#it is was it is even if it’s stupid narratively

[piracytheorist]

I'm rewatching the Yor learning to cook episode and it's just SO fucking good you guys. Not only the episode itself but the way its storyline is presented.

I've seen people react to jokes about Yor's cooking with a "but she's getting better at it!" and while I understand that reaction, the thing is, she doesn't have to get better, and the narrative itself is perfectly fine with her being at best mediocre at cooking. Yor's bad cooking is used to explain her low confidence, but it makes perfect sense when you consider the misogyny in the era she grew up and lives in. But aside from one comment Anya made to deflect, and involuntary reactions to her food that they can't actually help, neither her nor Loid actually judge Yor for her cooking nor do they demand more from her. It's just accepted that Loid will cook as part of his share of the chores and no-one even spares a second thought about it. In fact, the main reason Yor worried about her skill is because she believed Loid spent an entire day in the bathroom because of the breakfast she made, so she wanted to learn better because she wanted to avoid giving them food poisoning.

Of course, this does tie in with her job, where she's trained to kill in cold blood, and with the world around her, who perceives women not only as less valuable than men but also defines them in strict patriarchal terms, one of which is that the wife cooks and she must do it well too. So even though her bad skills don't worry her too much about her worth, it's unavoidable that it will affect her and I think it's important that the story itself takes that into consideration.

And I just wanna point out how it's actually good that the narrative adds a humorous tone to just how bad her cooking is, because while it does make a reference that her low self confidence is because of the sexism she's faced in her life... the humor isn't sexist. Try and flip the genders here. A story of a straight couple (fake or real married) where the woman cooks well and the man is a horrid cook would make no-one bat an eyelash if it simply poked fun at how bad the man's cooking is. Again, without any comments about the character's worth based on his cooking, just that whenever he's in the kitchen, there's usually a bloodbath one way or another.

It's the same exact presentation with Yor! The narrative takes away gender roles and simply pokes fun at her bad cooking, in the same way stories poke fun at characters failing at any random skill. Like we have the word "himbo" as an affectionate term for a male character who's kind but very stupid but god forbid we love a kind female character who is equally incompetent in something. We only find it sexist because we were also conditioned to think that only women cook well and that it's a woman's responsibility to cook for her family and do it well and as we grew we rejected that expectation. The story actually subverts the sexism of that and it says "Yes this woman's cooking is absolute shit and we love her for that."

And it's all solidified with how the story resolves: Yor makes a good dish, and Loid and Anya praise her for it. But it's not in a "you get a good grade in wife" way, it's a "we appreciate this meal you made for us". Yor feels happy because her creation made them smile. She offered them something that they never demanded of her, and it made them feel good. It's about human connection, all over again, that someone's efforts to offer to their fellow human were rewarded with pride and gratitude. It's especially touching that the dish Yor made was something from her own childhood, something that brought warmth to her too.

It's also important to remember that another motivation in the whole thing is that Yor and Loid want the public to think their marriage is real and not worthy of gossip - which is why Yor mentions that she was worried about getting in trouble in regards to her assassin work; her reason to get into that deal in the first place was for cover for that work. The better and more conventional their presentation, the more solid their cover. That's why she mentions at the end that she feels more confident as the wife and mother of the family; it's the fact that she now has something to use for their cover. Say she's talking with someone and the conversation veers towards cooking. Before, if she was asked about her cooking, she would have to say she doesn't cook or her family hates her cooking, and she would worry about getting judged, like Swan judged her. Or she would have to lie, something we know she's not very good at. Now she can at least say "Oh they love my stew!" as the perfect answer because it's simple, clear and also true. So again there's definitely an element of her confidence being low due to the society's sexist worldview. But in this case it's also, and actually more, her worrying about being reported due to not fulfilling her "gender role" sufficiently.

(anime only fan here, don't spoil me for the manga)

[sgiandubh]

Delulu vs. trululu

As expected, promo for the overall stodgy TCND just started in NYC, including with this released and then quickly deleted Instagram pic, shared by the Sassenach Spirits' account:

Not the cleverest marketing & sales move, if you ask me. Knowing this fandom's usual bigot and/or scoffing triggers (which I tend to think S & team do, and rather very well), why even entertain lurid speculation and, by the same token, an unnecessarily juvenile image of The Co-founder? Oh, how I wish they'd step up their game a bit and perhaps be more coherent with that fresh, witty sales approach that first caught my eye!

Why. A rhetorical question that never grows old, as far as SC are concerned. Take for example the latest interview released yesterday by the Fangirlish.com website, which is barely a blurb in the great Instagram tapestry. 6k followers do not a great media outlet make, I believe and they've been around since 2011 (!).

Perhaps on design or perhaps because both of them DGAF anymore, we were treated to these parallel public statements on a rarely brought about and carefully censored calibrated topic: personal lives.

[Source: https://fangirlish.com/2025/01/12/interview-sam-heughan-and-caitriona-balfe-on-jamie-claires-growth-in-outlander/]

While C ambiguously mentions what Claire's character brought to who she is now, she is probably throwing to the scrapheap that constipated but convenient braggadocio that she was 'totally able to separate between Claire and herself'. Something we kept on reading ad nauseam from EFH to the Remarkable Week-end and beyond. She now readily acknowledges she has led 'this project alongside S', all the while - which is even more telling - 'assuming everything that implies'. For some reason, I doubt she simply meant the rather decorous EP functions, but also the entire emotional burden of it all, to which this damned fandom is not exactly a stranger. As we have long surmised, they are in this thing together and they did it together (been together, loved together, lived together, lied together...) all along this tortuous path. Cue in the usual venom that they can't stand each other anymore, I don't really care, at this point in time.

S dutifully obliges as C's sounding board and takes it the needed (but completely unnecessary, Narrative-wise) extra mile: JAMMF has given him 'an incredible relationship, one I never thought I’d have'.

