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britcision · 3 months

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New day new conspiracy to be unhinged about woooooo

SO.

This right here.

The moment where Kabru reveals he’s Milsiril’s baby boy (and more relevantly the last survivor of Utaya)

Kabru telling them that he actually wanted to enlist in the Canaries directly, but couldn’t because of the racial barrier. How true that is……. Well let’s say I’m sure he wanted to when he was little, buuuuut by the time he left it wasn’t that they wouldn’t let him

And tbh the reason why is very much the next panel:

The Canaries learn he’s Milsiril’s little boy and immediately fucking claim him as theirs, asking if he’s been eating well, if he wants cake, telling him to cheer up and smile sometimes

It is notably the convicts, especially Otta and Fleki although Cithis has been leading the conversation; Pattadol is not in frame and Mithrun ruins all their fun by staying on track

Kabru is not 30 seconds out of saying he was raised by their vice commander before he is being babied, and there’s a fun read of just “well this is our child now we must care for him for Milsiril hello new nephew”

But. Given what we later learn Milsiril’s care is actually like. The room where Kabru could eat all the cake that he wanted, that he never ever wanted to return to even when freezing and starving.

Where she gave him such arduous and extensive sword training he thought he would die, with the stated intent of showing him how bad it could be to make him give up and stay with her forever.

“Wanna eat some cake” is suddenly a much darker comment, and doesn’t have a directional bubble, so I’mma pin it on Cithis on general Sketchy Bitch vibes

Now, that only makes sense if these folks know Milsiril directly, or have some way to know what her home life is like for her adoptees

(Or Cithis can read minds which let’s be honest absolutely no one needs to be true but she deserves it)

But. So does that immediate tonal shift

“Oh, you’re Milsiril’s kid. Now we care about you beyond being an interruption.”

We know Pattadol is on her very first mission. We know Cithis has been responsible for Mithrun’s care for long enough while he’s back on active duty that she gets bored of her new doll.

(And that she only started respecting him after they acquired Pattadol, whiiiiich. He got back to active duty 14 years ago. None of the other Canaries got their own timeline, but he’s also had long enough to have an established track record of getting his warden partners killed

When Flamela assigns Cithis to his wellbeing, she pretty clearly knows the extent of his caretaking issues, and this whole section of the timeline is fuzzy, but it is specifically Pattadol who is the first to tempt Cithis into telling Mithrun to hurt her

And specifically not until after he refuses that she begins to respect him)

Milsiril has been retired for the same 14 year period, taking Kabru and for some reason one of her own Canary convicts home with her, but she served with Mithrun when he initially became a Dungeon Lord 40 years pre series… and most of that squad died in Mithrun’s dungeon

(Also his lover became a snake person at some point for some reason sooooo monsterfucker ahoy)

(We know that’s the lover from both Mithrun’s initial vision and his Adventurer’s Bible comic which identifies his brother as the one with the short hair. Presumably they were not always a snake?)

None of the names he gave Kabru in his backstory refer to any of his current party members

Otta and Fleki mention Milsiril in Otta’s comic when teasing Otta about being a pedophile because she only dates halffoot women and breaks up with them when they turn 30

(This being past middle age for halffoots, who become adults at 13 and live to around 50; Chilchuck is 29.

One might expect… say… visible signs of aging to show up around 30. Reminders of how little time they have left. Although, frankly, how much free time does Otta actually have to be dating outside of work???? They’re so shorthanded Mithrun made captain the minute he could serve after Utaya)

Ahem. We digress.

Otta’s reaction (directly saying Milsiril treats shorter lived people like pets while she loves them as individuals, which Kabru Does Not Deny) might be because she’s seen Milsiril’s behaviour directly, or just being sick of the comparison. Hard to say, but Milsiril already doesn’t like elves

No, the conspiracy theory today is that CITHIS in particular has worked with Milsiril between Mithrun being rescued and Utaya’s destruction, possibly with Fleki and Otta

They’re all close to Mithrun’s age so there’s a very real possibility they were serving when Utaya fell, and either were lucky enough not to get sent there (there are so many dungeons in the world) or unlucky enough not to retire in the aftermath

Dumping Mithrun with Milsiril’s survivors makes perfect sense - the two had served together as wardens and Milsiril Barest Possible Minimum took a personal interest in Mithrun returning to duty after Utaya

She’s the one getting him to take his first steps and tells him she’ll get him back in a dungeon

Milsiril, known hater of elves, left the Canaries on good enough terms with her convicts to take one with her (Helki, shown in Mithrun’s story and Kabru’s training flashbacks - the only other survivor we know of from Mithrun’s dungeon)

