#i like censoring ******** ****. like it's in witness protection

[ghostlightfic]

i had a dream you lied to us and had found more Ghostlight chapters, so instead Ghostlight was only going to be finished posting on monday, but that was also a lie because the chapters ended up in the 30s. i woke up very confused by my brain's math.

anyways is the Ghostlight playlist going to be the overall playlist, or do you plan on makeing seperate ones specific to the other books?

me tomorrow updating the chapter count to 56 and acting like i never said it ended. god that's really funny though

ghostlight playlist is the overall playlist! ghostlight is the series name as well because i'm a hack 😌 but yeah there's songs for both planned sequels in there! a couple examples for fun is that sounds fake but ok is a **** ** *** song, and two time is a ******** **** song!

[gramarye]

not to be ungrateful but how does every single one of my judai/asuka arts have a reblog thats like "uwu theyre best friends" "umm theyre like siblings to me" or some other shoehorned way of the reblogger letting me and everyone else know its Not Like That and they would never like it. this isnt just one person btw its multiple

i wouldn't be pressed if it was one time but Every Time......come on... i am a lesbian and i am drawing m/f (well its dykes to me but whatever let's not get into that) do you have to no hetero me on my art or like imply its not romantic. cuz it is. i am implying it to be at least somewhat romantic. don't be a coward

idk what it is beyond "ew het icky" but its like.. i don't know...are you thirteen ... average ygo gx fan so so scared of being mistaken as someone who enjoys occasional m/f they have to make it known ON MY ART

^ real

but it really is like lol. why do you think im so shy and take months to share anything :''') why do you think i have "dont be weird about my ships please i am a lesbian" on my art blog description aaaghhhh. its not a huge issue i upload art regardless and i dont think anyone does it to be Mean but its still kinda rude and tiring being a repeated thing

[nsxx99]

[servantofthefates]

10 Reasons Why I Love Being a Witch

1) Witchcraft loves me back.

With witchcraft, you get what you give. If you respect a spell’s instructions and perform it with faith, it will work. If you treat your tarot deck with regard, it will give you honest answers. Witchcraft yields results here and now, instead of promising eternal happiness after death.

2) It embraces who I am.

Witchcraft will never censor your truth by asking you to suppress your emotions. Pride, anger, greed, lust, envy… These are what make you human. And they are fuel for rituals. The craft teaches you how to harness and direct them, so you can live up to your potential.

3) It does not care about money.

Whether you use a $30 or a $3 candle will not affect the outcome of your spell. And the number of tarot decks, crystal balls and pendulums you own does not reflect how good a diviner you are. With witchcraft, faith and power are the only currencies that matter.

4) It allows me to avenge myself.

Turning the other cheek may sound nice. But it and self-love cannot co-exist. And in witchcraft, you have to love yourself before the occult allows you command it. The craft lets me practice self-love by giving back malice to anyone who sends it to me.

5) It allows me to help myself.

When your natural gifts are not enough to survive a challenge or accomplish a task, witchcraft lets you call upon the old gods and their minions for assistance. Spells that protect and disarm, heal and harm, grant and transcend are all at your fingertips.

6) It allows me to help others.

Witchcraft requires you to give back. But not through tithes or other taxes like that. Whenever you come across another soul who you think deserves your assistance, you can cast spells for them or perform divination on their behalf.

7) It lets me master myself.

Most people only know their conscious self. As a witch, you will be introduced to your other selves: your higher self and your shadow self. When the three of you have a strong understanding of one another, there is no obstacle you cannot conquer.

8) It lets me glimpse what is hidden.

Through divination, witchcraft allows you to witness things that have not yet come to pass. It also gives you access to the concealed present and the hidden past. This means you can look into people’s souls and see all their hidden motivations.

9) It dissolves my fears.

As a witch, you know that you are always where you are meant to be. Any unexpected, painful or tragic detours are only meant to reroute you to your true purpose. Witchcraft leads you to your true path. It is impossible to get lost.

10) I am the Pope of my religion.

Even though my family taught me the craft, I was given the chance to put that knowledge to the test. Nobody forced me to believe in anything that did not show itself to be true. And whenever I want to talk to my gods, I do not need a middle man. I always have a direct line.

[txttletale]

roadhogsbigbelly is doubling down. genuinely incredible (yes i am aware how deeply funny it is to start a serious post with that sentence. it is my one allotment of levity)

oh okay you just assumed that "loliporn" was involved and something that i deserved to be associated with defending and accused of making "integral to the queer identity" because of stuff that the OP (who i cannot stress enough i never followed or talked to or knew in any fucking way!) did that got called out months after i made my addition?

the rest of his post is just a very lengthy way of saying "umm if you didn't want to be called a pedophile because you were mean about stardew valley maybe you should be more careful about how you reblog from". yeah buddy im sure you apply that standard to yourself too huh. im sure you pull out your Bad Person detector every time you reblog a fucking post and beam OP with it. you literally screenshot my post about how as a trans women i get this standard uniquely applied to me and went "um its a good standard though. answer for the actions of every fucking person youve ever reblogged a post by".

and all this whole fucking schtick where he's like "ummmm im not calling you a pedophile :) i just assumed you thought 'loliporn was integral to the queer identity' based on source: i made it up and am going out of my way to repeatedly say you're agreeing with pedophiles and not being wary enough about pedophiles and that 99% of people who make the type of post im accusing you of making are pedophiles" is so fucking pathetic and if you fall for it you are a blatant transmisogynist like come the fuck on man.

i am no longer having a nice time on the computer, i am pretty fucking angry. and all this because he "doesnt have much skin in the game" but he doesn't like my stardew valley takes! yeah man real proportionate response.

not to mention the aside he makes to say 'wah wah someone told me to kill myself' amiguito do you have any fucking idea what my inbox has looked like since this entire transmisogynistic harassment campaign began a week ago? i delete those asks because i'm not into flaunting every piece of online abuse i get to make myself look like the victim in computer arguments but it has been constant and graphic! breaking news, women are people too, some of the most cutting-edge research suggests they might even have feelings!

