#in an ideal world nobody would have to work like this to survive but at the same time... i wish more people in fandom worked real hard jobs

[parasitefun]

loving how many games have come out in the past handful of years abt labor violations and attitudes towards lower class working people, but i don't love being reminded that the average fan seems to think it's just a general throwaway concept to amp up the tension rather than direct commentary and the central point of many of them =_=💢

[txttletale]

saw a screenshot of a post where an anon asked you if abolishing copyright law wouldn't mean companies would steal the work of artists and resell it. Your reply was to give an annoying quip about the bizarro dimension but your main point was that this already happens. True! And we should say it. I have a follow-up question:

Wouldn't it happen *more*? *Worse*, more blatantly, more flagrantly and with more inpunity? That's what I don't get. A lot of liberal solutions like copyright law are middleground states between an ideal solution and some kinda lawlessness situation where grifters and bullies rule. It's a bad middle state, but wouldn't abolition of copyright make things worse and improve nothing?

Obviously UBI would be a solution, making artists not have to depend on income from art to survive. Past that, abolishing money would make the concept of profiting from others' work meaningless. But assuming such solutions are far off into the future, how would copyright abolition help *now*. *Now* how does it reduce harm, how does it make things better *now*?

you are profoundly and deeply misguided about the purpose of the bourgeoisie state--its role is not to mediate between classes but to serve as an instrument of class warfare. copyright law is not a 'middle ground' between the interests of the proletariat and the bourgeoisie, it is a tool of the bourgeoisie to aid in the exploitation of the proletariat. anyway as i've said, copyright violation doesn't prevent people from making and monetizing their art, only copyright law can do that! every time a company hires an artist on a work-for-hire basis (which is how most artists are employed), they are straightforwardly steailng the work of those artists to profit off it. this is the basic business model of every studio, record label, publisher, and entertainment company. this is the current states of things. this is the actual economic reality in the world as is.

that all aside saying "well if we just abolished all copyright right now and changed nothing else then how would that make things better" is like saying "well if we all turned into mothmen how would that make things better" because there is no "abolish copyright forever lol" bill currently making its way through the usamerican legislature, is there? nobody advocating for copyright abolition thinks it is a short-term imminently achievable goal, nor do they want it in the absence of any other meaningful political change, nor would it even ever be possible in any universe in the absence of that change.

[trans-luis-serra-navarro]

Knowing me I’m gonna absolutely make this into a longer post but like. Isn’t it just SOOOOOOOO SILLY AND SO GOOFY that Luis bestowed the role of Sancho Panza onto Leon even though they’d only JUST met

Like,,,, Don Quixote isn’t just a book Luis loves a lot- he bases his ENTIRE MORALITY on his own ideas of what Don Quixote means and what the messages behind it are. He SURROUNDS himself with chivalric ideals and so, obviously, he holds that book and it’s characters VERY near and dear to him- hell, he doesn’t even let Ada or Ashley in on just how much this damn book means to him!!!!!!! The other scientists who he worked with during his time with Los Illuminados also called him Don Quixote, but realistically, how much would they have known of Luis’ deep-seeded love for that novel??????

So like. Clearly. There is NO WAY IN HELL Luis doesn’t understand the impact of Alonso (Don Quixote himself) and Sancho’s relationship. He ABSOLUTELY understands the importance of it and how vital to the tale each other are and how intrinsically intertwined they are in each others lives and how one would quite literally have not survived without the other and how they’ve gone through hell and back for each other (in Alonso’s eyes LITERALLY) and how Sancho was there for him when his illusions of fantasy finally faded away

So. Like. Luis picking Leon to call his Sancho HAD to be purposeful right????????

He HAD to have understood the weight of his words and the weight of his decision. Maybe Leon didn’t quite understand at first but Luis????? Luis knew DAMN WELL that Don Quixote and Sancho Panza’s relationship went further than two people who just happen to be on the same adventure. Luis picking LEON to be his Sancho was PURPOSEFUL.

He’s not just any old chum he happens to he stuck with; Leon is a man who fully encompasses EVERYTHING GOOD Luis believes in in the world. Leon is EVERYTHING his chivalric ideals want him to be. He’s an inherently kind and caring and selfless human being and he’s everything Luis wants to see in himself. He saved him from certain death and now they’re connected more by just the circumstances of their situation- they’d go through hell and back for each other and they HAVE. He wants Leon not just to like him but to LOVE him. Because Leon sees past his actions; he sees past his mistakes and up until now, nobody has ever given him that privilege. Just like how Sancho still believed in Alonso and still believed that there was worth in his fantastical delusions.

So how does Luis express this gratitude without just straight up saying ‘I love you’????

By using language he understands and is comfortable using, of course.

By projecting a story that has meant SO MUCH to him onto the both of them.

And GOD. THATS SO POIGNANT TO ME. HES TELLING LEON HE LOVES HIM IN A WAY HES BEST AT AND MOST COMFORTABLE DOING. HES SAYING ‘I LOVE YOU’ IN ALL OF HIS ACTIONS AND PROJECTIONS. WHICH MEANS MORE THAN THOSE THREE WORDS EVER COULD. HES USING HIS OWN LOVE FOR THAT BOOK TO PROJECT HIS LOVE ONTO THE PEOPLE HE CARES ABT GODDAMNIT‼️‼️‼️

(ALSO SIDENOTE THIS DOESNT JUST APPLY TO LEON!!!!! THIS APPLIES TO ASHLEY AND ADA TOO!!!!!!!!!!! HE PROJECTS THIS SAME LAMGUAGE ONTO THEM AS WELL, JUST NOT TO THEIR FACES!!!!!!!!!! HE SHOWS THEM KINDNESS AND LOVE IN HIS ACTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!)

And I think on some level Leon knows this too. He probably hasn’t analysed Don Quixote from every angle possible like Luis has, but he knows- in those final actions, when he takes up the mantle of his Sancho and confirms to Luis that, yes, he WAS a fine knight, he WAS his Don Quixote- I think he knew exactly what Luis had been trying to say to him this whole time. Just…. Using words that best describes it in his own way.

[zeroseuniverse]

Not A Monster

Jungkook X Reader Word Count: 1.6K Warnings: Segregation (Mutants), Nurse Jungkook X Doctor Reader, Cursing, Injuries.

The most common way people give up their power is by assuming they have none. That is the mindset, the ideals, the lifestyle that is needed to survive this world. The world is encouraging segregation and oppression of those who are different. Nobody knows where exactly the mutant gene came from, but what they did know? It was spreading like wildfire, new inventions coming out to suppress the new abilities presenting themselves left and right.  

“An inhibitor? What type?” she questioned as she moved through the mutant hospital, her feet keeping a fast pace to keep up with Jungkook, the nurse who was leading her to the latest critical case.

“It’s a muzzle of some kind, he was caught hiding in an abandoned warehouse, he’s undocumented, when officers found him, he tried to use what they believe was a supersonic scream to incapacitate them. They were bleeding from the ears,  so I checked with the normies wing, they’re all fine and expected to make a full recovery.” The tattooed man explained lifting his arm to push aside the curtain for the woman, her hands staying nestled in her pockets like they usually were. 

“No offense Jeon, but I don’t give a shit about the officers, they’re not any more important than my patient.” She said plainly, leaving the nurse slightly pouting from the dry response, he wished the doctor would praise his efforts every once in a while. The man huffed before spinning on his heel and heading back to the nurse's station to meet Jimin and Taehyung, the other nurses who seemed to be goofing off rather than working at the moment both men immediately sensed the added presence, the two looked up at the doe-eyed man with teasing grins.

“Did you strike out again, Jeon?” Taehyung teased, promptly throwing his hands up to cover his face as Jungkook threw a pen at him. 

“Watch the face!!!” Jimin yelped, also throwing his hands up to protect Tae, “It’s the only thing he’s got going for him.” 

“Yah!” Taehyung yelled in offense, smacking his hands on both of the giggling offenders.

“Don’t you three have anything better to do than goof around?” Jin wondered as he walked up to the nurse's station, passing a file over to Jimin to put away.

“Yes,” The three let out shamefully, sticking their tongue out at the man's back as soon as he turned around. 

“I saw that!” Y/N called as she strode past the nurses, not even looking up from her case file. Jungkook’s eyes honed onto her gloved hands, pouting when he realized they were still covered, he often wondered if that was the only reason he was so dead set on getting her to warm up to him, he was unbelievably curious about her quirk. 

He saw her lip lift just slightly into a smirk. He had never seen that much emotion on her face in a long time. He excitedly turned to his friends hoping that they both caught the motion too, the two were giggling at his excitement, both shooting him a thumbs up.  His day was made.