And these particular convicts immediately brighten up knowing that Kabru is one of Milsiril’s; he’s in a very different position from Mithrun, who basically has direct power over their lives and deaths, but if you have a potentially unstable new captain who’s gonna be extra dependent on his convicts coming in…

Well, it’d be nice if the convicts have a reason beyond “well if both of our wardens die we can’t use magic so we will too” to keep him alive and moving

Note: they did at some point hand him directly over to fucking Cithis, who has an established track record of wrapping her captains around her little finger and doing whatever the fuck she wants anyway

(To the point that she’s left and “rejoined” the Canaries multiple times, and her behaviour with Mithrun is considered her having calmed down… while actively trying to have him hurt his subordinate wardens and plotting to kill Pattadol)

So. Not. Y’know. Convinced that anyone necessarily was thinking that particular assignment through. Although you could argue that they were just heading off the inevitable and letting her know this one is high maintenance

ANYWAY.

Tl;dr: Mithrun’s a monsterfucker, this is established fact and not a conspiracy theory

Kabru’s been adopted by the Canaries the second they know who his mom is, which may explain why no one actually tries to stop him when he grabs Mithrun later despite him not having a weapon

(Fear of Milsiril finding out they’ve hurt her boy > rescuing Mithrun or later even stopping Kabru from helping Laios repeatedly)

And Cithis, Fleki, and possibly Otta worked directly with Milsiril at one point before Utaya, which is why Mithrun was given them specifically - he was one of Milsiril’s projects too, Milsiril’s personal involvement unclear

How much this has to do with Mithrun getting all his warden comrades killed but apparently not his convicts: unclear

(Still bet Cithis “helped” with the warden before Pattadol)

#delicious in dungeon #dungeon meshi #dungeon meshi spoilers #delicious in dungeon spoilers #dungeon meshi conspiracies #kabru dungeon meshi #mithrun dungeon meshi #milsiril dungeon meshi #the web of connections between these characters man #they are all spaghettis #and milsiril is the plate #this is why she has so much villain energy ugh i am obsessed with her #mithrun’s a monsterfucker #that’s his lover right there who has no gender but does have snake ass

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northoftheroad · 1 year

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Ten-ish panels to sum up Dick Grayson

@roma107 challenged me some time back: “10 Nightwing Panels That Perfectly Sum Up His Character. Your turn. Go.” It’s been hard to even get close, and in the end I couldn't quite keep it to ten panels... But, enjoy disagreeing with me all the same. 😉

1. Robin vol 2 # 13 (1995)

Dick has issues with Bruce – they have had occasional problems with communication since the early 1940s – but he is loyal to a fault.

2. Teen Titans vol 3 # 6 (2004)

Just about every one of DC’s heroes respects, trusts and is prepared to listen to Dick. Obviously, that's not because he's a nice guy – which he is, don't get me wrong – or because he puts in the work with relationships – which he does. That may make people like you, but it's not enough to get them to follow you into battle...

No, that's because he's smart, professional and competent. As you see here, he can also be intense and knows how to make a dramatic entrance...

3. World's Finest Comics vol 1 # 200 (1971)

Dick is (often, but not always) ready with a smile and a joke. He loved being Robin as a kid, he wanted to do it forever (see, for instance, Nightwing vol 2 # 75). As Batman after Final Crisis, he smiled enough to convince Two-Face it wasn't the old Batman.

To what extent Dick jokes because he's in a good mood, he’s trying to keep his spirits up or he wants to annoy criminals enough to gaude them into sloppy mistakes – it varies between creators and Dick’s mood at the time😉

However, there have certainly been periods when Dick has not put on his best behaviour. He snaps at Alfred, he's unpleasant to close friends in the Titans, etc. I'd argue this is a sign he's not in a good place, mentally. Most of the panels of short fuse/asshole Dick Grayson you will find floating around are either from when he was leading The Outsiders (vol 3), and was struggling after the death of Donna Troy. Or from the almost five years' worth of New Teen Titans comics where his behaviour is influenced by being tortured and brainwashed by Brother Blood (New Teen Titans vol 1 # 22, August 1982, to New Teen Titans # 31, May 1987).

Alternate panel: Teen Titans vol 2 # 12 (1997)

4. Battle for the Cowl # 3 (2009)

Dick is prepared to change. Whether it's about a new mantle, getting a new job to pay the bills, or moving to a new city.

