#neglected in discussions. so this isn't unique to lot. it's just that a lot of fandom spaces tout themselves as being

[musical-chick-13]

I hate to tell you this, but many gays also love Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. (A musical show about discovering your identity and the negative effects of internalizing harmful societal ideas about relationships, which also has canonically queer characters in it.)

[dingodad]

I know your tags said that the lil cal & Gamzee stuff isn’t worth discussing, but I think a lot of people could actually use someone articulating the problem with assuming that the puppet is what triggered the breakdown/“mind controlled” gamzee. If you’re really to speak on it, I’d love to hear it 

to preface: i'm not unsympathetic to the desire to see a more sympathetic interpretation of Gamzee given how his arc speaks to certain racialised themes within the comic. but this is what's in the text as i see it.

ultimately it comes down to the exact same arguments that apply to Dave's bro. Gamzee is part of Lil Cal, so if Lil Cal were whispering in Gamzee's ear the whole time he was also undergoing all these stresses related to faith and substance, those whispers are Gamzee's own thoughts being reflected back at him. if puppet-Gamzee suggests to man-Gamzee that he kill people and man-Gamzee concedes, all that's really happened is that Gamzee has given in to his own desire to do that. this is what Homestuck does when it pits alternate timeline versions of characters against each other; it simply manifests interactions going on within that character's own self.

more specifically to Gamzee, this is a character who manifests Homestuck's feminist themes very explicitly, especially in regards to how they are portrayed via Alternia's caste system as a member of the patriarchal purple class. it is true and worth mentioning of course that Lil Cal is not just Gamzee, but is also Caliborn, Gamzee's patriarchal god! but then it was Gamzee who raised Caliborn to have those patriarchal principles; because in Homestuck the patriarchy isn't something you're somehow influenced or tricked into participating in, it's something you choose to perpetuate, just as Caliborn chose to perpetuate it in becoming Alternia's patriarch... and so on ad infinitum.

the "tragedy" of a time loop isn't that fate is somehow forcing you to adhere to a course of events that you don't want to adhere to; tragedy is when the person that you are makes it inevitable that you will walk down that same violent path every time. and Homestuck is all about that person that you are; it's a story by and large disinterested with any scenario where a character's actions do not offer insight into their personalities. a Homestuck character has a certain nature, and while on occasion they are offered psychic stimuli, how they react to that psychic stimulus is according to their nature.

there is of course a physical rather-than-metaphysical approach to Gamzee's backstory, which I'm sure is more along the lines of what you were looking for lol, and while analysis of that is not so much my area I feel that the physical approach basically points toward the same kind of conclusions as the metaphysical one. Gamzee is a character of tragedy, who has been shaped by physical stimuli like religious abuse (from all manner of directions!), parental neglect and substance addiction. and my assessment of that is primarily that... this should be enough? like is that not enough to create a compelling character. even if it were not antithesis to Homestuck's themes I guess it just seems to me like it goes without saying that "this character's actions were the result of someone else's will and not of their own unique circumstances" reduces the character. most certainly yes, there are manipulative forces at work in Homestuck, and their name is Lord English, and yes, Lil Cal is Lord English, but Lord English's power lies in the telling of the narrative; and the narrative that turns Gamzee into a villain is already there! English doesn't need to tell Gamzee to make those malevolent choices, because English already established the circumstances that made those choices inevitable. to make Lil Cal into some literal cursed amulet is to make Lord English into Vriska, and that reduces him, because that's not what he is! he's the god of inevitability!

[polyamorousmood]

So recently, I got together with my partner who doesn’t identify as polyam but they’re willing to try and since I don’t have any other relationships atm this doesn’t affect our relationship. We decided to talk about it when I find another person and see how we’d deal with it then and if thy’d actually be fine with me having other partners. Anyways, this led us to talking about jealousy. I’ve never experienced it and don’t actually get the idea because to me it just feels too possessive and restrictive. But my partner feels it and I want to try to make this work. I know that there’s nothing we can do about it if our ideas of relationships and these things don’t align. Maybe even trying this with a person who’s not polyam themself is a bad idea? Do you have any advice on this?

This is some heavy stuff, I'm glad you're tackling it and seeking help! I'll do the best I can to outline my thoughts and why I think them.

As with all my advice, this is my opinion on this general type of situation. There are exceptions to every rule, and countless other factors weigh⚖️ into relationships. Other people will have other takeaways. Your unique situation cannot be fully accounted for here.

With that being said, poly/mono relationships present their own challenges, but I don't think that's a reason not to enter them. Challenges can be overcome, accommodations can be made, love conquers all, etc etc. However

I think its huge a mistake to wait until you like a(nother) person to discuss realities of your polyamory

I'm glad you started the conversation now, and that they seem open. But it is asking for heartbreak💔(for both of you) to wait to find out where your partner's limits are until AFTER you have your heart set on someone. Neglecting to consider the realities ahead of time leads very quickly to the non-poly person being overwhelmed with the sudden realization you will in fact want the other person to be a major part of your life, and that will eat away at your time with them. You don't need 100% answer now -- but you need at least a ballpark.

What is and isn't in the realm of possibility? How often can you be out with someone else? What about sleepovers? Can you take a phone call from the other person in front of your current SO?

Setting expectations now about how (un)available you're going to be for them can go a long way in making the transition easier. In fact, I'd go so far as to recommend having a set time you're unavailable to them even without someone else in the picture, so they learn early on its nbd. Take a dance class or something, with your phone on mute in the corner.

On the flip side, as you've dutifully noted here, you'll need to determine what sorts of things will make your current partner feel more reassured.

And what a lot of monogamous people want is a guaranteed spot as ✨The Primary✨. This is the most common long-term poly/mono relationship dynamic I've seen. And it makes sense: if they don't have anyone else to meet their affection needs, you're going to have to be there most of the time for them to be content. In fact, this is one of the things I would ask them now, if you haven't already. Do they expect to be the most important person to you, even if you date someone else?

Even if that's not what ends up happening for you (and it doesn't always!), I recommend at minimum setting up regular, protected🔒⌚ time with your partner that other partners shall not infringe upon.

I've written more in depth about how to help your partner through jealousy here if you want additional specific, actionable ideas.

[theelvenhaven]

Dating Maeglin

Navigating his C-PTSD

Request: Maybe headcanons about his potential journey with cPTSD? Maybe this is the better hc idea than the previous one, how did their culture integrate someone with his background into society? I feel like he had unique circumstances compared to most and their understanding of childhood PTSD wasn’t as great as ours (we still have work to do too ofc). I’d be curious how he navigated the challenges and misunderstandings he got from people with normal family backgrounds. We know he was loved and adopted by Turgon but I suspect he had a lot of lingering resentment and felt “apart” or isolated from most people in Gondolin. Either way, thank you for opening requests and I understand if either or both of these asks are a bit ambitious lol. May is also my birth month so I love reading your blog while celebrating. :)) thank you for posting again, and especially then!!

A/N: I tried to cover everything that you mentioned here, but I mostly focused on it being with a significant other, but hopefully this covered most of what you were looking for. Also I was so happy to do these for you! Happy Early Birthday! I hope you enjoy and this covers most of what you were looking for!

* * *

♦ When it comes to dating Maeglin, it's going to be pretty hard not to notice that Maeglin has been through horrible things.

♦ Between the intimate and obvious knowledge of his father murdering his mother, it's going to be clear that there were other things he had been through too.

♦ Maeglin is very iffy when it comes to opening up and regards you with suspicion even despite the fact that you two are courting.

♦ Especially when you announce that you need to discuss something with him, it makes him really anxious to hear it and he might assume- very obviously- that he is in trouble.

♦ Even if it is just for a simple talk, you will find that Maeglin will ask you straight up if he's done something wrong.

♦ OR he will profusely apologize for something he has done wrong, he doesn't really do well with the suspense of whatever that conversation might be and needs reassurance that he's not in trouble of some kind.

♦ Maeglin also tends to be a people pleaser, because of how Eol treated him.

♦ You will find that often times he goes out of his way to do things for you for your approval, even if it was completely unnecessary.

