#they haven't already explicitly supported in the text

[lesenbyan]

There are few things worse, I think, than reading a call to action memoir that is so close to right but really should have been shelved for at least 5yrs before going to print so the author has time to learn enough to see all the false equivalencies that really hinder the point

[scarlet--wiccan]

Aside from the whitewashing, What esle does the MCU get wrong about Wanda? (Ofc if you haven't answered already)

I want to reiterate that the whitewashing of Wanda, Pietro, and their family in the M C U goes far beyond simple miscasting. I wrote about that at greater length here. I also believe very firmly that the racism surrounding this character supersedes any other adaptational choices.

I'll start off with the obvious, which is that the movie version of Wanda has different powers, a different origin story, and does not wear any version of a Scarlet Witch costume nor call herself "Scarlet Witch" for the vast majority of her time in the M C U. She's not recognizable as the Scarlet Witch until the final episode of Wanda//Vision and the subsequent movie, in which she dies. Even then, the films would rather fabricate an entirely new, and mostly very shallow, mythology around her powers, the Darkhold, and witchcraft-- supported by an equally unrecognizable version of Agatha-- then make any attempt to adapt the source material.

Superhero movies never set out to be a one-to-one translation of comic books, and that's fine, but if they can't preserve the most essential elements of a character or their story, then that is just a bad adaptation. Even without mutants or Magneto, Wanda has a lot of rich lore and history to pull from. None of that is present here. Even if I could set the race issues aside, I do not think I would like this adaptation because to me as a Scarlet Witch fan, this is not a Scarlet Witch story.

And the thing is, the people writing these movies clearly do understand Wanda's history, but they choose to repeatedly spit in its face and betray all of the most important narrative themes. As I mentioned in the linked post, there are allusions to racial tropes and stereotypes that betray a clear awareness of the marginalized people they are erasing. But I find many of the narrative beats troubling as well--

In Age of Ultron, the Avengers first encounter Wanda and Pietro as antagonists, which makes sense, as the characters were originally introduced as villains. In the comics, however, the twins are part of a vulnerable minority group, and they align themselves with a villain-- whose praxis they explicitly disagree with-- for the sake of survival. In the movie, though they are personally disadvantaged, Wanda and Pietro are part of the white European non-mutant majority, and they willingly align themselves with a fascist organization in order to gain power and enact violence. Neither character properly acknowledges or denounces HYDRA's politics.

In Wanda//Vision, Wanda struggles to maintain the facade of an idyllic suburban life. In the comics, she and Vision are equal partners, and the challenges they face as a couple mostly arise from the prejudice of their friends and neighbors. It's a nuanced text that has a lot to do with assimilation and identity, led by two characters who struggle to find acceptance as both literal and metaphorical minorities. Here, it's a story about one white woman taking out her grief on a town of innocent people by violating the mental and bodily autonomy of everyone around her, including her own husband.

Throughout Wanda//Vision and Multiverse of Madness, Wanda's magical powers rapidly develop in response to her grief, ultimately leading her down a path of destruction. In the comics, Wanda is a frequent victim of exploitation and possession, and her powers stem from being violated as an infant. These stories are often problematic, but Wanda typically emerges victorious by reclaiming her autonomy, asserting her morals, and working to make reparations for any harm her powers have caused. In the M C U, Wanda is nobody's victim-- she comes into these powers on her own and willingly gives into their corruptive influence. She is never possessed-- she enacts harm entirely of her own volition, even seeking to prey upon and exploit others. She's agential, but she's also morally bankrupt, and the movies offers her no chance of redemption save for their own loose moral scale and blindingly white feminism.

[the1312daysofchristmas]

If you haven't done so already, I would love to hear you elaborate on You're Crashing and how it relates to the Fred Hampton Jr trial? My knowledge of him and the trial starts with your header text and google isn't exactly forthcoming on the climate of public opinion at the time it was actually happening. Also I just want to hear your thoughts since I heard it from you first, if that's ok

no problem. take what i say with a grain of salt, as im not american, so this isnt my history directly. additionally, this was before my time.

after the beating of rodney king at the hands of police, and the acquital of 3 of the 4 officers responsible, there were riots. the 1992 los angeles riots to be precise. these riots sprang up amid a backdrop of tension between black american and korean communities, and during these riots, a korean menswear store was firebombed. fred hampton jr, son of civil rights activist and martyr fred hampton, was found guilty for this, with the main piece of evidence i believe being that there were blisters on his hands. he and his supporters maintain his innocence for this event. many people, particularly black political activists, believe that his guilty verdict was mostly because he continued his fathers legacy in fighting for racial justice in america.

it is a known fact explicitly stated by the band that youre crashing but youre no wave is inspired by this trial (this is pre release, so the song names are different). this is demonstrated through the narrative told by the lyrics. the story ended before it began. the DA didnt need to give his closing argument, because the jury already believed it from the narrative spun on the news. 'everyones looking for relief/a bidding war for an old flame's grief' the old flame in this case being his father, from whom he picked up the torch. you could pay to close the case like a casket, because whats inside it is messy, and no one wants to see the dirty guts of the truth. the jury is stacked. the witnesses are well paid (too well dressed for the witness stand). the song heavily, heavily implies over and over, that this is not a fair trial, and that there is a foregone conclusion.

i feel as though its easy to argue this song is out of place, but personally, while its VERY on the nose and not really all that subtle (and i like that about it, dont get it twisted), i think it fits into the theme. i mentioned a while back that 'be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high. then life seems most enchanted after all' refers, in the context of its association with this album, to the stars in hollywood. ioh is about media narratives first and foremost. its about fame, and celebrity, and painting a perfect picture, one that sells well. its all about the artifice ('style your wake for fashion magazines' 'i only think in the form of crunching numbers in hotel room collectong Page Six lovers' '"we need umbrellas on the inside" get me just right.') and in this case, it shifts its focus from media and celebrity into media and politics. which i find really really interesting.

[cer-rata]

⭐ : Most underrated character in your opinion

🌠 : Something about canon/fanon you dislike

⭐: John Henry and Natasha Irons. Not that they never get any shine. But...in a lot of ways they're haven't really gotten a lot to do in the past 20 years and that's sad. I think they're important for Metropolis, and the Superman mythos, and comics in general for what they represent, but...you know. They're there. There are characters that I think have been shafted worse, (Karen, Kara, Kenan, Jon, A--actually let me stop before I end up naming everyone) but Steel's tenure has been just...so uneventful for so long. He deserves to be on the Justice League at some point, and honestly. I would be thrilled if Steelworks got a book. Can you imagine a world where Steel and Mr. Terrific got to be characters at the same time? I digress.

🌠: That's an either/or slash, so I will ignore it and make two points instead. :3

Canon: I hate that Clark and Lois can't be like. Just...fine, at being parents even. Not even good at it but just not horrible? I feel like I've been talking about disdain for children a lot recently (it's a hill I will die on), but...I just think it's shitty writing tbh. And I looked pretty closely at the more recent examples. And they just smack of wasted potential. The stories are never allowed to go anywhere, which is so odd considering Bruce gets a new child to kick down a flight of stairs every 8 or so years. I don't' understand why the symbol of hope and progress that Superman is supposed to be is eternally saddled with making only the worst choices he can about his kids. I think even the Magog stuff in World's Finest was kinda like...Clark really?

And this is not to say I think he and Lois should be perfect parents, but there's a lot of ways for parents to stumble and shockingly, they often have to do with preexisting personality traits. Apathy and stupidity color neither Clark Kent nor Lois Lane, so if you want them to mess up their children, maybe at the very least tie those problems into flaws they already have.

Or again, maybe just tell a nice coming of age story for once.

*Ahem*

Fanon: People don't read enough comics. And like...I'm not saying you have to read everything all the time, I cheat and skim and ask for summaries, but I mean more that the general cultural awareness of the content of Superman media is far below that of Batman media and because of that people don't pull from as much established stories as I wish they would, and as such tend to lean on other characters to support narratives that are supposed to be about Supers. Again that's not some kind of moral judgement, it's just a consequence of not being as familiar with the material and it happening often enough to kind of just become a thing. I do blame the publisher primarily for the way they've marketed a select few characters ad nauseam and somehow wonder why other books aren't doing so well. Batman is only so popular because of the long, decent and consistent history he has of pretty good media adaptations, and aggressive marketing. I feel like most generations have a moment where Batman was culturally a big deal, and that's not just a reflection on the fiction but on the money and attention given it to by its caretakers.

To me fanon is a theory that answers a question left open by the actual text. I think when people just...say things happened that didn't and are in direct conflict with what is written on the page, it's just ...fanfiction. Which I like, but it's explicitly not canon and I think that should be clear always.

And that does tie in to my first point actually, because the less you know about a character, the more you make up, and if you don't really get the bones of the original idea, then it's really easy to start projecting, and then you have popularized fan depictions consumed by people who only read fanfiction and suddenly there is earnest complaining about a canon that does not exist. Which just...makes it hard to communicate sometimes, and I don't have the patience always to drag out the scans every time I want to talk about my fave, but there's no real guarantee that anyone is knows has base concept anymore, you really have to check every time.

Don't be Grant Morrison. If you want to reference something specific, read the thing first. No one knows what Clark's reaction to Kon actually was and why it was what it was, and it's...well it's actually really funny to see discourse pop up about two characters where no one present knows what's going on, but also, like. Yikes.

[kafkaoftherubble]

HAAAHAHA!

Dude, my best friend texted me last week (which I haven't even replied her yet ahhahaha what is this life) about this exact Thai series and for the exact same reasons as you do:

Basically, "Sci-fi and Buddhism have come."

