#not a whole lot of hierarchy and certainly not forced hierarchy. decisions are made by group consensus. admin privileges are passed around

[astronomodome]

kind of cool of hermitcraft to free association it up anarchist style

[mc-critical]

Okay hi its me again💜 i enjoyed your answers to my questions but im here again lol

My Question now is probably annoying or hard but i asked another page a while ago and they said it was too hard (had to re search a lot for it) but i find it very interesting.

Ranking All Imperial Sultanas from MC/MCK by how Influental/powerful they were,would be very happy if u made a list with reasonings i love yours blogs and how well they're formulated.

I'll have to agree with the other page you've asked this question that it's going to be hard answering to it when it comes to history. There's still stuff we don't know for sure (we don't even know precisely how much political influence Hürrem actually had historically!) and there is a lot of research to be done in order to give a full perspective.

That's why I'm going to limit myself to the show. While I feel the hierarchy is even more of a mess there, the conclusions one can drive are far more clear cut, especially when it comes to the evolution of power being explored on a thematic level through the Sultanate of Women.

That said, for me, the most powerful and influential sultana in the show is Kösem. She got the most from the power as a sultan's favourite and the power as a valide. She had the support of both the people and the Jannisary. She was a regent during the early years of Murat's reign and even after Murat took away her regency, she could run her foundations and had meetings that were her making decisions about the state. She represented the state almost her whole life to the point she went as far as to remove every single threat that stood in its way. Out of all the sultanas, she was the one who had the most chance to utilize and extend her power, yet she was the one with the most opposition from people who were capable of anything to take her down. She fought with enemies that put her under constant pressure, but also had their fair share of power and it was a lot more possible for the odds to turn in their favor when it came to it. Kösem managed to overcome all of them not only through sheer force of will, but also through the sheer confidence in the amount of power she wields (and the way she uses it).

The two most important "branches" of Kösem's power that make her stand out among the rest are the reach her power has and her experience. Kösem's touch of power was relatively early - Ahmet and Mustafa, the the most important people in the whole empire, were in their death beds, Handan, the Valide Sultan, didn't know what to do when everyone else was only seeking their own benefit, and the only one who could stand up to the people in what was a massive revolt, was Kösem. By expressing the confidence that the sultan was okay, she represented the country as early as episode 7, she gained another, new wave of respect in the harem and it all unraveled from there. She was starting to "lose" her innocence, she clashed with arguably the most powerful people in the harem (Safiye and Halime + Dilruba), Ahmet, for all he was, acted very "loosely" with her, in terms of what he permitted her to do when it came to the boundaries of her power in the harem and his heart, he relied on her to make decisions when he couldn't, he looked up to her, he sought her advice, he even left the state in her hands in the end. Thanks to the evolution of the SOW, now that very powerful and influential women are the norm in the harem rather than the exception, Kösem was both in a precarious, yet very powerful position, she grasped what the ones before her had and yet got to lengths no one else before (or after her, show-wise) did. Her power spread everywhere, she had so many areas of influence, to the point Murat, the padişah himself, felt overshadowed by all that. But most importantly, she reached out to the people, they all loved and respected her. No sultana was as close to her people as Kösem and I feel that's the most valuable power one could have.

I would put Safiye as second. She's been in power for so many years and she perceives her own power as so massive it's hard for her to let go of. Her dresses, morning routines, material possessions, servants were exemplary. She was so influential in the harem that she was still pretty much perceived as a Valide, even when she already wasn't. She was apparently close to Queen Elizabeth in the show, as well. She also had foundations, even though reaching to the people was far from her first priority. What brings her down for me, is that her influence began to waver slowly, but surely, ever since she was imprisoned in that tower. (yes, she still had a concubine to poison Ahmet, but still...) She lost from Kösem eventually, but she still had very strong presence and was a remarkable member of the SOW. Something from her was left even when she was at her "weakest" - the person manipulating Osman.

I don't know where to put Turhan, to be honest. She was certainly very influential, because she could amass people to her side and staged this massive coup and what helped even further, is her being in a high position from the very beggining and her thematic role in the evolution of power in the SOW, that while everyone else there had their power from their positions as favorites to some extent, at least, Turhan got it solely from herself and what she achieved on her own, because the love and favor from the padişah in her case, was absent at best. But.... her achievements and early apparent upper hand at first only stemmed from the fact that she was Kösem's shadow, she was essentially fooling her and playing with her trust. That is surely bold and the amount of time she succeeded to win in her hands is definetly something, but that facade could last only so far and when it dropped.... Kösem and Turhan were pretty much on equal ground. They were doing move after move and Turhan won only because she used Kösem's weakness. And her weakness.. wasn't the amount of power she wielded. Turhan manipulated her to let go of her personal restraints, which was what she thrived in, but that wasn't really related to power. Power was what Turhan wanted to get, not what she fully had. The same goes with influence. The spheres of Kösem and Safiye's influences were also much bigger than what Turhan ever got and no matter how well she twisted her words, her stunt could even become ineffectual later on, because she has neither ideals, nor principals, but we cannot deny she went way beyond her predecessors for the thing she craved, so I guess she could be here for now.

The Halime and Dilruba (+Davud) faction is not to be underestimated at all. Despite that, similarly to (one aspect of) Turhan, most of their power came from their ruthlessness and how much they were willing to use it. It's interesting, because Halime's most "powerful and influential" was her at her most desperate point, when she seemed to be losing control, because when everyone (the Jannisary especially) learned about Mustafa's condition, no one wanted him to be their sultan, and when Mustafa was dethroned and Osman was the one who ruled. The faction being ready to do anything to be in power and win caused them to beat Kösem in certain instances and were the reason for one of her biggest losses. As far as I recall, they were setting people against Osman and they were also fueling the fire around him, as well as the other stuff. Their opportunism is also a key thing in their power, while it could be also Halime's flaw, when it was her strenght, it fully showed. Knowing when to act (post-E25 Halime and especially Dilruba) and circling around all sides (pre-E25 Halime) is important and advantageous, compared to those who are more direct in their motives. However, when that ruthlessness of the faction is gone, they end up believing way too much in their own victory, hence they let themselves get off guard. Which is what, as well as their ruthlessness that caused Kösem to act even more against them, brought them to their end. And Halime herself could act very irrationally when the opportunity finally seems to come for her, which made her fall under Safiye's traps.

Nurbanu had enough power to guide Selim, hide his mistakes and win him supporters in a way, even though I'm sure she could also be pretty independent of him. She also ended up defeating Hürrem, all things considered. She was cunning enough and she gained influence considerably fast, judging by MC's themes, of course.  However, we didn't see much of her influence outside of Selim in the show and seemed to have opposition quickly after her supposed victory was approaching, with the Safiye case she didn't have the upper hand in, in the end. (though it hadn't been such an easy battle, I'm certain of that.) Nurbanu is definetly the most powerful and influential concubine of a prince, but would she be more powerful than the current/future valides before her? I can't say for sure.

While I don't see her as the most powerful and influential sultana of the franchise, Hürrem definelty brought something new to the table, especially in regards to all the traditions she broke, her more extensive foundation work and her getting in contact with the statesmen, along with vast political allies. Hürrem was the sultana whose power stemmed from her favorable position, but that alone. And thanks to both SS and the themes and the time period, that also could only go so far. Her fatal flaw (the fixation of her enemies and her taking the more opportunistic political allies instead of truly testing their loyalty) made her political alliances become unstable in the end. She had her severe amount of influence, but that influence... seemed to disappear little by little when she seemed to be losing, especially when it came to Rüstem. Her power comes from Süleiman and if/when he dies, Hürrem loses absolutely everything. She has her fair amount of legacy, of course, especially with the favorable treatment and her marriage and how far could one start going on the road of power (though that was more on the themes that set Hürrem as a trendsetter for similar character arcs, not so much on Hürrem herself, but it's stil there), but there're sultanas more powerful than her.

I don't think I'm going to go through all the dynastic sultanas when it comes to power, because their characters and arcs are very rarely connected to power. Still, I find the most powerful and influential dynastic sultanas of MC to be Şah and Mihrimah, and of MCK: Hümaşah. Şah is especially there when it comes to influence and how many things she succeeded to pull off, to the point she could beat both Hürrem and Mihrimah, if she truly wanted to, and Mihrimah had SS's favor and her own growing confidence in her own capabilities, which is also very important. Hümaşah has her power as Safiye's daughter and then, very loosely, as a harem ruler, even though she's not more powerful than her or most of the MCK sultanas.

Ayşe Hafsa had her own fair share of power as a Valide Sultan. She wasn't that massively influential and she didn't weave political plots, but she was very strong in the harem, which she ruled with grace and poise. She had everyone there obey, respect and at times even fear her and she didn't give up so easily in her fight with Hürrem. She was a tough opponent precisely because of the power she had in the harem and even Hürrem admitted she was looking up to her to an extent. Everyone listened to her sound advice and SS considered her his conscience, even though she slowly lost her influence of him in S02B. (and even then SS still cared for her enough, of course)

A bit of a bizarre opinion maybe, but I put Gülbahar and Mahidevran next to each other when it comes to the power they wield in their respective shows. That's mostly when it comes to the vast amount of supporters they both have gained whether it's thanks to their sons or their own personalities, which could put them a step above their rivals at times. (the "Mahidevran is dependent on others" remark.... could actually be as much her advantage as is Gülbahar's seek of supporters and how she uses that.) Both have sons they strive to advice in their own beliefs and while sometimes they may not listen, they respect their mothers a lot. Both gain their strength and power without being favored by their respective sultans. Mahidevran's power shows much more when she rules her harem in Manisa, as she she shows decisiveness and justice and yet can use the same firm hand Valide Hafsa once used with her when necessary. Gülbahar's power shows much more in the castle with all the reach she has thanks to her supporters, along with her big ambition to get what's hers. I would put Gülbahar before Halime and Mahidevran after Ayşe Hafsa in this list.

In theory, Handan had a lot of power as a Valide, but she could by no means adapt to it. She was trying to exert it as much as possible, yet she never discovered how exactly to do it, and when she seemed close to discovering, someone either worked behind her back or everything just went all wrong. Nearly everyone's lack of respect thanks to Safiye's influence was even harder to get over. Handan wasn't suited for this harem life and her only solaces were her son and Derviş. Power wasn't Handan's thing at all, still she was an awesome character.

Farya and Ayşe are a tricky case. While Farya was the closest person to Murat ever being favorable to someone (besides Atike, actually no wonder they're besties!) and he married her, she didn't have the safest position in the castle, because she couldn't have children for the longest time. What Farya got in the end was only a slightly more favorable position that could end at any given time and Kösem becoming her enemy didn't help, either. Ayşe practically ranked above Farya as a mother of Murat's children, but her relationship with Murat was strained, at the very least, and that could pretty much cost her her life. Gülbahar only took advantage of her. The girl was stuck in an abusive and toxic relationship and all she could do to end it, was take her own life and that of her children. Thing is, we're talking Murat and he's as abusive and toxic with all his women as he can get, along with his fear for someone to betray or outshine him, so there's only so much power you can get during his unpredictable and (both direct and deep-seated) anger induced reign, so both Ayşe and Farya are on equal terms when it comes to power. Murat screwed both of them over so hard, I don't think there was ever time or a chance for them to seek such power and influence like others have and I don't blame them for it one bit. It's really, really heartwrenching, actually.

[sepublic]

G1 Starscream Ramblings

           The interesting thing to me about G1 Starscream, specifically the one from the cartoon is… He very much gives me ‘young upstart vibes’, the hot-headed rookie that’s fresh into war, just graduated, and is eager to fight and prove himself. Especially with his line about how ‘his time will come’, I get the vibe that Starscream sees Megatron as almost being outdated hardware, some crankety old-timer whose come and gone and outlived his prime (eventually literally as of the movie), which fits with how Megs was around since the beginning and founded the Decepticons from the start.

           And it’s this disrespectful, irreverent attitude, that constant questioning because he lacks experience and assumes it’s way simpler and easier than it actually is… It all just (star)screams new, fresh recruit who thinks he’s all that, wide-eyed and idealized and thinking he can take on the entire world, instead of being a battle-hardened veteran who’s been humbled and is more prone to the realities of war and its complexities. It’d play into Starscream being so power-hungry, wanting instant gratification and glory, and always being impatient about this sort of thing without really thinking things through, he’s an impulsive brat.

           Maybe he’s even the Cybertronian equivalent to a rich brat who got where he did thanks to his family’s high-end connections, and so there’s always that judging from more experienced soldiers about how Starscream is clearly operating on a lot of privilege, wearing shoes multiple sizes too big for him, and generally making a fool of himself as he parades around, treating the whole situation like an opportunity for fame and adulation, like he’s some celebrity indulging in the fun, and not a general and a commander who has to keep fighting for the cause, make the right and mature calls, all that.

           Because it’s worth noting that a lot of times in G1, he ends up acting out-of-line and doing costly maneuvers that hinder the Decepticons- Most notably, trying to bury the Autobots and accidentally awakening them in the process. And it’s this eagerness to get into fighting and prove himself that leads to Starscream short-sightedly wanting to focus on attacking the Autobots because they’re right there, picking a fight- When Megatron, who is older and more level-headed, has to steer this brash new kid in the right direction, set him on track with the proper agenda and mission. Maybe whip him into shape a bit, and this could all play into Megs’ patience because Starscream is just a dumb kid, so he’s willing to give him some more doubt- Give Starscream some time to actually cool down and taste reality and he’ll surely fall into line.

           He’s like some kid who grew up on military propaganda and bought into a bit too well, saw himself too much in those glamorous posters and manufactured, idealized images; So he’s pretty disappointed that it doesn’t turn out the way he expected it to. Starscream is like that popular kid in high school who always had a clique trailing behind him, and he kind of took it for granted how much he meant to these people because clearly their worlds revolve around him, which makes him all the more blindsided when he turns for help and his ‘friends’ immediately abandon him at the drop of a hat.

          All of Starscream’s ‘friends’ and social situations were blatantly manufactured and brought up by somebody else, but he thinks it was all him so he’s in for a real shock when Starscream is by himself- And people don’t immediately fall in line at his beck and call, so he falters. He’s out of his environment, just graduated all of his usual tricks don’t work, try as he might to stubbornly reapply them like a hammer with anything that looks remotely nail-shaped. It’s this kind of idiotic hypocrisy that makes Starscream not realize that people who do put up with him only do so because they have to, and/or they’re opportunistically kissing up to his façade the way he does with others. Starscream’s grandiose imagination and outlandish, fantasy ‘ideas’ straight out of fiction and films that clearly don’t work in real life, clearly need to be reined in.

           I also like to think that similar to that comparison I made earlier, he DOES have connections- Maybe it’s a Team Rocket situation, where the character is incompetent… But they had a parent who the leader greatly respected, and so they begrudgingly put up with their kid’s foolish antics and incompetent failures out of respect for that posthumous minion’s last wishes. Kind of like Hopper from A Bug’s Life really wanting to kill his brother, but because his mother explicitly told him NOT to on her deathbed, he kind of has to force himself not to because he still feels beholden to her- But there’s certainly no warmth on his end just because that person he respects, was fond of this dude he hates.

           It could factor into Megatron constantly tolerating Starscream as a thorn in his side… And really, Starscream seems to be even more of an idiot at times than Megatron, what with Megatron going into a spiel that one time about how Starscream lost because he lacked strategy. Perhaps Starscream is, like, SUPER skilled in combat, a beast and a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield; And if he’s doing so well and he’s so strong, then surely this means he’s fit to be leader, because obviously the Decepticon who’s the best fighter should lead, right? It’s a gross oversimplification of a narrow-minded worldview… And I imagine Starscream also somewhat got where he was because of privilege, so he kind of takes a lot of things for granted here about how the Decepticon faction works and its hierarchy and rules.

          Perhaps Starscream being an utter beast in combat contributes to Megatron keeping him around- He IS useful, he just needs some proper guidance and a good head to productively channel that ability. He’s confusing fighting ability with actual tactical leadership and charisma, but beyond that, Starscream clearly knows how to get out of a scrape, and has no reservations about playing dirty to add to his already potent combat skills as-is. So Megatron still has some hopes for Starscream, while sternly warning him not to make him regret his decision in further tolerating his nonsense- Because Megatron likes to think he’s a forgive and forget kind of guy, but only to people who justify themselves in his eyes as being strong and powerful, traits he actually respects.

          Maybe Megatron even sees a little bit of his young self in Starscream, and so there’s that hope for a pay-off; That if he just gives Starscream a chance and proper guidance, that if the kid has someone who can set him on the right track and help him figure things out- Then he can really live up to his potential! Because that’s what Starscream is- Potential. Raw, untapped potential, clumsily thrown about and unrefined… But it’s there and Megatron would hate to make a waste of it, especially since this whole conflict is about resources; Even the hedonistic Decepticons have to be mindful of how they use things, how efficient they are.

           Of course, having his constant patience and mercy, his tolerating, waiting in eternal hope for his investment into Starscream to finally pay off… Megatron is tired of giving him second chances, tired of how ungrateful this brat is, and how his failures keep adding up. So when Starscream straight-up throws him out to die, coupled with his reformatting into Galvatron… And Galvatron’s had about enough of this, he’s done and sick and tired of Starscream’s antics. After having people put up with him for so long, Starscream really begins to overestimate just how important and useful he is to them, that eventually he’ll reach a point where his negatives outweigh his positives, but he never considers this and believes he’ll always be allowed back into the fold after each betrayal…

          Literally everything about Starscream’s coronation yells in-over-his-head kid who really has to compensate for his lack of leadership and respect from others by playing up the adulation and the glamour, but… If he HAD been given a chance to actually lead, his reckless impatience and short-sightedness would’ve definitely led the Decepticons to ruin, and someone would’ve had to stage a coup. Even Starscream’s use in combat would stop paying off for him as he becomes too much of a liability.

          And it’s this inexperienced, clearly insecure demeanor that makes Starscream impatiently yell at the Constructicons to get to the point. He really can’t make up his mind and stick to it, so even though he has this music being played in the first place, Starscream just as quickly regrets and finds it annoying because he’s not particularly deliberate nor thoughtful about what he does. He knows what others think of them, that they don’t respect nor take him seriously, and it gets to his head and makes him irrationally angry because he doesn’t know to handle this, he expected this to be so much easier, to be as simple and done as THIS. Starscream really isn’t equipped to handle actually navigating around people from a charismatic standpoint and earning their trust, especially given his history as backstabber who has no concept of loyalty and bonds because he’s arrogant enough to think he can do it all on his own.

          And when faced with genuine adversity and reality, as we see… Starscream very immaturely fumbles and trips, and then defaults to begging and pleading because he hasn’t built up much of a spine, and he’s still an idealistic kid who clearly hasn’t built himself up and his fortitude all that well. He’s promising with snot dribbling down his nose that he won’t screw up this time, please give him a second chance he didn’t MEAN it, he seriously did not expect nor consider the consequences of his actions, nor how they could backfire and blow up in his face.

          Starscream is an upper-class snob who doesn’t really get it, he’s eager for approval because he’s young but also clearly selfish and ungrateful about it, because he’s always entitled to that thing and so when it DOES come around, it both means a lot, but also it’s about time, he was waiting for so long just to get the bare minimum he was owed, don’t pat yourself on the back for doing what you’re already meant to. And when things go wrong, Starscream blunders and starts to doubt himself because he was pampered, privileged, and sheltered, constantly told he was amazing- And so he doesn’t actually know how to handle failure and was always used to things coming easily to him on a silver platter, while having someone else to clean up the mess for him and protect him from the consequences. Starscream doesn’t appreciate the actual work that it takes for things, he’s basically spoiled and out of his environment in this military setting where nobody is having it.

           Of course, when Starscream IS spared and recovers, he then silently fumes because he totally would’ve succeeded had THIS happened, or if this other person hadn’t screwed up- And then he fails to learn any of his lessons and keeps trying to take over and take charge, because obviously he knows better and he thinks all of his ideas are the best in the world. When faced with past failures, he doesn’t learn he just denies them as soon as they’re not being shoved in his face anymore, like a child who wet the bedsheets and is now frantically hiding them. He has no real clue nor idea about what he’s doing, but as soon as it’s over he again takes for granted the safety net that his fellow Decepticons begrudgingly provide, and wants again continues to test their patience and resources.

