#why in the world would i want to have a child who could potentially experience the way i live life

[fr3nchtoastcrunch]

[TW] I wish that my parents had been way harder on me.

To make more friends, to eat healthier and exercise more, to seek out new hobbies and talents...everything.

I am so sheltered and socially isolated/anxious that I can't even have a normal conversation with an AI without getting anxious. And what about getting and keeping a job? Or better yet, getting help? You need to be good at talking to people. BUT I CAN'T! I have practically zero independence! I've never been in a relationship, and I'm not sure if I ever will be!

My food palate is so limited that I pretty much eat the same unhealthy shit every single day. And I can barely do any sort of physical activity for more than two minutes without feeling like I just completed the Tour de France on foot.

I have virtually no interesting talents or hobbies, and absolutely no desire to commit myself to them at all.

My parents did nothing to push me towards being able to function like a normal human being. And look at where I am now.

I feel like I was destined to not live for very long, and to be painfully bored and depressed during my short lifetime. I have no idea how I could possibly live a normal life, or get any sort of enjoyment from it. I'm just sitting here, wondering just how much longer I can last before my still young body starts falling apart.

WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? SERIOUSLY. TELL ME!!!

[project-lumen]

Have you ever wondered how the Life Series would look like as a videogame?

Then I bring to you…

Project LUMEN: APPLICATIONS OPEN!!

Ever wanted to relive the stories woven by the Watchers, exceeding the limits of what Minecraft is able to offer? How about venturing in a perilous journey full of twists and turns, and most importantly, loooooooooooore?

Well, why hello there! To kick off the start of 2025, Kori, Arto and Pinkie here, and we are proud to present “Project LUMEN”! Our newest scheme to conceptualize and develop a video game based off the traffic-colored hearts we are all so familiar with. An ambitious project, that’s for sure, and that is why we are opening applications to join our little team, right on time to welcome the new year! :]

(way more info under the cut, get ready)

Once a pile of jumbled, senseless ideas, Project LUMEN has evolved into a more fleshed-out collection of story beats and mechanics. An RPG-like game revolving around the tales within the Life Series, a collection of death games ran by the mysterious deities that call themselves Watchers. The player takes on the role of the Watcher Child (affectionately referred to as WC), following and guiding the Champions chosen by the Watchers themselves through challenges and enemies. Featuring unique leveling systems, DnD inspired classes, and, most importantly, the ability to impact the story with the choices you make… because, after experiencing all the Life Series seasons from both the Watcher and the Player side, maybe you’ll have a change of mind. After all is said and done and seen, the world is yours to shape, Watcher Child.

Right, so that’s a basic summary of the concept we have, now here’s a little preview of what we have written for the prologue :3

Chapter 0: ‘The Watcher’s Apprentice’

The player takes the form of a Watcher in training, an ageless child, the Watcher Child. The most powerful and ancient Watchers, unexplained cryptic creatures that live up to their name by watching all, talk about a new series of experiments they have been running, called “The Life Series”.

The only rundown that the WC was given was that a carefully selected group of talented players were asked to test their little Life game for them, where they each have only three lives. Whoever survives last, wins. There were no rules as to how they could play the games. The Watchers then add that they, along other WCs, will be observing from the viewpoint and thoughts of one of the players. This is so the WC can get an idea of the Watchers' work. Of course, our little WC was ecstatic and ever so curious about this new idea.

Fast-forward (and after a couple of tutorials showing off the bare basics of the battle mechanics in the actual game), now our WC was standing in a circle with other apprentices just like them. The Watchers then hold a deck of mystic cards in front of each of them, and everyone picks one. When the cards are revealed, our WC sees a glowing, red card with a person on it. The card simply said, "THE SUN".

Huh, I wonder who could that be…

Now, we get into the thick of it: who are we searching for to join our team? Well, there are some requirements that the potential members should fulfill, here’s a comprehensive list of key points:

We are mainly looking for artists to help us with designs, sprites, backgrounds and UI. Although, we also welcome any writers willing to help us with developing concepts and adding more ideas!

Every person who applies should be involved with the Life Series fandom, we want to build a team with people as passionate about this Minecraft series as we are!

When answering the Application Form, please type in your favorite type of flower (in case you do not have one, just write 'sunflower') in the "Anything else to add?" part, this is only to ensure you've read the announcement :]

Welp, glad you asked. The current plan is, while the applications go on for a week or two, constantly post pieces of concept art and just story bits on this blog, then all the people selected to join the team will be added to the blog as members. We plan to post updates, concept art, sprites and small lore drops periodically on that blog to hopefully garner an audience, and it will also be open for asks and suggestions so that, even if some users aren’t part of the team, they can still help bring this absolute beast of a game to life. Ideally we will work on a small demo experience first with placeholders and stuff to just get the mechanics right and get some testers, and after that, use all feedback, polish the art, deliver a beta version for playtesting, then fix the last details and then release the full version on itch.io, that’s our roadmap. :D (there's the possibility to also publish a browser version to Newgrounds with mobile compatibility tho, so mobile users do not fear!)

Well, Project LUMEN is a very, very hefty task, a big plan to undertake, and, in all honesty, too much work for only three people. Also, talking from experience, having other person involved in development has helped LUMEN to give gigantic steps, helping to ground ideas and give inspiration, now, imagine how far we could go if we had more people in this squad. We are not only looking for artists, we are looking for people whom we can brainstorm with and throw concepts around to polish them and grow the game even more. However, we also wish to keep the team directly working on the game fairly reduced, we are thinking 3–5 people more, but depending on the amount of responses we have, we might consider expanding that number.

The spirit of the game is to be made by the community for the community, we want to offer a quality game, and, by working together, we will be able to make Project LUMEN the best it can be. Though, you need to be aware that this project is solely fueled by the passion we have for the Life Series, and we will not profit off it at all. Please, take into account that this is likely going to be a months-long project, and only apply if you are willing to put in the effort in the long-run, that’s all we ask for.

On the bright side though, by joining in the developing of the game, you’ll be able to contribute to it as much as you’d like, change anything, add anything! You’ll have your rightful spot in the credits and probably a cameo in-game, the team may be small, but we know that, with the right people, we will be able to get it done (cleo is in the storyline too dw).

Application Form!

[cripplecharacters]

sorry if this is a little too vast, but how often do you feel the whole fantasy concept of curses falls into harmful stereotypes? just because a lot of ‘curses’ in fantasy media:

a) display either symptoms of real disabilities, especially chronic illnesses, or have fantastical symptoms that disable the character in some way or another

b) are often tied to some form of morality, whether a person is cursed because they’re evil and it’s a punishment, or they’re helpless and need to be saved from the horrible life of being ill

c) are usually curable through some sort of magic solution, even though disabled readers cannot magically cure their body

d) overall are linked to magic, and it is my understanding that ‘disability caused by a magic spell’ is very tropey with conditions such as vitiligo.

as an (aspiring) fantasy author, i think the whole concept of curses holds a lot of potential, i just wanted to know if it’s something that could likely be taken as hurtful and ableist, and if so is there a specific aspect of curses that shouldn’t be written about or is it a case of ‘abandon the whole concept of curses’.

sorry if this isn’t very coherent, i’m currently on a flare up right now so words are harder for me than usual. thank you all for running such a cool and helpful blog.

Hello!

You're right that this is a very broad topic. Curses on their own aren't inherently problematic but they certainly can be, especially when they're tied with the first point you've mentioned (That is, having symptoms of real disabilities).

Something also worth noting is that none of those points are necessarily bad on their own, it's all about how the author handles it. For example, a character that becomes cursed with immortality after stealing a child from the fae would be okay. A character that becomes cursed with paralysis after offending a sorcerer, however, would be different.

One example that comes to mind is Eda's curse in The Owl House. For those who aren't familiar with it, Eda was cursed by an unknown person for unknown reasons (Though this is later revealed). Her curse caused things such as limbs that pop off easily (Literally becoming removed from her body, in a cartoon-y way), changes to her appearance (Eye and hair colour), occasional transformation into a large demonic beast, negative effects to her magic, and several other things that are more similar to chronic illnesses (Periods of low energy, etc.).

Even before Eda became disabled (She becomes an amputee later on), her curse felt a lot like a disability narrative to me. She's found ways to cope with it and manage the symptoms she experiences such as taking naps and using an elixir (Which has a similar use to medication for her) that keeps her beast form at bay. There are days when the curse is worse and other days when it's better.

Two main things that stick out to me the most about this example is that, though she obviously doesn't enjoy the curse, Eda is more upset about (And focused on) the fact that she doesn't know who cursed her or why. The fact that curing her curse isn't her main goal is very refreshing to me.

The other thing is one particular arc where her mother comes to visit and it's shown that she comes every year with a new proposed cure. Although this is a magic world, the proposed cures are equated to the whole idea of curing paralysis with certain herbs or ADHD with a certain diet. What was especially relatable to me about this was that Eda doesn't want these so-called cures and her mother's actions are shown as an imposition rather than an act of kindness or charity. As somebody who has accepted my own disabilities while my friends and family members have not, this was something that felt very close to home for me.

Eda's curse has some similarities with real world disabilities -- both in some of the symptoms such as low energy as well as in the way it's treated -- but it isn't a disability in and of itself. That said, it's still one of the best portrayals of living with disability that I've seen and it's an excellent example of how curses can be done and related to disability in a way that isn't ableist or poorly designed.

The main reason that the portrayal of Eda's curse is so well done is because it's designed with consideration for the show's disabled audience. Although some able-bodied people may pick up on certain things, the whole narrative around Eda's curse is much more relatable and obvious to people who live with a disability than those who don't.

Essentially, it's the story that a lot of disabled people want to see.

Not somebody with a disability being cured or fixed but somebody with a disability living a full, meaningful life and with those around them learning to understand and accept that.

Eda's mother doesn't stop looking for a cure because she gives up on her daughter or because her daughter pushes her away. She stops because she realizes how her efforts were hurting Eda and how their relationship was suffering from it.

Not only that but she also accepts that Eda knows her curse better than her mother does AND she wants to learn more about Eda's methods for dealing with it.

This is huge!

The series is showing respect for Eda's bodily autonomy and her independence. It's recognizing that disabled people know our disabilities and our bodies better than others do. A lot of us have to deal with constant unsolicited advice on how to deal with our disabilities from friends, family members, and even complete strangers so to see this situation portrayed in this way was especially refreshing.

This is a smaller factor but another way that Eda's curse was done well is that it's clearly fantasy. The cause is fantasy, the manifestations are fantasy, and the resulting effects are fantasy.

While the effects may have some similarities to real life disabilities, the manifestations are enough to differentiate the curse from actual disabilities. For example, people with dissociative disorders may have moments they can't remember but they don't turn into a large demonic beast during them.

There's enough of a distance there that it isn't equated one-to-one as disability, even if the narrative is very similar to disability narratives.

Unfortunately, I have also seen curses portrayed in a way that is ableist and rather poorly dealt with.