♦ That and he tends to take too much, no matter how annoyed or upset he might get, and he won't let you in on it until he's exploding and its come out of nowhere.

♦ When unfortunately he's been doing everything under the sun to please you and make you happy, neglecting his own emotions and needs.

♦ It takes a lot of patience, and understanding to get him to learn how to set boundaries that are fair and reasonable for him so he can navigate his life without any stress.

♦ Because Maeglin is used to walking on egg shells around everyone, it takes some time for him to not do the same with you.

♦ You'll notice that he often times seems to "test the waters" by being apprehensive or not coming straight out with the fact that he has a request or a simple question or talking about his emotions.

♦ Showing emotions especially is a big deal for Maeglin, because his father would've taught him that they are gender specific and "feminine" despite the fact that they are not.

♦ You'll probably find that it takes a long time to get Maeglin to open up about anything that isn't surface happiness.

♦ Getting into his real feelings is uncomfortable and difficult, and it takes a long time for him to get comfortable with you as a result of how his father treated him.

♦ It's not that he doesn't have feelings for you or doesn't care about you, it's just not easy to break years and years of habits that were formed by his abuse.

♦ Should the two of you ever argue, you'll probably find that Maeglin will completely and totally shut down around you.

♦ He probably won't want to keep up with the argument at all, and will probably just "lie there and take it", even if you are in the wrong and he is in the right.

♦ Maeglin has a lot of self loathing and thinks that he deserves whatever "bashing" or negative feelings you have towards him.

♦ He requires a lot of patience and understanding, especially when he has shut down on you. He really can't help it he just doesn't know what else he should do.

♦ Seeing that Maeglin has a lot of issues as a result of the C-PTSD he is suffering with, it would most definitely be in your best interest to get involved with a Healer.

♦ Someone who you could talk to about your concerns for Maeglin, and who you could eventually bring Maeglin too.

♦ He'd probably resist especially at first, thinking that there's nothing wrong with him and delving into his emotions is a woman's place not his.

♦ But Maeglin trusts you, and eventually that façade of everything being alright would crumble down and he'd let you take him to a Healer to be seen and start discussing what is going on with him.

♦ It would be a good way for the two of you to build a healthier relationship and set up a good foundation for trust in one another.

♦ It would also help Maeglin work through how badly his father treated him, and how it wasn't normal.

♦ Learning that Ada's aren't supposed to treat their children like dirt is a hard concept to accept and will most certainly need your support.

♦ Maeglin would be very grateful for any support you give and you sticking by his side through the tough things he will have to go through.

* * *

Tags: @saviorsong @lilmelily @dicksoutformtl @fandomhoe101 @celebrimbor-telperinquar @red-riding @miriel-estelwen @ta-ka-shi-ma @nerdysimpy @thegirlwithoutaname87 @anunexpectedsideblog @spidergirla5 @eunoiaastralwings @eternalabysss @noldorinpainter

[profchamomile]

//fuck it. I'mma do it.

//This isn't meant to be part of the RP. Consider it outside of rotomblr. This is a short fic about Chamomile's conversation with Director Clavell.

//I'm super rusty in fic writing though and I've never written Director Clavell, so sorry if this seems out of character or sloppy or anything!

//tag is "#off-screen scene" in case this ain't your thing

"Professor Chamomile?"

Chamomile looked up from the scarlet-and-violet-covered book that they were intently reading and turned their head to the voice that called out. They saw a tall, white-haired man approaching.

"Yes, hello!" They turned their wheelchair to face the man. "Are you Director Clavell?"

"I am!" said the Director. "Pleased to formally make your acquaintance. I have been looking forward to this meeting. I hope the trip wasn't... Too strenuous?"

"Well, I'll be honest with you..." Chamomile let out a soft chuckle. "There's a LOT of stairs!"

"Oh-" Clavell's eyes widened as though the realization had just donned upon him. He chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. "I suppose there is, isn't there? I am so sorry for neglecting to warn you about that."

"Oh, I've managed to navigate worse!" Chamomile flicked their wrist nonchalantly. "I'll have to remember to tell the flying taxi service to put me right at your academy's doorstep next time."

"Perhaps I can consult the league about making some renovations to the city," said Clavell. "In the meantime: Would you like to take our discussion to a meeting room?"

"Oh yes, that would be lovely!"

As the two started making their way through the entrance hall to a nearby room reserved for their meeting.

"Your Academy is gorgeous, by the way," said Chamomile, "Schools never looked this nice back in the Orre region!"

"Thank you!" replied Clavell with a gracious smile. "My biggest pride in this academy is the knowledge we bestow in our students, but presentation matters when you're the most esteemed academy in the region."

"Well, the pride is certainly deserved," said Chamomile with a beaming grin, "I've met a few of them today! They may have been a bit... Over-eager to aid in my mobility. But their consideration is much appreciated."

"I'm glad to hear that." Clavell put a hand on his chin thoughtfully. "I get the feeling I know which students you've met, too."

"Oh?"

"When I told Arven that you were visiting, he got quite excited," Clavell explained, "I'm sure he told his closest friends about it."

Chamomile thought about it for a moment. While the three students they met were each uniquely eccentric, somehow it almost made sense that Arven would know them.

"You know, I'm not even that surprised!" they said with a laugh. "They're all a bit eccentric, but they're good kids. Just like Arven."

"I would have to agree!"

"... Speaking of..." Chamomile tilted their head slightly at Clavell. "Is it... Normal, for a kid Arven's age to own property, let alone rent it out to someone? I mean no disrespect; that sort of thing is just... Not legal where I'm from."

"Huh-" Clavell first stared at Chamomile in confusion, but then laughed as he realized. "Ah, there must be a misunderstanding. Legally, the lighthouse actually belongs to me - and by extension, your residency."

"However," he continued, "It originally belonged to Arven's parents. So, as his current legal guardian, I let him take care of the space and have a say in decisions regarding it. Within reason, of course."

"Ohhh..." Chamomile's eyes widened. "That makes more sense."

"It may seem unconventional, but..." Clavell let out a resigned sigh. "Arven's had some complicated emotions to work through, and that lighthouse plays a role in it. I believe seeing that space used by someone else for a different purpose has been greatly helping him. I hope you don't mind."

"Perish the thought, Director! Arven's a sweet kid and I don't mind him visiting and checking in once in a while," assured Chamomile, "But knowing this, I trust I can speak with you on more adult matters, regarding the living space?"

"Why of course; I'll do my best to provide whatever you need," said Clavell, "Speaking of, has it been satisfactory so far?"

"Oh it's perfect," said Chamomile, "I love that it's out in the open, but the town is just down the hill from me! Also the view is gorgeous and I am so glad to get out of that southern Orre heat, I tell you."

Clavell smiled. "Well I'm quite glad that you've been finding everything to your liking," he said, "If there are any adjustments needing to be made I'm sure we can work something out."

"In any case, why don't we talk about some potential collaboration opportunities?" he continued, "I do look forward to seeing what your research on accessible Pokemon care can do to help us improve on how we handle Pokemon here at this academy."

[caffeine-clouds]

Chapter 40 Discussion...

I feel like doing a bit of a director's commentary, if you will, for Chapter 40 of The Butterfly Effect - so, I guess spoilers if you haven't gotten the chance to read it yet teehee

Is it obvious that I love mind fucks? Probably. With the amount of nightmares I've given Sonic - of course I do.

When Sonic and Shadow made it into the crystal cavern - they learned that 14 chaos emeralds are needed to be placed upon the pillars. So essentially - they need both sets of emeralds from both timelines, which is of course is going to be very easy to find (not).

But when Shadow decides to run off ahead because he's a professional dummy - Sonic and Shadow find themselves plagued with their own unique visions that are essentially a personification of their fears - and I wanted to talk about those.

----

Sonic's obvious major concern is the safety of his true friends - he wants them back, but he's having doubts about the whole situation - mainly due to the fact that it's very likely the new timeline will disappear as a result. But those are the doubts at the back of HIS mind, he can ignore that as he sets off to fix the world.