           So, when Galvatron DOES come around and kill Starscream- The Decepticons are clearly elated, and if we’re being real here… They were all probably thinking of ways to assassinate or depose Starscream, or at least play to his ego so he could remain a figurehead who occasionally goes out into battle doing the one thing he’s good at, while his oh-so-loyal lieutenants do the dirty, unglamorous work of actually being a tactician and leader for hm. Starscream wants all of the power and fame, but like- NONE of the actual work and responsibility, that’s too much for him to actually work on so he just stamps his foot frustratedly when others don’t treat him with the respect he deserves, because he DOES recognize his own potential and expects other to revere Starscream for what he could be, VS what he actually currently is… And because he’s so caught up in the idea of what he thinks he’ll inevitably be, he never works on his current self so he can actually get to that point.

           Like I said- Galvatron killing him saved the Decepticons a LOT of much-needed stress and headaches. It got that young brat and upstart out of the way so they could all get to business and not have to deal with his nonsense anymore, because he ain’t getting any deader! There was some hesitation about what COULD be lost if they did away with him, but now he’s gone and so all they can do is just reap the benefits of Starscream’s death! It’s almost relieving- Like YEAH, we were prepared on how to handle this… But then Galvatron came and made things so much easier, he got this off our hands and he’s clearly bold and decisive and knows what he’s doing, taking out Starscream made him VERY popular, in addition to basically being Megatron with a new coat of paint;

           Up until his lava-bath fried his circuits… And then Galvatron basically became the Decepticon Leader Starscream that everybody feared, ironically enough. And then it was Cyclonus who had to do the job of looking after this dude, who was less a reckless young upstart and more like a senile old veteran gone mad and blindly waving his cane around; And then complications get worse when Starscream somehow returns as a GHOST, because why not? Sure, let’s go with that, we already have Galvatron seemingly saving us from Starscream, only to become the new one… Let’s compare him with the original and see what happens, why not? There must’ve been a lot of collective groans of exhaustion at each and every new development.

          The Decepticons must be so exasperated, it really feels like they’ve been on a downward slope, outlived their prime and golden age since the Battle of Autobot City… Yet despite Megatron’s failures they remember him fondly because he did a lot of other things right, was otherwise charismatic, and seemed pretty close to actually winning, all things considered. And so the Decepticons are too caught up in their delusional nostalgia and what-ifs, the way Starscream is about his own future, to really remember that Megatron kind of screwed them over with that risky, costly maneuver that clearly didn’t pay off.

[shy-magpie]

RQG 155

Wherein there are unexpected visitors. Live blog under the cut

Pre episode babbling:  there really wasn't any way quarantine was going to last as long as the dungeon crawl, and (for all I joked about it) I really am satisfied with what we got. That was a lot of backstory and character moments in a short amount of time. Now we have a kobold, a mysterious attack on the inn, and an episode title referencing dragons? Nice consolation for them almost certainly being forced out of the basement or having plot come to them. Please be Skraak? Please be Skraak either trying to rescue them or at least be here as an ally? Oh well time to hit play: Weird energy? That’s promising Inevitable locked in a Cel(l) joke Zolf needs to be nicer about the Kobolds Alex needs tell us if this is Skraak or not before Hamid gets the blame Skraak(?) Just unlocked the trap door Nice outfit Alex, is it our Skraak? It seems to be Zolf wants Skraak to join them in quarantine. Cel doesn't see why to bother when Skraak's been in contact with hundreds of Kobolds Skraak gestures for them to leave and Zolf is going to be force the issue. This will go over well. Beats his defense by 1 Hamid is trying to play peacemaker again. Really Zolf? Couldn't have calmly refused to leave and explained through the door? I know you are under stress but you are low charisma, not stupid. Love you Cel, Skraak has been speaking to varying degrees since "My Liege" Hamid tries to explain, Zolf speaks over him to say they didn't explain because they forgot. Hamid apologizes to Skraak. Skraak starts to leave. Azu backs Zolf in preventing him from leaving. Skraak is subdued by Zolf & Azu Skraak is locked in with Hamid? No Zolf has some limits thank goodness. He did call Skraak one of them.  Bound but not gagged as Hamid apologizes. Skraak points out that he just has to wait for the rest (of his team?) Skraak "monitor"ed them!?! Holy... I was merely comparing the situations, did he actually scry and see them held by a human in a small space underground beneath a trap door disguised by a table? If he thinks Wilde is their Shoin then how many pieces is he going to be in when Zolf gets out? Kobold lore please! Hierarchy is important and it was "considered a good idea to keep track of the saviors". Skraak is sarcastic in his tone when he uses the term and it sounds like at least Hamid & Azu object the instant they hear it, possibly others. Cel makes a pitch for quarantining the whole inn. Wilde is in the cupboard Zolf asks about the kobold numbers and makes some unnecessary remarks about the village & Jasper in particular being lost as he writes off Japan. Zolf is far too relatable for some who needs to stand the flame down before someone takes it personal. Deciding you've already doomed yourself along with everything you care about is a crappy way to avoid panic in the face of uncertainty. Cel tries to call him on it, he switches to "everyone else is infected and it will be our job to fight them". Scary thing is, while in the long term it would be a suicide mission, with their combined abilities they could make a serious dent in the numbers. Hope they are aware of the Hiroshima comparison if this is leading to calling for a air strike on Japan. They explain what little they know to Skraak who insists none of the Kobolds were sick but may not understand the symptoms. Possible kobold immunity? Gonna be annoyed if something Shoin did protected them. Skraak seems to be saying that no new people were exposed since his party of 7 followed the route of the party. Zolf wants to send them back under Skraak's guard to prevent any more coming for them. And they're back. Cel points out its better Skraak came since the kobolds didn't know to implement quarantine. They go upstairs. They form a phalanx and draw spear against the party when they don't see either Hamid or Skraak. Alex & Ben are doing the "these lines are already written we have but to speak them" routine while Bryn points out Alex doesn't get to sound like that when he's the one doing it. Very Hamid, if you know how this is going to play out and don't like it, just make another choice. Initiative and a lot of dice. Grapple rules. Not clear where Cel is/if they got grappled but it sounds like Zolf did and is throwing them off so he can check on the inn keeper. Hamid runs upstairs and every one of them kneels like Skraak did at their first meeting. Helen & Bryn both sound distressed. Should have cleaned up that unreadable little ficlet I made of Hamid going bad because he didn't know how to handle Kobold worship and accidentally took over Japan because he thought autonomy meant respecting their decision to look to him as their leader. The innkeeper is bound but fine. Zolf unties him and looks for Wilde. "Wilde is also bound and... Has a look best described as "the bleep? "" Zolf is a stress cooker and Barnes updates Hamid is flustered and embarrassed which buys him some small grace from Skraak who explains Hamid is "the biggest dragon here" Cel: Also you could introduce the concept of democracy. Eh skip em straight to anarcho communism if you ask me. Group decision meetings rather than just vote for the head dragon Hamid tries to side step a bit by suggesting they explain the situation and asks for their names. Hope Alex thought to name all seven before the cast does.  Siggif the kobold might be pushing it. "Hamid the polite tyrant"-Lydia Break Alex skips them to "a large dinner" cooked by Zolf who got a nat 20 on how good it is. Cel speaks draconic. Neither Zolf nor Azu can make out the difference in their names. Because Alex is like that: didn't want to come up with 7 names, did want to block anyone else naming them. Bryn however has all 6 names and is going to give Azu & Zolf their translations. They aren't interested in the rest of the party and "insist on maintaining a guard phalanx around Hamid at all times". Helen points out this is Bryn's fault. Yeah he's been playing with Alex long enough to know "King of the Kobolds" would come back to bite him. Hamid should be embarrassed. Hamid is sat at the head of the table by the Kobolds. Skraak: it'll pass eventually Zolf: good Aw Cel asks about traditional kobold food and Skraak has to struggle to remember. (Cel seems disappointed meal worm burgers would be poisonous to non kobolds) Zolf is a grumpy boy Long story short it seems to be a controlled risk: no contact off the island; no reason to believe the kobolds are infected Kobolds might be immune Oh screw Shoin (sent waves of Kobolds as dungeon monsters) Zolf doesn't think that the level of contact the Kobolds had with infected adventurers without being infected is proof since they don't know how the infection is passed or activated. Hamid says they shouldn't rely on it but its reason to hope. Zolf needs to remember that team moral is a thing and quit taking things from Hamid especially in a way that could piss off their new housemates. Thank you Azu! Hamid is not stupid! You can say there is reason for hope and still be careful Hamid calls him on jumping down his throat at the slightest provocation, reminds him they talked about this and that trying to stay positive is not a crime. God it's weird relating to both sides of this argument. My bias is towards Hamid as being right, but Zolf is so relatable. You have any idea how hard it can be not to snap at some of these kids they are setting themselves up for heart break when they talk about school in the fall or hug piles at cons? Thank you Cel Zolf is going to leave and sit on the coast behind the inn because he considers the quarantine broken not expanded. Backing out of an unproductive conversation, especially one were others have pointed out you are being harmful is valid, giving into "burn it all" moods is not. Hamid moves to stop him because he gets that the inn is now their cell Wilde calls him back and says he was building to them talking to the borb. So there is a reason he's the boss. Zolf declares he wants some time not thinking about this, which is what he should have done several paragraphs ago. Ffs this can not be the first time he's had it strike hot/destructive instead of cold/immobilizing; it sucks but you don't let yourself make any permanent decisions, stay away from the breakables and try not to talk to much, it passes. Cel suggests he go to one of the upstairs rooms instead, he accepts the redirect with ill grace but does accept it. Barnes has pointed out that locking everyone in a small box makes things worse not better before. Aw did Alex not like the fandom begging for the platonic version of the lock em in a closet until they sort out their feelings trope? Azu: I thought we could make friends Cel: he seems quite opposed to that Azu: I feel like he'd be a really good friend but not very friendly if you know what I mean Cel:we I know he hasn't been at all friendly Azu: you're friendly! Cel: well thank you, I do try Azu: I think you are my friend Cel: I am so honored! Thank you so much Azu! That's delightful Carter declares Cel the only friendly one because he is grumpy about Azu stepping on him, stopping him from breaking quarantine, and drank all the good stuff. Barnes suggests they start fresh in the morning. Skraak explains the kobolds are expecting Hamid to step into Shoin's role as tyrant just one they like. Skraak: even if they know you're not a tyrant, neither they nor me will be abandoning you because that's how Kobolds work. Good Hamid is taking this seriously Oh no pressure Skraak The most chill inn keeper in the world Skip to lunch time Zolf is still making himself scarce, which is not the worst way to handle it  dawning on you THAT YOU TRIED TO DESTROY A RELATIONSHIP YOU VALUE BECAUSE YOU WERE IN A MOOD Bryn makes the "he's secretly infected" joke. Bryn spotted the veins in discord avatar thing and Alex sounds so pleased Wilde is fine, stop asking Oh really we needed that insight in how Wilde thinks Brorb on the table Cel asks for a list of stuff to make into a Brorb access device. Between their bags of holding they have enough stuff for them to make do. Azu seeks out Zolf while Hamid & the Kobolds help Cel. No strike that she waits until someone needs to grab him for the Brorb interview. Alex! Ending on Azu finding Zolf staring out the window.

[kattaloop]

Lexa IS More Than A Symbol

I came to Tumblr for the Clexa GIFs and stayed for the very occasional long-form contribution. So I don’t know what’s being talked about and how, but a few friends asked me to comment on this. A week ago, @rivertalesien offered a lengthy reply to an anonymous question:

“Why is Lexa the one that people want to fight for but seems to be the only one kept dead? Not that ODAAT and WE had dead lesbians but they were cancelled and fan efforts brought them back like why is Lexa the only one who can't? She has to be more than a symbol though?“

I have my own thoughts on this issue, some of which I can’t publicly elaborate on. Let me just say that you’re right, Lexa absolutely is more than a symbol and should be treated as such. But what did River have to say about it all?

“First of all, the situations with ODAAT and WE are completely different: those involve complex negotiations with advertisers in order to cover the costs and where the show will be hosted. I know it’s fun to believe that fan campaigns had anything to do with it, but it is always, ultimately down to negotiations with advertisers and studios. It makes the producers and all look good to praise their audience for the “hard work” trying to save the series, but they all know better.“

It’s right to say that money is a driving force in any decisions the networks make. But you can’t isolate a show from the broader programing strategy, and, as far as I know, advertising deals are  bundled. As with any business, money isn’t the only deciding factor, either. Power and prestige have important roles in this game of film and television, and personal preference absolutely exists. As for fan campaigns, they add a voice, one that may have, and has, in the past, convinced executives to revisit the  issue in the first place. Would they have done the same thing without that little nudge from viewers? Maybe, but probably not.

“And Lexa is “kept dead” because, and this is only inference, but I think it’s a strong one: Jason Rothenberg lost a huge business/development deal as a result of the Lexa/Clexa fan drama.“

You did your research, I’ll give you that. But I’m unsure how well you understand the reality of this business. Considering that failed pilots are more common than green-lit ones. Considering that any pilot is a collaborative process with too many components in play than for an outsider to pinpoint exactly one reason as to why it failed. Considering that this industry, for all its rigid hierarchy and rules books, can also be one of the most unpredictable - one person leaves and the whole house of cards can crumble. Considering that you refuse to entertain the pros that would accompany Lexa’s return, pros that someone with Jason’s disposition might be equally interested in as in the more petty revenge fantasies.

“Jason Rothenberg spent the days, weeks and months after Lexa’s death cutting himself off from those fans who were hurt by his actions and no doubt working behind the scenes to make sure he didn’t lose his job over his unethical, unprofessional behavior. His supporters in the cast were openly derisive of Clexa fans who spoke out and a tone of trying to ignore or undermine the fan fallout was the given order. Showing real empathy and offering to work with the audience in order to heal the divide might have gone a long way for improving his image and the show’s. Rothenberg decided to hide instead.“

Yes to everything but the last sentence. You’re assuming - sorry, inferring. I happen to know that it was not his decision. Once again, isolating one aspect from its context and environment usually leads to wrong or, at least, incomplete conclusions.

“One very clear consequence of his queerbaiting is that Greg Berlanti, the very successful (and openly gay) producer of many DC shows including Supergirl, stepped out of a development deal for a new series tentatively titled The Searchers. The project was likely mostly Rothenberg’s, but without Berlanti’s backing, it was dropped. Story was that it was too “expensive” to produce, yet Berlanti went on to get a huge deal with the CW, producing Riverdale as well as the upcoming Batwoman. Would Berlanti want to be associated with Rothenberg after the Lexa debacle? Probably not and that’s probably closer to the real reason the deal went south.“

Except the queerbaiting isn’t even fully acknowledged, still. That’s a lot to base on “likely” and "probably.” Berlanti was already getting these deals. He also had his own issues to deal with. If the production was deemed too expensive, it doesn’t mean that there’s a conspiracy beyond the normal industry processes.

“Outside of The 100, he has no produced credits to his name and how he got the job of showrunner when he had no previous experience in any capacity in a writer’s room or on a production staff is certainly baffling. He very quickly proved he didn’t have the professionalism for the job and anyone else would have been dismissed.“

But he wasn’t dismissed, and that should tell you enough to not be baffled by the fact that they hired him, even without knowing the industry from within.

“The 100 went from 16 episodes to 13 because the order for renewal had already been given and the WB/CW put out feelers in the form of polls asking the audience directly: will Lexa’s death affect if you watch the show? Who does that unless they are seeking to reassure the advertisers that Lexa’s death wouldn’t be a big issue for long and spoil their investment?”

In conjunction with a noticeable drop in ratings and other measurable factors, this is probably a reasonable conclusion. They were hoping for a surge and were slammed, instead. There were a lot of whispers, but nothing I’d consider to be confirmed. What does this have to do with why they wouldn’t bring Lexa back? If anything, it suggests they know of her value.

“Fans are capable of all sorts of interpretations of a text (oh boy are we), but one thing that I think is generally considered across the board is that with season 4, the tone toward Lexa was more than a little OTT and a tad spiteful.”

I’m glad you acknowledge that much of this is based on interpretation. In summary, the praise Lexa received in S4 felt unauthentic, the Flame and Lexa were used as an emotional device, and Clarke’s actions were problematic. How’s that any different than post-307, when nobody seemed too bothered about losing their beloved Heda, when the Flame and Lexa were used as an emotional device, and when Clarke had sex as a coping mechanism and even questioned Lexa’s humanity? The latter were all written before the backlash. It mostly speaks to the show’s persistent issues with continuity, character development, and representation.

“This is just my interpretation, but with fans crying out for her return, pleading for a spin-off and so on, and generally being the most out-spoken fandom for LGBTQ rights and better representation in media (and a never-ending drag of Rothenberg’s name), is it likely that a production that never did anything to try and make amends ever going to give in to such pleas?”

As likely as any other production, to be honest. Allow me to go back to your earlier assessment. “They don’t care about fans’ pleas.” Would they bring Lexa back for the fans? Doubtful. “They care about their own benefit.” Would they bring Lexa back if it benefited them? Now we’re talking.

But they can’t just do it any odd way. As you also said previously, they know better. They may ignore us, but they watch us. They would’ve assessed the different scenarios. From a business point of view, they’d want to avoid another backlash. Then you have a diva showrunner to consider, and a guest star who is in work and, hopefully, wouldn’t return for a guest stint if it didn’t benefit her and Lexa. It’s a tricky balance, made even more difficult by a fandom that likes to tear itself apart over conflicting opinions every 3 months or so.

Considering all of those circumstances, I can’t think of a reasonable way to bring Lexa back other than at the very end. Which would benefit the production, but more importantly, a large number of fans, the tiny matter of representation, and ADC - if done right, which I give her enough credit to make sure before agreeing to anything. I’m not saying that it will happen or that it won’t happen. I’m saying that there’s a strong case for it happen, to balance out your rather one-dimensional approach.

“There is a cruelty to this because almost any other kind of story of this kind would involve a moment of catharsis, but that moment is constantly suspended, always dangled, but never in touch.”

Personally, I’d agree with that, but I can also think of writers who’d be into it. We’ve already established that Jason and his immediate team are lacking awareness and empathy. It makes little sense, therefore, to expect them to act differently, especially if they’re leading up to another shock twist. My guess is as good as yours on whether that’s something good or bad.

“They know what fans want and it’s arguable too that Rothenberg has twisted what the fans want for his own benefit: a spin-off of The 100, but one entirely about something decidedly unrelated to Lexa. Showing online fan interest might be one way of telling advertisers: see, there’s a demand for his work.”

No offense, but this makes no sense and it’s probably the most contradicting and subjective thing you’ve said thus far. If they know what fans want, then there’s nothing to twist. It’s actually part of the reason why the Lexa spinoff campaign started while the show’s still on air: to get the word out, to make sure they know exactly what and who we want, and what and who we don’t want. Jason started talking about a spinoff before 307, so there’s literally no ground for this argument, which also has no bearing on the question. So why bring it up?

“Unless advertisers demand it, is it likely that this unprofessional queerbaiting producer would do anything except the most spiteful of nods? That’s all he’s done at this point and the story this season looks more and more like they are going to finally close the book on any Lexa mentions ever again.”

Unless advertisers become involved in the creative process, this argument is also invalid. Thankfully, there are regulations in place to avoid that. And unless you know what motivates a person, you can’t speak to what they will or won’t do. Even if you did, you can’t be certain. Once again, this is a collaborative process even under the worst of circumstances. Things could go either way.

“Fight for Lexa, there is nothing wrong with her being a “symbol” of a fight for better representation.”

It feels wrong when you reduce her to a symbol, when you put her in the past, when you tell others to seek out other representation, when you dismiss her implied humanity. Our emotions in relation to Lexa are real, and that makes her real in all the ways that matter. What happened to “she’s more than just a character?” Well, she’s also more than a movement. Let’s not use their excuses when they kill of one LGBT character and put another on their place against ourselves.

“Keep using her light, but never forget where it really comes from, something Rothenberg will never understand: it comes from you.”

Now see, this is a great statement. I, too, believe that Lexa is a part of us. Her light guided me out of the complete darkness I had lost myself in, and it became part of my own light. I’ve never come across a character like that, or person, for that matter. A sentiment that still reverberates through the fandom and beyond. I believe that her light can help so many more people whom she wasn’t able to reach in the short time she was given. And so, part of my fight for better representation, better storytelling, will always be to let Lexa’s light shine again. She deserves to live. She deserves to have her story told!

[spring-emerald]

(i just had to let you know) you’re mine

For @yamineftis​ who sent this wonderful, wonderful idea. I hope you like it! :)

Five times Tsukishima accidentally called Kageyama ‘my king’ and the one time he let Kageyama know he means it. 