I don't intend to name it (I'll explain my reasoning below*) but I recently read a book where one of the side characters was cursed as punishment for her own selfish actions and ended up functionally mute. She used ASL to communicate for the most part. Within the book, the character is shown to be so bitter and upset about her curse and the resulting effects that she takes it out on her family and her child in particular.

This is bad for several reasons.

First, by making the curse so similar to a real-world disability/symptom, any associations made with the curse are also, by extension, being made with that disability. In showing how much this character hates her curse, it's also showing how much she hates being disabled.

If her curse was something like waking up every day in a different body (Or something else that has no real-world equivalent), it's easier to put distance between the curse and any similarities to disability. It also allows you, as the writer, to focus more on other aspects as opposed to the immediate focus of how the curse disables a character (Such as how Eda was bothered by not knowing how or why she was cursed rather than the curse itself).

Because the curse is equated to her disability, this also falls into several ableist tropes.

As the curse was a punishment from the fae for her own selfish actions, it falls into the "disability as punishment" trope.

The fact that her curse -- or at least her frustration/bitterness from the curse -- is pushing her to act the way that she does also causes it to fall into several problematic tropes involving disabled villains. For one thing, the prime cause of her "bad behaviour" (For lack of a better term) being her curse/disability.

In contrast, Eda from The Owl House does push people away because of her curse but it's because of her fear (Specifically the fear of losing control of her beast form and hurting somebody) that causes her to do that. This habit of pushing people away out of fear is also touched on and shown outside of the context of her curse.

With the book, the character's actions are directly shown to be because she's mute and the anger/bitterness/frustration she feels around that.

A lot of this specific problem comes from the writing itself. If the author had wrote it so the character was lashing out at her family because she felt like she wasn't being heard or because she was afraid they might do something dangerous (Such as going after the fae that did this) and she wouldn't be able to stop them, that would be a different situation. There may still be some negative associations but it's less of a direct correlation between being cursed/disabled and being a jerk.

Now, having a character become cursed as a punishment isn't necessarily a bad thing.

In the show Lucifer, the side character Cain is cursed with immortality after killing his brother (And, as this is the same Cain from the bible, committing the first murder). Throughout his arc on the show, Cain is looking for a way to cure his curse and, essentially, die.

Because immortality isn't anywhere close to a real-world disability, these other factors aren't a problem as there's no association with disability.

Essentially what I'm getting at here is that curses can be perfectly fine. They aren't inherently ableist or problematic in any way but they certainly can be. It's all about how you, as the writer, handle it and what associations you're making -- whether you intend to or not.

The main thing to keep in mind when including curses in your writing is to consider what purpose they're serving and what you want to do with them.

If you want the curse to be a punishment for something terrible that the character has done, it's best to stay far away from disability and lean more into the fantasy side of things.

If you want curing the curse to serve as the character's main goal throughout the story, it could be okay to have some elements of real-world disability in there. For example, in a world where magic is used freely maybe your character is cursed to only be able to use their magic through a specific conduit and if it goes unused for a while, it causes tics or spasms.

While this is still similar to real-world disabilities (Such as Tourette's syndrome or epilepsy), there's enough distance between the manifestation of the curse (Only being able to use their magic through a specific conduit) and the disability-like effect of it (The tics/spasms). This distance gives you the ability to focus on other aspects of the curse (Such as the problems with magic) as the motivation for wanting to cure it rather than the disability aspects of it.

One final word of caution is to be careful when mixing the "curse as an allegory for disability" and "curse as a punishment for doing something evil". I'd generally suggest avoiding it. I have never seen it done in a way that doesn't end up incredibly ableist and reading as a bad cautionary tale for children ("Eat your veggies or you'll end up in a wheelchair" = "Don't kick children because they might be witches and you'll end up blind").

This is especially important to keep in mind if you want to use the curse as a disability narrative or otherwise have it be treated/showed similarly to disability (Like The Owl House did with Eda). If you want to do that, explore explore other causes for the curse. Maybe it was the result of a training mishap with a new witch? Or maybe they accidentally broke a dangerous artifact? Just as long as it's not shown to be a punishment/consequence of sorts.

As promised, I've explained my reasoning for not naming the book down below.

Cheers,

~ Mod Icarus

*So my reasoning for not naming the book is because of a few things. The main one is that, while the rest of the examples I gave have a fairly large and established presence, this book is by a new author and published by a small publishing company. Simply put, they don't have the same resources that corporations such as Disney and Fox do.

The other thing is that while there are multiple writers working on tv shows like The Owl House and Lucifer, this book has a singular creator and this is her first book. Although I did criticize her portrayal of the character's curse heavily, there were several parts I enjoyed and I am reluctant to put the book on blast and risk discouraging her from writing more.

If this was the work of a more established author (Such as Rick Riordan or JK Rowling) or I was discussing it in a more positive light, I'd be more comfortable naming the book openly.

[theeternalwomb]

what you need to hear right now: channeled from spirit

message: I love this type of art, I have tons of it on my Pinterest but anyway that's sort of beside the point, I feel called to do a message but I feel very low on energy within as of late. I want to try and keep this one short, sweet, and clear. As you know, especially if you're a light worker or intuitive, shifts within the collective, within energy however it comes are always felt first by us. If there is a symptom of change, I'm feeling it 10x over so that I can prepare to relay that information to the collective because I would honestly consider myself to be a vessel. As I cope with my life and my own human experience I am also in the process of collecting important information so that I can guide the collective effectively and let me tell you, I've been through some SHIT with the opening force of 2024. Anyways, enjoy the reading and I pray that you find what you're looking for and what you need with me in my space today.

-

I.

"we've been watching you juggle both the physical and the spiritual within your hands for the past couple weeks, you may feel as though your worlds are colliding your the sky and the ocean has folded over with you in the center. There comes a time in one's life when the elements that make up their world must come into alignment and fuse with one another. You were told to learn what it meant to be a balanced individual, and so as you completed and closed off karmic lessons and overcame blockages you became closer and closer to equilibrium and these moments now are crucial as what you had needed all long is on its way to be delivered to you. You've been learning what it means to manage your time, manage your energy, and spread yourself where needed to obtain the results you desire. You have one foot in the spiritual realm and one foot in the physical world. Your development as of now is so incredibly important and we're supporting you in your journey forward.

Things may appear to be slow, backed up, or difficult at this time but movement is coming in quickly and to be expected soon. You've planted your seeds to receive and as you deserve, you shall. within the next two weeks for some of you and even a couple of days for a select few of you, things will begin to move forward or pick up momentum. Set your intentions straight and make sure that they are unwavering. there is success on the horizon, whatever is difficult or isn't working out for you that will change. You've grown so much, and your only job at this time is to nurture yourself and your manifestations, show yourself grace, ask for healing, ask for closure, and ask for the necessary tools to care for yourself as one should. And become clear and aligned with whatever you are manifesting, and put yourself in the position to receive by doing the work on your end and meeting us in the middle with your will and your gratitude. If there's a will there's a way even if you don't have everything in the world to offer in exchange. Come to terms with your power and the part you play in your world.

A select few of you are royalty within the spiritual realm you are kin of spirits who are highly respected and praised in the beyond and that is why the pile you chose depicts the divinity of a matriarch holding her child. Look for gold jewelry and gold trinkets and items if you choose to go out shopping or collecting. You feel called to build something or may have an idea, honor your ideas, and put actions behind what you desire to reap. Those of you who know that you are divinely protected are being heavily watched over and shielded, there could potentially be gossip by those of whom you've left behind or parted from but their tongues will be stilled when they speak of you they summon your spiritual court ( your ancestors, your spirit guides, guardian angels and all deities who call out to you and respect you.) their karma is sharp. Pay no mind to any negative energy sent to you by others. They talk only because they want to be paid great attention to but the audience lies in front of you and the universe's love and support is more than evident on your side.

You are about to succeed heavily, many things will be given to you, prosperity and congratulations are in order, the people will see. you are in a position to receive well in your finances, so well you will be able to give to others or keep your abundance in full cycle forward and back to you. We once told you that you would be compensated greatly for your hardship and the spiritual council has spoken and reached a solid verdict on your reward and the size and volume of the gifts you're about to receive. Do nothing but nurture thyself and expand from this point forward. be easy with secureness in your good fortune, do not let your fear or your anxiety eclipse you there is no purpose for any of it."

-

II.

"You asked to be free of the things that threaten to hold you hostage and one of the biggest of those things happens to be you. It's time for change and it's time for growth. As you step into the new year you have no choice but to be reset now after years and months and weeks of being broken. You need to be able to heal properly. It's time to come clean and be honest. There are many things within your life that have made lasting impressions on who you chose to be or what you chose to do for your survival even at the expense of others, even those you held dear to you. The process of living an honest life is not an easy one. It is easier to be deceptive, to use your pain as a weapon, or to do what you need to do to survive even if it means stepping on others in the process or not meeting the needs of those you've awoken to you. It is hard work to be in alignment, it is hard work to always take accountability, it is hard work to look at your shadow and truly acknowledge it, you know more than anyone."

interception: I'm getting the energy of the film "warrior" with tom hardy in where he plays a character named tommy who ends up having to fight his brother for a large reward in a wrestling championship. He was a marine in the military and has childhood trauma that shapes the way he presents himself to others and navigates in his interpersonal relationships and of course what his goals and purpose are in the film, I'm not going to spoil it for you but if this is your pile, I recommend you watch it. it's on Netflix. it also really does a good job of highlighting an aspect of ourselves that we carry in our spirits to marry ourselves to our trauma or particular factors of it to hide from troubling or conflicting emotions or circumstances. things that are "inherently" bad or negative in theory but can look "desirable" or "acceptable" to us because our motivation for accepting it happens to be a heavily skewed one.

" It's time you finally free yourself from your karma, from your vices, from your shadow, and from aspects of yourself or your life that threaten to keep you stuck or stagnant. You can't take with you all of these things into the new year, into the new world, into your new life. The devil is in the details and he has done nothing but hold onto your ankle this entire time. It is your responsibility to make the changes that you've been asking for or craving. You may fear loss or the reality of the damage you've caused, the opportunities you've put yourself in the position to lose. You will sit with yourself, you will look at yourself in the mirror or you will suffer and continue to do so under the hand of your own decisions. What you are owed in compensation for a hard life cannot be received if you cannot put yourself in the position to receive them. There's a need in life for personal given grace as well as accountability for the part we play in events and circumstances that take place in our lives, take time to self reflect, forgive yourself, show yourself grace and in turn find the courage to communicate with those you've wrong and/or begin your journey forwards.

In our lives, the consequence we bare the burden of however heavy the weight is never the full and eternal end there is always something after. You've proven yourself to be resilient, to be a force. Use your strengths and allow them to will you forward into the next chapter of your life. Someone significant in your past could've heavily admired you or seen in you things you could not see in yourself as they were able to sense higher beings in others however troubled their karma was. The love they had for you is the love you are about to receive from yourself. The things they saw in you that you could not see you are preparing to embody in full. Ace of pentacles upright for you here signifying abundance coming to you when you are able to open yourself up to receive it all. remain committed to your cause."

