#he just doesn't put up pretense but most of the time people take that to be mean

[vermillioncrown]

On BIL: Is Kagami just gonna go on continuing to normie the shit out of these Ball Sport Mad Idiots? Because I think he would. He would totally normie them all the way to his victory. He would normie so hard that this weirdo troupe Generation of Chuunibyous would completely go batshit crazy trying to "figure out" what his "special ability" is. Which by the way is actually just Kagami's (absolutely incomprehensible) ability of his to actually be Human OMG 🤯

to not normie is to go counter to the central premise of bil, thus he must. it's pretty logical and i'm not fond of pulling the rug from under people in a story

him pushing back against having a "special ability" like how they emphasize in canon is half kagami being kagami against all ball sport nonsense, and half his personality trait to never own up to anything ever -> and that comprises of another two parts (1. never let them know your next move 2. it's unhealthy to base your self-worth on One Thing You're Good At...for now)

[dontbesoweirdkira]

Hi! I love your interpretation of the yan batfam so much bdnfbfkjfnd I was wonderong how you think Dick and/or Jason would react to a rather compassionate batsis?

She's definitely not on board with their obsession but she can understand where their coming from and gives them like ACTUAL compassion.

Ik you said Dick enjoys having a positive image in front of others most of all his younger sister, so how would he react to her seeing his flaws but still, being kind? Jason strives to be "normal", so much so he spirals sometimes, but like what would knowing/experiencing genuine closeness (not pity or false pretenses) change?

Idk if either of them would redeem their bad habits, but am curious to know what being truly seen and accepted would do to them, especially by someone they care about so much. The bats can have their walls pretty high up after all

A/N: sorry about the late responses. I've been out of it the past few days.

context dick context jay

Okay so when you are dealing with yanderes... you are dealing with extremely unstable people. There are so many ways thus could go but here's just one

Dick

Maybe your compassion makes Dick chill out a bit with his unhealthy tendencies. I think initially he'd still be uncomfortable and bothered that you can see right through him. You can see all his flaws and you don't revere him like the others which is bad. It will still anger him and he'll try manipulating you into loving him like everyone does at first.

A heart to heart with him could work. You acknowledge you know he's crumbling and has really horrible coping mechanisms but that doesn't mean that you don't love him. That you respect him even more because you see just how much passion he puts into everything that he does. It isn't his fault he craves so much validation when he had the upbringing he had but he doesn't have to pretend to be someone he's not to please you. That even if he doesn't smile as much or be selfish sometimes that you won't love him any less. You give him a space to be authentic with you with no judgment.

"erm,,,okay. I'll keep that in mind."

He's a bit taken back by it and doesn't know how to exactly process what you just said. I've mentioned before that he doesn't exactly know how to just be himself because for most of his life he was always being someone that others needed.

He's still on guard for a while. He will dip his toes in the waters by maybe not smiling as much with you or rescheduling your hang out session to go out on a date just to see your reaction. Did you truly mean it when you said he was allowed to be selfish? He was fully expecting you to hate him but seeing just how unbothered you were made him go...oh!

I think this shifts his obsession with you. He's still very much yandere but i think he's much more child-like ? I mean Dick still is obsessed with you and all that jazz but before, he wanted to be the best older brother/father figure. His happiness was dependent on how much you needed and revered him. But now you're becoming his safety blanket for when he's stressed, tired or upset. WIth you he can just lay on your shoulders without speaking and you won't even mind. He can be kind of assholey or dark and you will understand he's just in a mood and what he says never leaves the two of you. You won't take away your compassion or love based on how he acts...the first non-transactional relationship he's ever truly and it's pretty great. He finally feels like a brother and not like he's playing house anymore.

Don't get me wrong, he's still your older brother who gets on your nerves but there's just this mutual appreciation there that lacks with the others.It's clear to the others that he loves you just a bit more than the rest. When it's movie/game nights, he will allow you to sit it out or not tag along to restaurants. He's very protective and defensive over you. He doesn't feel as much of a need to do all that stupid crap with you because if he wanted your time, he could have a peaceful moment on the rooftops with you instead.

Jason

Hmm..i think Jason will just always feel a bit outcasted. There are plenty of people who do care about Jason in the comics but it's hard to relate to someone who's been through what he's been. It's just so unique to him. He knows you don't truly understand what it's like to have spirits of the Lazarus haunting you in your sleep. He knows that you cannot feel the pain of being replaced by someone you're now forced to see as a brother.

When i wrote my last piece a few people took it as me saying the reader found Jason to be odd. Really what it was is that Jason put those thoughts into his own head because he internalized the joke because of his own insecurities. The reader was perfectly fine with Jason being a little off...it made sense as he would've just come back from being dead and is trying to find a bit of normalcy.

It's funny though because while he's trying to be "independent" it's painfully clear he's still very much attached to you and is still unknowingly mimicking you.

I think though if reader sat down with Jason and explained he doesn't need to change or be "normal" because you love him the way he is, maybe he will relax a bit. But i think there would always be voices in Jason's ears telling him he needs to be perfect. My version of jason is around 20-ish year old who is a bit emotionally stunted and disoriented because he's just coming out of the pit. After a few years of being integrated back into the family he'll understand that you actually do love him as a brother and he serves a great purpose even if that purpose doesn't look the same as Dick's.

[yuri-is-online]

Couple's (questionable) Halloween Costumes ft. Tokyo Debunker pt. 2

I had a good night sleep and thought up some more... this is a joke and pt 1 can be found here.

Romeo- Steampunk couple. Romeo feels like the type of guy who completely misses the point of a Halloween costume and instead wheels out something that belongs at an elaborate ball or convention. He is extremely smug about the quality of his costume and the event he's put together for the Casino, and the quality of his arm candy. You knew what you were getting into: 5/10.

Lyca- Sherlock and Watson. He asked Suba for a normal human Halloween costume and worked very hard to put them together for you. You're the inspector so he wants you to be Sherlock, but he's very proud of his Watson costume too. You have a wonderful time at the Halloween party taking turns being the scary dog staring down the other party goers who want to mess with your date: 100/10.

Subaru- Alice and the White Rabbit. Halloween doesn't seem like Suba's scene if I'm honest, way too many people. But he still desperately wants to dress up with and do cute things with you. He falls a little bit more in love when you notice that he needs to tap out and excuses the two of you by insisting you'll be "late for a very important date." Another one who would love to have a little Halloween themed date at his dorm, he's definitely got tea and snacks already picked out: 8/10 (only because he was stressed out)

Leo- A black cat duh. I'm too out of touch with what's popping on TikTok to know what he'd dress up as, I just know he's making Halloween themed thirst traps and dragging you into it. Probably drags you into wearing some sort of mouse costume so he can act out some sort of weird cringey role play and then act like it was all your idea once he turns the camera off, but you knew what you were getting into. Again: 5/10.

Tohma- The Phantom and Christine. This isn't his first choice for a costume, he'd really rather do something much more simple and gimmicky but he's in Frostheim now so he has to be extra. The Phantom mask lets him keep up the monocle look and keeps him from outshining Jin. You will look wonderful no matter what he tricks you into wearing, but the expense of the fabric still makes him cringe a bit. It is so dangerously tempting to drop the pretense with you... 9/10.

Ren- Ghostface t-shirt and ghost t-shirt. You're lucky he let you drag him to this party and no he has no idea why he's getting such weird looks from the other upperclassmen. He just has this shirt because it's horror related and he thought it would be sort of funny to wear when he saw your ghost one. Spends most of the party stealing the hosts wifi to grind last minute resources in his gacha games and eating candy with you. If you explain the looks to him he will die from embarrassment, 7/10

[jazeswhbhaven]

💜Only 4 Me, Levi: Mass Birthday Post💜

💜Mini Playlist💜

Obsession- Innerpartysystem Change- Deftones People Error- the GazettE Filth in the Beauty- the GazettE I'm That Girl- Beyonce All Mine- Kali Uchis

💜Cake Flavor Headcanon💜

White Chocolate Raspberry bundt cake, drizzled with sweet cream and Raspberry compote

💜How the Nobles Celebrate Their King's Birthday💜

Foras: He mostly tries to convince Glas and Barbatos to leave Leviathan alone so he can serve him by himself all day. After being turned down for the third time with the span of five minutes, he's opted to hang himself for him instead.

Barbatos: He wanted to present a perfect rosebush he worked on growing in the shape of Leviathan. But it was too distracting so Levi destroyed it and Barb was to hang for thinking he could replicate Levi's beauty with plants.

Glasyalabolas: He intentionally seeks out MC, in attempts to spend alot of time with them in order to agitate his Majesty. He's even taken off the top half of his uniform to show off his form and let MC put their hand through his chest...which didn't last long because Leviathan immediately dragged him back to the palace by his rope to hang.

