#you can interpret it however you please *eye* for instance think that it was more ‘married bickering’ and an attempt at comedy

[jjadmanii]

Tbf maya and carina only had like 2 minutes of screentime together for about 8 episodes straight where all they did was talk about sperm so maybe it's hard for people realise that that was them "happy" or atleast "happier" especially when alot of the fans were unhappy and to me it seemed like carina was annoyed at maya alot of the time

???? regardless of how the audience felt about the storyline (tbh I did not like it) marina did not go through any major drama that season, which makes saying “marina never had a moment of happiness and therefore station 19 is homophobic” just false, which was my entire point.

[the-power-of-stuff]

The Live-Action Sukka Manifesto that I Just Couldn't Keep in My Head

So I've been marinating in my live-action Sukka thoughts for the past three days, and when someone sent me an anon asking if I had any thoughts about the changes, at first I went, "DO I EVER?!" and proceeded to dump my entire brain on the page.

But then I worried maybe the anon wouldn't want to see my entire brain and figured I'd make my own post with my Many, Many Thoughts, and reel it in a bit when I answer the ask. And then link here if they're interested in the dissertation.

I'll put all the excessive details and spoilery stuff under a cut, but I'll start by saying, I didn't hate it! And I was afraid that I would.

There were things that I was bummed or had mixed feelings about, but there was also a lot that I genuinely enjoyed. All the Sukka interactions were cute and still had some decent character development, and I had fun with the episode overall (I've watched it thrice mind you, and definitely have not given the rest of the series that kind of attention). And I didn't necessarily dislike the differences from the original; I think I've just taken more of a "that was an interesting interpretation" approach.

But I better start that cut now, because I'm about to go on and on about this. I'd love to know what others think, though!! Even if the opinions aren't the same as mine! Please feel free to comment, reblog, shoot me an ask. If nothing else, I'm excited that the LA has gotten people talking about ATLA again.

So, I want to start with Suki’s characterization, which overall I found to be delightful, even if it was a bit of a watered-down version of her animated self.

In the original show, Suki is confident, sassy, and doesn’t take shit from anybody. She’s proud to the point of almost being arrogant, and even a little mean. What we get in the LA is someone who’s still confident in terms of her status and her skills, and still proud of her heritage and her role in her community, but with significantly less sass. And while LA Suki still seems like someone who wouldn’t take anyone’s shit, we don’t actually see LA Suki deal with that much shit from anyone (because Sokka isn’t really giving her any). 

There is one moment in the show where her interaction with Sokka is a little contentious, which is when he tries to relate to her as a fellow guardian of his people. I think Suki’s question to Sokka about how is he protecting his village if he’s not there is meant to be a challenge to his swagger. However, the line is delivered with a softness that makes it seem as though Suki is, at least in part, genuinely curious. (This curiosity makes even more sense when we consider the fact that Suki’s eventually going to leave Kyoshi Island so she and her Warriors can take part in the war effort, and that she will have to contend with the question of “how do you do that without abandoning your people?” when coming to that decision. The LA lays a lot more of this groundwork than the animated show did: Suki outwardly expressing her desire to see the world, her mother’s secretive looks every time Suki gazes longingly at Sokka the possibilities…)

Compare these two moments, for example. These are both scenes where Suki expresses disbelief at Sokka's claims about his warrior-hood. But in the LA, Suki speaks rather quietly and mildly, in contrast to the brash sarcasm of her animated counterpart. LA Suki is also tilting her head down and away, looking at Sokka indirectly. OG Suki is leaning in close, getting in his face, smirking derisively with her hands on her hips.  

I think there’s something to be said about the LA in general smoothing away certain personality traits that could be seen as negatives but that are actually strengths that are so narratively well-developed they occasionally show up as flaws (for instance, Katara’s fury, or lack thereof). Animated Suki is prideful and stubborn; she berates Sokka until he gives her sad puppy-dog eyes and has zero hesitation about making an example of him in front of her whole class. It’s a little ruthless, but these traits are also 1) what gets through Sokka’s thick skull (he, too, is prideful and stubborn), and 2) what makes her such a dedicated ambassador of Kyoshi and such a strong leader of the island’s Warriors at such a young age. I feel like the LA writers were afraid of making any of the protagonists seem too abrasive—everyone in the LA has had their edges sanded down, including Zuko, including Aang—and in general this tends to lead to less realistic representations of humanity and conflict, less satisfying character development arcs, and fewer opportunities for reflection and learning. 

That being said! I went into watching the LA with negative expectations about what we would see in terms of character development, and thus was pleasantly surprised. 

The LA removed the need for Suki to be as ruthlessly stubborn as she is in the animated show because LA Sokka’s skull is not so thick (and I'll get into that a bit more later). So what we get instead is a sheltered Suki with a helicopter mom who is so hilariously awkward that she has no idea how to interact with other humans. And, to be honest, I enjoyed this version of her so much that I even thought to myself, “I wish I’d thought of that!”

Suki is a straight-up weirdo in the LA and I love that for her. The way she puts Sokka in a chokehold and then looks at him after she sets him free like, “That was good flirting, yes? Would you like to be my boyfriend now?” And then her disappointment when Sokka walks away as if she’s thinking, “Why didn’t that go well, I thought boys loved getting put in chokeholds?” She is so precious, I just want to put her in my pocket. And this characterization might even be more broadly relatable than a super-confident Suki brimming with sass. Who among us hasn’t made a complete fool of ourselves in front of a crush by coming on way too strong and having no idea how to flirt? I mean…real. 

And because Sokka is also mostly just making a fool of himself trying to impress a pretty and talented peer (instead of covering up his insecurities by wrapping himself in misogyny) this leaves room for the two of them to be attracted to each other right off the bat and for their interactions to be more overtly romantic throughout the entire episode. Which, avid shipper that I am, I have to admit I have been gobbling up for the past three days straight. This episode was an IV drip of romantic tropes hooked straight to every Sukka shipper’s veins. 

Shy glances from across the room? Check.

Walking in on the other person half-naked? Check. (Y’all, Suki looks Sokka up and down for a FULL TWENTY SECONDS yes I timed it from the moment she appears in the background, yes you should count it to see how long that really is. Talk about awkward.) 

Tripping so they end up falling into each other’s arms? Check.

Wide-eyed shock that turns into surprise thirst after being pinned to the ground? Check.

Shooting each other satisfied smirks as they kick ass side-by-side? Check.

Jumping in front of literal fire for each other? Check and check!

Like, I could live off this for the rest of the year. 

But look, there’s a lot that I love about the way Sokka and Suki’s relationship is portrayed in this episode besides those romantically indulgent tension-creating moments, and it has to do with Suki’s admiration and validation of Sokka. 

Suki really looked at this boy with his mouth stuffed half-full of steamed bun and went, “Must have.”

With the removal of overt sexism from this episode (for better or worse), the story focused much more heavily on Sokka’s development as a leader. He still has that sort of posturing display of self-confidence that comes from inexperience and trying too hard to prove oneself (“Ferociously…deadly tiger whales…”), and while at first Suki seems put off by this and his attempts to liken himself to her (“I’m not just a warrior, I’m a Kyoshi warrior”) it doesn’t take her long to decide (*cough*after seeing him shirtless*cough*) that she doesn’t actually mind this behavior (and in fact maybe she kind of likes it because maybe it means he likes her and maybe it means she can show him how much she likes him by slicing the tops off all those melons with her fan). She seems genuinely interested in his boomerang and impressed that he hunts, and then later, she immediately takes interest in training him in the Kyoshi Warrior style. 

After they spar, she casually refers back to the fact that he’s his village’s protector, and this time, she does it without the disbelief and defensiveness. Because he’s finally stopped posturing. He opened himself up and gave himself over to Suki’s expertise, and in that way he proved that he has the will and desire—the heart—of a warrior. And Suki tells him so while touching him gently and gazing at him longingly in the soft golden glow of the late-afternoon sun. And as a die-hard Sokka stan, I love seeing him loved and appreciated like this. Adamantly. Ardently. The Sokka cheerleader in my head is going wild. “YEESSSS!! Our boy deserves this!!” Because we know that, in the animated show, he goes through a lot more struggle and self-doubt before he receives this kind of external validation. And while we also know that this makes for an incredibly satisfying growth arc, I gotta admit that it’s a fun bit of indulgence to watch Suki talk Sokka up directly to his face and then want to kiss him really bad. Y’know. As a treat.

That said, I'm very attached to and appreciative of the way their relationship is framed in the animated series. I love that their respect and affection for each other grows even after the disaster that is their first few interactions. In the LA, they are drawn to each other immediately, and the only barrier seems to be a bit of awkward stepping-in-it-ness. In the original, they have legitimate conflict, and they both have to give a little—Sokka becomes more humble, Suki becomes more tender—before they get to that point of potential romantic interest. And I think it says a lot about Sokka’s character and his desire to learn and grow that he is willing to humble himself in front of someone who, as far as he’s seen, has very little regard for him (slash has a good deal of animosity towards him). Giving himself over to Suki’s expertise costs him more in the animated show. But once he does, he and Suki learn and grow together. He shows Suki who he really is, shows her how dedicated and determined (and fun and a quick learner) he is, to the point that, by the end of the episode, she can allow herself to be vulnerable with him. And she does validate him in the original Kyoshi Warriors episode, just less directly than the LA. Her kiss on his cheek and “...but I’m a girl, too” is about forgiveness and acceptance and acknowledgement and respect, as much as or even more than it is about affection. There’s a little bit of romance, too, but it’s just little baby seeds of it, and it feels very natural to let those seeds germinate over time until we see Suki again later in the series. 

Which brings me to the live-action kiss. 

I’ll be honest, I was a little on the fence about the kiss. I want Sokka and Suki to kiss as much as possible in every conceivable universe. So there’s a part of me that was banging on the table and whistling with obscene joy. But the other part of me thought it was too much too soon. However, my hesitance pre-supposes some things about the second season (not least of which that there will be one), namely that it will handle the reunion with Suki and crossing the Serpent’s Pass anything like how it was done in the original. (Of course, one thing we now know for certain can't happen in a hypothetical LA season 2 is Suki pranking Sokka at the ferry station because he doesn't recognize her without her makeup. Do I love the expression on LA Sokka's face the first time he sees Suki's? Yes. Am I sad that this completely ruins their whole "You don't remember me? Maybe you'll remember this!" game? Also yes. But truthfully, I don't know if LA Suki would've been up to the prank, anyway. Not sassy enough. ;))

The Serpent’s Pass is one of my favorite episodes of all time, and that moment on the bluffs when Sokka and Suki are talking around Sokka’s loss, with the moon shining down on them all the while, and they almost kiss with the moon hanging between them in the background, and then Sokka pulls away without any other explanation besides, “I can’t”? That scene is so absurdly powerful and beautiful and an amazing moment of character development for them both, and I feel like it loses a lot of impact if they’ve already made out once. The fact that they kiss for the first time after that moonlit moment, when Sokka realizes that Suki doesn’t need protecting the way he thought she did, and in fact she was there to protect him, and he can finally just let go of this burden that he’s been carrying with him since Suki first mentioned she was joining them (slash since his dad put him in charge of an entire village at 13), and then and only then can he open his heart to what he feels for Suki, and in fact opens it so wide that he just cannot help but jam his mouth onto hers before she’s even finished talking…? I mean. C’mon. That’s poetry. But, again…loses impact if they’ve already had a first kiss.

But who knows what, if anything, they’ll actually do with that storyline. So for now, I’ll just enjoy my live-action Sukka kiss because, honestly, dream come true.    

Or almost a dream come true. Because there's a huge camelephant in the room that I haven't addressed yet, isn't there? The lack of Sokka in the Kyoshi Warrior uniform...

And I don’t think we can talk about the omission of Sokka’s Kyoshi Warrior uniform without talking about the omission of Sokka’s sexism. Because if Sokka isn’t sexist, then why do you have to put him in the dress and makeup of traditionally female warriors to make a point about how women are strong and capable, too? So here’s what I’ll say about that (and I know there’s a lot that people have said already, so I’ll try not to belabor the point.) I don’t think leaving out Sokka’s sexism was necessarily a detriment to his character arc. I do think, however, that leaving out Sokka’s sexism was a detriment to the message the show was trying to convey about sexism. 

Now, in the Northern Water Tribe episodes, the LA still gives us a message about fighting against the kind of systemic, institutionalized sexism that you might not be surprised to encounter within a very old-fashioned society or from a very old-fashioned gray-haired man. But what about the off-the-cuff, everyday kind of sexism that you might experience from an otherwise good person who is close to you? A person who loves you and would do anything for you but who gets carried away teasing you about “girly” things because of intrinsically-held biases that they’re not even that conscious of having? 

I think it’s important and meaningful for male and female audiences alike, and everyone in between, to see these different forms of sexism and misogyny—to see them, to recognize those behaviors in others and in ourselves, to be able to name them, and to have examples of fighting against them. We see the former kind—institutionalized, systemic—in Pakku. And we did see the latter kind—familiar, personal—in Sokka. And now that’s lost.

Not only that, but there’s the form of sexism that says boys aren’t allowed to do feminine things lest they relinquish their maleness. And in the animated show, we got to see Sokka combating this form of sexism, too. Not only does Suki show him that girls can be fierce warriors as well as boys, but he learns that wearing makeup and a dress does not make him any less of a young man.  

So, yes, I think the lack of Sokka in Kyoshi Warrior garb was a missed opportunity. And not just because Sokka looked really good in uniform and we all should have had the chance to see that, including and especially Suki. 

Alright, this is more than long enough, so I'll leave off with a moment from the LA that gave me great pleasure.

I needed this moment, y'all. And I was so afraid it wouldn't happen. I needed Sokka being protective, I needed him using his newfound Kyoshi Warrior skills to fight, and I needed him jumping in front of fire for the girl who'd taught him. If we couldn't have Sokka in the Kyoshi Warrior uniform, at least we had this.

[lemonadecandy103]

Psycho Pass Providence — The Re-introduction of Kougami Shinya

Still working on a general review on Psycho Pass: Providence and also a Shinkane/KouAka post. But I had so many thoughts on Kougami after watching the movie twice that I had to document them while they were still fresh. This is a follow-up to a post I made about Kougami prior to watching PPP: some of my impressions did change while others stayed the same. It’s a lot so keep reading if you’re interested in what I thought about Kougami’s character in Providence. WARNING: Spoilers!!!