Nothing tells me what kind of reputation I enjoy more than the sort of things people tag and text me about, man. I have become a Buddhist Philosophy Dispenser-Yapper in the neighborhood!

I am definitely keeping an eye out for the series just for being a sci-fi telling of a society that isn't touched upon frequently just yet (I've seen plenty of UK, US, and Korean-based sci-fi socio-drama).

But... AHAHAH I AM SO JUMPING STRAIGHT TO THE BUDDHISM EPISODE BEFORE EVERYTHING ELSE AHAHAHHA!

----

Fine. There's a pretty big reason for it. It's not really because it's explicitly about Buddhism.

"AI as An Actor"

This is actually one of the topics Last Year Me and Last Last Year Me et al. had been interested in.

Last year, I remember reading an excerpt about training large language models (LLM, the type of AI that outputs sentences and paragraphs, i.e. ChatGPT) on Bible quotes, as well as teaching it through large data of commonly accepted history about Jesus and his personality, to basically re-create Jesus as accurately as possible to offer advice and support.

In other words: teaching AI to roleplay Jesus among other historical figures who might not be religious.

And yes, because this is Lyndis you're talking to, I did wonder about "bringing back the Buddha."

I asked a Catholic friend who happened to be in my vicinity while I was reading about it for her thoughts, and she was naturally rather apprehensive.

I think the mimicry of historical persons—especially those who are long past and can only be reconstructed through our best historical data—sounds instinctively bad for good reasons. History is incomplete and is written by parties with different agendas, sources, angles, and more. The most objective historical evidence is often artifacts, and yet even they are created from circumstantial subjectivity.

Just look at how many kinds of depictions of the Buddha from different periods and places! Bro's handsomeness is so diverse across depictions, in our times you'd think he's catfishing pictures with the search term "top knot, curly black hair, long eyelashes, blue eyes, [28 more characteristics]..."

He was allegedly handsome in his youth; I tend to believe this because if you're compassionate, that qualifies you as good-looking to me already. Also HEY, HANDSOME MONK TEACHES MORE PEOPLE (Shh I am definitely talking about Mxxx Dxx)! The blue eyes were described in one of the suttas, the Lakkhaṇa Sutta, in the Digha Nikaya though. Are you surprised?

Even the suttas' truthfulness in describing the Buddha can be reasonably questioned since we could never be able to go back then and verify it for ourselves. That's the same for all historical records no matter how much effort we put in, yea?

Who gets to choose which sutta, account, historical record, and interpretation to be a part of this AI Buddha/Jesus/Florence Nightingale/Lyndis roleplayer? Who gets to decide which piece of history is correct enough to be a part of the system?

Even scholars debate about certain points among themselves, and though consensus does form a lot of times, it rests on the notion that it is impermanent, and may very well be revised upon further excavation, evidence, and re-interpretation. It is necessarily a long, unsettled, alive process. But will these AIs' programmers and stakeholders care to reflect that in their programs?

If you say, "Well, you shouldn't actually see this AI version as the genuine article; it's just here to give you the best answers from compiling the sutta." Then... what makes it different from simply asking a monk, a learned Buddhist scholar, a Buddhist Philosophy professor, or a discussion with fellow Buddhists? Why do we need him?

That's not all. The Buddhist doctrine of anattā, "non-self", also states that there is no such thing as a permanent self. There is only a process we call a "person"—who changes all the time due to cause-and-effects from the interaction between the mental state/psychological conditions and the physical world/environmental conditions (the more Buddhist term for the "person" will be "the khandha;" while the term to describe these interactions will be "dependent co-arising/pratiyasammupada." I spelt it right... right?).

If you read all my diaries up till I was 14, your mimicry of me will be a static version of me who stopped growing by 14 years old. You can predict how I'd be by age 29, but your imitation of an aged-up me will be very different from the Actual Person Lyndis... because there was never an "essential self of Lyn" in those diary pages you used to predict who I'd become. There was no real Lyndis. Just a process named Lyndis.

So, how real is the AI actor gonna be, if its aggregate is formed from data of the past but not given the chance to interact and grow beyond that point?

As a Buddhist, how do you justify the recreation OR creation of a self through technology... when you understand that there is actually no self?

Maybe one will say, again, "Okay. Well, it's meant to be a facsimile. Not the real Buddha; not a real monk."

But if that's the case... If the AI version of the Buddha isn't meant to be seen as the real deal, then why do we need him?

---

If the AI version of the Buddha has its advantage, then what could they be?

For a philosophy/religion that lionizes practice and empiricism, can an AI Buddha—who does not and cannot practice the Noble Eightfold Path—be a sufficient teacher at all? And that's just me musing about Buddhism. I haven't even mentioned others like Socrates, Mengzi, Ibn Khaldun, Hume, etc.!

What do people who care about Buddhism etc. want from AI historical figure roleplayers? Is it akin to an interactive answering machine? All the boring text from the internet, but presented by an artificial actor?

Or are we looking for an AI who can simulate the thought processes of these figures such that we can ask them questions they never thought of in their time, so they can give us wisdom we aren't confident enough to reason out on our own?

The Buddha never gave his views on transgender rights! Time to ask AI Buddha to give me some dhamma, babe. Hey Buddha, are you actually aroace?

--

The point is, yes, one goddamn news excerpt and Lyndis started to think about all sorts of things—before even reading up on what other experts might have considered as well. I think my friend just left me on the couch and chilled with her newlywed husband in their room that day...

I'm sure there are even more exciting angles to explore on this topic. This is the fun of speculative fiction, after all! I love sci-fi!

I'm gonna drop you an ask stemming from this ramble because I'm curious about your thoughts too, but you probably don't wanna reblog this one because it will derail from the original post! Ahahhahaha!

.... Thank you for reading my ramble?

Sneak Peak of the Cutting-Edge Futuristic Netflix Thai Original ‘Tomorrow and I’

What happens when hyper-advanced technology collides with traditional Thai beliefs and customs? Discover the answers in Tomorrow and I, a four episode anthology series that takes viewers on a journey through a futuristic Thailand where technology has become an inescapable part of daily life.

The cast includes Pakorn Chatborrirak, Violette Wautier, Waruntorn Paonil, Treechada Hongsyok, Ray Macdonald, Timethai, Thongchai Thongkuntom, Aelm Thavornsiri, Pongsatorn Jongwilas, Chananticha Chaipa, and Wanichaya Pornpanarittichai.

This groundbreaking series is directed by Paween Purijitpanya a trailblazing filmmaker known for his genre-defying works such as Body, 4bia, and Phobia 2. Paween has also showcased his talents with the feel-good series Seven Something, the boundary-pushing film Ghost Lab, and his exceptional direction in the episode “Liberation” of Girl from Nowhere Season 2. In Tomorrow and I, Paween reimagines four everyday scenarios in intriguing ways, starting with…

Episode 1: Bringing your loved ones back from the dead. Imagine a future where innovation has reached its peak, testing the boundaries of life and death. In this world, the cycle of birth, death, and being reborn may become an everyday reality through the technology of cloning.

Episode 2: Welcome to a place where technology meets intimacy. Have you ever felt that your partner couldn't quite meet your desires, or felt uncertain because you're still new to relationships? What if there's a city where technology might provide the solution? Enter a world where intelligent sex robots are designed to cater to every emotional and physical need.

Episode 3: What if a Techno-Monk joined the Buddha and the Dharma in the Triple Gem, replacing the Sangha? Imagine AI continuing ancient teachings preserved and upheld for over 2,500 years, revolutionizing Buddhism. Could this challenge traditional faith, or signal the end of the monastic order?

Episode 4: And if an entire city were submerged underwater after years of relentless rainfall, how would humanity survive? Would people fall into despair as the waters rose, or would they have to rely on "octopuses," potentially the last hope for survival? When this moment arrives, everyone will face a crisis beyond our species' abilities.

Unveil the future in Tomorrow and I, the year-end series that will spark your imagination and challenge your perceptions of a world where technology seamlessly integrates into every facet of our lives. Coming soon, exclusively on Netflix.

[stayevildarling]

Wilhemina Venable x Reader- Sick

word count: 5.4k

warnings: mention of scoliosis, sickness, dizziness, angst + fluff

A/N: Hi everyone! I can't believe this is my first sick fic but I just had to do one with Wilhemina x Reader. If anyone would like to see some more, I might do a series of these with Cordelia or Ally or even Billie. (Let me know)

This is dedicated to a very special person I met on Tumblr- I hope you remember to take a break from time to time and look after yourself! ✨

Taglist:

@lunaticwhittaker , @mrsdeanhoward , @alexajbitar , @in-cordelias-coven , @kenzbro , @loverofallthingssarah , @twistedpoeticjustice , @billiebeanhoward , @minaslittleone , @lilypadscoven , @vintagepaulson , @ninaahs , @whitelotus00 , @httpfiftyshadesofgay

''If you decide to go into work, it's at your own risk, don't come running to me afterwards, if you don't feel well'' Wilhemina's harsh words ring through your ears as you stand by your desk, trying to focus on the tasks ahead. All you can feel, as your hand wanders to the table, desperately looking for some support to not lose balance, to not give your legs the power to stop supporting you and to fight your body from giving up and letting exhaustion win.

In reality, Wilhemina's words weren't supposed to come out as harsh and rushed as they did, her stern and cold tone and demeanor, only a defensive mechanism for the woman, trying to hide her true feelings that are buried deep within her soul. She meant to protect you, from yourself mostly but also the sickness and the flu that had come knocking about a week ago, but you being stubborn pushing it away as if it wasn't real or meaningful.