5. The New Teen Titans vol 2 # 6 (1985)

Dick might drop everything when somebody asks for help, and he is open to asking for help and working with teams better than Batman. But he does have his own set of control issues. He wants to have a job instead of living on Bruce’s money; he wants to know how to cook etc so he can take care of himself. You could argue it's a response to being orphaned and losing his home at a young age, and then having several episodes when he doesn't feel secure about his place with Bruce Wayne (see, for instance Robin Year One, Batman plays a lone hand in Batman vol 1 # 13, Partner to Batman in Batman vol 1 # 65)

6. Action comics weekly # 613 (1988)

Dick is uncomfortable with casual relationships/sex. When he had a fling with Huntress (Nightwing/Huntress, 1988–1989), he tried to start a relationship. It took him a long time to accept that he could live with Kory after she had gone through with a marriage of state on her home planet, and he felt strange living with her because they weren't married (see NTT vol 2 #48).

7. Detective Comics vol 1 # 881 (2011)

Dick is a nice guy who chooses to be kind, optimistic and to give people the benefit of a doubt – but he's still sneaky and definitely not stupid.

8. Titans vol 1 # 3 (1999)

Yes, Dick jokes a lot, and he enjoys hanging out with his friends. But he's also a workaholic and holds himself to a very high standard.

Alternate panel: New Teen Titans vol 1 # 29 (1983)

9. Nightwing vol 4 # 41 (2018)

He has a tendency to self-blame - and he is also very stubborn! Presumably, the tendency to feel guilty over things outside his control is partly survivor's guilt, but also related to the very high standards he holds himself to, and the very high expectations others have on him. And, I would argue, this tendency is a reason he sometimes lets friends an family punish him without fighting back.

Bonus panel: sometimes, he can admit he has a problem with self-blame. The New Titans vol 1 # 57 (1989)

10. Nightwing vol 3 # 29 (2014)

He wants to be a safety net for everyone. That's a good summary of Nightwing as a character, in my opinion.

And... Nightwing vol 4 # 43 (2018)

Bonus. This one-shot is a good Nightwing story, but very unfair on Roy Harper/Arsenal. It touches on several things – how Dick is always ready to help, that he does not want to be like Batman, his tendency to blame himself...

#dick grayson #nightwing #robin #batman #batman and robin

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ballonleaparadise · 10 months

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The Roles of the RVT members in Pokemon Horizons

One of the things that I love about Horizons is how the members of the Rising Volt Tacklers are all unique in their role/occuptation. Each member seems to subvert the expectations or stereotypes associated with their position:

Friede is officially the leader and pilot of the Rising Volt Tacklers. Ironically, it's the other members of the group who take charge of him, if you will. For instance, Mollie and Orla counteract his eccentric personality with their sensibility and level-headedness. Also, the other members are quick to correct Friede when he forgets to tell Liko important information. An example of this is when Mollie scolds him for keeping Liko in the dark about the group's intentions in episode two. Although Friede is in charge, the real authority on the airship is the support and knowledge that comes from his friends. Each crew member (apart from the protags) plays a crucial role in the ship's functionality. This is proven further in episode 13 when Orla reveals that she engineered the Brave Asagi on behalf of Friede's wishes. To add, the ship was originally Ludlow's fishing boat, so the ownership goes back to him. By saying this, I don't mean that Friede has no power by himself. However, his leadership is very much scaffolded by his connections to Orla, Murdock, Mollie, Ludlow and Dot.

The other RVT members also subvert the expectations of their retrospective roles. Orla takes on the traditionally male role as both a mechanic and the engineer of the Brave Asagi. Meanwhile, as a male character, Murdock has a more domestic role of cooking. I feel like this was done intentionally to show that the RVTs are all outsiders to some extent. In Mollie's case, she is a nurse joy who took the different path of travelling and caring for wild pokemon. Ludlow, despite his old age, is still eager to travel alongside the others. Even Friede, the head of the group, is unconventional. In episode 12, Liko's mum points out that he does not look like a Pokemon professor. In response, he says "I don't mind. I feel better like this." (according to the subtitles). I've said this in the past, but I think that the reason Friede does not want to be called a professor is because he does not want to be boxed in by that label. He is not just a professor- he is a battler, pilot, friend and Dad. He is an individual in his own right.

One of the things I'm looking forward to seeing the most in Horizons is Liko, Roy and Dot finding their own sense of identity. With how the story has progressed so far, I would love to see how the adult characters continue to influence their development. Speaking of the younger cast members, Liko Roy and Dot are already unique in their own ways. Liko is taking over from a male protagonist after 25 years. Similarly, Roy is the second protagonist, filling in for what has so often been a female sidekick in past seasons. Arguably, he has a much bigger role than a sidekick (being a mc) but he is still the second major character after Liko. In Dot's case, she breaks the binaries between introversion and extraversion through her dual personality. As Nidothing, she wears a facade of confidence and excitement. However, underneath the costume, she is reclusive and hates social interaction. She represents the human condition, imo. Irl, a lot of people come across as more confident than they actually are. This is symbolised through the extreme example of Dot and her personality as Nidothing. (Or that's how I like to think about it).

