#i'm not saying you're evil and bad tm if you didn't know

[bibliophilea]

Hey guys,

As a Phandom, can we not depict w*ndigos as some cryptid or ghost thing?

The native cultures the folklore is from by and large don't want them to be used or depicted by the general populace. Additionally, the general populace doesn't know them or depict them as the original sources do - rather, they are stripped of their context. Because of this, using them is disrespectful.

Using them is cultural appropriation.

I know a number of people don't realize this - heck, I didn't know it was disrespectful and cultural appropriation until the backlash against Supernatural using them, because most the sites I visited that had them just didn't mention it. (The same goes with s**nw**kers, by the way - the folklore they're from says we shouldn't use the name, and the cultures the folklore is from don't want us using it.)

I know this has come up in the Phandom before - Phanniemay nearly used it as a prompt several years ago, but it was quickly removed once the situation was explained.

I'm not naming any names - but I'm starting to see terms and folklore we shouldn't appropriate crop up in Phandom again, so I wanted to spread the word.

Here are some sources on the actual folklore, and why we shouldn't use it:

Stolen Spirits: The Appropriation of the Windigo Spirit in Horror Literature (Kallie Hunchman, Ball State University)

More Than Monsters: The Deeper Significance of Wendigo Stories (Kaitlin Smith, Facing History and Ourselves)

A Creature Without a Cave: Abstraction and (Mis)Appropriation of the Wendigo Myth in Contemporary North American Horror (Francesca Amee Johnson, University of Warwick)

[batsarebetterthanpeople]

why do so many people keep calling ed izzy's abuser? I thought it was kind of funny how wrong they were at first because I love being right but at this point I feel like, if you really believe that why do you even like this show? where the main love interest is a violently abusive indigenous man? that sounds boring as shit. what would possess the writers of the show for them to make such an awful decision?

but then I think, if this many people believe it does that mean I'm the one who's wrong? or is it that the creators fumbled that storyline when they should have been clearer about it? or maybe it's just that most people on here have had their reading comprehension scorched away by Sherlock Holmes conspiracy theories and Steven Universe discourse. I can't tell. sometimes I think the internet may have been a mistake.

No they're wrong here's what's going on. People all read this shitty fic called Hell or High Water where Ed was everything the Izzy stans say he was and then instead of realizing that Ed is sad everyone regressed into thinking that the Kraken Era TM was going to be incredibly violent, like serial killing blond men because they look like Stede levels of violence. Even if you didn't read HoHW you saw art or read fic from people who had engaged with this fic and succumbed to it's premise. So there's been this background radiation of misunderstanding what the Kraken is on the fandom for several months. So inevitably when Ed did some mild violence and then attempted suicide by threatening murder until the crew took matters into their own hands, which is not abuse or torture by any stretch, btw, it's a murder-suicide at worst (I say at worst because I consider it fuckery-suicide I don't think Ed was trying to kill people I think he was trying to force them into a situation where they thought it was kill or be killed so that they would choose to kill him, but that is my interpretation and you are free to think it's a botched murder-suicide I have no problem with that), which, murder is something the show has never condemned and if it did it would be horribly inconsistent. So anyway, Ed's whole Kraken Era was categorized in the show by him being sad and doing so many drugs and begging someone please god anyone to kill him and trying to break Ned Low's record out of the evil boredom, but because it had a murder-suicide element to it and Izzy's toes were getting removed and he waved a gun around at everyone once (in a way that felt to me like he was trying and failing to work up the nerve to blow his own brains out but I digress) people who liked HoHW and were mad that people had called it out were like "see hes being violent HoHW author vindicated" as if anything Ed did rose to the level of that fic

And you want to know how I know this read is bullshit? Because when I watch the show with people who don't read fic or interact with the fandom and then I gauge their reactions without showing my hand they all implicitly understand that Ed is reacting to Izzy in a way appropriate to how pirate captains react to threats from subordinates. The spectrum of reactions has been from "hey isn't it weird how Ed was the Kraken because his dad was abusive and now he's the kraken because of Izzy? Maybe there's something there but idk" to "I don't think you can apply the logic of domestic abuse to a pirate captain and first mate but also Izzy had it coming" to "I cannot feel bad for Izzy after last season, I'm sorry." To "lmao Izcel" and I've showed this show to roughly everyone I know. The only thing I can conclude from the fact that people who don't engage with OFMD fic almost unilaterally thinking that Izzy is in the wrong and then coming online to see people thinking the opposite is that Izzy as victim and Ed as abuser is pure fanon, like how Stede is a cinnamon roll who talks like Azeriphael.

But anyway yeah you're completely right about the fact that this would be a bad show if they decided to make Ed into a domestic abuser. I don't want to watch a rom com about a domestic abuser falling in love and I don't want a show that decided to make it's indigenous lead abusive when the stereotype of indigenous men as abusers is still to this day used as an excuse to separate indigenous children from their families and put them with white Christians in order to erase their culture. Good thing OFMD didn't make Ed abusive, so I still like the show.

[ineffable-endearments]

From "And furthermore, I don't think it's our place to start suggesting that there should be a suggestion box!"

I'm not even entertaining the idea that anyone else could possibly have ideas more worthwhile than whatever Heaven's upper brass is telling me God wants. The System is perfect.

to "You can't judge the Almighty, Crawley."

OK, so not everything God does makes moral sense, but that's just because it's too ineffable for us to understand.

to "I don't think that's what God wants. And I don't think you want it, either."

I don't always believe Heaven is right. Something in me is incompatible with the System. I'm hoping there's a greater good than the bureaucracy I work for.

to "I'm not consulted on policy decisions, Crawley."

I'm tacitly admitting that I don't like what Heaven is doing here, but I'm powerless within the System.

to "If I were thwarting you, Heaven couldn't object!"

You've helped me believe Armageddon isn't part of the Ineffable Plan after all. Now I believe I CAN do something to stop it.

to "I have no intention of fighting in any war!"

I'm making my own personal decision here, without consideration for what the System wants.

to "I can make a difference!"

I'm certain that I personally have ideas more worthwhile than the rest of Heaven. I can change the System.

The growth is happening. I know it's slow (well, if you're a human, anyway), but it's happening.

I am wondering if this character development is going to work like a huge outward (inward?) spiral. Take steps to add a new perspective, then use that to start working on the next Big Problem, then circle back to the old problems and start dealing with them with the new perspective. Things are kind of circular, but on a different level every time, hence the spiral.

The first three are like: Refuse questioning Heaven's judgment on moral grounds -> Accept that some questioning is natural but God/Heaven are always right -> Accept that maybe my personal judgment is not always compatible with Heaven's. OK, now I've tentatively accepted that I have my own morality outside of Heaven's, but that is SO uncomfortable.

The second three are like: I have my own moral judgments, but I have no way to enforce them because of what is expected of me -> Maybe there is room for my own judgment in Heaven after all -> Actually, my judgment is important enough to refuse to do what is expected of me regardless of anyone else's Plans. OK, now Aziraphale can use his own judgment within the System.

And I don't know for sure, but maybe - hopefully? - the last three will be like: I trust my own judgment -> My judgment never succeeds when I try to force it on others -> Everyone needs to be free from coercion and I'm going to help that happen by doing things to undermine the System.

That last bit is written with an assumption that the Ball and Gabriel and Beelzebub's ultimate decision are a little bit of foreshadowing: Aziraphale seizing control in a way that is sort of scary, having a bunch of Experiences(TM) with other people including Crowley, then realizing that the only reasonable way to handle people "outside the system" is to let them do what they want. If that's NOT foreshadowing, or if it's different foreshadowing than what I think it's going to be, obviously this is completely off.

Also, I feel like if I'm right, this could illuminate the horrible things Aziraphale says in the Final Fifteen a little bit. I believe he has moved up slightly from thinking Good and Evil are absolutely inherent and immutable, and now believes they are literally Sides that can be chosen. Of course you wouldn't choose to work for the side that has explicitly characterized itself as Bad, even though we both know you didn't have a choice to start with! I'm giving you a choice now! He hasn't "gone backwards." It's just that he's embraced the "doing good is a choice" lesson without internalizing the "you can't divide people into Sides and enforce it using a system" lesson.

[tanoraqui]

Dungeon Meshi Liveblog: Marcille is Not Handling Being In Charge Well

Yeah, that doesn't sound exactly like Thistle at alllll, Marcille!

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[Tolkien fistpumping in the background of the fantasy genre]

We'll know that shit's REALLY bad if Chilchuck ever stops making sarcastic comments.

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lol

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EYES /weeps

Also I just noticed that Marcille's hair has been down since we reunited with her. She no longer cares about the things she used to, she's openly using dark magic with no concern for the consequences, she's not taking care to manage her own mana... I wonder if the demon already ate her desire to style it?

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The Island Lord really is just completely useless, huh. He is NOT getting a role in Laios's new government.

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omg I didn't notice when it was in the dungeon, but it's the Sky Snake! Silver Wings that Race Through the Heavens, Marcille's sky snake!!

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This IS genuinely creepy. It's easy to forget that this whole adventure so far has happened underground, save for a few scant scenes. But we are about to enter, in effect, the real world...

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I remain sooo interested in this secretive paramilitary outfit comprised entirely of conditionally-pardoned criminals who already have their hands dirty with forbidden magic and aristocratic scions from families seeking to prove their loyalty, all of which reports directly to the Queen. Their mere existence is sooo dodgy.

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AIDGHADFC I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE LION GAVE MARCILLE HER EVIL GOTH MAKEOVER! I thought she chose that herself... This is worse, actually... (And then it ate her desire to stop.)

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You're completely right, Kabru! "They're tripping each other up because you don't know enough about monsters to manage them properly" was exactly Laios's critique of Thistle's dragon horde, too!

Which, I will admit, supports the Elves' position about how incredibly bad it would be if Laios WAS the one leading this army. I do want some good fic about that maybe.

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I always really enjoy the trope of, in a big battle or elaborate plan, things will go bad for the whole extended party at once even though their personal dramatic moments are happening completely apart and unrelated to one another - and, conversely, they'll all rally at the same time, too. It's very basic storytelling, an in-canon "coincidence" of timing required for a compelling rhythm of story, and I enjoy it every time.

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I'D KNOW THAT WING-HILTED SWORD ANYWHERE!!

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I'm going to make a goddamn COLLECTION of every time this woman puts the whole group in Outfits made of other creatures. She should do rabbits next. They deserve to dress like giant dungeon rabbits.

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lmaooo

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I love when characters say shit like this about their friends. I mean, @ Laios don't underestimate yourself, but actually he does mean "smart" in the sense of "unlikely to get manipulated", so in this case he's right.

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This, the first panels and then the next 1, was when I was like, "oh, okay, we're going to win." Laios was JUST saying that he couldn't defeat the demon if he didn't understand literally these things about it. Now, Laios understand it as a monster, and Kabru understands it as a person - so we're good. We've cornered it on two angles of 'guys who can kill things with remarkable efficiency if they understand them through their special interest.' We're going to kick this thing's ass. We're going to be okay.

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And then we're rewarded with a wink! Kabru trust Laios now!! Truly, life is good.

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Lolll at myself, and at this chronic faker. Should've known the Wink(TM) was a lie! The Wink is always a lie, or at least a tease.

It is so fun to watch this boy take charge of situations on sheer merit of quick-thinking, knowing all the factions involved, and confidence in giving commands.

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Hot. Obviously, objectively, this is hot. Walking confidently, unafraid and unsurprised, through a corridor of kneeling dragons? Laios, Lord of Monsters, damn fuckin' right.

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This really is Laios's interactions with collective humanity in a nutshell. They shun him, disdain and fear him, for what he loves (monsters). "It's all right," he says. "The misunderstanding won't last" - he smothers how angry it makes him. They'll understand eventually, he promises himself. (They never have before, but one day...) But also: he really genuinely does love monsters, and loves to be associated with them, even if the cost IS to not be associated with humanity.

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Izutsumi: I could still kick Marcille's ass. I'll kick anyone's ass. I'll kick my own ass.

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Laios, King of Monsters: loves every monster except squids and octopi. Those guys just suck.

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I love how her shout is almost in the black magic font, even as spoken words. That is her gesture for exploding things. This is what she looked like when she killed Mithrun 20 minutes ago.

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I connected the dots. I connected them.

[hereforthefunnyguys]

Can you tell me what your favorite rare pair is as well as a few head canons for them? I'm starving for rare pair content of any kind.