However, as you stand by your desk, trying hard not to lose balance, you realize that all along Wilhemina had been right and you should have listened. The times, she told you to stop working so much and doing over hours as your job demanded it, the times she told you that making her a bath or cooking dinner isn't necessary that day. The times she told you to take care of yourself and simply lie down but you wouldn't listen, always caring more about everyone else's wellbeing, especially the redheads than your own.

''Miss Y/L/N, have you finished your assigned task yet by chance?'' you hear the voice of your boss, as she enters and you wish she didn't, as her voice only adds to the throbbing pain in your head, causing your vision to blur and everything to feel even more unbearable than it already does.

With all the fight and strength left in you, you manage to turn around and grab the folder, handing it to her with shaky hands. You had always been good at hiding, either fighting battles of sickness or overwhelming thoughts, drowning in your own emotions deep down but remaining to keep a perfect facade and smile to the people on the outside, so they didn't understand and learn your true feelings as you see no reason to bother them with it. However, no matter how much you try and hide this and pretend that you aren't consumed by sickness fighting your body, it's very visible in your features.

Even though your boss is a very hectic person, always caring about performing well and getting work done as ''efficiently and quickly as possible'' as she repeats on a daily basis, even she manages to notice your fragile state. Your face, which is usually filled with light and warm smiles, doesn't just lack the genuine smile and warmth but also color as you are incredibly pale. She quickly connects the dots, noticing how your hand is gripping around the desk still and how your other hand is shaking uncontrollably.

''Miss Y/L/N, are you feeling alright?'' you hear her ask before your eyes feel heavier as the exhaustion is slowly creeping up on you and you have trouble concentrating on what is happening, as you feel more in a dream-like state. For a moment, everything seems to pause and you only snap out of it when you feel some weight pressing on your shoulders and someone forcing you to sit down on a chair they pulled closer.

Only as you force your eyes open, slightly confused and dumbfounded at what is happening,  you realize it's your boss making you sit down and walking to the other end of the room to get some water for you. ''Miss Y/L/N while I appreciate your determination, you should have called in sick this morning'' she explains, while handing you a glass of water with a compassionate smile but the concern visible in her features. ''I just wanted to-to finish the'' you start but stop midway as you feel sick at the pure sensation of water in your mouth, let alone swallowing it.

''I understand but you need some rest, that much is plain, need me to call someone for you?'' she asks but you instantly tense, knowing your girlfriend Wilhemina will definitely not be amused if she has to pick you up from work, after explicitly telling you not to go in the first place, this morning and last night. Not to mention, she is at her own workplace, having to deal with her own piles of work, her constant back pain, and two idiot bosses on top of it all.

''No I am ok- okay'' you manage to get the words out and force your best smile, knowing if you aren't going to be convincing enough, she might not let you leave without calling someone. ''Very well but you better not show your face here, until you are truly better'' she warns, with a little smile, knowing how determined you are, and while she appreciates your work attitude a lot, she knows you tend to overwork yourself and forgetting to take care of yourself in the process.

Taking a deep breath, you somehow manage to prop yourself up and grab your bag, taking slow but steady steps towards the exit and the bus stop. As you walk through the corridor, momentarily blinded by the bright lights flickering, you are well aware you shouldn't attempt to get on the bus, considering there is still a little walk back to yours and Wilhemina's apartment but you could never bother your girlfriend with this, not because she told you so in the first place but because you need to remain stable and alright.

As you walk through exit and towards the bus stop, you feel some droplets of rain on your skin and instantly shiver a little as the cold water only adds to the uncomfortable feeling. Focussing on your vision and the bus timetable as you actually don't know the times because you would usually never leave work after two hours, the dizziness momentarily passes a little as the thoughts become overwhelming. Waves of uncomfortable thoughts crash into your brain, with no way of stopping ''What if they will fire me, what if people will be disappointed in me, what if Wilhemina hates me?''.

You try your best to take deep breaths and push the thoughts away but the only thing usually helpful at keeping the storm and waves of emotions at bay, is the woman you are trying to hide this from. Usually, she could tell by how stressed or anxious you seem and without addressing it much, she will just pull you into her arms or let your exhausted body rest on her lap, the soft hums and stroking her fingers through your hair, stopping the thoughts momentarily.

''Are you getting on Miss?'' you hear a male unfamiliar voice, snapping you out of your thoughts and noticing that somehow the bus already arrived and you blink a few times, confused whether you just stood there for ages, unable to focus on anything in reality anymore or if it just happened to arrive so quickly. ''Miss?'' he tries again, his voice now showing a slight sign of impatience. Your mind automatically connects it with Wilhemina's impatience whenever you would just admire her, completely taken back by her beauty and features and the same agitation in her voice, as she would try to speak to you.

''Yes,'' you quickly say and get on the bus, showing your ticket like you would every morning. Finally collapsing onto the nearest seat you can find, leaning your head against the window and closing your eyes, you feel some of the exhaustion fade as you sit on a comfortable surface. Your thoughts wander back to Wilhemina and it suddenly dawns on you that you haven't even texted her your usual good morning text yet or checked-in how her work is going. A small part of you wants to avoid any confrontation with her today as you are still worried, she will be mad at you.

After all, maybe you could avoid all the questions and confrontation if you simply lied. Of course, you are fully aware it won't be easy to lie to your girlfriend, especially with her always being able to tell but you wonder if you could somehow pull it off. Pretending to still be at work and only got off work a bit earlier, not to worry her and not to argue, as she did tell you after all not to come running to her.

Deciding on actually messaging her and pulling your phone out of your bag, you realize it was a mistake as soon as the bright screen blinds your vision yet again. All you could see before your eyes force shut, is Wilhemina's name on your screen but you can't begin to read the messages as your fragile state isn't allowing you to do so. Deciding on dealing with that later, you rest your head against the window and zone out for a while, trying hard not to fall asleep on the bus and end up somewhere entirely opposite to your direction and final stop- home.

Part of you doesn't remember how you ended up in bed a while later, your brain too tired to remember the details of getting off the bus at the right stop and walking aimlessly for a few minutes before you found yourself in front of your shared apartment. Thankfully, along the way, your subconsciousness took over and guided your body home safely, as you were in no state to focus on much anymore, your body on autopilot mode.

As soon as your tired body finally comes into contact with your mattress, pulling the blanket closer to your face and snuggling up comfortably, you feel relieved, and before any more waves of overwhelming thoughts arrive, your body finally allows itself to rest and you fall into a deep slumber. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you remembered to set an alarm for in a few hours, making sure you would be awake for when Wilhemina would return, even in your sleepy and sick state, still keeping track of everything and keeping your perfect facade up.

However, whenever you try and protect everyone around you, considering every detail perfectly you tend to ignore yourself in the process and checking in on how you are feeling or how decisions might affect you. As a result, you didn't just take a small nap like intended, you fell asleep, sleeping off most of the fever and letting your tired body fight the illness. However, due to your state, you fail to wake up from the alarm or wake up to Wilhemina coming home from work, a little early as she couldn't reach you all day, not the usual lunchtime call or messages you would sent her, no matter how busy you are.

As soon as Wilhemina unlocks the door, discarding her small purple handbag on the table, she walks through the apartment in an effort to find you, her cane hitting the floor hard and with a heavy force, reflecting what she is feeling inside. Of course, she had known you haven't been feeling well and not only hiding it from her but also trying to push through like you usually would. The redhead didn't mean to lash out at you or use the harsh words she did in the end but your actions and behavior reminded the sometimes stern woman of her own behavior. Always ignoring her back pain and pushing through endless emails or documents on her desk, regretting it the same day or days later when the pain felt unbearable, and yet she still hid it from everyone.

She was trying to look out for you, the times she told you not to go in, take a break, and also when she said she wouldn't be there. Of course, she would, Wilhemina loves you and her love for you has been both the most confusing and strong thing she has ever felt for anyone. You had crashed into Wilhemina's life like a thunder, unexpected, and with heavy force, she had no idea the day you walked into her life, it would change everything. It didn't just change Wilhemina herself and being able to open up slowly, it also allowed her to feel emotions and understand them as something positive and not something you should try and hide or avoid at all costs. From day one you had brought out her soft side, allowing those walls to tumble down and letting the light and love into her life as her heart has been a dark and lonely place for long enough.

Her first stop is the kitchen, hoping deep down she wouldn't find you cooking in there, or the dining room with a meal prepared, as she wouldn't want you to overwork yourself even more after work. After not finding you there, she checks the bathroom but no sign of you either, only to finally be met with the bedroom in complete darkness. Slightly dumbfounded, she switches the light on, the lamp slowly filling the room with light and exposing your fragile, shivering body on the bed.

Wilhemina's heart almost breaks at the sight, seeing you in such discomfort and knowing at the same time it must be bad if you voluntarily went to bed early and skip the usual responsibilities that aren't actually your chores or Wilhemina expecting them of you but you thinking that regardless. She slowly approaches the bed, her cane hitting the floor very carefully and quiet now, sure to not wake you up in the process, as she wouldn't want to startle you or add to the discomfort you are in.

She finds you wrapped in a blanket, still wearing the clothes you had left in this morning and Wilhemina knows if you willingly did that, you must have felt awful when you returned home. Her hand wanders closer to your face, gently tucking at the blanket so she can take a look at your face. She gasps a little when she sees how pale you are, droplets of sweat on your forehead at the same time and her heart breaks at the sight, seeing her little one in this much pain and distress.

