#those folks know exactly what they're doing and they're having a great time

[serpentinegraphite]

So, first off, this is not an attempt to kink shame (dubcon and noncon are great!) but I do keep seeing a thing in fics (I do NOT see this irl in kink spaces nearly as often) where like. A character will interrupt the flow of the scene to check consent

And I don't mean in an "are we still green?" Or "what's your color?" kind of way, but I mean. The author has tagged the fic and indicated via prose and/or author notes that they are doing their Due Diligence to make sure this fic is Righteously Consensual from top to bottom, No Question About It

And a character will ask for full sexual consent either directly or indirectly or renegotiate the boundaries of the kinks being practiced AFTER the sex acts have already begun.

Here's the thing: horny brain isn't great at making decisions! irl in kink spaces, there's often a lot of emphasis on negotiating BEFORE the scene begins, perhaps even with a space between negotiation and the scene if it's with a new/unfamiliar partner (maybe it's a few minutes while things are set up, maybe the partners negotiate a day or more in advance! It depends!), and not changing the parameters of the scene after someone is already horny or god forbid already in subspace.

Again, these are perfectly fine rules to break in fiction, when the author is aware of it (most characters are not going to be fully familiar with safe, sane, consensual practices and the traffic light system, nor would we want them to be!) but I'm increasingly finding fics where the author DOESN'T seem aware, which takes a normal fic (in-character, with reasonable but perhaps even somewhat dubious practices, which the author isn't emphasizing or preaching about) into Red Flag Territory (a character, OOC, yanking me out of the scene to behave like a PSA about consent instead of conforming to the horny tone of the scene, and perpetuating unsafe practices anyway)

If you are writing a master manipulator or someone who wants to have a gotcha, you totally said it was okay on a character they are trying to bone (which is well in the realm of non/dubcon) that's fine! This PSA is not aimed at you. But if you are trying to write someone who Cares Strongly About Consent, then perhaps be more aware of when is an appropriate time to escalate the situation (sexually speaking) or ask for consent!

[ruthlessrps]

𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐍𝐄𝐘'𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 (𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟕) 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒. - feel free to make any adjustments as necessary!

"what is the measure of a true hero?"

"will you listen to him?"

"lighten up, dude."

"i'll take it from here, darling."

"it was a nasty place."

"behave yourself."

"look how cute he is."

"he's strong. like his dad."

"keep those away from the baby."

"let the kid have a little fun."

"is this an audience or a mosaic?"

"there's the little sunspot."

"i regrettably have a full time gig."

"you'll work yourself to death."

"i know you know."

"did you cut your hair or something? you look fabulous."

"my fate is in your lovely hands."

"okay, fine, fine. i'm cool, i'm fine."

"how do you kill a god?"

"perhaps they've answered our prayers."

"that boy is a menace."

"he's too dangerous to be around normal people."

"he didn't mean any harm. he's just a kid."

"i'm warning you. keep that freak away from here."

"you shouldn't let those things they said back there get to you."

"i try to fit in, i just can't."

"i feel like i really don't belong here."

"i have often dreamed of a far-off place."

"this is where i'm meant to be."

"i know every mile will be worth my while."

"i would go almost anywhere to feel like i belong."

"it's the symbol of the gods."

"you're old enough now to know the truth."

"how do you become a true hero?"

"i will please the gods."

"you sure this is the right place?"

"haven't you ever had a dream?"

"come inside. i want to show you something."

"every single one of those bums let me down."

"dreams are for rookies."

"i'm different from those other guys."

"i'm too old to get mixed up in this stuff again."

"i'm down to one last hope."

"you're not exactly a dream come true."

"you'll have to do."

"now that's more like it!"

"you want a road test? saddle up, kid."

"not so fast, sweetheart."

"i'm a damsel, i'm in distress, i can handle this."

"what are you doing? get your sword."

"a hero's only as good as his weapon."

"is wonderboy here for real?"

"at least i beat him, didn't i?"

"did they give you a name along with all those rippling pectorals?"

"are you always this articulate?"

"who are you calling a rodent?"

"he comes on with his innocent farm boy routine, but i can see through that in a new york minute."

"people here are nuts because they live in a city of turmoil."

"it seems to me that what you folks need is a hero."

"i have this terrible fear of heights."

"try to be a little bit more careful next time."

"i don't think we covered this one in basic training."

"you gotta admit - that was pretty heroic."

"he was so hot steam looked cool."

"everybody's got a weakness."

"there is nothing you can't do."

"it's great to see you. i missed you."

"you sound like you could use a break."

"i didn't know playing hooky could be so much fun."

"wonderboy, you are perfect."

"when i was a kid i would've given anything to be exactly like everybody else."

"you're the most amazing person i've ever met."

"when i'm with you i don't feel so alone."

"i would never ever hurt you."

"let's both do ourselves a favour and stop this."

"that's it. next time, i drive."

"no man is worth the aggravation."

"get yourself another girl. i'm through."

"i can't believe you're getting so worked up about some guy."

"people are gonna get hurt, aren't they?"

"now you know how it feels to be just like everyone else."

"i know what i did was wrong, but this isn't about me."

"if you don't help him now, he'll die."

"people always do crazy things when they're in love."

[genericpuff]

I've watched both (this is a hazbin hotel ask btw) but tend to keep my eyes closed to merch sales (and such forth) unless it can pierce my five degrees of separation

also gotta admit that I've been not keeping up with HB since... honestly the since the season end. yeah I'm behind.

What do you mean they're waiting for what's functionally pamphlets? It's taking MONTHS for a pamphlet?

That's funny in the bad way 😭

yeah so from MY UNDERSTANDING (i.e. correct me if I'm wrong) the playbill was part of some exclusive package deal where buyers would receive some keychains, trading cards, and a playbill which was supposedly going to be filled with exclusive interviews/quotes/background information/etc. about the show's production. That playbill was exclusive to the pre-orders, meaning if you didn't pre-order this merch package, presumably you could still purchase the merch package on its own (or possibly its parts separately on the merch site like the keychains n junk) but the playbill would ONLY be sent to those who pre-ordered.

The pre-orders started around a year or so ago, but then roughly 9 months ago when the bundles started to show up, people reported that the playbill - literally the centerpiece of the marketing - was missing.

Since then, the playbills still haven't arrived, but customers have gotten TWO separate emails written from the "characters" of Hazbin Hotel updating them on the situation. Yes, you read that right, the emails meant to update people on the part of their pre-order package that was still missing - a package that cost them $76 and again, the playbill was exclusive to - were written in-character like a roleplay post in a message board forum.

And for some reason, the A24 staff decided that Husk would be the best character to deliver the bad news, a character who is, like many characters in Hazbin, just an asshole.

It's wild that this even got approved as an official email from the A24 team because let's face it - if you had spent $76 with the good faith expectation that you were gonna get everything you were promised in return for that $76 is this really the response you'd want to get? I'm not exactly sure when this email was sent out but according to some of the people reporting on it via Twitter, it was around the end of January (so the end of the month that folks were expecting it to roll in). Not a great way to tell people that the product they're waiting on - and didn't expect to be missing in the first place - was delayed.

Months later, a second email rolled out, and A24 sort of learned their lesson, not by actually addressing their customers as human beings, but this time as Charlie, who is at least not a complete dickhead.

It still doesn't really answer any questions though because it's putting the responsibility on fictional characters to explain what's going on. So of course everything is masked behind the "teehee, Alastor did a naughty and Niffty got stuck in the printing press machine!" roleplaying talk which literally does not actually tell anyone what's really going on, just gives them a vague impression based on what they chose to make a fictional character say.

Sure, it's nicer than Husk, but it's still disingenuous and frankly just cringe esp when this is concerning the interests of paying customers.

I don't know if this is Vivzie's doing or someone else on the A24 team, but it really feels like they're trying to operate the same way HH would have operated back when it was just a Youtube series... but it's not a small-time Youtube production anymore, it's a full on Amazon show with hired employees and a customer base that expects the thing they paid for to actually show up. So at best this is just really immature mishandling of a situation that should be taken at least relatively seriously.

And really, out of all the things to delay... the playbills? Really? For anyone who's not familiar with what a playbill is, it's literally just a booklet. Professional, "Playbill" branded playbills that you see in legitimate theatre productions are (if I recall correctly) anywhere from 30-60 pages, but a lot of those pages are often dedicated to ad space of other productions and companies, with maybe only 10-15 pages dedicated to the actual production. People love collecting them though because you typically only receive them when you go to see a play itself, so it can be a great souvenir from limited run productions.

It's kinda like comic collecting for theatre-goers, they can serve as memorabilia or as "proof" that you were there to attend a specific show. Though playbills don't tend to accrue as much value as much as comics can, they can still have a lot of sentimental value.

Hazbin Hotel isn't a play though. It's a streaming show available on Amazon Prime that anyone can watch anywhere in the world. It doesn't exactly have the need for something like a playbill, because the exclusivity is simply tied to how much extra money you're willing to give them for the pre-order, not to any sort of unique in-person experience of going to the theatre and watching the show live with your own eyes.

Granted, Hazbin Hotel does obviously take heavy inspiration from theatre culture as it is itself a musical, so I can understand the novelty and appeal of creating a unique playbill for it. I just don't really understand why that's the item that got delayed when a booklet containing exclusive info should be one of the easiest things to make, especially when it comes to production costs (printing a bunch of playbills shouldn't be anywhere near as expensive as producing keychains and trading cards).

But there was an update on reddit about this a couple weeks ago and it seemingly contradicts what A24 - sorry, 'Charlie', sigh - said months ago that they were working hard on specifically printing and packaging the playbill orders-

FINALLY the HH fandom gets a real human being from A24 responding, but they're saying that the designs are still being worked on??? So this means they haven't even started printing the things yet?? So that's an entirely DIFFERENT issue that hasn't been addressed up until this point.

So yeah, again, I don't have any stakes in this and it's definitely not something that I'm like, putting a lot of emotional investment into, but it has still been fascinating to check in on every now and then. Big condolences to the HH fans who paid $76+ for this package and are still waiting for the MAIN CENTERPIECE to show up - if you're one of those fans and are now reading this, you're probably gonna be waiting a little while longer because apparently they haven't even designed them yet 💀😆

[megamindsecretlair]

WIP Tuesday

Buckle up babes, it's going to be a long post!

I come before you humble, hat in hand. I know I been wilding ya'll. I know there's a lot of fics I need to update and get back to. I haven't forgotten! And since there are...so many new people thanks to my Terry fics, what a great time to call myself out chuz ya'll too nice to do so! I saw @nerdieforpedro do this a few weeks ago? Forgive me for not tagging the person you got it from, but I am tiredt, chilleee.

