#we never see any proof that he changed his beliefs

[warmhappycat]

Yep yep yep yep yep

listen IN GENERAL i think people can like all sorts of weird fucked up stuff in fiction that they would not approve of irl and it's fine, sometimes it's even good, fiction can be a good place to put those feelings

but i have to admit i do find it honestly kind of distressing to know that so many people in this fandom look at a scene where a character - a protagonist, someone the narrative's been asking us to sympathize with all along - is in a really emotionally vulnerable place, and a guy who's supposed to be on his side calls him a homophobic slur and says he'd rather see him dead than acting effeminate and tells him his true self is a violent monster that neither needs nor deserves love, and they fall over themselves trying to come up with reasons it's "just yelling" and the second guy maybe should have been a little nicer but he was coming from a place of loving concern and when you think about it he did have a point and actually the slur means something different in context even though this is not indicated in any way

and i usually want to give people a lot of benefit of the doubt on an individual level but it is honestly really difficult for me to imagine SO MANY people taking this attitude if the first character hadn't been an indigenous man who was presenting kind of femme at the time and the second one wasn't a basically gender-conforming white guy.

[auras-moonstone]

OMG CAN YOU WRITE A ETHAN LANDRY BASED OFF WILLOW PLS 🙏🙏 I LOVE UR WORK SM

i was writing invisible string when i got your request and i thought i could combine both songs! hope you don’t mind <3

invisible string — ethan landry

word count: 1,696

pairing: slytherin!ethan landry x ravenclaw!fem!reader

summary: ethan, who does not believe in soulmates, meets y/n, a hopeless romantic who is obsessed with the subject and makes him change his mind. later, they find out that all along there was an invisible string tying them to each other.

warnings: none, just fluff <3 it’s a hogwarts au but you don’t have to had watched harry potter to understand.

EVEN IN THE WIZARDING WORLD, SOULMATES WERE EXTREMELY RARE. Very few wizards were lucky enough to have a person that was quite literally meant for them. The amount of people who claimed had found their soulmates could be counted with one hand.

Being the hopeless romantic that she was, Y/N had always been obsessed with the concept of soulmates. She had read every single book about the topic, and her fascination never ceased.

Legend has it, if you had been blessed by Merlin with a soulmate, their initials would appear on your wrists when you turned 18—the legal age for wizards—, and if you happened to be near your soulmate, the thread that tied you to them would stop being invisible and would show its golden colour. No one but the two parts involved would be able to see it, so that’s why some wizards—the majority of them—didn’t fully believe soulmates existed.

Ethan Landry was part of the sceptic’s group. The wizarding civilisation was enormous, and only less than five people had found their soulmate? He called bluff. They were just trying to get some attention. Besides, the entire concept felt really silly to him.

“Do you mind if I sit here? It's the only corner where the sun doesn't hit” a sweet voice interrupted his study session. Ethan raised his head and his heart threatened to leave his chest when he came across two beautiful bright eyes and an adorable shy smile.

“Sure, no problem.” the Slytherin smiled at the Ravenclaw. That’s the most perfect smile I’ve ever seen, Y/N thought as she sat across from him.

That morning the sun was shining brightly and the temperature was perfect—neither hot nor cold—, so Y/N decided to read at her usual spot next to the Black Lake. With a content smile, she opened her favourite book and started her daily reading as she twirled her fingers around the green grass below her.

Ethan’s curious eyes took in the book cover and couldn’t help but chuckle as he read the title: The tale of the four soulmates.

Y/N looked up from her book and frowned at him. “Share the joke so we can laugh together.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just… do you read it for pure entertainment, or do you actually believe in soulmates?” he asked, scrunching his nose. And if he didn’t look so insulted by her beliefs, she would’ve thought it was a cute action.

“I do believe in them.” she answered, this time more politely.

“Why?”

“I don’t really have a certain reason. Isn’t it just so pretty to think that all along there was an invisible string tying you to your person?”

He wanted to scream ‘No, it isn’t!’, but he couldn’t, not when her entire being lit up as she talked about it. He wasn’t a monster, he couldn’t be rude to someone just because they thought differently.

“I guess it is… pretty, but I still don’t believe it. There hasn’t been any proof besides doubtful testimonies.” Ethan shrugged.

“That’s fair.” she said. “But, I mean, if you think about it, muggles think wizards exist sorely on movies and books. And yet, here we are. Why is it so hard for people to believe soulmates exist too?”

“You have a point. Unfortunately, I won’t believe it until I see it.”

“You won’t be able to see it, unless you have one.”

“I guess if it happens to someone I trust, I would believe their word.” Ethan said.

“I hope it happens. And when it does, remember when you laughed at the poor girl who sat by you next to the Black Lake.”

Ethan laughed, and it was the best sound Y/N had ever heard. “If it happens, I’ll look for you and apologise. How does that sound?.”

“Looking forward to it.” she smiled. “What’s your name, sceptic?”

The boy opened his mouth to reply when Chad, his best friend, strode towards him and grabbed him by the arm. “Snape is looking for you, and he seemed pretty angry.”

Ethan threw an apologetic glance at the girl. “See you are around, mystical girl.”

The girl rolled her eyes playfully “See you around, sceptic.”

NEITHER OF THE TWO TEENAGERS COULD STOP BUMPING INTO EACH OTHER SINCE THAT SHORT ENCOUNTER. If they hadn’t been so consumed by the electric spark that took over their bodies everytime they saw each other, they would’ve realized that maybe it wasn’t coincidental at all—it was their string pulling them together, because the time of the revelation was getting close and the tie grew stronger with the passing of days.

Ethan had already turned 18, and the unexpected happened—two initials appeared on the inside of his wrist. Y/N/I Y/L/N/I. There were lots of people with those initials, how the hell was he supposed to figure it out? He wished he could talk to that girl, the one who was constantly trying to change his mind about soulmates, but sadly they were on winter holidays.

Every encounter they had, she would tell him one fact about soulmates. And truth was, the more she said, the less he knew how to keep his sceptic mind. Her words had cut through him like a knife. And now that he had proof, there was nothing left to doubt. He couldn't wait to go back to Hogwarts and spill everything, but he also couldn't help feeling a bit disheartened about it. Ethan had taken a liking towards the girl, and he couldn't see himself getting to know anyone else but her.

He didn't know why, but his thoughts always bent towards her. He couldn't help it, it was like being lost in a current he could not free himself from.

Y/N's feelings weren't different from his at all. It was exhausting. Everytime she laid her head on the pillow, she could feel him sneaking in. And it weren't just dreams about him, her mind wondered about him throughout her whole day, and it bothered her a little. Firstly, because she didn't even know his name. And second, she just found out she had a soulmate.

"Mom, I'm going to go for a walk." Y/N yelled as she grabbed her coat.

As she strolled down the lighted up narrow street that was filled with dive bars, she thought about the revelation. It was supposed to be the happiest moment of her life. She had been waiting for her 18th birthday for years, but now she wished she hadn't been blessed with a soulmate. The prospect of finding them wasn’t so exciting anymore, and it was all because of that sceptic, brunet boy with wide eyes and radiant smile.

Y/N lowered her gaze down to her wrist and traced her fingers over the initials. E. L. "Will I ever find you?" and as she voiced the thought, she felt a pull on her body that made her come to a stop. She looked around the isolated street, but she didn't find anything. And then, she saw a flicker of gold in her periphery.

Her heart trumped as she followed the trail of the golden string. It came out of her wrist and it was guiding her towards a dive bar. This was it, her soulmate was there. Before she knew it, she was opening the door of the small bar illuminated by neon lights.

Her soulmate was staring right at her, and he wore the same appalled expression as her. Like compasses, their feet dragged them towards each other, meeting in the middle. Of course it was him, she thought, it had always been him.

“Hi, sceptic boy. What a turn of events, right?” she smiled at him. She was static, clouded by happiness.

“The best plot twist to ever exist.” Ethan mirrored her smile. “I guess, now in handsight, it was pretty obvious, right?”

Y/N let out a laugh as she nodded “So many clues we didn’t see.”

Ethan felt his chest might explode from happiness as he look down at their hands. The golden string was sparkling almost as much as the soulmates, who couldn’t get over the discovery. “I can’t believe this is happening. I’m so glad it’s you.”

“Me too.” she whispered, jointing their hands. Warmth spread through their bodies, and Ethan wrapped her in his arms.

“You wrecked my plans.” he said with a laugh, as he guided her to the stools. Y/N frowned in confusion, so he continued. “I was planning to wallow in sadness.”

“Why? What happened?” she asked worriedly. Ethan smiled at that, and then extended his right hand, showing her the initials. The girl’s eyes filled with sadness. “You didn’t want a soulmate?”

“Not if it wasn’t you.”

Y/N sighed in relief, pinching his ribs. “You scared me, asshole.” he laughed and muttered an apology. “By the way, we never exchanged names.”

“I’m Ethan Landry, ex-sceptic.” he winked at her.

“Y/N Y/L/N, and you, sir, owe me an apology.”

He stood up, putting his hands on her waist. She was sitting on the tall stool, making them be at the same height. “I’m really sorry for laughing at you.”

“Mmm… I don’t know if I should forgive you. Soulmates had always been a big deal to me.” she said playfully, fixing the already fixed collar of his shirt.

“Maybe I can bribe you?” he smirked, his hands trailed slowly from her waist to the back of her neck. “I’ve been told I’m a great kisser.”

Y/N frowned. “I don’t wanna know what your exes say about you” not to be toxic, but picturing him with other girls made her want to throw up.

“You’re so cute.” he laughed. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. But I want you to know that ever since I met you, I have been all about you. No one else.”

“Good.” she said with a sufficient smile.

“You stink with jealousy.” he scrunch his nose in a teasing manner.

Y/N rolled her eyes. “Shut up and kiss me, asshole.”

Ethan laughed and pulled her into a soft and magical kiss. “I’m in heaven.” he muttered between kisses.

“Wow, you went from aromantic to a sappy boy.”

“I know.” he sighed, acting frustrated. “I’m not ashamed though, I’m obsessed with you and I plan to show it everyday.”

“Now that sounds like heaven.”

