#why are you here if you don't even want to do this fundamental aspect of doing research

[abrahamvanhelsings]

agreed to have a student interview me on my usage of chatgpt for studies/work (bc i hate it and want to air my grievances for an hour) and then they send me the list of questions beforehand and the first question is deadass "which generative ai tools do you use". and all the followups don't even consider the idea that someone might not use these programs at all. like we're truly at a point in time where the usage of ai in academic work isn't just allowed, it's expected. hell world.

[funkytoesart]

you can always tell the people who give social media advice who are naturally or conventionally attractive even without even having to look at a photo of them cause they're always the ones that recommend showing your face in reels or videos to promote your art and it's like,,, talk about pretty/skinny privilege lol

[multifandomlandfill]

Watching the death note musical and man, I just want to give Light some tea and terrible unlicenced therapy.

[pa-pa-plasma]

just finished watching Blue Beetle & the dude who's lines were 90% "my name isn't Sanchez" is listed as "Sanchez" in the credits

[bemusedlybespectacled]

I don't understand the chevron law thing, could you explain it like I'm five? Should we be working towards fixing whatever the courts just fucked up?

So, okay, I am condensing like a semester of a class I took in 2017 into a very short explanation, but:

It would be really annoying for Congress to individually pass laws approving every new medicine or listing out every single poison you can't have in tap water, so instead there are agencies created by Congress, via a law, to handle a specific thing. The agencies are created by Congress but overseen by the executive branch (so, the president), which is why we say things like "Reagan's EPA" or "Biden's DOJ" - even though Congress creates them, the president determines how they do the thing Congress wants them to do, by passing regulations like "you can't dump cyanide in the local swimming pool" and "no, you can't dump strychnine, either."

However, sometimes people will oppose these regulations by saying that the agency is going beyond the task they were given by Congress. "The Clean Air Act only bans 'pollutants,' and nowhere in the law does it say that 'pollutants' includes arsenic! You're going beyond your mandate!" To which the experts at the EPA would be like, "We, the experts at the EPA, have decided arsenic is a pollutant." On the flip side, the EPA could be like, "We, the experts at the EPA, have decided that arsenic isn't a pollutant," and people would oppose that regulation by being like, "But the Clean Air Act bans 'pollutants,' and it's insane to say that arsenic isn't a pollutant!" So whose interpretation is correct, the government's or the challengers'?

Chevron deference basically put heavy weight onto how the agency (i.e. the government) interpreted the law, with the assumption that the agency was in the right and needing pretty strong evidence that they were interpreting it wrong (like, blatantly doing the opposite of a clear part of the law or something). If there was any ambiguity in how the law was written, you'd defer to the agency's interpretation, even if that interpretation was different depending on who was president at the time.

(Note: there are other ways of challenging regulations other than this one, like saying that they were promulgated in a way that is "arbitrary and capricious" – basically, not backed by any evidence/reasoning other than "we want it." Lots of Trump-era regulations got smacked with this one, though I think they'd be better at it if Trump gets a second term, since they've now had practice.)

Chevron deference wasn't all good – remember that the sword cuts both ways, including when dickholes are in power – but it was a very standard part of the law. Like, any opposition to a regulation would have some citation to be like "Chevron doesn't apply here" and every defense would be like "Chevron absolutely applies here" and most of the time, the agency would win. Like, it was a fundamental aspect of law since the 80s.

The Supreme Court decision basically tosses that out, and says, "In a situation where the law is ambiguous, the court decides what it means." That's not completely insane – interpreting law is a thing judges normally do – but in a situation where the interpretation may hinge on something very complicated outside of the judge's wheelhouse, you now cannot be like, "Your Honor, I promise you that the experts at NOAA know a lot about the weather and made this decision for a good reason."

The main reason it's a problem is that it allows judges to override agencies' judgements about what you should do about a thing and what things you should be working on in the first place. However, I don't think there's really a way of enshrining that into law, outside of maybe adding something to the Administrative Procedure Act, and that would require a Congress that isn't majority Republican.

I will say that kind of I expected this to happen, just because IIRC Gorsuch in particular hates Chevron deference. IMO it's a classic case of "rules for me but not for thee" – Scalia and other conservatives used to rely on Chevron because they wanted their presidents to hold a ton of unchecked power (except for the EPA), but now that we've had Obama and Biden, now conservatives don't like Chevron because it gives the presidents they don't like unchecked power.

[shoutydwarf]

veilguard spoilers !

literally None of these characters are above b tier for me except davrin and that's carried by him being a grey warden that doesn't need me to therapy speak him into being fixed.

sorry to be a toxic origins bro on main but my favorite characters are always the ones that don't recognize me as the player character pressing the buttons. their development isn't contingent on me making choices for them. they have opinions i don't agree with and which i can't change their mind on, a la vivienne/anders. alistair is one of my top companions because he has LINES in the motherfucking SAND. he will be your brother and/or your lover for the entire game but if you don't put his vengeance above your duty to the wardens, he will leave, if not attempt to seize power and force his ends. same for most all other origins and 2 companions (and inquisition to a lesser degree) - A. the option EXISTS to fundamentally piss them off to the degree they will want to kill you, and B. some of them literally WILL try to kill you. that's how roleplaying games are supposed to work. i am supposed to be a person in this world surrounded by other people in this world and i expect it to feel like that. moreso, i know they CAN make it feel like that, because they DID that in all 3 previous games.

there is no way to fail loyalty missions in VG. characters are so lukewarm that the guild of looting, pirating thieves exercises ethical tomb raiding and does monologue you about it. not a single one has any opinion that beckons you to use your brain cells. these characters do not evoke any emotion from me. i could write whole think pieces on why vivienne has the disposition that she does, why she thinks she's right, why i fundamentally disagree with her but still greatly empathize with her and consider her the best option for divine (out of 2 other companions that are just as complex). i have NOTHING to say about the veilguard companions. there is NOTHING to talk about here.

every single one of their villains are entirely one dimensional and unforgivable. THAT is the true disney aspect of the game. loghain, meredith, samson, calpernia, bhelen, branka, the architect, celene and gaspard, even fucking HOWE all have nuances and complexities to them that, even if you still end up at the conclusion that they're awful, you still have some things to think about. there are reasons leading up to their descents into cruelty and madness beyond just "me wanted power :p for fun :p"

this is also part of why davrin is the only memorable character for me; his villain was someone i knew and, frankly, the only interesting one out of the entire lot but only because she had an entire book's worth of setup. harding's was also great but because of the larger issue with zero catharsis for the titans, i have to kick her down several tiers with the rest of Mid Town.

don't get me started on the hardening system and how it can literally only happen to a single companion as a consequence to a single choice in the entire game. and then that 'hardening' actually has no bearing on their loyalty missions or, in neve's case, their romance.

the game does not make me think at all. it is designed to be consumed but not digested. there is nothing beyond the curtains. there is nothing to discuss. there is no nuance, no spice, no complexity, no grey areas. all that exists to talk about here is "i liked this part" and "i didn't like this part".

it is, like too fucking much of modern media, brain rot soup. and it doesn't even taste good.

[wellofdean]

I read your post about Supernatural being queer somehow from season 1 and I have two questions.

1. Don't you think it straight-appropriates the word "queer" to say it just means "not normal"? That argument seems disingenuous to me, and a lot of us want representation, and to see that word applied to explicit depiction of queer sexuality, and it's a cheat that they don't. Queer studies did start as the study of queer sexualities and the experience of queer people.

2. Are you saying that the makers of Supernatural intended for it to be "flesh on queer bones"? Do you think they intentionally sat down to tell a queer story?

Those are good questions my anonymous friend. Thank you for asking. Here are my thoughts:

To answer your first question: no, I don't think it appropriates anything. Here's why: firstly, if we're talking about sexuality and gender, it's queer 101 that no one owes anyone a justification of their queerness, and not everyone who is queer is interested in labeling it or making it legible to you, and they have no obligation to do so, and not doing so doesn't make them any less queer. Furthermore, some people who are queer are not interested in sex, so what about them?