Current focus: Terry got my whole heart, ya'll. Every fic I read of him, I just want to go hop in the booth myself and get to writing. Ya'll inspire me every damn day, it's magical. There is a filthy, disgusting, mean, despicable fic I wanna write with him. But alas, he is not the only one I write for.

Girl, there's how many series????? Listen, the muse wants what it wants. 11 series in total. Chillee, why I do dissssss. Some are closer to finishing than others. So let's count them out (click the links to learn more):

Be My Little Darling - Loki series | It Started With a Whisper - Sam Wilson series | Midnight Sin - Vampire Tyrone series | Blackbird - Mob Boss Fontaine | Camp Wanderlust - Franklin Saint series | What You Deserve - Homewrecker Stunna | Runaway Lover - Professor Stunna | If I Took You Home - Kevin Atwater | Kill Her Softly - Zyair Malloy | A Taste of the Divine - Yakuza Sukuna | We Are the Night - Qimir

Frenn, that's a lot, do you sleep? Are you okay? Blink twice if you need help. I'm promise I'm good ya'll, I just love writing and I love interacting with ya'll. You have NO idea how much each and every single one of ya'll mean to me. I love the support, I love the comments, I love the reblogs. I'm trying not to disappoint folks, I was on a schedule and well, life happened. I can course correct, I promise. Just gon' take me a little minute. Let me close the smaller series first!

Okay, surely that's it right, frenn? Ahh no, because there's also the asks that have been piling up. Per my pinned post, you know that I have a scatterbrain. Some asks I deleted because they're too similar to what I've done before. Some I'm still trying to picture before I start writing. But the ones I've kept? At last tally it is...33. Some are similar and I'm going to combine them, but yeahhhhh. This isn't a callout post, keep sending those requests in! Just know it's gonna take me a smoooooooth minute. Also, welcome new people, welcome! But not everything needs a part two, I promise. If I write "The End" at the bottom, that truly means the end. No part 2 planned, ain't trynna write a part two. I want to move on sometimes. I love you, but I'll be writing until I'm gray if everything got a part 2. And I wanna get paid for my writing. Which brings me tooo...

Umm, umm, what's this I hear about a book??? Yes! I am actually writing a book based on an ask I received. It was a sweet ask about what kind of story would go with "Handwritten Letter". I said it gave friends to lovers, she fell first, he fell harder type of vibes. It has morphed into dark academia about a shy girl just trying to come into her own. It's a combo of and a love letter about girls like me, girls like you, each and every person who identifies as a Soft Black Girl. And I already have *so* many ideas about other books I want to do. There will be one based on the Mr. Black series I wrote. There will also be a vampire one! I just can't decide yet which will be the second book I put out. I'm leaning towards vampire because Terry is HEAVY on the brain ya'll. And he'd make a sexy vamp. But anywhooo...

I say all this to say that I'm not a machine. I'm not that quick despite appearances. I may not seem like I have any chill, but I've been fantasizing and turning over these fics in my head for days or weeks before I sit down to write. And I'm not saying to stop. Your support is exactly why I feel good enough about my writing to sit and write an entire book! I want to be a full time author. I want to share my ideas with the world. I'm just slow lmfaoooooo.

In the mean time, I hope you're hitting up all these amazing writers on here. I hope you're commenting and reblogging and showing love on here. I will keep saying it. This site will DIE and these BLACK writers will LEAVE if people keep stealing, not commenting, not reblogging, asking for part 2s and never showing love. Fandom is a community, not a pillar. No one know it's you behind that avatar, go crazy! Go nuts. Show nuts. whatever.

Love, love, love you all. If you read this far, drop something funny in the comments. Or go unhinged in my asks about Terry. Don't get me started about that man, but go awff about him because that's my baby favaaa.

no pressure tags: @chaos-4baby @j0kers-light @umber-cinders @harmshake @planetblaque @babybratzmaraj @soft-persephone

[shyvien]

Here are 100 random quotes from Mammon!

Sourced from the OM! Wiki, chats, devilgram, screenshots I found, etc. I made this list to help with studying to write the characters in character. (Not really proofread, sorry if there are mistakes. Also, there may be spoilers. If so, they're minor spoilers)

✧༺⚜️༻✧

“I want to [CENSORED], [CENSORED], and [CENSORED] like there's no tomorrow!”

“Hey! No touchin'! Grrr..!”

“Hey! So you're just gonna ignore me, are ya?! ...Also, I SAID you're too close! Don't get near MC! And NO touchin'! I won't allow it!”

“I don't want to have anything to do with someone like you! That's it. we're done! It's over! ...gr ...! ...! Dammit! Like I could ever really say that to you! I love you, MC! And I'II NEVER break up with you, okay?! NEVER!

“Hey, whoa! Whaddya think you're doin', huh?! You want a piece of me?! IS THAT IT?!”

“Come on, I was just kiddin' around! Now go on and unblock me. ...I'll tell ya a funny joke if you do. "Who's got two thumbs and needs some company?" 👍 "THIS GUY!" 👍 At least gimme a pity laugh, will ya?!”

“Right now it's just you, me, a bed, and no one to bother us.”

“Oh yeah? Well do me a favor and look into your crystal ball and tell me how many times I'm gonna sock you for that smartass comment.”

“I don't THINK so! Like, don't go marryin' Asmo, MC! If you're gonna marry someone, marry m...m-m-m…..m-m-ME! MARRY THE GREAT MAMMON!”

“Y'know..I wouldn't have pegged you as someone who likes to stir up trouble. But you have some pretty interestin' ideas up there in that head of yours, don't ya?”

“Whoa, hey there. Those are some pretty harsh words. Is there some sorta bad blood between you?”

“Look at those cheeks of yours. What's up with those, huh? How'd ya like me to give 'em a little poke? ...Like that! ...And that!”

“Would ya look at that? The Great Mammon really has an eye for spottin' shiny and expensive things! Who knew such a little shop would have uncut gems like these? Hehehe, come to daddy...”

“What's this here...an emerald? You're a looker, aren't ya? Wanna come home with daddy?”

“Lemme go! I'm not gonna rest until l've landed one really good hit on Levi!… Beel! Lemme go, ya muscle-bound son of a...! …All right, bring it on! Do it...see what happens!”

“Man, what's got your panties in a wad all of a sudden?”

“Yeah-heah-HEAAAH! Sweet, sweet treasure! COME TO PAPA!”

“No frickin' way!”

“Geez, I oughta wrap you up for pullin' a stunt like that!”

“Y'see, I was plannin' on hanging out with MC in my room today. And I wanted to create a romantic atmosphere, y'know? So I lit about 500 candles, and the room caught on fire. Scared the bejeebers outta me!”

“You think a little w-warnin' like that would be enough to s-s-scare me off? He thinks I'm gonna stop s-s-spyin' on him because of that? As if!”

“Folks around here won't let us forget it. But they're just labels. By now, no one knows better than us that labels don't mean anything.”

“Th-That's so coooohohohohold! Ahahaha! Why you guys gotta be so meeeeean?”

“C'mon, man. Make with the mouth openin'. The rest of us are waitin' for our turn.”

“Yeah, I know what you're thinkin'. How'd I turn out to be so awesome? You can tell I've been through both highs and lows, and that I'm self-assured and totally sexy.”

“If I can land a nice, clean blow on Lucifer just once, then whatever happens, happens.”

“And I hate the way you lock eyes with Lucifer...and then like smile and stuff... Don't do that, okay? Don't even breath in front of him, okay?!”

“Exactly. Nothin' of value is missin', except for the stuff I sold.”

“That's rough, buddy.”

“You might not know what I'm talkin' about, but I know what l'm talkin' about! Quit showin' up in my dreams uninvited! Ya gotta give me time to prepare before you go bustin' in like that!”

“D-Dummy! Don't go makin' me say it!”

“Have you forgotten? I AM evil! Demon, remember?”

“What? No, you must be mistaken, Your Wonderfulness. I said absolutely nothing of the sort.”

“Whoever's disturbed my...*yawn* my sleep... I got a pile driver with your name on it”

“Hey, you sure you'll be satisfied with just leaving things at my head?”

“If you're wondrin' where I'm at, that means ya got it bad for me, don't ya? ...Please don't pull that "stay" thing on me.”

“Levi, you son of a-- You just full-on PUNCHED me!”

“Eh, still... It feels nice when you run your hand through my hair like that. So l'll go ahead and let it slide.”

“Wha? No, I wasn't tryin' to make fun of ya... Little guy.”

“Damn straight.”

“Anyway, he said he'd be willin' to lend me money again if I managed to pay back everythin' I owed. Obviously, there's no way I can, so I pretended not to have seen anythin' and ran like hell.”

“Nighttime's when I kick into gear! Let's go out on the town! Your treat!”

“I'm still laughin' my ass off over here!”

“You're the only thing more dazzlin' than a gold credit card! Almost blinding, I'd say!”

“Final boss, my ass! Listen up, 'cause the Great Mammon's got some truths for you haters!”

“Just this once, l'II let ya film me in a bathtub full of money! How's THAT for fan service?!”

“So? Waitin' like a good boy's gone and earned me some kinda reward, right?”

“I'll raise my favorability score with MC lickety-split, profess my love, and win this game before you even know what hit you!”

“...Aww. ...I mean, now listen, you! Dammit. You really play dirty, you know that...?”

“Ah, there ya are! How'd you like to hit the casino with me, huh?! Right now! I'm feelin' lucky today. REAL lucky!”

“Just so we're clear, I ain't afraid of no horror movies. Not even a little! Not even a teensy-tiny bit, all right? Like, seriously.”

“Just to be clear, it's not like l'm afraid Lucifer might catch me if I go alone. That's not what this is about. Seriously, that's not what this is about! For real, it isn't!”

“I've got some serious business opportunities lined up for after classes tomorrow. I'm talkin' makin' some mad cheddar, yo! If Lucifer asks about me, tell him I was called to the human world by the witches, would ya?”

“You don't sleep until I do, you got that? And would ya look at that?! The ol' Sandman forgot to sprinkle his magical sand in my eyes! So strap in, buddy! We got a looooong night ahead of us!”

“Listen, Lucifer is gonna be all over my ass once he finds out…”

“No need to worry your pretty little head. I'll be around for meals and sleep. The bed's pretty big, after all”

“Yeah, a real gold digger, that one.”

“I wasn't about to give in to that jerk's demands. I've got more self-respect than that. So, I told him what the deal was: I get the room rent-free and he can shove his two-year contract where the sun don't shine. But then that snake threatened to snitch to Lord Diavolo and Lucifer if I didn't pay up.”