-

III.

"You're seeking out personal closure or looking for solutions to an issue that you don't have on end. Don't make the mistake of running from completion or leaving doors ajar because it is difficult to close them shut you know what you need to do. You need to make the proper investments for your life, you need to work for your improvement or to receive the life you have felt you were entitled to all along but the mistake you've made along the way all this time is attempting to take short cuts and be strategic, deceptive or ingenuine in your method to try and deceive. You are used to putting on a mask or trying on costumes to appeal what others desire from you so you can receive the result you prefer from them, their approval, their support, their validation. Your biggest enemy is the closet full of masks you've accumulated they work against you, they push people away, they scare people of value, and they mislead as you've asked them to. Your life and it's events however unfortunate or difficult have existed to serve you a purpose and put you on your righteous path forward in alignment with your highest self and the life they live but instead you've sharpened it and allowed it to be used as a weapon against others and against yourself.

put your strengths and your adaptability where it's needed and not into being a sheep in wolves clothing or traveling through the night in such a way in which you won't be seen. Abundance will come for you and doors will open up for you where you set your intention and where you are unwaveringly honest and true. Reflect on your choices, your habits, and your behaviors in order to decide what needs to be changed and what needs to be improved and do it honestly this time and set the intention to change it not make another mask of it and store it away for another time. It is not your place to control the way everyone looks at you and how you are perceived or if they are willing to give to you or not. You control or manipulate what does not belong to you from places of fear you store deep within you and it is time to heal and ready yourself to move forward and leave a karmic version of yourself behind. Pack up the things you need to bring with you and be rid of the rest. Do not be resistant to change you must move."

[hopeful-dawn]

I find it very interesting how incredibly sheltered Shadow is in the movie, not just compared to other versions of his character, but also to the other characters in the SCU. He doesn't talk a lot, so it's not overly obvious, but his flashback scenes were riddled with subtext. He's clearly an amnesiac when he first falls to earth, so he has literally no idea about... most things, and the military certainly wouldn't have seen fit to teach him about them.

Given the way they kept him locked up in a fluid-filled tube - despite him being awake, alert, seemingly uninjured, and still in his clothes -, and his own admission that they all seemed scared of him and thought he was dangerous, Shadow doesn't seem to have been treated like an actual person, much less a child. And given his reaction to Maria when she first interacted with him (i.e. confused and suspicious even after she was very playful and friendly towards him), she likely was the first person to show him actual kindness, too.

Which makes sense! In the games he was created for the express purpose of being able to cure Maria. She was there for him and cared for him from the start, and undoubtedly made sure he was being treated at least moderately well. And she would have had the leverage to do so, because they were on a civilian space colony where her grandfather, who loved her dearly, was the one spearheading the project. In the movies however, Shadow was an extremely powerful extraterrestrial of unspecified origin, with an unknown purpose for coming to Earth. During the Cold War. He was not a beloved creation; he was a potential threat who was being experimented on by the military.

There's no way that before Maria he'd have been given lessons in Earth cultural practices, or allowed to do things like watch movies or listen to music or even just roam freely throughout the base. They didn't trust him enough to. But without any memories of his own he'd have been easy enough to mold to their liking, so they did teach him how to fight, how to shoot a gun, how to ride a motorcycle, and how to harness his power, because they undoubtedly wanted to use him as a secret weapon against the Soviets and as a power source (why else would they keep him in a military base and store a bunch of containers filled with his highly explosive chaos energy? How else would he have learned how to ride a human motorcycle with such skill?). Weapons aren't people though, and potential threats don't get kindness, lest people get attached to them, and neither are taught anything they don't absolutely need to know to perform their functions.

So yeah. Poor kid was kept emotionally isolated and ignorant, until Maria came in and demanded better for him. Too bad that made her a liability to them, one they felt they had to get rid of after they decided that Shadow needed to be shelved until such a time that they could actually control him. Remember, they were aiming to shoot her, specifically. If they wanted to shoot Gerald or Shadow, they'd have done it at any point afterward. So even though it was an explosion that ultimately killed her, she was slated to die regardless. Gerald and Shadow were considered valuable; she was just a loose end who convinced Shadow he was a person and turned his loyalties from them to herself.

(Those kids never stood a chance. Even if they had escaped, they'd have been hunted down by the military, and she'd have been killed then instead while he was taken into custody. Their fates were sealed the second they stepped foot into that base. Shadow never would have been allowed to have a decent childhood, and Maria never could have treated Shadow as anything other than a fellow child and friend.)

And when he was brought out of stasis he had no time or inclination to fix any of that ignorance (because he was convinced he would die, along with the rest of the world). All of which puts him in a very disadvantageous spot by the end of the movie, because he's going to be so lost once he wakes back up on earth.

Does he know how to read in any language or how to do basic arithmetic? Does he know any geography or how to read a map? Does he know any first aid or wilderness survival skills? Since he wasn't created in a lab, does he need to eat and drink, and if so does he know what's safe for him to consume? These are all things he might need to know if he's going to try and survive on his own, and unfortunately he also almost certainly doesn't know how to use a computer or a telephone, which would be his main two ways of getting that kind of information if he can't outright ask anyone.

To take it even further, because of his amnesia, does Shadow even know that he's supposed to be a hedgehog?? Does he know what the chaos emeralds are, or that they're emeralds at all, or why he went god mode upon touching them? Does he know that Sonic survived after he passed out and fell to earth? And also, did literally anyone ever tell him Sonic's name??

[gaywarcriminals]

do you think Shen jiu would be in denial about the fact he's gay (like Shen Yuan) or that it's something he accepted that he just doesn't talk about it? Or hell maybe he is openly gay and somehow nobody noticed.

From a meta-analysis perspective, I don't have a strong opinion about this; I've seen a wide variety of interpretations that are well-supported by the text, and I think it’s best served by just going with whichever suits that particular fic. 

When it comes to my personal headcanons, I don’t think the world of PIDW/SVSSS has homophobia the way we think of it: I’m sure there’s still a bias against gay people, but I think it more comes down to “but you need to produce heirs”. You can have your boy toy so long as you’re still having kids with your main wife (very loosely based on the pre-Ming dynasty view of homosexuality). There’s also the fact that, in the de-aging extra, MF sincerely believes for a bit that LBH is SQQ’s biological child, which, as many people have pointed out, could imply that mpreg is possible in this universe (at least for cultivators with the resources for the plot device), and that could also lessen any discrimination based on the reproductive imperative. Imo, if SJ has an aversion to being gay, it comes down to his issues with the men in general. 

I usually default to SJ thinking/telling himself that he's not attracted to anyone. I don't buy comphet for SJ, at least not beyond QHT (and that has more to do with the traumatic situation than his sexuality); if he’s cuddled up against a half-dressed woman’s breast multiple times a week, it’d be hard not to notice his lack of attraction, but he just computes it as being better than other men lmao. He isn’t some drooling beast who can’t control his vices! Clearly every other man just lasts the self control and will power to do the same. And of course, SJ doesn’t notice any potential attraction to men because he hates most of them too much to be horny for them. I also like the interpretation that SJ is demisexual, and doesn’t experience his sexuality as being attracted to men so much as This Specific Person.

There two main paths I like to take from there, depending on the fic and intended tone:  1.) SJ isn’t into men, he’s into Qi-ges; it’s totally different! (This is where SJ’s attitude comes closest to SY’s lol) 2.) SJ’s long and grueling journey to deal with both the horror of experiencing lust as a man, being attracted to a man, and him having to reconcile that with his aversion to men.

Either way, I don’t think SJ would be openly gay until he had a male partner he couldn’t/didn’t want to hide (or rather, wanted to stake a public claim on, lol). Why would anyone else need to know who he’s attracted to, It’s not their business 😒. Infuriatingly, he would never bring up his sexuality to dispute the lechery accusations. Hate him (said while experiencing the Blorbo Emotion).

As I said though, I've seen a lot of other interpretations of SJ's relationship to his sexuality that I've liked, so I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on this as well!

[ruesol]

I’m sorry if this is corny 🧍‍♀️

Chapter 1: The beginning of the end

Synopsis: Driven and hardworking reader is reluctantly married off to billionaire bachelor Nanami Kento. Expecting him to be suave and sleazy, she enters the marriage with zero expectations of respect, however, the man she ended up marrying is completely opposite of what the media paints him to be. He’s attentive, caring, and surprisingly good at baking. The reader is trying her best not to fall for him but we all know what happens.

Masterlist : https://www.tumblr.com/dilucayaka/764995518013358080/drawn-to-you-a-nanami-kento-fanfic-mdni

“No!” Your voice echoed in your father’s study.

“My child, we both knew this day was coming.” Your father, a tall and daunting man, stalked to stand in front of you. He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Would you rather I handover the company to Nanami Kento?”

“I’d rather you hand it to me, dad.” You were desperate to the point where your eyes were burning hot. This wasn’t fair. You were the eldest child among your siblings. You had the most experience and you were the most involved person in Hana Corp.

“Y/n, you’re really testing my patience today. You can either keep your 15% stake of Hana Corp and marry Nanami or you can lose it all and work for him instead.”

Your head was spinning. You had to look down on the ground to make sure your legs weren’t going to give out on you. Being this close to the top and losing everything was bad enough already but not getting the company because your dad was afraid of a mere fellow billionaire was even more strange.

In the corner of your eye, you see your father walking to his tray of liquor by the panoramic window. “And just so you know you, you’ll never be able to make it at the top if you choose the latter. If you marry him then you’ll at least get to keep an eye on him and your shares.”

“I don’t get it, I could easily save us from this. Hell, I could buy him out instead. I don’t get why you can’t just appoint me as CEO!”

“The board doesn’t respect you like I and your brothers do, my dear.”

You looked up at him, confused. “And why is that?”

“You have certain biological differences.”

“It’s because I’m a woman?” You yelled. “I’ve been preparing to lead Hana Corp longer than these men have known about your existence. You get to decide what’s right, not them! They don’t do half the hard work we do.”

“Unfortunately I’m going to have to agree with them. You have an attitude problem that I’m afraid will set us back with future deals. You had already messed it up with the brewing company from Italy-“

“It’s because that old fart was a SLEAZE that was hitting on our interns.”

“I understand why you’re-“

“No, you don’t! You never do. Every time I think I’m doing good for Hana Corp, you have to come in and just destroy my plans. You see my potential but you’re just afraid I’m going to surpass you.”

“Enough, Y/N! I do not want to hear anything from you. Consider yourself removed from the board if you open your mouth about this again. You will marry Nanami Kento and it is final.”

You wanted to speak further but at this point, the only assets that you valued were you shares and you couldn’t lose them. When you looked at your father again, he had already turned away from you, choosing to stare at the Tokyo skyline instead. You were almost sure that he had sold you off the moment the idea of an engagement was suggested. In his mind, you were already an outsider.

