#is based on a misunderstanding of the differences

[maddy-acolyte]

Core Points of the Argument:

1. Gender is inherent and physiologically present from birth:

• The author claims that scientific studies show brain structure differences in trans individuals that correlate with their gender identity. They use this to argue that gender is innate and immutable.

2. Xenogenders lack biological grounding:

• Xenogenders like “sherlockgender” or “suicidegender” are criticized as constructed labels rather than inherently existing identities tied to biology.

3. Respecting gender involves respecting biological realities:

• The argument implies that assigning oneself a gender label without a biological or innate basis undermines the validity of more “legitimate” genders (e.g., trans womanhood).

4. Concern about trivializing gender identity:

• The author expresses discomfort with the idea that gender labels can be used in a playful or accessory-like manner, suggesting this devalues the experiences of those with inherent, socially recognized gender identities.

Analysis:

1. Biological Essentialism:

• The argument relies on a biologically deterministic view of gender, which is flawed for several reasons:

• Brain scan studies on trans individuals are not conclusive and are often criticized for being oversimplified or overinterpreted. Differences in brain structure do not directly map onto gender identity.

• Gender identity is complex, involving biological, psychological, and social dimensions. Reducing it to brain scans ignores this nuance.

2. Invalidation of Self-Identified Genders:

• By setting up a hierarchy of legitimacy (based on “innate” vs. “constructed” gender), the argument dismisses the validity of xenogenders, which often emerge as a way to describe gender experiences outside traditional norms. This invalidation is exclusionary and dismissive of the diversity of gender experiences.

3. Misrepresentation of Xenogenders:

• Xenogenders are not necessarily about biological innateness; they often function as metaphors or ways to describe personal experiences with gender that don’t fit into binary or even traditional nonbinary categories. The criticism of “sherlockgender” as frivolous may stem from misunderstanding their purpose.

4. Gatekeeping Language:

• The author seems to gatekeep what counts as “real” gender based on their interpretation of science. This risks aligning with conservative arguments that invalidate trans identities using the same essentialist reasoning.

5. Hypocrisy in Respecting Identity:

• While the author argues for respecting trans identities due to their supposed biological basis, they fail to extend the same respect to those who conceptualize their gender differently. This creates a double standard.

Broader Implications:

The underlying biological essentialism is harmful because it reduces all gender identities to their biological correlates, which can be weaponized against anyone who does not “fit” into measurable categories. It risks excluding trans people who don’t align with the findings of brain studies, reinforcing cisnormative frameworks. Moreover, it dismisses the validity of identities like xenogenders, which challenge traditional gender frameworks and expand our understanding of gender beyond strict binaries or biologically determined roles.

This argument appears to attempt respectability politics—positioning “science-backed” genders as more valid than others—to appeal to mainstream norms, which is counterproductive to broader queer liberation.

i love xenogenders because they reveal how arbitrary gender symbolism already is.

we can say ‘my gender is space, cool rocks, and curiosity.’ 👽

is that any more strange than saying, ‘femininity is empathy, flowers, and the color pink’? 🌸

gender is what we make of it, whether practical, picturesque, poetry or prose <3 💖

[ID: the above text in a facebook post by MC Perrin, along with a symbol-less version of the xenogender flag: stripes in dark pink, salmon, pale orange, pale yellow, blue, lavender, and magenta. /end ID]

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

Jan 24th

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1. Any fics that have wwx coming back and lwj is the lan sect leader?

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2. hii itmf a fic where there is acknowledgment or focus of the fact that mxy's body is smaller/younger than wwx's original would've been! same idea as All Technicalities by DummyDiplodocus like an outsider pov of it like jc or the juniors. or lwj noticing it! doesn't necessarily have to be the focus btw just like it's there. tysm!!!! :)

a tide in two seas by occultings (microcomets) (E, 80k, WangXian, Modern AU, Parallel Universes, Modern with Magic, Post-Canon, Getting Together, Mutual Pining, Established Relationship, Mild Horror, Case Fic, mildly sci-fi, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, First Time, Loss of Virginity, Married Couple, Love Confessions)

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3. I'm in the mood for wangxian fics where lan zhan is struggling to come to terms with his love of pretty clothing and femininity/or some repressed gayness/internalized homophobia. Explicit fics generally preferred but I'm not picky. Thank you!! @pussyaside

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4. Are there any wangxian fic where nobody believes they are married it could be modern setting or any anything else

Marital Claims by yeolinski (M, 5k, WangXian, Lawyers, Established Relationship, Marriage, Married Life, Accidental Marriage, the juniors are interns, nobody believes they're married basically)

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5. Hello! ITMF Fics set pre-Sunshot Campaign where it is just the teenage characters being young, dumb, and having fun. It could be the Cloud Recesses study arc or an au teen arc. Bonus points if Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, and Nie Huaisang are besties and dealing with teen crushes (LWJ). I just want something light and fluffy where all the characters are happy, please! Thank you so much!

🔒 The Golden Cutsleeve by syrus_jones (E, 77k, WangXian, Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff and Crack, Humor, Aged-Up Character(s), WWX POV, WWX is a gremlin, Internally Screaming LWJ, No Sunshot Campaign, First Times, Accidental Sex, Masturbation, PWP, Porn with Feelings, WWX experimenting with things he shouldn’t like always, Happy Ending, Porn With Plot)

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6. Hello! 👋 for the next itmf id like a fanfic in which lwj is talkative with wwx, but ONLY with wwx. Or, if that’s too specific, a fic that shows the difference between how lwj behaves with other people and how he behaves with his Wei Ying.

Thankssss :D

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7. Hi! ITMF some 5+1 fics

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8. Hi! For ITMF, I am looking for well-written fics where WWX goes through qi deviation (I've read Twelve Moons and a Fortnight). Thanks! @kesterling

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9. Hello! Have you got any pre canon fics as in after Wei wuxian's death, lan wangji's grief(ofc one need not ask for that specifically it'd always be in a fic) and his relationship with lil A-yuan(and other lan disciples) Ik it's not totally wangxian so perhaps I shouldn't ask for it, but I don't know where else to ask and I couldn't find anything myself. I wanted to read it cause the way juniors admire him in the main book, it's so heartwarming and enough to show how good lan wangji was with them. So yeah if you've got anything...

❤️ To be of use by Erisette (Not Rated, 53k, WangXian, Found Family, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Father-Son Relationship, Missing Scene, Good Teacher LWJ, LSZ is an angel, LJY is the best of brats, Cloud Recesses, Seclusion Lite(TM), Everyone under 20 at Cloud Recesses worships Hanguang-jun, Fluff, Hanguang-jun is the coolest, Worldbuilding, this is not sad tho even though it's set in the time jump, the fluff-to-sads ratio is v high, Mojo’s post) This is one of my favourite fics

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10. Thanks so much for all your amazing work!! For the next itmf, can I have some delicious angst with a happy ending based on misunderstanding. I just really love the docs where lwj reads wwx all wrong and is a jerk and then realizes the error of his ways. Especially if he isn't so subtle about his opinions and disdain. I just require a happy ending. Also not a fan of wwx forgiving too easily. He deserves to have lwj grovel or suffer a little, too.

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11. Heyo, are there any Wangxian fics where its actor Au? Like the who mdzs plot is actually a show and the actors are all friends/couples or actor au where they act in stuff and its really dramatic and Wangxian is also dramatic? Please and thank you and I hope you have a nice day or night😁 @yasssbassss

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12. Hello, could you please help me find fics where WY is ashamed of his scarred and malnourished body during cloud recess period or in modern au (where no lost core or war happened, only Jiang family)

Thank you!

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13. Do you have any Lan Xichen focused fics without xiyao? :) <3

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14. Hi I was the confused newbee i think im doing this right 🙈. I have a kink for fics with wei ying's frist time with a guy is Lan Zhan. Could you plz help me find some long fics like this. I don't have any other preference in what the fic is about it can be a fix it/retelling/time travel etc any thing will do as long as Lan Zhan is his first male partner.

