farther and farther from your room. “Go get some sleep.”

Once they were out of earshot, you immediately peeled your brother’s hand off your mouth and wrapped your legs around his waist. For some reason, his countenance changed into being strict and you were left wondering what had suddenly passed his mind.

“You’ve got serious guts trying to look good in front of that scumbag this morning,” he derided, kissing your jaw with a hand forcing its way to throttle you on the neck.

Oh.

The scumbag that he spoke ill of was none other than Satoru Gojou, the man infamous for his six eyes and infinity. He visited the estate this morning along with the other clan head, Noritoshi Kamo, to engage themselves into a meeting about matters concerning the Jujutsu society.

You hadn’t been aware of their presence until Satoru saw you walking around the estate where he greeted you like a gentleman and told you that you’ve gotten more beautiful than the last time he saw you. Instead of being proud of his sister, Naoya was visibly irked to hear another man praising you.

“Are you the only one allowed to compliment me, nii-chan? I actually loved the way Satoru looked at me this morning.” You purposely laced your voice with a tone of mockery. This caused him to place a tighter grip on your neck, restricting your breathing with the pressure around your throat.

He didn’t hesitate in pressing his growing bulge against your core, grinding his clothed member between your folds to garner a wanton moan from you. “It’s nii-sama for you, you fucking whore.”

Instead of a moan, you chuckled darkly to ridicule him. “You call me a whore, but you’re the one coming up to my room every night because you’re needy as—”

“You think I care about what a woman like you has to say?” he hissed, lifting your chin with his index finger only to slap your cheek with a rough hand.

The harsh contact had your eyes widening in surprise, but you were fast to return the favor by letting your hand fly across his cheek for an even forceful smack. He barely flinched but damn was that slap crisp on his skin. “You think a man like you is worth listening to?”

While his pupils dilated with your audacity to defy him, he also had a grin spreading on his lips as he moved away and rested his back against the headboard. “Of course. I’m the next head of the clan after all,” he rambled, hoisting you up with your arm to have you kneeling between his legs. “Don’t you think you should start respecting me like you do with daddy?”

You rolled your eyes as he referred to your father as ‘daddy’ knowing full well that his intention for it was to mock you. “You can’t lead a clan when you’re incompetent. A woman should lead this clan to show you all that we do it better.”

He grabbed your hand and placed it atop the bands of his boxers to have you pull it down for him. With his guide, his cock sprung free and almost hit his lower abdomen as it stood in its glory. He’s big, you thought and recalled how you gaped on it the first time you saw him fully erected like this. But never would you admit how big he was because your main goal was to keep deflating his ego.

“And who should lead? That girl Maki?” he asked, venomous humor coated his words. “She can’t see curses and can’t do curse techniques. All she has is a pretty face. Mai is out of the question. She’s useless.”

You restrained a huff as you enclosed your hand around his thick girth to pump him slowly, pressing your tongue on his tip and swirling it around the swollen head. He watched you with a predatory gaze as if he was the master and you were his servant.

“Or did my little sister think she can lead the clan?” he continued, loving how the entirety of his cock disappeared in your mouth when you started bobbing your head up and down. “How can you lead a clan when sucking dick is the only thing you’re good at? Slut.”

You hummed with your eyes closed, taking him deeper down your throat to silence his imperious remarks and later turn them into moans. The only way to taint this man’s domineering personality was to make him submit to his pleasure. Men would say they didn’t need women as much as you needed them, but here he was desperate to have his own sister fulfill his carnal desires. They’re fucking dumb. All men think with their dicks after all.

“Isn’t it quite amusing that you’re letting your brother have a taste of your cunt before anyone else did?” In his crude humor, he added, “At the end of the day, you’re only good as a wife and it’s unfortunate to you that we came from the same—fuck.”

Triumph tugged at the corner of your lips as you elicited a moan out of him. It allowed you to take his cock deeper in your cavern until his swollen head hit your throat with a gag. Drool slid down on his shaft as you pulled away. “Mm. You should see your face when I suck your dick, nii-chan. You look pathetic.”

“I said it’s nii-sama, you scum.” He pulled you to sit on his cock, positioning his length at your entrance with his back rested against the headboard. “Why don’t you bounce on my cock like a bitch in heat?”

Your sigh came out as a whimper when he jerked his hips upwards to stretch your walls with his hardened member. “Aah—!” Shit. He always made you whimper on the first penetration. You’ve done this with him for around five times now and you still haven’t gotten used to his size. “N-Naoya, be gentle!”

“Dropping the honorifics now? Disrespectful brat.” He held on to your hips and slammed his cock inside of your tight cunt, forcing you to hover over him with a hand pressed on his toned chest and an arm latching around his shoulders. He was rutting his dick into you in a pace that equaled a squelching noise. Even when he was under you, he had full control and this wasn’t how it should be. You have to turn it around.

“F-Fuck, nii-chan!” You forced yourself to sit up and gain the upper hand. His sharp eyes followed your movements as you straightened your back and moved your hips on your own pace. “Mm.”

Every time you rubbed your damp pussy against his cock, your walls would clench tighter than it already has. “Shit,” he cussed, running his fingers through his flaxen hair while gazing at you with a lustful glint. “If you weren’t so sexy, I’d never fuck the shit out of you.”

It was your turn to wrap a hand around his neck to restrain his breathing. “If you cum and I didn’t, that means I fucked the hell out of you.”

“Oh yeah?” He was enjoying this. Heck, he was getting excited at how you were getting rougher with him. He didn’t even hold back from kneading your bosom, squeezing and massaging the rounded mass before his mouth sucked on one of your tits. Despite your silent moans, you didn’t stop from grinding your hips through it all. “Did you forget how I fucked you hard enough last time that you limped around the estate?”

You wanted to stop the heat that permeated through your cheeks. This was not the time for him to dominate you. “N-No.” You grabbed his jaw and forced him to look up at your stern eyes. “Open your mouth.”

“What—” At once, you placed two fingers inside his mouth and made him suck your digits to silence his nonsense. Your intention was to be in control but you were ridiculously aroused at how deep he took your fingers.

“See? That shut you up,” you said, pressing your knees on the mattress so you could start thrusting your hips against his cock. Each collision of your buttocks and his groin earned a titillating sound that bounced back from the fusuma walls. “Ngh, yes. That’s so good.”

You’ve pulled your fingers out of his mouth as you increased your pace against his hardened shaft. It took you by surprise when he grabbed a fistful of your hair and forced your face down to meet his lips for a kiss. A kiss that involved tongue the minute your lips were enveloped on each other—lapping, swirling, and moving in harmony. You wondered if the slurping sounds were loud enough to be heard from outside, but you were definitely certain that the sudden hard contact for when his palm spanked your bum was what could have woken up the entire estate.

“Fuck—!”

“That’s for being such a brat,” he jeered, lazily watching you bounce on his cock like a pillow prince. Your lips were parted to release the moans that you were trying so hard to keep. “You enjoy how my cock’s stretching your sweet pussy, do you?”

His vulgar words suffused your cheeks with a blush of embarrassment. “Sh-Shut up.”

Why do men act like gods whenever they’re fucking someone?

“Eyes on me when I talk, you whore,” he commanded, pulling on your hair until you could feel a burning stretch on your scalp. “What do you think daddy’s gonna do when he finds out you’re fucking your brother?”

You couldn’t think straight because of the euphoric wave that hit your body when his tip reached your most sensitive spot. Even more, your breasts have gone sore from the rapid jostling. “I-I d-don’t know. Mm—fuck. Fuck.”

“You think he’s gonna demonize me for it?” he casually asked as if seeing you whimpering from his cock was his own entertainment. “If anything, he’s gonna put the blame on you for being the slut that you are. Seducing your brother every night to fulfill your fantasy? How scandalous. He’ll just side with me, you know?”