The high ceiling of the office made you feel small. You felt like a child again, throwing a tantrum because you couldn’t get what you wanted. Maybe that’s how he saw you all along- fodder for good relations. Maybe that is all there is to you. You have no significance in this world except for your strategies (which were always stolen by men who wanted to get ahead of you).

All you have in this world is yourself.

As you were leaving your father’s office, he called your name out for the last time for the night. You stopped on your tracks but didn’t bother facing him. “The engagement is in 3 weeks. Your assistant will give you all the info you need. Oh, and she will be working for your brother once the wedding is over.

Great, now even your assistant was going to be taken away. You remembered how you had to search high and low to find her because your brothers were too lazy to send over their recommendations.

You were going to lose everything whether you liked it or not so you slammed the door shut on your way out as a response.

-•-•-

A good businesswoman is prepared for any situation. It all starts with research. If you were going to marry him for your family’s benefit, you might as well approach it like it is- a business deal.

So there you were, in your penthouse’s main bedroom, laptop on the bed, as you sat crisscrossed with a glass of wine in your left hand. You were going to collect as much information about him as possible. Sure, you could always get a private investigator but who’s to say that a powerful man like that wouldn’t find out.

An hour passed, not a lot of information collected besides finding out which private school he went to and that he did his MBA in the US.

Another hour passed and you were able to find out about the donations he made to a school in the countryside.

It’s almost like all the news out there is just a giant collection of his achievements. Theres no mentions of his personality.

How could no one in Tokyo know what Nanami Kento is like? You knew almost nothing about him besides that he’s good at corporate politics and has a lot of money. All you had for your research material was a lousy GQ magazine interview where he blocked every question about his personal life by talking about his company instead. Wikipedia says that he was raised by his grandfather. Maybe he was a wild child that partied a lot and his history had been wiped clean before he took over NK Enterprises

How can a person be so well known yet so mysterious. And all the socialites that have been rumored to be involved with him have called him one word and one word only- boring.

[hotdaemondtargaryen]

TOM GLYNN-CARNEY INTERVIEWED BY VANITY FAIR MAGAZINE.

KING AEGON COULD BE A VERY ONE-NOTE VILLAIN CHARACTER, BUT IN YOUR HANDS IS NOT. HOW DID YOU APPROACH CALIBRATING AEGON?

"I think anybody who has the darker side to them as the more prominent side — the side that people see first —there’s always a reason for that."

"I dug into that and found a lot of his boyish vulnerability, insecurities, and self-hatred — stuff that he’d been drip-fed his entire life."

"He wasn’t even a spare, you know? He was just completely ignored."

"He was invisible to most people, which is why he behaved in such a way — to numb himself."

But also to say: "Hey, I’m here as well."

"Any attention was good attention for Aegon."

"I find him less of a villain and more of a tragic case."

CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY AEGON DECIDED TO FLY TO ROOK'S REST AT ALL?

"It was that moment — well, it’s an accumulation of moments — but that one in particular where Alicent says, 'Do exactly what is required of you: nothing'."

"That was the final dagger in the heart."

"A real cold reminder that he really is seen as being useless."

"A pawn for Alicent and Otto [Rhys Ifans] to use as a puppet."

"But at the end of the day, the law of the land states that he’s the monarch."

"He’s the king."

"He’s the person to call the shots."

"And no one’s gonna fucking stop him from getting on that dragon if he wants to."

"So he got absolutely obliterated drunk and thought, I’m gonna show them."

WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE LIKE SHOOTING THE BIG DRAGON FIGHT SCENE?

"Cool, man."

"It’s kind of a little boy’s dream."

"It’s just something that you think of when you’re a child as being the coolest thing in the world."

"And it really was."

"They basically build a screen around you so you know where to look: what’s expected, what’s coming at you, what’s leaving you."

"Your entire perspective is quite clear."

"And then amongst that, you’re clad in all this armor that has been expertly crafted by some amazing workmanship."

"But then again, you’re crouched over this big saddle, strapped in, feeling like you can’t move."

"That crane has really got a lot of work to do to make it look like you’re moving."

AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON, AEGON SAYS THAT AEMOND IS HIS CLOSEST CONFIDANT, AND BY EPISODE FOUR, AEMOND HAS BASICALLY TRIED TO KILL HIM. WHERE DO THEY STAND NOW? AND WHAT'S YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH EWAN MITCHELL, WHO PLAYS AEMOND?

"Oh, Aegon and Aemond’s relationship is very different to Tom and Ewan’s relationship."

"Let’s put that out there." [laughs]

"Look, that is sibling rivalry on a very intense scale, isn’t it? It’s the flip of the switch that can happen when somebody feels pushed out or somebody feels like there’s been injustice."

"I always felt like Aemond saw himself being in that position of power and dealing with it better than Aegon would deal with it."

"But then again, his birth certificate states otherwise."

"It was bound to happen at some point, wasn’t it?"

WAS THERE A PARTICULAR SCENE THAT YOU FELT EXTRA CHALLENGED BY OR INVIGORATED BY?

"He’s never in the same frame of mind twice in one day."

"He’s all over the place."

"Keeping up with his erratic mood swings was the hard part, and was this thing that I was having to stay really focused on."

"There wasn’t particularly one scene that I thought, Oh God, not this one, because all of them are challenging in different ways."

"Even the ones where he’s still and more focused are difficult, because you’ve got that sort of inner Aegon rhythm that is rapid."

"It’s very different to mine."

"It’s maintaining that, but still keeping the tension of the scene."

"I relished the opportunity to play someone with such range and creative potential from an acting point of view."

OLIVIA COOKE, WHO PLAYS ALICENT, HAS NOTED THAT YOU TWO ARE NOT VERY FAR APART IN AGE AT ALL, AND YET ARE PLAYING MOTHER AND SON. HOW DID YOU GUYS WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE THAT FILIAL DYNAMIC?

"Every scene that I’ve had with Olivia, there is never a moment that isn’t filled."

"Everything is just so complex and deeply entrenched in her."

"She means everything she says."

"It’s a rare skill to have."

"As an actor, she has that in truckloads."

"It’s a gift to be able to work with her, to play her son."

"Yeah, [it’s] hilarious."

"She’s only a year older than me."

"I think we manage it because we get on so well."

"We’re pals as well, you know."

"I love Olivia to bits."

"Trust her wholeheartedly."

"We have a laugh. We don’t take it too seriously."

"We have common ground on that."

"But then in the moments where the work is happening, it’s all we care about."

"We care immensely."

"It’s one of those things where in the downtime, after we wrap, we can go for a drink."

"We can have a laugh."

"We connect on a personal level as well as a professional level."

"I think that’s what sort of breeds a healthy and believable performance thing relationship-wise."

THERE'S AN AMUSING SCENE WHERE AEGON IS SITTING AROUND WITH THE LADS AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT HIS SOBRIQUET SHOULD BE. SHOULD HE BE 'AEGON THE BRAVE,' 'AEGON THE WHATEVER,' ETC. WHAT DO YOU THINK HE SHOULD BE CALLED?

"Aegon Toast, probably."

[2rats1gogh]

I know people have this fantasy that Helaena would marry some Stark, Tully or Tyrell but a fantasy is truly what it is.

If she married Aegon or not, Helaena was never going anywhere. She claimed one of the biggest dragons in the world as a child, a female dragon who has laid eggs. Her only choices were always going to be one of her brothers or her nephews HAD THEY NOT been bastards. Or maybe it would have been a Hightower cousin, or one of Corlys Velaryon’s nephews but whoever her husband was, he was never going to be the Warden of anything or the Lord of his own castle. Helaena was never going to leave Kingslanding.

Alicent may have wanted her daughter close to her to protect her because of Helaena’s nature and because of her own experiences as a child bride but Viserys (who doesn’t know Helaena or give a damn about her personally) was definitely not marrying Helaena out to someone powerful and putting more trueborn obstacles in Rhaenyra’s way when he already had 3 trueborn Valyrian looking sons who would marry someday.

Targaryen daughters may marry out for a generation but their child is expected to marry back in. Daella was married into house Arryn but Aemma was married back in. Also to note that Daella was a second wife and her husband already had heirs, Visarra had she not died would have been married to a Lord who had already married several times and had already had heirs. Their sons would hold no lands, raise no armies full of vassal houses of their own. Rhaenys’s mother married into House Targaryen and Rhaenys married into house Velaryon and gave house Velaryon 2 more dragon riders in addition to herself. Thats why bringing her line back into the family was an important issue for the Targaryens. Helaena- a Dragon rider who could be fertile as her mother in her early years- would’ve given a non Valyrian house Valyrian blood and more potential Dragon riders.

Say Helaena marries an inheriting son of some Lord Paramount. Let’s give her 2 future Dragon riders and possibly a third as Maelor was too young when he was murdered at Rhaenyra’s request. This is 4 Dragons to whichever house she married into. These 4 dragons have an entire army behind them. They have legitimacy. What if her husband and father in law decide that the throne should be her son’s (like Rhaenys attempted to secure it on behalf of Laenor at the Great council) because Rhaenyra committed treason, sons are bastards and by law they can’t inherit anything (it’s high time we acknowledge that Rhaenyra, Laenor, Harwin, Viserys and Corlys were all breaking the law or complicit in the breaking of it.)

Team Black would hate Helaena Lady of house Stark/Tyrell/Tully/Lannister/Martell with a husband and a supportive extended family to back her because she would always choose her family over Rhaenyra’s like she does in canon.

So people need to stop blaming Alicent for this and realize that Helaena’s options were very limited and remember that in this world it’s normally a Father’s job to organize their daughter’s betrothals. HOTD seems to have thrown this piece of Lore out of the window in favor of trying to make Alicent look like a villain and for stupid scenes like Rhaenyra proposing the betrothal of the twins to their Grandmother instead of their father that she’s married to and lives with.

Literally this.

I never understood why it was so difficult for people to understand why Alicent decided to marry Helaena to Aegon. It always made sense to me personally. There are two main reasons to this:

a) Helaena is a very vulnerable girl, more vulnerable than anyone. By marrying her to Aegon, Alicent keeps her close to herself, in KL, where no one could hurt her.

b) Helaena as a dragonrider is very valuable. If she marries to some remote lord and then they pledge allegiance to Rhaenyra for whatever reason, TG is fucked and they lose a dragon. They need Dreamfyre if they want to win this war.

Helaena also couldn’t marry Jace or any other of Rhaenyra’s bastards, for a very simple reason. They are literally bastards and everyone knows it, and she would’ve become a hostage during the Dance. Also, the realm most likely would never accept Jace as a king, because no matter how kind and nice he is, he is still a bastard and that would cause a lot for problems.

[tossawary]

Okay, we finished "Kung Fu Panda 4" and I didn't like it. It was, at best, "okay" to me. It felt visually underwhelming, emotionally shallow, and the world it presented felt underwritten. There are bones of character arcs there that are... fine... but the actual execution felt hasty and unearned, with little sense of real danger or stakes, and they kept stomping on potential emotional depth by defaulting to jokes all the time instead of balancing that with quiet contemplation or real angst sometimes. It felt like a series of disconnected, television-quality, jokey romps.