On it boss

I did Irateshipping Fragileshipping and a pinch of Klepto/Boardshipping :>

Irateshipping (because its me):

-In a domestic situation they are that one couple that can never agree on what to have for a meal. Joey loves meat, Marik hates meat. Joey hates super spicy stuff, Marik likes it (the masochistic Yami Marik instinct pulled through lmao). Joey loves fatty foods like red meat and heavy cream, Marik can't stomach them due to being raised with a Delicate Constitution (tm). You could not pay Joey to eat most vegetables and Marik will literally just eat raw spinach out of the bag like some kind of gazelle creature. They literally can't even agree over how to make eggs. Horrible couple to ever visit for dinner btw

-That said I don't think Marik could survive in a domestic situation for very long because he'd go Insane. Like those exotic macaws people keep in cages meant for like parakeets that start biting fingers off. Even with the power of Twue Wuv marik simply couldn't survive without a massive amount of stimulation which either means A) hes going to be starting another gang or B) he is going to be bothering joey 24/7

-They have a pitbull named Brutus :)

-Joey is constantly undergoing the Walter White "Noooo I refuse to take your Pity Money ill pay back all my debts on my own like a Real Man!" and marik is just paying everyone off behind the scenes to keep joey from getting kicked out of their apartment

-Marik cannot be casual about Joey in any situation he will rant about him for the rest of existence and all time to anyone who will listen or someone he has forced to listen and whether thats a good or bad rant depends on the state of their relationship at the time

Fragileshipping:

-Most sickly sweet couple you have ever met in all of your life in private. In public? You would be lucky to even know they're dating. They hold hands and thats like It

-Yugi kept on setting them up on dates meetings when Atem was still in the puzzle and it didn't work so great because Atem has negative rizz and sits on the couch like hes fucking paralyzed. Luckily Ryou can be easily entertained if you are willing to listen to him infodump about some shoestring-budget horror film thats been banned in Bolivia for grossly indecent content.

-Ryou is Atems beautiful darling boyfriend who is the light of his life and Atem is Ryou's pet little card game nerd

-Atem has an insane obligation to make sure Ryou is taken care of whenever anything bad happens to him ever because in the back of his mind hes always worried about him turning into modern-day TKB

Kleptoshipping/Boundshipping:

-Fundamentally the basis of this relationship should technically be Yugi engaging in his baser "I could fix him" instinct but also he does kind of think YB/TKB is really funny as just his usual evil bastard self. hes permanently trying not to go Wow he's kind of hot when he's evil while Bakura frantically details doomsday plan #23 to the gang

-Bakura looking at Yugi: this thing is so stupid and obsessed with friendship and its friends with the Pharoah (ew!) and its sickeningly adorable and yeah im in love with it now. fuck

-Everyone in the world must die EXCEPT for my darling boyfriend :)

-They can mutually devour a hamburger in a matter of seconds. Absolute meat destroyers (NOT double entendre (they have put multiple shops out of business via resource consumption esp because TKB will often dine and ditch especially at chains))

-Bakura is eternally frustrated because Yugi keeps on ruining his plans for world domination but hes so cute while doing it :(

-Yugi has the same fundamental beliefs as TKB but is a lot quieter about it which both makes TKB really mad and on the other hand it is very very satisfying to hear someone say "no no i get where you're coming from" after 3000 years of eternal torment

-They are Thee scary cool goth couple

-Bakura owns snakes and they like to nest in Yugi's hair because he generates Warmth. They are currently competing with their owner for who gets maximum yugi time and unfortunately bakura is kind of losing

[rametarin]

Discourse in a world without internet.

I'm actually glad that, "kids today don't know what it was like" exists when it comes to social and political discourse. Because a great deal of manufactured ignorance hinged on the idea that the vast majority of us didn't have access to information, we were gatekept out by simply not having access to people in our social networks that knew certain information, and those that did know it, had next to zero chance to meet and interact with anyone that actually knows that information.

So they would be free to declare stuff with confidence and authority on the subjects of, say, rape statistics, and TERFs would spin that into a feminist narrative about how all men are evil, vile monsters who were bad just because of their Y chromosome, as well as say that creatured a bad nurture culture of patriarchy. And unless you were a statistician with degrees, even if you did the laymans thing, did your own research, they'd disregard any dissent you had for that based purely on the fact you didn't make statistics your life's work.

So pre-internet, we were forced to live in a world where you were limited first by what you could conclude in your own head, next by what was already written down and had to conveniently be around you and thus your resources to know were limited to what was conveniently stockpiled around you (source to bias of the book buyer and creators of said books) and you were like an indigenous island bird being attacked by a foreign feral cat when it came to social or political discourse you were unprepared for.

And some of these people really capitalized on that islandization effect in order to spin yarns of bullshit. Even considering political or social discourse or trying to engage in debate with people that were programmed with conspiracy to "spread awareness" and make assertions that were so hard to determine one way or another from a critique standpoint that they needed refutation by someone in the peer group with the sense or the education, and if you didn't have that guy in your peer group, you might get strongarmed and socially pressured into conformity for this assumed truth.

The internet has changed ALL of that.

I think back to the era when Ninja Turtles and shit were all the rage and everybody was doing wuxi kung fu (tautology lol) nonsense on the playground, and once in a while you'd have a budding feminist get on her soapbox and declare doing that to be orientalist and racist towards Asian people and culture, lettng you know she wasn't going to tolerate even witnessing that without alerting the other girls you were Committing a Racism(tm) and that you were a horrible person for it. And you know what that means; get declared a badthinker, the other girls feel pressured to reject you, or face criticism and rejection themselves from the Girl Squad for enabling you or tolerating your bad behavior.

That was the kind of peer group crybullying/conscientous bullying you could get away with as a white girl among majority white populations, back in the day. What were you going to do? Side with the racists and let her delusions that she lived in a 1940s/1950s white supremacist den go unchallenged, or make an effort to disprove the dour view she had of the world was fake by disproving it?

But in the back of your mind, you knew, "If only some of the neighbor kids we play make believe with were actually Asian; they'd tell this uppity bitch that kids in Asia also do this make believe bullshit and it doesn't make us Orientalist to do this, just because we're white.." But because the populations, at the time, were largely white European, that sort of thing never happened. There was no convenient Asian Friend to pipe up and go, "Chill, it's.. fucking Ninja Turtles, sis. It's stupid kid make believe games. It's cool. It's okay. It's fine. You're not racist for playing a ninja."

Now adays? Some soapbox standing asshole SJW bitch decides to preen and strut about talking about how western society trivializes Asian culture by buying and reading Naruto, some English speaking Japanese superfan will appear out from under a forum ROCK and go, "Shut up. It's okay to enjoy manga and anime and not be Japanese. Don't speak for me. You're ridiculous."

Do you know what we would've given for that kind of backup as kids in those situations?

And this is made more complicated. Some girls that were driven and indoctrinated to behave and act like that did so genuinely because they felt everything that was said was true, with no ulterior motive, looked through rose tinted glasses and wanted to improve society. Because they thought the only reason racism and such existed was because either nobody cared to critically assess their own actions or thoughts, or they were maliciously bigoted. It wasn't a very big brain mentality and largely accepted by either gullible people, or sycophants that will believe anything if it keeps them out of social trouble.

And then there were the girls that would stick to the idea they needed to "improve society(tm)" by "Starting conversations." So they would out and out lie to you about things like that and try to convey that Asians universally despised when non-Asians played around with some things like action figures and wuxi things the way they would western army men and superheroes, and such things were thoughtless exploitation. While knowing such things weren't true, but wanting to get people underexposed to the conversations or reality to accept this false reality was true, and act accordingly.

Some of them were so deliberately disingenuous that they'd feign not understanding what they believed was untrue, even when, for example, an Asian person would swing into the conversation the SJW girl was having with people that didn't know better, and explain, "this thing you're saying is a problematic behavior is not a problem, actually, they're not being bigots. It's fine." The girl may apologize, feign knowing better now and to not make that mistake again, and then go to ANOTHER group of people in the absence of the dissenting Asian person to correct the record, and tell that group that whole spiel over again about how white people playing ninja or whatever is bigotry, to try and make them believe something that wasn't true.

But if you didn't have a Mysteriously Materializing Person to correct the record on any given social or political topic being exploited by these people, then you were a very vulnerable target for misinformation in the name of progress. And there was nothing you could do about it, as a layman, but either go to college for the explicit purpose of disproving a water cooler statement someone made one day at lunch, or just dismiss it and get on with your life. Research meant investment in money and time and dedicating your life to that specific thing, just on the offchance to tell someone that either didn't know better, or did and still lied, they weren't telling the truth to a group of people they were trying to educate.

And that back and forth used to happen over MONTHS to YEARS as sources updated and the grapevine spoke and arguments were had.

Just oh my fucking god. The internet has streamlined that miserable back and forth shit so much. And I thank English Second Language people across the world for voluntarily swinging in like wrecking balls, whatever side you're on, because the language and regional barrier used to give these charlatans license to speak on your behalf.

[the-zapped-part-timer]

Penn Zerothon Day 8

3 Big Problems🏝

My Ramblings: Dodge ball showdown! I don't think you're allowed to kick the balls but whatever, it's Sashi, she don't care! Boone just straight up sacrificing people for shields is so out of left field it's comes back to being funny. Penn is pretty big brain here but, wow, what a dirty move using some firefighter's bell and pretending it's the school bell! How do they have time for this? All for the promise of pizza!? Either way, Sashi's blank expression is beautiful. We've all felt that.

And then that was the tragic end of Penn Zero. What a fun little show, if only he didn't cheat. Joking aside, Phyllis was straight up gonna send his ass to the sun because she thought he had Pandorian Moon Warts... savage. Is it really that bad? I guess so. At least she apologized.

He's so excited to just be a lizard, honestly? So would I. Nice Geico reference.

Love the twist in this episode, you'd think Rippen and Larry would be the kaiju, because in most media, kaiju are depicted as city-destroying, rage-fueled monsters but the other side of that spectrum, they can be good! Take Godzilla for instance, can either be a nuclear bomb or a protector of humanity. It would've also been easy to make the Duo evil monsters and have an awesome kaiju battle... damn, that actually does sound cool. Anyways, they make them human bad guys, not too dissimilar to The Iron Giant.

Like the detail of Sashi's mission display being humongous, just like them. And the detail of when Penn talks, small flames spew from his mouth.

KAIJU WILHELM!

How did Boone know he could toot his horn? Bringing back a classic Larry gag but with a simple twist to it, it's short.

The eyebrow checking joke between Ripoen and Madame President, like so many, have been ingrained into my mind forever. It's so dumb but good. During Rippen's spiel, Larry is so serious looking and laser focused, I love him.

TNT Museum... very American thing. But this isn't America, it's Island City, baby! Penn talking down to the humans for the city planning is so hilarious, makes him sound like he was never a human before. Love the delivery.

Have I mentioned my uneasiness for disaster movies? I just hate how that could just happen and I'd be screwed. Even if it's as farfetched as Kaiju or very unnatural disasters, it wigs me out. I hate thinking about what I'd do in that situation. Especially two movies that terrified me... one of them is dumb but the other... I hate thinking about so much, makes my stomach twang in anxiety a bit.

Why doesn't Sashi speak for Penn? I thought because he's an ape and there go, he can speak to humans? But no, Penn can talk to them, but you, fire. So why not Sashi?

I'd be on Rippen's side if I didn't know anything at all. I think the President is crazy, which she's a little... quirky. Just saying, way too much trust! Why hasn't she gone and talked to the Kaiju before hand if she likes them that much? The island was there before and it takes awhile to build a city on an island I'm sure.

And here's these two, Eva (President) and Larry... man said, like, two sentences and is already smitten, and drawing Larry all muscular as he carries her in his big, strong arms... Ma'am! It's a good quick doodle, I'll give her that but MA'AM!? Thank you, Rippen for taking her pen away. When she calls him handsome and rugged, he does take the compliment to Rippen slight surprise (and possible jealousy? Who knows with that guy). I do like her, by the way! She's hilarious in her deliveries and mania behind half of them.

Her logic makes sense, you want an easy code to the Monster Buster Bomb (tm) but also you want a more secure code to the Monster Buster Bomb (tm), just as secure as Rippen's diary. Which of course he has, I want to read it. I need to read it! Hey! Do give each other that look, men can have diaries too!

The "tell my best friend I love him" scene is so cute, Boone's even holding Penn's claw hand! ARGH! Sashi just cutting that shit out! Snap out of it, stupids, we're playing dodge ball with bombs!

WHY WOULD YOU BUILD YOUR CITY NEXT TO A VOLCANO!? MY FEARS! Rippen, you're a hopeless coward! I'm sure he's fine with that.

And see that? The instant Eva and Larry are alone and she offers a final dinner together, he nopes right out of there! Man is not interested at the least. Which says a lot, we know Larry, he's down for a lot of things but not this. I'm sure another reason is that he wanted to follow Rippen but still stands, we saw his face.