You rolled your eyes, not because of the pleasure but because of your growing ire. “You talk... too much, asshole.”

The man only cared to shrug and flipped yourselves on the mattress. Everything went by in a blink of an eye while you were still trying to recover from the intensity of his thrusts, later to realize that he was putting you in all fours so he could raw-dog you from behind.

“At least I don’t have the habit of saying the most nauseating things.” He was quick to slam his cock back in once he got into a comfortable position. You were fisting the sheets, holding back your moans as he began plowing your cunt unforgivably. You could feel him stretching your bum just to see how deep his cock was going in inside of your swollen cunt and the sight of it earned a raspy moan from him. “Fuck. You think a woman should lead the clan?” he reminded you of your words earlier. “You’re all just holes made for us to fill in every night.”

This man was absolutely revolting. “Y-You never fail t-to disgust me with your words. A-Aah—! Slow d-down!”

The sound of his chuckle slithered through your ears like an insult. “In that sense, I never fail at anything,” he corrected, digging his nails on your flesh as he held your hips tighter against his crotch. His entire cock was going in and out of your folds in a rough pace, allowing you to rest your head above the pillow as he continued to fuck you from behind. “I’m simply the best and you are inferior to everything that I am.”

For fuck’s sake.

“Maybe that’s how Gojou-sama feels whenever he sees you, too,” you mocked in return, well aware that mentioning Satoru and addressing the man with respect would rile your precious brother up.

You were successful as you expected because not only did Naoya’s thrusts got harsher, he also pulled you by the jaw to have you look at his menacing eyes. “Say what?”

You lazily grinned, eyes half-lidded as you uttered a response, “Do you really want me to repeat it?”

You won the game when you saw how tight his jaws have clenched. Only, he was becoming merciless with his thrusts when he adjusted his hips to rut into you like there was no tomorrow. Your legs were beginning to shake and your cunt was becoming sore. You knew that ecstasy was a minute away from reaching the outburst of your orgasm.

“I dare you say it to my face again,” he challenged through gritted teeth, ramming your clamped walls in an inane speed that left the both of you crying of immense pleasure. “Fuck. I’m close—!”

You were, too. However, unlike him, you had the ability to hold it for a minute more so you could watch him desperately pulling out and turning you towards him as he jerked himself off on your chest. He released his warm cum all over your tits concurrent to the series of cusses that he sputtered.

“You came so much,” you groaned, seeing the amount of jism that he ejaculated on you. Immediately, you snatched the box of tissues to wipe yourself off while Naoya was panting in bed. His hands were pressed against the mattress as he reclined his back, eyes looking at the ceiling to recover from reaching his high. The sight of it had you laughing. “You’re really pathetic.”

The daggers he sent your way as he glared at you was too intense, but you remained unfazed. “The fuck did you say?”

You tossed the cum-stained tissues on the nearby bin and got up, quickly feeling the warmth of the tatami flooring as your soles landed on the woven rush. “I said,” you lifted his chin up, “you look pathetic. One, I didn’t cum. Two,” you halted as you picked up his clothes and flung it to him, “get the hell out of my room.”

His face was full of humor and disbelief. “You think you can go around saying that bullshit to me? You’re a woman.”

“And you’re a man who can’t even make a woman cum.” Elated on the inside to see his ego crumble into pieces, you sheathed yourself with a robe and gazed down at him with a deriding smirk. “Men like you have no rights. It’s better to stay in your lane, nii-chan.”

[firelord-boomerang]

Yes I’m interested 👂👂👂

Zuko moves to a new town in the Earth Kingdom at the home of his Uncle, retired General Iroh. There are rumors swirling around that Zuko has been disinherited from his father's estate, the cause is yet unknown but the gossips will uncover it sooner or later. For now, he is a new young man moving in and taking over General Iroh's estate as the old man settles in his twilight years enjoying whatever it is that old people do. Zuko, even though he's been banished, still holds a somewhat high social standing because of his education, his job, his uncle being a respected general, and now the new lord of his uncle's house. Everyone knows that after the General's son died, Zuko would likely be the heir of his estate. Zuko, even with all his familial challenges, still commands some respect in high society. Although for him to reclaim his former esteem, he must absolutely marry up.

Now, as we all know, it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a spouse.

To introduce Zuko to Earth Kingdom society, General Iroh decides that a ball is in order. Zuko hates those things but the General loves it. He's a social man and society adores him too. Everyone's curious who this mysterious nephew is too (and his mysterious scar).

Jet, on the other hand, isn't as mysterious or perhaps, his mysterious past is looked down upon. You see, Jet was taken in an by an admittedly insane Lord Bumi, a respected eccentric who's antics polarize polite society.

Lord Bumi is known for his crazy tendencies but none would have expected him to one day bring a scruffy, poorly educated teenage boy to his house and claim that this boy of inferior social standing compared to the rest of them will one day inherit Lord Bumi's incredibly wealthy estate. An uproar, a disgrace, an insult to all things proper. Suffice to say, Jet's introduction to high society was not the best. The judgement followed Jet throughout his life and he did nothing to prove the gossip mongers wrong. In fact, he may have had a hand to spreading rumors about bastard children and such and such. Lord Bumi is fine with whatever Jet thinks is best because the man loves some good chaos.

Lord Bumi hears about the ball his good friend General Iroh is throwing to introduce his nephew to the fold. And Lord Bumi is ecstatic. Jet is wary of it all and he knows his presence at the ball will probably raise eyebrows but he indulges his foster father's request and attends.

The ball is where Jet and Zuko will meet.

what ever will happen next?

[firefliesinoctober]

WIP Introduction - Alice: a gothic horror

genre || gothic horror, southern gothic horror

themes || societal pressures, family secrets, tragedy, greed as downfall, disillusionment, betrayal, isolation, manipulation, power and corruption, pride and downfall, self-preservation, temptation and destruction, arrogance, darkness and light, hope, family history, ghosts from the past, good vs evil, loss of innocence, morality vs corruption

status || planning & first draft

type || novella

wordcount goal || 20k (subject to change)

inspirations || many classic victorian gothic novels, as well as the work of Guillermo del Toro and many local ghost stories

contains these possible tw || ableism, discrimination, abuse, death

- Summary -

It’s 1897 in the Deep South, and the three remaining Ellis siblings live out their days in their ancestral home in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Allard, the eldest, is a prominent local doctor who has little time for anything but his work. His wife Eleanor is a well known socialite who dazzles Charleston society with the latest fashion and local gossip. Edward is the runt of the litter, always feeling inferior to his more successful brother. Alice, the youngest Ellis sibling, is a weak and sickly girl who spends most of her time confined to bed. Because her illness is seen as a mark of shame for the family, she is heavily mistreated by her brothers and sister in law. When she makes a startling decision that shatters social convention, her life quickly takes a dark and terrifying turn.

Characters

Dr. Allard Joseph Ellis - born January 4th, 1868. Despite the fact that he is a very prominent doctor, he feels as though his sister is somehow inferior due to her illness. He vents his frustration onto her, much to the chagrin of his brother.

Edward Richard Ellis - born May 14th, 1872. Edward is a moderately successful lawyer, and yet he feels that he lives in the shadow of his elder brother’s success. He is weak willed, and although he pities Alice, he does not have the courage to stand up for her.

Eleanor Florence Ellis (nee Fawcett) - born June 7th, 1870. The wife of Dr. Allard Ellis, Eleanor is a prominent socialite who dazzles high society with her looks and charms. She is in love with the wealth and reputation that comes with being an Ellis, but she is not as cold hearted as her husband. She dislikes Alice for the inconvenience that she believes Alice places on the family. However, she is disgusted and disturbed when she witnesses just how dark Alice’s life becomes at the hands of her family.