0It’s not that Tsukishima thinks that they’re going to get an easy win. Despite the captain being in the same team as him and Yamaguchi, which is reassuring, the powerhouse second year was on the King and Shorty’s team, and Tsukishima knows that he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with. And well, his arrogance and tyrannical history notwithstanding, the King is a good player, despite his complete inability to be a team player.

Nevertheless, Tsukishima counted on his uncanny ability to rile people up, and with the combined hotheadedness and bullishness of the other three, he’s pretty sure it’s a skill that he can use to his advantage.

What he wasn’t counting on was the Shorty to get through the King, and more unexpectedly, for the King to be receptive and accepting of that, leading them to make an insane play that eventually won them the three-on-three match.

It’s disappointing, to say the least, because Tsukishima had been looking forward to winning, just so he could rub it in their faces, but some things can’t be had. Whatever, it’s not like he’s invested in the match anyway. It’s just a club after all.

This doesn’t stop him from shoulder checking Kageyama on his way out of the club room.

“Don’t think,” he starts, looming over the King and looks down at him disdainfully, “that just because you won the match today means that I will bend the knee and swear to follow your every whim. You’re not my king.”

He basks in the glower that Kageyama gives him and leaves before the other can say anything.

1

Tsukishima’s come a long way from thinking of the volleyball team as just a club and had long since accepted the reality that they are a team, a brotherhood of the annoying and loud kind, but brotherhood nonetheless, and that there are certain expectations and kinship that comes along with that. You don’t spend sorrow and share victory with other people without feeling anything at all after that.

It’s not that Tsukishima thinks that highly of Kageyama, but he’d come to accept certain facts about their interactions, in that Kageyama is a teammate and a valuable one at that, from a collective good and logical standpoint. And Tsukishima is not blind. He had noticed, he had witnessed how the King too had come a long way from being the tyrannical ruler that he is, to a dependable team player and game genius, albeit still a demanding and high maintenance one.

The point is, as much as Tsukishima’s changed, Kageyama did so too. Karasuno and their experiences with the team both had changed them for the better, for good.

But perhaps, the king’s old ways isn’t as easily as forgotten as Tsukishima had initially thought. While Kindaichi and Kunimi had reached the point of acceptance about what happened with Kageyama during their days in Kitagawa Daiichi, there are some that still holds a grudge.

“I didn’t want to believe it you know,” the guy cornering Kageyama, a guy shorter than him says, arrogance clear in his tone. “I worked hard to get to Aoba Johsai and get into the team to be a regular in my first year just to see if the King of the Court had truly changed. Because the thought of you, Kageyama-san, becoming one with a team is just so…wrong. I had to see it for myself you know, senpai?” The honorific sounded like an insult that even Tsukishima, who don’t particularly care about hierarchy got offended and annoyed.

And why is Kageyama letting this upstart underclassman talk to him like that? He knows how well Kageyama can stand up for himself, so why isn’t he fighting back now?

The way Kageyama is clenching his fists and his jaw tells Tsukishima that he is in fact just holding back. Tsukishima sighs. Of course. Volleyball trumps everything for Kageyama, even his own worth apparently, and would rather take being insulted quietly than fight back and risk losing his chance to play in the games because of misdemeanor.

Of course.

And since they are teammates, Tsukishima has the moral obligation to help Kageyama out.

“Oi,” he calls out, startling the two of them. He enjoys the panicked expression of the brat at his appearance and made him more nervous by coming towards them and standing in his full height just in front of Kageyama

“Come now, my king. Our match is about to start. We don’t have time for disrespectful commoners,” he says, sending the brat a mocking glance before turning around and walking away.

Kageyama is smart enough to follow after him without a second to spare.

2

It’s the deciding match of the season and Tsukishima is feeling his pessimistic side rise from the ashes of doubt. It’s not that he thinks they’re going to get the spot in Interhigh like it’s a walk in the park, he’s not delusional. But Datekou is actually making it really, really hard and once again, they feel like they are at the edge of the proverbial cliff, one wrong step can lead the legacy of Karasuno that rests on their shoulders now, tumbling all the way down in one false move.

Ukai-san calls for a time out and the members all gather around him rather somberly.

“Guys, come on,” Yamaguchi claps, trying to inject hope to their tired system, playing the role of the captain perfectly despite not being with them on the court. “This situation is not new to us. We can turn this around.” He gives the closest members reassuring pats on their shoulders.  

Hinata slaps his cheeks and exhales sharply. “You’re right!” He agrees with renewed vigor, looking over the other members, encouraging them like the dependable ace that he is.

“That’s the spirit,” Ukai-san says. “We still got this.” Takeda-sensei nods frantically beside him. He proceeds to outline a familiar play that had always worked, tweaked a little just to have the element of surprise on their side to secure the match point, it’s a bit formulaic than what the adaptable Karasuno is known for he admits, but if it works, then it works. The whole team seems to be in agreement.

“Ukai-san, I want to try something.” Kageyama, who had been quiet through the time out interrupts before they can do their battle cry and proceeds to explain the play he’d been visualizing. Ukai-san is hesitant to give his go signal, but Tsukishima sees it all in his mind’s eye and is aware that it’s risky and too new to try out, but it could really work. His and Kageyama’s gaze met, knowing well that the setter is waiting for his decision as the court captain.

If there’s anything that had grown between the two of them from their years together, is their trust in each other. His trust in Kageyama and his judgment.

Obviously, Tsukishima nods.

And it works out, better than they had anticipated, and as the audience drown them in cheers and their teammates drown them in their victorious cries and tight hugs, Tsukishima manages to get to Kageyama and words of praise come easily between the two of them now.

“Well done, my king,” he says with a proud smile, one that Kageyama equally returned.

3

Slowly but surely, the ease of conversation started to breakthrough and now isn’t just limited on the court when they’re playing, but had seeped through other, non-volleyball related things as well. A comment about their respective classes’ attraction during the school festival, a suggestion of what activity to do for the third year’s weekly outing, a recommendation of songs and artists to listen to, because he’d been looking for new music and Tsukishima is the only person he knows who could give quality tunes that Kageyama has cultivated a taste for.

This leads to Tsukishima inviting Kageyama to watch a benefit concert featuring most of their mutually liked bands and artists, to which Kageyama excitedly agrees. Akiteru’s got him an extra ticket and Kageyama is the first person that came to mind when his brother said he can invite a friend and he even volunteered to drive them to the venue, to which Tsukishima, stupidly and wholeheartedly accepts.

It’s not that Tsukishima intended for it to be a date, because really, it’s just an outing between friends with the same taste in music. He should’ve known that Akiteru’s generosity comes with a price. He realized his mistake too late.

“Thank you very much, ah… Tsukishima-san,” Kageyama says with a respectful bow.

“You’re certainly welcome, Kageyama-kun.” Kageyama bows again, then gets out of the car.

“Thank you, Nii-chan. Drive safely,” Tsukishima says before opening the door, going out himself. He’s halfway away from the car when Akiteru calls out to him.

“Ah, Kei! Do you need me to pick you up later,” Akiteru asks just as Tsukishima bends down to his eye level, “or would you rather have some quality time with Kageyama-kun?”

Tsukishima watches in horror as his brother gives him suggestive eyebrow raise. He flushes.

“Wh-What?! This isn’t- we’re not- what is wrong with you?!”

To Tsukishima’s utter aggravation, Akiteru just laughs. “Quality time it is then. Anyway, be careful and don’t do what I wouldn’t do. Also, be sure to drop him off in his place, alright. Enjoy your date!” Akiteru leaves with a mock salute, before backing the car up, leaving Tsukishima to sputter incoherently at the empty pavement.

Suffice to say, the night went on a daze and he wasn’t able to enjoy the concert as much as he would’ve liked because his thoughts are a mess due to what Akiteru’s words implied and he only snaps out of it when they reached Kageyama’s house.

He’d inevitably dropped him off, Akiteru would be so proud.

“Thank you for inviting me, Tsukishima. I… I had a lot of fun. And please thank Tsukishima-san too, for the ride earlier.”

Tsukishima unconsciously smiles at the subdued but nonetheless delighted expression on Kageyama’s face. “It’s no problem, King. You’re not a bad company, surprisingly. And yeah, I’ll be sure to tell him.”

Kageyama just nods and unlocks his door. “Be safe on your way home then. Goodnight.”

“I will,” Tsukishima says, walking backwards. “Sleep well, my king,” he turns to walk away properly, missing the way Kageyama looks at his retreating back, hands clutching his chest in an attempt to calm his wildly beating heart.

4

On a hindsight, Akiteru had been on to something that night.

As it turns out, trust isn’t the only thing that Tsukishima had grown for Kageyama. As they spend more time together, and not just during club activities, but actually spending time together as friends, with the rest of the third years and that fateful night, where it was just the two of them, Tsukishima realized that he’d grown to have a soft spot that turned into an annoyingly persistent affection for the setter.

Tsukishima hated it at the beginning when he realized it. He tried to vehemently deny that he’s finding the King attractive more than he should a teammate, more than he should a friend, more than the kind of objective I-have-four-eyes-that-work-fine-and-it-acknowledges-that-Kageyama-is-actually-handsome-by-conventional-standards, but that he is seeing him in a shit-he’s-really-hot-and-i-catch-myself-staring-at-him-unknowingly-and-fantasizing-about-him-and-doodle-his-name-in-my-notebook-while-I’m-daydreaming-about-him-about-us kind of way.

(“Sounds like you have a crush, Tsukishima-kun.” Yachi says thoughtfully.

“Tsukki has a crush?!” Waaaah, that’s amazing Tsukki! You have a crush!!” Yamaguchi exclaims.

“No. I. Don’t. Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

God, what was he thinking? Telling them had been a wrong idea.)

There’s just no way. No way. God, this is so pathetic. He is so pathetic.

But such is the story of his life and denial can only take him to an even deeper rabbit hole.

And if he’s being completely honest, which he is right now, given the vulnerable state of his mind and ugh, feelings, having a crush on Kageyama isn’t really a bad thing.

He’s easy on the eyes and it’s no wonder that there are a lot of people that have happy crushes on him. He’s a national level volleyball player, so that’s bound to attract people even more. It’s not that Tsukishima likes him only for the shallow aspects.

He admires Kageyama because of those, but he likes him because he’d seen the way Kageyama puts an effort to communicate his thoughts better, despite his impulsivity and tendency to outright saying what’s on his mind. He likes the way he puts an effort to be a dependable senpai to their underclassmen, trying to emulate the way Suga-san and Narita-san did. He likes how he puts an effort to be a good, genuine friend, despite his general social awkwardness.

For all the ‘perfect’ things Kageyama can do, it’s the awkward and imperfect things that endeared Tsukishima even more. Tsukishima likes him for the way he’s changed and grown, and he likes that he’d been there to witness it.

And so Tsukishima has come to like the thing that he used to abhor the most back then: their tutoring session. Not to be unkind, but really, all of Kageyama’s genius had been sucked by volleyball and left little to everything else. It’s still frustrating at times, that’s true, but he’s cultivated more patience as the years went on, because Kageyama had been nothing but diligent during their sessions.

But there’s just something about the quadratic equation that stumps Kageyama.

Tsukishima massages the sides of his head and holds back from sighing, not wanting to upset an already frustrated Kageyama. “Alright, we’ll try this again. But this will be the last time I’m explaining this so pay attention, my king.”

Tsukishima proceeds to explaining, yet again, the steps needed to answer the problem, but noticed halfway through his explanation that Kageyama keeps on sending him nervous glances, looking like he wants to say something but cannot say it.

“Are you even listening?” Tsukishima can’t help the sharp tone. Kageyama sits straight, admonished and nods frantically.

“I am…but,” he pouts and frowns, as he’s wont to do when he’s confused by something that was presented to him.

“Just say it, king.”

“That. You keep calling me that…”

They’ve had this conversation before, Kageyama asking him why he still keeps calling him that. Tsukishima had been truthful when he said that it’s become a habit at this point. He’s just so used to calling him King, but that he can rest assured because it’s not meant to insult him or belittle him, not anymore, not ever. And he thought they’d reach an understanding.

Why is it bothering Kageyama now, all of a sudden?

“I told you-”

“I know what you’ve told me,” Kageyama cuts him off. “But you… you keep on saying ‘my king’, like I’m meant to be yours or something…”

Tsukishima couldn’t help the way his eyes widened and his breathing quickened. His hands crumple the page of his book. He doesn’t hear what Kageyama says next because the blood rushing to his face pounds loudly in his ears.

What?

WHAT?!

Had he really been- snippets of conversations and comments flood his mind and fuck him.

Fuck, Kageyama isn’t supposed to know yet. Dammit, he’s supposed to be clueless. Fuck! Breathe, Kei. Breathe.

Tsukishima covers his face with his arms, and oh no, it’s too late. He watch helplessly as Kageyama watch his reactions give him the fuck away and dammit his face is already burning in shame and embarrassment at being found out like this, dammit!

“…Tsukishima?” Kageyama leans closer, worry etched on the dip of his brows.

“I-I… I’m-”

“Tsukishima? Are you-”

“I like you!” Wait, Kei! No! What the fuck?! Kageyama’s supposed to be the impulsive one. What the hell are you saying?

But the damage has been done, because Kageyama’s eyes widen, the blues shining in shock, cheeks turning pink and mouth slightly opened in surprise, then it gives way to something bashful and giddy.

“I like you too,” he admits, and Tsukishima can’t be hearing this right. He lowers his arm from his face, feeling the blush slowly ebb.

“…You do?”

Kageyama nods, determined. “Do you mean it?”

“Mean what?”

“Am I? Your king?”

It’s illegal, what Kageyama is doing to him. Completely illegal. Too much. He needs to stop because Tsukishima can barely control himself over this newfound revelation and if Kageyama keeps on asking him with that expression, he doesn’t know what he’s going to do.

“Tsuki-”

“Yes, I mean it! Now can we go back to quadratic equations and not making a fool of myself?”

“Okay,” Kageyama says, but pulls Tsukishima close and kisses him instead.

5

Tsukishima bends on one knee in front of Kageyama and presents him with a small opened box, a simple ring cushioned inside. “I’ll keep it simple. Will you officially be my king?”

Kageyama says yes.

[mllemaenad]

Not your final exam: The Harrowing

Okay then: to prove I’m not dead. I am, however, without my sources. So I need to do this with alternate references.

I’ve talked, previously, about Tranquillity. About what it is and what it’s for. But what about the other side of that terrible choice young mages are asked to make? What about the Harrowing?

When people talk about abolishing the Circles, one not-uncommon rebuttal is that Circles are needed to train young mages. Without education mages may be dangerous: they may misuse their magic; they may lose control of it; worst of all, they may become possessed.

The answer to this, generally, is that no one said that the educational system for mages should be abolished. Rather that the Circles are too tainted, too abusive, too tightly controlled by the Templars and the Chantry to be entrusted with this task.

That’s a good answer. But it’s not, I think, the whole answer. It’s an answer that sort of misses the point of the problem. Which is this: Circles are not schools; they are not fundamentally designed to teach magical proficiency, to make mages productive members of society, or to determine that they are unlikely to be possessed by demons. At times, yes, they may accomplish these things incidentally, just as Templars may incidentally apprehend a genuine maleficar. But that is what they are for.

1) What the fuck is does the Harrowing do for mages?

Let’s talk about Harry Potter again for a minute. I know I use that one a lot, but it’s a good, broad example. Hogwarts is a school: it may well be a screwed up school with a headmaster who makes questionable staffing decisions, but its goal is to educate young witches and wizards. Hogwarts has two important sets of examinations: the OWLS and the NEWTS. You take your OWLS in your fifth year and your NEWTS in your seventh. Your OWL scores determine the NEWT subjects you can take, and the NEWT courses represent more advanced courses of study. You may leave school after you take your OWLS and will leave after you take your NEWTS. In either case, you may present your scores to prospective employers as part of your resume.

This is all very familiar to me. Where I’m from, you take your School Certificate in year 10 and your Higher School Certificate in year 12. Same basic rules apply, although the real world has more expansive tertiary education options.

My point is not to argue that exams are good (I hate exams; they make my hands shake) or that they are the best way to assess students, but rather to point out that, broadly, they are a means of establishing an outcome. We taught you to do A Thing. We told you it was important, and that you needed to demonstrate you could do The Thing. We are going to assign you some tasks to demonstrate that you can do The Thing. Now that you have done The Thing to our satisfaction, we will give you a piece of paper confirming that you can indeed do The Thing, so you can either get a job doing The Thing or be admitted to tertiary courses on The Thing.

The Harrowing does not do that.

a) The Harrowing does not reasonably test what Circle mages have been studying

The Harrowing does not follow a course of study. You don’t have different Harrowings for warrior mages and healers. You can’t be a bit shit with spirits, but excellent at fire magic so you come out ahead in the end. The Harrowing is a single test, applied to all mages, without warning or any advisement of what, exactly, they should be preparing for:

I found myself on a plateau of swirling smoke and mist. I could not see my feet, or perhaps I had no feet in that place. Each step was treacherous. I had to believe there was a ground. If I didn't, there wouldn't be, and I would fall into nothingness. I was protected only by my will and my magic.

The demon they made me face took the shape of a great cat. As we battled, it spoke in my mind. It told me that I would eventually stumble, and then it would pounce. The demon talked to me of the templars beyond the Veil, standing over my paralyzed body, their swords pointed at my heart, waiting for the moment of my failure. All it would take was a splinter of fear, a seed of doubt, and I would be unmade. The demon would devour my mind, and the templars would destroy what was left of me.

This was my Harrowing. They force this upon all mages and call it good. But it is neither good nor right. It is evil and unjust.

—From a partially destroyed journal bearing no name, found in a Kinloch Hold cistern.

– Codex entry: Walking the Fade: A Harrowing

The details of a mage’s experience in the Fade will vary, of course, but in outline it’s always that. The Harrowing does not allow you to pick your course or to specialise; it is not a demonstration of your chosen areas of study in the Circle. I mean – good luck defeating a demon in the Fade with alchemy.

b) The Harrowing does not serve as proof that a mage has completed a course of study within the Circle, and is now ready to apply their skills in the real world

The Harrowing separates skilled magic users from those too weak or unstable to be be trusted with their gift. The Chantry considers mages who have passed the Harrowing no longer a danger to society – until they prove otherwise – and gives them a limited licence to practise magic.

– World of Thedas I

That does sound as though your Harrowing is your final exam. You have passed it, you have demonstrated yourself to be a competent and qualified mage, and you are free to go.

Except ... none of that is actually true.

Practically speaking, nothing changes for a mage after the Harrowing. Unlike your NEWTS and your HSC, you can’t just take your shiny new Harrowing papers and go out into the world. You can’t just take up a post as a town healer or join the army; you certainly can’t decide that magic just isn’t your thing and apprentice yourself to a baker. You are not free to marry and raise your own children. You are not, really, free to do anything now that you couldn’t before – except not be Harrowed again.

Assisting the first enchanter will be the senior enchanters, a small council of the most trusted and experienced magi in the tower. From this group, the next first enchanter is always chosen. Beneath the council are the enchanters. These are the teachers and mentors of the tower, and you must get to know them in order to keep your finger on the pulse of the Circle, for the enchanters will always know what is happening among the children.

All those who have passed their Harrowing but have not taken apprentices are mages. This is where most trouble in a Circle lies, in the idleness and inexperience of youth. The untested apprentices are the most numerous denizens of any tower, but they more often pose threats to themselves, due to their lack of training, than to anyone else.

– Codex entry: Hierarchy of the Circle

Here ‘mages’ are effectively lumped in with ‘apprentices’ as the children of the tower. Mages are young because they seem to be Harrowed in about their late teens, and they are inexperienced and idle because they aren’t allowed to do anything or go anywhere. One must be an enchanter to be even worth knowing.

At the end of Broken Circle, Wynne must ask permission to travel with the Hero of Ferelden:

Wynne: Irving, I have a request: I seek leave to follow the Grey Warden.

Irving: Wynne, we need you here. The Circle needs you.

Wynne: I appreciate the sentiment, Irving, but the Circle will do fine without me. The Circle has you. This man/woman is brave and good, and capable of great things. If he/she will accept my help I will help him/her accomplish his/her goals.

Irving: You were never one to stay in the tower when there was adventure to be had elsewhere.

Wynne: Why stay, when I can be of service elsewhere?

Irving: Then I give you leave to follow the Grey Warden, but know that you always have a place here.

– Wynne and Irving Dialogue

Great big grown up lady Wynne. Senior Enchanter Wynne. Veteran of Ostagar Wynne. Just saved the fucking Circle damn near by herself while the Templars cowered outside the door Wynne. And she still needs her bloody permission slip signed before she can do what most people would take for granted: walk out her own front door.

