#they're not incapable they're very strong and powerful and incredible

[sparkles-rule-4eva]

I love when older characters actually refer to them as KIDS

BECAUSE THEY ARE KIDS AND IT'S NOT EMPHASIZED ENOUGH IN THE MAINLINE 👏

[hylianassassin]

A Hot Take on Gerudo Survival Skills

I'm not going to rant and rave about the majority of the discord surrounding Tears of the Kingdom when it comes to Ganondorf vs Hyrule. There are more than enough posts circulating about that out there by plenty of good and intelligent folks, and I've already offered my thoughts on it. I encourage folks to go check those out.

What I'm tired of seeing is the argument that the Gerudo have little to nothing to survive on in the desert. This is one of the most badass and longest enduring tribes in all of Zelda and yet for some odd reason folks seem to insist that they're somehow unable to exploit the incredible amount of resources available to them. I've played desert survival challenges in BotW where I exist solely within the Gerudo area for extended periods of time, and if you know what you're doing its actually quite easy.

Anyone who has spent ample time around the Gerudo region in either of these games knows just how incredibly abundant food is in the Gerudo Highlands. There is a ton of large game up there that is easy to bring down with a single headshot from a Gerudo bow. Gerudo bows are sniper bows and are far from useless. Are we going to argue that these very strong and powerful ladies can't do something as simple as draw one of the bows of their own making, or know how to track prey through the snow? One might argue that we never see a Gerudo in the Highlands or in possession of clothing warm enough to survive up there, but I would counter with the fact that the ice house exists and it's clearly stated that the ice is harvested and brought down from the Highlands. This argument is invalid.

Additionally, the desert itself is abound in fruits and poultry ripe for the harvesting. And obviously it's done to such efficiency that there is an ample enough supply to make a profit in selling these items at market, to both Gerudo and Hylians alike. There is obviously enough surplus of hydro melons that there is a Gerudo NPC that devours them to such excess as to clog up one of the fountains in Gerudo Town.

And while we're on the topic, the Gerudo clearly have an ample enough water supply that they can run fountains constantly, all through their town. So clearly they're not struggling there.

Additionally still, Moldugas exist and are shockingly common. Yes, they're big, powerful and dangerous, but if one little twink with enough bomb arrows can kill one then are you going to tell me that this tribe of intelligent, hearty, and highly trained women cannot organize a Molduga hunt with relative ease?

Various Native American groups were able to thrive on only one or two bison hunts a year. It was dangerous, extremely, but they had it down to a science. You're going to tell me that the Gerudo are incapable of such coordination? Honestly it could even explain and deepen their connection to the sand seals. These lovely creatures can carry a few skilled huntresses through a Molduga's territory to flush it out, and with more than one target the Molduga wouldn't know which one to chase. Throw in archers who are on the rocks or ruins and a Molduga dinner is practically guaranteed. And let's not forget that with typical Moldugas, three blasts from Urbosa's fury is more than enough to bring it down. Given that Riju also possesses lightning magic, and the fact that there is a sage in Rauru's time who also controls lightning, I think we can safely assume that the ability is common enough that it can be relied upon. It wouldn't take anything for the chief to organize a Molduga hunt and ride proudly out there with her sisters to feed the tribe for a good while.

So yes, I'm not saying there aren't issues with Totk's plot or its handling of Ganondorf, but I'm tired of seeing people parrot this idea that the Gerudo are struggling to survive when they're more than capable of doing so. They were doing it long before Ganondorf, and they've done it long after him too. So please, stop using this reasoning to justify Ganondorf outright murdering someone in cold blood just to obtain their Zonai stone. It just doesn't work.

And as a side note, there is clearly a demarcation within the tribe at the time of Totk Ganondorf's reign due to how the Gerudo sage reacts to hearing that he's overcome the last free (yes that's the word they use) Gerudo villages. From what is shown, Ganondorf and his followers are an extremist terrorist group within the tribe.

Again, I'm not saying that there aren't problems with his motivations (and I really hate the greenish skin tone), but he is clearly not doing what he does for the benefit of his tribe. He might think he is, but he isn't. And there are much better arguments that could be made than just, oh the Gerudo are struggling to survive and Hyrule is full and fertile and blah blah blah. And it isn't like Rauru is trying to withhold Hyrule's bounty or otherwise fuck over the Gerudo. It's even stated that he's sent multiple invitations to them to join up with the Hyrulean tribes and share the bounty.

I'm going to repeat myself yet again: stop treating the Gerudo as incompetent and use basic survival and lack of resources to justify what Ganondorf does. It doesn't work.

Side side note: Urbosa's amiibo drops primarily meat. Interpret that as you will. And Ganondorf's legendary cursed grin when he commits said murder? That is not the smile of a sane man.

