#this mentality continues into adulthood btw

[adridoesstuff]

Inspired by fellow contect creator @fitzrove I feel like I need to write about the way Rudolf was portrayed within my beloved production of Elisabeth from Czechia.

What I loved was that Rudolf as portrayed by both principal Pavel Klimenda and emergency cover and later understudy Lukáš Ondruš (who, btw, was principal Lucheni) was presented as definitely more complex than some of the German interpretations.

Rudolf got additional stage time, appearing for well over half of Rastlose Jahre and what was definitely showcased front and center was the sheer loneliness he is experiencing and how neglect from Elisabeth's side takes a toll on his mental health.

This staging incorporated the fact that Rudolf did do substance abuse, incorporating it into the staging as him trying to alleviate his loneliness and depression. But, once he does do it, it only takes him closer to Tod and yes, Rudolf is supposed to be high during Schatten in this staging, which is like a high fever dream.

But, at the same time, you can't help but completely empathize with Rudolf as he desparately tries to explain his actions to his father, as he runs away in tears from that argument, as both Franz and Elisabeth (and seemingly with them, the entire world) turn their backs on him as he asks for just a bit of understanding.

And the beautiful tragedy of both Pavel's and Lukáš's version of Spiegel. I'm separating them here because this song is where I saw the biggest difference in their portrayls. Pavel was overflowing with feelings, no longer being able to hold back a single word and tear, yet there was this rational streak in him, where he brought in a scroll of parchment when he entered for the scene (seemingly with written out things of what exactly he wants to say to his mother) and after Elisabeth refused his very tearful plea, where he sank to the ground at her feet, he seemed almost as if he was trying to find a reason in his head for continuing to live. And Lukáš brought in a Rudolf that was well into his adulthood so scarred by the trauma of Gondrecourt's military upbringing, that all the feelings he would visibly like to fully let loose were held behind this mental barrier where he visibly constantly had fixed what is proper and what is not and only after Elisabeth refused him, you could see this barrier slowly disappear into pure grief.

And I won't start talking about this version's Mayerling today, since this post would be twice as long, because this Mayerling was nuts. All I'll mention for now is that once Rudolf dies, the Death Angels surround him as he lays on the ground and create him a grave out of their wings.

[neurodiversebones]

so almost everyone in the squint squad has established childhood trauma (brennan, booth, sweets), what was all of their mental health like when they were younger? how did they cope? i hope you're doing alright!!!

OH i really adore this question !!! i <3 angst potential and i love these mf's sad backstories . gonna be honest, this is darker than most things i've posted before. it's mostly based on my own experiences and the experiences of a lot of my close friends- i'm gonna put a trigger warning for mention of abuse, self harm, eating disorders , substance abuse (drugs and alcohol), and suicide under the read more . please take care of yourselves !!! nothing is given graphic detail, but use your judgement and please don't read if it'll trigger you . i love you !!!

this evolved past just . their younger years and kind of became their Journeys with their mental health . i have a lot of thoughts pls ask me more about this omg :-))

i wrote so fucking much about this btw . i didn't know i had that many thoughts about this until i started writing and couldn't stop . my brain is Buzzing with angst for them .

brennan : brennan's mental health was always a little rocky, since she really struggled with loneliness in school, and didn't have many friends . as a kid, she never really understood why people didn't like her. she knew there was something different about her, but she couldn't see why people were so mean to her- the bullying lasted pretty much from the time she started school to graduation, and it was hell. a lot of adults didn't believe her or want to help her, and so she spent a lot of her childhood thinking that it was her fault she felt so alone. she didn't get to experience friendships as a kid, and despite learning being her favourite thing in the world, school was never a safe place for her.

however , once her parents left it got a Lot worse- the abandonment, and subsequent abuse she experienced in foster care, is what triggered her to develop ptsd. she was in some really bad homes- we get a few of the details in canon (like the family that locked her in the trunk of a car for breaking a dish), but there was always more. some were outright violently abusive, like that one, some were neglectful, and some, while not actively horrible, made it very clear that they didn't care much for her and she wasn't really a part of their family. she struggled with a lot of depression and hopelessness in her teen years because of this- the abuse was really difficult to deal with, and she turned to self harm and an eating disorder as a way to give herself some control over the situation. she spent almost all her time hiding away in her room studying, so between that and the constantly chaotic living situations, nobody even noticed what she was doing to herself. a social worker made her do therapy once, but she refused to speak the entire session, and continued to do so until she was allowed to quit. it hurt her, that nobody cared enough to notice that she was hurting herself, but she didn't want to ask for help because she refused to rely on anyone else after she'd already been abandoned once.

this, along with passive suicidality, followed her into adulthood, especially because she refused to address the problem or seek help. even for a good part of canon (really, up until season 6), we see her struggle with her mental health, struggling to understand the trauma she experienced as well as struggling to comprehend that even with all of that in her past, she can have positive relationships. her friendships helped her a lot though !! her friends at the jeffersonian were pretty much the first time in her life she wasn't... alone. this, along with actually finally seeking out help (therapy and meds), helped her to recover so she could finally feel Alive again (a big motivation for her was so that she could be a good mom to christine and hank <3) .

booth : we know from canon that booth has ptsd and experienced suicidal thoughts in his childhood . the trauma of the abuse from his dad fucked him up a lot- when he was a kid, he didn't really let it show, since he was in survival mode. he tried to be the best he could, be charming and happy and smart, both to avoid the abuse and to make sure nobody found out, since it was guaranteed that would make it worse. once he and jared were finally able to escape it and go live with their grandfather, it was the first time he actually let himself feel those feelings, and it was bad. his trauma manifested through anger- he wanted to hurt his dad for the torture he put them through, but he couldn't, so he took it out on himself instead. i think he struggled a lot with self harm in his youth and teen years, and continued to struggle with suicidal thoughts. he attempted, once, in highschool, but just woke up the next morning and pretended everything was fine. none of his friends ever knew he was hurting, most of them didn't even know about what he'd gone through as a kid. but his grandfather found the note in his room that day and talked to him about it when he got home, and he cried for probably the first time in years. that's what got him to finally accept help- he didn't realize how bad it was until that conversation.

another thing that was really triggering for him was alcohol- he was a football player, and all his friends were party boys. they drank a lot, and he usually avoided it. the most he ever had was a single beer, since he was terrified of losing control and being like his father. there was one time he got wasted- it was at a party, and he stumbled home that night. jared was in the kitchen, getting something to eat . booth was about 16 then, so jared was only 12 or 13. jared saw that he was drunk, and completely froze in fear, completely having a flashback. this fucked booth up- he was absolutely terrified of drinking from there on out, and was pretty much 100% sober until he was out of college.

angela : angela's mental health was pretty good until her late teen years (around 16). she had good friends, lots of hobbies, and she was really close with her dad. we don't know what happened to her mom, but i suspect it wasn't anything good- either she died when angela was young, or left. angela had some Issues with that, but it wasn't a huge deal for most of her life, since it had almost always been just her and her dad. when she was about sixteen though, things got rough- this is when her bipolar started, and it was really hard. she would cycle really rapidly in between manic and depressive episodes, and had some really terrifying mixed episodes as well (which can be really dangerous). she started getting more self destructive too- she developed an eating disorder around this time (bulimia), and started engaging in a lot of reckless behaviour that she could excuse by being a "party girl". she would binge drink, experiment with drugs, have reckless sex, etc. people worried about her, but she didn't even understand how dangerous any of it was until she hit rock bottom right at the end of her junior year. she was wildly depressed, and could barely get out of bed- her dad pulled her out of school, and she spent the last month of the school year just trying to get better. he cancelled a bunch of tour dates just to be with her and help her recover, and with a lot of help, things did start to get better.

her senior year, she didn't feel like going back to the place that had her so ill. and so she did her final year through homeschool, and spent it on the road with her dad. this was the best decision she ever made- it's where she fell in love with art, painting all the beautiful things she saw and learning to express how she was feeling through creation rather than destruction. when she goes to college the next year , she's in a MUCH more stable place and although she still struggles, she's much better at coping.

hodgins : hodgins started struggling with his mental health at a pretty young age (like, early middle school), but because of his families status, it was frowned upon to talk about. he didn't understand what was going on with him, just that he was so, so angry and sad all the time. he thought that something was wrong with him, that he was broken in some way, but he knew instinctively that it was something he wasn't supposed to talk about. he realized he was trans sometime around this age too, which really impacted his mental health- his dysphoria was really bad at this time, since there was nothing he could do about it. he had to keep his hair long, wear the "girls" uniform at school, act like a "proper lady" when his family was around. there was so much anger and sadness inside of him that he just didn't understand or know what to do with, which lead to a long battle with self harm that continued into his adulthood. his parents were aware of this, they just... wanted to ignore it until it went away.

when he was an older teenager, there was more he could do- he chopped all his hair off, which infuriated his parents, and was constantly in detention in school for refusing to wear the "proper" uniform. he wouldn't respond to his deadname, only jack, which got him in a lot of shit both in school and at home. he was already hurting himself as a way to rebel against this, but turned to drinking and drugs as another way to say "fuck you" to his family and the life he never felt like he belonged in. he fell in with a rougher crowd, since they were the only ones who understood and accepted him, and got into a bunch of trouble as a teen. he doesn't like to think back on those years. through university, he cleaned up his act a little, but really only on the outside. he was still wildly depressed, drinking, and so goddamn angry. it wasn't until he found his passion in school that he really started to care about his life- but once he found it, he realized he really did want to live. it was still really fucking hard, but he started to try to get better. he stayed mostly no-contact with his family, and started engaging in life more, trying to find hobbies and friends and have relationships that didn't revolve around just suffering and surviving together.

cam : cam grew up with a big pressure to be the perfect child placed upon her- she was the oldest daughter, and spent her whole childhood being "the smart one". she was really popular too, and from the outside looked like she had everything. but she really struggled with loneliness, and didn't feel like she fit in anywhere due to her undiagnosed autism and the pressure to constantly mask. the pressure of keeping up with her friends, of having perfect grades, of getting into the perfect school, of making her parents proud... caught up with her a lot once she was in her mid-late teen years. her eating disorder started around 15, and it offered her a huge sense of control in a world where she didn't feel like she had much- it was the easiest way to get away with hurting herself too. and it got her the approval and praise she wanted so badly- she looked like she was being healthy, and everyone praised her for how "good" she looked. it helped her fit in.

speaking of fitting in, her loneliness and the pressure to mask was really hard in highschool. sure, she had lots of friends, but she didn't feel like she connected with a single one of them. she knew there was something different about her, but she just couldn't figure out what it was. and so, she did everything in her power to try seem "normal". her friends were big party-goers, and so she would be too. she would drink... a somewhat concerning amount at parties. it was the only time she wasn't stressing about looking "right", about acting "normal". she was fun, and bubbly, and people liked her. boys liked her, her friends were too drunk to care that she was so obviously different to them, and she wasn't worried for once in her life. it doesn't help that alcohol and restrictive eating disorders is a known Really Bad Combination.

her ocd was also a big part of why she needed so much control in her life- her ocd started in childhood, around age 9. people thought she was just an anxious kid and a bit of a drama queen, but it was really scary for her. she had a lot of intrusive thoughts about the people around her getting hurt, and so her compulsions were really urgent and terrifying because she was so scared of things being her fault. in her teen years, her ocd fed into her ed a lot, but it also isolated her even further- she was so scared of being ostracized that she never enjoyed herself and . it sucked, to be the person who was always smiling but never really felt happy.