—

She wasn’t always that way, she used to be the sweetest person in school, and that’s what drew him in. When she was pulled out of school for a month, he was so worried, until she reappeared a completely different person; However, Jungkook wasn’t going to move on.  If she said jump, he’d ask how high, if she called, he’d come running. Maybe she knew that, maybe she was so aware that he could be the best person to help her in her time of need, maybe he was the only one she felt so strongly about that she stayed as far away as possible to keep him safe. She had watched him from afar for years, having shared so many classes in school, of course, she’d fall for him. The sweet boy who always considers everyone else, a silent protector, that’s what she knew him as. Especially when snacks began to appear in her locker, she caught him in the act a few times, giggling as he struggled with her lock while holding the snacks, his tongue rolling out and resting on his lips as he focused on the task.

Maybe it was these memories that led her to his apartment that night, the faith that he could help her and not repeat a word of it to anyone if she asked. She weakly pounded on the door, suddenly not feeling too confident as she stood vulnerable in front of his door, the creeping feeling of doubt climbed up her being, sending her to spin on her heel the longer she was left to wait. The door swung open, revealing the man pulling a grey shirt down his torso, he looked at her bewildered. He ran his doe eyes down her body, to confirm she was there. “Help,” She muttered in pain.

When his eyes caught on to the wounds and torn clothing that littered her body he gasped, a hand reaching out to pull her into his home, “What happened to you?” He asked, hands and feet immediately moving to grab his first aid kit to help tend to her wounds. 

“Sentinels. The bastards caught me going home from work and scanned me, they started beating me, I had to.” She explained, the last statement coming out so much quieter, almost unsure of it, “I had to.” She repeated, like a mantra hoping that she could begin believing it herself.

“Okay, Okay, you had to do what?” Jungkook questioned again, getting on his knees after sitting her on the couch and beginning to tend to her leg wounds. His hands were moving swiftly but with the gentle touch, you’d see someone use when caring for a porcelain doll.

“I had to, Jeon, I had to, I promise I’m not a monster, I never met to hurt anyone.” She sputtered, her eyes watering, a few tears falling as she began to panic thinking of her actions.

“Hey, I don’t think you’re a monster I could never. But can you give me a rundown? Or do you want to wait until I’m done fixing you up and we get you some food and water.” He offered, coming level with her face, searching her eyes trying to show her that he did in fact care. After she agreed to wait, he continued his work, moving up her body til he tended to the very last wound on her head, he nurtured every wound with the tenderest touch before leveling his eyes with her own once again. 

“You will never be a monster. You’re just trying to survive. We all are, this world isn’t safe for any of us, mutants or humans. Whatever you did, I’m sure you did it to survive.”

“They just kept going, I tried to hold off, but then they brought out the batons and… I was so scared, Jungkook, I thought I was going to die.” She explained, choking some words out here and there as tears once again welled up. “My ability…I’m not proud of it, I hid it as long as I could.”

“You’re undocumented?” Jungkook wondered, his hand moving to cup her cheek, thumb wiping away her tears as they rolled down. She sniffled as she nodded her head almost a small bit. “What’s your….” He trailed awkwardly not knowing if it was an appropriate question, or maybe for better terms a comfortable question.

“I…I absorb energy when I touch people, skin-to-skin contact, it’s why I wear gloves.” She explained, fidgeting slightly with her torn gloves.

“I’ve been touching your skin this whole time…” Jungkook stated, not doubting her but noting that maybe there was something more that she wasn’t seeing. Her brows came together in confusion before drifting her eyes to focus on his hand that was still resting on her cheek, zoning into her senses she did indeed feel energy sinking into her skin but he looked just as healthy, with no sign of discomfort that usually follows skin to skin contact. She was confused.

Jungkook brought his hand down grabbing her hand instead of touching where the exposed skin was, he didn’t feel anything but euphoric by being able to be this close to her, it was odd. 

–

“So you can’t touch anyone at all?” He wondered as he moved around the kitchen to cook up some food, he had been asking questions for about 20 minutes now, and this was about the 3rd time he’d asked this one.

“Well, I don’t know anymore considering you’re still standing.” She answered, “Why are you so focused on this specific question?”

“Because it means a lot of things.” He shrugged, moving the pan off of the burner before turning to face her, leaning forward to rest his elbow on the counter, a position that was all too enticing for her mental state.

“Have you ever held hands with someone? No gloves?” when he saw her shake her head, he maneuvered slightly closer,” Have you ever .... hugged someone?” she shook her head yet again, and he stood to his full height, walking around the counter to stand in front of him. Her heart was beating faster and faster every time he moved closer, his eyes were still locked on her own, never breaking contact. “Have you ever kissed someone.” it wasn’t a question, it was a challenge and as she shook her head, his eyes dropped looking at her lips he leaned in just a little further, his lips nearly brushing her own. “Can I try something?” He wondered, and for the first time in what felt like forever she nodded, and he wasted no time. Both of the two hungry after years of starvation, both feeling overpowered with the energy surging, she was almost high off of the energy he was radiating and he was feeling calm, like he was finally able to relax and rest his demons were at rest, and as her arms looped around his neck, he knew he was home.  For now. 

[keikoayano]

Right back at you on the tags because I could talk about this for so long

thinking about epic the musical. thinking about polites. thinking about how they decided to kill polites at the cyclops, and not have him be a part of convincing odysseus to leave circe. thinking about how early they took out odysseus's conscience personified. and also how odysseus doesn't kill polyphemus despite him killing odysseus's best friend.

[gojosbf]

Sorry, but I need to say something I've been thinking about for a while. I found geto's death forcing. 1.he loses to a boy with no experience and the power of ''love''. 2.he was stronger and had more knowledge and experience than the boy yuta. 3. It seems that the author just wanted to get rid of geto so that this annoying villain Kenjaku could come. 4. In my opinion, Geto is the best villain. I don't understand why the author didn't want to continue with him. 5. His death was forced because Saturo already had a change in character and personality. What I'm trying to say is that in the film, Satura is already different, he's no longer that immature young man. 6. the serious work was much more dramatic if geto had survived saturo blow he would have become stronger and returned as a villain again with sukuna. Sorry if it's big, but I have these doubts that such a good and well-constructed character had a horrible ending and very little.

I have mixed feelings about this anon but first I'd clarify things point by point for you and then give my opinion if possible

1. Yuuta Okkotsu has a special grade curse, the queen of curses Rika, the power of "love" you speak tho it might sound cliché does fit here well and it was explained in the manga that love is considered the most twisted curse (if you saw the movie you'd have seen that gojo said this line to him too).

2. Yes sure geto had more experience and knowledge but yuuta is an acclaimed prodigy, his cursed technique is mimicry, rika was so scaringly powerful even before she fully evolved, geto KNEW that if he absorbed rika he'd have everything needed to form his "ideal world". He wasn't just any nobody who managed to get lucky.

3. Okay now here there are two reasons and I am trying my best to find words to explain it, yuuta was meant to be the original mc of jjk, he is the op character. Geto wanted rika (as I mentioned in the previous point) to accomplish his dream so if geto won that battle the story as whole would've taken a very different turn, we wouldn't need itadori and the whole first years and their stories. Remember how I said yuuta was supposed to the actual mc? Yeah that's were gege actually made changes so he could make a better and elaborate plot.

4. Geto Suguru was infact an amazing villain, yes. But you've also got to understand that he was sympathetic towards jujutsu sorcerers, he'd never risk harming them (his own last words being "I never hated anyone from jjk high") unless they're in his way. He had to die because we needed someone who'd go all out, no mercy to anyone, no regard and sympathy for anyone and that's exactly why we needed someone like kenjaku, who was equally powerful, evil and not shy to bring hell.

5. Geto's death had nothing to do with "changing gojo's personality", that change already happened after hidden inventory and premature death arc. His death was an important decision for future plot points (explaining why yuuji was special, sealing the strongest etc).

6. This is where I fully give my opinion, sure Suguru would've come back as stronger and even more powerful villain but would he have achieved what kenjaku did? Geto Suguru that we knew would choose any other route than sealing Gojo, he literally did not even try to protect himself and gave gojo a chance to kill him (during kfc breakup), he never attacked jujutsu high until yuuta happened, he worked with rejected sorcerers and never paired up with evil curses like hanami, jogo and mahito. So, to put it simply it was important part of plot that geto first turned evil and then died, that shaped so many important arcs of the manga and it was well thought out for long run. Sure it's sad and frustrating but that was one good writing move on gege's part and there's no denying that.

[markantonys]

Watched the finale last night and thought I'd wait until morning to send commiserations. R.i.p. Adar, we knew you were doomed but we had high hopes anyway.