Alice Ann Ellis - born December 1st, 1878. 19 year old Alice suffers from an unknown condition that renders her extremely weak and feeble. Her eldest brother begrudgingly treats her symptoms, but he slowly begins to hate her for the burden that he claims her illness brings upon the family. When this hatred reaches a boiling point, Alice chooses to make a decision that shatters social convention and marks the beginning of the end for the fragile bonds that link the Ellis family together.

[kingarise]

For Dadverse Lucette, if you don’t mind: What is a secret she has that nobody knows?

OOOOoooo what a beautiful ask to return to

The answer would probably most likely seriously damage her rep in Anor Londo and probably even make Artorias a bit mad or disappointed with her.

Lucette doesn't actually really like the slaughter of dragons and wyverns, drakes, etc. She can tolerate and maybe even enjoy hearing stories of the battles against the Everlasting Dragons, because in the end, those were battles. But hearing about the hunting and purposeful extinction of dragons and destruction of their nests makes her sad and feel ill. She doesn't like it.

(Context for this next bit: I hc that Anor Londo will do gladiator-esque matches between captured wyverns and other draconic creatures and soldiers and other warriors as entertainment. It's seen as a big sport with a lot of risk but warriors who slay the creatures gain a lot of prestige in the eyes of society and wealth. )

Once, when Lucette was around 12 or 13 years old, Artorias took her to the equivalent of the Coliseum to watch a match between a Silver Knight and a wyvern. She absolutely hated it. She tried to stick it out for her dad, but every time the wyvern cried out in pain, it got harder. Until finally she gave up and poor girl just started crying right then and there. Which did cause poor Artorias to panic a bit because Lucette is not the type of child to just randomly burst into tears. So he took her home and never took her back again.

Don't get her started on trophies like their heads and horns and stuff like that. That makes her extremely uncomfortable.

Now as to why she doesn't like this stuff, there are two reasons.

Artorias has always taught her to respect life, even of animals and that they are not inferior to their own.

Her bio parents. When he was alive, Her bio father was in a religion that worshipped fire and that extended to creatures that could create fire. Like dragons. Now for obvious reasons, this religion was heavily looked down upon and had to be kept and practiced in secret. And because kids are historically known for being terrible at keeping secrets, Lucette was never fully inducted or shown this religion. However, her dad did tell her old stories and legends from his religion, so she wasn't completely oblivious. Even though her bio family is long gone, she still remembers the old stories and keeps them close to her chest.

She just can't bring herself to completely and utterly despise dragons and their descendants like the rest of her people do. Lucette fundamentally has a soft and gentle heart. Especially for creatures. Even for the most frightening of beasts.

[linkspooky]

Shigaraki’s Family

Shigaraki has to date fought against villains, won, and then taken something from them in his victory. This time however he’s not up against a villain but a bad hero. The lesson Shigaraki is going to learn from Endeavor is exactly as he says: you heroes hurt your own families just to help complete strangers. Family is more important. It’s also what makes him the opposite of Endeavor, Shigaraki always chooses his found family over his own ambitions, whereas Endeavor puts his ambitions to be a hero over his family. MORE UNDER THE CUT.

1. Shigaraki and Endeavor

There is actually a lot of connecting threads between Shigaraki and Endeavor’s characters. They are both characters who are considered inferior replacements to the previous king of both the hero and villain worlds, Shigaraki is called a worthless successor again and everybody prefers All Might to Endeavor. 

They are also characters who both believe they need to become stronger than anyone. Their quirks are partially incompatible with their bodies and they often hurt themselves going overboard using them and because of that they feel weak even when they are strong. Shigaraki in part - chooses to have Ujiko experiment on his body, even if it is an influenced choice. They both try to settle things with power first. 

However even in that they are different: Shigaraki was raised to believe by AFO that he owed AFO, continually made to feel unworthy for everything AFO had given him and had his ambition to be king of villains thrown on his shoulders. Endeavor decided to do those things all on his own from a position of relative financial security and safety within hero society. 

However, the way they treat the people closest to them is completely opposite. The League of VIllains that Shigaraki creates is again and again remarked upon as a place where people are allowed to be themselves. The league is a place of trust and acceptance. It’s remarked several times that the league genuinely trusts one another. 

Consider Shigaraki’s main personality traits, anti-social, awkward, immature. He’s modeled to act like a NEET and an overgrown manchild. He easily could have made no connection at all to the League of Villains. He could have stayed the person he was at the start of the story, someone willing to kill new recruits five minutes after meeting them. He could have even run things like AFO, choosing to either turn his followers into worshippers, or act entirely from the shadows controlling them like a puppeteer. 

My point being - Shigaraki is not the easiest person to get along with, or even understand, and yet he made a deliberate choice to get closer to the league. The league is this way because Shigaraki is this way. The league values people first, because Shigaraki puts people first. It’s who he is at the core of his being. Tenko played with the kids nobody else would play with, stood up to bullies, and wanted to be a hero even when his father told him no. That part of Shigaraki hasn’t changed. 

It’s Shigaraki himself who creates the healthy environment of the league. Somewhere along the way, Shigaraki began to consider them a family. Even if he’s not direct in stating it, or even as outwardly friendly as Twice about it. 

Shigaraki’s definition of family is made clear in his dreams and flashback. Family doesn’t reject you. Shigaraki in making the league his family sets out to do the opposite of what his father did, create a place where the people close to him are accepted for who they are and valued as individuals. They aren’t judged by their quirk, or even their contribution to the team. Giran is saved even after he stops being useful, Spinner’s quirk is so weak he can only cling to walls and yet he’s trusted as one of the top members. 

The way Shigaraki treats his own family - his allies is the exact opposite of Endeavor. He doesn’t try to control who they are, he doesn’t force them, but he does lead and they choose to follow. Even members who insist again and again that they don’t care about the other members of the league, and they’re not in it to help Shigaraki like Dabi are trusted. 

Compare this to Endeavor’s interactions with Hawks, someone who has been in Endeavor’s corner from the beginning and yet someone Endeavor absolutely refuses to trust or even understand a little bit. Shigaraki always gives Dabi free reign, Endeavor snaps at and threatens Hawks several times, getting angry in all of their interactions. 

If the League is somewhere where you are free to choose who you are, Endeavor creates an oppressive environment. Even if he is repentant about his past actions with Shoto, he still takes every oppurtunity he possibly can to mould Shoto into who he wants him to be. 

Even post redemption - Shouto has to be his heir, Shouto has to master his technique. Not only that but if Endeavor suddenly decides he wants to act more like father and son Shouto has to go along with that too. Endeavor’s view of the world is still self-centered. He’s the patriarch,he’s in a position of power, and he uses that to revolve everything around his own desires for other people. 

In Shigaraki’s words, Endeavor rejects who Shoto is.

Endeavor has status, prestige, and connections in the hero world and he uses that to get what he wants: Shoto working alongside him, Shoto learning from him, Shoto allowing him to pass on his technique flash fire. When Shoto is reluctant, Endeavor will put pressure on him, send him multiple messages, contact him when he’s not wanted. When Shoto doesn’t want to play father son with Endeavor, and only wants to apprentice to him in an official capacity Endeavor acts disappointed. 

Endeavor still views Shoto as the one he pours the most attention into because Shoto has the strongest quirk. Endeavor creates an oppressive environment, Shoto is not free, Shoto is not valued as an individual. 

The one good thing Endeavor does is back off with Natsuo and Fuyumi, and allow them to live in a house separate from him even though he personally wants to be with the rest of his family. However, his behavior towards Shoto for the most part hasn’t changed (which is you know the foiling, Endeavor did to Shoto what AFO did to Shigaraki). 

