#i dont think its a morality tale

[caffeinatedopossum]

Thinking about that time when I was pressured into giving my testimony by not only my peers but also one of the religious leaders at my church even though I kept stating I didn't want to and was uncomfortable.

And then when I finally did, the testimony I told was about how I'd learned that not all Christians were good people and about how people had used god, Christianity, and their authority to hurt me and people I loved and how I was having to seperate the way they acted from the beliefs I held and then everyone looked at me like this:

[tossball-stick]

drooling over the idea of rhys and tim just like. being little assholes together. i bet they people watch out of the massive windows around atlas hq and mock the way some of the people look. theyre assholes. as a treat

[eyeofthetaiga]

its a shame the tales of series fell off

i rly think itnstarted going downhill the moment they were making those mobile games

didnt help that zestiria's story was kinda lackluster imo i liked the characters well enough but i was kinda disappointed w the story and berseria didn't interest me unfortunately

whenever I think abt berseria i think about the piss colors that one animation studio loves to use ahfksjd

and then arise kinda came out sisnt hear much abt it

tbh i feel like the problem is also theyre often on playstation consoles which seem rly expensive for not a whole lot of game choice 😭

ik the switch isnt as graphically capable but i wish they were on there maybe id buy arise

anyway maybe I'll play toz tob and toa one day or maybe theyll release a more interesting game soon

[starry-bi-sky]

MMMM twins au with danny and dan except its og TUE timeline danny and dan

ok okay i neeeeed o write this down and share it before i explode buT. as the title says. twins danny and dan (who im going to be calling James/Jamie bc i cannot express how much i despise the name dan) where, instead of disappearing into the ghost zone after he's separated from danny's body, Dan rips out Vlad's ghost half, tears THAT in half, and fuses one half with himself and the other with Danny.

Shit happens, and BOOM. Two morally ambiguous and perhaps slightly murderous demonic twins from hell. Daniel James Fenton and his Twin WHose Always Been Here What Are You Talking About :) James Daniel Fenton. They are both depressed, lonely, and one bad day from becoming a mass extinction event :)

this is because i got grabbed by the hair today and dragged into the SVSS fandom screaming and the fanart of Shen Jiu/Shen Yuan/Shen Quingqiu (????) with his fan entranced me. Ice Prince Core is my favorite thing so naturally i have to implant that onto my favorite blorbos ever :)

After the Incident, both their appearances changed and they're practically identical to each other. Sorta. They both have heterochromia and salt-and-pepper hair. But Danny has one green eye and one blue eye and white hair with black streaks, while Jamie has one blue eye and one green eye and black hair with white streaks. I'm iving them both long hair, for funsies <3

nobody can tell them apart, they keep getting confused on whose who and frankly the mix-match hair and eyes make it worse not better asjd. they're horrifically codependent. please do not separate :)

and because i must. im pulling a blood blossom/tales of the passerine and giving them to pre-robin batman. batman and his terrifying demon(??) twins. nobody is quite sure if they're human or not, and the scourge of gotham are a little too terrified to ask.

(they dont HAVE to go to batman while he's pre-robin. however. i think its much funnier that way bc gotham isn't use to A) Batman having kids, and B) Batman having TERRIFYING kids yet. think of all the new fun rumors)

they both use war fans while they're out, and neither of them use their ghost forms because they at least have the remaining empathy to know that they're more likely to murder someone accidentally as a ghost :). Ghost form is for fellow mythicals and Functionally Immortals Only! Not for Squishy Humans.

Jamie: murder. bloodshed. revengggee Bruce: no. no. Justice. peace!! hope! Danny: bittinngggg. blooood. ^-^

They're honestly not bad kids they're just horrifically traumatized two halves of a whole that can never be reunited ever again :).

idk what their vigilante names are but i do know that the underground refer to them in horrified whispers as 'the twins'. this all stemmed from the desperate and sudden urge to see Danny and Jamie, as their vigilante selves, hiding the lower half of their faces with fans and looking terrifyingly judgmental while they do it <333

[fairuzfan]

I’m a genocide historian and I do think comparisons between the Holocaust and the genocide in Palestine are unproductive because A) the Holocaust is pretty distinct from Palestinian genocide not in its exceptionalism but in its method - the “shipping” of victims from 20+ countries by international rail to a handful of centralized killing sites; 15000 people being gassed in Auschwitz daily (a single gas chamber had standing capacity for 2,000 people) and their stolen hair sold in bales for use as maritime rope and cushion stuffing - and forcing Holocaust parallels obfuscates the terrible and very unique methods of genocide being used by Israel against Palestinians. B) People often invoke the Holocaust as an emotional appeal regarding the moral culpability of all Jews (“how could you do what was done to your ancestors!”) when the same responsibility to end the genocide in Palestine exists regardless of one’s background or religion.

What Israel is doing in Palestine is 100% a genocide. Whether or not it is similar to the Holocaust (or any previous atrocity) does not make this any more or less true.

The thing that doesn't make sense to me with this point is that no one is saying that the Holocaust and Palestinian genocide are a 1:1 comparison. Like most people acknowledge the terrible genocide that occurred in the Holocaust against all its victims. But when they're talking about comparing genocides, there are tell tale signs that repeat throughout history that are precursers to larger events. Like when people compare the Warsaw ghetto to Gaza. I'd say those are quite similar in practice and intention. When we "compare" genocides (not a 1:1 but more of a drawing parellels by disecting the inteion and reasoning behind certain events that werent necessarily actively violent but passively violent) its to show "hey this is going to get really bad really soon because something like this happened before." Masha Gessen has an article about this that I reblogged.

People should care about fighting injustice everywhere I agree. But that doesn't change the fact that parallel drawing is an act separate from emotional invocation. When genocide scholars and survivors talk about "Hey this was like xyz that happened to me/in history" it's to show that there is precedent for this thinking and a terrible methodology happening when genocides occur. They dont just get really bad out of nowhere, you need to examine the precursors to prevent the large event from happening. How that large event happens differs from place to place, I agree. But to say that because things happen differently against different people means you can't examine the underlying reasons behind those actions is kind of reductive. By this definition you can never compare any genocide ever and all the terrible things that happen just happen naturally without any political or social influence.

Arnesa talks about how the Bosnian genocide precursors mirror the Palestinian genocide. She also talks about how Lula specifically should have mentioned other genocides (like Rwanda, Bosnia, etc) in his statement because there are parallels there too. I'd argue that's the real intention behind genocide studies, in that you notice trends and patterns to analyze how certain events might turn out.

I do want to mention because this is where im coming from a little bit, it is a pretty big zionist talking point (by especially American dems) saying you can't compare the holocaust to what's happening to Palestinians because it's antisemitic, which is not a real talking point and actually kind of rude in that it assumes that Palestinians can't call out parallels between their treatment and the treatment of those in the Holocaust because they're fundamentally doing it from a point of antisemitism and not a plea for recognition that the events are mirroring each other.

[axelsagewrites]

I was think threesome with Ellaria Sand and Yara Greyjoy...don't know if that would be ok tho.

Ellaria and Yara*Company

Pairing: Ellaria x Yara x Targaryen!reader Platonic: Daenerys x sister!reader

Warnings: smut, f!receiving oral, fingering, nipple play, hickeys, slight degradation, dom Yara/Ellaria 18+

Word count: 3447

Summary: Yara and Ellaria decide to give the reader some company before the depart for Sun spear

A/N: I accept all requests so pls dont worry :)

Masterlist Here

While many men were threatened by your sisters claim you were surprised by the amount of powerful women in Westeros ready to back her. though the tales you had been told of its current queen could help explain why. Daenerys had always defended you growing up, fighting with your brother when he tried to sell you off after her and eventually having him killed. She always made sure you had her most trusted guards stationed outside your bedroom and would burn the world around you to keep you warm. You still remember the proud face she wore when your road Viserion for the first time.