"oh i censored her identity i dont know how she even found it" oh okay so you were anonymously pedojacketing me to your thousands of followers while vaguing about a post i made that had thousands of notes and using the same screenshot that an uncensored version of was passed around with thousands of notes as part of a transmisogynistic harassment campaign last fucking week?

how could anyone possibly have guessed it was me! it's a real mystery man it was basically witness protection. "oh but i didn't know, i didn't know she was trans", maybe he'll also say he didn't know about the harassment campaign, hey fucker, maybe apply some of the constant scrutiny you're reserving for women who are mean about farming game and apply it to yourself and consider looking into these things before baselessly making pedo accusations against someone!

this transmisogynistic crybully shit is absolutely fucking insufferable and i am absolutely sick of it and anyone who buys into it. i'm done assuming good faith or ignorance. i am not going to be a good placid little bullying target and acquiesce to this vile shit. it's truly fucking incredible that a tme guy can be found out as an actual pedophile and guys like mr. belly can immediately jump into action to use this as an opportunity to denounce a trans woman who had one interaction with him ever that consisted of five minutes spent typing an addition to a post and hitting ''reblog''. & if you don't find that sickening then straight up you are not safe for trans women to be around.

[pretzel-box]

hi hi, so so sosslsk, I wanted to request that like GN!Reader was Sebastian's lover right? But recently we have been manipulated/ brainwashed to work with Urbanshade; etc, until we needed to have a talk with sebastian of the 9 people's deaths, and he is like tryna talk us out of it basically?

(this is where he is human before turning into fishe man, RAHHAHSGSHS)

Tags: Angst, Established Relationship [Marriage], GN!Reader & Human Sebastian. Happens before Sebastian gets turned into a fishstick.

Words: 1,1k

The golden watch on your wrist ticked with a steady rhythm, mocking the whirlwind of thoughts racing through your mind as the elevator descended. Each second dragged out in slow motion, stretching your anticipation and dread to unbearable lengths.

5.

The polished surface of the watch glinted under the soft lighting of the elevator, reflecting a time that you wished could speed up or rewind—anything to change the direction of the day. You had always taken pride in your job, a prestigious position at Urbanshade’s law department. Power flowed through your hands like water, bending situations to your favor. Today, though, your influence felt useless, suffocating you as it pushed down on your chest.

4.

The office had been in turmoil ever since the terrifying news broke. The murder of a colleague, followed by eight more brutal killings, had left a scar on the entire building. The once lively chatter of coworkers was now replaced by grim silence, as everyone buried themselves in paperwork, avoiding eye contact, avoiding thoughts of their own mortality. How could someone kill nine people with such callousness…

3.

But through it all, no matter how hard your workday was, Sebastian was your anchor once you stepped into your shared apartment. Your freshly married husband, your love. He had been your rock, comforting you in ways no one else could, understanding you without words. His presence was a beacon of light in your darkened days. Each night, no matter how draining work has been, Sebastian would welcome you home with open arms, making the world feel safe again. He reminded you how precious life was and how grateful you were to still be living it. There was no denying it,killings were terrible, but at least, you thought, Sebastian was there, safe—alive.

2.

But that sense of safety had shattered when you saw the file, that Urbanshad gave you.

Sebastian’s face. The man you’d shared your life with, your hopes and dreams, stared back at you from a police mugshot. The eyes you adored, blacked out by a censor bar, only deepened the sick feeling in your stomach. The file had slipped from your fingers, its weight dragging your world down with it. Paper truly never felt so heavy.

Sebastian wasn’t just involved, not a witness or a bystander, no,—he was the killer. Your husband, the man who made you feel protected and cherished, had ended nine lives in cold blood and pretended that nothing happened. He had lived his happy little life with yours while 9 whole families lost someone dear. How could the person who breathed life into you be the person that ended others so easily…

1.

The elevator doors opened. You stepped into the dimly lit hallway, feeling as though the ground had disappeared beneath your feet.

"He is in here," a man spoke up harshly, his voice cutting through the quiet. He stood beside a heavy metallic door, dressed in a security uniform. With a gloved hand, he fished out an orange key card and swiped it quickly through the scanner. The door clicked open with a mechanical whirr, but you barely noticed. Your focus was locked on the black-haired man cuffed to the table inside the room, two guards standing ominously behind him.

Sebastian.

Your mind struggled to reconcile the image before you with the person you knew.

Your Sebastian—the one who promised you the sun and the moon, who always listened when you vented, who made you home-cooked meals and did your skincare routine with you every morning—was now sitting there, bound, and accused of unspeakable crimes. His face was gaunt, his eyes red and puffy, fresh tears glistening on his cheeks. And even like this, broken and in despair, he still looked precious in your eyes.

It all didn’t make sense. It couldn’t.

The file had said it all—Sebastian was the one responsible for the brutal murders. The evidence was ironclad, but seeing him now, so broken, planted a seed of doubt in your heart. Your mind tried to hold on to the horrific details you had read, but your heart—the part that loved him—was pulling in the opposite direction.

You stepped closer, the weight of the moment pressing down on you, making it hard to breathe.

"Sebastian..." Your voice cracked, and his head snapped up, his tear-filled eyes locking onto yours. The mutual understanding started to break slowly and you really wanted to try and hold it stable.

"Please, you have to believe me," he rasped, his voice hoarse with desperation. "I didn’t do it. I swear, I didn’t kill anyone. I’m being framed."

The words hung in the air between you, thick with emotion. He pulled against the cuffs, his eyes pleading. He yanked his body to the front, trying to reach you on the other side of the table. Yet, somehow, you took a step back, scared. The men behind him pulled him back forcefully onto his chair. "You know me. You know I could never do something like this. I—I'm being set up, they want to pin it all on me. But you, you have to believe me. Please. You are my wife, you know me!"

Your heart thudded painfully in your chest. His voice—so familiar, so full of pain—shook you to your core. This was the man who had held you through your darkest nights, who had been there for every milestone, who had never once let you down. Could he really be capable of such evil?

"But the file..." you whispered, fighting to maintain a hold on logic. "The evidence—"

"The evidence is fake!" Sebastian interrupted, his voice rising in desperation. "They’re manipulating everything. I don’t know how, but they’re doing this to destroy me. I don’t have much time, but you—you have to believe me. I’m innocent."