Like, a lot of the fights in KFP1 were great because they were 1) visually stunning, 2) with real stakes and danger, and 3) serious emotional relevance. Tai Lung's escape sequence from his underground prison shows off how deadly and clever he is, building dread over the fact that he's coming for Shifu and Po. Tai Lung versus the Furious Five is Shifu's old student versus the new ones, on a precarious rope bridge, showing off how deadly and clever both sides are. (BOTH Tigress and Tai Lung are not happy Po has been chosen as the Dragon Warrior instead of them.) Tai Lung versus Shifu is rife with personal history and pain on both sides, as they tear into the Jade Palace during a thunderstorm. Tai Lung versus Po is more humorous, but it feels like relief after all that previous stress, and Po gets to show off everything he's learned physically and how he's grown emotionally.

In KFP4, the most visually interesting fight to me was when Po had fallen through the floor after the first Chameleon confirmation, so he was fighting the lizard guards in a dust cloud of inky silhouettes. It was visually different and could have presented a creative challenge with decreased visuals for Po, but it barely lasted a minute.

And none of the fights felt particularly emotionally compelling to me; a lot of them were very jokey and didn't have interesting stakes. The Chameleon is so painfully underdeveloped as a character and has no interesting emotional connection to Po. She DOES have an emotional connection to Zhen the fox, who I also felt was not well-developed, but that relationship also felt underdeveloped and without compelling emotional stakes to me, so their final confrontation didn't feel particularly satisfying. It didn't dig into the pain the same way confrontations with villains like Tai Lung and Lord Shen did.

It didn't feel like Po grew as a person at all. He didn't want to choose a replacement and then he changed his mind, but... I felt like we didn't dig into his resistance. I liked how emotionally vulnerable and also emotionally enduring Po has been in previous films, and I don't feel like we really got to see him open up and connect to Zhen properly.

Also, Po and Zhen felt like they were the same age, so... why is she a good replacement? Po didn't feel like the teacher between them. If there's a theme of "having achieved your goals, it is time to cultivate the next generation", I don't think the movie did it well. I think it would have been improved by the small change of making Zhen a child, obvious in both appearance and personality, very skilled in her own way but prone to making bad decisions and stuck in a bad situation. More vulnerable. More in need of guidance and support via Po's hard-won experiences. (Awkwafina does not make me think "child" or "youth"; her voice makes me think: "That is a grown ass woman.")

I think the movie would have been much more interesting if it had been about Po taking on his own students and struggling to be a teacher, with the different approaches needed for different children. (Movie Trailer Voice: "The Dragon Warrior takes on his greatest challenge yet..." Switch to Po's shocked face as he says: "Teaching?!") Frankly, it's a little weird that the Jade Palace doesn't have any younger disciples at this point anyway. I have vague memories of Po teaching the other pandas to fight in KFP3, but they were motivated by protecting themselves from an active threat, so it would be different.

Like, the first KFP movie came out in 2008. It has been a WHILE. Po is getting older. He's completed the arc of becoming the Dragon Warrior and Master of the Valley of Peace in the initial trilogy, sooooo... he SHOULD be looking forward.

We could open the movie with Po in some fight or another. It's cool. It's badass. Po is having a good time. Po saves the day and the local villagers, defeats the bad guy, and then at the very end... he gets a crick in his back from a relatively innocuous movement. Ow. He signs autographs for the crowd while holding himself at an awkward angle and trying to hide his injury.

Po then goes to the restaurant opening as he does in the movie. He helps open it while trying to hide the crick in his back. Both of his dads are there and concerned for him. One of them could whip out some funky "traditional" remedy for comedy purposes and Po is like, "Ugh, Dad, not again!" (This is a problem Po has dealt with before.)

Both of Po's dads should be visually older. Panda dad could have a cane now. Goose dad is still running around for his restaurant, but he's slower than he used to be and his eyes aren't so good anymore.

Goose dad has perhaps even hired a couple new cooks and servers for his newly renovated, larger restaurant. Things are changing. He needs the help. Po is too busy with martial arts. Goose dad is obviously struggling trying to teach and manage his new employees; one of the young cooks doesn't get Goose dad's explanations and Goose dad is frequently telling one of the young servers to stop playing with [object that is not a phone but is definitely standing in for a phone to the modern audience].

Po isn't surprised by this (he's obviously discussed it with his dad beforehand), but it's obvious that he feels both fondly for his Goose dad and a little sad that he's kind of been replaced. His face has a conflicted smile. He can even confide in Panda dad about this.

Or, perhaps Master Shifu is here! Master Shifu has come to the restaurant opening because he is friendly-ish with both of Po's fathers and enjoys the food. Perhaps it is implied that Shifu has come here with Po before. Shifu is by this point very used to Po's antics as the Dragon Warrior, and while he disapproves of the autographs for adoring fans on principle, he thinks such arrogance and fawning is dangerous, he by now trusts that Po's heart is in the right place and knows that Po will always put the Valley of Peace first.

Po is jump-scared by Master Shifu sitting beside him casually eating noodles. Shifu is relaxing a LITTLE into semi-retirement and also enjoys scaring Po like that. "I was here when you sat down," Shifu says calmly, and it is clear he's messing with Po. (Shifu is also visually a little older.)

Lines are exchanged which indicate their affection for each other (they've come so far!) and some of Shifu's opinions listed above. Shifu calls Po out for badly hiding an injury. Po whines about how this didn't used to happen so often. Shifu says some wise proverb about aging that Po doesn't process immediately, then Shifu translates bluntly, "You're getting older, Po, it happens."

Po whines a little bit. He gets dramatic and has some miniature crisis because he still feels young and childish at heart. There's a joke sequence where we zoom into Po's mind, perhaps with a different style of animation, as Po imagines fighting battles against bandits as an elderly panda with a long beard and a walker. Perhaps it could even be a diverging reimagining of his opening dream sequence from KFP1. He's still kicking ass somehow, there's just a bunch of jokes about the annoying parts of getting older. (The elderly Furious Five didn't show up because they fell asleep in the middle of the day or something.)

Po is snapped out of his daydream by something. Maybe one of the new servers dropped a stack of bowls, there's a loud CRASH. Shifu could be just sitting there calmly, eating, patiently waiting for Po to get back from his dramatic crisis daydream. Shifu is used to that by now.

Po is like, "Master Shifu, you're super old, right?" Shifu, unimpressed, says nothing. Po begs him for the secrets of kicking ass while being old and fragile. Shifu has some blunt, old-school badass response about pushing through the pain. And maybe Po is like, "Yeah, that's what a real warrior would do!" And then he reached for his chopsticks and somehow pulls at the crick again. Ow.

Shifu softens and says that Po has been the Dragon Warrior and a Master for some time now, he has learned a great many things, done a great many impressive deeds, and it is time that Po take the next step towards true mastery. He must take students.

Po reacts with incredulous surprise.

Cut forward. On the way back to the Jade Palace, Po is complaining to Shifu about how he still feels like a student most of the time. Shifu counters that Po taught the other pandas how to protect themselves. Po says that that was a special case.

And maybe Po is a little nervous about change, but the thing is...? I feel like Po would be REALLY excited to have his own students once he settled into the idea a little. Po is a kung fu nerd. Po should know a lot about famous master-student pairs. Po is also maybe a little lonely with the Furious Five gone. (Allegedly, the studio was not keen about the cost of hiring Angelina Jolie back for even a few lines as Tigress.) Po loves learning about kung fu and sharing his love for kung fu!!! I would love to see a character honestly THRILLED for this next stage in their life.

Po should be EXCITED to train his own "Furious Five"! He loves them! He loves that stuff! He wants his own team!

Po and Shifu get back to the Jade Palace and it turns out that Shifu (being the all-knowing control freak that he is) has apparently already selected three new children to be Po's first students. Shifu has chilled a bit but still loves planning his students' lives for them.

(The other benefit to this is that we don't have to waste valuable screen time finding these students. We can learn about the backstories as the movie goes on, but we can for now go straight into Po bonding with these new characters and struggling with meeting their individual needs.)

(I know that Universal allegedly set a strict limit on the length of the movie, because they felt like kids wouldn't be able to pay attention to a long one, and also shorter movies allow for more screenings in a day and also more money.)

Po is excited to share kung fu with these new disciples, but he gets tripped up by the fact that each of these three kids has their own personality quirks and learning styles. They have their own skills. They have their own flaws and vulnerabilities. (One of them could even be connected to the main villain of this movie somehow. A "traitor" stuck in a bad situation.) They don't always get along with each other; they're each vying for Po's attention. (Maybe one of them actually wanted to be taught by Tigress and is grumpy about getting Po.)

Po tries to cook a great meal for them to share together and he can't even get that right on the first try; the kids all have conflicting likes and dislikes. One of them doesn't like dumplings at all! The horror!

Po: "What's wrong, buddy? You're not eating your food..."

10-year-old Student (whose family was killed by the movie's villain): "The only thing that I'm hungry for... is VENGEANCE."

*lightning flashes in the background outside the window and everything*

Po: "...Okay, I love the energy, but that's not on the menu right now. We have tofu."

Student: "...I don't like tofu."

Teaching presents the opportunity for Po to mishandle various situations. He might accidentally upset all three of the kids in different ways. He might feel a little resentful that Shifu shoved him into this without warning and is barely helping. He starts to get stressed when a new mysterious villain shows up in the Valley of Peace and he has to handle that AND three struggling children at the same time. Maybe he gets a little snappish when the kids don't listen to him in a dangerous situation.

And I think Po would feel especially badly about this because of how he has been occasionally failed by each of his father figures. His goose dad discouraged him from following his dreams and has been jealous regarding Po's birth family. Shifu was an ASSHOLE to Po at first. His panda dad was tragically absent and their relationship is sometimes a little awkward. Po thought that his bad experiences would have made him automatically good at this, because he knew how to be better, but it feels like he's doing even worse.

Po and Shifu could have a great heart-to-heart over this, where Shifu ends up (indirectly perhaps) apologizing for springing this on Po, but insists that Po is already doing better than him and that he did it because he knew Po would be a great teacher. Shifu could also pledge to help a little more, Po need only ask. He doesn't have to do it alone.

(I thought that Po's dads in KFP4 didn't have a good storyline. They were overly comedic in a film that already had enough comedy on Po's side of things, and I didn't think that the attempts at emotion near the end landed. They didn't have a compelling role in the film. And Shifu was basically absent from the movie. It's possible to just hire different actors if the originals are too expensive, isn't it?)

Vulnerable students would bring serious stakes back into the fights. Po in KFP4 was essentially unbeatable, with little to fear in almost any situation he entered, because he can handle himself even against dozens of enemies by this point. But his students cannot do that! He would have to protect them! And if there's two or three of them, then he can't easily protect all of them at once. One of them could get injured in some fight to up the stakes for Po.