Orias: Oh the usual, he tried to get his soul...steal his life force, pulled all the pranks he could because he assumed he'd be distracted by his birthday and MC. He even put poison in a cupcake and tricked MC into delivering it. Ofc Levi suspected it and every plan failed. Up he goes!

Overall: None of these nobles work together, too jealous of one another and wanting to one up on who's praising Levi the most. Sadly, it's even certain that Levi would hate it more if his nobles planned something together for him anyway. How dare they all work together to waste time? Well it is for him. But still, can't have idle hands when there's things in Hades to take care of.

💜How Levi Celebrates with MC💜

MC does what their told and stays exactly where they were standing with their phone in hand. Suddenly, there's a presence behind their back...

MC: Oh! Levi, you showed up...

Leviathan: Why wouldn't I? I told you I was coming...

MC: Right. Um, So?

Leviathan: First, look at my face. What do you see?

MC: Nothing in particular...just your face?

Leviathan: No. Tell me what you see.

MC: Just a pretty face looking at me? Is that what you wanted to hear?

Leviathan: *scoffs* Next, focus on my horns.

MC: Levi...

Leviathan: Is there a problem? Or are you just too stupid to pay attention?

MC: No! Hey. I get it you're better than the others...you don't have to show....

Leviathan grabs their arm and starts dragging them back to his room

Leviathan: It seems you need to focus in a more private setting. Being in the middle of this hallway has you thinking about other men again.

MC: ????? But I-

Leviathan: I swear if I could tie you up and throw you in my coffin for the rest of your life I would. At least there you would have nothing to think about.

MC: *thinks to themselves* Guess this is best I'll get for celebrating his birthday.

Leviathan: See? You're doing it right now aren't you? Unbelievable. Right in front of me...*grumbles and drags them faster*

💜Levi and Beel: The Worst Besties Ever💜

Beelzebub once tried to throw Leviathan a surprise birthday party in Aybssos by luring him there with false pretenses that it was important. The amount of devils yelling "surprise" pissed of Leviathan so much he chased around Beel for three days trying to kill him for doing this. After the three days, he went back home to find a pile of gifts waiting for him that magically appeared from Beel. He told Foras to burn every single one, but changed his mind and took them anyway. He still has the gifts in his room in a glass case that he covers with a blanket so others can't see it. He uncovers it once in a while to dust it and look over everything.

nsfw incoming....

💜He doesn't normally celebration his birthday so he skips the formalities

💜A present? Why did you waste so much time picking something when he hasn't told you what he liked? Oh wait...he does like it...

💜The gift is easily forgotten because he suspected you asked someone else about what he likes, which means you're speaking to other devils again

💜As your clothes strip, he asks who was it that told you what he liked? Was it that annoying fly? That beast from Tartaros? The walking disaster that defends Gehenna?

💜It doesn't matter who you were asking, you're here now sprawled on his bed with your legs folded close to your chest so he can thrust so deep you won't remember anything but his cock in your hole

💜He leans in for you so you have a good reach for his neck, make sure you choke him with vigor or he'll stop thrusting in that good spot that's making your eyes roll

💜Repeat his name over and over during, say it perfectly, same tempo, don't waver...he wants to know all you're thinking about is him.

💜How many hours have passed? Does it matter to you that much? Of course not. His mission has succeeded and you're thinking about nothing except of how your brain is mush, every orifice on your body has been filled with cum, and marks have been left in obvious places for others to see.

💜Your his. his. h i s. You belong to Leviathan. No matter if it's his birthday or any other day.

💜Happy Birthday to the Most Envious and Petty King, Leviathan 11/01💜

[melkyt]

Idea idea idea, *bounces*

Royalty AU

*fans Law like a proper victorian damsel before he swoons from low iron xd*

So Luffy, a noble that comes from old money who acts down to earth and chill, he is working at the stables when Law sees him

Law who is raised by the likes of Doflamingo, 'the help is inconsequential', still he is polite and curt as he is with anyone. Which catches Luffy's attention. Most royals & nobles treat him like crap when he tends to their animals.

Law is on autopilot. He is there to show his face as a bachelor to high-society but he has no interest in marriage of anyone, especially not when it means giving an heir to the likes of Doflamingo. He stopped getting along with the man when he got old enough to understand the ways of manipulation of the royal courts. They play the smiling game but there is a mutual distaste common to any noble familial relationship.

Still he is there, just so he can keep his place in the family and funding for his studies/clinic. He is also there to see if the lord to be crowned king is as much a threat as he is made out to be, or just a kid playing ruler.

As he spends time in the capital waiting for the main festival and coronation of the next lord. He often comes to the stables to read and be away from it all.

Luffy is there everyday, and makes it a point to talk to anyone who visits. Law being there for hours, means that Luffy more often then not talks at him but doesn't expect any answer in return. He is just ranting about anything that pops into his head.

Law overtime cant focus on his books and listens to Luffy's ramblings that are often out there and more exciting then he has heard come out of anybody's mouth in a long time. Law doesnt like listening to most people, so this is a change.

They spend days like that and sometimes Law asks questions, which just makes Luffy glow because someone is interested in his yapping? Sign him up to stop his work and excitedly tell Law about things like his favorite food or this cool thing he heard about, the biggest things he ever hunted etc

Fastforward to the coronation.

Law knows he is leaving after so he decides to say goodbye to Luffy but he is nowhere to be found. Which puts him in a bad mood all day. He doesnt even try to put on the pretense of flirting with the noble ladies that approach him. He is cold and distant, more then a little rude. He made atleast one of them cry.

The evening drags on and all he wants to do is check the stables one more time. He can see the lights from the castle. Yet being cold is fine but leaving the party will surely get him in hot water, and Doffy might even cut off his funding for a year. Law did not care that he did not have food or a roof over his head but the patients he takes would suffer the most.

So he stays, half paying attention as the new Lord is announced. The candles dim as the center of the dance hall is illuminated. The large curving stairs come into focus as the Lord enters the area.

Law blinks. He can't believe his eyes. The lord is Luffy, the dirrty ragged wild man he has gotten used to all cleaned up with an intricate crown on his brow and a bright smile. Law like anyone heard that he got the throne through war that has wrecked his nation for five years. It was a bloody time that made everyone fear him.

It is almost hard to believe that the happy joyful stable boy Law has grown close to is the bloodthirsty strategist that united his kingdom under one banner and plans to keep going. In that moment Law understands why Doflamingo sent him here and why he was worried.

Luffy can play the royal game better then any of them. If Law believed him to be nothing but a servant this entire time, and now he is a King with all the regal bearing that comes with it.

Luffy singles out Law and asks him to join him on the stage and by his side as an advisor. Law swallows as the attention turns to him.

Law going from a no-name lordling with no real title, to the Sun-Kings most trusted people. He does not go back to Doflamingo after that, as at that point what he hss to lose pales with what he can gain by saying yes to Luffy.

Not to mention saying no to someone like Luffy is political suicide, and even if Doffy chafes at the idea of Law no longer being availible to use as a marriage pawn directly to increase his power, he stays quiet and plots behind the scenes on how to take Luffy's throne using Law.

The intrigue of it all. Plus the drama of Law acting different towards Luffy now that he knows he is King and not a servant, which makes Luffy salty.

They have alot to figure out with plenty of dramatic things like assassination plots, societal stigma over their stations that Luffy doesnt care about, and Law scrambling to keep up with how things are different now and trying to handle Doffy alone so he does not distrub Luffy's quote on quote 'plans'

Law taking his job as advisor very seriously when Luffy just wants to be his friend like they were and maybe something else in time ;3

[raayllum]

Sometimes I think about the gap between the thematic perception of a theme/character versus how they themselves perceive the same thing. There's not too many gaps routinely like this in TDP except for antagonists — Karim comes to mind most notably, in how he earnestly believes he's doing the right thing with no pretense while becoming increasingly hypocritical — nor are all these gaps negative, per se.

But I think about it in regards to Rayllum a lot.

For example, in their actual relationship, they're pretty healthy. Rayla in particular has struggled with open and honest communication, but they're getting there, and we see that Callum has given her an unconditional, rather than an ultimatum base, upon which for her and both of them to build upon. They can teach really good lessons about taking time for yourself so you don't yell at your partner, that you have to work on yourself and a relationship won't fix your problems, that approaching things together is good and that you should support one another, etc etc.