I’ll begin with the scene in Dejima where Kougami and Saiga are drinking together. There’s one particular line that I felt could’ve been made smoother: Saiga says “the girl is neither a saint nor a bodhisattva, screw around too much and you’ll end up getting enforced. Apologize while you still have the chance Kougami. Take it from an old timer like me.” and he raises his glass with a smile. I watched both the subbed and the dubbed version and the line is very similar across both. I can’t help but think that line could’ve been improved slightly. Maybe it flows more naturally in Japanese so I can’t speak on that matter. But if I had the liberty of tweaking it even just a little, it would go as follows: “the girl in neither a saint nor a bodhisattva, screw around too much and you’ll end up losing her forever.”

And I don’t mean to necessarily press for him losing her as a love interest, but even just a trusted friend or at least a colleague who always had his best interest in mind.

Ultimately, not exploring the more emotional (and by extension—the romantic) aspects of Kougami’s character was a missed opportunity for Providence in my opinion. He’s the second main character in this installment and we got very little inward reflection from him this time around. The last 15 or so minutes of the film is what really impressed me with respect to his character. Seeing him exit the isolation facility, looking back, and then looking ahead, declaring “I swear, I’ll come back for you,”  with such ardor reminded me that he’s still a hero in this story, however unconventional he may be.

It was clear that Akane and Kougami’s relationship had to change in this installment. After 6 long years, they are both different people now and cannot go back to the same relationship dynamics as in Season 1. More on that in a different post. Consequently, the portrayal of these individual characters had to evolve in order to match this change. Initially, when I watched the promotional clips, I was put off by his bluntness—especially towards Akane. But there were instances where we saw the caring Kougami seep through. He smiles once in the film. And this is when Saiga tells him: “I don’t work with the PSB, I work with Akane Tsunemori.”  I don’t know if he smiles because he still finds it funny that Saiga is cooperating with the government or if he smiles at the mention of Akane’s name or even some matter of pride at how much Akane is respected by Professor Saiga. Either way, it was nice to see this moment.

The other less noticeable moments from Kougami were two times when he showed what I can interpret as a combination of grief and frustration. From my observations, his eyes were animated to have this glistening/“quivering” motion, similar to this gif, minus the actual tears — there were no tears in Kougami’s case:

It’s very subtle but please let me know if anyone else also noticed this. The first time his eyes did this was when after Saiga died and he called Shion to consult Saiga’s psychological profile of Tonami along wirh Akira’s poem. Shion mentions how horrible it was — what happened to the professor. Kougami pauses and adds “Yeah”  but the tone is almost as if he had to force it out of himself. I couldn’t help but feel like he was holding it together for the investigation, but deep down was grieving the loss of his dear professor. After all, he told Akane to keep it bottled up until the end of the case. The second time I saw this effect of his eyes was while he was reading Akane’s letter in his isolation cell. He gets to the part where she writes about being glad to have seen him again and that he helped her find the answer. He calls her a bakayaro, and his hands grab the letter so fiercely that it kind-of crumples while he throws his whole body into a defeated hunch — since he’s stuck in his cell and can’t even do anything to stop her.

I had read some early accounts by Japanese viewers that he was crying while reading her letter: this effect in the eyes may have been what was mistaken as crying.

Although it was nice to see Kougami go through these moments in PPP, I can’t help but feel like there could have been more. However, Providence is a very dense film and I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt that with all the action sequences, Akane’s iconic scenes, and the supporting cast all getting their own memorable segments, Kougami’s development just wasn’t a priority. If Shiotani, Fukami, and Ubukata intend to make an SAD spin-off as they’ve expressed in interviews, I would hope that they explore possible romantic or other intimate human feelings on Kougami’s part — similar to how he learned to be a father figure to Tenzing. In fact, I would argue that after Providence, it’s likely that they’ve backed themselves into a corner with regards to Kougami’s interpersonal relationships. The tension between Kougami and Akane was essentially the secondary conflict of the film and it ended with some resolution midway but also a shift in Kougami’s disposition once he read Akane’s letter, realizing the impact he had on her life. If there’s further content on Kougami as a person, we almost certainly need to at least confront his relationship with Akane and even Ginoza (was somewhat addressed on the boat scene and we see them on good terms in Season 3/PPFI). The other route is just watching a 007-Misson Impossible Kougami getting into knife fights and performing crazy stunts, but I think the PP fandom in general agrees that this option would be dull and a waste of a character who had such an artful inception. Now I know that PP wants to go for a more shōnen look and are cautious of depicting romance between the main characters. It was pretty obvious with Arata being introduced as the new main character and the fact that Yuki Kaji was brought on board to voice him (he’s done fantastic work on many popular shōnen characters including Eren Jaeger). But, showing how love could affect Kougami and how him giving love could present new angles of his character would undoubtedly be exciting to see. We know he wants to protect people. We know that he’s decided to work outside of the law in order to do that. He’s made peace with his revenge and he’s learned that he wants to protect people without any reserve or obligation. Saiga warned him about potentially becoming a killing machine like Tonami if he keeps letting people use him as a hunting dog, and he agreed that he doesn’t want that. I expect that he could follow the same thought process as Ginoza did in SS Case 1 where he ultimately just wants to help people with his detective work, without much care for who’s judged to be good or evil. On this note, it would be beneficial for Kougami to understand his heart a bit more. Maybe visit his mother too? Maybe actually value his own life instead of running into a fight like he has nothing to lose? He’d already prepared Akane for his death way back between S1 and S2. Would he fight differently if Akane were expecting him to come back home alive?

Hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on Kougami’s character. Still love our chaotic spikey-haired gun-slinging emo cowboy. And I’m looking forward to what the creators might do with his character next.

[hellowblush]

ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ

Curious with your leadership traits? Pick a picture to provide you with the details about you as a leader!

note: this is for fun only ・♡・pls be gentle with the errors.

ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ

꒰ྀི pile one: the shoes Hi Pile one! I am channeling that you could be a pisces, scorpio or a cancer. Pile one, the reading is suggesting to me that you may be a nurturing leader. You actively listen to people, and you take time to understand them. You strongly believe that a great leader must take good care of his or her people. When others make mistakes, I think you are the type of leader that would not embarrass them. You will correct their behavior properly and without hurting their dignity. As a result of this good behavior of yours, you get the adoration of your co-workers. You are truly proving that nurturing individuals can also lead! You take your people under your wings and people let you guide them like a guru! What’s more about you is you also give incredibly solid advice, which is another great quality. Because of this, people come to you. They understand that they are well guided when they are under your care! Moving on with coping with stressful events as a leader, you maintain your composure and your presence of mind. You are aware that issues are common and that worrying would not help you solve them. 

That is all, Pile one. Thank you for reading my messages. If you feel called to get a personal reading from yours truly, please click here.

ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ꒰ྀི pile two: the dress Hello my Pile two! Right off the bat you emit the energy of a charismatic leader! In managing things, you show confidence and graciousness. No doubt people love to follow your commands without hesitation. However, there are instances that you dwell on other people’s judgment, and this makes you think that you are unqualified to be a leader. Universe is telling you to be open to constructive criticism but do not let it cloud your vision or destroy your self-esteem. You also have a creative eye and a curious nature. I get the impression that you are not the kind of person who would display all of their abilities right away. You are a strong leader with many hidden abilities. Some of them are purposefully concealed for later use. I am sensing that few individuals are intimidated by your charm and how you could make others fall in love with you. Pile two, I just want to remind you, it is not your fault. They are just insecure that they do not have a magnetic personality like yours. Do not ever dim your light. Behind this charming appearance and energy of you, I can sense that you are really creative on how you plan and strategize! You deliver unique output and this surprises the people you manage and work with. Besides this, when given a new project, you are always on the go to accept it. You welcome opportunities with vigor! You always say yes because why not right? Everything can be learned afterwards. Also, people appreciate your ability to be giving when you are in a leadership position. You share your achievements and success with others. As a leader, you also like to provide others with meals and presents! 

That is all, Pile two. Thank you for reading my messages. If you feel called to get a personal reading from yours truly, please click here. ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ ♡ ꔫ

꒰ྀི pile three: the tiara Hello Pile three! You chose the crown, nice pick! It took so long for a card to show up for your reading my group three. After I interpreted your cards, that long wait makes sense because you are a leader who truly values long hours of hard work. You are the one who would always check every single detail of a certain output. An example of this is that people come to you so you could proofread their resume or their essay because they know how observant and detail oriented you are. You seem like Glen, the manager in Superstore. He will always check everything seven times. Pile three, you know that in order for you to have a powerful performance or output, you must concentrate your attention on building a strong foundation. I think that is the reason why you put so much attention to small details. Every detail is important, that is what you believe! Additionally, I sense that you are vigilant as a leader. You exercise extreme caution when taking action and when deciding who to put your trust in. That is a good trait, my pile three. Being careless is not in your dictionary, I believe. Despite these very strong traits of yours, I am channeling that people still view you as a humble leader. You are very respectful to everyone you work with. You treat everyone with kindness and respect. Another amazing download about you is that I think you also know how to have fun while leading other people or a project!  People know you really exhibit this “strong with his/her boundaries” leader but you know what? They still want to work with you because you make work fun and they are so clueless how you could pull that off. I think you have a libra placement on your big three because there is this big emphasis on collaboration and balance about your leadership. You value the phrase “No man is an island” You believe that you need assistance to make things work and the result will be more pleasant if someone is helping you. While you are leading, others notice that you exude an energy of a royalty. I think this assumption is based on how you wear your clothes. I have a strong feeling that you wear professional clothes and that could resemble a royal individual. Maybe you like to wear gold jewelry while working as well.  Having faith in the divine is as important as putting hard work in leadership to you. After long hours of work, you rest and surrender everything to the divine. You have this strong connection with your spirituality.  In a situation where you struggle as a leader, you are not afraid to ask the universe for insight or clarity. The universe is also willing to listen to your struggles and desires. Judging your traits pile three, I think you are born to be a leader! 

That is all, Pile three. Thank you for reading my messages. If you feel called to get a personal reading from yours truly, please click here.

[getaroomryden]

Sun/Moon Lyric Theory Masterpost!

(full post under cut, here it is as a google doc also, if that's easier for you!)

Disclaimer that I am so aware most of these are probably not on purpose or linked to Ryden but please let just let me have my crazy Ryden truther moment thank you, enjoy :3

What is Sun/Moon lyric theory?

The sun/moon lyric theory states that there are many references to the sun and the moon in Panic!, The Young Veins and Ryan’s own songs, and it is thought that the sun and the moon represent Ryan and Brendon or were their “nicknames” or each other in songs, with Ryan being the sun and Brendon the moon.

This theory started with many of the lyrics in Pretty Odd and it is the album with the most references to the sun and moon and with the most evidence that it is about Ryden, however there are references to the sun and the moon in later albums, so it could also be interpreted that these lyrics are about Ryan (using the sun as a metaphor for him).

The majority of my knowledge of this theory comes from the video I linked in the first paragraph but some of this is my own interpretation/findings, but a very big credit to that video by Bethany White for introducing me to the theory and providing me with many of my examples.

Also there are definitely some people that believe the sun and moon’s roles can alternate at times, I don’t see it as much and also just for simplicity I will be saying Ryan is the sun and Brendon is the moon for all of this.

Pretty. Odd. (2008)

I Have Friends In Holy Spaces Written by Brendon Urie

I’m not complaining that it’s raining / I’m just saying that I’d like it a lot More than you think / If the sun would come out and sing with me You remind me of a few of my famous friends Well that all depends what you qualify as friends

This could just be saying how Brendon loves performing with Ryan and prefers to do things with him but the second two lines some people think is kind of poking fun saying that it depends what you qualify as “friends” since they are “more than friends”. Another interpretation I’ve seen is that Brendon wants Ryan (the sun) to come out and say that they are “more than friends”.

Northern Downpour Written by Ryan Ross

Hey moon, please forget to fall down / Hey moon, don’t you go down

Northern Downpour is considered a notorious Ryden song, due to Seattle theory and also Ryan saying this in an interview with Rolling Stone on the 3rd of April 2008.

“It was about touring and girlfriends and love and everything that’s been important to us in the past few years. There’s a line in the song that goes ‘I know the world’s a broken bone, but melt your headaches, call it home’ I told Brendon (Urie, lead singer) to pay special attention to that line.”

However, it could be argued its the other way round just because there is a concert clip from 2008 where Brendon sings “Hey moon, don’t you go down” and Ryan responds with “Never will”, but this could just be due to the fact that Brendon is the singer so even though Ryan wrote it, Brendon will be singing it on stage so could not reply as the moon, so Ryan was just responding to Brendon’s singing. 

There also have been many instances post-split of Brendon tearing up/getting visibly emotional on stage when singing that line. This is not super relevant specifically to the “moon” line but it could be interpreted that Ryan wrote the song specifically with Brendon in mind/for him.

When The Day Met The Night Written by Ryan Ross

When the moon fell in love with the sun / All was golden in the sky All was golden when the day met the night

When the sun found the moon / She was drinking tea in a garden Under the green umbrella trees / In the middle of summer

When the moon found the sun / He looked like he was barely hanging on But her eyes saved his life / In the middle of summer

In these lyrics the sun is male (he) and moon is female (she), obviously they would have had to make the relationship mentioned in the song between a male and female but still could be interpreted as being about Ryan and Brendon. It also hints that Ryan does in fact refer to himself as the sun as he said this song was about a love interest, and so the song is from the sun or Ryan’s point of view.

In the middle of summer / All was golden in the sky All was golden when the day met the night

So he said, "Would it be all right / If we just sat and talked for a little while If in exchange for your time / I give you this smile?"

So she said, "That's okay / As long as you can make a promise Not to break my little heart / Or leave me all alone in the summer"

Well, he was just hanging around / Then he fell in love And he didn't know how / But he couldn't get out Just hanging around / Then he fell in love In the middle of summer

Overall, it is theorised that this song is about/for Brendon, due to the use of their sun/moon nicknames in songs, and this one is the clearest example of that.

She Had The World Written by Ryan Ross

The sun was always in her eyes / She didn’t even see me But that girl had so much love / She’d wanna kiss you all the time

I didn’t actually realise this link on my own, most of this interpretation is from Bethany White’s video which I linked earlier. This song is about unrequited love, he was always in her eyes but never truly saw him, then later in the song he says he doesn’t love her. Ryan has said that this song was about an ex-girlfriend.

Mad As Rabbits Written by Ryan Ross

Paul Cates bought himself a trumpet from the salvation army But there ain’t no sunshine in this song, we must reinvent love

“Paul Cates is a public education director for the Lesbian and Gay rights project of the American civil liberties union”

“Reinvent love” is a quote from gay French poet Arthur Rimbaud who said “I don’t like women, love must be reinvented, it's obvious” and Ryan has said that Mad As Rabbits is a love song.

