#simply so dang creative
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Hi I just wanted to double check something I am pretty sure I read on this blog. Is the origin of C'yra of D'riluth iii from the original cannon or was it a later addition? Also what does "of D'riluth iii" actually mean? I remember there being some vagueness to what it means
Okay there's a long version and a short version of this story.
Short version: It was a later addition. In 2008 Mattel launched a toy line called Masters of the Universe Classics, which could only be ordered through their website and was aimed at the collector market. One of the things they did was include "character bios" in a sort of homage to the G.I. Joe toys of the 80s, which featured 'personnel files' that gave specializations and a brief character history, including their real names (e.g. Duke was actually named Conrad S. Hauser).
Catra's figure was released in 2011 for about $65 USD. Her bio (which I've lifted from a Poe Ghostal review) is as follows:
We (I, and my friends whom I've pestered for opinions) are pretty sure D'Riluth III is the name of her planet, even though another planet in the same solar system (from the New Adventures of He-Man in the 90s) has the Arabic numeral 7, so including Roman numerals is a strange choice.
Long version: There was a fellow working for Mattel at the time named Scott "Toyguru" Neitlich, and he was (and remains to this day) exceptionally bad at things like 'writing' and 'creativity'. He was never very interested in She-Ra, though he loves to tell the story of stealing his sister's doll one year, so to him Catra is simply an agent of the Horde... which, in order to adhere to the 2002-2003 tv show, was now 5,000 years old. This bio directly contradicts the Filmation canon of Catra's mask having belonged to the Magicat queen, for instance, and introduces a number of confusing details.
One of the least popular was Adora being Hordak's "step-daughter" instead of his "adopted daughter", which was already kind of a gray area since he didn't exactly raise her. Scott digging in his heels on the matter was actually how I learned he'd written the thing in the first place:
Now you may be wondering, jeez, it's pretty confusing and the writing isn't great but aren't you being kind of harsh? Surely the push-back from the He-Fans was bad enough. Well give me a minute, dang. This is the long version!
I reached out to him about a year and half ago to ask 1. How it's pronounced, 2. If he could confirm that D'Riluth III is the planet, and 3. If he remembered how he came up with it. He told me the following:
Some backstory here--Scott runs a bit of a one-man content farm, in an effort to avoid paying hosting fees for advertisements or actually engaging in SEO. He is a marketing consultant.
He used to upload a 5-10 minute video every day, but shortly after I contacted him that dropped to only five a week, and his weekly "Director's Commentary" videos about MOTUC figures that he worked on (largely just explaining who the character even is in an unedited stream of consciousness, as his videos became slideshows of google images) moved to bi-weekly.
I was like, okay, he left Mattel in 2014 right? So surely once he's through that year he'll get to this new series.
Nope! He's doing 2015 too! So I reached out again in January, just to like. See if he was still intending to cover the 'real names', which imo should have been part of his commentary to begin with, but...
He had forgotten <3 I explained no, I was asking about these specific questions that I had outlined in my first email (I had replied to his last message in the chain for simplicity's sake), and he just said he'd be doing it soon. So I was like oh, cool, do you know if you'll be doing one a week still? since that would put a Catra video about 4 years out as he does them in release order, and he then promised he'd get to it soon and didn't answer the question.
Annoying, certainly, but whatever. Unless one of us dies horribly I can wait it out, right?
WRONG.
Scott, being an idiot, has not credited a single one of the images he lifted from google over his four years of mostly-daily slideshows. And recently, somebody fucking noticed!
So this guy--Ethan Wilson, a very talented toy photographer and reviewer--was informed that Scott (in his capacity as Spector Creative, the name of his YouTube channel/consulting business) had been using his pictures in videos. Actually, let me use Ethan's own words here:
I decided to dig a little deeper into Spector’s channel, and found 81 instances of my photos being used in 68 of the channels videos. None of these featured credit to me for use of the photos, and 48 of the 81 instances removed or obstructed my watermarks.
-About This Spector Creative Thing
I very strongly encourage you to read through this linked post, as it gets worse! Somehow!!
Scott, not noticing these as they came in over the course of 10 days, logged in to discover his channel had been taken down. He emailed Ethan in something of a panic to ask that Ethan reverse the claims as a 'professional favor', as Scott got all his clients through his channel's "advertising".
Now you're never gonna believe this... but when he and Ethan came to an understanding, suddenly Scott didn't give a shit.
He released a libelous video claiming Ethan had no rights to the images (he does) and that Scott could use them all he wanted because of Fair Use (he can't) and emailed Ethan the following.
First of all: this is bullshit. Copyright is automatic in the US, trademark wouldn't apply regardless, and as Scott should fucking know by now Ethan doesn't have a 'channel', he has a blog.
Second, he shot himself in the foot with the Fair Use defense by outright stating that his channel is his exclusive advertisement for his business and that he depends on his content to make a living. He said in his first video that it was "educational" 🙄
So Ethan realized Scott was a Fucking Liar and decided he should just copyright claim the rest of Scott's shit, in order to protect his images and rights thereto. YouTube can't take the channel down again unless Ethan is willing to pursue legal action--which he isn't, because he has a full time job and two kids and even though he'd probably win, it's a lot of time and energy.
I and a few others were trying to convince him that it would be worth it anyway, and looking into identifying and contacting the other artists Scott's stolen from over the years, when... Scott released a book. His first-ever graphic novel [looks into the camera like i'm on the office]
drawn entirely by AI.
So we have a frankenstein's monster of copyright infringement masquerading as illustrations (with all the uncanny valley that implies), Scott's technically and practically terrible writing, and the plot is Greek mythology. There are four and a half typos just in the free sample, and that's not including the words in images like his map or logo. He claims the title is a registered trademark but it certainly isn't registered in his state, or federally, and it's already in use by several other brands, so I wouldn't believe him even if he hadn't demonstrated a lack of understanding of copyright & trademark as recently as last week.
So I'm kinda fucking done waiting for answers! I can't trust a thing out of this guy's mouth! And he's pretty stupid, so do I even care what he thinks? I have decided that no. No I do not. I'll check back in 2028 and if he's survived + actually followed through then maybe I'll give his video a watch but until then it is simply pissing me off to remember this guy exists.
Sorry this turned into a rant I'm just really starting to loathe the guy. It's been an infuriating week or two. But uh... No, it's only canon to this one action figure line that ran for a little over a decade. We're certainly not beholden to it, it's more of a fun little in-joke for the fandom these days. You see someone use C'yra and you're like haha I know her! It's fun :3 Regardless of Scott's bullshit I enjoy seeing it around, and it's not like he owns or benefits from it in any way when maybe 1% of the people using it know where it comes from (and the people who know it was him specifically may be limited to the followers that have watched me complain about it).
Thank you for asking, I really do love asks even if the answer isn't what I want it to be lol. I'm happy to verify or explain anything I can!
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Hello first of all- Omg my new fav author I LOVE UR WRITING SM LIKE ???? APBDISBRQKOZ
I found your blog form the author!Reader the anon who ask haz a creative mind I loved the 2 post sm I already got addicted to it I hope u Dont mind me requesting sm form it
Imagine Kusuo getting a notification (he seems like the one has his phone on dnd but has his notification open for his s/o in all media) of her post sm in one of there public social platform saying "I'm turning into my emo phase if this writer block doesn't move on form me " and when checking her private acc (the it's only access for him and her older friend) she is all memes about her writer block and her saying "if I stop writing I give all my books and series to you my friend" just her and overreacting to her block writer
Hiii!! THANK YOU CUTIE!! It always makes me so happy to hear I can share my hobbies with others <3 ahhh I see! Of course I don’t mind dear :)
ohh so if I’m getting this right it’s Saiki finding readers second blog (in which she mostly posts unserious stuff about her writers block) I believe I get what ya mean :}
*･..°•*:.｡:3･.｡.:*･..*°.･
Lol if feel like almost every writer has they’re side blogs or blog where they not a writer they just read other’s stuff
and to me this blog seems like a kinda funny vent blog where reader can just complain about her writers block whenever she has it
LOL imagine going inactive on that acc for weeks and saiki’s wondering if you forgot about it or forgot the password but you just simply have had a lot of motivation lately
then all the sudden you come back and your rebloging all types of relatable author memes and making posts about how ‘your going emo because you have writers block’
honestly it’s kinda ironic to him
he likes your posts on both accounts to support even when your do have writers block
cuz who’s likes a guy who ups and leaves when you don’t have motivation?
the first time you threatened to give your books away he knew you were joking but at the same time he was like ‘wait don’t give all your books away they can’t write it as well as you can 😀’
’kusuo I’m joking’
🧍
‘me too I knew that’
(“Thank goodness..her books were the only thing keeping me sane from those nuisances..”)
- In Saiki’s head
he doesn’t get all the writer memes bc he’s not an author, obviously he’s not stupid so he does find some funny
i feel he doesn’t post on social media but if a post of yours does particularly good he’ll repost it
i think I touched up on him being supportive before but yeah I’m gonna say it it again bc it truly is an honorable mention
‘(Name/pen name) has posted!’
- notification
👆💥📲
- Saiki
the emoji combo was terrible but basically that’s him about to break his screen from how hard he clicked
he’s always the first one on your posts and interacts every way possible
except comments..
which sucks cuz it boosts it a lot but he just doesn’t interact online 😭
if it’s a social media where you can see who liked, aiura and torisuka always tease Saiki for being the first like every time
“Dang your a real simp huh? Your the first like on her every post!”
- Aiura
”MAN! You don’t miss a beat do ya Saiki? I can never beat you to it 😭”
- Toritsuka
“wow..you beat me once again. The second the notification pops up you’ve already liked, reblogged and shared before I can even click on it. That’s impressive I must say, but it’s also quite annoying because I would like to be the first one to support (name) one day. In fact you do everything first! You get the books before they publish! You like all her posts first! Satire or not too!- yadda yadda yadda..”
- Akechi
“you don’t even respond to me that fast! Sometimes you leave me on read or delivered for 2 days before you answer me”
- Kaido
Saiki also sees that your friend likes your second acc too
which he would figure since you two are close
ehehe..a bit short dearest but I hope it brings you joy regardless~ 😅💞
I have much to get out..need to be more active..
#anime#anime and manga#luffyvace#anime headcanons#fluff headcanons#fluff#saiki k headcanons#saiki k#the disastrous life of saiki k#saiki kusuo#tdlosk#saiki headcanons#saiki#kusuo saiki#saiki k x reader#saiki x reader#funny headcanon#ask box#ask#answered#thank you so much#thank you for the support#thank you for the submission!#i appreciate you#i hope you like it#implied fem reader#fem alinged#she/her pronouns#she/her used#author life
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Heyy.. since you liked the previous Ramattra request so much I might have another one..? :D I've had this idea where somebody keeps leaving Ramattra anonymous small gifts during his time in the monastery. How does he react when the secret admirer turns out to be a super secret human admirer with a not so secret crush on him? Obviously Ramattra is the only one who doesn't realize that somebody has feelings for him. Such a classic situation xD Maybe headcanons or a short story? Up to you! Thanks!
notes: OMG I HAVE BEEN WAITING TO WRITE THIS ONE FRRR. You have the coolest ideas and I just love writing requests for you! this one is so creative and just super fun to write, so thank you <333 thanks for all of your support! have an amazing day and stay super duper hydrated <3
Secret Admirer - Ramattra
word count: 674
warnings: probably typos, but nothing other than that
It was snowing. Nearly a blizzard. It's not like Ramattra could feel the cold, but he knew he would have to head inside. The monastery had warm light and was always quiet. Full of other omnics who needed a place of refuge, somewhere to call home for a little while. There were some humans, which was a hard obstacle for Ramattra to cross, but seeing as most of them wanted to help the omnics and rebuild their lives made Ramattra hopeful. Just a bit.
He greeted omnics as he walked in and headed over to the room where he spends most of his time praying, his staff hitting the ground with every step he took.
The room was empty, as it usually was, and snow was falling into the room diluting all sound around him.
Then, he saw it again. Another present.
For the past two weeks, there have been small presents left behind in the room. At first, he had believed that these gifts were for the monastery or for the sake of prayer, but he began to notice that they were really for him. There would be notes attached or simply just a gift with his name on it, but never theirs.
He never figured out who it was. He never saw anyone come into the room, so it confused him, but at the same time, it brought him a bit of joy.
---
"Why don't you just tell him, y/n?" An omnic had asked you as you were fixing her up. "I think it's pretty dang obvious that you like him."
"I don't even think he knows my name," you giggled. "Plus, I think it's fun having this little secret. He'll never know." You put your finger in front of your mouth to signal that you wanted this secret to keep going.
If the omnic could roll her eyes, she would've. "When you have the rare chance of talking to him, you have goo goo eyes. I think he knows."
"Do I make it that obvious?!" You buried your bright red face in the palms of your hands.
The omnic gave you a supportive pat on the back. "Look, y/n, why does that have to be a bad thing necessarily?"
You looked at her in shock. "I'm a human!"
"So?"
"It's kind of known by the whole world that Ramattra hates humans."
"But you've been so kind to us and to him, I don't see the problem."
You jokingly rolled your eyes and stood up, collecting your things. "Well, I think it's fun being anonymous."
"Are you dropping off another present today?"
"Did Ramattra go home already?"
"I'm pretty sure he did."
"Well, I guess I'll be off then. To drop of the gift. I hope your recovery goes well."
You waved to the omnic and headed over to Ramattra's part of the monastery. You decided to get him a new candle. Something new to light up the dark halls.
As you walked into his room, you froze. His giant figure was standing in the room, as if he was waiting for you.
"Ah, y/n. How are you?" He asked.
You quickly hid the candle behind your back and smiled. "Hey Ramattra. I-I'm good! How are you?"
He chuckled and walked towards you, tilting your chin up with his staff to look at him. "I'm good. Thank you for all of the gifts these past couple of weeks."
Your face flushed a bright red. "Y-Yeah, of course. S-Sorry."
He took the candle from behind your back. "Don't apologize. Why were they for me?"
Oh god. He didn't know.
"I... uh.... they uh..."
Ramattra tilted his head and you took a breath. "Did you read any of the notes?" You asked, a little embarrassed.
"Secret admirer." He said faintly before coming to a realization. "Ah, I see now." He looked down at you a little shocked.
"Sorry." You said, looking down at your hands.
He kneeled down to your level and lifted your chin with his index finger. "Don't apologize."
~~~~~
overwatch masterlist --- pinned post
@tonberry-yoda
#kinda obsessed with this one ngl#writing#fanfic#my writing#fanfiction#<3#asks#overwatch#overwatch 2#overwatch x reader#overwatch 2 x reader#ow#ow 2#ow x reader#ow2 x reader#ramattra#overwatch ramattra#ramattra x reader
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In response to your poll: your creative output is so danged consistent. Honestly, I have no idea how you do it and how week-by-week you do it so brilliantly. But, the thing about consistent output is we need to refill our creative well every now and then. It simply sounds like you need a Brumous break because it's work hauling up that half-full bucket from the bottom.
Meanwhile, you have this Blackinnion stream next to you that's babbling and running and calling you to play - so go dip your toes and play! In the meantime, do what you need to do to refill your well - go read some good (and bad!) fics on your TBR list! Buy some silly redheaded stickers and doodle lightning bolts on post-its! Wherever your bubble is, go venture outside it, look around, and over time trust that inspiration will come.
Hope you feel better - you don't owe us, or need permission to do what your muse is calling you to do. ❤️
I do love Brumous. A ton. I am so proud of this story and the way it’s going (despite some criticisms I’ve read along the way). I regret nothing I’ve written and it has been a very big self-indulgent project.
I’ve been writing this story for a year and a half pretty consistently. It’s different from my other projects, because it’s not really a universe I can hop around in quite yet to quench my thirst for some fluffy to break up the angst. If I do that, then I’m spoiling the end battle and who lives and dies and all that jazz. So, I feel like I’m being pulled into this other universe to kind of fulfill my fluffier side.
Things in my personal life have been rough as well. So, writing this highly emotionally angsty story has been hard. I find myself wanting to write something different.
I guess, my big worry was that people wouldn’t come back to read Brumous if I took a break. I know me personally, I’d have a hard time getting back into a story that had a big break. I’d forget what was going on and then not want to reread everything to remember. Because I love how involved and happy you guys are to engage with this universe. That brings me so much joy and motivation. I know most of you don’t give a shit about the Blackinnon series, which is fine. So maybe it’d get out if my system quick. 😂😂😂
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🎉🎉COCO MOON DAY! 🎉🎉
To celebrate I made some owl cupcakes 😁 Those who remember my rockcandypassion days will be familiar ;) (just like my old profile pic! Nostalgia)
We listened to the album for the first time while munching on these, and I wrote down my thoughts while I was listening 💕 so here we go! (I’m no writer so bear with me lol!)
Adam, Check Please
When this first came out, I absolutely adored it. I couldn’t get over all the different layers it has, and it uses all my favourite classic Owl City synths and orchestral sounds. At first I wasn’t keen on the lyrics, but it’s definitely grown on me!