“Cheap shot callin' a guy stingy cause he's lookin' out for his pal.”

“Bet your wonderin' how a guy like me-drownin' in debt, frozen credit card, more lint in his pockets than Grimm-“

“Using my power and influence, I'll push you through the auditions and get you the chance to model, no strings attached! Well, maybe one string: front and center's all mine. Hope the edge is good enough for ya!”

“I swear, I'm not tryin' to pull a fast one on ya, MC, ol' buddy ol' pal!”

“We're pals, right? If ya really wanna know the details, I'll tell ya for 500 Grimm. If you've got the cash on-hand now, I'll tell ya for half the price. So, what'll it be?”

“Hey! MC! Why ya runnin' BUDDY?”

“Ya know, just a peek! So, help me out by opening the door, just a little?… But I caaaaaaaaan't! Open the door and let me see already!”

“My dear sunglasses just took their last breath... I kinda accidentally killed them. I crushed them...with my rear end. That's right, my poor sunglasses...and bum.”

“I'll whip up my special cup ramen! I'll bring it up in a bit, so just sit tight.”

“Look, l'm sendin' ya a ping! So get your butt over here, pronto!”

“Seriously, I'll bust my ass and get there at Mach speed!”

“Crap, that really does make me feel all warm and fuzzy. Thanks, MC. I love ya a whole bunch, too!”

“I got a raffle ticket when I went shoppin' today, so I tried my luck, and booyah. Jackpot, baby!”

“I've got jack all to do! JACK ALL!”

“Listen to what I'm saying, dammit! Can't someone shut this guy up?!”

“Huh, ya don't say. Whoopsie.”

“If you're thinkin' of saving that picture of me on your D.D.D., I swear I'll put a curse on ya! I'll make it so that you never find money layin' on the street again! And don't you forget it...”

“Jealous? Wanna join me, right? Well, this isn't the sorta place that humans can just go lollygaggin' about in, so keep your pants on.”

“Haha! That's all ya got?!”

“It's an honor to be fightin' ME!”

“Muahahaha. ALL points for MAMMON! Bow down to me!”

“Hehehe, I'm feelin' GOOD today. I got ya somethin'!”

“Oh...? Yeah, that's the spot! Right there!”

“That's a good human. You're gettin' the hang of it, aren't ya?”

“Yo. So ya dropped in to pay Mammon a visit, eh? Good on ya!”

“Missin' the Great Mammon, were ya? Heh, welcome home.”

“Hey, not there! That tickles!”

“What are ya, a spoiled brat?”

“I guess everyone's like that with their first. Who knew ya could be so cute. Hey, why dontcha be more greedy? That way you'd really win my heart.”

“Hey... Oi... All right, already! Pay attention to me!”

“Hey, can't ya be gentle?!”

“Ya know what do to, doncha? Thanks!”

“Eeeew, take that back. Give it to someone else.”

“Hahaha! Is that all ya got? It's nothing compared to Lucifer's swing!”

“Don't think you can get away with this!”

“Here, I got a present for ya! Beach time, you and me! Let me show you how well I can swim!”

“Also, I'm goin' wakeboarding but... I'm gonna bring you along too, 'cause ya know, I like hangin' out with ya and stuff.”

“A Red Demonus after a long day's work is the best! Why doncha grab one too?”

“It's cool if we chill here and drink together, yeah?”

“This looks so flippin' good!”

“Hey, why don't we go this year? Keep the date open, all right?”

“They're very nice, so I thought it woulda cost ya a pretty penny!”

Couple extra for my boy

“You wanted to match with me, ya say?! Cute!”

“Someone put a photo frame in your room, right? That was me. You were eyein' it up in the shop so I bought it. You put a picture of everyone in it, but I really wanted you to put one of just us t... Never mind.”

✧༺⚜️༻✧

I love this goofy fucker

𝑀𝒶𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓉

𝒮𝒽𝓎 𝒲𝓇𝒾𝓉𝑒𝓇 ༝༚༝༚

[codenamesazanka]

dark post-canon. The War is over. Heroes have won. It's time to rebuild. Except--

The new Hero Public Safety Commission immediately gets down to work. Rebuild an even stronger Tartarus; add a self-destruct system so that if Villains ever try to break in or out again, just kill them all. More intense Quirk Counseling for all children who even the slightest bit act out of the norm; catch them before they can put on a mask. Suppress any news of the heteromorph riot - that will only stroke more division. Parade the Hero Kids out as The Greatest Heroes, and really wring every bit of wholesome success story out of them - interviews, merch, candy shaped in their likeness. This will help restart the economy. They can even export Hero goods out of the country since they're globally recognized heroes.

As the plans are drawn out, the kids are at first uncomfortable, gradually turning horrified. This wasn't what they fought for. This is going to make things worse. Todoroki wants his brother to be able to stay with his family, not be isolated and locked away even more. Uraraka protests that quirk counseling alienates kids, makes them feel like freaks who can't share their pain. (Also, they are not letting her keep her promise of giving Toga blood.) Shoji says that it's because news never come out of the rural areas that no one thought to help the heteromorphs; it's because their pain and grief came out that light can shine on them. And Deku-- well, the war brought to surface so many problems. They can't just smile and pretend it's all fine after all that destruction. All For One and Shigaraki showed him how there are such lonely, empty people out there, whose pain can run wild - they should be helping those people, instead of focusing even more on the glory of Heroes.

The new HPSC waves away their protests. They're extremely grateful for the kids for helping them win the war. Though... what they're saying sounds like sympathy for the Villains that created this mess. Sounds like saving Villains, which... they really wished the kids hadn't done that. It wasn't part of the battle plan. It was nice and all, but so risky! Not all Villains are so easily changed. They saved... what, two villains out of the hundreds that were involved in the war? Statistically, that's useless. Anyways, look at Deku. He killed AFO and Shigaraki, and it's all for the better.

Plus, the UA kids are still that - children. They haven't even graduated from 10th grade. What do they know about maintaining and leading society? Do they have any concrete ideas about things like policies and development? Specific enactable agendas?

The plans keep getting drawn, without any of the kids' input, if they had any in the first place. Future's coming fast, and it's looking like everything is going back to the way it used to be - except the way it used to be is exactly what led to the war. Something needs to be done. They need change; they need real reform.

So somehow Deku ends up in front of Mr. Compress.

Mr. Compress congrats Deku on the Heroes winning. Sarcastically thanks him for killing off his leader and imprisoning all his friends. Tells him to go away, an old man needs his rest. Deku asks for help, and Mr. Compress insults him. Deku says he's heard of Harima, and how he was a folk hero, stealing not because he was a Villain for his own gain, and helping people not because he was a Hero in it for the wealthy or fame. If Mr. Compress is Harima's great-great-grandson and following his will, shouldn't Mr. Compress help try to change things for the better?

Mr. Compress doesn't see the point. He tells Deku that Harima tried to change things by, yes, stealing to send a message, but did his best to minimize harm; tried to do good by redistributing his spoils. He was popular and loved by the people, just like a Hero, but hated by the powers that be, and so ended up being labeled a just a thief and Villain in the history books, his reformation was never achieved that way.

Which is why Mr. Compress threw his hat in with the League. Shigaraki was his greatest bet on changing society, but it seemed it just didn't work out. Harima couldn't change things; even someone like Shigaraki couldn't change things; if someone like Shigaraki existed and still can't change things, what's the use?

And besides, Deku went and killed Shigaraki. He did what was always done - defeating villains. But suddenly now he cares? After the damage is done? Why should Mr. Compress care about helping him at all.

...

then idk. got stuck. no idea how Deku's going to get out of this one without doing something radical. maybe even something villainous. But I think the Compress + Deku dynamic can be interesting.

[sugurushimura]

What do you think the Yotsuba members thought of Kira before they got personally involved? Were any of them pro Kira?

ooh, good question.

higuchi, at least, was almost definitely pro-kira. in chapter 38 of the manga, he very explicitly says he wants to continue killing criminals. he points out white collar criminals specifically because they damage the economy, but he also talks about kira in terms of his mission to create a peaceful world, going so far as to say that everyone who wasn't a criminal wanted kira to return during his absence. this seems like a reflection of his own beliefs more than anything else: higuchi believes kira is building a peaceful world and wants kira to exist, even if it isn't him. but he was chosen to become kira, so it's not surprising that he'd support the original. rem probably wouldn't have chosen him if he was anti-kira.

other than higuchi, the most indicative lines here, i think, are from chapter 37:

Unseen Yotsuba Guy 1: Having Kira kill off criminals sure is something to be thankful for... Unseen Yotsuba Guy 2: Exactly, especially thieves. Nice for us rich folk not to have to worry about that as much.

we don't actually see who's talking, but we know at least two of the yotsubas are openly pro-kira. personally, i tend to pin these two down as hatori and ooi. "us rich folk" just sounds like an ooi line, and the first line just fits best with hatori's speaking patterns and attitudes, imo. after all, he's the one who talks about how great it is that one of their members is using kira's powers to benefit their group. i feel like this is partially posturing, but it's in a "trying to be strategic" way rather than just being dishonest.

but it makes sense for some of the yotsubas to support kira, after all. they're are a bunch of rich guys; most of them have never had to live in poverty, and i don't think they have much empathy for the those who do, so they're not really compelled to care about the socioeconomic factors that force people into crime. besides, laws tend to benefit the rich, so of course they want those laws enforced. even if they don't really care about peace and love etc., they still want to protect their own interests. and, as we can see, many of them don't mind if blood has to be spilled along the way, so kira's extreme methods wouldn't bother them too much as long as he's only killing off people who they can label as Bad. means justify the ends and all that.

so yeah, higuchi, ooi, and hatori belong in the pro-kira category, imo, although they probably wouldn't say so out loud since supporting kira pre-time skip wasn't super socially acceptable. i think kida would also feel this way for all the reasons described above, although killing his own (as in: other executives) doesn't sit well with him, even if he disguises it. namikawa also seems like someone who would support kira from a pragmatic angle, but i don't think he's that concerned with good and evil; it's more a case of "society functions better this way, and that's good for me". he's completely silent about that, though, and he probably looks down on your run-of-the-mill kira worshiper for being naive and... obnoxiously stupid is the best way to put it, i guess?

takahashi is conflicted. i think his knee-jerk response is just "killing people is bad", but he sometimes wonders if maybe it's for the best. sort of similar to matsuda, except without being as entangled in the conflict as matsuda is. his own personal involvement with kira turns him firmly against kira in the end, though. for what it's worth, i think kida also starts to question his previous stance on kira over the course of the meetings of death, but by that point he has more pressing things to worry about.

shimura and mido strike me as anti-kira. in shimura's case, i think he has a hard stance against killing people for any purpose, and he recognizes that simply killing criminals doesn't solve the circumstances that cause crime. mido, on the other hand, is more concerned with the implications that One Guy With The Power To Kill Anyone Without Repercussion has on democracy in the long-term, although she's kind of resigned to it as just... an absurd thing that's happening whether anyone likes it or not, oh well, she'll be fine regardless. haha, whoops.

but yeah, honestly, i don't think most of them care enough to start workplace discussions about kira, especially considering how polarizing it is and how outside the mainstream public support for kira is. when kira does come up before higuchi gets the death note, it's probably something along the lines of... takahashi mentions the most recent kira headline in passing, everyone sighs and looks uncomfortable, maybe kida or hatori or someone says something short and bland, namikawa changes the topic.