This isn’t really a link to the sun or the moon but the line itself does say “there ain’t so sunshine in this song, we must reinvent love” which could be interpreted as, since love hasn’t been reinvented, Ryan or the sun cannot be there, so in order for the sun to shine, love must be “reinvented” first.

Nine in the Afternoon Written by Ryan Ross

Your eyes are the size of the moon

Not necessarily a link to Ryden but it is another reference to the moon on this album, however I have seen the interpretation that this could be referring to the way the pupil expands when you see someone/something you love.

Take a Vacation! (2010) By The Young Veins

When You Walk In The Room Covered by The Young Veins

I see a summer’s night and a magic moon / Every time that you walk in the room

I literally cannot find any concrete link anywhere but it mentions the moon and summer which is a slight link, however it’s definitely a reach here, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this song was chosen intentionally to be a reference due to Brendon consistently being referred to as the moon throughout Pretty Odd, but I am aware it’s definitely a reach.

C’mon (2011) Written by Brendon Urie

And if the sun should lift me up, would you come back?

This song is not part of an album, but still had a reference to the sun, this was written and released post-split. The song is about missing someone and was after Ryan and Brendon had gone separate ways.

Vices & Virtues (2011)

The Ballad of Mona Lisa

Say what you mean, tell me I'm right / And let the sun rain down on me

(Unverified annotation from the genius lyric page) “The narrator then wishes for the sun to ‘rain down’ on him, another contradiction that likely represents his wishes for happiness to return to his life.”

If Ryan is represented by the sun it could be argued that he wants the happiness of being with Ryan (romantically or platonically) back in his life, also with the “give me a sign I wanna believe” it could be that he wants a sign they could reunite and be together again. Another interpretation is that these lines mean that the narrator wants whoever they’re talking to to “say what they mean” or communicate properly with them, which could link to Brendon wanting to communicate with Ryan.

Trade Mistakes

I may never sleep tonight / As long as you're still burning bright If I could trade mistakes for sheep / Count me awake before you sleep

I interpret this as being a sun/moon lyric despite not explicitly saying it because the sun “burns bright” which made me think this lyric was related. Also “count me awake before you sleep”, implies that Brendon (the moon) would be awake, and the moon is out at night, whilst Ryan (the sun) was sleeping, as the sun goes down at night.

The Calendar

Put another ex on the calendar / Summer's on its deathbed

It could be argued that some references to summer tie into the sun/moon lyric references, I say this since in When The Day Met The Night it says “in the middle of summer” so to me, at least, references to summer also could link to Ryden. (See also Golden Days)

Also despite on Spotify it saying “another X on the calendar”, the Vices & Virtues CD lyric booklet says “ex on the calendar”, showing it was an intentional play on words, this implies the song is about a break up. In interviews, the band said that originally the song was about a break up but over time came to be about the splitting of the band.

Stall Me

So curse everyone and everything / Even the sun

Baptized in the river of you / Hold on death / The moon's just a sliver of you

Once again I’m not entirely sure if there is a concrete Ryden link but it's another mention of the sun and moon in this album.

Sun and Moon Written by Jon Walker

I don’t need the sun and the moon to tell me what to do

This is a solo song by Jon, separate from Panic! or The Young Veins. I am not saying this song is definitely about Ryden because it was Jon’s own song, nothing to do with the others so I don’t want to act like everything he does is linked to Panic! or the other members. However, when you read the lyrics it does seem like it could be interpreted as about them. Some other lyrics are:

What’s the point in holding on / If the two of you just don’t belong?

It could be saying that Brendon and Ryan weren’t meant to be together or had a rocky relationship towards the end of the band, which was obvious to others/or just Jon, this is possibly tension that catalysed the split or arguments within the band. The first lyric could also indicate that Ryan and Brendon or the sun and moon, took charge in the band and made a lot of the musical decisions, but now Jon was making music by himself, he no longer has to have them telling him what to do in terms of his music. Once again, not saying this is definitely about them but it is an interpretation.

Lonely Moonlight (2013) Written by Ryan Ross

The sun went down over my head, another day I’ve lost, filled with regret I wander through the sunshine, remembering when you were mine, lonely moonlight When I had a younger heart, you told me not to fear the dark, lonely moonlight Someone I love loves someone else another day I lost, all by myself 

This song is from Ryan’s solo album, talking about how the sun and the moon remind him of someone special, and since Brendon’s nickname was moon, it could be interpreted that the “lonely moonlight” is him. These are all the lyrics to the song, the rest of it is just these lyrics repeated. Whilst, of course, not everything Ryan does is a link to Brendon, the sun and moon metaphor was very much their thing and so it does point towards there being a possible link.

Here is a link to the song if you want to listen to it.

Another link I found in the comments section of Bethany White’s video was Ryan’s other song.

Where I Belong Written by Ryan Ross

If you wanna see the sun, you're gonna have to dig your way out

Once again, not a concrete link, but another reference to the sun in Ryan’s music.

Death Of A Bachelor (2016)

Golden Days

I found a pile of polaroids in the crates of a record shop

This is not sun/moon but I have seen the interpretation before that this is a link to before the band broke up as its “polaroids” or old memories in a “record shop” which sells music, so he found memories in their old music or relating to it.

In the summertime In the summertime

The genius lyric page for Golden Days points out the similarity between this line and “In the middle of summer” from When The Day Met The Night, so at least to me, the summer in general as well as the sun and the moon, could be a link to Ryden.

Oh, don't you wonder when the light begins to fade?

This is a reach but the light fading could be the sun (or Ryan) going away/leaving, as when the sun leaves, so will the light and it will become dark.

We’ll stay drunk, we’ll stay tan, let the love remain And I swear that I’ll always pain you / Golden days

Once again the line “Golden days” is similar to the “Golden in the sky” in When The Day Met The Night. This could also be a reference to the “golden days” of Panic!, so when the band was still together and they first began gaining popularity, or when he still had Ryan, either romantically or just in his life in general.

I bet they never even thought about / The glitter dancing on the skin The decades might've washed it out / As the flashes popped like pins

This is once again me reaching but I see this line as maybe linked to the band due to their glittery/flashy costumes, especially in the A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out era, they never thought it would go away or they would no longer have the band or this stage presence, or even if they knew it would one day end they never thought at the time it would end so quickly. And since the “decades washed it out”, when Death Of A Bachelor was released (2016) it had been over 10 years since the release of Fever (2005).

Impossible Year

There’s no sunshine in this impossible year

I’m not going to say this song is definitely about Ryan, as I read on the genius lyric page about how this song was mainly about Brendon’s own struggles that year, but it does say “sunshine” so I thought to include it in this document. It is a possible link to not having Ryan anymore, but as a whole I don’t necessarily think the song was intended to be about that, whilst it could still be interpreted that way.

I would like to say that I am not saying that all these songs are definitely about Ryden, whilst I am definitely a truther, I do know that not every single thing one of them does is about the other person, this is kind of just for fun and also the part of me that does like to find all the references and see all the possible interpretations, mainly because it’s interesting.

Thank you to my best friend Tea (@thistooisphanyuri / @myfagicalromance) for proof reading this and also enduring my constant Ryden infodumping <333

Also, thank you so much for reading if you got this far! I hope you enjoyed :3

[erika111111]

The Quarry and queer-baiting, part 2, AKA things I forgot to mention the first time and it was so much I might as well just make another part

See the first part here (it makes more sense to read this first if you haven't already)

On the topic of there being some underlying feelings between Abi and Emma, after they return from their little ride and Nick asks where they've been, Emma mischievously answers, "Wouldn't you like to know," which causes an annoyed Abi to inject "Ignore her, please!" Maybe it's just me, but I swore that was Emma alluding/joking about her and Abi having some kind of romantic getaway in the woods. And maybe Abi got annoyed because she said this in front of Nick, who she's crushing on, and didn't want him to think there was something going on between her and Emma already; little did she know her repressed feelings for Emma would come out in full later on in the game. Maybe I'm reaching as far as the eye can see with this one, but that was just my interpretation from the scene.

Back to the Laura/Max/Ryan/Dylan/Kaitlyn chain, I can actually make a bit of a comparison between how they treat the straight couple of Abi and Nick and how they treat the gay couple of Ryan and Dylan. A lot of people say that Ryan seems uninterested in Dylan (and everybody else), but people always point out the "Ryan seems interested" pop-up when Dylan is teasing about asking him out on a date. I mean, that should be game, set, and match for Rylan, but apparently not... I'd like to point out that when Abi and Nick kiss, the pop-up very directly says "Nick is falling for you." Not "he seems to be falling for" or anything like that, he very matter of factly IS falling for you. Whereas Ryan only "seems" interested. Again, it gives me queer-baiting vibes, as the game is very straightforward with explaining the state of the straight couple to you, but then it only gives you all these mixed signals and unclear crumbs for the gay couple. Not to mention, from my playthroughs and watchthroughs, it's much harder to get the "Ryan seems interested" pop-up than the "Nick is falling for you" pop-up as well. It's like they shove these things in your face on purpose yet make it extremely difficult to actually get at the same time.

Some people do like to argue that the "Ryan seems interested" pop-up is just from Dylan's perspective and probably not true, but that seems like a bit of a reach to me. I really don't think the pop-ups are supposed to be from the characters' perspectives, I think they're just supposed to give the player some insight and foreshadowing. For instance, "Travis will kill you." There's literally zero reason for Laura to assume and know that Travis will indeed kill her later, so it really doesn't make sense for that pop-up to be from her perspective. So I think that's a pretty weak defense for the Rylan antis. However, even if you get the "Ryan seems interested," pop-up, the firepit kiss, and every other positive thing about Ryan and Dylan's relationship, when talking to Laura later, Ryan can still always say his "maybe neither" line. So... you got me.

And yes, he doesn't always say the "maybe neither" line, but I also think that's a weak defense for the Lyan antis. I kind of doubt that Ryan only developed feelings for Laura during that very conversation itself. Even if he doesn't say that line/have that conversation, it doesn't mean he doesn't have feelings for her. Again, I don't think that conversation itself is what made him fall for her. Although, to be completely fair, it's not like they have very many positive experiences with each other prior to that moment, but Dylan and Kaitlyn insist on the sexy sparks, so... I don't know. I think the whole thing is rushed and Ryan really needed more time/positive moments with Laura before he started crushing, but I digress. The game's pacing can be extremely wonky at the times and I guess they worked with what they had...

Another defense people have for Ryan seeming uninterested in Dylan at times is that he's autistic. And while I 100% believe this and headcanon it myself, I don't believe this is ever stated directly in the game, so again, it's a bit of a weak defense. Please correct me if I'm wrong, though. Either way, it's obvious that Ryan is socially awkward and has a hard time communicating his thoughts and feelings with everyone. But people saying he's autistic and that's the reason he's unclear with Dylan as a fact is a bit weird to me because, as far as I know, it's not true/confirmed. But again, correct me if I'm wrong. Although, either way, it's not just his relationship with Dylan that's affected by this, it's his relationship with literally everyone. Dylan, Kaitlyn, Laura, Chris, Jacob, Emma, literally everyone he communicates with, and that is pretty clear. So it's not something that can just be applied to Dylan either way. This is more of a fanbase thing than an actual game thing, but I felt it worth pointing out because I see it a lot.

I believe I mentioned in my previous post about this that I feel the biggest Rylan scene, even more than their kiss because it was partially forced by Emma, is their conversation on their way to the radio hut, because for once Ryan seems 100% interested in Dylan and what he has to say. However, I believe this conversation wasn't included in the original version of the game, you could only get it from the pausing glitch. I could be mistaken, but I remember all those pause glitch videos from back when the game first came out and that they were considered these secret or removed dialogues and that Miles Robbins even alluded to it himself. So... there goes the biggest Rylan moment. The developers deliberately cut this moment out. It's literally like they fear actually pleasing the LGBTQ+ with the content they themselves created. I imagine they decided to add this scene back in the DLC due to the popularity of the ship, but still.

Another thing that's brought up constantly is the camera angles between the Ryan and Dylan kiss and the Ryan and Kaitlyn kiss. The straight couple, Ryka, gets a close-up zoom-in of their kiss. But the gay couple, Rylan, only gets the faraway shot. Seriously, what is the reason for this besides to annoy/disappoint the LGBTQ+ audience? Again, it's like they do this stuff on purpose. On a similar note, if you kiss Kaitlyn, you'll get the pop-up "Dylan seems a little disappointed." But if you kiss Dylan, it won't say anything about Kaitlyn. So this would seem to emphasize that Dylan might actually like Ryan a little more than Kaitlyn does. Or maybe he just takes rejection harder, who knows. But I thought it was something worth pointing out.

I'd also like to bring up the huge missed opportunity during Dylan and Kaitlyn's conversation on their way to the scrapyard. They joke that they finally found out Ryan's type, and that it's "pirates," because Laura is heroic and has an eyepatch. But literally two seconds ago, Kaitlyn is making a joke that they'll attach a hook to Dylan's hand and call him "Hooky McHook Face." You know... like a pirate?? I get that you wouldn't always get this opportunity given you can choose not to cut Dylan's hand off, but come on now. They make such a huge point out of it if you do, including in this very same conversation about the pirates, so why did they not add something here? Kaitlyn could literally just have one little line like, "Well then, maybe you do still have a chance after all," and Dylan could let out a small laugh or something. I mean, maybe they just didn't think of the idea. Maybe they thought it'd be insensitive for Kaitlyn to keep joking about it. I don't know. I just think it's a missed opportunity.

Another thing I theorized about is if the writers intended to pull the trope of "the rejected love interests wind up together" and pair Dylan and Kaitlyn up together; Ryan goes off with Laura and then Dylan and Kaitlyn are the duo now opposed to Dylan and Ryan. But, correct me if I'm wrong, the developers confirmed that Dylan is gay so... can't be that either. Regardless, I do know some people still ship them together. What is there ship name? Do they even have one? I'm calling it LynLan until further notice.

Lastly, as I said before, this post isn't intended to insult any ships, characters, or shippers mentioned. I just wanted to give the facts and also explain some of my personal opinions. At the end of the day, there's actually no endgame ships in The Quarry, which I guess is a good thing? Every shipper can enjoy whatever they want since we get no aftermath and they left it open anyway. It's totally okay to ship non-canon/non-confirmed ships, trust me, I've been there.