Hey, Boone gets called a genius way sooner. Good for him.

Iconic line from Madame President: "Bologna." Huh, the "G" is silent. That can't be my last thought!

"Let's focus on the positive!" Girl, the power grid, sewer system, and literally everything else needs to be addressed ASAP!

~The Characters~

Penn Zero:

Boone Wiseman:

Sashi Kobayashi:

Rippen:

Larry:

Dimension(s): Love me some giant monsters!

Forms: We have Godzilla, King Kong, and Mothra or Battra (I don't know for sure). All very fun and fitting forms. I like Penn's the most but Sashi's is really cute and Boone being a ape is the perfect match.

Rippen and Larry, while plain, look very good in those uniforms.

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Cereal Criminals🥣

My Ramblings: ART CLASS, FINALLY! Now we finally see Rippen as an art teacher, 8 episodes in! Starting it off with good Rippen and Penn banter. Also see that Larry is the principal! I'm sure Rippen just loves the thought of Larry being the boss of him everyday at school. And we see Pigoilet, Boone's favorite creation ever. I believe we did see in an early episode but I don't remember which, besides the Pilot. Sashi's are looks really nice! Looks like she may have used painters tape or something like that to get that all nice and straight, makes sense.

Is this the first time a teacher evaluation is used? Or is it the first time that the reward is Larry's parking spot? Probably the ladder.

What hell is must be to half to deal with that in the morning, water sprinkler row. When Boone says: "It appears that the glove is on the other shoe." Rippen is listening and watching Boone's hand so intently, it's funny. He looks like a cat.

Damn Penn, already planning to obliterate Rippen's teacher evaluation. Stone cold. I get it, he's evil and gives you nothing but F-'s. Still stone cold.

The jingles, I love them! Those being physically there, especially when Boone can read the kale flakes in water bit is icing on this cereal cake!

Love that they just assume Rippen is the Milkman, it makes sense. The Milkman himself? Boy, if I had a nickel for every milkman character I like, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. I love unsettling Milkmen! Can you guess the other one? I love how he talks, his design and his ads!

I'd struggle to if I had to say "crispity crunch crop" fast and with a silly voice too.

There's just a guy guarding the outside of Marshmallow Dreams Maximum Security Prison (great name)! Like just a human guy, I know there are human mascots and characters but it's... weird.

Did somebody say, WILHELM SCREAM!? And order a Silence of the Lambs homage?

"Do you like our place?" Larry says in the most adorable way followed with the cutest pose! Your honor, I love him to bits! "You've been here five minutes!" "I take our home seriously." Married couple core Rippen and Larry.

Larry seems kind of embarrassed and guilty-looking about the reason Otis the Opossum ended up in prison. His big wet eyes, poor little guy.

THE BEST SONG EVER! It's literally my ringtone! I sang that constantly, it's so catchy! Do all yourselves a favor and go listen to it again!

Teacher evaluation? Good for leverage. Rippen's little ear perks as Penn pushes all the right buttons, so cute! I wanna pet him!

Here we get Rippen's villain spiel: He's driven by his need to outdo his sister, Vlurgen. This man has some family issues, of course he does. His mama and papa always favored her more, which sadly, we do see later. She has everything he wants, a really evil car, a different magical scepter for everyday of the week, and competent evil henchmen. I like he says "no offense" to Larry, he's growing. Penn is stuck with the knowledge of Rippen's family woes. Just on and on with this guy, it's like he's stalling for time or something...

He is! 3 o'clock hits and they can't stop the Milkman, so Rippen wins, he's finally a full-time villain! HOORAY! Wait, I mean... boo? I mean SIKE! Big Brain Penn Time! He had Sashi set the prison clock back an hour during the pest song number. Everybody clap for them!

Question: How did Larry have that trap ceiling for balloons, cake and the full-time villain hat? Who cares! Also interesting Rippen calls his whole spiel a "blabberfest" like he was making it up or playing it down, but no, all stand very true. He's so downtrodden by this trick.

"I'm going on a milk run." Hard line delivery.

One of the few times that kale saves the day.

Milkman is so OP, it's ridiculous. But he's defeated in the most cursed way imaginable, get slurped into Penn's trunk... eck. Now that looks like, well, certain artwork.

Well, Rippen got a plow of an L, but thankfully an elephant never forgets. Why did he say "generosity" like that with his entire face? Because I wanna emulate that.

The smile at the end. :)

~The Characters~

Penn Zero: He's very smart in this episode. He uses Rippen's desire for the teacher evaluation to get him to talk, and when he correctly assumes that Rippen's need to win, he has the time set back just in case. Even though he did betray them, Penn keeps to his word and gives him a good evaluation, even though he wanted to obliterate him.

Boone Wiseman: No one knowing or liking him as Be Well Beaver is realistic. I like that he's has a slightly out of touch design and lingo us a nice touch, people who want to sell healthy stuff don't exactly know how.

Sashi Kobayashi: She has a gun and I'm sad she didn't get to use it more.

Rippen: We get to learn a lot more about him this episode. His deep-seated rage against his sister and the desire for his parent's attention. Sadly, we don't really get to see any more of this until the "Mr. Rippen" episode. Besides that, he is just as hilarious and devious as ever. Even when he's makes a deal to get a good teacher evaluation, he still backstabs them for the chance of being a full-time villain. He's lucky Penn felt nice that day.

Larry: He's so damn adorable, I couldn't take my eyes off him! He's just trying to make the prison cell look nice.

Dimension(s): Love this world, so fun and creative! It's also very interesting that the mascots are all real in their dimension, just here the mascots are real people. Must be mind-boggling. It's like seeing or reading about an actor and thinking: "Oh yeah, so-and-so from that show I know." But with cereal. Basically being zapped a semi-celebrities in a way.

Forms: Such fun and tasty designs! From chocolate elephant, fruity flamingo and healthy beaver cereals, I'm obsessed with all of them! Each have their own fun strengths, Penn and his trunk, Boone and his beaver skills, and Sashi with her gun! AND THE CUTE LITTLE JINGLES!? I CAN'T!

There's a brand of cereal I see sometimes that's chocolate and has an elephant on it and everytime I'm like: CHOCO CHOCO TRUNKS!? But alas, they aren't.

Wolverine Rippen and Opossum Larry? Adorable. Especially Larry, me and my bestie love Otis! They even quote him from the later episode! And the name Wrong Way Wally goes hard.

[howlingday]

tragic backstory (tm) au) there's a betting pool as to who jaune will date first. it would be utterly wrong of nora to rig such a thing if she found out welp time to trick the others into harem girl outfits and see if she can't break her fearless leader's iron will

Bet Fool

They say money is the root of all evil. It creates a false sense of superiority when it is in great supply, and makes one an invalid when it's gone. Perhaps that is why so many flock to gambling? The thrill of teetering between standing among gods or sleeping on a street corner. For there is always a part of us who enjoys the fear of the unknown.

Cardin: Thirty on Red!

Neptune: Thirty on Black!

Sun: Dude?! Thirty on White!

Neptune: Bro?!

Sun: You started it!

Coco: Fifty on Yellow!

Velvet: Coco?!

Coco: What? Mama needs new shoes, and we all know how bad she wants her dragon slain.

???: A hundred on pink! (Everyone quiets, Everyone stares at him) What? Like I'm the only one?

Neo, dolled up in her favorite bookie disguise, sat behind the desk in the Beacon basement. Now long abandoned since the transference of Cinder's maiden powers, it had become her own little hideout. A home away from home, if you will. Today's fun activity was the Jaune Arc dating pool.

Behind Neo was a large board. Colored circles lined with probabilities of their win. Red was, obviously, Red, and popular among Beacon students familiar with the two team leader's dynamics. White was the princess. Black was the cat girl. Yellow was the big-boobed, blonde, bimbo, bombshell who Neo laid the smack down on, and the most popular in recent weeks.

Neo would hold the money for one week, and if the heroic knight managed to take a girl on a date that week, she'd pay out to the lucky winners, and made the losers pay out. By force, if necessary.

What happens between is no business of hers.

---------------------------------------------------

Jaune: And, uh, that concludes today's meeting. Are there any questions? (Waits a few seconds) Alright, uh, meeting adjourned! (Leaders disperse, Ruby walks up to him) How'd I do?

Ruby: Well, you said "uh" about twenty times in a minute, so you didn't win any confidence points there.

Jaune: (Sighs) Anything good?

Ruby: Uh, you're less sweaty than last time? (Jaune slumps) Hey, you'll get it. At least you're a great team leader with your team.

Jaune: What about your team?

Ruby: Oh, my team listens to me!

Jaune: No, I mean, what about your team listening to me?

Ruby: Oh, uh, well, Weiss isn't as mean, I guess?

Jaune: (Sighs) I'm really nervous about this whole super team we have right now. I mean, we don't even have a team name yet! And I still need to go over team combos, and birthdays coming up, and, and-

Ruby: Jaune! Deep. Breath. Deep. Breath.

Jaune: (Exhales) Thanks, Ruby. I'm just... I'm worried about our team excursion as... well, Super Team JMNPERRWBEY.

Ruby: "Jumper Ruby"? (Laughs) That's terrible!

Jaune: (Chuckles) I know, but... It's the best I've got.

Ruby: No, it's not. (Touches his arm) You're the best you've got.

Jaune: (Softly smiles) Ruby...

Ruby: (Softly smiles) Jaune... (THUNK!) Huh?

Cardin: Shit! Uh, don't mind me! I'm just, uh, cleaning under the table!

Jaune: Uh huh, sure... I'm gonna head back to the room. You coming, Ruby?

Ruby: I'll meet you up there. I need to take care of something first.

Jaune: Alright, I'll see you there. (Walks out)

Ruby: ...Cardin?

Cardin: (Gulps)

Ruby: Ten...

Cardin: Uh...

Ruby: Seven...

Cardin: Uh...!

Ruby: Four... Three... Two... One! (Leaps under the table) GET OVER HERE!

Cardin: (Manly high-pitched squeal of terror)

---------------------------------------------------

Sun: Hey, Jaune! Wait up, man!

Jaune: Hm? Oh, hey, Sun, Neptune! What's up?

Neptune: Hey, man, we were just thinking about some of the girls on your team, and we had some questions.

Jaune: Uh, okay, kind of weird, but sure. I'll answer what I can.

Sun: Cool, cool, so, uh, how about that Weiss, huh? She's pretty cute, right?

Jaune: Huh?!

Neptune: Nah, she's nothing compared to Blake. You think so, too, right, Jaune?

Jaune: Uh, I...

Sun: Come on, man. Weiss has got that grace and charm, and all that money~!

Jaune: I don't think-

Neptune: But Blake has the more tender heart, and she reads, uh, books!

Sun: Yeah, cuz' books are the only defining part of her character.

Neptune: So, at least Blake has TnA!

Sun: So does Weiss, and she isn't likely to run away from her best friends like Blake is!

Neptune: You wanna go, bro?!

Sun: (Grabs Neptune's collar) I already went, bro!

Jaune: Uh, guys?

Sun: Face it! You don't want to admit that Weiss is a flat-chested, haughty, rich girl with daddy issues nobody wants to unpack!

Neptune: Only when you realize Blake is a back-stabbing traitor who would rather join up with terrorists than stick by her friends!

Jaune: Guys!

Neptune + Sun: WHAT?!

???: Ahem!

Sun + Neptune: (Slowly turn, See Weiss and Blake glaring at them) Bro...

Weiss: You take Neptune, I take Sun?

Blake: You read my mind.

Neptune: Jaune! Help us!

Weiss: He already left.

Sun: BROOOOOOOOOOO!

---------------------------------------------------

Jaune: Just a sec! (Opens the door) Coco? What's up?

Coco: (Holding a box) Nothing much. Just had some leftover outfits I thought Yang'd want to try out.

Jaune: Oh, sure. Come on in. (Steps aside) Why's Velvet's mouth taped shut?

Coco: Because she was annoying me. You do the same to your team, right?

Jaune: ...No.

Coco: Huh. Eh, you will, eventually. Usually happens in second year.

Jaune: (Pulls off the tape)

Velvet: OW! Thank you.

Jaune: No problem. Are you okay?

Velvet: I'm fine. Coco just goes mad with power sometimes.

Coco: Have you ever gone made without power?

Jaune: I think my uncle did once, but I haven't seen him since, so who knows what he's up to.

Coco: Ooh! Another mystery chapter for Jaune Arc, huh?

Jaune: No, not a mystery chapter. Just a weird guy in my family. We all have those, right?

Yang: Nah, not really. 'Sup, Coco?

Coco: Yang! Glad you're here! I got some outfits you might want to try out. Interested?

Yang: (Sees Velvet shaking her head) Eh, sure, why not? Whatcha got?