All of that together is why, for me, the entire queer project is much more deeply about non-compliance with hegemony, and specifically with hegemony around gender roles, sexuality and to put it under a big umbrella, patriarchy, than it is about who you fuck. Those things extend into so many other aspects of life that I think you can easily talk about "queering" a very wide range of topics, and possibly? ANY TOPIC.

You are responding to this post, I think, and in it, I made a choice to talk about family and hunting, and our heroes roles and characterizations in that, and did not talk about gender shenanigans or sexuality, because my point was that even before we get to anything to do with it, Sam and Dean are immersed in a queered world in a fundamental, structural way. That said, I assure you that if you go back into season 1 of Supernatural, you will find LOADS that could be said about gender and sexuality, too. As well as other things, and a particularly important area, as @ironworked pointed out in the tags, is blue collar/white collar class issues.

As I said, the depth of queerness in Supernatural is actually dizzying just in terms of the story's BONES to say nothing of how they flesh it out. Queerness is about deviation from the norm. It's about rebellion and disobedience against hegemonic systems for the sake of personal authenticity and love.

Think about Cas for a minute. Cas's whole story is that he rejects his role in a hegemonic heaven. He rebels for love, and that is pretty explicit as early as season 4 when he tells Dean "We're making it up as we go". Fellas, that is THE QUEEREST SHIT EVER even if he didn't do it for Dean, and like... HE DID IT FOR DEAN. Cas did not have to tell Dean he loved him for me to know it, and for Cas to be a deeply queered character. When he DID say it, I wasn't the least bit surprised he was in love with Dean, because seriously, we been knew. I was only surprised I got to have the immense pleasure of hearing him say it and looking at Dean's face while he took it in. Jesus. I will NEVER RECOVER.

This is my perspective on representation in Supernatural: It's excellent, and I relate to, and feel seen by it as a queer person. Nobody needs to get fucked on the maps table for me to do the math that this is a queer story. It is very, very, very thoroughgoingly canonically queer in so many ways, and not all of them are to do with sex. I think some fans will only allow it to be called queer if dudes make out in it. I am not one of those fans.

As to your second question, I think there is a wealth of evidence in the filmic oeuvre of Eric Kripke to suggest that as an artist and a writer, he is concerned or maybe even preoccupied with masculinity issues and issues around family, and around the way patriarchy fucks men up. So, yes. I think he knew what he was doing and he knew that queerness was part of the mix. For fucks sake, it's a family of men who hunt monsters. That is very fucking on the nose. Do I think he kicked off Supernatural in 2005 planning a 15 year operatic queer romance between Cas and Dean? No. I don't think anyone planned for it to go as long as it did, and it's a matter of record that some things were influenced by fan response, actors' chemistry, different writers and showrunners' preferences and etc. What I will say is that when they had a choice to "straighten shit out" or lean into the queerness, they fucking leaned in, nearly EVERY TIME. Like, it's pretty amazing how consistently they lean the fuck in.

I'll admit -- I wasn't watching it with those eyes the first time, and I didn't give it much real estate in my mind when I watched it as it aired from 2006 to the end, but the last three episodes reshaped it for me and made me angry, and also made me need to watch it all again, this time with an explicitly queer lens, and BOY HOWDY let me tell you this: the Supernatch rewatch journey is a wild and wonderful trip to Queertown. It is legit more difficult to argue that Dean is straight than it is to argue that he is queer. There is a full on CORNUCOPIA of story evidence to support that read and relatively little that convincingly counters it on the straight side, and that starts right at the beginning, when they bend pretty baby Dean over a police car in episode one, and he smirks insouciantly in his lip gloss. Do I think everyone involved knew how that looked? Sexy, submissive and a bit gay?

YES I DO.

[redhoodinternaldialectical]

"Murder is Werewolves" - Batman

I don't got the SPOONS to do this thought train justice, I have seriously been trying to write this thing for MONTHS so just, idk, have this half baked skeletal outline of the essay I guess:

I don't believe that Batman's no-kill rule is primarily about rehabilitation or second chances.

His refusal to believe that Cassandra could have killed someone when she was eight years old because "how could a killer understand my commitment not to kill" is absolute fucking MOON LOGIC from a rehabilitationist standpoint. No jury on the planet would think for even a second that she could reasonably be held accountable for her actions in that situation! Her past cannot condemn her to being incapable of valuing human life under a rehabilitation centering framework. However, Batman's reasoning makes perfect sense if he believes that killing is a spiritually/morally corrupting act which permanently and fundamentally changes a person, and that corruption can never be fully undone.

Dick Grayson killing the Joker is treated both narratively and by Batman as an unequivocally WIN for the Joker. The Joker won by turning Nightwing into a killer. Note that this is during a comic in which the Joker transforming people was a major theme! Batman didn't revive the Joker because the Joker deserved to live; he revived the Joker to lift the burden on Dick.

His appeal to Stephanie when she tried to kill her dad is that she shouldn't ruin her own life. He gives no defense of Cluemaster's actual life. Granted this is a rhetorical strategy moment and should be taken with a generous pinch of salt, but it fits in the pattern.

When Jason becomes a willful killer, he essentially disowns him, never treats him with full trust ever again, and... Well, we can stop here for Bruce's sake. Bottom line is that his actions towards Jason do not lead me to believe that he thinks Jason can become a better person without having his autonomy taken from him, either partially or fully.

The Joker is, for better or worse, the ultimate symbol and vessel of pure, irredeemable evil in DC comics now. He hasn't been just another crook in a long time. He will never get better, he will only get worse. If you take it to be true that the Joker will not or can not rehabilitate, then there's no rehabilitationist argument against killing him.

Batman does not seem to consider it a possibly that he'll rehabilitate. Batman at several points seems to think that the Joker dying in a manner no one could have prevented would be good. Yet Batman fully believes that if he killed the Joker, he himself would become irredeemable.

Batman's own form of justice (putting people into the hospital and then prison) is fucking brutal and clearly not rehabilitative. He disrespects the most basic human rights of all criminals on a regular basis. It is genuinely really, really weird from a rehabilitationist standpoint that his only uncrossable line is killing... But it makes perfect sense if he cares more about not corrupting himself with the act of killing than the actual ethical results of any individual decision to kill or not kill.

In the real world cops are all bastards because they are too violent to criminals, even when that violence doesn't lead to death. Prison is a wildly evil thing to do to another human being, and you don't use it to steal away massive portions of a person's life if your goal is to rehabilitate them. In the comic world, Batman is said to be necessary because the corrupt cops are too nice to criminals and keep letting them out of jail. I don't know how to write a connector sentence there so like I hope you can see why this bothers me so damn much! That's just not forgiveness vibes there Batman!!

I want to make special note here of the transformative aspect. You don't simply commit a single act when you kill, no, you become a killer, like you might become a werewolf.

The narrative supports this a lot!

Why did Supes go evil during Injustice? He killed the Joker. Why did Bruce become the Batman Who Laughs? Bruce killed the Joker. Why was Jason Todd close to becoming a new Joker during Three Jokers? Because he killed people, to include the Joker.

Even if these notions of redemption being impossible aren't the whole of his reasoning (people never have only one reason for doing what they do) it is a distinct through-line pattern in his actions and reasoning, and it is directly at odds with notions of rehabilitation, redemption, and second chances.

So why does he give so many killers second chances?

Firstly because this doesn't apply to all versions of Batman. Some writers explicitly incorporate rehabilitation and forgiveness into his actions. You will be able to provide me with examples of this other through-line pattern if you go looking for them. The nature of comics is to be inconsistent.

Secondly the existence of that other pattern does not negate the existence of this one. People and characters are complex, and perfectly capable of holding two patterns of belief within themselves, even when they conflict to this degree. You can absolutely synthesize these two ideas into a single messy Batman philosophical vibescape.