Oh she gets it relatively easily; there’s no dispute about that. But the Fereldan Circle is described as ‘one of the most liberally run’, and Wynne has spent decades building a reputation as the kind of Chantry faithful mage who can be let off the leash once in a while.

At the other end of the spectrum lies the Kirkwall Circle:

I have heard that in the Kirkwall Gallows, mages are locked in their cells with barely room to stretch, let alone exercise. I can promise you that any mage of the Anderfels would be stark raving made after a week of such treatment. We Anders are not a people to sit idle. Besides, fitness of body builds the strength of the mind. How can you stand against demonic possession if you’re never given a chance to sweat?

– No Idleness for Mages, World of Thedas II

In Kirkwall, mages, from tiny apprentices to elderly senior enchanters, are largely confined not just to the Circle but to their rooms. And you see this when you finally enter the Gallows in Act 3 of Dragon Age 2: the utter absence of mages, even where mages are supposed to live, is stunning – and a stark contrast to their relative prominence during the Circle scenes in the mage origin of Origin or Witch Hunt.

Even the first enchanter, the highest ranking mage in the Circle, may be forcibly returned to it:

Elthina: Of course not. Young men, would you show the first enchanter back to the Circle. Gently, if you please.

There's nothing a mage can do to prove himself. Everyone needs to be protected from you. The end.

– Anders Dialogue

Anders’s bitterness stems in large part from the Chantry’s gross and constant lies. He is a Harrowed mage. He passed their test. Apparently he is ‘no longer a danger’. That’s the whole fucking idea, right? But may he leave? No he may not.

Wynne did not get her permission slip signed because she was Harrowed. It was signed because she had obeyed and obeyed and obeyed to the point where the Chantry considered it highly probable that she would neither do anything they disliked (for good or ill) while she was out, nor leave them permanently.

Anders had repeatedly demonstrated that he wanted to leave. That he was not what they would consider Chantry faithful (he is, of course, Andrastian, even devout, but that is not the same thing). That he would definitely not come back, and might not even obey their rules – not the ones he believed were morally wrong. So no permission slip for him.

Damn near no one gets a permission slip signed in Kirkwall. You have to be the sister of the Champion of Kirkwall to even get out the front door for a minute for a family emergency.

A human mage Inquisitor may indicate that they were allowed to visit home just because, even as an apprentice:

Inquisitor: My parents made arrangements. I visited home from time to time.

Josephine: What parent wouldn’t want to prevent their child from growing into a stranger?

– Inquisitor and Josephine Dialogue

The same dialogue also indicates that the Templars in Ostwick were being bribed to keep their hands more-or-less off the mages: “Templars in Ostwick’s Circle were as discrete as they were well paid”.

For a mage, the ability to leave is dependent on:

the local attitude toward mages

the characters of the local Templars – especially the knight-commander

the mage’s ability to perform the role of devout servant of the Chantry

their personal social status.

The Harrowing has nothing to do with it.

For a mage, there is effectively no advantage to passing the Harrowing. Rather, in the extremely short time between finding out what the fuck this thing actually is and deciding what to do about it, many mages elect to be Harrowed to avoid the other, worse options. If you are not Harrowed, you are Tranquil or dead. So I guess tonight we’re fighting some random demon the Templars summoned. Goody.

3) What, exactly, is the Harrowing supposed to test again?

If a demon takes control of a mage, the powerful creature created is known as an abomination.

Although rare, abominations are usually created when a mage of weak constitution enters the fade and is directly exposed to a demon’s influences.

– World of Thedas I

So, in theory, the one big important thing the Harrowing is supposed to test is whether or not a mage is likely to become possessed. They catch a demon, they make you fight it, and winning demonstrates that you are good at fighting demons. It’s something of an odd test, since ‘abominations’ are apparently a rarity. I appreciate this kind of thing may be hard to believe from gameplay, but Warden, Champion and Inquisitor are operating on heroic arcs: they not only run toward fire and screaming, they live in times and places where fire and screaming really are the norm.

Possession is apparently rare, and the Harrowing is supposed to test mages for susceptibility, and yet out list of known ‘abominations’ includes Wynne, Uldred, Anders, Fiona, Grace, Evelina, Enchanter Boson, Enchanter Prist, Enchanter Fonst, Enchanter Luvan and Rhonus. There are senior enchanters on that list. The actual grand enchanter herself is on that list. While the mass possession scenes, notably Broken Circle and The Last Straw are too chaotic too track the identity of every mage, it seems likely that some of the possessed are Harrowed mages.

"We arrived in the dead of night. We had been tracking the maleficar for days, and finally had him cornered... or so we thought. As we approached, a home on the edge of the town exploded, sending splinters of wood and fist-sized chunks of rocks into our ranks. We had but moments to regroup before fire rained from the sky, the sounds of destruction wrapped in a hideous laughter from the center of the village.

There, perched atop the spire of the village chantry, stood the mage. But he was human no longer.

We shouted prayers to the Maker and deflected what magic we could, but as we fought, the creature fought harder. I saw my comrades fall, burned by the flaming sky or crushed by debris. The monstrous creature, looking as if a demon were wearing a man like a twisted suit of skin, spotted me and grinned. We had forced it to this, I realized; the mage had made this pact, given himself over to the demon to survive our assault."

—Transcribed from a tale told by a former templar in Cumberland, 8:84 Blessed.

It is known that mages are able to walk the Fade while completely aware of their surroundings, unlike most others who may only enter the realm as dreamers and leave it scarcely aware of their experience. Demons are drawn to mages, though whether it is because of this awareness or simply by virtue of their magical power in our world is unknown.

Regardless of the reason, a demon always attempts to possess a mage when it encounters one—by force or by making some kind of deal depending on the strength of the mage. Should the demon get the upper hand, the result is an unholy union known as an abomination. Abominations have been responsible for some of the worst cataclysms in history, and the notion that some mage in a remote tower could turn into such a creature unbeknownst to any was the driving force behind the creation of the Circle of Magi.

Thankfully, abominations are rare. The Circle has methods for weeding out those who are too at risk for demonic possession, and scant few mages would give up their free will to submit to such a bond with a demon. But once an abomination is created, it will do its best to create more. Considering that entire squads of templars have been known to fall at the hands of a single abomination, it is not surprising that the Chantry takes the business of the Circle of Magi very seriously indeed.

– Codex entry: Abomination

Possession is a complex thing that the Chantry has made simple. Uldred’s possession, for example, matches Chantry belief: he lost a fight with the demon he summoned and then became trapped within it, while the demon ran around torturing the very people Uldred was attempting to liberate. But Wynne’s spirit possessed her in a desperate life-saving measure, and doesn’t actively bother her thereafter. Anders and Justice are a kind of partnership – although not always the most functional one – and the same may be true of Grandin, although we’ll see how that goes. For Avvar mages possession is a sacred act, as well as a completely normal part of their education.

There’s no practical way to test whether a mage will become possessed in their lifetime because possession is highly context specific. It may be a good or bad thing, or simply a complex relationship between two people. A spirit may overwhelm a mage, a deal may be struck, the spirit may just ask nicely, or there may be a ritual invocation that accomplishes the whole thing. A mage may resist in one context but not in another and that resistance may also be good or bad: sure, we all wish Uldred had evicted his demon before the Warden got there, but if Wynne had fought off the spirit that possessed her, she would have died.

Grand Enchanter Fiona was possessed during The Calling:

Dismay filled Duncan as he saw something rise up out of the skeleton, like gossamer wisps of smoke that lifted up from its bones and swam across the air to sink into Fiona.

The elf threw back her head and let out a horrible, keening wail. Her entire body tensed, her hands flying out at her sides. Her skin became a pale white, and then began to change. It bulged, and twisted. Her body grew, and took on a hideous form, her head becoming something gnarled and fanged even as she shrieked in torment.

And then the transformation was done. A demonic abomination now stood where Fiona once had, a thing of rent flesh and claws, its gender no longer even apparent. The thing’s eyes glowed with menace, and it regarded Duncan with amusement.

– Dragon Age: The Calling

Fiona was assaulted, overwhelmed and tortured in the worst possible way. Only some backup from her friends allowed her to fight the demon off. And yet – it has never happened again.

With a wave of his hand, the Templars attacked. Even prepared as the mages were, they weren’t ready for the wave of disruption unleashed – the powers of a Templar are uniquely designed to counter a mage’s spells, and here that counted for everything. Blades came down against magical shields, shattering them and sending blinding sparks flying about the hall.

It did not stop the mages. The Grand Enchanter shouted in rage, unleashing a ball of blinding energy at the nearest group of Templars. Several raised their own shields in time, but that didn’t stop them from being scattered as the ball exploded. The concussive wave shook the entire chamber.

– Dragon Age: Asunder

Nothing about Fiona suggests she is weak in character, weak in will, weak in purpose, or weak in magic. Asunder, the story of the start of the mage rebellion, goes out of its way to tell us that, by the way, the grand enchanter can and does overcome the Templars’ powers of suppression in an utterly spectacular way. She is fierce and resolute as the mages fight for their lives and their freedom. That she was once possessed tells us nothing except that bad things sometimes happen to good people.

I don’t mean to suggest, of course, that every mage who is possessed will come out of it as well as Fiona does. She is one of Thedas’s wildly underappreciated heroes, so of course she’s awesome. Connor, for example, when seen in Inquisition is clearly traumatised (although given that he seems driven by guilt, at least some of that likely has to do with how he was treated after becoming possessed, rather than the event itself). But by that point in time, Connor was likely Harrowed himself – so is he likely to be possessed in future or not?

I also don’t mean to suggest that spirits, possession and the Fade are not things that mages should study, understand and be appropriately cautious in handling. A lot of possession seems to come from fucking up, although the person who gets possessed and the person who fucks up may well not be one and the same (see: Fiona, who neither made not summoned that demon and only encountered it out of bad luck).

What I mean to say is, like Fiona’s case, what happens to a young mage in the Harrowing Chamber, whether they pass or not, demonstrates only one thing: that very bad things can and do happen to good people.

4) Okay, so why are we doing this, then?

From the ... many, many previous paragraphs, you might think that I am arguing that the Harrowing in insignificant. I am not. It is a test; it revolves around demonstrating resisting possession; it is a vital rite of passage in a Circle mage’s life. My argument is that it is not a practical test. Rather, it is a religious rite.

Those who had been cast down, The demons who would be gods, Began to whisper to men from their tombs within the earth. And the men of Tevinter heard and raised altars To the pretender-gods once more, And in return were given, in hushed whispers, The secrets of darkest magic.

– Threnodies 5:11

No matter their power, their triumphs, The mage-lords of Tevinter were men And doomed to die. Then a voice whispered within their hearts, Shall you surrender your power To time like the beasts of the fields? You are the Lords of the earth! Go forth to claim the empty throne Of Heaven and be gods.

In secret they worked Magic upon magic All their power and all their vanity They turned against the Veil Until at last, it gave way.

Above them, a river of Light, Before them the throne of Heaven, waiting, Beneath their feet The footprints of the Maker, And all around them echoed a vast Silence.

But when they took a single step Toward the empty throne A great voice cried out Shaking the very foundations Of Heaven and earth:

And So is the Golden City blackened With each step you take in my Hall. Marvel at perfection, for it is fleeting. You have brought Sin to Heaven And doom upon all the world.

– Threnodies 8.13

– The Chant of Light

The Chantry believes that the ancient magisters of Tevinter – specifically Corypheus and his fellow priests – doomed the world by entering the Fade physically and trespassing in the Golden City. This created the Blight and, the Fifth Blight excepted, the Blights are effectively mass extinction events that have (so far) barely been halted by massive sacrifices of people and the death of the Warden who takes down the archdemon: the world is fucked because of mages.

There’s certainly some truth to the story: we have independent evidence of the mass sacrifice of slaves that allowed the magisters to walk into the Fade. There’s also plenty of reason to doubt the Chantry’s story: the Chant of Light was written centuries after the First Blight, by people with every reason to hate Tevinter. The presence of red (i.e. Tainted) lyrium in some really weird places, plus the fact that the dwarven thaigs fell to the Blight first, not Tevinter, suggests the Taint may have been around a lot longer than anyone currently suspects. Corypheus himself will insist the Fade city was black when he got there – and he is, as it stands, the only eyewitness to the event who’s willing to talk about it.

This story is a matter of Chantry dogma, and there are layers of ... let’s say historical dubiousness stacked atop it. That the magisters entered the Fade may be fact. That the gods they worshipped were in fact demons who envied the living and sought to destroy them, envious of the Maker’s love for his new children, is an idea that has not been supported by any spirit we’ve met so far. Every sign we have of spirits becoming demonic is as a result of trauma, not malice, and none of them know more of the Maker than could reasonably be learned from watching humans dream.

But in many ways, the magisters and the Blight are the cornerstone of the Chantry’s faith. They are more important than Andraste, whom they mostly think about as the hero who fought Tevinter – and who was then murdered by Tevinter. Mother Giselle will note that Andraste is usually thought of as a grim warrior, and not giving a shit about Andraste’s war, to instead focus on her relationship with her god, is regarded as the grossest heresy by the Chantry.

Greagoir: “Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him.” Thus spoke the prophet Andraste as she cast down the Tevinter imperium, ruled by mages who had brought the world to the edge of ruin. Your magic is a gift, but it’s also a curse, for the demons of the dream realm – the Fade – are drawn to you, and seek to use you as a gateway into this world.

Irving: This is why the Harrowing exists. The ritual sends you into the Fade, and there you will face a demon, armed only with your will.

– Greagoir and Irving Dialogue

These are the very first words a mage Warden will hear after Duncan finishes his introduction. They are clearly ritual words, spoken to every apprentice mage before they are Harrowed. Even Templars don’t tend to start conversations with ‘thus spoke the prophet Andraste’ on a normal day.

And here, in these words, we can see the shape of the Harrowing. It is a reenactment. In this moment, the apprentice mage is a Tevinter magister. They are about to enter the Fade, as the magisters did, and be faced with demons, whom the magisters worshipped. In the story the magisters listened to the demons, offended the Maker, and doomed the world to corruption and death.

But this time? This time it will go right. It will go right because the Templars are here, and because the Chantry owns, controls and indoctrinates the mages. Either the mage will enter the Fade and reject the demon, as Chantry faith requires – or they won’t reject the demon, and the Templars will kill them. It is a ritual demonstration of the rightness of the Chantry faith, and the necessity of Templars. It demonstrates that mages are made safe through submission to the Chantry.

It is also the moment an apprentice is fully initiated into the Circle. And that’s a thing. The Chantry is big on submission. For mages more than anyone, obviously. But choice is not important to them. If we cut through the bullshit, the Chantry employs three kinds of magic users: mages, Templars and Seekers.

From a treatise on lyrium and its varied forms. Ser's words make one passage stand out:

The means and usage employed by the templar are far stronger than even the droughts of magi, and are of considerable danger to the uninitiated. It is not something that is introduced in gradual fashion. Rather, it is a great infusion that is daily held in check by ritual maintenance.

An account:

We entered the makeshift chantry, and my comrades-to-be were arranged as though an honor guard - the trainer waiting to receive me. I was invited to pass among them, and it seemed important that each step be my will. Any reluctance would have signaled that I was not ready. They were boisterous and encouraging, slapping hands upon my shoulders as I passed. Upon reaching the trainer, he turned to me. Before him was the boxed philter I had prepared. He nodded, as if to ask if I was ready, and I returned the gesture. His eyes were solemn as he raised a mailed hand. It was bathed in the shapeless glow of lyrium far too strong, prepared in a way I did not know.

The hands of my fellows, still on my shoulders, gently turned from welcome to restraint, and my arms were made immobile at my sides. I felt a rising alarm, but my certainty beat it down, as it would many times in my career. The trainer pressed the glow against my chest, and in an instant all was pain and white. When next I had my senses, there was much camaraderie and rejoicing, but also knowing looks. Each day, I felt a hunger deeper than I had ever known, and woe be me if it went unfed. I cannot imagine bearing it without the support of the Order and my certain purpose.

Several instructions for handling lyrium follow.

– Way of the Templar

Templars are not brutalised quite the way mages are: they are not hauled from their beds in the dead of night and offered a choice between a fight to the death and mutilation. This initiation ritual includes something like the illusion of choice – but ultimately the young trainee is restrained and forcibly fed a highly addictive substance. His addiction will control him, and ultimately render him senile. Your savvier ex-Templars, like Alistair and Samson, are keenly aware of this

Every day in Kirkwall, a revered mother gave the templar recruits their lyrium—blue lyrium—in a little chalice with Andraste’s face on it. Like the muttonheads they were, the recruits drank it unquestioningly, because they loved the Maker, or because they wanted to serve, or because they trusted the Chantry. At first, it seemed like a real blessing. The lyrium took away your fear and left power in its place.

But like any power, it was addictive. At least the red had… compensations. The Chantry lyrium? You never realized it was taking more than just the fear, slowly, painlessly, until one day you woke up and you couldn’t do without the stuff.

Samson let the empty vial roll out of his hand.

– Paper and Steel

The initiation ritual involves a massive dose of lyrium, to ensure addiction, and thereafter the Chantry doles out enough to prevent Templars from going into withdrawal – although we can see in Kirkwall that some seek more of the stuff on the black market. Mages have magic, and the Chantry chains them; Templars are granted magic through use of lyrium – and the lyrium also functions as a chain.

Obviously the Seekers are a little different: they serve the Chantry and are effectively accountable to no one. They are highly secretive and, as a group, may be more powerful even than the Divine. And yet ...

This is Cassandra’s view on her initiation, both before and after she knows what the fuck they did to her:

Cassandra: [Prospective Seekers] train vigorously for years. Our bodies and minds must be elastic to undergo the vigil, and most fail even then.

Inquisitor: Is the vigil some kind of Initiation?

Cassandra: It is the rite every Seeker must go through in order to summon their gifts. A full year of fasting, prayer, and separation from all distractions – including other people. We empty ourselves of all emotion, focusing only on the purity of our devotion. And the moment it finally ends ... it’s wonderful. Faith realised. I cannot put it into words.

– Cassandra Dialogue

...

Cassandra: We created the Rite of Tranquillity. To become a Seeker I spent months in a vigil, emptying myself of all emotion. I was made Tranquil, and didn’t even know. Then the vigil summoned a spirit of Faith to touch my mind. That broke Tranquillity, and gave me my abilities. The Seekers did not share that secret  ... not with me ... not with the Chantry ... not even with ...

– Cassandra Dialogue

Initially Cassandra regards her vigil as a sacred and spiritual experience. It was a thing she chose to do, in order to become a Seeker. She succeeded, she was affirmed in both her faith and her skills, and she is proud of what she is, and how well her training prepared her for a year of solitary meditation.

Except ... that’s not what happened. They made her Tranquil, and then later they undid it. The touch of a Fade spirit gave her her abilities. Everything else was window dressing. She was not warned of the risks. This was not a trial she proudly accepted and faced. It was a thing done to her. And all those ‘failed’ recruits? They were made Tranquil, and they didn’t recover. And then comes a worse question: what did they do with them after?

Seekers are the most independent magic users the Chantry has. They are the ultimate judge of what a Templar may or may not do to a mage. Cassandra explicitly states that her powers allow her to bend both to her will. And thus, theirs is the most literal trial of faith. They are stripped of their emotions, and then a spirit of faith is summoned. If the spirit is attracted to the faith they see in the candidate, they are restored. If not? Well ... do we want to think too much about that?

I do not dispute that faith may be important to a person; even an integral part of their character. But a Seeker with doubt is a Seeker who will be destroyed. And that doesn’t strike me as a very reasonable position.

A test of commitment to Chantry doctrine is common across all Chantry magic users, and there is a ‘succeed or perish’ element to all of them. If you will have magic, the Chantry will own you, body and soul. The Harrowing does not, practically speaking, test your ability to resist possession because there’s no way to do that. No one behaves as though it does, either, because a Harrowed mage is just as imprisoned as an apprentice.

Rather, it is an affirmation of perhaps the Chantry’s most important tenet: Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him.

4) Okay, so if the Harrowing is a religious rite, not an exam, then what does that make Circles?

I would certainly never suggest that a thing being religious and a thing being practical are mutually exclusive. There are cultures where the distinction between ‘secular’ and ‘religious’ would be an incoherent concept. Cammen, for instance, is a Dalish elf concerned with passing his hunt. This is a boy with no vallaslin, and this is clearly a rite of passage for him. It is however, also clearly a practical skill he needs to demonstrate: he is showing his clan, and his prospective love, that he can handle himself and help provide for the People.