Coco: Oh, just a few outfits that'll look great on you. Come on, we'll try them out, and Jaune can be the judge.

Jaune: Huh? Why me?

Coco: Because you're a guy, and a guy's opinion is just as valid as a girl's. Now sit down while we walk the runway!

Jaune: Oh boy...

Velvet: (Pulls out her scroll, Dials)

---------------------------------------------------

Ruby: Oh, Cardin~! Where are you~?

Cardin: (Hiding in a closet, Scroll buzzes)

Ruby: Hmm~? There you are~!

Cardin: (Screams)

---------------------------------------------------

Velvet: Hm, no answer.

Jaune: Trying to call for help?

Belvet: Is it bad if I say yes?

Jaune: No.

Coco: Alright, lady and gent! Get ready for Yang the Bounty Hunter!

Yang: (Steps out in skintight suit, Wearing a leather jacket) Your kiss is on my list, stud~! (Finger guns at Jaune)

Jaune: (Blushes, Chuckling) Nice look, Yang! (Thinking) This isn't so bad. Wish I wasn't the only guy, though. Wonder if Sun and Neptune are okay. Ah, they're probably fine.

---------------------------------------------------

Neptune: (On the window ledge) Are they gone?

Sun: I think so. It's just Blake inside.

Neptune: Where's Weiss?

Weiss: Down here, boys! (They look down, See Beowolf summon) You have a choice, boys! Me...?

Blake: (At the window, Gambol Shroud ready) Or me?

Neptune: Bro!

Sun: I know, Bro. I know.

[sk1fanfiction]

the many faces of tom riddle, part 4

-attachment, orphanages, and yet more child psych: time to add yet another voice to the void-

FULL DISCLAIMER THAT THIS IS JUST MY OPINION OF A CHARACTER WHO DOESN’T HAVE THE STRONGEST CANON CHARACTERIZATION, AND THUS ALL THIS IS BASED ON MY CONCEPTUALIZATION.

I'm going to be super biased, because my favorite portrayal of Tom Riddle is actually Hero Fiennes-Tiffin as eleven-year-old Tom Riddle, in HBP and I get to chat about child psych in this one, sooo here we go.

First of all, I’m just so impressed that a kid could bring that much depth to such a complex character.

This is the portrayal, I feel, that brings us closest to Tom’s character. Yes, Coulson’s brought us pretty close, but by fifth year, the mask was on.

We don't really get to see Tom looking afraid very often, but it's fear that rules his life, so it's really poignant in our first (chronologically) introduction, he looks absolutely terrified.

The void being the fandom's loud opinions on a certain headmaster. I wouldn't call myself pro-Dumbledore, but I'm certainly not anti-Dumbledore, either. (Agnostic-Dumbledore??)

Since I'm not of the anti-Dumbledore persuasion, I decided to poke around in the tags and see what the arguments were, so I don't make comments out of ignorance.

Most of the tag seems to be more directed towards his treatment of Harry and Sirius, but a few people mentioned that Dumbledore should have treated Tom with ‘exceptional kindness’ and tried to ‘rehabilitate’ him.

As I said in Parts 2 and 3, I am 100% in favor of helping a traumatized kid learn to cope, and I don’t think Tom Riddle was solidly on the Path to Evil (TM) at birth, or even at eleven. Not even at fifteen.

Could unconditional love and kindness have helped Tom Riddle enough for the rise of Lord Voldemort to never happen? Possibly, but...

Yes, I'm about to drag up that Carl Jung quote, again.

“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.”

The problem with this is that if you’re going to blame Dumbledore for this, you also have to blame every other adult in Tom’s life: his headmaster, Dippet, his Head of House, Slughorn, his ‘caretakers’ at the orphanage, Mrs. Cole and Martha, and possibly more. In fact, if we're going to blame any adult, let's blame Merope for r*ping and abusing Tom Riddle Senior, and having a kid she wasn't intending to take care of.

Furthermore, you cannot possibly hold anyone but Tom accountable for the murders he committed. (I should not have to sit here and explain why cold-blooded murder is wrong.) And if you like Tom Riddle's character, insinuating that his actions are completely at the whim of others is just a bit condescending towards him. He's not an automaton or a marionette, he's a very intelligent human being with a functioning brain, and at sixteen is fully capable of moral reasoning and critical analysis.

I've heard the theories about Dumbledore setting the Potters up to die, and I'm not going to discuss their validity right now; but he didn't put a wand in Tom's hand and force him to kill anyone. Tom did it all of his own accord.

And while yes, I have enormous sympathy for what happened to Tom as a child, at some point, he decided to murder Myrtle Warren, and that is where I lose my sympathy. Experiencing trauma does not give you the right to inflict harm on others. Yes, Tom was failed, but then, he spectacularly failed himself.

We also have no idea how Dumbledore treated Tom as a student.

In the movies, it’s Dumbledore who tells Tom he has to go back to the orphanage, but in the books, it’s Dippet. We know that Slughorn spent a lot of time around Tom at Slug Club and such, yet I don’t really see people clamoring for his head.

I regard the sentiment that Dumbledore turned Tom Riddle into Lord Voldemort with a lot of skepticism.

But let's hear from the character himself -- his impression of eleven-year-old Tom Riddle.

“Did I know that I had just met the most dangerous Dark wizard of all time?” said Dumbledore. “No, I had no idea that he was to grow up to be what he is. However, I was certainly intrigued by him. I returned to Hogwarts intending to keep an eye upon him, something I should have done in any case, given that he was alone and friendless, but which, already, I felt I ought to do for others’ sake as much as his."

Now, assuming that Dumbledore's telling the truth, I'm not seeing something glaringly wrong with this. No, he hasn't pigeonholed Tom as evil, yes, I'd be intrigued, too, and it's a very good idea to keep an eye on Tom, for his own sake.

“At Hogwarts,” Dumbledore went on, “we teach you not only to use magic, but to control it. You have — inadvertently, I am sure — been using your powers in a way that is neither taught nor tolerated at our school."

Again, it seems like he's at least somewhat sympathetic towards Tom, and is willing to at least give him a chance.

More evidence (again, assuming Dumbledore is a reliable narrator):

Harry: “Didn’t you tell them [the other professors], sir, what he’d been like when you met him at the orphanage?” Dumbledore: “No, I did not. Though he had shown no hint of remorse, it was possible that he felt sorry for how he had behaved before and was resolved to turn over a fresh leaf. I chose to give him that chance.”

Now, I think Dumbledore is pretty awful with kids, but I don't think that's malicious. Yeah, it's a flaw, but perfect people don't exist, and perfect characters are dead boring. I am not saying that he definitely handled Tom's case well, I'm just saying that there's little evidence that Dumbledore, however shaken and scandalized, wrote him off as 'evil snake boy.'

It's also worth taking into account that it's 1938, and the attitudes towards mental health back then.

Why is Tom looking at Dumbledore like that, anyway? Why is he so scared? What has he possibly been threatened with or heard whispers of?

"'Professor'?" repeated Riddle. He looked wary. "Is that like 'doctor'? What are you here for? Did she get you in to have a look at me?"

"I don't believe you," said Riddle. "She wants me looked at, doesn't she? Tell the truth!"

"You can't kid me! The asylum, that's where you're from, isn't it? 'Professor,' yes, of course -- well, I'm not going, see? That old cat's the one who should be in the asylum. I never did anything to little Amy Benson or Dennis Bishop, and you can ask them, they'll tell you!

Tom keeps insisting he's not mad until Dumbledore finally manages to calm him down.

I'm really upset this wasn't in the movie, because it's important context. Instead we got these throwaway cutscenes of some knick-knacks relating to the Cave he's got lying around, but I just would have preferred to see him freaking out like he does in the book.

There was extreme stigma and prejudice towards mental illness.

'Lunatic asylums,' as they were called in Tom's time, were terrible places. In the 1930s and 40s, he could look forward to being 'treated' with induced convulsions, via metrazol, insulin, electroshock, and malaria injections. And if he stuck around long enough, he could even look forward to a lobotomy!

So, if you think Dumbledore was judgmental towards Tom, imagine how flat-out prejudiced whatever doctors or 'experts' Mrs. Cole might have gotten in to 'look at him' must have been!

Moving on to the next few shots, he is sitting down and hunched over as if expecting punishment or at least some kind of bad news, Dumbledore is mostly out of the frame. He’s trapped visually, by Dumbledore on one side, and a wall on the other, because he’s still very much afraid. uncomfortable, as he tells Dumbledore a secret that he fears could get him committed to an asylum (which were fucking horrible places, as I said).

It brings to the scene that miserable sense of isolation and loneliness to that has defined Tom’s entire life up to that point (and, partially due to his own bad choices, continues to define it).

And, when Dumbledore accepts it, his posture changes. he becomes more confident and more at ease, as he describes the... utilities of his magical abilities. 

"All sorts," breathed Riddle. A flush of excitement was rising up his neck into his hollow cheeks; he looked fevered. "I can make things move without touching them. I can make animals do what I want them to do, without training them. I can make bad things happen to people who annoy me. I can make them hurt if I want to."

Riddle lifted his head. His face was transfigured: There was a wild happiness upon it, yet for some reason it did not make him better looking; on the contrary, his finely carved features seemed somehow rougher, his expression almost bestial.

I do think Harry, our narrator, is being a tad bit judgmental here. Magic is probably the only thing that brings Tom happiness in his grey, lonely world, and when I was Tom's age and being bullied, if I had magic powers, you'd better believe that I'd (a) be bloody ecstatic about it (b) use them. And, like Tom, I can't honestly say that I can't imagine getting a bit carried-away with it. Unfortunately, we can't all be as inherently good and kindhearted as Harry.

Reading HBP again, as a 'mature' person, it almost seems like the reader is being prompted to see Tom as evil just because he's got 'weird' facial expressions.

So... uh...

Nope, let's judge Tom on his actions, not looks of 'wild happiness.'

To his great surprise, however, Dumbledore drew his wand from an inside pocket of his suit jacket, pointed it at the shabby wardrobe in the corner, and gave the wand a casual flick. The wardrobe burst into flames. Riddle jumped to his feet; Harry could hardly blame him for howling in shock and rage; all his worldly possessions must be in there. But even as Riddle rounded on Dumbledore, the flames vanished, leaving the wardrobe completely undamaged.

Okay, one thing I dislike is Tom's lack of emotional affect when Dumbledore burned the wardrobe, in the books, he jumped up and started screaming, instead of looking passively (in shock, perhaps?) at the fire. Incidentally, I can't really tell if he's impressed or in shock, to be honest. I think they really tried to make Tom 'creepier' in the movie.

This is one of the incidents where Dumbledore's inability to deal with children crops up.

I think he was trying to teach Tom that magic can be dangerous, and he wouldn't like it to be used against him, but burning the wardrobe that contains everything he owns was a terrible move on Dumbledore's part. Tom already has very limited trust in other people, and now, he's not going to trust Dumbledore at all -- now, he's put Tom on the defensive/offensive for the rest of their interaction, and perhaps for the rest of their teacher-student relationship.

Riddle stared from the wardrobe to Dumbledore; then, his expression greedy, he pointed at the wand. "Where can I get one of them?"

"Where do you buy spellbooks?" interrupted Riddle, who had taken the heavy money bag without thanking Dumbledore, and was now examining a fat gold Galleon.

But I'm not surprised Tom is 'greedy.' He's grown up in an environment where if he wants something, whether that's affection, food, money, toys, he's got to take it. There's no one looking after his needs specifically. I'm not surprised that he's a thief and a hoarder, and I don't think that counts as a moral failing necessarily, and more of a maladaptive way of seeking comfort. It would be bizarre if he came out of Wool's Orphanage a complete saint.

Additionally, I think given that the Gaunt family has a history of 'mental instability,' Tom is a sensitive child, and the trauma of growing up institutionalized and possibly being treated badly due to his magical abilities or personality disorder deeply affected him.

And there are points where it seems that Dumbledore is quick to judge Tom.

"He was already using magic against other people, to frighten, to punish, to control."

"Yes, indeed; a rare ability, and one supposedly connected with the Dark Arts, although as we know, there are Parselmouths among the great and the good too. In fact, his ability to speak to serpents did not make me nearly as uneasy as his obvious instincts for cruelty, secrecy, and domination."

"I trust that you also noticed that Tom Riddle was already highly self-sufficient, secretive, and, apparently, friendless?..."

And while this is all empirically true, these are (a) a product of Tom's harsh environment, and (b) do not necessarily make him evil. But the point remains that child psych didn't exist as a field of its own, and psychology as a proper science was in its infancy, so I'd be shocked if Dumbledore was insightful about Tom's situation.

But I've gone a ton of paragraphs without citing anything, so I've got to rectify that.