I hope i did this right🙈🙈🙈😳 @wangxianbff

a tide in two seas by occultings (microcomets) (E, 80k, WangXian, Modern AU, Parallel Universes, Modern with Magic, Post-Canon, Getting Together, Mutual Pining, Established Relationship, Mild Horror, Case Fic, mildly sci-fi, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, First Time, Loss of Virginity, Married Couple, Love Confessions) link in #2

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15. Hi! I’m in the mood for WWX and JC not going to back to Lotus Pier while occupied by Wen. JC doesn’t lose his core. WWX doesn’t get forced into an alternative cultivation method. Any ideas? @hairybeardtongue

Wei Ying & Jiang Cheng don't return to Lotus Pier in these because Jiang Cheng injuries Wei Ying so I'm not sure if these fit really: 🔒 Bright Voice Roughly Rendered Softly Silent by Preludian_Staves (T, 26k, WangXian, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Divergence, No Golden Core Transfer, Muteness, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Not JC Friendly, Confessions, Angst, Choking, Red String of Fate, Appearances by Paperman WWX, Inventor WWX, Good Uncle LQR, WWX Goes to Cloud Recesses, Feelings Realization, Caretaking, Supportive Lan Family, Genius WWX, Angst with a Happy Ending, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Protective LWJ, Protective Lan Family, Character Death (not wwx or lwj)

Obscuring the Sun by Karmiya (E, 24k, WIP, WangXian, WWX & WN, the sunshot campaign, Past Domestic Abuse)

The River Brought You Here by ChilianXianzi (Not Rated, 11k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, POV Outsider, Amnesia, not JC friendly, Past abuse, Strangulation, Found Family)

Lay my body down by tawaen (M, 48k, WWX & WQ, WWX & WN, wangxian, WWX & JYL, Canon Divergence, Time Travel, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Eventual WangXian, No Golden Core Transfer, Not Cultivation World Friendly, Canon-Typical Violence, Not JC Friendly, What if WWX saw the first siege of the burial mounds and said Nope to the war, OCs, OC point-of-view for one chapter for plot reasons) Jiang Cheng returns to LP on his own in this one and is imprisoned by the Wens but doesn't lose his core

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16. Hello! ITMF Wei Wuxian cultivating a new golden core? Not modern, please. Thanks everyone!

💙🔒Away from Trouble by Ilona22 (M, 15k, WangXian, Not JC Friendly, WangXian Get a Happy Ending)

Discarded by teawater (E, 187k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Dying Lan children, Hurt/Comfort, YL WWX, Golden Core Reveal, Case Fic, Depression, Family Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Worth Issues, Angst with a Happy Ending, and it’s not always dark, POV Multiple, BAMF WWX, dubious morals in the Lan sect Feels, Pining, Grief, Fix-It, BAMF LWJ)

Overcome by thunderwear (E, 7k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, First Time, First Kiss, Feelings Realization, Love Confessions, Marriage Proposal, Idiots in Love, Fix-It)

Practical Considerations by teawater, the_anthropologist (E, 97k, WangXian, JC & WWX, LXC & WWX, LQR & WWX, Arranged Marriage, Canon Divergence, Found Family, Spouses to Lovers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Politics, Scheming, Lán Elders are assholes, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, eventually BAMF LXC, learning to make decisions, Learning Self-worth, Self-Esteem Issues, Sweet Wangxian, Domestic Fluff, Fix-It, JC is a big asshole, he improves somewhat but it's open-ended, WWX learns to stand up for himself, POV WWX, POV LWJ, POV JC, Golden Core Reveal, Teacher WWX, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, Alcohol as a Coping Mechanism, Past Suicidal Thoughts, Post-Sunshot Campaign, WWX Protection Squad, Feelings Realization, WWX protector of the twin jades, Protective LWJ, Protective WWX, Protective LQR, Demonic Cultivator WWX, WWX is Loved, Married WangXIan, Genius WWX, Everybody Lives)

Sunder by naqaashi (E, 32k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Soulmates, Golden Core Reveal, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, WWX Has a New Golden Core, Heavy Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Denial of Feelings, Mutual Pining, Emotional Sex, Porn with Feelings, PWP, Light BDSM, Fix-It, POV LWJ, YLLZ WWX, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Top/Bottom Versatile | Switch WangXian, Light Dom/sub, Explicit Sexual Content, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Grief/Mourning, Five Stages of Grief, Suicidal Thoughts)

the breaking of your soul (upon my lips) by sunsandships (M, 40k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Mutual Pining, Golden Core Reveal, Happy Ending)

The Core Issue by Hauntcats (T, 21k, WangXian, Angst with a Happy Ending, Not JC Friendly, Canon Divergence)

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17. Hello! Im in the mood for A/B/O mating run fics either Lan wangji or Wei wuxian are the alphas thankyou! @lunamooonn

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If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[luanna801]

Despite me joking about Lan Xichen not reading the room re: NMJ and JGY, I actually disagree with the idea that the Sworn Brotherhood was inherently a terrible idea and he should have known it would make things worse. I think it's a classic case where because we as the audience know how it turns out, that outcome seems like an inevitability and the characters end up being called dumb for not predicting it. But I think with the information Lan Xichen had at the time, it wasn't unreasonable for him to think this might work and was at least worth trying.

And I think in a different story, this is the kind of idea that could easily have worked and led to a heartwarming story about redemption and healed relationships. MDZS is just sadly not that story, at least for these characters, but as always fictional characters don't know what story they're living in and can't be expected to predict the future. All they can do is act based on the information available to them, and I would argue Lan Xichen didn't really have enough information to predict how this would turn out:

(1) At this point, the only time Nie Mingjue has tried to kill Jin Guangyao is when he mistakenly thought JGY had actually betrayed them and defected to the Wen side. Once the truth was cleared up, NMJ is still furious but backs down from trying to kill him. (JGY, meanwhile, has made no attempts to kill or even harm NMJ yet, and in fact actually saved his life.)

From Lan Xichen's perspective, he has every reason to think this incident was just an anomaly based on a very extreme situation where NMJ was acting on faulty information. He has no reason to think Nie Mingjue would try to kill Jin Guangyao again, or vice versa, so as far as he knows the worst case scenario for the sworn brotherhood is just... that it won't go great. That maybe they'll never really get along again, but they'll still collaborate politically for the sake of the Sworn Brotherhood, and there will be no real harm done that they tried. There isn't really a way he could have predicted things would escalate to them trying to kill each other.

(2) Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao used to not just tolerate each other but get along/work together EXCEPTIONALLY well, and Lan Xichen saw them during that time. He also knows they're both pretty closed-off people who canonically don't have a lot of friends and are hurt by the way things fell apart. It makes total sense for him to think they might be able to get back to how things used to be if they just got a chance to clear up misunderstandings and be reminded of the things they used to like about each other. And it makes sense that as someone who cares about them both he would want that for them.

(3) Lan Xichen sees both Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao as fundamentally good people. We can argue that he's mistaken in one or both of those evaluations, but based on what he knows, and indeed what they're respectively actually guilty of at that time, I don't think it's unreasonable for him to think so.

Most of JGY's worst actions are still in the future at this point. His only real crime (other than the things he did undercover, which LXC doesn't condemn) is killing the captain, which is an ambiguous enough situation that it makes sense for Lan Xichen to not consider it conclusive. Especially when weighed against what for LXC is far more substantial proof of JGY's goodness, like JGY having saved his own life when he was on the run, his time loyally and effectively serving NMJ, his incredibly brave and critical contributions to the war effort, etc.

Likewise, Nie Mingjue has yet to start acting as violent and unhinged as he later will on account of the saber spirit. While he's gotten angry, it was typically in rational ways that are largely proportional to the situation. He isn't doing anything comparable to the way he later flies off the handle at both Jin Guangyao and Nie Huaisang in largely irrational ways.

(We could argue that LXC should have known that he'd eventually end up there because of how saber cultivation works, but considering even Nie Huaisang apparently didn't know about it, I don't know that a member of another clan would have that kind of in-depth knowledge of the effects of Nie saber-wielding. LXC presumably knows the basic idea, but that doesn't necessarily mean he knows the specifics or how bad it can get.)

