#i could think of more examples but i don't want to find them

[ultramaga]

Rich doesn't mean much. I'll give an example. If a middle class Westerner travels, they find they are considered a target in most places, because - compared to the people elsewhere - they are rich. Growing up, I had relatives that had computers, that would get a decent stereo system, that had caviar a few times a year and they would travel overseas on holidays. That seemed insanely wealthy to me. They travelled to Beverly Hills at one stage, just to look around, only to be picked up by the police immediately. Why? Because compared to the locals, they looked poor.

I think it was Rupert Murdoch who was in a lift with a billionaire who was boasting about gambling while they were in Las Vegas. Murdoch offered to wager a billion dollars on something. The other man declined. A billionaire is wealthy but is nothing compared to the people who are at the top. And even then it could be argued that there are higher elites, since there are men and women who can order the billionaires of their country to give them their property and assets and kneel on the chopping board. Xi, in China, is an absolute dictator not seen since Mao. If he wants anything you have, it is his.

I don't know if there's any level of wealth where you don't worry. Rich people can and are embezzled or just robbed, to the point of poverty. And you can become a prime candidate for kidnapping. I knew a woman who had been rich all her life, but lost everything because an accountant her family had always trusted had quietly moved everything overseas, then disappeared, leaving them destitute.

And one thing that was near universal with lottery winners was that after a year or so, they had nothing to show for it, or were actually worse off. Sudden wealth means disaster if you don't know how to manage not only money, but the sudden pressure from relatives etc to spend it on them. One thing they noticed in Australia was that the old Housing Commision here was a failure for aboriginals. Why? Because the indigenous culture was communist. So as soon as you had anything, it was someone else's, and they would come over and trash your stuff. Aboriginals just wrecked all the free housing they were given because they didn't value any of it, and the few who tried to climb out of the crab bucket were pulled back down. The government has moved since to more providing rent assistance, which is horrible for the disabled because it is quite legal for real estates to discriminate against them, and they are inclined to because disability covers people with severe mental illness, or drug addictions, where they will trash whatever accomodation they are in, or steal from their neighbours, or even burn down the place trying to make meth. So how much is wealthy? A million in assets? That barely gets you a house in Sydney. A billion? Great - but you can be wiped out by illness or divorces. In fact, divorce seems to be the likely fate for any male, meaning they become poorer, meaning they have less assets, less chance of finding a new mate ...

And then you can be arrested and imprisoned because the judge doesn't care what you do earn, they care what you hypothetically might earn according the judge's estimations, and they don't care if their beliefs don't match the reality. If the judge thinks your wife deserves twenty million a year for pedicures, but you can only earn ten, ten million dollars is poverty.

Oliver Warbucks: STILL, I’VE BEEN RICH AND POOR, AND A POOR MAN SURE HAS A LOT LESS TO WORRY ABOUT- Annie: YEAH- AND A LOT LESS TO EAT, SOME TIMES- I’D RATHER WORRY ‘BOUT A FEW MILLIONS I HAD THAN ‘BOUT HOW TO GET TWO BITS-

[3hks]

Various Ways to End Your Story (But SPECIFIC)

How you end a story can make or break it, so it's REALLY important to end it in a way you find fitting! If you're looking for some ideas on this topic, you've come to the right place! Not only will I list the different types, but I'll detail them, break them down, and hopefully, include some that you've never thought/heard of before!

CIRCLE ENDING

Yes, I know, this is a pretty basic one; most people have heard of this ending before. However, that doesn't mean it's not a good way to end your novel!

As its name suggests, this is when the story circles back to the beginning, or at least references it, for an ending. It sounds basic, but there are a few different types of this!

I. Repeating the First Sentence

This is where your last sentence is a repeat (with none or few changes) of your very first sentence, which makes it super effective if you have a powerful first sentence!

II. Repeating the First Sentence (But Different)

As you can tell, this is nearly the same as the idea I mentioned above. The first and last sentence are the same, but the meanings of them differ because the readers have read through the whole story. When they re-read what was written, they'll see it through a different perspective.

For example: "He thinks it'd be amazing if he could fly like a bird."

At first, you might think that the character just finds it cool how birds can fly, and he wants that. But after reading, the readers might realize that there's a metaphorical meaning to "bird" or "fly", and they may realize that the character actually longs for freedom, peace, etc.

The point is, that ONE sentence takes on a different meaning despite remaining the same.

III. Returning to the Same Timeline

Unlike the first two, this one does not repeat the first sentence of your story. Instead, it references the beginning as a whole, often returning to the same timeline the narrator began at.

You can see this in works where the narrator is actually reciting the past (so they're speaking from the present), and around the end, they return to the present for final words.

ABRUPT ENDING

This is literally in the name--these next few conclusions are ones that are more abrupt. You'll see what I mean!

I. Cliffhanger

We've ALL heard of this, I'm sure. This is where the story ends at a point with high tension and suspense. While cliffhangers don't always have to be a quick ending, they technically leave the story unfinished, which I why I included this here.

All in all, this is good for maintaining interest and encouraging your readers to continue reading any sequels you might have!

II. Quick Ending

You might be thinking, 'what's the difference between the "quick ending" and the "abrupt ending"? The answer to that question is that the quick ending is the more general subcategory of the latter.

Basically, this is the ending where all--or at least most--loose ends are tied and there is a concrete resolution that satisfies your readers. However, there often is little insight to what your characters' futures may hold, since everything is ended often in a sentence or two.

Still, this is one of my all-time favorite ways to end a story because it can be very empowering if done right!

ALTERNATE PERSPECTIVE ENDINGS

I definitely feel like these are less common because they can get kind of off-track and they're hard to really fit in, but that just makes it more interesting!

I. Different Character's Perspective

I've honestly seen one author do this, and while I can't say it was my favorite conclusion, it was certainly fascinating to me.

This is where the story ends through the eyes of a side character, not the protagonist. Your stories actual resolution could have happened earlier, but the ending is from a different character's POV of a past, present, or future presented in a meaningful way.

II. Time Skip (Epilogue)

Out of these two subcategories, the 'time skip' ending is more popular for sure! If you have a more complex story (by that I mean one with a bigger cast, a lot of plot events, etc.), a time skip ending could be a good choice for you!

Usually, these time skips aren't just a couple of days or weeks, but often years or even decades. This is great if your protagonist has a super ambitious goal, and you want your readers to see what happens years after they reach it!

III. Reflection

This ending typically happens after a long time skip, where the narrator reflects upon their last actions/events that happened. Truthfully, I see this a lot more in stories that have sad or bittersweet endings, which we'll get into next!

IV. Flashback

If you're looking for a different one that ties back to the main character's past, this might be it! Instead of your story ending during the present or the future, in this case, your story ends in a meaningful flashback of a character. This is great if you want to emphasize how much the character changed and grew from their beginning!

EMOTIONAL ENDINGS

Let's talk about emotional endings, real quick!

I. Happy Endings

We all know about happy endings. Typically, the protagonist (and often their close friends/family) achieve their goal(s) and is satisfied with the results of their journey.

This is the most common story ending, emotion-wise, because it provides the readers with a good sense of closure and appeals to them!

II. Bittersweet Endings

This is where the resolution feels both happy and sad. Perhaps the protagonist achieved their goal(s) but lost things they valued along the way, or vice versa.

III. Tragic Endings

This ending can be both happy and sad, but there's definitely a lot more sadness than happiness. It can be like the one above (where they reach their goal but lose stuff/people they care about), or it can be a situation where the main character lost essentially everything.

"NON-CONCRETE" ENDING

I. Open-ended Ending

This is where the ending is up to interpretation! There might be suggestions of what happened, but it's ultimately unconfirmed, allowing the readers to draw their own conclusions.