But you know what he can't ignore? His friendssss. He has visions of their reflections and they are the ones voicing his doubts back to him. So Sonic starts to listen to them more, as much as he'd rather not hear it. His friends are basically all telling him some sort of variation of "Just quit it, accept the existence of the new timeline - trying to fix everything is just going to cause more problems".

And with Shadow, we got to see that the visions were a sort of trap - because as he lost himself to them - his body was getting trapped in crystals.

Whatever was trying to influence him, whether Sonic's theory of it being Pachacamac was right or not - it was definitely trying to make Sonic turn back - even if he didn't end up getting trapped down tere. There is obviously something they don't want happening - but obviously, they very clearly understimated Sonic. Even with all the confusion - there's no way he's going to give up on saving the world, that much is certain.

----

Shadow, unfortunately, was a lot easier to manipulate. For him, he really didn't lose Maria that long ago - he's still grieving her tremendously. He has not gone through the same growth as OG Shadow has - he's defining himself by Maria's wish, he's still fueled by hurt, and he's going to do a lot of actively pushing people away. So essentially - it was no surprise he got so affected.

Since Sonic showed him glimpses of the new timeline, Shadow just can't wrap his head around the idea that there's a life where he seems to have moved on from Maria completely - to him, it's like he's neglecting her wishes and shoving her aside for his own selfish wants. He saw himself smiling with Rouge and Omega and he's like "No! What are you doing? You should be fighting, doing something other than indulging yourself! Why do you have new friends? Did you forget all about her?"

So ALT Shadow is already making assumptions about OG Shadow - ALT thinks he must be selfish and borderline crazy if he found himself able to move on from her (hence, Shadow giving all those creepy smiles and being just a tad deranged). And that disregard for Maria was shown quite plainly when OG Shadow broke the Maria crystal.

Obviously, that isn't OG Shadow - it's a vision, but - ALT Shadow doesn't know what the true OG Shadow is like.

ALT envies OG for being able to have a happier life, but at the same time resents him - because after all, as he screams at him - he doesn't believe he deserves to move on because he thinks everything that happened on the ARK was his fault. He screams this at himself - both figuratively and literally. He believes he just doesn't have the right to live his life for himself - not after everything he's responsible for.

Now Shadow's gotta grapple with the question of whether he wants to help bring back this supposed timeline - where that Shadow, supposedly, isn't even honouring her wishes - and is instead living selfishly, rather than devoting his all time to protecting humanity. Does ALT Shadow... want to bring back that world?

Guess we'll have to find outttt~ Hope you enjoyed my rambles, I just wanted to talk about these scenes pfft.

[castlebyersafterdark]

I like that you are excited about Ted because this whole fandom seems to think he's this abusive/neglectful homophobic asshole when he's just some guy. He's a typical 80s dad. Not saying he's perfect but the way people talk about a person who has 2 seconds of screen time each season is overinflated. I actually saw someone say that he is the reason Karen always has a drink in her hand LMAO. I guess she's an alcoholic then 😂. I think this has only happened twice so far and once it was when she was relaxing in the tub. Not a sign of distress. Obviously they are both more comfortable in this marriage then Karen would like. She wants a bit more excitement but there is stability so she stays with him. There are a lot of people who seem to expect them to get a divorce next season and I'm sorry but that isn't happening. I don't think any of the Wheelers are going to end up being homophobic to Mike or Will either. Ted's comments are more in a passive way because he doesn't understand Mike. But I think he will get past this. Especially since it seems like there is maybe a scene with Will saving/helping Holly. I think he would move past his passive aggression if something like that happens.

Exactly!! I think an issue is there are two schools of thought in this fandom that are kind of at odds, but are thematic on a lot of the analysis and not discourse, but disagreements? It seems like with Mike and Will, people tend to give them the same arc and the same problems but also there's those who think "well if one experiences this, the other character can't." (Polls like: "who has more internalized homophobia?" As if that's a useful question? What is more? They both do and they're on different journeys, that's the better discussion)

I think with the Ted situation, people also want to make him out to be this homophobic figure and almost make the Wheelers to be abusive? I think because - to be honest - making things more surface level and dramatic is easier to either talk about or write. But is this Ted? No, not at all. The Wheelers are slightly neglectful, but not in an abusive way. It's very of the era, suburban apathy? The prevalent attitude of the times where you really don't know where your kids are a lot of the day. Out of sight, out of mind. They don't routinely hug or have heart to hearts naturally, not like the remaining Byers fam. They're kind of awkward with each other, because I think Ted is just like a lot of dads at that time. Karen tries, so hard, to maintain what a normal home should be, do what a normal mom should do. It's fine. They're not doing anything wrong (except vote for Reagan, but he won 49 states in 1984. The Wheelers are not unique. The 80s were bright, crimson red). Conformity.

Ted is not an abusive homophobe. Lonnie was. Ted probably makes some underhanded comments when he watches the news or reads the paper, but he's not going on tirades or calling people fags. Lonnie does, with passion. Ted probably doesn't hug Mike a lot, but he's not beating his children. He's sweet to Holly. So he was probably sweet to Mike and Nancy as little kids, but they're older now and in a sensible conservative, suburban, upper middle class family, you also become sensible. Self-reliant. You're thirteen, Mike, becoming a man. time to start giving away your toys and wise up a little, huh son? Lonnie did not hug Will or Jonathan. Lonnie downed his fifth beer and told his kids to clean up the fucking mess in the living room or they had it coming. Lonnie was so far from sensible the town openly called him and those by association fuck-ups.

I'm sure the Wheelers have their views, I mean, they hammer that home with little nods like Karen on the phone talking positively about Margret Thatcher, etc. but like I said - this is so normal, typical 80s. I think we're going to see something transformative with them season five. I envision once the supernatural storyline is known to the parents of the Party, things change with them. I see Mike being a target and Karen stepping up and protecting and defending her son, instead of not knowing where her kids are and what they''re going through. I see Holly being targeted by Henry and Ted shaking his apathy and doing something to wake the fuck up to the bigger world around him. I like your point about him viewing Will differently after Will does something to help Holly. Maybe he's always liked that Will kid, what a nice, polite kid, but maybe there's something there to the rumors and truth about who/what Will is, but that doesn't matter now. This is the same sweet kid, his son's best friend, who's been staying with them and now he's helped protect his youngest. And later, if the group knows what's going on with Will and Mike once they get together, after all that I'd doubt he'd make some little bigoted comment. Growth. The Wheelers are the blueprint for 1980s middle class Americana. But they can change and grow, too, and surpass what's considered normal, as is our show's big theme.

[anasraza25]

10 best tips for Yoga routines

For the finest start to your yoga practice, read our list of the top 10 advice for newcomers.

At the point when you're simply beginning yoga, the possibility of getting into a headstand or crow posture can appear to be threatening. In any case, you truly don't need to stress over nailing progressed level situations to receive the rewards on the grounds that the quintessence of the exercise is tied in with going at your own speed and embracing the psyche body association. 

Furthermore, to assist you with settling in on your mat, these yoga tips for novices from TikTok are an extraordinary spot to begin on the off chance that you're hoping to dunk your toes into your own training.

Recognize your beginning status

Figuring out how to play an instrument, driving a vehicle, and, surprisingly, baking a cake are everything we can acknowledge we're novices at when we get going, so with regards to beginning a yoga practice, recall being a fledgling is OK. 

Assuming you feel baffled that your hips are still close after several classes, or you're actually befuddled about the stances following a month, recollect that you're toward the start, and very much like tuning an instrument, tweaking the body takes time.

Go slowly

There are loads of speedy, wellness based yoga classes out there, which are perfect for developing an inspired psyche and feeling of force, however they can likewise prompt injury on the off chance that you're curious about the stances and changes.

 Show restraint for the initial not many long stretches of training, and pick classes that are somewhat slower so you can will grasps with arrangement and developments on the mat. Booking two or three balanced meetings with a nearby instructor is shockingly better.

Lets Inhale

It could appear to be senseless that you'd neglect to inhale, yet we as a whole make it happen. In the event that you wind up in a difficult shape or especially troublesome adjusting stance, remind yourself to relax.