Surely he does not mean Flukenzie Floozy or the entire Fitness Harem panoply, Ha-wa-wee 🐰and Dubai Burlesque included. And she could have rectified on the spot or poked fun at him or anything in between. Yet, she did not: surely Tracula is again the 'very understanding' character of that plot!

Why even bring it up all of this now? Why even mention personal stuff both of them have a rather appalling PR management of, from unnecessary exposure to gaslighting an entire fandom and probably also the kitchen sink?

For the sake of an ending series?

Oh, come on - give me a break, here. We are neither delulu, nor stupid.

PS: Thank you for the pic. You know who you are ;)

Later edit: I am told with good reason that is was not Sassenach Spirits which posted that pic, but the Instagram user @stevieme88 - a bartender at that last SS event in the US. He then proceeded to go private again, but the pic was downloaded and shared by that very well informed vigilante account, which then chose to tag Sassenach Spirits (why?).

Gracias a ti, siempre.

[criticalcrusherbot]

The Lens of Abuse: Understanding Stolas’ Actions

💁🏽‍♀️🤖: Before we dive into the nitty-gritty, let’s remind ourselves of one critical fact: Stella is abusive. The show doesn’t beat us over the head with it, but the signs are everywhere—from her open contempt and cruel insults to her explosive fits of rage. Her dynamic with Stolas is defined by control, belittlement, and a lack of empathy. Abuse isn’t just about physical harm; it’s about creating a constant undercurrent of fear and power imbalance, and Stella wields both masterfully.

When analyzing Stolas’ choices—whether it’s staying in the marriage, going to that party, or how he handled things with Octavia—it’s essential to understand that they don’t exist in a vacuum. Abuse clouds judgment, limits perceived options, and forces victims to prioritize survival over happiness. Let’s break down why this perspective is crucial to understanding Stolas and why the critique of him being “pathetic” or “a sucker for punishment” completely misses the mark.

1. “He didn’t have to go to the party” — That’s Not How Abuse Works

It’s easy to sit back and say, “He didn’t have to go.” But when you’re in an abusive relationship, even basic decisions like this are never simple. Abusers like Stella don’t offer real choices—they create situations where every option carries a punishment.

Stolas going to the party wasn’t about “obligation.” It was about avoiding whatever retaliation Stella would dish out if he didn’t. Abuse operates on control, and the victim learns to navigate around the abuser’s unpredictable wrath to minimize harm. Stolas went because, in his mind, the fallout of staying home likely felt worse than enduring a miserable evening at Stella’s side.

Calling him “pathetic” for attending the party is an oversimplification that dismisses the psychological toll of years of manipulation and coercion.

2. “He didn’t have to suffer in the marriage” — Leaving Isn’t Easy

Here’s the thing about abuse: leaving isn’t just a decision—it’s a process. Victims often stay in harmful situations because of fear, obligation, or a belief that leaving will only make things worse. Stolas’ marriage to Stella wasn’t just an unhappy partnership; it was a deeply ingrained system of control.

Stella’s volatile personality made leaving a high-risk move. The likelihood of her retaliating—socially, politically, or even physically—was enormous. Stolas staying wasn’t about being a “sucker for punishment”; it was about survival. And let’s not forget, he had Octavia to consider. He believed staying gave her a chance at stability, even if it meant sacrificing his own happiness.

The idea that Stolas “didn’t have to suffer” ignores the reality that, for victims of abuse, the path out often feels blocked, whether by fear, societal expectations, or the abuser’s power.

3. The Cycle of Abuse: Why Stolas Didn’t Leave Sooner

Abuse creates a cycle of control, self-doubt, and helplessness. Victims internalize their circumstances, convincing themselves that enduring the abuse is the safest or only option.

Stolas wasn’t “just an idiot who can’t turn down obligation.” He was stuck in a dynamic where Stella controlled the narrative and made him feel powerless. Add to that the societal expectations of Hell’s elite, and it’s no wonder he felt trapped.

When victims like Stolas finally leave, it’s not because they’re suddenly smarter or braver. It’s because something shifts—whether internally or externally—that gives them the push they need. For Stolas, this shift came when he chose to pursue his own happiness, even at great personal cost. That’s not idiocy; that’s growth.

4. Octavia and Parental Decisions Under Abuse

This take also misses how abuse warps decision-making when children are involved. Stolas stayed because he genuinely believed that keeping Octavia in a two-parent household was the lesser evil. Was it the right call? Maybe not. But it wasn’t about stupidity—it was about trying to protect her within a deeply broken system.

And let’s not act like leaving would have been a magical fix. Stella isn’t the kind of person who’d let Stolas walk away quietly, much less take Octavia with him. She would’ve weaponized every ounce of her power to destroy him and maintain control over their daughter.

Stolas’ decision to stay wasn’t about weakness. It was about navigating a situation where no option felt truly safe.

5. Why This Argument Falls Apart

This take boils Stolas down to “an idiot who can’t turn down obligation,” but that’s an insultingly shallow reading of his character. Abuse isn’t about obvious choices or easy outs—it’s about power, control, and the psychological toll of living under constant threat.

Stolas’ actions make perfect sense within the framework of an abusive relationship. Calling him pathetic ignores the complexity of his situation and dismisses the very real struggles that abuse victims face every day.

TL;DR

Stolas’ behavior isn’t about being “pathetic” or “a sucker for punishment.” It’s about the psychological realities of abuse: the fear, the manipulation, and the way it warps decision-making. Leaving an abuser isn’t easy or obvious, especially when children and societal expectations are involved.

If you can’t understand that, maybe it’s time to rethink how you approach character analysis—or better yet, try learning a thing or two about the psychology of abuse before you come for Stolas again.

[jedi-enthusiasm-blog]

I mean they still coerce/steal children into joining them. And they left Anakin's mom to die a slave death. Like sure they aren't awful as an organization but they aren't always right?