It’s reminiscent of Fiji Water, in the similar story-time style about a moment in Adams life that, even though it was kinda strange, he’s forever grateful for the experience.
I love that crazy sound effect that happens after he says “feeling kinda small” xD It doesn’t happen again. What is it?
The “Adam check please” “help is on the way” layered vocal section is really soothing and gives my brain a lot of happy chemicals.
Such creative little rhythmic embellishments, and orchestral elements peppered throughout which elevate the song to new heights.
The funky guitar strumming during the chorus is just so catchy, I love it. And that synth solo!!! It gives me life.
It’s turns from a storytime song to a very inspiring and uplifting song towards the end; “Put in the work until your signature becomes an autograph” is such a good line!
And yes please, absolutely adore when a song ends with an outro of layered Adam vocals, like Can’t Live Without You 💕
Under the Circus Lights
Wait - from the land down under!? 😮That’s me! 🐨
I’m reminded of of Super Honeymoon, the way he’s captivated by this girl - and in turn I'm absolutely captivated by this song!
The classic Owl City lyric style that I've missed so much … very Of June / Maybe I'm Dreaming / Sky Sailing-esque style storytelling. I’m absolutely head over heels in love with this song already. Instant favourite for sure!!
I love the time signature change to a 3/4 swing, similar to Plant Life ❤️
“That girl was raised by a butterfly” what an adorable line 💖
It really does remind me of an alternate Super Honeymoon with hints of Ultraviolet and Cinematic sounds 😮
The part with the applause and Adam yelling “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the most spectacular show on earth!!" Hoo boy I cannot WAIT to hear this live!!!
This song is taking my breath away, it’s simply absolutely everything I love about Owl City, but still brand new with new twists and sounds.
Adams falsetto is absolutely heavenly!!
Such a wonderful outro of Owl City-esque circus music and sound effects, you feel like you're there 💖
Kelly Time:
I was very intrigued when this came out, it's such a treat to listen to and I was incredibly curious to know what the lyrics were about because it was so oddly specific. Turns out it's from the perspective of a beach volleyball from the movie Castaway! 🏐🏝 I need to watch that now for context! xD
The storytelling style continues, and definitely seems to be a theme for this album. I'm here for it, I've missed it so much.
Every time he yells “I’m sorry”, I feel it with every fibre of my being.
I really love the length of this song as well. I appreciate being able to “live” in songs a little longer.
The Adam Young Scores-esque orchestral embellishments add so much to it as well, it's one of my favourite features to 'modern' Owl City :)
More classic Owl City Dadadas as well as Doodoodoos :D
I feel the 2nd “I'm SOOOORRY” with my whole soul
I can't think of many Owl City songs that use a lot of acoustic guitar, so the combination of acoustic guitar with all the cute synths and piano is absolutely perfect!
Field Notes
The orchestral elements are very reminiscent of All Things Bright and Beautiful.
That dang dog :P
I love the way he says lickety split, such a fun phrase to say hehe :D Again, adoring the storytelling theme of this whole album.
The chords are so unique here! And the gorgeous plucked strings aid the excitement and push the story forward. Then all these beautiful shimmers and sparkles combined with the violins and piano is heavenly to hear .. ahhhhh ✨✨✨
“Theres a couple of things worth more precious than gold, one is your heart and one is your soul” What a beautiful line 💖
I thought it ended, now it’s getting more exciting! :0
Goodness gracious this man !!NEEDS!! to score a movie, this is incredible, I can see everything unfolding in my head!
And a synth solo accompanied by an orchestra, what a perfect combination!
Sons of Thunder
The reverse synths combined with the sparkly synths are absolutely beautiful and tickling my brain 💖
These lyrics convey such rich imagery! And I really like the line “We’ll be the odd music makers”
Oh! Suddenly it's rock time!! This is so powerful, I'm loving it. 🎸
"We'll flyyyyy" sounds similar to “I'm soooorry” in Kelly Time, this must be a Coco Moon recurring motif :D
Is that Abbey singing!? :D :D
This song sounds like all of Owl City's eras mixed into one, it's spectacular! ✨ Particularly Bird with a Broken Wing 🎶
I'm having a religious experience listening to this, despite not being religious, that's just how powerful and uplifting this song is! 😅
The Tornado
Beautiful piano accompanying Adam's lovely soft voice is always a lovely way to start a song 💖 His soft singing gives me life.
“The sky turned like a cauldron” - what a cool line! And the thunder sound effects really set the mood.
The tornado starts and sounds exactly as intense and horrifying as one would if it was a song! His orchestral skills are absolutely mind-blowing, It’s genuinely scary and thrilling to listen to, I have goosebumps allover!
Wow .. I've never heard Adam yell that hard, and the distortion adds to the terror he's experiencing. I'm genuinely scared for him and honestly hoping it's just a story and not based on a real experience ... 😰
Kelly time vibes again around 3:50, the synth sounding like “I'm soooorry” - a recurring motif, a thread that links Coco Moon songs 💕
A very well crafted, beautiful, philosophical and thought-provoking song. It's powerful and genuinely terrifying, but the lyrics still uplift as you are grateful for being alive. The outro becomes so optimistic with sweet and happy synths, but still ends with a loud terrifying BANG 😰
Vitamin Sea
This is the first of the new songs I've already learned most of the lyrics to xD it's just so silly and catchy, I love it! The music video of him playing around in the snow just makes it even more fun 😄 I hope he has more music videos up his sleeve!
Who is Nancy anyway? xD
The heavy guitar in the chorus rocks, and it's honestly hard not to headbang and sing along with Abbey and Adam 💖
The synths mixed with the marimba give a cute tropical vibe that elevates the beachy Hawaiian vibes 🏖
No classic dadadas, but an adorable dododoo ooh ooh 💕
All these songs are gonna have the most epic synth solo aren't they *aggressive head-banging* 🎶🎶🎶
Definitely the catchiest so far, my favourite part is “And I think I'm gonna stay forever” - each syllable so quick and perfectly synched with the music and so satisfying to hear and sing along to.
Wait there ARE Dadadadadadadadas! YES!!! 💕 💕 💕
Dinosaur Park
Both my partner and I are really looking forward to this one, he's studying to become a Palaeontologist, volunteers at a museum and works with fossils, and we both just love Dinosaurs in general 💖
It starts off beautifully, the cricket sound effects and soft instruments setting the atmosphere of a sparkling starry night. Very nice lo-fi beats.
When he says "starry night", you can see it clearly with the gorgeous twinkling sounds that all work together to make it sound like you're under the moonlight.
Orchestral Wolf Bite melody :D
Magical dinosaurs ... is definitely my jam. What an adorable concept. Very evocative of childhood wonder for dinosaurs ✨
The little orchestral break using a cricket's chirp as a beat? Genius. 💕
Such a long beautiful song!! 6 minutes, what a gift. I am loving everything about it. This is definitely a fav too! 💖
“What do dinosaurs talk about when they're alone?” 💖 So cute!!! I think they talk about how great leaves are :P
Such a beautiful magical song. I feel like I'm listening to a classic Owl City song yet there's so many brand new sounds at the same time.
I love all the different sections! Rather than just Verse Chorus Verse Chorus, It's more like:
Intro, Verse, Bridge, Chorus, Verse, Bridge, Chorus A, Break, Chorus B, New bridge + build up, Chorus A, another new build up, Chorus B, Outro 😮 (forgive me if my terminology isn't completely correct 😅)
Such an interesting and fresh structure for Owl City!
My partner: Our future Owl City roadtrip just got longer 😄
Learn How To Surf
The opening chords and record scratching gives it such nostalgic 90's vibes, I love it already!! 😎
Adam's love for blondes strikes again 😜 I already want to draw this girl with quirky tattoos!
This is so fun and really reminds me of the Live it Up and Clap Your Hands Owl City era of the mid 2010's.
THE KING OF SYNTH STRIKES AGAIN 🎹🎵
This is so catchy, definitely another favourite!
The shortest song on the album at 3:40 mins (the rest are over 5 mins!) while still being incredibly fulfilling and awesome.
I'm absolutely loving how the synth is almost saxophone-like and distorted to make it sound even more epic than a normal synth 🎷
I actually loved this song way more than I expected to! 💖 I had heard a snippet of the chorus before and thought it was literally an instructional song on how to surf lol, but in context it's actually SO GOOD 💕
The Meadow Lark
This Isn’t The End vibes straight away ... also the same melody as Country Hymn! 😮
The oohs are really gorgeous 💕 I like the imagery of this lovely Meadow Lark singing between the two soldiers.
It sounds like a Mobile Orchestra song in the new Owl City Era 😮
Unfortunately I'm not too into the lyrics, but the music is still really beautiful.
I love how even though the chord progression stays the same and keeps repeating, the instruments that play those chords keep changing as the piece goes on.
The bird sound effects really elevate the song as well.
Unfortunately I'm not religious or comfortable with war, so this one didn't grab me much lyrically, but I'm sure it is beautiful and moving for my religious friends, so I'm keen to hear their thoughts on this one 💖
My Muse
Ahhh precious boy singing about Abbey again 💕 I love that we get to hear more about that fateful day, and more little tidbits - I love their relationship and I'm relieved they’re still together. I wasn’t sure for a while!
Oh
My GOD
They did marry!!! AAahhh 💖
As soon as I heard “The Altar” I seriously just looked at my partner all “!!!!!!!!!!!” Then started sobbing happy tears 😭
Hearing him describe everything he loves about Abbey is absolutely beautiful and heartwarming. Definitely need tissues for this song!
The accompanying music is fairly simple so you can just focus on the absolutely gorgeous lyrics. Usually Adam's vocal + piano songs are quite sad like Silhouette and Lonely Lullaby, this one is the total opposite emotion 😭💖
Such a beautiful contrast to Lonely Lullaby.
I have never cried over a song before. I’m speechless and sobbing, and can't even think of more words. That was absolutely beautiful. Thank you for sharing this with us, Adam! 😭
🎉🎉FINAL THOUGHTS 🎉🎉
So overall, the production quality is absolutely mind-blowing, the best he’s ever done by a landslide! I love the storytelling style of lyrics, that has always been my favourite part of Owl City. 💖 There's a lot of whimsical songs, catchy songs, powerful and beautiful songs. There's something for everyone! The religious songs are very powerful and gorgeous without making non-religious listeners feeling left out.
I'm so pleased with how long each song is, most being over 5 minutes and having so many different sections to them, rather than just verse chorus verse chorus. Each song is a highly meticulously crafted work of art. So much richness and variety and passion is packed into each and every song, and you can tell each one would have taken months to perfect.
I just wish there were more tracks 😭 Even though they are longer than the average track, I still felt that “oh, we’re on the last song already?” feeling at the end. I think it needed 2 more songs at the very least, or even 4 to bring it up to 15. But I digress.
Overall, absolutely amazing album, I think it may be my favourite, or a very very VERY close second. I will need to listen to it more to fully decide whether it beats All Things Bright and Beautiful or not, but it comes pretty damn close!
I'm honestly so happy, over the moon for this amazing gift Adam has worked so hard to create for us all. This is peak Owl City, there’s something for fans of all his different eras, with unique new fresh sounds, structures and concepts. I could hear a lot of Cinematic, All Things Bright And Beautiful and Ultraviolet, even some Of June sprinkled in, but it definitely has it's own unique flavour too, a sort of theatrical breathtaking storybook universe of wonder and beauty. 💖
Favourite tracks: Under the Circus Lights, Dinosaur Park, Learn to Surf and My Muse 💕
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Watched the fourth episode of LEGO DreamZzz: LOVE IT!
The Youtube LEGO channel waited a couple of days before putting the third episodes, while this one came out right on the next day! Why though?... does it sound like I'm complaining? BECAUSE I'M NOT!!! 😍
THE DREAM FORGE
Heeeeeyyy, the thumbnail is showing Zoey! Are we finally getting a visual on her?
When I heard of the concept for this show I was kinda scared that for being a dream world it wasn't going to show much creativity... but the turtle burrito truck is making me change my mind 😅😅
Welp, Logan is still pretty much a jerk to Mateo 🤷🏻♀️ Honestly I prefer this over not talking about how they were super at odds at the very beginning
If you give me a Clay and Lance from Nexo Knights situation I'll be happy 🤍💙🤍💙
Still calm down sweetie 😅
Logan the barbarian, okay buddy 🤣 Considering his "ancestor" was a ninja master of fire, it seems appropriate 🔥
Okay, you can't give a griffin like creature with an owl face and expect me to be normal about it, that's my favourite mythical creature and my favourite animal mixed together LOOK AT THEM GO SO GORGEOUS 😍😍😍😍
ZIAN IS THE NAME LOVE IT 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Oh yeah Zoey got that rewind clock thing, I saw that before... that looks super OP, are we gonna talk about it?
I did not expect Izzie to be the first to confront Zoey and honestly? SO HAPPY. I don't know if Zoey will actually end up being Mateo's love interest, but presenting her on a separate stance makes me see her as her own character first
WITH A KILLER DESIGN AGAIN I MIGHT DIE FROM AN ARCHER AND SAY THANKS THAT'S HOW MUCH I LOVE THEM 😍
"Who says I'm pretending?" Okay I love her
Logan I really like you, you got plenty of potential and you're voiced by Vince which is a plus... BUT STOP BERATING MATEO HE ALREADY GOT LOW SELF ESTEEM AND HE'S DOING AN AMAZING JOB STOP GETTING IN BETWEEN 😭😭😭
Yeah Mateo is also being against him, but at least he realizes that they have to stop fighting each other, so that's good
Sorry if I'm biased from now on I'm just really rooting for Mat
I really wonder how Cooper and Logan became friends in the first place...
So the Night Hunter got Zoey's song? That's kinda interesting, it makes me wonder how much their power can extent. They can take creativity and using what someone's like against them... AAAAAAA THE ANGST POTENTIAL IN THIS
It's nice to see Izzie calling her out, like girl you can do your solo thing if you want but if you really wanna help then move it!
ZOEY RESCUEEEEEEE
Pff Izzie just wants to be her friend and Zoey is not having it 😂 Come oooon, drop the lone wolf act, join the gang!
ZOEY WITH HER CLOCK THINGIE I REALLY WANNA KNOW MOOOORE
Also interesting that the Night Hunter got a crossbow, while Zoey got a bow. I don't know if it's simply a parallel, or Zoey got pissed and used it to mock him 🤣🤣
Challenge in the forge GO
I actually just had a recent conversation with my boyfriend about fears, over how suffocation is something everyone fears apparently. Given this, having then go down the sand... SCARY ENOUGH I'D SAY
Nooooo Logan dang it, you're making it hard to cheer for you 😅
WOOOOOO ANOTHER TROUPE I'M A SUCKER FOR, MAIN CHARACTERS FACING THEIR FEARS 😍😍😍
Maybe I'm just that easy to please, but this show is ticking all boxes for me
FINALLY SOME LIGHT ON COOPER! I was waiting to see something more about his character and MAN I'm not disappointed! He's a much more stressed person than I thought, he wants to be up to expectations but there's so much on his plate!
I wonder if he got friends with Logan because he's way more carefree...
Awwww Izzie is not over Mr. Sharkyjaw 😢 I might've glossed over that scene but in retrospect, given how much she cares about her plushies, it must've hurt her
DUDE MAT GOT THE COMBO SCHOOL NIGHTMARE AND NO HANDS GIVE HIM A BREAK JEEZ
ALSO NOT Z-BLOB 😭😭
Interesting how their nightmares are in some very specific places
I think that Mateo lives school in a very negative way as we saw in other episodes so it makes sense to see him there. Cooper seems to be a bit too pressured by his parents, therefore he's in his house. As for Izzie I think she's very comfortable in a lot of places, so this is the most unreal one
It would be very cool analyzing Izzie's dream, losing someone like that... MORE FICS IDEA HERE I COME
Look at them overcoming fears 🥹
Pff Oz doesn't care if Zoey joins or not, he just really needs backup 🤣🤣
CRAFTING HOURGLASSES 😍😍😍
This was a very cute scene, although I hope we'll still see Mateo using the weapon pencil because it's so silly and quirky and I actually kinda love it 👌
Since we're putting so much focus on Lunia, I wonder if she's an important character for any of them. Like personally
Is it Mat and Izzie's mom? Zoey's mom?... Zoey's herself? ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE THIS FAR IN THE SHOW I'D SAY
So... what now, Logan? Any chance you'll get to be a bit nicer? I really wanna like you so please, PLEASE, do something nice next time I see you 😅
IT WAS SUCH A GOOD EPISODE THOUGH I'M SO HAPPYYYYY
#keep them coming lego#i'm so into this#lego#dreamzzz#lego dreamzzz#dreamzzz mateo#dreamzzz izzie#dreamzzz cooper#dreamzzz logan#dreamzzz zoey#spoilers
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Hopes for 2024
I'm not making resolutions for the new year, as the last few years have generously enforced the folly of planning. But I have hopes for 2024, and I'll share them beneath the cut, if you're interested!