For a moment the redhead debates what to do as she has never been great at taking care of anyone or allowing people to take care of herself. As a child, she was often told not to exaggerate, that her back pain isn't that bad, that it doesn't need checking out from doctors and that she just has to deal with it. Eventually, she started to believe it and the emotional abuse she suffered in her young years, combined with the pain, made the redhead believe that she isn't worthy of affection or love or someone taking care of her. Even till this day, she barely allows you to help her out with her pains, not liking the fact anyone would show her the affection and tender care that was lacking in her younger years.

Gently, her hand reaches for your forehead, her rational thinking kicking in now to determine the state and severity of your illness. As soon as the back of her palm comes into contact with your forehead, she gasps, her facial expression changing from concerned and wishing she could just cure you right there, into worrying and shock. Her nostrils flare as she has no idea how you managed to get through the last hours and at the same time feeling angry, that you kept her in the dark and didn't call her. A small part of Wilhemina understands however, as she would have done the same thing, hide, keep the perfect smile and pretend like nothing is bothering her.

Wilhemina stands there for a moment, looking over your body exhausted from sickness, deciding on what to do, her rational side is telling her to take you to a doctor but there is no way she would trust them. The redhead woman had too many bad experiences before to trust them again, often mistreated with her back or prescripted the wrong medication and there is no way she would ever let her little one go through similar experiences. In the end, she decides on the only thing logical which is taking care of you herself, right at home. She balances on her cane again, trying to be quiet before walking into the kitchen to retrieve the necessary items.

The ruffling noises, mixed with cane tapping coming from the kitchen, as well as the cold unknown feeling on your forehead a little while ago, end up waking you up from your slumber, and instantly your body tenses up as you realize Wilhemina is home. In your slightly panicked state, overwhelmed with the thoughts on how to get out of this situation, ignoring the throbbing headache or the fact the room is spinning from the lack of food and water today, you once again fail to acknowledge what is right in front of you.

Right in front of you, stands Wilhemina, your girlfriend, a little tray in her hand, trying to balance it with the support of her cane and free hand, looking at you with a confused reaction, both about the fact you are awake and also the fact you are staring at the wall, not moving at all. ''Little one, you are awake'' she states, her voice sounding a little softer than usual. Instantly you snap out of it, panic once again rippling through your body as you fear her reaction, ignoring the fact she is standing in front of you with a little tray with water, soup, and medication.

Wilhemina notices you tensing, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling in her back that the carrying of the tray had caused her, she walks closer to the bed, putting the tray on the night table finally, before breathing out a moment as the uncomfortable feeling leaves her. She turns to you, her eyebrows furrowing again, the concern now very visible in her features, unable to hide it any longer and not caring about that, your wellbeing her main priority.

''Little one'' she states, her head tilting slightly and her eyes slowly locking with yours as you force yourself to take a look at your girlfriend. As soon as you take a look at the redhead, you feel partly relieved as there is no sign of anger visible but at the same time, you feel awful for the concern you had caused her, not to mention the back pain you must have caused her, considering her awkward posture, standing in front of you, still balancing both hands on her cane. Finally, as your eyes wander to the little tray, you feel like bursting into tears at the fact Wilhemina had done this for you, considering she must have just returned from work and you knowing how hard things like these are for her with her condition.

''Mina?'' your voice cracks not only from the feeling of knives in your throat as illness seems to have taken up most of your body but also tears building up, both guilty ones putting Wilhemina through the effort as well as sad ones that your walls are breaking down, right here in front of the woman you usually encourage to let her walls down and true emotions in.

''I'm here little one'' she whispers, her hand wandering to your cheek, cupping it gently and stroking it with the back of her palm. It doesn't take words to exchange what is on each other's mind, you feeling sorry for lying and pushing, realizing now that indeed your partner had been right from the start. And Wilhemina also feeling guilty for using such harsh words on you this morning and at the same time upset to see her girl in such distress and pain. As soon as you feel her palm on your cheek, some tears stream down your face as you try and contain the sobs and fight back the last few emotions and thoughts, keeping you from breaking right in front of her.

As soon as Wilhemina feels the tears falling, she catches them with her thumb, wiping them away gently before whispering ''Now don't cry sweet girl'' trying to hide her own emotions and the pain it brings her whenever seeing you upset. Whenever she would see you in any kind of distress or any negative emotion visible in your features it would cause her great pain, a different kind of feeling than her back could ever cause her, as her heart would ache, her only intention to make you smile again, especially in that dorky adorable way she loves and that causes for her heart to flutter, even though she wouldn't admit that to anyone, including you.

After wiping your tears, Wilhemina hands you some water and medication from the tray and you look at her with a slightly confused expression, as you haven't fully realized yet, it doesn't need words for Wilhemina to understand how awful you are feeling. ''Now take them little one, it will make you feel better'' she promises and without thinking twice you lead the tablets to your mouth, swallowing them with some water. The feeling of the cold liquid soothing your throat momentarily distracts you from the pain that you seem to feel all over your body. ''Good girl'' Wilhemina praises as you hand her the bottle, a little smirk rising on your features.

''Now I need you to eat this'' she demands, handing you the bowl of chicken noodle soup, that you usually love. You look at her with a slightly disgusted expression as the thought of food is only adding to the sick feeling in your stomach. ''I know but eat up for me, will you?'' she asks gently, not reminding you of the stern Wilhemina at all. All you can do in response is nod and take the bowl from her hands. ''I will be right back'' she explains, leaving you behind with your soup before walking out of the bedroom. For a moment you debate whether to just abandon the food again, as you genuinely don't feel like eating but there is no way you would let the woman you had fallen in love with, down a second time today.

You enjoy the silence for a moment, the only sounds to be heard, the spoon as it scoops up the liquid, feeling soothing in your throat but painful in your stomach at the same time. Shortly after the sound of a cane fills the room again and with each tap you somehow feel nervous, knowing the conversation was still to be held why you had lied to Wilhemina and not listened to her in the first place, only adding to the anxiety you feel. You see as the redhead walks in with a few towels and your favorite pajamas, that she would usually mock, too ''adorable'' for her liking, as you would usually put it.

''Have you had some?'' she asks and points at the soup and you simply nod while your eyes are begging her not to eat anymore. ''Fine, come on there is a bath waiting for you'' she informs you and you simply nod and slowly make your way out of bed. Midway to the bathroom, you realize how severe the nauseous feeling has been and you hold onto the wall to balance for a moment before you feel a hand on your back. ''I'm right by your side'' you hear Wilhemina's voice behind you and it sends a warm, comfortable fuzzy feeling through your body, reminding you that you aren't alone in this and that your girlfriend has got your back, literally.

You manage to find your way to the bathroom, with the support of Wilhemina's hand on your back and even though it takes you a while, you manage to sit in the bath and let the warm water soothe your skin and tired muscles. ''Do you think you will be okay in here for a bit?'' Wilhemina asks and you simply nod, feeling sleepy and relaxed at the same time. As your partner, walks back in the bedroom to prepare you for the night ahead and her own night which will probably result in no sleep and a lot of worrying over you, you sink a little further into the bath, confusing the bathtub with your own bed for a moment as you feel a little too comfortable.

''Little one are you-'' Wilhemina enters the bathroom, only to find you in the bath, asleep, your head resting on the purple little pillow she had bought a while ago and attached it to the bath. She frowns at the sight for a moment, before her features change as she realizes, this time she is going to have to wake you up, as there is no way her back condition will allow her to simply lift you out of the bath and carry you to bed, as much as she would like to do that. The usual strong woman fights some of her own tears back both at your state but also the painful reminder of her scoliosis.

Slowly you wake up, as you feel some water on your head and a hand washing out some shampoo, combined with a few muffled words that you can't quite understand yet, only just having woken up from your little slumber. ''Little one, wake up we have got to get you out of here'' you hear Mina's voice. You blink a few times, dumbfounded at the fact you are in the bath, not remembering much but feeling that your body is already feeling more relaxed than waking up earlier from your first slumber. ''Mina, what are you doing?'' you question as you realize she is bending awkwardly to wash your hair out and free it from the bubbles of shampoo. Quickly you sit up and free her from the uncomfortable position. ''Come on let's get you out'' she says and with all the strength you have left, you prop yourself up and exit the bath. Soon your skin comes into contact with a warm towel provided by Wilhemina.

You enjoy the feeling for a moment, before slowly getting changed into your pajamas and following your partner back to the bedroom. At this point, the medication has already freed you from most of your pain but your body still feels exhausted, so you quickly lie down in bed and pull the blanket closer, shivering slightly from the cool sensation of the air on your legs. Wilhemina returns to the bedroom, moments later in her purple nightgown, her hair falling loosely now and you admire your girlfriend for a moment, never quite able to believe how lucky you truly are and also always finding yourself taken back by her beauty, after years of being with each other.

The redhead approaches her side of the bed, book in hand as usual but for a change abandoning it on her night table, resting her cane in her usual spot, and carefully sitting down while leaning her back against the headboard of the bed. ''Come here'' she instructs, opening her arms and freeing her lap for you to rest your head in. Usually, she would do this after you had a long day at work, Wilhemina being able to tell instantly what an awful day you must have had and how it exhausted you both mentally and physically.

Reluctantly, you move your tired head onto her lap, still worried deep down about the conversation that is yet to be held and her true feelings about this. You had lied to her, hidden the truth from her and even though the redhead had often done the same, it felt different to you, like a betrayal. Your eyes close as soon as you feel her hands come into contact with your head, her fingers running through your hair gently and momentarily numbing the pain you are in. The smell of lavender sends you in a little dreamlike state as your partner just did a small evening routine instead of the usual, more bothered about making sure you are safe and feeling alright.