[a-god-in-ruins-rises]

western women get a lot of flak for being too independent or "masculine" but it always makes me think of spartan women. i think about that quote: "why are spartan women the only women who rule their men" and queen gorgo says it's because "spartan women are the only women who give birth to real men." i think plutarch also mentions that spartan men were always obedient to their wives.

or as socrates put it (quoted by xenophon): "It is the example of the rider who wishes to become an expert horseman: 'None of your soft-mouthed, docile animals for me,' he says; 'the horse for me to own must show some spirit' in the belief, no doubt, if he can manage such an animal, it will be easy enough to deal with every other horse besides. And that is just my case. I wish to deal with human beings, to associate with man in general; hence my choice of wife. I know full well, if I can tolerate her spirit, I can with ease attach myself to every human being else."

and i think there's a lot of truth to this. i think cultures with spirited, independent women are made stronger by it, for a number of reasons. and i think it actually plays a major role in western civilization's success. a strong-willed man and a strong-willed woman working together in union is an incredibly strong foundation for a family and a civilization.

and i don't want to give the impression that the west was ever some kind of gender-egalitarian utopia. but i do think a significant degree of respect for women is a common feature in western civilization (and i'd say broader indo-european culture too). at least compared to other civilizations. and especially in the prechristian and, now, the postchristian eras (though i'd say it even bleeds through in the christian era in some ways too). i mean there's a reason why feminism first blossomed in the west and not elsewhere.

but yeah, this desire for some docile, obedient slave-wife seems to be very contrary to the spirit of western civilization. i mean, it seemed like the default view of women in prechristian europe, for better or worse, was that women were these wild, powerful, passionate, promiscuous creatures who needed to be tamed. and yes, women were expected to be loyal and amenable/agreeable to their husbands but this is hardly unreasonable and is a far cry from the obedient slave-wife some people propose as an ideal (namely traditional christians and muslims and the like).

"women should be banned from doing manual labor" -- traditionally, women did all sorts of manual labor. medieval peasant women would be working in the fields just like the men. and even if they weren't working a field there would be plenty of other physically taxing jobs they'd be doing. not saying that women should be encouraged to do extremely dangerous or physically taxing jobs, but if they're able to more power to them. and i kinda detest this desire to portray women as frail and incapable. they are the weaker sex but they're not weak. let's not infantilize them.

also, western women generally marry out of love and commitment and view themselves (rightfully) as partners in union with their husbands. whereas these types of women (the woman who made this post) believe women's sole purpose is to be obedient little decorations who do nothing but sit around and look pretty (and maybe have babies if she's very traditional -- but often you won't even get that!) while the man just gives her money. it's transactional and superficial. there's no real love or partnership. it's not a good foundation for a family or a civilization.

anyway, belated happy women's day.

[warsofasoiaf]

What army do you think is the most overrated in history?

As with all questions about "overrated" and "underrated," the question is, who is doing the rating? Being "overrated" or "underrated" means evaluating someone's judgment, while being "bad" or "good" means evaluating performance. The latter is far easier to evaluate.

Take for example, the Mongols. The Mongols were an exceptionally good army, one of the best in history for a whole host of reasons including their highly exceptional C2 system. But in "The Death that Saved Europe," Cecelia Holland argues that Ogedai Khan's unlikely death was the only thing stopping the Mongols from conquering all of Europe to the Atlantic Ocean, and this just doesn't stand up to scrutiny when evaluating their performance in Hungary and Poland. The Mongols struggled with European stone-walled castles, and moving further into Western Europe would only see the castle density increase. They're still incredibly good, but that's a clear case of overrating.

Or by contrast, take the Red Army in the Winter War. By all conventional metrics, the Red Army was absolutely abysmal in performance - poor tactics, poor leadership, poor equipment. Yet Adolf Hitler thought that they were so garbage that all he would need is a swift kick in the door for the rotten foundation of the Soviet Union to collapse like old scaffolding, and it very clearly did not. Clearly, that was a case of underrating the army. By contrast, modern non-military historians frequently overrate the performance of the Red Army in the Second World War to the point of parody, omitting the exceptionally high levels of unnecessary casualties stemming from poor military performance.

But if I had to pick, I'd either pick the Iraqi Army of Saddam Hussein or the current Russian military, which has largely inherited its weakness from the Red Army.

The Iraqi Army of Saddam Hussein was considered the 5th strongest army in the world, with a formidable array of tanks, aircraft, and missile defense systems. Using primarily Soviet equipment, it was believed to be by far the most powerful regional hegemon in the region despite it's rather lackluster performance against Iran during the Iran-Iraq War. In practice, the officer corps was extremely nepotistic and poorly-trained. The T-72 was shown to be an underperforming tank compared to modern Abrams, the Soviet missile systems proved unable to detect stealth fighters or handle Wild Weasel SEAD missions, and the aircraft were poorly maintained and their pilots even worse. At Medina Ridge and 73 Easting, Saddam's ground forces were poorly organized and sent into complete disarray. Far from being a million strong legion that could enforce its will on the region, it was a hollow, rotten tree trunk about to be struck by lightning.