Overall, the Rising Volt Tacklers are all unique in their own ways. One of the biggest themes in the new anime seems to be overturning common character tropes and stereotypes, and exploring new 'horizons'.

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bokettochild · 1 year

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I feel like the fandom as a whole really underestimates Wind.

Now I know that most of you will agree with just that, but hear me out.

Wind has been through a hardship that only Twilight would understand, and still, Twilight wouldn't fully understand it. Being a big sibling is hard, and being a big sibling to a child who's barely younger than you and who sees themself as your equal rather than looking up to you like the Ordon kids do with Twilight, is even harder.

When they look up to you, it's easier to advise them and guide them. They respect you and want your respect and admiration, they want your praise. Twilight has this. All the kids Twilight could/might consider his younger siblings adore him and want to earn his favor, so even if he wanted them to do the craziest ever crap to earn it, i can bet you they would do it.

Wind doesn't have that advantage. Wind's sister isn't afriad to mess with him She's seen him at his worst, and while she may look up to him at times, he's still just her brother, not somebody she would necessarily admire, because what on earth has he done (pre-adventure) to be admired for? Fall asleep under the sun and get baked like a crab? No, those two are too close in age, and too close to what I would like to call "the dreaded age" for there to be any sort of true awe from younger sibling to elder.

Wind is approximately twelve/thirteen during his adventure, and while for most kids, that's the age of dreaded rebellion and angst, but there's one thing Wind has that most kids that age don't: responsibility over the safety and provision of his family. he is the man of the house at 13 and you can bet that's a heavy burden to bear.

Granted, Granny does her all, but that is an old woman,a nd she is pretty frail. Yes, she oves them dearly, but when you get dow to it, Granny sn't capale of a lot of things anymore. If their house is damaged, it's going to be Wind fixing it. At that age, asking for help is nearly unthinkable unless the world is ending, so of course he's not goig to seek out someone else to help him. At best, EWind would have asked someone to teach him to do things so that he could take care of them at his own home.

Someone has to be the one fixing things and moving things and making sure they have s=food stuffs and just... Wind has the weight of his family on his shoulders guys. he has the weight of a grandmother who, loving though she is, likely doesn't see half of what he does, because adults rarely do. He has the weight of a sister he needs to guide and help to raise, but who still views him as her equal, thus making teaching moments and scolding impossible because there is that lack of respect for your elder.

Wind is out here trying to take care of his whole family. He is the man of the house, helping to raise a little sister beside a grandmother who likely has no clue how much he actually does because he never feels the need to bring up how much work he's done.

Wind is a responsible older sibling, who has to somehow fill the void of absent parents for his sister.

As someone who's been there and done that, the fact that Wind is still a bright sunshine child- sharing hope and smiles, rather then stress-crashing the moment he can- is proof that he really is so strong and mature.

#lu wind #linkeduniverse #linked universe

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fat-acceptance-is-bs · 2 years

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The fetishizing of obesity and why it’s dangerous

lots of tw for abuse, death and other sensitive subjects

As of this wonderful year that is 2022, porn addiction is higher than ever and has been getting worse at an extremely fast pace.

Did you know that the majority of children in the west is exposed to pornography at the age between 9 to 13. And that porn addiction is now found in children as young as 8 years old if not younger. A terrifying yet extremely true and gruesome reality.

And due to younger and younger audiences watching whatever x rated media, it is now shaping a more and more distorted image of sexuality and has damning and lasting effects that in most cases can’t be reversed.

There’s a lot on this topic I could speak on ,but I want to focus on how pornography and the fetishizing of obesity is putting peoples life in danger.

Relationships

I am sure many of you have watched 600 lbs life. And seen the struggles of their life’s as they go through major surgeries and work to lose weight to save their own lives.

But have you noticed how the people in relationships ( mostly women ) are being met with hostility from their partners. And being sabotaged and ridiculed in their journey. Some even threatening to leave because they want their partner to stay the way they are. And does not care about the fact that they are going to die if they don’t. All because their attraction and lusts are more important THAN their own partners life.

You can look at these enablers and think they are selfish, as they are by the way. But is more sinister than that. Why do you think it is that way? Studies has shown that pornography is at large responsible for men and women to look at their partners as objects for their own pleasure than for what they are, people with feelings thoughts and dreams.

They rather have their partner suffer so they can get their rocks off and due to many people in that situation having low self esteem they will go along with the abuse from their partners. Even if they understand that the person is slowly killing them.

I remember a episode where the woman had gone through surgery to remove either skin or a lymphoma. And the husband instead of taking care of her, pushes her to have sex and ends up splitting open the surgery wound risking her life! And the worst part, he did not seem to care. Luckily she left him later on. But isn’t that sick? Risking your own partners life for what? A 5 second dopamine rush. Disgusting.