2. Family First

Endeavor’s ambitions will always be more important than his family. We see this in the choices he makes so far his arc. Let’s look at the last thing Endeavor remarked upon before the battle started. 

He regrets that Toya, a child he was responsible for died under his watch. We still don’t know the exact circumstances but considering the parallel with Shigaraki it’s very possible, Endeavor’s ambitions to be a hero were what directly hurt his own son. 

If Endeavor is repetant then family should come first before his ambitions correct: but here are the choices Endeavor makes this arc. 

Remember Endeavor is someone who literally tried to raise a child soldier, by forcing five year old Shoto into aggressive quirk training. He of all people should be sensitive to what exactly is wrong with the Hero Commission’s plans to use children and students as a backup against villains who will be using lethal force in a war zone to try to kill them. 

Not only that but he chooses this action without permission and without consent of the families of the children. Natsuo and Fuyumi have no idea what is happening to Shoto right now. 

In general, the heros choose actions again and again to put the people they should be responsible for into danger. When Midnight is being overwhelmed by villains rather than telling the children she’s supposed to be protecting to retreat from the monster capable of destroying cities she asks them to do something illegal.

Whereas, the league always makes the opposite choice this arc. They choose to protect one another in the tight knit family group. 

The league watches out for each other’s well being. 

Shigaraki’s first order was to bring his family to him. Gigantomachia would have made it to Shigaraki’s side already, if Shigaraki didn’t value the league so much that he protected them first over himself and instructed Gigantomachia to do so as well. 

The heroes right now are choosing again and again to sacrifice not only the individual, but the individuals they are personally responsible and let them go into danger for the sake of a victory. 

The villains are making the opposite choice. Shigaraki is personally responsible for the found family of the league as the leader, and the league’s every choice has always been to protect each other and put the safety of their allies first rather than sacrificing them for a cause. It’s even reflected in Twice’s final choice that leds to his death. He cares more about the league  to the point where he acknowledges he might be thrown out after all of this is over and still chooses to use his last act protecting them anyway. 

While yes, the heroes do make these sacrifices to protect innocent people. Innocent people also get hurt from these same heroes. Hawks was innocent, a disadvantaged child that the hero commission took advantage of. Shoto was innocent, but raising him up as a hero was more important than Shoto’s health and well being as a child. Heroes are supposedly making these sacrifices to protect innocents, and yet innocents still get hurt underneath the hero system that they’re giving everything to protect. 

That’s why the themes of friendship and even family resonate so well with the league of villains because we’ve seen them consistently choose each other over and over again. That is likely what Shigaraki is going to awaken to at the end of his fight with Endeavor, that he’s not doing this for ambition like Endeavor, or AFO, that he really is fighting against the whole world to protect his small family. 

[aks3raao1]