Finally and most importantly to this essay: he has mercy on killers the same way that werewolf hunters sometimes have mercy on someone who is clearly struggling against their monsterous nature, especially if they were turned in exceptional circumstances or against their will. They understand that they are sick, damned beasts, cursed to always be fighting against themselves and the evil they harbor within. It is vitally kind to help them fight themselves by curtailing their autonomy in helpful ways and providing them with chances to do some good to make up for their eternal moral deficiency.

I think in many comics Batman views killers as lost souls. Battered and tormented monsters who must be pitied and given mercy wherever possible. (The connections to mental health, addiction, and rampant, horrifying ableism towards people struggling with both is unavoidable, but addressing it is sadly outside of the scope of this essay.)

Above all, the greatest care possible must be taken to never, ever let yourself become one of them, because once you have transformed the beast will forever be within you growing stronger.

To Batman, it is the most noble burden, the highest mercy, the most important commandment: Thou shalt suffer the monsters to live.

[ufopigeon]

to the random ass proshippers

I’ll block proshippers and I won’t throw any first punches if I find the accounts. Just block n’ move on. Think what you want, but think it away from me. This is for the ppl who are going after others both anonymously and in the open, and being insistent about misunderstanding his character. It is absolutely absurd that some are really trying to PUSH the mere implication that the Postal Dude could be a pedo/have pedophilic tendencies, or that “it makes sense for him”. Some of you are ragebait I’m sure, but I also sadly think some of you are really genuine. And this is also the last I am going to speak about it. Just wanted to do something longer on behalf of everyone else who does not agree with this random influx.

The Postal Dude is obviously designed to be an ambiguous character, allowing players to project various characteristics onto him. HOWEVER, this doesn't mean that any and all negative traits can be justified. Ambiguity in character design is meant to give freedom in interpretation, but it doesn't equate to carte blanche for projecting extreme or inappropriate characteristics that aren't supported by the game’s narrative or the developer's intent. Assuming that a character would commit any and all bad acts simply because they commit some is a lazy and inaccurate approach to understanding character design.

The argument that, "Durrr he’s literally a mass shooter, why is it so far-fetched for him to be a pedo too?" is a slippery slope fallacy. It’s that same exact shit all the edgelords try to use when they say (just so they can justify attacking any queer fans, same way SOME proshippers want to feel justified in attacking those who disagree), “The Postal Dude SPECIFICALLY hates gay people and trans people and wouldn’t support them at all/be grossed out by them! Why? Uhh, because he’s literally an evil, vile character! Duh!” Sure he is. No denying that. And sure, you can think that about him. But it’s just fundamentally inaccurate. Just because the games allow for extreme behaviors doesn’t mean they endorse or include every possible immoral action.

And just because a character engages in morally questionable actions doesn’t logically lead to them engaging in the worst possible behaviors. The creator's stance is crucial in defining the boundaries of the character. If the creators have explicitly stated that Postal Dude would never engage in pedophilia (just like how they explicitly stated he wasnt transphobic) and that such content would never be included in the game, this is a definitive limitation on what the character can be reasonably interpreted as. Again, I don’t care if you hold a private opinion that differs. But when you start accusing those who disagree with this extreme interpretation of being the weird or wrong ones, that’s where it becomes an issue.

Dude's actions, while extreme, are presented within a certain context that aims to criticize or mock certain aspects of society. Pedophilia is not something that fits within this satirical style. Yes, even for Postal 1997. I don't care if it is generally considered more "serious" than other games, they still had Dude throwing out stupid-ass catchphrases in a silly radio-host-sounding voice that was obviously supposed to be a stark contrast to what was happening on screen (“Buttsauce”. “Smells like chicken” when burning NPCs. Really now? Go ahead and listen to more from the original. They’re all silly one-liners.). It was a shock at the time and a bit of dark humor. Following games only increased this aspect.

All in all, Postal Dude’s actions, while immoral, are usually presented in a way that allows for some level of detachment or absurdity, keeping them within the realm of dark comedy. Yes, 1997 is still included here. It’s an absurd game. One man took out hundreds of people and was armed to the teeth, even with literal rocket launchers. His main weapon has infinite ammunition. It was an obviously over-the-top video game with a loose connection to reality and an even looser message about “something something mental health and everyone has it in them to go postal”. It was a game made to shock people. Pedophilia, however, is universally considered an irredeemable act, something that cannot be framed in any context that would make it acceptable or even darkly humorous. The distinction between immoral and irredeemable acts is crucial here. The Postal Dude can be morally ambiguous, but crossing into irredeemable territory would fundamentally alter the character in a way that the game and its creators/99.9% of the fans do not support.

Also: “But muh 1997 promo art where it says his girlfriend was 17!! She says they just started dating 3 weeks ago!!” Yeah. The same photo was used with the girl also saying, “It was so weird. He told everyone I was his girlfriend, but I only met him once.” It says “live” near the bottom corner, implying this was an interview with the girl AFTER the crimes had taken place. In the promotional pic where it states she’s 17, it also says she DIED of third degree burns while he was on his rampage. Now that doesn’t really add up, does it. How can this girl give an interview after everything is said and done while also dying in the middle of his killing spree?

AKA, these promotional photos were reused over and over because they were on a budget and really not thinking about it, and are absolutely not valid for legit storytelling purposes at all. RWS has even said this themselves.

[oneatlatime]

I was thinking about city of Walls and Secrets again (because when I don't like things I want to know WHY) and it occurred to me how much power Iroh has amassed, just by being nice.

We've seen Iroh being nice to strangers, often in situations where he can't receive anything in return for his good manners, since the beginning of the show. I've usually written those occurrences off as Iroh smoothing over for Zuko's awkwardness or awfulness (think him interfering between Zuko and the ship's crew in The Storm), or as simply Iroh being a polite person. I don't think he was lying when he told Toph - while showing Toph - that he enjoys sitting down for tea with new people. He is sociable by nature, and if Azula's comment about him being a tea-loving kook is accurate in Zuko Alone (which is up for debate - she did a lot of lying and/or repeating what the adults around her think as her own opinions that episode), then he's always been a sociable creature. This seems to be a fundamental aspect of Iroh's personality.

So whenever I've seen Iroh being nice to strangers, I've never suspected that it had a purpose beyond the short term (cover for his nephew), or as Iroh being Iroh. But I think he's playing the long game with niceness. Let me explain:

When you're hiding under a false identity while posing as a refugee in a city that probably has a ridiculously large bounty on your real identity's head (and rightfully so), you'd think the smart thing to do would be to keep a low profile. And Zuko and Iroh are doing that! Sort of. They're staying in the lower ring, but they are working customer-facing jobs. And more importantly, a true attempt at lying low would include reproducing the awful tea that was being served at the tea shop before they were hired. But Iroh won't let bad tea stand.

I made a joke in my write up of the Tales of Ba Sing Se that it was a good thing that Iroh came to people's attention as the person who makes the "best tea in the city," because he was going to attract attention one way or another, and being a good teamaker is both less suspicious and more of a currency than just being a nice guy who stops babies from crying and compassionately redirects muggers. But now that I've thought about it for a bit, I think he was going to attract attention one way or the other because he has, all this time, been attempting to attract attention. It's not just his personality, it's not just him cleaning up after Zuko, it's him consciously attempting to build connections. It's a 'nice two birds with one stone' type situation that he can attract this attention while being paid to make tea.

Here's the thing: all these times that Iroh has been polite in situations where there could be no payoff for being so, I think he has been casting seeds. And City of Walls and Secrets is the first episode where we see the seeds of his politeness and (seemingly counterintuitive for keeping a low profile) network building bear fruit.

Jet accuses Zuko and Iroh of being firebenders. He's absolutely right. Given that Zuko and Iroh are members of the Fire Nation royal family, you could argue that they're the most firebenders a firebender could be. But Iroh has been being relentlessly polite to customers, and serving the guards such good tea that they declare he makes the "best tea in the city." Rather than playing it safe and letting people overlook him, he has given people a reason to like him. So the customers, the guards, even his boss, come to his defence when Jet accuses him. The guards are not going to let a man who keeps them fed, keeps them in tea, and keeps them company, be maligned.