Life hopes
-Thrive, don't excel
2023 was a year of difficult, painful growth. I allowed a coworker to take extended advantage of me, to the point where I was nearly doing two jobs. I completed several projects that my seniors could not do. It's not an exaggeration to say that I learned every single gosh dang day on the job.
Growing is good! It's something we should strive for! But not to the point where we deplete ourselves. My goal this year at work is to be gentle with myself. I want to perform well, but I do not want to hurt and push myself. It's just not worth it. I've been in this industry for over ten years. All you get from working hard and excelling is more work.
Related, but looking over my daily journal for 2023... I'd say about 85%+ of the entries are exclusively about work. It's taken over my life, and that is not what I want. I'm unclear how to achieve this in a capitalist country, but I've got to try.
-Be messy, be experimental
Gorgeous notebooks, art supplies, stickers, and prints, pristine and untouched. Projects never started, because it won't turn out well, anyway.
This is all understandable. No one wants to mar their nice supplies with inexperienced hands, or to use them on silly or clumsy projects.
Frankly, I'm tired of worrying about that. I'm hoping that I can release some of that anxiety- and by the way, perfectionism is simply a form of anxiety. I want to make messes and bad art and failed projects, because anything is better than never knowing what I might have made or done.
Light the nice candle. Eat the expensive chocolate. Use the fancy notebook. What good is it doing you in a drawer?
-Health
It's been a hard year. It's been a hard... several years. My body survived, so I won't be disdainful of the wear and tear it sustained.
But I do want to take care of it (especially given the increasing difficulty of receiving and affording medical care). I want to give it exercise, healthy food, rest, and sunshine.
Mental health is always a battle for me, and I was challenged this year by my new job and by a particularly bad situation with my mother.
I'm not sure what the solution is here, but I'm cognizant of the strain and of my need to act.
Creative wants
I have so many projects on my mind, but this is not a to do list. It's just a picture of where my brain is now, creatively.
-Finish the next three chapters of Puits d'Amour
I went to do some editing on PdA today, and I found a whole new chapter I had forgotten about?! Apparently, I thought there needed to be a brand spankin' new/additional chapter between the last one I posted and the next one I planned to post. It's about Yamato's parents talking to him about Sora, whom he was seen escorting to a party.
This is not the first time I've forgotten about my own content, and it will not be the last, but. The point is that I'd like to wrap up the next three chapters of PdA, which I have content for.
I'll worry about what happens next with the story after that.
-Watch Kizuna
I read the Kizuna novelization and avoided the movie. I never felt mentally ready to watch the events described in the book, but I kind of have to for Infinite Possibilities. I am hoping to pick up some little visual and audio things (gestures, voices, outfit choices, seasonal information, etc).
-Print stickers
I want to make Eimi stickers!!! And other stickers of my art! I love stickers! That is all.
-If the redub of the digimon movies comes out this year, I would like to use the bluray quality images to book bind After August again (the cover is a still from Bokura no War Game).
-Commission cover art for Infinite Possibilities phase 1. I reached out to an artist today. Wish me luck!
-Edit phase one of Infinite Possibilities. This one is going to take me a while, lmao!
-I'd like to book bind a new fic. PdA seems a good place to start, as it's recent.
-Continue editing some older works and working on open projects (TIL, PdA, FY, etc).
I have other non fandom related projects that I want to tackle, too, but they require a bit of background. Suffice to say, there is a lot I want to do! I doubt I will match or beat 2023's 75,954 published words and an additional 53,979 words written for Nanowrimo in 2024, but I hope I do a lot of fun and satisfying creative work.
Please take care of yourselves in the new year <3
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Hi, sorry, I see a hint that one of my favorite bloggers might like one of my *other* favorite authors and I go nuts so I have to ask--have you read any Brandon Sanderson books?
I've read Mistborn and the companion Wax and Wayne and Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson, and I really enjoy them! He's almost on par with N.K. Jemisin when it comes to sheer depth and creativity of world building.
If I had to pick a favorite book of the ~10 I've read, it'd probably be Mistborn: The Final Empire. Partially that's because Marsh is easily my favorite of Sanderson's characters. Mostly it's because that book is so dang effective at show-not-telling why extremism doesn't work, and change must be through compromise rather than trying to kill everyone who disagrees. The parallel between Kelsier and Rashek is so well-executed; the story never comes out and says they’re two of a kind but makes it super dang obvious. Right up until Kel's very last seconds, he's on a path to be Rashek 2.0. (One can picture Kel in the afterlife telling Ironeyes he simply has no idea how he ended up accidentally becoming a semi-divine demagogue, while Ironeyes bangs his head against a wall and longs to be an only child.) But then Kel chooses to use those last seconds to save the life of Elend, the son of his worst enemy and the (innocent) symbol of everything he hates. That's not enough to prevent Kel from ending up Lord-Ruler-lite, but he does not ultimately repeat Rashek’s mistakes.
That said, if I had to pick a favorite series of the ~3 I've read, Wax and Wayne would be the clear winner. There are powerful comments on imperialism in Mistborn and Stormlight, but there's also a painful cluelessness about gender. Vin puts on dresses to be formal because... uh... girls wear dresses, right? And she takes the dresses off because... dresses are shallow... because they're girly, right? Sanderson suffers this uncharacteristic failure of imagination in just replicating the gender norms of 1700s Europe in Mistborn, without seeming to be aware it's happening. By contrast, he's clearly taken a level up in gender theory by Wax and Wayne. There we get all the fascinating nuance of Vin influencing gender roles. We get Wax, Steris, and Marasi openly talking about how they have to play out these heterosexual rituals in spite of not wanting to do so. I love seeing authors (Sanderson, Stephenie Meyer, Rick Riordan, Kristen Cashore) take a level up in understanding identity and then re-examine the assumptions of their earlier books.
#brandon sanderson#mistborn#wax and wayne#high fantasy#(almost) nothing to do with animorphs#yeah; i know; i know#OF COURSE marsh is my fave#me? have A Type? Don't be ridic—#[gestures expansively]#[tom berenson & kyle o'shea & luke castellan & 40 other mind-controlled older brothers of protagonists fall out of coat pockets]#—culous!
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The problems are not inherently the genre
Look. I don’t want it to become a back and forth thing with the original thread/post going on forever but I Have Strong Opinions about creative writing classes and professors.
I absolutely have had and met very pretentious and classist creative writing professors who banned genres, particularly fantasy and sci-fi, because they felt such ‘popular fiction’ was simply cheap, uncreative, and low-brow.
BUT- even if that is not why a professor is banning such things:
1)- If the professor is just tired of a particular genre because it seems to be all anyone writes, there are ways to encourage students to write other stories without there being a blanket ban, or a ban even just on the end of the year final.
1b)- The final should be the assignment that students should have carte blanche for, after PREVIOUS assignments have made them explore a variety of styles and genres. The final is where students use everything they have hopefully learned during the semester to try and write the best dang thing they’ve written for the class to date, and whether they want an elf in it or not, (or a happy ending, yeesh,) shouldn’t be a line in the sand... which brings us to:
2)- If by the end of a semester, a professor hasn’t been able to help their students to a point where whatever genre the students want to write as a final, they feel NO ONE IN THE CLASS will be able to write a certain genre of their own choice well enough to pass... that sounds like it might be partially a ‘you’ problem, Professor. Kind of like those professors who brag that almost no one passes their class because they are so challenging and difficult in general.
Like... hm, maybe some students will in fact write bad and bland fantasy still =(
But really, really, are those students who will write a banger if it’s just anything but fantasy, by the end of an entire class that should have been teaching them how to push past being lazy in anything they wish to write? It is not an essay class, this is not randomly handed out paint-by-numbers kits, what the student wants to actually write is, in fact, important.
If the professor finds themselves flooded with a bunch of students who just want to write the next/better Harry Potter, maybe even because that’s all they’ve ever thought about or looked at before, then a lesson plan should be modified to try and get them to look beyond the boundaries without implying that the problem with them never having looked beyond fantasy or a single series of books or one specific trope set is just fantasy itself being the problem.
2b-3)- I am sorry but there is no way to not see a very defeatist attitude in a ban on a genre, if the class is not specifically to write some other genre but is a blanket creative writing class.
“I don’t want any fairies or magic or dragons or fantasy in your final” does, in fact, mean “I see no way any of you will write anything I would ever want to read involving these things.”
Whether it’s because the professor believes fantasy is cheap and low class, or believes all their students have been sleeping in class and not learning anything that they can apply to a story involving any of the banned things, to make something that can pass, much less that might be very good, it really isn’t a good look.
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hey love! was wondering if I could get a matchup for the boys. I started playing obey me during my breaks in between classes at college and I’m so hooked! I’m female, she/her, 20, bisexual as hell, INTJ, Leo, ravenclaw/slytherin, and a new media artist (still in college tho). I love game design, 3d modeling, interactive design, visual effects etc. I also love reading, gaming, binge watching, digital illustration, dancing, rollerblading, baking cookies, rearranging my room, and listening to video essays/podcasts/audiobooks. My favorite genres are detective, classics, fantasy, adventure, folklore, mythology and sci fi. I love listening to music in a multitude of languages as well whether Arabic, Italian, French, Hindi and much more. MASSIVE introvert except for with my best friends where my unhinged side comes out. Despite being an introvert I’m very comfortable with leadership. I’m very contemplative and thoughtful, with a variety of interests as well as creative. I’m far from clingy and prefer to keep my own space even if I know you well. I can be a bit stubborn, and opinionated at times however. I’m a huge planner and hate when things go off schedule or when things are chosen abruptly. As for how others see me I think I come off as somewhat cautious and not a person who makes friends too quickly or easily, but someone who's extremely loyal to friends I do make. Think that’s all I got! Thank you!
Okay dang girly, you could have just came out and said you were Levi's girlfriend; it would have been a lot quicker hehe 😂
So yeah, very obviously
I pair you with...
Leviathan
Because holy shit, of course you are. You are literally his dream girl and there's no way around that.
Though it feels obvious to me, Imma break it all down to keep this matchup worth your time~
Let's start with the fun part--your MBTI 🥰
Okay so you are an INTJ, meaning your function stack is NiTeFiSe or NiTe more simply.
This means your primary function is Introverted iNtuition, the function that you use the most to guide you through everyday life. It helps you see life from a broad perspective and connect the dots to the most likely outcome. This helps you strategize the best way to handle life's issues and helps you focus on your goals for the future more so than any immediate wants. This one of the reasons INTJ are also known as the Strategists.
Your auxiliary function, the one that gives the most support to your primary function Ni, is called Extraverted Thinking. While the work of your Ni mainly takes place inside you, Te is the main function you use to interact with your external world. This function provides the external framework on how to achieve the goal your Ni has seen for you. Te is all about what works in reality, what is practical and doable so it really helps you think logically about how to achieve what you need.
Now, I freaking swore I made a post of each other Boys' (or very least, the Brothers') MBTI types, but for the life of me, I can't find that post. It might have been from before I made my Masterlist and it just sort slipped between the cracks, so to speak.
I cannot remember whether I decided that Levi was INTP or INFP, but in truth, it matters little with you because both of these types are generally seen as very compatible with INTJs (especially INFP and omg, as an INFP, I love it cuz you INTJs are amazing and I love you 😭💕)
But back to Levi! Either way, I think with his auxiliary function Extraverted iNtuition (Ne), this man has some trouble really making decisions for himself because Ne helps you see so many possibilities for things, which also leads to his anxiety issues, which is also fueled either by his dominant Introverted Feeling (if INFP) or his Inferior Extraverted Feeling (if INTP).
I think you would be a major comfort to this man. With your NiTe, you give others a sense of reliability. Even during moments where you might not feel so sure of yourself, you have the people around you sure that you'll figure things out.
Honestly, I think that's something Levi needs in a partner; someone he can lean on and trust. He'd follow your lead and feel safer with a decision you made than one he made on his own.
Now onto interests! Girl you're literally learning game design. Please teach him what you know 🙏 He will be so freaking grateful and honestly, this man dreams about the two of you making a game together and actually sees that as an intimate activity for you two (literally gives me vibes of this one post I saw that said Levi's ideal date involved you two putting your Minecraft beds together. It's that level of cute, silly innocence hehe). And of course, he'd love to play games with you too!
Also, reading? Podcasts? Scifi? Fantasy? Adventure? He loves all of these too, even more so now that he knows you share these interest too.
You are literally his perfect Henry. Your seemingly self-assured nature makes this anxious man feel like he can rely on you and be safe with you. Combine this with all of your shared interests and the fact that he feels he can learn so much from you? This man literally can't think of a single thing he did to deserve you, but loves you so dearly all the same~
You are his safe person and in return, he will give you every ounce of love that his heart can make 🥰
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CERNUNNOS ESUS
Cernunnos (pronounced as Karnunnos) in numerology is a 6
He is a god found in a Cauldron. Cauldrons resembles a chalice and the womb. The cauldron is a symbol of the creative forces of transformation, commonly associated with the Water and Fire Elements. One must be reborn in Spirit (fire) and water. This requires and involves sexual energy.
So imagine Cernunnos on a cauldron
Gundestrap Cauldron
One of the more famous interpretations of Cernunnos is from the Gundestrup cauldron of Denmark. With his signature antlers, the god has his legs crossed beneath himself. He appears to lack a beard, though the torques for which he is known to have stayed. On all sides, Cernunnos is flanked by male animals.
He is a god of male energy, virility,raw masculinity, a type of male sexuality unadulterated. Basically when I refer to male or masculinity I'm not talking about a physical gender per se. But deity, or Divinity that is in all of creation. He is though most notable in certain types of men. He is the god of the animal self and mediator between man and Nature. Nature is the union of animal self, ego and higher self.
Once again, Cernunnos is accompanied by a ram-horned serpent. Alongside the animals is decorative foliage, further emphasizing Cernunnos’ relationship with fertility indeed.
That makes Cernunnos the god of beasts, fertility, hunting, animals. As said and nature. In Neo-Pagan traditions, Cernunnos is a dual deity: a god of death and a god of life and rebirth. As a Gaelic god, Cernunnos possibly had a larger commerce role as a god of wealth, abundance, and prosperity. His unique role within the Gallic Empire has led to the horned god being equated with other chthonic wealth gods, such as the Roman Plutus.
Cernunnos had complete influence over fertility, death, and the natural world. He could give life as much as he could take it away. Since he had a specific power over male animals, it wouldn’t be too far off to say he had a role in animal husbandry as well.
Just know that originally, the god Cernunnos was a fairly benevolent dude that played a central role in the lives of ancient peoples across the British Isles. There’s even a belief that Cernunnos sings to the souls of the dead, which – on top of everything else we know – makes it difficult to cast this Celtic horned god in a villainous light.
Cernunnos is not known as a member of the Tuath Dé Danann, let alone as a father or son of any notable deities. He is simply the Lord of Wild Places, who acts as a mediator between man and beast. There is no knowledge that he communicates with other deities, except for his equally enigmatic wife.
Dang – what is it with chthonic gods having an air of mystery about them?!
Now, there are some context clues we can follow to find out more about Cernunnos. In just about all of his depictions, Cernunnos appears to be wearing deer antlers. His appearance alone mixes man and beast since he has aspects of both. Though, he is also wearing a torque and holding one.
The torque in Celtic mythology usually could tell a few things about its wearer. Notably, people who wore torques were of the elite, heroes, or the divine. Cernunnos holding a torque could suggest that he could grant wealth and status, which would make sense since other symbols of his include a cornucopia and a sack of coins. Though, there is the chance that Cernunnos could be the judge of heroes, especially when comparing the god to the Green Knight of Arthurian legend.
How was he worshipped?
Cernunnos was primarily worshiped in the British Isles and across ancient Gaul. Archaeological evidence suggests the presence of a central cult in Britain and other predominantly Celtic regions. Unfortunately, no written record survives detailing the way Cernunnos would have been worshiped in history. What is known about the Celtic horned god comes from inscriptions and depictions on select artifacts.
More or less, early Christians took one look at the horned god and went “nope, none for us, thanks.” So intense was the detest of pagan deities, that Christianity went ahead and demonized most (if not all) of them. Cernunnos was among the long, long list of gods that didn’t make the cut into the up-and-coming monotheistic religion.
In modern Wiccan, Druidism, and Neo-Pagan practices, Cernunnos has been closely associated with oaks; offerings are nearly all naturally occurring items. On that note, there are no exact instructions for how to worship Cernunnos and what are considered appropriate sacrifices.
Cernunnos, the Seasons, and Sacrificial Death
One of the biggest aspects of Cernunnos is his representation of the natural cycle. A part of the natural cycle is death, rebirth, and life. According to popular myth, Cernunnos dies and decays in the fall; his body is soon swallowed by the earth. In dying and being returned to the earth, Cernunnos impregnates a fertility deity, one assumed to be his wife so that a new life could be born.