Your mind raced, torn between the cold facts you had read and the person sitting in front of you, begging for your trust. You could see the fear in his eyes, the same eyes that had always been so full of love for you.

The longer you looked at him, the harder it became to hold on to the accusations. How could the man who had been your everything, your safe place, be capable of such cruelty? Every fiber of your being wanted to believe him, to trust in the Sebastian you knew.

You took a breath, shaky and shallow. "Sebastian... I—" you paused, your voice trembling, the weight of the moment suffocating. "I believe you."

Tears spilled down Sebastian’s face as he sagged in relief. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you, I knew you would."

“But Ink doesn't lie.”

[spectra-bear]

To all the fma fans here who have been following me for a while now, I'd like to bring a few chapters to light in consideration to the recent tragic palestinian apartheid

FMA has made sure to speak out about these reoccuring events, and whoever hasn't noticed from reading yet needs a critical thinking class.

Let's start with chapter 90:

Chapter 90 of the series, although censored heavily in the anime (but we'll get to that later), played a HUGE role in establishing what kind of message arakawa was building up to deliver to her audience as a plot B (ishvalan genocide) sided with plot A (the search of the philosopher stones, eventually turned plot A (overthrowing the military), a message meant to awaken her readers to the truth, and one that serves as a warning

Does this not all ring familiarity?

One of the reasons arakawa wrote this story was to bring this side of history into light,

the oppression, the abuse of military power, the imbalanace in arms between two parties at "war", the perfect guise of "protecting the people from radicalized terrorists", and using it to justify the murder of countless lives, committing war crime after war crime, massacring the land and lathering it with the spilled blood of countless innocents and people fighting back for their freedom, for their home. Those that die have their lives tragically cut short, too soon.

A total extermination

And to those that remain alive,

Forcefully immigrated from their own homeland

Or exploited for their bodies, harvested for their organs, abused, tortured and humiliated

Not only that, but the emphasis on making the reason behind starting the war in the first place, being the first bullet shot at a young child by a soldier, and intentionally making it seem "trivial" for the ishvalans to retaliate because of that, and painting them as animalistic

Writing off roy mustang and maes hughes as heroes for doing whats best for their country, glorifying their relationship as war buddies, and believing theyre in the right for putting down the people of the holy land, when they couldve backed down from contributing to this one-sided war,

and when they do step back from the field, theyre labelled as cowards. When they inevitably realize the abnormality and inhumanity of their actions, that theyve been solely used as tools and weapons of destruction, that impact is softened with rewards, of medals and cheers of accomplishment from the population-wide brainwashed by lies spread by the people in power, and if theyre lucky, accomodations for the negative mental effects of being part of a war

(arakawa interview source)

What do I conclude from this?

That the author of your favorite manga does not support genocide and in fact, condemns those who partake in it

If it isnt obvious, She included these stories because they have happened before

She is telling these stories, while not 100% protrayed correctly, to fill the empty gaps in the western perspective that have been contaminated with propaganda and demonization of these indigenous people

The designs of ishvalans and cultural clothing are intentionally influenced by japanese ethnic groups, middle eastern and south asian cultures, and the military intentionally european/western looking as an example for their expansion and dominance in mind

And now we are watching all this happen in reality, again, witnessed live, in much worse conditions, throughout history

Where the heroes arent kids who can sway elements at their command with the flick of a hand, but the people who stand against it in mass, marching in the streets to break the suffocating silence, and spread the voices of those seeking help and demanding their freedom back

Does everyone realize how fucked up that is? That the lines drawn between fantasy and reality blur so much that they become indistinguishable from each other? That is true horror, when the monsters and tyrants in your stories no longer stay on ink and paper, but are on your screens broadcasting their crimes, beyond humanity

You must understand that if these stories are included for you, the reader, they are not written just for the plot, but to bring awareness to you, and avoid history from repeating itself, and work against committing the same irredeemable mistakes as before

(thanks to @borkthemork for the help in outlining this and proofreading)

[swan2swan]

Thinking about how all three times I've watched "Evasive Action", the Sammy's Indecision Subplot has weirded me out and failed to grab me...

And I think I figured it out.

I think there was supposed to be a "Hey. I just killed a man" plotline there. The episode prior, Sammy and Yaz both disabled the control chips in the raptors--who promptly tore Kash apart.

The guy who had blackmailed Sammy and her family.

They probably wanted a "Revenge makes you Feel Empty" plotline for Sammy in that episode, but Standards and Practices said "Oh, you can't do that in this children's show, actually, the kids aren't allowed to kill people, and certainly can't say they did."

Which, admittedly...yeah, that would have been a little heavy.

So they had to cut it, whilst still on a time crunch. Heck, it could have even gotten to boards before that plotline got nixed. Then they needed to fill in three minutes of time in this episode, and the only thing that could really mesh was "Um, Sammy is upset at the group dynamic."

This is why her plotline felt unfulfilled: because they had something, but then they weren't allowed to do it. And, given a choice between "Let Sammy Be a Murderer" and "Let the Girls Kiss", we know which one they chose.

Granted, I still need to finish the rewatch and see how her dynamic with Kon plays out (especially because he's the Bigger Bad), but I would first like to submit further evidence to the jury:

-Darius and Sammy spend the episode that she should be processing her guilt together. They've had a few episodes before, but their main--and first--bonding moment was in the kayak. Wherein Sammy dropped this line:

Imagine if they'd called back to that line here. Sammy just killed a man to protect her family--the man who was also threatening her own family. When Sammy says she'd do anything, she meant anything. Sammy could be guilty, and Darius could say something like "You once said you'd do anything to protect your family...and you protected us." Then she could call it back to Kenji. Or something. Look, I'm speculating now, let's move on to EXHBIT B:

-Yaz and Sammy are not shown stabbing the batteries into the heads to disable the chips. If the "No, Sammy can't kill!!!" mandate was brought down on them, that might have been a shot they cut to comply. There might have even been more tie-in reactions. Note that Sammy's not looking enthused here. She's very hesitant. Maybe there would be a moment where she looks over at Kash, then steels her face and frees the raptor before running. But: The Action That Sammy Takes That Leads To Kash's Death is never shown on-screen, and whether it was for the purpose of the Reveal or not, she is Innocent by Children's Show Standards.