[lucyav13]

Garson's histories 'n Carson's

Garson's Stories:

Stylish Moves So yeah, ever heard of stylish moves? They're cool poses for after stomping! After stomping an enemy, but before landing tilt Wii Remote around and give it a shake. You'll pull off some cool tricks in midair! Those are called stylish moves. What? What's a Wii Remote? …Don't worry. As long as the player gets it, we're fine." Doing stylish moves is not only cool, but it gives you lots of points. And if you hold down 2 after a jump, you'll bounce high, making it even easier. Just give it a shot!

The Pure Hearts So yeah, ever heard of the Pure Hearts? They're great treasures created by the ancients… Supposedly really powerful. Folks say that heroes will appear to collect them all and save the world. The source of power in these Pure Hearts? The power of love itself! The love of a parent…The love of the smitten… Great power, indeed. The Ancients researched this power, believing it to be the universe's only salvation. And these Pure Hearts were thus created… The shining embodiment of love itself. Their combined brilliance will negate the destruction born of the Chaos Heart… we hope.

The Dark Prognosticus So yeah, ever heard of the Dark Prognosticus? Everything that'll happen in the future is written down in this book. The author and the source of his knowledge are still a total mystery, though. Over the years, many have fought over it… Entire countries have fallen. And the fall of those countries was already predicted in the book… Imagine going through awful stuff to get the book, only to READ about it all after! Anyway, someone hid the book long ago, and now no one knows where it is. I wonder what sort of person has it now…

The Ancients So yeah, ever heard of an advanced civilization called the Tribe of Ancients? They were, like, a thousand times smarter than you or me. There were four austere sages among them. You know one of these as Merlumina. But when it came to love, these sages were unreserved… Their passion burned HOT. I've heard some pretty spicy legends about the love life of Merlumina, in particular… In fact, her love life threatened to destroy the world on a few occasions… I don't know if these stories are true or not. And I guess we'll never know.

Flipside Secrets So yeah, these were the words written in the book left behind by the Ancients… 'On the outskirts of town, third floor, look for the hidden platform to go up.' I don't know what this means, exactly… Maybe it's a way to find secret treasure? Maybe you ought to go check it out!

Descendants of the Ancients So yeah, you meet Merlon and Merlee yet? They're descendants of the Ancients and distantly related to each other, I hear. The Ancients hid the Pure Hearts in various worlds to stop eventual destruction. Then the Ancients scattered to various world to pass the rest of their days. Most of them were wise and kind like Merlumina. And like Merlumina, many of them would totally lose their cool when they fell in love. But it was this very passion that let them build the vessels of love, the Pure Hearts…

Pit of 100 Trials So yeah, you know about the Pit of 100 Trials? It's supposedly this 100-room labyrinth underneath this very town. Many have searched for the entrance, but it still remains hidden. The only clue we have is this saying from the Ancients: 'Pit seekers! Go to the town outskirts, the lowest floor, and seek the hidden platforms.' …It sounds sort of like the clue I gave you earlier, doesn't it? What's all this stuff about hidden platforms, anyway? If you find out, let me know.

Flipside History So yeah, Flipside is a town between dimensions created by the Ancients. You can open up paths to many worlds from here, as the Ancients designed it. And you've seen the white tower in the middle of Flipside, right? It controls the flow of dimensional energy, so it can beam people to worlds. I think that's why the doors to other worlds appear up near the tower. I hear there's another version of the tower…A dark one. I wonder where the dark tower is… Yeah, I admit, I don't know. Do you?

More Flipside Secrets So yeah, the town of Flipside still has so many secrets to hide. I just found this passage not too long ago… 'Flip is flop. If you cannot break through in flip, you should try it in flop.' Now, I don't know what that means… But I'm sure it'll lead you to something pretty good! So go try it out!

The Hero Legend The Ancients traveled to many worlds to entrust people with Pure Hearts. It was to keep them safe from destruction or misuse by those with evil hearts. The Pure Hearts were drawn by their own power toward those strong with love. The Ancients used this trait to find suitable guardians in each world. And a few romances also began as a result of these little journeys… Many of the Ancients who found guardians fell in love with those they met. And so they lived their days happily in the world they'd visited out of duty. This is how the legend of the hero was passed down to future generations…

More Stylish Moves So yeah, you master all of the super-graceful stylish moves? After stomping a foe, move Wii Remote in different ways while in midair to get stylish! Doing a bunch of them in a row gets you really high scores, so it's worth it. Today I'll tell you about some special moves that are really hard to do. After stomping the enemy, alternately tilt Wii Remote left and right while in midair. You should perform more amazing stylish moves than you've ever seen! But make sure you don't get too excited and throw the Wii Remote! Use the strap!

Pixl So yeah, you know about Pixls, right? Heh… Yeah, I see that you do. Those wily Ancients were smart, but not too strong. They needed muscle. So they made the Pixls for anything physical they couldn't do on their own. With the help of the Pixls, the Ancients built amazing worlds. But now that technology is mostly lost, as the Pixls are scattered and forgotten. There are even some original Pixls, stronger than the rest, who still wait to be found. I see you've found a Pixl already, but there are others you haven't found yet.

Merlon's Love Life So yeah, those Ancients were passionate and romantic… Did I already tell you that? Even Merlon, their descendant, is wild for love, you know… Why, he had quite a thing for Saffron the cook. He went to her cooking shop every day and wooed her constantly. He finally broke down and confessed his love for her… And here's what she said: 'If you can finish an entire serving of my Saffron Special Galactic Meal, I'll date you.' …And this is one of the biggest, most filling dishes anyone's ever seen, mind you. But he dug right in. According to spectators, he finished all but a sprig of parsley left on the plate. Just then, some poor girl appeared in town who was severely injured. Merlon had to help her, so Saffron let him suspend the challenge. I don't know what happened to that girl next… But then Merlon became engrossed in his studies, and he hasn't wooed since. Maybe he'll get back to it when the world is peaceful and safe again.

The End of the World So yeah, ever heard of the Sammer Kingdom? The king there controls an army of 100 loyal soldiers. Each one has a different personality and unique skills. King Sammer was entrusted with a Pure Heart by Merlumina's younger sister… She was madly in love with King Sammer I, so they married and had 100 kids. The 100 princes and their royal parents ushered in an era of prosperity. Therefore, the number 100 became important to the current king. Imagine all the budding romances with 100 strapping princes around… The kingdom of that era would have had no problem fighting our current woes…

More Pixls So yeah, you know all about Pixls by now, am I right? Yeah, sure you do… They were a new form of life created as tools to help the Ancients' lives. But seriously, they're way more useful than any normal tools. Being able to think on their own made them more useful…and problematic. There was always the fear that if they grew too wise, they'd ignore their masters. Some say the original Pixl personalities were created to prevent this. There were some very bright Pixls… But then something dramatic happened, and the Pixl personalities changed. I wonder what happened? If you find out, let me know…

Restoring the Pure Hearts So yeah, the Pure Hearts are powerful treasures created by the Ancients. The secret of that power is the ability to detect and amplify love energy. Some among the Ancients believed strongly that the power of love was infinite. They believed this power to be so great that no forces could ever defeat it… They believed it would last and survive unchanged for the 1,500 prophesied years… This is what they believed about the power of love. The power of the Pure Hearts. As long as there's love in the world, the Pure Hearts can overcome any setback. You could say the Ancients believed in love abiding. Kind of romantic, really…

Returning to Peace The Void disappeared and ruined worlds have returned. It's like a miracle! You should go check out the various worlds to see how wonderful they all are! You might even see people you thought you'd never meet again. The martial-arts competition in the Sammer Kingdom is even up and running again! If you beat all 100 warriors, I bet you get a fantastic prize! Do you think anyone could do it? I'd love to meet the winner…

More Pit of 100 Trials So yeah, there's a Pit of 100 Trials below town somewhere… It was used by the Ancients to research the power of the Pure Hearts… Their experiments involved all sorts of really nasty beasties down there. So they stocked it with nasties from all the different worlds. I'd recommend only going if you're really serious about it… But there's a secret treasure of the Ancients hidden down there somewhere… If you feel up to the task, you should go look for it!

Carson's histories:

More Flipside History So Flipside's convenient, created by Ancients in a space between dimensions. That means you can open up portals to all the other worlds from there. But on the other hand, it's strangely susceptible to influences from other worlds... So the Ancients built the town in a way that would stabilize this effect. And that particular way was... Do you know what? The town was build in duplicate with both Flipside and Flopside versions! They realized that light without dark, or vice versa, would never be stable. You need both sides for perfection, you know? Having two opposite sides is the secret of the town's stability and longevity.

Flopside Gossip So you heard the famous charmer Merlee moved into Flopside somewhere, right? If she casts a charm on you, good things happen when you beat enemies. Try it! ...Oh yeah. But I hear that something's been bothering her lately. If you talk to her directly and not across from the ball, she'll tell you about it. If you have some free time, why don't you go see what's going on with her?

O'Chunks So Count Bleck has four minions, does he not? The biggest and brawniest of these is the one named O'Chunks. So about this O'Chunks... He was once the general of an army in a certain land... I hear he led a force of a thousand strong across enemy lines. But one of his trusted advisors sold him out... And all of his men fell to the enemy. I guess that's when Count Bleck scooped him up. Bleck played upon his shame and depression to enlist him in his service. Cruel...

Tribe of Darkness So have you heard of the Tribe of Darkness? Nolrem and others like him are descendants of this shadowy, odd people. Long, long ago, they broke off from the Tribe of Ancients to live alone. They avoided mixing with other people out of pride... And no one even knows where they went to live, they were so secretive. There are rumors of a secret castle deep in a forest... Must have been lonely...