However, thematically — identity wise — they are codependent to a super intense degree, wrapped up and incredibly dependent on the other person's construction of their sense of self (Rayla struggling to be a good person when she's reeling in the S4 fallout, because what does she have to show for it? Callum trying in 4x07 to push them both into their worst roles if the worst comes for him). And this codependency as well as intense desire to protect one another can cause them to make dangerous or self destructive choices in the name of love (or both), like Rayla leaving to protect him and luring Sol Regem away, or Callum doing dark magic and jumping off the Pinnacle.

Thereby, playing with this push and pull, how they exist and perceive themselves vs how they exist in the narrative (and may be seen as other characters) is well, a lot of fun.

This is also true for the "Rayla as Callum's method of destruction and salvation" theme that's been running through every season of the show, with Rayla being the lynchpin to burn down his old life / understandings of self and trust, and usher in new ones.

Callum doesn't see his relationship with Rayla as anything negative, ultimately; she's loving and brave and she saves people, she saved him, and he saves her right back. He'd do anything not to lose her, because that's the Right Thing to do to him, even if it's not automatically 'the right thing' for the rest of the world's safety.

But we know, thanks to their pattern (1x03, 1x04, 2x07, 3x09, general S4, 4x07, general S5, 5x04, 5x08) that it's something that can and has routinely gotten him into trouble in the past, particularly in S2 and S5.

We also know that Rayla fundamentally doesn't see anything wrong with Callum, either. "It doesn't matter" that he did dark magic before (2x07) and it likely won't ultimately matter to her again. She has so much faith and trust in him and his ability to do the impossible that the idea of Aaravos possessing him again in an awful way is downright hard for her to fathom. To her / in her mind, Callum is sweet and nice (even on the rare instances he yells at her), caring and loving and compassionate. And he is all those things, but even when one another's worst traits come out, both have a tendency to forgive and accept.

Now, part of this is because they have a mutual basis, for lack of a better word, of lines the other would never cross that are all conveniently the lines the other could never forgive (Rayla putting Ez at risk on a whim, Callum killing Stella for dark magic ingredients) which just perpetuates this cycle of support, forgiveness, and unconditionality.

Because unconditional love is great — until it's not.

And I think this blend of "they are actively healthy and actively working on being healthier" mixed with the "oh God quarantine them and their codependent shit together elsewhere for the good of society" is why they 1) have the range that they do and 2) the subsequent appeal that they do.

[heathersdesk]

Something About Me You Should Know

Have any of you seen that person on TikTok whose whole thing is finding people's birthdays based on nothing but their available social media presence?

I have all the necessary skills to do that. I'm a genetic genealogist. I use commercial DNA testing to help adoptees, donor conceived people, and people with unknown paternity in the United States document their biological heritage and find living family. I'm very good at what I do. I find people, whether they want to be found or not.

I have to exercise a great deal of self-control not to do this to the men who berate me in my comments all over the Internet. They're not worth it. They don't learn anything from the experience. It makes them twice as hateful as they were before because all it does is increase their fear, which is what motivates them to do what they do.

But that doesn't mean I haven't learned anything from it.

I did this to someone from DezNat who was harassing me, and to someone who has been harassing me since the election. Let me tell you what I learned from those experiences.

The DezNat individual was deeply concerned about being perceived as morally correct. They were also in Idaho, not far from me. When I threatened to come to their testimony meeting and reveal who they were and what they were doing, they got scared enough to contact me personally from another account. They wanted reassurance that I wouldn't actually do it. They pretended to be "a friend of that guy" and confirmed the suspicions I had from the very beginning: all of those accounts were being created and managed by a very small number of people. Their network included accounts pretending to be left-leaning, specifically so they could engage in arguments under false pretenses and increase the feelings of loneliness and alienation among left leaning people.

This second case is more recent. They chased and hounded me for three days about voting for Kamala Harris. I lost all of my patience and went to work on election night because I had the time. I learned an incredible amount about this guy—enough to know he was only pretending to be a leftist concerned about Palestine, and was actually a Trump supporter in rural Pennsylvania. I know his stepmother is an Asian Trump supporter, as are several of his half siblings. This is exactly how I know he's a Trump supporter. He doesn't care about what happens to them, and neither does his Trump loving father, who was dumb enough to put his zip code in his Instagram handle.

That guy also didn't learn anything from the situation, but I did. Once again, it's confirmation that people in leftist spaces harassing people the most, including those who appear to be on the left, are actually Trump supporters playing stupid games. Don't engage with them. Block them. Report them.

They want you to be angry and exhausted. They want to take your time and energy away from the work you're doing. They want to perpetuate the perception that the left is fractured and disorganized. They want to put you in the mindset where you attack other leftists because of what they say to you.

There's a reason I use my full name on the Internet and have for years now. I am exactly who I appear to be. You want to show up in my ward or at my house? Do it. Look me in my face and say the things you say online. Put yourself in actual space where I could show you exactly what I think of you. That guy from DezNat knew where I lived. I told him to come. Let me see his face. Let me see exactly who it is that pretends to be my brother at Church but is secretly a predator. Let me see you.

They won't because they're cowards. They're terrified of what they cannot understand. Everything they do is motivated by fear.

Don't waste a second being scared of them and what they can do. Peel off the mask and there's just a terrified mouse of a human being, scared that someone bigger and badder than them is going to come along and eat them. That's why they love Trump so much. He makes them feel strong because they're not. He makes them feel powerful because they're not. He vanishes all their deepest insecurities, which is something they desperately need.

That's why they're scared of you: because you don't need that. And if you ever figured that out for even half a second, you would destroy every illusion they have about themselves and the world with the truth.

You want to taunt a Trump supporter. Don't call them racists or fascists. They don't know what those words mean. Tell them "I know something you don't know." Because you do! You know all kinds of stuff about Trump that they don't know! You know all kinds of things about the world that they don't know. They live in a bubble of their own construction. Point out all the things they don't know because they live in their bubble.

If you're feeling sad and frustrated right now, that's okay. But don't be scared of these people. They're unworthy of your fear. Being unbothered by anything they say and do is the smartest thing you could do right now. Regroup and recommit to ruining their day. That's what they're afraid of, and it's what they deserve. Show them everything they're missing out on by staying in the bubble that was made for them.

Be free and happy as yourself because they are not. That's the best revenge there is: to be full of the unconditional love for yourself and compassion for others they don't have.

[office-anomaly]

I mean, I’d love to hear your varcie thoughts!

(again, these are my opinions only. we can discuss to avoid fighting if ever there is disagreement lol ;w;)

READ UNDER THE CUT

ok so i will preface this by saying that everything is framed in the context of SDMI since marcie appears in that show only. vaphne and varcie are both good ships, but i prefer varcie a bit more due to how in sync velma is with marcie in a way that i think is even more aligned than she is with daphne in the show. and an extra element that i think seals the deal for me!

the first is the most obvious, which is velma and marcie being more aligned in interest and intellect. daphne is also intelligent, but it manifests more in her empathy and social navigation rather than hard knowledge and investigative method. this difference in approaching problems is important, and since marcie has the same (or near the same) informational understanding of the world as velma, this allows her to help velma in more straightforward ways. one example is how they were able to reverse engineer a tracking device from a chip they found, making investigation easier. given velma's one-track mindedness for mystery-solving, this could be read as commitment on marcie's part.

velma and marcie also both come from the same circuit. while different interests have not hindered velma and daphne from forming a meaningful friendship, it did affect priorities for them, the most obvious one being personal pursuits. having similar approaches to problem-solving allows velma and marcie focus on the task at hand most, if not all, the time. this lessens the likelihood of derailment and friction. a fair thing consider though is there's speculation here due to how brief marcie's appearance was in SDMI.

second is how they made each other better people in the short time they had on SDMI. as i said in a previous post that i like vaphne because V&D make each other better people, but we see this across the span of many shows and movies rather than being contained in a single storyline, so it feels less urgent and more stable. i felt like in SDMI, it was more of a given that V&D would be there for each other rather than a development i'm supposed to follow. in the case of velma and marcie, it was such a delight to see them develop into each other's support systems, even if its origins were off-screen in the time between seasons. personally, this feels more heartwarming because you see how big the changes are in velma when she came to terms with who she is and dropped whatever pretense she had about what she thinks she needs. it was refreshing and freeing to see her not want to change anything about marcie because she already knows that this is what she needs.

in marcie's case, she finally found a friend (and possibly more) in velma and doesn't feel like she has to put up walls around her. it's fairly simple since she's a secondary character, but it doesn't feel any less earned.

the whole rivals-to-friends-to-lovers thing is honestly so peak, i have to say.

third and last is...there's an element of reckless abandon that adds a lot of drama to this ship--which is ironic since both girls are shown to be very logical and grounded. what does this mean? you have to excuse me for being a bit delusional, but it reads like love to me. i think this is a unique factor of varcie, where our girls make dangerous, borderline bonkers calls in the name of love for each other.