Me, to Luja: So tell me about yourself

Luja: No

Me: ...ma'am I need to write the story—

Luja: Good luck <3

[now that I do think of it, ALTERNATIVE's main duo that's established right at the beginning is literally a chiller but edgier Katsuki and way worse sUrViVe Nagito genderbends]

~~~~~~

Luja Sen, she/her

Anyways, Luja and Romila are friends from middle school (the story starts with the beginning of their high school at AoS (Academy of the Specialised) which was essentially founded by Nyx). Luja gains her Specialisation (Ferrokinesis: The Ability to bend metal) at the age of twelve, so she has it for a lesser time period than Romila.

Luja primarily wants to become a scientist. Her family is happy with that, because it's praised and everything, especially in our society.

She has a gifted child superiority complex. Being a gifted child + Specialised means that she hardly had many friends in school. Her family had tried to get her to socialize....which didn't go down too well.

She believes that most people are annoying because they waste too much time on useless things like gossiping and what not, which she never showed much interest in and doesn't like to be dragged into those nonsense.

She is friends with Romila since they do share the same taste in stuff and were the only Specialised ones in their class. And they kinda stuck together for most of middle school and went into high school.

She has a problem when it comes to seeing Romila since she tends to see her bad parts and is like, "It's a phase" considering that it's not necessarily affecting her. Romila doesn't get too cranky with her since she fascinates her, with her passion™ for science. Also because she isn't all self sacrifice UwU.

Luja cares for her own self above others (but tends to put Romila pretty close to that hierarchy, which is why she's one of the only two Romila trusts during the Mansion of Death (the other person is Kratanos)) however she also does want to keep what friends she has and is generally caring towards them.

She has a genuine love for science and loves to discover how things work and why, and her favourite facet is Physics. She does want to invent things and honestly just make stuff easier for the Specialised who face a LOT of issues, especially when it comes to amenities since the government is an ass about accomodations and they gained the Fundamental Rights like ten years or so ago in the ALTERNATIVE timeline. And they gain an additional right ("The body won't be harmed for science") when they graduate from school, after signing a contract that they dedicate themselves to helping the government when called upon. (The whole contract is stupid and basically oppresses them more especially the punishment for not abiding by it).

With her goal of becoming a scientist, she wants to use her talents to make accomodations specifically for them so that she could have done something.

The things she fears the most is failure. Failing as in being unable to accomplish her goals. She is afraid of it because it's an unknown variable that's constantly haunted her and she's working hard for it to never reach her.

I suppose there's a way for her to confront that fear during the Mid terms at AoS where she essentially "loses" in the practicals due to her......teamwork issues.

Everyone thinks of her as stuck up and isn't interested to listen to her much and since she views the others as annoying people with annoying habits, she tends to fail to regulate them, causing Romila to win instead (yes, it's THAT unfortunate of a situation) in their match, which causes her to review a LOT of things and she tries to see what caused her to lose after having a severe breakdown.

She develops an inferiority complex in respect to Romila and then spends a long time wondering where she went wrong.

Rena (who somehow clung to her) tries to cheer her up but gets turned back halfway, but she still stays on and Luja is like, "Wtf" until she sees Romila going entirely off the deep end (she presents an interesting contrast to how Koldin sees Romila as well, she sees Romila's behavior and considers it as a justification for her own self....she uses Romila to justify herself a lot (since if you asked Romila, Luja was more or less fine according to her since she wasn't being a doormat and stood up for herself) while Koldin sees Romila as the reason he should cling onto his own stuff) and realises that she could be on the path to destruction herself and accepts Rena's help and tries to be more open to others which leads to the Mid terms parallels in the Archenemy of Society arc where she "succeeds" instead and manages to get the class together enough to escape the situation.

However it doesn't mean that her fear of failure has entirely vanished into the blue, she just reviews the ways she can fail better now and works around it to avoid it and has more confidence in her own self. But she is still scared of failing and would love to avoid that more than anything. However she's chiller after that.

Her intelligence is more or less on par with both Romila and Kratanos, making them the three main strategists in the final battle against the bigots (which is basically a rerun of the Mansion of Death situation but way way worse and fucked up and has different leads to it).

....

The thing is that, no matter what I do, she winds up feeling like one dimensional/repetitive, which is something I am trying to amend about all the characters (I mean, I had to revamp a lot of characters so it will probably take me a long long time to actually get to writing.........sigh besides she stands up like a cardboard amongst people (I mean, you have Romila and Kratanos with extremely complicated storylines and then you have her. Just there))

So the main question is how to make her more interesting as a character and on par with the rest while still keeping her character flaws and personality?

I think the easiest way to go abt this is to view her as a sassy Bakugo. They have the main points in common. They're salty, don't like to socialise, feel inferior to a certain someone while still having some semblance of confidence and a terrible fear of failure

Now as much as I hate to compare your character to another one, it makes it a lot easier to have them become - as my English teacher would say - more. So I am sorry if this comes off as offensive-

For Bakugo, he became interesting by playing a big part in the mc's main story and we do get a few scenes where his vulnerability is shown. I assume it's the same with your character but...what rlly ties the knot for me when it comes to Katsuki is the fact that his problems...are more than just an inferiority/superiority complex. His whole thing stems from background especially (*cough* abusive mom *cough*) and the fact that he's not the main character (or rather that the story isn't being told in his perspective).

These facts make us over think and want more of him. The mystery draws us in which is why I think Luja's character is so perfect for someone in the background. She doesn't like to reveal things abt herself and is pretty dismissive to most things on top of that (plainly just salty). Her character rlly draws you in and the best way to portray those kinds of characters is through another character. Ofc, you'd have to get to their POV eventually but it's important to note that most of the details should come from someone else's POV (an observer, if you will) instead of info dumping and starting straight with hers. A character that's mysterious with a very simple yet relatable story attracts a LOT more attention and interest when seen from someone else's perspective than when you kickstart it from theirs.

Ofc, if u are planning (or already have) started the story from her POV, that would be a bit problematic in terms of interest. But not a train wreck. This is where my other point comes in. The point of making a character have more than one problem

Different ppl as well as characters have a main problem but also different ones, no matter what way you look at it. It seems that even you are confused with all ur character's ins and outs (dw, we've all been there... I am still there tbh) and a solution to that is backtracking a bit and looking at their life from the very beginning in HEAVY detail (like more than u already did). Think abt what other trauma could have been caused, what doubts and fears could have slowly crept it's way to her heart and head (I am a sucker for long-lasting doubts that develop over time) and anything you can even so much as GRASP on. If you look at it and see it as a possibility, try to fit that into her character and add it subtly in different places (as subtext or a creative pattern, wordplay, doesn't rlly matter as long as it's not openly stated bc, remember, the key thing to these types of characters is mystery).

For example, a fear of failure can stem into anxiety before the character has even lost smth later in their life. They probably get rlly anxious when evaluating smth but don't show it much or at all so no one notices. This adds even MORE to the character bc you can build it up after other events. Like once they have failed, they could probably get even more anxious and then develop a bad relationship with the person who beat them (double the points if it was a friend). You could build all that up and turn it super toxic instead of jumping right to the healing. It makes it more interesting, doesn't it? Plus, reevaluating almost everything including world views after 1 loss is...kind of hard to believe even with anxiety (no offense)

Adding a lot of little problems and thinking abt how Luja's behaviour can impact other characters helps a terrible lot if ur doing most of the story from her POV. Especially since she's probably the most relatable character (from what I've heard anyway). I have a certain saying... it goes like, "It's better to have a relatable and connecting character than one with a problem that is too big for normal people to fathom."

I like characters with heart-wrenching problems that I would never be able to relate to (take maybe Shigaraki as an example ig?) But my favourite are the ones that make me feel as tho I made a real connection

Also, I would like to say...if ur looking to progress her character even further, I would debate on whether it's the complete end to the novel or if there'll be a second part. If it's a second part, keep some of Luja's issues. Make her get better but not completely "YAY, I AM DONE BEING TORMENTED". If it's the end of the novel/series/etc., make it so that she's resolved most of most of her issues. They don't have to be completely gone but they have to be a lot better compared to how they started. And how i would work that out is a mind map but knowing ur a scatterbrain...lets talk it out where everything is all over the place

Luja's main thing is to gain confidence in herself and be finally ok with losing, right? If you ask me, that's a tough one but not impossible. I think to get her from point A to point B is to put up a bunch of events like:

Get her super anxious when doing smth

Lose to *insert person*

Have a breakdown and over think on what she could have done better (on the project or whatever she lost at)

Get even more anxious and totally mess up the next thing