Mimi So Count Bleck has four minions, as you know. The one named Mimi has the ability to mimic any person she wants to... She's so good at it I hear she even sometimes forgets who she is... This Mimi... Her true identity is shrouded in mystery. some say she's a failed Pixl experiment of the Ancients... Others say she's the unintended creation of a witch... A witch who was researching potions that would allow shape-shifting... If you ever meet her, could you ask her for me?

More Tribe of Darkness So let me tell you more about the Tribe of Darkness I mentioned earlier... They started as a group within the Ancients who had more magic power. Fearing their power would be diluted, they forbade marriage outside the group. Their power was considered an important resource by all of the Ancients. But no one knows why their power was so important now... One day, they all just disappeared from the Tribe of Ancients... And since then, no one has seen them... Did their games end? All is now shrouded in darkness.

Dimentio So Count Bleck has four minions, as you know. I hear that one of them, Dimentio, wields powerful magic. I don't know where he comes from or who he is... But I hear he approached and befriended the count all on his own. And the count even turned him away once... Until he read in the Dark Prognosticus about the role of someone similar... Why was he mentioned in the Dark Prognosticus? Sounds fishy to me!

Final Tribe of Darkness So let me tell you more of the Tribe of Darkness, and why few talk of them... They did something so bad that mentioning them has become forbidden. I hear they stole the Dark Prognosticus from the Ancients and hid it. But I don't know why they would do such a thing. Some say they did it to use the book's power to enhance their dark magic... Some say they hid it from others who would use it for evil... But, I heard of the last person who was known to possess the book... If the rumors are true, then you know this person as Count Bleck...

Nastasia So as you know, Count Bleck has four minions. One is an authoritative young woman named Nastasia, his right hand. She has the ability to brainwash people by looking them in the eyes. She can enslave even very powerful beings this way. And it seems none of the count's underlings can resist her power. That's how she's been able to order them around. She rarely expresses her innermost feelings, but she seems to love the count. she has eyes only for him, you might say. I'm a little jealous...

Flopside Pit of 100 Trials So have you heard of the Pits of 100 Trials below Flipside and Flopside? I hear they were created long ago to test the forces that guard the Pure Hearts. The Pit of 100 Trials here in Flopside was used to study the powers of darkness. I don't know exactly what that means...but it sounds pretty terrible. There's even a rumor that treasure awaits those who make it to the bottom. Do you have the courage to find out for yourself?

Of Bats and Men So how about we change the pace and I tell you a nice story for a change? This is one I heard in a distant land long ago... 'Once upon a time, a man went to look for the girl he loved, who was missing. As he passed through a forest, he found a bat stuck in a trap. He set the bat free. It promptly thanked him and disappeared. As he lay down to camp that night, he heard a voice and looked about. He noticed the sky was filled with a huge, round moon. There stood before him a woman he had never seen. The bat had transformed into the species of the one she had fallen for.' Now, I don't know if that's true or not... The last part of the story was... 'The bat pledged eternal loyalty to the man out of love on that night.' ...And that's the end of the story. I wonder what happened to those two? If there's more to that story, then I'd like to hear it.

Creation of the Pixls So do you know how the Pixls came to be? A powerful magician among the Ancients created them about 3,000 years ago. He did it by transferring a spirit into a vessel he created for that purpose. He's said to have created 12 Pixls like this before he passed away. But his apprentices kept researching Pixls after his game ended... They learned to create many more Pixls based on his original 12. These Pixls became widely used as 'thinking tools' for the grateful Ancients. Through the work of many Pixls, the Ancients prospered as they never had before. But that was a long time ago... There are no more Pixls now, I understand... Well, except for some of the original Pixls, who were scattered far and wide... They lie in wait for a new master to arrive. I wouldn't be surprised if there was one hiding here in this very town...

The Pixl Uprising So have you heard about the Pixl uprising? It happened in the capital of the Ancients some 2,000 years ago. The Ancients lived in prosperity thanks to the work of many Pixls... But one day that all ended. A huge Pixl calling herself the Pixl Queen suddenly appeared... At her command, Pixls everywhere rebelled against their Ancient masters. It seems that most Pixls were well-contained spirits, but she was different. In her case, a demonic spirit was contained within a Pixl vessel. And this queen Pixl had the power to command all other Pixls. The Ancients had become so dependent on the Pixls. They were devastated... They suddenly lost their ability to build and rule their empire effectively... ...And what happened then, you ask? Come back for the next installment!

More Pixl Uprising So now let's continue my story about the Pixl uprising... The Ancients were overthrown and enslaved by the Pixl revolt led by the Pixl Queen. In the midst of the ruin appeared the inheritors of the twelve original Pixls. They defeated the waves of Pixl soldiers and freed the enslaved Ancients. They used Catch Cards to trap the mind-controlled Pixl soldiers, then healed them. They saw their friends fall one after the other in battle, but they persevered. The last survivor managed to make it to the castle of the Pixl Queen. But the Pixl Queen used her powers of illusion to hide. She then unleashed horrific images upon the surviving freedom fighter. One of the Pixls at his side was immune to this, for it could see truth. It helped the survivor fight, and he and his Pixl finally defeated the Pixl Queen. But in the process, the Pixl's game was ended... Oh...Looks like the coins you paid will only get you this far through the story!

Pixl Uprising's End Now for another exciting installment in the Pixl uprising... The vanquisher of the Pixl Queen was confronted with an awful truth. It turned out that the Pixl Queen was actually the very first Pixl ever created... The master magician had made her after studying the Dark Prognosticus. So when the last surviving apprentice took the Dark Prognosticus from the queen... He decided to disappear with the book so that this sort of catastrophe wouldn't repeat. But even as peace returned, the Ancients could not lose their fear of the Pixls. So, the elders among the Ancients gathered to discuss what to do. They decided to limit the powers of all Pixls from that day forth... And the creation of new Pixls was outlawed. But, as a result, the power and influence of the Ancients began an irreversible decline. Now the secret of Pixl creation is lost forever. Though rumors abound of awakened Ancients and newly created Pixls... Is that true? If you know anything about it, please tell me!

The Pixl Queen So about the Pixl Queen from the Pixl uprising... Did you know there have been interesting theories published about her? In one book left behind by the master magician's apprentice, I found this: 'The spirit within the Pixl Queen was not a demon, but rather a human... The master magician had a beautiful wife, a son, and a daughter. But he lost his wife and son in an accident. Soon after, his daughter caught a terrible illness, and her short game ended.' Perhaps he transferred her spirit to a Pixl vessel? ...Well, that's the theory. Is it possible the other Pixls were spirits from the game-overed? ...Anyway, the person who published this has already disavowed that theory. I mean, it does seem a little unlikely, right? But if it WERE true... I'd bet the daughter was so horrified by the deeds of her father... That she wanted no one to ever use Pixls again. ...But what do I know? I DO think nothing less would have broken the Ancients' Pixl dependency. Oh, and some say the son of the magician miraculously recovered from the accident. If so, the bloodline of the magician could endure... Did they find happiness? Or otherwise...

(A/N): If you want, idk, to have these stories at hand, here is the link to these stories on Google Docs. Without further ado, I'll say goodbye. I hope everyone has a great day!

[dropintomanga]

Don't See Yourself As a Cuckoo

I started reading Chica Umino's March Comes In Like a Lion after years of hearing about its great outlook on characters dealing with a variety of emotional issues. In particular, its main character, Rei Kiriyama and his struggles to come to terms with his past involving a surrogate parental figure who raised him after his family died, but ignored their own kids for the sake of Rei's future.

I see this first hand near the end of the 1st volume when Rei reminisces about the past and how he got into shogi.

It's scary that I felt the same as Rei about 13 years ago. I remember one time where I felt like I was dragging my family down a hell hole when we moved into a new living situation. I was dealing with so much uncertainty and didn't know how to handle it. I think at the time, we had limited resources. I felt that I was selfish because I wanted to move to a better place badly over everyone else's preferences, but my sister reminded me that I wasn't the only one who wanted out. She even said my thinking was warped. I think I was just so afraid of hurting my family and felt they had to do so much for my depression. I wanted them to stop helping me. I felt like a cuckoo despite not actually being a cuckoo.

When I look back at that time now, I realized that I was facing a new situation that I was overreacting to. It's fine to react in ways that make you fearful, but there's a point where it affects your relationships in not-so-healthy ways. You have to be realistic and trust in the people around you despite what your inner critic says.

Rei's quote about being a bird and free of emotional pain reminded me of my experiences with birds. I used to have a pet African finch and felt that he had it much easier than me. He got to eat, sing, fly around, sleep, poop, etc. And then I remember my finch lived in a cage and was taken care of by creatures (i.e. human beings) that he can't exactly communicate with. There's no freedom for him here. And even if my finch was free and roaming, he would have to deal with how vicious wild birds are due to being domesticated. My finch died in 2019 after 11 years of raising him and while I do think he lived a long life for his kind, I have to be careful in saying he lived a good life.

After my finch died, I later discovered an avian center that housed birds of all kinds that were on display while walking on a lunch break from work. There were a variety of them living in a special housing display for everyone to see. All of them were either injured, old, and/or couldn't be raised by regular folks. I had a lot of joy looking at those birds and would walk by to see them almost all the time. Some of them did die over time, but the birds reminded me how important it is to recognize that we deserve people to care for us when life deals us a terrible hand. I still stop by the avian center bird display because all the birds there are precious to me.

I sometimes wished I was a bird because it sucks being sad a good amount. It sucks to cry when you least expect it. And then I think about what that actually will entail. I don't want to anthropomorphize animals because it's hard to compare.

The grand truth is that everyone and everything (humans/animals/plants) goes through pain in some fashion. We decay and wither from time to time. That's how life works. Obviously, some pain isn't worth it. But I feel that we have to appreciate to a certain degree how we learn who we really are through our rough experiences. They make us value what's important in our lives. Despite whatever gaslighting we may get, we can get through the pain and/or live with it in healthy ways.

I will say that one thing I notice about birds is that they're usually together a lot. During the 1st year of COVID, I saw a family of mourning doves living in the back of my place for a short time. It was one of the cutest things I ever saw. The parents would fly away to look for food, while the kids parked themselves at their temporary home. I don't know how they're doing now, but I like to think that they're doing okay out there. Whenever I see families of mourning doves, I think of that one family.

Maybe a part of me still wants to be a bird - soaring into the air and being out in nature, free of modern life constraints. The real cuckoo isn't me; it's those who want us to ignore the interdependence of all things that truly makes human beings feel that they matter.

If you ever feel like you're a cuckoo, it's not your fault. You're a person who deserves the unconditional foundation to live a life full of love to process the pain you unfortunately had to deal with.

Much like what the manga seems to entail, springtime is a time to renew yourself with others around, whether human or animal, after the harshness of winter.