At the point when we take in an even and loosened up manner, we make an impression on the body and cerebrum that all is great, and this assists with lessening feelings of anxiety, and increment a feeling of prosperity. On the off chance that you don't remind yourself to inhale, your yoga instructor will.

Find an appropriate mat

Discussing developments on the mat, this somewhat commonsense tip could save you a ton of slipping and sliding: get a yoga mat that doesn't make your hands and feet slip, shun applying hand cream before class, and settle on a mat that isn't excessively thick or soft. 

Trust me, these things will assist you with feeling undeniably surer and centered during your yoga practice.

Awaited release

Inside the yogic texts, delivering assumption is something we're educated about over and over. At the point when we center just around the result of a circumstance, we deny ourselves the capacity to be available and completely at the actual time, as a matter of fact. 

The outcome, result or accomplishment of any training isn't something we have command over so let go of being 'great' at yoga, and spotlight on the second you're in this moment.

Ignore the photos and concentrate on you

It's not difficult to become involved with the thought that you'll need to get yourself into a shape or perform gymnastic accomplishments during a yoga class, particularly when there are a lot of pictures via virtual entertainment of pretzel-like shapes and handstands propagating this thought. 

The thing is however, everybody is unique, and everybody comes to yoga for an alternate explanation. There is nobody 'size fits all' way to deal with rehearsing yoga, and it positively isn't about how you can manage your body. Disregard the photos or impression of yoga you might have seen previously; your yoga practice is about you.

Always keep in mind that your actions affect everything you do

This is an unobtrusive yet entrancing piece of yoga, and can assist with creating body-mind mindfulness in a strong manner. Assuming you hunch your shoulders in your yoga class, you presumably do this in regular daily existence. 

Assuming you pause your breathing or coarseness your teeth, you presumably do this in day to day existence as well. These multitudes of little activities send unpleasant messages to the body and cerebrum so observe and check whether you can work on them both on and off the mat.

Pay attention to your base

Whether your hands or feet are holding you in a stance, the groundwork of your body is unquestionably significant. Very much like the groundwork’s of a house, the entire construction depends upon it, so focus on how your hands and feet are set.

 Spread your fingers and toes to make a base of help, and pay attention to those little prompts from your educator.

Protect your core

A solid center not just assists you with feeling all the more impressive; it can make your yoga practice simpler and more pleasant as well. As the focal point of the body, the center is engaged with essentially every development we make. 

The more grounded your center is, the more outlandish you are to get harmed, and the more probable you are to quit pondering how much your body is shaking, and begin zeroing in rather on quieting the brain.

Bring it along

A yoga practice isn't simply something we can do on the mat it's a long lasting cycle.

 The care, breathwork, self-assurance, strength, arrival of assumption, concentration and presence we work in every yoga class can be converted into day to day existence, and that implies we get to profit from yoga all through the entire day, and give those advantages to everybody we communicate with as well.

[wanderinglotus7]

I'm Not Crazy that's Just the Anxiety Talking LOL

There's nothing wrong with a therapist needing a therapist. I don't regret my decision to go back to therapy. Thank you psychologytoday because that is where I found my new therapist. Thinking about it I'm not sure how long I've been meeting with her. I think I either began working with her in April or May of this year. So far, I believe I'm making some progress. Yes, I still have my bouts of anxiety and other issues, but they are not necessarily taking total control of my life. I haven't really felt depressed for probably almost for a year. I haven't really had the urge to participate in any forms of disordered eating. So, I think I'm doing fine hahaha. Me saying this as someone with high functioning anxiety.

To note, having the right therapist makes a big difference too. "J" is my second woman therapist, but my first therapist of color. No offense to my previous therapist, she helped me out but with certain things she just couldn't. For example, her telling me [a white thin woman] that I just need to alter my diet and incorporate more exercise isn't going to help me much with my bulimia mame. It's a struggle when you have to deal with the broader society saying, "Thin Is In" while pop culture & your own community is saying "Curves are the Rage", but you have to have the right type of curves (SLIM THICK). Uggh! As a young Black woman who is petite with curves, I felt like I couldn't win. However, I have a new appreciation for my body. Like the Bible states, "God created us each in his own image". I'm a work of art. Maybe a little messy, but none the less I'm still unique because there is only one of me [unless if there is a secret clone out there, I'm unaware of].

"J" is cool with me. With anyone it still feels uncomfortable being vulnerable and sharing my raw feelings with others. Sometimes I feel like I have to over explain myself to ensure that others truly understand where I'm coming from. That gets exhausting! I'm glad that with J, I don't feel the pressure to do so. But some habits die hard. I don't know if that's a good thing or bad thing. It feels nice speaking to someone about your mental health issues with someone who looks like you and has some similar experiences of what it is like living as a Black woman in America [and in the world general]. She also identifies as a Christian too like me. All good things!

Before the month ended (October), we really delved into my relationships. I don't think I was really ready for those conversations. I realize now that I need to explore that avenue or history of my life. They are right. What happens in your childhood does impact you in your adult life. I'm no stranger in discussing my relationship with my dad. These past two weeks had my mind hyper focused on my relationship with my mother. I didn't really think about our relationship until my Grandmother Louise asked, "Do you think that you're a crutch for your mom"? Good question. I didn't know how to answer until J gave me a writing assignment that opened up that can of worms. Yes, I am a crutch for my mother. However, I'm her emotional crutch. For my dad, I'm not sure how I fit into his life. I just keep praying for him. I pray for my mother too. One thing that both of my parents have in common is that they both carry a lot of emotional hurt. Because of this hurt, they never really learned how to heal. Sad to say, both of my parents emotionally neglected me. When I did reach out for help, they didn't provide me with the emotional space (safety) to do so. I think this is one reason why I attract individuals with lots of emotional hurt. I think this is one reason why I'm so compassionate towards others because I tend to carry their hurt as my own. I understand what it is like to be stuck in a cycle of hurt/harm.

With this in mind, emotional and spiritual connection is a must for my future relationships. In my previous relationship, I didn't have that emotional safety to feel free to bring my strong emotions as well as my personal experiences into the light. They were shrunken and deemed as less significant which crushed me because some of the things, I tried to share I never told anyone about. I deserve better than that you know. I need someone who has the same compassion that I do because I'm not broken. I have a lot of love to give, but I also need someone who's going to give me that same amount of love in return. I deserve a soft love, not a struggle love.

[yourcousinthrockmortonskates]

Ok, I'll say it.

I don't agree with Dr. Kohen. He gives his definition of genocide and then says that Israel is not committing a genocide... by that simplified definition.

I think it's entirely neglectful and irresponsible to not walk through the full definition of a genocide when discussing a topic like this. Because not all massacres are genocides, and not all genocides require there to be massacres. I find stating that Israel is not committing a genocide so matter of factly, as Dr. Kohen did in class, is disrespectful of previous discussions about the situation in Israel and disagreements in the definition of genocide academically. Had I known that's where we were going to start - I would have had my notes ready. But alas. I'm not going to start arguing unprepared with the professor when he holds all the cards. I only had my notes prepared once we started talking about conspiracy theories, and by then I didn't want to derail the conversation. However, I am not the only one to think that the current situation is or will progress into a genocide if Israel does not stop.

To actually look at the full definition of a genocide according to the UN and how it relates to the situation in Gaza, we have to look at the UN's Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. First, I want to look at these notes included at the end of the linked webpage.

The intent is the most difficult element to determine. To constitute genocide, there must be a proven intent on the part of perpetrators to physically destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. Cultural destruction does not suffice, nor does an intention to simply disperse a group. It is this special intent, or dolus specialis, that makes the crime of genocide so unique. In addition, case law has associated intent with the existence of a State or organizational plan or policy, even if the definition of genocide in international law does not include that element. Importantly, the victims of genocide are deliberately targeted - not randomly – because of their real or perceived membership of one of the four groups protected under the Convention (which excludes political groups, for example). This means that the target of destruction must be the group, as such, and not its members as individuals. Genocide can also be committed against only a part of the group, as long as that part is identifiable (including within a geographically limited area) and “substantial.”