''Is that the hand cream?'' you mumble, starting to feel sleepy already as your whole body is ready to forget about today, the medication soothing your tired muscles and keeping your temperature at bay. ''It is little one'' Wilhemina whispers, smiling a little and relieved that you are still somewhat in a clear headspace as you remembered the lavender hand cream you had bought her before. She strokes your hair, untangling some knots gently with her fingertips as there was no time to brush your hair, the idea of the comfortable bed too convincing.

''Are you feeling alright, my darling?'' she asks, noticing how you are already on the verge of falling asleep. ''Hm Mh'' you mumble, as you slowly start falling asleep, despite trying to fight to stay awake to be in your partner's embrace and feel her safety and the warmth she radiates onto you, just a moment longer. She frowns, hating to see you pushing yourself so hard and her not being able to do anything about it, the state you are in now only the result of pushing yourself over the past few days.

''You need to stop being so hard on yourself and pushing'' she warns, knowing deep down you aren't fully aware of her words anymore as you fall into a slumber. ''I just want you to be safe and healthy'' she carries on, holding you in her arms, as if she was trying to shield you from the outside world and things that might be thrown across your way, including yourself. As soon as the redhead hears your little snores, she smiles a little, happy you are at least getting some more rest in her arms and at the same time glad, she is able to protect you now, knowing tomorrow is another day to come to have an actual conversation about this. She averts her gaze, and she is met with the mirror on the other side of the room, seeing you asleep on her lap and for a moment the woman, usually so hard on herself crumbles for a second as tears stream down her cheeks.

She remembers the moments in her younger years or even to this day, where she kept pushing and listening to her parents or the ugly voices in her head, telling her she isn't deserving to take breaks or look after herself. As she sees you safe and sound in her arms she can't help but feel gratitude, that you had walked into her life a while ago, knowing that you both have each other now. At this moment as she watches your tired body, chest rising and falling with each breath, she promises herself to never let you push this much again and to get you to take care of yourself, fully aware it won't be easy as she struggles with those things herself.

''Everything will be okay, I'm here little one you are safe'' she whispers, reassuring you again that you aren't alone in this and that she will be by your side. After watching you for a few seconds longer, she carefully reaches for her book, opening it and keeping herself occupied while she is determined to stay awake, not caring about sleep herself as she feels the need to stay with you and be there for you in case you wake up and need the redhead.

As she opens her book, now occupied by it, you are already asleep, your body slowly healing from today, both a mix of medication, rest but also the tender care, love, and affection Wilhemina has shown you since arriving back home and continues showing, as one of her hands is still rubbing soothing circles on your head, occasionally checking your forehead for a temperature.

[cazort]

Today I had a great conversation with some Republicans about the so-called Stop Sexualization of Children Act of 2022, which was authored by Mike Johnson, a US House rep from Louisiana. In case you haven't followed, this bill is hugely problematic, being a barrier to early sex education, codifying as law the transphobic and homophobic associations between LGBTQ people and "sexual" behaviors such as pornography and stripping, and barring very broadly any sort of mention of gender identity or sexuality or a bunch of related topics to children under the age of 10.

I was encouraged and positively surprised to meet an almost completely negative reaction to this bill when I brought it up. All of the Republicans agreed with me after I made my points! Not only did they all oppose this bill, one of them explicitly acknowledged and re-articulated back to me my points that it unnecessarily sexualized trans people, expressed that he saw it as an overreach of the federal government, unnecessarily meddling in education, and regulating speech, and he acknowledged and agreed with my points that it was going to make children more vulnerable to sexual abuse by discouraging the teaching of issues like consent and sexual assault and abuse.

What's the lesson or takeaway here?

If you want to stop this destructive legislation, don't just talk to people who already agree with you. Talk to Republicans, talk to people more conservative than yourself. Maybe don't seek out the most crazy, far-right ones, but like...you've gotta talk to some people who don't already agree with you about this stuff.

A lot of the legislation being pushed by Republican politicians is so extreme that even the people who vote for Republicans often wouldn't support it if they knew what was in the bill itself. And herein lies the key. You need to actually have the tough conversations where you do the work of explaining what is in the law, maybe showing them the text of the law itself (this is what I did) and explaining why it is problematic. Be respectful, encourage questions, and don't assume that people are going to disagree or give pushback. Don't insist that people agree with you about everything, and try to focus on points of common agreement. You may be surprised what you're able to accomplish with this approach, and you may learn something yourself in the process too!

[deanismysavior]

I think y’all are confusing headcanons for canon. CANON: Mike and Eleven are dating and are madly in love. He’s loved her since he first saw her in the woods. They have difficult moments like all couples do but they have been together since season 1. Will has a crush on Mike but knows it’s likely unrequited. He is sad. Mike can be awkward around will sometimes. He is a teenage boy.

HEADCANON: Mike Wheeler is actually madly in love with Will and repressing his homosexuality or whatever. I know this because I got drunk on kaypeace theories and theories from beepbobop and Hawkins school counselor or whatever. He doesn’t love El, he only kissed her because she looked like a boy. Don’t you see how he gazes into Will’s eyes?

Like. Guys. ‘cmon. I get wanting more queer rep (even though y’all already have Robin but whatever), but you can’t write essays and make up theories and then get upset when the show doesn’t follow the headcanon you literally made up. Mike and El are CANON. Mike and Will are a theory.

Watch the show.

Okay sure, let's entertain this frankly homophobic take for a minute.

1. Mike and El are not madly in love. Mike literally could not say it or write it after having dated El for over a year. The only time he's been able to say he loves El is when she's about to die, both in s3 and in s4. He loves El, for sure. He cares about her and doesn't want her to die. Is he in love with her though? Look at the context clues here.

2. That boy did NOT love her at first sight. Like we've said to death at this point, he literally wanted to send her away upon meeting her. This is a fact. This happened in the text of the show. This is not me stretching or manipulating the evidence. This is apparent in the story.

3. Yeah, El and Mike do have couple troubles, troubles that they have not come back from. That have not been sorted through. They keep lying to one another and none of that has really been resolved. Their trust is still shaky at best after the confession. Also not me stretching, since we explicitly see Will and Mike talking about how El hasn't really spoken to him about anything that's been going on with their relationship post-confession.

4. Yeah, Will has a crush on Mike. But why is it "most likely unrequited" just because we haven't seen Mike date another guy? It was the 80s. Homophobia was rampant and his parents are Republicans. They live in a conservative town. Of course if Mike's interested in men he's not going to be out and proud about it.

5. Okay, sure, maybe repressed gay Mike is a headcanon, but there's a lot of context clues that point to this being a strong possibility. What's not explicitly said in media can sometimes be more important than what is. If you've ever taken a film class, you know the importance of symbolism and imagery, tone, narrative dissonance, parallels, allusions, metaphors, etc. so treating this specific "headcanon" as if it's just us making stuff up is to not be taking a critical read of the information the show is giving us.

6. Robin is a great character. Nothing about my love for Will and Mike's dynamic changes or overshadows how I feel about Robin. But you can't seriously tell queer people that we should just be happy and satisfied with the only queer character to get a real relationship and a happy ending to be a side character.

7. Mike and El are canon, but why am I not allowed to be mad about perpetuating an unhealthy relationship dynamic and romanticizing that? Why am I not allowed to be mad if they used Will as a plot device and didn't follow through on the narrative they set up all season? Pretty sure anyone would get mad about poor writing and a poor ending to a t.v. show they liked. Why is it only somehow a problem when people are frustrated about something that is narratively hinted at and supported when it has to do with queer people?

Anyway, I'm not going to answer any more of these anons coming to me with the same tired takes. I've backed up all of my takes with plenty of evidence from the show's canon, and you can look at them all here.

Anyway, have fun watching the show. Argue with the wall.

[amaya-chwan]

Therapy Game Restart Discussion: Who is Onodera?

Hello everyone! Hope you are all well~ ❤️💛💜 I've had a headscratcher of an ask/message regarding Onodera, so I figured I'll make it into one big post!

Before I begin this Q&A/discussion post (feel free to comment below if you have any thoughts), I have looked through past chapters to gather the information I will put into this post to support my predictions. Not all chapters are readily available for everyone at the moment as only one volume of TGR is out right now, so I shall put the chapter numbers for your future reference! ⚠️ Also, just a note! These opinions are my personal thoughts, conjectures, and opinions, so please don't think I am saying one idea or speculation is wrong--this is just how I see it, and of course I could very well be wrong! And I also am not fluent in Japanese, so I may have some translation errors!

⚠️ Also, a warning, this will be a long post! Keep reading if you're interested and please let me know your own thoughts!

First, in an earlier ask, I was directed to a translation group that said Onodera is a man. With the help of Google and Google Translate (because I don't understand/speak Spanish), I found that post (dated April this year) and the origin of the picture they used in that post. The image is from Hinohara-sensei's 13th August 2020 tweet here and is also below for reference:

Now, all I can remember from first seeing that image is "Woow, so pretty! A female character? A love rival? A threat? OH it's the infamous director they're all talking about???"

This image was released around the time chapter 8 was released, i.e. the first chapter we see Onodera in full.

Looking at the image again, I can see how Onodera could be seen as a female or a male. Onodera has long hair, yet no visible breasts. There is no evidence of an Adam's apple, but that could just be because of the turtleneck as part of their outfit. Furthermore, in chapter 13, we see a view of Onodera from behind. There are no "womanly curves" visible in this view of Onodera.

