#jokes on me it's a secret third option: BOTH

[graciereadshannigram]

do i have a disorganized attachment style

orrrrrrrrr

am i a high masking autistic who craves connection with the people i love and trust, but feels deeply vulnerable when attempting to unmask (for good reasons!!!), so when i do unmask or ask for help meeting a need i then experience rebound anxiety and retreat more deeply behind my mask to avoid being rejected? (because obviously being my authentic self will always result in abandonment)

[fogwitchoftheevermore]

also if i’m right about secret life’s top three and impulse has a SECOND SEASON IN A ROW where he makes it to the top three with two people who he (and everyone else except the two people involved, frankly) completely believes would do anything for each other i might die. truly i might die.

furthermore i WILL die if he does what he did to martyn in liml again and offers one of them the chance to kill him in order to get ten extra hearts and win. i don’t even know which of those two i would want him to offer it too both of them would make me crazy.

[thou-babbling-brook]

Maria Thorpe Character Analysis

Well, I simply can’t disappoint the people – aka, the five of you that will read this, lmfao. I’m so serious about this that I’m actually drafting this on a Google doc before I post this rather than just typing random thoughts on my phone. This is going to be a HUGE ramble that probably won’t make a ton of sense, but I hope it’s entertaining regardless. 

Maria Thorpe – a character that Ubisoft probably spent MAYBE thirty minutes thinking about, but that I have not stopped thinking about for like, five years. What a gal. So glad I was not in this fandom in 2012 to witness how HEINOUS people were about her for simply being a woman “in the way” of a M|M relationship. I hope by the end of this ramble, you, too, will see her for the baddie she truly is. 

In this essay, I will delve into Maria’s character to explore why she is so fascinating to me, the implications of her story, and why Ubisoft can actually catch these hands for dumbing her down in AC Revelations. (I'm putting a cut here because it's so fucking long I'm sorry gang)

First off, to understand Maria Thorpe as a character, you have to understand her background. I’m not going to copy and paste her Wiki or anything, but I am going to outline her life (stated and implied) before we meet her.

For those that don’t know, Maria was born an English noblewoman in 1161 – four years before Altaïr was born (okay cougar). Because she was a tomboy and defied many of the social norms for women in the 12th century, she was ostracized by both her parents and her peers. She mentions in The Secret Crusade that her parents tried to force her to conform, which culminated in her first marriage at the age of 18 to Lord Peter Hallaton. She mentions that he was a decent husband, but he didn’t exactly appreciate her more boisterous nature. After all, in 12th century England (especially among nobility), women were to be seen, not heard. She also failed his expectations as a chatelaine and a wife, as she bore him no children. The Bishop of Leicester granted them an annulment to avoid embarrassment to both Peter and Maria’s family. When she returned, she was “persona non grata” to her family and the whole of Leicestershire, especially when her father had already spent her dowry. With no other options, Maria ran away to join the Third Crusade, where she eventually met Robert de Salbé.

You may notice that we don’t actually know a lot about Maria and her life before AC1, which is probably intentional. To me, though, that’s what makes her backstory fascinating – the implications of her environment and what we can reasonably deduce she went through based on historical context. I think anyone who’s taken a seventh-grade social studies class could tell you women had, like, zero rights in 12th-century England – even more so, noblewomen. Maria was raised to be a glorified broodmare – say nothing, have children (two boys and a girl, as she jokes), and run her husband’s household. Clearly, she was the exact opposite of all of these things. Something interesting about Maria’s first marriage is the fact that while it was an annulment, she specifically mentions in The Secret Crusade it was an annulment to save her family further embarrassment – which implies that the marriage was consummated, but all parties wanted it done with. I don’t think I need to elaborate on how common and horrific an experience like that could be, but I think it fuels Maria’s relationship later on with motherhood, especially since she mentions that she was completely uninterested in childrearing and birth (this is a key point I’ll touch on later).

So what? Why does her background matter? It matters because of how historical and cultural context tie in to help form who she is by the time she leaves for the Third Crusade – a desperate, twenty-two-year-old woman, divorced, ostracized from the only family and society she has ever known, having no other choice than to ditch England and head for the Holy Land unless she wants to become a nun. For many men and women alike in the 12th century, this was their only opportunity to become something more than what they were born as, whether it be a serf, a blacksmith, or a noblewoman. Many who left for the Third Crusade left to “take back the Holy Land,” but also to escape or improve their current standings. To me, Maria falls in the second category, and it is this desperation to escape her life that forms her most notable (and later, tragic) characteristic: her undying loyalty.

As a side note, it is also interesting to me that Maria chose to be a soldier rather than a nurse. This is more so my characterization of her, but I think that’s because a) she’s too damn proud and loud to be a nurse, and b) because if she was a nurse, she would more than likely live and be treated the same way she was at home. Truly, if she wants to escape the patriarchy, the only way a woman like Maria could at the time was to join it by blending in. Girly get some therapy.

We’re now at AC1 in the timeline. Hooray! We don’t know when exactly Maria joined the Templars or when she first met Robert, but we can probably assume it was not long after she joined the crusade. As we know from AC1, AC Bloodlines, and The Secret Crusade, Maria disguised herself as a man (more than likely a young boy since she’s got a voice that would fit right into Alvin and the Chipmunks) and was able to keep up the rouse long enough to rise in the ranks and show promise to people like Robert. For Maria, when Robert finds out she is a woman and yet elevates her further, it is the first time in her life that someone has appreciated her for her masculine qualities. It is why she develops an intense loyalty for Robert to the point of being willing to be his decoy, despite the fact she fully anticipated dying. For Maria, it would be her ideal end – fighting to the death for a cause she truly believed in. Not even really a cause, as we figure out later, but more so for a man she truly believed in – Robert. It would not be through the pain and subjugation of childbirth like most women of her standing, but a brutal fight like any other man.

And yet – she doesn’t. When Altaïr meets her, he’s undergone a whole development arc, whereas Maria (at this point 30, which is SO funny to imagine her fistfighting this 26-year-old frat boy) is at the start of hers. And it starts with Altaïr sparing her – the worst possible fate that could become her at this point in her life. Think about it: the only person who has given her an OUNCE of respect has asked her to essentially die for him by acting as his decoy. As Maria mentions in AC Bloodlines, by this point, she is also a step away from becoming a knight – and at this point, she’s also known as a woman among the Templars. And yet, she believes they have become her family, and she is willing to die for their cause and for Robert. When Altaïr spares her and kills Robert, he’s sentencing her to the life she ran away from and feared – being nothing more than a woman who is looked down upon with condescending snarls and disgust for who she is.