Dalish clans, however, seem to be fairly egalitarian in their social structure – and the art of survival is integral to their culture. This is very, very different to the place mages hold in the culture of southern Thedas.

The thing is, there is a place where everything I have said does not apply. Where Circles are schools, and likely among the best places in Thedas for learning magic. That place is Tevinter.

Imperial Circles, in contrast to the Circle of Magi, are places of honour where the art of magic is freely passed down to young mages. Attendance at a Circle in Tevinter is not mandatory: it is a privilege.

– World of Thedas I

Moreover, the Tevinter Circles predate the southern Circles of Magi:

Before it became the Imperium, Tevinter was ruled by a dynasty of kings. And long before the Chantry there was a Circle of Magi: the society of mages in each city. The titles our modern Circles use—enchanter, senior enchanter, first enchanter—all originated here. But above the first enchanter, the Circles of Tevinter had another office: magister.

– Tevinter: The Magisters

I think it’s worth looking at the creation of the Circles:

It is a truth universally acknowledged that nothing is more successful at inspiring a person to mischief as being told not to do something. Unfortunately, the Chantry of the Divine Age had some trouble with obvious truths. Although it did not outlaw magic--quite the contrary, as the Chantry relied upon magic to kindle the eternal flame which burns in every brazier in every chantry--it relegated mages to lighting candles and lamps. Perhaps occasional dusting of rafters and eaves.

I will give my readers a moment to contemplate how well such a role satisfied the mages of the time.

It surprised absolutely no one when the mages of Val Royeaux, in protest, snuffed the sacred flames of the cathedral and barricaded themselves inside the choir loft. No one, that is, but Divine Ambrosia II, who was outraged and attempted to order an Exalted March upon her own cathedral. Even her most devout Templars discouraged that idea. For 21 days, the fires remained unlit while negotiations were conducted, legend tells us, by shouting back and forth from the loft.

The mages went cheerily into exile in a remote fortress outside of the capital, where they would be kept under the watchful eye of the Templars and a council of their own elder magi. Outside of normal society, and outside of the Chantry, the mages would form their own closed society, the Circle, separated for the first time in human history.

--From Of Fires, Circles, and Templars: A History of Magic in the Chantry, by Sister Petrine, Chantry scholar.

This is a Chantry source, so it needs to be read carefully. Sister Petrine is no fool – got herself on Sister Lilian’s banned book list in World of Thedas II and everything – but honestly the tone of this entry edges close to blatant sarcasm, so I don’t think we need take words like ‘cheerily’ seriously.

Imprisoned Chantry mages attempted a rebellion. The outcome of that rebellion was that the mages were taken to remote locations – often towers – and locked up there permanently. It doesn’t sound as though they won. The word Petrine uses is ‘separated’. That word can be misleading, because you can read it as ‘free’, as mages operating outside of the Chantry. It does not mean that. Rather it means that once, mages were within the ranks of Chantry sisters and brothers – though probably very subordinate and painfully oppressed. They were ‘part’ of the Chantry in the way Vivienne is if she becomes Divine (although obviously that puts her at the opposite end of the power structure). As a result of the rebellion a separate order was created: the Circle of Magi. Circles are ‘outside’ the Chantry proper as Templars and Seekers are; they play a distinct role in Chantry society.

At the time, the “nation” his mother ruled over was not even half the size of modern-day Orlais, and unified only in their love of Andraste and shared hatred of everyone else.

– World of Thedas II

A mage who does not receive the teachings of the Circle and who does not have the words of Andraste in her heart is an apostate, and a danger to us all. Without the guidance of the holy Chantry, a mage may foolishly dabble in the darker arts—blood magic, or demon summoning, thus becoming maleficarum. And a mage's mind will ever be a doorway to spirits of the Fade; without proper instruction, this doorway remains open and unsecured. If a demon should come through this doorway and possess a mage, an abomination is created. Abominations know only madness. They cannot be reasoned with and will slaughter man, woman and child without thought. Whole cities have fallen to these creatures. Thousands have died at their hands.

The Chantry and her templars have a duty to ensure that this does not happen.

If I knew a better way to deal with magic, I would seize upon it immediately. You say we should let the mages guard themselves. I tell you that this is no solution. Look at the Tevinter Imperium. Their magisters do not know restraint. Without Chantry oversight the magisters abuse their power. Those without magic are trampled underfoot and forced to serve. Slaves are slaughtered by the hundreds to feed the magisters' hunger for power. Even some mages are not spared, for in mages as in all humans, there exists a spectrum—on one end, the very powerful, on the other, those that can barely light a candle. The Empire cares only for the strongest, and those who do not compare favorably are thrown to the wolves.

Imagine your children growing up in such a world. If a mage asked it of you, you would have to give him your daughter, not knowing what his plans for her might be. You could not resist him, and neither could she. Without our templars and without the Circle, the common man would have no defense against magic. We must deny the mages certain freedoms for the common good. I wish there was another way. I tell the apprentices this is a test of their faith, that it is the will of the Maker. Many understand that we do what we do for their own good.

—Excerpt of a letter from Grand Cleric Francesca of Starkhaven to Lord Guthrie Abholz.

– An Honest Answer Regarding Apostates

Orlesian culture is appallingly xenophobic – and has been for centuries. It has gone so far as to obliterate most interpretations of Andrastianism that differ from its own, and driven the remainder into hiding. The version of the Chant of Light it embraced, perhaps unsurprisingly, places great emphasis on Andraste’s war. Thus, Tevinter is the great enemy of the Chantry, and Tevinter culture is defined by its veneration of magic.

I have said before that mages tend to perform religious functions in Thedosian cutures: Dalish Keepers, Rivaini seers, Avvar augers, Chasind shaman, Nevarran mortalitasi. It’s ... easy to think of the Chantry as exempt from that rule, because you see no mage revered mothers or grand clerics; their faith seems different to the norm. It ... is, but not quite like that. Orlais’s hatred of the other, combined with the myth of the start of the first Blight, has created a terrible fear of the Fade and those who can interact with it. The role of a Circle mage is almost purely religious – just not in a sense that is any good for anyone involved.

In Chantry culture, mages play the role of ‘the devil’. Every mage is a potential magister, every spirit a potential archdemon ready to tempt another fall. And Circles facilitate that role: they steal the name and ape the structure of Tevinter Circles, but the goal is not to teach, but to indoctrinate and control.

At the head of each local Circle is a First Enchanter, implicitly the leader of all mages in that Circle’s jurisdiction. He or she assumes this position for life and retains the right to choose a successor, taking into consideration the ‘strong suggestions’ of the Templars. Only in recent years, amid increasing friction, have First Enchanters denied Templar choices for succession.

– World of Thedas I

Everything about the Circle is an act: while there have absolutely been rebel First Enchanters who fought for the wellbeing of their people, those are anomalous, and a sign of the disintegration of the system the Chantry devised. Just as in the Harrowing every mage is Corypheus, but casting aside Dumat because they have ‘the words of Andraste in their heart’, every mage in the Circle is playing the part of the evil Tevinter mage brought under control by righteous Templar authority. The study of magic, the robes, the idea of mages as soft and coddled, the power structure that is nothing but a Chantry puppet show.

Of course a Circle mage may teach an apprentice spells; of course a clever mage, with nothing to do with their time, may attempt scholarship and study within the Circle. Real people live in Circles, and they try to live their lives. But that is incidental. I would argue that the existence of Circles is religious and racial persecution. Not because mages are a race or a religion – they aren’t. But rather because the Circles attempt to impose both the Chantry faith, and the Chantry view of magic and the Fade on everyone – and indigenous cultures and peoples fall before them (and even in game, many of those peoples are non-human and/or non-white).

Orlais absorbed and converted most of the lands in its immediate vicinity. It has spread its tendrils over most of Thedas. There’s resistance, yes: survivors like the Dalish and Chasind, living on the margins; nations like Nevarra and Rivain that managed to maintain some of their traditional practices by making accommodations with Orlais but managing to resist occupation. But if you think of the Dales as an example case:

When the holy Exalted March of the Dales resulted in the dissolution of the elven kingdom, leaving a great many elves homeless once again, the Divine Renata I declared that all lands loyal to the Chantry must give the elves refuge within their own walls. Considering the atrocities committed by the elves at Red Crossing, this was a great testament to the Chantry's charity. There was one condition, however--the elves were to lay aside their pagan gods and live under the rule of the Chantry.

– The City Elves

Keepers are priests. Keepers are mages. If you want to kill a faith, burn the books and relics, burn the temples or holy sites, and take away the priests or elders. A city-born elven mage-child is taken to the Chantry, away from their people. They face years of indoctrination and separation from their own culture. Unless they escape, they can never be a Keeper. Orsino and Fiona are heroes of the mage rebellion – they are great elven mages, but they are not Keepers, and they could not simply walk into a Dalish clan and take over the role. That was stolen from them. So there are no Keepers in the alienages, and the elves lose a chunk of their ability to practise their own faith. Repeat that, across every distinct culture in Thedas. Imagine every child from every conquered village taken to the Circle, and not taught the magic of their ancestors – but rather made into pretend Tevinter magisters, cowering beneath holy Templar blades. That is what the Circle is for.

One must keep in mind the state of Thedas prior to the Chantry's creation: a world where the only source of order—the Tevinter Imperium—had fallen apart. People blamed magic for the death of Andraste, the Blight, the terror they saw every day—and not without reason. Abominations and demons rampaged the countryside. No one was safe. Disparate groups of men and women initially formed the Seekers of Truth, determined to reestablish order because no one else would do what was necessary. The truth they sought, the question they tried to answer, was how to restore sanity in a world gone mad.

– The First Inquisition

When you hear the word ‘abomination’ it’s easy to think of this:

The Chantry certainly wants you to. But you must remember, they may also mean Sigrid here:

... and when they say ‘demons’ they may well mean the gods of the Avvar people. They want to destroy them because they are different, and Orlais abhors difference.

So, when I say that Circles should be brought down, I say it because they are not schools: they are a religious Order dedicated to both reaffirming the Orlesian view of magic and destroying rival faiths by stealing their mage children, and the Harrowing is not a test of a mage’s ability to practise their craft safely in the real world, but rather an initiation rite that cements the mage’s place in the Circle and reaffirms Chantry belief that their way is the only one.

Let there be no more Circles in southern Thedas. Let them build their own damn Hogwarts instead.

[aliceviceroy]

1. Spirituality for dummies.

If your thinking is mired in shame and guilt (with perhaps a twist of drug abuse or suicidal thinking), then subscribing to a religion can help you climb to a higher level of awareness. Your mindset, however, still remains incredibly dysfunctional; you’ve merely swapped one form of erroneous thinking for another.

For reasonably intelligent people who aren’t suffering from major issues with low self-esteem, religion is ridiculously consciousness-lowering. While some religious beliefs can be empowering, on the whole the decision to formally participate in a religion will merely burden your mind with a hefty load of false notions.

When you subscribe to a religion, you substitute nebulous group-think for focused, independent thought.

3. Engineered obedience training.

Religions are authoritarian hierarchies designed to dominate your free will. They’re power structures that aim to convince you to give away your power for the benefit of those who enjoy dominating people. Religions don’t market themselves as such, but this is essentially how they operate.

Religions are very effective at turning human beings into sheep. They’re among the most powerful instruments of social conditioning. They operate by eroding your trust in your own intellect, gradually convincing you to put your trust into some external entity, such as a deity, prominent figure, or great book...Simply by convincing you to give your power away to something outside yourself, religion will condition you to be weaker, more docile, and easier to control. Religions actively promote this weakening process as if it were beneficial, commonly branding it with the word faith. What they’re actually promoting is submission.

Religions strive to fill your head with so much nonsense that your only recourse is to bow your head in submission, often quite literally. Get used to spending a lot of time on your knees because acts of submission such as bowing and kneeling are frequently incorporated into religious practice. Canine obedience training uses similar tactics.

Have you ever wondered why religious teachings are invariably mysterious, confusing, and internally incongruent? This is no accident by the way — it’s quite intentional.

By putting forth confusing and internally conflicting information, your logical mind (i.e. your neocortex) is overwhelmed. You try in vain to integrate such contradictory beliefs, but it can’t be done. The net effect is that your logical mind disengages because it can’t find a pattern of core truth beneath all the nonsense, so without the help of your neocortex, you devolve to a more primitive (i.e. limbic) mode of thinking. You’re taught that this faith-based approach is a more spiritual and conscious way to live, but in reality it’s precisely the opposite. Getting you to distrust your own cerebral cortex actually makes you dumber and easier to manipulate and control. Karl Marx was right when he said, “Religion is the opiate of the people.”

For example, the Old Testament and the New Testament in the Bible frequently contradict each other with various rules of conduct, yet both are quoted during mass. Church leaders also behave in direct violation of the Church’s teachings, such as by covering up criminal and immoral activities by their own priests. Those who try to mentally process such glaring contradictions as coherent truth invariably suffer for it. A highly conscious person would reject membership in such an organization as patently ridiculous. So-called divine mysteries are engineered to be incomprehensible. You aren’t meant to ever make sense of them since that would defeat the whole purpose. When you finally wake up and realize it’s all B.S., you’ve taken the first step towards freedom from this oppressive system.

The truth is that so-called religious authorities don’t know any more about spirituality than you do. However, they know how to manipulate your fear and uncertainty for their own benefit.

Although the most popular religions are very old, L. Ron Hubbard proved the process can be replicated from scratch in modern times. As long as there are large numbers of people who fear the responsibility of their own power, religions will continue to dominate the landscape of human development.

If you want to talk to God, then communicate directly instead of using third-party intermediaries. Surely God has no need of an interpreter.

5. Support your local pedophile.

In addition to being a serious waste of time, religious practice can also be a huge waste of money.

For starters when you donate to a major religion, you support its expansion, which means you’re facilitating the enslavement of your fellow humans. That isn’t very nice, now is it? If you feel the urge to donate money, give it to a real and honorable cause, not a fabricated one.

Religions offer a suite of special services to generate additional income. They’ll spout some gibberish while feeding you a crusty wafer, pronounce you bonded to a fellow human being, snip some of your excess skin, pour water on your head, proclaim your manhood, cast out your demons, pronounce your transgressions forgiven, and so on. When they can’t think of anything else, they make up some drivel like confirming you’re still loyal to them. The bill may read “suggested donation,” but it’s still a bill.

When you donate money to a religious organization, you’re doing much worse than throwing your money away. You’re actively funding evil. If you think that spending a billion dollars to defend pedophiles and rapists is a good use of your hard-earned cash, perhaps you should run for Pope. You could hardly do worse. At least Wall Street is honest about its greed and lust.

One of my Catholic high school teachers was later revealed to be a repeat child molester… written up in the newspaper and everything. I didn’t see any suspicious behavior at the time, and to be totally honest, I actually liked that teacher and was shocked to learn of his extracurricular activities. He was shuffled from one location to another by those who knew about his appetite for young flesh. I’m glad I wasn’t on the menu, but I feel sad for those who were. Methinks God should raise his standards… just a tad.

Why aren’t Catholic priests allowed to marry? This has nothing to do with what’s written in the Bible or with any benefits of celibacy. This rule was invented by the Church to prevent their priests from producing heirs. When the priests died, their property would go back to the Church, thereby enriching the rich even more. Apparently God needed more cash. It was a very effective policy, as the Church is now among the richest and most powerful organizations on earth. It’s hard to fail when you have a loyal force of lifetime indentured servants who work cheaply and then yield their life savings to you when they die.

Lay religious people (i.e. non-clergy), on the other hand, are encouraged to have lots of babies because that means more people are born into the religion, which means more money and a bigger power base. Condoms are a big no-no; they’re bad for business. Marriage is a big yes; it means more brainwashed babies will be made.

Would you seriously consider this sort of structure a “good cause” worthy of your hard-earned cash?

7. Idiocy or hypocrisy – pick one.

When you subscribe to an established religion, you have only two options. You can become an idiot, or you can become a hypocrite. If you’ve already chosen the former, I’ll explain why, and I’ll use small words so that you’re sure to understand.

First, there’s the idiocy route. You can willingly swallow all of the contrived, man-made drivel that’s fed to you. Accept that the earth is only 10,000 years old. Believe stories about dead bodies coming back to life. Learn about various deities and such. Put your trust in someone who thinks they know what they’re talking about. Eat your dogma. Good boy!

Congratulations! You’re a moron believer. You’ll be saved, enlightened, and greeted with tremendous fanfare when you die… unless of course all the stuff you were taught turns out not to be true. Nah… if the guy in the robe says it’s true, it must be true. Ya gotta have faith, right?

Next, we have the hypocrisy option. In this case your neocortex is strong enough to identify various bits of utter nonsense in the religious teachings that others are trying to ram down your throat. You have a working B.S. detector, but it’s slightly damaged. You’re smart enough to realize that earth is probably a lot older than 10,000 years and that pre-marital (or non-marital) sex is a lot of fun, but some B.S. still gets through. You don’t swallow all the bull, but you still identify yourself as a follower of a particular religion, most likely because you were raised in it and never actually chose it to begin with.

To you it’s just a casual pursuit. You’re certainly not a die-hard fundamentalist, but you figure that if you drink the wine and chew the wafer now and then, it’s good enough to get you a free ride into a half-decent afterlife. You belong to the pro-God club. Surely there’s safety in numbers. Two people can’t be wrong… although 4-1/2 billion supposedly can.

In this case you become an apologist for your own religion. You don’t want to be identified with the extreme fanatics, nor do you want to be associated with the non-believers. You figure you can straddle both sides. On earth you’ll basically live as a non-practitioner (or a very sloppy and inconsistent practitioner), but when you eventually die, you’ve still got the membership card to show God.

Do you realize how deluded you are?

Perhaps if you have to throw out so much of the nonsense to make your chosen belief system palatable, you shouldn’t be drinking the Kool Aid in the first place. Free yourself from the mental baggage, stop looking to others for permission to live, and start thinking on your own. If your God exists, he’s smart enough to see through your fake ID.

8. Inherited falsehood.

Is your religion based on the inspired word of God? No more than this article. Just because someone says their text is divinely inspired doesn’t mean it is. Anyone can claim divine inspiration. The top religions are decided by popularity, not by truth.

Even the central figures in major religions didn’t follow the religions that were spawned in their names. If they didn’t swallow the prevailing “wisdom” about gods and spiritual leaders and such, why should you?

9. Compassion in chains.

Religious rules and laws invariably hamper the development of conscience. When you externalize compassion into a set of rules and laws, what you’re left with isn’t compassion at all. True compassion is a matter of conscious choice, and that requires the absence of force-backed rules and laws.

The more we collectively abandon all religion, the better off this planet will be. This doesn’t mean we have to abandon all spiritual pursuits. It just means we must stop turning spirituality into something it isn’t.

10. Faith is fear.

Religion is the systematic marketing of fear.

Blessed are the poor (donate heavily). Blessed are the meek (obey). Blessed are the humble (don’t question authority). Blessed are the hungry (make us rich while you starve). Blessed are the merciful (if you catch us doing something wrong, let it go). Blessed are the pure of heart (switch off your brain). Blessed are the timid, the cowardly, the fearful. Blessed are those who give us their power and become our slaves.

That’s the kind of nonsense religion pushes on people. They train you to turn your back on courage, strength, and conscious living. This is stupidity, not divinity.

Religion will teach you to fear being different, to fear standing up for yourself, and to fear being an independent thinker. It will erode your self-trust by explaining why you’re unable to successfully manage life on your own terms: You are unworthy. You’re a sinner. You’re unclean. You belong to a lesser caste. You are not enlightened. Of course the solution is always the same — submit to the will of an external authority. Believe that you’re inadequate. Give away your power. Follow their rules and procedures. Live in fear for the rest of your life, and hope it will all turn out okay in the end.

When you practice faith instead of conscious living, you live under a cloak of fear. Eventually that cloak becomes so habitual you forget it’s even there. It’s very sad when you reach the point where you can’t even remember what it feels like to wield creative freedom over your own life, independent of what you’ve been conditioned to believe.

Fear in one part of your life invariably spreads to all other parts — you can’t compartmentalize it. If you find yourself frustrated because you’re too afraid to follow your dreams, to talk to members of the opposite sex, to speak up for yourself, etc., then a good place to start is to rid your life of all religious nonsense. Don’t let fear get a foothold in your consciousness.

Stop trying to comfort yourself by swallowing religious rubbish. If you really need something to believe in, then believe in your own potential. Put your trust in your own intellect. Stop giving away your power.

Dump the safety-in-numbers silliness. Just because a lot of people believe stupid stuff doesn’t mean it isn’t stupid. It just means that stupidity is popular on this planet. When people are in a state of fear, they’ll swallow just about anything to comfort themselves, including the bastion of stupidity known as religion.