we all know what happened at the end of marcie's arc, but there were other instances where she willingly laid down her own safety just so velma can achieve her goals. it almost feels kind of like a soap opera, where love takes over logic by way of self-sacrifice (figuratively and *sigh* literally). like you gotta realize how insane it is for marcie to say yes to going into the heart of Mr. E's lair to steal the disks for velma (and mystery inc). that is not a light favor to ask, and not a light favor to agree to!

on velma's end, she has to swallow her grief and see things through to not waste marcie's sacrifice. that is not an easy thing to do either. there's a tinge of madness happening in this ship that's driven by love and i think that's bittersweet and beautiful :( i try to be normal about this ship, but i fail most of the time lol

so yeah, that's pretty much it. thanks for being patient and reading my thoughts on varcie. i wanted to make sure what i'm writing made sense, so hopefully it does (??). if there are any violent reactions, let me know, we can talk about it :D

[tainbocuailnge]

anyway enough of that time to post about shalem again. the amount of people shalem is known to interact or have some kind of connection with is abysmally small so it's hard to vary the dynamics you put him into unless you pull in people you can't prove even know he exists because doctor is too much of a real character to just throw at him in whatever way you want if you have any academic integrity. which i do even though my life would be so much simpler if i didn't. and of everyone who's known to know him the only ones who really know anything about him beyond being a pleasant coworker are phantom and doctor which limits your range even further.

i think shalem would very much like to be pursued (with intent of forming a positive interpersonal relationship of some form) both for complex reasons of like external observation and verification of something worthwhile and identifiable underneath the unremarkable pretense and for very simple reasons of he doesn't like when it's quiet around -> i think he just gets lonely easily (moe). but he's also kinda doomed to being the one who has to do the pursuing instead because nobody will realize what he wants + what there is worth wanting about him if he doesn't take initiative at some point. and he's too scared to take that initiative in most circumstances because he doesn't trust himself, both in that he doesn't trust that what he wants is good for anyone and that he doesn't trust that there actually is such a thing as "himself" for others to see and connect with to begin with

-> which means if he were to actually be pursued in such a manner i think he's going to be a deer in headlights for a while the moment it becomes clear this pursuit extends beyond the barrier of superficial pleasantries. that's not an interaction he's actually prepared for, and he's bad at improvising lies, including to cover up that (he fears) there's nothing there. you can see some of that when iris brings up the crimson troupe ticket, he was very eager to have this tea party with her and melantha but freezes up when they want to seriously know something that touches on his background (and by extension his "self"), even though they don't even realize that's what they're asking him about.

but despite his hesitancy to take initiative the glimpses we've seen of what he's like outside his assigned personality suggest that this hesitancy is one of those imposed traits and he's actually pretty decisive, like, if something needs doing and noone is doing it he's the one who will sigh and finally fucking do it. he ran away from the troupe because the situation was fucking stupid and someone had to do something. he got phantom out of there because the situation was fucking stupid and someone had to do something. he's going to kill the audience in his head because this situation is fucking stupid and he's gotta do something. it's just a matter of how bad things need to get before he breaks character to be like "this is fucking stupid why are we letting this happen" and finally does something about it. which is just another way in which he's doomed to have to do the pursuing himself, he quite literally is just the kind of character who has to swallow his fears and get it done his damn self. he tries very hard to be someone meek and his life would easier if he was but he's not and he knows he's not. he's not good enough at acting for that.

[maspers]

Ranking the Miracucast by how they'd react to being chosen as the next holder of One For All

Marinette: She would scream and cry and do everything in her power to avoid becoming the next Symbol of Peace. She would then proceed to be one of the most beloved and powerful Heroes the world has ever seen. 9/10

Alya: Depends on when she gets the Quirk. Early Seasons Alya is all about fame and branding, and she'd be loved by the populace as a hero but make a decent amount of rookie mistakes. Late Seasons Alya would be way more competent as a One For All user, but she also knows how to keep things subtle. I can see her becoming an Underground Hero like Eraserhead. Either way, 7/10

Adrien: Yes. 10/10

Nino: He would be very confused as to why he's being chosen, but if his friends were in danger he'd do it. Would much prefer to focus on his music than hero work, and as such would be known for the former more than the latter. 3/10

Chloe: She would try so, so, so hard to be the ultimate superhero that everyone loves. Unfortunately we saw how that went down in canon. She has the potential to great things, but motives will always be a serious problem for her. 4/10

Sabrina: Getting One For All might be what it takes to get her out of her shell. She'd never reach the fame and reputation that All Might and Deku have, but she would treat her powers with utmost respect and very few people would have bad things to say about her as a hero. 7/10

Mylene: She would be very confused, and very scared, and honestly would probably reject the Quirk outright. If forced to take it she'd be great, but I just can't see her wanting to hold on to it. She prefers to change the world in other ways. 3/10

Ivan: Everyone would doubt him due to making assumptions, but he would surpass them all and come into his own as a beloved and respected hero, albeit one that's pretty intimidating. He wouldn't really focus on quirks other than the super strength, but hey, it worked for All Might! 8/10

Rose: Be afraid. Be very afraid. 6/10

Juleka: Guaranteed to be more of the Underground hero type. Possibly might go full vigilante. She would use the Quirks very differently than most would expect, so people won't make the connection to past One For All holders. She does not want to have a body count, but definitely has one. 6/10

Kim: Kim is a total doofus who would immediately gain a rep as a reckless hero who causes lots of collateral damage but makes up for it by just trying really hard. Deep down he will feel unworthy and self-conscious. Local Himbo has internal turmoil and Does Not Deserve It. 5/10

Max: Would reject the Quirk outright and only accept it in the most dire of circumstances. Max does not want a messy complicated Quirk like One For All. Max likes simple and efficient, stuff he can manipulate from the get go. One For All is not simple. Give it to someone else. 0/10

(side note: while Max does not want One For All, Markov absolutely does, and finding a way to give Markov One For All would make for an interesting challenge. But Max still isn't taking it.)

Alix: Would politely decline taking it. Because she's already received it (and passed it on after engaging in brief shenanigans with it) in the future, and knows it is not her battle to fight in the present. Alix/10

Nathaniel: Please let this poor boy have some sleep. He is very tired and very angry and accepted the Quirk on impulse and really doesn't want to do this. Eventually manages to figure out his niche being a artist/spraypaint hero (Alix helps), and may or may not accidentally trigger the downfall of a corrupt government. 7/10

Lila: She obtained it under false pretenses and we are all doomed. There's a slim chance she'll do some hero work for the sake of her image, but like. The cons will definitely outweigh the pros. This was a mistake. 1/10

Luka: Accepted One For All during a time of great need, and knew the moment he received it that it was something Important. He puts on a front of being chill, but treats his work as a Hero with the utmost of seriousness and will do what has to be done. Like his sister, he would actively strive to not have a body count, but definitely would have one. 9/10

Kagami: She's a superhero with a sword. Awesomeness is the default. She will have no idea what she is doing but like. She has a sword. Stuff is getting done. 7/10

Marc: Look, you know Worm? You know Legend? One For All Marc would be like Legend except less hunk and more bishonen. The fangirls and fanboys will rejoice. Marc does not want all the attention, but he has it anyway. 6/10

Ondine: Kim accepts his role as the ultimate trophy boyfriend. Ondine would be competent, but she would also create even more collateral damage. 5/10

Aurore (New!): If there's one thing she knows, it's branding. She may not be known as a particularly powerful hero, but her branding would be top notch. When people figure out she's the latest successor she will OWN it and turn it into more branding. 5/10

Felix: Was likely offered One For All by someone who thought he was Adrien, and accepted it under that pretense. Would do a good job as a hero (and would give Adrien the credit in the process) but would figure out how to use all the Quirks very quickly and have a gig as a vigilante going on under a different identity, using different quirks to keep people in the dark. Very sus, Felix. You can be better than this. 2/10

Zoe: Look the populace would pick up on the fact that she's blonde and associated with America and immediately assume she's related to All Might. That's just going to happen. All Might will basically have to end up adopting her, if he's still around. She does not like this, but makes it work. 6/10

[descendant-of-truth]

The amount of unexplored concepts in Zi-o is driving me insane but I can only tackle one thing per post so let's talk about Sougo for a minute

As someone who immediately clocked Sougo as having something off about him (to the point where I wrote day-one fanfiction about it), I was really expecting there to be a few episodes where we just. sat down and unpacked all of it. We didn't get that, but the crumbs we did get only solidify my opinion that Sougo is a really compelling character when you take the time to think about him.