Let's talk about Harry Harlow's monkey experiments in the 1950-70s.

If you're not a fan of animal research, since I know some people are uncomfortable with it, feel free to scroll past.

Here's the TL;DR: Children need to be hugged and shown affection too, not just fed and clothed, please don't leave babies to 'cry out' and ignore their needs because it's backwards and fucking inhumane. HUG AND COMFORT AND CODDLE CHILDREN AND SPOIL THEM WITH AFFECTION!

I will put more red writing when the section is over.

This is still an interesting experiment to have in mind while we explore the whole 'no one taught Tom Riddle how to love' thing and whether or not it's actually a good argument.

Andddd let's go all the way back to the initial 1958 experiment, featured in Harlow's paper, the Nature of Love. (If you're familiar with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, him and Harlow actually collaborated for a time).

To give you an idea of our starting point, until Harlow's experiment, which happened twenty years after Dumbledore meets Tom for the first time, no one in science had really been interested in studying love and affection.

"Psychologists, at least psychologists who write textbooks, not only show no interest in the origin and development of love or affection, but they seem to be unaware of its very existence."

I'm going to link some videos of Harry Harlow showing the actual experiment, which animal rights activists would probably consider 'horrifying.' It's nothing gory or anything, but if you are particularly soft-hearted (and I do not mean that as an insult), be warned. It's mostly just baby monkeys being very upset and Harlow discussing it in a callous manner. Yes, today it would be considered unethical, but it's still incredibly important work and if you think you can handle it, I would recommend watching at least the first one to get an idea of how dramatic this effect is.

Dependency when frightened

The full experiment

The TL;DW:

This experiment was conducted with rhesus macaques; they're still used in psychology/neuroscience research when you want very human-like subjects, because they are very intelligent (unnervingly so, actually). I'd say that adult ones remind me of a three-year old child.

Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers, and cared for their physical needs. They had ample nutrition, bedding, warmth, et cetera. However, the researchers noticed that the monkeys:

(a) were absolutely miserable. And not just that, but although all their physical needs were taken care of, they weren't surviving well past the first few days of life. (This has also been documented in human babies, and it's called failure to thrive and I'll talk about it a bit later).

(b) showed a strong attachment to the gauze pads used to cover the floor, and decided to investigate.

So, they decided to provide a surrogate 'mother.' Two, actually. Mother #1 was basically a heated fuzzy doll that was nice for the monkeys to cuddle with. Mother #2 was the same, but not fuzzy and made of wire. Both provided milk. The result? The monkeys spent all their time cuddling and feeding from the fuzzy 'mother.' Perhaps not surprising.

What Harlow decided next, is that one of the hallmarks being attached to your caregiver is seeking hugs and reassurance from them when frightened. So, when the monkeys were presented with something scary, they'd go straight to the cloth mother and ignore the wire one. Not only that, but when placed in an unfamiliar environment, if the cloth mother was present, the monkeys would be much calmer.

In a follow-up experiment, Harlow decided to see if there was some sort of sensitive period by introducing both 'mothers' to monkeys who had been raised in isolation for 250 days. Guess what?

The initial reaction of the monkeys to the alterations was one of extreme disturbance. All the infants screamed violently and made repeated attempts to escape the cage whenever the door was opened. They kept a maximum distance from the mother surrogates and exhibited a considerable amount of rocking and crouching behavior, indicative of emotionality.

Yikes. So, at first Harlow thought that they'd passed some kind of sensitive period for socialization. But after a day or two they calmed down and started chilling out with the cloth mother like the other monkeys did. But here's a weird thing:

That the control monkeys develop affection or love for the cloth mother when she is introduced into the cage at 250 days of age cannot be questioned. There is every reason to believe, however, that this interval of delay depresses the intensity of the affectional response below that of the infant monkeys that were surrogate-mothered from birth onward

All these things... attachment, affection, love, seeking comfort ... are mostly learned behaviours.

Over.

Orphanages, institutionalized childcare, and why affection is a need, not an extra.

His face is lit the exact same was as Coulson’s was in COS (half-light, half-dark), and I said I was going to talk about this in Part 3. I think perhaps it's intended to make Fiennes-Tiffin look more evil or menacing, but I'm going to quite deliberately misinterpret it.

Now, for some context, Dumbledore has just (kind of) burned his wardrobe, ratted out his stealing habit, and (in the books only, they really took a pair of scissors to this scene) told him he needs to go apologize and return everything and Dumbledore will know if he doesn't, and, well, Tom's not exactly a happy bugger about it.

But interestingly, in the books, this is when we start to see Tom's 'persona,' aka his mask, start to come into play. Whereas before, he was screaming, howling, and generally freaking out, here, he starts to hide his emotions -- in essence, obscure his true self under a shadow. So this scene is really the reverse of Coulson's in COS.

And perhaps I'm reading wayyy too much into this, but I can't help but notice that Coulson's hair is parted opposite to Fiennes-Tiffin's, and the opposite sides of their faces are shadowed, too.

Riddle threw Dumbledore a long, clear, calculating look. "Yes, I suppose so, sir," he said finally, in an expressionless voice.

Riddle did not look remotely abashed; he was still staring coldly and appraisingly at Dumbledore. At last he said in a colorless voice, "Yes, sir."

Here's an article from The Atlantic on Romanian orphanages in the 1980s, when the dictator, Ceausescu, basically forced people to have as many children as possible and funnel them into institutionalized 'childcare', and it's absolutely heartbreaking.

There's not a whole lot of information out there on British orphanages in the 30s' and 40s', but given that people back then thought you just had to keep children on a strict schedule and feed them, it wouldn't have a whole lot better.

The only thing I've found is this, and it's not super promising.

The most important study informing the criteria for contemporary nosologies, was a study by Barbara Tizard and her colleagues of young children being raised in residential nurseries in London (Tizard, 1977). These nurseries had lower child to caregiver ratios than many previous studies of institutionalized children. Also, the children were raised in mixed aged groups and had adequate books and toys available. Nevertheless, caregivers were explicitly discouraged from forming attachments to the children in their care.

Here's a fairly recent paper that I think gives a good summary: Link

Here, they describe the responses to the Strange Situation test (which tests a child's attachment to their caregiver).

We found that 100% of the community sample received a score of “5,” indicating fully formed attachments, whereas only 3% of the infants living in institutions demonstrated fully formed attachments. The remaining 97% showed absent, incomplete, or odd and abnormal attachment behaviors.

Bowlby and Ainsworth, who did the initial study, thought that children would always attach to their caregivers, regardless of neglect or abuse. But some infants don't attach (discussed along with RAD in Part 2).

Here's a really good review paper on attachment disorders in currently or formerly institutionalized children : Link

Core features of RAD in young children include the absence of focused attachment behaviors directed towards a preferred caregiver, failure to seek and respond to comforting when distressed, reduced social and emotional reciprocity, and disturbances of emotion regulation, including reduced positive affect and unexplained fearfulness or irritability.

Which all sounds a lot like Tom in this scene. The paper also discusses neurological effects, like atypical EEG power distribution (aka brain waves), which can correlate with 'indiscriminate' behavior and poor inhibitory control; which makes sense for a kid who, oh, I don't know, hung another kid's rabbit because they were angry.

Furthermore...

...those children with more prolonged institutional rearing showed reduced amygdala discrimination and more indiscriminate behavior.

This again, makes a ton of sense for Tom's psychological profile, because the amygdala (which is part of the limbic system, which regulates emotions) plays a major role in fear, anger, anxiety, and aggression, especially with respect to learning, motivation and memory.

So, I agree completely that Tom needed a lot of help, especially given the fact that he spent eleven years in an orphanage (longer than the Bucharest study I was referring to), and Dumbledore wasn't exactly understanding of his situation, and probably didn't realise what a dramatic effect the orphanage had on Tom, and given the way he talks to Tom, probably treated him as if he were a kid who grew up in a healthy environment.

In case you are still unconvinced that hugging is that important, there's a famous 1944 study conducted on 40 newborn human infants to see what would happen if their physical needs (fed, bathed, diapers changed) were provided for with no affection. The study had to be stopped because half the babies died after four months. Affection leads to the production of hormones and boosts the immune system, which increases survival, and that is why we hug children and babies should not be in orphanages. They are supposed to be hugged, all the time. I can't find the citation right now, I'll add it later if I find it.

But I think it's vastly unrealistic to say that Dumbledore, who grew up during the Victorian Era, would have any grasp of this and I don't think he was actively malicious towards Tom.

Was Tom Riddle failed by institutional childcare? Absolutely.

Were the adults in his life oblivious to his situation? Probably.

Do the shitty things that happened to Tom excuse the murders he committed, and are they anyone's fault but his own? No. At the end of the day, Tom made all the wrong choices.

And, for what it's worth, I think (film) Dumbledore (although he expresses the same sentiment in more words in the books) wishes he could go back in time and have helped Tom.

"Draco. Years ago, I knew a boy, who made all the wrong choices. Please, let me help you."

[marciego]

I know that l am annoying when l always ask this, but it is interesthing to see how people's views develop.

Your opinions on all the canon SL ships this far?

you're not annoying don't worry :) you like these ships and it's only natural you want to know what people think about them!

so here we go!

luna/matteo: I AM SO ANGRY ABOUT THEM because if i take some of their scenes out of context i can kind of see it? there are times where they HAVE cute scenes if you ignore everything matteo has done outside of that, and it's just...sad to ruin what could be simply cute because matteo is one giant dick 92% of the time. i'm sorry but i just can't forgive what he did to ambar (and is STILL DOING because since luna got with simon he went back to using ambar lmao, also how the fuck does no one point out how fucked up it is that he starts being cold and annoying with luna again when she gets a bf lmao he's such an asshole). also there's possibly nothing more boring than the "uwu misunderstood boy who is not actually that mean changes when he meets the Right Girl tm (and obviously if he was awful to women before that it was their fault because they were evil and shallow gfs right)" trope, it's annoying on every single level and i couldn't care less about it. in conclusion sometimes they have cute scenes and i find myself smiling at them but then i remember it's matteo i'm smiling at and i immediately stop, why the hell is he endgame

luna/simon: they're not endgame so i'm not sure you wanted me to include them? but oh well it's my post and they're the only canon ship i like so i have to say it. I LOVE THEM, if i were to write their story myself i would write a lot of things differently because after matteo kissed luna their whole drama wasn't very good (i have my hc on simon's life that kinda justified it, but from a canon point of view i've never been fan of the fact that he left his COUNTRY for luna, and the fact that he was willing to give up everything because of her doesn't really sit right with me, but bad writing decisions won't stop me from shipping them) and after that the daniela arc was genuinely super bad, plus since they started dating they're super cute but i'm WORRIED of what they'll choose to do with them but. BUT. they're just so so wholesome? their relationship is SO good and i love some good best friends to lovers, i know the show wants me to believe luna doesn't actually love him etc but it's just not true lol (the things you write for drama) and i adore how cute she is when she's with him, but more than that i love how despite their feelings they are still and will always be best friends first, that's simply the kind of thing i fall for. also the fact that they gave lumon eres but didn't make them endgame is beyond me but anyway

nina/gaston: i have.....conflicted feelings about them. at the beginning of the season i had a very bad first impression of them, but when i learned to know gaston better and saw their scenes during the photography class i was like, you know what, maybe i can get behind it. but then felicity appeared and i just...feel very weird about it. first of all i find this plotline so fucking boring, but outside of that i just....don't believe in gaston's feelings for felicity. it just feels fake so i can't get behind it, and the thing is, since they started their felicity plotline they completely ignored nina? like idk i think i could have liked gaston and nina, not gaston and felicity. idk but i assumed their development would be gaston and nina getting closer naturally and maybe giving up a bit on the felicity part? but it's not the case at all, i have 15-ish episodes left and gaston is nice to nina because he's a nice guy but he doesn't feel anything for her and he's solely focused on felicity, so what's next? he's gonna find out she's felicity and be like "oh yeah i'm actually in love with nina"? because if that's what they're gonna do with them i simply do not want to see it tbh. i don't believe in his feelings for felicity, and i don't think loving felicity and loving nina is the same thing, so if that's what they're going to do i know i won't like it. now i hope it won't be the case and i'll like them! who knows! but yeah so far i'm...conflicted. tho i gotta say, props to them for the felicity costume because that's definitely a glow up from roxy, you actually don't recognize her

jim/nico: next time they have a scene together i'm straight up closing disney+ idc i have reached my limit

yam/ramiro: they're both very good characters and their relationship is fun but sometimes a girl gotta be a lesbian. but they're the canon couple i'm the most neutral about i think, they're here, that's cool you know, i don't have strong feelings about them

pedro/delfi: i think i like them? i loved their friendship but i'm afraid they're gonna ruin them szdefrg. but so far very wholesome, i love delfi and i feel like pedro can be really good for her so let's go!! the only canon couple i like with lumon hell yeah

i didn't say anything about them but miguel and monica are the goat and i can't say anything about simbar yet! i wasn't that kind to most couples here so i hope you didn't mind, but this was my honest and detailed answer, thank you for the ask <33