After searching some Japanese blogs, some fans also had the same thoughts: no breasts = possible male, the shape of the face etc. Here are the blogs I found: [1] [2] [3] but most of these are from around chapter 8.

Just about the breast argument: there are a lot of different shapes for breasts. I learnt that when working at a department store selling bras during university. It is possible that Onodera is really flat chested or just has very little breast tissue. Not sure if that's getting too technical now, ahah, but what I want to say is that the lack of breasts isn't a definite yes to Onodera being a man.

Hinohara-sensei also has not explicitly stated throughout TGR so far (ch1-13) that Onodera is male or female.

From chapters 8-12, Onodera is always referred to as 院長 (director) by Shizuma and the nurses at the clinic. No gender-specific pronouns have been used in the story nor by any characters to refer to Onodera when speaking so far (that I have read). So confirming Onodera's gender is just misleading at the present moment.

We do find out in chapter 9 that Onodera's first name is 昌 akira. Akira is a gender neutral name in Japan. It is often given to males, but it is not uncommon for females to have this name. Which, I think, is genius on Sensei's part. It leaves us all thinking!

Q: So Amaya-chwan, what do you think Onodera's gender is?

Just for me as I've been reading TGR the past 1.5 years, I see Onodera as a woman as I have been "encouraged" to see Onodera as one by the little subtleties in the story, and Minato sees Onodera as a female, so I probably am viewing Onodera in Minato's POV.

(Please keep reading on for more insights and answers to questions! Really, this post is long! 😅)

In chapter 9, Onodera's older brother, who is also Shizuma's university professor (and his last name is not Onodera), makes small talk with Shizuma regarding the staff at his placement:

Shizuma's professor says: By the way, Shizuma-kun, how've you been!? You haven't been bullied, have you!? // The female team here is scary, right~ You know, Nakajou-kun and I were in the same grade...

So here, I'm made to think Onodera's clinic is pretty much all female, including Onodera too.

Fun fact: His professor uses the suffix -kun for Nakajou-sensei, yet Nakajou-sensei is a female and -kun is commonly used for males these days. But, it is also used for females in very specific situations. I'm not too sure what the situations are, but I have heard them used for females before.

In the same chapter (9), while Shizuma is changing out of his scrubs in the men's locker (?) room, Onodera walks in. He is slightly flustered, and kindly reminds her that she's walked into the men's locker room. Her reaction is "Huh? Ahh..." So here, again, I am made to believe Onodera is female.

While no gender-specific pronouns have been used to address Onodera, Minato and Itsuki have referred to Onodera as a female in chapter 13.

The kanji for "female/woman" is 女. In these two images, Minato refers to Onodera as 上司の女 female superior, and from Minato's story, Itsuki hence calls her 職場の女の人 female from (Shizuma's) workplace. This is the only time Onodera has been referred to as a female.

⚠️ Just a note going forward in this discussion, I will now call Onodera "she/her" as that is what I believe Onodera's gender is at the present moment!

Now, I did get a second ask from an Anon! Here they are below with my responses:

This one is about what's behind Onodera. I think she's a pretty interesting character. I actually think she's a trans woman or a non-binary trans woman. Sensei has been dropping so many hints to that... The name her brother calls her might be her dead name. He complains about her hair and what their father would say. She's designed to have flat breasts, perhaps she's not under hormone therapy, perhaps her "trips" and "days off" have something to do with reassignment surgeries...

She most definitely is an interesting character. I wouldn't say Onodera being transgender is out of the realm of possibility because the story is still ongoing. But regarding her name, I don't know if I'd call it a dead name since it is gender neutral already. Perhaps the kanji for a male Akira name would be different to a female one though?

About the hair comment (ch10), I just thought it was unruly? I honestly didn't think too much of it! What I will add is that the kanji for hair (髪) is used, but the reading is あたま head. Not sure why just yet, so I'll just leave that here as some extra information for the moment.

Not sure what I really think about a) her flat-chestedness and b) her insanely long business trips yet! I figured a) might be a character design, and b) she really is a top-notch veterinarian so she's probably in high demand. But I could be completely off the mark!

Also, I don't know where to add this random bit in from the story, but in chapter 12, we find out that Onodera has been calling one of the staff the wrong name for more than 10 years now. Not sure if this new piece of info affects anything?

But again, that is a very interesting prediction/thought you have about Onodera, and I wouldn't say it's not possible!

She's kind of a female Minato, psychologicallly and in appearance, which brings some challenges. And one more thing that I think hints to that: "I'll make it so your body can never be satisfied by any woman", Minato says to Shizuma. As the last chapter leaves it at that, we don't know exactly what he is talking about. [spoiler?] I haven't seen the Japanese text yet to be sure if he's clear about topping Shizuma.

That was exactly my thought when she was first introduced! That's part of the reason why I think Minato sees her as a threat, especially when he saw her for the first time and was told she is a 美人beautiful person (both in chapter 12). She and Minato definitely share some characteristics, but I find she's a bit more socially-awkward than Minato given her background (Chapter 9 & 10).

For the dialogue, the Japanese lines and the most literal translations I can give are:

今から　静真くんを抱く From now, (I'll) hold/embrace you, Shizuma-kun.

どんな女に出会っても　絶対満足できない体にしてあげる No matter the women you encounter, I will make it so your body definitely cannot be satisfied (by any of them).

Hopefully we'll find out what Minato means by that exactly in the next chapter, which I hope comes to me this week!

But if that's what he's talking about, it's 1. poor Minato being transphobic (besides being biphobic towards his own boyfriend)* 2. poor Minato probably foreshadowing his own fall. If Onodera happens to be a woman with a d**k, she can do whatever Minato thinks a cis man only can do. That's not what will make Shizuma stay by his side. Shizuma will stay by his side because he loves Minato. And that's that. Debunks biphobic myths, debunks transphobic myths. *He's not a bad person, he's got issues

Okay, this is probably as straight-forward as I can say this, but I just want to say that I don't know enough about the issues faced by the LGBTQI+ community. My friends have kindly answered all my questions so far as I don't want to be ignorant or rude when learning more about my friends and the community. I don't want to give off the air that I'm assuming anything since I don't want any misunderstandings. And I am fully aware that I need to educate myself more regarding this!

So about Minato, I'm not completely sure what you mean by number 2. But he definitely has his share of trauma, insecurities, and fears regarding his relationship with Shizuma. Having Onodera as a threat in this story really helps drive Minato's growth. The story is titled Therapy Game Restart, so what I gather from the title is that Minato is going to face another fear/insecurity he has, something deeply-rooted in him, and it's going to get really heavy and complicated, but he will eventually get through it and it will help him heal and grow as a character, and hopefully strengthen his faith in his relationship with Shizuma.

So far, I believe this "fear" is carrying on from +Play More, that Shizuma can be whisked away by a female at any moment.

But yes, Minato has to realise for himself that his and Shizuma's love, relationship, and bond is strong enough for him to not worry about Shizuma leaving him so abruptly. He has to learn to trust in Shizuma more, and TGR is slowly revealing that, especially in chapter 13.

I'll stop here. I have already written long analyses on this series and I think about making them public at some point. But it would be nice to hear from you! Maybe I'm completely wrong in my interpretations! I'm really sorry for being so annoying and maybe using inappropriate language. I really didn't mean to bother you. But I never see anyone making these points. I just want to know if I'm thinking unreasonably...

I love reading different analyses, opinions, story predictions, the whole lot!! So please feel free to ask me or post your own ideas. It's always a welcome thing for me to discuss stories and learn new things! Don't be sorry that you're being a bother or annoying, because it's not a bother at all!

We're all allowed to have our own ideas and opinions about stories, and these ideas will change once something is canon in the story, and ultimately is something we will have to accept too.

So yeah, just my two cents. Thank you for being so patient with my response, dear Anon!

To anyone reading at this point, thank you for reading this far! ❤️💛💜

I shall see you in our next set of takeaways~ As always, stay safe and take care of yourselves and your loved ones! 💜

(2021-05-17: Speedy proofreading is done ahah! And yes, my brain is still so full of 山河令/Word of Honor right now, so I have been VERY distracted! Highly recommend this drama, guys! It's up for free on the official Youku Youtube page! Totally not an endorsement, but I love this drama! AHHHHH!! Gong Jun [Simon] be living on my mind rent free~)

[dontasktheradiodemon]

Hey Mister Alastor, been listening to your broadcast tonight concerning the custody battle and let me tell you, having been a contracts lawyer for years when I was living? You got it right. Words in contracts, unless they're explicitly defined otherwise within the text of the contract itself, are usually interpreted according to what we in the biz call their plain meaning. 'Firstborn' has a plain meaning that'd clearly encompass a child born after the father's death, as you've already argued very well. Oh, I haven't seen anybody raise this counterargument yet so I'll share it with you so you can knock it down if anybody tries it. Somebody might argue that 'oooh, trading your kid to a demon is illegal and contracts to do illegal acts aren't binding.' Trouble with that is, the first part of that sentence isn't true. There's plenty of ways to buy and sell kids that are perfectly legal--adoption, getting paid to be an egg or sperm donor, etc. The States for example haven't tried to outright ban baby-selling since some proposed bill failed in 1955, because it'd ban all these nice arrangements along with the shitty ones! Selling your kid can be on the up and up, so trading it to a demon? Well, so long as the demon kept their end of the bargain, that contract's legal and binding! Sorry kiddo, daddy made a big mistake and you have to deal with it!

🎶 HA! Contract lawyer backed me up!

🎶 It might be illegal in most Earth jurisdictions, but there are very few situations where mortal law trumps infernal law, so that's not much of a concern to begin with—but I appreciate the added support!