[taranida]

Tom the Poet or Tom the Filmmaker

I would like all my theories to have evidence that back them up. I’ve come from fandoms where things said are a cute thing, worth considering, but solid theorising comes with quotes, screenshots, counting toes and following the writer’s pattern of three hint and foreshadowings before the big reveal. Therefore, I’m going through the first game yet again to collect all this information and put it in something coherent, something I will be happy with. I hope that the waves of my research will carry me to the proper essay with all the proofs necessary on every statement I’ve made in my first pinned post.

But there are still questions that have no answers as far as I know. One of them: why Tom Zane was made into a filmmaker and by whom?

In Control’s AWE the cutscene where Tom and Alan meet is a toned-down version of their encounter in Room 665. Alan asks if Tom is the Tom, the poet and the diver and Tom replies that it was just a beloved character in his old film. They have the same conversation at the start of Room 665 in Alan Wake II.

Alan seemed always forget that he (or someone else) changed Tom’s identity to filmmaker, still convinced that Thomas Zane he encountered at the start of his journey was a poet and a diver. First, when Tom-the-filmmaker was introduced, I thought that Alan forgot who Zane was and what he learned about him (I wouldn’t put it past Alan: he forgot many things he wrote, even his birthdate somewhat slipped his mind — in 2010 or in the Dark Place; the guide for the first game states that he’s 31, when the statue near the Parliament Tower claims he was born in 1977), but in both cases he kept insisting that Tom was a poet. So, the opposite is true: Alan forgot that Tom now is a filmmaker.

But why is Tom made to be a filmmaker? Even the second game insists that the Tom was a poet: Cynthia notes this in her journal, marvelling at why everyone thinks that he was a filmmaker; even the boys of Old Gods of Asgard say “you need him [Tom] to write the ending,” “art, like Tom’s writing” and “it’s Tom’s story we are dealing with, he’s gotta be the one to rewrite it”. And they are the only three people who knew the real Tom Zane and have some credibility in what he really was: a poet or a filmmaker.

The boys, of course, are a discussion on their own; Tom and Alan are interchangeable in their heads, they might talk about Alan the writer, hence “write, writing, story, rewrite”, but Cynthia has no such issues. She never mistook Alan for Tom, she loved Tom her whole life, devoted to his wishes and for sure wouldn’t mess such a big part of his identity in her head.

Then we have This House of Dreams, where we can read poems, some of them are by Thomas Zane and the Bright Presence shows Samantha that he was indeed a poet. Let’s add Jesse Faden into the mix, who as well, remembers Thomas Zane being a poet and even recites one of his poems in Control’s recordings. She still believes he was a poet somewhere around 2019, judging by her words about her needing to be in New York soon. Only in AWE DLC when she hears Tom claiming he’s a filmmaker, she changes her mind. But at this time, she’s already in yet another Alan’s story, her beliefs shaped by his writing (or by the words of her therapist and this vision of Tom and Alan; take your pick).

So, the question remains: why was Tom made a filmmaker?

My belief here is that Alan (or Scratch — do not confuse with Mr. Scratch) had no need of a poet. In This House of Dreams we see two sets of poems: one is by Thomas Zane and another is by Alan himself, in Control’s AWE Alan also claims that he wrote poems, and what value can Tom-the-poet add to Alan’s attempts to escape? A filmmaker on the other hand, as Tom says in AWII, can make a companion piece for his manuscript. Hence the filmmaker, the auteur.

As a side note. I do believe that the real Thomas Zane never makes his appearance in any games, first we see the Bright Presence possessing the body of Tom, then we see yet another Alan’s face in the Dark Place, that takes shape of what he believes Tom Zane was, and this part of Alan becomes a filmmaker at some point in his journey. After all, as the real Tom once wrote:

When you’re lost You’re lost in your own company

[hrefna-the-raven]

Heart of Steel

Fallout masterlist - main masterlist

Chapter 1 - 2 - 3 - 4

Song for this chapter:

Summary: You took the opportunity to ask Danse about having a private life within the Brotherhood while Maxson was on his way to see an old friend, someone he knew he could talk to.

Notes: I'm so obsessed with Maxson still being this traumatised boy that grew up all alone in the Citadel so here you go with some more insight into his thoughts and fears :) and some sweet funny misunderstanding with Paladin Danse because he's just adorable in his own way. This is not proof-read, finished it 10 minutes ago and decided to just post to not keep you waiting :)

Chapter 5 - Don't let me be misunderstood

After finally being able to leave his quarters, you swiftly changed into your uniform and made your way towards the kitchen, your hungry stomach growling. The tables appeared unusually empty for this time of the morning, with only Danse sitting there, enjoying a simple breakfast of toast and roasted meat. A sudden question popped up in your head, causing you to wonder about the personal lives of the other soldiers and what activities the Brotherhood allowed them to engage in outside of their duties. Reflecting on your pre-war military life, you recalled being granted quite a fair amount of freedom, including the ability to marry fellow soldiers and enjoy leisure time after completing your duties. However these were different times, with different rules in a strange world. With a mischievous glint in your eye, you approached the Paladin, trying to strike up a casual conversation.

"Hey Danse", you said with a sly smile, "you've brought me to the Brotherhood and I've been curious about a few things we never had a chance to discuss. Like for instance how do you unwind after a long day of battling wasteland creatures?"

Caught off guard by your question, Danse shifted uncomfortably. He was known for his unwavering dedication to the Brotherhood and delving into his personal life was a topic he seldom broached. He believed that he had already divulged more than enough about his past during your encounter at the police station. However, he sensed that you were genuinely attempting to fit in, and he had no qualms about sharing any information that could ease your transition into the Brotherhood.

"Well," he pondered, his face turning slightly red at your sudden focus on him, "I, uh, usually spend my free time focusing on my duties, training and maintaining my power armor."

You couldn't help but chuckle at his response, wondering if Danse even might be the right person for this discussion. The Paladin you got to know made you ask yourself more than once if he even knew the concept of a life outside the Brotherhood.

"No, no, Danse", you said, trying to explain the intend behind your question, "this is all too strict, too much of the soldier life. I meant, do you have any personal hobbies or interests? Something that helps you relax?"

"Oh, I understand. Well, I suppose I enjoy tinkering with my weapons and keeping them in top shape or upgrading them. It gives me a sense of fulfilment."

Impressed by his unwavering commitment, you decided to delve deeper and inquire about what you truly wanted to know. You had no idea where things with Maxson would lead, but given how that man ignited a mix of curiosity, desire and occasional frustration in you each time your paths crossed, you didn't want to rule out any potential outcomes, especially not the ones you secretly hoped for. The way he tugged at your heartstrings despite being entrenched in his stubborn beliefs and the crushing weight that came with the leadership of the Brotherhood, meant something to you. He was by far not the first interesting person you encountered since emerging from the vault but along with him came that feeling of a deep connection, an understanding you'd find with no one else.

"And what about love?" you asked, raising an eyebrow, "do you think the Brotherhood has any against, you know, sexual encounters or relationships with...uhm...fellow soldiers?"

Danse's eyes widened at your question. You caught him alone and discussed all those very personal topics. Thinking back at when he first met you, you were rarely quiet, constantly poking at him with remarks, statements or queries. There had to be more to this than he first thought.

"Uh, well, the Brotherhood focuses primarily on our mission to protect and serve. Personal relationships can complicate matters, so they are generally discouraged but not forbidden. We do in fact have a few soldiers and initiates dating each other", he stuttered, "but uhm if you were specifically asking about me, I truly appreciate the sentiment but I'm sworn to my duty and not available for any...uhm...romantic relations with you."

As you stood there, nervously shifting from foot to foot, you couldn't help but feel your cheeks flush with embarrassment. This was definitely not the way you had planned this conversation to go.

"Oh, no no no! I apologise for the misunderstanding, Danse. I was actually referring to someone els...within the Brotherho...you know what? I'm glad we cleared that up. I'm just going to leave now. Bye and thanks."

You hurried down the long corridor, hearing Danse bid his farewells before you sprinted up the stairs and finally got out of sight. It almost made you laugh as you realized that talking to the Elder felt like a walk in the park compared to any conversation with Danse. You headed towards the airport beneath the Prydwen, switching on the radio attached to your Pip-Boy as you geared up for the shooting training. As you made your way closer, the sound of gunfire echoed through the air unleashed a wave of excitement within you. The Brotherhood of Steel's training exercises were renowned for their rigour and you were determined to prove your skills, hoping Maxson would be there to watch, giving you another opportunity to spend more time with him under the cloak of duty.

Maxson made his way down to the airport, the weight of loneliness growing heavy on him, an all too familiar feeling. He needed someone to talk to, someone who'd listen, regadless whether they replied. Surveying his surroundings, he proceeded through a security door at the back of the main building. The dimly lit room emitted a faint aroma of oil as he approached the table. It was a whimsical, childish notion that led him here, but the instant he caught sight of it, a comforting sense of home enveloped him.

"Hello old friend", Maxson whispered tenderly, his hand resting upon the colossal robot head resting on the table.

He leapt onto the table, taking a seat beside the head, his legs dangling and swinging as he shut his eyes and drew in a deep breath. He felt the sadness of that little boy back in the Citadel who had no friends but was burdened with high expectations because of his name. He chuckled softly at thought that Rothchild wouldn't chase him away this time and if someone else were to stumble upon this place, he could simply claim to be inspecting the Brotherhood's most promising weapon. The perks of bring the Elder now instead of that little boy. He shook his head, scolding himself mentally for even being here, knowing all to well that he shouldn't try to make friends with a machine and yet, who else would listen to him without passing judgment? Perhaps you, but how could he discuss all of this with the person who started it all?

" I apologise for my absence and lack of visits all those years. It has been a challenging time for me, especially after losing Sarah. I didn't know what to do anymore, I was completely alone...", his voice trembled and tears formed in the corners of his eyes, " I trained, I fought and look at me now, Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel, upholding the Maxson legacy and striving to protect the people." 

He couldn't hold the tears back anymore, all the weight of loneliness crushing him. He had managed to deceive everyone, including himself, until you entered his sacred space and saw through his facade from the moment you set foot on the Prydwen.

" But I feel alone, old friend, all the burden to bear yet never anyone to confide in, to share it with. But there is someone new in the Brotherhood, joined two days and you wouldn't believe how she's turning my life upside-down."

He chuckled, brushing away the tears from his face, the edges of his lips twitching into a joyful smile as he reminisced in the memories of last night.