Personally, I've never attempted this type of resolution (because I have a bad feeling it won't end well if I did), but it's pretty common!

II. New Beginning

This is where the story ends when the main character is starting a new life. Maybe they've moved to a new city, underwent changes as a person, and is escaping from their old life to start fresh.

This is one conclusion I see sometimes in dystopian novels!

III. False Victory

If you've ever watched a movie or read a book about a person whose goal is to make a HUGE impact on the world, you might've experienced this ending.

A "false victory" ending is where it seems like the protagonist has won, but the readers know that the victory itself is empty and/or temporary, with no permanent change.

Although, yes, this is technically a pretty concrete ending, it can leave readers--for lack of a better word--rather unsatisfied. However, that doesn't mean it's a bad choice!

EVOCATIVE ENDINGS

For this next section, I'll be talking about a few endings that I think heavily resonate with the readers--final words that your readers will remember.

I. Wordless Ending

Throughout the last few paragraphs of a resolution, there often is dialogue involved somewhere, and that's not a bad thing! I will never deny that dialogue is powerful, but so is the opposite.

This ending revolves around having no dialogue (and thoughts!). Instead, it focuses on imagery, the characters' actions, the setting, and literary devices to create a more immersive, beautiful ending!

II. Anonymous Hero

This one, in all honesty, this ending type applies to a more specific type of stories.

So basically, this is the situation in which your protagonist achieves their goal, normally a pretty impactful and important one at that, but no one actually knows it's them who accomplished this, resulting in their life returning to--more or less-normal than--their old one.

III. Proverbs, Quotes, Questions

We all know that we can begin a story with any of these options mentioned above (and more), but that doesn't mean we can't end them the same way! Granted, I do prefer the former, but there's undeniable charm in ending your work this way!

By making your last sentence(s) a quote, proverb, question, or even a poem (I like the idea of ending it in a couplet), it reemphasizes the theme of the story while providing resonant, beautiful final words.

CONCLUSION

If you made it all the way here (or skipped here), thank you for reaching the end! Remember that you can shape endings however you want! You don't have to pick only one of these and stick with it--combine them! Actually, I think several of these resolutions overlap each other.

If you have sent me a question/request, I PROMSE I haven't forgot! I'm getting to it (albeit very slowly), so I thank you for your patience; your support means everything to me!

Comment any other endings you can think of! I'd love to see what you guys come up with!

Happy writing~

3hks <3

[mellifiedberries]

Something I noticed is when tr!Owen and tr!Ros are talking abt what they're going to do to each other, they're not exactly talking about each others worst fear. (Disclaimer, I don't really watch Owens POV, I'm just using observations from his interactions on Ros and Pangi's streams)

!Ros, for example, knows that !Owen is selfish and works solely for himself, yet her goal is to remove his connections, to isolate him from every single person around him. He doesn't really need others around him, he just wants the king gone, so having no allies wouldn't do much to him or his plans. Maybe !Ros thinks that having allies will assist in whatever plans he has, but it could also stem from her own personal fears. It's known how much she craves friends and wants people around her, so maybe she's projecting her worst fear on !Owen, trying to rip apart his connections the way she'd so fear in an attempt to wound him like he has to her.

Same goes to !Owen, who wants !Ros "So far deep in the ground even the keepers can't find her." Now, if anyone observes !Ros for more than 30 seconds, it's easy to tell that she doesn't really fear dying, it's not her worst fear. As said earlier, maybe they're just misreading eachother, but I think he's scared of that himself. Sure, he says he doesn't care about dying because he'll just come back, but he has goals, and he desperately wants to complete them. !Owen wants his goals completed, so being dead and buried will halt him from completing not only this goal, but any in the future. He's afraid of an eternal death because it's the end, and he can't do anything about it.

But who knows, maybe I'm the one misreading the signs.

tldr: !Ros and !Owen may be projecting one of their deepest fears onto each other without realizing.

[dufferpuffer]

What makes you say that Remus gets facts wrong or has put the class behind schedule? JKR describes him in an interview as a wonderful teacher (if you take much stock in her opinion), and the criticisms Snape has of him in the substitute teacher episode are just not well supported. For one thing, it's Snape who falsely tells a student that Kappas are from Mongolia. When he criticizes the progress of Harry's class, he a) doesn't give any consideration for the useless professors they'd previously had, and b) is already well known for setting unreasonable expectations. The students think Remus is great because he gives engaging lessons, not necessarily because he is objectively the best, but if Hermione never criticizes the pace of the class, then he's probably doing fine there as well. As far as disorganization, I can believe that Remus didn't leave good notes for Snape. However, Snape admits this isn’t actually a hindrance--he's just finding something to complain about to help cure the class of their love for Professor Lupin.

Snape's behavior in the chapter is a good example of why Snape's obvious contempt discourages other characters from engaging with him in good faith. Also, it's totally consistent with his character to take an opportunity to leverage the little power he has in response to Dumbledore putting someone he considers dangerous in a teacher's position. Personally I think JKR's accomplishment here is that Snape's hatred of Remus bounces between reasonable and unreasonable as we continue gathering information about Snape vs. the Marauders. Actually it's just fun in general to reread the series and see where Snape was right and where he was wrong.

What makes me say Remus gets facts wrong or put the class behind schedule... It is Snape's observation, mainly - I trust what he has to say - supported by what we see in Remus' classes.

Severus has been a teacher for 13 years and produces students with high level marks. He is a good teacher, just one not every student meshes with - and he doesn't adjust to suit stragglers. It's probably his biggest weakness as a teacher, other than being an asshole.

His critiques of Remus' class are:

'As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far-' 'Please, sir, we've done Boggarts, Red Caps, Kappas and Grindy-lows,' said Hermione quickly, 'and we're just about to start -' 'Be quiet,' said Snape coldly. 'I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organisation.'

Lupin has left no notes for Snape despite knowing the schedule of every full moon for the year. He didn't tell Severus what they were up to or what activity he wanted the class to do - he hasn't even kept a record of what they have already completed up until this point.

That's disorganization. That's not knowing where they will get up to next week or the week after, despite having a schedule. Hermione is keeping better track of the class than Lupin is.

Could Snape be lying to the students about his disorganisation? That would be out of character, especially since the students don't give a shit about such a thing. That detail irks Severus, not the kids. He's just havin' a bit of a whinge.

If Remus had written a note he could have torn it up, complained that they are behind and set Werewolves as their task. No reason to lie.

'You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardly over-taxing you - I would expect first-years to be able to deal with Red Caps and Grindylows. Today we shall discuss -'

Could Snape be being hyperbolic here? Yes. I expect him to be. Is Snape a hardass that wants a lot from his students? Yep. Does Snape want to make what Remus teaches them to seem babyish, and his lesson more grown-up and important? Absolutely. Does that mean he is lying? No.

I don't think he is the sort to be too hyperbolic. He wouldn't be out here saying 'I expect a first-year to be able to brew a Draught of Living Death' or something. He never expects the impossible. Whether Red Caps and Grindylows are first, second or third year topics - I believe him when he says they are below their level.

'Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognise a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are…'

...This is harder to tell how serious it is. I don't think they would have been at Werewolves yet. Severus is teaching it out of necessity - would Remus ever do it...? Risk outing himself with his own two hands? I doubt it. Severus is also eager to teach it ASAP because he suspects Remus is a dangerous man working with a serial killer.