[cervidaedalus]

People - not even exclusively abled people because I've seen this from disabled folks with more financial or familial privilege - tend not to understand the part of being broke and dealing with any sort of chronic illness or disability is that there is no quick and easy solution to, well... anything. I started getting on government assistance in either December 2020 or January 2021, I don't remember which. It's now January 2020 and I finally have a doctor's appointment in two days. Part of this is moving. When you're broke and disabled, it's very much a "take what you can get" unless you have someone who is willing and able to let you stay indefinitely with no harassment or criticism until you can get the ball rolling on something. This means losing your home before you can make any progress, or right when you get your foot in the door on something. I've had to deal with people assuming that if I'm not finding employment in less than a month, I'm just not trying hard enough or not even looking at all. Which, inevitably leads to a hostile "get the fuck out." If it's a financial thing then I understand, but then it isn't presented as such with a civil discussion about solutions, it's presented as you being the Evil Scumbag Taking Advantage of Me (tm) and you have no say in the matter. When I moved out of PA I'd just gotten my healthcare settled. My housemate (and still friend) felt bad about it but we both agreed it wasn't a good environment and had just been prolonged by Covid lockdown. When I moved to CA, it took months to close my accounts in PA and re-open them in CA, and part of that was because of PA dragging their feet (I waited like 2 weeks for a piece of mail that never came). The EBT got settled in less than two and could still use my PA card while I waited, but I didn't get my healthcare card until after I was already at a new address four months later. When I moved to another county in California, I had to initiate an "Inter-County Transfer" which has a 30 day minimum. This moved my food stamps over in about a month, but I had to go through the process of picking a Provider and PCP and getting those approved. I can only speak for my own experiences with this; I don't know if other states or counties are quicker or slower. Prior to getting my healthcare finalized, I'd put in seven applications (I keep track in a private Discord) and landed a job at Goodwill, only to be "let go" two days later when the first day left me almost unable to walk and I requested reasonable accommodations. I was condescended by HR multiple times because, y'know, disabled folks are just children who deserve to be talked to like they don't understand basic concepts like what Part-Time is and all that... I pleaded with them to let me stay on while I waited for my healthcare to be finalized since I'd need a referral to a specialist, and all I got was a "We haven't heard from you so you're being let go ;)". Funny thing is: if healthcare in general wasn't so fucked up in this country, I could have self-referred to an endo and paid for it instead of needing to wait in order for insurance to do so. There's really no reason these programs and the transferal process needs to be so long, but they're so woefully understaffed and underfunded that there's really no other way. Over the past few years, suggestions have been made to help me, and I've learned to feel guilty turning them down because of the 50/50 chance of being given hostility in return. In at least one case just a couple years ago the very miffed "Stop making excuses!" was thrown my way when I say the job they suggested (in that case, warehouse jobs - warehouse deaths aren't Amazon Exclusives) isn't something I'm going to be able to do. Part of it is also that a lot of people have this idea of disability being like, someone who is 100% bedridden, 100% stuck in a wheelchair, 100% blind or deaf, 100% in need of group home care in the case of mental illnesses and spectrum disorders. People still remark in shock that someone can be considered legally blind and not the

stereotypical portrait of someone whose vision just Doesn't Exist At All. Disability is viewed in absolutes, so when a disabled person has a day when they can walk to the park for two hours, and says they can't spend 6-8 hours (and often forced overtime) on their feet rushing around a warehouse lifting and hauling boxes of all sizes because if they don't meet quota they're fired? They're lying! Clearly they just don't WANT to work! I guarantee you that someone who once had a lot of hopes and aspirations, who poured their energy into creative pursuits daily, who loved to go out and just do things, who is now resigned to playing hamster wheel with the same video games over and over again doesn't just not want to work. But with bureaucracy and poverty not working in our favor, we're resigned to a life of homelessness or close to it. Or, y'know... making very critical, permanent decisions which I admittedly have come awfully close to many times because of how I don't want to be "a burden" on others. Another fun one I hear a lot: "Why don't you get on disability if you're too disabled to work?" "Why don't you just get on Section 8?" To address the latter first: Section 8 has a ridiculously long wait list. If you're young, childless, or aren't struggling with a life-threatening illness, it doesn't matter how disabled or disadvantaged you are. I have a friend who is a part-time wheelchair user living with the support of her parents in her thirties, and she's been fighting for disability payments for over a year. She's not the only person I've met whose application was denied and had to file an appeal and get lawyers involved. I had another friend who has been on disability most of his life due to his Autism, who is ""married"" and "has a house"" and ""employed"". He legally can't marry or he loses his disability benefits. His wife's aunt technically owns the house he primarily paid for. He's an amazingly great handyman and has done some really neat renovations like a mansion-worthy bathroom in a little New Jersey rowhome, because he has to throw his money at something and isn't allowed to save. He got his job through networking, and he just does off-and-on work for a guy who owns a train yard and retro arcade. Like yes these programs and options exist, but are they accessible? Can we use them in a suitable enough time frame? Hell - don't even get into how certain areas will just shut out anyone who is readable as Queer or is undocumented. If you're gonna make a very simple solution to a disabled person, keep in mind that it's likely something they're aware of or have tried. A better option would be to ask them if they need help with anything because that shows them that you're genuine in your desire to help and aren't just going to traumatize us when you get mad we're not living up to your standards. If you're gonna fly off the handle at a disabled person and accuse them of choosing their predicament and all the shitty things that come with it including fighting bureaucratic systems put in place to placate rather than help us or being borderline unemployable, then do everyone a favor and dolphin-flip yourself right into a dumpster. It's completely understandable to be frustrated - we are too - but there's a line between being supportive and being part of the problem.

[stimmypaw]

stimmypaw reads the apprentice’s quest, a blog post

A big one, just a bunch of thoughts as I’m reading it, of course, lots of spoilers for the first book in the Warrior Cats series A Vision of Shadows. This will be covering just the first book tho, it’s all in the Read More, let’s gooooooo!!!!

Vision Of Shadows time

Lots of new cats!!! I don't remember these guys as kits or anything wrow!!! I like their names but itll take a while to get used to them

Also cant believe they printed stormcloud's dead name

Omg there's a cat named beepaw

I love these cats all of them so much im going 2 cry

All new names are perfect

I FORGOT HOW GORGEOUS THE CAT VIEW IN THE RECENT BOOKS WAS, LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT

I'm glad leafpool smokes weed

I love reading from Jayfeather's point of view, his grumpiness hasn't grown on me ever but thats just me, I still enjoy it lots he's great and its fun

Firestar and Leopardstar's characterizations are On Point i love it

OOF i feel so bad when jayfeather is mean to others, poor kestrelflight, I love those two

Lovely Jayfeather moments now its time for the first chapter

I like this duo! Also I didn't think I'd ever say this but shut up squirrelflight one can have fun AND learn with their mentors

Sparkkit sounds nice she makes jingling bell noises when she walks around

Alderkit is chadphobic /j

I can see Alderkit taking deep breaths to relax its rotating in my mind its beautiful

God this first chapter feels so good and comfortable, like eating noodles and chicken nuggets. I am so so deeply in love with it, its gorgeous!

Sparkkit is so perfect too, and Graystripe remembering Firestar aaaaaa

DUSTPELT SAID WHAT? PHDHAHAHHA OH NOOOO I don't remember their relationship much, must have been fun, I love young little creature squirrelflight I MISSED HER SO BAD WOW

I started reading the second chapter and died, I think ill take a break now 2 sleep heehhee

I love them describing twoleg stuff its always so fun and alien, like watching an animal planet show about funny sea creatures.

Also I have determined sparkpaw is my favorite, might be my favorite cat ever next to hollyleaf??? I really identify with her and also she's autistic i have decided that

Alderpaw baby noooo hhhh their mentor at least is trying to show its okay, he seems very emotionally distant so far and alderheart feels very emotionally needy, actually both of them do, did I mention I love Sparkpaw??? I might be imprinting myself 2 much on her

I love how like, its clear both of them are absolutely anxious and worried about others opinions on them, which is clearly something they got from being Firestar's grandkids, deputy kids and leader kids. And bramblestar too, I recall him being quite the anxious lad ahhah. Sparkpaw will be showing confidence and being loud but the second anyone isn't approving of her or she does something "wrong" she gets small and quiet, and she ended up setting a high bar for herself by being good at hunting and fighting so I'm curious to see how that will go. Also there's nothing wrong with being guided through a crowded place to meet others Sparkpaw!!! I bet the two of them would be stuck without not knowing how to talk to others had Needlepaw not shown up. I love them, my gf is mocking me saying I'm a Sparkpaw kinnie.

Apprentices will like learn about a thing and tell everyone about it all the time and assume its always true in every situation and thats valid I love kids like that. Also in my head Needlepaw kinda looks like a porcupine. Oh boo she's fatphobic >:(

I love apprentices they are so fun and silly, just making fun of the leaders like its nothing. The way they are clearly learning and absorving everything their warriors say and do like sponges its just ***chefs kiss***

Omg shadowclan is just full of 12 year olds help

And then the old person said "it sure is hard being old!" And everyone clapped

Shout-out to pretty Riverclan apprentice #481977 I love her

Leafpool: 👁👁

Alderpaw: I knew it im cursed and awful and terrible and I will never amount to anything

I wish the cats didn't seem to be giving up on him so easily though

Ah yes the classic thunderclan move "you suck, into the medicine hole you go"

The way sparkpaw changes the things she says and how she does when it isn't the status quo around her oooooooooooooyeaaaaaaa I love 1 autistic cat

Alderpaw considering your problems lesser than other cats won't help you deal with them better bro

I love Needlepaw's excitement about Alderpaw being a medicine cat apprentice, and her sarcasm, she feels like a preppy teenager

Ahhh this is so good, I am so thirsty for family moments like this, just Alderpaw bonding with grandma, I’ll definitely want to draw this one it’s so sweet.

Oh to be young and silly.

I really am enjoying like, Alderpaw’s struggles to seeing how he fits in the clan, how he fits in himself, how he wants to be seen and what he wants to be, it’s really good. I Am Engaged(tm) With This Plot.

SPARKPAW NOOOOOOO but also Yes I want her to be shown vulnerable and weak please 

POP, god watching this stuff always awful, the cats must have thought he broke her ahahah

Also, really great that they learned from Dovewing and now like leave choices and discussions about prophecies between adults

And plus Brambles seemed to take the time to explain stuff to him, seems he wont be going alone either the 1 thing is that he will be the only one knowing what the journey is really about, why though??? I didnt read Firestar's Quest or whatever why does Skyclan need to be secret??? Seems quite silly really!

YESSSS SANDSTORM GET HIS ASS FIGHT FIGHT LOVE THIS LOVE SANDSTORM

I could feel squirrelflight nearing explosion here, this was very fun, i wish they werent hiding this though!!!

The secret thing is showing to be a plot point so I am once again Very Engaged

Also, wonderful dialogue bit, someone asked Bramblestar why an Elder is going and:

Lovely perfect perfect

I miss you dovewing

SQUIRRELFLIGHT LOVE YOU

Oh boy this is it

Traveling book moment

Graystripe: Soooo you're excited to go on the journey to the old territories and Skyclan?

Sandstorm: Yes! It's been ages and-

Graystripe: I'm sure the tribe will love the visit too

Sandstorm, groaning: Oh noooo I forgot about how the tribe is in the way of every journeyyyyy noooooo they're such a racist caricature, please tell me you have a plan

Graystripe: Yes don't worry about it the writers forgot about the tribe in my comic book so you can just use the excuses i did to actively avoid it

Sandstorm: Oh thank Starclan

Sparkpaw's desperation to prove herself oof, her anxiety with understanding the prophecy, oh boy, and Alderpaw feeling too overwhelmed by the questions and not managing to talk!!!! I am so glad they are both autistic

Hoping "Being Leader" wont mean theyre putting nonsense responsibility on the apprentice again

Ah good Sandstorm is on the lead again, as she should, she should have been leader she would have been great

I can't believe Alderpaw thinks I look stupid and diseased :( /j

Everything about this twoleg scene was scandalous I loved it, Sparkpaw just toppled over a trash bag and they are eating from it, iconic, also did those twolegs throw out a whole turkey? Damn

Its not that Sparkpaw is freakishly good at hunting she is very hungry and constantly on the watch for things to eat

BRO Ive never been in a road where the drivers are this wild, throwing bottles out of the car????? Ive seen Fruit being thrown like once or twice, what the fuck!!! I'm glad they are going to wait until the morning to continue

Okay I was not expecting Needlepaw to show up this girl is chaotic I love her

ACTUALLY YEAH WHY DIDNT THEY TELL THE OTHER CLANS ABOUT THIS SINCE THE PROPHECY IS ABOUT ALL THE CLANS???