This is why when we meet Maria in AC Bloodlines, she is rightfully PISSED. We literally see her realize that any ounce of respect and power she had is completely gone because Altaïr spared her. She is so pissed, in fact, that she tries to kill Altaïr again. This is even funnier when you remember how much of a BITCH it was to fight her in AC1, but I digress. Altaïr has destroyed everything she has built in her life for the last eight years. He has taken her home, her mentors, her family, and her honor. And bro doesn’t have a clue in the fucking world.

It’s at this point that I’ll also analyze more about Maria’s relationship with the Templars. At first glance, yes, she was a Templar and believed in their cause. Really, though, it goes far deeper than that. It’s not necessarily that Maria believes in their cause – otherwise, it would’ve taken a lot more for Altaïr to sway her to the Assassins – but that she believes in the people. Again, from Maria’s perspective, the Templars (especially Robert) were the ONLY people in her entire life to treat her with dignity, and she is willing to die for them. She is willing to throw her honor to the ground and beg for forgiveness in front of Bouchard because, without the Templars, she is nothing. She is back to square one as a silly little girl trying to run from a life that would only subjugate her. It’s that recurring characteristic of undying loyalty to those who have given her the life she has always wanted.

And for Maria, it is immediately spat back in her face.

When Bouchard takes over in AC Bloodlines, he is a strict Templar Grandmaster. No consorting with women, periodt. And he flaunts this over Maria, taunting her. He is tearing the last ounce of respect she’d ever received and throwing it away. Every sacrifice she made for the Templars for the last eight years meant nothing, and it is crushing to her. She continues to be pissed off at Altaïr, who mentions that she’s more pissed at the Templars than at him. Once again, she is nothing more than a woman – an imprisoned one at that.

This is where one of my favorite Maria scenes (not that there’s many) comes into play. When she and Altaïr are sitting on the ship to Cyprus or wherever it doesn’t matter, Altaïr does something that no person has done for her before: he treats her with unconditional respect. As funny as his autistic ramble about Empedocles and philosophy is, there are so many assumptions that go into Altaïr’s conversation that I think help sway Maria to his side. When he talks to Maria, he speaks to her as an equal. He talks to her about philosophy because of course she would know about philosophy in his mind – to him, she is a soldier and a person first, and a woman second (shut the fuck about The Secret Crusade and him thinking about her as a lioness shut up shut up I low key hate it even though it’s funny). He is the first person in her life to speak to her as an equal and with respect with no strings attached. In fact, when Maria taunts him for leaving her cuffed even as he talks about free will, he lets her go. She may not like him at this point, but after this scene, you can certainly see that she respects him in how she speaks to him. BONUS: she’s not trying to outright kill him anymore! Hooray!

You can see the impact Altaïr and his conversation had on Maria when she confronts Shahar in her courtesan fit. There’s so many layers to Maria willingly dressing in such an exposing, vulnerable, and feminine way (keep in mind this bitch is Catholic, I know her guilt was going crazy), but what I’m going to focus on is her conversation with Shahar. When he speaks to her, he is gross and all but catcalling her, calling her a “little fox” and using a sultry tone. Maria is having NONE of it, and one can only assume this is a tone she has dealt with a thousand times over. This is also where we see the gears turning in Maria’s head. I’ve seen people criticize Maria for how quickly she flip-flopped, but I think that’s overlooking the reason that she WAS a Templar – they were the only people who provided her a home when she had none. If you’re desperate for anyone to treat you with an iota of respect, you’d do whatever they ask. After she talks to Altaïr though, and especially after realizing Robert was simply manipulating her, she is questioning the Templars’ ideologies and realizing this is not what she wants. It low key is like Alicent in House of the Dragons right now – she’s shocked that fighting against women fucked herself over. Maria is similar in that sense – she thought that by being what the Templars wanted and fighting for what they believed, it wouldn’t come back to bite her in the ass. But it did. She’s a woman before she’s a Templar, and the ideology of the Templars would see her subjugated just as she was before. It isn’t until after Altaïr’s spiel about free will and the challenges it brings that she realizes she has other options.

And that’s ultimately what brings Maria to the side of the Assassins – realizing her errors in thinking and wanting a way to redeem herself. The Assassins are her second chance, which is ironic given how many stories after hers would follow this same format of second chances. But it isn’t just the ideology change, either. It’s Altaïr. No, she does not have undying loyalty by the end of AC Bloodlines, but he’s certainly earned her trust and respect. He’s treated her like any other person without ever holding power or loyalty over her head. He does not manipulate her or exploit her – he respects her, and he earnestly tells her of the creed’s ideologies not to lure her in, but because he genuinely believes in the idea of dispelling the illusions of the world and wants to share it with her, whether she becomes an Assassin or not. That is what turns Maria into an Assassin at the end of the day: his respect for her and his understanding of the creed. And despite their issues, Maria chooses to follow him to the ends of the earth.

Now we’re at a really funny part of Maria’s story: we know basically NOTHING about what happens in between AC Bloodlines and AC Reflections. We know that sometime after traveling to Masyaf, Maria and Altaïr became a couple. We know they married in 1195 and gave birth to Darim the same year. Two years later, they would traumatize Desmond Miles by fucking on top of a castle, which is so fucking funny and only supports my characterization of Maria as a gremlin, because who the fuck else would make their husband climb up a giant ass tower for sex? We know she officially became an Assassin and would beg Altaïr to stop looking into the Apple. We know she would join Altaïr and Darim to Mongolia to kill Genghis Khan. And that is all we know for an approximately 30-YEAR PERIOD.

While there’s a lot I could talk about in that gap, like Maria’s relationship with other Assassins, I’m going to focus on her relationship with motherhood. As we established earlier, Maria had ZERO interest in being a mother or giving birth. This is a personal headcanon but I do not care because it’s MY analysis and I can do as I please, but I feel like she would’ve dreaded childbirth, especially given how English nobility acted about it (e.g., how people treated it like a scandal or disease) and how it was the leading cause of death for women until the 20th century. Yet, despite this, she had not one, but TWO children. She was like one away from the goal, and even then Sef had two daughters so really she fulfilled it. But why? What changed that she would be willing to do the very thing she left England to avoid?

I think it goes back to the reason she was disinterested in it in the first place. Like Maria says in The Secret Crusade, she didn’t want to just be a mother or a wife. Her ideal husband would treat her like any other man, taking her hunting or whatever else bullshit medieval stuff they’d do instead of scrolling through TikTok. She never said she didn’t want to be a mother. I think her hesitance stems from the fact that she didn’t want to SOLELY be defined as a mother or a wife. With Altaïr, however, that fear is pretty much gone. Since the moment she met him, Altaïr has always treated her with respect and admired the things she was once shamed for. Her strength is valuable as an Assassin. Her bluntness keeps him in check. Her ideas are admired rather than ridiculed. To Altaïr, Maria is not just a woman or even just an Assassin. She’s a person with her own experiences and ideas and fears and strengths and dreams. He loves her for every aspect of herself that was once frowned upon.