Therefore, from LXC's perspective these are two fundamentally kind, good people who all other things being equal should be able to work things out. And on the whole, he has far more evidence backing that up than contradicting it at this point in time.

[melliae]

Hong Lu, An Analysis-Prediction

Before beginning, as always, I've to clarify something: I haven't read Dream of the Red Chamber. My best source of information are the thematic connections drawn in the Reddit sub of Limbus, and that only gives me a slight idea of what Project Moon may have in mind.

So, everything below here is complete and utter speculation based on my own knowledge and impressions about Hong Lu's character, Sins, EGOS, and Abnormalities. Beware, and feel free to comment your own opinions!

Now, let's go with the post!

What We Know

So, I think the best way to start this analysis is by recapitulating Hong Lu’s overall character so far. For that, we need to return to the first ever explanation of his personality: the “resume” given in the game page and during his presentation in Selva Oscura.

“As such, he has a certain admiration for a free life; but occasionally, he may make ignorant and unsavory questions in regards to the food cooked by a certain other Sinner or other aspects of the low-lives' lowly culture. [,,,] However, it is important to note that no sarcastic undertones are contained in his curiosity-driven inquiries, so it is ill-advised to let them get physical over it.”

As a general thing… It surprisingly holds up! Don’t misunderstand me, though. It isn’t that the description is perfect; it’s just not untrue. In fact, his first even line in the game, about Dante’s head being some sort of trend and not waiting for an answer, totally falls there. Similarly, there are several other moments showing Hong Lu’s innocence and naivety without any ulterior or hidden motive, from wondering if the casino workers of Canto II were trying to make the Peccatula their pets (likely because his grandmother collects weird animals) to unintentionally insulting Outis’ watch in Canto VI. I’d say the biggest proof of his lack of experience is the moment in Canto V where he adjusted the LCCB badge of a pirate that very obviously wasn’t a member of Limbus. Though all of his weirdness may derive from the fact that his elders—which are weird as hell—are his point of reference.

Now, since his most notable trait has been explained, we can move into the discrepancies of the description, and the biggest one is mentioned at the end: that under Hong Lu's comments there is no sarcasm—which is a complete lie! This man is a menace, and the Sinner’s experiences in District 20 during To Claim Their Bones and Canto VI shows it, from agreeing Caiman’s assessment of LCB to joining Nelly’s teasing, including his lines while helping Heathcliff with his appearance and clothes. But arguably, my favorite example of this is the horror story he told during Canto V that scared Sinclair and which he only finished when the latter ran away. Don't tell me Hong Lu was being innocently insensitive back there: Sinclair was visibly shitting bricks, and the pretty boy here is keen enough to masterfully play the most compassionate and kind member of the League of Nine.

“Brother Young-ji was a man of kindness. He was not one to rashly harbor spite or reproach for others. You resemble him in that sense.” - Yi Sang, Blossoming League of Nine Littérateurs, Canto IV.

Though I suppose the difference between them is that Hong Lu clearly has a more optimistic and fun-loving attitude. This is an obvious trait that he has had since his childhood, when he played with and complained about his “cheating” siblings, sneaked into the dining hall of his manor for snacks, and simply didn’t follow his family’s rules. But since we know his family is extremely strict (if not outright sadistic), this sanguine streak may have developed (or gotten worse) as some sort of defense mechanism, which is seen better with Wakashu Hong Lu and his “lack of manners.” In fact, all of his Identities show an unnatural or improper calmness about his situation, no matter how horrible it is.

Another thing to highlight is his inquisitive, curious, and surprisingly understanding nature. While most of the examples above, especially him playing Young-ji, are proof of that, as it plays very well with his sheltered life. But I want to point out the best and most recent example of Hong Lu’s surprising contemplativeness: Time Killing Time. In particular, the most important scene is near the end, when Rodya and Hong Lu discuss his motivation to pursue the Time Reaper:

“I... just wanted to understand. Because, to me, the world was full of things I couldn't understand. In truth, I still understand so little of it. Why do people hang on so desperately to something like time? Something so... ephemeral?” - Hong Lu, Chapter 15: The Final Problem.

It’s normal to assume Hong Lu’s words are solely referring to the miserable monetary system of T Corp., but I don't think that’s all. We know that Hong Lu and Xinchun are well acquainted with the “immortality of the mind” the elders of their family are obsessed with, and what is immortality but infinite time? Thus, what Hong Lu asked there was why people hang on to the erroneous belief that life should not move or change, remaining constant and hence perfect for the rest of eternity. Yet, that isn’t what life truly is, right? It’s not for nothing that Hong Lu’s introductory quote is that “life has its vicissitudes as jade has its flaws,” which conveys his philosophy of detachment perfectly.

“When you’re distraught, simply remember that life goes on even if what you’re doing now doesn’t work out. Then, you’ll be free of worries.” - LCB Hong Lu

However, while the idea of detaching oneself from the whole without renouncing loving it is respectable, the way in which Hong Lu lives it is far from perfect, because detachment is not about carefreely admitting you will just simply gather the remains of your sister in case she is mutilated or readily accepting a horrible death just because you don’t mind dying. Even he himself admits from time to time, as with his jealousy over Heathcliff’s propensity to “ignore what he doesn’t like” (Rooms Past the Door) or Rim’s capacity to fly freely. In fact, one may even say that he hasn’t become detached at all, because doing so implies the complete acceptance of the “jade’s” beauty and flaws; Hong Lu, however…

“A thousand hours… Will a thousand hours have passed in the blink of an eye? [...] Then... I like that. Rip my time away.” - Hong Lu, Chapter 14: The Clock Tower of Fear, TimeKilling Time.

He has become detached from life altogether, and how could he not with the disaster that his family is? That likely was his only way to survive in such an environment, and unlike the rest of the Jia, he doesn’t seem to have that lucky predisposition for resentment and hatred. Even when his siblings tried to kill him the first time, Hong Lu didn’t come to hate them; he fully understood them because that’s the kind of person he is, just like Young-ji. However, since he realized such a thing through his big heart, he’s now fully aware that he will ultimately and cruelly die by their hands thanks to his love. In such a case, what other option does he have beyond merely “dancing”? A joke here, a sarcastic comment there, and a final appreciation for everyone so nothing is taken seriously and causes dissatisfaction, no matter how dim his eye becomes.

So, as of the 5th Walpurgisnacht, Hong Lu’s character can be summarized as follows:

Has a friendly, compassionate, and understanding personality that clashes against the violent and strict nature of his family.

Became detached over his own life because he can’t bring himself to hate and hurt his family.

His carefree attitude and sheltered life lead him to not understand some of the social conventions of… anyone who still has some respect for their own life.

Has a certain sarcastic and teasing streak, likely originating from both his personality and ideology.

There’s 1 aspect remaining that I didn’t mention above because I think it’s better to analyze Hong Lu’s EGOs first, to see what else we can rescue before giving a sort of “conclusion.”

About EGOs

Before any of you ask, no, I will not analyze Land of Illusion here; it’s best reserved for the next section, about Hong Lu Base ID. Instead, the first EGO I’ll deal with is, fittingly, the first one he ever received: Roseate Desire.

Roseate Desire originates from Pink Shoes, an Abnormality that evidently is an Aberration of Lobotomy Corp.’s Red Shoes, with their shared meaning being that of a single-minded and very violent obsession that’s impossible to resist—one of the purest expressions of Lust. But while Red Shoes and its EGO are fundamentally egoistic, not wanting to share the glory and pleasure of their desire’s fulfillment, Pink Shoes and Roseate Desire are of a softer shade, spreading their overwhelming lust to as many people as possible. The difference becomes clearer when you compare Rodya’s and Ishmael’s respective obsessions: the longing to be special vs. the desire to kill the “source of all evil” in retribution for all she has done.

Applying the former logic to Hong Lu, we can conclude first that he has a desire as strong as Ishmael’s hatred for Ahab, which is quite unexpected for someone who has basically given up on life! Thankfully, the Sin resources his version of Roseate Desire costs tell us a couple of things about his “fixation”: 4 Lust and 2 Envy. The dominance of Lust is self-explanatory, so that leaves us with Envy, which I commented on in the previous section: jealousy over those who can ignore and escape their problems—those who are “free.” Yet, since Roseate Desire and Pink Shoes are characterized by a sort of collective hedonism, so is Hong Lu’s wish to escape his family. Surely such a thing will bring joy to his cut-throat siblings.