Now you joined her in Dragonstone and sat in on her small council meetings. While you weren’t an expert in battle plans or ship strategies you were her heir and moral compass. She needed you to be on her side not for the war but for her sanity and her moral compass.

You listened to how even the women started to almost lecture your sister. “If you want the iron throne, take it!” Yara Greyjoy began her rant of brute force tactics. When you first met her, and you knew she would be stubborn and commanding. While you privately found this endearing it frustrated your sister who did not want to rule over ashes. You smiled as she discussed ships and soldiers. As if there weren’t three dragons who would win the war in an instant if you both agreed to it.

Tyrion knew this well from your sisters’ lengthy talks with him and pointed it out to the Iron Islander. Then the Dornish one spoke up. “It’s called war. If you don’t have the stomach for it scurry back into hiding,” Ellaria spat. You had heard a lot about her since her arrival. Watching her lover be murdered in front of her. a true tragedy. However, you were told she was just as passionate even before that.

As you learned about her you learned of the customs in Dorne as well. Men and women and women and women and men and men or sometimes many of each. Your sister had tried to protect you from the Dothraki ways, but the Dornes had a certain appeal to them. Despite her words Ellaria was beautiful in a way that left you so stunned you couldn’t even speak up. Your sister had to when Ellaria and Tyrion’s fight continued too long. you knew Ellaria’s sharp tongue should make you grimace or argue but it caused a strange light feeling in the pit of your stomach.

Daenerys approached the table as she began to discuss further with the council she had formed and rested her hand on your shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. Your silence was unusual to her, but she did not realise its cause. As they discussed war plans your eyes kept flickering to where the most beautiful, sharp witted, women you had met stood beside each other. An unlikely pair you thought but so attractive that it made your breath catch in its throat.

The only thing that broke your admiration was Tyrion’s next plan, “Lady Greyjoy will escort you home to sun spear,” your eyes snapped back to where Tyrion moved the wooden figures across the board, and you suddenly stopped the frown that had fallen on your face. It was so brief, half a moment if that, but when your eyes glanced to Yara you saw a smirk play on her lips, her eyes glued to you.

You had sunk slightly in your chair under her unwavering gaze, trying so hard not to blush or meet her eyes. Then she spoke, “Perhaps the princess should come with us,” Yara said causing your sisters hand to leave your shoulder and turn to Yara, “So she can wait out in the safety of Dorne,”

“No. She does not leave my side. I will not have it,” Daenerys said coldly, “She is safe with me,”

“I assure you your grace she would be treated very well in Dorne,” Ellaria said, her eyes flicking to you with what looked like a warm smile, but her eyes were filled with something else.

“My sister stays with me, in Dragonstone, or by my side. Always. Understood?” Daenerys said and the women nodded, their eyes trained on you, “Good. Now Tyrion continue,”

When the council meeting ended Daenerys asked Olena to stay to speak but held you back for a moment as well, “Don’t worry sweet sister. I will protect you. you are safe here you must not worry,” she said as she held your hands.

You smiled at her words, “I know Danny. I’m not worried,” you assured her.

“You just don’t seem yourself. What’s on your mind?”

“Perhaps we should discuss that later?” you asked, nodded your head towards where the Tyrell was still sat waiting expectantly.

Danny smiled and squeezed your hands before letting go, “I’ll find you before bed. Get some rest,”

When you left the chamber, you did not expect to see anyone else in the corridor, but Ellaria was outside of the door, leaning against the wall. She perked up when she saw you, “Princess,” She smiled as she pushed herself off the wall, “I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced,”

“I don’t believe so,” you nodded, your head down as you tried to conceal your flush, “I’m just heading to my chambers im afraid,”

“I’ll walk you,” She smirked as she linked her arm with you and began to drag you away.

A hot flush crept over your neck as you said a quiet thank you. she walked with such grace and elegance that it was almost as if she was floating. “So, tell me about yourself,” Ellaria told you as she placed her hand over yours. You shivered at her touch; her skin as soft as silk.

“I’m afraid there’s too much to tell,” you blushed.

“Good thing im an excellent listener. When we get to your chambers, I can send someone to get a bottle of my finest Dornish red for us and you can tell me everything,” You knew you should not trust her or anyone for that matter, but her offer was so alluring that all you could do was nod.

When you arrived at your chamber, she told one of your men to fetch the wine then made herself comfortable as she sat on your bed, holding your hand loosely and bringing you to rest beside her. your eyes darted to the floor as you followed her silent command, but they were brought back to meet hers when she stroked a stand of hair out of your face. Her touch lingered and you felt yourself lean into it before she returned her hand to her side, “You are such an exquisite beauty,” her voice was low though and caused a warm tingling feeling across your skin.

“Not as pretty as you,” you tried to be confident, but your skin was hot.

Ellaria smiled at your words and bit back a chuckle, “Oh how sweet you are princess,” she said before you fell into a silence as you stared into her eyes. Your body felt pulled to her and hers yours as she began to lean in, her lips ghosting over yours.

Then someone knocked on the door. Ellaria didn’t break eye contact when she replied, “Come in,” her lips brushing over yours as they spoke.

Your eyes turned to the door where Yara stood leaning against the doorway with a smirk on her face, “Princess im shocked,” she teased as she sauntered into the room, “I thought I would’ve at least got an invite,” You blushed at her words, stuttering for a response when your guard appeared with the Dornish red that had been sent for. Yara took it off the man, “You can go,” she told him before closing the door behind him.

Ellaria moved closer to you as Yara approached but her lips had moved back, and you yearned for their return. “How can we help you Greyjoy?” she asked as her eyes trailed over the woman holding her wine hostage.

“I don’t know what’s finer,” Yara said as she ignored Ellaria and grabbed a spare cup off your nightstand. “Dornish wine or their women,” Yara said as she filled the cup and raised it slightly in Ellaria’s direction. The Dornish women let out a soft chuckle at her antics. “Though of course your grace neither are as fine as you,”

“At least there is something we can agree on,” Ellaria leaned in, so her hot breath fell onto your ear causing you to shiver.

Yara held the cup out to you and your fingers brushed against hers when you reached for it, “You are both far to kind. I don’t want to take up anyone’s time,” you stammered out before drinking half the cup in one go for some kind of courage. The wine was so sweet that it made you wonder what the Dornish lips tasted like.

Both women chuckled at your blush. Ellaria took the cup from your hand and took a sip for herself, “I have all the time in the world for you, your grace,”

“As do I,” Yara said as she refilled the cup, but her eyes were solely on you, “Surely you must get lonely. I hear you have never been wed,”

“Not yet,” you murmured as their eyes burned into your skin, “No suitable man has come up yet,”

“No man will ever be suitable,” Ellaria’s hand moved to rest on your thigh causing your breath to catch in your throat. You felt your skin tingle as she dragged her hand up your thigh to rest on your hip, “Not for someone of your beauty,”

“Trust me my princess,” Yara said as she leaned down onto on knee in front of you, taking your chin into your hand, “The company of women is far more…rewarding than that of men,”

“I-,”

You tried to talk but Ellaria used a finger to turn your head to face her as Yara’s hand fell away to rest on your knee, her thumb rubbing circles over your dress. “Have you enjoyed anyone’s company yet my sweet?” you shook your head at her words, “It would be an honour to share your company princess,”

“The highest of honours indeed,” Yara agreed as she leaned up from where she kneeled in front of you, her lips hovering over your breasts, “Tell us sweet princess. Would you like company this evening? Stress relief is important in times of war,” her fingers trailed over the neckline of your dress.