[imthederpyfox]

I was bullied my entire life, and even though I left school like 10 years ago now (yeesh 😬), and teachers back then were still the same.

I'm not saying it's always the tutors fault, but when a student is getting scissors thrown at their bag, kicked over in their chair, having glass bottles smashed over their head, cricket balls thrown at and shouted abuse at wherever they went, hey, maybe do something?

The amount of times I got pinned as the problem for not fitting in, for not being the same as them and for not just making myself a non-target is insane. Victim blaming mentality begins at school and continues into adulthood.

These teachers - who have a responsibility of care btw. (Here in the UK its illegal to skip school without good reason, so there's no escaping the bullies) - have probably had the same mentality since they were at school, where they were probably bullies themselves, or were taught that if anyone is bullied it's simply a matter of the person being bullied simply being too different.

You know, being LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, disabled, a PoC, simply happy or a bit eccentric. And that mentality continues into adulthood as well as the bullies mentality of victim blaming. Because they get away with it, we then get bullies in adults who have had the behavior of being horrible, bigoted and downright abusive supported by the school system. People who go through life thinking that abuse is ok.

And then the people who are bullied then go through life constantly being told that they stand out too much, trying to hide who they really are, and scarred from an experience in which adults were supposed to protect them and did nothing but victim shame, and they then wonder why these people don't want to report any problems, why they go on to be people pleasers if they even make it through school to begin with.

Being told as a CHILD that being yourself could get you KILLED is the base of a lot of people's school experience, which then turns into their LIFE experience.

Bosses, parents, people of power, relationships, its all then skewed because the abused is raised with the mentality of 'well maybe you should just try and fit in more'.

I have later since found out I am autistic and have ADHD. So basically these people blamed an autistic child for being 'too different' and not 'fitting in'. A child who's brain works differently, who doesn't always understand in their STILL DEVELOPING BRAIN what they have supposedly done to grant having this treatment forced into them by not only the bullies but the adults who they are always told are supposed to HELP.

Victim shaming when it comes to any form of abuse is disgusting. Period. And that mentality starts in school. Maybe the school system should think about that.

[gb-patch]

Ask Answers: January 28th, 2021 (Part 2)

Here we’ve got asks that aren’t to ask a question but are just really nice messages. Thank you all for sending us such kind comments ;v;. It’s seriously heartwarming to see so many people having good experiences with the game. I don’t even know what to say to such sweet responses.

We’ll keep doing our best and thank you again to each and every one of you for giving Our Life a chance ❤!

Hello! I've been following this account and have been following the development of 'Our Life' for a few months now, and I just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work and dedication you have put into the game. It astonishes me how much choice you have during the sequence of Our Life and am excited to play the full version now, I am downloading it as I write this message. I've had a great time seeing the demo transition into to the full game and just wanted to write two words. Thank you.

Anhhhhffbgdfbhujk!!! Congratulations on the release, I’m playing the game right now! Thank you all for your hard work and I can’t wait for the Step 3 DLC to come out, I’ll probably wait for the Step 3 DLC to come out to experience everything, but until then, I still have a lot to play. Thank you once again!

finished my first playthrough just now. it just felt so wholesome ??? 100/10 would do it again. i laughed. i cried. i got angry. i felt second-hand embrassment— i got so into it i was left in literal tears after getting my first ending. the art, the storyline, the music, and COVE HOLDEN– UGH IT WAS LITERAL PERFECTION ❤ THE WAIT WAS WORTH IT. THANK YOU FOR MAKING SUCH AN AMAZING GAME 🥺😭 this made my 2020 better, i can't wait for step 4 in 2021 ❤❤

So I was following you guys on itchio for years and uhh did I stay up til 6 am on a school night to finish the game? Yes. Did I sob my eyes out during step 3 as a 20 year old having doubts about life and adulthood? Absolutely. I can't form proper sentences right now due to lack of sleep but just wanted to say thank you for making it. I honestly feel lighter and I feel like it changed my views on future to be more optimistic... I can't wait to replay it! Thanks again!

I love how Our Life turned out!! I keep replaying it and can't stop squeaking and giggling!! Thank You for creating it ♥

okay i have actually fallen in love with cove and cannot WAIT to marry him 😭

Hi! I played through 'Our Life' yesterday and  I just wanna say how refreshing it was to be able to have Cove be 'high initiative' and also have so many opportunities to initiate affection from the player character! As a pretty flirtatious/affectionate person myself, I notice that a lot of VNs don't give players that agency, and affection can be kinda 'carrot on a stick' if that makes sense. You guys did an awesome job! I look forward to seeing if there are more of those moments in Step 3 & 4 :)

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the option to choose Cove's level of initiative in step 3! As much I love the option to choose I personally enjoy have the romanced character take the lead without my input so when I got to step 3 and had to option to make it so that Cove initiated affection without as much input from me I was really happy! You guys seriously added so much freedom in terms of choices, it's almost baffling that the only thing you have to pay for is optional DLC!

I absolutely loved everything about the game and I really want congratulate the team for making the game such a satisfying experience.

I look forward to step 4

❤️❤️❤️❤️

* and sorry for my bad English

Just finished my first play through and I loved it! I've been looking forward to the game and it definitely was worth the wait. Thank you all for your hard work and can't wait for the extra dlc!

Till then, hope you guys gets some well deserved rest🤗

Love you guys, thank you so much for your hard work. :)

Ok, so I just finished Our Life and, wow. I have never cried at a video game before, ever. Thank you so, so much! Its one of my favorites.

this isn't a question, but i just wanted to say how much i enjoyed our life 🥺 i've been patiently looking forward to the full game for a few months now, and i couldn't be happier with it! i've only played through it once so far but the outcomes of the choices i made were all so soft and wholesome 💗 i can tell that everyone who was involved really worked hard and you all did an incredible job! i can't wait to see what else is in store 👍

i’d just like to say how addictive our life is!!! i constantly played it during quarantine and now playing the full release is so amazing to me!! i love that i’m still discovering dialogue bits with different personalities and actions!!! i have to admit that i’ve been wishing the day to pass faster all day during school so i could go home and play again. mentally i’m not the healthiest and our life being released has boosted it up so much, thank you for creating such an amazing game!!!!!

Hey, I just wanna say I played our life two times and it still give me the same feelings. I was really looking forward to this game before it came out and I kept on replaying the demo. This game is such an amazing experience and I feel so happy playing it. I am not really a person good with words unfortunately but I do honestly love this more than anything in the world. Thank you for making it and I hope that you will continue to make more games like our life. This game really makes me happy and I can't thank you enough

Just wanted to say that Our Life really made me feel seen as an 18 year old trans man who's been struggling with change as of late and I can't thank you guys enough for it. I just finished the main story and currently released DLC's and gosh, I can really only say... woah. Just, woah. The messages are somehow exactly what I needed to hear right now, and they brought me a lot of comfort in this really weird and confusing time in my life. Can't wait to see what comes next in this lovely story <3

I am honestly in love with Our Life. The graphics, the soundtrack its just *chef's kiss* It was so worth the wait for it. I can't wait for step 4. Keep up the good work GB Patch!

good people i have just finished Our Life and let me say, it was beautiful. rarely have such non-fantastical moments (and even some fantastical moments) brought me to tears like this game has, and i don't even have the dlc (yet). i don't know how you did it but it felt like i was playing a slice of life anime. i had waited with baited breath to play this since i played the demo and my expectations were not just met but surpassed. from the bottom of my heart thank you for this game

I found the game by chance and I am so so glad I did. It’s so inclusive and made me feel so incredibly seen. Seeing that my gender identity and sexuality were possible just meant the absolute world to me. I’ve never seen something like this and it just made me so incredibly happy. Thank you for the absolutely amazing game and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Hello! I downloaded Our life earlier this week and I'm only now getting the chance to play it (Very busy and stressful week) I'm so excited to play and I wanna say thank you for making this adorable game!

I just finished my first playthrough of Our Life and I can't even express how much I love it. Cove is absolutely precious and has killed me several times, and the art and soundtrack is beautiful. I love all the small different choices. I'm very interested in the Derek and Baxter DLCs and the rest, can't wait!!!!!!

thank you for "Our Life Beginnings & Always" it has to be one of the best visual novels i ever have played and i just dont want it to end (i know it will, but damn it! i want to have a wedding night, have children and die of old age with cole! XD) when i play it it always makes me tear up (in a good way) and i am most definetly going to buy all the dlc that you make! thank you for this lovely game and all the work that went into it! (ps: i also loved "lake of voices" )

You guys are incredibly talented and im very proud of you all! You've really outdone yourselves w/ OL and i cant wait to see whats next to come for you all :)

i really love that you can be trans in Our Life! not a lot of games do that so i just wanted to say thank you!

Guuyyss!! I just wanna say! Thank you sm for the headscarf option in the MC creator! I especially loved that little detail where MC quickly slips the headscarf on before greeting Cove, I've never felt so immersed :'D Not that the rest of the game wasn't immersive btw, but since I wear my hijab most of the time that little addition really felt like something I would do! So thank you for that <3

I've been watching "Our Life: Beginnings & Always" development for quite some time, and I gotta say its wild to see it finally release. Its so unique in the way relationships work- even character creation. I've cried multiple times over this game while playing. I can't thank y'all enough for a game with these kind of mechanics, and representation. its rare I get to feel im really playing as myself in games like these. Everyones outdone themselves. this'll certainly be one I keep coming back to.

I've been following the development of Our Life from way back when the first demo dropped and it still blows my mind how many choices and customizations there are (love that update for the MC's bedroom btw!) and the fact that the game remembers them - it really feels like your very own coming of age story! I was so immersed I cried at the end :') Can't believe I experienced this game for free lol. I can't wait for future DLCs and Step 4! Good luck with all your upcoming projects dev team!!

Just wanted to say I love Our Life and I'm thankful it exists. Thank you so much! I love the little world you created and all the people in it. Especially Cove! This game makes me so happy!

Just poping in to say hi and that ilu guys ^^, remember to take care of yourselves!