"Believe me, if you could meet her you'd adore her too, she is everything I also thought I'd be when I grew up. Strong, kind and fearless in the face of true injustice. I envy her, she can be herself unburdened by the weight I have to carry...sometimes...I...I wish I could just leave, be someone else, be me but that was never my destiny, wasn't it? If you could you'd probably ask me what she means to me, well that is a difficult question. I hold great admiration her, I think there might even reside love deep in that broken heart of mine but I'm also afraid of her in a way. What if I disappoint her? What if I fail to meet her expectations? Given how persistent she was on tearing my defenses down, would she even care for expectations? Wouldn't she simply want the real me? But then again who exactly would that be?"

Arthur leapt from the table, pacing in circles before the head, his gaze fixed on the floor as he became lost in his thoughts. It eluded him how you'd even be able to like him, given how you disagreed with him on your first meeting. You remained a riddle, and the more he tried to unravel you, the more you seemed to fade into the mystery that defined you. A sigh escaped his lips; all his questioning and doubting amounted to nothing. He couldn't negotiate with the worries away that held his heart hostage; the only way out was to confront whatever lay ahead. He had to brace himself for whatever the next encounter with you had in store. His footsteps came to a halt in front of the table once more, his gaze shifting up to the visor of the robotic head. Gently, he placed a hand on it, tenderly tapping the cold metal.

"Thank you for listening my dear friend from days gone by."

He made his way towards the exit, his gaze lingering for one last moment.

"See you later, alligator", he chuckled with genuine joy.

As he flicked off the light and left the room, he knew he had to leave the little boy he missed so much behind, along with Liberty Prime as his friend, all for the sake of the Brotherhood. However, he also held onto a glimmer of hope that, with you, he'd found a new place he could finally find and cherish what that boy always longed for and it left him with a warmth he'd try to keep at any cost.

Chapter 6 - Dream a little dream

Feel free to reblog if you enjoyed the story :)

[least-carpet]

Pursued by lesser ghosts 😭😭😭😭 are they gonna figure it out. Let JC in there

Hello, anon! Perhaps I will also link Pursued by Lesser Ghosts for context, since it took me so long to answer this ask. (You do need an AO3 account to read it.) It's wangxian with left zhanchengxian. Left in the sense that both chengxian and zhancheng had previously occurred, and they have left Jiang Cheng behind! (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

In my heart, they figure it out, but I’m never going to write that because they are all in WILDLY different places and that would take... so long. This is partly what makes it interesting to rotate to me, because I think it’s a situation where the way any of the people involved would describe the facts in a relatively similar and nonchalant way, but their intellectual frameworks for the facts and emotional experience of the facts are so wildly disconnected that getting all three on the same page would be, uh, challenging. Rough character notes below.

Wei Wuxian:

Feels like JC should be mad at him, since he projects guilt about JYL already on to JC. additionally hates JFM’s treatment of JC but in total denial about both what the treatment means and how he feels about it. LWJ’s rejection and replacement of JC with WWX is going to trigger all of that BECAUSE it brings WWX's past understanding of JC into conflict with his current understanding of JC.

In the past, WWX’s JC feelings were positive; therefore any negative treatment by JFM had to be denied (and also Fixed by WWX).

WWX’s JC feelings are now negative, partly because of the projection and self-blame, and partly because of ongoing resentment about the core transfer (VERY traumatic plus the feeling like that degree of devotion and sacrifice was not reciprocated).

The emotional experience of REPLACING JC AGAIN is an experience that belongs to WWX’s childhood self, who loved JC and was extremely possessive and protective of him (the JZX beatdown was triggered finally by the insult about JC).

Also triggers memories of childhood > adulthood intimacies (some degree of sexual contact as teenagers that both of them “forgot about”).

WWX also terminally unable to leave shit alone, and now there’s a mystery about HIS HUSBAND and HIS SHIDI.

LWJ is just like “oh we had sex sometimes” but JC is a prude who doesn’t do that and only lets WWX touch him??? This is not a sufficient answer for WWX??? [meltdown]

CONFLICT CONFLICT CONFLICT KABOOM

Jiang Cheng:

I mean, Mr. Abandonment and Betrayal Issues got some feedback about what had happened, and that feedback was “it was duty, I never loved you like you loved me, let me go” (WWX) PLUS “now that the person who is better than you, who I really love, is here, I will replace you with him and never look back because you are Bad” (LWJ).

On one hand, closure! On the other hand, what if every childhood belief and fear about yourself all came true at once? Wouldn't that be fun? (I mean, the ones which had not already happened and left most of your family dead.)

Like he worked so hard to be good for love (root of childhood issues -> “if I am very good maybe dad will love me eventually and mom will finally be happy”) and this functions as proof that it has NEVER culminated in that love being returned.

I also don’t know how much he was aware of LWJ’s fixation on WWX before/during the time they were sleeping together. how blindsided he feels would change depending on that.

Also will blame himself for it (see childhood coping mechanisms… so abandonment by LWJ is “his fault” because he “should have expected it”).

He is. He is not doing so good. Genuinely bad to contemplate and I don’t know how you fix that, like, degree of damage.

He also Never Gives Up and JL is still alive so he’s not going to kill himself but like. it ain’t good.

Lan Wangji:

To me, this is the chewiest problem. Because he has these rigid categories of “good” and “bad” but is also missing a lot of information about what happened between JC and WWX (such as the fake fight/removal from the sect), he's made up his mind but it's based on incomplete information.

Also like, he's not particularly empathetic (so questions like “how would you feel if someone you unconditionally trusted accidentally killed your beloved sibling?” are ones he has perhaps never contemplated?)

IMO this intersects in a pretty ugly way with his canon sadism during the period he has a sexual relationship with JC. I would have to make some decisions about how bad that was, but I don’t think it’s good. I think JC goes along with it partly as a form of self-harm and partly because JC is under a lot of stress, touch-starved, and is genuinely pretty submissive in bed? But has no standards about it (healthy!) and doesn't know how to protect himself.

Initially this is fine to LWJ because it “doesn’t count” and “JC is bad” so LWJ doesn’t have to feel bad about how he treats JC.

But if it was a multi-year intermittent thing, I think that might change? Because I don’t think LWJ is actually that cruel, just inflexible and not great at people.

So they hook up semi-often and LWJ perceives JC worrying about JL, about YMJ, and to some degree about him (offers him salve for his scars, inquires semi-rudely about family, feeds him thoughtful vegetarian foods when around each other) and they get comfortable and sometimes they spend the night together and LWJ gets a lot less mean but not any better at talking…

But even as their behaviours change, LWJ’s mental model doesn’t, so when WWX returns, he just, like, ditches JC without any discussion whatsoever.

And he gets everything he thought he wanted!! And he’s happy about a lot of it but feels Weird in a way that he can’t articulate or explain.

So to get him to the throuple, his whole understanding of what they were doing with each other and what JC’s behaviour signified would have to change. On the other hand, he is now married to the nosiest and most determined man in the world and that man is going to ask him a LOT of questions.

He just has SO far to go. I think both WWX and JC at least understand that a loss happened, but LWJ hasn’t worked that out yet. He's feeling it, but hasn't been able to articulate it to himself because of how it conflicts with his beliefs.

So getting them all to kiss would be really hard work. I think they do, though!

[hiswordsarekisses]

What is the love of the truth?

An example of this in my own life would be like this:

(And this is not the point of the post so I rather not have any comments about this lol!)

When I die, I truly want to shut my eyes on earth and open them in Heaven. I do not want to “sleep” in a grave.

There are many different beliefs we can get from scripture on what happens when you die - but only one of them is true.

I only want to believe that ONE, regardless of how desperately I want to go straight to Heaven to be with the Lord. I know it would only be my spirit, but I want to be “aware” and awake and alert and with Jesus…

There are scriptures that support this, but there are scriptures that also support the idea of being “unaware” and/or sleeping.

I do not want that to be true.

So rather than search the Bible to prove to myself that what I want to be true is actually truth - I search both things because, as terrified as I am of being asleep and unaware, I just truly want to know the truth.

To love the truth, we cannot assume to have it all figured out. We should pray for God to reveal the truth, and we seek the truth. Because the truth should be more important to us than whatever it is that we WANT to be true.

I want to believe many things that we may not know for until we get to Heaven, but there is wisdom in never ending the search that may uncover solid proof. I believe God did it this way for many reasons. The most important of them come to my mind…

One reason is so that we remain teachable, because thinking we have it figured out closes our mind - and can lead to deception. I fear deception much more than I fear being wrong.

I want to know when I’m wrong so I can make a change and understand things - but to be deceived is a terrifying blindness that you do not even realize is there BECAUSE you are blind!!

Being unteachable is, at its root, pride. And pride locks up your mind, ears, and eyes because you are so sure that you are right about something that you block out the truth so completely that it cannot get to you no matter how loud or bold or obvious it is.

I have experienced this blindness and deception, and it taught me the hard way to truly and desperately love the truth.

Always be aware of the fact that you may be wrong about something no matter how sure you are that you are not.

The Bible says that anyone who thinks they stand should take heed lest they fall, and that anyone who thinks they know something does not actually yet know as they should. That’s because pride blocks the truth. (1st Corinthians 10:12, 1st Corinthians 8:2)

I will close with this quote from Elisabeth Elliot which seems to me to fit perfectly.

“But the question to precede all others, which finally determines the course of our lives is. . .

What do I really want? Was it to love what God commands, and to desire what He promises?

Did I want what I wanted, or did I want what He wanted, no matter what it might cost?”

- E.E.

My answer is that I ultimately want whatever God wants. I want to believe what is true, BECAUSE it is true. It’s extremely important to me.

And that is to love the truth.

Jesus and Paul both warn that there is a very strong delusion coming on the whole world in these last days that will affect those who are perishing, so strong of a delusion that “if it were possible” would deceive even the “elect”. . .

The Bible says that those who are perishing will come under this delusion because they “had not received the love of the truth.”

Since the day I read that I have always prayed God would keep the love of the truth in my heart. Once I started praying for that I bought a new, unmarked, Bible and read it fresh, as if it were the first time...

And I asked God to remove all the things I had been “taught to see” in His Word, and to teach me to see the truth.

And it has been a wild adventure ever since as God continuously renews my mind with the truth of His Word.

Every so often I still get a new Bible and start again. I will never stop seeking His truth.