FINALLY, EXHIBIT C:

The reactions to Kash's death, the man who blackmailed Sammy's family, is...Brooklynn and Darius. Again. Yasammy frees the raptors, but Dinostar gets the reaction. Why? Why would that be? Perhaps because Sammy's expression was something setting up the next episode's plot. Vindication. Guilt. Pleasure. Maybe Yaz hugs her to her. Hides her face. Realizes it. I'm giving art and fic prompts here at this point. Whatever the case: we don't see Sammy's reaction to Kash's death. Which suggests--to me--that there was something they wanted to show, but couldn't, and decided to let it be an offscreen still-canon reaction that we just don't get to bear witness to.

Ladies, gentlemen, and the rest: I urge you to consider that the lack of resolution to Sammy's arc with blackmail is not the result of negligence in writing, but overambition that was shot down by the censors. They gave Sammy a Revenge Arc that was ultimately deemed Too Dark, so they gave her a rushed "I Am Not Going To Have Feelings About Anything Right Now" plotline, instead.

[ghostlightfic]

Since sifloop getting together isn't planned for this fic... I'm the meantime, do you have any headcanons or ideas for ways they might get together/confess/realize they have feelings for each other? How might the whole clone situation factor into all that?

SO HERE'S THE THING. i already have a plan for them to get together in another fic after ghostlight is over and i don't want to spoil the absolute clusterfuck i have planned there ❤

HOWEVER. i will share a bit of a funny au (for my own goddamn fic universe) where the confession goes a bit differently. the basic conceit for that is that in a combination of accidental and purposeful wish craft from isabeau loop AND siffrin chucks isabeau into a romcom style timeloop where he has to confess. you'd think this would be an easy ask but due to varying mental issues and poor communication it doesn't go super well LMFAO. for the sake of not spoiling ******** **** (the get-together fic) i don't want to go super in depth about it but it's a wild ride for sure. ask me about it one day once ******** **** is posted

i will also say that siffrin realizes he's crushing on loop first but due to extenuating circumstances he does not tell them or isa. bless their heart

[red-hot-temper]

Callisto apology

Before I continue interacting in VADD fandom, I would like to share my opinion about Callisto and his controversial first interaction with Penelope:

Callisto did nothing wrong by pointing his sword at Penelope, he was protecting himself because he thought she was a threat.

What I do agree with is that he was a fucking jerk when after the confession he "played" for a while with Penelope and her responses… And I was also a jerk for laughing at that, feeling bad about Penelope's stress, but not regret laughing (Don't play innocent because I know someone else laughed at that too lmao)

So yes, I completely understand if Callisto's taunting bothered you, because he behaved annoyingly, but getting upset that he was on guard? I'm sorry, but I really don't understand that. I know there are people who don't like to see violence, but it makes sense to me that he would react that way. They literally sent him an assassin early on, why wouldn't he still be on alert after that?

The fact is always brushed off as he did it because he was blinded with rage, but then why have a conversation where it's clearly revealed that Callisto is on guard over Penelope's actions?

Penelope was waiting for Callisto, but he wasn't, so it does look suspicious to meet someone who seems to be looking for something or someone insistently (in the novel it was mentioned that Penelope was looking in all directions)

The story is told from the perspective of Penelope/Siyeon and therefore we empathize faster with her and I can understand that anger towards him for our overprotection that we have towards our protagonist, but! The empress sent an assassin to Callisto, he went to his brother's birthday party bringing the murderer's half-dead, he gave a threatening speech disguised as a birthday present and… immediately afterwards, he decapitated the assassin and threw his head at the feet of his brother while the witch empress almost fainted (see later in paragraph "1.") … All while Penelope was witness to it…

So we all know the story: she went after him like yolo, let's find the reset button or die trying. I perfectly understand her point and also the fact that she regrets it later, it's obvious that she's going to try to survive no matter what. But I need to emphasize this, because when she mentions that she "sincerely came to comfort him", we as readers knew that she was lying, but Callisto? I'm 100% sure he was thinking: I cut off someone's head in front of several nobles, and I'm the one who needs to be consoled?

This was why he didn't believe her confession of love, not only because she told him "I like you", but that consolation thing doesn't make sense (and Oh God I can't blame Penny because when you're desperate you make terrible and illogical excuses jksjskjs)

So yeah, I don't condemn the fact that Callisto defended himself, If I were in his position I would do the same, but he was definitely a bastard making Penelope fool.

1. In case you didn't read the first few chapters of the novel and just picked up where the manhwa left off, this happened and was censored in the manhwa:

“So why didn’t you choose a proper attendant, younger brother?”

That was the moment. Seureung----The prince drew his sword in an instant with his empty hand, and cut the assassin's head as he was holding it.

Cheak-! The blood started gushing out like a fountain.

"I'll replace this as a birthday present."

The prince threw the severed head at the feet of the second prince.

"Aaaagh!"

The empress' tearing screams echoed through the banquet hall. The head of a person rolling around like a ball.

The 2nd prince couldn't say anything with a pale face like someone about to pass out.

“If you want to receive another gift from me, send it as many times as you like.”

[worldofkaeos]

This manual is inspired by @lucy-j-carlyle 's plastic bag idea

The Lockwood and Co. Ghost-Hunting Manual

by Lucy Carlyle and George Cubbins, transcripted by George Cubbins and edited by Holly Munro. (Anthony Lockwood? He's too busy flashing his pearly-white teeth on the front page of every magazine in London.)

Handy Agent Tool-Kit for Defence Against Ghosts

Remember, the three principle defenses, in order of effectiveness, are silver, iron, and salt.

Rapier — an agent should never do without one. If you forget yours, you're a wimp. Admit defeat (something I agree on, for once)

Iron fillings — used to create protective circles, mostly against type one manifestations, as stronger type twos can often easily move them. Agents also run the risk of damaging the circle by accidentally stepping on it. (Haha, guess who did this) (it's not me, it was you, Lockwood.) (I'm living with maniacs.) They can also be thrown, causing similar effects to a salt bomb.