I remember a while ago seeing a Tumblr post from ye olden days (like 2012) talking about how because menstrual cycles were extremely irregular back in the day due to medieval diets and exercise, Maria would have to purposefully chill out to regulate her cycle to become pregnant. What that implies is that she trusted Altaïr so much that she was willing to settle down and have children because she knew it would not influence how he treated or loved her. Personally, I think this is true of Darim, but that Sef was an accident because it’s funnier that way, but regardless, the point still stands. Maria getting pregnant and becoming a mother is the opposite of what she thought she would ever want, but because she loved and trusted Altaïr so much, she was willing to have a family with him because she knew it would not come to define her. I think that is unbelievably sweet.

We also don’t really see Maria interact with her children very often, which I think is a fucking shame. When she does interact with Darim (we never see her with Sef, though we do see her reaction to his death), Maria is always supportive and encouraging. Again, this is more my headcanon territory but I really don’t care because I can do what I fucking please, but Maria low key feels like a boy mom to me, but not in the weird Freud way, lmfao. Like we established earlier, Maria’s key trait is her loyalty. I think this loyalty would be extended to her children. We know she’s loyal to Altaïr (it ends up killing her), but I feel like it would go insane with her children. When she learns of Sef’s death in The Secret Crusade, this woman breaks down in tears instantly. WHERE THE FUCK WAS THE MOTHERLY RAGE WITH ABBAS, UBISOFT. WHERE WAS IT. Anyways.

Masyaf is a pretty cutthroat environment to raise a child, especially when you consider that Abbas is apparently lurking in the background scheming during Altaïr’s reign. Something I wish we learned more about (and something I just find fascinating in general) is the political environment of Masyaf. Altaïr implemented a lot of changes to the Brotherhood that faced backlash, one of the key ones being allowing women in the order again (ahem, Maria). I know Maria said she was uninterested in the politics of running a house, but I do think she’d kind of have to play her hand in politics in Masyaf, kind of how Altaïr realizes he’s not exempt from politics since he’s literally shaping them. If Maria wants her kids to be safe, especially as sons of the Master of the Assassins, she’s gotta play her cards well. This is why I think it does make sense for Maria to calm down after having children to be more similar to the Maria we see in AC Reflections and AC Revelations. She can’t just fight everyone like she did when she was relying solely on herself. Now, she has people relying on her, and I think it makes sense for her character to chill out more (though without losing her spunk) to ensure her family is safe.

For those that have ever watched Magnificent Century, basically think about how Hurrem went from fighting everyone to playing her cards wisely so her kids wouldn’t die or do stupid shit. That’s how I feel like Maria would be.

Something else that’s interesting about Maria to me is her relationship with Altaïr. Duh, you’re probably saying, but hear me out. We know that while she and Altaïr were inseparable during their marriage, there was one thing that strained it: the Apple. It makes sense why Maria would be so pissed off at it. She’s seen Altaïr control men’s minds with it. She’s seen how it takes him away for days at a time with its secrets, to the point she is begging him to throw it away. Back to the point about loyalty to her family, whereas Altaïr seeks knowledge, Maria just wants her family protected and safe because she loves them – including her dumbass husband. It’s ironic that the very thing she fought about with Altaïr is the thing that killed her.

So we’re finally at AC Revelations, and I am truly shocked that you’re still here. Kudos to you. At that final confrontation scene with Abbas, that loyalty for those she loves comes to a head. When Altaïr whips out the Apple, Maria begs and pleads him to stop, because she knows if he uses the Apple to control someone, he will only be proving Abbas’s point, which will only fuck them over. In The Secret Crusade, we also have Malik’s head on top of this scene to make it worse. Maria’s position is again one of desperation. Her son is dead, one of her best friends is now just a head, and her husband is about to go sicko mode. She is screwed and she knows it. What she doesn’t know is that she’s about to be stabbed by Swami (I’m going with the revelations version shut up) in a last ditch effort to stop Altaïr from using the Apple. Altaïr doesn’t listen to Maria, and it kills her. He kills her.

… SO I HAVE THOUGHTS.

I think Maria dying from the Apple makes sense, I do. That’s not my problem. My problem is how AC Revelations basically dumbed her down to this motherly, homely figure which is the like, ANTITHESIS of what Maria is. Where was the feminine rage??? You’re telling me this woman would not be about to SLAUGHTER someone after learning that Sef died?? You’re telling me she would just pull an AltaïR thiS iSn’T yOu???????? Are you so fucking for real right now??? It pisses me off because it nukes her character. While yes, it makes sense for her to be a much calmer woman and 67 compared to 30, this is still Maria. Don’t act like she and Altaïr don’t have fucking anger issues and be so fucking for real.

Here’s my ideal scenario for what should’ve gone down. I think once they pulled Malik’s head out, there should’ve been all-out chaos rather than this bullshit “We killed everyone loyal to Altaïr before he arrived.” Maria should’ve been right there with them with a sword out. Altaïr, in a desperate attempt to calm everyone down, would take out the Apple and try to control everyone. If you’ve seen the long ass discussion about how Revelations fucked up Altaïr’s character arc, this also helps remedy that because Altaïr is pulling out because of his arrogance in believing he can control the Apple. News flash: he can’t. Maria, while fighting for Altaïr, would somehow be killed either by the Apple or like similar to how Swami accidentally killed her. Something along those lines where it is Altaïr’s fault. That’s how she should’ve gone out, not some weird pick me bullshit.

Anyways. RIP Maria Thorpe you would’ve loved Crusader Kings 3.

I definitely missed some points about her character but this is already 7 pages long on Google docs so I am NOT writing anymore. God bless.