I've already spoken at length about Russian weakness in the current Russo-Ukrainian War, but it's extremely indicative of systemic weakness when a so-called Great Power army is incapable of performing multi-theater combined arms warfare in the 21st century. This has been a staple of warfare and an overriding design feature of military equipment for decades now. Russia's much-vaunted hypersonic missiles are being intercepted by old Patriot AD systems, turning them into yet another Wunderwaffen. Their technology is not even comparable to last-gen systems and their troops incompetent. For a military that was vaunted as the second-most powerful in the world, its diminished capacity has shown it to be far inferior than numbers would suggest. Its vaunted tank fleet are vulnerable to old anti-tank weapons down to bargain-bin fwoop tubes. Its aircraft can't be stealthy and can't secure airspace even against a vastly inferior airforce. It's sole aircraft carrier is more of a floating environmental disaster whose maintenance log reads like an SCP entry. The T-14 Armata and Su-75 Checkmate are vapor-ware projects established primarily, it seems, to embezzle money for more dachas and yachts. Worst of all, its logistics corps are so deficient that countless Russian soldiers are dying from easily treatable injuries. This was supposed to be the mightiest army in Europe and the military leader of the non-Western world, the lynchpin of the "new multipolar world order," the army that was to defend the Motherland against NATO. It's losing badly to an army that wasn't even ranked in the top 20 by military observers using a combination of legacy Soviet equipment and the stuff that NATO found in the back of the toolshed.

Thanks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[south-sea]

fooling around with this guy's design some, because i realized i can't actually call him a metal sonic

it's Complicated because in terms of character, he's meant to be an alternate of second chance metal, so in my mind he registers as the same core character. but in this AU, he's not made by eggman, much less even in the image of sonic, and at that point that's literally not even metal sonic anymore, that's just an OC. so while i don't claim this to be an ~original design~ or anything, tagging him as the character feels disingenuous, so i'm going with "metal medic" from here on out.

some expanded design notes on this guy:

"bigger ears and rounded corners": he's made in the image of shadow purely for the sake of being his caretaker/companion. the goal was to provide someone his size/general shape to help keep him comfortable. (someone in the tags of a previous post about this AU likened him to baymax and tbh that is Exactly the intended vibe. you get me.)

"no use for a turbine or even a back jet"/"padded finger tips instead of claws": originally i had in mind that he'd still have a much smaller jet or something on his back, but the more i thought about it, the less necessary that seemed. given his role is that of a caretaker, he was not designed with speed or combat in mind. at most, he's got built-in heelys just to be a little quicker than average and not make a huge racket as he's walking through the halls and such.

"made from cheaper material with crude plating": the resources available to his creators were not up to the same standard as the regular sonic universe. it's a wonder he functions at all. he's scrapped together with visible bolts, flimsy hinges, uneven plating, and his power depletes incredibly fast. they had limited options when it came to color, hence the lack of red to mimic shadow's stripes (much less the medical cross tackily slapped right there on his forehead).

(i did take some inspiration from my own shadow android design, such as the bulkier arms, but it's surprisingly difficult to design a robot made in the image of shadow, that still reads like an alternate metal sonic, without making him look exactly like a shadow android or just regular metal sonic. like, at his core he's still supposed to be "second chance metal but to the left", so looking like regular metal is still kind of intentional, it's just, his background is so completely removed from canon that it's weird to still call him a metal sonic, you know?)

in terms of personality/function:

he's considerably more Robot than even canon metal, in that he's coded to operate within a specific set of parameters and limited free will. he has his purpose and goals already predetermined, and his feelings are more or less the same. so, contrary to second chance metal, he is fully obligated to care for his shadow and knows nothing else.

his logic is more akin to gemerl's in that he takes his objectives very literally. when he finally decides it's in the best interest of shadow's health to escape the facility with him, it comes from a place of logic, though it can be argued there's also genuine care/warmth there, just like gemerl's bond with cream. his creators maybe shouldn't have coded him with such a strong sense of care for shadow if they didn't want to be betrayed. (or maybe that's exactly what they intended :) who knows)

given he's meant to be a more personable caretaker, he's considerably more expressive both in gestures and eye animations. he's more "playful" than "bubbly", and more "careful" than "patient".

he isn't incapable of causing harm in the interest of protecting shadow, and it's not like it goes against his coding to cause harm in general, but he's not very good at fighting. shadow is very much the actual protector in this case; metal tends to get underfoot more than not once they're free.

he is completely mute and has no means to communicate beyond simple nods/head shakes/thumbs up or downs. he was not coded with the capacity to learn sign language or emulate words. in general, his coding does not allow for the same depth of self-learning like canon or second chance metal.

[bookwyrminspiration]

As the only person I know that knows about Twilight, I have a bizarre and strange question. I am sorry.

Question: in twilight, can 2 vampires have a child together? What about a vampire and a human? If they can have a child, will the child age?