If you have a partner that doesn’t want you to loose weight or sabotage you every time. even though you are suffering because of your weight. LEAVE! They don’t love you, they are fetishizing you and only look at you as a object to satisfy their own needs.

Feederism

From urban dictionary.

""An underground sexual fetish which involves one partner (the feeder) feeding the other, both to obtain sexual arousal and to encourage weight gain in the feedee. Feederism can vary in nature, from a consensual act between two people who mutually appreciate a larger body type, to non-consensual abuse, which may involve force-feeding and bondage and is undertaken with the intention of fattening up the feedee to the point of immobility and total dependence. The weight gained can also vary froma few pounds to hundreds, whilst some feeder relationships are not undertaken with the purpose of weight gain at all but for the enjoyment of food in an intimate context. ""

I also did my own research around the web on blogs and posts on Reddit made by feeders and feedee’s. And read some alarming stuff.

Quotes from various posts

“Such a turn on what it’s done to you , you’re such a fat pig look at that big fat soft belly gosh what a dream 🤤🤤😍💦 just keep getting fatter and fatter”

Good girl. Keep eating. A few more weeks and you'll be a true bbw. You're a good fuckpig already but once your fat rolls completely obscure your thong you'll be perfect

I am totally fine with dying from a heart attack but my fear is I'd end up having a stroke

I Just want a enabler that will not even THINK about stopping when I am full as fuck, or when I moan in pain, or when I say “no more.” I want to be broken, and I want YOU to break me

I could bring up more but I will spare you. And my own sanity.

At first glance it doesn’t seem like the end of the world right? A weird fetish but nothing more. But then change the words to be other methods of self harming. Then suddenly those subreddits would be banned. Instagram accounts wouldn’t be open for everyone to see. Even mainstream porns sites wouldn’t allow it.

But it’s allowed, and it’s disgusting! Promoting self harm openly is suddenly a ok when it comes to this. I don’t understand.

But the worst part of this is that people actually do die. And most of them is not consenting. Most of the stories and articles I read the person that passed away was force fed without consent. Tied down, some drowning due to the feeder not stopping even after being repeated to stop. People are being abused and in worst case killed and it’s being labeled a fetish.

I red a story on Reddit about a man that killed hes wife for he’s own sexual pleasure. He manipulated her, threatened her and abused her into doing what he wanted her to do. Made her gain over 300 pounds and even then forced her to be immobile even though she could still walk. Made her food more and more calorie dense because he was terrified she would lose weight. Started to force feed her with a tube even though she didn’t want to. And eventually she was bedridden. But he wanted to continue. Even got a bed that could withstand 1100 lbs. But sadly she passed away from a heart attack. And he felt GREAT about it the day she died. Like he’s achieved something from her dying. He said in he’s post he had a manic grin as he’s wife had to be lifted out with the help of the fire department. HE WAS HAPPY THE DAY SHE PASSED AWAY. He did not feel sad until the day after.

She wasn’t a person to him anymore, and this is not even an isolated incident. This isn’t a fetish it’s abuse. To self or to others and I’m tired of being labeled a kink shamer because I don’t agree and I will never support this behavior.

People die and nobody is taking it seriously.

Self image

I remember a while back it struck me as really odd that the most up front thing is the “I’m beautiful, I’m hot, everyone want to fuck me” attitude in the BP and HES movement.

Like why is that other people need to find you attractive so important? Why is bragging about getting laid and using it as an argument so normal. In other words, why do they sexualize themselves so much. There is so much more to a person than being attractive but it seems like the most important thing now. And then I understood. They fetishize themselves and I’m not sure if they even know it. And that is not healthy for anyone.

It’s not empowering. It’s a false sense of it. But all that is being put out only leads to more people objectifying them. It’s terribly sad. Seeing comment sections filled with people treating them as nothing but a sexual object. And I blame pornography for this.

It’s not their fault for doing it. But it is their fault for not even considering it being the case. They blame people that are being critical of them for putting them down or whatever. But being attractive isn’t a human right. Being desired isn’t a human right and it’s not even important!

I’m so tired that all human value no matter who you are boils down to attractiveness.

We have let the industry taint everything. A misogynistic industry has morphed all self worth into being hot and fuckable. And if you aren’t, you are less than human. And by putting yourself out there as entertainment for fetish crazed people you are feeding into it. You are not empowering anyone. You are objectifying yourself and others.

Silver lining

Surprisingly there is a silver lining in this shit show that is the world. More and more younger people are looking at the industry with a critical eye. And many people are seeing the distraction pornography has caused. And maybe one day sexuality will go back to its pure form and not be linked with destructive behavior as the norm.