So does he seriously think that midway through the year a third year class should know how to identify a werewolf - or does he just want to tell Dumbledore he thinks Remus is avoiding it when he should be focusing on it for the students own wellbeing…? Could go either way tbh. Or both. (Hermione knew the answer but I don't really count that as proof lol)

[…]Snape prowled up and down the rows of desks, examining the work they had been doing with Professor Lupin. 'Very poorly explained … that is incorrect, the Kappa is more commonly found in Mongolia … Professor Lupin gave this eight out of ten? I wouldn't have given it three …'

You say Snape falsely told a student Kappa are from Mongolia. He didn't - he says they are more commonly found there. I don't see any reason not to believe him…? Why would he be spouting incorrect facts around students?

Lupin prioritizes student comfort. Snape prioritizes student learning. Remus is more likely to get facts wrong. Snape is more likely to piss people off. Remus is more likely to mark forgivingly - an 8/10. Snape is more likely to mark strictly - a 3/10.

It all lines up pretty well.

Remus' first lesson is poorly organised and he is lenient with points. He lets a Boggart loose amongst students without planning for every student getting a turn (Hermione misses out). He hadn't planned for Harry's fear ahead of time, or the risk of anyone else in the class finding Voldemort a little too much. He put his own secret at risk by revealing his own fear, which Hermione uses to work out he is a werewolf.

'Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone. Let me see … five points to Griffindor for every person to tackle the Boggart - ten for Neville because he did it twice - and five each to Hermione and Harry.'

He smooths everything over by giving out house points like candy. He is giving out points to Griffindor for doing classwork…? Whats next, points for tying their shoelaces?

Professor Lupin smiled at the look of indignation on every face. 'Don't worry. I'll speak to Professor Snape. You don't have to do the essay.'

This gets me lol - he's happy they're all pissed off at having to do a big assignment, so he just cancels it. The sheer disrespect...

He could have shortened the length, or pushed back the due date, or dedicated another class to the topic, or even said 'well Professor Snape has his own way of teaching, if he set an assignment I'm sure it's because he thought you could handle it'. Nah. He wants to be the cool teacher that can boss Snape around.

I love the idea that he went to 'speak to Professor Snape' about it. What did he say...? 'Nice try, Sev - I'm cancelling it. B^)'

I don't put much stock into interview responses. The information needs to be at least published in some sort of 'official' format. People can say anything in the spur of the moment.

That being said - Remus WAS a wonderful teacher. I think he was a true natural at it and did a brilliant job overall. His stand-out skills are exactly the things Severus is bad at: connecting with students and encouraging them in ways that suit their individual needs. Remus is a people person and loves the chance to help rather than cause harm.

But he was also a first year teacher teaching a core subject. He was taking at least 2 days off a month and many days off-colour. I wouldn't expect perfection from him, and what Severus critiques (behind on schedule, disorganised, some incorrect information, overly forgiving marking) all sounds like new teacher mistakes. (honestly name a teacher who remains on schedule the whole year irl lol)

It is fun to reread and see where Severus was right and wrong. Especially since on a first read he seems so very wrong, always getting in Harry's way… but most of the time is right, or at least acting very reasonably with the information he has. PoA is a story where he was very wrong. Remus was not working with a serial killer, did not want Harry dead, wasn't working all that hard to bring Harry 'over to his side' (he was sorta annoyingly aloof) and was actually a trustworthy individual and a good teacher - just with a different methodology.

But I don't think that means Severus' observations of Remus' teacher habits were incorrect or grossly hyperbolic. He was looking for evidence that helped substantiated and supported his theories.

[smiling-stel]

Ok so, im remembering someone else's point saying how Cale acts like a guardian to those younger than him but acts bratty n spoiled to those older (within respects still)

♡ Like how he cares a ton for the children n will never push them or scold them for not being able to do something

Ex. when Raon couldnt break thru the whirlwind, Cale didn't blame Raon even tho he was at a lost for what to do then proceeded to find another way

♡ But then IS pretty "hey ima do my own thing, be grateful im even Telling You" with some of the older folks/people he sees as his age (towards quite literally everyone i can think of actually- even sometimes towards the children - tho ig it could be "you don't need to know, you don't need to worry" mentality, perhaps a mix

Ex. Cale toward Alberu when he's like, "ill get u the Mage Tower, gimme money, trust" etc.

So im thinking

♡ Cale showing these subtle reactions to being pampered, but then he start basically Demanding It in an almost a "tell me to go away, I dare you" while still flinching, freezing, or stiffening up when ofc he receives/is let to do what he wants before quickly melting into it, perhaps almost tsundare/cat-like (ong I hate labeling it as such, but thats basically what I'm imagining orz)

[Tldr at the bottom of the break]

- I continue on w examples i half pull out my bum + rewrite my pt better

♤ And we do see this w Cale's brattiness towards Alberu in canon

We see him start w taking cookies for Raon or to eat it himself, but then he just starts- breaking into? Alberu's bedroom or office??

♤ Like sIR TToTT LMAOO. But I think he can "justify the rudeness" cause he's quite literally only bothering Alberu when it benefits him or the kingdom

-

♧. But then we see it also with the mindful disrespect Cale gives Ron, the guy he was lowkey terrified of even before knowing he was an assassin, and yet continued to treat with the same "you are legally working under me" curt manner of speech regardless

. Which is a bit insane of Cale tbh cause also Ron was older than him -- ik Korea emphasizes a base-line respect hierarchy via age, and Cale was conscious of that towards Choi Han, but tbh I cant remmeber any internal dialouge of Cale's take on Ron being older than him cause -- he's alw treated Ron with "do this cause my family pays you" speech mannerism

♧ So the "were giving you money to work in a position lower than mine" overrides:

- his Fear of Ron,

- the built in "treat elders w manners" most cultures have,

- but also most people's learned basic politeness filter, [cause others being in a position lower than yours doesnt mean you have to speak to them curtly]--- (and we know Cale does indeed know basic politeness cause he can easily bullsht his way into stardom (ex. Jungle arc/when he first meets Alberu/whevever he handles civilians))

::without the usual politeness you'd have asking someone else do something, even if it Was their job (ex. Most people still ask "do you know where the sauce is?" or "wheres this sauce?" to a grocery employee instead of straight up "take me to the sauce./get me this sauce." If that makes sense;

that instinctual polite unliteral manner of phrasing cause "do you know where the sauce is? Ofc they do, they work here >> oh but that demand of "take me to the sauce" is phrased as an almost hypothetical manner to save your own face. It changes the demand into a request, giving the worker still a way to refuse n not have the situation become akward**

** sorry I learned this in my linguistics class n I'm excited to info dump-

♧ Like- bro has more reasons to speak more politely to Ron than not-- and yet he never stops commanding Ron without sugarcoating/politeness-filtering anything

So if that ain't bratty--- hiding behind the employer contract frfr

-

Ok so Alberu he justifies is rudeness as "im helping the both of us, shut up and trust me"

Ron its "you're working under me so ima use you like I should"

◇ what of Eruhaben then? (Hopefully I'm spelling his name right, the golden dust dragon)

Eruhaben doesnt need to benefit from Cale (initially, when they first meet), nor is he ever hired, under contract, or even under oath to work with their crew. He's seen as someone immensely powerful and could absolutely clock them and their whole kingdom if aggro-ed, and yet Cale proceeds to interact with this ancient dragon older than everyone in this world except maybe the World Tree (often signifying the START of a world so Erubenny here's currently second oldest existance ever during Cale's time??) - interacting as if blud was just ur average joe----

Dawg TToTT. Cale. Your fearlessness is CRAZYY. Anyways Eldest Existance Goldie here is turned into a Gramps for the children and ong thats already a ton of audacity of Cale n his crew to do that to the guy

◇ But what does Cale do next--?? Cause at least he's decent enough to not ask Eruhaben to take care of every bit of their human problems (which is probably how Cale's able to justify treating Eruhaben as a Babysitter, L)

◇ what he does next is fcking sbdbsbvd [extends] this Eldest of the Elders* lifespan. Partly to benefit Eruhaben (but blud was alr accepting how it was his time so couldnt care less ab dying), and mostly to benefit the children, specifically Raon, the baby dragon under his care.