(Also, yay, Arondir lived, guess he was only lightly stabbed since he was still able to fight some more)

thank you for your condolences in these trying times! and for waiting to send them until after you were sure i'd seen the episode haha they drop at 3am in my timezone which is not ideal. fine for ROP since i'm not absolutely dying chomping at the bit to see the new episodes (except for this week), but if WOT s3 adopts this same schedule i will be very sad!

anyway, good news for arondir! not surprising since they passed over his stabbing so quickly last episode, if he'd been in any real danger they would've made a big moment of that scene. he felt like he didn't get a whole lot to do this season, so i hope he gets more next season. then again, he had one of the biggest stories in s1 so fair enough if it was his turn to step back a bit this time. still, hoping for more with him next season! it's very exciting that he seems prepped to hang with the Elf Gang for a while, i'd love to see how he fits in with them. on the other hand, i want him to get back to his honorary son!

and the subject of Dads Who Stepped Up brings us to adar. oh adar, very obviously doomed by the narrative since 2x01 if not since s1, and yet we hoped! all in all, though, i'm pretty satisfied with his final scene. he got his "no one can walk so long in the shadow that they can never return to the light" moment! he proposed to galadriel ring and all and she said yes! he had the chance to get his elven form back forever by keeping the ring but refused it because he is not who he was born, he is who he's chosen to be, he is uruk, he is adar, he is Dad!! he still loved his uruk even as they were killing him and his last words were "my children" as he reached out a hand to them 😭😭😭 was it gutwrenching? yes. does my heart yearn for a version where adar survived and joined the good guys and led a light-side orc faction in the final battle? yes. but do i also appreciate a good shakespearean tragedy? yes i do.

adar saw how sauron mercilessly sacrificed orc lives to achieve his personal goals and he swore he would never let anyone treat his kids like that again. it traumatized him so much that he went crazy trying to snuff out the renewed threat of sauron, so crazy that he started mercilessly sacrificing orc lives to achieve his personal goals, but his personal goals are to protect them but they can't see that and they think he's turned into just what he always warned them about, and sauron swoops in to play them like fiddles and manipulate them into killing their father and swearing allegiance to him under the pretense that he'll be a better lord-father to them than adar has become.............and when glug realizes orcs are still dying under sauron and voices protest, where adar responded to protest with "[i love you] with all that's left of my heart, too much to let you become sauron's slaves", sauron responded by immediately, carelessly killing him mid-sentence. thus proving adar's fears completely right, far too late for glug to change the course the orcs have gone down. PAIN!!!!

adar tried so hard to break free of the generational trauma but in doing so played right into it and passed it on to yet another generation. and now they can never escape it because there is nobody left in the world who cares for them or will ever care for them now that dad is gone. galadriel, please, try to get custody of your ex's ex's kids, i beg you! be the mom who stepped up! it IS interesting that in this episode she showed some remorse for killing orcs and willingness to work with adar to broker peace between orcs and elves - will that be a surprise tool to help us later or did galadriel's growth in that regard die with adar? i think it's probably the latter since we know she could at most only get a small faction of orcs on her side since sauron has whole armies of them in the future during the trilogy, and getting even a small faction is unlikely since they offed the only Specific Orc (glug) and thus they're probably back to being nameless cannon fodder for the rest of the show. but still, it was good for galadriel to have that moment of development as she goes along her arc of maturing and becoming wiser, and it's so so important to me that adar died with at least one person respecting him and seeing the goodness within him 🥺

so anyway! it was all narratively sensible, narratively inevitable, and narratively satisfying. yes, tragedies that make me personally unhappy can be narratively satisfying too; i would describe it as, in-world, adar deserved better, but narratively, he was done justice with a complete, satisfying tragic arc. now, i DO think it was somewhat rushed, but i personally have long since made my peace with the fact that in 8-episode-season shows with tons of main characters, sometimes things won't get as much time to breathe as i might like. it is what it is (and it's often pretty subjective; what one viewer wishes had more time to breathe another might think took up too much screentime).

i'd argue the only big "missing scenes" here are a) adar initially going through his transformation which leads him to a change of heart, but i think he says everything that's important in his convo with galadriel and from that we can easily infer what happened between ep7 and now to get him to this point. and b) sauron convincing the orcs to join him and kill adar. this is a much bigger gap, because we'd had ample evidence that the orcs are unhappy with adar but no reason to think they'd go as far as killing him and joining the guy who's been their people's bogeyman for thousands of years. so that's the only real piece of potential Bad Writing to me, but even then, we've seen in great detail how sauron's manipulation tactics operate, so we can imagine him pulling the same shit on the orcs offscreen after they run into him in eregion (especially since orcs probably aren't that bright compared to the likes of celebrimbor, so it'd be child's play for sauron to manipulate them into doing exactly what he wants). it would have helped to see these two scenes onscreen, but if they were really pressed for time, i can accept not including them because we have enough to infer what happened.

in conclusion, i just read a really great post-season interview with sam hazeldine about adar conducted by an interviewer who is a huge adar fan and asked fantastic questions, and i would recommend it highly to those of us looking to fill the adar-shaped hole in our hearts!

[asherisawkward]

Do you think Caleb was kinda naive for leaving Philip in a religious witch hating town? I mean even though he was happy to see Philip back in the paintings he seemed oblivious to the fact he left him behind in a town filled with bigots and would likely not be thrilled to see him with a witch.

That’s a good ask, Anon!

And I’m sorry, but this is one of the topics I’m more emotionally invested in, so this is a bit of a ramble/rant.

I believe that Caleb was incredibly naive, and selfish if we want to get into that difficulty. He left Philip behind, all alone, in a town that was all but a cult without ever explaining why to the boy. Then, after years of not seeing him with no reason to believe he had changed, Caleb introduced Philip to the woman he abandoned him for. And he expected it to go well?

It was incredibly selfish and absolutely naive of him to imagine that Philip wouldn’t have been traumatized and hurt by the loss of his only family. And what exactly did Caleb expect Philip to think had happened and caused him to leave? Nobody would ever want to think that their only family left them behind when they were a vulnerable child dependent on that family member physically, emotionally, and financially.

Regardless of Caleb’s intentions, he inflicted horrible trauma upon his younger brother, left him at the mercy of a cult, refused to offer any method of understanding or becoming disillusioned from said cult, let his brother do all the work to find him alone in a world that is incredibly hostile to human life (including dangerous weather, primarily inedible foods, species that view humans as lesser, and the lack of a resource [magic] that is almost vital for survival), and then expected Philip to reject those ideals and look beyond the first impression that only confirmed the teachings of his cult and understand that the realm has good in it?

They ate babies, for goodness sake!

They still do, even if it’s considered out of style.

In this way, Caleb and Luz mirror each other because they abandoned their only family to go to the Boiling Isles without any consideration of how that would affect them. And that’s never really addressed.

To conclude, yes, I believe Caleb was naive to assume his brother would become disillusioned with the cult he grew up in. He expected growth when he had no reason to assume it would happen. He expected Philip to be fine with what he did without an explanation or apology.

Sorry for rambling/ranting. I hope this answers your questions satisfactorily.

[the-world-annealing]

A thought I commonly see in analyses of Terra Ignota is, loosely paraphrased: "Why would a third of the world population join up with the quasifascist rome larpers when there's a hive that made pokemon real."

Now of course, we're all on the Gay Sex And Pokemon website, there's a bias here and we might be wrong about what the average person is like, but even so the point still stands! What is it about the Masons that attracts people to them over all six to nine alternatives, especially given how little they actually offer except nice architecture and absolutist power structures?

Well, recall how a fact of Terra Ignota's world, one we run into time and time again, is: "Having everyone stop talking about gender and religion did not actually prevent discrimination or end oppression or otherwise solve any problems". Mycroft applies he/him to masons wherever possible, they're led by an emperor-even-when-female, they wear suits, they're powerful, they draw their symbology from supremely patriarchal times and places. It's clear that Masons are gendered more than any hive except the cousins, and one of the few organizations (the only?) to be gendered masculine.

(I think it's relevant to remark how blacklaws could have been presented as masculine tooth-and-claw survivalists, but instead we get chagatai and madame and dominic as the most prominent examples, which don't read very traditionally-masculine to us)

The cousins are explicitly identified as a sort of aggregate of feminine people, but they certainly aren't the sum total of them. And that makes sense; all the stereotypical feminine traits (caring for others, playing diplomat, cooking) are still relevant in the world that Terra Ignota presents; if you care deeply about Performing Feminine Roles you don't have to join the cousins, you can just be a mom friend or the one at the bash who doesn't work and focuses on raising the kids.

But if you care deeply about Performing Masculine Roles, you're a lot more limited in your options! Society is safe and peaceful, physical labor is increasingly rare, and at any rate nobody will depend on your labor to survive; you aren't 'working hard to put food on the table' because the food literally grows on trees!

The most 'masculine' career path remaining is probably policing (and I think it's relevant that the most prominent cop in the story gets gendered male!) but that's hardly an option for everyone.