Conclusion

Extreme fetishizing is killing and harming people all over the world. It’s harming anyone no matter who you are or what age you are. Pornography promotes destruction behaviors to one self and others. All I want to say is that you are more than a fetish. You are more than your looks and you are worthy. Never do anything or feel pressured to take part in any sexual activity you don’t want to do. Stick to your boundaries because they are there to protect you. You are worth more than a dopamine rush for someone else.

Thank you for reading my long ramble. Been a while so I hope it was at least readable.

Edit: the Reddit post I was referring to

#anti fat acceptance #anti haes #antiporn #anti pornography

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lilabella12 · 2 days

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1317 - Day 1

Evan is up before dawn the next day - he has a promise to fulfill. He makes some gruel, it's the only thing he can afford right now and leaves it out for the children when they wake. Then he saddles up and takes a ride to his brother's homestead.

When he finally gets there, he can't believe his eyes. Everything his brother worked for for the last decade is gone.

Alll that's left is a pile of smoldering ashes and some of the walls of their home. He can't let the children see this. The fire even consumed some of the nearby woods and the straw roofs... the only thing left untouched are the unfertile soils of the farm.

It takes him a while but he finds Emma.

Her clothes are burned up, but she feels cold and stiff to his touch. he does the only thing he can for her now - he brings her home.

Of course Daniel and Eve are devastated when they get the news.

Daniel: "I should have gone back, I knew it. I'm so sorry, mother..."

Evan: "You did the best you could, Daniel. You saved your siblings, I told you last night."

Eve can't even speak, her tears shake her whole body.

Daniel: "But I could have done something!"

Evan: "And perish in the blaze as well? You would not even recognize the house, Daniel."

Daniel: "But it's our home! Where will we live now?"

Evan: "WIth me. You will stay here, with me. And Eve and Ian, Flora and Ida."

Daniel: "You will take care of the five of us all on your own?"

Evan: "Yes, Daniel. I will."

After this day the house will get a little cramped, but he will manage. He promised his brother to help whenever he can, so he does.

It has been a while since Jayden died, and after a few weeks, Tara is feeling too weak to stand as well. Leah, who has turned 13 a few days ago, takes care of her mother until she passes.

Now all alone in the house and responsible for her two brothers, she vows to get them through this. Whatever it may take.

| previous | next |

poll under the cut ⬇️

So, just as I wrote before, here's a bit of background information for the last few posts. I've had baaaaaad luck with the dice for these past 2 years.

NONE of the Sims who aged up to adults made it, either with a bad age up roll (red) or bad famine roll (pink). Evan is now the only one who can even take care of anyone if we exclude Leah, who is off in another part of the country and probably doesn't even remember her family that well.

So, I wanted to make the story a bit more interesting, not ONLY starvation due to famine so... my mind made up that thing in the last post and the beginning of this one. I hope it wasn't too much to take in, I did enjoy making this story happen.... I would love to know how you all think about it.

Famine is not over yet, but most of what I wanted to tell is done. For now we will combine sidehousehold 2 & the main household. Now the big question is, do you think Evan needs some help with these 5 kids (and a horse) or should we make him do this all alone until Daniel and Eve (the oldest of the bunch) age up?

I'm not opposed to remarrying him, I kinda think he deserves it, but I'm not sure how to integrate it into the story (yet). Also he might have some baby tries left over. So this is where you come in.

Feel free to leave a message as to why you chose how you chose or to tell me how you feel about the story, I love engaging with other simblrs!

After this post is up, I will take a short break just to see the results so I can incorporate them, then we'll be back to regular posts.

#ultimate decades challenge #sims4 #norwood legacy #gen 1 #the sims 4 #medieval #legacy challenge #sims medieval #ts4 #the sims 4 decades challenge #ts4 gameplay #ts4 legacy #ts4 decades challenge #the sims 4 legacy #1310

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autumnrose11 · 5 months

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okay reading your post gave me follow up questions. firstly, i wanna know more about matthew’s past !! when did his father die? what sort of relationship did he have with him? and also just anything else you wanna share about pre-canon matthew :3

So my headcanons for Matthew’s pre-Downton life actually starts with Isobel. She and Reginald struggled to conceive, and she had Matthew pretty late in life (later than most first-time mothers of her age). He had an amazing relationship with both his parents, and he showed traits he inherited from them both – Dr Crawley’s gentle, soft-spoken, charming, honourable personality, and Isobel’s characteristic stubborness and fierce independence and willingness to stand up for what he believes in. He was his parents’ miracle, so he was ten times more precious to them.