Lose once again (double points if it's the same person as last time)

Overthinking abt how she's not good enough

F i g h t i n g f r i e n d s c o z d r a m a

"YoU'rE nEvEr GoNnA gEt BeTtEr If YoU kEeP tHiNkInG aBoUt YoUrSeLf"

Over think abt no. 8 bc out of options and ideas and ✨a n x i e t y✨

Try listening to others more and become b e t t e r

Win smth (bc creator forbid 3 losses in a row to start depression)

Lose again (there is gonna be a bit of back and forth but is necessary for development)

"I tHoUgHt I wAs FiNaLlY dOiNg SoMeThInG rIgHt AnD nOw LoOk"

"Losing is not th3 3nd of th3 fucking world, you lunatic"

"WELL, IT IS TO ME, BITCH"

*insert psychology somehow idk*

Another loss

"I'm angry...but I'm ok"

Note that idk where bullying would come in and these are only how I would think it to go-

A character like this isn't rlly my strong suit when it comes to them resolving their problems but they are fun to write and think abt-

................................did I just give you advice on how to traumatize? I-

[sirdust]

 more striker analysis/rambling bc i just. won’t shut up

this dude is actually deceptively tough to figure out in some ways. i don’t think he’s going to be as complex as our main characters because, frankly, you don’t hire a voice actor that expensive for a character you plan on spending a whole lot of time with. that doesn’t mean he has no depth though.

i’ve already talked at length about how he’s class-conscious but cruel, which makes him in some ways more threatening than if he was cruel but unaware. i really am starting to think he has a superiority complex with the way he talks about and treats other imps, because while he’s initially friendly, he’s clearly disdainful of them by the end of the episode. see: calling himself and blitz superior, kicking a random audience member in the face, etc. you get it by now

even though the majority of his antagonism is directed at moxxie specifically, his attitude toward blitz is also interesting. even though they tie at the games, his song suggests that he considers himself the only winner, and he calls blitz a rodeo clown behind his back, which makes it seem as if he doesn’t respect him. he also lies to him about why he’s trying to kill stolas and actually manages to pinpoint his exact insecurities after a very brief time of knowing him, which is interesting. and they are similar, they’re both imp assassins who have deals with the goetia family, and my current guess is that stella is the source of striker’s angelic weapons (in parallel to how stolas is the source of the grimoire for blitz). so it’s possible striker understands what blitz is up against and how it’s affecting him in a way nobody else blitz has met before does. the problem is, like i said, he’s using that against him.

i really do think striker is out for himself. he’s aware of the oppression imps face, but he’s internalized the idea that imps are inferior and he needs to distance himself in order to be on the same level as those in the upper echelon of their society. at the same time, by doing that and by working for someone who actively wishes to maintain the status quo, he’s playing into the system, and i wonder if that’s what he doesn’t realize. if he does then he’s really just purely mercenary, but it’s interesting to think about.

but i also want to get back to his relationship with blitz, because even though i don’t think he truly views him as an equal, he does seem to think more highly of him than he does moxxie (or at least recognizes his strength, and recognizes that strength could be useful to him). there is one thing i saw pointed out though that i hadn’t really considered and it does... throw a bit of a wrench in what i was reading into this character before now. 

...he has his knife during this entire fight and doesn’t, like, use it. granted, in this particular scene he’s using it as a distraction so he can wrench the barrel of blitz’s pistol towards moxxie, but we don’t see it knocked out of his hand during the subsequent action sequence or anything (unlike with blitz’s pistol) so we can assume he still has it by the time he gets away. arguably there were no opportunities for him to get stabby, but deliberately showing that he has his knife is interesting to do here from a writing perspective, because the fact it doesn’t play a key part in the fight itself seems more noticeable upon revisiting.

maybe the reason he doesn’t stab him is so he can maintain some potential emotional leeway, but he does point his shotgun at him and moxxie during this fight with seeming intent to kill. i don’t think he really had plans to let blitz get away from this encounter, so his seeming restraint here is strange. in the end, the fact he doesn’t use his knife could possibly be an oversight, but it’s too interesting to ignore.

that isn’t even to mention the fact that he mockingly calls him “blitzy” at the end, which is a nickname that stolas has always meant to be affectionate but blitz takes as condescending. its usage in that scene could actually imply many things, but here are my primary takeaways:

1) this was originally pointed out by some lovely person whose account i cannot remember for the life of me, but it contrasts with the usage of “blitzo” by verosika and fizz. whereas “blitzo” encapsulates the ways blitz is dissatisfied with his past, “blitzy” encapsulates that with which he’s dissatisfied in the present.

2) it’s, again, condescending. striker implies that by relying on other “weaker” imps instead of rejecting solidarity with them to pursue his own interests, blitz is equal to “weaker” imps, and any exceptional skill he may possess is rendered moot by his place in society. that’s how the higher-ups in hell already view the situation, anyways, so striker is once again using his insecurity against him.

3) arguably of less importance but still interesting, the overt attraction blitz has to striker throughout the episode serves to place him in the role of pseudo-love interest as well as rival. having striker use the nickname coined by blitz’s main love interest draws the contrast between their attitudes towards blitz to the forefront. stolas is above blitz in terms of class, but he seems to like blitz for who he is (he’s still the only character he’s shown to be attracted to), and his prejudice is born out of ignorance and not malice. striker actually share’s blitz’s class interests, but seems to value him on the basis of how useful he could be as a partner in crime and maliciously exploits his anxieties about life at the bottom.

(i forgot how i was originally going to end this, holy shit this got long)

so yeah. to sum up, while i don’t think we’ll be seeing striker too many times throughout the series, this character is becoming more interesting the more i look back, and his relationship with blitz really does present an interesting question for blitz as a character. at the same time, it may serve to provide striker more depth later, but we really have to wait and see since his behavior has sent contradictory messages to us as the audience. not in a way that feels unintentional, just difficult to parse without further information.

[terramythos]

TerraMythos 2021 Reading Challenge - Book 15 of 26

Title: Tehanu (Earthsea Cycle #4) (1990)

Author: Ursula K. Le Guin

Genre/Tags: Fantasy, Fiction, Third-Person, Female Protagonist 

Rating: 8/10

Date Began: 6/24/2021

Date Finished: 6/30/2021

Decades after The Tombs of Atuan, Tenar decided to settle down and live an ordinary life on the shepherding Isle of Gont. Now a farmer’s widow, she adopts a disfigured and horrifically abused child, who she names Therru. When a giant dragon deposits a grief-stricken Ged at her doorstep, Tenar finds herself in a strange situation as she cares for her old friend and her adopted daughter. But threats from Therru’s past and a malevolent force on the island soon threaten Tenar’s small family. 

Despair speaks evenly, in a quiet voice.

Content warnings and spoilers below the cut.

Content warnings for the book: Violence and death. Mentioned murder. Severe child abuse. Descriptions of traumatic injury and disfigurement. Mentions of r*pe, including of children. Trauma, sexism, and ableism are explored in depth. 

Tehanu is a much different book than the trilogy that precedes it. Perhaps this is unsurprising, considering the 17-year gap between this book and The Farthest Shore. I’d describe the Earthsea series as “grounded fantasy”. While all of them take place in a magical world, the thesis of each book is universal; the fantasy always comes second. Tehanu takes this idea to an extreme. The story is about everyday life as a common woman in the Earthsea world, with fantasy barely factoring in. The pacing is intentionally slow and introspective, which is something I normally don’t like, but Le Guin is a consistent exception. 

Key characters from the previous books make an appearance. Obviously Tenar is the biggest return, absent since The Tombs of Atuan. The Tenar in this book is older and much more mature, having decided to live a simple life in spite of her adventures and accomplishments. Ged returns, but he’s a shell of his former self, as he mourns the loss of his magic and the man he used to be. Even King Lebannen (formerly Arren, the main character of The Farthest Shore) makes a brief appearance, and is quite a palate cleanser after the horrible men throughout the rest of the book.  

Probably my favorite aspect of the novel is the fact that these characters stand well on their own without magic to prop them up. Tenar explored the terrifying freedom she won in The Tombs of Atuan; got married, settled down, had kids — but still finds herself at a loss on what to do with her life after her husband dies. Ged is in a similar boat; he’s gone from an almost mythic character to an ordinary man, and like Tenar finds himself at a crossroads in life. Other characters embody this idea of transformation and uncertainty; Therru’s escaped her abusers and now has a loving mother, but what does the future hold for someone with her appearance? Stuff like that. 

The idea of metamorphosis and new beginnings is well-trodden. But what makes Tehanu interesting is Le Guin primarily examines this with the middle-aged characters. Tenar and Ged are legendary figures in the world of Earthsea, but life has taken them to an uncertain future. The thrust of the novel lies in finding a purpose and becoming someone new. I also like that Tenar/Ged is endgame; I got Vibes from The Tombs of Atuan, but neither character was in a position where it would work. Seeing them form a romantic relationship much later in life is touching and cute. But it’s not the reason that either of them grow as people; finding one’s purpose is something one has to do on their own. Their relationship only develops once both parties have done so.   