[eroticcannibal]

How else do you expect me to interpret "I get what you mean and I hate much about school but-". There is no but here. Raising kids is hard. Dont abuse them. No but.

Kids need to learn to understand their own bodies. Sometimes this means they will frequently go to the toilet. Leave them to it. They may also go for reasons other than actually using the toilet. That is ok too.

Adults who need to use the toilet that frequently usually have *laws allowing them to do so*. My sister has to due to bladder problems. So again. If an adult can, a child should be able to.

But the frequency is not the issue here. The issue is *why* is it an issue? Why does it matter? Why do you care? The usual reason an adult cares is control. Its about compliance. And compliance is the goal of most of the abuse im schools. Compliance is not something we should be pursuing with kids. It does not benefit them.

Now the rest of what you've written is just baseless attacks, but I will address them, but I expect you to calm down and engage reasonably going forward.

I have extensive experience with teachers. I do not blame every teacher (though I will blame many). Much of the issue is down to administration and culture. The culture is often backed up *by parents*. (I have talked about this a LOT in other posts, I post a lot about parenting and resisting the culture of authoritarian parenting.) No where have I claimed parents do not abuse. Again, I post a lot about this. I post openly about how I was forced to abuse my own child by school and social services. What you are claiming I believe is something you have invented. I expect you to apologise for lying.

I do not seem like a "think of the children" puritan, again this is something you have fabricated. I expect you to apologise for this lie too. However I will point you to actual, documented attempts of what you could argue is "brainwashing" in schools, such as stuff like section 8 in the past, the unreasonable uses of PREVENT (such as the focus on non violent anti capitalist politics) and the recent push to make schools unsafe spaces for trans kids. Also socialisation within class is more frequently being actively prevented, again this is an instance of school abuse that I am criticising. As schools will always say, you are here to learn, not to socialise.

You continue to show ignorance about home education. I do not want this post overly derailed, if you want to learn please dm me, I will be happy to explain the realities of home education to you. But it is not children being locked inside and never seeing the outside world. Home educated kids typically have *more* eyes on them than school kids do. You will also find a higher proportion of anti authoritarian parents within home ed communities. Interestingly, while statistics are limited, what statistics exist suggest that while home educating families face higher levels of scrutiny from children's services, there is a lower rate of abuse than the general population even before you factor in unacknowledged abuse like school abuse.

I wonder how different society would be if the abuse schools commit was officially acknowledged as abuse.

[jakka-ningen]

"At some point, Char's eyes came to hate the light"

If you kitbash the canons, Char messed up his own eyes by dilating them so he could wear his stupid helmet, and I think that's beautiful.

Please let me take you on this journey with me. (lol)

My friend, who had watched every non-parody Gundam involving Char Aznable before inviting me into the Universal Century fandom pit, introduced his character to me originally, explaining that he was hiding his face from his political enemies underneath that iconic helmet.

"Sure, but how does he justify just... wearing that? What's his excuse?"

"He tells people he's got some kind of eye problem. Really, it's that the guy whose identity he stole had brown eyes, and his are blue."

"There are no colored contacts in the space future?"

"IDK, maybe they'd adhere to your eyes weirdly in space."

...And I just accepted that. I occasionally wondered how much of his peripheral vision is cut off from the rather small size of his mask's eye-holes, but whatever, man, it's aesthetic. I didn't think too much more about it until, in the Zeta novelization (which I'm not finished reading), the narration in one of Char's POV chapters describes the Earth as seen from space as "too bright."

"What if he actually has an eye problem?"

As someone who has been told by my own eye doctor to make certain to wear sunglasses outdoors because "people with light-colored eyes are prone to long-term problems from UV exposure," I could see it if he actually had some sort of issue. Anecdotally, a lot of people with lighter-colored eyes suffer from light sensitivity, as well.

When I started reading The Origin, I became more convinced of this interpretation. For instance, during the "beach episode" segment, before we see Amuro reunite with his mom, Mirai and Sayla are lounging on the sand, and only Sayla, who has the same light blue eyes as her brother, is wearing sunglasses. She's been listening to her optometrist!

However, several more books in, there's a panel I cannot find at the moment where we see Char putting in eyedrops. With no actual proof that this is what he's doing—there are all sorts of reasons he might be using eyedrops; he could have seasonal allergies, for instance—I decide that he is just straight up dilating his eyes.

"...Is he... is he doing that so he can see out of his dumb visor?? Does he have to do that every day?? From the time he enters the military academy to the end of First Gundam??"

Although I reached this interpretation with very little supporting evidence, I don't need to be a medical student to figure out that, should I be correct in my assumptions, this is the definition of "play stupid games, win stupid prizes."

When I once again went back to reading the Zeta novelization, I was blessed with the great line, "at some point, Char's eyes came to hate the light."

"'At some point,' huh? Maybe from dilating his eyes every day for like three years...??"

Char Aznable is a doofus who messed up his own eyes and then did not put two and two together to figure out why "at some point" he happened to become hypersensitive to light. The combined narratives of Tomino and Yasuhiko have come together to give me this glorious gift. (lol)

When I suggested as much to that same friend who introduced me to Gundam, she theorized, "What if he suffers from migraines?"

"It'd be impressive that he ever gets anything done at all, if he's that prone to migraines. Let alone piloting murder-death-machines in space."

Whether he gets migraines or not, it's enough of an issue for him that he employs technology to help him avoid intense light sources. According to the Zeta novels, the sunvisors in normal suits' helmets can apparently dampen the light of the stars completely, allowing the wearer to only focus on the brighter, man-made structures. (I believe there are several times he's got his sunglasses on inside of his helmet in the TV anime, as well.)

At another point, we're told that the displays inside of the mobile suits have an automatic filter applied to the camera feed that, in real time, tones down the brightness of intense lights, such as those from explosions. In addition to keeping this filter in place, Char also manually dims the monitors' overall brightness. (Overriding a safety feature, if I'm reading that part properly, lol.)

Later, I got to thinking about Char's Counterattack. We see him occasionally slip on a pair of shades, but he spends the majority of the movie without anything covering his face. After all, Tomino goes out of his way in the Zeta novels to let us know that "his blue eyes were beautiful," and, as the charismatic leader of a rebel dictatorship, why not flaunt what you've got? (lol) Who cares if it means you keep getting migraines? I'm sure being in constant pain wouldn't inspire you to make any questionable policy decisions or anything…

Besides which, showing off his good looks helps differentiate him from the last space dictator, who was a bit of a potato. (Although Degwin also wore red and covered his eyes... Hm...)

Anyway, this has been my rant on Char Aznable's ocular health. A very important matter for Universal Century scholars, brought under the examining glass for the first time. May I never think of it again, lol.

[gar-trek]

please share what you have to say about food cubes!!

I was feeling a little apprehensive about releasing the TOS Food Document™ because it is so damn long…. But since you asked anon

DISCLAIMER:

This is focused solely on food as it appears in the original series. Whatever explanation of food synthesizer/replicator that may come in later series does to apply here. I am also not a Star Trek expert. I’m sure there is some super fan out there who knows everything there is to know about food in TOS, but that person is not me. This is just my thoughts as I’ve observed instances where food is shown or mentioned in TOS. If my thought process is flawed, or I make some claims that don’t really make sense, I am sorry. The food canon is very complicated and vague, so this is me just trying my best to make sense of it. I’d also like to mention I did not explicitly cover the meal scene in What Are Little Girls Made Of? Or the ice cream scene from And The Children Shall Lead, but I do make reference to them. I’m sure there are other food scenes I didn’t get to cover here, so if I’m missing a few pieces, I’m sorry.

Anyway… let’s get into it!

The original series, food, and other things that keep me up at night

I don’t care about continuity or plot holes in Star Trek: The Original Series, and if I did, I think the show would become rather unwatchable. It’s not about what happens to get us from plot point A to B, but more important that we do get there (ie, who cares how or why Spock’s brain has been removed from his body, it’s more important that we do get it back inside).

This being said, there is one aspect to TOS that baffles me to no end, and its something I just cannot overlook: the food. Food, the entire concept of it as it appears in TOS haunts me. Each time they show or mention food it makes less and less sense. It’s a never-ending nightmare and I spend every day trying to understand what goes on in the Enterprise Cafeteria. Today I would like to explore a couple food instances on TOS, and hopefully make a little sense of what is happening.

The first chilling incident: The Man Trap (S1E2) - Rand is a thief

In this episode, we see Yeoman Rand on her way to deliver Sulu his meal. She is carrying a tray of colored food cubes (which is what I will be referring to them as here, because there is no official name) and what we can assume to be some kind of alien variant of celery (earth celery with some red crap stuck on top). While waiting for the turbo lift, Rand eats one of the celery sticks intended for Sulu. My question is why. Like literally why does this happen. Sulu never mentions it (maybe he doesn’t notice). She never mentions it to him, which means we can assume she doesn’t want him to know. So why is Rand stealing food? Does she not get enough to eat? Is the limits for how much you get to eat on the Enterprise that strict you need to turn to thievery to get a proper meal? and if that the case, she’s shorting Sulu on his allotted food. In this same scene, we see Ensign Green (who is really a salt-sucking monster) make a grab for the tray as if he too is going to steal Sulu’d food. However, Rand slaps his hand away and asks “who do you think you are?”, a hypocritical statement considering Rand is also in the act of stealing food. So Rand, I must pose the same question to you. This scene has no resolution, so any interpretation is up to the viewer. Whether you think Rand's actions make her a girlboss or a thief, is up to you, however, one thing is undeniably true: Rand eats food off other people's plates.

Other food-related things of note in this episode is that Sulu sprinkles salt on the celery sticks. This means they are either bland or that's just his personal taste. Also, when Rand gives him his tray, he says “may the great bird of the galaxy bless your planet” and this has nothing really to do with food, I just thought it was kind of badass.

(Sulu’s food tray with 3 celery instead of 4 because Rand ate one)  

Incident two: Charlie X (S1E3) - synthetic meatloaf

In Charlie X, we see Captain Kirk make this comment in passing:

“Today on earth it is Thanksgiving, if the crew has to eat synthetic meatloaf I want it to look like turkey.”

This statement leaves us with a couple undeniable truths:

1. Meatloaf is a meal option on the Enterprise.

2. It is synthetic, meaning the meatloaf may not contain any meat at all.

3. It is not shaped like turkey, but it is possible to do so.

if the meatloaf served on the Enterprise is synthetic, then it very well could be made out of the same stuff the colored food cubes are made out of. Also, (and this is pure speculation so take it with a grain of salt) since we never hear anyone refer to the colored food cubes by name, they could literally be the “synthetic meatloaf” that Kirk is referring to here. In this case, the term synthetic meatloaf would not mean a synthetic version of the popular American dish meatloaf but instead loafs of synthetic meat. Since we do not know exactly what synthetic meat looks like, it very well could be brightly colored cubes.

In either case, Kirk is asking them to turn synthetic food from one shape to another. We understand this is possible through the food synthesizer, however, if all the food they eat on the Enterprise is synthetic anyway, then why did Kirk specifically mention synthetic meatloaf in the shape of turkey? would the turkey not instead be made out of synthetic turkey? why must the synthetic turkey be made specifically out of meatloaf? isn’t every single food that comes out of the food synthesizer made out of the same thing? It would have made more sense for Kirk to say “it's thanksgiving so can you made the food synthesizers produce turnkey?”. However, Kirk is like, a really cool guy, so it is possible that the meatloaf comment is just a fun joke. Either way, we know that synthetic meatloaf is a standard menu item on the enterprise, yet we have never seen anyone consume it.

Incident 3: The Corbomite Maneuver (S1E11) - Green leaves

In this episode, Kirk goes in for a physical, and Doctor McCoy reports that the captain is 2 pounds overweight. In response to this, the Doctor changes the captain's dietary card to help him lose a little wight (🙄). We later see the captain served a “dietary salad” in place of his usual meals. The existence of dietary salad is interesting for many reasons. Most importantly, we understand that dietary salad is somehow better for you than what is usually served on the Enterprise. It most likely has a lower caloric intake than say, colored food cubes. However, as discussed before, most if not all the food on the Enterprise is synthetic. If the food is created, and not naturally made, then one can assume its caloric value can be controlled. Would it not be possible to make a lower-calorie version of colored food cubes? one would assume that the cubes are made to have the perfect amount of nutrients to satisfy yet keep humans a healthy weight if they are in fact a form of synthetic man-made food. How would the captain overeat, if portions are pre-determined by dietary cards? Is Kirk somehow going rouge and consuming food that is not created by the food synthesizer (the captain's secret cookie stockpile??).

The existence of this salad also begs another question: is it synthetic as well, or are they growing fresh salad on the Enterprise? We do know that they are able to grow things on the ship, however, there has never been any discussion of growing crops specifically for consumption. If this is the case though, it may explain why we often see crew members eating celery sticks. Perhaps things like celery sticks and dietary salads are grown on the Enterprise, but all other food is synthetically created. In which case, who’s job is it to harvest food and prepare it for meals? Did Rand have to put that dietary salad together all on her own?

One more interesting point about the Salad: When Kirk first receives it, he asks

“what in the devil is this? Green leaves?”

which prompts Rand to explain that it’s a salad. It is very possible that Kirk genuinely has no idea what a salad is. He may have never had one, nor heard of the food in his entire life. Later we see him eat the salad with his hands, which further proves the point that captain kirk doesn't know what salad is. Why captain Kirk would somehow have no knowledge of salad is up to speculation.

Incident 4: The conscience of the king (S1E14) - Cry over spilled milk 

In this episode, Lieutenant Riley is served colored food cubes and a glass of what appears to be milk. There isn’t much of significance here, other than the fact we know it is possible to get a glass of milk with your meal on the Enterprise. Unlike Sulu, Riley doesn’t have any celery sticks but seems to have a larger serving of colored food cubes as compensation. We also learn that milk is served in a large glass, something that seems very impractical on a starship.

Riley proves my point moments later when he spills milk on a control panel and shatters the glass. This begs the question, who is going to clean that up?

Incident 5: Tomorrow is Yesterday (S1E20) - Chicken noodle soup

In this episode, the Enterprise accidentally beams a 60′s army man abroad their ship (for the second time). This random chad ensign asks the man if he’s hungry because he’s a troll I guess and he wanted to flex their cool future food machine. The army captain guy is like sure, I could go for some chicken soup right now (a very natural response to being beamed onto a spaceship for the first time). Chad ensign has like three cards in front of him, and I guess one of them just happens to be chicken soup because he puts it in the machine and the soup appears. Grant it, we never actually get to see the soup with out own eyes, but the army captain does seem to be pretty convinced that it is chicken soup just by the smell. This opens up a couple possibilities:

-The food synthesizer can make almost anything you want, and the card is maybe like a very broad category, like a dinner card, and when you put it in you can pick any dinner food you’d like.

or

-The food synthesizer can only make what is specific to each card, and the ensign just got extremely lucky and happened to have a card that was the exact food the army captain wanted.