“I suppose I have been stressed recently,”

Ellaria tutted as she moved to kneel behind you, her hands going to your shoulders, “Stress is no good for you my dear,” she said as she swept your hair to the side and placed a kiss behind your ear. You shivered at her touch but leaned back into her, “Let us help you unwind. Would you like that?” you felt her nose gently run along the skin of your neck and you craved her lips again.

“Please,” you almost whimpered under their light touches.

“Who are we to deny the princess,” Yara said as her hands fell to move under your skirts, pushing them up your legs so her hand could rest on your bare thighs.

Ellaria’s lips began to leave open kisses to your neck, her tongue running over your skin and causing you to melt into her touch. She brought her hands down to begin squeezing your chest causing your nipples to harden. All while Yara placed her own kisses on your skin, starting at first on your knee before trailing up your inner thighs to you under clothes. Her fingers dug deep into your thighs and the pain and pleasure caused you to let out small moans and whimpers. “You sound so pretty,” Ellaria praised.

Yara began to kiss and suck on one bit of your thigh as she left deep purple marks into your skin, “So fucking pretty,” she agreed before soothing to spot with her tongue before adding another. “Tell me princess,” she asked as she pulled away from your flesh, “Have you ever touched yourself?”

Your breath caught in your throat as you stared down at the Islander who refused to break eye contact with you, “She asked you a question sweetheart,” Ellaria’s fingers had found your nipples and pinched them at your silence.

You gasped at the sensation, your eyes fluttering shut when she began to softly twist them, “Yes,” you confessed in a moan causing Ellaria to chuckle.

“How naughty of you princess,” Yara grinned as her hands moved up your thigh, closer to your admittingly wet pussy. “I’m sure I could do it better though,”

“Prove it,” you stuttered before moaning again when Ellaria put her lips back on your neck.

Yara chuckled at your attempt to be bold, “Your gonna regret that,” she smirked as she pulled your underclothes off, “Look how wet you already are. How pathetic,” she grinned as she trailed a finger up your wet fold causing you to gasp. Yara put the finger in her mouth to taste your juices. The way she moaned made your stomach flutter, “Better than the wine,”

Yara began to press kisses to the tops of your inner thighs, her face brushing against your core as she moved. You whined at the feeling. “So impatient,” Ellaria purred. Yara placed one last kiss to your thigh before turning to where you needed her most. She trailed her tongue up your slit causing a loud moan to fall from your throat. “She likes that,” Ellaria chuckled as she pulled her lips away.

“Good,” Yara smirked before her tongue descended back onto your wet cunt, licking long stripes up your wetness. She brought your legs over her shoulders, her hands gripping your thighs so tight you knew there would be marks tomorrow but you didn’t care as her tongue dived into you.

Ellaria turned your head sideways to face her as she crashed her lips onto yours. You moaned into the kiss as she continued to squeeze one nipple, the other hand holding your jaw in place. Her tongue began to glide over your lip causing you to open more to let her in, something she gladly did.

Meanwhile Yara’s tongue trailed further up to began making sloppy circles over your clit. The new sensation and your moan caused you to pull back from Ellaria’s kiss which only made her grip your jaw tighter before slamming her lips onto yours.

A warm feeling was bubbling in your stomach as the sensations overtook your body. Yara brought one of her hands to replace her tongue at your whole, two fingers diving in and curling inside you with expertise. You whimpered into the kiss. Ellaria pulled her lips off you and began leaving sloppy kisses on your neck, her tongue trailing over your skin. Her hands pulled the top of your dress down, revealing your breasts fully which she began to squeeze.

Almost as if perfectly timed Yara began to suck on your clit as Ellaria squeezed your nipples, twisting them gently as she did. Your body tensed before releasing all the pressure built inside as you came on Yara’s tongue which did not stop moving until you slumped back into Ellaria’s arms. “You were so good for us,” She praised as she pressed a kiss to your head.

“But you’re not done,” Yara said as she stood up, her knees probably aching from how long she was between your thighs. “Get up,” you did as you were told as Ellaria shot Yara a questioning look. Yara took her hand and raised her from the bed. She turned back to you and took your face into her hands “You’re going to ride her face while I suck on those pretty tits of yours,” she said before clashing her lips onto yours.

Her kiss was harsh and desperate as she began to pull the dress off your body. Ellaria pressed herself behind you, placing kisses to your neck as her hand reached round your front in between yours and Yara’s body. Her hand moved to between your legs, rubbing her fingers expertly around your clit. “Fuck,” you whined as you separated the kiss.

“You don’t get to cum again just yet,” Ellaria said as she removed her hands from your body. Her hands moved to untie the strings of her dress, letting it pool to the floors beside yours. “Come with me princess,” she said as she took your hand and led you to the bed.

Ellaria eyes gazed into yours as she lay back on the bed, pulling you to kneel above her. “What if I hurt you?” you asked causing the other two to laugh.

“You won’t,” she assured you, her hands resting on your legs, but you were still hesitant, “If I need you to stop, I’ll double tap your thighs my sweet,”

“Okay,” you said as you shuffled up slightly, your body now above her chest. “Do I just uh- “you stuttered which made Ellaria smile and Yara laugh.

Yara knelt behind you and grabbed your hips forcing you to shuffle up. Your core was probably soaking from what had just happened to it. You felt Ellaria’s sweet breath fan over it. Yara pressed a kiss to the back of your neck, “Let yourself enjoy it princess,” Yara told you.

Slowly you sank down onto Ellaria’s face, her hands moving to grip your thighs and pull you down more. You gasped as her tongue licked up your slit, her nose nuzzling against your core. You felt Yara shuffling behind you before she took her place on her knees in front of you of the bed. Her hand went to the back of your neck and pulled you in to crash her lips onto yours.

You whimpered when Ellaria’s tongue began to dive into you, curling against your walls. Yara smirked into the kiss as her hands moved to grab your breasts. Her hands were much rougher than Ellaria as was her grip which made you moan more. However, her hands soon moved to grab your ass, sinking her fingers into the flesh before delivering a quick spank to one cheek. You gasped which broke the kiss but soon chased her lips again as her hand ran over the red mark to sooth it.

One of her hands found your hips to make you grind against Ellaria’s face. This made her nose nuzzle deeper into your clit making the same pressure as before building up all over again. Yara’s other hand went to your breast, grabbing it hard before her fingers began to toy with your nipple. Her lips fell from yours to capture the other nipple with her wet kisses. Your moans rang out in the chamber as Yara’s teeth grazed your sensitive bud.

The pressure was almost painful as the pair continued their assault on your most sensitive areas. You felt your body tighten and Ellaria pulled your thighs down further as your hips tried to buck away. “Please im gonna- “you beg was interrupted by a gasp as Yara pinched your nipple.

She released the other with a pop as she pressed a wet kiss to your lips, “Let go princess,” she told you and suddenly the knot in your stomach unleashed as you came hard from Ellaria’s tongue and Yara’s hand. A moan ripped through your throat as your body spasmed above her.

Ellaria’s grip on your thighs relinquished and before you could fall on her Yara grabbed your shoulders to pull you to lay on the bed. “Fuck,” you gasped as you stared up at the ceiling dazed.

Soon the two women were laying on each of your side, Yara’s hand stroking your thigh as she placed sweet kisses to your cheeks. Ellaria began to play with your hair, leaving her own kiss on your forehead, “You were magnificent,” she praised.