*slightly edited*

[twinsoflima-blog1]

WHAT YOU SEE

full name: Atticus James Hummel

face claim: Chris Colfer

age: 24

birthday: May 28th, 1993

birth order: "#1, just like Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen.“

hometown: Lima, OH.

gender identity: Cismale

pronouns: He/him/his

orientation: "Top” (Bisexual, Biromantic)

occupation: Bartender

area of study: --

WHERE THEY’VE BEEN

(tw: drugs, death, addiction, overdose, vague suicidal thoughts.)

Atticus was eight when his mother passed away; it was the first time that his carefully composed view of the world shattered, and although he was young, he’ll never forget the consequential realization that shit happened. This triggered the first manifestation of his deep rooted anger issues, a pointless war waged against the unfairness of it all, and proof that he had developed the habit of burying his feelings until they all spilled out at once. This has never quite gone away–he’s never been the best at learning from his mistakes, but. This was also the first time that Atticus made an effort to grow up, even just a little bit. He attempted to help around the house and eventually settled into a minor role at Hummel’s Tire and Lube, the family business. As a kid, Tic’s abilities were limited, but working in that shop gave him a sense of purpose and an outlet for energy. Above all, though, from this tragedy Atticus learned that he shouldn’t hold back. He’s made it a goal in his life to work his way through his mother’s unfinished bucket list as well as his own, because for all his shortcomings, he feels like he’ll make her most proud if he lives the life she’d always dreamed of.

In his Junior year of high school, he was voted captain of the cheer squad. His social life had always been more important than education to him; school was difficult and he didn’t have the attention span for his classes, but his status on the Cheerios allotted him a certain amount of leeway, and he found in most cases that his teachers were willing to grade him more leniently to ensure he maintained a high enough GPA to adhere to the school’s policy. Atticus was never the kind of person who let the popularity go to his head, though, finding the social hierarchy to be utter bullshit. He spent a great deal of time with those both on his team and on the football team, as was to be expected, but he made an effort to befriend those lower on the totem pole, especially if he saw them become targets of his friends’ ill-intentions. It was easy to stay on top when he was leading the team through two undefeated seasons, and it made him feel a little better that he was making things easier for the few students he managed to notice. Perhaps it was problematic, that white knight complex, but he didn’t have the capacity to really understand at that point in his life. Being captain of the Cheerios gave him a new sense of pride that he hadn’t felt before (although that could, in part, be contributed to his acute egomania, but whatever). He flourished under the attention, talked to everyone, and all in all became a very intense presence in the halls of William McKinley. This was also why he fell hard as graduation rolled around. With his focus on the sport and his reputation, Atticus’ grades were enough that he was able to graduate high school, and although he had offers pouring in from various colleges, he knew he couldn’t accept any of them. While all of his peers had goals and dreams, his plans after graduation were empty. He wasn’t smart enough for college. He didn’t deserve the opportunity. All at once, Tic went from being on top to being nothing.

At nineteen, he met Max. The thing about Atticus is that, for as energetic and egotistical as he may seem, he hits rock bottom very easily; he’s self aware enough to know what his faults are but not smart enough to fix it, so he’d been spending the past year working at the tire shop and trying to find purpose in dark bars. Holidays had become his least favorite time, old high school friends always making the effort to see him (and there was no hiding in a place like Lima), forever commenting on his almost manic attempts to be who he once was, but unable to overcome the contrast between himself, stuck, and them, growing up and learning and working toward something greater. He’d become a Lima Loser. Max, a self-proclaimed Lima Loser as well, came into his life at exactly the right (or wrong) time. Her cynicism clashed perfectly with his own amicable demeanor, and they were both bored most of the time, so. They began to hang out. And, once he’d proven trustworthy, she began to introduce him to her vices–drugs, primarily speed. With nothing else to do, an easily addicted personality, and an unwillingness to lose this first real connection with someone completely unlinked to who he was in high school, Tic fell into it. And it wasn’t like he hid it very well, but he was good at keeping a distance from his old friends and family once he was really involved. He might not have been in love with Max (though he certainly told her so, late at night with his lips pressed against her skin) but he did love her, and he was willing to follow her anywhere, so. When she said that she wanted to go on a road trip, he decidedly didn’t give a shit that they had barely any money saved and an expensive habit they couldn’t kick, and when they ran out of money, they settled in a small town in South Dakota and figured it out from there.

He’d just turned twenty-four when he came home to find Max on the bathroom floor. It was a miracle something hadn’t happened to either of them sooner, as they’d really been tempting fate for nearly five years, but it was the first time that Atticus really woke up. She was thankfully alive, forced into a rehabilitation clinic once she’d been stabilized, and Atticus knew that she deserved to get clean and stand an actual chance at having a good life. In a more cowardly move, Atticus spent the next couple of months pulling away from her; although he’d scared himself enough to kick the habit for the time being (he didn’t want to die), he knew that they weren’t good for each other at that time, so. He finally made the decision to return to Lima, hoping that being home might help him regain his sense of self. Thus far, it’s only made it worse. Without his main source of support and the constant reminder of his failures, Atticus has had a very difficult time getting out of bed most days let alone trying to resist the temptation to give in to that addiction. For now, he’s trying to mend the fences with his family, washing down his self-pity by way of alcohol, hiding his issues with dumb jokes and a false sense of confidence, and wondering how the fuck he’s going to get himself out of this situation.

WHERE THEY’RE GOING

PERSONALITY

co-dependent, addictive, personable, impulsive, kind, excitable.

PLOTTING

redemption. Atticus has made a lot of mistakes that he doesn’t think he’s capable of fixing, both with the people in his past and with his own addictions. He doesn’t have enough faith in himself to achieve this on his own, but I’d love for him to develop a supportive network to help him realize his self worth and give him the motivation necessary to help him mend his broken relationships and to become whole himself. 

a sense of purpose. Tic’s biggest downfall is that he doesn’t think he’s worth anything. I’d like for him to find a path, something or someone who makes him want to be a better man and get out of bed in the morning. He’s never had a real reason to be clean and sober before. I think this is a key component to his character growth and his ability to reclaim control over his life.

his addiction. Without the above two things, Atticus doesn’t have much motivation to really stay clean, and I can see him easily falling back into old habits, especially when his return to Lima doesn’t go as smoothly as he kind of hoped it would. I’d love to see how that affects whatever relationships he might still have in Lima, as they can see first hand how he’s hit rock bottom, and while some may be inclined to stick around, I can see him losing a lot of people in the process.

falling in love. Although he loves Max, Atticus has never been inlove before (probably because he’s never had the capacity to). I’d love to explore a relationship with someone where he connects with them and comes to find that they care for him, good or bad. This will certainly inspire him to become a better person, especially if they’re going through their own trials. I think it’ll be interesting to see him get his head out of his own ass and focus on somebody else for once in his life.

CONNECTIONS

the childhood best friend. This was Atticus’ person all throughout their adolescence. No matter what this person’s social standing was, there was no denying their connection, supporting and championing each other. Tic was proud of this person for making something of themselves after graduation, though their friendship strained under the weight of his insecurities and lack of initiative. When Atticus met Max, things dissolved entirely. Now that they’re both back in Lima, there’s some bad blood and a strong disconnect, but it’s hard to shake the love they forged for each other. 

the good influence. This is someone who has managed to tap into a part of Atticus that he’s long since buried, and they’re trying their damn hardest to show him he’s not as much of a piece of shit that he thinks he is. To him, this person represents hope, and although he’s resistant, he can’t really bring himself to push them away.

the “max.” Extensive details are in his bio, but basically, this person knows who he is better than anyone else. They spent five years living together and in a basically open relationship, though it was incredibly toxic, and they might harbor some resentment for the way Atticus just kind of left them as they were going through treatment. They’re also trying to serve as a sober voice, though, attempting to bring them back from the edge, but he feels far too guilty and doesn’t want to be the reason they relapse. 

THEIR GOALS

Atticus just wants to figure his shit out. Whether that means sobering up and trying to accept whatever mediocre life he might be able to build for himself or succumbing to the inevitable, he’s just tired of the limbo and once some sort of peace.

THE PLAYER

name: Mae

pronouns: she/her

age: 21+

timezone: EST

[rainblog]

Between living and Tomahawk Cruise

As predicted, it didn't take too long for Donald Trump to make a hard right turn into belligerence, and to no one's great surprise it was Syria that was the first beneficiary of a presidential tantrum. So let's think about that for a moment.

To begin with the 'how' of it, the choice of weapons is classic enough. Tomahawk cruise missiles are always a nice option for presidents who don't want to get too involved: dependable killer robots that can be dispatched to do your bidding with no risk of getting US service personnel killed, something that never plays too well back home. And while the immediate cost of Donald Trump's little exercise in gunboat diplomacy probably came in at around $50-60M, that's small change compared to the cost of potentially losing a manned aircraft to Syria's efficient Russian-made air defenses. With a B-1 costing somewhere north of $100M, and even an F-15E going for about $30M, using cruise missiles is a no-brainer. (Or, put another way, the whole strike probably cost less than five months worth of presidential weekend golfing trips to Mar-a-Lago).

The next question is a 'why': why did the US strike? Ostensibly, this particular fireworks display was supposed to send a message to Syria's president Assad that the US is not prepared to tolerate his use of chemical weapons. The Syrian government has made the usual half-hearted attempts to claim that they weren't responsible for the apparent use of sarin nerve gas against civilians in Khan Sheikhoun, but the plausibility of their denials never rises much above the level of "a big boy did it and ran away." Conspiracy theories aside, it seems reasonable to assume that they were responsible and that the Khan Sheikhoun attack bears the fingerprints, if not of Assad himself, certainly of someone in his inner circle.

Nerve gas is a vile weapon. People, especially children, die horribly and in large numbers. But then barrel bombs -- improvised explosive devices dropped from helicopters -- are horrible too, and Assad has been unloading those on mostly-defenseless civilian populations for years now without anyone doing much more than shaking a disapproving finger in his direction. With his talk of 'red lines', Trump seemed to confirm that he'd have been content for Assad to continue raining barrel bombs and more conventional munitions on people's heads indefinitely. It's only the use of war gases that is a step too far.

For what it's worth, Obama apparently felt the same way. When the Syrian government allegedly used war gases in Al-Ghouta in 2013, Obama leaned on the Russians to rein Assad in. The pressure apparently worked, after a fashion: the Syrians agreed to turn over their chemical weapons stockpiles, and 600 metric tons of chemical agents were handed over and destroyed. But then Assad went back to slaughtering people with barrel bombs and tank shells, and nobody in the administration seemed too bothered.

But there are more 'why' questions to be answered. As a banned weapon, war gases are seen as a particular challenge to the presumably global authority of the US president. A president who ignores the use of war gases looks weak. Trump -- who urged Obama not to attack Syria in 2013 -- has also been happy to portray Obama's alleged inaction then as a sign of weakness. It was inevitable that, given the provocation of a nerve gas attack, Trump would feel compelled to demonstrate his 'strength' by taking muscular military action in response. Donald Trump is not a fan of negotiated solutions, such as the US-Russian deal brokered by Obama, which apparently kept war gases out of the Syrian arena for four years. Nothing less than a salvo of rockets will do. So last night's action was pretty predictable.

If it was so predictable, why did the Syrians do it? Nerve gases, for all their horribleness, are not really a strategic or tactical magic bullet. They're tricky to use: at Khan al-Assal in 2013, nerve gases killed 16 government troops in what there's good reason to believe may well have been an 'own goal'. They do, however, make great terror weapons, and this seems to be the way in which they're being used in Syria: to spread further panic among civilian populations in rebel-held areas.

It's hard not to suspect that the timing had something to do with declarations that the US had no plans to force the removal of Assad, a position stated by secretary of state Rex Tillerson in Ankara on March 30th. Perhaps the Syrian government was lulled into overconfidence by an apparent softening of the official US attitude, and thought they could safely go back to gassing people. It's even possible that the use of sarin was a deliberate provocation, intended to test the actual resolution of the new president.

It's also possible that no rational thinking was involved. There are vast stockpiles of hate on all sides in the Syrian conflict. Gas attacks seem to be an expression of particular loathing, and often seem to be favored for domestic enemies -- seen as 'traitors within' -- rather than foreign. Saddam's use of nerve gas against Kurdish civilians is typical. "Let's not just kill these people, let's gas them like rats," sometimes seems to be the thinking. The use of war gases may have been an emotional decision made somewhere in the Syrian hierarchy, perhaps influenced by perceived US indifference, but not ultimately strategic. If so, it's an impulse the Syrian government is probably now regretting.

Speaking of strategy, let's talk about the US strategy, or possible lack thereof. The US targeted the Syrian government airbase at Shayrat, assumed to be the home base of the aircraft used to drop chemical munitions on Khan Sheikhoun. It's safe to assume that the cruise missiles used were armed with a mixture of high-explosive warheads (to destroy aircraft, refueling facilities, and any equipment used to manufacture or prepare chemical munitions) and cluster munitions (to render runways unusable). As a tactical approach to preventing further chemical attacks, it seems superficially reasonable.

Except that if the Syrians do want to go on using chemical weapons, the damage to the Shayrat base probably won't stop them. Early information suggests that the US warned the Russians before the attack (because Russian personnel were probably present there). The Russians in turn are likely to have warned the Syrians, possibly in time for the Syrians to move aircraft and maybe even chemical production equipment or gas stockpiles -- if present -- elsewhere. If the Syrians really want to go on gassing people, they can probably even do it from helicopters, which don't need long runways. So the attack looks more like a message -- albeit one disguised as a reasonable measure -- than an effective tactical choice.

The strategic impact is likely to be small. In recent months, Russia has been doing a lot of the work of bombing the Syrian government's enemies on its behalf. That means that even if the US destroyed more Syrian aircraft and more Syrian airbases, airstrikes against enemies of the regime are likely to continue. The US is probably not ready to risk hitting Russian equipment or personnel in Syria; Russia has already expressed stern disapproval of the US 'act of aggression', and an attack that destroyed Russian assets would take us into new and very dangerous territory.

So what's not clear is where the US can go next. There's already reason to think that the US government may not have a coherent strategy. In the space of a few days, the official position has swung from 'Assad can stay' to 'Assad must go', a literal U-turn that was probably dictated by the impulsive and superficial chief executive. Now it looks as if their strategic and tactical options may also be limited.

Russia has made their support for Assad clear. They will oppose either military or diplomatic solutions aimed at forcing him from power. Nor are they the only power in the area with an interest in the fate of Syria. Juggling all the competing interests and either forcing or negotiating some kind of stable compromise would tax the abilities of a far better statesman than Trump.

There's no reason to think that the US has a drop-in replacement for Assad ready to go (and the US record of delivering suitable replacements for deposed tyrants is not good). The moderate Syrian opposition are mostly dead or fled. If the US launches a military campaign to weaken the Syrian government, the major beneficiaries are likely to be their remaining opponents -- which is to say mostly ISIS and an assortment of other Islamist factions, many backed by Al-Qaeda. These are not the people that the US -- or anyone else -- wants to see take control of Syria.

Not only does the US lack a clear endgame -- an achievable victory condition -- it may even lack suitable tools to engage the Syrian government directly. Committing ground forces to fight the Syrian army would most likely be a bloody affair and it could bring the US into direct conflict with Russia. Syrian forces are protected against manned airstrikes by an air defense system designed and maintained by Russia (and which the Russians have promised to upgrade). The Russians are currently claiming that less than half of the cruise missiles reached their target: if that's true and if it's a measure of the effectiveness of the air defense system, US pilots hitting government targets risk getting butchered.

So that leaves ... more cruise missiles. And while cruise missiles are great for hitting air bases and barracks, they're an expensive choice for striking at widely-dispersed ground forces (and you can bet that the Syrian army is scattering its tanks and probably tucking them away in civilian areas right now). While the US might consider going after Assad or other senior regime members with 'decapitation strikes', firing cruise missiles at major cities is not going to play well. A regime that doesn't care much about the fate of its people will thrive on TV images of apartment blocks toppled by US missiles with dead bodies in the rubble.

In short, it's unclear whether the Trump administration has a clear idea of what it wants to achieve or how to achieve it. It's possible that it even lacks real tools to do the job. If that's really the case, then last night's missile barrage may make Trump look more vulnerable than decisive. And it's likely that rather than bringing any kind of resolution to the conflict, it will simply make matters even more messy and intractable.

Now here's T.V. Smith to play us out.

[sepublic]

Blight Trio AU

           So as a bit of an extension of my past meta, speculation, and analyses on Emira and Edric, and their feelings towards Amity… What if they got to Amity first? That is to say, before Odalia and Alador could fully indoctrinate Amity into their toxic abuse and ideas of authority and hierarchy… What if Ed and Em managed to become a better, more prominent influence in Amity’s life? What if a younger Amity chose to listen to her siblings more than her parents, to follow them around, and looked up to them more for guidance?

           In the Blight Trio AU, Emira and Edric ended up having way more of an influence on Amity. As a result, she became a troublemaker like them, and instead of just being known as the Blight Twins… They became known as the Blight Kids, that trio of siblings always hanging around together, causing trouble, and being oh-so confident, charming, and too cool for school!

           As Amity became more like the Twins as a deliberate defense against their parents’ attempts to separate the kids and put them at each other’s throats, to keep from competing with one another for Odalia and Alador’s meaningless affection… Unsurprisingly, she changed her style of clothes. She ended up dressing like Ed and Em, just as they dressed like one another! She even dyed her hair a green more akin to Emira and Edric, although in this scenario it was more encouraged by her siblings as a sign of solidarity against their parents, and not an outright order forced by Odalia.

           (More on that later)

           Just as Emira and Edric are inseparable in the original canon, in the Blight Trio AU, Amity is included amongst this! All three Blight kids have shared their deepest, darkest secrets with each other; They do everything together, and are practically capable of finishing each other’s sentences! They also seem like three parts of a whole, which leads to most people referring to the group as a whole –the Blight kids- VS as separate individuals.

           Amity’s definitely a lot more open, happier, and confident here. She’s a lot more similar to Emira and Edric, at first glance… That same flippant, mischievous confidence, that willingness to mess around with other people, seemingly too cool for school! Because Amity’s given a better sense of individuality with her older siblings, she’s happier and more open about being a dork, at least when she and the others are alone- Like Edric, when in public, she’s not as open about being a dork. Like the Twins, Amity continues that same façade, although this façade comes across as a lot happier and more confident than the one she has in canon.

           And, Amity IS happier and more independent, in a sense! She’s not subject to crippling pressures and expectations by her parents- Or at least, she’s no longer beholden to them. Because Amity is One Of Them, Emira and Edric fully indulge in her interests in The Good Witch Azura, about wanting to be good at magic, and help train her a lot! They use their skills and talent to hone Amity’s understanding, and following in her siblings’ footsteps, Amity enrolls in the Illusion Track!

           …Still. While it’s in some ways a lot better than what she has in canon, because Amity fully has the trust and support of her siblings and vice-versa, and is fully integrated amongst the group… As I’ve speculated in the past, there are issues of identity. Not only that, but while Ed and Em try to reassure Amity that she really IS one of them, Amity still has concerns. She knows that she’s younger, and that Emira and Edric are implicity closer with one another, than they are with Amity. It’s only natural- For two whole years, they only had each other! Not to mention they look so similar, too…

           And, Amity doesn’t want to get in the way. She doesn’t want to be jealous. But sometimes she’s afraid that her own relationship with her siblings, individually, doesn’t mean as much to them? That if either Emira or Edric had to choose between their other siblings, they’d choose their Twin? It’s a silly thought, surely, and amidst Amity’s darker secrets, this one she doesn’t bring up. It brings shame to her, and it makes her feel like she’s jeopardizing the ‘harmony’ and ‘sync’ of the trio. The fact that she’s noticeably younger and has brown hair more akin to their abusive father, VS her loving siblings, doesn’t help either…

           In this situation, Amity’s hair is always, constantly, fully-dyed; Especially with the help of Illusions. Her shade of green is dark and identical to the Twins’. She dresses like them, doesn’t do things without them and vice-versa… And while it seems like the kids are a close, tight-knit and cohesive unit, there’s still issues here or there. Because Emira and Edric influenced Amity so much… They’re a bit less self-aware of whenever they tend to steamroll over what Amity wants for herself, especially since Amity is reluctant about letting them down by trying to be different. She already feels beholden to her older siblings for saving her from their parents, and again, she doesn’t want to jeopardize any unity…

           Especially since the Blight Trio, as in canon, only really have each other! They don’t have any actual friends… By a stroke of different decisions leading to different circumstances, Amity never encountered Willow by chance and never became close to her unfortunately. She was too busy doing other things with Emira and Edric…

           Making friends also means getting people involved in the Blight drama and abuse, and that’s a very vulnerable thing to do. After all, making connections outside of the family that their parents don’t approve of would mean having to defend them… So the Blight Trio avoids friends, they act like they’re secretly too cool for everyone else, and everybody else agrees and assumes as such! But they’re starved for additional friends. Having the three of them IS great and all… But if they weren’t afraid of hurting anyone else, the Blight Trio would certainly try to form more connections. And, this just contributes to their loneliness, insecurity… To the distance they set others at, pretending to be casual and informal, and while to an extent they ARE…

           The Blight Trio could never let anyone in close, because the idea of people intimately knowing them is terrifying. Instead, they keep marching on together… At least, they try to. But as I said, the differences between Amity and the Twins are obvious. Not to mention, Amity is likely at a different grade level… Because no matter how hard she tries in canon, she just can’t move up a grade! It’s rather frustrating to be in different grades than the Twins, it results in the trio separating more often than they’d like- And while Ed and Em are alone together, THEIR bond and closeness increases, while Amity continues to feel more and more distant.