With regrets,

-⚙️

No need to apologize! Fortunately for you, book 4 (breaking dawn) spends a significant amount of time answering these exact questions in canon!!

Can 2 vampires have a child together? No. The body needs to change to accommodate a baby/pregnancy, and vampire bodies are incapable of change. If it was possible, Rosalie would've found a way

Can a vampire and a human have a child? Yes, certain pairings! If the human is capable of getting pregnant, and the vampire is capable of impregnating (which just means they were capable of impregnating as a human), then a vampire can impregnate a human. This is how Edward and Bella have a kid together, Renesmee :)

Will the child age? Yes, and this is a big problem in book 4. A vampire-human hybrid will age rapidly, pregnancy lasting about a month, and then speeding through human developmental milestone and stages, reaching physical maturity in 7 years (they're born with an adult mental capacity). At that point, however, the speed tapers off and they remain unchanging and immortal like a vampire--though they are not identical to vampires; their human attributes do affect them. For example: only male hybrids are venomous, their skin isn't as sparkly and then can blend in in sunlight, they have circulatory systems and normal eye colors, and they can live off both blood and human food. However, they are incredibly fast and strong like vampires, and smarter than any human.

Hybrids are, however, incredibly rare. It takes significant self restraint for a vampire to impregnant a human without losing control and feeding on them--and very very few (2 people) are even willing or motivated to try. And of 5 known hybrids, only 1 has been birthed without killing her mother (they have a habit of bursting through the stomach and feeding on their carrier); in order to survive, the carrier must be turned into a vampire as well, as there's simply no other way to survive the injuries of the birth.

And to be clear: a vampire-human hybrid is very different from an immortal child. An immortal child is a human child transformed the traditional way via venom, which completely freezes them in time as an unchanging child. This is highly illegal because immortal children cannot develop past their transformation age, cannot mature, and yet have all the strength and power of a normal vampire, making them incapable of protecting the secrecy of vampire existence. Imagine a toddler who can level entire villages with a temper tantrum. The technical age of a child in this situation is iffy, but I'd say generally 10 and below is bad.

I hope that helps with whatever you need to info for!

[littlemissmanga]

I've been thinking about this all day ...

The hyper masculine energy of the Bad Batch meets the hyper feminine energy of the Sailor Scouts. And the pairings are just *chef's kiss*

Let's start with the obvious ...

Tech x Ami/Sailor Mercury. Ok, yes, they're both smart. But they really do complement one another. Tech finds confidence in his intelligence, where Ami is a bit self-conscious of it. She likes using it to help her friends, but her intellect and more nerdy pursuits often isolated her from her peers when she was young. To meet someone who finds her intellect attractive? Oh, that would do things for her. Also to see Tech isn't just smart, but as capable as his brothers in action? That would inspire her in her own position among the Scouts.

As for Tech, can you imagine the first time Ami corrects him? Like, he'll be going on, talking about the dense technical aspects of his upgrade to the Marauder when Ami - politely and gently - interrupts with a correction or more useful modification. He's used to being interrupted - his brothers cut him off to shut him up all the time.

But now? He's being corrected by this gorgeous, sweet girl not to shut him up but to help him? And she's right (of course she is). Tech's brain goes into 404 Error, Page Not Found so fast. And he's smart enough to realize Ami would never be the one to make the first move, meaning he'll have to. He'll have to mature emotionally to be with her, and he finds himself actually wanting to.

Wrecker x Makoto/Sailor Jupiter. Both are precious bbys that deserve love. All the love. This is my crack OTP.

Mako is super conscious of her position as "the strong one". She hates that she's not small and dainty and feminine. That's part of the reason she picks up hobbies that are traditionally feminine - cooking and botany. She wants to be a cute housewife, but she's also incapable of standing by when others need help, and she's got the physical power to do so. But with Wrecker, she would feel dainty and small. And Wrecker isn't shy with the compliments, calling her "meshla" and "little one" all the time, casually. Which she deserves after her shitty senpai.

Wrecker would be so floored (read: turned on to the max) by a girl who can put him on his ass. And Mako could. But she'd be so joyful while sparring, keeping up with Wrecker's own humor. AND THEN SHE'D FEED HIM? With homemade treats!? Fandom already headcannons that Wrecker finds a woman cooking for him the sexiest thing he's ever seen. That woman also being pretty and strong? Oh, he's done for.

Echo x Rei/Sailor Mars. Sass. Wit. Verbal sparring. Neither of these two has thin skin, and oh shit would they be the snarkiest couple ever. The quips. The one-liners. I cannot.

They're also both sticklers for the way things are supposed to be. Echo literally memorized the regs. Rei's adherence to tradition and her position as a shrine maiden are core to her identity. They appreciate boundaries and rules and are both the mature ones of their groups.

But more than that, Rei is always been able to see beyond what's right in front of her. She would see Echo for who he is, all of him. More than just a number, and definitely more than the sum of his parts.