Needlepaw is like Rono from Bambi 2 if he wasnt a mean bully and thats very epic

Very curious character though, how come her mentor isnt teaching her the warrior code properly? Is that an issue with all apprentices?? Is the clan overwhelmed by 12 year olds and they won?

Having lots of fun trying to play the game "what animal are they describing this time" the erins made here, im glad they're in a farm. Worried about Sandstorm though :c

Fuck im worried about sandstorm a lot, her wound hurt on Me

Yeah water is good youre right sandstorm

Aw man I hope she's okay let her at least survive to meet skyclan please

NOOOOOOOO SANDSTORMA A AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Sandtteooonrjrbbbmmnnnnnnnnnn

I am so sad

Alderpaw denying it, Starclan shining upon their vigil, everything crushed me i cried

Alderpaw considers Nihilism

Haven't seen a cat thank starclan for prey in a while its

Oh look they time skipped a journey! They don't tend to do that thats nice

I'm so excited to be meeting The Skyclan that everyone in the fandom knows now

So far they seem kinda mean but thats most clans at first glance really

Okay somethings up

I uh have heard of Darktail pretty sure he's a bad guy so yeah something really bad happened to Skyclan

Am worried

Darktail sounds like an evil himbo* i may be enjoying him actually

*himbos are usually nice by default so he's just evil and stupid and strong

Does needletail know these cats already?????

Ah

Shit

Oh okay fuck

I've been quietly reading the rest because I am just concerned and I want them to be okay as quickly as possible

Waterfalls are a classic nice

Oh boy time for our unlikely duo of Alderpaw and Needlepaw to get out of a Mess!

I did not expect this to end up with the two of them journeying into parenthood, but I'm happy it did

Well actually I'm very unhappy theyre so lost and there's no sign of Skyclan I am very worried for everyone involved Sparkpaw must be feeling awful!

Twigkit is a great name

Yeah this ended terribly

Overall! Frigging loved it this book was GOOD and a great start for the series I am very excited to read the rest, SO WORRIED ABOUT SKYCLAN THO AAAA the characterizations were great the characters were great the pacing was fun and I didn't get bored once!

I think o only wish I had read this sooner really so I could look up others thoughts without getting heavily spoiled about the last books, I can watch a few videos already though thats a start ahhaha. But yeah it was great and it felt very good to read, haven't swallowed up a book so quickly in a very long time!!! Very happy I finally got my hands on this 💕💖💕💖💕💖 cant wait 2 start the next one

If you read all this, hope you had fun hahaha, ill be making more of these cus theyre fun and I like talking about warrior cats thats just my thing

Til next time

[mattiebluebird]

Oh boy, where should I start...

Being disabled doesn't give you the right to be ableist.

People w/ NPD are a vulnerable and marginalized group. You know that, right? NPD is, for one thing, caused in part by childhood trauma (including abuse), and for another, comes with stigma that makes it more difficult to find and keep a job, friends, adopt children... not to mention every asshole like you calling them abusive, fundamentally evil people every chance they get. I'd be pissy, too.

Again, NPD is a disability. And the fact that you looked at a disorder caused by childhood trauma, a disorder that's COMORBID with anxiety and depression, and said "ah yes, everyone with this disorder is Evil(TM) and trying to gaslight me" is... extremely concerning.

And, like, where did you get this idea that being told not to call a group of marginalized people abusive is normalizing abuse? News flash: your abuser didn't abuse you because they were narcissistic, or because they had NPD. They abused because they were a horrible person who WANTED to and wasn't willing to change.

People with NPD are in control of their actions, that's true. But it's called "disorder" for a reason. NPD itself is not a fucking choice. People dont just wake up one day and go "ah yes, I think I will put myself on a pedestal above everyone else to the point that being seen as weak will give me violent meltdowns, leading to anxiety, depression, asocial tendencies, low empathy, and grandiose feelings that will make it difficult to find and keep friends or a job or a remotely normal life. because I am a horrible person".

[looks at npd tag, which is full of people w/ NPD saying how hard having NPD is, how the stigma and depression and anxiety and asocial behavior is ruining their life] lol yeah ok

I'm not saying all people with NPD are perfect misunderstood angels. But you know what? Neither are a lot of abuse survivors! Because guess what? Poor mental health leads to unhealthy coping mechanisms! You claim your blogs are safe spaces for abuse survivors. What about survivors who developed unhealthy--perhaps even abusive--behaviors they must train themselves out of? Do you not allow them a space to grow and be better? Or do you just toss them aside like you are so obviously comfortable with doing to anyone who doesn't fit your mold of "abuse survivor"?

Being disabled doesn't give you the right to be ableist

I'm genuinely baffled by your selfishness. Is the phrase "narcissistic abuse" that important to you? Is the extra five seconds it takes to type "my abuser was a selfish, self-centered perfectionist who emotionally manipulated and gaslighted me" really just THAT fucking difficult? Are you serious?

"Narcissistic abuse" does not exist. Abuse is a set of repeated, voluntary behaviors. NPD is an involuntary disorder that manifests itself in different ways. YES, a lot of those ways are harmful to both themselves and others, because it is a fucking disorder! It's NOT voluntary! And the fact that you are willing to toss aside decades of research and the experiences of people who actually have the disorder because your abuser shared a few traits with them? Staunchly refusing to give a group of disabled, likely traumatized, mentally ill people the chance to learn and grow or even be heard because they have *gasp* Bad People(TM) traits?

It's fucking DISGUSTING and you should all be ashamed of yourselves.

Again, asking you not to use a specific term that can be EASILY replaced with minimal effort isn't! Fucking! Gaslighting! No one is trying to invalidate you, the loss of one word isnt going to set your recovery back a decade! Just say you're an ableist piece of garbage who doesn't want to change and leave!

It's not your term! "Narcissistic personality disorder"--it's in the fucking name! It's exactly the same as calling someone who's a little moody "bipolar", or someone who's a bit of a perfectionist "OCD", except worse because you're calling this group of people--again, this marginalized, mentally ill, likely TRAUMATIZED group of people since apparently that's all you care about??--inherently abusive! For having an involuntary disorder formed in response to trauma! What the FUCK?

In conclusion,

Stop using the term "narcissistic abuse", you ableist pieces of shit!

when narcissists say calling out narcissistic abuse is ableist, they:

appropriate a term coined by and for people with actual disabilities

attempt to group themselves with vulnerable and marginalized group in order to make calling out their abuse seem immoral and silence the victims

imply that narcissism is a disability, and by extension, all of their abusive tendencies (manipulative and grandiose behaviour, lack of empathy, regarding other people as pawns and toys, tendencies of scapegoating, triangulating, victim blaming, gaslighting, victim-playing, etc) are to be accepted as ‘disability’ and not only tolerated but protected from criticism or even being called out at all

Imply that manipulative and grandiose behaviour, lack of empathy, regarding people as pawns, tendencies of social and personal manipulation is not only out of their control (untrue), but preventing them from functioning in society (massively untrue, as they often reach top positions in capitalism due to using others as stepping stones)

Disprove millions of experiences of victims of narcissistic abuse

Pull ‘not all narcissists’ on Victims of Narcissistic Abuse

Gaslight victims of narcissistic abuse, who have spent weeks, months and years figuring out that the abuse they’ve been exposed to has followed a pattern, and is recognizable as one of the most devastating and psychologically destructive patterns, often causing complex ptsd, anxiety, ocd, did, suicidal tendencies, abandonment issues, and a whole array of long-term consequences for the victims

Disregard or straight-out deny decades worth of data collected and shared by victims of narcissistic abuse, which is shared specifically to help other victims and to stop more abuse

Demand for victims to stop noticing these patterns and only call it ‘abuse’, which is abhorrently cruel for any abused individual who had to dig themselves out of this horrible pit of gaslighting and doubting themselves to realize they’ve been a victim of narcissistic abuse, only to be shut down in order to protect – the narcissists.

Enable narcissistic abuse to run rampant by taking away the victims ability to acknowledge, call it out, or name it for what it is

Prevent victims to group together as a part of society that’s been affected by this specific pattern of abuse, and to compare their experiences and realize how similar and specific this abuse is, so they could help each other heal and prevent more of the abuse happening in future

Silence victims of narcissistic abuse for the sake of preserving their own social reputation and to enable themselves a bigger pool of victims

Dictate to victims of abuse how they’re allowed to call and regard abuse in their own life on their personal blogs, personal groups and platforms

Force their way into a community of abused, traumatized, disabled and vulnerable people only to gain sympathy for themselves, raise their own reputation, find easy victims and dictate how we’re not allowed to call their abuse

This is not a good look. The community of disabled people have stated they are disgusted by narcissists using their terms to silence and guilt-trip victims. We are free to realize when someone is lying to us and twisting the facts to make us feel ashamed and guilty. We can say it’s not acceptable to do this to us. We don’t have to disregard our own life experiences or believe in abuse-enabling nonsense from people who only jump in for the sake of their own reputation. We see right thru these lies and we will share our stories regardless of who they make look bad. The truth will out.

[monstrous-beauty]

Monstrous Beauty Text Posts

Mal: I'm BI I'm HOMELESS I have RADIATION POISONING and I'm NEW IN TOWN/ I swing both ways ;) Violently. With a bat. Come get some motherfuckers./ in order to lead a happy life i'm gonna have to disappoint my parents a bit/ my neutral expression makes me look like i'm always in a bad mood which is convenient because it's usually true/ if i feel an emotion one more time im gonna snap/ "that's too much eyeliner!" cry me a fucking table, Linda, go back to Forever 21/ whatever *becomes an enemy of the state*/ if someone points at your black clothes and asks who's funeral it is, a look around the room and a casual "haven't decided yet" is always a good response/ Hmmmm gay rights but for me i think? The rest of you are on your own/ family dinners more like heteronormativity and offensive jokes/ Maybe she's born with it maybe She's Been Constantly Pressured To Meet Impossible Standards Since Birth/ if i ever opened up to you i was joking/ i'm bisexual and stupid. that's all i am. god looked at my shitty tiny frame and said, "you're going to be a little bisexual moron" then released me into the world.

Estelle: ...and this is my bedroom aka my Isolation Station TM/ every day is leg day when ur running from your problems/ im a witch i mixed some herbs and crystals together and now my cat nows the f word/ it's just me and my 400 unread books against the world i guess/ "You should never bottle up your emotions," I say kicking seventeen Emotion Bottles TM under the carpet./ If you were a gifted kid in elementary school there's a 100% chance you're gay and depressed now

Jaki: the longer my hair gets the more powerful i become/ *enters with a bad powerpoint animation effect* hello/ what if i deleted myself off the face of the earth? haha...unless/ not to be controversial but respect trans women or die by my sword/ I just want to say from the bottom of my heart I didn't sign up for this shit/ accidentally indulged in too much 'me time', turns out I've been reported missing for over six months and presumed dead by most local and national authorities/ since it is pride month and due to recent events I am challenging all transphobes and Agni Kai. I have my hairspray and lighter ready. Get in line.

Malais: "dude" but like romantically

Mal and Estelle: "Darling" but I can't stand you/ I'm gonna start a Cute Bi Club for all bisexual and biromantic folks and all we're gonna do is pet cats and talk about how cute and bi we are

James: women want me. fish fear me. dermatologists hate me. hot singles in my area want to meet me. god wishes he were me./ While you were studying the blade, I was studying a bigger, cooler blade/ you guys don't know what a himbo is anymore. you've lost sight. you can't just call every man you like a himbo. theres nuance/ the more knives you have the more valid you are

Celine: please do not disrespect the moon/ *wakes up* what the fuck/ u ever wake up from a dream like "damn i guess i'm not coping with THAT as well as i thought i was/ i wanna learn how to throw knives so i can throw them real close n graze somebody to let them know 2 shut the fuck up/ I'm gonna replace every bone in my body with a knife, if someone punches me they're in for a surprise (the knife)/ "Wow, you're so mature for your age!" thanks it was the trauma/ yeah i'm beautiful but where is my mental stability???