[theresattrpgforthat]

Do you have any games involving candles/matches/fire as mechanics? Ten Candles is the only one I know. Thanks!

Theme: Candle-lighting.

Hello there friend. I do have some games for you! Many of these games are very good at digging into your emotions and make you feel things, so I hope you enjoy perusing some of the options I’ve got here.

What Little the Flames Leave Us, by Kumada1. (@sprintingowl)

What Little The Flames Leave Us is an 8 page TTRPG played by setting your character sheet on fire.

Burn away pieces of yourself to fight the odds, and at the end a portion of your identity might survive.

This is a story about quests that you will not survive. Your characters are doomed from the beginning, and this is represented by burning away parts of your character sheet as you play. This game doesn’t need a candle exactly, but a candle will do just grand at holding a small flame for you to hold your character sheet up to. This is a game mostly played out through consensus, and destruction happens when one player feels like they should succeed in a case where others disagree. It’s a very thought-provoking and emotional game, and you should check it out.

BurnBright, by kumada1.

Three seasons ago, the Dimming came. It started in midwinter, where its effect was almost unnoticeable. But then spring came, and summer, and the days did not grow longer. Instead, the sunlight became thin and strained. The nights turned grim and inescapable. It is clear something is wrong, and it is clear that no one else has the means to stop it, so you have packed your bags and slung a quiver of torches over your shoulder and you have set out for the one place where the Dimming might be stopped. Candlehold is an ancient fortress, built on cursed grounds. Crops grown near it weaken and die. Animals in the woods that circle it wear forms lean and strange. And every night since midwinter, the top of  its tallest tower has burned like an earthbound sun.

This is another game about fate and doom. Characters play heroes exploring a fort in a world that has gone dark. The world is collaboratively built, and the players are granted two stats: Wick and Flame. Flame allows your character a better chance at success; Wick allows your player to last longer.

The primary resolution of BurnBright is blowing out a candle. If you blow out a candle in one breath, you succeed at your goal. If you fail, your Wick becomes shortened. Success is possible in this game, but it definitely comes at great cost. The designer also recommends some ways of altering the difficulty, in case blowing out the Wick is too difficult and the game wears folks out.

The Ghost Game, by amandalee.

The Ghost Game is a one session ttrpg for 4-5 players and a gm, inspired by abandoned places, found footage horror, and the improvised rituals kids make up when they're trying to scare each other.  You and the players work together to create a ghost and convince yourselves it's right there in the room with you.

If you want an atmospheric and spooky game, this is definitely worth checking out. You are playing teenagers exploring a haunted house, undertaking a ghostly ritual at night. There is one candle for each player, including the GM, and at some point, those candles will be blown out. A great game for Halloween!

Light to Your Heart, by Jacky Leung.

Light to Your Heart is game about building intimacy through candles, sharing, and the dark. Over the course of the game, players will learn about each other and possibly by the end, no longer need lights to truly see each other. There candles that separate you and your gaming partner, as the candles go out, the room darkens but that's alright, because you get to truly see each other by the end of the game. 

This is a two-player game that requires a deck of cards and eight candles. You will make characters who have no reason to be in a room together, but who will inevitably grow closer as time passes. The players line up the candles between the two of them and draw cards that represent questions that their characters will ask each-other. A question will spark a conversation, which must continue until the person who asked the question blows out a candle. This will represent an acknowledgement of what has been shared, an act signifying that you need less light to see the other person’s true self. All in all, a very touching game.

[wiltking]

Hello, this is probably a silly question but how did you get so good at writing? I've read you fics and they're amazing, even just a simple sentence you say sounds great. (I mean it sincerely) I want to improve my writing and my english along the line, what did you do? Or do you have any recommendations?

oh gosh i still feel like a baby writer with so much to learn. but i think the thing that helped me the most is learning how to read books from a writer's perspective. especially my favorite books. i mean really taking them apart piece by piece and figuring out why they come off as such good books to me. story structure, word choice, yes even something as simple as sentence. why do i think this book is so good? why is this character so memorable to me? in what way was this incredible line set up to have such a great impact? why do i continue to think about these books even years later?

these are the things I think about while I read. and its especially helpful during a reread when you already know the whole story of a book and can pay closer attention to things like setup and delivery.

this isn't reserved for 'objectively' well written or technically complex books, either. i've said many times that nora sakavic's all for the game series was the most formative to me when i was trying to seriously get into writing. and i always hear people expressing that the writing in those books isn't the greatest. respectfully i disagree, but even if people don't think they're well written there's a reason why those books are so beloved. the intense passion that radiates off the page even during some of the most insane ideas is just one of those things.

more recently i've been doing some research while i work on my horror writing by turning to some of my favorite fantasy / dark fiction writers. resuming my reread of the hexslinger series by gemma files is part of that, because those books were also extremely formative, and reading kissing carrion by the same author last year really made me think for the first time ok, maybe i can write flowery queer horror too. because those stories really resonated with me, and i think about the ending of the hexslinger series constantly. for years. it literally haunts me. but the reason why the ending is so impactful is all the build up that leads up to it. and the way the relationships are written. and the balance of love and horror and genuine connections and the deepest betrayals and... anyway i've kind of been going through her writing with a fine tooth comb to try and understand why she's inspired me for sooo many years.

elizabeth bear's edda of burdens; another formative piece of writing for me, despite me also having some issues with it. i'd love to reread it soon too but don't exactly have the time when i'm in full writing mode, so the other day i just took apart the intro to by the mountain bound in my reading journal. by copying down the first three paragraphs, underlining my favorite lines, and writing some notes about them. my notes aren't anything profound, i was just appreciating the wolfish way mingan is described in the littlest ways that are also so integral to him, and the pretty words chosen to describe the season. the way he's set up as different and 'other' from the very first page even with something as innocent as choosing to daydream. it's all stuff i try to appreciate and learn from.

i don't use my writing journal often (because its easier to type my thoughts here, tbh) but i generally use it to collect quotes i like (and always try to leave some notes about why i like each quote). the other day i also jotted down the opening sentences to some folk tales because its relevant to what i'm working on, and i wanted to study what important information they chose to lead with to set the tone of a story.

tldr; examine your favorite books from a writing perspective. try to understand the choices that were made on both a grand scale (story structure) and little details (word choice, descriptions, paragraph flow). and always try to write your passions even if its weird!! especially if it's weird. you've got this <3

[dalliansss]

Hi! It’s me again 😜

Or I was thinking maybe some Angbang?? “ can't you see they're taking advantage of you?”

PROMPTS FOR THE GRUMPY VS SUNSHINE TROPE

Mairon isn't sure exactly how the matter was brought up-- or perhaps he was. He met with his recent attraction by the outskirts of Almaren; Thu -- a maia of Namo who didn't behave like many maiar do, just unquestioning obedience and endless praises for their Valar overlords. Thu left his workstation whenever he pleased (or how Mairon understands it; they might have a different system in Mandos), went about discussing some details about his Valar, and sometimes even voiced opinions that weren't decidedly friendly or courteous. This spark of defiance (and maybe rebellion) was one of the things that attracted him to Thu in the first place, and as they continued to meet, it drew Mairon in deeper each time.

The conversation somehow diverted into part of the work system he has in place for Aule's forges. Mairon had been telling his friend somehow that while the system ensured full productivity and efficiency, it left the higher ranking maiar with little to no vacant periods.

"Can't you see they're taking advantage of you?" Thu says, cutting him off a bit.

Mairon pauses at the hint of vehemence in Thu's voice. He looks to the maia of Namo (and again, silently admires Thu's dark hair and purple eyes and the hint of strength and power he sees just lurking in those eyes). "What do you mean?"

"I mean it for most 'workers', Aule is a worker, of course -- the smith of Arda, but then, must you work on any damn thing all the damn time? Your folk, his maiar, venture rarely out of your forges and caverns and mines, and so you yourselves little appreciate the entirety of Arda, the Notes put into the Music of its Firmament. I see it as taking advantage of you all. Probably keeping you all in line so nobody gets any strange ideas."

It is instinct in Mairon to defend his Vala, but as he processes Thu's words, it does make sense. And, the entire implication of Thu's insinuations does appeal to him.

"What do you mean strange ideas?" Mairon asks cautiously, remembering Melkor the Great before his fall.

"I don't know, asking for paid leaves, probably," Thu says.

"What is a paid leave?"

"You're allowed to wander around Arda and explore and learn while still...getting your...I don't know, regular share of the ores you eat, I suppose." Thu gestures as he speaks, as if he's waving away a pesky fly.

Mairon lapses into quiet. He turns to the puzzle box in his hand. But it does make sense. He, Mairon, helped sing and shape Arda to existence, but even now he has not really...seen it. Or seen it all. Perhaps Thu is right. Maybe he needs to speak to Aule about this. Some designated time where the maiar under his lead can venture out of their lord's halls and not on an errand for him, but just to....be. As Thu says.

Maybe.

[azmenka]

a'ight, cos I said the Reddit posts calling for Ironborn genocide were pissing me the f*** off . . . let's have a historical mini rant about why the Mainland simply cannot simply wipe the Ironborn off the map of Westeros, shall we.

context - about once every two weeks a new post on any given asoiaf sub-reddit pops up on my timeline asking why the Westerosi mainland doesn't simply eradicate the Ironborn entirely if they're so annoying. lemme preface this by saying that while I'm aware that we're talking about fictional people here, I personally find it pretty . . . distasteful to call for the genocide of an entire population just because you don't like them but oh well, that's just me. as an open and obvious Ironborn stan I sometimes ( yes, I admit it ) feel personally offended by this kind of bullshittery because I will continue to believe that people who don't like the Ironborn a) don't understand them and b) clearly have no idea of their overall history whatsoever. neither the showrunners nor GRRM himself unfortunately intend to ever put the Ironborn in a non-negative light however ( cowards ) so, y'know - I will.

so . . . why can't the Westerosi Mainland simply subject the Ironborn to genocide. let's see.

one. they have no reason to. shocking, I know, but there literally is not a single reason in the current timeline as to why they would even consider genociding the Ironborn. ever since the conquest, when the Greyjoys first came into power on the Iron Islands, the Ironborn have actually been behaving themselves. they have stopped raiding the mainlands and instead moved on to raid Essos instead and while, sure, Ironborn lords were never exactly faithful to the crown, they also didn't really do anything to warrant suspicion or violence against them. the only Greyjoys who did try to start shit on the mainland since the conquest were Dalton Greyjoy ( largely, mind you, by order of Rhaenyra Targaryen ) and later Dagon Greyjoy. Balon is the most recent and also the most persistent Ironborn lord in hundreds of years of peaceful co-existence, that really tried to piss the mainland off again. naturally with the crumbling of the Targaryen dynasty and then Robert's death, the Ironborn are using the overall upheaval in Westeros for their own advantage but . . . so does Stannis. so does Robb. so do the Lannisters. so do the Tyrells. they are not unique in trying to get the best possible outcome for themselves. there is no point in trying to off an entire population that literally hasn't done anything harmful to you in centuries. but let's say you're a bag of dicks and you just want to . . .