And speaking about escapism, Hong Lu’s next two EGOs are all about that, beginning with the one whose Abnormality I analyzed in one of my previous posts: Dimension Shredder.

While Wayward Passenger is an Abnormality that is clearly about the trauma inflicted by W Corp.’s method of operation, it has a secondary meaning that Project Moon uses for its EGO too: being trapped in a horrible duty, necessity, or “path” that makes the individual envious of the life and possibilities others hold. This is best seen with Outis’ Dimension Shredder due to the Envy affinity, though Hong Lu’s Pride version isn’t that far off thanks to the Sin costs: 3 Pride and 3 Gluttony. Basically, it means that Hong Lu is “lost” due to external necessity, by things he can’t control (i.e., his family), but instead of resenting it as any other person would do, he takes pride in that, in having to follow a “terrible path,” because that’s the type of person he knows he is—the kind and understanding one that sacrifices himself.

The second EGO about escapism originates from LobCorp and hence from an Abnormality I haven’t analyzed: Soda and Opened Can of WellCheers, respectively. The two come from a Korean urban legend about people being drugged through juice cans and sold to fishing boats as slaves. Needless to say, the parallels with Hong Lu’s Soda are more than obvious: an envy born from a necessity (Gluttony) that grimly (Gloom) pushed him into a role he doesn’t want. Alternatively, and considering the ending of the Abnormality’s story log in LC, it’s the fulfillment of a fantasy born of jealousy, sadness, and necessity, though that doesn’t explain the Envy affinity of the EGO. Either way, nobody can deny that Soda stands for Hong Lu’s “murdered” wish to flee his circumstances.

The next EGO luckily is from another Abnormality I analyzed some time ago: Ambling Pearl and Effervescent Corrosion. However, unlike Rodya, who keeps the Abnormality’s original meaning mostly intact (safekeeping the “pearl”/one’s meaning from the “filthy” outside), Hong Lu gives it a twist: it’s not about protecting his “life treasure,” but something else

“Faust: For instance, let’s say that Hong Lu held a belief he was certain would be an unchanging constant as he lived in the City. Or, it could be a hope for some other psychological sustainment that has supported his life. Hong Lu: …Hmm. Faust: If that support suddenly collapses in a massively shocking event that causes one to let their “ego” go, his mind would crumble, so to speak. Hong Lu: …Well, I could see that happening. [...] Hong Lu: Hm… I thought I knew, but I can’t seem to elaborate on it with words right now.” - Chapter 3: Hell’s Chicken, Hell’s Chicken.

Unlike Rodya’s desire to be special and her notorious inner conflict, which is reflected in how similar her Corrosion is to a broken Ambling Pearl, Hong Lu is much more secretive about his opinions, usually referring to his frivolous comments instead of using the great insight he has, according to Dante. Nonetheless, even if we don’t exactly know the “core belief” he holds close to his heart (though we should have a general idea at this point), we do know that his version of Effervescent Corrosion, beyond Gluttony or the desire to survive, requires Gloom. So whatever Hong Lu is hiding, it’s far from happy, as his Sin weaknesses further show after EGO usage: weak to Lust and Sloth, to love and inaction—to the idea of not protecting himself.

In a similar vein, Hong Lu’s next EGO is entirely about sadness, as it comes from Blubbering Toad, aka depression incarnated. However, Cavernous Wailing isn’t a Gloom EGO but a Sloth one, and whose Sin costs are Gloom, Sloth, and Pride. That’s to say, Hong Lu’s refusal to take action and the resulting self-pity (“A heart shaken by sorrow bursts… like this.”) are fed by his sadness, indolence, and distorted self-perception, an aggrandized mental image of himself as able to carry all his pain without problem.

“It goes like this. Any of our siblings who managed to survive on their own up to the age of thirteen in our household will probably be a-okay even if they were to be tossed out to the middle of the Outskirts! Hehe…” - Hong Lu, Chapter 20, Canto VII.

Finally, the last EGO is the newly added Lasso, which comes from Rose Hunter, and really, its Mirror Dungeon Encounter puts it the best: Rose Hunter is the one who makes sure all stories follow their natural course, their flow, and “he” is no exception; the Hunter is willing to get lost if that’s the story it must obey. Fittingly, Lasso represents the same idea of not resisting one’s “tale” or “myth,” going along with what’s written not out of indolence or apathy, but because it’s necessary, akin to the motif of the “fetters of fate,” for example. In that regard, their underlying archetype is the same as that of the Orphic Ananke, the deification of the necessity that created the universe, which can be best understood through the following aphorism: existence came to be because it exists. Or put it in a simpler manner: you must follow your nature because that’s who you are.

Hong Lu’s Lasso, in the same way as Faust’s, requires first and foremost Gluttony to work, for that’s the entire deal of the Abnormality. Then comes the Lust requirement, which implies this “work” is also done out of either love or a twisted desire, a mania for things to follow their assigned nature or role. The final Sin cost is the variable one, which for Hong Lu is Pride again, his aggrandized sense of self that drives him to fulfill his role without complaining, solely out of love and necessity.

So, with all the EGOs analyzed, we can rescue the following:

Hong Lu, more than anything, wishes to escape the situation he has been put in. He wants to be free behind all those frivolous and/or insensitive commentaries.

However, due to his upbringing, he “murdered” those wishes so to speak, and remains walking the path his family has put him by many reasons, chief among them his love for them and his distorted perception of his own self.

Thus, all that longing and yearning for freedom remains hidden, barely able to see the light of the day except in the rarest of occasions. That’s likely his “pearl,” the thing that he ultimately hides for his own survival.

About His Base ID and EGO

You know, I have always been curious about why people are so adamant about Hong Lu being depressed. No doubt he has depression at some level, but I don’t think it’s as severe as people normally think it is because his Base ID simply lacks any form of Gloom. This is in stark contrast to Sinners such as Yi Sang, Gregor, and especially Ishmael, since she has a Gloom Base EGO as well. But if such is the case, then what does Land of Illusion means, since it requires Gloom to be used?

However, I think it’s important to understand Hong Lu’s Sin spread first, his psychology in this particular possibility:

His third skill, that is, his most inward and deep trait, is Lust. This Sin placement is only shared with LCB Heathcliff, whose devotion to Catherine is quite literally a multiversal constant as per Canto VI; everything he does, he does it for Cathy. Thus, Hong Lu must have a similarly romantic or affectionate nature, and we know that he isn’t the type to stop “loving” due to the cruelty of a person; his reaction towards the attempt against his life says enough. He even tried to understand the Time Ripper at some level during TimeKilling Time.

His second skill is Sloth, an inaction that’s much shallower but no less decisive, so to speak. One can understand it as deriving from his much more encompassing Lust or Love, which is to say that Hong Lu refuses to take action or initiative in his life out of the love and understanding, in a similar manner to how LCB Faust lets her every move be commanded by the Gesellschaft thanks to her need for self-realization.

Finally, his third skill, his most outward and shallow trait, is Pride. This position is only shared with the Base IDs of Faust (again) and Sinclair, although the former is the easiest one to understand: Faust is somewhat haughty without a doubt, but not egocentric or self-absorbed by any metric; she’s just socially naive and with a great deal of knowledge that tends to ostracize her by her own volition. Pride is, after all, the de facto Sin of distorted self-perception, of thinking you are more capable than you really are.

Again, all of this tells us what we already know: the kindness of Hong Lu, his indolence born out of said kindness, and the weight he alone bears on his shoulders. We can’t even say that he has a low self-esteem unless we include in that definition a “imposing limits on who you are,” which, yes, sounds right, but it leans too much in the territory of semantics for my taste. Furthermore, Hong Lu’s strange relationship with Gloom and sadness can also be contrasted with the Sinners I mentioned before, those with Gloom and whose Cantos are available:

Yi Sang was the living stereotype of the depressed person: cold, distant, unfeeling, dead inside, etc. Whatever you name, Yi Sang likely had it.