~ Dana Jean Klibert

(His Words Are Kisses)

[thevindicativevordan]

So, with Ultimate Spider-Man and Absolute Batman being such a huge success, do you think there's going to some significant impact on the mainline of Marvel and DC? Especially in case with Spider-Man, since Batman is doing relatively fine anyways.

Ultimate Spider-Man's first volume titled Married With Children is selling magna numbers for those who don't know. Hard to convey how insane that is, USM is a sales behemoth by every available sales barometer we have (admittedly none are as accurate as Diamond was). I'd love to believe that Breevort, Lowe, and all the other curmudgeon Marvel editors are currently undergoing an existential crisis as they are faced with cold hard proof that Spider-Man being a husband and a father in no way diminishes his appeal... but I don't think they ever seriously believed that.

At this point I suspect it's become religious dogma to them that 616 Peter cannot grow old no matter what contradicts that belief. They'd rather kill ASM than admit they were wrong. ASM continues to sell alright and for as long as it stays in the top 25, I don't see Marvel making any changes. They're probably counting on ASM #1000 to bring all the lapsed readers back. I'd love to be wrong, but short of an editorial purge of the Spidey office similar to what happened with the X-Men, I don't see anything changing with regards to how Marvel handles the mainline.

As for Batman... has he been doing fine? I'm assuming you're referring to sales which seem to be ok judging by what little data we have. In terms of storytelling however, he's right down in the pits with Spider-Man. The main book never recovered from DC aborting the marriage King had planned. Tynion game'd the system by creating new characters to keep speculators engaged. For a time that kept sales high, but now it appears that the speculation boom is over. Williamson's run was forgettable filler and Zdarsky's run has had mixed reception to put it mildly. When was the last time the main Batman book was "must-read"? Like ASM it sells because of the power of the brand, but all the book does is recycle Morrison's run. Not since King was kicked off has anyone tried to move Batman forward. Now DC is apparently luring a big name creator back to the book with Loeb/Lee doing Hush 2: The Hushening sometime next year. My expectation is that story will be a "back to basics" that takes Batman back to his pre-Morrison status quo. Alfred returning from the dead and a return to operating out of Wayne Manor is in the works now I bet.

Absolute Batman is different from USM in that it confirms DC's belief about what makes Batman successful whereas USM defies Marvel's beliefs about Spidey. AB stars a young, unmarried Bruce Wayne with no Batfamily, who isn't a preptime god, and is a grim and gritty hero willing to employ ultraviolence. Sure there's some differences (Martha is alive! He grew up in Crime Alley with all his Rogues as childhood friends! He chops thugs hands off!) but by and large this is very much a Batman who continues to operate in the mold Miller laid down with DKR. They haven't been shy that AB was conceived as DKR Batman but young in terms of appearance. Nothing about AB being a success will change DC's notions of what makes him their most popular character.

[kerubimcrepin]

Episode 43 - The Dream Mixer

Instead of opening windows, these guys open the front door.

Man, I sure hope this leads to nothing bad happening during the Wakfu OVA.

Joris has multiple of the same card. Probably not worth reading into, and just a way to not have to do too much work for some intern. I wonder what he was playing, though...

I do want to read into this, though, this doesn't really look like a playing card we've seen before in the series, — instead, looking more like tarot, especially with the way, in the second screenshot, it seems to have some writings on the top and the bottom, — its number and its name?

I want to preface this next section by saying it is very likely not the intention, for this to be Deep, or anything. It's just some cards that look the same. Unlike most times when I am reading into things with at least a bit of a solid proof that things are meant to be read into, here I am reading into things just for the fun of it:

This personally looks to me the most like The Tower tarot, and basically, here's what the internet has to say on the matter:

When The Tower card appears in a Tarot reading, expect the unexpected – massive change, upheaval, destruction and chaos. It may be a divorce, death of a loved one, financial failure, health problems, natural disaster, job loss or any event that shakes you to your core, affecting you spiritually, mentally and physically. There’s no escaping it. Change is here to tear things up, create chaos and destroy everything in its path (but trust me, it’s for your Highest Good). Just when you think you’re safe and comfortable, a Tower moment hits and throws you for a loop. A lightning bolt of clarity and insight cuts through the lies and illusions you have been telling yourself, and now the truth comes to light. Your world may come crashing down before you, in ways you could never have imagined as you realize that you have been building your life on unstable foundations – false assumptions, mistruths, illusions, blatant lies, and so on. Everything you thought to be true has turned on its head. You are now questioning what is real and what is not; what you can rely upon and what you cannot trust. This can be very confusing and disorienting, especially when your core belief systems are challenged. But over time, you will come to see that your original beliefs were built on a false understanding, and your new belief systems are more representative of reality. [...] After a Tower experience, you will grow stronger, wiser and more resilient as you develop a new perspective on life you did not even know existed. These moments are necessary for your spiritual growth and enlightenment, and truth and honesty will bring about a positive change, even if you experience pain and anxiety throughout the process.

Jesus fucking Christ. even while I'm spitballing, the things I am saying still make some amount of sense. Anyway, even though it is an accidental visual, I sure hope Joris being surrounded by The Tower looking ass cards isn't like, an omen of doom to come in like two years.

Haha.

This line is pretty interesting when you remember that one of Kerubim's whole insecurities was being too poor for her, but what follows is more interesting: in his dream, there is always an audience, made up of other Ecaflips.

Watching from the same fourth wall we do.

We had already discussed on this blog that Kerubim has always viewed his life as a performance to some invisible audience, due to his extremely low self-esteem: a performance of being a hero, a masculine man, a successful rich person, and more, — but now we can really confirm this, and see it for ourselves, instead of just making assumptions based on his behaviour.

I do wonder if the audience being ecaflips is just asset reusage, — or if it is him feeling especially judged by his own race?

Perhaps it is the need to live up to its standards. Or maybe, it is a memory of his isolation in the childhood, and the way everyone always watched him and laughed at his class clown antics, and how despite that, he didn't have any friends.

This episode is the other reason, — besides his reactions whenever she kisses his cheek, — why I think Kerubim has a bit of a crush on Simone. (One that he'll never act on or acknowledge, obviously. He's not Like That anymore.)

But he used to be like that. Just unabashedly and openly cheating on Lou.

This imaginary audience laughs at his jokes, laughs at his accidents, and laughs even at his most awful flirting.

Yes, he really was always playing an exaggerated version of himself, and imagining the world laughing at him, as if he were in a sitcom. That's... actually very sad.

Not even cheering him on? Just laughing?

Considering what I had already previously said about Joris, and just how anxious he is portrayed as being, — especially of something happening to Kerubim, — it's interesting that his whole dream is an endless race to prevent some catastrophe that is never explained, but one he is convinced will happen.

Yes, it is just a fun dream that's him being a hero, but there is something to be said about the cyclical, triumphless nature of it.

This entire shore is covered in items from the store, and might be either Kerubim's addition to the shared dreamscape, or a representation of the shared experiences of the three dreamers.

The storm reflects the fact that none of them can find what they're seeking, and the growing anxiety that comes with it.

Despite him flirting with other women, Lou's scorn, Lou's accusation that he'll never be good enough because he can't become a good person, is a big fear for him.

I think that Lou is both a memory, and a representation of Kerubim's thoughts on the way he used to be, — or at least that is the image that the positioning of old Kerubim behind Lou invokes in me.

He hates himself, or at least who he used to be. These words are both something he thinks about himself, and something he thinks Lou would say.

Keke... Can you find this sadidette again, and check her sources?

Because all the sites I check say lily represents growth of beautiful from bad conditions, and also reincarnation. Which totally doesn't remind me of another weird fucking green-white thing in this show.

I want to know more about its sex symbolism instead, cat man!

Anyway, French-speaking readers, — I implore your help in the next post I make: this episode has some reversed audio, during the reversed boat scene, and I'll post it for you to analyse. I had wondered what it said for ages.

This line suggests that consciousness is fluid within the dream, — which answers the question of "which Kerubim is real and which one is a dream construct" that I've had with a very likely "both are real, and represent his different qualities of his character."

This also suggests, that my assumption, that the dream Joris is having is based on his high levels of anxiety he has, is probably correct, — and seemingly affecting Simone's and Kerubim's mental states too.

Joris seems so much like his adult self in this scene, — or so it seems to me. Very pretty.

Also pretty poetic, considering most of his actions as an adult are still fueled by the desire to be Awesome, and his definition of Awesome hasn't changed since he was 7.

THE best flash frames of the whole series.

Screenshots alone don't do this scene justice, so here it is.

There is a lot to unpack here. This is the closest we get to insight into Kerubim's real feelings in the current time, instead of his memories of the past, bad or good.

The thing he loves the most about her is her hair. Which brings to mind the happiest time of young Kerubim's life and their relationship, after he left kitty psych ward.

The line of "I will never have the time to caress them all" can have many different meanings. But the most glaring one to me, is...

She will die before him, and he had, likely, always known that. It was something he could ignore when they were young, but as an old man, who knows what will happen after he dies (not true death, that's for sure, he is not like her), and as someone who has likely seen other people his age die, — the possibility that she might not even be alive due to how many years had passed, is haunting.

And the possibility that he wasted all these years he could have spent with her, the possibility that he might be wasting them even now, if she is alive, is just as bad.

And the saddest thing is that he can't even see the old woman she became. He can only remember her as she was back then.

Would he even recognize her on the street?

This scene begins with the same sad melody as the scene of him missing Lou, but descends into discordant horrific sounds, despite how... comedic it seems. The same way Kerubim's other stupid antics are.

Because consciousness is fluid in this dream, and because Simone was playing the role of Kerubim's audience, — I think Simone and Kerubim are both mad here, with Kerubim's feelings influencing Simone's words, the same way Joris's influenced her in the previous scenes.

Joris doesn't look very happy about this dream anymore. Yet another proof for my hypothesis of this being an anxiety dream, even if by the time he wakes up, he thinks it's a cool one.

Remember what I said during episodes 33 (Noffoub's Fountain) and 35 (the gobbal set) about Joris's anxiety and dislike of change?

Being forced to go to bed is anxiety inducing for Joris, — he knows that it just means that the adults want him out of the way, that they don't want to spend time with him, — and he hates it when the routine changes, because it makes everything unpredictable, with is horrible to his little single-child-with-an-elderly-parent-who-keeps-saying-he'll-die-soon brain.

Haha. Yeah... Anyway.