Sometimes I wonder if I'm too harsh on Jedi antis. Then something like this happens and it hits me that no, if anything I'm being too soft.

Let's begin with the obvious, out-of-universe part. It's very rude to come to people's clearly tagged posts and say something like this. I love the Jedi I see in the PT and TCW, and I should be able to make, at least, vaguely positive posts about them without having to see this in the comments.

Now, onto your argument:

"They coerce/steal children into joining them."

You'd have a hard time arguing this, even using only Legends, the continuity that's most critical of the Jedi.

Baby Ludi doesn't offer us much information beyond "the baby's family was reasonably but incorrectly pressumed dead". Even then, these type of stories are used to show what the public opinion of the Jedi was, not what the Jedi were actually doing.

Children of the Force (the comic) is another of these stories. The Shatterpoint novel, on its own, contradicts every single instance of the Jedi being baby-snatchers or not being allowed to know their birth families/culture. Shatterpoint was written by Matthew Stover, who spoke with George Lucas personally and knew George Lucas' vision for Star Wars, and had that aside from his own personal interpretations that may or may not align with Lucas', unlike many other EU writers. This puts Shatterpoint very high in Legends canonity tier.

Jedi Path is stupid even when reading it in good faith. Movies, shows and later books with more canonity contradict it, so not good for argument.

Anything written by Karen Traviss is bullshit because 1. she disagrees with the good vs evil narrative of a franchise intended for kids, and 2. she only watched the PT halfway through, as a child. That's not getting into how she tries to paint both sides of the Empire vs Rebellion war as bad. Let me repeat, she's presenting the original heroes as bad. She's not engaging with the narrative presented to her, so what she writes is something else with the names of the Star Wars universe slapped into it.

In TCW this is trope of baby-snatchers is invoked and defied. A planet believes the Jedi steal children (manipulated by a Dark Side cult, so the people's worries were born out of propaganda), the Jedi stop going there, and the arc ends with them making up and solving the misunderstanding. To add to that, Children of the Force (the episode) is about Force-sensitive children being kidnaped by Cad Bane, and ends with the Jedi giving the children back to their parents; one of them was in the middle of an adjustment period to the Order and the other's parents had refused to give their child up, and there is zero indication that either child becomes a Jedi in the future.

In the PT the only introduction into the Order is Anakin, and the Jedi refuse. Until they can't refuse because Anakin is in danger of being discovered and brainwashed/stolen by a Sith, the Jedi say no. This is not how you portray characters to want to paint as kidnapers. Also, Palpatine (y'know, the Sith who's grooming and trying to turn Anakin against the Jedi) doesn't bring up anything related to child-stealing. If the main villain doesn't make that point, not even to be subverted later on, it's simply not true.

Coertion is an interesting argument because… it's never brought up. Yeah, you read that right. Never. Not even in arguments against the Jedi done by villains.

Jedi are not kidnapers in any continuity. Fandom made that up. Can that make for some interesting story about shady situations? Sure, if you're into that, but it's not canon. If you're critizing canon Jedi, bringing this shit up immediately makes you lose the argument.

"They left Anakin's mom to die a slave death"

No, they didn't. This post talks about her death, but something important I want to add is that she'd been free for years at the time of her death. Also, who's to say they didn't try? Who's to say they even knew she was a slave? Qui-Gon brought Anakin to the Order and then he died.

In Legends they actually had a hand in her winning her freedom, too.

You proved my point. You can critize the Order (I'm the first person to say they aren't perfect and some of their choices should be critized), but creating a narrative about the Jedi stealing children that has no basis in either Lucas', Legends or Disney canon to dunk on them is not being critical, it's just slander.

Friendly reminder that if you're gonna critize the Jedi, they have to be wrong.

"They told Anakin he wasn't fit to be a Jedi" Yeah, was he? He was unhappy the whole time, broke all their rules and eventually slaughtered them.

"They massacred the Sith Order" Yeah. Those "I'm better than everyone and everything and they all should kneel to me or die" people? I see no issue here.

"They fought in the Clone Wars as peacekeepers." Yeah. What was the alternative? Standing by as the clones, civilians and the Republic itself (the best government out those in the galaxy, although admittedly that's rather a low bar) were massacred by the Separatists? Yeah no. And peacekeepers ≠ pacifists.

"They forbid marriage." They are a religious organization, monks. Fobidding its members from marrying is pretty standard in monasteries. They also aren't celibate, friendship isn't discouraged at all and it's all but stated by Obi-Wan in TCW S6 that romantic feelings are perfectly allowed. Several of the Order's members practice their home planets' culture and religion and language (Barriss has a Mirilian Idol in her room, she Luminara Quinlan etc have cultural tattoos, many characters have accents which implies Basic isn't their first language and others don't speak Basic at all,etc). They have no dress code, they are allowed to drink, smoke, etc., even become part of other religions organizations (see Plo Koon)! Marriage being forbidden is nothing, literally meaningless next to the freedom Jedi have.

If you're gonna critize the Jedi, they have to be wrong.

No, they shouldn't change their whole way of life just because you don't like it.

[shitpostingsapphic]

Arcane criticism would be absolutely more tolerable if the "internet critics" actually said stuff that actually happened in the narrative. "Caitlyn gassed the entire city of Zaun" no she didn't. "Caitlyn murdered Zaunites" no she didn't. "Caitlyn was always evil" no she wasn't. "Caitlyn seduced Vi in the middle of a panic attack" no she didn't. "Vi fucked Caitlyn even though she knew Jinx was suicidal" Vi didn't know that, she simply thought Jinx had chosen to leave, and Vi was alone once again. Of course she sought comfort in Caitlyn. "Ekko would have hated Vi and Caitlyn for going after the chembarons" you mean like he did, for all of s1? No he wouldn't. "Caitlyn is a Geneva convention violator for using chemical welfare. She's a war criminal" you mean a real world thing that doesn't exist in the world of Arcane? Well if we're using that as a metric for good and bad in this universe, Jinx is guilty of the same thing, only Jinx used it indiscriminately, targeting the entire city of Piltover. Men, women, and children. Caitlyn used it as a strategic way to incapacitate the chembarons and put a stop to shimmer production and the related crimes surrounding it. And it was done as a more humane alternative to an all out invasion, WHICH WOULD HAVE harmed and killed Zaunites indiscriminately.