I include this particular section of the convention because I think it is part of the reason the actions of Israel are not now being recognized as a genocide. Israel not so secretly wants to eliminate Hamas - and officials like Herzog are willing to let civilians pay for the crimes of Hamas since they have "missiles in their kitchens". However, even if every single civilian in Gaza was a member of or supported Hamas, Hamas is not a recognized group that can be genocided, whether you see them as terrorists, a militant Palestinian party, or freedom fighters.

So then the intent of eradicating Palestinians has to be proven... but Israel isn't stupid. Outside of the wild rightwingers like Ben-Gvir (who has since stated he just wants to kill all terrorists and not all Arabs.... sure), Israeli officials are not going to explicitly and openly state that all Palestinians are unwelcome and should be eliminated from Israel. But it's clear those ideas are not entirely unwelcome - after all, Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, Gallant have made it this far. The more tolerable and outwardly agreeable officials are going to make it farther. That does not mean, however, that the intent is not there. While I'm sure the UN is not planning to condemn Israel for committing a genocide soon, I also don't see a whole lot of condemnation for the genocide of Uyghurs in China or Native Americans in United States history, at least not to point of calling it what it is - a genocide. The genocidal and dehumanizing rhetoric of some Israeli leaders may just be a loud minority, but how many leaders of a state have to commit to these statements before we condemn the state? Actions also speak louder than words, and far more innocent civilians are dying and will die from continued bombing or a ground invasion than Hamas terrorists. We've talked about it in class - Hamas leaders are not relaxing in the poor conditions of Gaza.

Here's the qualifications as defined by the UN's Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

I'll address this piece by piece

a. Killing members of the group:

I don't think that anyone would disagree that Israel has killed thousands of Palestinians since the Nakba, and the military power of Israel greatly outmatches Palestine. These deaths have only drastically escalated since the attack by Hamas. According to Reuters, 3,785 Palestinians in Gaza have died since October 7th.

b. Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group

I don't really want to go into detail on bodily, but bombs are not good for human bodies. Some bombs might be from Hamas, but there's also an awful lot from Israel. These bombs cause harm to people's bodies, directly and indirectly.

The mental harm needs to be discussed more though. There is extremely high numbers of PTSD, anxiety, and other conditions caused by the sheer duress of the living conditions in Israel occupied territories, both Gaza and West Bank. These is affecting children more than one. A survey in 2010 found at least 25% middle school aged Palestinian children to be suicidal. After a series of attacks in 2021, 9/10 Gazan children had conflict-related trauma. I'm sure Israeli children are traumatized after the recent attack, just as any person would be after having to hide, but especially at an age where they can't understand it fully - but for Palestinian children, this trauma has been their entire life, their entire parents lives, and it possibly their grandparents. All these articles are before the most recent siege on Gaza too. The mental health of children in Gaza is going to destroy the lives of so many that manage to survive the physical attacks.

c. Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part

This is seen less in the more well-known cases of genocide - so let me propose one more close to home. I think the conditions of our southern border constitute a genocide of immigrants. Illegal or not, they are people looking for a new home in the United States. Walls and border patrol funnel migrants to a specific area - the Sonoran Desert. This is a dry, deadly trek, and desperate people make the attempt with little preparation. But that's the intention. The design might be a form of deterrence, but it also seeks to condemn anyone foolish enough to try and illegally immigrate to the United States. Thousands have died and been left unidentified in the desert, never to return to their loved ones without a name to the body.

As we've discussed in class, the living conditions of Gaza are horrible. And this is due in part to Hamas's control of the area. However, the role of Israel in contributing to these conditions should not be ignored. It was not Hamas that created the blockades of Gaza, though Israel and Egypt can sure use them as an excuse. And the destruction of residential areas with only a fifteen minute warning by Israeli weapons was not Hamas.

Hussam Nabhan, an eyewitness to the attack, told Amnesty International he had received a call he believed to be from an Israeli intelligence officer at around 6pm, saying residents of the building had 15 minutes to evacuate. Hussam told the caller that there were people with disabilities in the building and they needed more time, but the caller just repeated the warning.  After the strike, 22-year-old Haneen Nabhan was so traumatized she found it hard to talk, saying that her wheelchair had been buried under the rubble of her home so she could no longer move around independently.  Research by Amnesty International found no evidence that the Nabhan building – and other residential buildings destroyed or damaged during the last two days of the offensive – had been used to store weapons or any other military equipment or that rockets had been launched from their direct vicinity.

d. Imposing measures intended to prevent births within this group

The living conditions of Gaza is not the kind someone would want to bring children into. It's also hard to give safe births with a understaffed and damaged hospitals or when the hospitals left do not have clean water or electricity.

e. Forcibly transferring children of the group to another

An example of this in the North America would be Native American children and residential schools. The history of these institutions in the United States and Canada is horrendous - the anecdotes of what children were forced to go through as well as the erasure of their culture cannot be dismissed in discussions of genocide. There is the proposed distinction between culture and ethnicity, instead making something like the erasure of a culture to be ethnocide rather than genocide. Regardless of the vocabulary chosen, it is a horrible thing to do to any human and violates their freedom and autonomy. Some children in residential schools never returned to their families and they were forced to assimilate. I appreciate this artwork from a man who survived a the Blue Quills Indian Reservation School in Canada - I had the pleasure to see it in person last year; I've included my own image below so it is more clear, but the artist lists all he has lost: his parents, his grandparents, his traditional beliefs, and he left with a broken spirit.

In the case of Palestine, it is not as clear as residential schools. However, these children may be deprived of parents because of high incarceration rates (1/5 Palestinians are arrested and charged under military orders) or because children are detained by the IDF. Being arrested as a child is traumatizing enough, but many children detained experience abuse.

In conclusion... I think it's rash to dismiss the actions of Israel as "not a genocide." Sure, if you look at it with the small lens of the past few weeks, maybe. But with a wider perspective... If anyone was committed to the safety of Palestinians in Israel's government, there would not have to have been a terrorist attack to ignite a response from Israel. There should have already been response, and more than the slow paced progress that had been happening. The current response of bombing supposed Hamas centers is not going to eliminate Hamas. And any kind of dismissal of a ceasefire because then what will happen with the hostages is ridiculous - Israel does not care about the hostages, and they have killed hostages in their bombing. They can say it is a mission to safely save the captives, but again, actions speak louder than words, and bombing areas where captives are being held and not negotiating for their return will not result in a safe return for hostages. These collective punishments will not erase Hamas, and the primary victims of this are Palestinian and Israeli hostages who cannot stop it. Opening the Rafah Crossing for aid is a great step in the right direction, but one step is not going to bring peace.

This does not mean Israel shouldn't exist. States can commit genocides and still exist, I mean check out the US that I critiqued earlier. I agree that having a state that is welcome and safe to Jewish people is important - and Israel seems like the the best route for that at this point. It should not be at the cost of other people's rights to also safely exist in the only place they've ever known.

[nuttycandytragedy]

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[tuiyla]

Hi, I was on Twitter the other day and noticed a trend where people are sharing their cancelable hot takes on the Legend of Korra and Atla. The one I notice the most is that making Aang a "bad" parent was a poor choice for his character.. What do you think of the writer's choice to make aang favor Tenzin over his other kids? Do You think it was OCC? Just would love to hear all your thoughts

Oh Anon, twitter and hot takes? You deserve better than that 😂 I steer clear of Avatar hot takes in general.

The writing choice to have the cloudbabies have sour memories of Aang and the implications of his parenting has been controversial since the day Civil Wars aired. I do think people ignore a lot of the nuances when discussing it, which is not surprising from twitter hot takes.

One of the things to keep in mind is that we hear the three kids, now adults bicker among themselves. It's not a flashback, it's just their emotional truth of what Aang was like as a father. I think we should be at least a little skeptical about all of them here. Tenzin has rose-coloured glasses on but Kya and Bumi are also likely to have leftover resentment they never properly dealt with and that casts a shadow on good memories. They all bring their own baggage into it. Tenzin can't see their perspective, Bumi always felt like he was a disappointment by not having been born a bender, and Kya might have felt detached from her father's culture as a waterbender. And it's not that any of them are wrong for feeling this way; it's their emotional truth. And there's a degree of actual truth to all sides, I'm sure.