Here's the other thing about these seeds of politeness that Iroh casts: they protect Zuko in the long term as much as the do in the short term. Sometimes Iroh's politeness is just covering for a single remark from his nephew, which I always view in the short term as smoothing over offence. But Iroh being polite also goes a long way to protecting Zuko from Jet's accusations. Lest we forget, Zuko steals a guard's swords, at least participates in the destruction of the tea shop's table, and at least participates in the disorderly conduct outside the tea shop. If the law were fair, half of the consequences heaped on Jet would fall on Zuko. And (this is speculation) I would argue that if Iroh had kept his head down and played at being a refugee rather than everyone's friend, Zuko at least would have lost his job for destroying some of those tables. But the goodwill Iroh has generated with customers, guards, and his boss stretches to cover Zuko too. Which is handy, because Zuko is not looking like he's in a place where he can expend much mental energy on anything beyond taking it one day at a time at the moment.

Iroh knows there is power in being nice. The incident with Jet shows that being nice can carry more power than being truthful. A lot of that is down to presentation; Jet didn't exactly endear himself, and frankly season 1 Jet would have been ashamed of season 2 Jet's lack of charm, but that's a post for another day.

All this makes me think two things: first, I wonder if any of the other one-episode characters that Iroh has tossed a throwaway polite comment to are going to come back. Second, Iroh is playing a somewhat risky game by attracting attention; so far it's paid off. I wonder if there will come a point where it causes trouble instead.

[dailyadventureprompts]

Tableskills: Creating Dread

I've often had a lot of problems telling scary stories at my table, whether it be in d&d or other horror focused games. I personally don't get scared easily, especially around "traditionally horrifying" things so it's hard for me to recreate that experience in others. Likewise, you can't just port horror movie iconography into tabletop and expect it to evoke genuine fear: I've already spoken of being bored out of my mind during the zombie apocalypse, and my few trips into ravenloft have all been filled with similar levels of limp and derivative grimdark.

It took me a long time (and a lot of video essays about films I'd never watched) to realize that in terms of an experience fear is a lot like a joke, in that it requires multiple steps of setup and payoff. Dread is that setup, it's the rising tension in a scene that makes the revelation worth it, the slow and literal rising of a rollercoaster before the drop. It's way easier to inspire dread in your party than it is to scare them apropos of nothing, which has the added flexibility of letting you choose just the right time to deliver the frights.

TLDR: You start with one of the basic human fears (guide to that below) to emotionally prime your players and introduce it to your party in a initially non-threataning manor. Then you introduce a more severe version of it in a way that has stakes but is not overwhelmingly scary just yet. You wait until they're neck deep in this second scenario before throwing in some kind of twist that forces them to confront their discomfort head on.

More advice (and spoilers for The Magnus Archives) below the cut.

Before we go any farther it's vitally important that you learn your party's limits and triggers before a game begins. A lot of ttrpg content can be downright horrifying without even trying to be, so it's critical you know how everyone in your party is going to react to something before you go into it. Whether or not you're running an actual horror game or just wanting to add some tension to an otherwise heroic romp, you and your group need to be on the same page about this, and discuss safety systems from session 0 onwards.

The Fundamental Fears: It may seem a bit basic but one of the greatest tools to help me understand different aspects of horror was the taxonomy invented by Jonathan Sims of The Magnus Archives podcast. He breaks down fear into different thematic and emotional through lines, each given a snappy name and iconography that's so memorable that I often joke it's the queer-horror version of pokemon types or hogwarts houses. If we start with a basic understanding of WHY people find things scary we learn just what dials we need turn in order to build dread in our players.

Implementation: Each of these examples is like a colour we can paint a scene or encounter with, flavouring it just so to tickle a particular, primal part of our party's brains. You don't have to do much, just something along the lines of "the upcoming cave tunnel is getting a little too close for comfort" or "the all-too thin walkway creaks under your weight ", or "what you don't see is the movement at the edge of the room". Once the seed is planted your party's' minds will do most of the work: humans are social, pattern seeking creatures, and the hint of danger to one member of the group will lay the groundwork of fear in all the rest.

The trick here is not to over commit, which is the mistake most ttrpgs make with horror: actually showing the monster, putting the party into a dangerous situation, that’s the finisher, the  punchline of the joke. It’s also a release valve on all the pressure you’ve been hard at work building.

There’s nothing all that scary about fighting a level-appropriate number of skeletons, but forcing your party to creep through a series of dark, cobweb infested catacombs with the THREAT of being attacked by undead? That’s going to have them climbing the walls.

Let narration and bad dice rolls be your main tools here, driving home the discomfort, the risk, the looming threat.

Surprise: Now that you’ve got your party marinating in dread, what you want to do to really scare them is to throw a curve ball. Go back to that list and find another fear which either compliments or contrasts the original one you set up, and have it lurking juuuust out of reach ready to pop up at a moment of perfect tension like a jack in the box. The party is climbing down a slick interior of an underdark cavern, bottom nowhere in sight? They expect to to fall, but what they couldn't possibly expect is for a giant arm to reach out of the darkness and pull one of them down. Have the party figured out that there's a shapeshifter that's infiltrated the rebel meeting and is killing their allies? They suspect suspicion and lies but what they don't expect is for the rebel base to suddenly be on FIRE forcing them to run.

My expert advice is to lightly tease this second threat LONG before you introduce the initial scare. Your players will think you're a genius for doing what amounts to a little extra work, and curse themselves for not paying more attention.

Restraint: Less is more when it comes to scares, as if you do this trick too often your players are going to be inured to it. Try to do it maybe once an adventure, or dungeon level. Scares hit so much harder when the party isn't expecting them. If you're specifically playing in a "horror" game, it's a good idea to introduce a few false scares, or make multiple encounters part of the same bait and switch scare tactic: If we're going into the filthy gross sewer with mould and rot and rats and the like, you'll get more punch if the final challenge isn't corruption based, but is instead some new threat that we could have never prepared for.

Art

[crownmemes]

Oblivious Sentences, Vol. 3

(Sentences for characters that have a habit of missing the obvious. Adjust phrasing where needed)

"You hide behind your intelligence."

"Are you being intentionally thick?"

"You never could read people, could you?"

"How bad can it be?"

"Even if real human contact is something you don’t have, or even want or need, you should at least be able to see it in other people."

"There are many aspects of human irrationality I do not yet comprehend."

"How do you know you didn't miss something important?"

"Are you saying you want to date me?"

"What people say and do doesn't always make sense."

"You're really not good at reading people, are you?"

"I don't know how to make people like me."

"Is that rhetorical?"

"Forgive me, these things sometimes slip my mind. It won't happen again."

"This actually makes sense to you?"

"Is this some clever practical joke that I'm not aware of?"

"Is that what they say about me now? Paranoid?"

"I've got to warn you, he's lacking in some of the social niceties."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"You really don't know, do you?"

"I'm supposed to show you sympathy?"

"Just because you can't see what's going on doesn't mean no one else can!"

"Am I behaving incorrectly?"

"Was that funny? I never know when I'm being funny."

"I can lie, I'm just not all that good at it."

"I've been out of circulation so long, I've completely forgotten social niceties."

"You know, when you're interested in something and nobody else is, the polite thing is to keep it to yourself."

"I'm trying to make people like me. I want them to like me."

"Your not knowing the reason doesn't mean there isn't one."

"I don't quite understand what's happening here."

"If you look the way you do, and you say what you said, you have to be aware of the effect that it’ll have on men."

"How is it, for a man surrounded by women, that you know so little about us?"

"You're much better at this sort of thing than I am."

"Did I do something to anger him?"

"I know you were trying to help, but there are some people who might not see it that way."

"Sometimes I forget that you have such capacity for pure innocence in your life."