More evidence, which we will go over later, points more towards the theory that one card is equal to one specific type of food. In this case, it is unclear how the synthesizer food cards are distributed, or how you get your pick of what food you would like. It is also more likely that options would be limited. This does make sense, however, it makes this scene very confusing, as, as I’ve pointed out, the ensign had a very limited number of cards, but exactly what the captain had asked for. Pure luck? what mind game was that Chad ensign trying to play with the poor man who was abducted from earth... we will never know.

One more very interesting thing is established here: The transporter room has a food synthesizer. Why this is is purely up to speculation. In my mind, having a food synthesizer in the transporter room would be like having a full kitchen where you park your car. Seems pretty useless, but maybe the guys in the transporter room requested easy access to snacks? Why the transporter room would get this special privilege is again, up to speculation.

Incident 6: Space Seed (S1E23) - Dinner with Khan

In Space Seed a special dinner is put together to welcome Khan onto the Enterprise. We see that they are being served colored food cubes and celery sticks. Doctor McCoy walks into the dining room and comments about how the display is “very impressive”. However, this seems like a very unusual comment considering we are shown the only food we have ever seen consumed on the Enterprise. What exactly makes this food “impressive” as compared to other celery sticks and colored food cubes? Is there some way to tell this particular food is better that we don’t know about, but is obvious to everyone on the Enterprise?

There is also a chance that Doctor McCoy is just very easily impressed with food, and upon seeing any food spread he is likely to comment in wonder. Note the way Scotty is looking at McCoy. His face is a mixture of confusion, judgment, and pity. Perhaps Scotty is thinking to himself “bruh, it’s literally just colored food cubes chill out man,”. There is no explanation as to why Scotty is giving McCoy such a look, so this very well could be the case. Even though it is a silly explanation, I don’t think it should be ruled out that one of McCoy’s personality traits is being overly excited about food of any kind.  

Incident 7: Journey to Babel (S2E10) Party food

Much like in Space Seed, in this episode, we get to see a meal put together for a special occasion. All the diplomates are getting down at a mixer where a spread of food has been provided. These snacks seem very similar to colored food cubes, however I do think they differ. They may be the same type of food, but different in some way. In which case colored food cubes is an overarching category of food, and here we see two different types. The smaller more brightly colored cubes can be put in drinks, though if this is what you are supposed to do with them, or just the preference of that one alien species I do not know. Though I must point out, we have seen colored food cubes served in brown sauce in What are Little Girls Made Of? (S1E8) so it is not completely unheard of to have your colored food cubes served soggy.

The other type of colored food cubes we see are a lot larger and more pair shaped (in reality, they probably were just skinned pairs dipped in food coloring, but for this essay, it’s important that we completely ignore the fact there is another life outside of Star Trek). Now to me, these are very interesting, because the dull color and apparent texture are a lit more similar to standard colored food cubes we have seen thus far. I would even go o far to say that this is the same exact food, just sans the cubed shape. So really, standard colored food cubes are just the cubed version of whatever this food is. This, again, is just speculation, but it does point us to the fact that colored food cubes are not naturally cubed (I’m going somewhere with this is promise)

Incident 8: The Trouble With Tribbles (S2E15) The trouble with Chicken sandwichs

Here we see Kirk attempting to order a chicken sandwich and coffee. What he gets instead is a plate full of tribbles,  hilarity ensues. I think this scene is interesting because we can add to our list of food items that are on the menu at the enterprise cafeteria: chicken sandwich. However, this is another food item we do not see. There is no way of knowing if the Enterprise's version of a chicken sandwich is what we would imagine a chicken sandwich to be. Much like the meatloaf and the soup, because we do not see it, there is no way of knowing if the food exists in the way that we as 21st-century people understand it. The events of TOS take place more than 200 years in our future, so to speculate that food could change a lot during that time isn’t a stretch. I don’t know, just some food for thought (lol)

Incident 9: By Any Other Name (S2E22) Living deliciously

In this episode, an alien taking the form of a human enjoys some colored food cubes. He makes a comment about how they are good they are while enthusiastically eating his food. This is a very important moment because it tells us that colored food cubes do taste good. In fact, they taste really good. Just before he eats, the alien comments on how humans could just take pills that give them all their nutrient needs and give up food completely (think the Jetsons cartoon). On the Enterprise, they do not eat just to live, but because they enjoy their food as well. This tells us that colored food cubes are at the very least, worth eating, and at the best, very delicious.

One more interesting thing: Spock is eating some kind of soup while everyone else enjoys colored food cubes. This could be a Vulcan preference, however, we know that Spock is vegetarian. This could be alluding to the fact that Colored Food Cubes are made out of meat.

Conclusion:

Yes, I asked a lot more questions than I answered. There are some things that make absolutely no sense to me, primarily, the food synthesizer and diet cards. Some evidence points to the fact that the food synthesizer can make practically anything (see Tomorrow is Yesterday, And the Children Shall Lead). However, one dietary card is equal to one specific food, which would mean they would have to produce a lot of these dietary cards if there is many meal options. How these cards are distributed, and what their limitations are, we do not know. And although we do not know the limits of what the food synthesizer can create, we do know these food have been served on the enterprise at least at one point:

-colored food cubes (variety)

-celery

-synthetic meatloaf

-synthetic turkey (Thanksgiving Special)

-Dietary Salad

-Milk

-Chicken Soup

-Chicken Sandwich

-Mystery Soup

-Ice cream (variety of flavors)

All of this food (except for maybe the dietary salad and celery) are synoptically created, so what they are actually made up of, I cannot say.

And finally, I would like to make a point about the colored food cubes. I think upon first inspection one would assume colored food cubes is a dish created specifically for space travel (think the food created for modern-day astronauts to consume in space). However, we learned that there is possibly a variety of colored food cube dishes. Since there is such a wide variety of food on the Enterprise, why would they also need to create a food specifically for space travel? I think that colored food cubes are actually a common dish, not intended specifically for space travel. Perhaps it was an alien food that got popular on earth, maybe it was a dish developed later in Earth's history by humans. I can only speculate, but I do think it is more than just boring space food. Everyone seems to have a preference for it, so I think it’s a dish you can eat over and over again and not get sick of. What colored food cubes taste like is completely up to speculation, but I would assume they are a savory food, considering we often see people enjoying them for their main meal.

I still have more to say, but for the sake of everyone, I’ll end it there. This was a lot of thought dumping, so if some of the things I said made no sense at all, I’m sorry. I’d love to hear some of your thoughts on TOS food! please share with me what you think colored food cubes would taste like :)

[sky-berrie]

How would the batboys react to a female SO with Paranoid Personality Disorder?

Hi there!

Thanks so much for the ask. I hope this is okay :)

-Sky

Bruce

As a person living with paranoid personality disorder, you might be terrified that people are out to harm you. Your place of residence, Gotham city, does nothing but exacerbate your paranoid thought patterns, since criminals run rampant through the streets. It’s hard to distinguish between paranoid thoughts and substantiated concerns. Is that sketchy person with the full face covering one of Black Mask’s False Face Society members sent to abduct you, or are they just a conscientious citizen taking extra precautions to avoid contracting or transmitting the COVID virus? Being in a state of constant fear prevents you from living your life to the fullest. Luckily, your S/O happens to be Batman in his free time.

Bruce eases your mind just with his presence. He’s probably the smartest, strongest, and most resourceful person you know and being with him makes you feel safe. Bruce is the kind of person who you’d blindly listen to during an emergency – if he told you to jump out of a burning plane, you’d do it without a second thought because he’s never let you down in the past and you’re confident that he never will in the future. If you’re feeling fearful in public, Bruce will grab your hand or put an arm around you securely and soothingly whisper in your ear that he’s right here and there’s nothing to worry about. Having paranoid thoughts means that it’s difficult to reason with you, so you probably aren’t convinced that there is no threat, but you do experience some relief from his soft touch and gentle words. He’ll ask if you want to leave and he’ll take you to your safe space. If you’re feeling fearful in private, Bruce will hold you close and rub your back to reduce your anxiety. If you’re by yourself and start to have those racing, panicked paranoid thoughts, you can always call Bruce. He’ll drop whatever he is doing and come take care of you.

Bruce will teach you self defense to help you feel more comfortable around people. He won’t arm you with any dangerous weapons because he doesn’t want an innocent person to get hurt if you get spooked. Bruce will ask if you want to move into the manor since it has strong security and comes with several vigilantes. If you would rather stay at your own place, Bruce will install a variety of safety systems to make you feel protected. He’ll even spend most nights at your place so you can sleep peacefully. Overall, Bruce is like your lifeline. He’ll know just what to do to help you through your difficult thoughts.

Dick

Dick is a social butterfly who’s had his fair share of romantic partners in the past so it’s natural for you to feel jealous when he spends time with other people. Dick will adamantly declare that he’s with you and only you. At first you might try to ignore the prickly feeling of jealousy because you don’t want to come off as a possessive S/O, but the clues accumulate and suggest that he’s cheating on you. For example, he’ll rarely spend the night with you. You’ll catch him sneaking into bed at ungodly hours of the morning. When confronted, he’ll make up an excuse that he just went to get a drink of water or use the bathroom. You’ll spot bruises scattered over his chest knowing you definitely did not leave those there. He’ll play it off as a gym injury.

When you raise your suspicions, Dick is hesitant to explain. You take this as confirmation of infidelity and you’re ready to walk out. At that point, he has no choice but to come clean about his secret identity as Nightwing. That sounds farfetched and you likely think he’s a pathological liar. Finally, Dick proves it to you and explains that he didn’t want you to be dragged into his dangerous nightlife. While you accept that as the truth, you’ll always wonder if he’s hiding more secrets. Furthermore, you’re probably pissed that he was gaslighting you. Dick will do everything he can to make it up to you. He’ll apologize profusely and in extravagant ways, be more transparent, and shower you with excessive love and affection. It might take a long time, but eventually Dick will worm his way back into your good graces.

It doesn’t take long for the green-eyed monster to rear its’ ugly head again. Now that you’re in the know, you’re hyperaware of the attractive vigilantes that Dick works with and it’s emotionally draining to be jealous all the time. You don’t want to be the type of person who tries to control their partner’s life, but when the suffering becomes too much to bear, you might ask him to stop seeing certain people. Dick will calmly assure you that there isn’t anything going on with any of his vigilante friends. If that doesn’t appease you, he’ll suggest that you hang out with the team and get to know them. He hopes that you’ll see that there aren’t any romantic feelings between them. Whatever you do, please don’t force him to choose between you and his hero life. It will tear him apart.

Jason

Trust is very important to Jason. He doesn’t trust many people as it is and needs a S/O who he can trust wholeheartedly and who will trust him in return. He believes that this relationship will fail if you don’t have confidence in each other. He’ll take it personally if you distrust him. Jason will get defensive and frustrated if you accuse him of being unfaithful, especially if you don’t have a shred of evidence to support your claims. He’ll be offended and deeply hurt that you think so negatively of him but once he’s had some time to cool off, he’ll be able to process everything more objectively. He’ll accept that you can’t control the way you feel. You’d explained it to him once that you do trust him, but there’s a separate voice in your head that tells you otherwise. Jason won’t give up on you though. He’ll come up with a proposition - he’ll agree to install a tracking app on his phone so you can monitor his whereabouts if you’ll promise to work on learning to trust him, whether it be via professional psychotherapy or reading self-help books.

On the other hand, if Jason is one of the only people you trust, he’ll be elated to know that you two have built such a strong connection. It’ll be easy to confide in him because he’ll gladly listen to your worried thoughts with no judgement. At first, he’ll reassure you that nothing bad is going to happen to you – he’s Red Hood and nobody is going to pull anything on you if they value their life. Eventually he’ll realize that trying to reason with you isn’t helpful so he’ll stick to active listening when you’re experiencing paranoid thoughts.

However, if Jason is fresh out of the pit and emotionally unstable, you two will probably bond over your mutual distrust and cynicism about the world. Although you and Jason will get along exceptionally well, it’s possible that your irrational thoughts may feed each other’s paranoia and exacerbate the feelings of mistrust and suspicion. If you find yourself unable to let things go, feel free to vent away when you’re with Jason. He is the king of holding grudges, so he’ll probably support you and even join in on trash talking that person with you when you’re angry. Learning to forgive and forget is something you and Jason can work on together. In a way, it brings you two closer together since you understand each other on a level that others can’t begin to comprehend.

Tim

Tim very compassionate and patient; however, he’s afraid of triggering you so he’s often walking on eggshells around you. He just wants to be the perfect supportive S/O for you and doesn’t want to mess up the relationship. His worst offense (in your eyes) is using ambiguous language that lends to multiple interpretations. For example, he might innocently compliment your clothes/hair/makeup and you might assume that he only likes you for your appearance or that he’s implying that you’re vain for wanting to look nice. The moment you shoot him daggers, he’s realized his mistake and starts to furiously backpedal. He tries to explain himself, but he usually ends up digging himself a deeper hole. Eventually, he gets better at expressing his thoughts carefully so that they can’t be misconstrued.

Tim diligently tries to learn your other triggers and how to help. When you’re stuck in a cycle of paranoid thoughts, Tim will get you to focus on what’s real instead of trying to make you see sense. He’ll help you relax by walking you through breathing exercises, playing soothing music, or whatever strategies you find helpful.

Tim isn’t proud of this, but he’s resorted to deceiving you when necessary. For instance, if you’re experiencing paranoid thought patterns and want to be alone, Tim will hesitantly leave, but he’ll probably secretly monitor you only because he’s worried about your safety. If you’re afraid that others are reading your mind, he might pretend that he invented an anti-mindreading helmet to ease your suspicions. He knows you would feel betrayed if you ever found out about his dishonesty, but he reasons that your safety and comfort are more important in the moment.

Damian

Arguments with Damian are brutal. No matter how insignificant the disagreement is, Damian refuses to back down when he believes he’s right. Paired with your own stubbornness and contentiousness, these quarrels generally result in an impasse. Eventually your anger subsides and the depression sinks in. You might assume that Damian doesn’t love you anymore and that fight was the end of your relationship. Maybe you start packing your belongings to move out right away. Damian comes up behind you and asks what you’re doing. When you tell him that you’re leaving because he doesn’t want you anymore, he’s instantly remorseful. He takes your bags out of your hands and proceeds to pull you in close as he tells you how much he loves you. He assures you that two people can disagree and still love each other.