Ishamel’s emptiness and self-destructivity were well-hidden until her Canto, during which all hell was let loose.

And Gregor is possibly one of the most realistic approaches of all, as we can see with the flashbacks of his past during Canto I. Even so, he… well, remains somewhat functional (and I’m really stretching the definition there xD)

And don’t get confused. In this case, Gloom isn’t equal to feeling sad or being traumatized by any means; every Sinner has their own share of problems, and not all have Gloom. Sinclair had his family and town massacred thanks to Kromer's obsession with him, for example, and while I don’t doubt he feels a deep sadness and regret about it, he doesn’t have Gloom in his Base ID. The same applies to Rodya, her low self-worth, and her guilt about the fate of her neighbors, lacking any sort of Gloom as well. The most extreme and recent case of this is boss Sancho, who doesn’t have any Gloom skill at all, despite her character and story being more than fitting.

Therefore, Gloom, in the straightest sense and avoiding exceptions or little quips, refers to a deep-seated hopelessness, a melancholy that devours all dreams and hopes, causing one to become completely lost in life. In such a case then, it’s not that Hong Lu isn’t sad or, damn, depressed, but that he knows how to manage such emotions so they don’t overwhelm him as they do with Gregor, Yi Sang, or Ishmael. The same likely happens with his wish to escape and his jealousy, for he seemingly knows that no life is truly a “flawless jade.”

“In a way, we’re all ‘deprived’... and that can change a lot of things. Maybe there are things that we can understand only when we’re left with nothing.” - Hong Lu, Chapter 1: Wuthering Heights, Canto VI.

This self-control naturally falls in line with his inclination for Pride and Lust, creating a sort of “transpersonal” point of view that allows him to curb his emotions in order to understand others. It’s quite Buddhist or Taoist, no? This kind of detachment over life I explained before, I mean. In a way, it strengthens the theory of Jia family elders treating Hong Lu as a golden child, and while he doesn’t seem to really like the idea, he resigned himself to it.

“I can't do much about what I was born with~ To them... I was a gem of a child.” - Hong Lu, Liu Association South Section 5 Uptie Story.

He renounced all the transient things in his life, all of his wishes and sadness, in order to carry out his family’s expectations: the preferred family head candidate. And what is another form to call transient things? Illusions.

Land of Illusion is the culmination of Hong Lu’s hidden sadness, his yearning to escape that will forever remain out of his reach—or at least he thinks so.

“With this there is often, to a smaller or greater extent, a savior complex, or a Messiah complex, with the secret thought that one day one will be able to save the world; the last word in philosophy, or religion, or politics, or art, or something else, will be found.” - Marie-Louise von Franz, The Problem of the Puer Aeternus.

Hong Lu doesn’t believe himself to be a savior, naturally. But I cannot deny that it would be very much in character for him to imagine or fantasize about a world where he doesn’t have to fulfill his family expectations, where they can all be happy. That would explain the Lust cost of Land of Illusions, as well as the weaknesses to Envy and Wrath, which are a stand-in for the rejection of his innermost wish.

But alas, at the end, life has its flaws, and there’s no way Hong Lu will raise a fist against his family. Even if his survival depends on it, Hong Lu won’t defend himself because that would mean choosing and thus losing, and there’s nothing more terrifying to the eternal child than losing things. Death is a much more merciful and tempting possibility than acting and suffering.

“The puer aeternus very often has this mature, detached attitude toward life, which is normal for old people but which he acquires prematurely—the idea that life is not everything, that the other side is valid too, that life is only part of the whole existence. [...] So before he has gone down to earth, he already has the offer of death.” - The Problem of the Puer Aeternus.

In this regard, it doesn’t matter much Dante’s rewind or the actual existence of an afterlife. It’s the idea of death as a solution for a hard life, instead of confronting the problem itself, of standing up and withstand the uncertainty and pain of life.

AAt the end of his Canto, Hong Lu will have to stand up for himself and to carry on the pain. That's how a "child" becomes an "adult," or better said, an actual family head.

Post-Commentary

... Yeah.

To be honest, I don't know where the inspiration behind came for this. It just fell on me one day, like Faust's theory. But where I'm confident in that one, I'm completely lost in this post, especially because while the conclusion seems right (standing up to the abuse and expectations coming from one's family), the reasoning is somewhat flimsy? I don't know. I have the feeling that I'm retreating Canto VII's (and even Canto III's) story and themes somehow, though the similarities may be the reason of why Xinchun was introduced, maybe. That would make Don's confusion funnier xD

The final mentions of the puer aeternus (similar to the Peter Pan syndrome, but not quite) are due to how Hong Lu's character screamed "puer" to me, surpassing every other one. The fact his summary highlighted that he is a "bachelor" brought to mind this little quote of Marie-Louise's books:

“The two typical disturbances of a man wh ohas an outstanding mother complex are, as Jung points out, homosexuality and Don Juanism.”

If a man gets around too frequently, he'll obviously not get married. If he's gay, then even less reason to do so or look at women. In this case, the idea is not about the actual sexual orientation of Hong Lu (or the accuracy of the book's assessment), and more about highlighting his refusal to commit.

Also, as a funny note, The Problem of the Puer Aeternus has a fragment that's really similar to, from what I've gathered, the warnings the monks gave to the Stone at the beginning. Since the book also deals with the case of Saint-Exupéry and The Little Prince, there may also be something interesting regarding Demian (Limbus', not Hesse's).

Anyway, and repeating myself, if you have any other opinion or thought you want to share, feel free to do so! Similarly, if you notice any orthographical or grammatical error, let me know. It's difficult to see them, even when using several online tools...

[schizosupport]

While I understand where you might be coming from, I think you fundamentally misunderstand OP's point, while lacking awareness of what it can be like to be a patient in the psychiatric system.

You acknowledge yourself that if you have a bad doctor, you need to change to a better one. But you also say to always trust your doctor, or you won't get better. These two statements can't coexist, because if you trust your doctor no matter what, you won't be able to protect yourself from bad doctors "and change to a new one" or whatever else protecting yourself might entail.

Now, OP isn't actually saying not to trust a doctor that you have found to be good and helpful and trustworthy. What OP is saying, is that placing blind trust in a bad psychiatrist can lead to real life harm for psychiatric patients.

Psychiatrists have systemic power over their patients, and they can both force you into treatments, and deny you treatments, based on the information you share with them. I'll give a couple examples.

1) A friend of mine who had been struggling severely and unable to work for the past year due to stress and increasing panic attacks/flashbacks finally went to see a psychiatrist at a hospital. The first person she talked to was really nice. She asked about drugs and my friend admitted that she occasionally smokes weed to calm down from the very symptoms that she's seeking help for. The psych was understanding. A couple interviews later she gets a new doctor who has a different opinion. And skip to two years later where the system is still denying her care bc "she has a drug addiction" while the drug addiction clinic is denying her care bc "that doesn't count as a drug addiction" and "she would stop smoking weed if someone cared for her glaring mental problems". She is not alone, this is a very common scenario across the world. If you admit to ever touching drugs you may very well be denied care indefinitely. The community recommendation in my country is to never admit to any substance use, even to people in the system who seem understanding, because others in the system may be less so, and you may never get the care you need. As you can imagine, this gets very complicated for people where the drug use is also a large issue on its own.

2) Another friend of mine went to get assessed for adhd. They said they couldn't finish the assessment bc she was too disorganized, and she was sent to be assessed for a schizo spec disorder instead. She was desparate to get any diagnosis at all bc she really really needed help. Here she was given a schizotypal diagnosis. After this she was being treated for this with antipsychotics. They didn't do anything good for her, in fact they made her worse. She tried to ask to be reassessed for ADHD but was denied bc it was seen as a delusion. Her gender identity (which she had been out and in treatment for, for years) was seen as a delusion, and the psychiatric system blocked her from getting the necessary paperwork to get surgery. Eventually she went private sector and found a good psychiatrist who diagnosed her with ADHD. With adhd meds things started improving, she also got her letter from the private psych and got her surgery. (And she's doing so much better!!) But if she hadn't had the means to go private, then her psychiatrists would've been able to block her from the right treatment and life saving surgery indefinitely. This is an example of what can happen from being honest about even quasi-psychotic symptoms, and the ways psychiatrists often have power to block and gatekeep certain treatments from you based on how THEY perceive you and your reality.