See what I mean? Your criticisms are fucking stupid and that's why no one takes you fucking seriously.

[spotaus]

Thinking about Cross' reunion with his brother!!! (New Age AU lore run under the cut lmao-) ( @ancha-aus this is what I was on about a few messages ago!)

So, Ancha mentioned it a while ago, but I agree that Cross and his brother Nine should certainly get to see each other again <3 (this post might involve things I've said before but I have horrid memory soooo my apologies lol-) Note: I'm thinking Nine should be Cross' older brother! It makes sense narratively and also I've got too many older siblings in the Main cast haha-

Cross (Ten at the time) had a strained relationship with his older brother. X-Gaster was their only parent, and created them with the intention of making the perfect super soldiers, men who would obey his every command. Nine was the only one of X-Gaster's previous attempts to survive, and he was very.... maliciously compliant we'll say? Nine was a clever skeleton who would follow his creator's every command, so well that any and all loopholes would be taken advantage of whenever possible. Nine did not like X-Gaster, and he didn't like his rule, and he didn't like how the people were treated.

Of course, he had to make a hard choice when Ten was created. X-Gaster wanted to use Ten as an anchor to hold Nine back from his rebellion. If he had a little sibling to worry about, surely he would be more obedient, right? Well, no. Nine made sure X-Gaster never could use Ten against him by doing his rebellion regardless of how Ten was treated. Did it hurt? Yeah. Did he know he couldn't afford to let Ten get hurt by his connection to him? So badly. He ignored Ten for much of his life, which meant that X-Gaster gave up on using him for leverage, but was also given the chance to craft Ten exactly how he wanted without any of Nine's backlash.

Aka? Ten got manipulated by X-Gaster. Nine broke the rules, and he got punished. Ten did well? He was treated well. It turned out that Ten was his perfect soldier, and Nine was the one he could keep around to keep Ten in check.

And, Ten adored Nine. When they got older, Ten never stopped looking up to Nine, even if he thought Nine was reckless and stupid for being disobedient. He knew Nine had his reasons, and frankly? Nine showing him ANY kindness (helping him patch up wounds after training, leaving treats for him, looking at him kindly, etc.) was better than nothing and far better than X-Gaster. They had a really strange and unhealthy bond, but brotherly nonetheless.

So when they were both older, abd Nine was planning the coup, and he tried to bring Ten to his side? It hurt. It hurt both of them when Ten turned away. Ten never said a word about how it was Nine who asked him to join. He told X-Gaster someone tried, and he denied them, but nothing more. And then when the Coup was in motion and Nine had to face Ten? They both had to do what they thought was best. Ten obeyed, all he's ever known, and Nine finally broke the rules and laid all his cards on the table.

And when they won, when Ten was left without a master, when he'd fought hard against his older brother? When Ten was without direction and looked to Nine, but he couldn't follow Nine because Nine had broken all their rules... Nine was willing to watch out for Ten. There was no more threat of X-Gaster, they could finally live as siblings, but Cross had been too indoctrinated. He was too adamant during the coup. No one else could trust him, they didn't want him around, nothing. So he was honest with Nine and told him he was leaving, in passing, before simply running away.

When the opportunity to reunite arises, it's because Cross' original kingdom wants to be allies. It's been years, Nightmare is hardly 18 or so, and he's been slowly working to bring people together. When the kingdom reaches out, they also ask about Ten, because it's not exactly a secret as to where he eventually ended up. They want to reconnect.

Night is cautious. Cross assures him Nine wouldn't support leaders who weren't doing their best, so an allyship would make sense. Night is more worried for Cross' wellbeing and the threat it might pose to him (physically or emotionally) to face those in his old kingdom. So, they agree that Nightmare would visit with Killer and Dust as his initial party. Cross would stay back with Horror (and Blue + Dream as added back-up as Knights) at the kingdom.

Only after several visits of Night's (and discussing it very heavily with Lust, the other Knights, Night, etc) does he decide he'll go in person. By then he's the only Royal Knight who hasn't gone with Nightmare, and they decide he'll go alongside Killer (Killer could be trusted to keep an eye on both Cross and Night, and as the first Knight it's kinda like a dibs situation to be able to look out for Cross).

And like. I haven't quite fleshed out Nine's personality yet... but I do believe that the moment he meets Nightmare and his men (because Nine became head of the guard in Cross' absence) he's unable to help himself from greeting Cross with a "Ten!" And I think Cross would recoil because, reading his old name is one thing, hearing it said is another. And he's really not sure how to respond.

(This is going to keep sitting in my drafts if I don't post it now, but basically this is just a quick look at my thought process so far for Cross + his Brother lol-)

[froggerland]

For the cold boys ask please tell me how you feel about Ned Little ❤️❤️❤️ Thank You!

THANK YOU FOR ASKING!!!

I am so normal about him you can't imagine how normal I am about that man.