Hi!! I just wanna thank you for creating such an amazing game. Our Life is one of the few dating sims I’ve found that let’s me be a male mc, it’s really hard to find dating sims that let me be gay. Our Life is my new favorite dating sim to just sit down and playthrough whenever I’m having a bad day so I just wanted to let y’all know how much I appreciate all you’ve done. 🤍

Fan from australia here

Just wanted to reach out and let you know how important this game has been to me. I came across it at a really rough time ( that I’m still going through ) and it’s been one of the things that’s driven me to get up and out of bed sometimes.

This game and cove both hold a very special place in my heart and I can’t wait to see more of him in the DLC and Step 4

Much love ♥️

I know this isnt exactly the main focus of the game, but i really love how we can customise the mc personality wise! This is the first time i've played a game like this where the mc actually does and says exactly what I would do and say in certain situations and its such a breath of fresh air!! It's also so cool how the other characters can pick up on it!!

Cove Holden saved 2020 (my 2020 anyways) I would die for him

Sorry for this being out of the blue, but after playing through Our Life I wanted to thank you for the experience. I don’t know if I’ve ever played a game that has made me cry happy tears TWICE lol. It’s beautiful, scenic, inclusive, and absolutely amazing..have a great rest of 2020 and I honestly cannot wait for the rest of it :,) (ps. The ending song is stuck in my head)

I think you guys might've ruined visual novels for me forever. I'm not sure I'll be able to play another without comparing it to Our Life and I know if I do that I'll be disappointed every time because of how amazing it is. I bought the DLCs before playing the base game it's one of the best impulsive purchases I've ever made

Thank you so much for making our life! It's my favorite visual novel ever and I just can't articulate how much being able to just be honest with my responses instead of going for whatever would make the love interest happy means to me? I reccomended it to evry friend I have that plays visual novels because this is the best one I've ever played!

Just wanted to say that I absolutely adore this game! The childhood friends tropes is my favorite thing and this game delivers! Cove is the sweetest thing, infact all the boys are good boys. Super excited for all upcoming dlcs!

Hi, I just want to thank you for making such an amazing game like Our Life. Tbh, I was following the game’s development for a while, but me and my family moved away from my childhood town just a few days before release, so I really connected to this game. You all did amazing!

hey just wanted to know that i completely loved ol: b&a and it was so good and love cove more than i’ve liked any fictional character, it’s now my comfort media. thank you so much

hi i just wanna say i really enjoyed all of the representation in our life b&a! there were characters with a lot of different body shapes, pic characters, lgbtq+ characters, and you get to choose your own pronouns and sexuality!!! so tysm!!

This isn't a question, I just wanted to say that Our Life is incredible. Ever since I finished it, I've been looking for other visual novels to play so I don't play OL so often that I start memorizing the lines before all the DLC comes out, but I keep coming back to it. It's really one of a kind, I think you all ruined other visual novels for me because I haven't enjoyed another VN like I have this one since I read it ❤.

i think our life b&a is the first game where i felt like cove loved me, not the character i play as which is really nice for someone with kinda low self esteem so THANK YOU

I’ve been playing Our Life practically nonstop since yesterday. I just want everyone who worked on it to know how much the LGBTQ inclusivity means to me. As a closeted trans ace guy in an unsupportive household, I can’t emphasize how much of a comfort this game has been to me. Everything about it is so wholesome and heartfelt. I’m excited to see what other games you make in the future 💙

- A demibiromantic ace transgender man who may or may not have cried over the option to be myself in a game for the first time ever

Csn i just say i really appreciate how you handled MC deciding to use they/them at different stages. Mainly because alot of games don't pay much attention to the body the mc was assigned at birth if they player chooses nonbinary like it does with male/female. And it was just nice to be able to play an mc who just thought gender was kinda 'meh' for them but still felt good about the body they were born with (like myself). I guesd it boils down I'm really appreciative of the hard work it must've taken for you to make all those options possible & still have them matter.

I just wanted to thank you all for Our Life. My mental health hasn't been in a good place recently and it has become my favorite form of escapism/way to cheer up. It's idyllic setting and fantastic characters are such a good way to wind down, I love it. Also, I've been dreading 2021 due to classes starting and general stress, but the DLC and your next project have given me something to actually look forward to :). I'm so excited for them and now I actually have a reason to be happy that it's 2021. Sorry if this message is a bit weird, I just wanted to thank the team for their hard work and for creating something so incredible <3

I've gotta say this is one of the most repayable games I've ever played, if not the most. Usually after i do a playthrough or two of a game i have to wait awhile before playing again otherwise it feels stale. But i haven't had that problem with our life because of the sheer ammount of player agency. Everyone who works on tbe game should feel incredibly proud of themselves because you've created something amazing.

I just wanted to say thank you for Our Life. I'm sure you get this a lot, but it really pulled me out of a mentally tough spot in my life. So thank you.

who needs therapy when you have our life: beginnings and always? haha no but seriously this game is my comfort game, and even though i can’t join your patreon at the moment please know i am always supporting you and i am so excited to see everything you have in store! everyone who works on the games is so so talented

All DLCs have nice content. 😡😡

And I love them all!!💗💗💗💖💖💖💕💕💕

[calpalsworld]

Got A LOT of asks about Wu and Garmadon and their shapeshifting in Ninjago Respun so heres a BIG answer instead

[spoilers for canon Ninjago lore, and minor spoilers for Respun lore since I’ll gradually explain this all in canon anyway. Only read this if you are DYING to know I guess?] [Whenever I say “we’ll talk about that later” that basically means I won’t talk about that further even if you ask, sorry D: Gotta wait for the comic to address that.] CONTEXT: The First Spinjitzu Master was SOOO strong. He was NOT supposed to exist, not just because of the eternal war between Oni and Dragon, but because sex between the two does NOT usually yield any Baby?! (Plus some other reasons ill talk about later). So like. Woaaah wtf? So.... that one baby? The First Spinjitzu Master? Yeah, he is a god! All the powers that dragons and oni have? He has them, and more.

SOME FIRST SPINJITZU MASTER DETAILS:

Dragons usually only have titles for names, so “First Spinjitzu Master” is literally his name.

He is immortal.

Oni are shapeshifters with no defined form. Dragons are shapeshifters too, but to a lesser extent (we’ll talk about that later). So the First Spinjitzu Master is a shapeshifter too. And so, humans are literally the fursona of the FSM.

He can create shit like its no big deal. He made the land, the plants, the animals, the people, the elements -- he made *almost* EVERYTHING in the realm of Ninjago (we’ll talk about that later).

Some aspects of Ninjago’s many cultures came from the First Spinjitzu Master -- from Oni and Dragon -- but other parts developed independently. In the Oni-Dragon language, “he” is a pronoun referring to Oni, and “she” is a pronoun referring to Dragons. There are other things too but that would take A LONG TIME to talk about... moving on...

HISTORY OF WU AND GARMADON’S SHAPESHIFTING AND ONI-DRAGON HERITAGE BIRTH | YEAR 0: So, the immortal Oni-Dragon named the First Spinjitzu Master, aka: God, decided to create people for his cool awesome realm. He wanted humans to be different from himself, but he also wanted a couple people who were just like him that could continue his legacy. He wanted people who could forever defend what he created. So he just mpregged himself and made two kids! Lying: He summoned them into existence, no pregnancy involved, sorry. Cries. The first he created was named Garmadon (named by himself), and the second he created was named Wu (named by his dad like a loser HAHA). Garmadon was born (created) in late winter, and Wu was born (created) in early summer. Wu and Garmadon are biologically identical to their father, half Oni, half Dragon, and immortal. But they are not as powerful as him. Beings equally strong as himself would be impossible for the FSM to create. His sons don’t have the same creation powers as him, but they have the same Oni and Dragon abilities. When Wu was born (created), Garmadon instantly chose to look almost identical to Wu. He previously had a different form that the First Spinjitzu Master designed for him, but fuck that (we call this becoming the realm of Ninjago’s first transgender person). At birth they looked and acted like they were around 3 years old. CHILDHOOD | YEARS 0-30: Wu and Garmadon’s physical forms are a conscious decision, but are also affected by their subconscious mental states. This caused them to age like MOSTLY like a normal child would... just a BIT slower. They also interacted mostly with people the same age as them, and chose to age like they did (we’ll talk more about this later). Garmadon got bit by the Great Devourer when he was 7. His eyes would look like he is really high sometimes (glow red) because of the curse, unrelated to shapeshifting. He also has a scar on his arm from the bite and the venom. It is usually very hard to scar an Oni/Dragon, but it was a powerful, long-term, magical wound. The bite caused him to become soooooooo angry and evil that he made up a Oni-persona because Onis look evil and cool. The two of them were always distracted by exploring the world, rather than questioning who they were. They just knew their father was from “outside the realm” and “half oni, half dragon.” They knew he and they could live forever, while others couldn’t, and knew they could shapeshift, while others couldn’t. But they never questioned him further, like.... they didn’t really care lol. Around 30 they looked/acted like they were around 15 years old (around 30 is when they met Aspheera btw). TEENAGE YEARS/YOUNG ADULTHOOD | YEARS 30-70: More adventuring and not caring about who they are. On one adventure, Wu got “crucified” by a village of people, Breaking-Wheel-Style on a Dharmachakra, while Garmadon watched and laughed. Eventually Wu and Garmadon met this woman on their adventures. [[Ninjago spoilers, cough cough --mystaké, --cough cough]]. She cryptically explained a few things: Dragon and Oni were at war in the past, Dragons create, Oni destroy, and currently the two species are dispersed across the realms. Wu and Garmadon’s father got mad at this lady for spilling all these beans, so she shut up about the dragon and oni shit, but still guided them in other ways for many many many many many many many many years to come. Around age 60, Wu and Garmadon looked about 30 years old. Their father passed on when they were 60, and the brothers began to diverge in the way they physically looked. Prior to this, they were near identical and relatively normal looking. My dearest apologies to those of you who love sexy 30 year old sensei Wu, buuuttttttttt, over the next decade, Wu became eldercore and wisdompilled as fuck. Meanwhile, Garmadon became a ripped 7′0 hottie (smh), who SLOWLY got older over centuries, paralleling Misako’s age. We’ll talk about Misako later. CENTURIES GO BY | YEARS 70-450: Btw, despite being really hard to scar, Wu got scars on his arms from another “crucifixion” at some point. (we’ll talk more about this later). .......More stuff happens.... not related to onis or dragons shapeshifting...... At age 450: -- oh crap GARMADON YOURE EVIL AF *banishes him*. We’ll obviously talk a LOT more about the banishment event later, ofc. Garmadon gets #pissed and so #fuck #anger #kill that he turns into his four-armed oni-persona. Wu and Garmadon know dragons. Wu hid the four golden weapons so Garmadon could never get them, and had dragons guard them. He is actually pretty tight with these dragons. They’re his friends. They were friends with Garmadon too. In the “Pilot”, “Weapons of Destiny”, Wu could’ve stopped these dragons from fighting the Ninja, but he wanted to test his students lmao. As for Oni, Wu and Garmadon (believe they) have never met a full-Oni. UP TO THE CURRENT DAY | YEAR 610. Most of Ninjago’s people know nothing about Oni and Dragons. Oni and Dragons are just mythological, often dismissed as fake. They don’t know Wu, Garmadon, and the First Spinjitzu Master are related to Oni and Dragon at all. Their origin doesn’t need explanation to most citizens. People just think, “Oh, The FSM, Master Wu, and Lord Garmadon? You mean God, Jesus, and Evil Jesus?” (Of course, the “Jesus” part is COMPLETELY non-diegetic, and they don’t actually call them that. They don’t know wtf Jesus is). I could go off about religion in Ninjago, but don’t get me started lol XD So, in conclusion, we got two immortal half-dragon-half-oni idiots that are worshipped by the average citizen. Wu is purposefully eldercore, and Garmadon is purposefully a ripped 7′0 oni-persona hottie. Post that explains rules of oni-dragon shapeshifting. That’s the lore at the moment. Any thoughts? Criticisms? Any other questions?