TLDR she's a baddie and I need her so so so bad

[bucketspammer4life]

what i think your favorite PO boxer says about you

based on my biases and a year of experience (if you get mad over how i talked about your fave im going to turn you into a can of spam)

first time ive ever maxed out the tags

if i missed your fav tell me ‼️

doc louis - you have good taste and are starving for content about him, you really are a survivor

little mac - you either project onto him or just like calling him your son

glass joe - you have a thing for pathetic men (understandable tbh) and like calling him a wet cat since he fits that desc well

von kaiser - same thing as joe but add a hint of "oh no hes hot"

disco kid - you literally have no enemies i love you so much its not even funny (platonic)

king hippo - my god you are good at making up lore, how the fuck do you make a solid personality for a character that only roars and grunts

piston hondo - im 100% youre a saint, no hondo fan i met has ever been unpleasant to talk with

bear hugger - you either see him as a father figure or just think hes hot or (secret third option) you like making jokes about him being a disney princess, either way youre cool

great tiger - oh you have been here for a long time, literally every great tiger fan i know has been in the fandom since 7.000 BC or something, also youre prob really good at art

don flamenco - you use the word "cunty" on a daily basis or just like making fun of his stupid bald head, also yes he has eyeliner on 100%

aran ryan - you'd overthrow a goverment for this greasy rat, youre extremely extremely gay and/or neurodivergent and thats very good for you, you also like making him say lad and have had to go ankle deep in irish slang when making him speak in fanfics

soda popinski - ive never seen someone have soda as their fav, hes always 2nd place somehow so im just gonna go take a shot in the dark and say you like the color pink (mental gymnastics who??)

bald bull - you are a mixed bag, i gen cant put a finger on what kind of personality bull stans have but i can say you either find him hot or like making fun of him, maybe both

super macho man - least serious people ever with some traumatizing lore for the boxers & their own ocs, you prob make him say bogus 88268292 times in a sentence and i can respect that

mr sandman - ive only seen 2 (two ) ppl who have him as their fav and its kinda sad, youre starving for content of him and i wish you the best

birdie mac - hes your son (im not elaborating)

gabby jay - same thing as joe but you went over the top with liking dilfs

narcis prince - gay. gay gay homosexual gay. you went for the self obsessed blonde twink and you thought it wasnt obvious?? you fucking homosexual

heike kagero - youre 1000% queer, sorry to be a broken record about the gay thing but ur fav is literally a man with long hair & makeup that has to be some flavor of queer

hoy quarlow - you are/were another ancient punch out fan, you def shitpost a lot

bruiser bros - where are you??? ive gen never met a bruiser bros fan and its concerning like dude where did u go

texas mac - im sorry but you dont exist, ive never ever seen a texas mac fan, not even someone who mentions him

mad clown - you foul clownfucker. you have weird taste in characters you find hot and tbh im all here for it

masked muscle - same thing as texas mac but theres a slight chance you exist, if you do please show yourself

dragon chan - another punch out ancient fan, you probably were most active in 2013-2019 and kinda miss old shitposts and have either moved on or dont participate much anymore

spo aran - (this is mostly for Charlie but i have hope that theres some other spo aran fans out there) youre probably looking for other spo aran fans, goodpeed soldier, goodpeed

mask x - you arent getting away with this fuck you

[tommyssupercoolblog]

Also unrelated to the last Dan and Phil post but do other phannies know about queerplatonic relationships. Do they know that there is not just romantic or platonic relationships but a secret third thing. Like if Dan and Phil aren't dating they also very well could be a secret third thing. The point of QPRs is that they upset the ideas of what relationships are "supposed" to be like and what's platonic or romantic, because like, anything romantic can be platonic and vice versa because relationships are defined by the people in them. (And also some people consider their attraction in itself to be neither or both)

Like even if they DO call each other pet names and want to live together forever in the same house, or even if they want to get married, that doesn't necessarily eliminate the possibility that their relationship is a secret third thing.

I think about this a lot when I'm in the Dan and Phil tag because I sometimes see people say the sort of "friends don't do that" talk that aromantic people especially (since they're more likely to be in or know about QPRs) complain about sometimes, and like. Jokes like that are common and easy but it does make me wonder how many people haven't stopped to consider that Dan and Phil could also...be a QPR.

You don't have to be in romantic love to be life partners, and some people prioritize friendship over romance in a way that even if they do experience romance it's so low-key to them that their friends live with them more or have more stake in their lives than partners. The priorities of your relationships, like the order of what's more important, can be different depending on who you are, and so can what those relationships look like.

I'm not saying I think they AREN'T dating persay, I mean like how would I know??!!! But there are more options than yes or no, like... "It depends on whichever is funnier" or "only on Tuesdays" or "Fun sexy little gray area" or "yes and no at the same time fuck you" or "neither, actually It's digorno". There are a rainbow of possibilities, AND shrimp colors or possibilities. The possibilities are phendless

[fairypaw]

YEAHH TREE TIME EVRERYNYANN

me babbling abt tree under the ✂️

in my humble and objectively correct opinion tree is THE most interesting cat especially with his impact in the books both narratively and the impacts he has for the worldbuilding. Tree is a care free almost lazy, and weird but he makes up for it by being charismatic, highly intelligent, and hes??? so funny?? he met four cats and he makes up a DIFFERENT fake backstory everytime, he's a chronic nonsensical nonchalant nonbinary i love him.

He was born in a unique origin so to say, although putting aside the criticism around The Sisters, Tree or back then Earth, gives us an outsider pov for once and its genuinely so refreshing! i loved Tree's roots and seeing what hardships he went through to be moulded as the clever, witty yet untrustful cat he's become

He overcomes trauma from his origin and his fleeting attachment issues stems from a constant back and forth lesson and events that led him to be disclosed yet painfully longs for a place to set foot.

From the very start, all he ever wanted was just to have something, somewhere, someone to rely on. but from the death of his best friend, to the Sisters "banishment", to his dad's death and every other harsh lesson the world gives that he was better off alone. He slowly comes to unlearn it, by squirrelflight's hope, a quote from him really speaks about how far he's come and how he finally finds grounding and a home, a *family* in the clans

“Her kits deserve to have a

mother, even if only for a short while.”

“They’ll have the Sisters.”

“I guess.” “But Rootkit and Needlekit will have a father and a mother

for as long as they need them, and if they’re in trouble, they’ll always have a Clan to turn to.” PUNCHES A WALL. I LOVE YOU TREE TIMES A GAZILLION !!

Tree knows the bitter lifestyle he had to endure in his childhood, he was so young when everyone around him expected the world, to be larger than life. he would never want that for his shrub babies..

And Tree also embodies the *middle option* that choices and roles arent put into objective boxes, he questions the roles of toms and she cats in the sisters, the way he struggled in his role as a tom, the way he abandons his name, the torment between always wanting a home but constantly taught either by tongue or harsh events that the solitary life, the way he couldnt choose between being a warrior and a medicine cat, to the way he becomes the secret third thing every choice his given.

As a queer person specifically i relate to him but also just in general <3 Tree is a cat who represents healing from past trauma to move forward, who serves justice and sees common ground in every situation, someone who is everything he chooses to be and also he makes awesome horrendous jokes.