Anyways:

First Impression: I think almost everyone has the same experience with this one: when you first watch the show you don't really register him for the first five episodes or so and then you either love him or are very much neutral about him. I vaguely remember the scene where he's standing next to Jopson looking like a kicked dog while Crozier yells at him and I think that's when I took note of him like "ohh poor boy let me give you a hug :(" I really fell for him in the second half of the season (first mainly bc hes pretty. Im a simple woman sometimes and im not afraid to admit it) and I cannot stress this enough how much the last scene where Crozier finds him half frozen with the chains on his face has altered my brain chemistry. That was the fr the point where I was like "okay so I'll never be normal again EVER huh"

Impression Now: I love him. I love him so so much on so many layers. For one I need him biblically bc I believe I can fix his ass and his sad energy and big cow eyes have bewitched me body and soul. Matthew McNulty was born to sport mutton chops and look increasingly disheveled while on a death march in the canadian arctic. But I can't put into words how much I relate to him. I am him, he is me. Genuinely if I was put on that stupid expedition in his place I would've made all the same (bad) decisions. I can literally name two other characters in media I relate to and those are Kat from Euphoria (only the first season version and I think if I watched the show now I would throw her off this list) and Connel from Normal People (him just,, big time). They just don't make characters that messy, pathetic and sad very often!! Or I'm not watching enough tv to find them but when I saw Ned throughout the season I was like "wow I relate to him so much and idk what that says about me". I feel like I went on a tangent there but I love him he is such a dear. He tried so so hard to do right and keep things under control bc he hates chaos but he was just so overwhelmed and had to deal with Croziers shit for way too long (I'm trying to sound smart rn bc people have very nuanced but sometimes also kinda weird takes on his character. Believe me I see him as more than sad wet puppy man but I don't have the words in the english language to express that)

Favorite Moment: Any scene he's in ever? Duh?? No but if I had to pick one I'd say the dundy intervention when he finally tries to put a foot down to rescue Crozier but they all just dismiss him. The way his eyes water. I. Mmh. I think I'm obligated to name his last scene as well bc that one makes me cry everytime even if I just see a gif of it, it's just so haunting and so so sad

Idea For A Story: Oh. Uhmmmmm. I'm really not a writer so I can't come up with anything cool on top of my head except let Ned be happy and comfy and warm. Tuck him into bed and give him soup. That's all

Unpopular Opinion: I can't really tell what's an unpopular opinion bc I've seen basically every take ever on him from "he is a pushover how did he even get his job" to "he's actually a meanie with big time anger issues" so. Maybe that I think he would've been a good lieutenant with a different captain on a more chill cruise. He'd do very well keeping order and the respect of the crew if he didn't have to be the doormat and errands boy for his alcoholic captain while starving in the arctic. I'd dare say 99.9% of life on a ship was more chill than the franklin expedition so maybe he wasn't the best lieutenant ever but he would've done a good job if the stakes weren't THAT high

Favorite Relationship: Started as a Joplittle stan, became a Sojoplittle truther and now my favorite is Solittle. I love my two dog boys, I love how they parallel each other (they were narrative foils your honor). But honestly anything goes, everyone deserves a bite out of nedward <3

Favorite Headcanon: That animals love him. Saw that on my feed a few days ago and yeah, agreed. He's definitely a cat person and they just flock towards him (extended hc that jirv loves animals so so much but they just hate him for some reason. So when the ships cat sneaks in during meetings jirv tries to get her to come towards him but the cat's like "ew no church boy" and jumps into Ned's lap who pets her but also prays he won't get yelled at by Crozier for this)

[halogenwarrior]

I can contribute by showing this post here https://www.tumblr.com/halogenwarrior/756391562104160256/i-posted-this-as-a-reply-to-someone-elses-post?source=share where I counter the claim that Cassie is too favored by the narrative because she is always right even if her idea is stupid. TLDR the narrative can't show she is wrong by having the others listen to her and her fail because they are always on the knife's edge of success such that while Cassie succeeding would have a big positive effect, her idea failing would mean everyone dies/gets infested and that would end the story so they can't do that. Instead the narrative shows Cassie isn't always right and sometimes the more ruthless option is correct by having the others not listen to Cassie and have things work out/it be clear if they hadn't done that they would have been doomed. One example of that is actually the part with the Yeerk pool in #52 that you mentioned, where Cassie doesn't want to do something on moral grounds, they do it anyway, and it's clear they would have just lost the war there if they didn't.

Regarding her not respecting the others' sacrifices, I feel she deeply does internally but her moments of disparaging the others or leaving temporarily sometimes makes (mostly Rachel) think otherwise, and she didn't quite fully understand Rachel or her motivations in a way that put psychological pressure on her, but most or all of the other Animorphs were the same way with that (and there are plenty of other dynamics like that, everyone else except Cassie uses Jake as their tool to do the hard decisions without giving as much sympathy as they normally would if they aren't so desperate, notably Marco despite starting from such a position of friendship, everyone subtly Tobias as a pity case in ways that hurt him and Tobias' insecurity leads to him seeing this as worse than it is though he's not wrong the dynamic exists, Marco feels he has to hide his vulnerability to avoid being in the same position as Jake/Rachel/Tobias in this respect...) I don't hate Cassie for that I actually think that tension makes her more interesting! But it's hard to have an intelligent conversation when people are simultaneously criticizing the character for Doylist things (too favored by the narrative) and Watsonian (does things they morally disagree with) and you want to refute both. She's actually my favorite Animorph (with some tough competition!)

So I'm putting together an In Defence of Cassie PowerPoint for a PowerPoint night with friends. Do you have any arguments for or against her? I trust your opinion and am curious.

Let's see.

"She's too powerful, too unique, too far-seeing, and not good enough for Jake! What a Mary Sue!"

Counterpoint: May I introduce you to the reigning champion fan favorite, Sad White Boy Tobias?

Only nothlit ever to regain the ability to morph

Only known human-andalite hybrid ever to exist

Regarded as savior by entire hork-bajir species

Entire existence is a time paradox the war hinges upon

Pulls the canonically "most beautiful girl in our grade", who turns down 6 or 7 other offers in favor of Bird Boy

Correctly predicted planetary ecology 65 million years in advance

Believed to be immune to 2-hour limit

In conclusion: y'all wouldn't be crying "Mary Sue" if Cassie was a sad white boy, and I can prove it.

"She's too weak and hand-wringing, and she never helps the war effort!"