And Echo? We all headcannon he'd be a serious and devoted partner, the kind to worship his love. I can see Rei pulling him out of his shell with her wit and maturity and he wouldn't even realize his defenses fell until his feelings hit him like a truck. And he'd spend every second making Rei feel as accepted and loved as she makes him feel. He'd put her on a pedestal and worship her. Considering her abandonment issues, that worship-like adoration would hit her right at her core, giving her validation she long believed she no longer needed.

Hunter x Minako/Sailor Venus. The leaders. At first, it may seem their personalities don't mesh. Minako is after all very childish at points, something that could annoy Hunter.

But she's also incredibly selfless. She faked her own death to let her true love find happiness with her mentor figure. She is literally forged by her sacrifices because she refuses to let others suffer when she can take that on herself. She's childish to combat the darkness she knows will always linger in the corners of existence. She's determined to be the light that washes it away. For her, a true partner, one who will stand silently by her side while she does, supporting her, is all she really wants.

And I think Hunter would see that. As the leader, he understands that altruism - he's shown it himself many times. He doesn't understand how she can smile so brightly when she's been through so much, hurt so much, most of it carried on her own. It impresses him in a way he can't really understand. And how in the world can he ignore how his heart races to see Minako hyping Omega up, inspiring her to rise to any challenge ... even if the challenges were created by their own hijinks.

Sidenote: I 100% see Omega being drawn to the hyper feminine Minako, sitting at her knee learning all the girlie secrets we failed at as preteens. They'd have a whole at-home spa day, complete with like Tiger Beat magazines and chick-flicks like 13 Going on 30. And then Omega mentions off hand how cool it would be if Minako was with Hunter, because then they could have those girls nights all the time and she sees Minako's blush and she starts thinking of plans to help her awkward older brother and the Scout of love and beauty get over their mutual self-sacrificing tendencies to just kiss already.

[mortar-canyon]

One of my favorite things to do with casual shipping is to make things as inconvenient as possible. This has resulted in me accidentally getting attached to joke ships - ie, Silvourget or Zorow - but it's also really fun with, like, platonic ships

So consider: platonic Shadally, with the express purpose of getting Maximilian to stop bitching about who Sally "should" marry. It starts as a petty way of telling her dad to fuck off and ends as a Black Arms medical revolution

Let's say, this is a mix of pre- and post-SGW. Maybe she and Sonic broke up at some point - on good terms, of course; they're close friends regardless and he still plays an active part in protecting the Acorn Kingdom - so now Sally is dating Nicole. The problem is, her dad is still a dick and cares more about the Acorn family line than his daughter's actual well-being, so he keeps pushing her to go find some nice, distinguished, non-hologram dude, bc she needs an heir and all that bullshit

Shadow, meanwhile, has just been introduced to the world of "people who get way too comfortable prying into celebrities' personal lives", as well as (bc the whole Eclipse thing made me very sad and they all deserve better) taking the crown as King of the Black Arms; he has no idea what he's doing, but now there's all these hurt, confused people with blood on their hands who have a free wireless connection into his brain, and he's doing his best to help them even though he didn't do well with social interaction before people could read his mind

Sonic hears them both talking about how bad everything sucks lately and gets the idea to set them up so they can solve eachother's problems. Sally's good at diplomacy, crisis management, leadership, and civic planning; Shadow is... Shadow. Famous, intimidating, and a marvel of modern science, give or take a few massive breaches of medical ethics. Plus, although people are still reasonably scared of the Black Arms, they're also aware that these aliens are incredibly strong and loyal to the end, so, allying themselves with a power like the Acorn Kingdom would do wonders for their reputation. It's a win-win! Max gets his respectable son-in-law, the Black Arms get a safe place to recover, and the Acorn Kingdom gets both a new army and a terrifying, unkillable Chaos-wielder to defend it.

This is all fine and dandy, right up until Max finds out that no heirs are going to come of this arrangement. Even if Shadow and Sally were genuinely interested in each other - which, hey, if you want to take it in a romantic direction, that path's still available, Mobian "pack" culture is very open to polyamory - Shadow is physically incapable of having a child. Like, genetically, instinctually, Ken Doll-y, it ain't happening... Unless, they open up a lab to sort of splice things together, like Gerald did back in the day but with less GUN meddling and/or demonic deals involved.

Which, as soon as that project is completed, means the staff can begin working on more important things, like figuring out how to undo some of the damage Black Doom did to the Black Arms' genome in the process of reshaping them into perfect, unquestioning cannon fodder. There's a ton of work to be done on setting up regulations for that project, largely because that's a lot of power for anyone to have over a population and they need to ensure this technology is used responsibly and with the Black Arms' active approval and consent, but... It can be done.