TTTTTOTTTTTT WHAT A REAL ONE AJDUUEGSHGSHSHHHSHHH

*I say eldest, but im aware there were dragons n other existances living before Eruhaben, but in the time of the story takes place, Goldie Gramps is one of the oldest existances in that world, yea

◇ does this count as Cale being a brat?? Tho it mutually benefits both parties, it does still impose Cale's agenda (having a mentor figure and babysitter for the Raon, n also a senior dragon in his crew) onto Eruhaben who - as I've said before - was Hella ready to cozy up 6 ft under. Brother probbaly already went thru his stages of grief before Cale was even born, thats how Not in his Plan Cale's push for a life extension was--

◇ and Cale continues to push when Eruhaben makes his stance clear he shouldn't extend his life, he's tired, use the artifact on someone else, etc. Etc. Cale knew to be pushy?? To continue bothering Gramps like that?? Cause it works out, Eruhaben does give in with seemingly no regrets after--

Cale. Who knows how to take a no (when it doesn't involve his own health anyway). How we see him not asking the OP cast in his crew [[literally most his main crew]] for an easy way out if he, himself, can't logic out any benefits for them directly >> even if those people are willingly like "take me off the bench, coach!!"

Ex. How he keeps Choi Han around to "make him the hero" only for the guy to refuse any title or land from being rewarded by the feds (Prince Alberu) and suddenly Cale doesnt know what to do w him, but like, let's him stay by his side anyway cause he said he wanted to (similar to Raon tbh, aww the trio frfr) -- but Cale rarely actually orders Choi Han to do anything (I might need to fact check this tbh) its a just a ton of Choi Han "I need to get stronger to be more helpful!" N acting sybiosisly w Cale's plans til Cale eventually expects Choi Han's involvement n just alw has a place for him in his plans (if it isn't solo altruistic time that is)

Tldr; Cale --- who takes care of the littles, and is a brat to the elders *with justification* --- would totally start demanding/doing these acts of warmth after some time

Perhaps first tsundere-like in the "i deserve this" manner like he does with his "act" of being a papered noble son

@penguin-stars talks ab this pt really well in this post [here]

only to still stiffen once the others allow it + even support it, and then eventually find a place for himself in all that warmth of his new family n friends <333

Do you think Cale would stand along the edges of the group when they're all happy and domestic sometimes...? Just feeling kind of disconnected and distant because this amount of happiness and this amount of closeness was just a distance dream when he was roksoo

Maybe he watches the children get praised and he's so proud of them, but can't help but feel the dull ache of jealousy. Of course, he would also add to the pile of praise and love, but deep inside his inner child just... Aches. Deep inside he just wishes he could've had this when he was younger. The praise, the love, the gentle touches full of warmth. Maybe he just can't help but feel so far away because it feels so.. unreal. He's never had the chance to properly grow up, so he definitely wishes for these kids to grow up happy, loved, cherished, and healthily. Hell, he will make sure they do.

Maybe he freezes when the kids first begin to hug him? The warmth is foreign, but not unwelcome... So he indulges them. Giving them the love and affection that he wishes he received as roksoo. Turns out he's also touch starved as well, so he grows to love these interactions with the children. Eventually he starts initiating them by himself, finding his hand gently carding through On or Hong's hair, or maybe his hand rubbing circles on the small of Rain's back? But only for the children. Children are honest, children are safe. He doesn't know how to tell his friends he wishes to be closer. So he keeps quiet, inner child longing and aching.

He watches the way Ron interacts with Beacrox. The way on the outside they're stoic and seemingly cold, almost like some sort of business exchange. He sees it though. The way Ron's eyes soften when he watches his son cook, the pride that swirls behind those eyes just for his son. He feels in an outsider. Sure, he has his family, but could he really be considered theirs? He feels like an imposter, coming into their home with their son's body and face, so he only watches as they bond. The warmth of just being within distance is both soothing and never enough. He distances himself in hopes of keeping these pesky feelings in check. He tells himself to be happy with what he has because it's already a blessing to have so many people who stay with him because they want to be with him.

Maybe he doesn't know how to interact with parental figures, feeling awkward when they welcome him. His mind convinces him that their welcome is just polite. When he agrees to act as Naru, he thinks of it as just a deal. Both parties benefit from it. As Fredo continues to shower him with gifts and love, he finds himself relaxing in the warmth. Just for a bit. Then he walls himself off again. He receives a toy as a gag gift one day. Some sort of play set that they (maybe Alberu and Rosalyn) think would make him give them a deadpan look in return. They're shocked as they silently watch Naru's eyes sparkle as he explores the set. His touch soft, so so soft, as if the toys were an illusion that would crumble away if he were to rough. They expect a sarcastic "thanks" with some sort of annoyed look paired with it. Instead they watch from behind their disguised friend, barely hearing the whispered "...thank you" because Naru's voice is just above a whisper. (His ears are red as he thanks them, he doesn't turn away from the set. Too happy to have received it because it resembles the one he had always longingly gazed at through the display windows. He couldn't ask for it, so he just looks on, smaller hands pressed against the cool glass in his memory).

He's on guard while he stays with Fredo, but his inner child can't help but cheer at the unlimited food and sweet. Happy to be able to just receive instead of all the give give give he's had to do growing up. He feels warm as he nibbles on a cookie, sitting on a plush couch.

Cale is too scared though. He doesn't reach out, bringing this love closer to him and claiming them as his. He just accepts the in the moment love that's directed towards him, grateful for what he can get.

And they slowly begin to notice the longing in his eyes. The way he attentively watches as the children are introduced to more games and experiences. (It hurts them more later on when they learn what kind of world he had grown up in as Roksoo).

Cale doesn't seem to notice the loving looks he receives from the people around him. He just assumes that it isn't for him. So when Eruhaben starts to press his cool hands against his forehead, gently grasping his face as the dragon checks him over for any more injuries... He finds himself overjoyed. Confused, but overjoyed.

Or when he finds himself noticing how Rosalyn and Choi han seem to sit ever so closer, with their legs pressed against his and their arms brushing against him. He finds himself relaxing, just appreciating the feeling of being close with them.

Cale treasures the people around him. They notice how Cale feeds the children before himself, watching them eat for a few minutes before he breaks out of some sort of train of thought. (He can't forget the days where food was limited. The cries of poor, innocent children when their stomachs felt like they would just collapse inwards and consume itself. He doesn't ever want to see the people he loves have to think before eating, rationing off some incase there isn't food next time). Alberu gifts him more snacks-- batches of cookies that are easily shared and plentiful enough that he doesn't hesitate before eating some himself. Beacrox cooking more and more, trying to show that if Cale asked, he will receive. How there's plenty of food to go around.

(he grew up in such an unstable environment that being this secure feels like a dream).

I wanna write a fic... But I'm not that confident in my writing sdjdjhff

[ask-nurse-curly]

as stated in the updated pinned post, we are diverging from the canon roleswap timeline starting nnnnnnnow :) ask boxes are open again!

[ Transcript under the cut ]

Hey Curly, I just wanted to check in with you. Things have been a little weird recently with this nearby satellite..

Are you doing okay?

Hey Captain!

Funny business, isn't it? I don't think we've ever had anything like this happen before.

It's okay, though. Sometimes I kind of want to follow Daisuke's example, but most people are nice.

What about you, everything alright on your end?