[hattytheyee]

So Dream shared his boundaries in his discord but since the color is flashy and the font is minecraft font some couldn't read it so I transcripted it I guess :D

Dream's Boundaries: (Made by Dream)

My content:

-I do not mind people using my content as long as it is changed in a way to make it unique! I encourage reactions, compilations, animations, and anything else other than reuploaded.

-I do not mind translation channels uploading translated versions of my content whether through text or audio as long as it is not English or a language that I already have translation options for. AS LONG AS they are uploaded at least 10 days after my original upload! They must be fully translated though, and have accurate translations FROM SOMEONE THAT SPEAKS THE LANGUAGE! Original video must be credited in the intro strongly.

-I do not mind this content being monetized at all! The music I use is licensable and as long as I am credited in the first two lines of the description!

Harassment:

-I do not tolerate any form of harassment. Harassment includes lots of things but the most obvious examples are death threats, doxing, spamming negative things, replying for the sake of sending hate to someone and I'm sure a lot more.

Saying things like "die" , "hope they die" , and other serious things towards someone you dislike even in a "joking way" is still constituted as harassment. Remember, even though you're the one person if there's hundreds of others hate is amplified.

-if you do not like someone on Twitter, there is a block button for a reason! We can have a much nicer and welcoming community if people chose to use it and avoid the people they dislike or disagree with rather than engaging with them in harmful ways.

-I don't care what someone has done, they never deserve to be doxed or death threatened. Using the excuse that someone has said or done ___ as an excuse for extreme harassment is not acceptable.

Shipping:

-I personally do not mind shipping with me and my friends as long as they also do not mind as well.

-I do not tolerate shipping of people that have not said explicitly that they do not mind it. I also do not tolerate shipping of minors under any circumstance. Minors means under 18 regardless of location.

-George and I are not dating and have no plans to, but we do not mind shipping as we are comfortable with that fact and have always made jokes even before YouTube. No one should really care if we don't.

Racism:

-I do not tolerate any form of racism, or hate based on someone's ideology, race, or ethnic background. At the end of the day, we all come from the same place.

-People, even myself, can make mistakes and say or do things that could be harmful to people from other cultures. It's important to learn from these situations so we can be better as a community in the future!

-With the internet we are in a unique place where we can easily hear from groups that would previously go unheard. Make sure to be mindful and try to listen to people. Something that you may not think is harmful at all could be harmful and it's important to do your best to listen and learn.

-Slurs, or personal attacks based on race/ethnic background/Odeon are never okay and will not be tolerated. This includes harmful jokes, so be mindful of how your words could impact others.

Fanart:

-I love fanart and encourage people to express themselves artistically! This includes through all forms of artistic avenues.

-I do not tolerate NSFW or NSFW implied art in any form of minors or people that haven't explicitly said that they don't really care.

-I do not tolerate gore art in any form unless it is of a fictional character. (aka dsmp)

-I personally don't mind NSFW art, but just know that I find it funny so I'll be silently laughing and cringing at it. If you don't mind this, so be it it does not bother me haha

-I don't mind artists selling their art with interpretations of me/my character in them, as long as it is their own interpretations.

-Saying strong NSFW things in donations, replies, or elsewhere where minors can see is Wrexham as lots of people who wouldn't want to hear/see that could see. Be mindful.

-Overall feel free to express yourself artistically as I think fanartists are the backbone to this community and I love how artistic the community is.

Other:

-Digging into content creators personal lives or pasta is not cool. Especially personal lives

-Spamming people especially creators in replies to address something accomplishes nothing and makes it feel forced if they do end up addressing it. Let people do things on their own time, and if they don't do something that you want them to, simply don't watch them or support them. Don't harass them or their fans, harassment isn't cool even if you think someone "deserves it".

-Do not speak for me on boundaries other than the ones on this list or ones I have clarified in the past! Feel free to make this list more pleasing (artists cough.) if you would like to.

-Do not get mad if I am not in something you were hoping I would be, AKA MCC, videos, streams, or other events that you thought I might appear in. Usually people put in lots of effort for these things and that can overshadow it.

I encourage the blocking of anyone knowingly violating these boundaries. Educate people first. I WILL personally be blocking anyone **knowingly** violating these boundaries of mine.

[traumacatholic]

I believe I have OSDD-1b, and for some reason this leads me to wrongly think God won't love me. I know it's Satan trying to attack me, but I don't know how to fight back. Is there any resources out there about living a good, Christian life with DID/OSDD? Thank you and God bless.

Unfortunately, I'm not too sure! DID/OSDD is already lacking in a lot of resources and understanding unfortunately, and this tends to be even more prevalent in religious communities.

I would perhaps recommend looking into stories of Christians suffering from mental health disorders such as scrupulosity, OCD, and intrusive thoughts. While they might not help with all, or even most, of your symptoms they do tend to give really good advice about building a meaningful relationship with God whilst suffering from mental health issues. Likewise any resource around PTSD, or any mental health disorder would likely also help.

Even if people don't have explicitly the same disorder as you, a lot of symptoms can appear in different kinds of conditions. But even if they don't necessarily, sometimes just the things they draw upon can be really helpful. I think it's also worth noting that seeking medical treatment is very important. I'm not a medical advisor, I'm just someone that suffers from a variety of disorders myself. They will be much better equipped to provide you with coping mechanisms, therapy, medication, etc to help improve your symptoms.

This isn't really a thing where I am, but depending on your location you can often find therapists that are also faith based. Like with any therapist I would exercise caution in approaching them and seeing their suitability, but this might be a way to meaningfully talk about you faith and your symptoms. Although any good therapist would allow you this platform to talk about your faith and your struggles, but they might be less equipped to provide you theologically sound information.

I would also recommend trying to speak to your Priest about this, and looking into getting a spiritual director. If you can talk openly with someone in your religious community about your symptoms, then even if they don't understand the disorder itself, they can still help you make meaningful changes in your spiritual life. It's important to note that they can't be used in the same way as a therapist can, they're definitely not a substitute for a therapist.

Some resources I found:

- https://www.thefaceofmercy.org/blog/dear-church-from-a-catholic-with-ocd

- https://liberomagazine.com/mentalhealth/confessions-ocd-catholic/

- https://borderlinecatholic.wordpress.com/2016/11/20/thoughts-and-musings-on-intrusive-thoughts/

- https://catholiccharitiescamden.org/resources/mentalhealth/ (this talks about different treatment options, as well as gives an idea of different disorders)

- https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/

Unfortunately I haven't really engaged with many resources on the topic, most of the things I have to share are from my own lived experiences, and my own trials and errors (or experiences with the mental health services in my area). I would personally recommend looking into mental health and catholic support services in your local area, as they can combine providing you resources with getting you in contact with support teams. Some of these can just be phone lines that you can text or call, and others can be private (often free) therapy services you can get in touch with.

My personal recommendations would be to stay away from any resource that talks about praying your mental health disorder away, or anything that says that mental health is sign of a sin etc. As much as self care can often be belittled for not completely curing you, finding ways to practice self care can help. Likewise, try and reach out to different groups for support.

[takamakisu]

『♥🖤Akira X Ann: Why I Support It.🖤♥』

In honor of the upcoming ShuAnn week, I have decided to contribute by writing a long post about why I love these dorks so much. I haven't seen a meta for them yet, so I figured I'd try my hand at it. (Which will be updated and expanded as I find more content) Without further ado, let us begin! Tagging the wonderful @shuann-week for this one.

1. The first encounter.

In media, the first interaction that two characters have with one another, regardless of relationship; lays the groundwork for said relationship and therefore is absolutely vital. When Akira first meets Ann, he's casually texting away on his phone and not really paying attention to much, but when she walks by he looks up. Already his curiosity is piqued, as is the player's; and then when she removes her hood, even then we don't get to see her face. But we DO see Akira's reaction, and he seems absolutely dumbstruck.

This is when things get interesting. Ann takes a few moments and sort of surveys her surroundings, and then she senses Akira's eyes and turns to him. And he doesn't look away, or get flustered; Akira keeps looking at her with that flabbergasted expression. He doesn't even blink. He is so taken aback by her he can't even greet her, and Ann just smiles at him and looks away- but even then, he doesn't break his gaze, and he never does until she actually leaves: Ann leaves him absolutely spellbound. And the music that plays during this encounter is exclusive to this encounter and this encounter alone. It never plays before this scene, nor does it ever play again after. There are heavy romantic undertones in this encounter, from the body language to the background music, and only Ann receives this treatment. It screams "attraction at first sight", and now with the groundwork laid, the relationship can begin to blossom.

 This is very important. Even before we get to see Ann's face, we already know from Akira's viewpoint that she must be pretty, at least in his eyes. And when we finally do get to see her face, she is indeed beautiful.

2. Her closeness to him.

First off, she's with you from essentially the beginning of the game, so you get a lot of time to get to know her and become closer to her. Ann is the third member to join your party and the first female member and therefore the first available romance option as well! (That's pretty big.) She's also your classmate, so you get to see her literally every day and there's a sense of familiarity that is built on from the beginning. 

Ann was the first to see Akira for who he truly was, and she looked past the rumors of him and got to know him for herself. Because she understands being an outsider and being mistreated, there's a level of understanding Ann has with you that the other girls simply do not. That's not to say they're bad, but Ann just connects better with the protagonist on that level. Let it also be remembered that before she met Akira, and by association the rest of the Phantom Thieves; Ann didn't have any friends, besides Shiho. Due to being a foreigner (and a very pretty one, at that) and the rumors surrounding her with Kamoshida, no one talks to her. While having a two-parent household, they are rarely home; and so Ann's lonely as well as bullied. Akira saving her from Kamoshida and then giving his genuine friendship then allows her to open up and be vulnerable to other people and that's very healthy. 