He was genuinely the sweetest little boy. Incredibly kind and soft hearted. Sometimes sulky, threw tantrums on occasion, was stubborn and pig headed. Matthew was very close to both his parents. He had a great relationship with his father; Dr Crawley taught him to ride a bicycle when he was five. He was very, very proud of his little boy. Slightly disappointed when he showed no inclination to follow in his footsteps and pursue medicine, but he let Matthew know that he’d support him in anything he wanted to do. They were a very happy family on the whole.

The Chronicles of Downton Abbey state that Dr Crawley passed away when Matthew was “quite young.” This could have multiple interpretations, so I have it in my head that his father passed away when Matthew was around 12 - 13. He and Isobel were both devastated at the loss. Isobel made herself strong for Matthew’s sake. She couldn’t afford to lose herself in grief because her boy was just upon the threshold of turning into a young man and needed her so much. They became each other’s strength and support and more protective than ever of each other. It was just the two of them now. They became a team.

There were times when it felt horribly lonely and terrifying without Reginald there with them. Even then Matthew would cuddle against his Mother tightly and tell her he’d take care of her *tears up*

So the time came for Matthew to start school at Radley College once he turned 13. The busy pace of life was a welcome distraction from his grief, and soon he became pretty well integrated into school life. He and Isobel wrote to each other frequently, and she sent him Mrs Bird’s biscuits and cakes and sweets because she knew he had a huge sweet tooth ;)

I also think the early loss of his father matured Matthew immensely. He had to grow up too quickly, had to support his mother and himself. Which is why you don’t often see his carefree side: he has rarely been 100% free of responsibilities. He does have a wonderful sense of humour though :D

So yeah. Those are my thoughts on pre-canon Matthew :))

#thank you for the ask!!#Feel free to flood my inbox any time #Matthew Crawley #Isobel Crawley #Downton Abbey

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wesleysniperking · 7 days

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Head High | Chapter 23 excerpt (not yet published)

4 years ago

“Please take care of her,” Sanji said to the 13-year-old boys. “I’m trusting you both.”

Zoro nodded to emphasize Sanji’s words to both Luffy and Usopp. “That means no fights.”

Usopp nodded immediately. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

Sanji let out a snort. “Trouble seems to follow you everywhere. You need to lie low.”

Usopp frowned with an affronted “hey!”.

Zoro pointedly looked at Luffy. “You need to remain calm,” he said sternly. “Yes, you wanna be an MMA fighter, but you can do better. Leave the fighting in the ring, especially when you start to train.”

Luffy was too busy looking at Usopp with a guardian stare to give Zoro’s words a response.

Zoro frowned. How bad was the bullying? Sure, a couple fights in middle school were expected but Luffy’s facial expression was…off. He did mention and admit that Usopp was getting bullied and he’d, of course, intervened each time, but…how many times?

Either way, Luffy eventually snapped out of it and smiled at Zoro with a nod. “You can trust us!” He said a bit too cheerfully. “No need to worry!”

The green-haired teen sighed. That wasn’t reassuring at all. He looked at Usopp. “You better make sure he doesn’t do dumb shit,” Zoro said pointing at Luffy but his gaze still on Usopp.

Usopp shook his head in frustration. “Do you think that’s easy?”

Sanji took a dum-dum from his pocket and proceeded to open the wrapper before sticking it in his mouth. He looked at Luffy. Something was knowing in the blonde-haired boy’s eyes. At least it looked that way to Zoro.

“Luffy,” Sanji said seriously. “Please don’t make it hard for Nami-swan and Usopp.” Sanji put his hand in his pockets. He didn’t look 15 years old at that moment. “We won’t be here to get any of you out of trouble…just cool it, okay?”

Sanji then met Zoro’s eyes. “Do you think we can trust them?” The blonde asked.

For both 15-year-olds, Marine training was a bit much for 2nd-year high school students. Yes, it was mandatory and a regulation that most schools had to follow in the country of Marilandia. But…how could it be so effective if it was taking two weeks out of a teen’s life to just disrupt their daily routine? Sanji and Zoro had thought it was their only option when they opted for it during their entrance exams. And they ultimately forgot that Athletic Day could count for a credit, and the Marine training could be saved for when they were of age, which was when they graduated from high school. But Sanji and Zoro realized all of that too late. So, mandated High school Marine training it was.

“It’s gonna have to be okay,” Zoro replied to Sanji’s question. “Nami is strong too.”

“But they gotta keep her safe,” Sanji stressed. “She lives alone and– “

“We’ll keep her safe,” Usopp reassured. “Worst case scenario, I’ll even make sure Heracles keeps an eye on her…it’s not that different from what he already does.”

Luffy threw an arm around Usopp’s shoulder and nodded eagerly. Almost too quickly. “Yep. Nami will be safe and sound!”