The three of you continued your fun before retiring in a heap under the blankets. You were half out of it when you heard your chamber door creak open. Your head lazily turned to the side before your eyes quickly widened when you met your sisters gaze. Danny stood, her jaw dropped and eyes wide before she quickly composed herself, “This is not what I meant by rest,” she said, her voice low when she noticed your two new friends were softly snoring.

“Sorry?” you offered with a sheepish smile.

“Its okay,” Danny said with a chuckle, “I guess I’ll have to start knocking,”

A/N: First time writing wlw smut one shot so hope I did it justice. It was also my first time writing a three some so two in one lol

[ps1demodisk]

Thinking about the Solitaries recently.

There is not much lore, it saddens me.

I think from his interaction with Vala and #7 in his Tales, it's a case of the Solitaries becoming part of The Heroic Order after Valen's capture.

When he tries to be smooth with Vala, during that interaction she says "The Heroic Order are the swords and shields of the nobility. How can one be unaware of those who serve them?" Meaning the Solitaries as a group server under The Heroic Order and not just Valen.

But from #7 in his Tales, one of the Solitaries is questioning how Hogan managed to catch Valen (referring to Valen as "the captain"), implying they were their own thing before this point.

While it's currently unknown (as far as I'm aware) how long it's been since they began working under The Heroic Order, it can be assumed it's a while considering how Vala makes no mention of the Solitaries as anything except a branch of The Heroic Order

[This next part is from a conversation I had with my friend masondjar]

It would also explain why Valen does undercover work, I think before his capture the Solitaries were a lot more morally grey, definitely not legal by any means.

I don't think they captured him to make him join The Heroic Order, but he hit Hogan with that pathetic white boy stare and poor Hogan was like "oh he's baby... my child... my son now..." and they ended up striking some sort of deal.

In the words of mister d.jar because they put it in baby terms for me after my brain died and I like their funny words:

"i was just like. wondering if they were tasked to do other things before being ushered into the heroic order? i dont think they were doing everything the heroic order wanted them to do. it feels similar to anonymous and how people become white hat hackers. anonymous is a group of people who tend to "troll" big companies and people. leaking, doxxing, internet sleuth kinds of things but morally grey - not really good but not really bad. white hat hackers are people the government takes in to deal with, break down and study potentially harmful viruses, trojans etc. they typically come from a background of prior hacking and creating malicious malware. so with him being "captured" i dont think they captured him in order to ask him to join the heroic order - least not outright. he may have been a lot more morally grey at that point and had done some things the heroic order wanted him to "atone" for yknow - justice to its fullest sorta thing"

Uh so yeah thanks for attending my yap session about Mister Valen AFK Journey :]

[helaenalyst]

alternative alicole reading: they're not just lancelot and guenevere, they're also don quixote and dulcinea

if you are not familiar with the story of don quixote, it is a spanish book that parodies the typical tales of knighthood of northern europe (such as the arthurian legends or la chanson de roland) under the premise that "such a story could never be told here, because people are down to earth and don't care for honor or morals here". within this context, don quixote is an aging minor noble who sets out on a quest to embody the ideals of knighthood in a world where it is impossible to do so and as a person for whom it is impossible to do so

personally i find that criston's character as he is written in the show also explores these themes even if a lot is different. the worst parts of himself are constantly spilling through the cracks in the armor that he hopes to contain them with (plus he's dornish! dorne is based on southern spain iirc as george rr martin said). but of course criston is not only don quixote as he does have many qualities of the lancelot archetype as well such as the youth and the unmatched physical prowess

now as for don quixote's "lady", dulcinea. dulcinea is a peasant woman who has been abused and mistreated all her life, she is seen as worthless and as a "ruined woman" as a result of the abuse she has endured. but to don quixote, due to his "madness", she is a lady worth serving, worth worshipping and worth dying for. they are not in love, she thinks he's crazy, but it does move her in the end to have one person in the world who thinks of her as valuable after the way she's been treated so they have a platonic relationship that is quite special

i am an alicole shipper in the sense that i love their complex dynamic, and i love both characters very much, but i don't think alicent's view of criston is like guenevere's view of lancelot, i think her character is a mix of guenevere and dulcinea vibes and her perception of criston is deeply complex but leans more towards "dear friend i am fond of and find physically crazy attractive" than "love of my life that i would move heaven and earth to be with". he's the one who's been there for her through it all treating her like she's worthy of worship in a world that told her that she didn't matter and that she was born to be used and dismissed. but even that didn't protect him from also acting dismissive towards her in the last episode. even that didn't stop him from committing a murder in front of her "for her sake" that made her scared of what he might do next. i think they're both characters that wish they were nobler than they are but ultimately they are just extremely human and flawed no matter how hard they fight against it

i've seen a lot of disappointment over how alicole developed this season by people who expected a more noble, more romantic version of their relationship when it finally came to pass and i think that no one feels that way more strongly than alicent and criston themselves. but imo it didn't turn out that way because it couldn't turn out that way for them because of who they are and the world they live in. but i still find their attempts to live up to these standards impressive and commendable and i think that they also see that in one and another and is a reason why they love each other (even if i dont personally think that they are in love with each other). ironically it's precisely these attempts to be more than they are that often get them so much hate from the fandom and the other characters because it is percieved as them being hypocrates by believing in one thing and then doing another. which is a valid reading and something i think they are aware of and eats them up inside

tldr i like their bond for what it is even if its not the perfect ideal of romance, i still think it's beautiful in its own way and i am glad that they had each other through all these years in a situation where they did not really have any alternatives of others to turn to. i don't know if any of this makes any sense to anyone who hasn't read don quixote in spanish but it makes sense to me <3 so i hit post

[tubchunk]

me spitting out all my thoughts here as i watch tubbo's vod

"YEP innocent" "innocent to me" yeah like qtubbo doesnt give a shit if fred is bad, he will burn it all down to find her

"its time for me to step into the sun, you know? and who cares if everyone else burns?" HOLY FUCKKKKKKKK TUBBO??????

"this is more than a villain arc, this is a lifestyle adjustment" oh qtubbo you are going to fly so close to the sun and youre going to burn and i am here for it all

"you wrong me? you're not gonna be around to tell the tale" HES SODHDJDBFBFJ QTUBBO ENJOYERS WE ARE SO BACK

"this is not a story of villains and heroes, this is a story of revenge" WHAT WAS IN HIS FOOD TODAY WHAT WAS HE ONNNNN LINE AFTER LINE IS HITTING

qtubbo knowing the server underestimates him and is now ready to show what he really is capable of YOU GO BABYGIRL

"this is a conflict where there arr no winners, just mutually-ensured destruction" goddamn he is on it today

GIRL 26 STACKS OF TNT?????????

"anything to get the upper hand, am i right?" AND THEN MENTIONING THE FED OFFICE WARP PLATE IS ACTIVE OH MY GODDDDDDD FED QTUBBO ERA????