3) A third friend of mine is schizophrenic and on a treatment order. She hasn't done anything criminal, but where she lives you can be put on a treatment order simply if a panel of psychiatrists decide that if you don't get forced treatment, you might deterioate. So for a long time she had injections of a medication that was not helping, but that was causing severe side effects, forced on her. This is one of many examples of psychiatrists wielding systemic power over their patients.

Many psychiatric patients fear being honest with their care providers, because it can lead to forced hospitalization, forced medication, or it can lead to denial of care and treatment. This is not an ungrounded fear. These are things that happen to people. Sure, some may fear this beyond what's realistic in their situation, so anxiety can mix with this, but it is a real thing to be aware of.

And as I've attempted to illustrate with these examples, it's not as simple as "if you get a bad doctor, get a new one". This is often not an option, there's often a paper trail that follows you from doctor to doctor, and even the first doctor you meet have power over you, and can potentially make your situation worse if they are bad at their job.

I know several people who have been severely overmedicated and wrongfully medicated. One person I knew was taking 10 different medications at once, including heavy duty antipsychotics despite not having experienced or being diagnosed with psychosis, and benzodiazepines on a completely irresponsible regiment that got her severely physically addicted. She didn't start to get better, before she slowly weaned off all these substances against her doctor's recommendation.

In an ideal world we could always trust our doctors, and be honest from the get-go, with the assumption that they know what they're doing and won't force or deny care.

But in the reality we live in, doctors have systemic power over patients, and not all doctors are good. So therefore it is in fact important to advocate for yourself, seek out information independent from your own doctor, talk to others in the community about their experiences, and yes. To be tactical about what you do and do not share with your psychiatrist. And when it does fuck up, you may very well need a lawyer. For example if you want to sue for wrongful treatment, overuse of coercion, or to get you off a treatment order that's destroying your life.

I really recommend doing some research into the kind of abuse and neglect that unfortunately takes place in the psychiatric system, before speaking so confidently on the matter.

Psychiatry differs fundamentally from oncology in its views on patients' rights to autonomy, and in the level of power granted to your doctor to control your life. But that said, most of us are not experts on oncology either. Which means that in reality it can be pretty hard to know whether your oncologist is good, and whether you need a new one. And somatic medicine is not free of bias, abuse and neglect either.

So TLDR, OP isn't saying never to seek help or not to trust your doctor with anything, she's saying to be aware of the potential pitfalls and to be tactical in your approach and to advocate for yourself, and not to trust psychiatric authority blindly.

That's not ableism, that's realism.

I want and need more discussions of how, when you're labeled mentally ill, a psychiatrist is in fact an authoritative figure with systemic power over your life and autonomy who might in some cases turn out to be bigoted or abusive. Most of us know that statements like "you should always tell the cops everything! They just want to help you" are harmful, and yet I constantly see posts telling people to trust their psychs with everything if they want to get better without any mentions of what can happen and how to protect yourself if it turns out your psych isn't a good guy

[lovecatsys]

ngl i really hate. Everything about the current systems used to diagnose and describe dissociative disorders at least in the US. i guess i hope it'll get better in the future when there's a better understanding.

[smokestarrules]

Suletta saying love me. love me please. I’ll do anything. I’ll kill for you, I’ll listen to you, I love you. love me and let me stay. vs Miorine going hate me. hate me. I need you to hate me because I love you. I need you to run away, to stop loving me, to be safe. hate me and it will be worth it in the end. hate me and leave. (Suletta saying love me, please love me, please don’t leave me)

[tippenfunkaport]

Someday I will write an essay about how 90% of the bad takes on Season 4 stem from people not understanding that we are predominantly in Adora's POV and she is an unreliable narrator.

It ultimately doesn't matter whether she or Glimmer is right or wrong because Adora thinks she's right and Glimmer's wrong and that's all that matters to the show from a narrative standpoint.

Just because a character believes something to be true, doesn't mean it's objectively fact. Their perception colors how they view events, that's Writing 101. And in this case, it's the key ingredient for effective conflict because both people are not viewing the same event from the same perspective so they can't see eye to eye.

[thaylepo]

Okay.

So first off, this is a misunderstanding of the differencw between a HISTORICAL RECONSTRUCTION and an ARTISTIC INTERPRETATION.

I've held my piece on this topic for a long looong time because I haven't had the steam for a rant on the scale of the Cave Woman Dildos, but I'm back on my adhd meds and therefor back on my bullshit, so buckle up buttercups, let's do this.

A "historical reconstruction" is the recreation of an object, a method, or action using only data collected via evidence-based research. This includes archaeology, scientific study, ethnologic study of living cultures and their ancestors, comparative studies of a collection of multiple subjects, and more recently, microscopic analysis and cool shit like mass spectrometry.

The statues above are RECONSTRUCTIONS. What y'all are complaining about is that they are not ARTISTIC INTERPATATIONS.

Lemme explain further.

Analysis was made on microscopic pigment remains on the statuary to identify the colours that the statue may have been painted with (afaik). Since ancient pigments can often exhibit a range of colours, additional research on that can be done to determine the most likely visual hue, multiple items analysed to fill in areas where no pigment was preserved or couldn't be identified. Then a reconstruction of the statue is made to show it painted in the most accurate colours determined by all the evidence of this research. It's the best that could be done, sticking only to that evidence. Guarantee, the minute more evidence is available, the researchers are gonna be fervently reassessing their work, but the physical reconstruction in the museum? In that 10, 20, 30yo article? It'll still be there. Shit's slow to update in rhe public side.

So why isn't it an ARTISTIC INTERPETATION? Why isn't that part of this process? Isn't the study of ancient art evidence too??

It is! But it's a different kind of study!

While some logical connections can be made and justified in evidence based research in the interest of creating a physical recobatruction like this, you will notice that what all this research CAN'T determine is stuff the artistic shading and variance of colour to give depth, dimension, and glow to the subject. The physical analysis of pigment is just going to identify the pigment molecule. The research into ancient pigment making is just going to give you its physical properties like colour. The location of the sample is just going to tell you where on the statue the pigment was applied. It ISN'T going to tell you how the artist applied it. It can't. The nature of this subject limits it like that.

Because the RECONSTRUCTION is only the evidence-based part of this process. The next part is the ARTISTIC INTERPRETATION. This is where you look at the frescoes, the mosaics, and every example we have of how colour and depth are artistically applied, break it down into historical periods (the Roman Empire was really, really long, guys), make a detailed in depth artistic study of all of these techniques and examples, combine them with the research on pigments and your statuary, and THEN.... THEN you create an INTERPRETATION of how you THINK the statue MIGHT have been painted.

Tl;dr..... my beef here is that we are seeing the results of one part of a two part process.... and then complaining that the second part isn't there. That.... that's like seeing someone mix a cake batter, and then complaining that it doesn't look like a cake yet. There's a whole second process that needs to be done before that happens!

Simply put, in terms of say, colouring in photoshop for example, this evidence-based data gives us our base layers. To get our shading and effects, we need to begin a new, different process.

Not every archaeologist is an artist, or even does artistic study and interpretation in addition to physical microscopic pigment analysis, tho many do! In any case, you can do the physical analysis and reconstruction, and it will stand on its own as a publication-worthy study without the artistic interpretation. The reverse cannot be said.

So you get a lot of these studies presented as absolute and factual and scientific, and that makes it look like the second part, the artistic interpretation part, is being done separately by an entirely different field of study. It also doesn't help that these sides of the study of archaeology, hard physical evidence based science and artistic/humanities/social sciences often appear to be constantly bickering in the extremes, when most often both need to be applied whenever possible, as rigorously as possible.