Me too, there's just so much going on at all times, haha.

Everything is mostly alright. I've got nice people, but some of them.. They're just getting under my skin. I should probably put the phone down.

How bad is it? My worst has been spam messages, mostly. Did you know the Halcyon colonies are reopening admission?

Makes you wonder why they need new people so soon after launch.

Oh yeah! I don't think I'm going to take their offer, I'm pretty content with Earth.

As for the messages.. I don't know. Some of them are just.. Mean, I guess. I don't want you to worry about it, I can handle it, it's just frustrating.

Have you gotten any fun messages though? I got one not that long ago asking about how I felt being a pilot, it was a nice question.

'Mean'? I'm sure you know that sounds worrisome. Are you okay?

Ah, I can't even remember all of them! There is this Martian scientist who gave me the scoop of planetary warfare amongst their kind, someone who is very intent on educating me about possums, and I even reconnected with someone from my med school years, that was pretty wild. Also someone from an actual gunship patched into our frequency, apparently their surname is the same as yours? Do you know a Hideo?

I'm really fine, if I couldn't handle a few weirdos, I wouldn't be on this ship lol

But.. That's very interesting. I don't know if I have any familiar faces on my end, so consider me jealous of you. I can't say that I know a Hideo? Should I?

Now who are you calling a weirdo? :-)

I don't know if you should! If it's a coincidence then certainly an amusing one, guess Musumes are just made to be captains. :-)

Maybe so.. I'll have to start a club then, Captain Musume club.

And I would NEVER call you a weirdo, Nurse Curly, never ever......

Uh huh. I believe you.

:-)

What is weird is just...how much some of these people seem to know. I wonder if our phones were hacked into somehow? Do you think I should be worried about my Meeboo subscription at this rate?

I feel like I should be more shocked but with how much of our data gets sold off and leaked on a daily basis, I can't find myself to be horrified.

You should definitely worry about your Meeboo subscription though.

...Fair point.

Well, if my streaming services are what takes the brunt of exposure, I suppose I could live with that.

Do you think that's how they found out about your nurses calendar? If that's even a real thing.. Did you ever model for a nursing calendar? Lol

Haha!

No, god no. I could never. Can you imagine me in a pin-up calendar? That would be bonkers.

No, I was just joking. I guess the very nature of their, uh, request was too much for my English sensibilities, so I turned to my trusty defence mechanism honed by generations of haughty stuck-ups.

...How did you know about that?

Well we certainly love a modest king..

I was told about it by one of the messages I got, I didn't know if it was true or not but I guess my curiosity was piqued. Sorry, it was inappropriate to ask.

Oh god, are they still harassing you about me? I'm so sorry.

They are strangely...invested.

I hope it's not too much of a bother. And I doubly hope they cease soon.

I don't mind too terribly, I just feel bad talking about you when you're unaware. I certainly try to keep my answers vague so that I can maintain your privacy.

Truly, I don't know if I should be offended or relieved they ask me more about you than they do myself, haha!

I'd go for relieved! Or perhaps even flattered. They seem to think highly of your captaining skills. :-)

They do! I'm not sure how they know about THAT information, but I'll take what I can get!

I can't say i blame them, it's pretty obvious!

I mean

Crew ratings should be public access, right? Based on delivery reviews and stuff. Or could be if they weren't and got leaked too.

I definitely don't doubt that...

I don't know, they seem fairly invested in my love life as well. Which goes beyond the scope of simple work appraisal. I've been asked if I'm single, who my type is. I felt like I was filling out a dating application lol

Haha, funny that

You could lean into that too, if you wanted to, let them do all the legwork. It's worse than the Wild West on those apps sometimes.

I'm not trying to find someone through texting strangers, besides, it seems they already have my ideal love interest picked out for me. They're trying to cause trouble is what they're doing.

And how do you even know what those apps are like? Isn't that like.. Cheating for you?

Oh shoot. Er

It would be! It totally would be if. If I were still in a relationship.

Which I'm not. For the record.

In any case, not that I prowl those apps much, it's not really uh, worth it for me.

What? Since when are you not??

You were just talking about Marie before we took off. Unless.. Did you break up when we got service...?

Yeah, haha, turns out it's not always great when familiar faces text you, right?

But yeah, she... It's not easy, I guess, dating someone who isn't there for half a year at a time at least, you know?

It was kind of a long time coming, so. She just was the braver one out of the two of us to cut the cord.

Sorry, didn't mean to be a downer. It really is okay though. We're good, and. I think I've kind of went through the stages of grief back when we were still earthside.

So. Not a big deal.

I'm so sorry, Curly :( I wish you would've told me. I'm still here if you need to talk, okay? Breaking up sucks, even if you see it coming.

Oh no, I promise it's okay! It really, really is

I'm okay, it's not a big deal.

I mean, it would be, it

But it's not like

I didn't really

She maybe...didn't really...exist?

Curly what are you saying right now

I am a fool is what I'm saying :-(

I'm so sorry.

Any chance we could pretend I never said anything?

How are we supposed to do that? I don't even know what to say.

Why would you lie about that?

...Could we talk?

I mean, in person.

I'll explain everything, just

I'm afraid of how much of this might get exposed.

Please.

Yeah

Are you in the medbay? I'm on my way.

Yes.

Thank you.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Do you have an HP character that you hate or dislike other than Ginny? I'm curious because you seem kind of neutral toward most characters, so I was wondering if you have one

Yep, a bunch.

Some more controversial than others I guess.

I do want to preface this by saying that I have nothing against anyone who likes any of these characters, liking a fictional character is pretty subjective and I don't really care. I would also like to note there are different ways to like/dislike a fictional character.

1. Due to their personality or morals, i.e. who they are as a person

2. Due to how they are written, i.e. if they function well in their part in the narrative.

As such, there could be characters that are horrible people but are fun and interesting characters, so I love them (such as Voldemort) or characters that are good people who I dislike because I think they're badly written or underwhelming in how they are written compared to what they could've been. Similarly, there are badly written characters I like because they are fun or dislike because I don't vibe with them. So, all this shouldn't be taken all that seriously.

While Ginny definitely has aspects in her personality that I don't like, the main reason I dislike her is how she is written. I like meaner and ruder characters than her because they are interesting and serve their narrative rule well. I consider her a badly written love interest though, so my dislike of her on both fronts, but mostly due to the second category that feeds into the first one. The idea of Ginny could've been alright if she was written better, I wouldn't even care that much if she was mean if she was a more interesting character that felt like a real person (Like Hermione or Harry that have their mean moments, but I love Harry and like Hermione).

Now, onto other characters I dislike from commonly disliked by the fandom to controversial takes:

1. There are typical ones to dislike, like Umbridge, whom I despise as a person, and everything she represents but she's a great villain who serves her role in the narrative brilliantly. She's on this list because I don't find her interesting enough (like Voldemort or Bellatrix) or fun enough (like Rita Skeeter) to like her as a character.

2 & 3. Vernon and Petunia. For obvious reasons I expanded upon here. They are another example of characters you are meant to hate so they are written well for what they need to be. (Though I don't hate Dudley who's also a character you are meant to dislike)

4. Crouch Sr. I don't think this is controversial at all, but Crouch Sr is a git. I mean, sentencing Sirius to Azkaban without trial, everything with his son (even if he was a Death Eater, 12 years in a basement under the Imperius is extreme and Barty probably wished to die), Winkey, etc. So, personality-wise, he sucks. Writing-wise, I think he's great for what he is meant to be in the story. JKR is pretty good at writing characters you just hate the moment they open their mouths and Crouch Sr is one of them.