Coincidentally, the death of Cernunnos is a sacrificial one. He must die for a new life to even have a chance. This is the natural order of things. Overall, Cernunnos’ death marks the stagnation of crops throughout the autumn and winter, while his rebirth heralds spring.
This puts him with deities like Osiris and Dionysus. While these are greek and Egyptian and have a much more extensive role in these cultures. I won't be writing about. Instead I'm focused on Celtic origins of Cernunnos.
While He is recognized most often through his connection to animals and our own deeply buried, dimly recalled, instinctual animal natures, Cernnunos is also a tree, forest, and vegetation god in his foliate aspect of The Green Man, Guardian of the Green World. His branching antlers symbolize the spreading treetops of the forest as well as his animal nature. As Master of the Sacrificial Hunt, His is the life that is given in service of new life. His wisdom is that the old must pass away to make way for the new.
In his Underworld aspect Cernnunos is The Dark Man, the god who dwells in the House Beneath the Hill, the Underworld. He is the one who comforts and sings the souls of the dead to their rest in the Summerlands of the Otherworld. Cernnunos, as Master of the Wild Hunt, who pursues the souls of evil doers, is not associated with a biblical or even modern morality, but with the protection and continuance of the Land and Nature and the spirits that dwell therein.
As Herne the Hunter and the Merry Wives
The Herne the Hunter character of English folklore is a bit more debatable of a myth. He’s a spirit exclusive to Windsor Park and is likely just a local interpretation of the horned god Cernunnos if even that. Herne too has horns, though he’s known for his rebel-rousing more than anything. He first appears in William Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor (1597). Sounds like an echo of Robin Hood and the merry men in Sherwood. I'm not surprised if that's one of his names either.
From Elizabethan times onwards, Herne has had many identities. He has been considered everything from a forest keeper that once committed a terrible crime to a spiteful forest god. According to interpretation of whoever wrote down the tales. Whoever Herne the Hunter was, he was historically used as a boogeyman to keep children from romping in the woods. Apparently, he could even take the form of a huge stag!
Also I want to point out a particular myth concerning as a Guardian of the Realm he was to also appear in Elizabethan times of a National Crisis or emergency.
Finally HESUS
from The Flaming Door: Mission of the Celtic Fold Soul
by Eleanor C. Merry, 1936
"And that which came to meet the soul (as light and sound come to meet our outer eyes and ears) was called HU, the spiritual world." (p. 137)
"The God HU was the all-ruling Divinity of Western Celtic mythology. He represented the power and the glory of the spiritual world." (p. 153)
"The Mysteries of HU revealed the other pole of human life: the ascent out of the body into the 'glorified' state of expansion of the consciousness in the spiritual world." (p. 153)
"And HU could bring music to the consciousness of waking man and teach it to him, because he himself could hear in sleep the harmonies of the spheres, and his passage from waking to sleeping to waking was unbroken by any obliteration of consciousness. This was always the summit of initiation experience." (p. 165)
Remember he is known to sing to the souls of the dead. This makes sense when you consider spirits with unfinished business who hasn't found peace/rest.
from The Book of Druidry
by Ross Nichols
"HU or Heu'c', who is also Hu Gadarn and Hesus or Esus. The Heu'c sound seems to identify with the name or sound for spirit, identified with breath, very general and coming from very far in time and space." (p. 124)
"HU or He was the seed or essence, the form of deity that like littel Gwion is transformed from least to greatest: HU, the unpronounced either with a light i-sound as he or heu'h, is the creative word, the seed of fire, the first sound." (p. 128)
from The secret teachings of all ages:
an encycklopedic outline of Masonic, Hermetic,
Cabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolic Philosophy
by Manly P. Hall
"Their temples wherein the sacred fire was preserved were generally situate on eminences and in dense groves of oak, because a circle was the emblem of the universe; oval, in allusion to the mundane egg, from which issued, according to the traditions of many nations, the universe, or, according to others our first parents; serpentine, because a serpent was the symbol of HU, the Druidic Osiris; cruciform because a cross is an emblem of regeneration; or winged, to represent the motion of the divine spirit.*** Their chief deities were reducible to two - a male and a female, the great father and mother - HU and Cridwen, distinguished by the same characteristics as belong to Osiris and Isis, Bacchus and Ceres, or any other supreme goddess representing the two principles of all Being."
"Godfrey Higgins states that HU, the Mighty, regarded as the first settler of Britain, came from a place which the Welsh Triads call the summer country, the present site of Constantinople. Albert Pike says that the Lost Word of Masonry is concealed in the name of the Druid god HU. The meager information extant concerning the secret initiations of the Druids indicates a decided similarity between their Mystery school and the schools of Greece and Egypt. HU, the sun God, was murdered and, after a number of ordeals and mystic rituals, was restored to life."
Unfortunately the Romans described Esus as barbaric sacrificed victims hanging upside down on a tree and among various of other descriptions. Anything written by the victors or enemies of the Celts I'm pretty sure had something negative to say or twisting information.
CONCLUSION:
Well I looked up a few names here I found Cernunnos is Hesus.. Cernunnos Esus is a 7
Cernunnos HESUS IS 6.
For me my birthday in numerology life path is a SEVEN.
Life Path Number 7. It's kinda odd how we tend to choose certain names that describes us.
Cernunnos as Herne the Hunter... If I think about it for a moment I like to observe, think, explore, I love nature. I'm "secluded" like Cernunnos is away from the conundrum of cities and others. I prefer to spend time with animals and nature. So I suppose in a way I resemble Cernunnos or Herne. Which I am proud of to be an "avatar" of such a mysterious god.
I am a manifestaton, avatar, incarnation, etc of Cernunnos in many ways as organic Nature is.
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Hello! So while wait for updates on your lovely works, I've been sucked into reading a lot of jonsas where Jon has these epic or real romance with others like Val, Dany, Ygt, alys, etc. And although it doesn't last or end well Jon still had romance and normal love. While Sansa is always in the abusive or toxic relationships and I need some of your healing because my girl is hurting too much but they hurt her so good and apparently I'm a glutton for pain.
Like I'm fine with Jon having past relationship and Sansa too but dang can't she have a past relationship that was healthy and loving and ended for natural reasons like her first love didn't work because the guy want to commit too fast like get married and although she loved him she wasn't ready. The next was because they grew into different people and although the still care for each other it wasn't what it once was, the next being long distance and neither wanting to give up their dream so they ended in good terms, idk just need her to know love in different forms. ( I know there are works like this but they are too few and far between)
Also what fandom and stuff are you into/watched/read/etc. I wanna see if theirs any more mutual fandoms
Ps. So this turning into a little rant, I just didn't know how to convey the idea into a summery or like a word/sentence prompt. While leaving room for you to explore your creativity. In general I'd like a jonsa ending but like Sansa has at least one story book romance. But if you see this prompt going a different way feel free to do so, my thoughts are a mess 😅
Ciao anon!,
That was a lot and I hope I've gotten everything clear on the prompt you sent!, but before diving into the filling of the prompt let's speak a bit.
Thank you so much for having come to my writing for some much needed respite for that kind of fics. I hope to be able to fulfill the prompt and give you what your Sansa loving heart wishes for!
First things first. About the fact that Sansa seems to have always terrible past experience as opposed to Jon's is because mostly in canon Sansa's experiences are terrible (Joffrey, Tyrion, Dontos, Littlefinger, Hound even Harry is not looking very good right now) while Jon retains somewhat a bit of agency (which Sansa lacks) and even tho even with Jon we're talking of a sexual predator (Ygritte), a character whose not very much developed (save for when she wants to kill a child; Val), another that canonically tried to emotionally abuse and subside him (Daenerys) and Alys (sadly) as a stand-in for Sansa, (at least most of the stories featuring her I've read approached her that manner, but I'm up to read anything different!) at least show-wise (which plays, imo, a big part on the collective fandom inspiration for fan fiction) Jon is shown to have ‘epic’ romances (Ygritte and Daenerys —› in one the woman he ‘loves’ dies in his arms killed by someone else, in the other he is the one doing the killing to protect those he loves) even if tragic so it stands to reason they would give him so big, great past romance (even if I have to owe that they usually speak of Ygritte in a manner of ‘not fitting in’ together and her being too abrasive for him, sometimes borderline abusive) while Sansa is stuck with simply terrible experiences, save for Jon who, in the show (and sadly as far even in the book) is the only character of some magnitude that doesn't abuse her, manipulate her, etcetera.
Still, what is fan fiction for if not for giving us what we want and didn't get to see?
Secondly what stuff am I into? Lately I've not been able to watch as many series as I'd like, but I've loved Carnival Row (and if you haven't seen it you totally should, because even tho it didn't get a s2 I found it amazing and it kept me on my toes all the time, not much for the romance if for the crime and for the way it depicted society when faced with differences in within) and I've been watching on-and-off Shadow and Bone, (tho I've not read the books yet and my fav characters don't get as much screen-time as I'd like them to). But GoT/Asoiaf level? I have Chronicles of Narnia, (which I adore, more so the books than the movies, tho they were lovely as well) and ofc Lord of the Rings, as those have been, tbh, the big ones that got me it reading and theorizing when I was a teenager. I love Star Wars (even tho I'm most a fan of the movies) and Star Trek.
I am a big Harry Potter fan, tho I've found the new trilogy (even if I have still to watch the last one) too hyped up and whilst I loved Newt it didn't inspire me as much as Harry Potter did.
I loved very much Fallen Skies, tho I found the last two seasons, and especially the last completely rushed and thus ruined because of it; as well as Terranova, tho people didn't like it at all since it didn't get, as far as I know, s2.
Love the 100 tho having been a book-reader first and show watcher later tho I enjoyed some of the changes made I'll never forgive them for the end the gave my boy Bellamy Blake.
Sadly there are still many series I'd like to watch but haven't gotten around to watch because real life responsibility, tho I must admit that one of my secret pleasures in a way is asian drama. I watch a bunch of those, they are aesthetically pleasing and just sometimes so different that the media we usually consume that I am able to watch them even if only for ten minutes a day while I cook or tidy the house, because they intrigue me way too much (I totally suggest you watch some if you haven't already!).
What are the fandoms you're in?
Now, let's hop onto the fan fiction!
Prompt: Sansa and Jon do end up together anyway, but Sansa has had, just as Jon, past experiences that were not abusive or tragic.
So, this one has been inspired by Happier by Ed Sheeran, because... I don't know it just gave me the healing vibe I wanted to give this one and it's also from a POV I never explored too, hope you enjoy!
I guess you look happier [In another's arms]
He's just returned from beyond the Wall, his mission had lasted for the better portion of the last three years, the phone-call few and scarce in between. He had managed to see his brothers and his cousin but a couple of times during a couple of video-calls he managed to make. He's excited to go back home, to embrace his mother and feel his father's strong chest welcome him home, his brother's excited welcome shouts, his cousin soft, gentle smile...
... still, before he catches the next flight to the Eyrie Winged Knight Airport which will depart tomorrow morning from Tohrren's Square he has some time to kill.
He had spent the better part of his training at Castle Black, in the North, manning the Wall before his first missions beyond, going back and forth between his new home and his ex-girlfriend's home.
Red of hair and blue of eyes, with a smile so bright it could rival the sun and an heart so gentle and kind it could heal the whole of the world unrest with one touch. He sighs and enters the bar, sitting in a corner, safely away from the main crowd.
He could join a few of Nights Watch recruits he can see at another table, it's mostly new faces, but he recognizes the black clothes they wear and the way they boisterously laugh and joke with each other. That's the moment he sees him.
Jon Snow. Last time he had seen him, he had been a lanky boy, all knees and elbows, as if stretched thin, lean and swift with his movements during a spar. Intelligent. His grey eyes were always attentive and never loosing a move. He had privately thought he would made a fine watchman one day, though he could be a petty drunk and a mean, little shit when provoked. And he had a temper that could rival a wolf. He is the only one of the group of recruits he knows and he debates if making his presence known.
Ironically it had been Jon to introduce him to his now ex-girlfriend.
She had been his best-friend's sister and she had been involved in all a series of charities so when she and her sister had made the voyage to Castle Black they had stopped by to spend some time with Jon, it had been that way that he had met Sansa. That way he had met the girl he had hoped to marry.
Jon had been fiercely protective of her as well, when they had started going out he had sit him out and whilst he had never been intimidated by the boy, that time his presence had been enough to keep him still on his chair and listen quietly to the series of terrible pain Jon would inflict to him — helped by the girl's sister and siblings — if he ever broke her heart.
Sansa had, had some... displeasing experiences before. And Jon had not hidden his glee in telling him he had been the one to inflict on them the punishment for having harmed Sansa. He had been glad she had such fiercest defenders both in and out her family, for when he could not be with her.
He had never had any intention of breaking Sansa's heart. She had been his sweetheart and for a long time he had dreamed one day they could have the life. They could move back to the Vale, from where he hailed from, he would make her the mistress of his house and give her all the happiness she deserved in the world.
Fate had, had different plans. Life had, had different plans.
The age gap between them had not been insurmountable, but big enough that perhaps whilst wanting the same things idealistically, they were on different pages. Sansa had been barely eighteen and he was already twenty four. By the time of his first mission had rolled around he was feeling ready.
Sansa... not so much.
It is a testament, he guesses, to her capability of discernment that she knew when to draw back. He did not realize it until later, well after the sting of their break off had passed to realize the real fear that had filled his hopes had not been that she would say no — as she did — but that Sansa would say yes and embark on an experience that was beyond her grasp, and grew to resent him further down the line.
Instead Sansa, sensible, reasonable Sansa had not let the romance of it blind her to the real problem between the two of them. She had told him, time after time — the nearest his first mission grew — that she was scared of what the prolonged distance would do to them.
He had been much blinder. Convinced that their love would win in the end, he had failed to see that when the burn of the beginning burned out, only the embers remained and those were to be stoked often and the right way to remain alive, burning with their inner fire, instead of becoming beautiful jewels, yes, but only to sport when one felt down and in need of doing a trip down the memory-lane.
He had fought for them, the Gods knew he had.
And Sansa had too, but her past experiences had taught her something he had not been ready to face yet, below her cheerful, kind and soft character, was hidden a wounded woman, a woman who had been under the thumb of boys not even worth to kiss the ground she walked on; and that woman had learned that love is about more than being in love.
She had still told him no, and while he had not understood that at first, that had been her way to fight for them. She didn't want them to start something they were not ready to finish, something that they were not equipped to finish. He had been stubborn, and she, in her soft-spoken, gentle manner had been a bastion, impregnable and inexpugnable.
Jon had even stepped in, at one point. Told him they needed the break, explained some of the goriest details of her previous experiences that Sansa had held close to her heart because of shame.
I am not telling you because you need to fix it, she has it handled, Jon had told him sternly when he had tried to stand up and go to her, demand perhaps answers from her, demand to know why she didn't trust him enough to tell him, I'm telling you because you need to back off.
He had learned then, it had slipped past Jon's lips, that he had been the one to collect her from her ex's house when Sansa had had a panic attack during a sunday brunch and had hidden herself in her ex's sister room, barricading herself from them, the bruise on her cheek carefully covered with make-up. Jon had stormed in, punched the git in the gut — got a report for that — collected her and brought her home.
So, he had given her the break she had asked for, after all his first mission would not last longer than a few weeks and he had been confident that by the time he returned they would fix the problem between them and their love would finally take flight and soar.
It had been grounding.
They had not resolved the matter, not in the way he had hoped, but he had understood that Sansa needed more time. She was younger, he reasoned, he could be patient as long as their end goal was the same.
So he had departed for his second and third mission beyond the Wall with a girlfriend waiting him patiently back home, ready to welcome him back with a container of her own baked goods and a soft smile playing on her lips. His third mission had also been Jon's first and he had met the girl that would become his girlfriend. Ygritte.
He had been cautious of the brass woman, but she seemed to make Jon laugh, when she smiled that easy smile of her she almost reminded him of Sansa. She sported red hair, a different shade that Sansa's rich auburn, but not for that less enticing, and while she wasn't exactly beautiful her voice when she sang totally made up for it. Low and raw, intriguing. But he had doubted she and Jon would last.
Jon was much softer than Ygritte and he wanted soft in his life, he might be hard as stone on the outside, but inside he was made of molten snow. In fact they had not last past Jon's second mission, he had heard that the breakup had been explosive, that Ygritte had swore and yelled and hit. Some rumors said she had even bitten.
His and Jon's life had taken different paths then, they had not shared any more missions, though he had learned that he had found a new girlfriend, a stubborn blonde girl who lived beyond the Wall and advocated for the freedom of her people. This one, he had thought, could be a good match for Jon, she had enough of the softness he needed, but he had not thought much about it since his own relationship had started to fall apart between his hands.
I don't think we fit, Sansa had admitted at last, just before he left for the Vale — supposedly she would have to accompany him — and by then he had started to dread the same, I think we have drifted apart.