I don't have anything more concrete from here, because that would involve creating proper student OCs for Po and working out how their arcs would mesh with the Chameleon or another villain. I like the idea of one student secretly working with the Chameleon as per the actual movie. Perhaps another student could have actually lost their family or their home because of the Chameleon, which later puts this student in greater emotional conflict with the "traitor" student.

It's just... if the idea was to challenge Po and have him grow as a person, I don't think they achieved that effectively. He felt a little flat to me. Overly naive and condescending. I was not compelled by his relationship with Zhen, which felt a little shallow, without good chemistry, and like it was happening more between equals than someone Po could really teach. A trio of new students or something like that would have breathed even greater new life back into the franchise.

Hmmm... anything else to say... The people I was watching it with and I picked a bunch of nitpicky holes into the plotting and world building. Nothing super duper egregious. Just a lot of things that didn't add up well or could have been tweaked. (Why were the names "Steve" and "Scott" used in this movie??? It's a joke, but it's not a very funny joke, and it feels representative of a larger lack of attention to detail. It's a shallow joke at the expense of the cohesion of the world and now I'm distractedly confused as to when Western elements were established in this film franchise. Surely there was a Chinese pun to be made there that didn't have to appeal to anglophone audiences???)

I was not impressed by the "and then everyone clapped" ending where all the spirit villains told Po that he was cool. It felt like it was undermining previous storylines to have all of them find their inner peace and not try something. Like, uh, the 3rd movie starts with Kai having been imprisoned in the spirit realm for a long time and busting out because he's still a jerk, so even if Kai has magically chilled now, why are ALL of them in peaceful agreement? I would have thought Tai Lung and Shen and Kai would all fucking hate each other. This is taking off their nasty edges without having earned that development.

I feel like I just watched someone miss the obvious turn because they decided that going another direction would be "more fun" or "better" somehow, but it was not. Just take the obvious turn and give Po his own "Furious Three" kid students! (They're workshopping the name.)

[ahllohehn]

Hello! This is an opportunity for you to yap about ANYTHING you wanted to. That's it, use it however you'd like :D

Post about my Scarian Fashionista AU that I absolutely doubt I'll finish so have my draft notes of my plans before I completely gave up;

“Too common.”

“The design is tacky.”

“Now it’s too simple.”

“Grian, dear, are you even trying at this point?”

“Enough with this. If all your designs are just gonna look like this, I’d rather you already leave and reflect on this.”

Grian flinched as he watched the office door slam on his face, leaving him to glare at nothing but polished wood as he trembled frustratingly in place. 

When he had signed up for a course on Fashion Design, he thought he had been overqualified for the course. After all, he already had plenty of experience in regards to fashion, so he thought that all he needed was to push through and just let his passions and ideas roam free then he’d get his degree easy peasy.

Too bad that reality is often disappointing, and often likes to humble him offensively.

Grian grit his teeth and was about to kick down his professor’s door until a voice piped up and dragged him away before he could create some long time regrets, “Woah there, buddy. Getting a lil’ too heated there, yeah?”

Pearl giggled as she held the shorter man down by his shoulders, disallowing him any opportunities of kicking down the door and potentially murdering their professor.

The future murderer squirmed under her hold for a while before begrudgingly setting his foot down, “I wouldn’t be like this if they weren’t so– so! Urgh!”

The rest of his words were lost as his emotions took over any sort of coherent thought, only having enough awareness to express his frustrations by groaning and whining. He waved his clenched fists and stomped his feet on the carpeted floor like a child throwing a tantrum.

With how he was acting, any student could mistake him for some short freshman first realizing the cruelty of college life. Fortunately, Pearl wasn’t any student and saved him the embarrassment of having to be compared to younger students.

“I know, I know. But if you were gonna get kicked out from university, I’d rather you get kicked out with an honorable reason,” she patted Grian’s back comfortingly, “And murdering a professor because you had a disagreement on some concept designs is not an honorable reason. It would be embarrassing, actually.”

Grian puffed up his cheeks and took a deep breath, steeling himself as he quickly turned on his heel to start brisk walking to a random direction, “Walk,” he announced vaguely, but Pearl was quick to understand and she followed after the other at a slower pace.

Clearly, this wasn’t their first time being in this kind of situation. In a world where standards heighten with every year, every decade, and every fad and trends, designers like them need to get ready for all kinds of heavy rejection, criticism, and judgment. Same can be said for any person who studied and worked under anything visual.

Hopes and dreams were meant to stay as hopes and dreams.

If you even attempt to express those to the world without having the bravery to back it up, it would inevitably face destruction in the hands of the high expectations of the public, and soon enough you’d be left with nothing but an empty shell that has sacrificed it all because they believe in passion over standards.

To battle the frustrations and heavy emotions that came as a result from these sacrifices, Grian and Pearl have learned to make a habit of doing simple things like strolls and walks. Because if you physically tire yourself out, then you wouldn’t have the energy to even impulsively think of rebelling against the norms of society. 

And also because walks are nice. The campus gave them a lot of space to explore, so why not use it, right?

The pair found themselves strolling the halls of the building with Grian leading and Pearl calmly following behind. She didn’t make any attempts to catch up and walk beside the man because one cannot simply match an angry Grian’s pace. The shorter man had so much adrenaline from months upon months of suppressed anger that it was simply impossible to even walk with him properly without getting sore legs the next hour. 

Pearl could only thank whatever god is above for making Grian as loud as he is, “Too common, too tacky– Her face looks too common and her personality is too tacky!” now starts Grian’s monthly ranting session.

“When I try to follow the current trends, she says the design is too overused and plain. But when I try to actually make something unique, she thinks it’s too ambitious and gaudy! It’s like she’s never happy!”

The brunette behind him snorted, “Maybe she wants an equilibrium? Something that’s just right?” she offered, to which her friend rolled his eyes.

“Something just right? Who is she? Freakin’ Goldilocks?!” Grian screeched and ruffled his own hair in distress, slowing down a few steps as he kicked his feet in anger.

Although this kind of reaction would probably gain him some few worried looks, Pearl herself was already too used to this scene and she simply giggled in response, “Maybe she is, you never know.”

Grian sighed out a groan and crossed his arms. His energy slowly simmered down as he eventually slowed down enough to be walking beside Pearl, “How are you so calm about this? I would’ve thought you’d be angry walking with me, but instead you’re just…. Well, walking.”

Pearl grinned wide and puffed up her chest proudly, “Well, contrary to my experiences for the past few terms, things are actually looking up for me!” Grian raised an eyebrow at this, squinting his eyes at the other with either a suspicious look or a look of envy. Probably both.

He tried to act nonchalant about it, like he’s totally not yearning to say the same thing for himself, “All because you’ve got some inspiration, huh?” His question had a teasing edge, making Pearl bashfully laugh.

“Some is undermining it. Gem has been a great source of inspiration. It’s like I’m being spoon fed a new idea everyday,” Pearl boasted enthusiastically that even Grian couldn’t help but flash a smile, “Huh, good for you then. It’s nice that you’ve atleast rekindled any sort of happiness that Professor Goldilocks may have burnt out,” he snorted.

Silence settled for a while with Pearl glancing at Grian like she was trying to figure out what to say to him. She only finally spoke up what was brewing on her mind when he acknowledged her gaze with a tilt of his head.

“Why not get a muse of your own?”

Grian’s face scrunched up at that question, “Of my own?”

“Yeah.”

Grian gave it a thought and he shook his head, “With how I am? I’m better off continuing to do things alone,” he grumbled. 

He was already used to coming up with inspirations for himself on the spot. Because, unlike now, he was actually pretty passion-driven before, fueled with nothing but the dreams he’s held onto since he was young. It’s only unfortunate that he ran out of it because his professor was discouraging and hated everything he came up with, so he started living on thinking that everything he’s doing is inadequate, that he needs to improve his thinking before he could improve himself. It was a ‘he’ problem that he is more than capable of handling alone.

At least, that’s what he’s been persuading himself to think. But the more he thought about the idea of having a muse, the more appealing it sounded. 

Or maybe that was his loneliness speaking.

While Grian was having inner conflicts within himself, Pearl continued to spit out encouraging words herself, “I mean, it’s not like it won’t be worth it,” she nudged the shorter man with an elbow to gain his attention back to her, “We’d need to gather models for our finals anyway.”

The blonde blinked in confusion, “Finals?”

Pearl gave him a weird look, “Our finals, Grian. The one where we’d have to get models to personally show off our designs by the end of the term.”

His expression froze along with his thought process as his brain began to file through any memory regarding his final project.

When he did finally register everything, Grian stopped in his steps to facepalm with both hands, letting out his nth muffled groan that same hour, “I… actually forgot,” he admitted with a whine before releasing his face and staring at Pearl in panic.

The end of the term fashion show. It sounded so ridiculous that it completely slipped Grian’s mind that it would actually be a contributing factor to his grades.

“Where am I even gonna get a muse, much less a model?!” He squeaked out, now resorting to pacing around the empty hallway in circles with his hands tugging on his own locks in distress.

Pearl stood to the side and  couldn't even get a word in before Grian continued on with his monologue of panic, “I can’t just– Kneel and reach out for the sky and pray some god would hear my prayers!” He sounded manic.

The blonde stopped to stand at the ceiling to floor windows that decorated one side of the hallway, gesturing towards the sky through the said window in front of him, “Like, they can’t just drop down a beautiful being out of nowhere!”

As soon as he said that, his dark eyes looked down from the sky and unconsciously magnetized towards a figure outside on campus grounds, seemingly on the lookout for something.

Not that Grian was curious to know anything about what said figure was trying to do. All he knew at that moment was that they.... (I didn't finish this. Just imagine Scar just appeared lol)

[piinkgore]

Mother knows best

Moira as a mother figure headcanons as requested here

warnings: sfw, gn!reader, language, angst, toxic mother and child relationships, maybe a bit of narcissistic mother eeecckk

Moira is not motherly in any sense. Ambitious is one way of describing her, cruel is another, and both of them are perfectly fitting

So here’s what she saw in you: potential, nothing else

An experiment to exploit the limits, a little naive specimen for her to test on; the craving for humanity evolution never fading

And there you were, foolish enough to mistake her care for her project as if she was caring for you

She could’ve nicknamed you her “bunny” if she was ever affectionate… but damn she wasn’t

The said bunny parallels, to begin with, were never meant to be cute, but to show how fragile you are, how easy and volatile to manipulate, discardable and replaceable if it ever went wrong

In her arms, you could delude yourself with a warm feeling of protection while being pushed closer and closer to danger

Still, you’d do anything for that woman’s love, even if it was only a simulacrum of it: a small, forged portion crafted especially to deceive you 

And with time, you have it. Not love as it was supposed to be, but a twisted form of it. One that didn’t not come with any nurturing, care or whatever

Her love wasn’t based truly on who you are, but on how you behaved towards her and what you meant to her projects

You were innocent, desperate, willing to do anything she told you to, no matter if it would be risky to your goddamn life. Who wouldn't risk their necks on the behalf of their mothers, at last?