Damian doesn’t want to argue with you and he certainly doesn’t want to see you upset so he’ll always excuse himself before the argument becomes too heated. He hopes that some time apart will allow you both to calm down and come to a compromise, but it’s never that simple. Most of the time, you’ll need a third-party mediator, like a therapist, to resolve your dispute. The act of seeking out a therapist will be a huge accomplishment for your relationship. Damian likes his privacy and doesn’t want someone else in his business and you might be afraid to share intimate information with a stranger in fear that it will be used against you. Nevertheless, you both want to make this relationship work, so you’ll continue to seek help.

Damian has a habit of being blunt. He doesn’t mean to criticize or insult you – in his mind, he is only stating the facts or his opinion for the purpose of helping you improve. Despite his goodhearted intentions, it’s easy for you to take his comments the wrong way and perceive it as a personal attack. If he sees that his remarks have upset you, he’ll acknowledge all the positive aspects of your performance. Still, you might cling to the disparaging comments and ignore the praise. Going forward, Damian will try to be more encouraging and constructive and will only express feedback if you invite him to do so.

[lemonhemlock]

I appreciate your apology and I am happy we can continue this conversation in a more civilized manner. I would thus like to begin by pointing out that nowhere in my post did I say I cannot empathise with Aemond's struggles or that I think he should just "get over" being bullied as a child. I would like to politely point out that you don't know me, so cannot really know whether I was bullied or not and whether I can relate based on my own lived experiences. My issue here was always with the proportionality of the response and with the way it is framed by the authors of the HBO show House of the Dragon - mainly the writers and directors.

I was honestly about to write more in-depth about this after the day's matches were over, but @gwenllian-in-the-abbey beat me to it with her very detailed take on the situation here, so right now it would seem rather pointless for me to re-iterate what she has already committed to paper (electronic).

However, what I would like to highlight from her reply is the fact that, as of now, Aegon has been shown to supportive of Aemond more times than he has bullied him. And the instances in which he has been bullied have just not been these hugely mortal offenses that weigh so heavy on the soul that they might drive a person to literal MURDER. Within this post, @asphodelesauvage, for instance, comments that the things Aegon says in the brothel scene are more insulting towards Madam Sylvie than they are towards Aemond specifically, beyond the pretty tame assertion that so far he has only slept with one woman. I can understand why a young man, a prince, might feel his masculinity insulted and that he might get upset about it, but to murder your brother and commit the sin of kinslaying? Let's please consider how this can easily be interpreted as an exaggeration by the majority of people. In fact, one might say, that the drive to murder someone would arise as a result of a grave transgression such as perhaps taking one's eye out? Luke's murder, as a result, does not feel as an exaggeration - he literally left Aemond crippled.

But regardless of how you feel about Aemond's motivations - whether they are "valid" enough or not, the way the tension between the brothers has been presented so far is just not up to par. Aemond has had, what 3-5 minutes of screen time so far? His appearances have been pretty separate from the rest of the family. He is written as absolutely uninvolved in anything. His interventions in the Council are minimal. He only talks briefly to Criston, not even to a family member, apart from the brothel scene. He has no reaction to Blood & Cheese and the entire family are made to act as if the event happened independently of him. You cannot build tension via uninvolvement.

As far as your claim that I was simply bashing the show without offering any alternative, I do not think that is fair. Firstly, I cannot be addressing every single possible thought I have in one post; secondly, I did offer some suggestions - I introduced the idea of Alicent maybe scolding Aemond, a perfect opportunity for them to lay out some grievances to one another's faces, driving more into the issue that they fundamentally misunderstand each other and leave the conversation aggrieved and unsatisfied. The Daemyra scene was a good example of this, so it can be done. Likewise, Aegon could have been more vicious in the brothel scene, accusing Aemond of being (at least) partially responsible for B&C as a result of his brash actions. Aegon and Aemond haven't even had one conversation alone this season.

As to specifically how to structure said conversation to relay a sense of tension and danger - that depends on your take and objective.

-Do you truly see Aegon as a bully that torments Aemond to his breaking point? Then show him verbally abusing Aemond. This is where I disagree with your stance, because teasing isn't enough to explain (not even justify, merely explain) the drive to murder. It just looks goofy. The offense should be proportional to the response. If someone is considering fratricide and regicide and usurpation, the offense should be pretty extreme.

-Do you see Aemond as the hot-head who is overly ambitious and scheming without a real reason? Then you should have previously established with the audience that he is borderline psychotic and takes offense at each and every slight to disproportionate effect. Ramsay Bolton was such a character. But, so far, the only thing that has drove Aemond to violence was depicted as an understandable trigger for a traumatic mutilation.

etc.

This is an example of a non-book scene that I think was done very well, which illustrates what I'm trying to describe. It is immaterial here what you think of Tywin or Joffrey or who is right in the situation, similarly to how it really is immaterial to the aegond rivalry whether Aegon or Aemond are "right". In fact, Joffrey makes a valid point about Daenerys' dragons that Tywin dismisses. What is important is how tension is built through the push-pull quality of this little argument, how Joffrey starts the scene from a position of power, but the framing slowly gives way to Tywin as he gains the upper hand in that conversation, how the cinematographer does his damn job and positions and films Charles Dance is such a way that you understand that it is Tywin who condescends and patronizes "the king", to such an extent that at some point you question whether he will actually retaliate and punish Joffrey in some way for the crime of having annoyed him. Because the scene starts with Joffrey looking down at Tywin, then, as tension builds, we see Tywin climbing up the steps until he is the one who looks down on Joffrey. It's properly done visual storytelling.

The fact is that the HoTD crew do not have enough episodes to make use of techniques like these and have to rely, like you mentioned, on absences and time skips, which, in my opinion as a person who has seen a fair share of media by now, are executed in a lackluster fashion. This is a symptom of the diseased capitalistic media hellhole in which they are forced to produce the show and the fact that are put in a situation in which they often have to sacrifice artistic vision in order to make (a scandalous amount of) profit is absolutely something that should be critiqued.

i have to say, i enjoy the concept of brotherly-betrayal aegond as much as anyone, but i am just so unimpressed with this execution... the main point of contention for me is the absolute lack of tension.

there is no fallout between the greens over luke's murder. the only consequence for aemond is that alicent is just a little pissed at him? she is not shown to even scold him, she's just.... mildly upset? aegon gives even less of a shit, the whole act to him is a non-event. and yet there is the expectation that the viewer should understand that this is such an annoyance to aemond, who feels slighted over this great injustice his own mother is doing to him, poor misunderstood emoboy. man, give me a break.

similarly, and i want to point out that aemond is absolutely not to blame for blood & cheese, but, after jaehaerys' murder, there are no emotional recriminations of aemond's behaviour whatsoever. not even a side-ways comment that "this never would have happened had you not provoked rhaenyra in this way". aemond is not even shown to grieve in any way; he is very removed from this narrative and only briefly ponders it to the brothel madam in a very self-centered way. he acts as if his siblings' favourite dog just died and he's kind of above the theatricality of it all. when aegon then interrupts the scene, it was a perfect opportunity to at least have him allude to the fact that this must have been aemond's hiding place when his son's head was being chopped off, yet he... doesn't?

so, while, yes, there is this thread of aegon having bullied aemond throughout his childhood, it is also tempered by having aegon be sort of considerate as well towards his brother? welcoming him to his council, praising him, not even being exceptionally mean, just mildly boorish in the brothel scene. whereas, on the other side, aemond is so passive in his tepid disgruntlement that it truly sets the stage for the most boring and unfulfilling rivalry on television.

there's no bite to this, no reason to get invested. how will they even be able to break the monotony with only one episode left?

[nightswithkookmin]

From Jimin: To the hyungs Jungkook is just my little brother...

I have no idea what that says. But if this is what he said, then definitely it leaves room for interpretation because it's an incomplete statement. You don't need to know the nuances of the language to understand that that statement is a sentence fragment that expresses an incomplete thought on the surface of it.

The omission of a second clause implies the opposite of what was said in the first. It's as simple as that.

The question anyone would ask upon hearing that is, so... he's more? Or, so he's not your little brother?

Makes sense...

But I've seen other translations such as, to the hyungs JK is like my little brother and in other instance, Jk is our little brother etc.

Makes you wonder if these interpretations took the context of the conversation into consideration or even why Jimin would make such a statement in the first place in their attempts to provide nuance.

"SUGA: Jungkook is good at everything

J-hope: Jungkook always surprises us. he changed his style recently!

Jimin: The hyungs all think he's like my actual little brother.

V: Jungkook is good at keeping his focus

JK: Everything about Jungkook is pretty!"

It's Jungkook from the members' lens.

When you interpret Jimin's bit within this context then it's more likely he is trying to highlight his dynamic with Jungkook more than anything, mainly to the effect that Jungkook is perhaps obedient, likeable, sweet, puppy etc.

Comparing Jungkook to his actual little brother is a compliment and perhaps has a much deeper meaning than mere friendships in my opinion. It shows just how close, more than co workers they are, how more than friends they are, how really close they are.

I don't know why shippers shy away from comparisons to family bond when in fact the bond of family is the greatest bond one could ever have.

BTS do have a habit of liking their bond to that of family- and they love to show that bond off.

It's interesting seeing Jikook through the lens of the members when most times the bond of those two are invalidated, watered down and downplayed.

Everyone would have us believe Jikook are sworn enemies from rival states. So however you wanna interpret what he said, there's value in taking things at face value. You don't need to do too too much with it to try to get its meaning across because then that would be analysis and analysis are always subjective and subject to our own confirmation biases.

To the hyungs, he's like my little brother, he is just my little brother, he's like our little brother- all have the same sentiment if taken from the perspective of that whatever JM said was intended as a compliment to Jungkook.

Perhaps Jungkook treats JM just like a younger brother would a Hyung- given the culture of respect between hyung/dongsaengs, given the way hyungs are expected to take care of their dongsaengs, given the emphasis BTS places on their bond, honorifics culture...

Perhaps he means, Jungkook treats me in such a way you'd think he were my actual younger brother- a theme which to me is in line with that whole Jimin treats me better than my own brother does or the numerous times he's compared him to his own brother or something along those lines.

They love eachother very much. Whether that is platonic or romantic is up for debate but I don't think after this anyone can invalidate their bond or gaslight is into thinking those two aren't close at all.

If the members see them as this close then it really puts an end to this whole Jungkook is uncomfortable with Jimin nonsense.

The busan bros, the busans, the sun and moon duo, the exceptionally close pair, the hyungs all think Jungkook is like my actual little brother etc

They all have a similar vibe to me.

I guess what I'm saying is, I don't care much about the nuances of the language in this context or in any context to be honest as the intention behind the text is pretty obvious💀

To me he is either providing the hyungs' perspective to affirm his dynamic with Jungkook or to affirm all that he's been saying of his dynamic with JK which is that JK is like a little brother to him just as he repeated in Festa.

To highlight and affirm their bond or to compliment Jungkook like the other's were in this instance.

This is the diagram some Karny drew to explain the nuances of the text.

And here I thought I was extra chilee.

I'm not mad at this. Love when a moment brings out the delulu in yall's eyes😭🤣🤣

I don't know why we are hung on Jimin's words out of all the statements that were made trying to dissect and over analyse it.

On one hand I feel some people are over sensationalizing while others are just plain invalidating Jikook's bonds- especially over something Jimin of all people would say.

He slick slick. I'll give him that. And he loves him some double entendres. But he's also usually the one to use dictum that makes it easier for his words and meaning to be translated- if they get translated. So it's fascinating to see the confusion his words are creating out in these streets. It really ain't that deep if you ask me chilee.

Alas, we are all adults and we all have different perspectives on these things. I'd say, find a source you trust based on their track record and stick with it. Do your own analysis or seek out others' perspectives on it. This is mine and how I take it- regardless of what any Karmy says😊

My delusions are mine and mine alone. No disrespect to Karmy. In fact, yall great people doing great holding it down for the gays🤭

Also disclaimer, I'm not a translator and any translation used here isn't mine.

In conclusion,

Hyuna screws her dongsaeng and Rain fucks his Noona. Dead that whole Jikook womb mates shit before I lay my paws on ya.

Please pls Jikook is louder than this🙄

Jeonlous counts. Keep your wokeness yo yourself please. You must be in the wrong industry if you think you have to live by a code of ethic in these ship streets.

There is no ethical nor moderate consumption of ships under shipping. There is nothing like ethical or moderate shipping for the holier than thou shippers in the back.

We all ghetto ma'am. You might as well go all out😴

My favorite line from their song though is when Hyuna sings, "I'm finna tell my father about us and pledge eternity to you. You have to be careful always though, there are lots of pretty girls out there. We have to tell the world, I can't share you with another girl."

Eventually they told the world🤭

Their careers suffered but they did it anyway.

Please no nondelusional, fake woke, moderate shipper person should tell it to me when I talk about Jungkook's frustration to come out with their relationship and come act like it's illogical hence implausible for him to want to come out etc😒

I like my delulu perspective better😌

Peace.

GOLDY

[morganas-pendragons]

Long Story Short (I Survived) | Din Djarin

Okay, I apparently write for Din now. This is set after It’s A Long Way Down and will feature the same Grey!Jedi reader, I am done with finals and am intending to write a fic between this one and the first one for Chapter 13! 

i forgot that din took his helmet off in the first fic i wrote for him, so we’re going to call this - another separate instance in which reader could have seen helmet less din  - and change one saber to two 

if you’d like to be added to tags for when I write for din, please let me know! until then... 

@earthtokace / @demigod-dragonrider-schoolidol​ / @kyber-queen / @kaikai1324 / @snippy-tano / @fractiouskat​ / @doctorsteeb​

SPOILERS FOR THE BELIEVER 

Din is staring down at the Imperial console when he feels it creep up upon him. It’s a niggling fear, one that sinks deep down into the pit of his stomach and very nearly disappears - which gives him hope that it’ll just dissipate and die - until realization smacks him right back into reality. 

  “You’ll have to take your helmet off.” 

He’d felt this same emotion when IG-11 had coerced him into taking his helmet off when he’d been injured. It had felt the same, affected him the same, paralyzed him the same. 

Panic. It’s panic. 