5. Amos Diggory. He is another member of the "characters you are meant to hate club", so I hate him as a person, which is kind of the point with him. And the only explanation is this entire conversation:

“Harry fell off his broom, Dad,” he muttered. “I told you . . . it was an accident. . . .” “Yes, but you didn’t fall off, did you?” roared Amos genially, slapping his son on his back. “Always modest, our Ced, always the gentleman . . . but the best man won, I’m sure Harry’d say the same, wouldn’t you, eh? One falls off his broom, one stays on, you don’t need to be a genius to tell which one’s the better flier!”

(GoF, Ch6)

Made my blood boil.

6. Fudge is another typical one, but like, I hate that guy's guts. Again, it's because I hate him as a person. As a character, he is what he needs to be, so I have no complaints about how he is written. Being a pathetic, incompetent fool is part of his narrative role. (Again, a character you are meant to hate).

7. Quick round for honorary mentions of the characters you are meant to hate club I dislike that I am not as passionate about my dislike of them but I still actively dislike them: Cormac McLaggen, Marietta Edgecomb, Rufus Scrimgeour, Mundungus, the Carrows.

(Zacharias Smith and Blaise Zabini are also part of the above club, but I love them, so they're not on the list. Fenrir, Rita, and Ludo Bagman aren't on the list because I find them entertaining although the reader is supposed to dislike them. Filch is a useful character and has his fun moments as well, so I'm fine with him. I also like random DE Avery because I like his name)

8. I'm weird about Albus Dumbledore. I think he's an interesting character, though I have some gripes with how he was written, and I would find him infuriating as a person. If I had to talk with Dumbledore irl, I'd have to fight the urge to strangle him (not that I actually would, or could since he's really tall and I doubt I could reach his throat). I understand Tom completely when it comes to wanting to kill Dumbledore.

9. Arabella Figg. Rubs me the wrong way and I don't like her as a person. It might be due to the writing but I never cared enough to analyze my feelings toward her — which are negative. I mean, she didn't do shit to help Harry even though she knew and was in touch with Dumbledore + didn't help him at all with carrying Dudley which would've been in her best interest since it'll get them back to the Dursleys quicker. So, I think she's not a great person who doesn't really care about Harry or is very ignorant and passive — when I need to question whether a character is malicious or incompetent it's not a good thing when the character is supposed to be one of the good guys.

10. Alaster Moody (the real one). I don't think this is a common opinion, but I really don't like the real Moody both as a person and as a character. Writing-wise, he's a little blander than I'd expect from someone like him. Also, after Barty acts him as such a fun character, meeting the real one is kind of a letdown since he isn't as inspirational and fun as the imposter (this is how I figured out I just like Barty Crouch Jr). This is a writing flaw, I think, since you are supposed to like Moody. I think. Personality-wise, I don't like him. He rubbed me off the wrong way, I hate his complete trust and devotion toward Dumbledore, his opinions and treatment of Harry, and his general incompetence:

“Come here, boy,” said Moody gruffly, beckoning Harry toward him with his wand. “I need to Disillusion you.”

(OotP, Ch3) - sounds too much like Vernon for my liking

“Clear night,” grunted Moody, his magical eye scanning the heavens. “Could’ve done with a bit more cloud cover. Right, you,” he barked at Harry, “we’re going to be flying in close formation.

(OotP, Ch3) - an experienced, intelligent auror would not come up with this plan or think this plan is valid. He is a moron and for some reason not treated as such. At least Kingsley has some good ideas throughout the books and shows he's competent, Moody has close to zero competent moments. I think that's a writing flaw though.

“Yeah, well,” said Moody, “there’s something funny about the Potter kid, we all know that.”

(OotP, Ch22) - I do not like the Harry slander. While Moody does things to protect and help Harry (because Dumbledore told him to) I don't think he actually likes Harry much.

11. This is not a very popular opinion, I think, but I don't like Lupin. In both categories. Personality-wise, he's allergic to responsibility and never actually tries to bond with Harry, going out of his way to not mention he was friends with James. He is so stuck in indecision that he allows Sirius, who he thinks is a serial killer to enter the school. And he attempts to run away from his pregnant wife. Writing-wise, I like the concept of Lupin, not the execution. How he is makes sense for what we know about his life, but I find him underwhelming as a character. Mostly, I find him disappointing since he is less interesting of a character than I think he could've been.

(Peter is not on this list as I have no complaints about how he was written for his role in the story. Also, unlike Remus, I didn't expect better from Peter. I was ready to be disappointed by him and he positively surprised me by having a better character arc than Remus. I dislike Remus because I had higher expectations from him and his narrative arc)

Also, this quote from Remus really soured his character for me, which I was indifferent towards until OotP:

Harry, I’ve left a letter telling your aunt and uncle not to worry —” “They won’t,” said Harry. “That you’re safe —” “That’ll just depress them.” “— and you’ll see them next summer.” “Do I have to?” Lupin smiled but made no answer.

(OotP, Ch3)

(I have other characters I find annoying such as Draco, Trelawney, or Colin Creevey, characters I don't really vibe with such as Ollivanders or Pansy, and characters I find dull such as Crabbe and Goyle but I don't actively dislike them enough, like, I'm mostly indifferent to mildly annoyed by them, so they don't count).

[ilikekidsshows]

Why do people use the “Marinette must make a mistake in every episode” thing from the show bible as a way to say that the show treats her badly? They use it to justify her decisions and act like it’s the show’s writing working against her and making her out to do bad things. Really, it’s the show’s coddling of her that’s the problem, and the mistakes she makes are quite consistent with her character.

The show bible also says that Marinette must be sympathized with in every episode or something to that effect. But they never talk about that. And when did we forget that “protagonist makes a mistake and learns a lesson” is the standard format for almost every episodic show? They’re making it out to be like this sinister conspiracy against Marinette by the writers, it’s fascinating.

---

There's a reason I made an entire ask game out of the kind of backwards defenses some of the more desperate Marinette stans come up with. They’ve seen selling themselves and each other on this conspiracy narrative where the main lead in a kid superhero cartoon teaching kids moral lessons by learning them herself is actually that main lead being punished by the writers “for things that aren't her fault”. Like, I’ve seen that phrase basically word for word so many times that I have no doubt that it's something some slightly more popular blog said once and the Marinette stans never stopped running with it.

Like, I can even understand the “Marinette must always be sympathized with” caveat, because, for all I do consider it better than Miraculous as a whole, one of Danny Phantom’s issues to me, as a moral lesson show, is how mean-spirited it often is. Yes, it's self-aware about it, but Danny often gets such a short end of the stick even when he does everything right with the show expecting you to laugh and find it funny, so you kind of want him to get away with something for once. It goes a long way selling the loser protagonist character archetype Danny is but, yeah, I kinda see why Astruc would want to avoid Marinette getting that treatment even if she wasn't his pretend daughter.

The problem is, of course, that every single time Marinette is expected to get the lion’s share of the sympathy. She's top priority. That's why the show focuses on her perspective over everyone else’s. When we only see her chaotic feelings and her guilt over her missteps, while her victims give us silence or an “I’m okay!” it does make it feel like she's the one who was hurt by her mistake most of all. It's incredibly unhelpful as a moral lesson because it doesn't teach you to take others’ feelings into account. How could it when they're never shown or named? It only teaches you to look at the projection target’s emotions, your emotions.