[writing-for-life]

Me, every time I see serious fandom takes (not jokes, I do plenty of them, too) on Morpheus that either portray him as a sad depressed emo who needs rescued OR as being the worst and deserving of everything he gets (nothing with a bit more nuance):

Also me: It’s not even “both and”. Although I definitely think the idea that well rounded fictional characters usually contain multitudes and are rarely just one-dimensional is something people could get a bit more comfortable around (but hey, b/w thinking and hard demarcation lines have permeated absolutely everything, from politics to TV shows and literary analysis). Would also spare us a lot of fandom discourse.

No, it’s actually a secret third option that’s not secret at all:

Morpheus is not human. He’s a concept, and that’s both the dilemma and also what everything hinges on. And while parts of the story are about him, the entirety of the Sandman and its main messages really aren’t.

He neither dies because he deserves it, nor can he be rescued because he has changed.

Wild, I know…

[cheesecakezyum]

I just found your blog and I am LOVING the Wukong content. I was hoping to request some smut headcanons (maybe alphabet hcs- if you feel up to it). I completely understand ty! <333

NSFW Alphabet ; Sun Wukong

Please do not click the ‘keep reading’ option if you are under the age of 18. Adults only, please! :)

Welcome to my page! I’m ecstatic that you’re enjoying what I’m providing <3 Doing alphabet headcanons are actually some of my favorites!

Mainly because it helps me with future pieces of writing (smut ofc) — like a cheat sheet almost!

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A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

He loves to hold you in general, so after a session of utter passion? It’s tripled. He’ll sometimes want to keep his cock buried in you overnight if you’re up for it and continue from where you two left off the next morning.

He’s not too big on cleaning himself personally after sex (like the absolute gremlin he is), but he’ll begrudgingly set a warm bath for you if that’s what you want! You’ve explained UTI’s and yeast infections to him, which is why he no longer complains about keeping his semen inside you as long as he can.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

He loves his tail. I mean, it’s like a third hand! Another tool to balance himself, grab things, and especially bring you to him when he’s needy.

He personally loves your ears. They’re so cute and small compared to his! Sometimes you’ll catch him fiddling with your earlobes. He also enjoys the noises you make when he nibbles on them.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

It turns him on extremely seeing you covered in his cum— legs spread, ever so slightly trembling as you’re leaking with his semen, your face twisted into an expression of pure bliss. It’s enough to get him riled up all over again.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Has a Owner/Property kink that even to this day hasn’t publicly told you about. You found out yourself after a certain rigorous handjob when he basically begged you to let him cum, ending his plead with master.

Praise kink too, but he’s a bit more open with that.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

At first he may seem clumsy, but he’s simply learning what makes your body tick. After maybe 3-4 sessions expect him to have your anatomy and personal pleasures memorized to the tea. Every whimper, moan— it’s all a sign to let him know that he should keep the ministrations going.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

The mating press.

His main interest is the deeper penetration aspect of the position. He also loves the look of your helpless face every time he presses into you.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

Pretty goofy! But Wukong knows when to switch the mood to make it better for you both. One minute he’ll be joking to you about a show playing in the background and the next will be eating you out like you’re the last meal he’ll ever have.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

This man is 100% a hobo. Although being filled with body hair already (cause, y’know. Monkey?) he has a pretty clean happy trail which matches the ash orange color of his mane!

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

He won’t have sex with you unless there’s at least some sort of feelings in the mix. Whether they’re unspoken or not it’s something that’s always there. He’s not there just to fuck, he wants to make love.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Doesn’t masturbate often. He’d have to really be in the mood, but even still— he has trouble concentrating when it’s only imagination. If he ever does though, you’d be the only thing on his mind. Maybe a picture, or a voicemail would do.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Breeding. It’s instinctual for him to have reproductive urges; The idea of stuffing you full of his cum to be the future carrier of his children is quite appealing to the simian.

Marking. He likes both you and everyone else to know who you belong to. Whether it be carrying your scent with him— or the many bites littered around your body. He thinks it’s like taking a park of him with you.

Cockwarming. While it can be seen as torture for both parties, he adores the way you slowly break down above him. A simple shift of the hips enough to make such deliciously crude noises escape from those pretty lips. It makes sex that much more gratifying if there’s at least a bit of a wait.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

He’s a bit more comfortable if you guys have some type of privacy, considering the entirety of Flower Fruit Mountain is littered with primates. So a bedroom or bathroom would do.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Being the big spoon. While it may start as sweet and lighthearted before you know it he’ll be slowly pressing his clothed erection into you, huffing softly and asking if you’re up for a round or two.

Your own moans. He’ll work hard as hell if it means by the end of the night you’re screaming his name, begging for more— to go even harder.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Degradation/Humiliation.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Prefers to definitely give. He finds his own pleasure in yours!

Let’s just say he knows how to use his tongue quite well. This can go back to E; He knows what you need to reach your climax and he’s more than happy to give it to you.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Slow and rough. Wukong wants to feel your walls clenching every single time he’s just about to pull out, only to thrust back in without a care in the world.

As his peak eventually reaches though— he will often try to chase it with a faster, sloppier pace. ONLY if he knows you’re both close.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

While he does like to take his time with you, quickies are a pretty common occurrence when you’re with Wukong. In a certain spot with few wandering eyes? He’ll lift you up against the wall and pound into you.

In a certain position while your cleaning? On the counter you go. Just sucks that you have to pick up even more of a mess after.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

Not too fancied on the idea of trying something new unless he has somewhat of an idea of what’s gonna go down. He doesn’t want to be left in the dark, and communication is especially key for this monkey.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

His stamina is as big as his ego. This man could go fucking you a whole night if it meant filling you up to the brim.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

He doesn’t have any toys, and isn’t too fond of buying any simply because he doesn’t know where? Like???

If you have your own, though, he’d be more than happy to hear how to use them and spice up your tango just a bit more.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Humiliation really isn’t his game, but he loves to mention how destroyed you look under him— asking you to tell him just what you want him to do while he’s hovered over you.

It just gives him a bit of pride to know that he can make you into such a mess. You lustful deviant you!

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

I don’t think he’d be necessarily loud. The trembling quiver of his voice as he breathes out your name— the occasional curse.

He’d have to be pretty wound up in order to raise that voice of his. It’s not necessarily impossible! The stroke of his tail is a pretty quick way to get an unprepared whore moan out of him.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

It’s like he’s constantly in the honeymoon phase when he’s with you. Pet names like hun, sweetie, peaches, schnookums even. His corniness is sickeningly addictive.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

Sleeper build. He doesn’t look necessarily ripped at first glance with all those robes but a good feel of those thighs or biceps shows that even thousands of years later, he’s in great shape.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

High, very high. Maybe not at first; jumping straight into sex after building a relationship just isn’t him. One taste of that pie, however, and suddenly he can’t seem to get enough of you.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterward)

He doesn’t fall asleep immediately after sex. It’s certainly tempting, but he’d much more prefer taking care of you, taking in the moment and making sure you’re okay.