Magnesium flares — works well against type twos. Explodes into a shower of beautiful light and temporarily neutralises the apparition or drives them away, until you realise that you're indoors and the whole place is on fire. (Totally not based on experience, totally.)

Iron Chains — for stronger ghosts (Type Twos). At least one per agent to create a protective circle, number of chains depending on the strength of the ghost. (If you do not bring this along with you, well, I hate to recount the details of my second case in Lockwood and Co again. To say a hefty fine is the least of your worries.)

Salt Bombs — causes minor explosions of salt that drive them away or even cause them to dematerialise for a short time. Weak form of defence, usually used against weaker ghosts (Type Ones). Bring at least four of these or lavender sticks, if you want to keep your teammates and yourself happy and healthy.(Safety is never an option, too bad, thou artless, beef-witted coward!) *winks* (shut up Tony, thou bawdy, pottle-deep popinjay!)

Sufficient Lavender sticks/Lavenders - smells nice, works... not so nicely for stronger ghosts and when the smell fades. If you don't know what it means, you can figure it out yourself. Though we are not liable for any of the acts of stupidity you are about to commit. (they mean it's best to always pack fresh lavenders, and avoid old stalks as their scent may not be strong enough to contain the source.) (Oh shut up, Holly)

Ghost-seeing goggles for the old codgers experienced supervisors and field operators (geez, Lucy, really)

Candles, full box of matches, torches, lamps with the shutters, the likes

And lastly, but most importantly, Plastic bags (see note here*)

*This is the latest tool for defence against ghosts, discovered by formidable agent Lucy Carlyle. (she's just under five feet six inches 🤨) (LOCKWOOD!!) Bring at least 5 plastic bags, wrapping them around your agent duffel bags, your backpack, and the occasional annoying teammate or supervisor. At least they'd no longer be a useless pile of ghost-cow droppings an obstruction (George! Lucy! Censored for, well, sanity purposes)

Gosh, I do need to make a Lockwood and Co Ghost Hunting Manual on ao3 or sth (published after teg)

(read the tags, if you'd like)

[khepiari]

Thoughts on One Piece Live Action Trailer from a biased fangirl

First of all let me be clear, I am deaf, dumb and blind to One Piece Live Action complains; that are mean and hateful for the sake of hating. I grew up with censored One Piece episodes and terrible dubs.

I am immune.

My instant reaction after watching the trailer

A) I like it.

B) I am drooling after that 3 seconds of Taz, and brooding Mackneyu. But I am excited for Inaki, he is Luffy; the energy, goofiness and the voice!

C) Emily is like the bestest!

D) Not enough Jacob!

I am hyped none the less!

Was it a perfect trailer?

Absolutely not.

Was it a good trailer?

Yes!

It is fun, goofy and it captured the spirit of One Piece— promise of an epic ADVENTURE.

Yes, Some things in trailer bothered me, like a lot, but if I can read 1086 chapters of a manga for last ten years and watch 1066 episodes for last eighteen years, I can patiently wait to judge all 8 episodes.

Things we the diehard fans need to remember!

Anime and Manga scenes and actions can’t be replicated entirely! And we fans will only complain if its frame by frame copy-adaptation; because that’s not how it works.

Please remember it is the same story told on a different medium! People will take liberties with it.

And the CGI work is still not over; so even before you crib about it: STOP!

We really need to control our innate distrust for adaptation. Yes Hollywood has terrible track record.

Trust in Goda!

But I am choosing to trust Odachii! He green lit the adaptation in 2017! It is 2023, if he didn’t approve we wouldn’t have witnessed a single poster of the Live-in adaptation! No one is more protective of One Piece than Odachii!

Luffy has his scar!

Yes, some changes can bother us, like initially I thought Luffy didn’t have his scar, but after zooming on Inaki’s face on HD screen; I found the scar!

But Sanji’s Eyebrows: sssssh!

Sanji’s missing eyebrows is a point of contention for many, but again things that don’t serve narrative with an active purpose can go; you have to understand things get changed; Sanji’s perv gag is getting dropped too. I can’t wait to meet the Sanji of my dreams!

Merry Go looks terrifying!

I agree, I love it. But I think Merry needs exorcism too! Merry Looks scared as hell! This is Merry’s true face that has been terrorised by Luffy’s recklessness!

Wrong shoes UmU

Similarly Luffy’s flip-flops, as long as that wild child is wearing something on his feet, its fine. I mean look at the shoes he is wearing; it’s ridiculous!

Usopp’s Nose

Don’t drag Usopp’s nose into this. All of us would’ve hated a prosthetic nose on Jacob! You know it! You don’t want him to look like a copy of a copy of Pinocchio!

Nami’s Hair!

It looks okay, you all are nitpicking now! I swear, it looks alright.

Buggy-sama looks scary, duh he is a clown!

People complaining that Buggy-sama looks scary, in East Blue! Buggy-sama after his debut Was Scary! Have you ever seen a funny looking Clown ever? All clowns look scary!

I literally lured and convinced my horror addict sister to watch One Piece, because of this horrific looking Buggy-sama! I lied through my teeth that Buggy-Sama is the final boss of One Piece! Now she will watch the live action!

Yellow filter! Do you want DCU dark screen?

And the complaint about yellow filter! Look, I would take a Yellow screen over a DC black screen any day! Many wanted the GOT and LOTR cinematic treatment, I understand, but it’s not the same story elements, our protagonist is a rubber-man; our universe is colourful, set on the sea, what we can hope and aspire for is Pirates of the Caribbean treatment for the Fishmen CGI.

And remember, Luffy yelling Gum-Gum Pistol is the English translation of Gomu-Gomu no pistol! You can’t expect Inaki to yell Gomu-Gomu no pistol, while his entire angry fight speech is in English. That would be weird. And many didn’t like the pistol reveal because of how it looked. In every version of realism— stretched human skin will look weird!