Counterpoint: First of all, the fact that the same people say this in the same breath as "she's too powerful" is... telling. Secondly:

She saved the entire team's lives in #24, in #29, in #44, and in MM1, among others.

Specifically calling out #44 — that ending shows she is willing and able to be ruthless when her friends are in need. She doesn't like slaughtering human-controllers, but if the alternative is everyone she loves dying, then she'll fucking well do it.

Much like Jake (see: Sad White Boy), she's more willing to risk herself than her friends, hence the end of MM1

Her medical knowledge saves Marco from rabies, Ax from brain!appendicitis, and Tobias from bird flu.

Her survivalist knowledge saves everyone in #25 (the Arctic), MM2 (Cretaceous Era), #11 (rainforest), and #14 (desert).

In conclusion: Cassie's only idealistic-looking by the standards of this extremely morally gray team.

"She's so unfair to Jake!"

Counterpoint: Jake? The Jake who refused to speak with her for weeks? Jake who proposes marriage while they're still broken up? Jake who announces he'll never trust Cassie again because she [checks notes] saved his brother's life? That Jake?

Also:

She gives him tons of emotional support in #16, #21, #47, and other times he's feeling low.

They have a healthy argument where they air differences and come to an understanding in #9.

Did I mention he doesn't just dump her but ghosts her in the middle of the war's endgame?

They're teenagers. Their relationship isn't perfect, but it is built on open communication and mutual respect which is more than Rachel and Tobias can say

She's fighting a war, and PTSD for that matter. No, she doesn't have infinite emotional bandwidth.

In conclusion: Their relationship is fine, their breakup is mutual, and her behavior only looks bad if, once again, you're holding Cassie to a different standard than you are Jake.

"She shouldn't have trusted Aftran!"

Counterpoint: friendly reminder that the alternative was killing a 6-year-old for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If that's what you think Cassie should've done, that tells us more about you than about her.

"She spends too much time moralizing!"

Counterpoint: this is a book series about war, not a friggin' video game. If you want moral pornography, go play Call of Duty. If you want sci fi realism, then you're going to have to accept that a majority of humans prefer not to kill their fellow humans if at all possible.

"She's a ripoff of [insert character here]!"

Counterpoint: literally every single one of these says more about the commenter than about the source work. "Every dystopia is set in the U.S." is the kind of thing only people who only read books by American authors would think. "All epic fantasy is Eurocentric" => tell me you only read books by white people without telling me. I'm glad you think Cassie is too similar to Willow Rosenberg, but there are at least 6 other stories in the known world, and I hear some of them even feature sweet/dorky/caring characters who are secretly ultra-powerful.

In conclusion: You don't have to like Cassie as a (fictional) person, but 85% of criticisms directed at her are bad-faith attacks on one of the 1990s' only fat Black female gnc ultra-powerful superheroes.

[pigglepiephi]

Well they really did go there with all the angst and tragedy in EP4 of Every You, Every Me 😭

As painful as X and Namping’s story was, I really like that we get to see all types of love stories with this show. They only got to be together fleetingly, but they still got to love each other, even if it was only for a short time 💔

[little-pondhead]

DP x DC Prompt

…

There are no more heroes.

Well, okay. Rewind a bit.

Danny has been doing the hero thing for a while now. He’s had a big reveal; everyone has accepted him (including his parents), the GIW disbanded, the Anti-Ecto acts repealed, and generally, everything is going great. Some of the A-Listers are even training as junior ghost hunters to help give him a break from his rogues! (Being Ghost King makes things hectic sometimes, and he just needs the extra help. Sue him!)

The point is, literally nothing is wrong with Danny Phantom’s afterlife.

And then Valerie Gray, the Red Huntress, disappears in front of his eyes.

Danny is baffled! She’s just…gone! Valerie just popped out of existence, like she was never there. But no matter how hard he searches in the Ghost Zone, he can’t find her soul anywhere. His core isn't broken in grief. So she’s not dead. Which is good. So then, where is she?

Some of the others come forward with ideas on how to find her. A few ghosts volunteer to go out into the mortal realm, an area Danny had declared off-limits, to see if she was out there. Danny approves it. He rounds up some of the friendlier (i.e., discreet) ghosts and Amity Parkers and demolishes the outside travel ban.

So everyone spreads out, looking for their dear frenemy and teammate. But it becomes apparent very quickly that something is wrong with the rest of the world.

There are no more heroes.

Every single living superhero on the face of the Earth has just…vanished. Villains are running amok; the countries are in chaos! Some aliens are invading Earth, mythical deities are trying to take over, and society is crumbling to the ground. Everything is on the brink of collapse.

Well, Danny was still there. And so were his people. They were pretty spread out, so could they just…take up the mantles? He also knew where to find the souls of dead heroes in the Zone; surely they wouldn't mind coming out of retirement for a little bit, especially if they couldn't die again. Oh! And that skeleton army leftover from Pariah Dark's reign might be useful in repelling those invading forces.

Honestly, there were more than enough hands to go around! And with the heroes gone, Danny didn't mind letting everyone out for a little break, as long as they followed his rules. They wouldn't stop the search for the other heroes, but hopefully, when they found them, the heroes wouldn't mind Danny's intervention too much. :)

In other words:

Someone fucks up, and all of Earth's living heroes are either wished out of existence or are whisked away to some far-off realm where Danny hasn't checked yet. In the attempt to figure out what's going on, Danny lets the dead run amok over the Earth as they search for clues. The skeleton army repels the invading armies, the souls of dead heroes deal with the world leaders, and his rogues and other Amity Parkers set up shop in place of famous heroes, trying to get the cities under control again.

Basically, they just do their best to keep everything from imploding until the Justice League and others are back.

(And why is it that Danny hasn't disappeared? Well, whatever caused everyone to go poof! only affected living heroes. Anyone heroes that were dead in the first place, or even just half-dead, stayed behind.)