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Maneskin has been my go-to for music while I’m writing, especially spicier prompts/ideas I have yet to publish ;D

Definitely give their new album a listen if you’re interested!

[midnightanxietytm]

Little lost Lamb, lend me a helping hand

a/n: Something short and sweet but also my lamb's name reveal. This is how i would fit the Goat in my lore, so probably very far from canon.

Summary: When they found each other, it was an alliance born of need. Two lost souls in a chaotic world, looking for anything they could find that would give any sense of safety.

When they found each other, it was an alliance born of need. Two lost souls in a chaotic world, looking for anything they could find that would give any sense of safety.

When they lost eachother it was due to forces bigger than any of them could prevent or stop.

When they reunited, both had the strength of a thousand beasts and the rage of vengeance burning within their hearts.

Both stood atop Shamura’s corpse, gasping for air after the intense battle. “Lammy, is that really you?” Asks the goat in disbelief, finally raising his head. The Lamb looks at them with wide eyes and stays silent for a good few seconds.

“You have a crown.” They say.

“So do you.” He retorts.

“What are you? Bishop? Vessel?” They ask, hand tightening around the hilt of their sword.

“Is there a third secret option?” They jest in an attempt to lighten the mood. “Come on, Lammy, it’s been centuries! Aren't you even a little excited to see me?”

The Lamb sighs and finally allows the crown to return to their head, then smiles at their old friend. “It’s good to see you, Gamor.”

“Oh we’re back to full names, Lameniel?” They joke again, finally earning a laugh off the lamb.

“Oh, allright, Gam, you win. Come with me, we can talk back in the Temple.” And they leave the ruined lands of the Old Faith together, to make something entirely new.

a/n: Took me a while to find a good name for my lamb, but im happy with this one. Hope yall like my lil freaks

[landwriter]

ok i know we've seen oodles of hob hating shakespeare and i've seen some good meta on hob NOT hating shakespeare because he is kind and doesn't hold grudges, but i would like to offer a secret, third option: hob sort of resenting shaxberd and being a bit petty about it until time passes, the bard dies, and hob watches with a smugness that fades to irritation as the original sense and sound of his words are forgotten. there is surely a kinship there too - both their lives were forever altered by The Stranger.

The original pronunciation of Shakespeare’s sonnets and plays has been his cause lately - he considers the Bard of Avon a sort of friend, given their mutual acquaintance, and feels a protectiveness over his works. He couldn’t bear the grudge of being walked out on for long - he had, after all, received the greater boon. And if Will was going to be immortalized in word instead of the flesh, it only was fair that they read his words correctly. Hob had gone to a production of Romeo and Juliet in 1890, in part sulk and part nostalgia, and had been appalled to hear the reverent and over-serious way the players said their lines. Received pronunciation, thought Hob, ought to stay on the BBC and away from the boards. It was like trading a crackling, warm, fierce little hearth for the flat and soulless glow of an electric bulb. And at least half the jokes were ruined. He’s gotten a reputation for it lately, and at parties, he’s always asked to do a soliloquy or sonnet or two, the proper way. It feels like drinking something hot and comforting. He’s just very careful to take a long swallow of his actual drink after, taking the time to gather himself, making sure that when he speaks again, he sounds like someone born in the late twentieth century.

received pronunciation had been named and around for longer, but indeed began to sound like it does today in the late 19th century! i believe in a plurality of Shakespeare headcanons but i hope you like this one. also tagging @auressea who sent me the video about shakespearean pronunciation that caused this whole mess 💛

[la-principessa-nuova]

About Me

Name: Sabrina

Pronouns: She/Her

Age: 28 ± 1

Gender: Nonbinary Woman

HRT: E/Spiro since 2024-05-28

Neurotype: AuDHD girlie

Romantic Orientation: Lesbian

Sexual Orientation: Lesbian

Geographic Orientation: 35° NE

Relationship Status: Yearning

Top Fandoms: Dropout (esp. Dimension 20) and Doctor Who

Creative Medium: All of them but badly

Occupation: Software Engineer

Mutuals, feel free to DM me or submit asks about whatever. I guess everyone else can too, but no bigotry of any kind, and don’t be creepy.

I will assume any ask/DM/tag asking to donate or share a fundraiser is a scam and block you. I don’t trust my ability to vet them and definitely don’t trust third parties to vet them.

Also call me hot, not pretty. JK, call me both, and beautiful too. 😘

TERFs and other transphobes, DNI and go fuck yourself.

Tags

I’m trying to come up with a system for tagging and get in the habit of using it. Buckle in, because there are a lot of them, since I post just about everything here since I can't really keep track of different blogs for different interests. Here are some I’m trying out:

#sabrina is feeling cute - selfies

#cutuals - anything where i talk about my mutuals, aimed at mutuals, reblogging selfies or art by my mutuals, etc

#the marvelous mind of sabrina bea - posts about how my mind works or weird/funny things that either give insight into how my mind works or make you wonder how my mind work

#true facts about sabrina bea - things that are actually true about me usually said in a funny way but also sometimes just to clarify that something is actually true and not just a joke. sometimes the truth is trivial and it's mostly a joke, but this should never be on something that is not true if taken at face value.

#sabrina doodles - i do a lot of quick doodling for the sake of a joke or demonstrating something or whatever on my phone or in mspaint and they’re not good but they’re not meant to be

#sabrina is working on herself - posts about my self development and therapy and stuff like that

#sabrina talks meta - posting about tumblr (e.g. this part of this post)

#art tutorial - anything art tutorial/lesson related that i rb to save for later

#my polls - polls i made

#sabrina’s art - art i drew

#i'm artin' here! - talking about making art

#sabrina’s comics - comics i drew

#sabrina’s writing - longer form or higher-effort writing

#i'm writin' here! - talking about writing

#sabrina eats - posts about food

#sabrina reviews - reviewing things

#sabrina makes something - when i make something

also some other tags that i just use normal tags for: #trans, #adhd, #audhd, #autism, #neurodivergent, #lesbian, #queer, #dimension 20, #dropout, #doctor who, #zelda, #dungeon meshi, #this is parody

Disclaimers and other notes

You might occasionally see me mention something offhand about calorie counting or losing weight. I’m doing it because I have a medical condition for which the only cure is to decrease the amount of fat in my body. I try not to mention it a lot to not normalize diet culture, but it’s not a secret or anything.

Speaking of giving money, to clarify on the thing up top about donations, the way I view it is that due to my disability, vetting and donating to people online is just not an option, so I have no choice but to do all of my donating through well-known charities that I have done the research on to make sure they are using funds effectively and appropriately. Also that way my employer matches the donation, so my money goes a lot further.