What about restoring their complex taste buds so they can once again tell the difference between food they like, food they hate, food that's just kinda mush but is good for them, and actual poison? Or, redirecting certain nutrients back to things like pigment production for the iridescent scales they used to have instead of just bulking them up with unreasonable amounts of muscle and plating? Maybe gradually rewiring their pain receptors so they can tell when they're hurt and ask for help again, rather than powering through because back in the day there was no help available? Hell, in the next few generations, they might not even have to deal with all that sleeper agent programming! That's a pretty big deal!

There is a lot that could go wrong, absolutely... But that's why Shadow's there, and why Sally is backing him up. If anyone even thinks about trying to use this against the Black Arms, or anyone else they think needs unwanted "alterations", they will have the entire goddamn Knothole Alliance on their ass. And the nice thing is, Shadow can't die, so even after a hundred years, when the rest of the squad has all been laid to rest, he will still be there to keep their goal alive.

All of that because Sally is the queen of malicious compliance.

[scary-white]

Firestarter (2022), while being a fun watch, really did not meet expectations. The character dynamics are a shallowed out version of what they should have been. While Zac Efron excelled in his role, you can only do so much with the script that you're given. In the novel, the two of them are incredibly close and Andy is constantly seen making sacrifices for Charlie. Charlie has just lost her mother and is terrified of losing her father as well. She's very afraid of her power, and is hesitant to use it, but does so when Andy urges her to. She's eager to please and protect, and that's a huge plot point in the novel. Wanless warns that Andy's influence on her power and how she uses it will override any one else's influence, and Rainbird uses her love for her father to get closer to her and manipulate her decision making. None of this is discussed or shown in the movie, and the father/daughter relationship is a shell of itself.

The novel opens with a very tense scene where Andy and Charlie are already running from the Shop, there's a very strong feeling of being hunted and their precious time keeps tic tic ticking away for everyone moment that Andy spends trying to push the cab driver into accepting his payment. This heavy feeling of pursuit continues for the first half of the novel. At one point, Andy thinks that in a way, it would be a relief the day they were finally caught and were no longer running, and the reader can relate to this because King is really good at stressing is the fuck out. Where this tension shone in the novel, it wasn't there at all in the new movie. There's no real sense of pursuit, despite the characters talking about it.

I was very disappointed to see that the ricocheting effect that Andy's power had was not explored at all. He drives Cap to madness in the novel, and it was a real shame how that was left out. In the movie, Charlie comments that the Shop "Does bad things here, I can feel it." And if that isn't the biggest narrative cop out I've ever seen, I don't know what is.

They need us to know that the Shop is bad, and yet they're incapable of really showing it. You know that the Shop is bad in the novel. You know that it's poorly managed and made up of trigger happy goons, some of which are misogynists who use their position to laud power over helpless citizens. That would have been incredibly relevant in today's age, and it's a shame that they failed to develop their antagonist.

Don't get me started on Rainbirds character, it's so watered down it hurts. None of his obsession with death or with Charlie are present. His manipulation skills are absent, as well as his stealth and murder skills. Instead, he is given telekenesis and wow, does that take away from his character. It was disappointing.

Charlie's characterization was a bit of a let down, as well as her performance. In the novel, you have this happy innocent little girl who is forced to grow up entirely too fast. She's clever, and unwilling to let her guard down-- adding to Rainbird's fascination with her-- and she really doesn't want to hurt anyone. Her mother's death has hit her hard to the point where she tries not to even think about it, and can barely bring herself to admit that her mom was killed, not just "hurt." In the movie, you can tell that they try to replicate this, but what with the pacing, it's just impossible to do. It's kind of hard to really feel for Charlie in this version.

I will say that I was very impressed with the sequence where they were administering lot six. The video effects were cool, and I enjoyed the questions that were asked and the characters reactions to them. The part where the one kid starts freaking out and rips his eyes out was horrifying and as someone's whose had a bad trip, it hit reaalllly close to home. Really, it was a well done sequence and it really triggered my anxiety.

I also thought it was cool how they combined scenes in order to condense, ie, instead of convincing the taxi driver that the $1 was a $100, he convinces Irv.

The scene with the cat was upsetting, but it worked. I probably can't remember the exact quote, but hearing something along the lines of "It's in pain. You gotta put it out of its misery, that's what's right," come out of an 11 year old's mouth later on was kind of terrifying. And as cheesy as it was, I did like Charlie's "Liar, Liar, pants on fire"

The sound track was also amazing.

Firestarter is an incredibly difficult story to adapt, and you just can't do it in the runtime that this movie had. It's long, it takes place over the course of more than a year, there's multiple different settings that the scenes take place, and they spend a lot of time in captivity. Honestly, they should have split it up into two movies. In the first one, the chase should be emphasized while the back story is built, in the second part, focus on their time spent with the Shop.

Over all, I did enjoy watching the movie, and I don't regret having spent the money to go see it. But once we move past that surface level of enjoyment, there's a lot to criticize about the movie, and I think it failed as an adaptation. But hey, surely it isn't too late for the story to get a good proper adaptation, right? After all, Carrie had three movies made. Third time's a charm, right?