Some things look great in manga art and anime frames but translate poorly in realism; I think we had already learned it the hard way! The cosplayish cinematography worked for Gintama Live Action but didn’t go well with Fullmetal Alchemist. Again the grim-gray thematic elements worked for Bleach Live In!

I think this version of One Piece is working well so far. And it was just teaser! We have 6 arcs to see!

Yes, be skeptical, but of Netflix, not cast and crew and creators!

I have told this before, I have faith in the cast and the crew and the creators. My trust issues lies with Netflix. I would’ve been happier if it was Prime who was producing it or even HBO, as they seem more committed to a project.

Netflix has terrible track record of cancellation.

And One Piece is a long time commitment, I don’t think Netflix has the bandwidth or the brains or the money to produce 31+ Arcs! We know none of the canon arcs can be dropped. So their only way out is to build up the hype of the finale arc from second season itself. And do enough bread crumbing and introduce certain supernovas, warlords, yonkos, gorosei, races and other important figures early into the story instead of keeping them for surprise element, which can help them plan for long time. Not only that they have to give us glimpses into the various crimes and atrocities and political happenings across the Grandline parallel to Strawhats journey so that the emotional build up happens gradually— expecting viewers to care about an island and its characters all of a sudden when the Crew arrives to a new island will be tricky. It is much better to constantly tell the viewers of things happening simultaneously so that when Luffy arrives to beat Croc’s or later Doffy’s ass— audience already hates them. They don’t even have to reveal the face of the villains, but build up the lore well.

Will stupid Netflix do it?

I don’t think so!

Stop the bloody hateful comments

Stop hating on the cast! I don’t think we have any right to bully or be mean or outright hateful to the actors! Time and again they have proved how much they love One Piece. Being mean doesn’t make you the cool or smarter person you think you are.

After watching/reading a series that always emphasized on doing the right thing and fighting against bullies, you all haven’t learned anything.

Don’t like it? Don’t watch it!

Is the Live Action stealing away from your years of rich One Piece experience?

No!

The manga is here, the anime is here, the games are here, the musicals are here, so are the ice-skating shows!

No adaptation is hurting the other!

This is just another medium to tell the story, now to non-manga readers/non-anime watching people!

I don’t play One Piece games, nor do I like how some game designs are, do I go an shit talk about it?

Nope.

I love the Sandman comic books, I was not happy with changes made in the live action adaptation, did I go demand receipts for changes made to the story?

No!

Because I know it’s impossible to please everyone, how hard it is to ignore something that bothers you?

If you bully the cast! I will curse you!

If you bully Inaki, Emily, Mackenyu, Taz and Jacob; I hope your toe cuticles itch all the time and your ear buzzes whenever you try to sleep!

And look how the cast cares about the story! Look at them! How dare you try to bully them!

If you follow Artur - The Library Of Ohara’s page on Twitter you will see how much effort has gone into detailing. From Luffy’s attire to Baratie’s lighting.

The series is made of love and respect for the source material. If they are diverting or changing something— remember Odachii agreed to it!

I mean look at them! They are precious!

Starving man never looked so fine. 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠. One Piece Live Action serving Zoro to us in all his glory. And before Dudebros even start Sanji vs Zoro.

They were never cast for you, they were cast for women and queer fans. They are not representative of your imagined cis-het male idea of hyper masculinity!

They are for us!

Woman tired of her dumbass captain! This girl is going to kick ass and steal your money! She ate her role! And she will rule the screen!

We must protect Usopp! Look at this baby! Look at him! He is the bravest person in the entire world!

This the Sanji I am shamelessly looking forward to! Never will he beat babygirl allegations! And he is such a walking disaster bi energy already! And he is not limited by his perv gag!

The perfect man is here!

Look at him! How he shines like the sun! Look at his silly shoes in the trailer! This silly silly silly boy!

Hey that’s my favourite idiot. Look at him, heading to some dumbassery with the confidence exhibited by the baby from Baby’s Day Out film.

Damnnnn it! Why can’t I upload more than 10 pictures from the app? Finally, from the web version I could uploaad it all!

Anyway, practice love not hate! Peace out!

Image source: from twitter by Artur- Library of Ohara

[greenerteacups]

have a few questions for u! i loved your latest chapter, i believe it’s my favourite one to date together with the yule ball special :)

01. since u’re writing a (very intense) re-write of book 1 to 7 canon, how happy/sad were you about draco’s arc in the books and films? it always bugged me that him and the slytherins didn’t get to shine that much in both aspects, and that’s why we never really got to appreciate them a lot when the books and films came out. would love to hear your take on this!

02. not sure if this has been asked before, but what thing/s inspired you to write lionheart? i recall reading it was because of your love for to all the young dudes, but i’d love to hear you talk about this more

03. if j* r****** weren’t as awful a person as she was (and so terribly closed minded too) do you think there would have been a way for draco and hermione to be together in canon, or at least be some level of friends, if not together romantically?

04. i’m a narcissa black-malfoy apologist and stan, and can i just say, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for writing her in such a beautiful and heartbreaking way. i cannot wait to see how you write her arc in books 5-7.

05. an absolute, absolute shot in the dark - but since friday’s last update was sort of a cliff hanger - would you be open to a double update or an earlier than usual update this week? we aren’t entitled to anything but i swear to you, i was biting my nails and at the edge of my seat fr the minute i ran to the friday update. draco and sirius’s conversation was too real and too beautiful i sobbed so much.

i love you!!! may the universe bless you with all the good karma (is my boyfriend, is a god, is the breeze in my hair on the weekend)!!!

hello! thank you for all the questions, wow!! will probably answer some in separate posts because tumblr usually censors my craft glitches out when i write long asks BUT

how happy/sad were you about draco’s arc in the books and films?

[looks at 400,000 words of AU fic about draco's arc] oh yeah i feel normal and care a regular amount about it

Man, it makes me sad. It makes me sad that almost all the Death Eaters are also children of Death Eaters, establishing this as a familial cycle of violence and hatred, and that's just... left to sit there in the narrative, implicating.