           At some point, I imagine she gets desperate, maybe interacts with Augustus Porter from her grade! He’s not on Emira and Edric’s level, but he IS a child prodigy who skipped a few grades… Maybe she could pick up a thing or two, and advance to be in the same classes as the twins! Perhaps Amity starts to become acquainted with Willow through Augustus in THIS particular scenario, although…

           Like I said- Amity doesn’t have natural talent, at least not to the same extent as Emira and Edric. And inevitably, she’s going to feel the need to keep up with them, for fear that they’re leaving her behind, that Amity is actually at fault for enforcing a rift between her and the Twins… She works and studies extra hard in the hopes of advancing to their grade, but! Doing so requires time separate from Emira and Edric, because they don’t particularly care for studying or grades. Amity either drops the effort entirely, potentially becoming distant with Augustus and Willow again as she focuses on maintaining her constant presence with the Twins…

           Or, Emira and Edric hear what Amity have to say! And there’s a little bit of concern, because… They understand Amity’s concerns, and they know that she wants to be close with them! And they’d hate to leave their little sis behind, neither twin can imagine what it’s like to be on their own. Either with Amity, or just with one another, the Twins consider the possibility of… Maybe deliberately failing and flunking classes, and getting held back? Granted that would look HUMILIATING, and their parents definitely wouldn’t let it pass!

           Alas, it’s not an option. Even if brought up to Amity, she wouldn’t let the Twins do so anyway, because she doesn’t want to feel like she’s dragging them down… But at the same time, she’s afraid of Emira and Edric leaving her behind! And Emira and Edric don’t reflect as much as whether or not they’re quashing their sister’s identity, because they’re more focused on how being a close-knit group turned out the best, and Amity is already so eager to be like them. NOT being like the Twins has led to Amity’s personal insecurities after all.

           Inevitably, a sense of toxic co-dependency is made. It’s more or less the same between Emira and Edric… But it also happens between the Twins and Amity as well. In Amity’s case, she’s constantly trying to do what she can to be more like her twins, and even existing on their own without any expectations, Emira and Edric unintentionally set an elusive standard for the girl that she simply can’t reach! And it’s exhausting, Amity’s trying to keep up when Emira and Edric aren’t even meaning to outpace her!

           And, they try to make room for her in their schedules. But inevitably, circumstances and the reality of the situation force them farther and farther apart. Emira and Edric don’t stop to consider how much they’re hurting Amity, because again, she seems to be most happy around them, and they’re doing better than their parents! Their self-awareness is even less potent in this AU than in canon. Without meaning to, the Twins find themselves sharing little moments and secrets between one another that Amity isn’t privy to, and at some point… They don’t tell her about this, because they don’t want Amity to feel bad.

           Not to mention, Amity keeps avoiding making new friends, because like her siblings, she’s under the impression that will somehow ‘ruin’ how close she is to Emira and Edric. It’s a frustrating situation, sometimes the trio is seemingly in-sync, but not always… Amidst Ed and Em having THEIR own differences, too! And when either twin goes to Amity and confides about this in secret, she’s elated, because she has something with THIS sibling that the other one doesn’t! In a way, being a trio helps the Blight kids recognize that not all relationships are meant to be the same…

           They learn that inevitably, there are going to be secrets they keep with one person, while excluding from the other. It’s a hard and bitter truth, but they at least manage to cope with it; For each sibling, two connections are better than just the one that Emira and Edric have… And better than the lack of relationships that Amity had, period, prior to meeting Luz! I can see Amity’s presence helping Emira and Edric in a sense… Even if Amity herself also her own issues unique to this AU, perhaps it’s better than being indoctrinated into the self-loathing for herself that Odalia and Alador encouraged in canon.

           Still, it really feels like Amity isn’t her own person- And this realization that she can’t function on her own just makes her panic and become more codependent with the Twins, which in turn worsens the original issue to begin with. It’s a self-feeding cycle, but inevitably, the poor girl is going to get frustrated. She’s going to want to do things that Emira and Edric don’t, because she’s always been a nerd who loves to learn… And when Amity tries to ramble about class, Ed and Em shut her down because they’re not interested, and they assume more often than not that she’s like them; So clearly Amity doesn’t care THAT much, and this is just a sign she’s trying to do well in school to keep up with them- Lighten up a little!

           And they intend to reassure her… but really, Emira and Edric contribute to a feeling of being left unheard, and not appreciated as her own person for Amity. Amity feels like the things that keep her up at night aren’t being relayed and told, nor listened to… And she keeps insisting that this is because she isn’t close enough to the Twins and so neither can trust the other enough to this degree, as if this desperation to be close wasn’t precisely why Amity was suffering! And, amidst Autistic headcanons and speculation about Amity… And sometimes Amity doesn’t get the joke. Sometimes she feels left behind, or not as clever or confident.

           Even if she’s better at it in the Blight Trio AU than in canon, Amity isn’t a perfect talker. Her actual social skills are already stunted as-is, so her façade at being charming and confident has a lot of work to do, in comparison to Ed and Em… That keeps frustrating her, making Amity feels like there’s something wrongwith her.

           Worst-case scenario, a bad argument might lead to Amity feeling like she has to be her own person to survive, and completely cut ties with the Twins… Especially if Emira and Edric’s concerns about being co-dependent with one another become apparent. It’d become heartbreaking, that just as Ed and Em fear that they need to cut ties with the other completely to avoid becoming co-dependent, Amity might think she has to separate from her siblings entirely. She sees the existential angst that Emira and Edric have from being so similar, and it conflicts with her desire to be similar to the Twins. Maybe Amity even considers turning to her parentsfor guidance, under the hopes that they can give her more attention, or at least help the girl form an individual identity of her own…

           Maybe… Maybe Odalia and Alador WERE right, after all. Maybe setting the kids at each others’ throats was the right action, in the end… And Emira and Edric, eerily, consider this every now and then. It makes them doubt their own judgment, their own rebelliousness… It makes it hard to tell what’s right or wrong, if being obedient would’ve made them happier in the long run! Odalia and Alador of course notice this and eat it all up, they try to take advantage of it. Maybe if one kid turns to them for support, they’ll feel indebted to that support; And they’ll try to live up to whatever expectations the Blight parents set, just to maintain that relationship!

           And there is, of course… Luz to consider. Luz the human. Because she’s a lot less elitist and more of a troublemaker thanks to the twins, Amity gets along with her a lot more quickly. And while the Blight Trio is all over Luz, and they utterly LOVE her… Not all of their feelings are the same. Emira and Edric see Luz more as a younger sister than anything else, but Amity… Amity feels romantic.

           This becomes apparent to the Blight Trio, and it confuses them. Maybe Emira and Edric should form a romantic interest in Luz, too? But she’s also a bit younger than them, so maybe not… And Amity’s wondering if she should stop this crush, and try to be like her siblings. Unintentionally on any of the kids’ ends, it becomes like a cult; Where trying to form new connections outside of the group feels like a ‘betrayal’. But Amity can’t deny how she feels, and how Luz makes her feel seen as an individual and not part of a greater whole…

           Then this adds to Amity wondering if she should’ve been separate from the Twins to begin with… It’s a really confusing mess, and Luz, who is just vibing, tries to help! She’s definitely got a lot to offer the Blight Trio, as does Eda… And those two help a lot. Maybe Emira and Edric feel it’s for Amity’s own good that she starts avoiding them, as they fear having become a bad and toxic influence on her… And while they DID do a thing wrong here or there, it’s not irreparable, and cutting ties completely would do more harm than just setting boundaries. But none of the kids can differentiate between setting personal boundaries and individual identity, VS losing a close bond with somebody else. There’s just not enough experience, and Ed and Em feel that Luz is a better influence for Amity than them, anyway… Maybe one twin is different from the other in that they’d rather keep Amity closer, or don’t want to be left behind, the same way Amity was prior to meeting Luz. This would cause even moreconfusion between the Twins, individually- And likely a lot of conflict.

           Amity is of course heart-broken. She tells them that they don’t have to leave her, that she still wants to be with them… But then does she? Because why is she so interested in Luz, doesn’t focusing on this one relationship jeopardize the one she has with her siblings? In the end, Luz helps Amity articulate that she still looks up to the Twins, that they mean the world to her… And she wants them and Luz with her! She doesn’t want to abandon her siblings just to pursue an even closer relationship with Luz, and…

           Eda naturally steps in. She makes it clear to these kids, sets it down, that relationships and identity don’t work like that. You can be your own person and still be close with someone… That arguably, one becomes closer with someone because each one is their own individual! There’s a difference between a close bond and co-dependency, and she and Luz can help the Blight Trio navigate this. Amidst Lilith joining in, and having her own insights and experience to offer…

           Like canon, it’s painful, awkward, and difficult. It’s a bumpy road that’s incredibly confusing and at times the directions seem contradictory. There’s probably going to be times where Amity and the Twins argue and storm off, go their own path… Before it evolves to all three kids going their separate ways from time to time! But I think in the end, Amity, Emira, and Edric will learn to navigate their lives and head towards recovery, just as they likely are in canon! Ed and Em don’t have to be left behind by Amity; She can bring them along with her into the Owl House! And together, they can all heal… Even as Luz and Eda help teach the Blight kids how to be their own people while still maintain close relationships, AND fend off Odalia and Alador’s abuse!

[kendrixtermina]

Crying Jewelry Friends! - Reviewing the latest Steven Bomb.

First, sorry for the delay; I didn’t review them as soon as they leaked because I wanted to watch the bomb with my sisters. This probably improves the quality of the observations as they are perceptive in some areas that I’m not and vice versa. By and large, we loved it and thought it was very clever. 

- So yeah, all those people who theorized that Pink Diamond was like the quirky little sister got it right. *tips hat*

- I love how Connie immediately figures out the ‘Palaquin’ part. No reason the characters have to be dumber than the audience. Thanks for taking us seriously!

- This also clarified some things about Rose’s and Greg’s relationship; on the one hand she slipped him that ‘home planet’ white lie and she seems to have had a big bag o’ secrets but on the other hands there were moments like when she trusted greg with the laser light cannon which suggested she was a lot more open with him than the CGs ever suspected. 

Now we know the dynamic behind it: She actually did have an above-average full trust going there, but he told her that it didn’t matter to him. At the time it really didn’t, homeworld wasn’t an issue; It’s different for Steven tho.

So that was Greg trying to make her feel accepted & help her over her feelings of guilt! I like how it was actually Greg’s decision & flows naturally from his prsonality. 

- The enslaved humans sequence gave me serious TOS vibes - they all need Jesus  Captain Kirk. 

- Steven has really hit puberty here/ done some teenage rebellion/reorientation in seeking out the information for himself; The whole confrontation wth the gems and the moment in the ship really drive down the self-doubt that was explored over the course of this season. He takes an action for his own inner peace but then immediately feels bad like it’s a selfish thing; It’s good that he’s got this out of this system, and that they made it an actual plot point how he basically has to squeeze the information out of them

- The “How to Warp Drive” Sequence had some really nice animations, and it’s amusing how they didn’t listen to Peridot and had almost everything happening that she warned them of XD It’s cute how they trusted her to hold down the fort. 

- i wonder if we’ll see those very tiny gems from the calibration menu

- I am also glad that they remembered the Rubies, and that they seem to have found each other so at least poor Leggy isn’t all alone. Looking forward for when they pick them up. 

- So agates are enforcers/overseers, though the one we meet (Hollyblue Agathe) is kind of like your archetypical misplaced kindergarten teacher, sort of with vague umbridge/thatcher vibes, though she’s more like a mix of stern nanny and haughty aristocrat. I don’t think she’s pure evil (though she’d definitely be the type to retain some token prejudice after reforms happen), but it was very very satisfying to see Pearl sass her in the end. 

- and we finally know what Lapis Lazulis do! I guess I was right with ‘terraformers’, and that they’re high-ranking (like Saphires and Agates); It makes sense how she has such huge power but no combat experience, and what her probable mission was. I wonder if this will be expanded upon but in any case it might quiet down some of the haters still asscribing sinister motives to her

- We might have to reconsider the place of Quartzes in the hierarchy; I don’t think they’re fully seen as thrash given how the Rubies and Peridot talk of them, but even Peridot used to look down at Pearls so you kinda how everyone looks down at those beneath them.

- But it certainly shows the pressures Jasper had to overcome and why she felt such a strong need to distance herself from earth and the other beta products - I didn’t expect so many of them to be still alive tho. 

- All the Rose Quartzes being sorted out was also something people called. So homeworld ~does~ use bubbles, though one wonders who made them, did PD do this before she was killed?  I loved that bit where steven noticed that they’re just like his own gem it took my sisters a bit to catch onto this? It’s kind of cruel how they’re all sealed like, many of them were probably loyal to homeworld and basically thrown in jail, or even the death row, for something ‘our’ Rose did. 

- Indeed, YD markedly dismisses Agate with the exact same line that she dismisses Pearl and the Quartzes with, calling to wind how Peridot clapped to “make Pearl go away”. No matter how high or low you are in this, you look down at the ones below and are terrified of the ones above. 

- Another wish of mine that finally come true is an episode that explored Garnet’s feelings, though “Three Gems and a Baby” already hinted at that, these eps had her more exposed; I loved how there was a sense of continuity wether they were fused or not, but it also showcased the developement of them as individuals and how they are stronger together. Sapphire in particular really shines as a character in here. 

We already knew that both are still affected for how they were treated, Ruby being treated as disposable, their way of life and eve their love seen as abomination, both expected to conform to narrow roles  - for Garnet individually there’s also the added layer than they don’t even want to let her exist except perhaps as a war machine. Ruby is audibly salty but perhaps more tellingly, both (and by extension, Garnet) are still bloody terrified of Blue. Even as Garnet, she was reluctant to confront her. Garnet still sometimes falls into the ‘predetermination paradox trap’ and not being a socially smooth leader. 

- Ironically, she has something in common with the Diamonds there and how they’re not always up to the pressure of being the boss. I wouldn’t be surprised if Pink were a dark mirror of Rose’s leading style - She seems to share her idiosyncratic quirkyness in a sense, or what passes as such for a Diamond. 

- We also got a further backstory hint for Pearl - She used to serve under PD and got disgusted with how they treated the humans perhaps seeing a parallel to her own situation. We know she spent substantial time serving on the other side. But though Pearl was always the least human friendly and most anchored in homeworld culture, in contrast with the homeworld folks themselves we see how she’s actually rather far from them and couldn’t really play her old role if she wanted to, which she doesn’t. 

While she encounters doubts and engrained insecurities on her own path, that doesn’t mean she hasn’t advanced at all - nice, uplifting and very true message, and relatable, like,prsonally,  even though I cut contact with my abusive father I still don’t have my shit 100% together and often that makes me feel like he was right all along, but when I look back it’s clear that it’s much better to not be constantly angry, have zero control, not be yelled at and mocked all the time and I wouldn’t stand for being near him even if someone made me. I still struggle but its not nothing. 

- In general a lot of the CG’s character developements is showcased by having them attempt to pass for homeworld gems - They can play out/ ‘master’ these roles without being trapped in them and therefore they no longer have power over them. 

- Amethyst already had that moment when she had to impersonate Jasper but this event offered something else for her character curve that still makes it an important moment. She has always been comparing herself to ‘proper’ Quartzes, but so far, those have been an abstract threatening presence pieced together from Peridot’s comments and the attitude of Jasper, who is just as different from the average as Amethyst herself. 

Granted, the Amethysts are probably what one would think of as ‘rejects’ given that they’re said to have mostly sentimental value, but, they’re what some of homeworld’s forces look like. 

But now that she’s actually met other Amethysts, they’re no longer some scary shadowy quality - they’re rowdy & silly just like herself, and they even liked her and accepted her as one of her own. So she gets to sort of connect with the roots the othes sielded her from but in a positive way where they’re not some elusive ‘badaness’

 - To the others discarding their cut numbers was probably empowering but for Amethyst learning what hers might have been probably gave her a sense of closure and belonging. I suppose it underlines the important point that different people can experience the same things diferently and attach different meanings to them

- Which confirms that the first part of the number/ cut numbers are used as a quasi informal adress where distinguishment is necessary but the full number would be too formal. Which I vaguely suspected because Peridot uses “Peridot5xG” as an username. 

- Headcannon: We just met the sideways carnelian and “Skinny over there”. I mean, we’ve all been waiting forever to see a ‘properly cooked Amethyst’ and the other Beta gems. Like, thank rebecca! I count this as fanservice. 

- Also we got to see what a typical gem barracks look like/ what they have for personal accomodations. As I suspected not that much personal space or induvidual decorations  (Then again, they don’t really need beds or tables; though they do seem to get exhausted.) Interesting that it lowkey looks like exit holes. Maybe they find that comorting? It’s mitigated in that they seem to have a sense of community geoing on. 

I imagine Jasper owned a fancier place by herself, while Peridot used to live in place much like that but Peridot-sized and with space to keep tools. 

- We knew singing YD was comming but everyone expected a classical villain song. In general it was a VERY clever musical sequence that I will make a separate post on. It is a very well-crafted, very intelligent musical sequence, as it should be given that the intro turned up to be leading up to this and how it co-opts the Diamond theme itself. 

The clever thing about it is that it gives people all the things they could want from a villain song while still subverting the expectations: We hear the actress’ voice exposed, it provides a look into the antagonist’s motivations, it gives us a dark swingy tune with some juicy contralto action, setting up both the physical and idiological conflict -  

But it’s not “muahaha evil monologue”, but Yellow Diamond in a private conversation, in the role an older sister. They basically did a villain song without actually doing a villain song. 

- The punny title, as the introduction to our central antagonists, can also said to underline one of the central anti-theses of the show. “What’s the point of feeling” in general. This show has always fundamentally been about emotional expression, and the way it treats emotion is one of the things that fundamentally set it apart from other shows - at least American ones. So the logical antagonist for a hero like Steven to confront would be people like that who hide away their ostensible grief behind cold, hardened facades (but nonetheless still suffer it and never really work through it.)

BD may have had these moments in private but she’s just as icy as Yellow with her subordinates; They all personally fired the corruption ray. 

But most important: They - especially Yellow - feel like they have to be this way to be strong leaders. 

Much more poignant than just unfeeling pragmatists with nothing else, because few people are actually like that. 

- Even though they have more power & privilege than anyone, even the Diamonds sometimes feel limited or pressured by their intended role as leaders

- Neither of the two is over it, or cares more than the other, they just have different coping mechanisms. The way BD ends up putting her hand on Yellow’s back in the end makes that patently clear. 

- They’re God-Emperor Dictators, but among themselves they act like an aristocratic family. It’s clear in word choice (’we still love her’) and how they behave toward each other, the physical comfort etc. I must admit at the beginning/ before the PD reveal, I never expected their relations with each other to be anything other than ‘deadly decadent court’/rivalry and that THEY killed PD for dissenting. Then again, intelligent trope use and subverted is something this show always did very well

- Makes one wonder what White Diamond’s role in this is - Is she the big sister, or more like the Queen Mother? We know she’s probably the eldest, rules homeworld (the sphere in her hands) and a forehead gem; Her role might be intertwined with how the first gems came to be and how/why the system was created, what problem it was intended to solve, something that needs to understand in order to repell it. One also wonders what other, dispararate reaction she had to PD’s death - perhaps, saying she deserved it for being weak in order not to face that she really blames herself or something?