Like in english, the french word rêve might mean both the dreams one sees at night, and one's hopes and aspirations.

...I don't think he is talking about the first kind here.

[ihatepeoplesomuchuwu]

@abyssleaves GIRL I FUCKING LOVE YOU HOLY SHIT. You dropped this queen 👑

This person right here, you have said it so perfectly and have inspired me to say something. I will also probably get hate but you know what? That's fine at this point 😎

This carnivorekitty situation? I'M SO OVER IT!!! I don't even 100% agree with tom but, most of you guys are getting upset at OPINIONS AND DARK HUMOR LIKE HOLY SHIT. I want you all to think about this. What part of it is beliefs? The belief of not understanding neopronouns? No no no he didn't say "hate." he said he didn't agree with them and wasn't going to hate people for using them. But nah, instead of maybe sitting down with a cup of tea, you all jumped the gun and said, "THE NERVE?! HE DOESN'T AGREE WITH ME?!". Pssst hey lean in close...... I don't understand them either 😐 If you approached me, though, and told me your pronouns, I would never hate you for using them. It is YOUR life and I will respect/use your pronouns(I use any pronouns btw UwU) and I can't tell you what to do, and as long as you're not hurting anyone, who cares right? But don't demand me to understand or get why because I don't want to, and I'm just too stupid to care.

ANYWAY TO THE TRANSPHOBIC TOPIC!! Okay, this confused me for so long on why people called him transphobic because even I understood that people of the lgbtq+ have different opinions on things and deal with stuff differently. Him saying that kids/teens having medication and surgeries are life changing and then most definitely are. Most medications are safe, but did you know that their was a birth control that was FDA approved and it worked for a long time! Until women started having babies missing limbs and parts of them. Medical stuff can happen at anytime, it being safe of not it can still happen. And the surgeries? I agree that people shouldn't have surgeries until they are 18. Why? Because you have jackasses that aren't trans/have medical needs who take advantage of that for their own benefits and you have people who find out that they are not trans/non-binary/so on later in life and detransition.

Also, can no one like dark humor anymore??? A trans person likes a dark humored trans meme it's end shattering, but people still adore famous people making 9/11 jokes? Yeah, okay, love you guys ❤️ and don't get me started on the nazi shit because WOW WE GOING FOR IT WITH THAT ONE!!! Did anyone read the post Tom made at all? Hm? He said, and I quote, "I don't see anything on how he's a nazi however, that seems like a stretch. However, if anyone can provide actual proof of these claims, you can let me know." He ASKED for proof and said he doesn't agree with all of his posts, yet all of you jumped on him instantly calling him a "nazi sympathizer"? I literally saw one, FUCKING ONE PERSON show him the proof of it instead of jumping him like zombies 🧟‍♂️ 🧟‍♀️

My last take is the pride parade stuff which is just silly to get mad about?? As a person who has basically raised my siblings as my own children and wanting kids of my own some day, I can understand about the not wanting children to see half naked people and honestly who would? What I get is that it is a pride parade and they are mostly known for people doing that, they usually make a flyer or post saying if it's going to happen orr not so please look first. What pisses me off is when people defend that and call them something-phobic for not agreeing 😑 "Agree to disagree" is perfectly put for this, People can have opinions on this without being hateful. You guys come OOON

That is all I have to say for this, I would touch on the racism aspect but I must say out of that whole thing I could understand why people were mad/hurt and I am a pale ass white-irish person who has never experienced racism(only the "HA HA YOU'RE AN ALCOHOLIC" jokes due to me being irish 🤣)so I have no right to say anything in that.

Anyway, I'm gonna just rant here, so feel free to hate on me in my inbox because I could honestly just chill with anyone even if they scream at me UwU

[kitsunefyuu]

I think if the author had developed Izuku's perception on his and Bakugo's relationship more then he could've sold me on their friendship.

As it stands now I feel like we get a lot from Bakugo's perspective and never Izuku. I just want him to reflect on what he went through, process it and confront Bakugo about it. After that they can move on from it and grow. The apology scene would've been perfect for Izuku to express his feelings about it all, but Izuku just stood there with his mouth open and said nothing which makes that scene along with their relationship fall flat to me. I wanted an actual conversation between them not just some five second I'm sorry from Bakugo and no response from Izuku.

The gag scenes where Bakugo is yelling his head off angrily and Izuku is like ahhh I'm sorry! does not endear me to their friendship either and it's common for it to be used especially in the OVA's and movie's. I'm not saying you have to completely change Bakugo's entire personality, but make him less RAGHHH at Izuku and Izuku less scared and apologetic when he acts like that.

I want to see what others see in their relationship, I wanted to be amazed by them making eye contact and acting with the same goal in mind like others were with this chapter as according to them it's proof how far they've come. Yet I feel like I'm told how great their development was, but I'm not really shown it. I'm expected to just brush off a lot of things and just accept Bakugo's apology without question and input from Midoriya's side and that is something I cannot do

It's a shame as they both do have some cool moments together, however Bakugo's big moments when he thinks of Izuku don't hit hard for me due to what I've described above. Their dynamic just feels incomplete and I think I would've liked it more of we had more of Izuku reflecting and responding to said apology.

This is literally the problem. It not a lot of show and a lot of tell also when it does 'Show' it does so with no build up. No change in behavior or well ANYTHING to make these changes mean anything.

Izuku isn't allowed to talk or express his thoughts only Bakugou is allowed. The apology didn't show us ANYTHING about our protagonist it no WONDER people don't like the MC. Horikoshi doesn't seem to care about his MC anymore. He trying to show off every single character but he sacrificing the main character.

I honestly want to like Katsuki Bakugou, I think he could have a great sibling relationship with Izuku. I can see that potential in people who write them well but the series fails to show it. Nothing about the two's interactions feel at all organic. Horikoshi has even CALLED Katsuki abusive and yet suddenly his tune changed when made Katsuki cry.

Like Hori why are you surprised you wrote him????

Let Izuku fight back like he did in the beginning. Let him be playfully bratty back not this push over that lets Bakugou mistreat him. Let them fight! Let Izuku talk or reflect where are his thoughts? Where is the insight?

I haven't heard anything about his thoughts in forever. It doesn't work if it one-sided and it makes me mad how Izuku just expected to accept an apology. Without ever mentioning or even talking about it he never responded...

He doesn't even get any focus on the Izuku and Tomura fight. But Bakugou gets a whole thought and dramatic 'death' that was fixed in a way that I can't suspend my belief. Their relationship doesn't feel earned nor good and I'm just disappointed.

[questionsonislam]

What is the purpose of Jihad?

Every Nation has ideals, which inspire them. A nations endeavor to accomplish its ideals becomes huge as much as they deeply believe in them.

Founding a state, having a voice in the international arena, gathering same nations members under one flag are some of those ideals.

At this point, the Holy Quran makes a clear distinction between the believers and the unbelievers, Those who (truly) believe fight in Gods cause, while those who disbelieve fight in the way of taghut (powers of evil who institute patterns of rule in defiance of God). So (O believers) fight against the friends and allies of Satan. Assuredly, Satans guile is ever feeble. (An-Nisa Surah, 4:76)

The expression, taghut includes anything worshipped other than God. Satan is a taghut. Pharaoh like people who follow Satan is taghut. Undisciplined nafs (self) is a taghut Do you ever consider him who has taken his lusts and fancies for his deity? (Al-Furqan Surah, 25:43), (Al-Jathiyah Surah, 45:23) Quran, with these verses, takes our attentions to the ones who idolize their habitual evil lusts.

As you see, unbelievers follow those taghuts. They subordinate themselves to Satan, become prisoners of their evil-selves, and struggle under the leadership of evil people. However, their struggle is destitute of sublimity, a menial one. There are benefits to reap in the foundation of this struggle. They never hesitate to burn the world for their benefits. In fact, one can clearly understand their menial interests if only glances at wars in the last two hundred years.

They are after lands, colonies, new markets, and new resources; fight for supremacy over other nations.

There is no difference between the colonialist powers that intend to capture the entire resources of the world and a Roman Emperor who says, by showing the fig in his hand to his commanders, We did not invade the lands that bear this fruit yet! Let us organize a campaign and invade those lands. States and leaders changes but mentality stands still. History repeats itself at this point. First and Second World Wars are the proofs of this truth.

Believers, on the other hand fight in the way of God. And fight in the cause of sublime values. They make efforts in the way of Divine Will. Their struggle is a struggle of virtue. It is a remarkable issue of that Fi Sabilillah (in the way of God) reads wherever Jihad and Kital (war) expressions are made mention in the Quran. Any struggle, any war, which is not in the cause of God, has no value.

The Surah An-Nisa, verse 141, believers gain victory, unbelievers meet with a success, indicates such a significant difference between believers and unbelievers conception of war. While believers fight in the cause of God, unbelievers fight in the cause of worldly gains.

Quran sets the cause and the purpose of the struggle as follows:

And (if they still persist in unbelief and hostilities), fight against them until there is no longer disorder and oppression rooted in rebellion against God, and the whole of religion (the full authority to order the way of life is recognized) for God exclusively. (Al-Anfal Surah, 8:39) There are two objectives for Muslims in the verse; to root out the Fitna (sedition), and to make Gods religion prevail.

The term Fitna comes originally referred to the refining of metal (gold) to remove dross.

Tribulation, trouble, and disorder meanings derived from the original meaning. Torturing people because of their belief, intervening worship, forcing emigration; are all Fitna. Fitna is described in Quran in the following verse as, disorder (rooted in rebellion against God and recognizing no laws) is worse than killing. (Al-Baqarah Surah, 2:191) It should not be said there is nothing worse than killing, for, such circumstances which would make someone desire to die are worse than dying.

The following verse points out the sublime objective of Jihad:

Why, then, should you not fight in the cause of God and of the oppressed, helpless men, women, and children, who cry out: "O Lord! Bring us out of this land whose people are oppressors, and appoint for us from Your Presence a protector, and appoint for us from Your Presence a helper!" (An-Nisa Surah, 4:75)

The objective of the whole affair of religion belongs exclusively to God is to free humans from servitude to any other humans; and realization of servitude only to God. Jews and Christians are mentioned in the Quran as, The Jews take their rabbis (teachers of law), and the Christians take their monks, as well as the Messiah, son of Mary, for Lords besides God (by holding as lawful or unlawful what the teachers of law and monks decree to be lawful or unlawful, as against Gods decree), whereas they were commanded to worship none but the One God. Doubtless, taking anything or anybody for Lord besides God does not necessarily mean that they refer to it by the name Lord. As hadith explains the above given verse, accepting anything whatever rabbis and monks decree as haram (religiously forbidden) or halal (religiously permissible); is taking them for Lords besides God.