[daisywritesss]

How to write a strong female character

@daisywritess on IG | no reposts!

Hello new friends! The thing with strong female characters is that in the YA genre this has become a stereotype and cliché, with the trademark female protagonist having the obligatory aversion to all things feminine. Overall this is a very toxic representation of women and ultimately undermines the concept of feminism because we should be empowering all women in different walks of life. So here's a few tips on how to write a strong AND complex female character (and also all of the stereotypes you should avoid).

What makes her strong

Everyone has their own talents. It's no different when you're writing multiple female characters. Women can be strong, smart, and feminine. These terms are not mutually exclusive. A good example is Winx Club (Season 1-3 because the show is a whole mess from this point onwards), the girls wear glittery skirts and have delicate fairy wings but are more than capable of saving the day their own way. Some of the girls on the team are more strategic, preferring to fight from a distance while others are better in close-up combat. Outside of fighting, these girls are all given unique personalities and strengths that make them stand out. Women have a lot of range, so don't be afraid to write about women who are strong and women who are smart.

More than a woman

The white patriarchy and society loves to antagonize women whenever they show an ounce of humanity or even a sliver of weakness, which is incredibly dumb. Having fears and weaknesses is a part of being human, and getting angry is perfectly normal as well. Don't be afraid to let your character show emotion, after all it sure isn't healthy to keep your feelings all to yourself. Just because a woman gets emotional means that they are somehow incapable of having full control over their own decisions. A good example of this is the one and only, Wanda Maximoff. She got a whole show dedicated to her learning to process her grief in a healthy way and how to step into her own power. She's powerful but she's also vulnerable at times, which is why she's so relatable.

Women supporting women

I'm sick and tired of reading all these books with apparently "strong" female characters and finding out very quickly that they're the only one of their kind in the entire story. Something that is rarely seen is some good healthy relationships between strong female characters. Because apparently it's just that hard to get two people who have similar insecurities and a lot in common to interact without having the obligatory side conflict of fighting over some other guy that doesn't really matter. Having only one viable female character in your story feels underwhelming and makes it harder for the readers to relate to them. Building healthy relationships between strong female characters also helps to subvert the idea that female characters only exist to help serve their male counterparts.

[mister-tom-a-dildo-lover]

Tomarry please! Can you do an A/B/O wings au where they're both omegas who turn the conventional trope upside down? So much love for your awesome writing!

Fandom: Harry Potter

Pairing: Tomarry

Tags: Wing fic, A/B/O, BAMFs, Sexism, Heteronormativity, in a way, Secondary Genders, Breaking Gender Roles, Modern Day, Power Couple, They Don’t Want Kids,

Everyone knew that Omegas were not strong physically. It was a fact that the Omegan population had to come to terms with centuries ago.

In fact, many things had been pressed upon the shoulders of all Omegas since the beginning of their species.

Omegas are slight in frame.

The do not possess great physical strength.

Their wings are thin and fragile, and incapable of lifting them off the ground.

Omegas are fair in appearance, and are meant to be delicate.

An Omega should always allow themselves to be protected.

Omegas do not do harm to others unless it is to protect their offspring.

Omegas are kind and maternal.

They are meant to bear the children, that is why they have wombs.

Omegas should not mate with Omegas.

They must never refuse a possible suitor and must be won fairly.

When won, they are not to refuse the victor their right.

On and on the list went. And the mad thing about it was that society thought it was okay. Very few people thought outside the box and decided to ignore social convention.

The way Omegas were treated had been what always angered Tom Marvolo Riddle. Tom didn’t mind his attractive face. He liked what he could get out of people by playing on their borderline hypnotised thought processes. After all, society pushed their disgusting beliefs down everyone’s throat for centuries, brainwashing people into thinking only one way.

The sheep didn’t realise how easily manipulated they were, and to an extent Tom preyed upon that. But it always came back on him in some way.

He was considered abnormal for an Omega. He grew taller than any Omega he or other orphans had ever seen. His voice changed during puberty instead of staying bell-like as was expected. His wings, which were an inky black, were full and had a span of 670cm. They also were strong enough to allow him to fly like Alphas.

Many believed he was a failed Alpha, if he didn’t have the womb of an Omega and the unfortunate bi-annual Heats. He didn’t fit the criteria of a Sigma either.

Tom’s experiences made him detest society and their treatment of people like him. He was meant for greater things. And there was no way in hell that some stigma crated eons ago, would control his life. People would learn one way or another.

And thankfully he had magic on his side. So while he might not be powerful physically like some brute, he had magical power many could only dream of. And that would get him to where he should be. Tom Riddle rolled over for no one.

The thing about Harry Potter was that he fit almost all boxes for the Omegan appearance. He was 167cm tall, very thin, his dark hair shined and was silky, his voice didn’t really deepen but got a little raspy, and he had perfect skin. Harry looked like the perfect Omega on the surface. His wings weren’t feathered, but instead leathery, thin, and translucent. Delicate. Only the length of his body.