On a surface level, Sougo is… very normal, I think. He's a cheerful guy, he's polite, he has a definite silly streak to him. He's kinda awkward, he fumbles around with Sento's catchphrase and struggles with his schoolwork. Like any good-natured protagonist, he has a drive to protect others and has no problem inconveniencing himself a bit to help someone out. These are all true things about him.

Sougo is also very good at manipulating people. And he does it by using his usual mannerisms to his advantage.

Take the episodes with Kuroto for instance. Sougo gets on Kuroto's side effortlessly by looking bright-eyed and enthusiastic about working with him, and this is completely believable to us as viewers because Sougo is always this enthusiastic. It's even relevant to his goal to become king - of course he would want to study under an actual king to get experience!

What makes this interesting is that it's only half true. Sougo isn't faking his enthusiasm, but he is faking his motivation. He doesn't want to work with Kuroto because he thinks he's cool, he wants to work with him because he wants to confirm if he's terrible first, and then take notes on how to not be terrible in the future.

And this is what makes him so good at manipulation: he knows how to channel his behaviors in such a way that he always seems genuine. Of course, it probably helps that he's often only half-faking anyway, which makes it even more convincing.

He's also usually using this skill for a good cause, but when armed with the knowledge that he became evil in the original timeline, it suddenly puts him in a different light; one where you can go "oh, so that's where he's keeping all his supervillain potential."

He displays this cunning side to him in a lot of smaller instances - using Woz's dedication to him as a means to summon him at any time, getting Geiz and Tsukuyomi to hang out with him under the pretense of their mission to keep him from turning evil, so on and so forth.

They sneak this part of him into the script all the time, and the only person to really bring it up is, interestingly enough, his mirror world self.

This scene makes me go nuts because it perfectly displays Sougo's inner conflict that he's usually really good at keeping under wraps. Though admittedly, they also make it a little unclear as to whether he was actually trying to manipulate anyone or just feels like he did anyway... but I think I've got it mostly figured out.

What's happening here, as I understand it, is that Sougo does genuinely want to save Geiz, but there is a small part of him that wants the power that comes with the Ryuga watch, too. And he does not like that part.

He knows that he's manipulated people before, and so when he notices having a second motivation here beyond his more idealistic one, he feels like he's manipulating people again. Making Tsukuyomi think that he's actually a good person when he just prompted Geiz to go sacrifice himself - he harbors a surprising amount of guilt.

And that's another key thing about Sougo that I haven't talked about yet: he hides things constantly.

Like, for example, why he wants to become king in the first place.

This is a lie. Sougo wants to become king because of a recurring dream depicting the most traumatic event of his life, where his only solace is someone telling him that he can save the world if he becomes a king.

But he insists in multiple episodes that it's just "something he's always known." He treats it very casually, despite it dramatically affecting his life plans.

Sougo treats most things with the same smiley nonchalance, honestly, in a way that can make him feel sort of detached from reality at times. But he takes things more seriously than it seems, and it's clear that he harbors a very deep sense of loneliness in him as well. Geiz and Tsukuyomi being his first real friends is one of the driving forces of the narrative, after all.

He also just drops lines like this sometimes that make me go crazy like hey has anyone checked on this guy emotionally during the entire show, I am Concerned

Like!! he says this about the possibility of him being the only person to not survive the final battle, and I know this isn't the first time he's expressed a similar sentiment and it's kind of a tradition for the protagonists of these shows to be like this but. god. and he says it while smiling

(You might be noticing a theme with Sougo and smiling through pain and you would be absolutely correct to do so)

I guess what I'm getting at with this whole post is that the appeal of Sougo's character, to me, is that he's just as much a silly, awkward guy with loads of enthusiasm as he is a cunning, clever person who knows how to lie to get the outcome he wants. He's both very cheerful and very sad on the inside, and none of these things are treated like they're in conflict with each other.

Sougo himself said it best:

And I dunno, I just think that's a really cool way to write your main hero who's working against his destiny to become evil. Or just any character in general. I both completely believe him as a hero and also never quite got rid of that "off" feeling that made me compelled to write about him when the show first started.

Zi-o as a show missed a lot of opportunities to explore things deeper, and Sougo is definitely included in that, but it never failed to keep me interested in him as a character because something about his specific combination of personality traits makes him very compelling to watch.

(He also makes the other writing flaws that much more frustrating because he's way too good of a character for these scripts)

[dr-futbol-blog]

Letters from Pegasus, Pt. 2

While McKay returns to his lab to work on the plan, Sheppard finds himself something to occupy himself with. We find them in the control platform with Zelenka, looking at the long-range sensor read-out of the wraith ships and Zelenka's projection on their probable route toward Atlantis. Sheppard actually tells Weir: "Teyla and I were just deciding which planet to go to." That is, Sheppard and Teyla had been discussing what to do while a member of their team is otherwise occupied, and since they could not ask McKay to give them information, they had roped in Zelenka. Weir had joined them some time after. Their plan was to do a recon mission

I'll draw your attention to the fact that Sheppard once more has his hand between himself and Weir. He also does not turn his body toward her as he speaks to her, only his head. Most of the conversation he keeps his eyes fixed on the screen like that is where his focus is, and that's where his focus should be, too. Zelenka, Teyla, Weir and Sheppard are all acting like normal people, co-workers discussing work. Especially Sheppard and Zelenka's interaction lets us contrast his behaviour with a scientist with his scientist.

And I know that I'm belabouring the point, but see how he gestures with his hand like he is subconsciously establishing a perimetre there between himself and Weir.

There is something off about Sheppard's tone in this scene. Like he's putting up some kind of a pretense either for Weir or for all of them. What ever he is actually feeling at this time, he is concealing it underneath this charming, boyish persona. Like he's purposefully trying to keep his demeanor light--and this might just be a response to the wraith approaching, as he is standing in front of the screen that displays their approach while he acts this way. The fact that Teyla's voice shakes as though she is suppressing fear when she points to the planet where the wraith will be attacking next just highlights the false nature of Sheppard's upbeat attitude.

We are once again reminded of the fact that Sheppard is quite sharp:

Weir: How do you expect to reach them in a Puddle Jumper? Sheppard: We fly to a Stargate en route that Zelenka thinks they're gonna drop out of hyperspace and we watch ‘em pass by. Weir: That's good. Sheppard: Well, I have my moments.

He says that he has his moments in order to downplay his intelligence in current company. It's one thing for McKay to know he could have passed the Mensa test but there is really no tactical advantage in letting people know just how smart you are. Weir tells them to come back before McKay is done and Sheppard has no problem with this because he probably hadn't even planned to stay gone longer than McKay is occupied:

Sheppard: Stealth mode. They won't even know we're there. Weir: OK. Go. Get what intel you can and get back--before Rodney sends his message. I need the both of you here. Sheppard: Won't even stop at the duty free!

Sheppard has a physical reaction to Weir mentioning Rodney by name. As soon as she says the name, he looks to his right and shifts his footing. He doesn't appear to look at anything in particular, doesn't necessarily have even time to think about anything in particular, but it is interesting that his body has an automated response just to the mention of McKay.

Weir issues Sheppard an order not to take on the wraith on his own and this, once more, seems like her overstepping her post. This is very much a military matter and it should be up to Sheppard's discretion what should be done about it. Still, she issues a direct order and he even acknowledges that the order was received which is relevant for later. However, he also lies to Weir and while we have seen him lie many times before, here we are asked to pay attention to it through his facial expression.

Weir tells her not to take on wraith ships "on yourself". Sheppard confirms that he will not take on an alien armada single-handed. While he looks to his side at Teyla. He says "single-handed", then looks at Teyla, and only then confirms the order. Because, while he may not be planning on doing anything drastic at this particular moment, he is keeping his options open. And if it just so happened that they were called to do something, doing it with Teyla is not doing it single-handed. It's a loop-hole. It is acknowledging the letter of the law but not the law itself.

Weir is not military and clearly does not know how to issue direct orders. And here, we see Sheppard retain his option for seeing things a little different if need be, to keep the option of making his own calls. Also note that you have to be able to read Sheppard's expression to understand what actually happens in the scene. It's a visual cue that is a key to interpreting the dialogue.

It is somewhat odd that Ford does not seem to be a part of their plan and is not going on the mission with them. Ordinarily, they would all go but currently McKay is otherwise occupied. And yes, obviously Ford needs to stay back to be able to record everyone's messages but he has not been assigned the task yet so he has no motivation for staying behind. The only explanation for him not accompanying them is that Sheppard leaves him behind to make sure McKay is safe while he is away. This imminent threat looming over them, he is not taking any chances. There is also a really big marine standing guard during the meeting of the senior staff later on which we've never seen happen before so clearly Sheppard has been taking precautions. And this guy seems to be keeping an eye on McKay in particular. Not that everyone wouldn't know just how important he is to the expedition.