Islam must be announced in a free environment. Persons who want to convert should not be hindered, and anyone who wants to live according to this religion must be free to live it. They should not have to face the hardships and seditions.

Jihads objective is to provide freedoms and to overcome the obstacles. When obstacles are overcome, humans will yearn for one and only Divine religion, Islam.

Doubtless, the whole religion belongs to God does not mean that Islam does not grant rights to other religions, or it urges people to convert. Muslims never forced people from other religions to convert to Islam. Non-Muslims have lived in peace and in comfort within Islamic countries since the age of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

[musingsofalovelymillenial]

Final thoughts before Dead Friend Forever Finale Part 3

Jin: Jin is also a character we know very little about. However, there are things we do know about Jin as he is aware Non writes horror online, he seems to be very open when it comes to affection especially if he likes someone. Jin also hates his friend's behavior and also dislikes what he saw between Non and Keng. We can also see that Jin is hurt by Phee keeping them as friends with benefits as well as Phee ending things with him. Jin to me is a character that represents not only a coward but a coward that is manipulative in his own right. He sticks up for Non enough that the group knows Jin will stick up for him but not enough for it to actually make the group stop or for the group to decide they don’t want Jin around either. Jin, much like Fluke, is not only a bystander but also in my opinion has voyeuristic qualities as well. Jin ignores Non’s feelings and what his friends are doing so that Non can be around Jin. He manipulates many situations with Non so they can still have contact. He knows Non wants to finish the movie but even at one point Non decides to stop till Jin convinces him to stay. I find the framing of Jin when he is touching Non to be a key factor. When Jin touches Non’s knee and shoulder the camera is facing and angled to mirror identically the way Keng touches Non’s knee and shoulder. I think this conveys that both Jin and Keng have their own reasons for being close to Non as well as their intentions toward Non not being pure especially since Jin ignores that Non doesn’t want to be touched but does it anyway.  Jin much like Tee feels guilty about what happened to Non and I would argue that out of the whole group Jin is the only one trying to make amends and is the only one one screen we see apologize to Non and Non tells him that Jin does not have to apologize. In the present Jin is moving out of Thailand and leaving this toxic group behind as well as what happened; he is trying to start over. Because when you consider it from Jin’s perspective, he knows Tee & Top took Non but he does not know where, Tee has never told the group anything that happened and the last time he had any news regarding Non it was a news article saying he was alive and spotted leaving on a bus with Keng. Jin hopes that Non is alive and his belief of that is rooted in hope vs actual proof. Tee even says if Non was alive Jin would be the only one of them he would still contact. Jin knows there is nothing more he can do for Non, he can’t correct the behavior of the group and he doesn’t have a relationship with Phee so Jin is doing what no one else in that group can do which is leave even though it means he will be alone. I think Jin’s atonement for his role in what happened to Non is far more redemptive than any other character. Jin, even though angry about being lied to, even expressed regret that it even reached that level; he seems to understand the reasoning behind why Phee and New would go to that length. He also asks/ tells Phee that he and New never thought of them as friends and he seems incredibly hurt that it was based on a lie because despite his feelings romantically for Non and what he did wrong their friendship was never a lie in Jin’s eyes but Phee and New lied to him. Jin even though he outs New to the group he does not attack him and even when faced with Fluke holding the gun he tries to reason with him. In the end whether its a controversial opinion or not I think Jin deserves to survive because of the OG group he is the only one who apologized to Non, what happened changed his personality such as we see a very different teenage Jin vs adult Jin and the whole time things are happening he is no longer quiet, he confronts his friends about their thoughts and behaviors and he even gets into it physically with Tee and Top (jin of the past never would have done that) , and he is the only one removing himself from this toxic environment. Jin will always have to live with what happened to Non and carry his guilt for his role in that.

continued in part 4

[smallvilleismyhome]

The Bewitching Lana Lang

Lana Lang's Virtues/Basic Character Summary:

Lana Lang is the stunningly bewitching young woman who was Clark Kent's neighbor and first love interest. She was in Smallville from Season 1 to Season 7. Orphaned at the young age of five, Lana Lang grew up under the care of her loving Aunt Nell.

When we are first introduced to her, it's at Smallville High on the first day of school 12 years after a devasting meteor shower that changed Smallville forever. She is a bewitching teenage girl who has captured the eye and heart of Clark Kent. We get to know her as Clark gets to know her, slowly. We learn that she is still haunted by her parents' horrific death, and struggles to find herself and her place in the world, whether it be in Smallville or somewhere else in the world. She is kind, compassionate, driven, intelligent, and beautiful.

Her vulnerability and insecurity are at the forefront when she becomes aware that there is more to Clark than meets the eye and that he's keeping something from her. Before this she learned that her mother wasn't as stoic as she was led to believe, resulting in her questioning everyone around her. We see her nearly become undone but her incessant need to know the complete truth from everyone around her. Which results in fractures in her relationships with her remaining family and friends, especially Clark.

She becomes nearly consumed with the visceral need to know what Clark is holding so close to his chest. This obsession narrows her vision and slowly makes her lose sight of what is more important, than any secret that Clark has. She loses sight of herself and her pure love and connection with Clark because not knowing his secret is tearing her apart. As the seasons go on we see Lana lose herself time and time again. Whether it be with a disillusioned relationship with Lex, drugs, the possession of a witch ancestor, or just her angry irrational belief that Clark's secret can't possibly be that personal can it?

She slowly starts to find herself when she finds a way to get Clark to show her his secret without him knowing it, which is kind of troubling and a bit selfish. The good news is that she comes back to her senses and grows up a bit. However, she's still struggling to find herself and her place in the world. This is something she continues to navigate throughout her remaining time on the show. She does get stronger less vulnerable and/or less insecure.

However she still has her flaws as a character and this is not the Actor's fault, she did the best she could with her character. The biggest issue with Lana's character development has to do with the different writers on Smallville. The original Writers of Smallville wrote Lana as strong, independent, clever, and multi-faceted. However, when they handed over the reins to new writers around season 5 or 6, the writing quality surrounding Lana's character suffered along with the writing of other characters around her such as Clark, Chloe, and Lex.

Lana Lang's Flaws:

Lana Lang is a very flawed character. She starts out as this orphaned girl who trusts people too much, doesn't stand up for herself, and tends to assume the worst, especially when it comes to Clark, before finding out the truth and without taking the time to properly and rationally assess her situation. Is it hard to believe that any boy Lana encounters may have some meteor infection? I mean she lives in Smallville, the meteor-affected capital of the world. So, why does she consistently forget to be wary of the intentions of those boys she's NEVER, and I repeat, NEVER even spoken to until after the meteor shower that killed her parents?

Lana Lang makes no sense sometimes. For example, in Season 4 Episode 6 "Transference" Lang Lana had CLEAR and undeniable proof in Clark Kent's behavior alone to know at some level that Clark was NOT being himself. Look, I get she doesn't know his secret, however, that is NO EXCUSE to not know Clark's NORMAL, albeit a bit sketchy at times, behavior. Does she really think that Martha and Jonathan Kent, the sweetest, kindest, and most compassionate people in Smallville would raise a son to be a completely selfish, callous, dick? I mean, come on Lana, you know Clark well enough to know that it wasn't Clark Kent who came to school that day or who said those things to you, which, if we are being honest, are sort of true.

I mean Lionel Luthor, in Clark's body points out to Lana that SHE'S being wishy-washy and not properly communicating with Clark. Yes, Lionel said it in a harsh, insulting way ( you know in a way that it's completely obvious that it's not Clark because he's not that much of a dick), however, that doesn't mean it wasn't on some level true. That said there are other instances where Lana isn't the best acquaintance, friend, or ally.

Another example is Lana Lang pretty much trying desperately to bulldoze Clark's PERSONAL secret out of him when he's clearly not ready to or comfortable enough to tell her his secret. This leads Lana to trick Chloe into getting a "present" for Lex Luthor (who she was going to marry mind you) that she "left" in the wine cooler only to lock her in so that Chloe (who by this time knows Clark's secret) has to call Clark to come and free her. When Clark does, without the knowledge that Lana set the whole thing up just so she, (Lana) can finally figure out his PERSONAL secret.

***Side Note: I am aware that Clark did tell Lana his secret only for her to sadly and tragedy die causing him to literally turn back time and decide not to tell to protect her life because Jorell is rather testy when it comes to human life, especially when it comes to the humans that Clark has an emotional connection with.***

To make matters worse, Lana, on her's and Lex WEDDING DAY (the same day she finds out Clark's PERSONAL secret) calls off the wedding because now that she knows Clark's secret she doesn't want to marry Lex anymore because she was to be with Clark. Which I got to say is kind of a bitchy move. I know Lex is no saint, however he doesn't deserve this. Also, Lana is forced to marry Lex on Lionel's bequest under the strict condition that if she doesn't, he'll ( Lionel'll) kill Clark Kent with his one weakness--Green Kryptonite--which Lana Lang doesn't even realize is Clark's weakness yet.

It's also a shitty move on Lana Lang's part, to not tell Clark that she's possibly pregnant with Lex's baby, however, she doesn't know for sure. To make matters worse she tells Chloe, who is bound to tell Clark when he's being kind of whiney about Lana and Lex, (which she does), and to be fair Clark has every right to be concerned about Lana's relationship with Lex because Lex is a borderline psychopath who will and does stop at nothing to get what he wants. That said Clark does find out about Lana possibly carrying Lex's bay and does get a bit jealous and angry which is amplified and is let loose at Lex's mansion during a dinner party when he is high on red Kryptonite.

The whole situation could have been avoided if Lana had gotten off her mega-high horse and told Clark herself. Because if she had told Clark about her possible pregnancy with Lex's Child he would have told her to get a second opinion because you can't trust any doctors employed by the Luthors, EVER. This would have resulted in her finding out sooner that she wasn't pregnant and just being manipulated by Lex so he could have her all to himself.