So everyone who feels like a man, who watches fragmented bits of pop culture and half-forgotten references and constructs this ideal of masculinity out of it, who might meet the definition for gender dysphoria depending on how you look at it, who the text implies is made vulnerable by these unfulfilled desires... yeah, I think such a person would join the Masons in a heartbeat, because the Masons represent one of the few outlets for masculine urges (them and madame's roleplay scenarios). And if that describes a significant fraction of the population, it becomes absolutely unsurprising to see a 33% mason plurality at the start of the series.

[overdueforarevival]

Whumptober Day 11 - A Million Little Times

'Leave no trace behind, like you don't even exist'

Summary: Regulus Black has spent years hating James Potter and yet, somewhere along the line, he became the best thing that ever happened to him. For months, the two sneak around, anonymous to everyone and for a while, they can live in blissful oblivion. What happens when reality comes crashing down on the two and the truth is shown one single time?

Also posted on AO3

‘Make sure nobody sees you leave,’

‘I know,'

‘They can’t know,’

‘I know, sweetheart,’

Regulus is tying James’ tie around his neck, long fingers working deftly and so gently James could almost laugh. He knows why he’s doing it, though. He wants to make sure that nobody will see the bruises now littering James’ neck.

They can never know, Regulus always reminds him. The Quidditch changing rooms are certainly not the most ideal location, but they’re both Captain of their respective teams and know the rota by heart. It’s the only place they can be sure to never be found.

Regulus’ parents will lose it if they ever find out that not only has their son been snogging a man, but a Blood Traitor no less. Walburga and Orion could probably look past James’ inability to produce an heir for Regulus, but they would never forgive him for bedding a Potter.

And James… James might not survive if Sirius were to ever find out that he’d been the one to defile his baby brother. He hadn’t meant for it to happen, truly, it just sort of did. One day, they were screaming at each other across the empty Quidditch changing rooms after a particularly brutal game and the next Regulus had James pinned up against the wall and James was a goner.

‘Same time tomorrow?’ Regulus asks hopefully, flattening James’ tie against his chest.

‘I’ve got detention with Minnie tomorrow. Pete and I jinxed Snape’s last essay to read as a dramatic proclamation of undying love to whoever reads it,’ James apologises. He’s never felt bad for pulling a prank on Snivellus before, but the look on Regulus face makes him regret ever having the idea. ‘Day after?’

‘Hufflepuff are practising ‘til eight and you know what Harper’s like, they’ll be here hours after that,’ Regulus huffs. ‘Friday night? We’re got the pitch, but I’ll have everyone out by half seven. You can come ‘round for eight?’

James smiles and leans forward, pressing a kiss against the boy’s forehead. ‘Friday it is,’

Regulus’ eyes flutter closed at the gesture and James wishes they could stay here a little while longer, but Remus will start getting suspicious. Not that he’d say anything, but Regulus will kill him if anyone finds out, even Remus.

James backs away from Regulus, his hands falling from the boy’s shoulders and he smiles ruefully as they part. It’s not like they’re some kind of long-distance lovers who only see each other once in a blue moon, but it still hurts. Even if they manage to see each other in secret at night, knowing that when they see each other in the day they must act indifferent to each other hurts. If he could, James would avoid Regulus at all costs and yet he’d tear himself apart if it allowed him to catch just a glimpse of him in the hallway.

The stolen looks they dare to risk are enough to keep the oxygen in James’ lungs and, if the corridor is really busy, they might be able to brush arms as they pass. It sounds pathetic, but it’s what James lives for. In a world slowly falling into war and ruin, James will do anything for his breath of fresh air. The small reminder that there is still good in this world. That good is Regulus Black.

James turns around only at the last moment, he always leaves first and then Regulus will follow a while later, turning right to the dungeons while James turns right to Gryffindor tower. He pulls the hood of his robes over his head, keeping his eyes on the ground as he walks. Walking through the Hogwarts grounds in the dark is a difficult task and James has to concentrate to not trip over the roots of the Whomping Willow which must stretch for miles. He doesn’t dare light his wand.

Sirius will be expecting James back soon, he’d told his friends he was out for a run, knowing that even the crisp October air wouldn’t lessen the red in his cheeks by the time he reaches the tower. With every step, James’ heart continues to hammer in his chest, no matter how many times he sees Regulus’ face, the novelty of being with him never seems to wear off. The very moment James sees Regulus Black, he is, well and truly, a godforsaken mess.

James doesn’t take the usual route to the tower, opting for the secret passage Peter discovered in third year that winds through the outer wall. There’s a few windows dotted about and, when James peers out, he can just about see the silhouette of Regulus sneaking back towards his own common room.

It’s late now, nearly midnight, and most of the younger students have vacated the common room in favour of their beds. The only ones left are a few fifth years studying furiously for Slughorn’s potions exam tomorrow. James remembers that one, over half of his class failed and were sure the same fate awaited them in their OWLs.

In the middle, right by the hearth, are his friends. They always wait up for him and he knows it should annoy him, knows that it only makes the likelihood of being caught higher, but it's nice of them. James has the best friends and he hates lying to them, but he knows that Sirius wouldn’t take the news of his relationship with Regulus very well. Sirius has enough going on right now.

Remus is lounging in on a sofa, one hand holding open a book on his lap while the other hangs down and across Sirius’s chest. Sirius always sits near Remus, ever since their argument last year, it’s like he needs to know that Remus isn’t going to leave. It’s a trait James has noticed since they were kids. Anytime Sirius would fall out with someone, Sirius would plaster himself to the person’s side and James hasn’t quite figured out if it’s a sign of loyalty or apology or perhaps something more concerning.

Either way, Remus never seems to mind. Peter is working on an essay in a chair next to the two, parchment wrapped over a book, but he doesn’t seem to be writing much. James can’t blame him, he hasn’t started their Defense essay yet either.

‘Evening, lads,’ James grins easily, hoping that nobody else notices the way his heart is still beating erratically in his chest.

‘Good run, Prongs?’ Sirius asks, looking up at James and for a moment, there’s a flicker of something in his eye. Something like doubt, or perhaps he knows something. No, Sirius can’t possibly know of anything amiss about James’ nightly outings.

‘Yeah, all good. Nearly tripped over one of them bloody tree roots, can’t escape the fuckers anywhere,’ James grumbles. It’s not a complete lie, but not exactly the truth either. ‘I blame Moony,'

‘Oi! Wasn’t my idea to plant a giant fuck-off tree, I’d have been happy with a some chains and a wooden shed,’ Remus jokes, eyes never leaving his book.

‘Wouldn’t you just,’ Sirius smirks slyly, looking up at his boyfriend. Peter gags loudly and Remus smacks Sirius across the face playfully. James laughs at their antics, all the while trying to battle the awful mental image currently trying to take root in his mind.

‘Well on that unsettling note, I’m heading for a shower, you lot enjoy yourselves,’ James tells them, jogging past and up the stairs to their dormitory.

He showers quickly, washing his hair and scrubbing the smell of Regulus off his skin. When he gets out, he dresses in his pyjamas, then wraps his towel around his neck just to be sure. That’s the thing about these illicit affairs, as they reach their end, all evidence is erased and they all move forward as though it never happened a million little times.

Regulus makes sure to spray a little cologne before he exits the bathroom, finding his friends all sitting around their dorm, chatting to each other. Barty and Evan are sitting together, the latter relaxing back against the former and Regulus can see their fingers intertwined on one side. A pang of jealousy strikes through his heart and he hates himself for it. Evan’s parents couldn’t care less about who he dates, in fact Evan once said that he was thirteen when he came out to them. As for Barty, Regulus is pretty sure he lauds his relationship over his father’s head just to spite the man. Regulus wishes he had the guts to do the same.

Nobody will know that James exists in Regulus’ mind. No trace is left behind of Regulus’ whereabouts and nobody will ever even consider the notion that Regulus would do something so preposterous. Regulus Black is and always will be, the perfect heir to his family’s name. With Sirius having been disowned over a year ago, Regulus has taken his place without fuss and this will be his fate until the day he dies.

James’ words echo in his mind for now, promises to always be his and vows that they’ll find a way to be together forever. It’s not that Regulus doesn’t want to be with James for the rest of his life, but he can’t let himself hope. He can’t allow himself to entertain the thought that he could grow old with James and live with him until their dying days. The world will never allow that, not for Regulus. So he won’t hope.

The high will fade as he sits on his own bed, heart still hammering, and joins in the conversation with his friends. Pandora and Dorcas have come over, Dorcas has been quieter recently and Regulus knows she’s planning something, though she isn’t sure what. Pandora keeps casting him sad looks like a puppy watching its owner leave for work.

Even as he talks with his friends, though, chatting about all the work they’ll have to do now that they’ve started studying for their NEWTs, his mind drifts back to James Potter. He’s like a drug and Regulus swore he’d quit, promised himself he wouldn’t let it get this far. Professor Slughorn once told them that drugs lose their potency as you use them more and more, but James works every bloody time and Regulus can’t make himself stop. Every time he catches the boy’s eye across the corridor, he needs to hear his voice, feel their hands clasped together. Regulus needs to stop, but he knows he won’t.