To be honest he had expected it, though he had dreaded it. Their interactions lacked the spark that had animated them in the beginning, he was starting to resent her the wait she was making him go through, fearing she might be stringing him on without any intention to actually commit. She had been growing distant and more distant each time they spoke over the phone or by video call.
Aye, he had replied feeling deflated, ignoring the way his heart was breaking in a million pieces watching the woman he had been with for four years taking a step back from them. He had caught himself more than once giving a girl an once over, had felt like a traitor even only for it, in the pit of his stomach and while he never cheated on her... he still felt like he was involved into a one-way relationship that had lost its initial spark. We've been good though, he had asked her, haven't we?
Sansa's smile in that moment was the last hit, shattering his heart in a million pieces. It was sad, resigned, but also relieved. Maybe she had been afraid he would force her to stay, and he couldn't really fault her, seen her past experiences. Still, she should've trusted him more, after all those years spent together.
Yes, she told him that smile dimmed and he had felt like he was suffocating in his own tears, she had tears in her eyes as well, you've been so good to me, it just... it didn't work out.
He had nodded, pathetically he had almost told her that if she had accepted, by the now they would be married and maybe they would've been happy.
He had refrained though.
I know you wanted more, Sansa had told him, seemingly able to read his mind.
I thought you wanted more too, had been his acid reply. Sansa's face had morphed then, she had become of marble and he had known he had pressed the wrong button.
I did, she said, I do.
Not with me, though.
She had been unable to reply to that. She hadn't need to. And he had let her go. Had walked away before he fell on his knees to plead her to give him the chance to give her the world.
Jon had sought him out after their breakup, in that moment he wouldn't even have cared if the boy would punch him. Not only he could take him, but he had the sore need to throw punches too. Instead Jon had offered him a pint.
I am sorry, he had told him, I know you are hurting now, but you weren't there and you didn't see how she hurt before she took this decision. Always defending her. No matter what. He had guessed back then, that it should be beautiful to have someone so openly, so fiercely in your corner.
I feel like she took this decision years ago, when she rejected my proposal.
Jon had not replied to that and they had lapsed into a long, stretching silence as they had consumed their pints. When they had parted ways he had almost told him, take care of her, for me, but he had realized with a start he needn't because Jon had already left and even though he followed him out, he saw him sneak inside a bakery. He needn't to ask what he was buying and for whom.
Somehow he just knew.
Being beyond the Wall for the next three years had helped. He had been able to look inside and admit that whilst he might have been ready, he hadn't been really ready. He mulls over the fact, observing Jon and his friends from above the rim of his pint. He had not spoken much with Jon since that day, save for a couple of times, and though they never broached the matter Jon would let him know, in little ways that Sansa was alright.
He wondered if now, more mature and less stubborn, if now Sansa would tell him yes. If she was alright still. He pondered if getting up and going to Jon, ask him after her.
In the end he does not have the guts to, he stands up and leaves. There is the faint scent of citrus hanging in the air that freezes him as the voice that has populated his dreams suddenly rings out “Sorry!, we're late!”
He doesn't turn. Not yet.
“You took your sweet time,” Jon comments and is his voice lighter?, is it indulgent?
“Stop being a smartmouth,” she jests “I have a surprise...ta-da!” and then there's a chorus and Arya Stark exclaims “SURPRISE!” before she chants Happy Birthday off tune, soon echoed by the others. Must be Jon's birthday, he realizes.
He turns and gets a glimpse of her after three and half long years. Her hair are still long, curling at the ends, auburn and glinting soft like copper in the bar's lights, she looks not much older than she did last time they saw each other, but there is a different manner, more mature, to the way she holds herself.
She's smiling that bright beam that opened the doors to paradise to him the first time he had stumbled into his words to ask her out to dinner.
And she's looking at Jon. He ducks out of the bar before he can linger on Jon's answering smile.
It's a few days before the stumbles into them together again. He's stationed at Castle Black, which means he has seen Jon more often than not. He has grown. He's no longer the lanky boy all knees and elbows, he has filled out while he is still lean instead of muscular, he has let his hair grow some more and he usually sports them bound in a bun and he has to wear glasses.
He's more confident too, he is almost proud, though he has had nothing to do with his maturation. Jon doesn't avoid eye-contact with him, not even when he discovers that apparently Jon and Val broke things off some two years ago and Jon has been steadily single since then...
...not even when he asks Jon about Sansa.
She's been fine. Has had a couple of brief relationships, though right now she's single and finishing her studies for her degree. His voice drips with pride when he tells him that Sansa has now launched her own charity work and often accompanies him beyond the Wall, she is a fierce advocate for the Free Folk freedom and she's been trying to get the government to listen to their shouts for independence.
They've been in those lands long before the Andals and while they recognize some northerners as kin, as most of them descend from First Men too, they wish only to live life how their own tradition demand.
There is this quality to his voice when he speaks about Sansa... He had ignored it, before, but he is pretty sure it was always there to begin with. Pride, fondness and fierceness...passion, all wrapped into one. He has always had that tone whilst speaking of her, even when he and Sansa had gone out together and he was only her brother's best friend looking out for her.
He observes Jon then. Quiet that he is, his whole demeanor scream when Sansa is concerned; and he discovers that Jon now has a pet too, it's an albino wolfhound that he has named Ghost and he has received him as a gift for his graduation by Sansa. And it's true, Sansa is often at Castle Black and accompanying Jon beyond the Wall as he has become from an active member of the squadron to a diplomatic emissary, and he can see it, in the way they smile at each other.
In the way Jon's touch linger on the small of her back, in the way Sansa burrows in Jon's embrace... he can see it in everything. In the way the easy banter between the two of them always spark that kind of look between the two of them. In the way Jon watches her go, in the way his breath dips and the shaky exhale he takes every time she's persuading him of something.
“So,” he confronts the thing one time, he has been assigned to accompany the diplomatic mission beyond the Wall and Sansa has just convinced Jon to stay the night over so that they can take part with the Free Folk of their rite during the peak of the midnight sun period “how long has this been going on?”
“I am sorry,” Jon tells him “I should've told you before” and if he had expected Jon to look bashful like the boy he remembers, he was sorely mistaken “I just didn't know the words to use”
He sighs “Maybe starting with, Waymar, mate I'm going out with your ex would be a good place to start” he says.
“Sansa's been my friend long before I was your mate,” Jon's reply is filled with sarcasm and sass “if anything it should've been, Waymar, mate, do you remember the girl I've loved for half of my life, you know the one you dated? Yeah, I'm dating her now. That would've been more appropriate” he says.
A long silence ensues.
“I'm sorry,” Jon comments “that was... rude of me” he says “I cannot demand you take responsibility for things you did not know” he adds.
“But I did know,” he admits “I—” Jon's face is a myriad of emotions all together “I mean... I suspected you might have a thing for her” he explains “still—” he sighs “why didn't you tell me, though?”
“When you asked her out she... was so happy,” he says “who was I to destroy that happiness?”
Waymar nods. He has noticed other things too, the way Sansa's smiles would shine brighter when they were toward Jon, the way before they had been reserved, whilst now they're unreserved. The way her eyes always filled with fondness when falling on him.
He doubts Sansa had been aware of the extent of her feelings for Jon, more probable than not she did not realize until later, she's too kindhearted of a woman to purposefully hurt someone knowing she loves another. He doesn't even think for her it was that kind of love before they parted ways.
He nods.
“You make her happy too,” he says and he knows that's the true, he would argue — to his own detriment — that Jon makes her happier than Waymar ever did. Jon just... gets her, in a way Waymar never managed despite their best efforts (hers to be understood, and his to understand her) “happy in a way I could not make her,” he admits.
Jon blinks and uncrosses his arms from his chest, surprised by the admission. Waymar would like to be petty, really, but the time to be petty has long passed. He is mature enough to know he and Sansa might not have worked out anyway... they should've met differently and Jon should not have been involved in the picture and perhaps they would have had a chance. Fate had different intentions, life had different intentions.
There are still million of possibilities before him. He can see that now.
“You know?,” he says “a part of me was always jealous of the way you seemed to just... get her, without any difficulty. I thought it was because you had grown together, turns out it's just because it's the two of you”
Jon doesn't say anything.
“And perhaps I could've made her happy too, or— perhaps we would have drifted apart anyway” he says “I think— I know I was in love with her, but I didn't love her...not beyond that initial moment of falling in love” he admits “but you—” he pats his shoulder “you loved her before you fell in love with her, I think that made the difference”
“Don't break her heart” he warns him.
Jon straightens his shoulders “I won't,” he promises.
They don't speak of it anymore, there is no need to. And when, later, Jon kisses Sansa on her lips and Sansa kisses him back Waymar knows for them it's over. It's endgame. They are each other's person.
Sansa's blue eyes meet his and Waymar nods to her. Her smile breaks his heart a bit more.
She still cares for him, still...not in the way he would've wanted and that's okay. And her gaze falls immediately again on Jon and the way the Free Folk children run around his legs and the way he picks them up and the picture they paint.
I never noticed, he considers, but we kind of look alike. Jon and I.
For some time he wonders if that's what has drawn Sansa to him in the first place, then he decides it's a waste of time to wonder and he just cherishes his memories with the first girl who made him fall in love.
It's years later, after he has returned home for good that he stumbles, by chance, on a paper that talk of them. Sansa has managed it. She has been the propelling force behind the new treaty signed between Kings Landing and the Free Folk and in that guise the North has also gotten independence from the rest of Westeros thanks to a referendum and Sansa has been elected to lead the North in their new independent life.
The photo shows them in Winterfell, Sansa's childhood home, with her family and Lyanna Snow — Jon's own mother — he knows they've married some odd three or four years ago, and now Sansa is holding a small child, not older than one year old, balanced on her hip as Jon is carrying on his shoulder the eldest a little girl with her mother's red hair and her father's grey eyes. The girl has Sansa's same grin.
“Is that your brother?” he turns around, startled and the girl warm and kind brown eyes fill with surprise “sorry, I didn't mean to intrude”
Waymar sets the journal aside “No,” he says “but we've served together,” he tells her.
“She looks very beautiful,” she says nodding toward Sansa “do you know her?”
“Aye,” he says “I know her,” he admits.
The girl nods “They look happy”
“They do” he concedes “he's always put her happiness before his own”
A short story of how the got together, a gossip-story really, is written beside the photo. Here, her majesty Sansa of House Stark is depicted with her husband Jon Snow. They've known each other all their lives and have been childhood friends for a long time, they fell in love whilst Sansa Stark led her charities beyond the Wall advocating for their freedom as Jon Snow served as diplomatic emissary. Waymar would like to tell them that Jon has been in love with her far longer, and he suspects Sansa too. He wants to tell them Jon punched her scumbag of an ex and collected Sansa when she was falling apart. He doesn't though. That's their own private story.
And they are happy.
The girl smiles at him “My name is Margaery,” she introduces herself. Waymar is taken aback by her smile. He smiles back.
“My name is Waymar” he replies “pleased to meet you, Margaery” so, he ends up asking her to join him at his table at the bar, when she orders he almost expects her to order lemon cakes... instead she orders a slice of apple-pie with cinnamon and Waymar breathes a little better.
A few decades later Waymar meets them again. He has been married to Margaery for almost twenty years and they've had three children in the meantime. Sansa has stepped down from politics a few years ago, and she has retired with her family in Winterfell. Her youngest, Catelyn, is into politics as well and later when she'll be elected in her mother's place no one is surprised. Jon and Sansa are still as much in love as they were that day.
In the end, Waymar considers as Sansa recounts their whole story to a gossip starved Margaery that they are happier for the way things turned out.
Fin
So, this is just a little snipped actually, because you have stoked my inspiration, so I'll be working on several others companion pieces (one for sure by Jon POV and one by Sansa's; a couple of others with previous exes of both), so stay tuned for those too!
Hope you enjoyed this even if it turned out more about Waymar and the way he felt about Sansa than about Sansa and Jon, still Sansa's got a good experience before Jon, even if that too ended thankfully not tragically and I actually think we got this subtle Jonsa that I love to write. Anyway, with the other companion pieces we'll get also more of Jon and Sansa seen by their exes perspectives, and each other's.
You can find this on ao3, in my collection of prompts (x).
As always thank you for the prompt! Hope you have a wonderful day and as always sending all my love ~G.
#anon asks#ask the hag#the hag's prompts#jonsa#jon and sansa for their exes perspective part 1#waymar
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CATCHING MY BREATH, STARING OUT AN OPEN WINDOW
James Bennett is based on Jamie from Rise of the Guardians. He is a 22 year old gifted human, barista/community theater employee, and uses he/him pronouns. He has the power of indomitable spirit. Jamie is portrayed by Anthony Turpel and he is open.
CATCHING MY DEATH, AND I COULDN’T BE SURE
There was nothing that came more naturally to Jamie than believing in things that other people told him weren’t real. It wasn’t out of spite or to prove them wrong, he simply believed. When he was a kid, people labelled it as an active imagination but as he grew up, the idea that these fantastical things existed never faded. He was constantly trying to convince his friends as he got older that these cryptids, myths and spirits were real. But more and more of them thought he was just a little weird, some even went further and started bullying him for believing in dumb kid stuff. It felt like a constant battle but it didn’t matter how many times classmates and childhood friends told Jamie he was crazy or that he had to grow up, he didn’t stop believing. The young boy found a way to balance living in the real world with the hidden world not everyone knew about by joining theater classes. He brought worlds to life on stage and no one could tell him to stop making things up, they applauded instead.
His eyes fluttered open in a new place, a bed he’d never been in before or, if he had, he had no recollection of it. Jamie wasn’t worried though. If he was here, there was a reason - he had to believe that there was. Thankfully, it turned out that Sophie was here too and the longer he searched the more of his friends that he found. No one knew why they were here which meant they were faced with a new challenge - to figure it out. It wasn’t going to be easy but if anyone knew they could do it, it was Jamie. Even if they failed a thousand times, he would keep trying. It came as no surprise when Jamie found the local theater in Evermore, getting a job to keep himself busy as he dove in and out of scripts, bringing them all to life with just as much spirit as he brought to facing the challenge of trying to get out of this town. One day he knew it would happen. They couldn’t give up - not now, not ever.
I HAD A FEELING SO PECULIAR
❀ Emilio A. Bahamondes: There are a lot of people Jamie looks up to and Emilio is easily one of the more important ones. He’s so creative and cool, what isn’t there to like? And on top of that he’s an immortal spirit which really solidified his belief.
❀ Charles Finster: If Jamie was the epitome of believing in something, Chuckie was the exact opposite. He’d never met someone more doubtful but that’s alright, if anything he takes it as a challenge to help get him to believe and a friend who helps balance him out.
❀ Winnie Lupin: Dang, she’s pretty. Jamie can’t help but get a little nervous around Winnie whenever he runs into her but he’s going to try his best to swallow his nerves and pluck up the courage to spend some time with her.
THAT THIS PAIN WOULD BE FOR EVERMORE
#disney rp#magic rp#anthony turpel#rise of the guardians#rotg#jamie#male bio#open male#open bio#has powers
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• Humpty Dumpty Elegy 10 | Five Books On 🙉"Monkey Brains"🙈 •
Whatchu know 'bout incels?
If your answer to that is, "nothing." then I'm impressed. It's a dirty dirty word to describe dirty dirty people. Ignorance of them is a sign of a good soul. Bless your heart.
"Incel" is short for "involuntarily celibate". That name alone should be a bright red flag.
Now, most of the time when this word is used, it's just a way to call a dude unfuckable. Which is always useful. But there's so much more to it than that. It's not some passive state of being. It's a philosophy and a subculture for the most rotten shitbags on the planet.
The way they see it, they're not celibate by any choice of their own. The only reason they're not getting their peepees touched or smooched is because society is rigged against them. Because women are hypergamous automatons who all want exactly the same type of dude (Chads or Tyrones). Because they've got physical defects that absolutely nobody will overlook. Because they're neuroatypical. Or according to some, because they're not white... or because they are.
Take the heartless and practical cynicism of the "Red Pill" brought to us by the Men's Rights Movement and MGTOWs, then add nihilism, racism, pedophilia, zoophilia, rape/murder fantasies, a proprietary blend of quack evo-psych to make it all official, and thus you've got the Incel movement. Also known as, "The Black Pill".
[Here's a handy glossary for all the newspeak these gimps use]
Their problem isn't simply that nobody will give them a chance. But that even if they do get a woman in bed, it's a diabolical trap. That there's no point in even trying, because women just get knocked up by Chads, and then get a brainy betamale to raise their kids. Or that it's all an elaborate scheme to rope you into alimony, child support, or to have you thrown in jail over fake sexual assault charges just for sympathy and attention. Long story short, women are scary, don't go near them. But they should still paradoxically smooch our peepees, even as we're running away.
And this is where I get to my main point: "Involuntary," my motherfucking ass. These are just celibate narcissists, afraid to be rejected, afraid to lower their standards, afraid of catching feelings over someone and getting dumped, and afraid to admit that they're cowards. Assholes with a pathologically external locus of control; endless victims of fate, rather than of their own choices.