However, Lana, being Lana refuses to tell Clark anything that's she going through just because he won't tell her his PERSONAL secret about being an orphaned Extraterrestrial from a planet called Krypton, which is now space dust. Can you blame the guy for not knowing how to explain that to Lana Lang, a human girl who never considered the existence of Extraterrestrials until after the meteor shower and quite literally seeing an Extraterrestrial spaceship land not too far after the SECOND meteor shower consisting of the SAME meteors that killed her parents?

She has so many clues about the personal nature of Clark's PERSONAL secret that it's hard to believe that she NEVER and I mean NEVER considered that Clark's PERSONAL secret is well you know, PERSONAL!!! Continuing on with Clark's PERSONAL secret. I find it unbelievably weird and unrealistic that Lana Lang isn't written with any semblance or understanding of nonverbal communication cues (pensive tone of voice, flickering of the eyes everywhere else before settling on her, slight shortness of breath, tentative word choices spoken tensely, etc.) and body language (defensive posture, hands balled in slightly tight fists, turning away from her to look out the loft window, etc.).

Everything described above indicates that Clark's secret is most likely to be more PERSONAL than he lets on, meaning that he's uncomfortable with the idea of telling Lana (who's spent a could chunk of the series tethered to Lex's hip sort of speak) his PERSONAL secret and is unsure how she will react to his PERSONAL secret. Especially when Clark asked her at the end of season 2 episode 18 "Visitor", how she would feel if she found that someone she had known her whole life was from another plant and she said that she would be "a little freaked out" without evening realizing that Clark was asking about himself. Which is one of the main reasons he never told Lana his secret right away.

***NOTE: I keep emphasizing that Clark's secret is personal because most fans like to say, ["We shouldn't be so hard on Lana because she doesn't know his secret"]. This is true however, in my opinion, Lana is NOT entitled to know Clark's secret until he's 100% ready for her to know it, especially since most of the time they're frenemies and sometimes not even that. Also, we have to remember that Clark's secret IS PERSONAL and NO ONE outside the Kent Farm is entitled to know Clark's secret until CLARK HIMSELF IS READY TO TELL THEM!!!***

That said, just because Lana, at some point in the series deserved to finally know and understand Clark's secret does NOT mean she's entitled to it. It does NOT give her the right to BULLY Clark into "coming out" about who and what he is just because LANA feels ENTITLED to know and/or because she feels left out of the Clark Kent groupie. Lana's behavior surrounding her desire to know Clark's secret is selfish, self-centered, unempathetic, uncompassionate, and borderline psychotic (in the sense that she becomes OBSESSED with finding out the truth about Clark in the SAME capacity and overzealousness of Lex Luthor himself, who wasn't even 100% honest with Lana Lang).

Lex only discussed the Extraterrestrial spacecraft with her and NOTHING ELSE!!! Which is a fucking RED FLAG!!! This is because Lex feels entitled to Lana Lang and her companionship in the same capacity that he feels entitled to Clark's secret, which NEWS FLASH, neither Lex nor Lana are entitled to know Clark's PERSONAL, I repeat, PERSONAL secret. Also, Lana's erroneous belief that Lex is 100% truthful and trustworthy is irrational and delusional because EVERYONE IN SMALLVILLE INCLUDING LANA LANG HERSELF knows that Lex Luthor is NOT to be trusted, at least not completely.

Staying Lex for a moment. After Lana finds out that Lex faked her pregnancy so she wouldn't leave him, she understandably gets super pissed off and upset. However instead of completely cutting ties and releasing the hold Lex has over her, she decides to cyberstalk him via cameras SHE put in LEX'S mansion (a total Lex Luther Move by the way). When she loses her cyber edge and is outed by Clark to Chloe, instead of accepting defeat and admitting that she's becoming so obsessed with Lex that she sort of became him, Lana gets all pissy and storms off.

Later on when Lana accidentally gets some of CLARK'S POWERS via a lightning strike on a green kryptonite rock while both she and Clark are touching it, she 1.) refuses to give them back even though Clark says that they could be dangerous if misused and to her physical body if she kept the powers for a prolonged amount of time, 2.) throws a hissy fit about Clark not taking out Lex permanently once and for all and 3.) full-blown tries to KILL Lex Luthor out of revenge for the fake pregnancy (a very understandable motive however, her actions and thought processes are highly irrational and dangerous).

Not once did Clark say anything about not liking Lana Lang as a stronger, rational, and independent woman. He was just concerned about the danger she posed by having his powers and not knowing how to properly use them or how they would affect her due to Clark's father's heart being nearly destroyed after gaining the Kryptonian powers from Jorell (Clark's biological force ghost dad) so he (Jonothan) could get Clark back to Smallville, resulting in Jonothan's fatal heart attack that was induced via stress because of Lionel Luthor trying to blackmail Jonathan.

I also want to backtrack a bit to Season 3 Episode 14 "Obsession". This episode is about a new girl in school named Alicia who can teleport wherever she wants and becomes obsessed with Clark when he uses his super strength to save Alicia from an elevator death at Luthercorp, which in turn allows her to use her ability to teleport them outside of the elevator and the Luthoecorp building. In the climax of this episode, Alicia nearly murders Lana because Clark loves Lana more than Alicia, but before she actually goes to kill Lana, Alicia lets slip that Clark told her, (Alicia) everything about himself (which news flash, he actually hadn't told her everything about himself and only showed her his abilities being sure to hold back the "I'm an extraterrestrial" bit which Alicia probably clued into anyways..but semantics).

This revelation that Clark is hiding something about himself, which indicates a PERSONAL secret, piques Lana's interest (an interest that became obsessive and unhealthy) and it's the ONLY thing she's worried about toward the end of the episode. She doesn't seem to dwell on the fact that a delusional, irrational girl with freaky teleportation powers tried to kill her (Lana) and probably would have just done or said anything thing to hurt Lana emotionally enough to fracture whatever relationship she had with Clark, which then was more of friendship. I mean Lana and Clark weren't even "dating" (they were very on and off again and never just stayed off because this relationship was going nowhere because of Clark's PERSONAL secret getting in the way) at that time. What irked me at the moment was the fact that the only thing Lana seemed remotely fazed by was the fact that Clark has a secret, which news flash EVERYBODY HAS A SECRET, ESPECIALLY TEENAGERS!!!!

Also, around the time she appears on Clark's doorstep unannounced (something she annoyingly does especially, when it comes to entering the barn which also serves as Clark's loft, which is a place where he peacefully unwinds from time to time and goes to clear his head) and acknowledges that she knows Clark's hiding something from her, she doesn't even consider asking if Clark is okay, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too. In fact, Lana consistently not considering Clark's emotional state and/or mental health, let alone his physical health is something that always struck me as unsympathetic, self-centered, and a bit narcissistic.

I mean an average person after nearly being killed alongside someone they see as a friend at least would, or at least should ask if they're okay right? I mean Clark constantly makes sure Lana's okay physically, emotionally, and mentally, however, Lana can't seem to do the same for her friends or family especially if they did or said something she didn't like. She's like in a whole world of her own devising and no one else can enter unless they benefit HER in some way whether rational or irrational.

Conclusion:

All, that said, Lana Lang isn't a bad person. In fact, she's just a scared young woman struggling to find her place in the lives of those around her. She just doesn't know how to communicate properly because she wasn't taught how to communicate because she became an orphan at 5 years old and only had an aunt who never really dated until Lana was a teenager. So Lana's self-centeredness and selfishness are a result of childhood trauma that she never (that we know of because it's never mentioned in the show) went to therapy to cope with and move on from.

She constantly yelled at everybody else for the EXACT same behaviors she exhibited and gave off. She never took any responsibility for a relationship failing because of her actions as well as the actions of the other person (i.e. Clark). However, she's not a bad person or a bad character. In fact, her flaws, make her the most HUMAN out of ALL the characters of Smallville. Lana could have been an amazingly well-written character if the writers that took over didn't totally destroy Lana's previous character develop and mold her into a "love interest" to be fought over by Lex and Clark, especially when LOIS LANE HERSELF was introduced into the storyline in season four. This excited the fans who know Lois and Clark are indeed canon and soulmates.

The moment Lois Lane "entered the chat" sort of speak, Clark's infatuation with Lana should have dwarfed and we should have seen Clark pull away from Lana and become more attracted to Lois Lane's no-nonsense attitude, maturity, and her charming brassiness due to being an army brat. Lana Lang should have ceased being a "love interest" and should have been written out of the show around the end of season 4 or the beginning of season 5.

Lana Lana shouldn't have been in Smallville for practically the whole series because it severely screwed up the pacing and storyline(s) that should have had more screen time to be explored a bit better. In fact, Lana Lang probably should have been written out of the show by the end of Season 3 or even the beginning of Season 4.

All that said, Lana Lang is actually quite a highlight in the early storyline(s) of Smallville in seasons 1 through 3. I highly enjoyed her until seasons 4 through 7. The moment she started to be a "Karen" about Clark's secret is the moment I just wanted her gone because Lana Lang ate up some much screen time that could have been spent with Clark learning more about his parents, and his Kryptonian heritage and race. I also fucking hated how Lana kept coming into the barn unannounced to talk to Clark. The poor dude had so much whiplash from that alone because she almost always was coming into his loft to demand to know his secret or demand that he at least admit that yes he was hiding something from her, ( which Clark never managed to spit out because he was too tongue-tied to and anxious around Lana to say anything at all beside trust working both ways).

I just really wish that Lana Lang had been written better and was not kept in the show for so long. I would have been fine if Lana Lang left in Season four or five and never came back.

Anywho, enough rambling and ranting about Lana Lang.

Toodles For Now,

@smallvilleismyhome

[doctorbrown]

Do you think Doc is a good mentor? Why or why not?

There's not a shadow of a doubt in my mind when I say yes, Doc is a good mentor. A great mentor, actually.

It's easy to cast him aside because Doc's extremely eccentric and most people, if they're not afraid of him/extremely wary of him, they think he's out of his mind because he's not afraid to push boundaries and challenge everything around him, but Doc is practically meant to be a mentor. He slotted so perfectly into the role without even realising it when Marty came along and it just kind of continued from there, spilling over with Jen, his own kids/family, and even (eventually) Marty & Jen's kids.

Before I even get into my ramblings/explanations, all we really need to do is look at his relationship with Marty to see that. While Marty may be the main protagonist/focus across all three films, every change and good thing that subsequently happens with the new Lone Pine timeline is indirectly because of Doc and the mentorship/guidance he's given to Marty since the day they met.