Deep down, Regulus knows that he’s going to keep going even when his parents bring him before the Dark Lord when he goes home for Christmas. Even when his arm is marked with a sign he knows will turn James’ stomach, Regulus will keep going. He’ll keep going until James hates him and it will all blow up in Regulus’ face. One day, he’ll wish he never met James Potter, but for now he’s going to beg for every second with him.

In the end, they don’t even make it to Christmas.

Early November arrives, bringing with it the Scottish bitter cold and one evening when Regulus is busy attacking James’ neck with his lips, the boy comes up with a truly absurd idea.

‘The boys all have detention tomorrow,’ James says breathily, fingers twirling around Regulus’ curls as he sighs contentedly.

‘Don’t make me think about my brother,’ Regulus frowns, sinking his teeth down on James’ sensitive skin, then quickly soothing it with his tongue.

‘Could use my invisibility cloak, bring you up to the dorm. Do this proper, you know,’ James continues and Regulus officially loses his appetite.

‘You want to fuck me in the room where my brother sleeps?’ Regulus pulls away and raises an eyebrow at James disbelievingly.

‘Uh… yes?’ James grins at him sheepishly and Regulus should really refuse the offer because it’s got ‘danger’ written all over it. Even if he can sneak into the dormitory, what if they come back early? What if someone manages to see them? What if the cloak falls off and everybody knows?

What if Sirius finds out?

‘We shouldn’t,’ Regulus sighs, turning away from James because there’s no way he’ll stand his ground if he catches even a glimpse of those doe eyes he’s so adept at. ‘People could find out,’

‘They won’t! Come on, Reggie, think about it! You and me, big four-poster bed… think about all the things we could do.’ James steps forward, hands creeping around Regulus’ waist, prodding gently.

Regulus doesn’t need to see James to know the look on his face. It’s not one he can say ‘no’ to.

‘One time,’ Regulus insists and immediately feels the smirk on James’ face.

‘One time,’ he agrees.

It is, in fact, not one time. Regulus promises himself he won’t do it again, but then an owl brings him a note as he’s getting changed after taking a brutal thrashing from the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. James’ friends are celebrating in the Hufflepuff common room tonight, Regulus can come over again.

He doesn’t say no. In the end, he stays the night, hidden behind the curtains of James’ bed, secure in the boy’s arms. It’s the safest he’s felt in years and now that he knows how it feels, he’s not sure he’ll ever be able to stop.

Regulus stays the night every Tuesday and every Friday. Sirius always stays late after Gryffindor Quidditch practice on those days to run his own drills and Remus always watches. It’s easy, apparently, to get Peter to stay behind, saying that Sirius could really use a hand or Remus wants the company. James is first back and he lets Regulus in, hidden under the cloak.

As the weeks fly by and nobody finds him huddled next to the Gryffindor Golden Boy, Regulus finds himself lulled into a sense of security, a routine that won’t be broken. And then, Sirius has to have one of his genius ideas.

It happens in the middle of the night, Regulus is sleeping soundly against James’ chest and all of a sudden, there’s a loud crash from the right. James wakes first, jumping so violently that Regulus is shaken out of his sleep as well.

‘I’ve got it!’ Sirius announces proudly to the room, clearly oblivious to how little anyone wants to hear whatever it is he’s got to say at this ungodly hour. It’s still dark out for Merlin’s sake.

‘Not now, Pads!’ Remus groans loudly.

‘Shit,’ James mutters, lifting his head and looking at Regulus with wide eyes. Regulus pushes himself up onto his elbows, frowning.

‘Prongs, I’ve got it! I know what we’re gonna—’ Sirius pulls back the curtains to James’ bed and promptly cuts himself short, jaw falling open and eyes blowing wide.

The two are under the covers, both shirtless (Sirius does not need to know that James isn’t wearing any trousers either) and any idea of bullshitting his way out of this is thoroughly dashed. James sits up slowly, one hand remaining on Regulus’ knee , fingers drumming on the joint nervously.

Regulus stares up at Sirius, eyes locked unwaveringly as all of Regulus’ fears melt away into pure stubbornness. He will not lose this argument, not when James is the best thing that has happened to him in years.

‘What the fuck?’ Sirius deadpans, eyes flicking back and forth between his brother and his best friend, seemingly lacking coherent thought. Regulus continues to stare his brother down.

‘Ever heard of a little something called ‘privacy’, Sirius?’ Regulus asks coldly. There’s a gasp from across the room, no doubt as his voice is recognised by the two boys who can’t see Regulus. James squeezes his knee gently, clearly trying to communicate something, but Regulus isn’t paying enough attention to decipher that.

‘Shittin’ hell, James. You fucked Sirius’ brother?’ Peter is the one to respond when Sirius continues to stare bug-eyed at the two. Regulus opens the curtains on the other side of the bed so he can turn his glare on Peter and the boy shies away.

Remus is getting out of bed now, sliding his feet into his slippers and making his way over to Sirius, a nervous look on his face. Strangely, he doesn’t appear shocked.

‘Sirius,’ he says quietly, reaching out a hand to gently touch the boy’s shoulder. Sirius shakes him off roughly.

‘Don’t,’ he mutters, looking down at James with a look Regulus didn’t think Sirius could ever hold for his best friend. In all of his and James’ antics, he never considered that this could do something to James and Sirius. As long as Regulus has known James, he’s been everything to Sirius, the brother he always wanted to have and at first Regulus resented James for it.

An odd flare of indignation rises up in Regulus' chest and he sits up straighter, putting himself in between James and Sirius. Sirius can be angry at him all he likes, but Regulus won’t stand by and let him look at James like this.

‘You fucked my little brother?’ Sirius says finally, echoing Peter’s words, voice trembling with anger as his fists shake at his sides. Regulus tries to move towards Sirius, but James holds him back before he can pull the duvet away from his lower half.

‘I didn’t ‘fuck’ him,’ James responds firmly, then frowns. ‘I mean, I did, but… that’s not- it’s not… Shit, just hear me out, Pads—’

‘No, don’t fucking ‘Pads’ me, you fucked my kid brother! He’s a kid!’ Sirius shouts angrily.

‘Don’t call him ‘kid’, he’s barely a year younger than us!’ James snaps and Regulus can see the anger forming in his eyes. He shouldn’t be angry at Sirius, that’s his best friend. This wasn’t meant to ruin them.

‘It’s okay, James, he can be mad at me,’ Regulus tries to calm James down, but the boy is springing out of bed and Regulus sees, thankfully, that at some point before they fell asleep he’d pulled some boxers back on.

‘No, it’s not okay, we’re allowed to be together, there’s nothing wrong with us!’ James gestures wildly between the two of them and Regulus absently thinks the uncoordinated movement sums them up perfectly.

‘I never said that, baby, I just—’

‘Don’t call him ‘baby’! What the fuck?’ Sirius is staring incredulously at the two now. ‘Why are you doing this to me? This is- This is- What the fuck?'

That seems to be about all Sirius can manage right now and Remus is, once more, trying to get close to Sirius. It doesn’t work and Remus backs off, staring at the back of his boyfriend’s head worriedly.

‘Nobody is doing anything to you, Sirius,’ Regulus tells him firmly, also leaving the bed in favour of standing next to James, wrapping an arm around his waist. ‘We aren’t doing this to hurt you, we’re doing this because we…’

Regulus trails off there, unsure how to finish his sentence. Sure, he loves James with all his heart and always will no matter how this ends, but he’s never said it outloud before. Not to anyone and certainly not to James and James has never said it either. This isn’t exactly the time for grand announcements or dicey assumptions.

‘You what? Huh, you what? For Merlin’s sake, James, that’s my brother! What is wrong with you?’ Sirius yells at them, face contorting with anger and Regulus is used to that being directed at him, but nobody should look at James like that.

‘Sirius, stop it! Take a breath and listen to them, will you? This is getting ridiculous,’ Remus interjects, appearing to give up listening to Sirius’ clear aversion to his presence right now and pulling his hands down from where they were gesturing angrily at James.

‘No, I won’t listen, Remus. How could you do this, James? You know… you know everything and you still… fuck you, James. Fuck. You.’ Sirius shakes his head, all anger dissipates from his voice as he speaks until he merely sounds defeated. James opens his mouth to say something, but before he can get any words out, Sirius is marching away and out of the door, letting it slam shut behind them.

Regulus flinches as the loud bang echoes around the room and as the silence stretches between them, James pulls Regulus closer. James always knows when Regulus is about to cry and he holds one hand up against the side of Regulus’ face, shielding it from the view of the others. James’ chin rests on top of Regulus’ head which is buried against his neck as Regulus clings to the boy tiredly.