Another interesting interaction is during the Kamoshida arc, Makoto will ask you in essence what's the relationship between you and Ann, if there's something between you. If you say "there's nothing", her reply is "Didn't seem that way yesterday" and if you tell her you're classmates she'll say "But do friends get that close?"

3. How she falls for him.

For these reasons, I support these two. Lemme know in the comments what won you over to this pairing and any other moments that get your heart warm and fuzzy! 

In addition, Ann gets an on-screen kiss with the protagonist; a luxury only two other Persona girls have received (from 3-5, Maki kisses Naoya in P1): Margaret and Marie from Persona 4. The fact that Ann gets an explicit kiss (and possibly an implicit one as well because in Rank 9 her reaction to Joker hugging her hints he MIGHT have kissed her too) screams that while she's not 'canon' (nobody is) it sure does seem Atlus is sneakily pushing her towards Joker. They even match costumes in the dancing games! Oh yes, and Ann doesn't go home on Valentine's Day + Sojiro literally just "ayyyy" when she walks in- XD

Her Confidant has the protagonist and Ann getting closer as friends and also helping Shiho recover and you get to be a part of a few of Ann's interpersonal relationships. Shiho, as stated before, was Ann's closest and only friend before she met the player; and so earning her trust and helping her heal is significant. Suzui also hints to the player Ann seems to be attracted to them, talking about how her best friend talks highly of you and then the blonde gets flustered.

Her confession shot me through the heart. With Ann you don't have to increase your Knowledge or your Guts; just Kindness. To her, it doesn't matter if you get the best grades in the class or how brave you are, she just wants a friend who'll be there for her when she needs them, and that's what Ann falls for in the protagonist: his genuineness and his willingness to stick by her side. She falls in love with you for who you are and it feels the most natural and realistic. Something that's also very interesting about Ann's rank 9 event in Japanese is instead of saying “I guess we’re more than friends now...” she actually says, “I just realized it,” referring to her feelings for him (when she said “I love you”) in the original dialogue. And this is so so important. This hints at a love that developed slowly over a friendship and Ann wasn't even really aware it was there at first, until the only friend she'd had moved away and she felt alone and abandoned again. Akira being her pillar in that moment was the paradigm shift from platonic feelings to romantic ones and that is absolutely beautiful. But she ALREADY loved him, did you catch it? She just realized and became aware of it in that situation. Ann's been in love with the protagonist for who knows how long before she even confesses. And at the end of her confidant she calls you her light.. that just speaks volumes to me. The protagonist basically saved her, and because of that she wants to become stronger and encourage other people as well. It's beautiful. 

5. Other characters reactions to them.

There's a specific scene where the protagonist is in the bathhouse with Ryuji and Yusuke, and Ryuji will ask you what you think of Ann. If you admit you think she's pretty, he gets extremely excited ("Ooh, you straight up said it!")

Another very interesting thing that's different in the original language is when Akira gets home from interrogation. In English, Ann just chirps "Hey there!" No big deal, right? But in Japanese, she says, “okaeri”, which means “welcome home”. This greeting is said amongst family or couples in Japan, hinting a deeper level of closeness than the translation. 

(It's also something of note that when Ann got locked out of her room in Hawaii she went to Akira's room first. )

Additionally, after the school festival; Ann will talk to you about how she thinks about your future together! And if you tell her in another instance that you'd like to get married, she gets extremely excited whereas some of the other romance options become all flustered and blushy; a cute and interesting contrast.

A Mementos conversation also has Ann absentmindedly talking about how coffee goes well with sweets, to which Ryuji immediately replies 'Joker always smells like coffee, doesn't he?'

Now, I may be looking too deeply into this, but this could possibly be Ryuji "hint hint-ing" he thinks Akira and Ann are a good pair for each other. Ryuji also flat out refuses to date Ann during a scene in the gym when she offers to let him take her out. I don't know about you, but if I had a crush on somebody and they offered to let me go out with them, I don't think I'd turn it down as quickly and explicitly as Ryuji did (He tells her 'hell no, quit acting like you're some sexy anime character'). Personally I think Ryuji supports Ann with Akira and so he tries to gently nudge her over like "Okay, this guy? He's a good fit for you." Sakamoto's a great friend for Ann but I personally believe he's better as just that: a friend. 

4.  Their personalities blend well.

Ann's bubbly personality contrasts wonderfully with the protagonist's more introverted, reserved side. They're sort of like Robin and Starfire, just to less extremes. Ann is very pleasant and tender and she's got a big heart and it shows; consistently. She's a great friend to Ryuji and Shiho and big sister to Futaba, while at the same time tolerating nonsense from absolutely no one, regardless of status. I now want to cast attention to Meyer-Brigg's personality types. These are headcanons, but after analyzing Akira and Ann's characters Joker seems to be an ISTJ, while Panther is an ENFP. These are abbreviations for Introversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging (ISTJ) and Extroversion, Intuition, Feeling, Percieving (ENFP) respectfully. Ann, at her core; is the heart of the Phantom Thieves honestly. She is very sensitive to others' emotions and feelings, and very emotionally intelligent. Being an extrovert, Ann also needs interaction and validation from other people: it energizes her and fufills her. And, in return she's a caregiver; Ann wants to support others and help them become stronger. She's a wonderful sister figure and just a comforter in general, and very amiable and chirpy. Contrast that with Akira, who makes decisions based on facts and logic rather than feelings and intuition (although in the Metaverse he seems to throw caution to the wind, quite frankly) and analyzes situations from a logical rather than emotional angle; (and there are exceptions to this like helping the woman Shido was assaulting and chasing Ann down to talk to her) and they seem on completely opposite ends of the spectrum. However, their differing personalities balance one another. While Akira keeps Ann grounded logically, she keeps him grounded emotionally and the bounce off is extremely healthy. 

In Yusuke's Confidant, saying Ann is the definition of beauty nets the most points. 

Atlus seems to like putting these two together as well, from giving them matching songs and outfits in the dancing games to putting them together in advertisements. It's pretty cute and though it's subtle, it's a nice little nod. 

[scarletteflamerald]

All right so I feel like I should clarify that I'm not saying your interpretation is wrong, just that I disagree with it. That's one of my favorite things about literature, actually, that we can all read the same words and come away with such different impressions, yet none of them are exactly right or wrong.

That being said, just because we haven't seen Annabeth explicitly say that she dislikes makeup doesn't mean she hasn't indicated it in any way, shape, or form. But the way I see this scene is heavily shaped by own experiences, right? Like the one time I came to school wearing this bright pink blouse and all my friends thought it was weird. I'd probably never specifically said anything about disliking pink, and this was in high school, when I was already much more comfortable expressing my femininity, but it still struck them as being out of character for me. So of course it makes sense to me that Percy would react this way, even if Annabeth's never directly stated her feelings on the subject.

And yeah, the assumption that Annabeth generally wouldn't like makeup is just that—an assumption. But I looked up the scene in the book, and there's nothing that explicitly says she feels confident or likes the way she looks, so the idea that she does like wearing makeup is your assumption. I'm sure both of us could pull evidence from the text to support our own interpretations, but that's kind of a different discussion.

As far as the idea that "it's definitely in Percy's narration because that's what we see Annabeth through"—well, yeah, but by that definition, literally anything in the books is Percy's narration because, y'know, he's the narrator. But while that narration is the lens through which we view the story, there's still a difference between the lens and what's on the other side of it. You're totally entitled to have a problem with that lens, but it's silly to say that just because we see everything through a lens, any problem with what we see must be a problem with the lens.

Also, please don't try to tell me about the circumstances of my own childhood. It's pretty condescending and I don't appreciate it. Besides, I doubt that Annabeth's younger years were exactly misogyny-free, and I'd argue that our upbringings were actually quite similar in a lot of ways. I was fairly isolated as a kid, so like Annabeth, my exposure to normal American society was mostly through other kids. My family got rid of our television when I was like 5, my parents were always pretty strict about internet access, and I was a voracious reader, so my childhood media consumption was pretty much limited to books, and probably a lot of the same ones that Annabeth would have been reading at that age. Trust me, there is a reason I've always identified so heavily with Annabeth, and it goes a lot deeper than "we're both nerds."

Oh, and my whole "ew, makeup" thing wasn't even something I absorbed from the media I consumed. I don't think I ever saw makeup portrayed as bad, necessarily, only feminine, so it was mainly a knee-jerk reaction against societal pressure to be "normal" and "feminine" with a side of my mom trying so hard to make sure I didn't feel pressured to wear makeup that I ended up a little too far in the other direction.

I’m sorry, but the way Percy narrates Annabeth showing any kind of feminity tells me all I need to know about the inherent misogyny Rick has. Like, just look at this passage:

“Worst of all, she was wearing makeup, which I never thought Annabeth would be caught dead in ... [There] was ... something totally wrong about it. It just wasn't Annabeth.”

Annabeth is comfortable. She had no issues coming into this room all dressed up where she assumed Percy would be. She’s confident in herself and the way she looks. Obviously, when she’s on a quest, her first thought isn’t going to be, “does my hair look good?” or “are my clothes cute?” because priorities. But, literally all through out the series, whenever Annabeth is relatively safe, she’s shown to indulge in her femininity. So why in the hell is Percy out here talking about it? What is the problem, sir? (It’s Rick being misogynistic).