But I wouldn't immediately write Aang off as a bad dad because of it who only cared about one kid. It's a complex situation where an enormous weight was put on first Aang's then Tenzin's shoulders. They were also a very unique family, a blend of water and air unlike the world has seen in hundreds of years. And also, ya know, Aang being the Avatar and Katara the most powerful and influential waterbender in the world. That's not an excuse for bad parenting, but I don't think we should take it at face value that Aang was just plain bad and that's it. His kids felt neglected enough to be bitter about it well into their 40s and 50s so obviously it wasn't perfect. But it was an unfortunate consequence of the difficult situation they were in.

So I don't think it's OOC because I also don't think it's as bad as people say, because they often fail to consider the nuances of the situation. They also fail to consider that Aang lived a full life post-ATLA, so how we knew him as 12 year-old isn't exactly ground to say anything he did was OOC. At the end of the day, he was still remembered as a kind man who tried his best and left behind a beautiful family. It shattered a lot of illusions about the Gaang's perfect post-war life, but I feel like a lot of people just shit on LoK's writing choices because it's not a plain happily ever after, rather a complicated world where you can only try to make the best of your situation.

That said, I was also bummed when the episode first aired. If nothing else, you cannot convince me that Aang straight-up ignored two out of three of his kids and Katara never said anything. She'd never stand by that. But like I say, I don't think it was that back and white and both he and Katara could have tried their best and still inevitably caused their kids to hold resentments. Life is messy; LoK doesn't shy away from that, and honestly neither did ATLA. But the kids we knew in ATLA grew up to be adults and parents and their mistakes reflect in their kids. And a lot of people don't like seeing that. It's not a "cancelable" hot take to say though lol, like I think most people dislike how this was handled. But I also think most people overlook the nuances and the ultimate conclusion of Civil Wars, which is a more optimistic note.

Thanks for turning to me about this Anon haha, I know I don't talk much about Avatar these days but honestly thinking about it is a breath of fresh air.

[jackcinephile]

LO Fans: "I love Lore Olympus because it deals with serious themes, like sexual assault, abuse, gaslighting, trauma, and mental health issues!"

Me, who spent my life discovering and obsessing over masterpieces like this:

"You're gonna have to try a lot harder than that to impress me."

Yeah, I never understood that kind of praise. For one thing, people act like LO is groundbreaking for that reason, despite there being countless movies, books, tv shows, comics, and video games that also deal with the same themes. That isn't to say there can't be more stories like this, however. I, for one, am begging for another video game that comes close to the emotional resonance of Silent Hill 2, or for a faithful adaptation of Dracula and/or Phantom of the Opera, or for a horror movie as unsettling as The Howling! But to say any new story that deals with these themes is unique for doing so, is just simply not true. Lore Olympus is no more unique than any of these stories. Also, I don't understand the praise that Lore Olympus is great just by virtue of having these themes in the first place. Just because a story has serious themes, doesn't automatically make it good. Far too often does LO use its themes as a crutch for a plot that is standard issue among romances, as opposed to stories like The Howling, which has a very intriguing, outlandish plot that serves as a catalyst to explore themes of very real and relatable horror. Lore Olympus, without its intense themes, is just another story about the CEO falling in love with his intern. And don't get me wrong, I LOVE those kinds of stories, but Lore Olympus just doesn't really do it for me. And the poorly executed themes just hamper it even further for me.

If it wasn't already apparent, has anyone noticed a pattern between these titles? All but one are horror stories. In my opinion, that is one of the key differences between them and LO: Horror! The themes within, are ones that illicit terror, and the stories reflect that (even Phantom of the Opera--don't listen to anyone who says it's a romance). Starting with Dracula, one of the scenes that horrified me the most in the book was the one where Count Dracula sneaks into Mina's bedroom. The book describes him slitting open his own vein and forcing her to drink his blood. Mina then expresses feelings of violation, much akin to what rape survivors feel. It doesn't pull any punches in its shocking, horrific portrayal, but it never comes off as exploitative. That's because the best horror stories rely on the audience's empathy. In this case, nobody wants to feel violated, so we feel as horrified as the characters do when we read about this grotesque event. And because it is about illiciting fear through empathy, Dracula succeeds where Lore Olympus fails. Lore Olympus, before all else, is a romance. And rape should not be in a romantic story. Especially not when the narrative of LO uses this trauma to validate the relationship between the two leads. I'm not a fan of stories that use trauma to validate a relationship between romantic interests, and I think that partly stems from reading the Phantom of the Opera.

If you ask me, Phantom of the Opera is one if the best books to discuss abuse and gaslighting ever written! Despite misconceptions generated by the popularity of the musical, PotO is very much a horror story with hardly any romance at all. And it's one of the best examples about why using trauma to validate a romance is a very bad idea! You see, all the conflict of the story begins with The Phantom and his trauma. He was born with multiple physical deformities that cause him to look like a living corpse. Because of this, he is despised and rejected by the world in order to escape the hatred of the world, he commissions the construction of the Paris Opera House, complete with intricate catacombs where he can live out the rest of his miserable days. Then one day, a woman named Christine comes to work at the Opera as a chorus girl. She is sad and alone due to her being orphaned, without a friend in the world. She too is emotionally damaged and the Phantom thinks this means she'll understand him. The trouble begins instantly when he claims to be a character from a folktale that Christine's father used to tell her. This is when the manipulation and gaslighting begins. Part of what makes this so effective is how we see it from an outside perspective. The protagonist, Raoul, is in love with Christine and we get to see his confusion and growing concern when he starts realizing Christine is showing signs of an abusive relationship. What makes the relationship even worse is the fact that Christine actually does understand The Phantom. So she doesn't run away not only out of fear, but also compassion. She knows what it's like to feel isolated and dead to the world and The Phantom uses that against her. The more I describe this, the more parallels I begin to see to Hades' and Minthe's relationship. Yes, Minthe abused Hades in much of the same way as The Phantom abused Christine. Notice how Minthe keeps convincing Hades that they're the only people who understand each other, even going so far as to say, "We're the same." The funny thing is, that's exactly what the narrative uses to validate Hades' and Persephone's relationship! It tries to establish that Hades and Persephone relate to each other and they say, several times, "We're the same," to each other. But this is exactly how Hades got stuck in a toxic relationship with Minthe, so why is it suddenly okay now? Relationships that use shared trauma to validate themselves are almost always doomed to become toxic, in one way or another.

So what about the healthy relationship in Phantom of the Opera? Well, it's kinda interesting actually. You see, Christine eventually comes to realize that she needs help, so she turns to the protagonist, Raoul, to get her away from the Phantom. Raoul has an interesting character arc because he starts the novel being pretty immature and kinda selfish. He doesn't really take Christine's feelings into consideration. It's more like a boy chasing his childhood crush (actually that's exactly what happens). However, over the course of the story, as he becomes increasingly concerned with her well-being, he learns to care more about her feelings and her needs. This culminates in the climax, when he's willing to crawl through hell itself for her sake. I bring all this up because I wanted to compare Raoul with Hades as well. Hades is a very consistent character. He doesn't need an arc like Raoul because, from the very beginning, he's willing to put all of Persephone's needs before his, to a fault! That is his entire purpose within the narrative of LO. He exists to serve Persephone. Raoul didn't exist to serve Christine. He had his own journey of growing and maturing. And Christine didn't exist to serve Raoul either. It bothers me that a novel from 1910 has a more well-rounded relationship than a modern comic! Actually, now that I think about it, isn't Persephone's entire character arc supposed to be her learning that she shouldn't exist to serve others? Well, that totally contradicts Hades' role in the story, doesn't it? He exists to serve her! I guess, in the eyes of LO, it's only okay if men serve women, but not for women to serve men. Newsflash: neither is okay.