And what did you ever ask in return? A pathetic emotion to fulfill your need for affection.

Hell, you’re an easy one to love, actually

How can someone not when a being is utterly devoted to every single want of theirs? A perfect doll to toy with, tossing from one side to the other, just because you feel like doing it; no other reason in particular

And the delight of having someone in such a way

A puppeteer pulling the strings of a marionette, guiding their every move. That would be the perfect description of your relationship, tiptoeing between the lines of power and devotion, poison and corruption… 

Now, what is love when it’s sick and infected with egoism? Possessiveness.

Moira doesn’t see you as her child, but if you like to see yourself as such, she’s not protesting. She does adore the idea of having you to herself; more of something than someone

Not in a romantic way, for sure. She couldn’t care less for such frivolities. But she played the part of your mother, your protector, even your mentor sometimes

And acted liked you were in fucking debt with her for it, when the efforts to give are all yours while she takes, and takes again, until there’s nothing but an empty vessel crawling to her 

Oh, and if you ever tried to do something not according to her expectations… or even to speak for yourself, to question her actions, her emotions (or the lack of them) 

Inadmissible.

“I’m your mother, remember?” despite the cutting tone to her voice, she would still come closer, cupping your face with a reassembly of affection. But Moira’s grip is too tight, too demanding. She always wants you staring right into her eyes, the windows of the soul. Sometimes, you could only sense a chilling cold of nothingness. “Don’t you think I know what’s best for you? For your safety?”

“The best”. Meaning she would lock you inside her lab and run exhaustive tests, one after another. If you succeed, you would mean the world to her for the next couple of weeks, but if you don’t… 

Whenever you grow tired of her, her experiments, her constant search for a cure to herself, even if it means dooming you, it’s like she can smell your discontentment; an animal who can sense fear longing in the air before they strike

“Who else will be there for you if not me?” her hands cradle your face, your shoulders… your neck. A gentle menace. “Why would you doubt my good will after everything I did to you?”

Maybe that’s why. The damn everything

"Stop thinking of such nonsense," the hint of annoyance would be enough to make you shiver. But instead, she throws you to the same old loop: doubting yourself. "I would never do anything to harm you in purpose."

Every word pouring out of her mouth is pure poison, you know it; she knows it

But you can’t fight: nor her, nor the tears that will eventually flood from your eyes as you rest your head against Moira’s shoulder and cry helplessly, clinging to her lab coat as every sob means a violent tremble of your body

After all, you only have her… 

[danadiadea]

To that extraordinarily rude poster who told you to take the stick out of your ass for quite reasonably pointing out that perhaps we shouldn’t ascribe sexual motivations to a 9 year old child looking ‘hungrily’ at another child…

Pre-pubescent kids can have innocent crushes, obviously. But *sexualised* behaviour (which the word ‘hungrily’ interpreted in a romantic context has undeniable connotations of) in children that young is the glaring giveaway sign of CSA. Maybe that poster should reflect on whether they think JKR intended to convey that about the abuse of young Snape, and if so, what that says about how the narrative and fandom condemns him for being ‘creepy’ in his hunger and valorises the Marauders who are then guilty of further assaulting a survivor and Lily who is complicit in that? Somehow, I don’t think JKR was getting at that as opposed to trying to convey the depths of baby Snape’s loneliness.

I’m someone who thinks he did have romantic feelings for her as a teenager. But there’s an obvious reason why JKR wrote them as a pre-pubescent friendship instead of writing them as meeting at school. And it’s to make it clear that sexual/romantic feelings, while part of it, are not the deepest root of the Snily relationship. She’s the Ron to his Harry (except, unfortunately for Severus, infinitely less loving and loyal than the Weasley king), the very first friend a neglected boy ever has and who he will therefore forgive anything and do anything for.

Didn't want to keep going on that because the OP indicated they are not comfortable with their post getting dragged so far away from the original topic, and I don't see the point in chatting with some mentioned people who find it acceptable to call others bitches, but on that matter:

Sev isn't ever looking "hungrily" at Lily. His look is described as "greedy" twice – once from the bushes when he hadn't approached her yet, and then when they chat about Magical world, with Harry noting he looks at her "as greedily as on the playground", specifically after he said she had "loads of Magic". I don't know how do people interpret it romantically (and sexually, because I agree that both words "hungrily" and "greedily" clearly imply sexualised subtext in romantic context, and that's basically a thing that had irked me). Severus is a child who sees a happy, healthy, cared for, joyful girl, playing and doing Magic freely. The one like him, the one who could understand him and appreciate him for telling her more about the Magical world. Obviously, Muggle kids wouldn't accept a weird boy who yapps about some made-up stuff for freaks, wears a girls blouse and doesn't fit among "brawny" working class boys – and Severus would naturally scoff at them back and hold on his magic as a source of pride and potential escape. Severus' parents don't even care enough to cut his hair properly, and find him a normal sencond hand clothes – worn, but his, not the wrong size and not a mockery material. And he sees a piece of his escape being right there, mere meters away – flying, laughing. Of course Severus would be mersmerised. Of course he would be greedy and hungry and longing – for someone to see him, to believe him, to validate him, someone special whom he could suggest something special in return. He doesn't even know her as a person! She's a concept, a perfect magical slate to project Severus' wishes onto. How is that Severus "greedily wanting Lily as in a human being Lily Evans in a romantic way"?.....

I am normally for platonic Snily (I love the HC of Severus loving Lily platonically but identifying his love as romantic himself, because he struggles to see the difference with his lack of experience in positive connections tho. I find a line between platonic and romantic attraction rather blurry and sometimes unnecessary, but imagining Snily in a long-term romantic relationship never works in my head, neither does Severus wanting Lily sexually, and I don't think he understood her good enough to love her and not something he made out of her in his head (both platonically and romantically)), but I am never opposing people who are in for romantic Snily, and I think it is a more canon compliant interpretation since it is intended by the author. My problem is with interpreting the behaviour of a child in a way unnatural for children. Like if Severus made her a stupid romantic poem about eyes like pickled toads, I'd agree he had a childhood crush, but we don't really get any of those adult mimicking, cutesy behaviours in Snily (how many affection did Severus even see to automatically replicate it?)

You should genuinely stop giving me headcanons of Severus as a CSA survivor, tho, because I am prone to writing some absolute whump shit sometimes.

(Also, unfortunately for Severus, she was in the opposing Hogwarts House. How the train meeting of Harry, Ron, Draco and CrabbeGoyle mirrors the meeting of Lily, Severus, James and Sirius, but Harry and Ron end up opposing Draco and CrabbeGoyle, when Severus alone ends up opposing Lily, James and Sirius, will never not be tragic)

[reddesires]

RUINS.

Chapter 1: What Are The Chances?

Pairing: Noa x Human!Reader

Rating: No Warnings.

Summary: Could there be a world that would be accepting of kinship between an ape and a human? It's only by chance that you came across him, an ape who craves more of the outside world beyond his clans borders. Will there be common ground, or will your past prevent you from making the same mistakes?

A/N: *whispers* is tensions rising? I think it is! Sunset Trio, my babies fr fr 🤧 I promise it's gonna start getting good, I'm just building up the rhythm of the story, I'm looking to add depth to the Reader by giving a back story and such. I really do have some good tropes I'm gonna be adding to this story! Eek, I'm so excited!

Noa, Soona, and Anaya were strictly forbidden on ever approaching the ruins by the Elders, Noa abided by their laws with obstinate obedience, there was no reason to stray from the laws he was taught since he was a child, he was the son of the Master of birds, there was a different standard he had to uphold of himself, the need to impress his father since he was young overshadowing his every action throughout most of his life.

Now that he's seen the outside world for what it is and learning what it takes to be the leader that he could potentially be, he wants to learn all there is about this world that lay beyond the clan’s lands, meeting both Raka and Mae has drastically changed his perspective on the life they could conceivably have, building the village up with his comprehensive knowledge.

He wandered through these ruined structures, on a mission to bring his people back home but now as he stands before the crumbling formations, he takes in just how massive they are and wonders of the history it holds in its stone walls, just how much intelligence the people who built them long before his time, the memories they withheld as time eroded their substantial walls.

It was very different compared to their own architecture and he wondered of the materials that were used to build this mastery that still stood in the face of time, something he couldn't help but admire as he observed the greenery that ascended up the entirety of the form.

Anaya and Soona stood a few yards in front of him, also acknowledging the giant structure in all its ruined glory, the valley finally theirs to take in with gleeful wonder, the absolute enigma that they were forbidden to ever come close to, feelings of childlike fascination encapsulating them.

They look back to Noa with brimming excitement. “Noa, come!” Anaya called bounding forward, Soona following close behind. He watches as Anaya expertly scales up the walls, when he reaches a decent height above he looks out at the landscape in the distance, admiring the stretch of mainland that extends to the coast harboring the sea beyond that, he remembered the coast as he was dragged by Sylva with Mae close behind, the unfamiliar feeling of the grainy sensation under his feet the memory tainted by the tightness of the rope tied around his wrists, he one day wanted to travel back to reclaim those memories for better ones, preferably by his own choice.

“You're too slow, Noa!” He yells down to him, a goofy grin lining his face, Soona scolds Anaya smacking the back of his head fighting back a grin of her own as he leaned too far from the safety of the structure for her liking.

Noa has always thought of this moment, a time where him being able to experience and explore the lands that laid past the borders of the clan, the old him was content with following the law given by the Elders, there was no ‘why’ it was just law, it was law to always leave behind 1 egg in the wild eagles nest, it was law to not go past the borders.

After the liberation of his clan and the rebuilding of their home, he came out on the side with a different motives, he questioned the world around him, he wanted to know the answers to everything he could possibly learn, Raka taught him the words of Caesar and he's thought back on it often, wondering just how much significance those words could possibly course his life, extending a olive branch to Mae by giving her Caesar's pendant a moving stone of his want for a peaceful world, a life both for ape and humankind.

As he looks up, taking in the sight of his friends above him, he grabs onto the foliage covering that lined the structure, pulling and pushing his way up, his spread feet gripping onto the ledge and jumping up towards the height they sat on awaiting his arrival. “Who would've known we'd see this” Soona speaks, her hand reaching out almost as if she was showcasing the sight before them, the feeling of reverence overtaking him as his green eyes followed the dawn of light from the cracking skies, the cloud taking in the coloration of the heavens.

“Elders forbid adventure, boring. Now, Noa Clan Leader, we can explore outside world.” Anaya remarks as he observes the inside of the structure, the cracked and water stained walls lined with green vines giving off a rustic and derelict kind of beauty, his hand tracing the half paneled floors. The unsettled creaking released under his footsteps, the wind resembling the rushing sound of a stream from this high up, the valley a host of diffident sound.

“Elders didn't know or didn't want to know, I do.” Noa states, he wanted to be different to the Elders, he refused to be confined to old traditions and laws, he wanted to be more than that. A future full of knowledge from expeditions of the outside world, keeping an open mind to those who could possibly help advance their education, they don't have to seclude themselves anymore, they have room to learn and he's determined to make it happen.