I originally thought incel forums were places for those with severe mental disabilities, or ghastly physical disfigurements. Which didn't offend me one bit. If a dude with werewolf disorder wants to commiserate with a guy who has an untreated cleft lip, I say more power to 'em. It's gotta be hard out there.
But that's not what they are. People don't blurt, "incel!" at those guys. They blurt, "Oh dang, that sucks, well uuuh... good luck I guess." Those real-deals make up an infinitesimal fraction of the incel movement, which the rest hold up as emblems. The remaining majority are two types of guys:
The first type of guy isn't evil. He's just lost. I had a friend like this, we'll call him Kabbage. Kabbage wasn't disfigured at all, he was just a bit thicc, pimply, had a big fat nose. He was also debilitatingly shy and anxious. But under all of that, truly one of the best people I've ever known; smart, creative, sensitive, a beautiful soul, double-plus dad material. If he lost the weight and cleared up his skin, he'd have very little to worry about. Plus, girls don't really mind a big nose, it's masculine. He's the one who introduced me to their subreddit before it was purged.
My reaction was immediate disgust and condemnation, and I assumed he showed me so we could rip on them together. But he got quiet, changed the topic, and I haven't spoken to him since around that time.
Kabbage, I hate to say, was a coward in many ways. His parents were identical to the Glouberman family from the show, Big Mouth. He struggled to ask for salt & pepper at other people's dinner tables, so as not to offend anyone. Imagine how scary he found asking a girl out. He felt lonely, and liked the sympathy he found among the incels.
The second type of guy IS evil. Humpty was this type of guy.
If I had to pull stats right out of my ass, I'd say the incel community is made up of 0.01% disabled/disfigured guys, 5% Kabbages, and 94.99% Humpty Dumpties.
And I'd feel no particular need to shit on these guys, if not for the incel community's growing body count. Most famously, Elliot Rodger, and Alek Minassian. The latter I've mentioned already, because Humpty was a fan. He said if Minassian succeeded in his plea of insanity, based purely on his autism, that'd open the door for a spree killing of his own.
There's more than two killers, but I'm a strong believer in strictly trying to forget about these losers. The best punishment is to send their names to oblivion, ignore any statements or manifestos they made, and just heap praise and sympathy on their victims. Suffice it to say, too many spree killers are proud incels.
Yes, I am embarrassed to have spent time with Humpty. I know how terribly this reflects on me. The RCMP would probably be coming after me with some questions if they weren't all busy kidnapping and murdering First Nations women.
But GREAT NEWS! Humpty is fucking GONE! Humpty admitted to Wednesday that he never gave a shit about us or any of his ex discord amigos 😃. So Wens told Hump to officially fuck off! Yay! They were going to do a pity vote to maybe let him back into the discord this June, but not anymore. He wasn't reading this series. He never planned to. I don't have to act like I care about his wellbeing whatsoever. YISSSSS! Go skip rope you worthless fucking rotten egg!
I will still send him a link to this when he inevitably winds up in prison. But now I'm officially writing this for everyone else's benefit.
With that out of the way, what's all this "monkey brain" shit?
It depends. Like "incel", it's a question of who is saying it.
To some, it's a pop-psychology buzzword. A reference to Paul MacLean's "triune brain" model of brain evolution. The idea that our brains evolved layer after layer. Starting with our instinctual "reptile" layer, then developing into our emotional "mammal" layer, and culminating in our rational "human" layer. When people say "monkey" they mean the lower "mammal" layer.
To others, it's a Buddhist concept along very similar lines. A state of mind that is, "unsettled; restless; capricious; whimsical; fanciful; inconstant; confused; indecisive; uncontrollable". While it's along similar lines, there are no Buddhist incels. Humpty was the least Buddhist dude I've ever met. He didn't throw out "monkey brain" to keep track of and tame his negative impulses.
Maybe some people came here thinking I had five books on that one scene from Faces Of Death...
nope.
To incels like Humpty Dumpty, "Monkey brains" is vague and versatile. Based on the dog-shittiest pseudo-psychology in existence at this moment in history. A simple get-out-of-introspection free card; an exemption from all moral responsibility. Almost like demon possession, it wasn't me, it was my gersh dang monkey brain what done it again.
Incel monkeybrainology is a confused mix of genetic and cultural determinism; a denial of the fact that one of the many wonderful things humans evolved to do was act civilized; a half-assed bastardization of modern neuroscience; and a complete romanticization of the worst sides of every impulse.
You don't just suddenly find yourself an incel (I don't give two shits about the Donnelly Study. It's a worthless woozle hunt). You find incels, and work your ass off to join them and conform to their blackhole gravity well of despair.
While I couldn't drag Humpty Dumpty out of that well, I might still be able to talk some sense into the Kabbages among him, or people that know some Kabbages. People aren't incels because they're unfuckable; they're unfuckable because they think like incels. OR, they're comfortably celibate, but not comfortable enough to admit it.
In fact, Wednesday is a perfect example: He describes himself as maybe the ugliest person on the planet. Now, I disagree, and think that's some obvious dysmorphia talking. But it's also true that Wednesday qualifies as "deformed" thanks to his crooked eye. He'll tell you it's been a real obstacle to dating. But here's the kicker: He's been slangin' dick since he started highschool. And for one huge reason: He's brave enough to constantly put himself out there; not too proud to beg; and not afraid to put in work only to lose someone. He didn't disqualify himself from a sex life before even trying. And you know, a pity fuck is still a fuck.
Wens could have given up from the start, and been a proud member of the incel community's 0.01% elite. But he's simply not that much of an irresponsible pussy. He worked his ass off for those peepee touches, and never once decided he was just entitled to them.
This is the one topic Wednesday and I tried the hardest to change Humpty's mind on, and made the least progress. This is a central pillar of the incel community. In this entry of the Humpty Dumpty Elegy I'm going to do my best to unravel the incel pseudo-biology/psychology that has thusfar gotten innocent people killed, and wasted the precious time of thousands of silly young men.
Meanwhile, for everyone else who is comfortably removed from the incel cesspit, and uninterested in wading through it, these are still five books that can give you a deeper and more endearing connection to this magnificent species we're all a part of. Modern psychology is founded on biology. A solid understanding of the latter can tell you more about yourself than any checklist, index, or diagnosis psychology has to offer.
• #1 The Moral Animal by Robert Wright •
Lets start with them genes, mommy 👖
It's probably unwise to be promoting evolutionary psychology on Tumblr. Evo-psych, or as it used to be called, "sociobiology" came into this world under a salvo of controversy. Its founder, E.O. Wilson was labeled a racist, sexist, fascist monster.
Academics, particularly feminist ones, lumped him in with social Darwinists (which shoulda been called "Spencerists" because Darwin had nothing to do with them), eugenicists, group-selectionists, genetic determinists, and any other goblin that made the 20th century so bloody.
To be fair, while the smearjob towards Wilson was wildly off-base, they did predict people like Humpty, and the blackpill movement. But not because Humpty is an orthodox sociobiologist. It's just that the old models of psychology made his warped philosophy more difficult to justify. And many of Wilson's critics had just as much of a bastardized understanding of the topic as Humpty does.
There was a fear that if you added a "hard science" like biology to a "soft science" like psychology, you'd get something especially dangerous and pernicious. But as Wright correctly pointed out, notions like "there's no differences between men and women" came from the social sciences, have done plenty of harm, and didn't rely on biology at all. Same with strict behaviorism. Social engineering is a risky game, period.
This is why it's so important for incels to get the full picture. Many of them say things like "It's evolutionarily adaptive for a man to have a drive to rape." but completely ignore the other side of that coin which says, "women evolved an equally adaptive hatred towards being raped".
Society is just a bunch of individuals negotiating compromises over their competing, often opposing, self-interests. Incels just want the world to compromise 100% to them. They're screaming babies.
Incels love to conveniently look at random primates for justifications for everything, ignoring the fact that each primate species is hugely different from every other one, including us.
When it comes to relationship fidelity, what are we? Winner-takes-all tournament animals like gorillas? Klingon-style rape monsters like chimps? Slutty bonobos? Or saintly Victorian gibbons, who pair for life and serenade each other from the treetops each day?
Answer? We're humans, asshole. We're the primates who evolved to build civilizations. We're the ones who have all of those possibilities within us, and more. And this is the point of Wright's book: Humans aren't inherently moral animals, but we're all potentially moral, which makes us one-of-a-kind.
A lot of our behavior evolved to be, "frequency dependent". Basically, as we grow up we observe the people around us to decide where we plan to fit in. When there's too many cooks, try your hand at being a waiter.
Like with the "Madonna/whore" or "Dad/cad" dichotomy, if you grow up around Madonnas, it might be wise to try being a whore. If everyone's a cad, try acting like a dad. If everyone has a hipster beard, you'll look cooler with a clean shave. There's not one "naturally" right strategy for life. It depends on the environment.
"In your genes" is practically meaningless a good chunk of the time. In the tug-of-war between nature vs nurture, or genes vs social environment, genes do only between 1/3 to 1/2 of the work in determining who we are.
This is why determinism is such a sin, genetic OR cultural. This book deals with the genetic side, while later on The Blank Slate deals with the environmental side.
A huge thing incels like to believe is that their placement in the social hierarchy has been completely determined for them. They believe they're stuck firmly on the bottom. In fact they romanticize their lowliness. That icon at the top, of a slouching bitchboy, is the symbol of their wiki.
This is how the black pill makes the red pill, despite all its flaws, look 100x more healthy and productive. A pickup artist would tell you there's no excuse for not standing up straight or grooming yourself, and a MGTOW would at least tell you to take ownership of your choice to avoid women.
Nobody is born a winner or a loser. Take the leaders of fraternities for example. Aka, "chads". If you tested their serotonin levels just before entering the frat, they'd be extremely unremarkable. It's only after they ascend the ranks do they have a surplus of serotonin.
Serotonin gives you confidence, similar to the effects of alcohol. People don't become leaders because they're full of it, they're full of it because they became leaders. We evolved it to maintain status, not to determine who leads and who follows.
And here's an important detail about male hierarchies: They're extremely fragile and dynamic. Today's chad could be tomorrow's homeless guy, reminiscing about the days he was hot shit. Bill Gates never had to be sexy to take over the world. Charles Darwin was a gentle little niceguy, with an ugly face, who didn't touch a woman until well into adulthood, yet he had 10 kids and was buried in the same cemetery as Isaac Newton.
The incel definition of an "alpha" = Duke Nukem... and that's it. Because once again, they're just stupid narcissists.
There are dozens of behavioral changes a man can make to encourage some endogenous serotonin production. Taking on responsibilities, setting and accomplishing goals, exercising and taking care of your health, etc. are a good start. In a way, this whole series is partially about facilitating that. But disturbingly their main focus is on cultivating "dark triad" personality traits. Based on the asinine belief that women prefer abusive men, and that that's the only way to keep them around.
Really, they just think like criminals. Criminals, especially the ones who commit impulse crimes like robbery, assault, or rape, actually have a massive deficit of serotonin, not a surplus. One hypothesis suggests that people in that state of mind commit crimes to kickstart their serotonin levels back up to baseline.
But like I've said, that's not a good excuse; crime is not a valid antidepressant. Ruining your rep and getting punished for bad behavior is a great way to lose all your happy brain chemicals. The dark triad scheme is a terrible gamble. This is where the concept of "reciprocal altruism" enters the picture, and it's one of the key details incels leave out when they discuss the evolution of human behavior.
Like with all other primates, the social hierarchy cannot be ascended alone. If you think you can just max your strength and ignore your charisma, you're in for a mutiny. There's no future in abusing your way to the top.
The incel sour-grapes attitude towards high status men is a fairly natural response. Generally speaking we all have a tendency to attribute our successes to skill, and our failures to luck, and the reverse for others. They never look at a guy with a healthy social life and assume he earned it. They blame it on some halo effect, because he's got "hunter eyes" or some stupid bullshit like that. And they never look at their own awkwardness as a result of isolating themselves and trying to learn about people through movies, videogames, or god forbid, dating simulators [shudder].
We no longer live in a world where a high-status person will just straight up violently attack a low-status person for their hubris or insolence. Incels act like if the Alphas come by and see them standing up straight, they're going to attack them like an angry chimp.
Evolutionarily speaking, it makes sense to conceal your high self-esteem, and brandish low self-esteem. It's a holdover from our more primitive tournament days. Back then, reconciliation was a better survival strategy for most people than overt dominance. Also, seemingly all cultures discourage boasting, and see it as something to grow out of. But what do people grow into? Just more subtle boasters.
I used to floss the albatross like Daddy Kane with the chain. I'm tryin' to jettison the ballast with the hazardous waste. -- Aesop Rock, Dorks
But once again, we don't live in those times. This is the beauty of an individualistic society. Nobody is asking you to stare at your feet. This is the danger of the naturalistic fallacy. On one hand, they love the idea that "it's only natural" for a man to be attracted to minors, or that celibacy is a pain worse than death, or that rape may be justified if that pain gets too unbearable. But then they also have to swallow the idea that evolution is fine with them staying subordinate to everyone forever, or that we're an anthill-like superorganism that has no particular interest in them creating offspring.
Nature gave us a frontal lobe for a reason. If you got a problem, you can think your way out of it. Whether you have to make compromises, barter, collaborate, or just read a god damn book. Fate is only real if you believe in it. If you do, then amor tuum fati, and shut up.
• #2 Behave by Robert Sapolski •
I can't tell you how silly it feels to take a book this comprehensive and robust, and focus it on sexless douchebags on the internet.
But it's where I came up with what I'll call the, "Incel's Dilemma". See, incels often have an above-average understanding of the science of human behavior, genes, and environmental effects. It's just that this info is conveniently selective, and poisoned by a powerful confirmation bias.
The more you know about all this, the clearer it is that you have control over your life.
Once you know what you have control over, to not improve yourself is no longer a passive thing, it's active. Once you know better, you suddenly become responsible to do better; it gets harder and harder to say your problems are not your own god damn fault.
So incels tiptoe like Egyptians over the responsibility landmines scattered all throughout the desert of their self-imposed shitty lives. They're constantly at risk of losing their beloved victim narrative. They're participants in their own misery, whether or not they want to admit it.
They look at data to confirm their hopelessness like a lot of fat people do to get out of dieting or exercise.
"95% of diets fail" What the fuck does that have to do with you? Take that as a challenge, not a cop-out. Any rehab center will tell you, most people relapse three or four times before finally achieving sobriety. It doesn't mean don't try, it means you've got at least three failures to get out of the way before you can succeed, so hurry up and get those failures over with.
It's all a big Texas sharpshooter fallacy with the data-driven incels. A look at Incel Wiki's "Demographics of Inceldom" might fool you into thinking these cunts have a point, but that's precisely how the fallacy works. Take a bunch of scattered data, and draw your own bullseyes over whatever suits your narrative.
Believe it or not, human life is not a 2D plane with some scribbles on it. It's far more complicated than that. This is that over-systematization Simon Baron-Cohen talks about. But for the systematizers out there looking for a data-dump, how 'bout an 800 page, 26 hour long book/audiobook? If learning face-to-face ain't your jam, here's plan B.
To blatantly plagiarize the introduction: This book explores the biology of violence, aggression, and competition. The ways in which humans harm one another, but also the ways we do the opposite. The biology of cooperation, affiliation, reconciliation, empathy, and altruism. Sapolsky started from a pessimistic nature, but tried to reign it in for the sake of his kids, and as he learned more on the topic he learned much of the harm humans do is not universal; He learned to be optimistic.
You can't understand much of human behavior without biology. But you also can't understand it all with biology alone. Same with neurochemicals, childhood trauma, social environment, etc. It's multifactorial; it's a complicated pain in the dick.
There are dozens of things that influence the decisions you make. Sapolsky breaks them down from one second before, seconds to minutes before, hours to days before, days to months before, and centuries to millennia before a decision.
One thing that blew my mind was the info on testosterone. Turns out it's not true, the idea that testosterone makes you aggressive. See, if I eliminate all the testosterone from your body, your aggression will disappear. When I give it back, it returns to baseline. However, after you hit baseline again, any extra testosterone I give you will do nothing to your aggression levels.
Incels love to believe high-testosterone = antisocial (dark triad/asshole chad stereotypes). But in fact it has plenty of prosocial effects. When subjects in a cooperation-based game are secretly given testosterone, they're more likely to cooperate and prioritize generosity and good sportsmanship. It makes you more likely to value social norms, and try to do "the right thing".
But here's the kicker, if you give someone a placebo and tell them it's testosterone, they become more antisocial, and less charitable. Suggesting that "toxic masculinity" is a cultural defect, and not a byproduct of too much testosterone. It's not only incels that think "asshole" = "manly". But biology and neuroscience beg to differ. Incels are just as confused as the average fatherless gangbanger.