It's also curious that this scene in the meeting room cuts directly to Sheppard and Teyla in the jumper discussing the topic of what he might do if his dear friend was in danger from the wraith:

Teyla: If someone close to your family--a dear friend--was in danger of being taken by the Wraith, would you have not done the same? Sheppard: Not if it jeopardised the mission.

The thing is, we see over the seasons that what ever moral code Sheppard has, what ever ethical principles he operates on, he is willing to break each and every one of them for McKay. We see him not only be prepared but actually do some pretty darn dark things to keep McKay safe. He actually is willing to doom the entire human race including his closest friends (and himself, naturally) for this man, and he would do it without a second thought. He wouldn't even feel bad about it. This is why Col. Sumner and Gen. O'Neill told Weir that he's a liability. This is the little different that Sheppard is willing to see through. McKay is the exception to every rule he has.

So, Sheppard and Teyla gate to a planet where she has some acquaintances. She makes the introductions, and we are reminded of the passage of time and that the characters have changed from when we first met them:

Orin: Look at you! You're so different! Teyla: Much has changed since my last visit.

Orin looks at Sheppard curiously as Teyla introduces them, clearly thinking that the two of them are an item. They are of the opposite sex and out there alone together, that is all that it takes for someone to come to this conclusion.

Relevant to this episode is the fact that Orin has a family, one that Teyla wishes to save. The concept of family comes up several times in the episode, especially the concept of the found family, the family that is created out of the people of one's choosing. Although there is not much interaction between Sheppard and McKay in this episode, as stated, we learn that they have very similar feelings when it comes to this concept.

You can tell that family is a particularly difficult topic for Sheppard in how he turns his head away the moment Teyla mentions the word family, as to escape the very thought of it. I would also bet good money on this man resembling Sheppard's father at least to some extent as Sheppard and Orin do share features as they are stood here facing each other. This man seems kind, he seems like a good man. The resemblance must be... superficial.

Sheppard seems initially reluctant to jeopardize their mission to save these villagers, causing friction between himself and Teyla. Teyla tells him "It is the very least we can do" with a pointed look, reminding him of the fact that it was their actions that unleashed the wraith upon these worlds but in spite of Sheppard feeling the full weight of the guilt for having caused this, he tells them that he cannot make the promise to save this man and his family.

Back on Atlantis, they are having another meeting discussing what all they should be sending with the information package back to Earth. Since Sheppard is not present for this meeting, we are able to see how different the interaction is when he is absent. Weir compliments McKay who actually responds in a modest way just like Sheppard did earlier regarding his intelligence, having his moments. McKay hears Weir calling what he has done 'incredible,' so he's telling her that it's actually the algorithm that has done most of the work, it's perfectly credible for him to have fit the data they have deciphered into the data burst.

McKay: I've included a ton of data that we've been able to decipher from the Ancient database. Weir: Really? That is incredible! McKay: Well, the algorithm I've devised is extraordinarily efficient, yes. Beckett: Oh, please!

But that's not what the people around the table hear, and Beckett especially seems to roll his eyes at McKay's perceived arrogance (surely taking pride in one's work is not arrogant; arrogant would be him making promises he couldn't deliver). We have never seen him do this when Sheppard has been present probably because he wouldn't dare. They all just seem to take it for granted that Sheppard is always going to side with McKay and vice versa. That Sheppard would jump to his rescue. This time, it is Weir that acknowledges the work that he's done for them:

Weir: It must be, in order to fit all that data into one point three seconds. McKay: Point three seconds, actually. Weir: We have a whole extra second to fill?! McKay: A whole extra one, yes. Weir: Is it enough to include personal messages? McKay: Uh, sure--I mean, several hours of video. Much more if it was strictly audio.

The other notable thing is McKay's reaction to the possibility of sending messages back to Earth. If the concept of family seemed uncomfortable to Sheppard, the concept of sending personal messages to Earth seems to be the same to McKay. He can't even get any words out at first. It had not even occurred to him that it a) could be done and that b) anyone would want to do it. The thought also seems to make him uncomfortable.

Like Teyla, he also has changed a lot during his time on Atlantis and this, much more so than the possibility of sending information and mission reports back to Earth, forces him to think back on his life--his non-life--back on Earth. Some people seem to have left behind something worth remembering but he does not think that he has anything back there worth sending messages to. Ford, on the other hand, is instantly excited and has a specific person in mind:

Ford: I could tell my grandma what I've been up to all this time. Weir: Well, if your grandmother had security clearance, yes, you could! But for now you can tell her that you're well--and that you miss her. McKay: This is all very charming, but, um, I have work to do -- shouldn't I, uh…?

McKay seems extremely discomfited by this possibility. But note Weir's reference to the security clearance. They emphasize this multiple times in the episode--the messages cannot contain classified information unless the receiver has the proper security clearance. And although Ford, assigned by Weir to take care of filming the messages assures them that no one will see the messages besides the recipient, it's clear that they are going to undergo a security check. Beckett even comments on this later:

Ford: Well, don't worry. The only people who'll see it is gonna be your family. Beckett: Aye--and you and the US military!

That is, it is explicitly confirmed that members of the military are going to review the tapes before they are sent to anyone--if they are sent to anyone. McKay's message to his sister, for one, seems never to have reached her, although I will argue here that sending a message to his sister was but an afterthought, anyway. McKay actually started recording the message for a whole other purpose.

In the earlier meeting, McKay mentioned that he had done the coding for the Air Force, and he nodded toward Sheppard as he said this. It reminds us about the fact that McKay is on the USAF payroll (and answers to the Chiefs of Staff, as per his own witness). The reason why we need to remember and were hence reminded about this state of affairs is that McKay has been doing civilian contracting for the military, and specifically for the Air Force, for a very long time and he knows how it works. He knows the ins and outs of their politics and, if we assume that he is something other than straight, he is also familiar with all of the issues faced by gay and bisexual men in the military at this time.

Because members of the military are bound by a code of conduct, it falls on the civilian to make an exaggerated performance of heterosexuality so that if and when anyone is seen with them, they will be assumed to share in this (cf. Moebius in SG-§ for an example of him doing this). If he performs over-the-top straightness then anyone seen with him will be interpreted as straight because that kind a person, naturally presumed to be homophobic, would not hang around with the 'queers'.

To her credit, Weir seems to notice that McKay is being weird about the whole sending messages thing:

Weir: Rodney? McKay: Hm? Weir: You don't wanna send a message to anyone? McKay: You know what? Maybe with all my spare time I'll just record a message myself… you? Weir: Yes. McKay: Good, good.

So, McKay was not originally going to record a message. He clearly refers to spare time sarcastically, as he has had precious little of it lately. He also had no one in mind to send a message to; no one back on Earth that was significant enough for him to say anything to. In this, he and Sheppard seem to be alike. They were both lonely, although for different reasons. Sheppard had isolated himself to the Antarctic so as not to get attached to anyone he might get killed. McKay had been banished to Siberia for being unlikable--or at the very least he felt that way. He had been meeting new people with an abrasive attitude to take the sting out of the eventual rejection. If you're not really trying to connect with anyone it won't hurt so much when they don't want to get to know you. So yes, both men were alone and lonely (and cold, seems like) on Earth. And then, here, they had found a home and a family. In the expedition at large, in all the people in this small community, but most of all in each other. Everything McKay cared about is on Atlantis, so why does he decide to start recording a message with "several valuable insights" to "humanity in general"?

Even though he remembers his sister toward the end of his recording session and does record a heartfelt message to her reflecting what family means to him now that he has finally found one, that wasn't the motivation. When he started recording the message, he was recording it to SGC personnel, to the USAF, to which ever official would be going through the tapes, to Samantha Carter whom he was certain would be the one decoding the message (and not because he has any special attachment to her but because she's an USAF officer that he happens to know; and a woman at that). He starts recording the message for (although not to) Sheppard.

This is pretty much confirmed by the fact that Ford asks Zelenka: "You didn't say anything that would require security clearance, did you?" reminding us of the fact that unless the recipient has the proper security clearance, they could not say anything classified on the message. McKay's entire message was full of things that would never pass a security check, off the bat he starts with describing their fight against the wraith "deep within the Pegasus galaxy". He knew there was no goddamn way anyone besides military personnel would be watching his video. It's entirely possible they never sent his message to his sister because it didn't pass the check as he had only remembered he had a sister half-way through recording all manner of crap designed never to pass the security check.