Now Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) remains, to this day, one of the most terrifying movies I've ever seen! That's all thanks to its brutal depictions of domestic abuse. So Dr. Henry Jekyll believes the solution to enlightening the human race is to separate the good and evil in our souls. He solves this problem by creating a drug to do just that, which transforms him into Edward Hyde, but he becomes addicted and starts terrorizing a woman who was once a former patient of his. I think what makes this so effective, when compared to LO, is one simple factor: Fear. I am terrified of Edward Hyde, but whenever Apollo shows up, I'm just annoyed. That's because Hyde isn't being used to sell an agenda, while Apoll is. Apollo is all about making a statement about toxic masculinity, which always bothered me from the very beginning! Being an abusive cunt who rapes women has nothing to do with masculinity! It doesn't matter if you're masculine or feminine, anyone can be a cunting abusive rapist. If you are a rapist, it's because you're a monster who lacks empathy, not because of masculinity. And if you think masculinity has something to do with a lack of empathy, fuck off! Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is not about toxic masculinity. It's about how drug addiction can often hurt other people around us just as much, if not moreso, than ourselves. It also doesn't use rape to validate a relationship between characters. I'm sorry, but that is just the laziest storytelling technique. When the antagonist is a rapist OF COURSE the male love interest is going to look better by comparison! But when you take Apollo out of the equation, Hades stops looking like a desirable love interest real fucking quick.

So yeah, I think Hades makes for a bad love interest. That's mostly because he's so much like Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion. Yeah, the one title from the list above that's not a horror, but is no less relevant. The thing is, both Hades and Shinji have a lot in common, such as hating themselves, having a bad relationship with their father, and not caring at all about their own wants and needs. Oh, also Asuka's a better written character than Minthe, but that's a whole other topic. What makes Evangelion work, in my opinion, is that Shinji's whole journey is about learning to love himself, while Hades is portrayed as being perfect the way he is. Hades in LO is like a flawless beacon of virtue, solely because he worships the ground Persephone walks on. But the guy just doesn't care about himself at all! Like I said earlier, Hades guilty of the same self-destructive behaviors as Persephone but he's praised for it, while Persephone is encouraged to look after herself more often. Compare this to Shinji, whose life only gets worse the more he neglects himself. The only time Hades does something beneficial for himself is when he breaks up with Minthe, but immediately after that, he starts devoting every ounce of energy to Persephone! All that matters is her! He doesn't give a single fuck about himself. Sorry, but that's not good qualities in a male love interest. In all fairness, this is a problem with the romance genre as a whole. Most romances give priority to the protagonist (in this case Persephone) while neglecting the love interest (Hades). It's why I have a serious problem with the entire genre.

Now what could Silent Hill 2 have that is in any way relevant to Lore Olympus? Two words: Nightmare Fuel. Personifying trauma as literal demons is one of the smartest ideas anyone's ever had, because speaking from personal experience, that's how it feels. I just don't feel like the trauma experienced by the characters in LO is a waking nightmare like it is in real life. For one, the characters' trauma only pops up when it's convenient for the plot. Like whenever Persephone starts experiencing ptsd, it happens when she's with Hades so we can get a scene with Hades cuddling her. After that, it shows up in a scene to make her look badass by confronting Apollo. No, just no. The Howling did it better too, by making the protagonist's trauma such an inconvenience in her life! I never felt that way in LO. When you uss traumatic encounters to make your character look like a badass, kindly fuck off.

[ablednt]

Ive been wondering if it’s possible I could be a median system (like a system made of different parts of yourself) or if maybe I have something else that causes this but I know you mentioned once that the way to know if you are a system is if the voices/arguments in your head present “new information” and I don’t know how to tell that because??

Like how do I know I’m not just realizing something or having a new thought? Or maybe having some kind of revelation? Or maybe just thinking something and having a lot of confidence in it when you don’t have reason for that confidence? Because this doesn’t make sense to me

The reason I wonder if I might be is usually my inner monologue feels more like either one person drastically switching sides/ideas repeatedly or like a round table of brain cells trying to have a Socratic seminar together and everyone has a slightly different opinion/outlook/knowledge. It doesn’t really feel like different people most of the time, but in times of great stress they’re much more separate, like if I’m arguing in my head there’s the Empathetic Voice, the Angry Voice, and the Logical one and they just kind of talk back and forth at each other over and over but it’s all like,, MY voice you know? Is this normal or a sign of smth else?

I've never been singlet so I can't really say if it's normal or not but this all does sound pretty plural to me tbh

With the new information it isn't going to be anything that your brain doesn't know already? Like by new information I mean a change in perspective, an opinion different than your own, or sudden realizations about either times in your life or character backstories if you have fictives etc. It's not like a headmate can suddenly know calculus or something for example (but God I wish they could 😩)

As for the feeling median thing you definitely could be median but it's actually really common for new(ly discovered) systems to think they're median because new systems have never had to separate everyone's thoughts from each other before.

My case is a little bit unique just bc I was front stuck but my headmates weren't so they knew we were separate but I didn't know. I just assumed I argued with myself and had detailed discussions with myself daily. When you're not used to intentionally separating people's thoughts to figure out who said what then it's all going to more or less feel the same since you're different people but you share the same brain so it's still going to feel less separated than an external conversation. (Mentioning all of this because you said you're more separated while distressed tho of course you could still be median!)

If you ever dissociate that can complicate things. All systems have denial at some point they have to overcome as well as they have to just get used to recognizing the different "voices" (they're thoughts but like when you read a book there's different tones, pitches, or accents. This isn't the same for every system though in some systems every voice is the same.) but dissociative systems have dissociative barriers that make it hard and as dissociation often comes from trauma it's very common for dissociative systems to have a stronger denial to deal with as a survival mechanism so this can also be why it's hard to tell.

The best way to tell if you have headmates trying to talk to you is to try and address them as being separate to you. A simple "hi is anyone there?" Is a good exercise (not test because there's several reasons why they might not answer or might not answer with a yes)

The best way to go about questioning plurality is just to try and (in a safe/private place) act like you're plural already. This is because it's actually way better to think you're plural for a little while only to realize your not (and if you find that you're disappointed that you're not legitimately you can look into self made systemhood) than to accidentally dehumanize or neglect headmates.

Hopefully this helps if you have any other questions or want to run anything else by me feel free! Good luck with everything!

[maneaterwithtail]

I don't know, Steven Universe is a show that likes to take things slowly, and it isn't over yet, we could still see something

Both the video that I linked to and I myself a pointed out it’s not just their pacing. While it’s true that there are some aspects the show has taken slow and done a remarkable job with,.I actually want to compliment Greg’s characterization her,. but at the same time this is something that I feel they didn’t have to take too slow. 

Greg’s characterization and greater participation didn’t have to be a mystery. But at the same time I can admire the greater narrative that they leave by doing what they did. Greg is basically meant to be read early on as lovable but there’s something off about him. We later start to realize he’s actually really depressed. It’s only later that he starts to take actions in order to get out of his malaise and start to be a more vibrant and active role in his son’s life. But I think that they overplayed some of the depression angle by shortchanging some of the human inheritance that Steven had. Now some of this is probably a matter of production. Chances are Greg’s voice actor may need time in order to sync up with Steve’ns voice actor. The writers need to have an idea of how to use the character better.House Guest was arguably Greg’s- what- third, maybe fifth, appearance in the entire show. And it showed him being the most negative long-term consequence on Steven’s development as opposed to anything that happened with pearl or lapis. And the thing is it’s hard to ignore that. Especially how oblique they were with presenting Greg’s issues. and strengths And how minor Greg’s contributions were both early on in the present and hidden they were in terms of the entire franchise. There was an in character interview in a nonofficial magazine indicating that Greg was the original caretaker of Steven. But it took a long time before we realize he had an active parental role in Stevens life.And just to be clear when I bring stuff like this up I don’t mean him going on missions or becoming Bard dad like in the video game.I mean stuff like . . . there’s this one comic of when Steven wants to participate in a bike race. And we suddenly see how Greg advises Steven through the minor crisis of how to handle getting permission for a bike race from the Gems. Stuff like that is absolutely missing in the first two seasons. It’s hinted at ,and Steven shows starry-eyed devotion akin to Greg being that kind of decent influence,but add in the fact that he’s almost completely absent from the other acute areas in Stevens life and there seems to be a complete lack of communication or interest in one of Steven’s major goals -mainly interacting with magic stuff.