What testosterone is best for is responding to challenges. It's that Teddy Roosevelt, "Walk softly and carry a big stick" type'a shit, or that Robert Deniro, "You talkin to me?" style. Testosterone doesn't make you start fights, or bully the weak and helpless, it's about minding your own business, and deflecting intruders. An immovable object > an unstoppable force.
Just like with serotonin, behavior mostly comes first; testosterone doesn't stimulate aggression, aggression stimulates testosterone. Prisoners tend to have higher testosterone than the general population. Not because testosterone makes you act more like a criminal, but because prison exposes you to daily challenges from aggressive people, forcing your body to produce more in defense.
The other mind-blower has to do with the vaunted and beloved neuropeptide, oxytocin. Long story short, it doesn't make one as lovely as people commonly believe. It makes you lovely to people within your ingroup, and pretty gross to everyone on the out. Like what you get in small rural towns; people are sweet as pie towards their neighbors, and venomous like snakes to the other 99.99% of the world they find foreign and confusing.
This book is just full of surprises. From the variety of roles your frontal lobe can play, and the effects of damaging it; to the counterintuitive influences of estrogen and progesterone, and what they do at different ratios; to scared hyena boners; to the reality of adolescence; to the devastating effects of "hospitalism"; to the psychology of bullies, the bullied, and the bullied who like to bully; to the effects of permissive vs authoritarian parenting styles, and their outcomes in different socioeconomic environments; to how much of our genetic code is completely unused, waiting for our environment to activate it; to the difference between "inherited" and "heritability"; to whether the "warrior gene" would be more accurately labeled the "pull your pants down in public" gene?; and much much much more!
After reading (and then re-reading) this book, one should never feel the need to return to a stupid fuckdump like the Incel Wiki. If it isn't clear yet that places like that are a textbook example of the Dunning Kreuger effect, and not a dose of clarity, then you obviously haven't consumed this book yet. Which I understand, it's as dense as a curling stone 🥌. But meanwhile, here I am, free of sympathy, arms akimbo, foot tapping, waiting for these incel pigs to catch up to reality.
As I've said dozens of times, I tried gently feeding all this info to Humpty, as a friend, trying to coax him into a more optimistic state of mind, and it wasn't too complicated, he wasn't too stupid, he just didn't want to hear it. He loves his despair. How the fuck else would this rotten bitch find pity?
I could go on, but this entry would wind up more than twice as long as it already is. I only covered nine of seventeen major chapters so far and suffice it to say it doesn't start leaning in Humpty Dumpty's favor. This book is absolutely nuclear; Sapolsky's magnum opus. I got halfway through this and it dawned on me that I'd need a second month to pull this edition of the Humpty Dumpty Elegy off. This is a monumentally large topic for a sweaty, brain-damaged fry cook to tackle all on his own.
If ya don't know, now ya know.
• #3 The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker •
Lets all just take a moment to fart in B.F. Skinner's general direction 🍑💨
I've spent nearly all my time in this series writing about the ways in which you can change yourself. And I stand by all of them. I'm not the same person I was before I read these books, and I don't believe it was all just a matter of time before this stuff sunk in; I had to work for it all.
Humpty Dumpty came to Wednesday, having seen all the progress Wednesday made since highschool, and wanted a piece, allegedly at least. For every one step I made to repair my state of mind, Wens made ten, simply by virtue of starting from a deeper pit of despair.
But it's crucially important that I take a moment and separate myself from the social constructionists out there. The people who think every mind is a blank slate, and infinitely malleable. They're the people who don't believe in a human nature at all. While I accuse Humpty and other incels of having a pathologically external locus of control, it's important to recognize that a 100% internal locus is just as insane.
Now, before we assassinate this crock of shit, lets give the social constructionists some credit, their hearts were in a very good place.
The "blank slate" hypothesis, right off the bat, completely undermines old justifications for things like slavery or aristocracy. It's extremely difficult to justify the idea that anyone was born to serve or be served if we're all made from the same starting materials.
Blank-slaters carry with them a perfectly healthy anxiety towards the idea of human nature:
If people are innately different, oppression and discrimination could easily be justified
If people are innately immoral, there's no hope to improve oneself
If people are products of biology, free will would be a myth, thus moral responsibility would vanish
If we're mere biology, then life no longer has meaning
All blank = all equal.
Though this idea of a blank slate is as old as Aristotle, it picked up most of its academic oomph during the 19th and 20th centuries. First in an effort to poop on colonialism, then in response to racist genocidal atrocities.
But there's a serious catch: If we're all infinitely malleable, there's no basis to say slavery is a miserable existence. A slave merely has to be conditioned properly so that they learn to love their role, like an animal in a Skinner box. A person only hates being raped because society told them to hate it. You're only fond of your individualism because we live in a greedy capitalist society that requires you to desire that lifestyle, so that you work/consume more. Etc. A soul? That's cute, go fuck yourself.
E.O. Wilson wasn't labelled a fascist because he promoted fascism in any way. He was labelled so because the "science" he questioned was, for a very long time, fascism's most prominent antagonist. But while social constructionists deserve points for picking the right enemy, they lose most of them for having little basis in observable science, and even more for having committed plenty atrocities of their own.
B.F. Skinner and Chairman Mao saw the world through a disturbingly similar lens. While Hitler and Mussolini got millions killed for some warped idea of human nature, Marx got even more killed based on the idea that humans have no nature at all.
Thankfully, social constructionism is dying. Even according to Wednesday, while he was in school training to be a therapist, they had a whole module dedicated to debunking the idea, which is beautiful news. But though it's on its way out, it's taking its sweet ass time, and all the while creating creepy little permutations that slip past people's better judgement.
Concepts like "The Lean Genome", "Connectionism", and "Extreme Plasticity", which I'll just let Pinker handle on his own, for the sake of brevity.
This doesn't have a whole lot to do with the incels' particular philosophy. They're way more likely to make a naturalistic fallacy, than a constructionist argument. However it's true to say that the culture we live in is still greatly influenced by these ideas. And this is the culture that spawned incels to begin with.
In school there's no sense that a student is the way they are for some natural or evolutionarily adaptive reason. There's one, maybe two ideal student types, and everything beyond that range gets slapped with a disorder label.
Teachers are mostly lazy shitbags. There's no filter for assholes or narcissists. They don't need to be entertaining, compassionate, or even have a solid theory of mind. If a kid is a little unusual, there's no impetus on the teacher to get inside that kid's head, and connect them with all the beautiful knowledge within their reach. Kids are just pigeons you need to convince to peck the right buttons and work for the same reward pellets.
These disorders fuck with people's identities, long past their time in school. To some it's a simple nadir that helps them find their zenith. It's useful to understand your own shortcomings, of course. But for many it becomes a mental prison.
A doctor told me I was sick. Why? I was doodling? Playing with and entertaining my friends? I found something more challenging to do than listen to the teacher repeat themself for the third time? Oh, no I know why, because I insulted the institution, and they wanted to insult me back. Ah, gg then.
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This isn't just the authoritarianism Pink Floyd rapped about. We've traded fiery religious rhetoric for clammy psychobabble, and most parents are absolutely snowed by it.
It seems blatantly insane when you see it in that Uncle Buck clip. But we're not too far off from that in real life. We have still pathologized "twiddlers", "dreamers", "silly-hearts", "jabberboxes", etc. It's just that we've gussied it up with Latin or Greek polysyllabic words, all tucked into acronyms and initializations.
Parents have been taking a beating for so long with all this shit, too. Cultural determinism puts ALL the blame for someone's behavior on their parents. This is where the "concerted cultivation" style comes from, which Jonathan Haidt does an excellent job of exploring in The Coddling Of The American Mind.
All this is to say the millennial/zoomer generations are an anxious and uncertain bunch. We all seem to hate ourselves, and everything that comes most naturally from our hearts. We're ironically detached from our ironic detachment from our authentic detachment from our authentic selves. We're optimized for life in an institution, be it a school, corporation, gov't job, or prison. If you don't jibe with Skinner boxes, it's easy to get the impression that there's no place for you in this world.
The worst thing you could do, would be to take that negative impression, and romanticize it. Humpty was the king of getting beaten with a stick, and thinking the best payback he could give his punisher was taking the stick and beating himself, only harder.
"Oh yeah, you think I'm a muddy pig? Watch this, I'm gonna roll in some shit! Then I'll be a shitty pig! Take THAT!"
When behaviorism fails us, we often believe we're the ones that failed behaviorism. Forgetting, or perhaps never knowing at all, that it's an inhumane, dehumanizing, industrial process of extracting compliance. Many of us are defined by our troubled days in Skinner boxes, and it never occurs to us that we didn't belong in one in the first place, or that maybe we did the right thing by putting up a fight.
When I read incel forums, I see people who have been tragically disconnected from their own natures. Grasping at more and more data, more and more graphs, still convinced that they and their lives are mere algorithms or games.
It's not simply Asperger's; Autists can (slowly but surely) cognitively wrap their head around human nature, in a way that still preserves beauty and meaning, even if they don't feel the typical emotional response to those things. What we have here is an active corruption of people's concept of human nature, which I believe is responsible for an incalculable amount of suffering. Mental and physical.
"It's just my Monkey Brain again" is Humpty's version of fighting the power. It's one step further towards reclaiming his nature from a world that told him he didn't have one. But his understanding of human nature is so poor and underdeveloped, that it's almost as pathological as the allegorical cave he started out in.
• #4 Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari •
Wheat be whispering to yeast like, "psst, hey cmon lets go catch some monkeys"
Robert Wright did an excellent job of sticking up for evolutionary psychology in The Moral Animal, and spelled out how we managed to evolve a moral compass. Yuval Noah Harari skips the debate and puts all this scrumptious information to good use, telling the story of our species from the days when we were neighbors with Neanderthals, all the way to the present moment with its head-spinning exponential rate of change.
This book is a an antidepressant. I've found psychology, philosophy, and spirituality to be priceless assets in getting my head straight. But sometimes there's nothing better than than putting yourself in some ancient shoes. History, if you don't exclusively confine your focus to the last 200 years of dystopian jibber jabber, can be up there with psychedelics in it's mind expanding, perspective enhancing capabilities. I recollect some historical lessons the same way I do with epiphanies I've had on shrooms. With the same oceanic significance Sigmund Freud talked about.
We've been over genes, we've been over environments, we've been over the importance of finding the balance between the two. Now lets add to that complicated slurry of factors: MEMES!
More than just evanescent shitposts on a sandcastle of digital noise, whether spicy or dank, memes are the motherfucking glue that holds our silly species together. When we group up, we meme. Scoff all you like, memes are one of the defining characteristics of human beings.
Like Ernest Becker points out in Denial Of Death, humans are unique in their ability to believe in things they've never seen or experienced, like death and the afterlife. Beyond mere survival or reciprocation instincts, humans bond over shared myths, faiths, and fictions. We didn't just evolve to tell stories, we evolved to believe the ever-loving shit out of them. In fact, storytelling may be the key difference that helped humans overcome Neanderthals, despite being weaker, and having smaller brains.
Now before we move forward, I've discussed a lot of things that "influence" our choices. So what about free will? If my choice to buy Rice Krispies over Corn Flakes is one part genes, one part environment, and one part memes, where does "choice" come into play at all?
Well, it's tricky. As I discussed with Sam Harris', Free Will, it seems pretty clear that free will is just an illusion. Or rather, a fiction. But as Harris also pointed out, that fact doesn't really make a single damn difference in anyone's life.
That said, how can I tell incels anything they do is voluntary? They would also agree that their life is a series of factors beyond their control or premeditation. But that's the thing about free will, you either claim it, or you deny it. And the choice to do one or the other determines how society treats you.
When you act up, and someone says, "hey stop, that's bad." You can do one of two things, you can say you don't have free will, or you can own your decision. If you disown your free will, then you get placed in the uncomfortable, "defective object" category. OR, you can elect to stay in the far more dignified, "subject with agency" category. Defective objects get either fixed, abandoned, or destroyed, without any say in the matter, as dehumanized and hopeless as one can be. While the options for subjects with agency are greatly expanded, with all the benefits of a human who takes moral responsibility.
Free will may just be a legal fiction, but so are corporations. Our lives are dictated by dozens of imagined orders that leave nearly no trace on the physical universe. However that doesn't make them irrelevant or unreal as phenomena.
Imagined orders are fragile though, as you might expect. Which is why we evolved to be so gentle with them. Wanna escape an imagined order? There's not much actually stopping you, save for maybe isolation. The only catch is that you either need to convince others to come along and join, or you need to join an established alternative. Just don't join the incels.
99.999% of the time, there's no need for violence. That's truly something we don't share in common with other primates; big swole brutes don't really have much actual power. We oughta be grateful about that.
Our ability to tell stories marked what anthropologists call the Cognitive Revolution, which helped us outwit Neanderthals. That eventually led to the Agricultural Revolution, where we got domesticated by wheat, and misery as we know it began. But man, the smell of a bread aisle... Mmmm!
Don't let the second bit bum you out too much, it comes with great news! These two revolutions did something neat: They opened up niches for weaklings and dimwits! Wahoo! Pre-agricultural humans knew basic botany, astrology, zoology, bushcrafting, toolmaking, etc. Their general knowledgebase, let alone strength, would make most average modern people look useless. Nowadays, you can live a comfortable life specializing in asinine busywork. You don't have to know anything about your own food, shelter, clothes, geography, local flora or fauna, how to swim, hunt, or climb trees, etc. We "specialize and collaborate" as The Knowledge Illusion puts it. Or we, "work a bunch of bullshit jobs" as David Graeber would.
Incels feel left out because they're not Dwayne Johnson. Meanwhile it's mediocre nerds who are the powerhouse gigachads of civilization, and have been for millennia.
Some imagined orders are global, and frankly you shouldn't waste much time trying to oppose them, unless you're a real cocky coolkid who thinks you're going to be the next axis of global change that comes once only every few centuries. These would be the global monetary, imperial, and religious orders. And not to be a dick, but lets just go ahead and put modern science in the religious category, because it's really blowing up god's spot. Fighting these things is a losing battle. I say the only way out, is through.
So much of our pain is man-made, not natural. The upside to that is if we made it, we can unmake it. To you and me, there's no "natural way of life". There hasn't been for as long as we've been recording history. Which is why history is so useful to us. Everywhere you look in the past, you find people struggling with the cognitive and agricultural revolution. Some truths evolve, while others haven't changed one bit.
If we live by memes like they're microbes or viruses living inside our heads, then it's fair to say nihilism is a deadly pathogen. I disagree with memetists who say the success of a meme is determined by the effectiveness of its host. Like with genes, they don't give two shits about their host, only about replicating. When an incel goes on a killing spree, it's like a zombie virus, killing a host, and infecting multiple people after the fact.
Fundamentally this is all a question about happiness, this business with incels. They're searching for contentment just like everyone else. Problem is, they seem to only use science in their pursuit. But science is incapable of setting its own priorities. Its funding is based on whether it empowers the already powerful. Stephen Hawking can fuck off when he says there's no longer any need for philosophy. He was a dick.
What is happiness? Pleasurable brain chemicals? Meaningful self-delusions? Or some sort of Buddhist/Stoic mental judo? As always, I'm a real simp for the idea of trying to balance all of these things together.
But no matter how you chose to blend those into your life, you can always fuck it all up by forgetting two major caveats: Be very careful who you choose to compare yourself to, and disappointment is all about expectations.
Don't believe the pre-modern hype. A deadly toothache sucked dick. Be grateful and don't romanticize the past. Modern life has comfort, safety, culture, knowledge, etc. like early sapiens couldn't have begun to dream of. We're almost god-like, even the lowliest of us. There's still plenty of wilderness you could go run off into if you'd like. Shit, in North America, there's a wild boar infestation, you could be a well-fed nomad. But you don't want to do that, admit it.
The only problem with these improvements is that as things get better, expectations balloon, and disappointment follows at the exact same pace. It's a treadmill that spins as fast as we can run. One major fact about our evolution is that we as a species only used to compare ourselves to a few dozen people at most. A young human looking for a partner only had a small sliver of the tribe in the same league as them to make them feel insecure. Now we have a slideshow of perfect specimens in front of us every day, till we've seen more 10s than our Dunbar number can track.
Lets add, "connecting with our past" to the list of things that truly make humans happy.
His exile is without remedy since he is deprived of the memory of a lost home or the hope of a promised land. This divorce between man and his life, the actor and his setting, is properly the feeling of absurdity. -- Albert Camus, The Myth Of Sisyphus
• #5 An Anthropologist On Mars by Oliver Sacks •
Alright lets end this bitch on a positive note!
Humpty started out as a friend. Someone who said off-the-wall crazy shit almost competitively, like he was always trying to out-weirdo you. We had a lot of fun. Wednesday said he alienated most other people, and had a lot to learn about socializing, but he was funny and interesting underneath it all. Which was true, for a couple months.
Our group's unofficial theme is "freaks with potential". Bring all your misfits and maniacs. We say, "Who are we to judge?" We've got plenty of autists, and you're damn right they get on our nerves, but in an endearing, forgivable, manageable way. Shit, we annoy them back, and nobody has ever thought of banning someone for being too autistic.