"Is that what we are? Friends?"

"Do you know why people are nice to other people?"

"Is there some significance to this action?"

"It's frustrating not to understand something so fundamental."

"Did I say anything stupid?"

"I've been trying very hard recently to get more in touch with my feelings."

"But how does this even make sense?"

"You're really not good with nuance, are you?"

"I thought you didn't have a sense of humour?"

[lalalian]

choosing weapons + what I'm choosing and why | aethergarde academy

date: december 24, 2024

The most common weapon riders choose to fight with is the sword. The sword is the most practical and it's definitely a lot easier to fight with than like a battle axe.

If you're as picky as me, you may be wondering about the practicality of some of the weapons students are able to choose to learn in the academy.

I know I know, this is shifting, why worry about practicality? First of all, true, but like... let me have my moment ok 😒😒

Today, I'll just be talking about what I chose to go with, why, some practical aspects, and an easier variation for those who don't want to suffer as much as I do (yall are smarter than me).

table of contents:

my primary weapon: close combat weapon

phasing: a skill

my secondary weapon: long range weapon

easier variation

primary weapon

Before I even redid the aethergarde script, I wanted to fight with a scythe-- so that's gonna be my primary weapon. As I was doing some research on the technicalities of this... I was... uh... a bit disheartened.. BUT! Riders aren't human, and magic exists... so... I do think we can get away with a few things, can't we?

I did use chatgpt to help me come up with how scythe fighting would work, but I will be explaining how it works in my own words here.

Fighting with a scythe isn't easy in the slightest. I assume that most riders also wouldn't choose to have a scythe as their primary weapon, mostly bc, well, there is a pretty steep learning curve.

Scythes are originally meant for cutting grass and harvesting crops; the main point of the design, the curved blade, is the biggest obstacle when talking about practicality. However, that is what makes a scythe cool so... I'm keeping it 😒

When you look up how practical fighting with a scythe would be, a lot of people would just hit a foam head with the blade facing down, right on the forehead. I never intended for scythes to be used in that kind of brutish way, it's just so inelegant honestly and takes away from the opulence of the scythe, so i kinda was like 'mm... yall are just haters' and kept researching. Then i came across another guy that tried to execute that kind of classic beheading motion-- and that also wouldn't really work out due to strength imbalances and some general balance issues in general.

My last resort was chatgpt, and now I feel like I have a solid foundation on how to use a scythe and trust me, it's not boring or too impractical (maybe a little, but let me know what yall think).

As I mentioned earlier, riders aren't human-- even before they meet their bonds, they aren't technically human; more information abt that in this post. Riders are fundamentally different than humans-- especially higher ranked riders. Higher ranked riders will have more stamina and endurance than humans; since the way I planned out scythe fighting requires more energy than most weapons... lower tiered riders and humans are highly discouraged from specializing in scythes.

Scythes require the user to have a lithe but agile physique. You need to be light enough on your feet to execute rotational attacks, and it's best to have some kind of rhythm so as to not distort balance. Core strength is also important to maintaining balance.

Another big thing with scythes is that there would inherently be a lot of space open when you fight-- this would be especially detrimental when fighting with more than one person. Honestly, this wouldn't be too much of an issue anyway because all riders are taught to use their aura to shield their bodies, but while extremely rare, there could be some situations where you should not/cannot use magic. Even with the shield, I did implement another move that would fill in this gap; phasing.

what is phasing?

Phasing is almost a scythe-exclusive skill. Phasing allows the fighter to move quickly from one position to another-- it's similar to that quick dodge feature in many fighting games. Phasing also doesn't take too much energy to execute, but it does take a little getting used to when you use this skill a few times. Phasing is mostly used with scythe masters because scythes (in this DR) help control balance by using your own mana to power weights inside the staff. The heaviness of these weights will vary as you move and use the scythe. Phasing is best used to cut through tough things or to simply move from one position to another quickly. Phasing would be a great skill to use among all riders, but it would take more effort for those who don't swing their weapon around their body often. Since scythes disperse extra bits of mana around your body as you fight, it's far easier for you to phase. A sword fighter would need to not only focus on fighting, reflexes, stance, defense (including strengthening their body with mana + using mana as a shield for attacks that cannot be defended in time physically), but also on gathering mana in a bubble around the body and focusing just enough on phasing to do said skill. Scythe masters can learn to phase through longer distances, but it's not super easy to do.

You will be learning how to use scythes with magic and without magic-- meaning that those weights would essentially not work or vary as you move. You'd be wearing culltine jewelry of some kind to block off your aura to practice not using magic when you fight + get used to the feeling of not having mana.

secondary weapon

Note that whatever secondary weapon you choose should cover the weaknesses you've got with your main weapon.

My secondary weapon of choice is a tessen fan. Initially, I was just going to go with the classic longbow because of its flexibility, but I think a tessen fan would provide a bit more flexibility in terms of transportation and fighting close-up + long-range. I can't decide which would be better, a spiked fan or a smoother fan...

PHOTO 1) These kinds of sharp points are better for those with weapons that are a lot more long-ranged-- like spears, chains, whips, or throwing knives.

PHOTO 2) This fan is similar to what I'm going to use. I def won't have that pattern on the ends of the fan bc it'll weaken the edges (😭😔) but I think I'll try to get one with some sort of pattern on the hilt + the inside of the fan. This kind of fan is best for defense and close combat (slashes).

If you are going to use a tessen fan, make sure you get one that supports auto-loading (the auto-loading enchantment allows you to not have to replace the boshuriken every time you throw one-- this enchantment would definitely double the price of the fan unfortunately, but it really is worth it!).

example of fighting with boshuriken + the fan (long range)

One of the biggest reasons why I chose this weapon is because it can be used closer to the opponent— way more than the scythe— and I can use it to shoot at stuff. It also looks fancy and it's pretty easy to transport.

easier variation

While the sword and a longbow are not technically a bad option, consider changing up the sword for a different weapon. Swords are the most predictable compared to something like a battle axe. Longbows are always a great choice for a secondary weapon even if they are common; this is mostly because you can quickly shoot arrows in a short amount of time, the arrows travel pretty damn far, and they can do a generous amount of damage.

An easier weapon combo would be:

Tessen fan (Long and close) Throwing knives (Long range): Both can be used close and long range, and I'm sure you could get a waiver to excel in the tessen fan only if you wanted to. You can substitute the throwing knives with a long bow if you want to be able to fight from a wider range.

[melolord14]

“Be my guest it looks harder than it is”

Y/N pov

I had just got up, I should've been up at the crack of dawn. I walked to the kitchen to see if there anything to eat or I could make when I hear Tenzin voice "That sport is a mockery of the noble tradition of bending" what are they talking about I wonder. "Come on, Tenzin! I've dreamed about seeing a pro-bending match since I was a kid and now I'm just a ferry ride away from" I hear Korra say. So this is about pro-bending I knew Tenzin would never agree to it. I walked into the kitchen so that I could get something to eat or cook as I walked the both of them turned their heads to see me waking in "good morning Y/N" Tenzin said, I nodded my head to acknowledge him that heard him. Tenzin than turned his head back to Korra and said "Korra, you're not here to watch that drivel. You're here to finish your Avatar training" I look at Korra and see her face is filled with disappointment "So, for the time being, I want you to remain on the island" "all right, you're the master" Korra said sadly as she looked out the window.

As the both of them got up and walked I followed I walked beside Korra and I knew than that Tenzin had something important to say "So, my mother informed me that you've never been able to airbend before" "Yeah, but I don't know why. The other elements came so easily to me, but every single time I've tried airbending, nothing" Korra said frustrated with her left hand on her hip. I put my hand on her shoulder to give her some comfort and it does she turned her head and gave me a smile as I gave her a faint smile of my own which I quickly replaced it with a neutral face.