‘Gamer’ is actually such a good example of how Miraculous’ writing approach injures the storytelling and muddies the messaging. “Don't publically upstage your friend and classmate in the hobby he’s passionate about, not because it's important to him and, as his friend, you should be supportive, but because, if you do, you might feel bad.” No wonder big parts of the fandom still think Max did something wrong in the episode, even though it was actually very mature of him to get away from Marinette, a friend who hurt him, so that he wouldn't lash out and say things he didn't mean before he calmed down because he has a right to be upset when someone he considers a friend does that to him. Max was far more mature in that episode than our main lead, who got rewarded for doing the bare minimum to make up for her thoughtless action at the last possible moment. Instead her stans have been using this episode as an example of “Marinette being punished for Max being a poor loser” for nearly a decade.

[braintarts]

The definition of Therapy is not debatably- even if you write a long paragraph of incorrect information. Words mean thing even if purposely enjoy using them correctly.

If you Don't know what the APA is [Which is obvious] it stands for the American Psychological Association. Mr. "Appeal to Authority" wanted to pretend he was knowledgeable so It should be obvious, to know about one of the biggest psychological organization in the West. They aren't a perfect organization but the leaders in mental health care determine what the intent of their methodologies actual mean. Not some random scrotes on the internet that want to use therapy speak and can't even bother to get definition on the debate topic correct.

It even brings up the argument the Mr. Appeal to Authority Fallacy tried to use but didn't actual extrapolate, about Couples & Families therapy. Since you people can be bothered again, to look up what your talking about. The close 2nd definition to Therapy-->Psychotherapy brings up Couples & Families therapy and established the the Mental Health reason for it.

Uh Oh ! There's that word again about how Therapy exist to "Treat" something for mental illness, emotional or behavior disorder.

What are those Disorders ? Well if you aren't lazy, you could just look up in the DSM what Disorder in Psychology they are talking about. It should be obvious to most people its about psychology since in that field but I digress.

Wanting to change your behavior is not the same as undergoing therapy. Having a bad behavior like [ wanting to stop waking up last minute for your college classes] is not the same as a ]"Behavior disorder like OCD or Bipolar disorder] which again if you want actual learn something and have an inkling of what you are talking about check the DSM or a psychological website that explains them.

We aren't talking about the same thing , you just don't understand the meaning of the words . Though the TRA's behavior has taught the world that certain activist groups don't actual care about using words correctly if it doesn't fit their fantasy :) Can you tell in this sentence I am not referring to behavior in the psychology disorder but in how you general behavior...its almost like words mean things can you tell from context how the word is being used ?

[quote]

In regards to the field and abuse- any field that humans are in will be used to harm at some point. Also, every person (every single one) has flaws that, if left unchecked WILL lead them to mistreat others. That's just how being human works

[quote]

I really appreciate your entire lack of basic critical thinking, Scrote #1 tried to use a logical fallacy to pretend he couldn't be questioned so I gave an example of why that isn't true :). You are just spectacularly desperate to join in the debate without having an iota of following what's going on huh ?

In fact I even reexplained the rebuttal so your lack of reading comprehension is even more astounding.

------*

Also Crime committed by certain groups of people at higher rates based of sex [gender isn't real] and Race, Also certain family dynamics do make a child more suspectable to choose a dangerous lifestyle. Not that I expect TRA to use facts because they can't be bothered to use words correctly and to ignorant conflate crime data with phrenology ( I see what You did there)

The most obvious one is most rapist are male you can find that easily by looking at FBI statistics or Research Gate but hey you can't even get through the definition, so using statistical data to use pattern recognition is surely not on the table lol.

you cannot therapize misogyny out of a man because values are not pathologies. him not believing women are human will not be fixed by cbt or exposure therapy because it is not a cognitive health issue. it is an ideological one.

[yeonban]

I was thinking there aren't enough memes catered to third parties on this site (ex. two muses talking about a third) which imo make rp flow so much smoother sometimes bc it feels more realistic for interactions to not start & end at only the two people directly involved, but then I realized... blud, you have a meme sideblog. You can literally make your own dreams come true

[icewindandboringhorror]

examining a seemingly normal image only to slowly realize the clear signs of AI generated art.... i know what you are... you cannot hide your true nature from me... go back where you came from... out of my sight with haste, wretched and vile husk

[musical-chick-13]

The problem is. When I go, "Oh, this system is bullshit" and try to live outside it. My choices are still defined by that system. And that makes me feel really weird.

[antianakin]

I'm not against the idea that Ahsoka ends up a little lopsided, but I think for me it'd be more about her emotions than her skillsets.

Because she is actually canonically a perfectly good teacher. We see her teach a group of Mandalorian teenagers about government corruption in like season 3. She helps advise a teenage Prince about how to manage being a leader in season 4.

The EARLY seasons of TCW would definitely have Ahsoka acting like this, for sure. The idea that Ahsoka doesn't realize that some of her actions might put her in front of a military tribunal when she first lands on the field is completely understandable. The idea that she finds Rex's disappointment really terrible is completely understandable.

But I don't really buy that the Ahsoka of later seasons would continue to have this issue, that she'd be able to understand the inherent unfairness of the system in place for the clones but not understand normal crimes exist or that her own actions could have military consequences. If she's observant and smart enough to recognize the consequences her men could face, she's smart enough to recognize the consequences SHE could face. She also literally goes into the normal criminal underground on Coruscant in like season 1 or 2 to get her stolen lightsaber back with a dude whose entire career has been about chasing normal criminals.

Ahsoka was likely given plenty of regular life skills in her earlier 14 years training to be a Jedi. It's not like they'd have taught her to be a soldier in a war given that they wouldn't have had any idea it was coming for a while and were actively trying to KEEP it from happening more recently. Ahsoka's training would've been aimed at helping her do more usual Jedi stuff and just giving her basic life skills, which is why she's perfectly able to teach a class of Mando teenagers and help a Mon Cala prince learn how to lead. It's not like Ahsoka's entire education started when she got put onto a battlefield, she's had YEARS OF IT prior to this and it was clearly pretty extensive, including things like politics and flying and teaching and childcare and basic social skills alongside some fighting skills.

Her primary flaws when she's younger aren't that she's unobservant or doesn't have basic life skills, it's that she's impatient and overconfident in herself. These are flaws that we DO see her learning how to address in the first three seasons and that she seems to have mostly mastered by season four.

But THAT'S where I'd want some of that lopsidedness to come in later in life. Ahsoka in Rebels should still be kind-of overconfident and impatient sometimes. I want to see her rushing into things and getting her ass handed to her sometimes. I want to see her overestimate her own abilities a little and Kanan or Hera or Ezra has to jump in to help her or point out that there's something coming she can't see and she needs to LISTEN to them instead of believing she knows better than everyone else.

I want the education Ahsoka is lacking to be her JEDI education. I want her to struggle more with managing her own emotions than the usual Jedi would. It isn't even explicitly because she grew up too fast but because her Master was the Worst Jedi To Ever Jedi and a complete failure at basic Jedi skills, so he never really manages to teach her some of these things. He can spit out platitudes until he goes blue in the face, but Ahsoka seems to learn primarily by EXAMPLE and, well, Anakin's example is a pretty shitty one to copy. Anakin teaches her to bottle things up, Anakin teaches her to believe she knows better than more experienced Jedi, Anakin teaches her to be secretive and not to trust the Jedi or their ways. I want to see Anakin's lessons be something that continues to fuck her up later. I want to see Anakin's influence be something that exacerbates her flaws from when she was younger instead of being more stabilizing. I want to see some of the better Jedi characters like Kanan or Ezra or Luke needing to help HER learn how to regulate her emotions better.

I want to see Ahsoka realizing that her Jedi training was stunted from the beginning and, if she ever wants to truly find peace, she has to let go of what she learned from Anakin and accept learning from a REAL Jedi (like Luke probably).