My main complaint about A Wizard of Earthsea, the first book, is the sexism inherent in the setting, which is never examined below the surface level. Perhaps Le Guin’s outlook changed, or perhaps the publishing environment did, because often Tehanu reads like a response to this criticism. The central theme of the book is misogyny, the patriarchy, and its debilitating effects on women. Le Guin examines everything from micro-aggressions (“common wisdom” that happens to paint women as inferior) to domestic issues (“women’s work” and how much that actually is) to outright sexual assault (both in threats and actual acts; it is heavily implied this is part of the abuse Therru endured). She even goes into how powerful women are only considered as such because a man gave them that power. 

While I appreciate the fact she addresses these issues in such a frank, blatant way, at times reading Tehanu felt like reading a basic feminism primer. These subjects are all things I’m familiar with, and I feel like anyone who’s studied key feminist ideas would be aware of them also. Maybe 1990 was different? Le Guin doesn’t add any insights to the bleak reality of patriarchy and sexism, which is a little disappointing compared to previous books. That being said, this book is aimed at young adults despite its dark subject matter. Tehanu could be the first exposure to these ideas that many children receive; looking at it that way, it makes sense that the analysis comes off as basic. 

I also found the book’s examination of gender to be very cishet-normative. That’s definitely not surprising, considering the book was published in 1990, but to a 2021 reader this hasn’t aged super well. There’s a lot of discussion about the relationships and differences between men and women--whether there are any or not, how magic differs between them, the ability to bear children, and so on. There’s a weird sexual component to this, like how wizards (who are exclusively men) have to remain celibate in order to… keep being wizards? But women who are witches don’t have to do that, and that’s an advantage women have? (There’s mentions of male witches too, iirc, but it’s not expanded upon— do they have to remain celibate? Who knows.). I found this whole bit pretty odd and unnecessary, although I realize a lot of my perspective on the matter comes from a modern view of sex and gender (and, y’know, being trans). Not all the gender takes in the book are bad, but they are limited. 

I found Le Guin’s exploration of trauma and ableism through Therru to be more interesting. There’s a lot of examination about how society treats Therru, a survivor of unspeakable abuse. Her trauma is visible due to severe burns along part of her body, leaving her with a missing eye and disfigured hand. Tenar spends much of the novel wondering what future Therru has; no matter how capable she is and how much she acts like any other little girl, strangers gawk at her, or assume she “deserved” what happened to her. Therru becomes happier and more independent over the course of the novel, but relapses into a traumatized state when she encounters one of her abusers. As a survivor, it’s heartbreaking and distressingly realistic. As much as I like Tenar, I almost wish the novel was from Therru’s perspective (other than the brief jump at the end), but I realize it would spoil the ending.  

I’m torn on the ending because, while I thought it was cool and had some interesting revelations, it’s a jarring tonal shift. As I mentioned, Tehanu is a slow novel with a heavy focus on everyday life, and the trials and tribulations both Tenar and Therru experience. There’s even a climactic event a few chapters before the end; the only thing left is a persistent loose thread from earlier in the novel. That subplot explodes to the forefront a bare chapter and a half before the end of the book, and a lot of action-y fantasy stuff happens. It doesn’t come out of nowhere; it’s set up throughout the novel, but it is sudden. 

That being said, I do like that the subplot with dragons vs humans is hinted at as early as The Tombs of Atuan. When Tenar tells the legend about the origin of dragons early in the story, my mind immediately went to that one room from the Labyrinth with the sad winged humanoids painted on its walls. I’m curious if there are hints elsewhere in the series. I also figured out Therru’s true name and how she relates to that subplot based on context clues. While it’s not a shocking twist, it is a satisfying one. Though parts of it gave me a “magical destiny” vibe which is counter to much of the series so far; I do wonder how the last two books will address this. (Also… did Le Guin imply Kalessin is Segoy? AKA God? What did she mean by this. So Ged literally like… hitched a ride from God, who promptly yeeted out of the story until the end? That’s kind of funny. Maybe I misinterpreted something.) 

I probably sound critical of this book, but I did genuinely enjoy it. It just didn’t speak to me the way the previous two did. The next book is a short story collection before the conclusion to the series, so we’ll see where it goes! Tehanu set some stuff up that I expect will be expanded upon in these volumes.

[dangermousie]

I was thinking of Awu and how horrible a position Helan Zhen/various coup lunatics put her into by making pregnancy both difficult to achieve and likely to kill her.

I am not even talking about Xiao Qi’s “I am gonna make her secretly infertile so she won’t die” thing though yes, that is likely to be a huge huge rift that wouldn’t even come up if he wasn’t told pregnancy is likely to kill her.

I am talking about the fact that they’ve screwed her up for life regardless of anything XQ does or doesn’t do in terms of secret meds.

Because her choices now become (a) get pregnant and die or have a much much shortened lifespan as best case scenario or (b) never have children.

Obviously, the downside of (a) is obvious but (b) is horrifying too. And it’s not because Awu would be emotionally unfulfilled without children - she may or may not be but it’s not about that. There is a reason when both good guys and bad guys find out about her being made infertile, none of them are concerned about the joy of motherhood per se. What they all fixate on is how impossible her life will be, how bleak her future will be as a childless woman.

In that society, propagation of the clan is woman’s most important duty - that is true if she was a peasant or a merchant’s wife, but she is married to a Prince of the First Rank, a general, and so it becomes much more so. If she never gives Xiao Qi any children, it doesn’t matter how accomplished she is in other ways, she will be looked upon as a failure. And not just that - in that society it’s rare enough for a man to have only one wife and no concubines even if the chief wife gave him a houseful of children; it would be unheard of with a barren wife. And if he did take a concubine or secondary wife and she (or they!) bore him children, Awu as a childless woman would have a tough life in that household with her position diminished no matter her technical status. (Yes, we all know Xiao Qi is a man of his word and is Awu’s body and soul and will never seek out another regardless, but it’s a truly reasonable fear/cause for joy for bystanders.)

And even if, as we know, Xiao Qi will never take another woman - Awu is still looked down on as a failure and then what happens once Xiao Qi dies? He’s pretty likely to die before she does, either in battle or just because he’s older than she is (I don’t know what their exact difference is, but it has to be at least a decade since he was a general while she was getting her “you are old enough to get married” ceremony.) And then instead of being a matriarch of an important household, seeing her children carry out the glory of family and with plenty of new generation to order about and receive filial attention from, she is a lone woman who either lives with her servants or does the nun thing like her mom - in that society that is viewed as a hugely inferior fate.

So basically, giant EFF YOU to Helan Zhen and all the royal morons and Daddy Wang for combining to fuck up Awu’s life for good.

[cfdiamonds]

[ ARON PIPER, CIS GENDERED MAN, HE/HIM ] shh ! LEOCADIO SYNDER, the TWENTY-TWO year old SECOND year ECONOMICS major from MADRID, SPAIN, is known as a DIAMOND around here. HE was invited to join because OF HIS PERSISTENCE AND HIS FATHER WAS IN THE SOCIETY, and now, they’re here to stay. HE reminds me of A LEGION OF STAFF CONSTANTLY AT YOUR SERVICE, A WARDROBE FILLED WITH THE FINEST MATERIAL, + EXPENSIVE RINGS ON EACH OF HIS FINGERS.

helloooo!!  it’s been a long time coming but i’m finally excited to be here and join in on this super cool story the admins and all of you have created! i’m lia, i’m 23 and i go by she/her and they/them pronouns, so feel free to use either of them. i was going to make a graphic and a google doc but i’ve got plans with my family to watch a movie tonight, so until i can make the time i hope his app is enough! 

a past and character reflection.

you were born into success and luxury, the only child of two glencore billionaires — a diversified natural resource company. the synders are responsible for the marketing of lead and make a little over a billion dollars each year. all they’ve ever known was their jobs and their money, leaving little room for anything more than that, especially the addition of a child. the nannies changed your diapers and the maid picked up your toys, while the butler handled the broken glass splayed across the marble flooring from one of your daily tantrums. they bit their tongues because you were raised to view yourself as extraordinary living in a world of the ordinary. despite this, these people meant more to you than the ones who brought you into the world. you had a mother that asked you how your day went and then immediately turned her attention back to her phone or laptop, checking off that mental to-do-list that made her believe the question was enough effort. you had a father that saw you as weak and continuously pushed you past your limits, focusing on every little flaw you had and giving you no choice but to be better. you became so conflicted between your drive to be the best and your need for love, that anger became your method of coping. even the lightest of offenses were met with your spite and you glorified material things as if it were the only thing that mattered in the world. even at the tender age of ten, power was the one thing that kept you driven.

growing up, you never had any real or close friendships. the people that you called your friends were just more people that you could benefit from — the children from rich and influential families that spanned the globe. regardless of your rude and cold exterior, they still found reason to look up to you like you were their leader, be it an inheritance from your father’s charisma or your mother’s sophistication — because everything you had, you had to thank them for right? you knew exactly how to draw people in and use them until you didn’t need them anymore, kicking them to the curb the second their time ran out. the kids that excelled in school got you the highest grade, the kids that excelled in sports helped you become captain of their teams, and the kids that assisted you in breaking the rules always took the fall. and yet, no matter how hard you proved yourself as this apex predator, your parents saw you as inferior. they always told you to work smarter not harder, but when you did, it still wasn’t enough. what more could you take from the world? it had nothing left to give you.