Placing his right hand on her shoulder "That's perfectly all right. You just need to be patient. Often the element that's the most difficult for the Avatar to master is the one most opposite to the Avatar's personality. For Aang, it was earthbending" "Yeah. Well, I'm about as opposite an airbender as you can get." Korra say sadly, I just shook my head and it was true she was but thats doesn't define her and I told her the multiple times but she never listens. We started walking as Tenzin spoke "Let's begin your first lesson" Korra looked at the airbending master dumbfoundead about what he was saying as we walked up the stairs we saw the three airbending kids Ikki was jumping excitedly while screaming "Korra's gonna airbend! Korra's gonna airbend!" Jinora in the other hand stood there solemnly and than Meelo just doing his own thing.

"What is that contraption" Korra said slightly amused to see the spinning gates "A time honored tool that teaches the most fundamental aspect of airbending. Jinora, would you like to explain this exercise?" Jinora step forward and walk closer to the spinning gates and stared explaining "The goal is to weave your way through the gates and make it to the other side without touching them" "Seems easy enough" Korra confidently said I doubt that Korra. Now it was Ikki's truns to say something "Jinora forgot to say that you have to make it through while the gates are spinning" she say said with some much energy "sprites where does she get her energy" I think to my self that girl has a lot.

Tenzin step forward and took an air bending stance his hands above his head than he thrust his hand forward, releasing a bust of air. 'Well Korra good luck' I think to myself, as keep watching Tenzin coat is blowing behind him with the amount of he just airbent I switch my focus back onto the gates and it's spinning like a lot. Tenzin had a left in his hand, he than let it go of the leaf gently "The key is to be like the leaf." Tenzin said as I watched the leaf movements as the leaf want thought the gates it never touched the gate even once "Jinora will demonstrate" Tenzin said with a serious face and looking down at Jinora as she looked up at her dad.

Jinora stepped forward and airbent the gates than she step into the spinning gates her hand held up to her face as tenzin watched his oldest daughter. Waving her way though the gates switching direction each time a spinning panel came near her "airbending is all about spiral movements. When you meet resistance, you must be able to switch direction at a moment's notice" I already knew about as I studied and learn all forms of bending. Jinora exited in the other side of the gates the panels were now being to slow down. Jinora truned around than blow a gust of air making the panels spin rapidly again and here I am standing next to Tenzin as thinking I could maybe I cloud I have never done the spinning gates.

"Let's do this" Korra said determined to get through the gate without getting hit. I watch as Korra runs into the contraption the first panel was easy to get through but the rest was hard as Korra tried to get through the panels but hitting all of them Tenzin grimaced in pain watching Korra. As she got hit by two panels again and finally Korra makes it out of the spinning gates as she got knock down by the panels, Korra soon got back up on her feet and ran into the spinning gates again as me, Tenzin, three kids watched. "Don't force your way through!" Jinora shoted with her hand cupped so that Korra could hear her" I can hear korra getting hit by the panels

"Y/N has Korra ever been light on her feet?" I look at Tenzin and back to the spinning gates and answer while watching my sister fail to get through the gates "not much Tenzin but sometimes she has, she is able to dodge rocks that come to her but it look like it's not helping that she is learning airbending" "I see" Tenzin says I just nodded. "Dance! Dance like the wind!" Ikki shouted at Korra, Korra got knocked back by one of the panels "Be the leaf" Meelo told Korra while waving his arms to motion the leaf. Korra made it out the gates as we walked to her she feel to ground I look at my sister and than back to the gates maybe I could try.

"Tenzin do you mind if I try?" I asked "be my guest it look harder than it is" Korra say to while getting up. Tenzin noded his head and airbent the gates I watched for moment than walked in with my hand held up to my face and staying light in my feet 'When you meet resistance, you must be able to switch direction at a moment's notice' I hear Tenzin voice in my head as I switch directions and repeat again as I get though the last panel I look at the airbending master and my sister "well how did I do?" I asked tenzin looked shocked and surprised as well as Korra but I saw a hit of jealousy in Korra. "That was amazing" Ikki yelled as she jump "yeah that awesome Y/N" Jinora said to me I both of them a small smile.

"Yeah that was awesome you should do it again" I hear Meelo I chuckled at that. I tuned to see Tenzjn looking at me "that indeed was great Y/N I have never seen anyone go through the spinning gates in their first try" "yeah that was great" Korra said with a hit of jealousy I just smirked at that I knew her well enough for her to be so "thank you Tenzin it looks like my studies have payed off oh and Korra stop mopping it doesn't look good in if your want to airbend you gotta start thing like an airbender ok?" I say as I turn to Korra she look at me and gaves me a nod.

"I think that's enough of training for today" Tenzin told the kids and Korra. Tenzin turned to me " Y/N can I speak to you?" "sure" I said following him to his office. "What is that you wanted to talk about Tenzin?" I asked as I stood crossing my arms "Y/N I need to ask you a favor" we'll this strange "what is it Tenzin? spit it out" "well you know your sister gets into a lot of trouble" "yes, I know Tenzin" "well I was hoping you would keep her out of trouble" "Tenzin I do that already. I'm 30 Tenzin I've been this for a long time you don't need to worry about Korra. with the whole Amon thing you need to focus on that and training Korra I'll try to keep her out trouble" "thank you Y/N" "is that all? I would like to go practice some bending before dinner" I asked Teznin "yes that is all thank you again" I gave him a nod than left his office.

________________________________

"Airbend!" Korra said while punching forward I heard Korra so was frustrated that she could airbend but she need to be patient as I walk I see a newpaper with the picture of the chief of police Lin Beifong I think about her for a bit but I was bought back by korra "what is wrong with me? airbend" "you know that's not gong to work right" I say as I walk up to her. Korra was still sanding in the same position as she was before still trying to airbend but soon she became frustrated and impatient sighing as she sent a fire punch at the newspaper , I wanted to read that uhg guesse I'll go find a different one later.

"Aargh! Maybe I'm just not cut out to be an airbender, huh, Naga" Korra say frustrated "now don't say that Korra" I say as I put my hand in her right shoulder.

________________________________

"I think I'm doing it wrong" I head Korra as walked to where they were. "Mind if I join?" I asked as everyone look to where I was standing "you don't even have to ask Y/N" Jinora said I sat down next crossing my legs, hands relaxed on my legs, closing my eyes as I take a deep breath in and out. Tenzin opens his eyes "There's nothing to do. Let your mind and your spirit be free" I knew when Tenzin said that Korra look annoyed "for air is the element of freedom" Korra chuckled at that and waved her hands. "Is something ... funny?" Teznin asked in dismay "Yeah, you're telling me to embrace freedom, but you won't even let me listen to the radio. And forget about leaving this island!" Korra said her voice filled with a bit of angry 'yup that's my sister the avatar but she does have a point' I think to myself.

"Please, Korra" Tenzin said than points at his Meelo "Look at Meelo; he's able to meditate peacefully" by now I had open my eyes and started watching them "umm Tenzin I think he's sleeping" I say to him, me and Korra look at each other than back to Meelo "What? Well, at least he has the relaxing part down." "Whatever. None of this airbending stuff makes any sense to me" Korra say clearly annoyed "I know you're frustrated, but these teachings will sink in over time. Then one day, they'll just click" Tenzin than closed his eyes and took a deep breath than opens his eyes. Korra tried agian but than soon gave up with a sigh "Yeah, it's not sinking in yet" Korra got up and stayed waking away "I'm gonna go get a glass of lychee juice."

"Korra, the meditation's not over yet!" Tenzin told Korra sternly but Korra was already gone "Daddy, can I have some lychee juice too?" Ikki asked with a hopeful smile "No" Tenzin told Ikki sternly. I just sighed "come on Tenizn just let her get some lychee juice" "fine" Teznin said Ikki smiled and jumped up and she came to hug me than left. "I didn't know you had a heart Y/N" Tenzin said to me, I looked at him with my eyebrow raised "and what's thats supposed to mean Tenzin" I say in a dangerously low voice "no.... nothing" he say quickly I smirk at that. "Good, I do remember beating you in a sparring match before Teznin wanna rematch?" I say, he look at me and shook his head "no I don't think so, I'm not going to fight a battle I know imma lose" he say "alright Teznin" I say, I gave him one Final look than left.