two. location. wanna know what is surprisingly difficult to conquer? especially when your naval force is limited and most of the soldiers you have are used to fighting on foot or horseback with solid ground under their feet? islands. and we're talking about multiple islands here. the Iron Islands consist of thirty-one (31!) main islands. all of them with their own lordship and each lord has control over his own little fleet of ships. for the more prominent lords, we're talking about a hundred ships per island. some larger islands, such as Pyke, Great Wyk, Harlaw or Saltcliffe are home to thousands of Ironborn. first thing you'll thus need to have if you wanna genocide a whole ass archipelago is a strong naval force. the Mainland has the Redwyne Fleet and the Royal Fleet as the two sole fleets that can match the Iron Fleet. that's good. but is it good enough? you'll need a ton of siege weapons. you'll need a lot of soldiers that are qualified to fight on water. you'll also need a ton of patience because sieges can take months ( hey, Stannis, remember eating rats? ).

so you go and start on one island. maybe two. in the time you're busy attacking those two islands, the remaining 29 will gather their hosts and either fortify the remaining main islands, gathering the folks from the smaller islands, or they'll simply disappear. it's funny how you can just leave when you have ships. and on the Iron Islands everyone has ships. they are also all armed to the teeth and have fortified their castles to withstand almost anything. ( take one look at fucking Harrenhal and you'll know what I'm talking about. and because, surprisingly, a lot of people don't know this: yes, Harrenhal was built by the Ironborn. Harren Hoare was the reigning Ironborn king during the conquest who has managed to take over the Riverlands. ) if Pyke can hold up against sea storms and the goddamn ocean itself, it can hold up against a couple of Westerosi soldiers. let's consider . . . it took the combined forces of the Stormlands, the Westerlands, the Reach, the Riverlands and the North to bring down only five (!) islands in the Greyjoy Rebellion. out of 31. and in all that, they only managed to damage one wall of Castle Pyke ( sorry Maron, I know it was your wall and you probably did your best ).

three. battle prowess. the Ironborn are one of, if not the most notoriously battle hardened people in all of Westeros. they have been a kingdom of fighters for most likely up to three thousand years, way before the Andals came to to Westeros and even longer before the conquest. their prowess in battle is legendary all the way to Essos. sure, they lack the discipline of the Mainland forces but they make up for it through fearlessness and sheer ferocity. these guys aren't scared of anything. we're talking about men going full #yolo and fighting in full-body armor on water. if they fall in and drown . . . they fall in and drown. shit happens. they don't care. historically, they have been rumored to basically go berserk on the battlefield, with their opponents saying they are "blood-drunk" and stop feeling pain. if there is one people in Westeros that was born to be warriors ( and I mean warriors, not soldiers. the reachmen are soldiers. the westermen are soldiers. none of them are warriors. ), it is the Ironborn. they live for battle. it's how they come to glory in the eye of their god. and they continuously hone their skills, too. how? through all the raids they do. when the rest of Westeros is at peace, they are at peace. they joust and have tourneys, but that is it. the Ironborn constantly seek battle through raiding. all the time. while your average Westerosi knight hits straw dummies for training, an Ironborn reaver kills six people in real time and has a beer afterwards. their idea of a fun drinking game is to throw axes at each other. need I say more? speaking of battle prowess . . . the main Iron Fleet consists of one hundred ships readied for war. those are ships that are commanded by the Lord Captain of the Iron Fleet ( hey, Victarion, who never made it into the show cos he apparently was too fucking badass for D&D to comprehend ) and belong to the Seastone Chair, but these 100 ships do not include the individual fleets of each Lord and the respective islands they govern. as GRRM himself said, each Ironborn Lord can float about 100 ships. and we know there are 31 main islands, some of which having more than one lord. so you do the math on how many ships actually can be used by the Ironborn in case of an invasion of their islands. and not just that, the Ironborn are also famously known for capturing enemy ships in battle and simply using them themselves afterwards. they thus got a hold of a variety of ships, a lot of which are bigger, faster, and more aligned with warships than the usual longships they use for raiding. ( Maron's own ship, Kingfisher, is a prime example for that, considering that she wasn't built on the Islands but claimed by Maron in a battle against some pirates just on the coastline of Great Moraq in Essos. Kingfisher thus was and still looks like a pirate ship, giving her a large belly for cargo, but also making her bigger and faster than your average longship. )

four. reputation. aks anyone in Westeros and they'll tell you the Ironborn are delulu. and they're right. sure, their reputation has changed over the centuries, but one thing is still very clear all over the Mainland: the Ironborn are insane and you don't mess with them. the Ironborn, along with the Northmen, have been there before everyone else. they are old. insanely old. they know the lands and the seas by heart, they have a reputation as "the wolves of the sea" and "the terrors of the sea" and they have worked hard to get that reputation. they also have an air of mystery around them that probably puts most of the Mainland at unease. they believe in a strange deity and they are fanatic in their religion. they perform blood sacrifice and ritual drownings. every attempt to push Mainland habits and customs on the Ironborn has largely failed. knightdom is barely a thing, most Ironborn don't employ Maesters or similar Mainland house staff and most don't follow Westerosi customs with titles etc either. Balon, for example, wasn't adressed as "Lord Greyjoy" but "the Greyjoy", just as Aeron refers to the ruling Lord of House Merlyn as "the Merlyn" ( write that down for interactions with Maron, btw. he won't correct you if you call him "Lord Greyjoy", but he won't title himself that what ). the people on the Mainland simply don't understand them and thus have started to "other" them because, naturally, that's what you do when you don't understand something and it scares you. they are known to be exceptionally stubborn and if you try and tell and Ironborn what to do, at best he'll show you the finger. I have said it before and I will die on this hill: the only reason why they were subdued by the Mainland was the threat of dragons. that is it. these people would have never bent the knee if Aegon didn't threaten to kill them all via dragonfire. and if you don't think that invading a foreign kingdom that has never done anything to you with a force that simply cannot be matched and telling those folks to kneel or die is a real dick move overall then you have issues, my friend. another hill I will forever happily die on is that ( hear me out ) the reason why Theon was taken and given to the Starks as a hostage to be killed if Balon acted up again was not to threaten Balon's line of succession but because the Westerosi lords that decided on this were scared shitless of what Balon was capable of if he tried again. all that being said, keep in mind that Balon is a fucking idiot and entirely incompetent and they still feared him. all the mockery we see of the Ironborn at court, to me, forever screams masking fear. belittle something enough and you may believe it really isn't significant, but deep down they all know they are wrong.

so now . . . we have Euron. and while we can all agree that Euron is an awful pile of garbage human being and deserves a most horrible death, I, personally, do believe Euron is exactly what Westeros deserves for all those centuries of oppressing and belittling and subdueing a people they had no business of messing with in the first place. we applaud the slaves rising against their slavers in Meereen, we applaud the fight for Northern independence and most people I know fully support Dornish independence, too. the Ironborn deserve it just as much, if not more because no other former kingdom was as disrespected since the conquest as the Ironborn. and up until now, the Ironborn quietly sat it all out and let it happen. abiding their time and waiting. so sure, let the Mainland try and genocide them. go ahead. just remember that it would be the dumbest dick move in history.

[msommers]

3, 11, 19 for ghily (gilly?) and riya!!

thank you!!! new dadnd oc nickname spelling just dropped (it's ghilly xoxo) // oc asks: roots edition

3. How did your OC feel the first time they left home? Why did they leave?

GHILLY — excited! she had finally been given her vallaslin (she was around sixteen at the time, so not a long time to wait at all but she was eager) and was ready to hit the road within the following month, and having her father with her quieted any fears she had of starting the journey. she felt safe under his protection and that left her free to embrace the enthusiasm of following her calling. lore! arts!! arcana!!! so much of that forgotten elvhen history is out there, fragmented within the spirits that she can interact with if given the time and patience required. it took her a good while to start missing some folk back with the clan ngl

RIYA — unfortunately, scared out of her wits. her first time leaving home was supposed to be on a reckless, frivolous trip to Orlais with Victor to celebrate their tourney victory, but instead what she got was a rushed, frantic escape from the city with Bastian holding her hand the entire way because she didn't know what the fuck to do about templars hunting her down. she was terrified, still in shock over Victor's murder, and immediately aware of the ache in her chest that came from leaving home.

11. What was your OC scared of as a child? Are they still scared of that?

GHILLY — naturally there's the Dread Wolf and all of the spooky tales a little kid is told to keep them on their best behavior, she can't escape that one. i don't know exactly what it'd be, but i imagine she accidentally spoke with the wrong spirit one day and it shared a particularly scary memory of the past which left her spooked for months (or even years) on end. perhaps a glimpse from an emerald knight’s final fight, that'd be sure to fuck a kid up for a bit. she's no longer afraid of such memories as she holds any recovered history sacred no matter the content, but on the other hand yeah as displayed in-session she still holds onto those Fen’Harel superstitions. 

RIYA — irrationally afraid of her father being too far from her, the monsters Regulus unintentionally made scary by including one too many details in his stories, the dark, embarrassing herself by not understanding a topic/lesson, etc etc. she grew out of most of them (the dark was simplest, as her manifested magic provided simple solutions), perhaps the father thing being the only one to really linger. she could take them being apart for a while but Riya's a ridiculously clingy and needy lady, on top of being a daddy's girl. the devastation of time apart is too much to handle, somebody help her-

19. What traditions or stories does your OC carry forward from their childhood to the rest of their life?

GHILLY — kinda all of them? in a way?? throughout her childhood and later travels they're the things she holds most dear, whether learned through clan interactions or arcane means, and they never leave her. i’d say most notably, because of their history, Ghilly’s clan is one of the few who keep their knowledge committed to paper and it’s from that tradition that she keeps a tome of her own to record her travels. she still favors oration and storytelling, but preserving history is more important than personal preference 🤷

RIYA — i’m counting her deep love of art and pageantry as an upheld tradition because it’s Nevarra’s whole thing and obviously something deeply ingrained in her, add on her appreciation for good plating and presentation with food as well lmao. she’s kept all of her brother’s grandiose tales of dramatic, heroic deeds close to the heart since she heard the very first one, as well as the countless ones her mother shared of the great and noble grey wardens from their family history (these ones are uh. particularly heavy nowadays).