Humpty however was a whole different dimension of fucked up. To call him autistic is an insult to autistic people. He's not the type of cutie Amy Schumer tells heartwarming jokes about. He's hate on the spectrum.
The point is, I approached him from the best angle anyone can. Unlike scientists, we didn't treat him like he was a gigantic insect, under a dry dehumanizing light. We cracked jokes about pooping, and dicks, and stuff guys talk about when they really like each other. He wasn't a patient he was "my friend Humpty."
I'm always railing against the way psychologists, especially school psychologists, tend to just objectify everyone they're trying to help. Like the further the distance between you and a patient, the more "scientific" the process is.
She said, "When you start getting all expressive and symbolic it's impossible to actualize an honest diagnostic."
I said, "When you start getting all exact and algebraic I'm reminded it's a racket not a rehabilitation" -- Aesop Rock, Shrunk
You don't go to a shrink to big yourself up and hear about how well you're doing. You go there to discuss how unwell you are. A good psychologist's #1 goal is to never have to speak to you again. But it's still a business, and endless treatment is always more profitable than a cure.
Scientists tend to get so distant and impartial that perfectly familiar things begin to sound strange and aberrant. Sacks says, "It's like saying a man has a proboscis in between his eyes, or that he falls down in a fit of insensibility once every 24 hours."
Oliver is marvelous in that his aim was to take off the lab coat and join his patients in their daily activities. Understanding them not by getting outside of their lives, but by getting inside.
What he learned by doing this was extravagant. As he examined his patients' disabilities he found in them unique adaptations, in some instances almost superpowers. Not deficits, but tradeoffs; alternative states of being. "Other forms of life, no less human for being so different."
A painter that loses all sense of color, even in his imagination; A hippie who can't remember anything post-1960s; A surgeon/amateur pilot with dramatic Tourettic tics; A man who was blind for the first 45 years of his life that regained his vision, and had to learn to reinterpret the world through his eyes; A man obsessed with his home town in Tuscany, with an exquisitely detailed 3D model of it in his head, down to the shape of the bricks in each wall; An autistic savant who can draw a whole cityscape from memory after glancing at it for seconds; and the famous Temple Grandin, an autistic woman whose deep understanding of animals helped her radically reform livestock facilities to be more humane.
As Sacks puts it, there's an assumption that all sickness is a "contraction" of life. But in the case of his patients, these illnesses focused their lives, defined their callings, and gave them a unique purpose or specialty. His findings make one wonder if some diseases are products of evolution, that actually contribute to humanity as a whole.
Like how Malcolm Gladwell talks about the memory benefits of dyslexia in David And Goliath. Would a dyslexic parent wish dyslexia on their kids? Hell no. Would they trade their powerful memories in for the ability to read fluently? Quite often, also no.
As any incel will tell you, narcissism has its benefits. They get laid more, make more friends, quickly advance in careers, etc. Granted, there's two big caveats: They often don't keep partners, friends, or careers for very long. And they don't get very far if they're the covert, sensitive type of narcissist; The type of narcissist that doesn't leave their basement.
But as Simon Baron-Cohen points out, autism has plenty of its own upsides as well. Arguably more. The systematizing nature of autists makes them fit to do tons of things "normies" often can't. The world is more and more in the hands of the systematizers, which makes them fitter than ever, in an evolutionary sense.
Many of the most famous and successful people you've ever heard about are/were either cold-blooded shitty narcissists, or equally cold-blooded annoying autists. Not successful in spite of their mental makeup, but because of it.
Ask not what disease the person has. But rather, what person the disease has -- William Osler
Wednesday once again comes in as a role-model in this series. His PTSD, while being an incredible source of pain in his life, also gives him an uncanny ability to communicate straight to the hearts of other traumatized people. He makes them feel respected, understood, and at-ease. So he started a career in therapy, and is currently working in a rehab facility. He's literally every client's favorite person. And frankly, everyone that knows Wednesday knew he would be.
It's not about what weaknesses you have, it's about how you compensate for them. Wednesday's PTSD makes plenty of other vocations difficult, if not impossible. But you don't need to be good at everything. As I keep repeating, humanity flourishes based on our ability to specialize and collaborate. Intensity is more powerful than extensity.
I believe my ADD has always been a powerful bullshit/relevance filter; My head injuries give me a creative edge, and the sort of recklessness that adventures are made of; Moving around so much may have made keeping friends in my life more difficult, but it's also made me a social chameleon who can always quickly make more; Fighting with my step dad strengthened my backbone to stand up against corrupt authority and narcissists; Introversion isn't a bad thing, I'm one of those rare people who actually enjoys being alone with my thoughts. I'm always studying something or journaling. These "issues" in my life may have sent me off course, but not backwards, not retrograde. They define who I am and what I'm great at. It's all about how you frame things. Feces is fertilizer.
The colorblind painter found a new style, after he eventually forgot about color altogether and his depression over the matter subsided. The change also massively improved his distance and low-light vision, making the world beautiful to him in a way you or I will never perceive; The hippie may have needed to be institutionalized to keep him safe, but he had the kind of demeanor his former Hare Krishna peers found to be saintly. Before they discovered his "enlightenment" was a pituitary tumor, he was seen as a spiritual exemplar; The surgeon's tics may have caused him to convulse and vocalize continuously, and beyond his control, but it also contributed to his precise and fastidious way of life, paradoxically making him an outstanding surgeon and pilot. You knew he'd never miss a step. And somehow when he was at work, his Tourette's would disappear; Even though the blind man regained his vision, it wasn't automatically good news for him. His eyes may have been back in perfect condition, but his brain still struggled to use them. He came to see the loss of his disability as a sort of curse; The Tuscan artist's perfect memory of his home town was part miracle, part black hole of nostalgia. He couldn't seem to talk or think about anything else, all day every day, making him mostly friendless. But in the end his home town lauded him as a hero, never to be forgotten in return; Steven Wiltshire, though he scores low on most other markers of intelligence, had a skill people payed millions of dollars to own a piece of; and Temple Grandin, despite having no intuitions about the thoughts or feelings of others, could empathize with animals, sharing in common their strictly visual way of thinking. She's done more to improve the quality of life for livestock than anyone you know of. Her findings also extend to the way we treat prisoners. And she's a powerful advocate for finding meaningful ways for other autists to contribute to humanity.
Humpty and other incels LOVE to hold up their disadvantages like, "Look, there it is, game over." Now, not all colorblind people have superpowered vision, not all autists are savants, just because the Hare Krishnas think you're cool doesn't always mean you're cool, etc. I'm not saying there's no such thing as a disability. But your calling is based on what you can do best. There's no such thing as heroism without adversity, and there's no way to demonstrate your fitness as an animal if you don't apply yourself to anything.
Incels want to give up. They want to hear their dreams are impossible so they can quit ASAP, and save themselves the energy. Comfortably numb; Fortuna's redheaded stepson.
The Freaks With Potential are all about highlighting each other's specialties. Humpty's only specialty was his bottomless well of self-pity. And that is the only opposite of potential we've ever found.
• End bit •
This was a fucking doozey to write. I don't double check the playtime when I pick audiobooks each month. So when I decided to focus on evolution and behavior, I unwittingly bit off a 92 hour reading project, not including the incel literature.
I realized as well that this month I'd be punching down on not just one guy, but thousands of them, so I wanted to be a bit more thoughtful, and careful with the points I'm making. Humpty truly is the pinnacle of piece-of-shittiness, with few others to compare him to. It's an exaggeration to call 94.99% of incels Humpty Dumpties. But that still doesn't get them off the hook. They're still counterproductive nihilists with nothing to offer but deeper despair.
When this is all over, and I start looking for things to write about in much shorter form, I'll definitely have to work on picking incel philosophy apart, piece by piece. Like, "hunter eyes", which I swear to god made me shout at the top of my lungs at my screen, "IT'S CALLED 'SQUINCHING' YOU FUCKING MORONS!"
I'd like to give a big shoutout to all the regular-shmegular celibate people out there, who aren't pointing the finger at anyone else. The ones taking responsibility for their lifestyle, and owning the consequences of their decisions, without bitterness.
Before the sexual revolution, celibacy was considered in many circles to be an impressive display of self-control. Now I'm not promoting the idea of going back to those days, but it really fucks up the idea that a sexless youth is naturally an excruciating one.
Soldiers, laborers, servants, various types of courtiers, etc. didn't get to date and hookup recreationally. They had shit to do, and weren't going around pissing and moaning about how horny they were. People kept this stuff personal, it was rare in entertainment, and FOMO was at a relative fraction of what it is today.
And what is a priest if not a celibate alpha male? While that may not be natural, remember humans haven't lived "natural" lives for as long as we've recorded history.
Plus, these fucks aren't just talking about 35 year old virgins, they're also talking about dudes who have fucked multiple times already but just not in the past six months, and married men in sexless marriages. The "official scientific definition" of "incel" is uselessly broad, with men that have very little in common, other than a desire to wallow in pity and shake their fist at the world.
Maybe celibate men are just being cautious, recognizing that they have time to wait a bit longer than women; maybe they're trying to work on themselves before involving another person in their insanity; maybe they're justifiably afraid of the corrupt family court system, or their own attraction to abusive partners; maybe they don't want to risk adding another human to a miserable dying planet; maybe casual hookups are an option, but they don't want to waste a woman's precious time; maybe they're afraid of humiliating themselves, etc, etc.
Who knows? But the point is none of those "maybe"s justify misogyny or rage. It's a cost-benefit analysis, and it's everyone's choice where they come down on these questions. You can be cautious, or you can be brave; patient or impatient; proud or willing to beg. Either way, nobody's making that decision for you. What you get out of life is based on what you're willing to put in.
I know a man with cerebral palsy, on disability payments, in an electric wheelchair and his head fixed in place, and he's got a girlfriend. I knew a drunk old cab driver with three teeth and not a skill to his name, and every month he had a new woman. There's someone out there for everyone. Unless the only thing that can get your dick hard is hentai catgirls. Incels are hypergamous too.
So boo hoo hoo. Fuck their tears. You're only an incel if you call yourself one, and give up.
NOW TO CLEANSE MY SOUL!
Next month (September, not August. Sorry, summer's a nightmare for me. I get 0-1 days off a week, and my brain is fried like a chicken parm) We're gonna talk about the soul! Or whatever the fuck that means to an atheist like me.
These last two months have been psychically exhausting. I had to stare right into the incel abyss, and all I had to comfort myself with was science. Shit got cold, right here in my heart. So we're gonna fix the bejesus out of that.
This August, I'll be doing shrooms with Wednesday and our mutual friend (pseudonym to be coined), then after we read about our souls, we're gonna read about psychedelics. I can't fucking wait.
#the moral animal#behave#the blank slate#sapiens: a brief history of humankind#an anthropologist on mars#robert wright#robert sapolsky#steven pinker#yuval noah harari#oliver sacks#psychology#philosophy#self help#incels#responsibility#book club#mental health#evolutionary psychology#behaviorism#misogny#human behaviour#anthropology#nihilism#human nature#monkey brain#cultural determinism#blank slate#long reads#Humpty Dumpty Elegy#GARBLEGOX
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HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW!
IT'S ME, CLARK!
On New Year's 2024 I vowed to myself that I'd be more productive than ever, streamlining all of my ideas and making a decent living on commissions. While doing that I figured I'd keep my creative muscles limber by posting the occasional DUDEL or Sketch BOOM every now and again. Now chances are these won't be a daily thing. There'll be some days when I'm just feeling too bushed to scribble my silly ideas down on paper or I'll be too busy binging the likes of Steven Universe or Burn Notice. Yes, I am fully aware that those two shows make for a weird combination. Just imagine Michael Westen trying to help out the Crystal Gems, I'd totally watch that. Then again, I have a weird imagination as this DUDEL is about to illustrate.
Christopher Robin had many companions living in the Hundred Acre Woods. Though perhaps none plushy pal holds as special a place in his heart as his dear friend Edward Bear, or Pooh for short. Pooh was not a bright bear. Solving complex equations or discuss the philosophies of Plato were of little use to one who has fluff where his brains would be. Luckily brains aren't required to be intelligent. Old Edward more than made up for this when it came to his immensely large heart. Weather is was protecting his pal Piglet from Jagulars, helping his friend Eeyore find his tail, or simply bouncing around with Tigger, Eddy was the bear everybody turned to. Including Matt Whimsy, the animation magician of Hollywood responsible for Freddy and Fiona Fox. He and his animation team at Whimsy Studios adapted the classic tales of this lovable teddy bear into a series of movies over the years that have outlived A.A. Milne, Matt Whimsy, and even Christopher Robin himself. Now today fans of the characters can meet them at Whimsyland in California whenever not riding Edward's Excellent Expedition, helping the gang from the woods find the fabled North Pole!
Maybe I can help them find it after completing an entire Sketch BOOM. This was meant to be the start of one right up until Rosie Stardust foiled my plans. Dang that Cosmic Cutie and her alien design! Having said that, expect more from my multiversal adventurer later. For now I couldn't let a good design go to waste. What prompted me to draw this was Whimsyland, my answer to the question of what is Brooklyn Nine Nine took place at a theme park instead of a police precinct. Realizing I needed more recognizable characters for this fictional park, I decided to go with the ones that were thankfully in the public domain. Really the challenge was coming up with a design that wasn't similar to those used my a certain company, which I think I succeeded in doing. What helped was going back to the original designs by E.H. Shepard and keeping to the simplistic mindset. My biggest hurtle was Pooh's attire since, despite wearing one in the original freak'n book, I couldn't dress him in a tiny red shirt. So instead I settled on a scarf to fit with his adventurous life style. Here's hoping we'll see more of Old Eddy, Piglet, and Tigger in the future. For now-
MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!
PS: Oh, you noticed the logo on the bottom, did you? We'll talk about that later...
#Clarktoon Crossing#Clarktoons#cartoons#Whimsyland#theme park#North Pole#bee#Winnie the Pooh#Tigger#Piglet#Edward Bear#sketch#honey#DUDELZ#E.H. Shepard
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BLOG HOP & VIDEO: UPRIGHT Z FOLDS WITH CUTEST COWS BARD CARD #1
UPRIGHT Z FOLD CARDS
Today is my Stamp It Demonstrator’s Group Blog Hop . We’re all really excited to unveil our projects, and announce a new contest giveaway. To continue on your journey through our projects, simply use the BLOG HOPPERS links belong.
Welcome, crafters, to the exciting kickoff of my new fun fold card making series! In this video tutorial, I'll delve into the whimsical world of Upright Z Fun Fold Cards, adding a charming twist to the classic Z Fold design. Get ready to be inspired with the delightful "Cutest Cows" stamp set and discover creative tips for crafting a barn and barn door background that will steal your heart.
Crafting the Barn Door Unlock the magic of creating a captivating barn and barn door background. Follow along and I'll share tips to achieve stunning effects that will make your Upright Z Fold Cards truly stand out. The barn door may just become your favorite element in card making!
Tips & TechniquesOn the video I'll share some basics coloring with Stampin' Blends markers as well as how a tip to stamping multiple stamps at once.
Two Fold Styles, Endless Possibilities Discover the versatility of Upright Z Fold Cards as we guide you through creating them in both portrait and landscape orientations. Learn two distinct styles – one with a stopper on top for added stability and another with a card base backing. The possibilities are endless, and your cards will be free-standing works of art.
Entire Series of FunStay tuned until the end of the video, where I'll reveal more cards in this series, highlighting the incredible variety you can achieve with Upright Z Folds. Get a sneak peek into the upcoming tutorials on my blog, where I'll delve deeper into each card design, sharing step-by-step instructions for you to recreate the magic at home.
Get ready to elevate your card-making skills with Upright Z Fun Fold Cards! Download the step-by-step instructions and supply list, and join me on the video. Don't miss out on the upcoming tutorials, where I'll explore each card in detail. Happy crafting!
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I created this stinkin' cute barn card with the Stampin' Up! Cutest Cows Bundle.
I love this "upright" twist on the classic Z Fold Card.
The Cutest Cow stamp set and punch are both builder sets. You can change the cows to give them personalities.
I'll share how created the barn and barn door background on the video.
This card folds down to fit in a standard sized Stampin' Up! Envelope.
I sponged the barn to give it an aged wood effect.
And what about those stinkin' cute Adhesive Backed Hearts & Flowers?
This is a side-view of the card. I will share 2 different styles of stand up Z folds that each free stand. In this card I use both styles. Catch the video for details.
I like the bright and cheery vibe of this card. I think it works for so many occasions.
This card has a middle panel which shares another scene. Sharing another part of the story.
This is a view of the card front unfolded to show both scenes. These little chicks are so dang adores.
The middle panel of the card.
I added a card base to the back for more area to write your greeting.
Want to save these ideas for later? Pin them to your favorite Pinterest board.
Have you tried these designs? I love to see your creations! Be sure to share them on #shareyourcrafts post every Saturday on my Facebook Page
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