- It makes me think of that WWI documentary I recently watched (take a shot for each ) It’s often jokingly referred to as the most expensive family feud ever but it was more of a constant clusterfuck; Before things broke out there had been letters of the Tzar and the German emperor writing each other a letter where they referred to each other as “Willie” and “Nickie”, hoping to avert the war. Everyone cheers when the king is beheaded because he represents more than one man, they are the system personified, the ones who could change it and didn’t; The person in charge exists to take responsibility. - that’s what the Sword of Damocles is. But even kings are people and thugh they might have done more to stop things they’re still humans who might not have deserved what happened to them.. This is even more true with aristocrats who were ~born~ into their roles instead of chosing them. 

- For perspective: Mari, a big theater nerd and actual amateur performer who’s been in musicals herself & is friends with ppl who do ths on a regular basis, couldn’t stop gushing about its professional brilliance. Apparently YD’s VA is a really big deal whom even Lin Manuel Miranda feels honored to work with. 

- I for my part have a new earworm just when I was getting ‘it’s over isn’t it’ out of my system  

- I was also correct on the creepy ending sounds being the Diamond Theme, all of it leading up to this. 

- There was also more on another of my favorite Threads, the role of culture and music in Gem society and how they used to have all the spires and pictograms. It seems that the aristocrats still have music, or maybe it was all for the aristocrats to begin with, and low-ranking folks like Peridot just never had contact with it. Clearly, you don’t have to be an elite to be artistic and musical. 

- This also underlines the contrast between Peridot and Pearl tho, Peridot being a technician with an artsy side whereas Pearl was a pretty musical servant who turned out to be rather good at tech. Both music & technology seem to be taken for granted as YD readily makes use of it but doesn’t really value the people who make it for her. (”I don’t want to hear about potential and ressources.”)

- Another great obversation Mari made is how much the Pearls’ personalities come through even though they make exactly the same movements and dances. I loved that bit where Yellow Pearl impersonates an Agate. In general, the Pearls were just adorable little show stealers. 

- Here’s some interesting observations from Sabbel (the other sister):

a) The way Agate speaks about YD suggests that she is quite popular in 

To me personally the scene where Agate gushes about her underlined the contrast between Yellow Diamond and her propaganda, but in a different way than before - 

We had this thing where Peridot expected her to be super rational, then she’s capricious an shatters all expectations just by existing. 

With the PD reveal, we could already theorize that there was a generational divide there, with Earth being a sore topic that Peridot is as unaware of as Amethyst (it’s no coincidence that the two younger gems become fast friends)

 Now we have a more complete picture/puzzle that both these pieces fit into - Like, last time she appeared it was “She is not a god”, but this time we’ve seen Yellow Diamond the person.

But what you also see is why someone like Jasper would rally around YD and her ‘commanding presence’, she too wanting to keep up the strenght while supressing her grief. It paints a picture of what Jasper, who respects strenght and strenght only, might have thought of her. And of course YD herself would take over  PD’s ‘useful’ underlings rather than the ones with mostly sentimental value. 

b) Sabbel also finds it’s worth noting that, as their personal attendants, the Pearls get to actually witness the Diamonds in such moments/ their everyday lives. They still react sorta afraid like they expect tantrums

c) She loved how the Amethysts have varying hair lenghts. I do too. Heck, can we just adopt all of the Quartzes? 

- Though I know that people are going to leather pants them anyway, In my eyes one of the greatest strenghts of the episodes is that it manages to humanize the Diamons without allowing you to forget that they’re villains. 

This is enforced in how the episodes are full of dismissive treatment down the homeworld hierarchy, and how everyone involved consistently refers to humans as “it”, or how those poor Rose Quartzes are casually used a props. 

She determies that Greg “doesn’t deserve to die”, but doesn’t even consider any of the other humans. 

Somewhere between “every racist has exceptions/ token “friend”” and seeing them as animals - You don’t eat your pet & sort of treat them as family but at the same time you don’t mind eating animals you don’t know. (unless you’re vegan or something)

This is a very selective ‘mercy’ that Ruby is quite right to enraged about; Objectively, Blue Diamond is very hypocritical, cold and disgusting dispite her pretty aristocratic looks and demeanor. But she’s not a 2-dimensional monster and obviosly acts different around her sister than she does around her subjects - and the same goes for Yellow Diamond of course. 

- The Zoo itself underlines this perspectives, with how the CGs see it as a cruelty, the other diamonds see it as a silly eccentric, even endearing quirk of PD’s. There’s a sense that she sorta liked Earth life as a curiosity, but not enough to spare them or see them as people.  So perhaps she and Rose started out on the same page here untiil Rose spent more time with Earth natives. Even she sorta saw them more as a protectorate than she really understood them until greg came.

- Of course, all of this sets up further developements. They are comming for Earth and are going to notice the cluster’s not emerging any time soon, and it will be a tragedy, because they didn’t even come for revenge. It might go the way things went with Eyeball and Jasper. 

In any case it’s obvious that at this point this won’t end with just fighting the Diamonds off, but rather, with homeworld being reformed (which pleases me immensely), clearly, the diamonds can be reasoned with - 

Greg already began to sort of build a bridge by showing blue Diamond that they both have feelings and can be able to share that. 

But we now have the interesting situation that the ostensible weakest link happens to be the exact same person  that Garnet, our leader, has a personal beef with. That makes for interesting dynamics. 

I always praised how she was actually allowed to get angry and be short tempered with Peridot even when she genunely couldn’t have known, instead of having to be a perfect example of virtue all the time, particularly of how victims of real life oppresion or abuse (and what is opression but sanctioned nation wide abuse?) often get told that they have to be perfect before they have a right to complain. We’ve seen her backstory & know that she has every right to be pissed.

But here, it could make things complex. 

That said, the lesson here is not to revile Rose, but see this from a perspective of generations and progress - Because whatever Rose did, it did buy the Earth time and allowed for Greg,  Steven and Amethyst to exist.  

Because Rose and others of her Generation (Pearl, Garnet, Bismuth etc.) were immediately victimzed by the Diamond’s regime, you can hardly ask them to be emphatic towards their opressors - (to an extent, the same can be said for Jasper and Lapis as a clear-cut victims of the rebellion)

I still don’t doubt that Pink Diamond totally had it comming; The Zoo and Pearl’s reactions as she mentions it imply that she was cruel. 

But was killing her the most conductive thing to do for peace? ...Debatable. In many ways the war did harm. But Rose did the best she knew to do. 

For the younger generation, however, things are different - Peridot, Amethyst, and especially the half-human Steven, they can see the whole war with more distance and objectivity. Steven was partially raised in a completely different world and has empathy for both sides, which might lead him to lead a solution that Rose with her baggage couldn’t have enacted.  That’s the whole point of Rose envying human adaptability & having Steven in hopes that he could bridge the gap between gems and organics, as well as heal the wounds of the war. 

Another factor is that technology has advanced and Peridot has made a plan for peaceful ressource sharing that didn’t exist back then - Maybe the combined voices of Steven, Greg and Blue Diamond could finally make YD listen to it. She’s not completely irrational. 

It’s not for nothing that the ones to witness the Diamonds’ vulnerable side are not their former subjects Garnet and Peridot, but the near-complete outsiders Greg and Steven for whom this comes with far less baggage.

- In the end Steven started all this trek because he felt he needed answers - He asked about what happened and what Rose did and why, but ultimately it all comes down to what he should do after the diamonds after learning that the other side is people too, that even they are beloved; In that sense he ‘got what he needed’. 

He’s heard Bismuth and Rose’s followers, he seen how the system hurt his beloved family, but he’s also seen how the rebellion hurt gems like Lapis, Eyeball and Jasper. 

In that sense this ties into the teenage rebellion theme from the beginning, in that he went to look at the evidence with his own eyes & form his own opinion, his own answer. 

[tophatal]

The Art of The Deal

It was meant to be a book that would provide an insight into the business world and the mind of an entrepreneurial genius. Instead , the consumer / reader was offered a bunch of hogwash and outright bile. For those who still wallow in the glare which is said to come from Donald Trump , forty-fifth President of the United States. Well let’s just say , his first one hundred and eighty days in office , has brought nothing but mayhem , incompetence and calls for his impeachment. What you see is what you ought to expect, because there has been nothing coherent about this President , let alone his administration .

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If you thought this President has issues, then simply take a look at the plight of the NBA at present. Last season’s beaten NBA Finalists the Cleveland Cavaliers are in complete disarray. Team owner Dan Gilbert is now at odds with two of the best players on the roster and it is now rumored that the relationship between Kyrie Irving and LeBron James is at an all-time low . To further emphasize the mayhem of the off-season , Gilbert made David Griffin the franchise’s sacrificial lamb with his firing . Koby Altman has succeeded Griffin as the Cavaliers’ general manager and his first course of business will be to dissuade Kyrie Irving and convince the point guard his future lies with the franchise. Irving has been disgruntled with the team and has two years left on his existing contract , where he’s owed just over $41 million . He can become a free agent in 2020 , but I seriously doubt the player will want to remain a part of the organization given the present turmoil.

Dan Gilbert has sought to deflect the negative vibes within his franchise , while pointing to the promotion of Kobe Altman, a third successive appearance in the NBA Finals and what he believes to be another successful draft class for the Cleveland Cavaliers. There is a great deal of uncertainty concerning the long-term of commitment of LeBron James and his wish to end his career with the Cavaliers. James has a no trade clause in his current contract , which he can opt out of after this upcoming season. Dan Gilbert has seen his franchise lose in excess of $110 million over the last two seasons, but as anyone knows , unless there is an attempt to show some fiscal prudence in spite of the rising revenues , if you continue to overpay while placing a mediocre product on the court, then you are certainly doomed to fail.

Having signed Derrick Rose as a free agent within the last week, it will be interesting to see if Koby Altman can be persuasive enough to keep Kyrie Irving as a part of this Cleveland Cavaliers’ team. Derrick Rose is no longer the player who was the NBA’s youngest League MVP and this past season with the New York Knicks , he simply proved his best years are behind him and not head of him. I seriously doubt he will be able to offer the Cavaliers what they seek and for the franchise . If the Cleveland Cavaliers are to maintain their status as the best team in the Eastern Conference , then there will have to be an even greater emphasis on improving the roster.

So the hype has begun and Lonzo Ball has a great deal to prove as he now becomes the face of the Los Angeles Lakers’ franchise. There hasn’t been hysteria over a player with the Lakers since Kobe Bryant had his breakout season in his first with the Western Conference franchise . Having been named the Summer League MVP , you can easily understand the hype and the level of expectation over Lonzo Ball . The fact that there were other rookies who performed better than Ball during what can be best described as a nondescript Summer League schedule . Ball has been overshadowed by the antics of his father as the elder LaVar Ball , has sought to dictate his son’s worth to possible commercial sponsors. Clearly , LaVar Ball doesn’t understand the harm he is doing to his son’s image or negativity he brings to the table. This is all so symbolic of a situation where you have a parent trying to takeover his son’s business dealings and making a mess of it all .

For the Los Angeles Lakers , this now becomes their moment of truth , moving forward , with a revamped roster, an all new lineup of executives in the front office , Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka having been brought on-board by Jeanie Buss to oversee the running of the Lakers’ Basketball Operations . If both executives are counting on luring LeBron James to the city of Angels , then their task has become a whole lot tougher, as I believe the only ways James leaves Cleveland for a second time , is if there’s a commitment and willingness on the part of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka to submit to all of his wishes and whims . Not something likely to happen and unlikely situation where Lonzo Ball and LeBron James being able to coexist. The Lakers are in a state of disarray and only an idiot would now try and suggest otherwise. The team in its current guise is not competitive and Luke Walton has yet to find his footing as a Head Coach with the franchise.

Phil Jackson is out , Steve Mills has been promoted and in comes Scott Perry as the general manager , but the one remaining constant is James Dolan as the imbecilic owner of the franchise. It’s somewhat laughable to hear idiots extol the expertise of Jackson as a head coach , but these very same idiots could not or would not be critical of him as a front office executive. In his three years with the Knicks, Jackson earned almost $60 million , while bringing nothing but sheer incompetence to an organization which hasn’t appeared in a Conference Finals in over two decades. To understand why the Knicks were so abysmal last season , you simply have to look at their decision-making concerning the structure of the team and the lack of productivity from their bench . With both Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis ‘ minds elsewhere , Jeff Hornacek’s lackadaisical coaching approach , bearing no signs of progress , there was never any doubt the Knicks would have a failing grade and season .

Scott Perry will now be entrusted with the rebuilding of the New York Knicks , with the likelihood that both Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis being dealt , rather than having both disgruntled stars on the roster. The Knicks are more than a dysfunctional franchise , they are simply out of their depth on and off a basketball court and will remain that way , as long as James Dolan is the owner. Once a storied franchise , the New York Knicks are among the biggest laughing stocks around the NBA.

We know the NFL has a twenty-four-seven (24/7) news’ cycle and there’s nothing better for the league to dredge up an old story to try and show their altruism. Again it focuses on the issue of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) . Constant denials throughout the years led by the hierarchy of Commissioner Roger Goodell and the union that players suffered minimal injuries with regard blunt force head trauma and other neurological orders from playing professional football , have proven to be the lies NFL wanted to perpetuate. Having settled a billion-dollar lawsuit in recent years , the league has done very little concerning player safety in spite of their insistence that there is ongoing research being conducted by the NFL. There has been more research conducted by academia than anything done by the league over the last two decades. Noted neurologist and researcher Dr Bennet Omalu may well have been at the forefront of it all, but such was the league’s insistence to discredit his findings , that the NFL can no longer be trusted to tell the fans or the public the truth .

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Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback Joe Flacco is questioning the intent of the front office to sign free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick . Ravens’ owner Steve Bisciotti in a recent interview in the presence of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would not commit to signing the player , but suggested the option was there to do so. There are many who believe the NFL has systematically sought to black-ball Colin Kaepernick’s return to the NFL , with Goodell and the owners leading the charge.

With a little less than a week before the NFL preseason begins, free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick remains unsigned by an NFL team . Roger Goodell has sought not to intercede in any way. Yet somehow , the likes of Riley Cooper and Richie Incognito were able to obtain a second chance in the league after their racially insensitive remarks. Let’s just say team owners around the league are intent on black-balling the former San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback. In recent weeks it was rumored that the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens were interested in pursuing Kaepernick , but no sooner had the rumors hit the airwaves and print media , they were immediately shot down by those teams themselves. Ravens’ quarterback Joe Flacco is said to be incensed the front office was interested in acquiring Colin Kaepernick. Far be it for me to suggest, but since his Superbowl MVP performance for the Baltimore Ravens, Joe Flacco has not been able to meet those expectations or lead by example.

From my own perspective , I believe there remains a great deal of hypocrisy within the NFL and those idiots who believe the league isn’t rife with racial bias, they really do need to look at the fact, the NFL has never really sought to have an African-American owner within their midst. Bear in mind the only person of color who happens to be a franchise owner in this league is a Pakistani-born American citizen , Shahid Khan . Unfortunately for Khan, his ownership of the Jacksonville Jaguars has yet to bring about any semblance of success. Five years in and Khan has yet to see the franchise win a divisional title or make the NFL postseason. Make of it what you will, but just because the league heralds diversity , it doesn’t mean there is diversity in the true sense of the word .

If Colin Kaepernick is welcomed back into the NFL, I certainly hope that he can prove his detractors and doubters wrong. The issues with the San Francisco 49ers last season were not of the player’s making and less we also forget, the Niners’ front office placed their faith in the incompetent and overrated Chip Kelly , whose failure with the Philadelphia Eagles was there for everyone to see

There’s trouble brewing in paradise as Jerry Jones has another off the field issue to deal with , as the Dallas Cowboys’ running back Ezekiel Elliot might well have flouted league rules , as well as falling foul of the law . With Jones, once again it comes down to sheer hypocrisy concerning his own conduct as well as those within his organization , in particular the players on the Cowboys’ roster. Jerry Jones has never met a player with a great deal of baggage that he wasn’t prepared to sign. With Ezekiel Elliot , it all comes down to the excuses the franchise will make to obfuscate their own responsibility while also apportioning blame elsewhere. Quarterback Dak Prescott has to show that 2016 was no flash in the pan, as he and his teammates seek to prove themselves worthy of being considered among the favorites for the Superbowl this season.

Though the Dallas Cowboys will begin their quest with the preseason, it will be the regular season which everyone will be focused on. Their first five games of the schedule should provide us with a great indicator as to how good they could be. In week one the Cowboys will meet divisional rivals the New York Giants to open the regular season. There will be a lot riding on this game for both teams , especially for Eli Manning and the Giants .

Far be it for me to suggest, but this baseball season has become nondescript and really lacking a breakout story , which has captured the fans’ imagination . Teams are sitting pretty and now look to the closing stretch , with the final two months of the regular season schedule . This week will begin with Monday’s scheduled contests , with the New York Yankees in action against the Detroit Tigers in a game being played at Yankee Stadium, in the Bronx , New York. Joe Girardi’s Yankees are currently trying to play catch-up to the Boston Red Sox within the AL East . The race between the two teams is so tight that neither can afford to make a mistake over the next ten days. John Farrell and his managerial staff will have the Boston Red Sox ready for their game against the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park in Boston , Massachusetts on Monday evening. It has been somewhat strange to see neither Boston or New York make a major trade at this point of the season, but with the Pablo Sandoval experiment having come to an abrupt end with the Red Sox , Sandoval has returned to his old stomping ground, reacquainting himself with the San Francisco Giants .

While I believe there is still to play for , there is no team more at risk than the Los Angeles Dodgers . They are the highest salaried team in all of baseball and failure at this juncture is not an option. Mark Walter and Magic Johnson have a vested interest in seeing the ball-club succeed. When you spend over $2 billion for a professional sports franchise , there is an expectation of success and not repeated failure. Yet, with no long-term strategic planning, all the Dodgers’ ownership have to show for the purchase , are near misses and being ridiculed endlessly for money not well-spent. Art of the deal or simply misjudging the opportunity altogether ?

With a healthy lead atop of the NL West the Los Angeles Dodgers have been barely tested within the division. Having the best record in all of baseball , this team has yet to prove they can be consistent , playing at a high level. Manager Dave Roberts will see if the Dodgers can increase their divisional lead when they face the Atlanta Braves at Sun-Trust Ballpark , in Atlanta , Georgia , with Kenta Maeda on the starters’ mound for Los Angeles to take on Lucas Sims of the Braves. Clayton Kershaw is having another exceptional year for the Los Angeles Dodgers as he leads the league in victories among starting pitchers . He is my consensus favorite to win his fourth NL Cy Young Award , joining a select group of players to have won three or more of baseball’s top pitchers’ award. Kershaw’s next projected start will be mid to late August, based Dave Roberts’ own deliberations those of the managerial staff and team doctors . The Los Angeles can ill-afford to lose a player of Clayton Kershaw’s caliber, as he has proven to be an invaluable asset to the team , beyond being the highest paid player on the roster. Coming back from an injury , there is no need to rush him back onto the pitchers’ mound.

There was a time when the names of Cliff Lee , Cole Hamels and Roy Halliday struck fear into the hearts of opposing hitters when they faced the Philadelphia Phillies’ trio of starting pitchers. Well, those days are long-gone along with the fortunes of the Phillies. This franchise is now literally on baseball’s scrap heap , incapable of winning or playing with any signs of competitiveness. It has been almost a decade since the Phillies won their last World Series’ championship , which came in 2008 , with Cole Hamels , Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins being part of that triumphant team over the Tampa Bay Rays . Fast forward to 2017 and the Philadelphia Phillies in their current guise are a shell of a team with the worst record in all of baseball. No longer with the likes of Ryan Howard on the team being paid in excess of $22 million a year , it is easy to understand why the franchise has fallen so fast. Changes within the managerial staff as well as the front office along with departure of several veterans, have brought some change , but without much success. Even the Minor League prospects for the club have yet to meet expectations.

The Philadelphia Phillies will a meet the Atlanta Braves on Monday night , before embarking on a road series against the Los Angeles Angels . A victory in that series would be a morale booster for the Phillies .

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Picture gallery and by clicking on an individual image you can view that frame alongside the accompanying narrative .

What do you believe to be the biggest story of the moment coming out of the NBA , MLB and NFL ?

Tophatal ……… 07/29/2017

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NBA news

NBA team transactions and trades

NBA team caps (2017)

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NFL preseason schedule and regular season schedule

NFL transactions

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MLB probable pitchers 31st July (2017)

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The Art of The Deal ….. The Art of The Deal It was meant to be a book that would provide an insight into the business world and the mind of an entrepreneurial genius.