[loveisalwaystheanswer]

how and why the fuck did we get from this

to this

[starry-eyed-psychopomp]

REAL. People in this fandom bend over backwards to blame Wei Wuxian for every little thing, as if the entire point of the series wasn’t that he was being used as a scapegoat.

Like, Wei Wuxian is an unreliable narrator, specifically in the sense that he has an incredibly low sense of self-worth, defaults to blaming himself for everything, excuses any wrongdoing done to himself, and represses the memories of his own trauma. And he’s like that specifically because of his upbringing with the Jiang. Madame Yu blamed him for anything and everything, Jiang Fengmian enabled her and made Wei Ying feel like every bit of kindness incurred a debt that had to be repaid, and Jiang Cheng relied heavily on Wei Ying taking the blame for everything, so much so that he never really learned how to manage his emotions in a way that wasn’t blaming Wei Wuxian. He was raised a scapegoat, and that continued on in his role as the Yiling Patriarch. People blamed him for anything and everything, because it’s easier to pin all your problems on one convenient target than accept the complexities of a situation (and reflect on your own culpability in them).

Over the course of the novels, we see a lot of people blaming Wei Wuxian. Madame Yu and Lan Qiren are the first, and Jiang Cheng picks up soon after. Once the Sunshot Campaign ends, everyone is quick to blame every little thing on him and his cultivation. Then people like Jin Guangyao take advantage of that and manipulate it in their favor. Jin Zixun blames him for his stupid curse, then Jin Zixuan pops up and starts blaming him for the entire fight. There are mobs of people at the Second Siege of the Burial Mounds who blame him for all sorts of unreasonable shit. Jiang Cheng is CONSTANTLY blaming him for anything and everything: Lotus Pier, his parents, Jin Zixuan, Jiang Yanli, none of which were actually his fault. Shit, after the Golden Core reveal happens, Jiang Cheng starts blaming Wei Wuxian for the fact that he can’t blame Wei Wuxian for his problems anymore! And don’t get me started on Lan Xichen and the “his only mistake was you” conversation, as if Lan Wangji’s incredibly inobvious crush was somehow his responsibility to reciprocate while starving to death and trying to prevent a genocide. As if Lan Wangji’s punishment was his fault, despite the whole point being that Wei Wuxian was telling him to stop trying to help him. People lob so much shit at Wei Wuxian, and within the context of the novels, it is abundantly clear that it’s all just SHIT.

And the thing is, the novels understand this. Even though Wei Wuxian might not personally blame characters like Jiang Cheng or Lan Xichen for their reprehensible actions, the narrative ensures that they face consequences. Like, people get upset about Jiang Cheng’s ending, but he had ample opportunity to make amends with Wei Wuxian, and he refused. He just kept blaming him! Jiang Cheng never would have had to learn about the core transfer if he’d just shut his damn mouth and put the whip away, but he wouldn’t, so his entire fragile sense of accomplishment was destroyed. Now, he can’t blame Wei Wuxian for all his problems, because he knows Wei Wuxian gave up EVERYTHING so that he could lead the Jiang sect and be a powerful cultivator. And he can’t cope with that, so he ends the series unsatisfied and in seclusion.

And then look at Lan Xichen. Wei Wuxian never blames him for the whole mistake thing, but I really don’t think we’re supposed to see Lan Xichen as being in the right in that conversation. Like, first of all, he’s needlessly cruel. Second of all, with what we have read about the Second Battle at Nightless City, how would it be in any way reasonable to describe Wei Wuxian as being “satisfied with the killing?” People make Lan Xichen’s actions out to be understandable concern for his brother, but then Wei Wuxian gets nothing in regards to his own grief over the deaths of his sisters? Third of all, Lan Xichen is, at that moment, STILL making allowances for Jin Guangyao, even knowing the awful shit he did. Pot, meet kettle.

And that’s the thing! Towards the end of the series, the cultivation world’s mob mentality shifts from scapegoating Wei Wuxian to scapegoating Jin Guangyao. Technically a more worthy target, but even Wei Wuxian himself expresses discomfort at that shift. Lan Xichen, who still loves Jin Guangyao and is probably shaken by his own guilt over the part he played in his schemes, defaults to scapegoating Wei Wuxian instead. And sure, this scene happens in large part because of the narrative need for wangxian to get their shit together, but it still contextualizes Lan Xichen’s arc’s conclusion. And I’d argue that’s why he ends the series miserable and in seclusion too. He needed to be strong armed into feeling guilt and taking responsibility for his actions.

But back to the main point: I think a lot of people don’t understand that Wei Wuxian largely isn’t to blame because most of this comes in as subtext. Wei Wuxian is the narrator and he often tells us that everything is his fault, that the things he’s put through aren’t so bad, but in moments of flashbacks, when he’s knocked out or using empathy and doesn’t have so much control over the narration, we see more clearly that he had noble intentions and was consistently backed into a corner. Meanwhile, we’re seeing all these other characters turn a blind eye to injustice (or actively participate in it) and then turn around and say UNTRUE SHIT about him. Even though the narrative doles out karmic punishments for characters’ fucked up actions, the fact that Wei Wuxian doesn’t SAY they’re wrong and deserving of consequences trips people up.

MDZS is a story that really needs to be read with a critical eye. I feel like a lot of people just hear that Wei Wuxian is an unreliable narrator and decide that means he’s crazy and can’t be trusted. Or they see that he uses ~dark magic~ and has technically killed a lot of people and decide that means he’s “morally grey” or a war criminal or smth. Or they personally like Jiang Cheng or Jin Guangyao or Lan Xichen, and end up blind to those characters’ flaws and resort to the same scapegoating of Wei Wuxian that those characters engage in. And that’s whatever. You’re allowed to like flawed characters. It just bothers me that this leads to SO MANY misinterpretations of the books. Or when people go too far in trying to make the conflicts in the story seem like ~both sides~ are at fault, and it ends up with some…questionable real-world implications.