[missdisrefs01]

Chris-Chan: A Measured Response

⚠️ Content / Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault / Ableism / Transphobia ⚠️

I know I’m late to the party, but I have been wracking my brain to discuss the situation regarding Chris-Chan with as much respect and tact as humanly possible. In light of recent events, I think it’s time I’ve had my say.

To make a long story short: Christine Weston Chandler, aka Chris-chan, is is an Autistic web personality best known as the author of the infamous webcomic “Sonichu,” but also has a history of engaging with ‘fans’ (or rather, trolls) often revealing increasingly bizarre and personal aspects of her life (some I won’t, in good conscience, discuss here..you’re free to look it up yourself, but don’t say I didn’t warn you). This has made her the most documented person in internet history.

On August 5th, 2021, Chandler was arrested in connection a leaked phone/text conversation where she admitted to a “”””fan””””that she sexually assaulted her 80 year old mother, who has dementia, and whom Chandler had been taking care of for some time. Chandler’s parents (her father died in 2011) have had a history of mental/behavioral health issues themselves, including hoarding and public outbursts.

I’ve been watching this saga unfold for a good decade (although it’s practically gone on since 2000 or so), and every single time, I said to myself the same things again and again:

“What the hell is this Truman Show IRL nonsense? Why are these vultures just...pointing and laughing when it’s obvious this person never got the help that she needed?”

“No, her gender identity has nothing to do with it! Leave it out of the conversation!

“This goes beyond just laughing at people on the internet. You people are...beyond sick! You need to be kicked off the internet forever! Miserable sacks of—“

And yet, two damn decades later, here we are.

I was diagnosed with Autism at an early age, and while growing up with autism in the 90’s was certainly no bed of roses, I was still able to have the resources and support network necessary to live and grow with it, as opposed to letting it define and consume me. I found other outlets, like drawing, writing and animation, to channel my anxiety into something creative...the process is therapeutic to me. So is practicing mindfulness and meditation and mulling over the concept of neuroplasticity (the science around the ever-changing chemistry in your brain, and the belief that your brain continues to change ever into adulthood).

(Quick side note: I am not saying all of these methods work for everyone; I just use this as a personal example. Different people have different needs. If you or someone you know require professional help (such as counseling), please seek it out).

I only wish that this person, with an obvious inability to read social cues, living with parents who had their own mental health struggles, was able to get resources that worked for her.

In conclusion, there is no excusing what Christine did to her mother. There is never, ever an excuse for causing harm to another human being in any way, shape, or form, and she should be punished to the full extent of the law. However, I feel this should serve as a cautionary tale regarding the way mental health issues are regarded in the darker corners of the internet.

This can be prevented. If you see something, say something. Here are a few toll-free resources available (I will add to it if I find any more):

National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN, US) : 1 - 800 - 656 - 4673 (HOPE)

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1 - 800 - 273 - 8255

Top 10 Internet Safety Rules & What Not To Do Online (Kaspersky.com)

BONUS:  Cringe | Contrapoints: She explains the Chris-chan saga in a little more detail, a lot more succinctly than I can (she starts discussing it at the 31-minute mark, btw). It is highly recommended viewing.

[dear-wormwoods]

Since one of the things in excited about in It chapter 2 is richie and the Paul Bunyan scene I've been wondering what do you think is the meaning of richie having that fear over the statue?or what does the statue represent for richie? Btw I am so happy your mental health has seem to have gotten better I'm sorry that you had to deal with depression at 13 hope you continue to stay strong :)

Thank you so much, first of all!!! As for your question, I swear I’ve written about this before but I’m honestly too lazy to look, so here are my Paul Bunyan thoughts:

Richie’s fears in the novel are almost entirely related to some aspect of himself that he hates or feels uncomfortable with. The crawling eye represents how he resents his eyes/glasses because his glasses are the reason he gets bullied, initially. He dreams about poking his eyes out, and he continues to resent his eyesight well into adulthood by adamantly switching to contacts and going off about his punchable glasses after getting Mike’s phone call. The werewolf represents his Otherness, because the teen wolf is persecuted and feared for something it can’t control. He relates to it, which is why IT has the letterman jacket with Richie’s name on it. This is why many people (including myself) think the werewolf symbolizes his sexuality... but if not that, it at LEAST symbolizes his feelings about being a “freak” in a general sense.

So, that brings us to the statue. When Richie is first reminiscing about Paul, he thinks about how, when it was first installed, the townsfolk reacted poorly to it and viewed it as garish, an eyesore, too ‘loud’ for Derry, too obnoxious, etc. So there’s a pretty clear connection between Paul and how Richie sees himself: an obnoxious and garish eyesore in an otherwise picturesque environment. Like the werewolf, he fears Paul because he IS Paul, and like the crawling eye, he fears Paul because Paul represents a source of bullying for him (his loudmouth).

As an adult, all three of these things combine into one entity - Paul wears the same letterman jacket, taunts Richie with the crawling eye (as well as a direct reference to his sexuality, imo), and even goes so far as to adopt Buddy Holly’s glasses, a musician Richie related to because of those glasses, but in a positive way for once. So not only does IT taunt Richie with his own self hatred, it also turns a major source of positive representation against him.

As a sidenote, the movie adaptation’s choice to make Richie’s main fear just be clowns also follows the same trend as his book fears. He fears and hates clowns because he sees himself in them - that is, something ridiculous and hideous that thinks it’s funny but is typically despised and mocked by the general population. All of Richie’s fears come down to that. They’re just visual representations of his real fear - himself.

(Another sidenote: this is one reason why Eddie is so important to him. He exposes his real dreams and ambitions to Eddie more than he does with even the other Losers, and Eddie supports him and admires him not in spite of those things, but because of them. Eddie shows Richie that it’s okay to be Richie.)

[remus-lupin-is-my-type]

Where the hell have I been?

Greetings everyone! I’m finally sitting down to write the post I’ve been avoiding for a while lol so buckle up lads cuz here we gO.

What it basically boils down to is this: I have been both extremely busy and extremely emotionally fragile over the past little while. 

It all started with my computer camera troubles (which still isn’t fixed btw LOL), and it really went downhill from there. Cosplay is a huge positive mental health outlet for me, and when I couldn’t really do it anymore, it took its toll. I felt so bad about not doing things and being as active in the hp rp community as I was, that I basically avoided it altogether (to put it in perspective, I’m even super far behind on TT’s blog *audience gasp*).

But it wasn’t just that. I am essentially working three part-time jobs right now. I am a receptionist at a retirement home, a receptionist/sterilizing assistant at a dental office, and I freelance edit. I now have only one day off a week, and the adjustment has been rough. I haven’t had the time or energy for much of anything tbh.

This led to a big ol’ backslide in the mental health department. Like. Pretty bad my dudes. I was constantly miserable, spinning my wheels being like “oh is this adulthood? Working shitty jobs and being sad but making money?” and I still struggle even now. But I’ve found coping mechanisms like investing in wireless earbuds so that I can keep one in at work and listen to podcasts and things to distract myself from negative thoughts. Also, I’ve been in therapy for a few months and that’s really been helping too. She’s the bomb. 

Then, just when things started to look up, I suddenly hit a wall about my weight and had several breakdowns about that. (Like seriously guys I’ve had at least four mental breakdowns since last I was properly on here lmao). I struggled with that for a few weeks, and I’m still struggling now. Constantly wondering if I’m doing the right thing/making the right choices, but it’s going well now. I’ve hit my wall, and now I’m evening out emotionally and I feel more hopeful about the whole thing.

I’m gonna try to stop making excuses. I bought an attachment for a tripod (which I’m actually gonna use with my mic stand) to hold my phone so I can film again. I tried it out today and it’s actually gonna be AWESOME because I can do so many more angles and things than before!! I still probably won’t be coming online soon as I feel it might be too annoying with the phone set-up, but tomorrow I’ve promised myself that I’m going to start filming one of the threads I’ve written during my hiatus.

SO. If you got this far, thank you so much for caring and for all your continued support and just for being the loveliest of communities. I will hopefully be seeing you soon! In fact, I’ll guarantee it!!! Hold me to it my dudes ;) 

Love you all so very, very much <3

Nicki xo

[myplantmagic]

gonna start doing my vaguely emotional processing type posts under  the cut so ya don’t have to see them all the time haha. I can imagine it is p intense shit to read, I know its intense to think about. If ya have to unfollow me for a bit I understand friends.

Talking about imagination, creativity, childhood n having childlike characteristics (that I see as positive) as an adult,~ 

It’s nice to be able to remember my childhood properly again without the survival yet ultimately maladaptive mental blocks makin my memories warped and fuzzy, bc it overwhelmly the age that I have felt most at home in, and the age that i felt like I blended in the best. This is despite the times that I used to go crying to my mum asking “whats wrong with me? Why aren’t I normal?”, to which her responses were always p spot on, im realising that she was a great role model for emotional intelligence. ANYWAY. childhood was magical to me.  I had multiple detailed and complex worlds with multiple different characters, with communities (that I now have the language to describe as being almost always communist/anarchist btw, you go lil Tobes - the one I had from age 4ish to 6/7ish had with trading systems instead of money n people helping each other instead of money) and my later ones (age 9 til 15+) had complex rules for how magic worked, and chosen families, and community consultation n meetings n collaboration instead of rules and rulers. Me and my primary school friend (who I still close to to this day) really built this world together.  we only stopped playing the imaginary game of it when it kinda felt like we were “too old” to be playing it n acting it out. Even though i never wanted to stop, and I don’t think she ever either. we always got each other on some unspoken level, w our mutual love of imagination n fanasty esp.  I turned the world into story writing as a way to continue the adventures in a “socially acceptable and less obvious” way, and my friend never got tired of discussing my latest ideas and plot twists, even into our adulthood. At some point during my first degree I stopped creative writing.  I think forcing myself to fit into systems, and friendships/relationships w neurotypical people WITHOUT having the skills, insights n language about my neurodiversity that I do now, to be able to access supports or promote understanding n acceptance of different ways of being - I think that all did a lot of damage and I actually tried to change who I was, how I functioned.  And (trying to) changing/repressing that part of who I was, also  killed/dulled my creativity, with only occasional flickers.  Now that I’m actively working on self acceptance and self celebration again, I realise I have to urge to write again, and do all the other creative things that I love, and I now understand better why I get along so well with children!! bc I nver really wanted to grop up!! 