‘It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re okay,’ James whispers soothingly. Regulus feels the words vibrating in his throat.

‘I’ll talk to him in the morning, he’ll come around. He just needs some space,’ Remus says and James nods awkwardly against Regulus’ head. Regulus doesn’t say a word.

‘Let’s get back to sleep, Reggie, nothing to do about it now,’ James murmurs, steering them back into bed and arranging the covers across the both of them.

There’s rustling and shuffling as Remus and Peter no doubt do the same and James leans over to pull the curtains shut again. As he does, Peter’s voice drifts quietly across the dorm, clearly words only meant for Remus’

[zombie-rott]

Survival Is A Talent: 3

Part 1. Part 2.

Pairing: Gen. None.

Rating: Mature for difficult themes throughout.

Summary:

“Weakness was not something Phantom had ever been permitted to show back beneath the ground. His father, a tyrant leader of their pack, came down harshly on anyone who dared to show an ounce of discomfort or disdain. Male or female, grown or child; he was a brutal man with brutal ideals. But despite Phantom’s inept ability to hide his pain, he’d never felt quite like this before. Nor had he trembled quite as much as he had done since coming to the surface.”

Or

Phantom, the new quintessence ghoul, is struggling to adapt to live on the surface. What started as surface sickness has quickly developed into quintessence burn out. And with a reluctance to ask for help, Phantom finds himself down a dark path. It’s up to Papa, Aether and the pack to drag him back; kicking, screaming but alive.

In full on A03.

When the tour ended Copia was given approximately sixteen hours of which to decompress, ten he used for sleeping, two he used to organise his diary for the coming days and the rest were spent dissociating. Simply sitting on the couch in front of the television and getting lost in his weariness. 

He would be lying if he didn’t admit to having a few thoughts about his young quintessence ghoul. Namely how lonely it was to wake to a cold bed, nobody to curl around for warmth and comfort. Then his mind drifted to a darker place, one where he was caught up in worry. How would Phantom cope now he was home? Would the change send him spiralling and, if so, how was he linguistically going to be there for him when they were worlds apart? He, in his ivory tower, shackled with paperwork and meetings, and the ghoul four stories below in the laundry rooms folding sheets? 

Copia made an effort to keep in touch. Honestly, he did. But life as figurehead of the clergy was exhausting. Every spare moment he had become reserved for silence and rest. Endless meetings, reports mounting, sister on his back, siblings confessionals, disciplinary hearings, job appraisals, talks of the next big thing; more and more and more until his brain felt like mush. 

His communication fell by the wayside and he opted for stolen glances and moments instead. They chatted briefly after chapel and caught up in the hallway but it wasn’t the same. Their candid conversations rapidly trickled away to nothing more than mundane greetings and, eventually, lies. 

You don’t ascend to Papa and not learn to read your flock. Especially Phantom, a ghoul he had spent some amount of intimate time with to the point where he knew him by smell; the undertone of quintessence ozone mixed with lavender and chamomile. It was easy to see the lies and little fibs the creature told when asked about his welfare. The clergyman could spot them a mile away as if they were brightly illuminated with neon and plastered on the walls. 

Phantom was struggling.

And as the weeks continued, the struggle only grew. Bigger and wider, deeper and more menacing. Eventually catching sight of the ghoul became like a game of ‘ Where’s Waldo? ’. It was as if he’d fallen off the face of the earth and, if the clergyman didn’t know any better, he would be mistaken for believing just that. 

The few glances Copia did get sent a pang of guilt through his chest. The ghoul had become haggard, right down to the very way he held himself. Long gone was the confidence Phantom oozed on stage. In its place, the broken creature Copia had comforted on the streets of Milwaukee, or the one he’d held closely after his post-show panic attack. 

When Phantom showed up shaking and incoherent at his office door one Tuesday afternoon, it was all Copia could do to stop himself from pulling him inward into a hug. Instead, he sent him on his way with a promise and a burning sense of regret in his gut. The clergy were persistent in their working matters, so much so that time didn’t stop for a simple ghoul, and Secundo was pushy when it came to timekeeping.

Of course, Copia, true to his word, called the young Quint in the evening. Twice, in fact. But was met with a grainy voicemail message. It only served to twist his guilt further. He shouldn’t have shooed him away. Clergy matters were a given, damn near engrained into his daily life from the moment he woke up until he closed his eyes, but seeing Phantom was not. And to witness him so distressed, practically shaking with fear? Copia didn’t think he could forgive himself for how bluntly he had dismissed him. 

From that day things grew steadily more concerning. The ghoul showed up late to mass, disassembled and barely holding it together. And when he missed practice, Copia knew this had grown deeper than anxiety. The wound had opened and had begun to fester.

~ Read In Full Here ~

[bestworstcase]

in the world of fractal ozlem mirrors, I think Gillian Asturias would be Salem because of the mother dying in childbirth connection. do you think that works or no

there is a contrast to be made between how finn asturias treats his daughter versus how salem's father treated her, but i think this is more akin to the comparisons that can be drawn between blake's revolutionary ideals and salem's in that gil is a repetition of ozma who shares a facet of salem's character for thematic reasons; the specific thematic reasoning will likely not be clear until we find out what the vacuo arc has to offer (and obviously i'm speculating quite a lot about a character who might not actually be that important, so asterisk all of this). but:

gil is/was the golden child. it is really clear, from what finn and the shade faculty have to say about the twins, that nobody aside from gillian cared about jax. finn muses that being weak and sickly "twisted [jax's] mind" and both theodore and rumpole take the view that jax was a millstone around his sister's neck—and then in the sections of the book written from jax's point of view it is equally clear that being treated this way throughout his life is what really "twisted" him because he internalized the idea that being frail made him worthless.

gillian—the only person who loves him—used her semblance to share her aura with him, and as soon as she did that he "began to thrive." she set him free. every single adult in their lives regarded jax as a sort of parasite weighing her down, but gillian did not do this out of any sense of obligation; she was not coerced. his semblance literally does not even work on her. she loves him, and she wanted to help him, so she did.

she and her brother believe they are the rightful rulers of vacuo and lead an insurgency together with the intention of ridding vacuo of outsiders and the "weak" so as to usher in a return to the imagined good old days when vacuo was a powerful monarchy

and then, once she discovers that he's so fanatically committed to his cause that he would rather they both die than surrender, she betrays him to ensure their survival.

<- this is Ozma Behavior.

jax is in many ways a salem counterfactual (what if she was never alone? what if there was no tower, only complete physical dependence on one person and relentless scorn for her frailty from everyone else? what if ozpin's view of her now—as an egotistical manipulator who could sway the hearts of man with little more than a single touch—had been reality?) and obviously he and gillian being twins born in the desert does evoke the idea of, you know, rapunzel. i think the two of them together represent the idea of trauma passing down through generations—rapunzel's twins, and their dead mother whose name was luna, and the alleged bloodline traced back to malik the sunderer—the scars of history and family legacy are all over their story.

there's also. uh. the funniest thing i could possibly be right about. i have not known peace since this day. crochi amour my albatross. it haunts me. if i did hack the mainframe with this one, she's definitely an ozma repetition.

[cipher04]

House of the Dragon/Game of Thrones Roleplay (willing to double!)

Searching for partners to write Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon roleplays! I am 18+ and my partner must be 18+ as well. Here is some information about me:

Willing to write via tumblr or discord

Willing to double (any gender, any pairing, any character)

Prefers writing as dominant male characters

Reply schedule varies, but I am communicative about extended absence

Prefers writing in third-person

Stories will include nsfw/smut scene ideally

Fine with Dark themes!

I am looking for someone to play Alicent Hightower for me! I am willing to play anyone you want in return from either show - GoT or HotD and I will certainly give your preferred pairing the same, equal attention.

I would like to pair her with my male OC Targaryen.

Background/Plot Information: I am aware that the type of plot below is probably not very typical of the GoT world. I simply enjoy happy romances and I would love to create a story and an OC who gives Alicent exactly that. Additionally, this plot is very much an AU where some major events are changed, but it is still the HotD world we know and love! I attempted to bold some of the major differences from the roleplay and the show. There will still be plenty of drama and action too, I promise!