But I do sincerely apologize to anyone who legitimately needs help that I block. I get somewhere from 2-10 spam asks asking for donations every day so I block immediately when I see the ask for a donation.

On a brighter note, I do have a few side blogs. I'm not secretive about them (and often accidentally post to or reply from the wrong one), but I won't link them from here. You've got to put in the work to find them.

I currently have 6 side blogs. 2 where I RP existing fictional characters (from a franchise I have barely even seen if at all because it all started as a stupid joke that didn't even land), 1 where I RP a cryptid, 1 where I RP an animal, 1 where I post stuff for a particular fandom (but also post that fandom here, I just go on feel what to put where) and RP I guess in the sense that celebrities are in character when being interviewed on a talk show, and 1 where I just post slightly raunchier stuff. Not even stuff I wouldn't post here, just like, sometimes when I'm on the verge of chickening out of posting something, I put it there, and that character is basically me but more confident.

Also if you feel compelled to give me money, you can do that on Ko-fi here.

[crazylittlejester]

ship ask game: ravio/legend OR marin/legend

ORRRR SECRET THIRD OPTION: marin/ravio/legend

yknow what both

im SO so so so SO SOOOOO soooooo SooOoOoo incredibly neutral about Marin x Legend and my opinion of it literally changes every day 😭 It’s cute, sometimes i like them better as friends, other times the angst potential is too good to ignore, they could be best friends, they could have dated, it depends on the day

my opinion on Ravioli is much the same. Are they married for tax benefits? Do they have a brotherly relationship??? Are they in a queer platonic relationship???? I do view them as two separate people, they’re counterparts to me not the same person. My usual opinion is that they’re completely platonic but married for tax benefits as a joke

[lesbianrobin]

i understand ur post but i have a byler mutual saying almost the exact same thing about if they make mlvn endgame because to give will one sole love interest and put him through that much trauma and struggle to accept his sexuality only to have the guy reject him and end up with his sister is homophobic writing and u probably dont agree but i find it hysterical that st have managed to get themselves into such a conundrum that their only option is to introduce mikes secret twin of the opposite sexuality thats been there the whole time so they both get a happy ending. surely this is a perfect plan and there are no flaws whatsoever and everyone will be satisfied

SMCKSKXJSNKE i was literally just talking to sarah about how they've written themselves into a corner by reintroducing the stoncy love triangle in s4 because BEFORE they could have been like yeah steve is over her and now he's finding fulfillment outside of romance etc etc but now they've reignited stancy for some fuckin reason (my fingers are crossed for that theory that says since the upside down is stuck in 1983 it was making steve and nancy's 1983 feelings come back) and suddenly they'll be pissing off Some segment of the fanbase no matter what they do.

re: byler i think. well first of all i think that byler isn't even remotely on the radar of casual viewers as an actual possibility and i don't think it could happen in s5 bc the vast majority of viewers would be like where the fuck did that come from. second of all my el argument is partially a joke but also it's just fundamentally a very different situation where like. for will if byler doesn't happen nothing gets Worse for him shit just stays the same. for el if byler happens something Must get worse for her like she loses her boyfriend of 2-3 years. they're in different situations.

third of all i think it's very silly for people to act like will Needs for mike to like him back in order to be happy when like. it's not The Crush that's making will miserable it's being closeted in a small town in the 1980s and feeling like he can never have what he wants and be truly happy in life. mike liking him back would not fix the misery he feels at having to hide this part of himself from the world.

yknow in s3 robin is a sorta closed-off character who's snarky and prickly at times and she only really opens up in the russian torture scene + the bathroom scene. and in the bathroom scene she is Terrified to tell steve she likes girls but she confesses to having a crush on tammy thompson and... steve makes her feel okay about it. he makes fun of her crush and robin feels Normal and Safe and they laugh together and by the time s4 rolls around robin is a much more open and happy person than she was back before she'd come out to steve. she's more herself. and you know what never happened? tammy thompson never liked her back. robin didn't need a girlfriend. she needed love and support and validation from a good friend. she needed to find comfort with herself and her sexuality and all the other parts of her that she hid behind a tough exterior for protection.

as much as i hate watching will scenes bc noah schnapp can't act for shit, i am kinda looking forward to seeing him finally openly addressing his sexuality in s5 and maybe realizing that his childhood crush on his best friend not being reciprocated isn't the end of the world. i think if will could move on and let mike go (in the romantic sense not as a friend) it might also feel a bit like letting go of all his pain over the past few years and starting over with a clean slate. obviously idk what exactly's gonna happen in s5 we're all just making shit up right now but i guess that's kinda what i hope will happen with him.

it makes me sad kinda that will's most dedicated fans are more preoccupied with getting him a boyfriend than like... self-confidence and shit. but i'm not actually that sad bc i kinda don't give a fuck about will anyway

[cursedvibes]

Okay so, i wonder, was the whole going south or north thing about reincarnation? Since gojo is the six eye user he has to reincarnate, that's why he's saying goodbye to others?? And kenjaku was trying to avoid killing gojo in the begining because on the previous attempts the six eye always somehow came back for him? I think there's a secret third option other that gojos dead or gojos coming back haha

I don't know what the North and South thing is about, but I don't think it is about reincarnation. It might have to do with with regrets and therefore turning into a curse I imagine. If you want to change yourself or your death you move North and become a vengeful spirit or if you made your peace with yourself, you move south just like the others did. Nanami says Haibara helped him with that, which might reference Nanami's last moments where he refuses to put a curse on Yuuji but accepts things as they are and leaves it to the next generation. But that's just my take. I hope TCB will give some background on the north/south thing I'm missing.

Gojo is also not saying goodbye to the others, they are just sitting together, talking and joking and it seems waiting for their flight together. He has his hand up because he's calling out to Yaga, not to wave at them. Don't know if they wait for Shoko to join them or if they will board the plane together, but they are staying there as a group and it seems they always waited for each other like Haibara for Nanami, them both for Yaga and such. Gojo's last words are "I hope this isn't just my imagination". mind you I didn't have the patience to read the whole scene because the scans are really blurry, so I'm missing some stuff, but the first part seemed less important to this issue

Reincarnation is a possibility, but it wouldn't be Gojo, it's the six eyes. Satoru is different from the six eyes user 400-500 years ago, so I assume the same would happen here. I also think Kenjaku must've done something/prepped Sukuna in order to prevent that or Tengen is too far gone for it to work. Tengen might have also told them how to get rid of the binding vow between her and the six eyes or how to modify it. They clearly send Sukuna after Gojo with the intent for Sukuna to kill him. Why would they do that if it would just result in reincarnation, making "Gojo" even more unpredictable? I already thought Kenjaku putting Gojo between tectonic plates in the hopes of killing him was stupid because for one, why would they suddenly want to kill him straight out of the Prison Realm where it would just lead to reincarnation and also, why would they think that was enough? If some water pressure was all it took to kill the six eyes, Kenjaku would have had far less problems with them in the past and not resorted to infanticide. That made no sense to me, but I think it's different now. Sukuna had some promise to fulfil to Kenjaku as well, so that might have something to do with it. The only way reincarnation would work in their favour now is if they are counting on it buying time for the merger to happen, which is a big IF. Overall, it seems way too risky for them to tell Sukuna to kill Gojo when they know he or the six eyes would just come back.