“We'll always follow you” Soona affirms, her hand reassuringly squeezing his upper arm, Anaya chitters his arm thrown across Noa's shoulders. “Follow the leader.” Noa only rolls his eyes, his head following the movement in exaggeration to his words.

“Nothing has changed.. I am the same Noa.” He's felt uncomfortable with the thought of having a higher status now as Clan Leader, the towering prospect that he'll have to fill in the position his father withheld for so long, he was supposed to learn all there was to know from his father but now he's learning as he goes, the mistakes overshadowing his every action, his choices not only affect him but his loved one and the members of the clan, it's a difficult pill to swallow and the self deprecated thoughts obscure his mind but he'll have no choice but accept his imperative role as Master of Birds.

“Yeah, same stupid Noa.” Anaya brings him into a headlock, wrangling him in his grip, they hoot and holler as they play into the monkeyshines, Soona exasperatedly watching from the sidelines laughing when Anaya jumps off Noa's back and grabbing on to the sturdy vines, swinging a foot away from him cackling. “Anaya the stupid one.” Noa says, shaking his head, looking at the vines testing the sturdiness of them, the gears turning in his head.

They were only half way up the formation and he admired just how much nature has engulfed the area, the ruins carrying the accents of green as far as the eye can see, the room they were standing in held no remnants of another living being occupying the space but he could see scorches on the floor near the middle of the room, almost as if there was a fire place that was once placed there.

In the corner of the room, there's a sheet of cloth in what seemed like a makeshift bed but he didn't smell anything unusual, just a waft of mint that lingered within the space so he didn't bring his observations to Soona and Anaya's attention. If there was someone here at some point, then they must have moved on long ago. But were they of human or ape descent?

The question gnawed at his subconscious as he knelt picking up a rock formated into a spear head, the rough edges digging into the tough skin of his fingers, there was a hole drilled in the crevice of the top, he was sure it was once a necklace, a K initial carved into the center. A unknown feeling of desolation washed over him as he turned the stone in his fingers, he doesn't linger any longer as he places it in his satchel, this stone had a meaning and he was unsure whether he'll ever find answers to it but the compelling feeling to keep it with him overtook his senses.

“Race you to the top!” Anaya declares already swinging his way up to the upper level, Noa quickly following behind soona as she curves behind the pillar and up the tendril, her voice resonant as she calls Anaya's name. Noa feels hesitant as he looks up at the levels above him, but he pushes it aside, following after his friends, joining their hooting laughter. He felt off as if he was missing something, a presence that sent a chill up his spine, though it could possibly be a figment of his own mind, his thoughts obscured and potent as the feeling stuck to the corners of his thoughts.

As they climbed their way through the levels of the structure, what could it be? What had him feel as he was on the cusp of eager fascination, cocooning his intrigue to the unknown, was it this structure, or was it something else? His train of thought was cut off when the stone of the ledge crumbled under the weight of his hand, a screech bellowed from him as he felt his body fall through the air, his body became a numb husk as he felt the his weightlessness descent, his body automatically trying to grasp onto anything by innate need to save himself from this cruel and unprophetsized end.

Just when he thought he was a goner and there was no hope of anything materializing before him, that he'll meet his end just when he thought this was the beginning for not only him but his village, the village that needed him to lead them into a brighter future, a future that would make his mother and father proud of his accomplishments as the newly appointed Master of Birds, he felt the warmth and desperate struggling strength of someone else grabbing onto his forearm.

A dark figure cascaded by a hood shadowing over their face, their hands digging into his forearm hard enough to get to his skin. he could hear their grunt of exertion carrying his dead weight, Noa stared up at them with stunned silence, his voice giving out at this humanoid figure. As the person pulled him up with whatever strength they could muster, their hood flew back from the harsh winds coming in revealing their face, it truly was an Echo, an Echo he felt the presence of but had no idea they were truly there.

The way their hair flew back from the wind breezing in, their eyes holding a panicked urgency down at him, their teeth biting down on their plush lips, the bluntness of their teeth shining through the gap.

“Mind giving me a little help?” You heavily breathe, your feet skidding on the concrete as you continue pulling him half way into the space, the struggle clear in by the way the veins bulging from the tops of your hands, your head cocked to the right at the strain. He could feel himself nod as his free hand pulled him further up, the stupor still encrusting his every move in doing so.

Soona and Anaya holler for him, hurriedly climbing their way down, he still hasn't mustered up his voice in answering their desperate calls, he's too much mystified by you, by your presence.

“Are you okay?..” The softness of your voice and the fidget in your movements captures his attention. What are the chances that an Echo would save him? He knew that something was amiss when looking into the expanse of that area. He had a feeling of your presence, but he never would have thought he would find you.

Another intelligent being that went out of your way to saving him, the words of Proximus' echoing in his mind ‘where there's one, there's more.’ he was right, there was more intelligent humans out there, and you just so happened to be one who saved his life. What are the chances?

《 TAGLIST 》

@ohwaitimthewriter

@unlikelyfoxpaper

[charmedreincarnation]

Imagination is the ultimate freedom

I owe my love for imagination to my childhood. When I was young, I'd find myself looking out my window into the endless sky and the vast landscape, daydreaming about what I could be. As I grew older, my imagination took new forms. I used it to explore new activities and to think outside the box.

My imagination has been a valuable asset in my life and it's comforting to know that I have it always there for me as a safe space. The beauty of imagination is that it can help us to solve even the most difficult problems. It encourages us to look at things from different angles, to think through ideas more deeply and to be more creative in our approaches.

That's why I'm so passionate about my imagination; I know that I'm able to come up with solutions to difficult problems that come up while still staying inside my comfort zone. It is my go-to place when I'm looking for inspiration. Whether it's for a project idea or or a new manifestation desire, I find myself turning to my imagination for help.

The biggest benefit of having an imagination is that you are the only one who has access to your own little world. No one else can access it but you so it's a safe place, a place where you can keep your fears, doubts, and worries at bay. The boundaries of an imagination are determined by only you so the possibilities are endless.

Imagination is why I'm able to keep that child-like motivation all throughout my life. Whenever I'm feeling stuck or uninspired, all I need to do is look inside myself and explore the world of my imagination. It's like taking a step into a totally different world where Imagination is why I'm able to keep that child-like motivation all throughout my life. Whenever I'm feeling stuck or uninspired, all I need to do is look inside myself and explore the world of my imagination. It's like taking a step into a totally different world where anything is possible. All of my dreams and ideas come to life and all I have to do is dream them into existence. Everything is possible. All of my dreams and ideas come to life and all I have to do is dream them into existence.

It’s is a wonderful gift that we have to explore different possibilities, and see potentials in ourselves and our world that we otherwise wouldn't be able to access. We can use our imaginations to create dreams, and those dreams can become our reality if we take the steps necessary to bring them to fruition. Although it may often be seen as a sign of childishness, or foolishness, that couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, it is the ability to imagine that can give us the courage to take action and make our dreams a reality. It is the creativity we have that gives us an edge in life, and the ability to see things in a different perspective.

This is why Goddard preaches that imagination is the key to our inner freedom. He argued that it is through imagination that we can gain control over our experiences and create our own reality. He knew that imagination is the ultimate freedom, the ability to dream up what we want and take action towards it. He said that “nothing is more liberating than to consciously use your imagination to create the life of your dreams”. And that could not be any nearer to the truth.

Don't be afraid to utilize your imagination. The potential of your imagination is immense and it can be the difference between living a life of mediocrity and achieving true greatness. Rather than focusing on what you don’t have, use your imagination to create the life you desire. Visualize yourself living the life you want to live. Put yourself in that position and think about how it would feel. Develop an internal image that you can associate with success and happiness. When you focus on this image, it will give you the confidence and motivation to take action and move forward.

It truly is your greatest asset when it comes to manifesting anything and everything into your dream life. The possibilities are limitless, so use your imagination for good and manifest anything and everything into your dream life.

[backtothedrawingboard]

Why Gangle Mistreated Her Friends in Ep4

Many people will die on a hill supporting Gangle no matter what. This often comes with ignoring the fact that she behaved abusively towards Jax in episode 4. While thinking over her behavior, I may have come up with a plausible reason as to why she acted abusively.

CW: Mentions of mental illness and mild mentions of bullying/abuse. Continue at your own discretion.

Throughout the entire series so far, we have seen Gangle behave with mostly a depressed attitude when she does not have her comedy mask. In episode 4, she got a new mask that gave her a more peppy, "happy" version of herself. After just a short amount of time, she started acting weird and even confirms that it's a manic episode.

It could just be a joke meant for a quick laugh...OR she could actually mean it, which would make more sense. This would then raise the question: How does she know what manic episodes feel like? I propose that she actually had it in the real world before getting trapped in the digital world.

Bipolar disorder- also known as bipolar affective disorder (BPAD)- "is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings. These include emotional highs, also known as mania or hypomania, and lows, also known as depression."1 Throughout most of the day, Gangle acted excitable and eager to do everything right, even stating that she didn't want anything going wrong.

This determination to have everything perfect may have manifested from another symptom of bipolar disorder, anxious distress.2

She pushed everyone to do everything perfectly and slowly lost her grip on her own emotions, finally falling into a depression. While these emotions changed faster than the average manic-depressive episodes, they still seemed similar.

But bipolar disorder, much like most mental illnesses, does not develop out of nowhere. It is still being studied, but it is currently believed to come out of being genetically predisposed to it and having environmental factors trigger it.3

I will not try to claim what environmental factors may have caused bipolar to become triggered, but she does mention forgetting dreams and settling for less instead.

This is an oddly specific example. And we know that she enjoys drawing. She's almost certainly pointing to herself. So why would she make a statement about giving up on dreams of being a comic artist? She was most likely told at some point that she shouldn't bother.

Who knows who told her to give up. It could have been parents, friends, teachers, anyone. But whoever did this clearly had an impact on her. And it may point to bullying in her previous life. The fact that she's so submissive to Jax's bullying and generally allows bad things to happen to her could be signs of some kind of childhood bullying, or possibly abuse.

Bullying could be a trigger for bipolar. And it could also give a reason why she acted abusive in episode 4. While most victims of bullying or abuse do not grow up to be abusers, there is disputed evidence that victims of childhood bullying and abuse are more likely to become abusers themselves as adults than those who did not experience bullying or abuse.4

Gangle may have treated her friends and Jax badly throughout episode 4 because of potential bullying or abuse. This does not justify what she did, but it at least gives a possible reason why she did it.

I am not a psychiatrist and drew from research online, so if anyone disagrees with my assessment of her, feel free to reply with your own explanation.

Footnotes:

1 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355955

2 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355955

3 https://www.med.unc.edu/psych/cecmh/possible-causes-of-bipolar-disorder/

4 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/child-maltreatment#:~:text=Child%20maltreatment%20is%20often%20hidden,one%20generation%20to%20the%20next.