________________________________

"Patience, Korra!" Tenzin told Korra as she tried to get through the spinning gates but failing at it. If she keeps up with this than well than the gates might be destroyed and I was right Korra firebended as she destroyed the panels. As Teznin and the three kids look at Korra with wide eyes especially Tenzin "That was a two-thousand-year-old historical treasure!" Tenzin closes his eyes in frustration "what ..." Teznin angrily shouts at Korra making his cape fluttered behind him "what is wrong with you?" "There's nothing wrong with me! I've been practicing just like you taught me, but it isn't sinking in, okay? It hasn't clicked like you said it would" Korra said angry angrily at Tenzin.

"Korra, this isn't something you can force. If you would only listen to me ..." Teznin said calmer with his eyes closed "I have been! But you know what I think? Maybe the problem isn't me! Maybe the reason I haven't learned airbending yet is because" Korra pointed at Tenzin "you're a terrible teacher" "enough korra" I told her sternly she knew not to mess with me I might be her sister but I was also her water bending master with master Katara. Korra looked at me as if she wanted to say something I narrowed my eyes at her, she quickly shut her mouth and left.

I sigh "I'm sorry Teznin about Korra's behavior" "it's alright Y/N it's not your fault your doing your best" Teznin told me" he say as he put his hand my shoulder I gave him small smile which I never showed anywho beside some people. He seem shocked to see me smile even if it was lilttle he smiled back at me. "Yeah! You're a terrible teacher, Daddy!" Meelo said as he pointed his finger energetically at his dad. The two girls just hugged there dad I smiled at that.

________________________________

Pema puts down the tray in the table "Okay! Everyone here?" Pema looked around to see if anyone was missing motherly instincts kicking in I guesed "Wait. Where's Korra" "Honestly, Pema, I am at my wit's end with that girl! I ... I don't know how to get through to her" that's all I heard before I zoned out think abt the chief 'spirits she's beautiful and yet no seem to notice that about her I wish that I could spend some time with her what I gave to know get to know her' I think to myself. I was only bought back when I heard Teznin "You must promise me that your teenage years won't be like this" "I will make no such promises" Jinora replied to her dad emotionlessly. Out of all the three kids I was closest to Jinora she was quite and intelligence but she was just a kid still so I let her be one when she's with me. I usually don't like people see this side of me which no will I hope.

________________________________

I was with Tenzin trying to find my sister as we found a group of guards "Pardon me, everyone, have you seen Korra this evening? She's not in her room" he asked the guards. "You've gotta be kidding me! She's the Avatar, folks! Playing in a pro-bending match!" Well Teznin Pisa's his face is all red and his eyebrows twitch in anger , I on the other hand was still neutral "Can you believe that" uhg I swear Korra if anything happens I'm going to water wip you all the way back home. "I'll get her myself!" Teznin angrily says as her turn around to go get Korra and I went with him.

________________________________

At the Arena

________________________________

I looked at Korra my arms crossed while she look up at me and Tenzin "Oh, hey, Tenzin. I thought you didn't like coming to these matches and Y/N what are you doin-" "can't it" I snap at her. "Once again, you have flagrantly disobeyed my orders. You were to stay on the island! Let's go" Teznin said to Korra as I just stared at the players that were in the podium i thoses were her teammates but I don't care I gave them a hard glare. "No! I'm kind of in the middle of something" Korra shots at Teznin ". I have tried my very best to get through to you by being gentle and patient" his voice getting anger "but clearly the only thing you respond to is force! So I am ordering you to come back to the temple right now."

Is this going to be often I think them fighting "Why? So I can sit around and meditate about how bad I am at airbending? You know, I'm beginning to think there's a reason I haven't been able to learn it! Because, maybe, I don't even need it! it! know, I'm beginning to think there's a reason I haven't been able to learn it! Because, maybe, I don't even need it" "What? That is a ludicrous suggestion!" Teznin say than points at Korra "the Avatar needs to learn airbending! It is not optional!" I've had enough of them yelling at each other.

"No! This is what I need to learn! Modern styles of fighting" Korra say while pointing at the podium. "Being the Avatar isn't all about fighting, Korra! When will you learn that" Teznin told Korra but Korra has already truned and started to walk away "I have a match to go finish". I sighed uncrossing my arm so they fall to my sides.

Ring announcer

"The Platypus Bears win round two! The moment Korra stands on the platform, it starts ascending." Round three over. The Platypus Bears come out of the gate and quickly go after the Ferret brothers! They're corralled in the corner, wedged in the edge of zone one, unable to come to the Avatar's rescue! And boy, does she need it" (okay y'all I'm getting tried of writing this part so imma skip I know I can't keep skipping but in my defense I'm writing some long chapters for y'all)

The opposing firebender look annoyed by this sudden change; he and his team mates attack again. Korra who nimbly dodges their attack. Korra's feet, moving like an airbender would. Teznin look surprised and so do I for a little bit but not for long "How about that?" Teznin said dumbfounded.

Ring announcer

"The Platypus Bears have no juice left, but Mako and Bolin are still fresh and juicy"

'So that's there names huh Mako and Bolin not bad.'

"Knockout!" The ring announcer says so this mean they win not bad Korra.

I looked to the side and saw Teznin "woohoo!"he yelled as he pointed at the arena.

Ring announcer

"The Fire Ferrets come from waaay behind and steal the win! What an upset, folks! The rookies, Avatar in tow, have nabbed a place in the championship tournament! I can not believe it"

________________________________

Teznin and me arrived at the island as we talked about the situation that's been going on in the city. We stop when we're near foot steps coming our way I knew it was Korra , Teznin glanced over his shoulder to see Korra. We truned around to see Korra as she started talking "I'm really sorry ... about everything I said" pointing to her self "I was really frustrated with myself" she than gestured toward Teznin "and I took it out on you" "I think I owe you an apology too. I was trying to teach you about patience, but I lost mine" "No hard feelings?" Korra asked hopefully "Of course not. By the way, you were really good out there tonight. You moved just like an airbender."

"Wait ... You stayed and watched" "yes we did Korra you really did a great job out there" I said to my sister she beamed at my praise not often do people get any praise from me . "We did. Pro-bending turned out to be the perfect teaching tool for you" Korra tuned around and started jogging in place "I'll see you tomorrow for airbending practice, bright and early" she said than turned around jogging away from us but not before she told us something "and, by the way, I kinda permanently joined the Fire Ferrets and we're playing in the tournament in a couple of weeks" finally now I can go to bed I deserves it. Before I left I looked at Teznin and asked "please tell me that you guys aren't going to fight anymore?" "well , I don't know about that" he said as he walked away "it better be a no Teznin. I am not dealing with you two fighting like kids" I shouted.

Feeling satisfied I turn around and went to my room I changed in my pajamas lay down on my bed. I stared at the ceiling for a while now thing about the chief. I can't stop thinking about her I wonder why. I sigh than close my eyes As feel the my eyes get heavy and so I drift off to sleep.

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a scene no one asked why? cause why not

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Lin pov

I found out what the avatars sisters name was after the speech that Korra gave. her name 'Y/N it's such a beautiful name' wait what am I thinking 'she's to young Beifong, she wouldn't want to be with you and you had your fair share of love' "I really need to do something about this" I say out loud as I pull up to my apartment. 'What am I feeling right now, why can't I stop thinking about her' I think to myself I didn't even realize that I was at my apartment door already.

Metal bending the door open I step into my apartment and went to my room, metal bending my armor off and putting it in my closet. I decided to take shower it's been such a exhausting day but my is flooded with the thought of the waterbender agian. I grabbed my towel and went to the bathroom taking off my clothes and turning on the shower. I step in under the the cool water I feel better but I still can't stop thing about

Y/N 'come on Beifong she's to young she would never want to be with you' "uhg why can't you just stop" I say out loud.