Jaenys Targaryen (my OC) is the second child and only son of King Viserys I Targaryen and Queen Aemma Arryn

He is born nearly 2 years after his sister, Rhaenyra

After Rhaenyra's birth, Aemma barely survives. Maesters determine that she is incapable of childbearing again. Despite trying, they have no luck. Thus, Viserys names Rhaenyra as his heir

Almost two years later, Aemma miraculously births Jaenys. She dies during childbirth, but the baby survives

Even though he is the only male descendant, Viserys refuses to go back on his word and insists that Rhaenyra will take the Iron Throne after he passes

This plotline allows a central conflict from the show to still exist in our roleplay: Many in King's Landing disagree with his decision, especially since he now has a male heir

It means our divide becomes Jaenys versus Rhaenyra instead of Aegon versus Rhaenyra as we know in the show

Raised in the Red Keep, he was groomed to inherit Dragonstone. Growing up, he was very close with Rhaenyra, and even when he became old enough to understand the political tensions, her being named heir honestly did not bother him

Along with being close to his sister, he developed an even closer friendship with Alicent Hightower

Their friendship blossomed into a romantic love. This was celebrated by King Viserys, who believed in their genuine affection

Behind the scenes, however, Otto Hightower began to scheme - seeing an opportunity to elevate Jaenys as a rival to Rhaenyra for the Iron Throne. He envisioned Alicent as Queen and Jaenys as the future king. Otto saw no reason why he would be removed as Hand in such a scenario, providing his family with a great deal of power and influence in Westeros. He believes that Jaenys' weak spot for his daughter can be exploited, that he can be malleable

Viserys grants the marriage between his son and Alicent instead of Viserys marrying Alicent. In this version, he remains unmarried (unless you have an idea for his second wife that would work better, then I'm all ears!)

When the King dies, Otto is the one beside him. He decides to lie to the small council and claim that during his dying breath, Viserys expressed regret for not naming his son as the heir, asking that Otto makes sure that Jaenys is coronated after all

Obviously, this is not what happened. However, so many already support the claim Jaenys has to the Throne that nobody questions it, and this serves as a catalyst for us to begin with events of the show!

Note: I am open to your ideas and thoughts on any changes that you might like to see!

Face claim: I love asking for my partner's preferred face claim. As with his Targaryen lineage, his hair would be a silver/blondish color, but the face can be whatever you please! If you're interested, please interact and I will reach out, or you can add me on discord at fandomfan0404.

[jeannereames]

weird question but what do you think Alexander would’ve thought of Machiavellian philosophy toward ruling? i feel like he employed some aspects of it throughout his life / career

A Machiavellian Alexander?

Because he didn’t write anything on the topic (that survives), it’s hard to know what Alexander’s theories on kingship/rule were, although I suspect he had theories, having been a student of Aristotle. Yet if some of the anecdotes about his days as a student can be believed, he resisted letting theory eat pragmatics—frustrating his teacher. (Although his teacher was more pragmatic than his teacher, Plato.) He purported to believe in what we might call “situational decision making.” As his time as the buck-stops person increased, he grew even more creative and less wedded to theoretical scaffolding. There was a lot of throwing ideas against a wall to see what stuck.

Although The Prince is Machiavelli’s best-known work, it’s actually atypical of his other writings. Dedicated to Lorenzo de’Medici, it was intended to teach rulers how to maintain power successfully. As such, it’s amoral (rather than immoral). A practical guide that divorced philosophic ethics from political theory. (To what degree he really believed it himself is, I understand, a point of contention.)

The Prince is the opposite of Plato—or Aristotle, for that matter. Rulers had been utilizing many of the ideas Machiavelli suggested, but nobody writing about politics advised them. Philosophers and political theorists had been trying to teach kings, tyrants, emperors, and other rulers to exercise power in moral ways, not amoral ones: Neo-Pythagorean idealized societies or Plato and his “philosopher king.” Stoics later went in one direction, Epicureans in another, and Neoplatonists in yet another, etc. That pattern would continue down into the medieval world. Until Machiavelli. (And even after him.)

To theorists, politics should be bound up with ethical thinking in order to create the best, most just society.

That’s the tradition Alexander was raised in, so I think he’d have been somewhere between offended and impressed by The Prince. He’d recognize the soundness of the advice, while being astonished anybody would set it down AS advice to be followed. I think he’d regard it as “last-ditch policy,” certainly when younger. Age and experience sanded down the idealism, but I don’t think it ever entirely sanded it off.

It’s hard to know just how devoted to philosophy Alexader actually was. This owes to the narrative programs inserted by later writers. For instance, Plutarch wanted to portray him as a “philosopher in armor.” I think most serious Alexander scholars these days dismiss that as a fictional portrait that served Plutarch’s moralizing and elevation of Hellenic culture during the Roman imperial period. But how much did the historical Alexander pursue philosophy? And did he do so for personal reasons (preference), or as a “show” to impress the Greeks (and is that division an artificial one, in itself)?

Some scholars, including Ernst Badian, Ian Worthington, and Peter Green would, I believe argue that he was pragmatic with little patience for philosophy unless it served his purposes: e.g., very The Prince-like. Others, including N.G.L. Hammond and Robin Lane Fox would rather see him in more Plutarchian terms. Yet others, such as Sabine Müller and Yossi Roismann, would regard him as a gifted statesman and diplomat, but not somebody marching around with his head in the clouds. I probably come closer to that latter view.

Yet I do think we need to take more seriously than we sometimes do the fact that he was Aristotle’s student. If he did not adopt some of Aristotle’s specific views on, say, non-Greeks, he would still have been a different sort of (Macedonian) king as a result of his education, probably more inclined to think about what he was doing in terms of political theory. If you wanted to put it in modern terms, we might regard him as a “first-generation college student.” Ha. And an enthusiastic one, not simply someone there to get a degree in pursuit of a higher-paying job. By all accounts, he appears to have been a deep-thinker—as was his father, albeit without the formal training. Philip worked out a lot of things about successful rule on his own…then made sure his son was given the proper educational scaffolding to make him even better at it.

So, while we may not have a good idea of Alexander’s personal political philosophies, and if—as he aged—he appears to have grown more cynical, I think it would be a mistake to see him as intentionally amoral in approach. He wanted to be, and saw himself as, a “good” (i.e., just) king. When he did “bad” (immoral or cruel) things, he would have blamed situational necessity.

In that, he’s like most people. By-in-large, when the average person behaves badly, they don’t see themselves as “bad” people, but as people who want to be good stuck between a rock and a hard place. “The devil/[circumstance] made me do it.” Alexander was no different.

[loving-jack-kelly]

I love Jack Kelly so much and so I adore your posts. so curious on how you feel about some in the fandom treating Jack like a villain because of his ‘betrayal’ and don’t think his reasoning is ‘good enough’? it irritates me to no end because they have no idea who Jack is.

oh anon this is one of my favorite things to talk about how did you know?

the thing is. this is addressed specifically in the show. So Jack, an escaped "criminal" and homeless orphan who is also the leader/protector of a gang of other homeless orphans, gets put in an impossible position. "cowboy or convict [Pulitzer] wins either way." he has two options when he chooses to "betray" the strike:

option one: take the money, do his best to stop the strike from continuing, and run away from the only home he's ever known to a dream he knows probably won't ever be reality (and let's be real here, Jack is a dreamer but he isn't stupid. he knows that Sante Fe will never be all it is in his head but he clings to that hope because he's idealistic, knowing full well it's not gonna work the way he wishes it would if he ever does make it out). taking option one means breaking the trust of the people he's looking out for, but it also means they're safe. the strike is over, they stop getting beat up, they still have work and therefore won't starve.

option two: refuse the money, let Snyder take him to the Refuge, and let the strike continue knowing full well that Pulitzer can and will ensure that all of the people he cares about are locked up, too. including Davey and Les, who have so much more to lose comparatively because they're not homeless orphans, they have a home and a family. Pulizter is directly threatening all of the people Jack loves, and Jack knows he'll make good on it, and Jack knows how bad the Refuge is.

so for Jack, this boils down to a simple choice: protect them, or let them get hurt. and for Jack, that's a non-choice

everything that Jack does is filtered through this lens of selflessness that borders on self-destruction. the end justifies the means as long as the end is that everyone he loves is safe and cared for. he will provoke a fight with the delanceys if it means nobody else gets hit. he will let all of them think he's betraying them if it means they're safe. who cares if they hate him as long as they're alive and out of the Refuge?

you can see it in that scene. he comes in confident and guns blazing, and doesn't change his mind at all until Pulitzer brings the other newsies into it. he doesn't care if he gets hurt. he knows that a strike is dangerous, and as long as Pulizter is focused on him, who cares? he's fighting for the most important thing in the world, his kids. but when Pulizter is threatening his kids, and the choice is lose them or let them get hurt. well. who cares if he's happy, as long as they're safe? who cares if Santa Fe has always been a pipe dream that he had no real intention of following, he'll survive. he'll be fine. they'll be fine. and that's what matters.

and listen. if jack had really intended on running to Santa Fe, he would have already done it. why didn't he hop a train? why is he so insistent on paying for a ticket? to me, it screams more of that idealism. will he ever realistically be able to save enough to get there? no. and that's part of the comfort of the dream: as long as it isn't real, it can't disappoint him (just be real is all I'm asking, not some painting in my head, 'cause I'm dead if I can't count on you today. I got nothing if I ain't got Santa Fe. how much more scared of Santa Fe disappointing him than staying here is he? i bet a lot. he needs the dream to be perfect).

but of course he chooses to protect his kids because that's what he does. that's what he's always done. that's why he's their leader. he refuses to let them get left behind, he refuses to see them hurt, and he will let them think the worst of him if it means at least they're safe.

on the rooftop, katherine says "I need to know you didn't cave for the money" and Jack says no almost dismissively because of course he didn't. obviously he didn't. Jack who tried to refuse payment from Medda because why should somebody who cares for him need to pay him? Jack who drops two bits, half a day's profit, on somebody he just met? Jack who only started this whole thing in the first place because he knows how bad it will be for the kids who don't move as many papers as him? please. why would he cave for the money? and Katherine was there, she heard Pulitzer threaten the other kids, she should know this.

and then at the end. the strike settled, jack should probably be hitting the road, right? because how could they want him to stay, now that he's betrayed them? except he didn't, and they know he didn't, now that they know what happened. he didn't do it for the money, and he never would have. he only did it because it was the only way he could protect everyone.