I get that the ins and outs of academics can be pretty obscured to anyone looking in with casual interest, and often these bite size public science articles put things in clipped absolute terms to make them short and easily digested ("This is EXACTLY how these statues looked, the smart people said so! Wild! Now click this link about Roman dick lamps before we've lost your interest!"), and this in particular is often misrepresented. Sometimes this kind of thing is misrepresented intentionally, not to fuck with the public, but to make it easier to get further funding from people who have lots of money but do not understand archaeology as much as they do investment. (And sometimes the archaeologist is just a dick. I guarantee we all just thought of one name, and we're probably all right.)

But. But. The field as a whole? Collectively?

My guys. My dudes. My people. My wonderful, intelligent, creative, and lovely people who share my burning passionate interest in all things of the past and present?

I PROMISE YOU. I promise, from my very bones, the people who have spent years, decades, dedicated their very careers to the study of Roman art and archaeology? Who spend months hunched over in the dirt, months more hunched over in the lab, who voraciously consume every book, lecture, who visit every tiny local museum within a fifty mile radius of wherever they spend more than a week's time, who cross the world to see sites and artifacts with their own eyes because pictures are not good enough, who can look at a fragment of a fresco painting and tell you exactly what wall on what Pompeiian bathhouse it was painted on?

They know. Okay? They know. They are fully, completely aware and in agreement that this is not how these statues were actually painted. They know! They're okay with it, because:

What they also know that has been unfortunately obscured from you, is that that's not what is being presented here. These paint-by-numbers examples are just a very basic visual, physical reconstruction based on data from physical evidence. They know that artistic interpretations are much, much harder, take longer, require different skills, methods, and area of study, have to be generously extrapolated because we only have other forsms of painted art and no existing fully painted statuary to go by (again, afaik), and are much, much more subject to controversy, interpretation, and error.

So like, cut 'em some slack okay? Very few of us are stodgy tweed jacketed bearded old men from the 30s and 50s anymore. We're largely gen x/millenials being taught and working for an "old guard" while knowing we will likely never inherit their stable tenured positions. The majority of the field is younger women now, and many of us are queer, of diverse cultural backgrounds, and struggle to afford to do the work we studied to do, that we crave to do, while trying to create needed change in a field whose existing structure remains as resistent to change as it ever was.

If something seems off to you in a bite size public science article? Look it into it! Do your own further research! I guarantee you'll find out more than you expected. That iceberg is fucking massive under here, and there is plenty of it to dunk on that actually deserves it lol

... mosaic ...

Roman mosaic, Detail of floor, 1 century BC, National Archaeological Museum of Aquileia, Italy

[moeblob]

son boy raccoon trash can man suffering in a dnd au as a cleric bc his warlock will not stop committing murders and he has to keep coming up with reasons murder is valid to convince the gm its fine and under control

[problemswithbooks]

Shark Genitals & World Building

So, I've seen this Q&A a few times now and it really got me thinking about Fish-man biology.

Now, to be clear, I think it's pretty clear Oda isn't being entirely serious. When you look at how he designs his characters he goes for whatever is fun. He's not doing extensive research on whatever aquatic species he slaps on his fish-men or Merfolk characters. This is why for a lot of them, if you look up what they are mixed with they rarely share much if anything with the animal he's picked.

Saying a character has two dicks is funny, so Hody has two dicks--that's all.

But taking the answer more seriously the idea that at least some (because they do vary so widely from fish-person to fish-person) have changed genitals because of their added fish anatomy is interesting from a world-building perspective.

As someone who has a special interest in animal biology and has watched a lot of documentaries I can say that fish have really diverse breeding strategies. So, I guess, if Hody can have two dicks because he's a shark, I wonder if this could be true for any other fish-people and merfolk.

We see that at least some fish-people do have children the same way regular humans do, but to my knowledge we don't see any pregnant mermaids. Given how much larger Neptune is then his wife, and how massive Shirahoshi is, I think it makes sense that perhaps like many fish, Otohime laid eggs that were fertilized separately (this is actually how goldfish mate).

It could be possible that the way mermaids or even fish-women have children depends on the father. If they are not compatible in size they can reproduce Ovuliparity (the way I imagine Otohime did), or if they are of similar size they either go the more human route or, after copulation they lay fertilized eggs (like the skate cases often called mermaid purses you find washed up on the beach).

There's also something to be said for the variations fish have with gender. Some fish are capable of changing gender. It's more common that female fish become male (protandry), usually the largest of a group replacing the dominate male in the group. This happens mostly with coral reef fish like wrasses, groupers and parrot-fish.

Meanwhile, anemone fish, like clown fish change from male to female. When the one female dies the remaining male will become female, while an outside male will become that new female's mate.

Then there are Black Helmet fish which are both simultaneously and take turns releasing eggs and sperm when they spawn.

So, if fish-people and merfolk had similarly diverse genders and ways of reproducing I think that'd just be really neat. It could also lead to some fun misunderstandings between fish-people, merfolk and humans.

Of course, I don't think Oda ever put that much thought into it. He just does whatever he finds fun character design wise. I mean, it's not like Arlong has barrels like Sawsharks do, and Jinbe looks nothing like a whale shark. On top of that the story isn't really focused on that type of world building. Nor do I think he could really showcase something that deals so much with sex--even if it is fish sex.

Still, makes for some really great head-canons.

[seventh-district]

not even gonna tag this properly bc i don't wanna get Involved but i do have some Thoughts i need to get out into the void so here we go

(aaa quick edit: CW for mention/discussion of Boothill leaks)

[mysterytheater]

I think part of the reason Americans aren't as enamored with Dredd is that his persona hits a little too close to home when they have become accustomed to American-style policing. When getting pulled over for a minor traffic violation in the U.S., there are occasions when one might fear for their own life based on a misunderstanding or a bad reaction to a totally innocuous interaction. These types of experiences can cause even the most conservative among us to become resentful or fearful of such authority figures. Such suppressed fear and resentment make it hard to empathize with a protagonist like Dredd, or even with a satirical portrayal of such a character.

Additionally, the humor and subtext in 2000 AD might be a bit too sophisticated, or possibly too subversive, for most American readers to fully appreciate, as there are very few popular comics from American creators that could be compared to 2000 AD. This is probably why U.S. publishers had to import Alan Moore, Garth Ennis, Warren Ellis, and Grant Morrison for our "mature" comics.

If you compare an American writer like Robert Kirkman with a writer from the U.K. like Garth Ennis—looking at titles like INVINCIBLE and THE BOYS—you can find many shared influences, tropes, and inversions of tropes that the two comics have in common. Yet the dramatic tone of each series feels drastically different. Kirkman's tone is usually sober with a touch of whimsical nostalgia, while Ennis has his tongue planted in his cheek and his finger stuck in the reader's eye. Writers from the U.S. and the U.K. appear to have different sensibilities, and the same could be said for the readers.

What do you think are the elements of a Judge Dredd story? In the sense of what are the requirements of one

It's a bit hard to tell because Dredd, both the character and the universe, are a lot more flexible than it'd seem on the surface. There are action Dredds and comedy Dredds and brutal, heart-wrenching Dredds... hell, there's even stories where Dredd takes off his helmet, which you'd think would be the biggest element of it all!

But I think it becomes easier if you split it into parts and then figure out the core elements of each part. In my case, I'd split it into three: Dredd himself, Mega-City One itself, and the Story you want.

For Dredd, the key is to understand what kind of man he is. He's obsessed, stubborn, driven and very short tempered. He's been literally created to serve the Law, but also possesses a strong sense of capital-j Justice that sometimes can clash with that law and with the institution he works in. He'll lock up a million citizens but also willingly give up his own life for one. He doesn't know happiness but he understands satisfaction. And crucially, Dredd is not a guy who likes leaving things half-done. If Judge Death escapes into another dimension, he'll chase him there to punch him in the face. If some karate ninja gets the better of him and escapes, he'll hold that grudge for years waiting for a chance to repay him. And if he feels that an injustice is being made, by him or by his system, he'll do his best to squash it with the same bloody single-mindedness he wields against the perps and creeps of his city. All are equal in the eyes of the Law, and all must face Justice.