[brokenmusicboxwolfe]

I’m just listening to NPR while I did stuff around the house (rainy day) and they are doing an hour of how schools are dealing with kids with dyslexia.

I am horrified! 

My brother is dyslexic and he had a nightmarish time because of it. I had assumed that since that was back in the 1980s (and a less than wonderful school anyway) that things would be different now. Surely after so long the modern crop of teachers would have been taught how to deap with it. Nope.

In my brother’s case he started struggling right off. Now his first grade teacher insisted he was fine, a very bright boy so don’t worry. My parents were concerned and started trying to work with him but....

He failed first grade.

Fine, not the end of the world, except now it was clear there was a problem. My parents got really active in trying to help him. They pushed and pushed and got him tested. 

Dyslexic. 

Now the problem got much worse. At our school, in the first half of the 1980s in the middle of nowhere, they had never heard of dyslexia! Then they decided that what it meant was “Oh, he’s stupid then.”

No really, the school decided he was just stupid. Worst of all, he had this terrible teacher that didn’t just think that and whisper about it with her coworkers (bad enough because kids always heard what they said) but would humiliate him in front of the whole class. She’d mock him openly. She called him “Stupid” and “Dumb” and “Slow”. His classmates would laugh. It was terrible.

I can’t tell you exactly what she did beyond that. He was too scared to tell us. We knew something was wrong since he hid to avoid going and started chewing his fingers until they bled. But he wouldn’t talk about it. Considering when I started school I’d gone from an extrovert to extreme introvert, nightmares, bed wetting, bullied until I was paranoid,  extreme weight gain....a total basket case....well, his school anxiety didn’t shock my parents and actually seemed mild in comparison. We’d try to coax him into telling us what was going on, but helping him read seemed the real problem.

What we didn’t know was there was an extra awful thing the teachers were doing. Several of them were saying, right in front of him, “He’s not smart like his sister!” They started using me as a tool to belittle him. The effects of those comments comparing us would have a swift effect that would forever alter our lives.

BTW that teacher was selected as teacher of the year the next year. When my father, who by then recognized the psychological abuse my brother endured, demanded to know how that happened he was told they felt “sorry for her” because that year she had had a problem pregnancy. Go figure.

Now on the surface the story of my brother has a happy ending. Without their help he dragged himself out of the class for the “slow kids” (teaching here divided kids as “good”, “average” and “everyone else”) and to the top group. He was one of five top students when he graduated. At NCSU he won a national chemistry prize, was the only under graduate working on a project, and after getting his degree in chemistry went and got another in computer programming that got him recruited out of school to a well paying job. So it sounds wonderful.

But look at the pscychological effects....

My relationship with my brother was ruined. We had been extremely close until that moment, but as soon as the “not as smart as his sister” thing started he changed. I see now why he got so angry and hostile, but at the time I was confused and hurt. This mental wound festered, getting worse and worse. I was the person to blame, the one with life too easy, the one to be his emotional punching bag to take out his unresolved rage. He’d been the sweetest kid imaginable, and now he was always on edge and bubbling with a hate aimed square at me. And as you know, adulthood didn’t heal it. He won’t speak to me. No Christmas. No birthday cards. He rants about me to Mom sometimes. I’m the enemy.....

His relationship with my parents altered to. There has always been this pain beneath the surface. He feels, in an unarticulated but obvious way, that they failed him. They didn’t protect him. Didn’t save him. His anger at my father continues even now that he’s dead. My parents were doing their best, tutoring him, trying to be supportive, but they were doing this blind. They didn’t know what the teacher was doing to him. Rationally he might agree they were doing their best and being supportive, emotionally though he was being forced by them to go to hell every day.

Most painfully, my brother’s default is to say “I’m stupid!!!!!” For over 30 years we have constantly tried to tell him that isn’t so. But all our telling him he’s smart and the proof through his achievements have done no good. He down deep he believes he’s stupid, and it breaks my heart!!!!

So all these decades later I hoped kids weren’t suffering like he was. But it sure as hell sounds like the damn schools have barely changed!!!!

Please, please believe me. If you are dyslexic you are NOT stupid!!!!!!!!!! 

Also, if you are kid and your teacher is making you feel stupid, tell your parents. That is NOT okay! 

[prehistoricalcats]

Rexy's Cats OCs Part 6: Deuteronomy's Family

Deut has a huge effing family, and I'll only be discussing the most story significant members in any sort of detail here. Even so this will probably be my longest OC bio post yet. Skip to the end for a list of Deut's siblings and a list of Deut's children

Beware: Long Post

Sandalphia

(sand-al-FEE-a) Tugger's mother, and Mac and Munk's stepmother. I can't tell you much about her without spoiling an entire story arc, but I'll try to lay out what I can

Very sweet, loving, attentive mother to both Tugger and and her stepson Munk (who is 3 when Tugger is born btw)

Doesn't get on with Mac (13 when Tugger is born) for some reason

Possibly just isn't good with teenagers??

Joined the tribe as a young adult and promptly fell for Deut

Didn't end up getting together with him until over a year after Griz left (when Munk was 3 months old)

Isn't still around, but I'm not telling why

Ummm okay yeah I think that's all I can really say atm. On to the stats!

About Jenny's age or so

Average build and just a little bit short

Smooth, very short fur

Honey-colored with black/brown rosettes and marble patterns

Hazel eyes

Nickname: Sandy

Matethon

(MAT-e-thahn) Sandy's brother. Other than basic appearance I can't tell you much more than that he exists and he comes to live with her and the family for a while

Tallish and heavy

Short fur

Cream with light brown rosettes and stripes

Blue eyes

Nickname: Mat

Meganterea

(meg-an-TARE-ree-a) Macavity's mother. Again can't tell you much without spoilers

Kind of a rebel in her own way

Not really like anti-authority just does her own thing and doesn't give a damn

Has some mental health issues, including depression, that she has difficulty dealing with

Got kicked out by her parents as a teen and was taken in by Griz's family (Griz was a young girl at the time)

The relationship with Deut didn't work out but they stayed amicable

Didn't stay with the tribe after Mac was born, but visited for the Jellicle Ball, and Deut visited them at their new home often

Eventually Mac was brought back to be raised by Deut in the tribe when he was five, but I'm not telling why

At least a decade or more older than than the older queens of the current tribe (Jenny, Jelly)

Tall and thin

Short, wiry fur

White with blotches of red and gold tabby patterns

Dark green eyes

Nickname: Meg

Balthazar

(BAL-tha-zar) One of Deut's younger brothers, his best friend, and his right hand tom once he became leader of the tribe. Died in the same event that killed Arbutus and Cety's family (see Part 2)

Kind, friendly, and jovial

Was Chief Protector until his age started effecting his performance, at which point he handed the position down to Panphagia (Taro's grandmother) who eventually handed it down to Taro (see Part 3)

Takes his job very seriously, and continued to participate in Protector business after stepping down as chief

For everything else though he's a big sweetheart

Will laugh just because

He, Deut, and Diddy (see below) used to get up to all kinds of mischief as kits and young adults

Something happened (not telling what) in their young adulthood that woke them up to the harsh realities of the world, prompting Deut to start taking his position as heir, shaman, and caretaker of the tribe more seriously, and Balth started taking his own role as a deputy Protector (at the time) more seriously

But they still had fun together whenever they could ^^

A little younger than Deut

Tall and burly

Mid-length shaggy fur

Brown with grey spots

Warm brown eyes

Nickname: Balth or Bal

Methuzelah

(meth-OO-za-lah) Deut's father. A young shaman that fell in love with the heir of the tribe (Deut's mother) when she returned home from traveling the world. He and Deut's mother had four sons together, Deuteronomy, Didymus, Balthazar, and Nimravod, and he also had an older son named Nebuchadnezzar.

Stoic and aloof

At first glance...

Actually a silly billy when you get to know him

He's just shy

Total sweetheart

Adorkable

Will pose dramatically and make funny noises just to make you laugh

Bonus points if he's doing his serious business important shaman face and the silliness just comes out of nowhere

Loves both Deut's mum and Siri (see below) with all his heart

Loves all of his children dearly

That includes his stepson, who he considers his own son he does not except constructive criticism.

Ganzo (the stepson) has always called Thuzah his father and was a little disturbed to find out he was actually his stepfather. Thuzah explained to him that it didn't matter to him what tom helped make him, Ganzo is his son no matter what

"I'm your father. I'll always be your father. We may not share the same blood, but you are my son, and I am your father. Don't let anyone tell you different"

This silly shy dork was also quite wise

Deut got it from somewhere ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Really freaking old

Like mid twenties when Deut was born, so more than two decades older than Deut, who is already really freaking old

Big and tall

Like... large

Short, scruffy fur

Silver tabby

Basically he looked rather like Munk, except he was a very big boi

Big scruffy silly shy silvery boi

Dark golden brown eyes

Nickname: Thuzah (THOO-zah)

Sirindhorna

(sih-rin-DHOR-nuh) Deut's mother's lover whom she met while traveling. When Deut's mum returned to the tribe, Siri came with her, where they both ended up falling for Thuzah as well. She had two kits with Thuzah, Sasithorn and Artaxerxes.