She IS disjointed because she DID get some Jedi training in her younger years that helps her be more functional as a person, but she struggles. A lot. More than most. She often seems perfectly fine, but then there are times when it becomes super clear that she's absolutely NOT fine and she's just mostly able to cover it up and get away with it due to the circumstances. She can spit out platitudes like her Master, tell Hera that she needs to learn to let go, but then, much like Anakin, she isn't capable of letting go of anything herself. I want to see people noticing that Ahsoka IS struggling, despite how put-together and competent she might seem, because her education was so lacking.

Unpopular opinion: I think Ahsoka is at her best and most interesting in the first two seasons of TCW and has only gotten progressively less nuanced as the years have gone by.

Ahsoka in TCW intentionally has flaws. They're pointed out more than once, there's ENTIRE EPISODES dedicated to Ahsoka having to fix her mistakes or being punished for disobeying orders or having to learn how to be better after she messes up and hurts people. Ahsoka has to keep learning lessons from Tera Sinube, and Aayla, and Luminara, and Padme, and Yoda.

But by the time you hit around season 4, Ahsoka starts being PERFECT. She is suddenly FLAWLESS as far as the narrative seems to see it. Even if she's doing the wrong thing, you're supposed to recognize that she is doing it for the right reasons. She's constantly level-headed, wise, and often treated as though she's practically an adult Jedi by the other Jedi around her despite having been young to be a Padawan at all and with only 2 years of training tops. It's no wonder so many people were so ready to believe that the Jedi were ready to Knight her at the end of the Wrong Jedi arc, Ahsoka's being written as though she's suddenly 25 years old with a decade of training, similar to how we see Obi-Wan acting in TPM instead of the barely trained child she should still be.

And then you hit Rebels and she's literally making entrances BATHED IN LIGHT LIKE AN ANGEL, incapable of being beaten by anyone except Darth Vader himself, she's got lightsabers of PURE WHITE LIGHT, and the other two Jedi characters treat her like a Master. And then she dies, walks off into the shadows, and comes back swathed in white robes and with a white staff, haloed in light like a wise shaman of some kind.

At least Din manages to push back against her choices in The Mandalorian, it's probably the first time we've seen Ahsoka have an opinion that someone else disagreed with and that the narrative explicitly treats as WRONG, forcing her to reconsider and make a different decision.

But by The Book of Boba Fett, she's schooling Din now, back to being the wise shaman who knows everything and can do no wrong.

In Tales of the Jedi, Ahsoka is practically perfection incarnate: more skilled than any other Jedi, more compassionate and connected to the galaxy than anyone else, someone who tamed and rode on the back of an apex predator before she could walk.

I want Ahsoka to have FLAWS again, I want the narrative to let her be WRONG and reap the consequences of that, I want to see Ahsoka LEARN SOMETHING again, I want to see her GROW as a character for the first time in over a decade.

[moe-broey]

"An awkward gesture" like yeah. And that group of guys who gathered around in Portland ME in full Nazi paraphernalia on April 1st that one year were just joking. Right.

[thornshadowwolf]

DAN AND PHIL RETURN????????

[creatureheart]

Figured this was better a reblog than in replies, so apologies for deleted replies.

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I actually responded to this on the Nonhuman National Park forum, not knowing you had also posted it here. So I'm going to share what I wrote there on this post as well.

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Disclaimer: there is no ill will from me, I am simply voicing my thoughts, and I can get a bit passionate and maybe a bit blunt, but the words are my own. Sorry for the ramble/rant.

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I am not a physical therian that I know of, but I do want to say that I feel like most should keep in mind that the use of the term "phsyical" here is simply the descriptor term for the type of therianthropy that is being experienced. It falls along the same lines as words like spiritual, psychological, metaphorical, etc.

It is used because their identity involves something related to the physical body, be it how they view it themselves, how they wish to be referred to by others, because of the disconnect they may feel from it, etc.

To be more specific, it is an umbrella descriptor for multiple things, a spectrum of experiences.

Just as one being a 'psychological therian' could mean imprinting all the way to delusions, or being a 'spiritual therian' could mean thinking one is a misplaced soul all the way to it being a religious based identity. Not to mention that these things can very easily also overlap and be experienced along with the physical parts of the identity.

I personally don't understand why some feel we should have to split specifics of one of these descriptors while not also doing that to the other types of reasons as to why someone may be nonhuman. Or more specifically, why do we have to split specifics and do away with the umbrella term for these specific experiences?

Why do the psychological and spiritual umbrellas get to remain for those who wish to use them if they do not want to be specific about their origin, but the physical does not?

Because, being honest, I do see way more of a push from people of trying to find different ways to redefine, or more so completely dispose of, the physical identity when it comes to the community than I do any other type of origin. Example being the push from parts of the community that being a therian is "only ever NON-PHYSICAL!!"

Which in my experience usually also comes from those trying to shove out the more "weird" and "undesirable" parts of the community in order to make it easier for those not even in the community, mostly those who are haters or antikin, to accept us. A way to appease those who don't actually care for us by sanitizing the community, which then can very quickly lead to ableism and other discrimination towards fellow nonhumans and alterhumans because their physical identity could very well be based in delusion, or be connected to other psychological or even physical disability means — I am rather sure I have seen some physical nonhumans connect their physical identity to their actual physical disabilities because to them it is euphoric that their body works the way it does instead of how a human body is expected to work by society.

I can understand that one may not understand why a term may be used for something that doesn't neatly fit under a definition, but it's also not up to people who do not use these terms to try and change or phase out a term that has been used(for probably decades*) and is still being used by other people due to it being confusing and inaccurate in their mind. Personal identity terms are mostly for those who use them, not for other people who don't. As I've seen said, even in queer spaces with how people talk about terms there that they don't understand, it's not for you. If an individual wants to get very specific about how they physically identify as their 'type, then that should be their decision, but they also shouldn't have to.

As in one must also keep in mind that not all physically identifying nonhumans may have a disconnect from their physical body, which then isolates them if we try to get rid of the umbrella term to only focus on those who do have the disconnect.

That all being said, these two ideas for terms you have shared could be useful for some out their who wish to have specifics like these, and I think there would be interest from those who wish to use them. But to then say we should just do away with the term 'physical therian' altogether is kind of unfair to those who do identify that way who don't want to get more specific or use another term. It should be up to them what they wish to use and what feels right to them and their experience.

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* As seen in O. Scribner's 'Otherkin Timeline', published 2010, where the mention of physical, and even ancestral identity is listed under reasons as to why someone may identify as otherkin or therian.

"With both otherkin and therians, this identification as another species will be explained in very different ways, depending on the individual’s own interpretations of his or her own nature. Depending on the person, he or she may say he or she identify as another species in a way that is spiritual, philosophical, metaphorical, experiential, behavioral, or psychological. Most rarely, a few do claim they are non-human in a physical or ancestral way."

I don’t think the term “physical therian” encompasses the experience described by those who use the term.

I think a more accurate term would be “depersonalized therianthropy” which could be shortened to “depo therian”.

Depersonalized therianthropy: when one’s animalistic identity creates a complete disconnect from their body causing them to not recognize their observable traits as their own

This encompasses the anecdotes I have heard and read from self identified “physical therians”. Whether this experience is caused by delusion, dysphoria, or rejection of humanity, this term is applicable.

This does not include those who use the term to convey that they refer to their body with animal biological terms.

I believe this should be called “bioterms”. It could be communicated similarly to pronouns.

Hypothetical Ex:

Toby (he/him) (wolf bioterms)

This conveys that he would like his hair to be called fur, nails to be called claws, hands to be called paws, mouth to be called muzzle, etc.

The use of the word “physical” in therianthropic terms is inaccurate and confusing. I am open to hearing other proposed terms but I think using the word “physical” should be phased out for clarity sake.