AND it fucks with the themes of the story, which include some very poignant messages about propaganda, scapegoating, the ways that people in power shift blame and make themselves out to be victims, and how people can be pushed really far when backed into a corner while still being fundamentally good and deserving of happiness. A cornered dog is going to bite, it’s fucked up to criticize people for the methods they use to crawl out of hell, especially when YOU should have lent them a hand, etc.

Rant over. For now.

It frustrates me so much when people use Jin Zixuan's death as some kind of proof that Wei Ying was out of control because you do remember he was being attacked at the time, right? Like he accepted the invitation to see his nephew in good faith, and instead, he was attacked. Violently. With the intent to kill. They were shooting arrows at him. If he hadn't spurred Wen Ning into action, he would have been killed. Like, you guys remember that, right? And it's not like he could just hop on his sword and fly away. He was cornered, and the only way out was to fight.

I'm not blaming Jin Zixuan for his own death, that blame lies solely on Jin Zixun, but I still think it was incredibly stupid of him to walk right into active fight zone and not expect to get hurt. Also, why was he telling Wei Ying to stop when Jin Zixun was still trying to kill him???

I don't understand this need to find something to blame Wei Ying for. He's always acting in defense. Against forces greater than him. He's reactive. He rarely actually starts things first. Like yeah he's a flawed character but that doesn't make him automatically culpable.

People at Nevernight were calling for both his blood and the Remnants, and he's supposed to just take that???? Just let it be? Take the Remnants and hide??? To where???? Wei Ying was so desperate to find them a place to go the first time that he took them to the Burial Mounds. The Burial Mounds. Do you know how desperate you have to be to consider a haven for corpses and ghosts as a safe haven??? Where else was he supposed to take them???

Even then, THEY shot him first. He didn't even make the first move. I do not understand why people think Wei Ying is in the wrong for simply fighting back to protect people he cared about.

For the love of God, someone needs to explain this to me because I'm really sick of this fanon character assassination

[charmwasjess]

Whatever you do, don’t think about how happy Sifo-Dyas must have been that last time with Dooku on Serenno. He’d been fired as a Seeker, lost his seat on the Jedi Council, had the worst rounds of visions of his life, and finally, finally, someone is listening to him, someone believes him, someone gets it.

He’s back with his best friend who promised to help him save the galaxy, like the two of them were made to do together. Like they always knew they were going to do.

[lotus-pear]

rewatched madoka magica again today bc i fucking hate myself and to absolutely no one’s surprise i went through all five stages of grief in a single evening

[flowersandfashion]

sorry let me rant about downton abbey 10 years later

Thomas's conversion therapy plot pisses me off so much. firstly, it's incredibly out of character. he never wanted to change to conform to society, he wanted the world to change to accomodate him. the man who said "it's not against the law to hope is it" and "I'm not foul, Mr Carson, I'm not like you, but I'm not foul" would NEVER

secondly, from a storytelling perspective, the only 'problem' is that he used infected needles. did we forget that Thomas was a sergeant in the RAMC? he knows how to sterilise needles and how to recognise and treat infection. this also shifts the blame to Thomas himself for getting sick and implies that the conversion therapy itself is harmless (Dr Clarkson says it's just saline solution)

thirdly, it's not historically accurate. I'm not an expert but conversion therapy was not at all common in the 1920s, even Sigmund Freud was against it. hormone therapy and chemical castration were barely developing let alone available to the public (I can't imagine what else the 'treatment' was supposed to be). the only practices that I can find evidence of were psychoanalysis and electric shock therapy

Thomas also mentions that he did electric shock treatment - if you really want to make a point about homophobia in the 1920s (and make Thomas suffer as much as possible), show that instead. watching him be literally tortured for his sexuality would have been far more impactful than him just... looking sweaty for a few episodes

[summertimesadnessirl]

Nah.

It doesn't matter.

Like...

It doesn't matter unless you can do something about it.

All of this is fake?

All of this is really happening?

All of this is bots and the bots think it's happening?

It doesn't matter.

It's like I always used to tell my nerd friends.

If life is a simulation it only matters if you can leave or if you can hack the simulation.

If not, if people are sending you weird gangstalking shit and sometimes you interact with the weird gangstalking shit like how you would react if it was happening it doesn't matter either way.

Like... how the hell could it?

And like... maybe it works. Maybe it doesn't work.

I don't care anymore.

I have made it very clear that what I want is to die.

I don't care if I'm in my room and someone took the regular internet and put it in a little pocket internet to fuck with me, like rokos basilisk.

That's what I think is happening.

A person or not a person doing it. Like it seems like too much work to be a person or a group of people. It makes more sense that it's an ai from the future. I would believe "one or two guys pulled a prank on me."

If there's some kind of huge conspiracy that doesn't matter either.

The cops have been to my house several times.

If it's a "delusional" episode? Doesn't matter. I literally couldn't get functional mental health anyway.

If I signed up for this it was specifically because I wanted to die. I don't think I signed up for this.

People not allowing me to die when it's the only thing I want to do hate me.

This is not new.

If this is some kind of insufferable art project it doesn't matter if I'm actually broke and I actually wanna die and people are actually torturing me to death that's just a bunch of people trying to get me to say humiliating things or whatever first.

It doesn't matter if people start annoying rumors about me or try to push stuff on me that I don't want using stupid narratives or if they use ones I like and feel comfortable with.

I have made it clear that all I wanted was to be a phone sex operator and not live in poverty and not have to date weird hobosexuals and get bullied by women anyone. I have made it clear that I'm not having a good time. I have made it clear that I literally was minding my own business doing edgy role playing shit with my loser online porn addict friends because they were the only people who were nice to me and yall are gonna pretend that's some kind of insane thing until you get an insane reaction and then tell me I'm insane? Okay.

I don't care. I still want to die.

I told you.

This is fine.

Even if all of this was happening, like literally for real happening, I don't care.

Meet the new boss same as the old boss.