For Mega-City One, you need to be able to see the absurdist horror of the city. Behind the wild sci-fi technological miracles and the goofy future crimes, there's a dystopian nightmare that's easy to lose sight of when all you can see are the shiny silver lights and funny weirdos. You need to be able to see the living conditions that create all that crime. You need to see a vision of mankind forever teetering on the edge of losing everything that makes life worth living, everything that defines humanity. A populace beaten into despair, hollowed out by oppression, empty people living empty lives from cradle to resyk. And you need to be able to understand the kinds of people that situation gives birth to. The freaks and the perps but also the sad and the lonely, the alienated, the broken people who never had and never will have a chance to put themselves together.

Finally, there's the story you want to tell, which is where it all comes together. Once you understand Dredd and once you understand MC-1, you can then think of pretty much any kind of story and organically see both where the story would come from and what would Dredd's role be in that story. No matter what genre you make or what you want to tell, MC-1 will provide an opportunity for it and Dredd will give you the perfect straight man to counter it. But beyond that, I think, and this is a very personal thought, that the very best Dredds all come from a place of intense fear and loathing.

The best Dredds come from something terrifying, from the gut-wrenching fear of our own world eventually becoming Mega-City One, of our own failings giving birth to something as monstrous as the judges. They come from anger at the million little and not so little knives that bleed humanity out every day, the mundane horrors that bring us one step closer to MC-1. Even the funny stuff, like the eating contests where teams of fatties eat an entire motorhome in front of thousands, comes from that creeping sensation that this is where we're headed for. That we're halfway there already. That maybe it's even too late to stop it.

I deserve a few years in the iso-cubes for this, but the best Dredds are filled with dread.

[overcaffeinated-aro]

hey this is gonna sound weird but whats yr thoughts on correcting behaviors without yelling

ok so like. full disclosure I got like 4 hours of sleep and then spent my afternoon in an emergency dentist appt so I really hope I can make this make sense. I also have a lot of thoughts so I apologize if this one gets away from me

(also for context, this is about a post on children misbehaving or causing distractions in public, and parents causing an even bigger scene trying to correct their behavior. it should be the post immediately after this on my blog)

it got away from me, adding a cut

also just to start, there’s obv a difference between raising your voice to be heard/get attention, and screaming at a child who’s already in front of you while in public. there’s also a lot of space between the two. and I really don’t think there’s a lot of justification for most of it beyond strictly getting a child’s attention.

yelling or screaming at your child, especially in public, isn’t that much better than hitting them. it depends a bit on the age, but what’s getting communicated to the child in that moment is a lot less of what you’re actually saying when you yell and mostly just the intense feelings of fear and disempowerment that come with being cornered and punished, and in some cases publicly ridiculed. hell, you don’t even need to yell to do this. and depending on the parent, this may or may not be intentional, using humiliation as a method of trying to reinforce some kind of ‘lesson’ or discourage a behavior.

it was, in fact, a pillar of my mom’s parenting for many years. I know first-hand how much it can wreak a child’s self esteem, and can make them fearful of further violence from you, even without any other precedent. I started to have nightmares about being hit or kicked out, even knowing that my mom would never go that far, and even years after she stopped. She pretty effectively proved to me that at least in those moments I was beneath her, I didn’t deserve to be treated with dignity in front of others (especially in front of others, as she never yelled at me in private) including in front of family and my friends. it broke a lot of trust that I should have been able to have with her, and even now at 25 and having been moved out for 4 years there’s a lot of trust we have to rebuild in order to have a functional adult parent/child relationship.

this will not be the case for every child, but as an example: I was most frequently yelled at in public for austistic behaviors that I couldn’t or didn’t know how to control. what I needed was help, to be taught coping mechanisms, quieter or alternative ways to stim, and emotional regulation. being yelled at made me quiet, fearful, and full of shame. it appeared to fix the issue, but really only locked it away with my ability to feel and process emotions. but ofc your mileage may vary, everyone responds to trauma differently.

a lot of parents yell because they’re overwhelmed. my mom yelled because she has adhd, my behaviors were overstimulating, being in public/socializing was overstimulating, and she didn’t know how to cope. in fact once I grew up I taught her what adhd actually looks like, and helped her find resources that have greatly improved her life. This Is Still Not a Good Excuse. shit happens, parents have problems, but losing your cool at your child is not excusable. forcing your child to grow up fast enough to teach *you* emotional regulation is Not Good. as a parent, it is your job to be in a place where you can consistently and effectively be The Parent. if you aren’t there, it’s your job to recognize that and work on it!

finally, for the point that you were probably asking for: what can you do instead of yelling? what if your child won’t stop?

honestly, a parenting book will probably be a better help than I. I’ve taken 1 college course on developmental psychology and some scattered research over the years so I’m by no means an expert, or really even a hobbiest. but for what it’s worth, here’s my 2 cents:

work on yourself, especially especially emotional regulation. never take your frustration out on your child. 9/10 times your child is not trying to upset you. literally why would they do that, they depend on you for everything. even in cases when you child is trying to upset you or push back, it’s not really about You. they might need help with something, or not know how to communicate or deal with a problem. as a parent, it is in fact your job to be the bigger person.

once you have a child’s attention, anything you can communicate by yelling you can also communicate in a normal tone. for older children, it will probably be more effective to intervene just enough to stop the behavior, and then discuss the issue in private later. it’s important to be focused on solutions and what could be done better next time, not on punishments. there’s so much research showing that punishment and negative reinforcement doesn’t work.

I haven done an excessive amount of research, but from what I’ve seen so far I really like the ideas behind the Montessori method. it really strives to treat children as full individual people, and meet them where they’re at developmentally while doing it’s best to ask age-appropriate consent for everything applicable. Jessica out of the closet on youtube has some great videos on how she and her wife have been putting the method into practice with their own child, and even going into her own struggles and solutions with parenting while multiply disabled—and still refusing to compromise on the way she treats her child

and while I have this soapbox: parenting is not for everyone!! some people should not be parents, or teachers, or otherwise in a position of power over children. it’s a hard job. and, it really shouldn’t be done alone. even the most patient person will have trouble keeping their cool 24/7. it’s important to take breaks, and find ways to lean on the people or community in your lives. And, if you’re a community member who interacts with children, it’s still important to learn these skills! with any luck you’ll simply be another kind and trustworthy adult in a child’s life. but for some you may be a lifeline

[lovelylotusf1]

you know what im here for. hulk/sainz 🤲🤲🤲

Love that you're asking about it because it got me to reread what I have written and man. I love it so much :D

Debated between two snippets, but just for you, here's the longer one <3

Nico barks out a laugh at that. “All right, all right. Still as spicy as ever, I get it.” He raises his hands in a defensive gesture, like Carlos is an easily spooked horse. “You are still scharf und heiß, eh?”

Carlos calmly raises an eyebrow, even though his blood is boiling beneath his skin. He tells himself that it’s because he’s annoyed. That the feeling stirring deep in his gut is anger. That his heart is speeding up because he wants to grab Nico by the front of his shirt and yell at him to stop, to simply tell Carlos what he wants to say in a way where Carlos can actually understand him.

It's definitely not because he wants to grab Nico and kiss him to get him to finally shut up, he refuses to acknowledge that.

Ask me stuff about my wips <3

[scoriarose]

i love how much you love your snakes

I can't help but love them! They are just so precious. And honestly they are incredibly loving to me too! Sometimes the world seems so big and impossible, and I'm just one insignificant human among billions. But to my girls, I am their whole world. And every day they show me how much they love me. So I can never let them down. We are just a little multi-species family who loves each other very much!

Earlier today Scoria was playing in my blankets with me laying next to her, and she came over and wanted up on me. I put her on my chest and laid with her head over my heart. We just relaxed like that for an hour- I'm pretty sure she fell asleep for a bit because when I picked her up she did the biggest yawn ever.

Sakura is becoming a little sweetie pie too. She's very timid but usually snuggles me at least once a week now, and has gotten very good at staying calm while she's out. She's also gotten really good at target training! I'm proud of her progress. C:

I love my mommy and my sister thiiiiiis much. You can't see how much? Well that's cuz it's so big! We're inside it, it goes for miles and miles and miles!

You two are embarrassing. I'm not here. Don't look at me.