Strong, fierce, and determined

Was a mercenary for most of her youth

Joined the tribe's Protectors after she came home with Deut's mum

Eventually became Chief Protector

Major mama bear vibes

Will utterly destroy anyone that threatens her children or her mates

And she'll make it as unpleasant as she can get away with

Loves her stepkits every bit as much as her bio kits

And Deut and the other stepkits love her like a second mother

Trained (and was particularly close to) her stepson Balth and eventually passed the position of Chief Protector to him

Actually really chill and sweet with her family

But still feisty

Has a mischievous streak

Used to love getting into trouble with Deut's mum

Also really freaking old in the current timeline (if she's even still alive)

Slightly older than Thuzah (who may also not still be alive)

Tall and lean

Soft, short fur

Colorpoint, as in creamy white with chocolate brown face, ears, tail, feet, and hands

Yeah I know she's a dessert leave me alone I was hungry when I wrote this

Deep, ocean blue eyes

Oh btw she's not just a Siamese patterned Cat, she's from actual Thailand (formerly known as Siam)

Nickname: Siri

Siblings

Deuteronomy had one older sister named Sasithorn (SASS-ih-thorn or sehs-ee-TAWN, she'll respond to either) aka "Sassy"

He also had six brothers including:

Two older brothers named Nebuchadnezzar (neb-uh-kuh-NEH-zer) aka "Neb" and Ganzorig (GAN-zor-ig) aka "Ganzo"

A twin brother named Didymus (DIH-dih-mus) aka "Diddy"

And three younger brothers named Balthazar, Artaxerxes (ahr-tak-ZERK-zees) aka "Artax" and Nimravod (NIM-rav-odd) aka "Nimra"

Neb is Thuzah's oldest son from another queen. Ganzo is oldest son of Deut's mother from another tom. Sassy is the daughter of Siri and Thuzah, and Artax is their son. Nimra is the youngest of the eight siblings, younger than Artax by several years. Neb is the oldest, followed closely by Ganzo, then Sassy. Deut and Diddy are in the middle, and then Balth came right after them.

Children

Mac, Munk, and Tugger are actually the youngest of Deut's children (that he's aware of). He's had eight children (again, that he knows of), who are in order of birth:

Jublepurria (Joo-bul-purr-ee-ah) "Juble" a daughter that left the tribe as an adult to join a tribe her lover belonged to (Deut was sorry to see her go but was thrilled to see her so happy)

A set of twins, one girl, Scansoroura (skan-sor-ROAR-ah) "Sora" or "Aurora",

and one boy, Oryctonyx (or-rick-TAW-nicks) "Rycto" whose mother raised them away from the tribe because she didn't want them to bear the burden of being the leader's heirs

Silvacola (sil-vah-KOH-lah) "Silva" a daughter who also is no longer with the tribe

Lestobrady (les-toh-bray-dee) "Lesto" a son who was one of the victims of the same event that killed Arbutus, Cety's family, and Balth

Macavity

Munkustrap

Rum Tum Tugger.

Except for the twins, they all have different mothers. After all, it is canon that Deut got around...

---

Hnm? What's that?

…Why aren't I talking about Deut's mother? Hmm, well…

I'm not telling (:

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

[keep-calm-and-happy-simming]

Birthdays are the fanciest way to start out these episodes, am I right? :D But there was hardly anything fancy about Bernilla’s last childhood b-day when the cake decided to burst out into flamed and try to set ablaze our heir. Thankfully no one was damaged and mama Abigail magically bought a new cake so they could continue with the party.

Away with the childish pigtails, let the fiery mane flow! Bernilla came out as quite a beauty!

Also she makes the snobbiest expression of all time. And she isn’t even a snob! But I guess for an athletic enthusiastic like her seeing someone overweight really triggers her for some reason. Come on Bernilla, you make me look bad if you decide to go all out bitch.

Belladonna is still able to enjoy her innocent life and she really started to appreciate her imaginary friend when Bernilla proceeded to focus her attention on uh... being a rebellious teenager. By throwing eggs against neighbors front doors. Okay.

But yet those peaceful days couldn’t last forever, and another teen joins the family. Belladonna does look much calmer than her sister, but oh boy I hope she’s chill even when the mood swings kick in.

WHAT IS YOUR DAMAGE GURL?!

Aaaand Amanda grew up to a happy looking elder. Aww!

SHE GOT TO LIVE ONE DAY AS AN ELDER ARE YOU FRIKING KIDDING ME

Connor was so sad-struck that he also went up a lifestage to an elder.

... goddamnit.

Just like that, the Ylisse sisters are now on their own.

After a week or so trying to gather money from part-time jobs to pay the bills, Bernilla grew up both mentally and physically to the adulthood. Her final traits are btw loves the heat, ambitious, athletic, brooming and light sleeper.

Time to graduate with warm sister hugs!

One fateful night Bernilla made a trip to the elixir consigment store when her sister asked her to try to find a specific potion to turn her imaginary friend into a real deal. There she found this super cute blondie, Wade Hughes!

After learning that he was still single (even though almost everyone in the world was paired up with someone, thanks to me fucking up with Nraas storytelling mod) Bernilla immediately leashed him for herself. We learnt that he’s Pisces, and his traits are genius, clumsy, mooch, athletic and friendly.

Things were going pretty smoothly now, Belladonna grew up without problems and Bernilla and Wade are now happily engaged.

I’m 100% sure this family is cursed to have their elder guests die during any kind of a party. Two casualties during the bachelorette party of Bernilla (also Wade had a birthday and he’s an elder now, damnit!)

Apparently suits are off the season in Wade’s opinion. What a fancy wedding.

AND HEEEEERE COMES THE BABY!

Welcome the new addition to the family, first third generation girl, with capricorn horoscope, Candice! Traits at the moment are slob and no sense of humor, we are off to an... interesting start.

And that’s that for now, until next time!

[pipedreamprayer]

Street Kid Vigilante AU

This originated from looking at all the family AU’s where only the youngest 4 were de-aged, and wondering what it would be like if Shiro was a teenager to their pre-teen status rather than still an adult. What's the first situation where the closest thing to an adult leading them was a teenager I could think of? Street kid AU. Then I had a way to incorporate Allura and Coran in a way vaguely paralleling their canonical story, and from there it only made sense that this group would try to fight back against the bad guys, both because if they don’t then no one else will stop these people and in order to defend their new friends and because it was the right thing to do. Then it was similarly obvious how to include Voltron and it actually didn't work as well without it, and suddenly I realised that this idea of a handful of helpless kids with too big a job and some equipment that should not be in their young hands against an economic, political and societal superpower is almost literally what they are up against canonically! There's so much emphasis in the show of how big a job it is, how impossible it is that a grand total of 7 people, most still experiencing puberty, are against such an enormous, indomitable force, that I absolutely HAD to develop this!

In other words this AU went from an even cuter de-aged family fic to a sincerely profound metaphor for the main continuity that promises to have a ton of angst and tension juxtaposing the fluff (because goddamnit, this started off as a fluff-appeal and no matter how off-track it's gotten it will incorporate at least some if it kills me!)

But oh good god, I started out planning a small one-shot series with a cute set-up, and wound up with a full length story idea that just keep pushing more and more ways to parallel the main series in my face and looks like it's going to have a whole plot from start to finish. Help.

BTW Does anyone know of any automobiles with ‘castle’ in the name? If not I'll probably end up making one up to use at some point, the plot bunnies won't let me leave it out!

 Edit a little for summary: Shiro is a teenager (maybe about 15, so if the others are 9 the canonical equivalents could be seen as 16 versus 22, which is pretty viable) who's somehow become the unofficial guardian of 4 younger children - while they're all homeless. Enter Allura, the daughter of a rich businessman who was recently murdered by a competitor, and her current guardian, his right hand man Coran, both on the run from the same murderer. It's chaotic, dangerous and not something these poor kids ought to be having to deal with, but it's life.

 Ideas, also known as more parallels to the original series:

The rival companies are Altea Tech and Galra Corp, maybe the Garrison is the social services, or at least the orphanage that they keep trying to drag the kids to. In other words Iverson is seriously on their case, more or less the person they’re on the run from. MAYBE they’re the police force I. E. Iverson is a cop after them.

 Galra Corp is after Allura because she holds the prototypes for a series of breakthrough technology that would revolutionise the way we live. The issue was that the ‘Voltron series’ could easily be weaponised, as Zarkon intends. The kids initially assume he intends to sell it to military and militia groups for high prices, but it eventually turns out that, having essentially monopolised the world with the fall of Altea Tech, Zarkon intends to become a world dictator himself!

 The Voltron series is split into two: the Bayards and the Lions. What makes them both Voltron is that they utilise never-before-seen technology that connects with your mental assets to work, making the 10 pieces one of a kind and utterly priceless, especially seeing as how Allura and Coran burned the blueprints, prototypes and patents to keep Zarkon’s hands off them. However, aware that they may be the only things able to stand against him as well as all that remains of Alfor’s legacy and life's work, they keep the recently completed final prototypes. When Zarkon sent his people after them to obtain them they had already gone on the run with them.

The Lions are small patches (in the shape of the Voltron crest from canon - or maybe bracelets? Like the wrist-guard part of the paladin armour?) that can boost certain capabilities and unlocks a person’s full potential in various ways. The Forest Green Lion Patch allows Pidge to hack with her mind alone (like in Greening the Cube, even though I hadn’t seen the second season when I came up with these ideas!!), the Earth Yellow one gives Hunk at least 3 times his usual strength (like the grip claws!), the Aqua Blue Patch enhances Lance’s senses to the point he can tell when people are coming from vibrations in the ground and hearing footsteps no other human could detect (like the sonic scans! S2 was a bit of a mind-blow for me when I realised all the parallels), while the Flame Red Lion made Keith as agile and quick as a cat (the kids choice of comparison) and the Cosmos Black one allowed Shiro to make one hand (the prosthetic) into some sort of energy blade-like weapon. The idea is that someone with all the patches will be rather unstoppable, and are called ‘Voltron’ as a result. In other words the Lions combine to form a Voltron of unmatched strength, though they start to suspect there is even more adaptability to this, even more abilities hidden in the tech. For example, the kids prove to be building up resistance to certain effects: Keith can handle high temperatures unflinchingly, Lance doesn’t seem to get cold, Pidge has lost her hayfever and, apparently, other allergies to plants (maybe even building up an immunity to things like poison ivy and nettles as well), while Hunk’s skin seems to be toughening to the point that what would normally graze someone doesn’t break his skin at all (e.g. he can crawl through thistles without it making a difference to him so long as he protects his eyes). Notably, Allura and Coran didn't know what the Lions and Bayards actually did, so finding these effects was as much a surprise for them as the kids. Maybe there's even some sort of semi-permanent link effect between the tech and the user, so once the kids use it they’re sort of stuck with them.

 The Bayards are physical, able to morph from small devices to different objects depending on the users will. There is of course a limit in terms of mass, and imagination is vital. Luckily they're now in the hands of small children, who make them anything from toys to tools to weapons of self-defence, with the powerful imaginations of childhood, no matter how much they've been through. That said, they sometimes come up with ideas that aren't possible, or don't think things through properly. Shiro was completely against giving the children potential weapons until it was pointed out that they're used to having to defend themselves already (hence Keith’s knife, that he refuses to let Shiro take off him) and as they refuse to be left behind (they'd just follow him if he tried to separate from them, and would therefore be in even more danger being unprepared) they'll need something to defend themselves and get out of tight spots the most. They prove to be the best candidates out of the group anyway - their imaginative minds conjure things no one else would of through of e.g. robotic mice to serve as a distraction. Then, after that, one of their favourite things to do with their Bayards was to make pets out of them until needed as something else - particularly robotic mini-lions, already thinking about the animals a lot because of the names of the other line of Voltron products.