Draco’s arc in particular is a flat downward descent from schoolyard bully into a fascist death cult, and it’s bleak as fuck. like, if these books are written from Draco’s POV, it is some gruesome and deeply cynical stuff, guaranteed. which is a shame, because I think “reluctant and begrudging reformed villain” is an amazing character type that he could have fulfilled perfectly. doesn’t even have to go on tour with the Golden Trio, either; because I lost hope for Redemption Arc after the end of book 6, my ideal world going into book 7 was just having Draco stuck in Grimmauld Place, being bitchy and ill-tempered about the Order’s witness-protection equivalent, while the others treat him like a house-elf. “oh, yeah, that’s Draco, he used to bully us but now he has to ask us to buy the tea he likes at the grocer’s,” etc. I mean, full redemption would have been great, and by far the most rewarding for him/me personally as a reader, but I kind of figured by the end of HBP that it wasn’t in the cards. JKR writes characters in a particular way when she’s interested in them as people, and Draco was just never written with that level of attention or care. 

he’s not even given a particularly rewarding antagonist arc. he doesn’t follow through and kill Dumbledore, thus giving him something irrevocable and life-scarring to repent for; but neither does he join the Order (e.g., Disappearance), meaning his ultimate contribution to the war effort is just this listless, choiceless trend of enabling. he’s forced into the plot with the Vanishing Cabinet, but can't kill Dumbledore; he tries to hide Harry’s identity from Bellatrix in Book 7, but it doesn’t work; he tries to catch Harry in the Room of Requirement and fails, then has to be saved by Harry from fiendfyre his own incompetent sidekick conjured. cringe failson. it’s also hilarious put in contrast with this fanon we have of hypercompetent draco — it’s like we all saw him and were like god bless can we please get this man a skillset. jesus christ he is getting killed out here.

but anyway tbh I think the most character development we see from him in all 7 novels is when Hermione slaps the shit out of him in POA (call that spell of Shutting the Fuck Up the way he doesn't even try to retaliate). The bathroom scene in book 6 is huge, because it’s the first time we get a modicum of sympathy for him, but that’s not followed up on — we just sort of leave him with “yeah, that’s tough.” we don’t even know why the Malfoys go back to Voldemort, because by all accounts, they seem miserable. Lucius seems miserable even before he hits his Flop Era in book 6-7, but he’s also broadly miserable all the time when we see him (likely bc we only see him when he’s plotting/scheming/exploding in rage when Harry manages to yet again Scooby Doo one of his plots, but who knows). I think the seventh book subtly implies the Malfoys are so close with Voldemort because of Bellatrix, and [spoilers incoming] I myself lean heavily on that thread in later sequences in Lionheart, but in the books it’s up to the reader as to how much the Malfoys really believe in the Dark Lord versus just comply with his orders from fear.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Killing America - Man of Steele Productions

Full film: Twitter, Substack and Rumble.

https://twitter.com/Hebro_Steele/status/1761471883349004483

For the last several months, I've been working on a 38 minute documentary, "Killing America: Can America's Schools be Saved?" I'm proud to release the trailer today and it is below.

What happened in southern Israel on October 7th shook the world in many ways. Most of us never imagined that the ripple effects would reach our public high schools in America, but they did and what they revealed was a shockingly strong current of antisemitism among teachers, students, and staff.

This comes after years of anti-white and anti-Asian hate. Where was this tribal hatred coming from, especially after 60 years of diversity efforts that promised us unity? That is why I decided to do a deep dive investigation in the Bay Area schools and Killing America is the result.

In the comment section, I will post updates re screenings, locations, and ticket sales.

https://twitter.com/Hebro_Steele/status/1776396571699294718

After enduring a week of unwarranted takedowns of the Killing America trailer on @Youtube and @Vimeo as well as receiving a baseless cease and desist letter that seeks to prevent my documentary from being shown in its original form, I’ve decided to release the full (38 min) version of Killing America on this platform.

Let’s be clear, @TheMAChronicle claims that this is a copyright issue, but it is not. Our work is fully protected by the Fair Use doctrine, which allows us to use even copyrighted footage under certain guidelines. (See explanation in comments section.)

These left-wing activists cannot stand dissent or opposition to the ideological order they seek to impose in our schools as well as our larger society. What you are witnessing here is the weaponization of the copyright law in these ugly culture wars to prevent my film from being shown in its full form. This is nothing less than suppression of free speech, which includes artistic expression and free thought.

The "crime" that Killing America commits is telling the truth during these ideological times. Watch the film and you’ll see why extremist ideologues are doing everything in their power to censor the film and why I decided not to play their game and go straight to you, The People.

Lastly, I have made the point to release this film as widely as possible for free because I want the word out. We've been too far timid and we've allowed ourselves to be intimidated for too long, so please share this film widely.

At the same time, people have asked if they can donate small fee for watching the film or make a contribution to cover the cost that I personally incurred during the making of the film as well as legal fees (lawyer consults). I truly appreciate this because this film was a labor of love for me, a continuation of my family’s legacy of civil rights activism that dates back to 1942: https://donate.stripe.com/cN24ja95E06SgLe5kk

==

Teachers who behave like activists need to be fired and decredentialed.

[latibvles]

what would it be like if daisy was ever hurt/injured or (god forbid) captured ? how would ron react ? what would their reunion be like ? loving Sad Beautiful Tragic, its my favorite fic at the moment 🥰

THIS!! this is a fun question (for me, because the agony of it). I’ll answer this in two parts because some type of au where Daisy was captured itches a specific part of my brain crossover anyone? spare crossover?

Daisy’s had a couple minor cuts and bruises through the fic itself and usually Ron only ends up seeing it afterward. She’s never been shot (thank God) or anything drastic but it’s … Ron so when he does see it it’s always an immediate “how did this happen?” or just the Concerned Wordless Ron Stare that he gives her and she’s pretty quick to wave off her own injuries.

But let’s say she is shot a-la-Eugene Roe in Replacements: Ron obviously doesn’t… take that very well, I don’t think. I don’t think he’s the type to have an explosive reaction if he isn’t there to witness it but that’s more of a “Trying to keep a semblance of composure because if I flip out it will become that much harder to see her,” which is what he really wants: to see her, see that she’s okay and recovering. He has a hard time believing it until he sees her. Which he does, by the way, as soon as he’s actually able to, he’s seeing her and half-scolding her and she’s smiling at him because he’s been protective since they were children. He sees her as much as he can during the recovery period because he can’t compromise his job and she wouldn’t want him to.