[monarchisms]

oh yeah, now that it's closed, here's the post i wanted to make about that rt rebrand poll i made last week. this will be pretty long and kinda rambly, so feel free to just blacklist the "long post" tag :)

so like, i made the poll because of 2 main reasons: 1. because of a mix of comments i saw on other sites from people who also didn't know what color it was supposed to be, and 2. because of myself confidently believing it was some shade of orange until i switched from looking at it from my laptop screen to my phone screen.

it being a godawful shade of red/red-orange was mentioned in the article itself, which is why my question was phrased "what color do you guys think it is?" since either red or orange is both technically correct. going more into the specifics of the poll numbers:

tumblr doesn't show the specific number of people who voted for any given poll option by default, just the percentage, so i went digging and followed this tutorial to get the raw data using firefox's inspect tool. the final results are, with 934 votes total, red at 551 votes (59%), orange at 303 votes (~32.4%), and other/a secret third thing at 80 votes (~8.6%).

red winning wasn't a surprise, really, but i was pleasantly surprised at how many people didn't have a definite answer or switched between answers like i did. i can't exactly pin down why that is, but if i had to wager some guesses...

the color scheme has a high chance of being a callback to rooster teeth's Popular Web Series Red Versus Blue™:

and with a want/need for rt to rebrand, the idea of keeping the color scheme while also making it modern and pop out is really cool, but its execution is uh...

i couldn't fit everyone's tags, but you get the gist. it fucking sucks, man.

as @god-of-arts-and-crafts has pointed out:

orange and blue are complementary colors, with them being opposite each other on a color wheel except the people who made the rebrand chose a deeper shade of blue??? they couldn't even get that right, oh my fucking god, so while its technical color is red-orange, it can be overwhelmingly orange when paired with a similarly bright shade of blue, which is what's causing many people eyestrain. hell, the first time i looked at the picture when the news dropped, it literally gave me a headache lol

finally, as i've said in the tags of a different post about this eyesore, this is an accessibility nightmare. with the worst color combination possible, the colors used for the new font and logo are definitely not ada-compliant. there are free sites out there to test images for general accessibility issues. contrastchecker is what i use sometimes, and below is what i got using red-orange as the background and blue as the foreground, and vice versa:

(both versions had the same ratio and color difference lmao)

the americans with disabilities act recommends that the contrast ratio be 7 at the lowest, but should ideally be higher than that, if possible. this is objectively and subjectively a very bad corporate rebrand, and i really, really want rt to break their "no jokes on april 1st because that's our anniversary" rule this year. if for nothing else, then just so that people who haven't read the variety article and/or the reactions on social media aren't jumpscared once the new intros/endcards/whatever else start rolling in.

[rodeodeparis]

recently read a book about peoples temple/jonestown/jim jones here are thoughts etc

for obvious reasons this story always really related to me & my experiences. i've been interested in looking up high-demand groups or just very stringent political ideologies people get themselves caught up in for whatever reason i guess as a way to understand how i grew up.

peoples temple always really resonated because, even though it's always compared to stuff like charles manson's cult, peoples temple had a good public standing, and members were attracted both by their real needs and by their best qualities.  a good portion of those who ended up in jonestown were elderly, widowed black american women who escaped jim crow laws only to live on meager pensions in redlined districts. they came to jonestown because they would be guaranteed the full-time care they needed but were barely able to scrape together back in the states. that's just one example of what peoples temple was to those they served (and all the more reason jones was able to prey on them). peoples temple members who weren't destitute usually wanted a better world through socialism.

but i don't think that this squared with the peoples temple being a cult for most people. today, the popular perception of jones' victims is that they were "brainwashed" and had no choice over their actions, and phrases like "don't drink the kool-aid" reduce what happened to some sort of frivolous joke. there's several conspiracy theories that either the jonestown deaths were instigated by the cia (because the biggest concern of american intelligence at the time was a few random citizens establishing a socialist commune in another country; worth mentioning that the black panthers championed this theory after the events unfolded) or that jones was cia or fbi himself and jonestown was a part of mk-ultra or something similar (you'd think they'd keep something like that more secret, no?), which diminishes those deaths to spectacle even further.

for all i know, jones could've been cia, but does it really matter? peoples temple was a leftist group that appealed to people by operating on christian and leftist principles no matter how you slice it. whether or not jones was serious or it was all just a big conspiracy doesn't erase that it happened and it was real to those who believed in and were served by it. even more, remembering the members of peoples temple primarily through their affiliation with the group and their being victim to jim jones, whether it's out of love or hate, is an affront to their memory.

what draws people to theories like this is a simple, set belief in the way the world works based on personal experience. in this case, it's like something like an opposite of the just-world theory. though that sort of thinking often comes from some sort of real fear, it can just as easily break people down. (that's one of the main points where it ties to my experience - both my parents and a guy i met at a leftist group who i had to explain to that middle eastern jews exist were like this.) the peoples temple really did a lot of good - how could an organization like that not be involved in something so horrible without the involvement of some third party? even if they're still responsible for spreading conspiracy, i don't blame the black panthers for taking that position. it hurts to be taken advantage of like this. but this is also why jones' followers often stuck with him - no matter how much they'd detest the demands put on him, it's all for the cause. none of this would've happened if the us cared more about its own poor citizens and citizens of color. something else - the only other option - seemed better than nothing.

in reality, no idea, mindset, or way of life, even if it has evidence behind it, will absolutely save. nothing's perfect and there will always be problems. some ideas are more exploitative than others, sure, but there's bound to be exploitation in every word of something if you look hard enough. trying to find out which is the best is like chasing your own tail. max stirner said something along the lines of, "i believe in socialism, but not sacred socialism", and i think this is what he meant.

i don't know. it's really sad that this is the sort of thing that's happened to this event. it's just some sensational true crime tale or bullet point to serve whatever agenda now. i don't doubt that most of the laity being black and/or poor had a lot to do with it. it's not the first thing like this to be turned into shock value and it won't be the last, but still...