I finish off my shower and change into my Pajamas getting ready for bed. Finally I can rest I close my eyes but seem like I can't sleep, I stare up at my ceiling trying to think of something else besides of Y/N "uhg come on your a Beifong for fucks sake" I scold myself. I feel my eyes get heavy and I shut my eyes.

——————

The POV will change a lot I will be using 1st point of view but later on in my writing it will change keep that in mind.

[meyerlansky]

it's an ongoing thing that i probably won't dig too much into in anything textually, maybe in cruiseverse and even less likely but still maybe in summertime, but i do have thinkythoughts about how curt and bucky handle being queer in the framework of their catholicism

gale not on the discussion board here because, while he has angst about his queerness and especially what it means wrt his [and others'] masculinity, it is in no way religious and i maintain he is three bad days away from open atheism despite the HUGE social stigma against it at the time. abused kids tend not to be much for religion anyway.

like i acknowledge how i handle curt is slightly anachronistic [though i can cite contemporary examples, don't come at me about it] in that i don't think he's ashamed of ANYTHING. careful, yes, aware it could get him hurt, yes. but he doesn't have a lot of internalized homophobia weighing him down by '43, thanks to growing up in an active queer hub in the 20s/30s AND my decision to make his family, mostly his mom, similarly slightly-anachronistically accepting—see the stuff in this post about mothers in midcentury america accepting their queer sons and encouraging other mothers to do the same. and i think that "toughened by adversity" is particularly relevant in delphia's case because on top of raising a fairly large family through the great depression, she lost an infant daughter AND her husband when all her kids were under ten years old. she did suffer the public humiliations of the depression in sending her sons to live with relatives to ease the burden of SAID fairly large, half-orphaned family. so she doesn't CARE if curt's gay, all that matters to her is that curt is—and all her kids are—alive and healthy and happy. [plus, in "practical" terms, curt has a brother, so if he's not gonna have kids rusty's around to do it, which is a safety net the other guys do not have.]

bucky, on the other hand, is 93% shame at all times. about everything. he covers it with being loud and brash and seeming unrepentant but. c'mon. look at him. he's got catholic guilt dripping off him. he does NOT have supportive family to lean back on and to insulate him from the general antipathy towards queerness in midcentury america—he doesn't even get letters from his mom or sisters in the stalag in canon. plus he has the added angst of like... he's bi, not gay, so he likes women like he's supposed to, does that not make his attraction to men something he just has to Resist, because that's what the devil does, puts shit in your path that you have to avoid to stay good or whatever. if he was exclusively attracted to men—like curt—it might bother him less because he wouldn't have a "choice." so he's got both internalized queerphobia in general and SPECIFICALLY internalized biphobia working against him.

[the other issue i have with thinking about this stuff is i was not raised catholic or even a little bit religious at all, so i don't have a firsthand perspective on rationalizing queerness with faith. i am just WINGING IT HERE.]

but, anyway, i feel like bucky's isolation from semi-normalized queerness just compounds the issue for his whole adolescence/early adulthood, and he lumps being attracted to men in with his other rule-breaking behaviors. he drinks, he gambles, he lusts, it's all getting him sent to hell anyway, so he acts like it doesn't bother him. but i think it DOES bother him, deep down. and i also think that being faced with curt/people like curt, who DON'T see their queerness as an obstacle to keeping their faith, who don't experience the guilt and shame over that as a fundamental aspect of who they are, is... tough for him? and this is why i don't think it'll come up textually in anything except cruiseverse, if that: bucky is not a talk-shit-out kind of guy, and quite frankly neither is curt. but i can't imagine that bucky at some point isn't like "...don't you struggle with it?" and curt's like "nah, if He wanted me to be different i'd be different."

and bucky just kinda has to chew on that for a bit. and this is where i think the gay vs bi tension comes in, because curt CAN be like "i tried to be straight, it didn't work, so god must not want me to be," whereas bucky COULD choose to be in a het-passing relationship, so does that make him worse??? and that's when curt stops trying that tack because it's doing more harm than good, which leads to it turning into "but HOW does it not bother you?" "it only bothers you 'cause you're letting it." cue another blue-screen for a week.

they can't even extrapolate out the concept of receiving unconditional love as one of god's children the way you do from your actual parents or whatever. because no one in bucky's life loves him unconditionally. why the hell would god?

[zukkaoru]

could you tell me more about why you dislike femskk?

okay disclaimer before i begin: this is not meant to be a dig on every person who enjoys femskk. the biggest reason i don't like it is honestly because it's just not my cup of tea and honestly it really makes no difference to me if other people like it. but beyond that my biggest issues with it are

1. the phenomenon of fans "yuri-ifying" the most popular m/m ship and then using that to prove they like female characters and f/f ships. this is not a bsd-exclusive thing; it happens with stsg too and i don't like femstsg for the same reason. but there's a big difference between actually liking female characters and just genderbending (or even making transfem) the big m/m ship. i literally went to the f/f category in bsd on ao3 the other day looking for fics and about half of them are skk fics instead of fics about like. the actual female characters in bsd. who i was looking for fics of. similarly, there have been some redraw trends going around twitter - specifically the i prefer girls cover redraw - and i have seen. i don't even know how many femskk redraws of that (along with a couple femfyolais and a femrimlaine) but only one redraw with actual female characters from bsd. same with the scene 14 redraw that was going around, and while that one wasn't originally two female characters, i have still seen significantly more femskk (and femsigzai, femsigchuu, femfyolai, etc) than i have ships with even one character who is female in the source material.

and imo this phenomenon is made even worse in the bsd fandom bc so many fans just see bsd as the skk show. so of course they're writing off the actual female characters; they literally don't care about anything besides skk. and obviously i can't do anything to force anyone to care about other characters but like.... bsd has so many other wonderful characters and dynamics (both romantic and platonic) that a good half of the fanbase won't even glance at because they're not skk. i do like skk, but bsd is about so much more than just them. they are, objectively, only one small part of it. like if you only care about skk, then just be outright about it and don't pretend you're "proving" you like female characters and sapphic ships bc you like femskk too

2. of the fans who only like skk and nothing else about bsd, most of them. don't even characterize dazai and chuuya correctly? i think the some of the best skk characterizations i've seen have been from people who actually like other characters and ships too, and some of the worst skk characterization i've seen has come from people who literally don't care about any other ships or characters. this isn't a hard and fast rule obviously but even with 30k skk fics on ao3, i have struggled to find ones that actually feel true to their characters. and the characterization seems to only get worse when it's femskk. if you're just going to turn femdazai and femchuuya into two completely different people, what's the point in it even being skk? why not write k.ousano or h.igugin or even a ship with one canonically female character? if you have to change the core characteristics of both dazai and chuuya... do you even really like them?

3. about femdazai: i actually don't mind the transfem dazai headcanon in general but most fans get her wrong. i made a post about it here but basically so many times i see femdazais that are just. completely unrecognizable as dazai. you can't strip away core aspects of dazai like idk the fact that dazai doesn't show any skin from neck to toe just because you made her a girl. i have seen some femdazai that's good! but i have seen so much that is just fundamentally wrong for dazai's character as a whole. mostly on twitter.

4. about femchuuya: i really truly just don't get femchuuya. i THINK the hype here is probably bc lesbians seem to get attached to chuuya (which. valid. i am also a lesbian chuuya fan.) and so they want to draw a chuuya they can be attracted to (i.e. femchuuya) which like. cool whatever i'm not here to judge. but looking at it from a "would this character actually identify as female" perspective, i don't actually think i can picture that for chuuya. maybe it's just because i so strongly hc them as nonbinary? idk. this one is honestly just a neutral "i don't see that but you do you"

tl;dr: from what i've seen, femskk is often mischaracterized, and genderbending the big m/m ships in a fandom is often a way fans "prove" they like the female characters and f/f ships while not actually caring about anything other than their main m/m ship