The last time he’d done this had been out of necessity, out of fear, and that had been the only reason he’d survived. He’d broken The Creed to save his own life and of those who had been with him when the Moff attacked. Now, staring at this console, the life of his son is at stake if he doesn’t take this helmet off. 

Din whispers into the corners of his frightened mind. I’m scared. 

You had accompanied Mayfeld and Din as the third party (since Boba and Fennec had Cara) and had displayed skill in aiding him with the bands of pirates who had attacked their transport of Rhydonium. His mind was still spinning with the sheer speed in which you had spun those lightsabers. He didn’t think a person could move that fast. 

Around the corner and turned away from Din, you allow yourself to feel the whispers of The Force encircling your mind - the newly acquired bond you’d somehow formed with Din since having seen Ahsoka - and whispered in reply I know. A beat of silence passes before you continue. Remember who you’re doing this for. 

In the moment that Din’s fear threatens to overtake him, you send waves of comfort and assurance through your Bond in the Force - which shouldn’t exist to begin with, it’s not that easy to create bonds with a non-force sensitive -  to coax him into doing what needs to be done. Your eyes are turned. Your focus is on Mayfeld and the dozens of Imperial Officers who surround you. 

As he removes his helmet, Din remembers. He remembers your boundless laughter playing with The Child. He remembers the way his son beams at you, the way he falls asleep on specific words of lullabies because that’s always the precise moment your voice goes just soft enough that he feels as if he needs no more comfort. Din remembers the way you’d watched on in silence, quietly mourning a relationship that had yet to reach its peak, and how breathless you’d appeared - and overjoyed, he still hasn’t recovered from the sudden hug you gave him upon return to the Razor Crest - when he’d brought Grogu back inside after Ahsoka claimed he could not be trained. 

Remember who you’re doing this for.

Maker help anyone who dared to cross him when his child, his son - the one attachment he has not verbally acknowledged yet, but everyone else has, including you - is the one in danger. When you are the one in danger.

Maker help them.

You are not anticipating what comes next. 

This was supposed to be easy. Get in, get the coordinates for the cruiser, and get out. Mayfeld had mentioned to you after Din had entered the mess hall that he’d need to take his helmet off in order to access the terminal, and on instinct you had turned away from the mess to survey the crowd around you. 

Your lightsabers - now meshed together into the staff slung across your back - lay comfortably and within reach as dozens of Imperial troops brush past you and congratulate both you and Mayfeld on being the only transport to bring back the Rhydonium. 

  “Trooper? Hey, trooper!” 

Mayfeld’s hand shoots out before you can protest, and your head is whipping back just enough to ensure that Din hasn’t been found out. “No.” Mayfeld murmurs, shaking his head. “Not yet.” 

You’re not focused on him. You’re focused on the dark hair that frames the very visible head of the same man you’d resigned yourself to falling in love with. 

His helmet is off. 

Dread curls itself in your veins as you and the former Imperial turn to the mess hall. You’ve managed to respect Din’s wishes in refraining from both seeing his face - and using his name, you’re only allowed to do that in private - since you met, but circumstances have ruined the reverential act he would’ve saved for marriage. That was when he’d had removed his helmet to allow you to see him. 

The thing is though.. You’ve always seen him. You don’t need to see his face to know Din Djarin’s heart, and his heart lays with you and that baby. The one he’s fighting to get back. 

  “No, son. What’s your TK number?” 

Lucky for you, you’d been alive during The Clone Wars. You can worm yourself and him out of this situation fairly easily. 

  “This is our Commanding Officer TK-593, and First Officer TK-616, sir.” Mayfeld slaps your back as the two of you enter the mess hall and flank either side of Din. You cannot bring yourself to look at him head on. It would not be fair, not in the midst of the pure fear that’s coursing through his mind. 

I’m right here. You whisper into the heart of the fear that plagues him, fingers idly tracing the inside of his hand as you stare the Imperial Officer down. As expected, Din visibly relaxes at the gentle trace of your fingertips against his palm. We’re surviving. 

  “I am Imperial Combat Assault Transport TK-111, sir.” Mayfeld continues, folding his hands over each other as he stands at relaxed parade rest at Din’s side. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to speak up to him a little bit since his vessel lost pressure in Taanab.” 

This gives you the brilliant idea of conversing with Din in Tusken sign, something he’d been adamant to teach you after your excursion on Tatooine. 

  “She’s our interpreter. We call her Whip.’’

While Mayfeld guides the conversation with the officer, you and Din are easing into talking in Tusken about however many ways this can go wrong, but then he changes the topic to something you’re not quite ready to acknowledge. 

You can look at me, you know. He signs, hands frantic as he tries and fails to find your eyes. You value him - and his heart - far too much to be the first person he knows to have seen his face.

No. You shake your head. I can’t. 

And you don’t. You only look at his side profile for the remainder of that trip, refusing to allow yourself the satisfaction of being the one person he cared about that has seen his face. Seen him. 

Like I said. You don’t need to see Din Djarin’s face to see him. 

*** 

Din is almost positive he’s ready to accept how he feels about you. 

The minute Mayfeld shoots that officer in the chest, you spring into action and whip that staff off your back - disengaging the lock that holds the two lightsabers together - and the world explodes in a flurry of blue as you perform the sword and shield method he’s seen you do flawlessly at least five times now. 

You don’t look at him even after you’re back in Slave One. He and Cara have escorted Mayfeld back to the surface of the planet, and it’s just you and Fett in the cockpit. Despite the clone and bounty hunter being so much older then you, there’s something oddly comforting knowing you’re sitting next to has suffered as much as you have. If not more. 

Long story short, we both survived. 

  “You know, I’ve been with you a grand total of a day and I can already see it in your eyes, Whip.” The nickname Mayfeld had come up with in the facility has already made its rounds on the ship, and Boba feels it’s more then appropriate for the first Jedi he’s met since the kids who put him in the Sarlacc to begin with. Being inside of that thing had mellowed him out. He had accepted his life for what it was now. Oddly enough.. Boba Fett is at peace. “You’re lovesick for the Mandalorian.” 

  “Boba-” 

The older man, one who mirrored what you’d always envisioned the clones - may Maker rest their souls - to look like as they aged, removed his helmet to look at you. “Take it from someone who knows. He gets you. You get him.” Boba turned his gaze back towards the ramp of Slave One where Din was talking in low voices with Cara. “Wish I’d had a jeti like you who saw me despite the armor.” 

He stopped speaking after that.  

Taking a deep breath, you descend from the cockpit just as Slave One takes off again, the coordinates for Moff Gideon’s cruiser inputted into the navi-computer. Fennec and Cara move by you to join Boba in the cockpit which leaves you and Din alone in the cargo bay. 

It’s deadly silent. 

Ner jeti. He whispers. You can hear his thoughts as clear as you hear your own. Why will you not look at me? 

Your eyes slam shut as his fingers curl around your hips. You cannot do this to him, no matter how much you want to - no matter how much you desire to finally kiss those lips you’ve dreamt idly about so many times - because here’s the truth of it: You have suffered, parts of you have died, everything you have ever known has died, you have lost everything and didn’t even try to save those on the other end of those attachments you’d formed... but something, something good, put you right here. Right here in this moment with Din Djarin mere moments before plunging into the subject of your night terrors after months of being tormented by nightmares of your fellow Jedi being tortured by the Empire for simply existing. 

And quite frankly, there’s no one else you’d rather take that plunge with. 

That fact terrifies you. 

  “I can’t look at you, Din.” You whisper. “I can’t look at you because then that would be breaking your Creed for me... and I can’t let you do that when the baby hasn’t even seen your face yet-” 

  “Oh, believe me.” A clunk echoes in the cargo-bay as the beskar falls from his hands. Your heart stops and your breath catches in your throat as you tremble beneath his grasps, eyes still closed as he steps into the curve of your body - chest to your back - and lowers his entire head to your shoulder. “I intend for him to.” 

Din lays a kiss at the nape of your neck. Maker... he’s real. Your head starts spinning as his kiss ascends right to the shell of your ear, in which he then whispers, “Open your eyes, Sarad.” and it’s such an intimate act on the behalf of someone who has not known love until you and the baby showed up that you can’t not open your eyes. 

When you turn around, your world is enveloped in a mirage of onyx. Brown eyes. 

  “Din-” Din chuckles at your obvious reluctance because he is absolutely terrified to let you see him, the real him, vulnerable and waiting and desperate for the same acceptance. 

  “I told you my name way earlier then I ever anticipated I would.” He begins, taking your hands in his own to lay them against his cheeks. It has been so long since he allowed himself to accept touch, to accept that people in the galaxy were still gentle, that he trembles when your warmth seeps into his skin. “After what Bo-Katan told me and what Mayfeld kept saying in the transport... I’ve done alot of thinking recently, and I’m coming to the conclusion that maybe the way I was raised was wrong. There’s nothing wrong with taking the helmet off.” He exhales on a shaky breath and turns his face to kiss the inside of your hand. “But then again.. I’ve always wanted to around you.” 

Your voice is small as you ask, “Why?” 

  “Because you’ve always seen me.” Din replies. “Despite the armor and the helmet, you’ve always seen me for who I was. You saw me as a father for the-” He swallows the knot in his throat and leans inward until you are a hairs breath apart, forehead resting against yours as he pulls your body into his own. “As a father for our child. Not just as a bounty hunter, but as a man. A man I could never see myself as. When you came around, I stopped surviving. I started living.” He snorted sharply through his nose. “I almost forgot what that felt like.. I think you pulled me back right before I forgot entirely.” 

He’s so grateful. It’s hard to live feeling like you’re a ghost. 

Din tests the waters of this desire radiating from you both by applying just the barest amount of pressure of his mouth on yours. As to be expected, your entire body quakes at the contact and it takes all his physical control to not allow his spinning head to make his knees give out and send him falling on the floor. 

Oh.. he could get used to this. Used to this feeling.

He’s felt this before.

Joy. 

  “That’s the thing.” Inward, outward, forward and back again, you slowly allow yourself to succumb to Din’s kiss and grip his face in your hands just a little bit tighter. “I’ve always seen you.” You pull away just enough to force your eyes open, and then you are graced with the face of the man you love. You do. You love him, and you’ve accepted it. Kriffing Boba Fett. “And you know what? I thought I’d died before I met you. I never thought I’d make it here, much less be with you.. and I am so lucky.” There it is then, that breathless smile Din has pressed the sight of twice now into his memories, that presses itself into your aspect as the two of you look at each other. 

  “Why are you lucky?” 

You wink and shrug. ‘’Long story short?” You muse. “It’s a good thing I survived.”

Little to Din’s knowledge as he plunges into the mystery of his growing love for you - his flower, the one who made him bloom - that when he kisses you again, your eyes are wide open the entire time. 

There’s never been quite so beautiful a sight as somebody who’s survived. 

bonus: i am thinking about how beautiful pedro pascal was in this episode 

[lunarten]

Astrology Observations Pt. 2

The remix. Please keep in mind, as always, that these are based on my own experiences with people I know. Seeing as how personal and unique each natal chart is, they won’t resonate with everyone.

🖤 An opposition between the Moon and Mercury might manifest in one’s heart and mind always being at odds with one another. These natives might be conflicted when it comes to decision-making because their emotional and mental reasoning are opposed. Intuition and intellect may also be opposed.

🖤 Strong Leo and Virgo placements make for extremely loyal and reliable friends. These are the people that frequently go out of their way to help you. Leos may be open about this trait, as Virgo tends to be more conservative – but don’t let that fool you. Virgo will place their friends’ needs above their own.

🖤 Opinions on Scorpio are often split – people either hate them or love them. I think it’s fitting that Scorpio, so associated with obsession, would draw these polar reactions from people. It seems to me that Scorpio is frequently the object of obsession (rather than being just the obsessed party). Something about them draws the eyes and opinions of others, even those that they don’t give a second thought to.

🖤 Your Mercury placement, like your Mars placement, shows where you devote your energy. While Mars revolves around raw ambition and natural inclination, Mercury reveals where you take a steadier, more planned approach. For instance, Mercury in the 7th house might reflect a significant amount of time spent developing ideas about partnerships and thinking them over. Mars in the 7th, on the other hand, might show someone who trusts their instincts about partnerships, or even leaps into them.

🖤 Libra is adept at finding beauty in things. A natural aesthete, Libra may end up with a variety of clothing and makeup so that they can reflect whatever they feel is most beautiful at the time.

🖤 Speaking of Libra, both Libra and Taurus (ruled by Venus) seem to enjoy beauty rituals. Taking a bath, applying lotion, putting on eyeliner. These are calming, preparatory activities. Most Virgos I’ve known have also enjoyed these rituals.

🖤 Mars (sex drive) in the 12th house (unconscious realm) may have frequent sex dreams.

🖤 Scorpio moons are pretty good at interpreting and explaining the emotions of other people but may have trouble with their own emotions. Their objectivity toward their own emotions is often compromised by the intensity and depth of feeling they experience.

🖤 Pisces have trouble separating themselves from their environment. Being a mutable water sign, they’re easily influenced by the emotions and attitudes of those around them. Additionally, their natural place is in the 12th house which may make it difficult for them to establish and maintain boundaries with people.

🖤 Gemini is difficult to truly win over. You may be in good standing one day and poor standing the next for seemingly arbitrary reasons. This is because Gemini frequently re-evaluates their thoughts and beliefs on other people.

🖤 Aries Venus might fall quickly, even believing in love at first sight. Being the cardinal fire sign, Aries is a fast decision-maker with a passionate, bold disposition. Of course, that which makes them so prone to jumping in can also make them prone to falling out. Some of their love affairs may burn up and out fast, leaving Aries searching for a new candle to light.

🖤 Capricorn Venus, on the other hand, may be slow with their feelings. Everything they do is deliberate, and they would never step down in a place where the ground might not hold them. Capricorn is the cardinal earth sign, however. Once they’re certain, those deliberate steps will become strides in your direction.

[anotherlinewithout-a-hook]

(Preface : Okay so gollowing the news of Moonbin I have not been coping well and it is currently 4a.m as I write this. I guess in a weird way this is healthier coping mechanism than my other one's. So I am diving into different theories because I would much rather think about 3zun than....yeah.anyhow, my mind is still scattered so please excuse me if the wording and order and grammar is off. ) That being said,

This was really interesting to read! And as 3zun and the Yi City arc are quite literally most of my favourite parts of MDZS, CQL and all other abbreviations linked to this series. I had some thoughts.