 Zarkon already has the Black Bayard, having stolen it at the same time as Alfor, Allura’s father, was killed, and he always has it on him to remind himself of the taste he's had of the power available, of why he wants more. The Black Bayard and Lion are connected (as are all corresponding colours) so he can sometimes sense when Shiro is near, or when he activates the patch - either way he can’t exactly track them in the traditional way, but does know when to look for them. The group don’t realise for a good while that this is happening and just think he has people out looking for them everywhere for them at all times and they just pick up on the signs they give away when they get into a situation that requires Shiro’s weaponised hand.

 Maybe Allura had pet mice in real life, and it was the stories she had about them that inspired the kids move with the Bayards. Allura is maybe 17, so older than Shiro by about 2 years but still a teenager and also on the cusp of legal adulthood - at which point she’ll inherit her father’s company. At the moment though, she tentatively bonds with the kids surprisingly well, Shiro coaxing her into opening up and being a kid with them rather than a future CEO. She sometimes jerks out of phases of loosening up somewhat by snapping that they can’t afford to be kids when they have her father’s murderer on her, and now their, trail.

 If Zarkon owns and heads Galra Inc, maybe Haggar is head scientist? Sendak may be the head of security or Thace is the head of security, Sendak is the hired muscle/assassin, the same probably going for the other big-shot Galra we’ve seen. Again, started this long before season 2, so not sure how to incorporate Lotor - maybe he’s in charge of these hired guys? Or maybe he’s heading his own mini army of assassins directly under Zarkon, i.e. rather than the difference between him and his team being that he’s Zarkon’s son maybe it’s that he’s actively loyal to Zarkon rather than just hired. I mean if he were to be the future heir to the company then he would be trained in business, not fighting, so he wouldn’t really be a threat like the other Galra.

 MAYBE Altea Tech has fallen behind a bit over the past 10 years as Alfor devoted so much time to the Voltron Project - so it dying out and being absorbed by Galra Inc wouldn’t raise so many eyebrows - nobody would know that Alfor was planning something big this whole time because it wasn’t actually ready yet. Maybe there’s even something about how potential investors thought it was a fools endeavour because there was only theory to begin with, and now that he has proof that it works he’s been silenced and Zarkon is out to take it all, without anyone being any the wiser. At least, not until it’s too late.

 MAYBE Shiro is more on the run than homeless: he was kidnapped alongside several other teens (including Matt Holt) for experimentation but managed to escape before they could amputate his arm, it having gotten a badly infected wound. However it is still pretty weak, and he suspects that the Black Lion therefore intentionally sought to make the weakest part of him, the most likely to let him down or be targeted, the strongest part by far.

 Katie went on the run from the authorities with her older brother after the care system threatened to separate them not long after their parents death, but when he was kidnapped by strange men she built up a less feminine persona known as Pidge both to cope with all the loss and convince herself and others that this scrap of a child could make it on the streets alone - she wanted to channel her brother as much as she could, and even wore his old glasses. Then she met Shiro and the boys and didn't need to do it alone any longer.

 I'm struggling a bit with the boys back stories, so I'll juggle some ideas:

Hunk’s parents died and he joined his best friend’s family, only for the two to eventually run away after being neglected due to the overwhelming size of the family.

OR

Their families all died in the same accident, or maybe a burglary, or even being targeted for some reason by Galra Inc. MAYBE the boys saw something they oughtn't have, but by the time they managed to get an adult to listen to them (their family continually being distracted by other members) the Galra had been sent after them, and everyone was slaughtered. The boys somehow managed to escape, leaving the deaths rather pointless and in vain - not to mention the boys entirely blame themselves. Perhaps because they think their families were targeted because they tried to tell them, they want it keep it a secret from their new family for their own safety. Thus they clam up when it comes to talk about how they ended up in this situation, and unless thoroughly distracted will at least tense and question everything they say when discussing family in general. This contrasts Pidge’s way of voicing memories whenever she gets the chance, a little afraid of forgetting, and Keith’s absolute reluctance to say anything at all about his past.

Maybe, just MAYBE I could incorporate the Alien!Keith headcanon (not exactly pure speculation anymore, hallelujah!) in that his parents were a part of the Galra ‘empire’. However maybe I can include something that the Aliens can't: They were undercover spies. Like, full-on-MI6-James-Bond style (again, shockingly similar to the undercover BoM agents!). However, when they discovered something important (either Zarkon’s eventual plans or some weakness. BIG MAYBE that the top-tier Galra are actual Aliens!!) they were killed, but not before getting their small son to safety (the Galra never knew about him but would have found him at the house). While they were able to, they gave him the vital evidence they were killed for i.e. not knowing about him and not having reason to suspect his existence means the enemy will never find him or it until he’s worked out what it is and turned it in to the proper authorities. MAYBE it’s his knife: he always thought it was a memento of his parents but really it was evidence that Zarkon was an alien OR has some sort of other significance e.g. hidden memory stick or the symbol has meaning with the organisation they worked for.

 Katie renamed herself Pidge after a random pigeon she saw on the street - unlike her it could come and go as it pleased and she wanted to be more like it. She was maybe 6 at the time, met Shiro about a year later and is currently just about 9, 3/4 of a year younger than the second youngest (Keith, who’s a few months younger than Lance who is younger than Hunk by even less) but is exceptionally small for her age. Maybe her birthday even comes up during the story. Maybe Shiro and Matt met in the facility that took the formers arm, so he knows he'll likely be kept alive and also that he has a little sister who was left behind. When he got out he tried searching for Katie for Matt's sake, even to find out if she'd died while alone or been taken into care or something, but EITHER found Hunk and Lance together first, then Pidge then they all found Keith, whom Shiro had known before he was kidnapped and Keith's parents died OR Pidge had already met Hunk and Lance, and Shiro found them after finding Keith.

Maybe Keith heard his parents mention a bomb so when the gang realise the connection between them and Galra Corp they start looking into bombs that occurred around the time. However Pidge eventually realises that they may have instead said "B.O.M" as in Blade of Marmora. This unfortunately renders their research so far potentially, but not certainly, useless, so no matter which option they choose to investigate they could be wasting more time even as they are hunted day and night. Furthermore, they are still no closer to finding out if his parents were even good guys or not - just like they could have been referring to a bomb they were involved in setting off or preventing they could be a part of the Blade of Marmora or seeking to eliminate their agents. It’s tense situation (that was unintentional but still, ba-dum-tsh).

 Not going to include most of season 2 because I can’t follow the plot identically, though some of the characters can be useful i.e. the mall Galra can come up when they genuinely steal from a mall owned by Galra Corp.

I think starting with a prologue to show how Shiro became responsible for the kids would be a good idea. MAYBE paralleled by snippet of Allura’s life at the time I. E. Before her father’s death, possibly by her seeing them in the middle of all this and not thinking much of it. Like, she just sees some random kids causing a scene one way or another and shrugs it off.

First chapter begins with Allura and Coran, maybe finding Alfor’s corpse, on the run already or burning things that don’t make sense to the reader at the time.

Then it moves on to the kids, spending some time showing how they function normally, a mundane day (pick-pocketing and a couple of thefts because CPS will be called if they're seen begging), before Allura and Coran burst into it, being chased. MAYBE Shiro recognises Sendak from his time as a prisoner and therefore knows who the bad guys are in this situation instantly. He rushes in to help on instinct, not realising until it’s too late that his kids have followed him. MAYBE they find Allura’s bag of equipment (including a teleporter that only activates for her DNA signature? It would only go small distances, but could be extremely useful) and use the Bayards to fend off the enemy from the get-go. If so, they do it in order: i.e. Lance finds it first and the others follow suit like in the first episode. MAYBE one is already in the hands of the enemy, but Keith actually gets it back (little shout-out to badass!Keith getting the Red Lion in the first episode).

[thescientistrans]

I wanted to say a few things about these wonderful people who have inspired me since 2007 to strive to be myself, not let anybody tear you down, and no matter what your going through it will be alright. Every album has played a significant part in my life with a theme that made my life easier, AWKIF- my parents divorce and love/relationships in general, Riot-the whole album is singing me a teenage anthem to be your self, head bang, and even cry a little. BNE- when you fall in love and it's a bitch, some friendships aren't what they seem (the only exception is my wedding song btw), Self-titled- intro to adulthood and realizing that life isn't what you thought it would be but it'll be ok. (I cried like a bitch when I heard part II, let the flames begin held a lot for me on the riot days), and now After Laughter- wow what a beautiful album through and through with its honesty, being someone who secretly battles anxiety and depression this is honestly what I need and I'm dancing and crying all at the same time, and I'm extremely grateful for Hayley talking openly about mental health it's almost become something as a society we don't want to talk about like it's a bad thing..when it isn't and people need to understand what they are going through other people are with them, even if it's your superhero since you were 12 years old. So here's to Paramore. Thank you for everything and continuing to make incredible inspiring music. 🍻💜

[scifibi]

"The youth that inherited the Earth"

I really wanted to get some thoughts out before 4x03 airs. Mostly because this line from Abby was really interesting to me for some reason, and, hopefully, I'm about to flesh out what that reason is. 

So in 4x01, Abby and Kane both realise that they are not the generation that will lead their people in the era of life on earth. This is a pretty pivotal moment, considering the adults have always been conducting themselves as Superior to the kids, because Seniority, amirite? The concept isn't new at all, but let's delve into why this moment is important. 

First off, it's important to remember that the conflict between the older and younger generations has been a central theme of the show since S1.

Note Jaha's response to the argument Bellamy and Clarke are presenting. Every single response made by an adult to something one of the 100 says on this show can easily be characterised with this one sentence -- "Thanks, but you don't fully understand." (This isn't always necessarily a bad thing, btw!) 

This is also what makes 1x11 an important (if largely underrated) episode. 

Throughout most of S1, the delinquents spend their time on the ground playing defense. They don't really taking any steps forward for themselves as a group. Really what they're doing is just hoping and waiting for the day the rest of the Ark comes down to save them, for the adults to take the burden of their own survival off their shoulders.

Witnessing the crash of the Exodus ship (1x10) changes that for good.

(Also interesting that all throughout 1x11, the delinquents are gearing up to fight back, building some of their own agency as a group, while back on the Ark, the adults are struggling just to stay alive. Almost a role reversal for the two groups.)

MOVING ON TO S2.

The Big Thing of 2x01 is reunion. 