At the earlier meeting, he had reminded Sheppard of his position in the USAF. He knows perfectly well what kind of a situation they are in with regards to military regulations, and why Sheppard might be reluctant to want to contact Earth on official business. If he has to act the part of Valentino to make it just a little bit easier for him, he can do that. He had been doing that long before he ever met Sheppard. But it isn't just for the eyes of military security but also for Weir, because of Weir, that he records the message. She basically cornered him here and let him know how strange it is that he would not want to send a message like the rest of them. That it was suspicious. That a normal person would want to "tell her that you're well--and that you miss her," like she told Ford. So it seems like he is forced to keep up appearances on several fronts, here.

And this is the context in which we must decipher his recorded message.

Continued in Pt. 3

[gorillawithautism]

saw someone say "he's not some uneducated, brainwashed..." (i don't know the rest of the sentence because that is where i stopped reading 🫶)

this was said in regards to a celebrity being zionist, implying that he should know better and that he's not innocent. i agree that he should know better but

as someone who has been through thought reform abuse (ie brainwashing) in the troubled teen industry i would like to clarify a few things

first and foremost, zionism is brainwashing. it is brainwashing to a political end which is something that happens all the time. there should be no argument about the fact that many if not all zionists are brainwashed. unfortunately, brainwashed people can also cause very real harm.

being brainwashed does not mean that you are innocent. i am still hurt by many of the things my peers did to me even though they too were brainwashed. and i still regret many of the things i did to my peers due to my own brainwashing. and i mean, zionists are actively killing people. i never did anything like that. we just like,, emotionally damaged each other under the pretense of our collective abuse. the genocide we are witnessing are even more reason that zionists are not innocent and never, ever fucking will be.

third, i resent the original post pairing "brainwashed" with "uneducated." that isn't really a fair connection to draw. we all know that by "uneducated" they mean "stupid" (which already isn't really fair because a lack of education does not mean a lack of intelligence but that's a whole other conversation). they mean "you won't get brainwashed if you know enough." and i mean first of all as someone who has been brainwashed i find that kind of hurtful to me specifically but you are still liable to be brainwashed even if you know things. with zionist brainwashing it's a little easier to break through it with Facts and Knowledge because their propaganda is so easily disproven HOWEVER the "facts" they push aren't their only tactic.

brainwashing is a lot about reteaching. it's like taking a baby and teaching them about the world except the world you're teaching them about is the one you want them to see, not the one that's actually there. i was thirteen and incredibly emotionally vulnerable when i was put into my tti facility and i stayed there for two and a half years (2y 5mo 1day to be exact). i then stayed brainwashed probably for another two? hard to pinpoint because breaking out of it is a process. they relied on the fact that new "students" didn't know the rules of the new environment they'd just been plopped into. they got to make up all the rules and say "that's just how it is here." and as you stay in the environment, the logic of the environment becomes your new MO. the rules that didn't make sense on your first day start to have rational explanations behind them in your head. not because you're stupid or crazy but because you've been taught to follow the logic of the environment.

with zionism, they play on fear and racism. they amplify the fear of going through another holocaust to convince people that jews need a "homeland" (and by "homeland" they mean jewish supremacist ethnostate). they use the racism to "justify" pushing the indigenous palestinians out of palestine. it follows a logic. it's an immoral and twisted logic, but it's important to recognize that for zionists it is a logic nonetheless. "we need a homeland -> this is our homeland -> it can't be our homeland if the palestinians have rightful claim -> palestinians must be exterminated" (for some, you can replace "palestinians must be exterminated" with "palestinians don't exist." doesn't matter, it's the same goal slightly different thought process).

brainwashing is also reinforced by punishment. by being punished when you dissent as well as seeing others be punished for dissenting. at my tti facility this came in the form of manual labor or "therapeutic" assignments or isolation. the manual labor was probably the most common as you could be assigned half an hour of work for the most minor infractions and you could also rack up a fuck ton of those before the scheduled opportunity to work one off. so they built up. doing that work as well as witnessing others do that work in return for the smallest mistake was a daily occurrence. the consequences for being a "problem" and the goal of "graduating" the program were the two biggest incentives for being "successful." the zionist entity enforces their brainwashing with two threats: that of punishment and that of fear. "if you leave israel you will be hunted down and killed for being a jew." this is fear. a reason to stay and continue being brainwashed and aiding the occupation. "if you don't join the idf you get jailed." or when israeli police went into an antizionist jewish neighborhood and attacked people? yeah that's punishment for dissenting. clear as day.

i wrote this post because ngl it offended me to have brainwashing paired with inherent stupidity, but also because the post i saw was implying that a zionist wasn't brainwashed. an implication which is almost certainly not factual and definitely portrays the reality of brainwashing incorrectly. brainwashing isn't someone snaps their fingers and now you think different. it's not being tricked. it's not mind control (at least not like you see in tv shows and movies). it's a manipulation tactic. it's reteaching. it's convincing. and it will suck you in if it can.

finally, i would like to reiterate that being brainwashed does not make a zionist innocent. the death should be more than enough to make them question themselves, and questioning it is the first step to breaking away from it completely. they are actively participating in a genocide, and nothing will make them innocent of that. that said, it's important not to dismiss the brainwashing. understand it. know it inside and out. knowing what it looks like and how it operates is what will keep you from being brainwashed and what will break down the brainwashing of others. knowing it will dismantle it.

[chippedshake]

What "Good that" means for each of the Gladers

(Book 1)

For Newt, "Good that" is an instinctive part of his vocabulary, and it comes out in casual and stressful situations, although mostly stressful, as a way to calm down. He uses it 9 times in the first book (6 more than Thomas, second place), and a lot of them are during the Gathering, where he's under the pressure of being the leader for the first time, not even being able to lean on Alby's authority, even if Newt has to actually make the decisions. For Newt, it's comfort.

For Alby, it's also a sign of comfort, but in a different way. Rather than using it indiscriminately, in every situation, Alby saves it. He doesn't instinctively use it to answer anything, he only uses it twice; in the scene where he and Newt realize he can't take care of himself anymore, and when he realizes he's doing a terrible job of introducing Thomas to the Glade. In both, his leadership position is coming under pressure, and he's doubting himself and his actions. For Alby, it's self assurance.

For Minho, it's a sign that everything is fine. He also only uses it twice, but he uses it when he's pretending everything is fine when it clearly isn't. First, after proposing Thomas be Keeper of the Runners, and getting shot down to just a Runner, his original goal. He has to keep his emotions together, not show anything, and he also knows there's a chance (small one, but it's there) that Thomas will be put in the Slammer. The second one is after they figure out what "The Maze is a code" means, when he tells Thomas to go into the Maze with him. He's desperately trying to keep up a pretense of normality when the word around him is anything but. For Minho, it's composure.

For Thomas, it's a way of feeling included. Throughout the book, he's constantly othered by being called "Greenie", "Newbie", "Greenbean", etc, and being excluded from everything they know, which we clesrly understand that he doesn't like from the constant complaints he directs towards the nicknames, asking people to call him Thomas or Tommy. No one really bothers to explain things to him well. By using "good that" (although only at 3 uses, he's the second most frequent user), he tries to establish himself as "one of them". For Thomas, it's inclusion.

For Chuck, it's similar to Thomas, but a bit different. When he says it to Thomas, it's a way of separating him from the Gladers and establishing himself as one of the in crowd. He's trying to include himself by excluding someone else. For Chuck, it's belonging.

I have way too many thoughts on this (it's literally two words that are mentioned about 18 times in the first book) so I'm definitely going to keep on overanalysing it in the other books.

[leareadsheresy]

Galaxy in Flames

This post contains spoilers for Galaxy in Flames, by Ben Counter, first published as a novel on (as nearly as I can tell) October 10th, 2006.

I'll be honest, I don't have a lot to say about this one. This book is the story of how Horus took the major part of the Sons of Horus, Death Guard, Emperor's Children, and World Eaters Legions to the Istvaan system on false pretenses of putting down another rebellion, and on the planet Istvaan III deployed those portions of them he judged most likely to object to his rebellion against the Emperor in a spearhead strike against the planetary capital, then bombarded the planet from orbit in an attempt to kill all the potential loyalists in a first strike. Saul Tarvitz, an Emperor's Children marine from Horus Rising, does some investigation behind the scenes, figures out the plot, then flees to the planet's surface in time to warn the spearhead, who take shelter underground, allowing many of them to survive the bombardment (virus bombs that otherwise kill all life on the planet, including its six or so billion civillian inhabitants). What follows is then three months of fighting on the surface in the ruins of the planetary capital, with the loyalists in slow retreat, getting whittled down to buy time in the hope that word has gotten out of Horus's treachery and a relief force will be sent to rescue them. No relief force arrives, but their slow defeat does tangle up the traitor forces in time for word of Horus's treachery to make it back to the Imperium. Loken and Torgaddon, the loyalist half of Horus's advisory Mournival council, fight Abaddon and Aximand, the traitor half; Abaddon and Aximand both live, Torgaddon dies, and Loken's fate is left unclear (spoilers he survives and is a character in later books).