the next chapter in your life became your second chance to prove yourself, but this time with a different method to your persistence. just as your parents did, you’d build yourself from the ground up, not taking whatever you wanted but fighting to obtain it. you already had the determination to do what had to be done to reach your goals, now all you needed to do was make it yourself. you enter your first year at strathmore university and you never take what you need to succeed, you push yourself until you earn it. every time the fates fight against you and you feel hopeless in meeting these high expectations you and your parents have made for you, you grasp onto the anguish of that ten year old boy yearning for approval and press forward with your strength. you still hold onto that cunning aspect of your character but this time, it’s something you keep hidden beneath the surface — away from prying eyes. you slip up once or twice, but it’s never enough to allow others to see you for who you truly are. you join several clubs even though you barely have the time, slipping your name into the minds of those spanning the entirety of the campus. you maintain one of the highest grades in your classes through dedication and hard work, scoffing at the students that request your assistance … they don’t deserve your help. not now anyway. not while you fight to be noticed in a place filled to the brim with excellent minds. not while you await your invitation to the society, the first step at proving that you can be great just like them. just like your parents.

on the society

upon arriving at strathmore university, leo became obsessive in his studies and joined many clubs to assist in his quest of standing out amongst the other first years. unbeknownst to many though, he also did this in hopes of earning a spot in the secret society. this is because his father had been in the society when he was young and in order to prove his potential, this was an organization he knew he had to be involved in. despite not knowing what the society was like or what they were about, he knew that they existed because of his father but that’s the extent of his knowledge on it.

when he was finally given his chance thanks to the diamond opal, leo became passionate about his spot and willing to do whatever means necessary to keep his spot. he takes advice willingly ( but goes against it if he believes they’re wrong ) and pushes to lead in some situations, not letting anyone or anything stand in the way of his goals. although he mainly does everything for his parents, whether they will ever notice or not, it is also for himself and his desire to be something great ( something he outwardly believes he already is but has struggled with internally for a long time ). leo wants to be the best prodigy and opal that the society has ever seen, and visualizes himself as the diadem when he builds himself up to that point.

when it comes to poppy nighmore, leo is more intrigued than he is worried about the reason for her disappearance. if those within the society that knew poppy are upset about her disappearance, leo is willing to take initiative in trying to solve the mystery. he will take risks and push limits in order to find information, but does so for selfish gain than anything else. he believes that he may prove himself as a worthy and necessary addition to the opal society if he continues researching and physically proving he cares. it also gives him a chance to show the others that he is capable of big things.

wanted connections.

as i read about your characters i’ll be able to generate a bit more ideas when directly plotting with each of you! these are just the ideas i have coming into the group, so if you do not see your character fitting them, worry not! we can brainstorm<3

his soft spot — the person that leo can’t seem to say no to no matter how hard he tries. his entire life he has felt little to no remorse in his conquest for power, no matter who he trampled along the way but suddenly, out of nowhere, the world presented him with this person and every time they’re around, every ounce of him becomes vulnerable. when they tell him to do something or to behave a certain way, he seldom disobeys. if they happen to be in the room when he’s behaving as he normally does, he avoids their eyes in fear of backing down. in a way, this person in his anchor that protects him from himself.

his adversary  — the person that gives leo a run for his money, testing him and pushing him every step of the way. they bear too many similarities to get along and compete over even the littlest of things. when one says yes, the other says no. the steve rogers to his tony stark. the thor to his loki.

fellow rich kids — those he knew by association prior to strathmore university or the society. they all understand each other because they grew up in similar conditions, where material things were the forms of love they received as children. they understand the lifestyle and flock together, regardless of whether or not they actually like each other. they board a private jet and escape real life for a weekend, only to return like nothing had happened come monday morning.

his best friend — leo doesn’t know it yet, perhaps neither of them do, but this person is his best friend. close relationships of any kind are foreign concepts to leo because he had, in his opinion, more important things to focus on as he grew up. love doesn’t exist in his world. so by his words, he trusts this person the most and is constantly inviting them around with him. he would never call it as it is in fear of cutting them loose and never feeling an ounce of remorse, but he’s acknowledged it in his head once or twice. this person is like the sibling he’s never had.

his mistake — in leo’s first year, he befriended this person and the pair eventually started to see each other romantically. however, leo wronged them somehow and now that he’s in the society with them, he realizes how big of a mistake he made hurting them. perhaps he fell back into old habits and made their acquaintance with the intention of gaining something, maybe in a class or by their personal influence in the world / at school, and they eventually found out about it. just an angsty exes plot.

his mentor — the diamond that took him as their prodigy. leo takes the dynamic between them incredibly serious and is willing and ready to do whatever they ask of him in order to prove they made the right choice taking him under their wing. he understands that his place in the society must not be taken for granted and so he treats it as a passion, rather than just another club around campus. he rarely does something society related without first receiving the opinion of the opal, but he also would ignore their opinion if he feels they are the one that’s wrong. this is business as usual and leo is their prodigy knowing that if all goes as planned, he will have their seat in the future.

[stephenjaymorrisblog]

The 50’s Are Back!

(Metaphorically)

July 3, 2021

Stephen Jay Morris

©Scientific Morality

It’s the day before the 4th of July, but I don’t feel very festive. It has been raining for two days now and I am not feeling very well. My obsessive/compulsive disorder is still with me. I have this compulsion to keep my half-acre lawn nicely cut, but my lawn mower has broken down. Each day, I look out the window and I see the grass getting longer and longer. Being a neurotic, my brain won’t shut the fuck up about it! Plus, I am becoming more forgetful lately and that scares the shit out of me! I’m afraid it might be early stages of dementia.

I think I have some masochistic tendencies. I am a news junkie. It always upsets me but, I watch anyway. The media is evil, but not because it leans Left or Right; it is because they are greedy, money-grabbing pigs who adhere to that proverbial slogan: “If it bleeds, it leads.” Bad news sells energy drinks; good news loses money and ratings. That is why the schmuck who used to be president is still in the news, constantly. The former host of a reality TV show has become a one-man reality show himself! Consumers just love the anti-hero, from Jesse James to Al Capone to Donald Trump.

Yeah, dudes! “The Fall of the Donald.” It is a very old, American fable. He couldn’t get wealthy the Horatio Alger way, or via the methodology of the Protestant Work Ethic, so he schemed and cheated throughout his life just to show his daddy he’s not a loser. How many fucking times do we have to repeat this story!? It makes the commoner feel happy when somebody at the top fails. That is why we have celebrity gossip.

Well, Conservatives, you got your wish! The 50’s are back! Well, not quite, but close. In Biden, we have another Eisenhower in office. The McCarthy era is upon us again. QAnon is the new John Birch Society. The gamers are the new Beatniks.

One glaring thing that doesn’t match up, however, is American culture. I don’t know why there is a so-called “culture war,” when there is no culture to begin with! Movies are practical and dull and formulaic. Sex and violence, though a boring cliché to me, may have a kick to a young kid. And, music...yeah, music is lame. Once in while, there emerges a novelty song that pisses off the good Christian folk, like Cardi B’s “WAP,” or Lil Naz X’s, “Call Me By Your Name.” Otherwise, there is nothing remarkable there.

Fashion is a mishmash of the past. A God damned tee shirt is the only “new” fashion statement you can make! Men’s hair styles look like the haircuts given to prisoners in the 1930’s. Women’s hair styles are simplistic, except for the unnatural bold colors seen over the last few years. Automobiles haven’t sported any notable design since the 90’s. Petropolitics has been over taken by Neo-Liberal scumbags. The way they cling to fossil fuel, you’d think gold was becoming extinct! They keep trying to rebrand it as “energy.” This is not Western Civilization, this is the White Capitalist American Empire dying! Like I said, now does not mirror the 1950’s exactly, but it is pretty similar.

I always wanted to do charity work, but I haven’t achieved my original mission. What is that, you ask? I can’t tell you; it’s personal, though not illegal or immoral. Doing charity work is egotistical however, it is positive egotism. Negative egotism is the Trump story. The ego cannot be eliminated, but it can be controlled and modified of one’s own volition. If you resent someone that is selfless, then that reflects your inferiority complex; i.e. you are resentful because you’re feeling guilty about not being a good human being.

My Aunt Norma said to me that everyone was neurotic during the 1950’s. Mental illness was hidden—a dark secret. If you had anxiety, you kept it to yourself. If a member of your family was mentally ill and living in the basement, your lips remained sealed.

America, today, has a screwed up attitude about mental illness. Most don’t really know what it is. Is it demon possession? A lot of people have this moronic concept of mental illness; they think it is equivalent to being eccentric. They will poop out platitudes like, “Everybody is a little crazy!” Mental illness is a diseased brain, not a behavioral condition. You know?

Let’s not go back to the 1950’s. Let’s go forward into the 21stCentury!