"in my own experience, the members of the islandhave been much worse to me than the federation ever has been" oh my gOD YES QTUBBO FEELING THE FED PUNISHMENTS ARE STILL "JUSTIFIED" CUZ THERE WERE RULES BROKEN BUT THE ISLANDERS HAVE BEEN POKING AT HIM FOR THINGS HE CONSIDERS UNNECESSARY OH VILLAIN ARC TIME IS REALLLL

HE CALLED FRED "THE ONE PERSON I CARE ABOUT ON THIS SERVER" IM SICK TO MY STOMACHDBDBFGBDBFJFJ

qtubbo deciding that morning crew doesnt need to know about what hes gonna do, cuz theyll always be his boys :(

"i think we show them a healthy does of regret" his qcellbit is coming out !!

just imagining qtubbo with his airpods in as he is dramatic, bumping classical music

"the suit stays on until he's found, safe and alive" thr fact that qtubbo does all this, still in thr suit for his date GOD its so sad

that post that said qtubbo, a machine guy, tearinf every block down by HAND is important cuz that shows how genuinely furious he is. cuz he needed to feel the catharsis of tearing it all down himself.

why did he research warp plate mods to figure out where fred is😭😭 gay love stories are getting out of hand

"i made a promise today. i said i would break every block he has ever placed. *i* will break. fire wont break. tnt wont break. *i* will break." holy fucking shittttttttt he got possessed by qtubbo

FIT LMAOOOOO

qfit noticing and asking why qtubbo was at quackity's but as qtubbo askes him to leave him be, he did. he knew qtubbo would come to him when he wanted to.

COY PISO INTERMISSION!!!

qtubbo's action plan just being pushing qquackity over the edge that is so fucked up and i am here for this downward spiral !!

"i could mentally destroy him until hes a quivering ball of tears and regret on the floor" HOLY FUCK???????

"youre trying to turn me against the federation while actively doing thr same exact thing they're doing, the fucking hypocrisy" GOD i think qquackity is justified in his reasons BUT QTUBBO ISNT WRONG HERE!!!! IN HIS EYES, WHY WOULD YOU SAY THEYRE BAD AND THEN DO THR SAME THINF AS THEM???

him still saving all the stuff qquackity got from the eggs and others cuz "those seem important" GOD

"he doesnt need a hoise, cuz home is where the heart is. and i feel like thats a lesson he ought to learn. too bad that his is dead and cold" QTUBBO HOLY?????

"its like you never existed at all. thats my mission" girl youre speedrunning that descent into insanity and evil and i love you for it

"youre crazy. maybe i am! i dont give a shit!" wow hes so aware

"i didnt have a purpose before. but now its to make sure quackity never has a mark on this server" he didnt have a purpose and now, after losing fred, his purpose is to make qq pay holyyyy

"i never said i was morally grey, i said i would fuck up all his shit" LETSGO BABYGIRL

HIM GOING TO THE FED OFFICE TO PoSSIBLY SNITCH, CUZ THE ENEMY OF HIS ENEMY IS HIS FRIEND

NOT THE SERVER RESTART STOPPING HIM LMAOOOO

him literally saying he doesnt care and the enemy of his enemy is his friend yoo

qtubbo not being silly and walking into fred's office and just quietly moving on STOPPPPPP

NOT THE LORE SPOILERSSSSS LMAO

RETURN OF CUCURUCHO OFFICE PODCASTTTTTTTTT

"if youve become as bad as the thing you are trying to destroy to destroy it, yourr not better. youre just a replacement" BARS 🔥🔥🔥

qtubbo's voice instantly softening looking at fred's office and the desk plant he got STOPPPPP THEY MEAN SO MUCH TO ME

him replacing the flower on fred's desk with a poppy :(((

QTUBBO REPLACING THE WARP AT HIS HOUSE TO THE FED OFFICE OH I CAN FEEL HOW THIS GOES DOWNHILL

"why do i bother making anything to help the server? this is the thanks i get" oh yeah he is fully turning against everyone soon

oh god convo with qfit

oh i know qfit is concerned hearing qtubbo talk this way but theres nothing he can do to make him change his mind, so he just stays by him

"just to watch him. not say a word. just watch him" WATCHER QTUBBO??????

oh qtubbo is actuslly scaring me rn

"theres an old sayinf that 'if youre on the quest for revenge, dig two graves" "thats alright. i dont care if i burn as long as he does as well. maybe ill dig 3 graves. maybe ill take some other people along with me on the way" HOLY FUCKCJDJFJDJFJFJDJFJ QTUBBO YOURE INSANE I LOVE YOU SO BAD

"so i take there was no date?" "i was invited on one. it was real to me" GODJDDHFB IM GONNA END IT ALL

qfit still reassuring qtubbo that fred is okay, he still cares for qtubbo so much thats someone he has grown to care for

TUBBO SHOWING FIT WHAT HE DID TO QUACKITY'S HOUSE AND SAYING "like i said. like he never existed" AND THEN JUST BOUNCED????? GIRL.

qtubbo gaslight gatekeep girlboss

"is it more satisfying to destroy a person. or watch them destroy themselves?" AND WE ARR WATCHING AS QTUBBO ALSO DESTROYS HIMSELF BIT BY BIT OOOOOOOOH

his ass spoiling stuff again😭😭

snack break!

PHIL HOUSE TIME

qtubbo instantly leaving when he sees quackity joined and fred joined god

the curse of bad nees bringer tubbo about to strike again with wilbur LMAO

distracted to spy on wilbur so real

QUIRKYDUOOOOOO

qtubbo just carrying thr flower from fred's office in his offhand im sick

qtubbo warning qpac that he may hear some stuff about him that isnt true i. coming weeks, and qpac saying he trusts qtubbo 100% MORNING CREW MY FAMILYYYYYYY

PAC MY BELOVEDDDDD

not pac and tubbo arguing over who has to break the news to wilbur lmaoooooo

qtubbo qquackity's biggest hater rn

damn im sad tubbo crashed before the event but that laptop was hanging by a THREAD

[violentdevotion]

what if i.....?

i used to have the old tube tv in my bedroom and idec about the foot cancer it probably gave me i miss that thing so bad

[hawkzeyes]

hey i'm so sorry i know you've linked to it probably a million times but i can't find it: can i have the link to your hawkeye reading list pleaseee and thank you 🥳

Hi Hi!! Please never apologize for asking I have the most unorganized blog in all hawkeye accounts LMFAOOO so not being able to find recs in here is understandable

Im assuming you mean Clint, but just in case not I will add Kate's in at the end!

So First of course is this icon's first appearance in

Tales of Suspense #57 (1964) - (he also shows up a few more times in tales of suspense but obviously this is the most important one!)

The Avengers #16 (1965) is when he joins and becomes our favorite little Avenging Archer (forewarning he is a little shit here. His favroite pass time in the beginning is driving Steve up a wall. I personally find this dynamic very funny but some dont)

He is with the Avengers for a really long time. Like more than 150+ comics(he isn't Hawkeye the whole time though as he does have a little bit I believe that starts in Avengers #63-#98 where he is Goliath. He comes back to us as Hawkeye in Avenger #99)

Hawkeye (1983) is his first solo ever! It's a mini series but its one of my personal favroites!

West Coast Avengers (1984)- this is where we get to see him take lead in a brand new team in California!

The West Coast Avengers (1985)- this is just a contitnuation of the previous mentioned!

Solo Avengers (1987)- We find out more tea about Clint's life prior to avenging here

He stays with the West Coast Avengers for a hot minute before we get his second solo

Hawkeye (1994) he's reaaaaal tough guy big feelings in this one

then he shows up in Avengers again in 1995 (yeah I know but hey he is the avenging archer so that's where youre gonna find him the most) He even gets a new lil fit and everything (he looks like he belongs in a boyband and I love it)

Thunderbolts (1998) is where Clint shows up ( in 2001 I believe) and takes over the team! He essentially helps try to guide them into being a good hero team and if I remember correctly I think its either #74-#75 where he leaves the Thunderbolts (I can't remember exactly I'm sorry)

Hawkeye (2003)- a third solo!!! look at our little guy go!!!