Daisy as a POW is where it gets… interesting.

Because I think in order for that to happen, it’d have to be one of two situations.

She was captured with the rest of the medics in the 326th in Bastogne

She was in a more precarious position, such as being a flight nurse / evacuation nurse (like the only female POW in the ETO, Reba Whittle)

Either way, however this reaches Ron (through word of mouth in the first instance, possibly through a letter in the second instance) he… does not take it well. Grief is weird for him, because he knows that these things happen but in his mind he cannot fathom something like that happening to her. He probably thinks she’s dead at first, especially if she was in a plane and it went down: which is a very harrowing thought, because whenever he dares to let himself think of the future, she is in it.

He enters this uncomfortable grief and he’s not… pleasant to be around, not in the slightest, but does anyone really know why? No, not unless you know Daisy. He’s very angry, I think it’s very akin to the aggression he’d displayed on D-Day. This is a man who already considered himself dead, who has now lost the love of his life. He’s very reckless with himself — not the lives of his men, but certainly his own life.

Daisy, however, has always been very clever.

I imagine it’d be harder to write to infantry troops as a POW because they’re always moving, so instead she writes to his sister (probably Mary) asking him to pass on the message that she is alive and okay, because that’s about as much as German censors are going to let her say. And Mary, of course, passes this message along in a letter to her brother, and that really pulls him out of it, I think. Tangible proof that she is alive and (for the most part) okay. Mary is pretty much the middleman for their sparse correspondence from that point forward until Ron hits Austria and knows they won’t be moving anytime soon as they become an occupying force.

The reunion is a teary-eyed one. I’m torn between whether it’d be in Europe or one back in Boston (but it’s probably the former): but she is thinner than when he’d last saw her and the embrace is bone-crushing, and there’s a lot of kissing involved because she is real and alive and pouring “I’m here”s into his mouth like prayers. They spend quite a bit of time relearning each other, and similarly to canon, pieces of their wars that the other didn’t see are just things that come out in their own time.

[socialistpunk]

The ego and its gates: Gatekeeping as an act of violence.

I'm currently writing an essay on Man, Society and Freedom by Bakunin but before it, I wanted to point out a smaller issue that may or may not pose as an example of the state of things and the rebel individual. I'm taking about gatekeeping, specially art and theory. In this micro-essay I'm going to display the potential reasons for it, the irony in it, why is it wrong and what to do about it.

Gatekeeping, as a concept, involves limiting access to something. It can be used synonymously with words such as censoring or filtering. Gatekeeping is often utilized as a critique of news outlets, political propaganda, and the state apparatus. While it is indeed an important phenomenon, it is not the focus of this essay. Rather, this essay aims to highlight a different phenomenon—one that is produced due to the state of things, not necessarily the state itself.

Generally, mainstream media gatekeeps alternative and revolutionary art and theory, deeming it dangerous. However, we are now witnessing a reversal of this phenomenon, as alternative and revolutionary scenes become gatekeepers of what was previously kept from them by mainstream media. For practicality's sake, we will refer to this group of alternatives and revolutionaries (including punks, communists, leftists, and those outside the establishment) as comrades, and the general public as, well, the "general public."

A comrade may gatekeep a theory book, an author, or most commonly, a song, a painting, or a movie on platforms like social media, especially TikTok. They label those who engage with these works as naive or stupid, believing they may somehow harm the things they are gatekeeping simply because they are not as knowledgeable or skilled as the comrade. These judgments are often based on subjective thoughts. This phenomenon is akin to what is typically referred to as gatekeeping in communication theory*.

While watching a music video by Slowdive, I came across a comment that explicitly said, "Keep this from TikTok kids," which infuriated me. Before I explain why, let me share another example. Back when I had Twitter (before the introduction of blue checkmarks and other restrictions), I encountered a tweet showcasing books found in the TikTok Books section of a store. The original poster claimed that literature was ruined because books like Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" were displayed alongside TikTok-famous books.

The reason this angers me is that, as a philosopher, comrade, and artist myself, the purpose of creating and consuming media for me is to break through the barriers of the original gatekeeping and the societal consciousness imposed on teenagers, kids, and people in general. When I was a child, reading was considered incredibly strange, and delving into Dostoevsky would have been even weirder (although I wish I had done so as a teenager). Even reading books like YA fiction or Harry Potter was deemed nerdy or uncool. Now that kids are starting to read more and teenagers are moving away from popular and reggaeton music to Slowdive (which serves the same purpose of pushing boundaries), we are calling for the protection from the general public of these things. Isn't it ironic

This is individualism and liberalism at its worst. Even if you are not a leftist, what is the point of gatekeeping things that you know are not mainstream? Wouldn't that allow more people to engage with the things you like? Well, yes, but the comrade would then start to like it less, as the general public makes them uncomfortable. Comrades are accustomed to crossing boundaries, but there is an abundance of art and theory to explore, and we still have a long way to go as a society. Indulging in individualism and feeding our egos will not benefit education or society as a whole.

Remember, we are constantly being gatekept by the market, an overpowering force that dictates what art we can create based on what the market and the general public desire. Gatekeeping, in terms of communication, aims to disseminate information (or disinformation) without allowing for explanations or expecting feedback—it simply exposes the information. This is the actual problem in today's democracy and social media (which I will further discuss in Bakunin's essay).

This essay addresses a minor issue that encompasses gatekeeping as a whole. I want to portray this aspect since it is often overlooked in the conventional representation of gatekeeping. While we may criticize everything gatekeeping represents in its original sense, we may, at the same time, be gatekeeping things that go against it. Revolution can only occur through the masses. So, let the masses listen to Slowdive* and read, even if it means delving into works like "Crime and Punishment," which might evoke feelings of melancholy.

*: Read "Gatekeeping (Communication)" definition on Wikipedia

*2: Slowdive may not be the best representation of leftist art, but I just want to show how the so-called alternative scene in all camps of art is gatekeeping.