I am not trying to argue or start anything, because I truly did enjoy the post above. And hearing from someone with like, you know...actual knowledge on literature. (As opposed to me ranting to my friend who knows nothing of MDZS qnd me who knows next to nothing of literature.) Also I am *not* a literature major(although I wish to be, sigh) my highest qualification is English A levels (which include a lot of literature but is not comparable to Uni Grad) so my thoughts have nothing to do with the structure from a literature point of view. Rather, how I interpreted the story.

I have watched all of the live action and donghua, however I have only read the manhua up till chapter 250 and I have about 40 chapters(excluding the extra chapters) of the book left to go. So my opinion on this is based only on that! Maybe my thoughts will have altered once I finished those.

So, with the parallel thing, I guess it had never been in the front of my mind. Like subconciously I noticed some similarities. But like OP I also think it is more fun to think about them as more than parallels BUT also the idea that they could be parallels is thought provoking.

I like the concept of the parallel in this instance(once again from a reader's pov) because it highlights exactly what I love about MXTX. The fact that her books can be interpreted thousands of ways based on your walk of life and all that. Also that the characters represent real people.

Where I get confused with this is the actual meaning of parallel. I have not studied literature in depth so I know of the concept but not deeply. The definition I am working with is this:

But in this definition, does that mean it is okay that the characters aren't exactly similar?

Because the way I understood it, if we used the more common comparisons (XC and XC, JGY qnd XY qnd SL and NMJ) then a comparison can be drawn because not only are their story lines similar, but so are their characteristics. So it becomes easier to see how the two arcs emphasize each other, which I think is the main point of a parallel?

Whereas if we look at it from annon's perspective, the comparisons drawn share a theme, but not an arc or even similar characteristics the way I see it. Is it then still a parallel if the story lines (because of the order of events)are so different?(or is this what a parallel is all along?)I am unclear on this so if someone can explain this to me, it would be great!

Either way the parallel notion made me compare the characters and that made me think more about their stories and what they represent to each of us. (Which I have been doing since 2019 seriously pls send help.)

Seeing as I don't understand fully what a parallel is, I am just going to draw Comparisons between the different Characters and Arcs and leave everyone to their own thoughts

Much like OP, I naturally assumed the comparison would be between these two so my thoughts on that.

There are a lot of similarities between all of them if we look at it from this perspective.

Similarities Lan Xichen and Xiao Xingchen

- Both meet their eventual (arguable) human form of a downfall at a time of loss.(XXC of his bestie [and eyes] and LXC of his home). 《Actually, in CQL Lan Xichen meets Jiggy on those teachings when they present the gift with Huaisang, yet for some reason I vividly remember Xichen in MDZS meeting Jiggy for the first time while in hiding. It could be that CQL changed it up for the sake of the audience but it could also be because of my terrible memory and my disorganized thoughts. This may not seem like an important change but here's the thing, if XC met Jiggy first as a member of the Nie Sect, then there was inherent trust on his part as he trusts the Nie Clan. It also changes Jiggy's intention if he already knew of Xichen's status amd kindness.》

- Both end up feeling as though they have failed on a basis of their moral compass nearing the end of their arc.

- Both are seen to be this pillar of morality within the story but a deeper look at their stories proves otherwise.

- They have a strong moral compass, yet a gentle approach(as opposed to their counterparts, SL amd NMJ). But this gentle approach is what causes their lapse of judgement?(if I can call it that?)

- Light element in their dynamics.

- They were both warned but chose to see the good in people(which technically goes against Lan Xichen's upbringing but makes sense with his walk of life) A-Qing aka "Little Blind" warned Xingchen continuously and expressed her distrust (and dislike) of Xueyang *especially in the novel*. As did Da-ge of Jiggy but this I saw more of in the live action(though, I just may not have reached that part in the book).

- They both come from a secluded background that doesn't really allow room for questioning their teachings? (To be fair no one really knows what happens on the mountain, but how much room does Xingchen have to question his teachings when he learns from Baoshan Sanren alone and is seperated from the rest of the world).

Xingchen is physically seperated from the world, and while it may seem Xichen isn't, I like to argue emotionally/mentally he is. Besides the Cloud Recesses being quite far from everything already, their teachings are done by Lan Teachers and they live in a weird moral Utopia where Good and Bad can clearly be divided, which cannonically does not stand true.

- Death. Xiao Xingchen's physically and Lan Xichen's emotionally. It really stands out to me when Wei Wuxian says to Xueyang (The spirit in this bag does not want to come back. It is utterly broken, fragmented. Something along those lines.) Which I think is how Xichen feels after Guanyin temple.

(There are many more but, yeah)

Differences between Lan Xichen and Xiao Xingchen

- One the room they are allowed to deal with their emotions. Xingchen roams the world with his bestie for a while. They are free to talk about their emotions and help each other cope. And it works for them. They share a similar world view and have similar goals.

However Xichen and his bestie in this case Mingjue, don't have time for that. They are clan leaders and can't be acting on emotions alone. And also have so much shit to get done. At first glance Lan Xichen is good, but the more you look at it, thete is no way he could have been without severely repressing his emotions.

- The third party(not because they are of less importance but in order that they entered XC²'s arcs) provides something different for them. Jiggy provides Lan Xichen a world away from High Class Society, comfort and the simplicities of life.

Xingchen seems to like how unserious (pos)life is with Xueyang. It seems he and Song Lan where so busy trying to eradicate evil and do right and start their sect not based on blood line. Not to mention how serious SongLan(and Da-ge) are. Jiggy takes care of Xichen(wherw Xichen has never been nurtured), while Xingchen takes care of Xueyang (where Xingchen has never really had anyone to nurture). Which I feel they both needed.

I don't fully understand annon's comparison but I feel it is always important to look at different views. So here is what I picked up from OP's analysis and theirs.(My interpretations might be wrong though)

Similarities bt. Xingchen and Nie Mingjue

-Disability narratives (or what they represent in their arcs)

- Both are within the novel and manhua(if I remember correctly) seen as standards for morality. And it is mentioned or at least highlighted quite clearly(to me) that they are in the different forms of media of the series.

- Their disability is taken advantage of by Xueyang and Jiggy, to lead them to their end after gaining their trust.

- They are both praised within the system that the major clans uphold and promote. They are at the top due to simple luck.(If you know about kpop, this could be simplified to BTS' song Baepsae. Xingchen qnd Mingjue are the Hwangsae or the one's feeding off of a silver spoon and Jiggy and Xueyang are left eating the crumbs of the system).

The differences between Xiao XingChen and Nie Mingjue

- Their approach. Yes they are moral paragons, but Xingchen has a more gentle approach that allows room for reformation. He is strict with his moral code but he is not as harsh or hot headed as Mingjue is. Ironically had each of them had a little more of the other's traits their arcs may have looked drastically different.

- This one is obvious but you know, the nature of their disabilities. (OP spoke about this). Xingchen is physically blind, and he was in control of the situation as he chose to give Song Lan his eyes. He has experienced life with his sight before and gave it up due to his personal belief and moral reasoning.(one could argue he didn't give it up willingly but felt it was the correct thing to do).

Da-ge has never had this chance. Qi- deviation is heriditary in his family and inherrits it. Much like someone who by today's standard we would call neurodivergent, his brain is just built that way. That has always been his view of the world. Made worse by the fact that his father did too! (Invisible disability is also different in some aspect to a visible disabilty, but I think someone with more experience with both should rather speak on this as I only have experience with the former.)

- Their experiences with I guess the antogonists(for lack of a better word) of the arcs?(Jiggy and Xueyang). Mingjue hadn't always hated Jiggy. He was the one who took him in and trained him and promoted him and even reccomended him to the Jin clan. He hasn't always been against him. Compared to Xingchen. Every run in prior to Yi City that he had with Xueyang was negative. Literally.

- Their downfalls were brought by due to different reasons. Yes they were both taken advantage of but also, Da-ge knew it was Jin Guangyao. But he trusted Xichen's judgement. He gave Jiggy the benefit of the doubt against his will, because they were sworn brothers (brought to you by my dearly beloved, Xichen) Whereas Xingchen gave Xueyang the benefit of the doubt from the get go off his own accord.

- Their deaths, although brought upon by other people, are different in nature. Da-ge's death was inevitable. Everyone, even Huaisang was always constantly holding their breath since Da-ge started cultivating amd showing signs. He was going to die at some point, Jin Guangyao sped up the process and made it much more painful than iy needed to be.

Whereas Xiao Xingchen could have continued to roam the Earth until he ascended really. (I know there is no ascension in MDZS as it is low fantasy but it is a metaphor, okay?). That being said their deaths were still painful to watch.

I guess this is part one? Thank you to OP and Annon for discussing this. And bringing the topic up. Once again, these are all just my thoughts and probably not what the author intended.

This isn’t a very popular opinion in the fandom but I think that XY & JGY, XXC & NMJ, & to some extent Song Lan & LXC parallel each other. XY & JGY are class narratives, XXC & NMJ are disability narratives (bc qi deviation is an actual condition in Chinese medicine) & Song Lan & LXC are displacement narratives. Song Lan is affected by the destruction of Baixue Temple while LXC is affected by the destruction of Cloud Recesses. Cql plays up the parallel by having XY get involved with the Wens.

It's a very interesting angle, Anon. The literature grad in me immediately wants to dig my nails into the source material (which, as a disclaimer, I haven't read much of at all. Most of my narrative knowledge comes from CQL. So, as always - take this with a grain of salt).

I would argue that any interpretation, popular or unpopular, should not be as straightforward as a direct parallel between each character in a certain group, simply because it's more fun and narratively rich to mix things up rather than simply using character B as a mirror or vehicle for meaning in character A's development. So that said, for the themes you've pointed out, it's very interesting to consider the alternately parallel characters - for instance, placing XXC and NMJ in parallel to each other when the easier interpretation would pair XXC with LXC, or SL with NMJ for their similar personalities and light/dark motifs.

I feel like the class narrative of XY and JGY speaks for itself, considering the main plot's occupation with status, power and orthodoxy, but where you could interpret XXC's blindness as allegory and compare his "blind trust" of XY with LXC's trust of JGY (which is a metaphor I'm not entirely happy making, to be honest, because I must stress: this interpretation reduces XXC's blindness to just an allegory, and I don't have enough knowledge of the novel to claim that as a true criticism of the source material or not), you can equally claim XY takes advantage of XXC's disability to manipulate him, in the same way that JGY orchestrates and uses NMJ's qi deviation for his own advantage.

In both examples, their 'weakness' is exploited and causes them a moral downfall, wherein NMJ and XXC were both once held up as paragons of virtue in that same system that discriminates against XY and JGY. It might also be interesting to compare the nature of their disabilities as well, within the context of the novel: XXC gives up his eyes for SL, yet another virtuous act, but NMJ's qi deviation is hereditary, and holds some stigma due to its - quite literally deviant - nature. Then we have SL and LXC, who both endure the traumatic destruction of their homes, and the displacement that comes after. Interestingly, LXC finds refuge with JGY and happily 'lowers' himself to JGY's status, while SL never gets that opportunity to find another refuge. He gets the inverse: Yi City, where (to circle back to the more popular parallel) he instead mirrors NMJ in that he is also reduced to something deviant in nature.

[petrichormeraki]

The Blind c!Tubbo Post (Tubbost)

(TW: Scopophobia, Eye Scarring/Discussion, Ableism Mention, Death Mention)

SO! literally nobody asked but I would like to share with you all my headcannon for Tubbo after the Festival.

I'm one of the many who depict canon deaths as scarring left over after respawns, and my first depiction of Tubbo after the Festival was him with blast scars over his face, blinded by the firework shot into him at close range. I also depicted him with his eyes permanently closed in every art...

...which I have NOW learned is not actually how eye scarring works! (Or maybe burn scars specifically DO glue your eyes shut, I'm not a doctor, I've only done some digging.)

Then I started to wonder what Tubbo's eyes WOULD look like open after the Festival, since there would be no way his eyes made it unscathed from an explosion right between them. It was then I discovered macular corneal dystrophy!

Macular dystrophy is specifically the name for the corneal opacity caused by injury/scarring! And yes, while I know "cloudy eyes = blind" is an insulting caricature of blind characters in media, in this instance I think because the discoloration is a direct symptom from scarred blindness, it's not just another half assed able-bodied depiction (I hope).

(However; if I'm incorrect, I implore blind folks to let me know and I'll scrap it immediately 👍. Also, Tubbo's situation is very very specific, so I went more general with my research since I couldn't find anything about eye injury related to explosions specifically.)

So, I found how it'd look for Tubbo to be blind after his execution. The next thing was to figure out how getting around in canon could be explained with my fanon interpretation of Tubbo being completely blind.

This was obviously the bigger hurdle, since I was/still am an uneducated, inexperienced person with full sight. To tackle the task to have a blind interpretation of a character without being offensive or ignorant, I turned to @cripplecharacters, who were INSTRUMENTAL in educating me on disabilities. (MASSIVE thanks, y'all!! I would still be researching and not creating if it weren't for you :,3)

You can visit the blog for specifics, but what the mods have done was compile an FAQ about blind folks for those who genuinely didn't know anything about them (read: me)

It was through them that I learned the dos and donts of depicting a blind character in my work, hence why my final headcannon of Tubbo is a) completely able to independent and mobile, NOT infantalized, b) almost always has an earpiece to explain the surroundings of the SMP's constantly shifting environment so he can realistically move around without hurting himself, and c) IS NOT COMPLETELY INHIBITED BY HIS BLINDNESS, emotionally or physically.

Of course, there's always going to be things he can and can't do because he is now blind, but in the grand scheme of things, Tubbo adapted well to his situation after time to get used to it. Becoming blind did not depress him or confine him, and it certainly did not stop him in his journey of self growth as a character.

I struggled with this, as I didn't want Tubbo's disability to be obsolete in the long run; blindness is now a part of him, and it was important to me that that is shown; but I also didn't want his loss of sight to, well, completely cripple him. I know it's a slippery slope to maintain as someone who never has gone through or experienced any inhibition of sight other than run-of-the-mill glasses, and I know I definitely didn't learn everything about how to properly convey a blind character.

That said, I open the doors to educate* me if you wish! Tell me if I was offensive or incorrect in any of my above research! I want to be respectful over all else when I draw/write disabled folks.

Basically, TLDR: in my fanon interpretation, c!Tubbo is blinded after the Festival, and I did a lot of research to depict his blindness realistically and respectfully, and I made this post at 2:45 AM because 👉 insomnia 👉 so sorry if the wording is a bit funny in places.

*please only comment if you're a professional in the field of optometry/eye injury or a blind person yourself! To those who are full sighted and just as inexperienced; this literally cannot be explained by you, so please refrain :)