Then he... well he dies LMFAOOO in Avengers (2004) and the Clint Barton you knew and love is about to change forever

The New Avengers #26 (2006) if i remember correctly and it's.. well it's a sad one and he isn't the lovely Hawkeye when he comes back either. This is where Clint becomes Ronin, which is a rather dark time for Clint.

Secret Invasion (2008) This is also sad im sorry LMFAOOO Clint's morals are tested often as Ronin

The New Avengers (2009) Again he is ronin here so if youre looking for Clint just as Hawkeye he isn't here but don't worry he is back as Hawkeye soon enough

New Avengers: The Reunion (2009) whooooo's he getting a reunon with ;)

Hawkeye & Mockingbird (2010) guess what, that's who he got a reunion with I LOVE THIS COMIC

Widowmaker (2010) is basically a continue on of ^ with Nat involved

Avengers: Solo (2011) CLINT!!!! AS!!! HAWKEYE!!! Doin Hawkeye shit

Hawkeye: Blindspot (2011) do you like family angst? Good. Here. Have the family angst.

There is an event going on around this time called Fear Itself that he is involved in and also he is in Secret Avengers (2012) starting #21 or #22 where he becomes the leader.

Hawkeye (2012) We all know and love this bad boy. You could fit so many tears into it.

Secret Avengers (2013) again??? yes again.

Secret Avengers (2014) haha yeah again

Hawkeye Vs Deadpool (2014) it's fun! it's cute! Wade makes me laugh and he has a soft spot for the Hawkeyes

All-New Hawkeye (2015) there is some retconning done here

I don't wanna talk about Civil War II (2016) it makes me really sad LMFAOOO but yes he is in it and it should be read because well.. he makes a BIGGGGGG choice here that I feel has def echoed in his characterization since and has caused lots of misleading beliefs about Clint

Occupy Avengers (2016) Woooooooh I like this one it's fun

Secret Empire (2017) He is in it if I remember correctly but I grouch about this whole concept because I thought it was stupid. It gives the same energy as "What if Superman was evil" and I'm sure as a DC fan you know how annoying that concept is.

Generations: Hawkeye(2017) This is soooo cute I love this one. Kate meets a younger Clint in it and they run around together

Tales of Suspense #101 (2018) This will never not make me laugh. Him and Bucky working together is always funny

He is also involved in Kate's Hawkeye run during this time but I've got that on her list

West Coast Avengers (2018) I liked this. I love when Kate and Clint work together and I liked seeing the nods to the original WCA

Hawkeye: Freefall (2020) crying puking throwing up it's so good and fun until it's not fun anymore

Black Widow (2020) Not my favroite run for Nat... feels like the tone is off but he is in it

Thunderbolts (2022) I liked this...would have been super cool if Marvel had kept it as a continuing run because I feel like it didn't get to finish it's story. I'm still sour about it.

NOW obviously this is not everything ever he has ever been in and I'm certainly not perfect enough to have read every. single. appearance. So please forgive me if I missed something important cause sometimes my brain is not so greeat with memory.

x Kate Reading List!

[guesst]

MANHWA REC LIST PART 2

WAR OF THE PRINCESSES

i finished catching up to this like 2 minutes ago [EDIT: WROTE THAT THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAYM NOW ITS 2 DAYS AGO] and i genuinely really liked this. for a manhua its amazing!! the plot is unique and keeps you guessing, the characters are entertaining and NOT cookie cutter cutouts of isekai tropes, theres been some interesting reveals and a lot of people in the comments were hating on ml but personally i found him super fun; hes very morally grey n has definite flaws but thats what makes him a good character to read about !! not to mention the main character herself is great. i hate that my bar for good manhwa/hwa characters has gone down to 'has more than 2 personality traits' but she is leaping over it for sure

PLEASE REPENT, YOUR GRACE!

i dont read yaoi i dont read bl. i have never ever read it . however the vibes were so strong that i had to go back and check the tags because.. if you read it... you will see. its so strong. it radiates. (all that aside i really like the relationship btn the mains i think its really fun. they may not be gay (????🤨🤨🤨🤔🤔) but its still highly enjoyable i love it)

THE BABY SAINT WANTS TO DESTROY THE WORLD!

ive read 2 chapters but i just think the 'evil character reincarmates into the pinnacle of goodness' trope is the funniest thing in the world. i have no clue if its going to be a generic collect the characters take over the world type of thing but i just think its funny and its the newest one ive read.

IT SEEMS I'VE TRANSMIGRATED SOMEWHERE

i have been waiting for aomethinf like this for SO LONG hahah the main character is so diddly darn confused the entire time cus in her past life shes read too much rofan etc and now cant figure out what novel shes trandmigrated into. regular manhwa reader fr,, anyway theres a strong case for second hand embarrassment in this one, especially in the first few chapters or so, but i genuinely really like this just cus its so self aware, it keeps poking fun at all the tropes and its a nice lighthearted read. also theres a decent amount of plot despite it all and OH I ALMOST FORGOT the male lead is an absolute 10 personalitywise i genuinely love him. hes here for drama and thats it its amazing. so yea id say tropey but Well Written super fun 👍👍👍

HIDING THE ARCHDUKE'S HUMILIATING HISTORY

i think this is the first manhwa ive read where the ml pisses himself in fear the first time he meets fl (theyre both children)(hes scared of something else not fl but still). anyway its nothing particularly unique but its pretty fun! its one of those novel isekai where mc reincarnates into a little kid and the structure makes it a sandwich which has been keeping me very invested. this isnt a very good advertisment but its a good way to pass the time i think. heres a nice reaction pic

SUSU, HAN

oh my god??? just binged this whole thign in one go. first of all ots complete, second of all i guess you can say tjis is a character study in manhwa form. there isnt a particular overarching antagomist, its the characters learning to grow and face their own personal issues. but its also a slice of life, and lighthearted family drama, and comedy. its not a rofan this time lol. also the sibling relationships in susu, han are so good !! and theres so many lovely platonic relationships too. i really really enjoyed it.

THE TALE OF GOLDILUCK, THE BLACK KITTEN

WHOLESOME !!! WHOLESOME WHOLESOME WHOLESOME absolutely adorable, centres around a black cat that gets adopted by a young noble in ancient? old? korea. so so cite, read to soothe your heart

olay ive hit the image limit again. would yall like more

[gale-gentlepenguin]

ML ficlet: Reflection

(Based on the trailer for the Into the Re verse ML special. Tales of Shady bug and Claw noir)

Ladybug took a second to see the girl in front of her. Sure the costume had much more black than red, and her hair style was in buns rather than in her pigtails, but this girl was definitely her.

"So, this is my alternate version." Her dark counterpart spoke, her tone not giving any indication of any sort of positive or negative response.

"And you are Shadybug. The villain version of me." Ladybug responded.

Shadybug looked at Ladybug with disappointment.

"Villain? I suppose you would think that. You probably had a good life in your universe, lets you talk as if you have some sort of moral High ground." Shadybug spat.

"I dont need that to know what you have been doing in your Paris has been awful. And if we really are the same person, then how could you turn your back on Paris?"

Shadybug looked as if she had been slapped. She drew her yo-yo and started spinning it.

"I turned my back on Paris?! You have it backwards! Paris turned its back on ME!" Shadybug shouted back, she smacked her yo-yo into the ground with force to emphasize her point.

Ladybug took her yo-yo and spun it as a means to prepare herself.

"What happened to you?"

"I was the target of everything, years of bullying while no one did ANYTHING! I endured terror the likes of which no teenager should deal with. Did anyone ever try to help? No. Did my parents ever try to take me out of school? Nope! Did I have a single Friend that wanted to support me during this awful time? Not even ONE!"