Solais: Im a slut for validation!!Tell me you're proud!!! Tell I did good!!!!/ have you ever met someone that was sunshine in human form/ the rumours are true...i have a soft heart/ i'm very important and soft/ have you ever met someone who's smile looks like it could make flowers grow/ talents include looking 12 and saying thank you to the bus driver/ I'm dropping out of school to become a full time lesbian reblog if you want in

Diego: she knocked that smug look off my face but luckily i was a second, smaller smug look underneath/ if you ever feel safe please remember that im out there/ power move: saying "that's treason" everytime someone does something that mildly inconveniences you/ *sigh* why am i better than everyone/ ok yes i may be evil and morally corrupt but i'm also incredibly beautiful and i think that makes up for it honestly/ i want to do cool teenager stuff, like going to parties and arson/ yes I am fully aware that I'm the worst TM but I still wanna be like.....loved and stuff/ i am no longer baby i want power/ i'm fine thank you for asking! though recently there has been a darkness growing within me

Lucifer: hi im here to ruin everything/ my therapist once told me i have have obssession with seeking revenge...we'll see about that/ *straight person voice* you rebel scum/ everyone who died and was killed on my quest to get really good fashion and hair deserved it and i don't care/ Men will have a kid and be like "i have lost the ability to be wrong"/ Is it hot in here or am I just Satan

Diablo Siblings: You're important to me you piece of shit/ do you ever see your sibling and just this overwhelming urge to smack them for no reason? like my brother will walk into the room and i'm like "oh man i guess i have to end you"

[thepermanentscowl]

and you know the tragedy? they're not even realizing that. (what would you do if i said I am? aha, now there's a swiftie! well done, your friend.)

it does sound cool and now that I've read your explanation, my head is reeling. YOU WROTE THIS LIKE A GOD. A LITERAL GOD. I AM, QUITE FRANKLY, TRAUMATIZED BY THIS. I DONT THINK I CAN ATTEND MY MATHS CLASS IN PEACE NOW. ITS JUST SO ASJSJSJSHSHSH SJAJKKA. i'm still digesting this, and the depth of this. how did humans even become like this? didn't we start existing like negligible creatures blubbing in water? time did so much to us its hard to believe.

yeah, that place sounds like utopia. and utopia was always just a myth.

yeah, try saying that after you do. he is such a menace, he asked his barely 19 year old uncle, "aur chachu, chachi kab laa rahe ho?" yeah he is just 5. and the way you say it, kids are as if angels. I don't know about you but the kids I meet are incarnations of the devil. each of them ends up crying or clawing at me when they're near me. ha. well, i say all, but this 3 year old cousin of mine. she kinda likes me, and i can't fathom how (...on further thought this is probably because she's autistic, doesn't speak yet and really likes animals). whenever she sees me, she either jumps at me or climbs into my arms and puts her head on my chest and makes me rock her. then she kisses me all over my face. then she uses me as her very personal mode of transport.

kids are exactly how you described them. they'll treat you as if you're uncultured if you don't like what they like and they'll punch you if you call peppa pig a bad name (true story) or something like that. but your nephew tho 👏👏👏👏 he said the most awesome thing. That One Toxic Uncle (tm)s are the worst thing that every Indian family has. and the confidence of that girl mannnn I'm still wondering and in awe. i don't think even i can talk so randomly with a stranger (says me who texted you the weirdest thing out of nowhere without even knowing you AT ALL). these small things are quite really the only things that keep building back our disintegrated faith in humanity. smol kids are evil but sometimes they are exactly what the world needs.

i was once an all-powerful, waist-length-hair-enduring being. I am quite happy to say that I made the best decision of my life by choosing not to be. being a farmer with cows and chickens sounds so peaceful tho. I want to be a farmer with cows and chickens too.

Desi weddings are so enlightening and dramatic fr

[iabsolutelyresentthiswebsite]

We just have fundamentally different understandings of Kylo Ren's character and that's really all there is to say about this. We really only disagree on Kylo Ren, which is not surprising because he is the villain. You're supposed to hate him, but I don't and I can't. I saw a lot of potential in his character, but most of it would have only come to fruition had he been redeemed. I never really saw a future for him as the main villain (tm) that didn't lead to his death, which I freely admit he kind of deserved, but didn't want to have happen on the very, very off-chance, he was the only Skywalker left. But now I'm done.

Yes, he killed his father and yes, that is really the ultimate evil in Star Wars, but for me, that did not make him inherenly irredeemable. It just made it a lot harder. Because Han wanted his son back, Leia wanted her son back, Rey deserved a sort of family, but family is never perfect, and Luke deserves reconciliation. That her cousin is/was evil would have been hard for her. Bringing the family onto one side, whether it happen in VIII or IX would have been magical to me...not necessarily conflict-inducing, but I was absolutely not setting up Star Wars to continue past IX. Main canon has to die to save it from Disney. I am beyond done with SW main canon. ROTJ should have sealed it, but TFA was good enough for me to be willing to give it a chance, and TLJ was bad enough to shut me down. Main canon has to end for the good of Star Wars and yes, Rey should be a Skywalker, but if Disney had any balls, they'd kill her too. Start over fresh. Leave the Skywalkers alone. Disney has already done enough damage to their lineage as is.

The conflict it would have brought would have left Snoke and Hux still alive, leading the FO because Snoke could be Darth Plagueis or under the direct control of him and Hux is so dedicated to the cause because his father built the FO army up. Star Wars was always about fathers and sons. I semi-like Hux. If he dies, I won't cry about it, but did anyone IRL really cry over Darth Vader? He murdered millions of people. When Snoke dies, after y'know, the audience actually learning who/what he was, we could grow to care about him in a way that is one-dimensional, but it would be at least an interest in his dynamic...sort of like my relationship with Vader. I never had a vested interest in his redemption until it became necessary; I had a vested interest in Luke Skywalker being happy. I mean, no one ever really wanted The Emperor and Vader to succeed, so the Snoke/Hux dynamic, after developing their characters in a way that made sense, could have some kind of parallelism there. So Hux isn't Force-sensitive, but he could be an incredible strategician and military leader. After not being second-to-the-second with Kylo around, Hux could flourish. Snoke would attempt to try to reseduce Ben to the darkness, the TRAITOR relationship between Ben and Hux would be pretty cool. Snoke trying to turn Rey in Ben's stead would challenge her, especially knowing who her father is and what her cousin waa capable of. After that is set-up, which isn't that hard to do, Luke ends up dying by saving his daughter in a battle with Snoke. Ben Solo sabotages the FO, taking Hux down with him. Rey Skywalker is sent away as Ben Solo is trying to sabotage the ship because "You must carry on our legacy." After that, Rey gets caught in the crossfire of the exploding ship and is killed or...she makes it safely back to the Resistance. I still think the Skywalkers need to be protected from Disney so they all need to die. And finally, the Skywalker legacy can no longer be harmed by people who don't care about them.

Would I absolutely love it if Kylo Ren is not redeemed and Rey Skywalker and a Force-sensitive Finn team up to face down the FO together, yes, omg. Yes. Kylo Ren, with VIII in canon, is irredeemable. He threw away his father's sacrifice, his mother's love, his uncle's training, and his cousin's forgiveness (not sayin' that that thing makes any sense) for nothing. He is going to be even more alone and feel even more abandoned, but he brought it upon himself. It's his own damn fault.

I love Finn, I have a vested interest in him being Force-sensitive because like you said, he is Kylo's 'other', making him Force-sensitive makes cinematic sense and is sort of poetic justice. We could have even had that with the Four Skywalkers because "If Skywalker returns, the new Jedi will rise"...another whole layer is added because Finn, a child-soldier, displays Force-sensitivity. Rey, a natural Skywalker heir who was lost in her youth, is able to connect with the Force, as her lineage states. And Ben Solo returns to the light, making him a 'New Jedi' once more, after failing miserably and committing the worst deed imaginable.

It's okay to see Kylo's arc differently after TFA. I do not quite get why fans would consider Kylo going too far by killing his dad and then realizing what a tragic mistake he's made shortly afterward and defecting...why people would consider that unforgivable. If 'Kylo Ren' died that quickly, I would expect him to run away like the lil' bitch he is. He could go into meditation for a while and then sometime at the end of VIII, come back on a ship and help the Resistance take out the FO, kinda like Han did in ANH, beg forgiveness from his mother, and bow before his uncle, asking to be shown the ways of the Force...for real this time. Of course, he has to cry a lot.

Should JJ have let him turn in VII? In my opinion, no. I, honestly, believe Kylo HAD to go TOO FAR to be able to turn around. Y'know when you're driving and you're looking for a house and you see a street name that, in the dimness of the night, looks like the street you're looking for, so you start making the turn, but 3/4ths of the way into the turn, you realize it's not the right street, but some asshole is right behind you and you can't back up, so you have no choice but to live with your mistake and go to the end of the street to turn around? That's what I imagined Kylo's arc would be like after he killed his father. He realizes that mistake and BOOKS it outta everything, leaving Rey kind of unopposed and free to find her father on Ahch-To, leaving them to discover the truth and establish their own dynamic. In Kylo's absence, Finn becomes Force-sensitive and trains with Luke. At the end of what should have been VIII, Ben Solo returns in a ship and fights with the Resistance.

I think it could have been really cool.

Want to know what’s really crazy? 

I never really connected with Han Solo in the way that a lot of other people did. I enjoyed him as a character, respected him, loved the dynamic he played with Luke and Leia, and loved all that he helped push forward in the plot. I adored his character development, but I never connected with him in the way others did. I was more of a Trio Girl. I loved them all, had a very soft spot for Luke, but really liked all of their characters differently. I even loved Vader as a character, as much as he obviously was a bad dude…the dynamic and conflict he brought to the OT was awesome and undeniably an asset.

After seeing The Last Jedi and seeing exactly what Disney did to Luke, who I admitted I always had a soft spot for, it really…made me see the arc deconstruction of Han Solo that took place in VII and was formalized in VIII. All the people hurt by Han Solo’s pointless death in TFA, which I admit was pretty unnecessary as much as I did stan TFA for a while, really speak to me now. When I watch their videos online complaining, it brings tears to my eyes that JJ killed Han in the way he did. But from what I’ve seen, a lot of the Han stans seem to forget how much worse of a disservice Han was done in TLJ than even in TFA. 

Why do I say that?

With Han dying by his own son’s hand in TFA, his death could have meant something. When TLJ was beginning and Snoke said that Kylo killing his father split his “spirit to the bone”, it really felt that as much no one wanted to see Han die after how he and Leia’s relationship regressed- which it shouldn’t have, it really felt that his death was being set up to mean something. 

Y’know Leia’s last words to Han were “Bring our son home”, I am totally down for the belief that Han knew facing his son would’ve meant his death, but he would have done anything to make Leia happy. And Kylo knew it, too…that’s why he pretended like he didn’t know his father was on Starkiller…he didn’t want to kill his father. I truly believe that Han willingly put his life in jeopardy to save his son’s life, which would have been so incredible, in my opinion. It would have made his death mean something and salvage a lot of Han Solo’s character that was damaged by TFA.

RIAN HAD THIS OPPORTUNITY! 

He actually started to go through with it until he decided that Kylo Ren should pull a pyscheeeee on Rey and turn back to the Dark Side, of his own accord! Rian had the opportunity to save Han Solo by having his son betray the First Order and defect. It would have progressed the plot so much, saved Han Solo’s damaged reputation, but would not have freed Kylo of his wrongdoing. Leia would have made him answer for his father’s death and Rey would take forever to trust him, but never forgive. Luke would still be alive and he and Kylo could make amends. Rey would find her true lineage in a healthy way. Think of it: FOUR SKYWALKERS FIGHTING ON THE SAME SIDE. And Han Solo would have had fulfilled one final promise to the love of his life, Leia Organa. 

THIS WOULD BE A LEGACY WORTH REMEMBERING. 

Instead we got the last living (confirmed) Skywalker kin as Kylo Ren, a power-hungry, manipulative, truly evil person. And this is the end of the Skywalker line?! I will not have it! This man threw away his father’s sacrifice and spit in the face of redemption. I cannot even believe.

Moreover, by not having Leia grieve over her fallen ex-husband and father to her son, it made it appear as if she never cared at all…making her heartless, making their relationship meaningless. Their relationship was meant to evoke the sense that goodness can arise from war. By not having Luke grieve, or even know of Han’s death, Rian made Han and Luke’s relationship shallow and unsubstantial when it was always part of the beating heart of the Original Trilogy. And as soon as he reacts to Rey returning to Ahch-To in the Falcon, asking where Han is, the whole concept dies. Like the implication that Han is dead did not phase him. Luke fucking Skywalker, emotional farmboy who loves family and friends above everything else, is not phased by his best friend of 30-years’s tragic and traumatic death at the hand of his fallen son, whom he trained? 

I’M SORRY, WHAT?!

I am so blazing mad at Rian Johnson! So infuriated at Disney for allowing this!

This is absolutely disgusting!