[lakecountylibrary]

Howdy! I live the area and want to know how to best support your library right now amidst all the book bannings and political suppression of library resources nationwide. Other than checking out books and stuff, how best can people support their libraries?

What a lovely question. Thank you for asking.

Of course using the library as you mention is important! But other than that I'm happy to say it's pretty simple. Here are our four top suggestions:

1: Tell your friends how great the library is. It can be as simple as posting your book haul to your blog, wearing a pro-library pin, pestering helping all of your friends and family get library cards, or using the swag we hand out at Farmer's Markets: just little day to day things that spread the word about why libraries are great.

We call this advocating for the library and what it does is build up a strong wall of positive feelings about the library in peoples' minds that can stand up to whatever insidious lies book banners come up with.

If you want to get really extra about it you could write to your local politicians (especially the ones who appoint library board members) or newspapers just singing the library's praises - it's rare for politicians in particular to hear about us unless there's a problem and getting in with some positivity while things are quiet could influence them when things get loud.

2: Pay attention to your library. You, my wonderful anon, have obviously already got this one down, but for the folks in the back - when the beacons are lit and the library calls for aid, we need everyone to answer.

Find out how your local library communicates and tune in. That may mean subscribing to their email newsletter or following them on social media - wherever they're talking, go there and listen. What you've heard about happening in other states can easily happen in yours and this is how you'll know exactly what your library needs when the time comes.

3: Vote in your local elections! Library boards are appointed by elected officials (for example, ours is appointed by various school boards, the Lake County Commissioners, and the Lake County Council). If you want a board that will defend readers against book bans, vote accordingly when the time comes.

4: Say nice things to your librarians, in writing if possible. Are there comment cards at your local library? Fill one out. Is there an online form? (Ours is called Ask a Librarian but it's for comments too!) Submit one telling us about something we're doing right.

Tell us how much you love the last event you went to, or how thrilled you were to find a certain book on our shelves, or how much you liked that Pride Month display. I don't care how small it is, if it made you happy we want to hear it.

These kinds of things are lovely to receive and a huge morale booster - and they are also direct, quantifiable evidence that we WILL print out and stack up in front of the board of trustees, politicians, the local news, the pope and/or Dolly Parton. As needed.

Those are our top tips! They seem suspiciously easy, right? Don't underestimate how helpful they are - and how helpful YOU are.

[lokavisi]

Unplanned Book Review Time!

I don't commit to doing book reviews on this blog because my ability to get through books in any sort of timely manner is spotty at best, but I've been reading two books lately that I really wanted to talk about. Disclaimer: I have not entirely finished either of the them, though my thoughts and feelings on them are strong enough that I can tell you whether or not I recommend them. (Honestly there's enough in the intros to each book to tell you whether they're worth reading or not.) I'm gonna give the reviews below the line since this is going to be long, so before deciding whether you read more I will say one book is on seidr and the other is on general protection magic.

First up is Dean Kirkland's Seiðr Magic: The Norse Tradition of Divination and Trance. I'm just gonna say it up top: do NOT waste your time or money on this. I bought it at Barnes & Noble (I knew nothing about the book or the author but wanted to encourage B&N to keep selling stuff like this), and I really wish I hadn't given this guy my money.

The biggest issue? Gatekeeping. He explicitly says in the introduction, on page 13, "If I am accused of gatekeeping[...]so be it." He's gatekeeping an open practice. That sentence alone tells you everything you need to know about why you need to skip this book. But let's get into specifics:

-He goes on to say that we shouldn't teach "just anyone" interested in seiðr about it because those without an aptitude for it will cause more harm than good. How the hell do people learn anything, then? Do we not know other magic to protect ourselves and undo any potential harm that may result from practicing a magical skill? He continues by explaining a Darwinian selection process of finding the people "meant" to practice seiðr. So you know, like eugenics.

-Any time he presents a ritual of any nature, he always makes it sound like you should be doing it exactly the way he describes, even if he ends the description with "but you can work with what you have." In one chapter he details this whole ritualized journey into the woods to find a branch from a tree to make your seiðr staff, and that you shouldn't just use dead fallen branches or the like. Literally every person I know who practices seiðr has been gifted their staff, through someone's direct intentions (like as a birthday gift or something) or more indirect ways like in my own experience: I was not looking for a staff when I went on a hike with my in-laws, but I picked up a fallen stick to use as a walking stick and Odin was like, "THAT IS YOUR MAGIC STICK TAKE IT WITH YOU IT IS YOURS." And I'm not gonna argue with Odin.

-Kirkland says you should spend as much money as possible on your ritual attire. This is after he acknowledges that Thorbjorg's extravagant costume (mentioned in the Saga of Erik the Red) is not about a display of wealth, but of spiritual power. He encourages you to build up your gear one piece at a time if you're financially struggling, but my guy, even that isn't possible for a lot of folks. You're saying people need to spend loads of money for a hood to wear over your head. You could have a designated seiðr hoodie and have just as effective a practice. Seriously.

-In the same vein, he always emphasizes that all materials used in your gear should be made from natural materials. As if that is always accessible to people. Not everyone is able to spend hours in the great outdoors. A lot of plastic-based goods are easier to obtain for folks. None of that prevents or prohibits you from a healthy seiðr practice.

-He also generally uses a lot of language that, on the surface, sounds logical and sound, but when you stop to think about it is super gatekeepy. This obnoxious and harmful tone colors the entire text and is frustrating beyond words.

As if gatekeeping weren't enough, Kirkland uses some credentials and experience to indicate expertise where he just doesn't have any. While he may have earned the right to put "Ph.D." after his name, including it on this book feels like he's chasing clout and feigning legitimacy. His Ph.D. is in ecology. Not anything related to religion or history of ancient Germanic Europe. But if you don't look closely, seeing he has a Ph.D. gives the appearance that he knows what he's talking about. It's disingenuous at best and intentionally deceptive at worst. His author biography mentions that he studied Andean shamanism under an indigenous paco. That's great! Good for him! But he's a white guy acting like an authority on various shamanistic practices, as he likens shamanic practices from several cultures to scant pieces of evidence we have to seiðr practice. This lends itself to the general issue with most books on seiðr, that our genuine lack of knowledge about the practice leads folks to fill in the gaps from other oracular traditions. If you utilize something like that based on your personal UPG and use that for yourself in your practice, that is one thing. But when you are teaching others with your UPG that involves traditions often closed to folks like yourself, maybe don't try to pass it off as the most correct way to practice seiðr. He says at the beginning that he will identify his UPG throughout the text, but he fails to do so quite often as he treats his connections to other oracular practices as Truth.

The truth is, pretty much every book we have on practicing seiðr includes the author's UPG and syncretism with other oracular traditions. If you're looking for "true" traditional seiðr practices, our archeological and written records offer extremely little. Personally, I would encourage you to build your own practice around your UPG (and maybe some appropriate SPG) and the known lore/practices if you are looking to develop a seiðr practice. My friends recently reworked Diana Paxson's method to include more lore-based elements, for example. As long as you know what sources you're filling in the gaps with for your personal practice, that's fine. Just make sure you explain that to others. Do not try to pass it off like The Way to Do Seidr like this jerk was trying to. There are a few interesting pieces of actual facts or rituals, but I wouldn't recommend spending money to read just for those trace elements. There are better people to learn seiðr from. (That said, if you lack an actual teacher and are learning from sources like Kirkland's, read this and all other seiðr books with a grain of salt and the understanding that this magical practice is not something we can fully and exactly recreate. Sorry, recons. You're gonna have to acknowledge the need to develop unique modern practices.)

And now for a book that I absolutely ADORE, Amy Blackthorn's Blackthorn's Protection Magic. This is one I borrowed from a friend and would love to spend the money to buy my own copy. Not being able to take notes and highlight in the book itself has been killing me!

Amy starts the book with an exercise for you to identify your own personal ethics in regards to protection of any kind. I did not expect anything like that, but I was pleasantly surprised. That kind of a foundation is crucial in practicing any form of magic, really, so starting the book with that solid foundation is incredibly useful before you even start to practice any of the spells and protection methods she explains through out the text. This is such an important conversation that witches need to be having internally and with each other. It made me contemplate things that I never had before, and reading her own responses to the questions she poses gave me insight into other perspectives on the matter of safety and protection.

Additionally, she makes a point to explicitly address mental health and physical protection. Understanding your mental health and any potential diagnoses is not only helpful for your general wellbeing, but it also helps you in discerning things like whether someone has cursed you or your depression is hitting you really hard. Equally important, she recognizes that spells aren't necessarily going to help you when someone's fist is coming towards your face. There is an entire section of the book dedicated to physical awareness and self-defense. Blackthorn's mindful acknowledgment of the balance of the mundane and the magical is something that I wish more magical practitioners understood and promoted, whether it's in regard to protection or any other kind of magic. It was absurdly refreshing to read any sort of witch, pagan, or adjacent text that so succinctly articulates this balanced approach.

As for the actual spells and methods presented in the book, I have yet to utilize many of them. (There's a lot and I am only one person, though some things I was already doing some version of myself, like visualizations.) However, I can say that she discusses the following in regards to protection magic techniques: visualizations, crystals/grids, plants and garden arrangements, physical and situational awareness, signs that you may be hexed/cursed/jinxed, home security, essential oils, use of tarot cards, incense, and various magical correspondences (like moon phases and colors). She offers a wide variety of options that you can pick and choose, and adapt to your personal needs or means. For instance, the chapter about plants discusses particular species and arrangements for outdoor gardens, as well as ones for indoor use (particularly useful if you live in an apartment and want to utilize plants in your magic); and visualizations require no materials whatsoever and is accessible to everyone.

Blackthorn also makes a point to help you determine the authenticity, quality, and traits of your tools. She explains ways to recognize counterfeit gemstones, how certain plants need to be tended to or how they interact with other plants, and how common items can be utilized for physical protection in a pinch. She presents everything in a way that empowers you to make informed decisions about your personal safety, which is what any sort of text like this should do.

From just the introduction piece on ethics alone, I would highly recommend this book. All of the practices and methods Blackthorn discusses are written in a clear and straightforward way. She covers several bases as someone who used to work in security herself, and really drives home the need for combining magical and mundane methods of protection to keep yourself, your loved ones, and your property as safe as possible. Again, I can't sing this book's praises enough. This would be an excellent addition to any witch's library.

If you've read either of these books, I'm curious what your thoughts on them are! Feel free to reblog, comment, or hit up my asks/PMs to discuss!