Ladybug could see the pain on Shadybug's face. She understood what shadybug was. She was her, she had gone through that horror. But it seems that unlike what happened with her, she didnt have anyone to pull her out. This Marinette had fallen into the abyss.

"Because the truth is, in this world, its all about power. When you have power, then you will have people ready to listen to you. Sure you have some that will tell you to stop, but they are always weaker than you, so you have to put them in their place"

Ladybug felt herself shiver at the comment. This version of her really seemed to fall into Chloé's mentality. But deep down she knew that she wasnt all bad.

This Dark reflection only ended up on the wrong path because she lost hope.

"I guess your kitty is also a proponent of your twisted methodology."

"He is a feral cat, but he is my cat."

Ladybug knew one thing for certain, she would need to save herself from herself.

[random-potato-mil]

So I watched Asher Gharavi new shorts video about The Mourner and it send my brain in a creative spiral.

I don't write very often and mostly for school, but I felt like writing this down. Dosent have anything to do with the short other than the concept of the mourner and how it works.

So if you wanna read that it's under the cut:

Tw: mention of dead, illness and similar

Sry for spelling mistakes I can't be bothered to fixed them.

They say that stories live forever and i suppose thats the reason im writing this. One last story so there is still a part of me left when im gone.

The stories call it the mourner. A creature with a human like siluote. If you see it from a distance it would fool you, but when it is right in front of you its a diffrent story. Its eyes are long and dripping, red around the edges, with a milky dust color. No iris. And its skin is cracky like old dry wall, its limps seeming unable to hold themselves up. It would look completly dead if not for the slow rythmic moves of its body when it breathes.

You probably already know what it means when someone has seen the mourner, but this is not some heart warming victory story of narrowly avoding my own dead and living to tell the tale. No. The mourner is still here with me as i write.

However before going any furtere with my story i need to confess something. I dident belive the mourner was real. I thought it was just some tale told to scare kids or some mass hallucination. It seems more likely that peopel experiencing near death events starts hallucinating and sees the creatures that they have been told would show up. But it does exists. At least i dont want to belive its an hallucination. It calms me. I know i know. Most peopel describe it as beeing scary and feeling fear as they see it. And i understand why someone would feel that way. Beeing scared of the mourner. But you cant really blame it for how it looks.

When it came my first thoughts was something of the lines of "guess its my time now". That might sound very depressing but i have known for a while i dident have a lot of time left. The doctors have increased my medication recently and i am stuck in bed. I do get visits and see the nurse's then and there, but it still feels very lonely. And do know i dont blame anyone for me feeling this way. I know they are sparring all the time they can to come check on me, despite it not beeing a pretty version of me to remember. My grandkid Brielle couldent even regonise me with all the tubes, and hided behind her mom. She is such a sweet little girl, and it broke my heart.

I suppose that might have influenced my reaction to the mourner. Despite its looks it reminded me of some etheral mother forced to see its children pass away. All the stories of survivers telling that the mourner helped them escape their fate made alot more sense after i saw it myself. It looked like it wanted to help. To change my fate. But it was simply unable too.

The mourner took a seat at the bed next to mine, and laid a hand on the blanket that hugged me. Its dripping eyes looking at me sadly. I think it might have been crying for me. Is crying for me. It stayed silent. After a bit i gathered enough strength to say a weak "your real" though a few coughs and give my best smile. A sad smile.

The mourner hasent left my side since then, and i do enjoy the company. I do feel my power weaken and my body giving away to this diseases growing inside of me, but im not scared. I think it will be okay on the other side.

Call me naive but seeing the mourner has given me the belief in the supernatural. If it can exists why not an afterlife?

I suppose the moral of the story is that you shouldent be scared of the mourner. It dosent mean any harm. And to my daughter. I love you. You have grown into a wonderful adult. Im sorry i wont be able to be with you in the future. You got this.

Love

- Gran

[lauranceofmeteli]

26 for ask game?

26. you're tasked with writing an official side story/spin-off roleplay (void paradox, mermaid tale, upside-down story), what would that look like?

a while ago i had a phase where i spent a lot of time thinking about what the character changes in upside down stories would look like if it was reverse spin-offed back into mcd but alas i wrote none of it down and barely remember anything i came up with </3

gist of it was aph as the result of a botched attempt at reviving the shadow lord (who is irene. if you care.) leaving her without memories and limited access to her previous power. she latches hard onto the two shadow knights who attempted the resurrection which works for them bc its either the shadow lord favors them or theyre getting the torture labyrinth for all eternity tomorrow. those shadow knights being:

garroth, who was set to inherit the lord title in o'khasis before an assassination he believes was a coordinated coup from his brothers (was it???? we may never know but he certainly believes it). this happening when he was young, leaving him unable to even grow enough to plan to join the guard academy leaving him no outlet to begin to unlearn everything he'd internalized as the closest thing ru'an has to a crown prince. leaving him a bit of an asshole. and well all that time in the nether afterwards certainly doesn't help him become a well adjusted adult. he still has this core belief that he Deserves some sort of power in some society, and if he needs to turn to more drastic measures than waiting for his dad to die then so be it.

and laurance who also became a shadow knight a lot earlier than canon and has been largely disillusioned with how things are run both in the nether and in society at large for a long time. thinks the best thing to do would be to let everything burn. where garroth still holds a lot of determination for clawing his way back up to the top, laurance is largely apathetic and has long let the morals he held in his human life and early shadow knight years slip. when he realizes aphmau is like a Person rather than just an empty vessel and proof of his fuck up, she's one of the first things he cares about in a long time.

laurance and garroth were not friends prior to this and just had similarly aligning goals at that moment and now are either stuck with each other or the torture labyrinth mentioned above.

idk much abt what the other characters are up to. but i can imagine zane being a really benevolent and beloved figure in o'khasis which pisses garroth off sooo bad when he finds out

going off of pdh upside down stories, i imagine the plot follows aphmau some time after whatever is going on above meeting whoever gene is in this world and being like hm. maybe i dont want to run a necromancy army forever. i'd need to go back and rewatch pdh upside down stories if i wanted to take this au anywhere again....

[inkybinkyboink]

DUDE HI I SAW YOUR. TAGS ON MY FUCKED UP TOWNS POST? and i just wanna say. if you’d ever like to write something on here about the similarities between gotham and urinetown. it’s possible that i would love you forever. very likely, even.

*cracks neck*

okay fellas, ladies, local skipping stone enthusiasts, et al. it's time for another casual academic essay, i think.

note from me after writing the essay: cool so i dont think this is what you're looking for but...i wrote it...and im publishing it...

word count: 1895

one of the biggest purposes media has, or publishing any given piece of media has, is to teach its consumers a lesson- a moral, if you will. Beauty and the Beast tells us to not judge a book by its cover, Boy Who Cried Wolf tells us not to lie, Jack and the Beanstalk tells us to take advantage of an opportunity, that sort of thing. Every story has one. The only thing that varies is how it's communicated, and the obviousness as a result of the complexity of the story.

in the same vein, somewhere around the 1930's, you see the rise of something called Brechtian theatre. the entire shtick of brechtian theatre was basically a piece of theatre that reflected society itself. the moral came not so much from the story, but rather the actions of the characters that influenced the end result. because the characters reflect real life, we see ourselves in them and see in sort of a microcosm how our actions will influence an inevitable end result.

one of the hallmarks of brechtian theatre is the usage of reflection, or a mirror. Cabaret (Kander and Ebb) is well known for this. The 1972 film has an iconic opening with the Emcee (Joel Grey) staring at a distorted reflection of himself. The 1993 Broadway version with Alan Cumming as the Emcee is well known for not only its intimate staging, but yet another mirror that the audience can see themselves in, creating a reflection that reaches to all corners of the performance.

another show that is remarkably Brechtian is Urinetown (Kotis and Hollman). However, Urinetown does not utilize the mirror in order to make its point as a reflection of society. Rather, Urinetown breaks the 4th wall. The narrators, a rugged police officer called Officer Lockstock along with a little girl called Little Sally, both begin and end the show by addressing the audience directly. They are acutely aware of the world they live in. However, Urinetown breaks the mold of a typical piece of Brechtian theatre when they begin to overtly include political science into the story.