Some examples we see of Doc's mentorship/friendship and the impact it has upon Marty:

He has not only built up Marty's confidence and self-esteem, but encouraged him to always pursue his dreams. You can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it. That very advice changes the course of George & Lorraine's lives entirely. And Doc himself is living proof of that. It's not just something he tells the kid. Hell, even Jen says in pt1, 'It's like Doc's always saying—'

Doc has never treated Marty like he was stupid, unintelligent, or just some kid who wouldn't understand. There are always multiple ways of tackling a problem and Doc shows him this when he finds other ways to explain the scientific/technical parts of whatever he's working on, because he knows Marty enjoys hearing about it and being included.

He may have kept the time machine project a secret from Marty for a few years, but as a true mentor does, once the time comes for temporal experiment number one, he's not only inviting Marty along, but eagerly explaining exactly how the machine works.

Doc is incredibly attentive and this makes him a very good mentor, especially with Marty. Even at the beginning of pt1, before we have any idea who Doc is, we learn that Doc knows Marty enough to ring his own home with the idea that he'd be there to pick up the phone.

Encouraged him to pursue his music dreams, instilling in him the belief that he doesn't have to pursue a career as a teacher or a scientist or a lawyer just because it's what everyone else does. Doc goes so far as to purchase/keep a guitar in the garage specifically for Marty. Doc doesn't play.

Given him the chance to get advice from somebody attentive who wasn't his parent and wouldn't treat him as such. Doc has such a wealth of life experience and advice to offer and everything can be a teaching moment.

Gave him the tools to make a difference in his own life, and we see this especially at the end of pt3, when Marty finally learns how to not fall victim to being goaded/peer pressured into losing his temper by being called a chicken.

And now that I've gotten some of those out of the way, I'm going to keep rambling.

Another thing that makes Doc a good mentor is that Doc is not a one size fits all kind of guy in his approach to things. He tailors everything to best tackle the problem at hand, and this extends to people, too. The way he teaches Jules something won't be the way he teaches Verne something, or Marty something. A good mentor understands the person they're working with, I think, and knows the best ways to impart their wisdom and knowledge on them and Doc is exceptional at this.

But another thing that makes Doc a good mentor is that he typically doesn't hold things back, and this is something I think makes all the difference when trying to teach someone. There's a fine line that has to walk and sometimes, criticism and harsh reality is part of that.

Doc's rather open and honest with those around him (he doesn't sugarcoat harsh truths/realities and even in the deleted/scrapped scene back in '55 when Marty asks him how long he'd have if getting his parents together at the dance didn't pan out, Doc straight up admits that he has no idea. And sure, you can argue that well, that's '55 Doc and he didn't really know Marty then, but he does that throughout the films enough that my point still stands.)

One could try and make the argument that he's reckless and therefore not fit to be a mentor to anyone younger than him (or at all I guess) but at every turn, we always see Doc being the first one to stick his neck out and try to protect others. Granted, there are circumstances/situations that were simply unavoidable (Marty can't repair the time machine for example, so he had to go off and deal with Biff, etc) but for the most part, when the chance was there, this holds:

A second lab for the nuclear/more dangerous experiments. Run for it, Marty! I'll draw their fire! (Also the fact that Doc's genuinely surprised that they found him implies that he attempted to take some measure of precaution in his dealings with them to get the plutonium but, clearly, it wasn't enough.) The entire Clock Tower scene at the end of pt1. The constant reminders about the dangers of being seen in the past. The Delgado mine plan and the emphasised don't come back for me, go home and watch my dog and be safe. There's so much.

[rainbowsky]

Hi rainbowsky,

Up to you to publish this or not, but I told my mom that I am a fan of DD and she's been trying to tear him down for some reason? Probably based off of anti stuff she reads on the Chinese internet since she doesnt follow him. Since I talked about it she told me about an article her friend linked to her where they wrote that he only acts with one expression, and recently she has been going off about the fake pregnancy "scandal" and when I told her that DD always treats women with respect she responded with "he's just pretending, you never know what people are like behind closed doors". It really gets me down that she keeps trying to discredit him knowing that I like him. Why would she do that?

Hi dianaprincessownsmyass!

Is your mother a GG fan, by any chance? 😅

I'm really sorry you're having to deal with this behavior from your mother. It would be nice if she could at least set aside her negativity to support you in something you enjoy. But then, she might be feeling protective of you as a fan of someone she hates, and trying to convert you away from him. Still, it's got to feel really bad and I'm sorry to hear it.

She's also human, despite being your mother, and just as prone to all the same behaviors anyone else is prone to. She might just really hate DD that much, or be that duped by the information she's seeing. Unfortunately a lot of people never learned critical thinking skills and are unable to evaluate claims or don't even think to, they just take things at face value.

It's interesting because I answered a really similar question a while back about a mother who was taken in by claims about GG. It seems you're not alone in dealing with this! Anon from the previous ask, if you're reading this maybe reach out to dianaprincessownsmyass if you have any tips on dealing with it, or even if you two just want to bond over having gullible mothers! 😅

If your mother is a fan of GG, or spends a lot of time around fans of GG, then she will be getting brainwashed constantly by toxic shrimps, because they love nothing more than to try to tear DD down. Never underestimate the depth of hate GG and DD's fans often have for each other's artist.

In any case, her behavior is hurtful, and she shouldn't be doing it.

Have you tried talking to her and asking her why she does it?

I wouldn't recommend debating her about whether DD is all the evil things she thinks he is. There's that old saying, "Never try to reason someone out of a belief they didn't arrive at through rational means." Proof, logic, rational thought - none of these things are likely to make a dent in her views, because they don't appear to be criteria she valued when forming them.

Better to focus on your relationship with her than on anything about DD. If you have the sort of relationship where you can talk about feelings, you could ask her why she'd want to say things that hurt you. She might not be fully aware of how it's making you feel.

If that's not something you feel safe to do (some mothers just don't do 'feelings') then I'd recommend making the topic 'off limits'. If you set that boundary with her and stick to it, then at least you won't have to deal with that behavior anymore. Since it's a topic that's really not integral to your relationship - it's not something personal about the two of you - you might be able to avoid the subject without impairing your relationship.

There are some people who I really love and have a good relationship with, but who I just can't talk to about certain things. They know not to bring the subject up, and if it does come up we change the subject. Sometimes that's the only way to find harmony.

If all else fails you can try to appeal to her motherly guilt and affection - shamelessly if need be - to get her to stop being so hurtful.

Most important; please remember that what she is saying and doing has nothing to do with you. It's about her and her own feelings, biases, baggage and attitudes. Try not to take it too personally.

Good luck. I hope you're able to work something out with her! Just remember that you've always got turtles here to support you. 🫂

I have a previous post that's somewhat related here.

[frogsmulder]

The X Files 30th Anniversary Mulder Appreciation Post

The thing about Mulder for me, more so than Scully (I don't need to explain the cultural impact her representation has for women) is how relatable he is. When I watched the x files for the first time, even as I thought I was a woman at the time, I didn't at all identify with her. I think this is because of how queer/ neurdivergent coded (or at least the lense I read it through) Mulder is. Don't get me wrong, I wholly believe that this is unintentional, but the facets of his character add up in this sense.

I think also the time in which I watched the x files is somewhat removed from it's creation meaning that I have been fortunate enough to not experience workplace misogyny to the same extent that Scully has, meaning I relate to it less (? Idk) and The Scully effect has already taken place unbeknownst to me, so I have seen more women in STEM than there was during the nineties so her representation is less significant to me who watched this in 2019.

First of all, the childhood trauma is very much a real representation neurodivergency. The important thing for me is how it changes him and I forms his character/decisions into adulthood even if he doesn't realise it. There have been several times where Scully has pointed out that Mulder is chasing his sister in whatever little girl their case involves which he denies, to the point where Scully stops mentioning it, even though both we the audience and she can see it.

We can see how it informs his trust issues and attachment/abandonment issues. Mulder is generally a dichotomy of too easily trusting (like of deep throat, phoebe, dianna), which then he knows he gets hurt by, so he is also slow to trust (Scully, Skinner, X), creating an inner turmoil of logic vs feeling. Scully is an especially important example of how trust/attachment inform each other in Mulder, where once he trusts Scully isn't a spy, he immediately trusts her with everything, which is a big leap. With Scully, he feels like he doesn't have to hold back and can be who he really is, which is where the queer coding comes in: in Scully he has an ally.

Aside from the fact that queer people often experience all or some of the above neurologically, socially Mulder shares similar experiences because of his beliefs. He is portrayed as an outsider, who doesn't really fit in, even though it feels like he should: he has other normal hobbies like basketball, he can work well with others in a team and get on well with them (I know he doesn't always most of the time but the point is he can) writing profiles to help out other departments when asked, having a good partnership with Reggie and report with the VCU etc. But he is still shunned and ostracised for being different. Despite this, he never properly tries to hide that side of him, standing up for his beliefs in face of the damning consequences (insisting in front of the court that Pusher had supernatural powers for instance).

This also resonates a lot autistic experiences: being able to put on a mask to fit in, but never properly fitting in, a fierce sense of justice and truth despite how it may be perceived. This isn't to say that Mulder is autistic but that his experiences are relatable.

Mulder is also kinda queer coded in that he is never shown to have a dating life (neither he or Scully have let's be real) outside of work, but where as Scully, has had fairly normal seemingly healthy relationships in the past (excusing Daniel), Mulder hasn't that we know of. We get to her about Scully's high-school boyfriend but we don't here about Mulder's high-school relationships. Whilst the absence isn't fool-proof evidence that he didn't have any relationships it is more likely to be perceived by the audience as so. This is much like some queer people's dating experience, where we come to sex and relationships later in life because of both social constraints and internal figuring-stuff-out. Then his past two relationships we do know of have been unhealthy, which isn't to say that all queer people start off in unhealthy relationships but that Mulder's initial relationships feel wrong much the way that some queer people in their initial relationships feel whilst they are still trying to figure stuff out.

Then there is the last straw for me which is his inability to sit still, he is always fiddling with something, throwing pencils in the ceiling, impulsively running off, or calling Scully at inconvenient times because he either misses her or has had a thought that he needs to share immediately which is very adhd of him <3