But… not all was as it appeared. Those wings, while they appeared weak, were incredibly flexible and he could fly with them! And Harry, who’d learned that he was magical when he was eleven, also learned why he was abnormally strong. 

His magic was saving him. His relatives weren’t the greatest. They didn’t like him and let it be know very well. His cousin attacked him often and once broke his arm. The next time he tried the same way, he couldn’t manage it and Harry managed to break his arm instead.

Omages shouldn’t be capable of that. He’d gotten in a lot of trouble for it too.

But it revealed something. Harry was very strong. And when he got to Hogwarts, he learned why.

His magic had done it to protect him. Starvation was countered by magic acting as sustenance. Injuries were repaired by his magic and then the particular area was made stronger. Madam Pomfrey had said something about ‘bones of iron’. He didn’t know if it mean this skeleton was actually made of iron now, or was just as strong as iron, and he didn’t care. 

Harry was strong.

And not just physically. He was also magically powerful, capable of topping almost every student by sheer mass of power alone. Save for another.

Another Omega. One who also broke the mould like him.

One who treated Harry like he was genuine competition instead of turning up his nose at Harry for being different or for being an Omega. Because while many tried to deny it, there was an intense amount of disrespect to Omegas from Alphas and the like.

Sexism at its finest really. Of the Secondary Genders, Omegas got the worst, which was odd considering Sigmas were basically Alphas with Omegan abilities, but those that were discovered got preferential treatment? Harry didn’t think it was fair. No one cared what he thought however.

Anyway, Harry thought the way he was treated for his Secondary Gender was shite, and made sure that other people knew it, whether they took him seriously or not.

Apparently being a celebrity only worked in your favour when you pandered to everyone’s assumptions.

And he’d never even asked to be famous to begin with.

The whispers were loud. People looked scandalised because something unheard of was happening.

Harry Potter and Tom Riddle, Gryffindor and Slytherin, two Omegas, were kissing under the mistletoe.

It was certainly a shock, especially to the ‘purists’ who couldn’t seem to think for themselves and simply lapped up the codswallop they’d been taught for centuries.

And Tom and Harry reveled in it. And no one dared attack them or speak up, because both were the best in the school. Both shattered expectations and were proud to lord their skills over everyone in return for the treatment their Secondary Gender received.

Also, Tom Riddle was sadistic to a level Omegas shouldn’t be, and many had learned not to anger him. So it was safest for them to remain silent, if they wanted to keep their wings safe.

The last person that had angered Riddle - by attacking Potter - had turned up with their primaries clipped too far down, and they mercilessly pinioned improperly. They had permanently lost the ability to fly. No proof had existed to get Riddle in trouble, but they weren’t stupid. He didn’t try to hide his amusement after all.

Basically, they had to deal with it or else.

And both Omegas loved every moment of it.

Also, neither liked kids, so it wasn’t as if they were needed.

A/N: A/B/O fics are always great. Sigmas are my creation. I have an entire Series of fics using them on AO3. Check out the info on the Sigmaverse if you’d like. Also check the stories if you want.

Anyway, I really love ruining expectations in A/B/O fics. I have the same view on soulmate fics. Doing the unexpected is my fav course of action.

I liked this prompt. ^-^

[skeletap]

Oh no, Tri-Klops very much tricked Spinal Tap into growing incredibly-potent-magic-weed in his garden as a "completely, purely medicinal plant". So, when Spinal Tap asks him what he's using this weird smelly plant for after its first bloom, Tri-Klops gives him some edibles for free, because technically Spinal Tap has become his unwitting free-weed-dealer anyway. Plus if the alchemist likes them, he'll be more willing to grow more for Tri-Klops! Or even better, make some insane tinctures or something since he's like, the best chemist on the planet right now! Win for the swordsman (and also Trap Jaw, who's happy to upgrade from the shitty dirt grade weed that's been holding the weapons expert together working for Skeletor for 17 years).

Tri-Klops does not account for said stuff being actually way too strong. So, Spinal Tap and Skeletor accidentally get so high they're varying degrees of high for multiple days (even despite Spinal Tap's healing powers, because Spinal Tap got so high he forgot how to fucking use it). First few hours were fun and games and eating everything in the house. But after having an akward team-meeting consisting of Skeletor forgetting where he is and talking to himself, and Spinal Tap being incapable of not touching everyone's weapons in that weird in-your-space way he examines things... No more amazing alchemist-grown weed for Tri-Klops and Trap Jaw.

Epilogue scene of Trap Jaw crying rolling the tiniest pathetic little wilted joint imaginable to share with Tri-Klops because they have to go back to buying icky soppy swamp shit weed from Merman again. (The end)

spinal tap and skeletor got high together once (triklops gave them free edibles or whatever) and listened to opera music while spinal tap wriggled around on the floor like a worm. the end.