This isn't to say that no other pieces of Brechtian theatre utilize political science in their tales, but they often leave them to linger quietly in the background, unnamed. Brecht's play A Life of Galileo addresses the dangers and risks of a dictatorial government, but he never outright calls it out. He lets the audience figure it out for themselves. Cabaret does the same thing. They never directly verbally address the horrors of Nazi Germany, but through the use of imagery (the Emcee in a concentration camp outfit immediately comes to mind) they allow the audience to come to their own conclusions.

Urinetown however, is very obvious. Lots of things are said directly out loud, and there isn't too too much that is meant to be read between the lines as the result of Urinetown being simultaneously both a cautionary tale and a satire. The second to last line of the show is "Hail Malthus!", referencing Thomas Malthus, an English economist in the late 1700s and early 1800s. For a brief moment, the satire and the show's core message eclipse.

Now, it's important to emphasize the Malthusian theory in order to make my point later. I'm taking this simplified definition copied from Investopedia to keep things succinct. So, according to Malthus, to put lightly, without complicated jargon, "populations inevitably expand until they outgrow their available food supply, causing the population growth to be reversed by disease, famine, war, or calamity." Obviously, it's more complicated than just that, but at first glance you can see how it relates to Urinetown.

Cool. Now what happens when we apply all of that to Gotham City?

I know. We're doing a 180 here but just. bear with me. I got into Batman nearly right after being into Urinetown. My friend introduced me to the Marauders, and then my obsession with Gary Oldman led me to Nolan's Batman trilogy where he plays Commissioner Jim Gordon. One of the first things I noticed, after going through roughly four different versions of Jim Gordon- two movies and two comic books- is that he's very frequently in the position of a Narrator. That was fascinating to me and I couldn't help but draw comparisons between Jim Gordon and Officer Lockstock- both cops and both narrators.

Another thing that's present in virtually every single rendition of Batman is the emphasis that Gotham is a broken city. It doesn't matter how you paint it, whether it's Film Noir, or some other aesthetic, it is always corrupt and riddled with crime. In Todd Phillips' Joker, it's emphasized time and time again that Arthur Fleck lives in poverty in a city so covered in trash that the rats have gone supersized.

So, Gotham city is obviously a very corrupt, shitty place to be. Nobody likes living in Gotham. Does that make it Malthusian? Or does that make it Brechtian?

I know i just wrote an entire essay solely for the purpose of getting to the thesis of my actual essay but the context was important.

Now, the main differences between the two terms lies in the fact that Malthusianism is related to real life things, where Brecht is almost always related to fiction. So naturally, you'd go "oh, well then Gotham has to be Brechtian because it's fictional". Not entirely. See, yes, Gotham is a fictional city, but it's well known for being based off of New York, New Jersey and Chicago. Those cities are very, very real. You've got this fictional city, based off of real cities, that is inherently and intrinsically corrupt. So which one is it?

On one hand, you could argue that Gotham is Brechtian in nature because it is first and foremost a fictional thing. It's basis off of real life cities allows for the reflection of society to emerge naturally. On the other, you could just as easily say that Gotham is Malthusian in nature because it's inherently pulled from real life cities. And it kind of is.

Most Batman stories follow the same pattern. Joker remains a good example. The city is in turmoil, everyone's living in poverty, the cost of living is unbearable, and it results in riots and an uprising from the people. The poor fighting the rich. While not entirely the same, The Dark Knight Rises shows a similar idea. While the antagonistic form does not necessarily come from the rich, but rather a madman in a mask (Bane), the cost of living is still so risky and unstable that it results in a literal war between the people and the cops. This idea of an uprising as a result of absolutely abysmal living conditions is something we've seen time and time again in our own society, and now it's present in a city (although fictional) based off of real places. In this respect, Gotham is a place that is Malthusian in nature.

Still, this doesn't solve the problem that at the end of the day, Gotham is still a nonexistent place. Which is where the argument of it being Brechtian comes into play. Everything said in the last paragraph is still true, but now you're adding a layer over it that emphasizes that it's fictional. It's a corrupt city with unfair costs of living...but it's fictional. Well now it's the most Brechtian thing since Bertolt himself. We've seen this picture before. It's the life that we live. The writer of Batman himself has said, "figuratively, Batman's Gotham City is akin to "Manhattan below 14th Street at eleven minutes past midnight on the coldest night in November". It's basis in countless real life cities must then make it a reflection of what is real. I think Gotham is kind of like the image you would get if you overlayed every single big city over each other. Like a spirograph- there are all these lines that exist on their own, but there's always one main circle that becomes more prominent than the others because it's been traced over more times. That's Gotham to me.

So if Gotham is- to take from Bojack- kind of a xerox of a xerox of a shitty city, then it inevitably allows us to fill in the blanks with our own preconceived notions of what a bad city is. We fill in the details ourselves, and those details are going to vary from person to person. We're going to interpret the injustice present in Gotham contingent on the injustices we've seen in our own lives. For example, I personally think that there would be a really strong conservative/republican presence in Gotham because in my own life (as a queer person who lives in a city) I've seen a lot of injustice in that respect. In my experience, the government does not like queer people, and I'm going to project that onto my interpretation of Gotham.

This way, Gotham is more Brechtian than it is Malthusian.

I don't think it's really one or the other. I think it depends on how you view Gotham. If you view Gotham as a purely fictional city in its own right, then it's Brechtian. If you view Gotham as a fictional city with its roots in reality, then it becomes Malthusian.

I wanted to conclude with something my friend told me when I was discussing this with her. I ran all of this by her and she said that it couldn't be either because at the end of the day Gotham does not exist. It cannot be Malthusian because it does not exist. Where Urinetown (the place) is a composite of every shitty thing wrong with society placed into one bubble, it still has the merit to remain fictional in essence because it is purely made of negative things. Gotham is just a city. They're different in essence, and Gotham can't be one or the other because of nuance. Every city is going to have awful things. But no city has just awful things. Gotham can be whatever we want it to be because it's not real. If you're going to call it either Malthusian or Brechtian, or even any other term you want, it has to have something to start from, and that's not possible because Gotham isn't real.

I think there's sort of an ouroboros that occurs here because if it's not real then all our notions of the place are going to come from preconceived ideas which then makes Gotham a place that reflects real life, etc, etc, but it's important to remember that Gotham also has Batman. We don't.

What did we learn today, well, we talked about the origins of Brechtian theatre, and then we did a little scene study on how Malthusianism is presented in Urinetown. We then shifted gears to look at Gotham city, and if it fit more in either particular mold. I think it kind of fits in both molds depending on which one you want it to fit it, and then we finished off by looking at the option that Gotham is neither because it doesn't exist.

I think that Jim Gordon and Officer Lockstock would be good friends, but I'd be hesitant to introduce them because it could go very south very fast.

This essay is my own take and if you disagree that's cool.

Stay funky, think critically and love the people around you.