The adults make it down to Earth, they actually manage to find some of the kids they'd sent down. Reunion should be a joyous thing. It should inspire relief, gratitude. 

Instead, the S2 premiere makes sure to remind us that this intergenerational conflict is not just going to be swept under the rug. 

The first interaction between the adults and the delinquents is basically Kane trying to reinforce the Ark way of life on Bellamy and Finn. It's a scolding, plain and simple -- "don't forget, THIS is how we do it." 

This struggle continues all throughout S2, largely between Abby and Clarke. There's far too much material to go through here, so I'll settle for the scenes that sum it up best, from 2x11:

ON TO S3.

With Clarke absent from Arkadia for most of S3, the intergenerational conflict continues on via Kane and Bellamy. 

Note the wording here.

Kane's not wrong, either. Bellamy was deliberately misled by Echo, manipulated as part of Queen Nia's vendetta against Lxa. He really did only want to save lives. 

There was rational logic to Bellamy's decisions and actions, just as there was rational logic to every law ever made and enforced on the Ark -- unquestionable execution of any and all lawbreakers, imprisonment of those who had yet to reach adulthood, even the culling of 1x05. 

Kane accepts Bellamy's decisions and actions because they were 'reasonable'. 

Bellamy doesn't. 

To make things even more interesting, Pike comes in with fresh eyes (so to speak), and immediately singles out Bellamy as the linchpin of Arkadia leadership. 

Not interim Chancellor Abby Griffin. Not 'future Chancellor' Marcus Kane. 

Bellamy Blake. 

And you know what? Kane knows it, too.

(from 3x06)

What follows is a more explicit foreshadowing of a power shift in 3x05. 

It's not just because Kane and Abby start helping Clarke rather than trying to restrain/protect/take the reins from her, either.

Everything builds up to a huge confrontation between Bellamy and Pike in 3x16.

It's important to note that this confrontation follows immediately on the heels of Bellamy trying to help Octavia out of her downward spiral. How does he go about doing this? 

"I know how you feel. I let my need for revenge put me on the wrong side. I don't want that for you." 

Bellamy's seen just how vital it is, which figure of authority you hitch your wagon to. He's spent all of S3 stuck in the (narratively) interesting position of being both a follower, and a leader. This was Bellamy's first step towards reclaiming the responsibility of setting an example for the delinquents, beginning with the person who's always been most important to him -- his sister. 

That's why this segues so nicely into his exchange with Pike.

Now, this wasn't just a mentor and his student hashing out their grievances. This was an explicit address of the disagreement in how someone of the older generation views the hostile conditions of Earth vs. Bellamy's generation.

This is a huuuuuuuge moment for the overarching intergenerational conflict.

There's a danger that comes with seeing yourself as the Good Guy, the Hero. You believe that everything you do is Right, as long as it's Justifiable. (See above re: Kane and 'reasonable choice'.)

Sometimes, you believe it so much that you forget why you're doing what you're doing in the first place.

"I don't know what I believe anymore. I just know, I have to live with what I've done."

Bellamy is learning a very important lesson here, one that not even the adults have learned in all their time and experience of being In Charge. 

Bellamy is learning that while you can rationalise your decisions and actions into dust, there will never be a way to rationalise the consequences of those decisions and actions away. 

It's a stark realisation, and not just for Bellamy. Note the camera work in this scene. Right when we think it's over, what happens?

The camera switches focus, to show Pike's reaction.

This is a really firm sign that it's not just an internal growth thing for Bellamy. It's not just individual character development.

It's a revelation borne of the younger generation, that impacts the older. 

Okay, let's wrap this up.

In the pilot, who are the ones sent down to Earth ahead of everyone else? 

The delinquents are. 

This isn't just an ~intriguing story premise~. This is the younger generation literally spearheading the way for all of their people.

IMO, it's a very deliberate choice on the writers' part, that the very first one to fall to ALIE was Jaha -- former Chancellor and leader of the Ark, the person who'd spent his entire life setting an example for the people of the older generation to follow, right down to sacrificing his own son for the good of everyone.

The survivor's mentality inherited and cemented by Jaha and his generation might have worked for them in space, but it couldn't last on Earth.

(FOR EXAMPLE, notice how besides Jasper and Raven, there was never even any question over whether any of the delinquents would ever succumb to the City of Light. Even though Jasper and Raven did cave eventually, both of their descents were built up very deliberately, over several scenes and several episodes. Why? To show their behaviour as anomalous -- i.e. none of their peers would do the same.)

(x)

As early as 1x01, Abby being punished for refusing to let Jaha die sums up the survivor's mentality that belongs to the older generation:

Following the rules > Saving someone

Because in space, the rules are what keeps everyone alive.

In 4x02, there's an explicit shift of that survivor's mentality. Bellamy powers this shift, and Clarke supports it via agreement.

(x)

To fully appreciate the magnitude of this agreement, we must understand that Bellamy and Clarke are no longer just leaders of The 100. They're now leaders of their people. Their authority has been legitimised and affirmed in 4x01, by the leaders of old -- Abby and Kane.

(x)

With this, Bellamy and Clarke effectively start S4 off by unequivocally agreeing that:

Saving someone > Following the rules 

Because on the ground, there are no rules -- at least not any that they've been taught growing up. That old mentality may have sustained them in the past, but it won't do so as they move into the future. 

This brings us to one last important question: Does this put an end to the theme of intergenerational conflict for the show?

A: No. Themes that have been in place since the beginning of a work don't just end with a line. They just metamorphosise, develop and advance into different phases and stages of the same underlying premise. 

But what's made clear to us viewers is that the younger generation of the Ark, the younger generation of the human race have to forge their own path now -- a new path, for which the foundations will be laid in S4. 

(And, idk about you, but that's pretty damn exciting.)

(x)

[sccwriting]

I'm interested in the ethics of total power exchange/complete dependency D/s type relationships, but with the submissive partner having a disability that requires a high level of support from their partner; they would not be able to live without substantial daily support from caregivers. On one hand, disability shouldn't prevent someone from having a safe D/s experience with TPE, but on the other hand, it could be seen as coerced consent because of that dependency. Thoughts? Thanks for your time

This is an interesting question. This is Wolf - by the way – not Spice.   I have written a biton consent and non-consent, and the importance of affirmative consent, and howthis might not be present if your partner “cannot” say no, for any number ofreasons.   If a sub can’t say no, thenthey cannot say yes, and consent.  This is also a challenging question, one thatcombines elements of ADA and Civil liberties as well as some interesting D/sthemes.  

UnderADA, many considerations are given to inclusive treatment, and to giving peoplewho live with a disability the benefit of the greatest freedom they can exercise.  One element of this was discussion of if itwas ethical for a nurse to assist, or to refuse to assist, with holding the Hitachifor a paraplegic who could not help herself in this way, but was of sound mind,and of the age to consent.  ADA and ACLUseek to open those doors, even when society might look at them morenarrowly.  Creating the greatest freedomis the ideal.  They might send a lawyerto argue BOTH sides of this issue, and they might not be wrong.

Inthis case, you don’t state, but I assume the individual is “of age” to consent,and is deemed legally able to address their own affairs.  I am also assuming that the individual moredisabled is the s, not the D.  It’seasier if they are the D, if only because protective agencies are less likelyto get involved.  Examples would be theirown bank account – not managed by another and similar acts of independent adulthood.  I am assuming that their mental capacity toconsent is not in doubt.  And inprincipal, in this case, then there are many things that favor opening the doorto consent, vs closing that door based on a (purely) physical difference incapacity.

Thechallenge becomes, is there an emotional bond which makes this individual lessable to give their durable consent?  Thisis difficult even when the individual is otherwise fully able to participate inall life activities.  Maybe they have abad personality, or are mean, or are far too skinny, or just lack theconfidence and self-love to “make it” in the shark tank with the generalpublic.  Along comes some allegedly lovingD to reach out and care for them.  Theyare so isolated as a result of their peculiarity that they crave this attentionin a way so extraordinary that they come to feel that they cannot live withoutit.  At some point, they would choose anyimaginable peril or harm over being without the person on whom they are dependent.  

Atsome point, in my view, this dependence makes them unable to withdrawconsent.  But I have to say I’d have adamn hard time drawing a line from an external vantage point, and that it mightbe impossible from inside.  No differentwith a physical disability that (perhaps) makes an individual more susceptible tothis type of erosion of consent.  So howdo you manage this?  I’m not sure…  There are controlling and abusive individualswho claim to be doing what they do as D/s. Their MO is to separate, isolate, violate consent, push the boundarieswhile tearing down the individual, stripping away the strength to say no, makingthem doubt their choices, taking them away from friends and family.  NO stops meaning no, and the poor soulscaught in that house may never find their voice again, or find it years laterand come to see it as abuse after the fact.  

So– how to avoid that – or even the perception of that issue – which can be justas damaging.

Well- For sure you have to be extra careful with consent, and with ensuring thatthe individual has access to other support that doesn’t preclude lifecontinuing should their partner choose to leave.  For me, that would seem a moral self-imperative.  I cannot do these things with you if you don’tmaintain a network that can support you. Not a bad choice even with disability off the table.  (Not saying subs are deficient in ability tomake choices, btw, I don’t think that.  My experience is quite the opposite, in fact, and that’s my preference –that they be strongly able to participate as partners and to self-advocate.)But with the concern that is likely to occur from those around the individual –they need to be able to self-advocate fairly strongly.  Their support network of health care professionalswill have their own opinions, and those opinions might not always be wellversed in D/s, M/s and BDSM ethics or conduct. If a physically compromised submissive shows up at a Doc visit withfresh stripes on their bum, that pretty well assures a visit from socialworkers and law enforcement who have a legal imperative that they cannot ignorethose signs of potential abuse.  How willthe s and D answer? How the s?  If socialworkers are involved in the situation, the open-minded variety can be a goodadvocate. If you have the close-minded variety, perhaps a change could berequested.

Ofcourse, there are non-physical power exchange relationships – sorry – my mindgoes right to spanking… and those might be less an issue.  But if they involve financial or similarsubmission, how are the muggles to discern the difference between a live-in Dthat takes all the money and buys beer from an abusive scammer who takes all themoney and buys beer…

Inmy head, I want the answer to be simple – being of sound mind, you should beable to make your own choices.  But Ialso appreciate the challenging burden placed on our social agencies to carefor differently abled individuals, and know that they might well feel they needto get involved, and might be difficult to convince once those slow turning butmassive wheels begin to grind.  

So– have due care.  Be sure choices aboutTPE are well documented, and have upright citizens witness those writtendocuments, and still expect that many will point fingers, and may do harm intheir naivete’ while being wholly well meaning.

Anyway, that’s our (SpiceNWolf) thoughts.  What do you guys think?