And while it’s wrong to basically make it a pearl competing against Greg thing I can’t help but contrast and compare. Pearl was always portrayed as somewhat neurotic. But the reason why she became dubbed “Bird Mom “was because we regularly saw her being a mother and an influence in Steven’s life even if not always a perfect one. By contrast Greg was rarely around and when he did show up as contributions were a lot more questionable and then literally negative when he was. His second big Focus episode actually has him asserting that he needs to cut himself out of Steven’s life if he want sto stop being a negative influence on it

This was with a major character who basically is supposed to represent Stevens origin for his Humanity. And for arguably the first two seasons you had a wonder what did Rose see you this person and if he was dangerous.

I do appreciate again the arc that they ended up illustrating over an extended period of time. But in terms of execution there were smarter ways to handle this. And I have to wonder, given everyone else that’s been neglected or mishandled in the interim, if Greg’s success was more accident.This gets worse when you consider how often severe the behavior of the gems gets and yet remains relatively less condemned. Such as the entire sardonyx issue or when amethyst becomes Rose in order to mess with Greg.

And of course there’s this one point when I realize that lion 3 absolutely doesn’t hold up when you realize Greg should have that tape and have showed it to Steven some time ago. There’s nothing about it that should in any way shape or form be a secret. Greg is not someone who doesn’t like discussing his past. He doesn’t have any reason not to show Steven his mother and they explicitly made it so that that way they could leave some sort of communication for Steven and let him know that he was a product of love This gets more so with Lion 4.I adore what they’ve done with the character of Greg. But I think a lot of it was a very odd Road in order to get to and some of it struck me as needless  deviations or making things harder than they had to. I think a lot of the overall Impressions and higher negative situations weren’t needed in the character dynamic. Much like Steven’s Father being the worst parental influence for him has some negative connotations for me. Even if he did the exact same things but just add and or make more explicit positive contributions or apparent communication/awareness without it seeming as if he’s being over self-important or delusional.

The same can be applied to Ronaldo. I think that they made Ronaldo needlessly more negative than they had to or at least requires more follow through and arguably got too much Focus. What they wanted to convey with characters like Lars? There’s just too much hinting with some human characters. And some of the hints we get of others are so severe you have to wonder how we’re ever supposed to sympathize with them. This sounds way more harshly criticaI.  ‘guess it’s more a matter of why this issue persists. I’m not going to blame fans for having a negative impression of Ronaldo. I think they take it too far, but I can’t blame them for it because we basically erase the potential virtue of the character and constantly make him a bother or remind of realworld severe issues. And yet at the same time he’s underdeveloped to the point where they’ll throw pretty intense ideas such as him having a girlfriend or possibly having highly violent tendencies along with a dangerous mentalit,y if not actual mental illness, which for a fourth tier comedy relief character strikes me as dubious and takes or demands too much attention that they obviously don’t have time for. It really bugs me because of how anemic Steven Universe’s ties are to humanity. Early on he’s introduced as having a pretty strong tie with almost everyone in the boardwalk. This is good but he’s also missing a lot of proper peers and we later find out he’s not socialized at school.

 Now there’s spin-off media indicating how he’s perfectly home educated. But we haven’t had say in episode where Steven joins a local Academic Decathlon. Or something like the aforementioned bike race. I think that peedee Fryman is in fact the worst missed opportunity in terms of the Early Show. What’s worse I can arguably say a lot of the things that Ronaldo said in rocknaldo. But now they’ve been framed as coming from a place of bigotry oppression and cultural appropriation Not valid criticisms of how either Steven or the eyms or the show conducts or takes advantage of things it does.I’m sorry I’m not very concise and I’m just trying to convey the rather minor but still complex issue that I have with the show’s flaws and how they seem to grow in persist when it feels like they don’t even have to be there. It’s like you’re watching a perfectly fine dance get every so often the dancer does this weird dip with their foot even in certain instances that might be a stylistic choice but you can tell at least you’ve receive it is making her footwork more wobbling. At some point she’s going to break her ankle or absolutely face plant in the middle of a routine. And at least for me or the Keen Observer it’s just not going to work and it bothers constantly to see this one thing constantly done and what is overall a very unique and elaborate experience. This is why the flaws keep bothering me especially given how pointed that they can be in terms of the goals of the execution

EDITTED FOR MUCH NEEDED CLARITY @lowliz

[monarch-sparrowhawk]

I love seeing this fandom, as small as it is, get into discussions like this! I always viewed Jesse as a middle ground kind of guy, sort of like how my best friend describes his dad.

"Great father, horrible husband."

Except in this context, it's

"Great hero, terrible family man."

To be fair to Jesse, from what I have read in the Nova comics(Which is all of Sam's, working my way through Rich rn), it seemed as though that when Sam was younger that Jesse actually seemed to be a decent dad and husband. I.e., that cute skateboarding moment from Sam's childhood, literally jumping in from another galaxy to be there for his wife while she's giving birth, etc. If that is indeed the case, what happened?

Fair warning, about to fan-theory dump here. As I've seen a lot of people headcanon, as well as it being sort of hinted at in Volume 5, I'm a big believer in the whole Jesse-is-a-Xandarian theory. It makes so much more sense than there being a whole other human from Earth becomes a Nova thing, which in my opinion detracts from Richard Rider(from what I've read in his og run, him being human and a Nova is a very unique situation). And if I remember correctly, as a Black Nova he made an oath to not marry or create a family. But well, he did.

And that's I think where the beginning of the end happens for him.

He broke his oath, and chose not to return to the Nova Corps probably due to not wanting to give up his family as well as maybe being dismissed, perhaps? But he had what he wanted, at the time he prioritized Eva and his child, though he probably did miss his adventures in space. And depending on how much time he's spent on Earth before officially moving there, he could have a very strong case for some mental issues such as homesickness. (And also, like, PTSD from his military lifestyle). And it looks like he never decided to go back and visit home or anything, which could have been intentional on either his or the Nova Corps part.

Enter, Xandar getting blown up. The first time that is.

Jesse had contacts outside the Corps, like Rocket and Gamora. So it's all very possible that one of them informed him about what happened. And I bet he was consumed with guilt. Doesn't matter why he wasn't there, all he's going to think is, "Wow, my home and culture and possibly biological family(I don't think he would have any living Xandarian relatives hence why he integrated himself i to Eva's family, but I could be wrong, it's just a theory) are all dead! And I wasn’t there!"

And I think that was when the dam broke. He was grieving a complete loss of familiarity and culture, and ended up resorting to alcoholism to either forget or dull the pain. Which isn't uncommon for those who have been separated from their culture they grew up in, I'm in school to be an anthropologist and this was a topic we studied. (Alcoholism is usually one of the first things people turn to, sadly.)

And that gave us the Jesse we see in Vol 5. So all in all, I agree a bit with all of these takes on his character because I like to imagine they were all taken from different points in his theorized development.

Yes, he was a hero. Yes, he was a good dad.

Yes, he abandoned his job and his home. Yes, he became a neglectful parent and husband.

The most beautiful thing about people is that they have their strengths, and they also have their flaws. Nobody is perfect. Certainly not Jesse, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't get that chance to reconcile with his family. But they better acknowledge all the mistakes he made as well, or else it's not a true reconciliation. Which in my opinion, would be a dissatisfying ending.

So here's to hoping we finally get a conclusion to this epic saga spanning for like a decade now!

It's why i wouldn't have minded if Sam's mom had moved on and started dating again.

I think she’s still hoping to see Jesse come back. I honestly can’t remember if she even reacted to the realization that the Jesse that came back was a Chitauri. They just need to find Jesse Alexander and give Sam closure. I recall reading that writers haven’t addressed that story because Jeph Loeb wanted to write it but I don’t see him returning to Marvel anytime soon.