[grayintogreen]

ROSEVERSE OST VOLUME ONE

Contains the inspo tracks for the first three fics in Roseverse. Also has liner notes under the cut because I have to explain some of these.

One Good Reason- Eric Stuart Band This is basically the song that inspired the things you hold most dear may not survive another day and kinda remains the main theme for Huskerdust in this first part of the series.

The River Won’t Flow- Songs for a New World So some of the songs on this playlist are not necessarily here because they fit moments, but because in my undying dedication to canon accuracy as close as I can manage, there’s moments where I’m like “SONG GOES HERE.” And in lieu of writing my own (because I can’t), I just flailed around until I found a song that fit the “vibe.” In this instance, this specific vibe this song offers suits a song about Lucifer reacting to the suggestion of sealing his powers and how this will showcase his humility (while hinting that he is EXTREMELY HUMBLED BY EVERYTHING).

Nobody’s Side- Scott Coulter I have so many covers of “Nobody’s Side” and not a damn one of them really fit the vibe I wanted here, so I just dropped the least offensive option. In an ideal world, a technoswing version of “Nobody’s Side” would be sung when Husk confronts Alastor about being Angel’s bodyguard.

Brave Face- Delta Goodrem Just a cute little song for the Chaggie moment in Chapter One.

Lithium- Nirvana I was going through a playlist of songs with sick guitar riffs and just was like “Yeah, Adam in the middle of a rage depression playing Nirvana on his guitar is fully what I wanted from that scene.”

Comfort Eagle- Cake This is simultaneously the perfect song to be playing in the background for the Adam and the Vees confrontation, but also god I want a musical number between Adam and Vox that is basically Comfort Eagle But Broadway.

The Fool- Ryn Carver Angel and Husk’s conversation as they leave the hotel in Chapter Two.

Kiss Quick- Matt Nathanson More Huskerdust pining, but now they’re at the porn studio.

VBS- Lucy Dacus Vaggie and Lucifer’s conversation in Chapter Two.

A Good Man Is Hard To Find- Bessie Smith Alastor at the end of Chapter Two in Eve’s domain.

Bottom of the River- Delta Rae Alastor’s flashback.

Hell on Heels- Pistol Annies Meet Eve! She’s awful!

The Lamb- Dessa Husk and Alastor’s conversation in the radio tower.

The Judgment- Elvis Costello Husk stands up for Angel.

Don’t Say Yes Until I Finish Talking- Christian Borle and the cast of Smash Another one of the “I just want a song here and can’t write one.” This song is actually specifically invoked in the prose even. In an ideal world, a song with this exact rhythm and sentiment would be performed by Vox (and occasionally Val trying to get a word in edgewise) during the confrontation at the studio. Bonus points for being sung by Vox’s VA.

Doing the Best That I Can (Escape From Berlin)- Stevie Nicks Husk and Angel’s “not-a-date.”

You Are the Problem Here- First Aid Kit Eve and Adam at the end of Chapter Three

The Rhythm of Life- Sweet Charity ONCE MORE WITH FEELING. This song does not fit the moment, but it’s the specific energy I want from a Vaggie and Angel number about her training him to take charge in the escape room.

We Both Reached For the Gun- Chicago Honest to God, the Radio Duel between Lucifer and Alastor is supposed to be this, but I could not write it out in the way I wanted without being obnoxious, but trust me that is what it’s supposed to look like.

Secondary Characters- title of show Bonus track of Chance and Diana realizing they’re the main characters while Husk and Angel are trapped in the closet.

Work Your Way Out- Ani DiFranco If you want to give yourself heart palpitations, listen to this song while reading the scene of Husk and Angel in the closet. It’s great.

All For Believing- Missy Higgins More Husk and Angel pining at the end of Chapter Four.

Feeling Good- Nina Simone Casino Demon theme.

A Tisket, a Tasket- Ella Fitzgerald On the Sunny Side of the Street- Ted Lewis Wishing (Will Make It So)- Vera Lynn

These are the three songs playing when Husk visits Al in his room, chosen for specific reasons. The first is for dissonance since it’s a silly little song that starts us off on something that is meant to be intimidating and creepy. The second- also for dissonance- is a friendly, cheerful song to play over the tension of Husk and Al’s conversation. The final song is indicative of Husk’s mental state.

Shape of My Heart- Josh Groban, Leslie Odom, Jr. In my head the Huskerdust sex scene would turn into a more reserved fantasy as the two of them distance themselves from the fact that they are, you know, on camera by singing a duet. Honestly, this song works almost perfectly for it with the card motifs without having to just hold it up for vibes.

Gunning Down Romance- Savage Garden SONGS FOR HUSK RUINING EVERYTHING.

Two Evils- Bastille My DM once played me this song at a pivotal moment in the narrative we were running and it’s stayed with me ever since. It’s got the perfect ambiance for Alastor and Husk’s conversation at the diner.

This is Gonna Hurt- Sixx AM Angel in the limo at the end of Chapter Five.

End of the World News- Tom McRae I imagine this song playing over a montage of scenes at the top of Chapter Six in the aftermath of Angel’s defection.

Capital G- Nine Inch Nails Adam’s broadcast.

Don’t Scare Me Papa (Axeman’s Rag)- Squirrel Nut Zippers Song specifically invoked by Alastor because he’s a nerd.

Holding Out For a Hero- Bonnie Tyler SIEGE OF VEE TOWER LET’S GO.

Wreck- Mieka Pauley Eve at the end of Chapter Six.

Candleburn- Dishwalla Lucifer at the top of Chapter Seven. Everyone cry.

Someone to Fall Back On- Jason Robert Brown Husk and Angel, the morning after.

Eat Them Apples- Suzi Wu Jez, who is absolutely NOT Eve, even though her theme seems to have so much Eve related imagery. Cannot imagine that’s relevant.

bury a friend- Pomplamoose Alastor gets his shit dragged out in front of everyone and Charlie gets her feelings hurt. (Thanks Eve.)

Secret- Denmark + Winter Vaggie and the gang at the diner learning all the Unfortunate Things.

Sabbath Incantation- Thom Yorke Charlie and Jez and the seal.

Case of the Ex- Mya Eve’s ascension and Adam’s death.

Walk Through the Fire- BtVS Cast This is my “Charlie drags herself out of the ruins of her dream” song as the gang prepares to face Eve. Obviously it’s not beat for beat perfect, BUT IT’S THE VIBE.

Nothing Left to Lose- Jeremy Jordan, Eden Espinosa This on the other hand… Listen, I wrote that conversation between Lucifer and Eve with this song in mind. In my heart, it’s being sung between them in that moment, only with slightly different lyrics.

I Didn’t Know I’d Love You So Much- Repo! The Genetic Opera See above. Literally wrote Charlie and Lucifer after Lucifer gets STABBED with this song in mind.

No Return- Craig Wedron, Aanna Waronker EVE FIGHT TO THE TUNE OF THE TOXIC FEMININITY THEME.

Wings- Birdy Charlie’s ascension + the power of love.

Forget About the Blame (Moon Version)- Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Lzzy Hale Lilith returns.

Last Exit to Eden- Amanda Marshall Aftermath, which does include Alastor eating Eve so that’s fun.

You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive- Kathy Mattea Six months later. I went through so many damn covers of this song for one that fit.

We’ll Meet Again- Vera Lynn And here we are in red, red roses and dead things. This is the Vera Lynn song Al plays for Charlie as he’s giving her the tour.

Weeping (w/ Ladysmith Black Mamba)- Josh Groban Lucifer trying to help and FAILING.

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden- Lynn Anderson Or “lyrical dissonance my beloved.”

Fingerbreaker- Jelly Roll Morton The Chicago Strut- Jelly Roll Morton, Gregory Hines, Keith David The two songs that Husk and Al perform while getting sloshed. I don’t think the second one has a sax in it at all but I’m Bad At Music. It does have Keith David though!