It ends like this:

In the meantime, three embedded civilian observers who've been secondary characters in the last two books escape from Horus's flagship the Vengful Spirit to the Eisenstein, the one ship in the fleet held secretly by loyalists, which escapes and will be the subject of the next book. One of them, Euphrati Keeler, is now preaching the Emperor's divinity, manifesting miracles, and being called a saint.

It's essentially an extended action story with a jailbreak B-plot. It makes some odd pacing decisions, basically skipping from the bombardment to the last few day of the siege; I feel like it could have wrung more drama from making the situation more grinding and desperate... but then I'm just describing Helsreach, which is not surprising because Helsreach did this better.

All but one of the traitors have ridden a slip-and-slide down into Saturday morning cartoon villainy in this book; they're now all sneering monsters, constantly internal monologuing their own sense of superiority and expressing petty contempt for everyone around them, including amongst each other. Horus imperiously tells people who were his trusted allies, friends, and close confidants in Horus Rising how cool he is and how they'd better not fail him; those former close confidants and trusted allies just accept that he's right to do that and then treat their former friends and subordinates the same way. It's not even that they feel out of character; they don't really have characters. The exceptions are Lucius, who's like that but more so, because he's one of the series' designated ultra-assholes like Erebus, and Aximand, who kills Torgaddon and feels bad about it. I assume that'll come up later.

Look, it's fine. It does the job it sets out to do. It doesn't fail in any interesting or infuriating ways like False Gods did; the ending is reasonably affecting if you like Saul Tarvitz. It successfully novelizes some lore that was around for decades and moves the events of the series forward. This is one of the most important events in the Heresy and we'll be re-visiting it a lot in future material; I hear some of that future material treats it better than this did.

Euphrati Keeler's role is weird. You would think the book would be interested in playing with tone when it comes to the death of the atheistic Imperial Truth and the birth of the Imperial cult, but like the death of all native life on Istvaan III and the betrayal and murder of the loyalists by their traitor brothers, it's all presented in a very matter-of-fact manner.

[morgana-ren]

In sharing a love, do your ocs have 3somes/group sex? Are any of them sexually involved with each other, with or without a victim lover in the middle?

Is it a free for all on who they have to spend time with or is there like a subconscious rota??

I always see corvus as having some kind of un/official priority but maybe it depends on who brings them into the fold or falls first?

Simple answer? Yes. They absolutely have group sex. Especially in the early days before the territorial shit sets in and it's just a fun little hobby to keep you around. It is a fucking gas for them! For you? Absolute horror. Tiring and terrible tyranny. Exhausting and demanding and painful and just something you want to avoid at all costs. They are tireless and especially when they get drunk, they lean into the worst possible desires. All pretense drops even from stiff ones like Corvus, and it... it is a nightmare.

We're talking they're taking you down to Reaver's special rooms and you'll be put into an outfit and made to perform. In more ways than one. Maybe they get an elaborate roleplay going (and I do mean elaborate) or maybe they want a personal stripper to dance for them. It always devolves into the worst possible shit.

The most common way used to be that Corvus and Astarion would end up finding someone (or kidnapping someone) whether it was tricking some poor girl on the road, or burning a village and coming across someone they didn't want to kill, or stalking someone online and toying with them, or just-- a lot of it. They would be taken back to Reaver's manor, and Reaver's rent is that he gets to partake. Sometimes the girl(s) were a maid in the manor or a union rep he loathed (and wanted, because Reaver loves boinking the opposite end of the spectrum with people who are repulsed by him) and Reaver claimed that was his finding someone. Once Ilya joined, it was fairly common for him to take the boys out and goad them into trying to find someone.

In the early days, it's a free for all. When they want you, they'll have you. They'll just barge into the room and kick the other guy out, unless he manages to talk their way into the intercourse somehow. Corvus will end up partaking, but usually, he's going to focus on the mental anguish and terror first, being a prude and all. One of them (whoever is claiming to have spotted you first) will try to play a trump card and say you belong to them because they put the effort in. It doesn't usually work. They will bicker, and you can use that against them, but usually Corvus and Ilya will catch on to your little scheme. Corvus will call you out, but Ilya will go along with it just to cause chaos.

When things get serious, however, they realize that the chaos system with no rules isn't going to work. Corvus will call a moot and they will have to discuss rules and schedules. Things like no scarring somewhere too obvious for Astarion. No tattooing somewhere obvious for Reaver and no piercings unless everyone agrees. If Corvus wants a collar, it has to be agreed on by everyone, and no pregnancy. No trying to transform you into a cat girl or some dumb shit for Ilya unless it's a form agreed upon by everyone. Basically they will lay down rules for each other if they are going to share.

They will all inevitably try to get the leg up and break these rules, sometimes just to agitate each other. Corvus will slap a collar on you and go "Oops! It's enchanted. Can't take it off now." Astarion will drink and get rowdy and.. umm.. 'write' his name somewhere huge and gaudy. Ilya will use magic to just straight up steal you from someone because he wants to join the chaos but he has most kinks. Reaver will play the whole "It's my damned house and therefore--"

They usually have either a day or sectioned schedule per week. Think of it like a camp signup list. If Reaver has an early morning meeting, he wants you the previous evening. If Corvus has.. uh.. plans, he has to make it known. Astarion and Reaver will usually fight over breakfast because Reaver fancies himself inhuman and has a taste for blood, which Astarion hates and calls Reaver a fucking pretender. Eventually they will settle on having breakfast together with everyone, because Corvus and Ilya also partake in blood. It's a mess.

Eventually things will even out. They will just show up to take you when it's their turn. Corvus will gleefully show up at dawn pounding on the door and 'warning' it's his day just to ruin the other guy's time. Ilya will just pop into the room, grab you, wave bye-sies to whoever you were with, and pop out. Astarion will try to be respectful unless someone disrespected him. Reaver will start shooting his gun everywhere to warn them he expects you and soon.

Corvus only has priority because he's a pompous prick who thinks that he's the most important. He's a prince, and he found you, and he yada yada. Usually, it's Corvus who put a lot of the work into grabbing you (not for their sake, but because he isn't happy unless he's doing elaborate and horrifying schemes) and he tries to use this against them. He's also the most magically attuned with the exception of Ilya, so it's hard for, say, Reaver to stop him.

They will undermine each other constantly. It turns into a fucking episode of looney-tunes. Each of them trying to break the rules while technically not breaking the rules and get the upper hand. It will devolve into a game of making you like them best while still getting what they want.

As for their 'relationships' with each other, it went thusly:

Astarion and Corvus... sort of tried the first night. They were attracted to each other (they look very similar and obviously they're both handsome and it was an initial spark) but they quickly discovered they weren't compatible. This didn't stop them from getting drunk and hooking up later, but it was always a one-time thing. They don't do that now, and get awkwarded and grossed out if you mention it.

Reaver flirted with Corvus and they actually did try to have sex. They were both domineering tops. It was a 'horrible experience beyond words' for Reaver, and that the teeth do not a very merry man make. Corvus will only service if he stands to gain something, which he has everything he wants now, so he won't. Reaver demands control in bed and wanted... things. It was a mess.

Astarion and Reaver flirt, and it's sort of nebulous and dependent per au whether they have tried. It was never anything serious.

Covus and Ilya had an initial spark and would flirt constantly. But at the time, sex was the last thing on their minds as they were in the middle of a political revolution. Corvus still finds Ilya beautiful, but they both agree that they're best and most compatible when they're doing the same person that isn't each other, given the experiences with the others.

Corvus is remarkably selfish and that ruined most of the attempts. He will not please in bed unless he has incentive or unless he is trying to break you. He certainly won't do it for his brothers. He expected to be pleased, forgetting they are just as selfish as he is.

Astarion is very capable of pleasing, but even he is offput by Corvus' selfishness and he finds Reaver's desires in bed repugnant (when expected of him.)

Reaver is just too gross for any of them. He's handsome, but he catches the most flack for being the most openly degenerate.

Ilya is a wispy sort of beauty but he has a very particular set of expectations in bed, and the others weren't down to be his little bitch. Ilya wants to be in total control. He's capable of normal sex, but it doesn't really fulfill him, and obviously he can't abuse them in the way he could his own concubine.

tldr; they are way too fucking selfish.