Yet, as both Sanji and Zoro nodded in acceptance at the two tween’s words, no one ever expected what would happen eventually. As confident as Usopp was, and Luffy’s wholehearted expressions of “no need to worry!”, they both didn’t consider how hasty actions brought trouble. Intentionally or not.

Well, the best thing was to simply leave it to a higher power.

fanfic found here.

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lingy910y · 6 months

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Weekly Tag Wednesday

thanks @energievie, @mybrainismelted, @deedala & @mmmichyyy for the tags! 😁😌💖 these questions are long but fun

1. which character from any media would you like to have as a father? I KNOW i said i don't think ian and mick would be that good as parents but screw it, i want ian to be my dad 😌

2. if money, laws, time, and effort were no object, what animal would you want to have? i still wouldn’t bc i would like them to be free instead of living with me. even if it’s effortless there’s still a lot of responsibility that comes with taking care of another thing but if there was an ethical way, i want a teacup dog

3. what is your chinese takeout order? i eat chinese food on a daily basis so there’s so much i like but fried ramen or yaki udon (ik it’s japanese but chinese restaurants have them) and wonton. or shrimp rice rolls, i have them every saturday bc they’re my fav food

4. what’s your favorite emoji? 💀 in terms of most used. it’s the superior way to laugh

5. would you rather have a library, greenhouse, or home theater in your house? oooooh library

6. what childhood tv show do you think of the most fondly? my little pony 🦄 my little pony🦄 ahh ahh AHH AHH (i still like it)

7. what was your tumblr like when you first joined? bakudeku stuff and kinda cringey posts like "reblog if you don't want to have bad luck" and bad jokes

8. what clothing style do you love but don't feel compelled to replicate yourself? the cutesy kind like oversized sweaters and leg warmers

9. if you were plopped into a fictional world, which one would you know the layout of the best? genshin, even tho i did so bad on its geoguesser parody LOL

10. what is your favorite piece of art? the question didn't specify the type of art, so i'll say this person's fanart is up there: https://x.com/Tarokunnnn/status/1235139944525504513?s=20

11. do you have a water bottle? yes, it's coral-colored and insulated from zojirushi

12. what fanfic trope is a fanfic fave? ...cheating? if it's one half of the ship cheating on the other person with someone else. the fics aren't my fav bc it's ooc (most of the time) but like i've said before i like angsty drama lmao

13. do you carry a daily bag? what does it look like? what’s the weirdest thing in it? yeah my backpack that's preppy with pink and tan colors. weirdest things are post-its i still keep from compliments my classmates gave me on my english projects during gallery walks where we have to write down "glows and grows" for others (it's not weird but i had to write smth shh)

14. if you had to ship mickey with another gallagher, who would it be? lip is the least weird option bc debbie, carl, and liam have a way too big age gap with him and they look up to him. that leaves fiona but she's also a girl 😭 and i know i just said cheating is fun to read and it could just be an au but lickey makes me mad AKDJASF (no hate to the shippers) i'm thinking way too hard abt this let's just go with frank

15. what is a fanfic trope you didn’t expect to like and then very much did? historical aus :0c i said i don't really like aus but maybe it's cause i already like history

16. do you think s11 mickey can still carry s11 ian? yeah he's still buff as fuck

17. who got custody of the killing bat when they sold the house? they did not go through with selling the house <3 but if they do i see carl and mickey fighting for it LOL

tagging @heymrspatel, @softmick, @krystallouwho, @michellemisfit, @jademickian, @iansw0rld & @juliakayyy

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wonderneverlandsystem · 2 years

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TW/CW// Brief mentions of Homophobia, Transphobia, and Islamophobia, Mentions of Abuse, Racism, and general fandom idiocy

If you replace a poc with someone else, lets say another minority, and it is obvious that they r a minority, like they r wearing pride flag stuff, they're wearing a hijab, etc. and something vague that someone says about that person, like. idk. about them not being the kinda person you should hang around with. and you would call that person homophobic, transphobic, Islamophobic, etc. for saying that about the person? It isn't bigotry. If the statement could be applied to anyone. Then it isn't bigotry.

Yes this is about Billy Hargrove. Also YOU GUYS HAVE NO CLUE WHAT CONTEXT MEANS AND IT SHOWS. Max literally yelled at Lucas IN FRONT OF BILLY. HE WAS LIKE 20 FEET AWAY WATCHING AND LISTENING TO THE FIGHT. She yelled at him that he makes her feel like shit/that he treats her like shit. And whether u wanna admit it or not, Billy does care about Max. And even if he didn't, he is forced to take care of her. He has to be the parent. SO WHY THE HELL. After hearing that this random boy he's never met, treats his little sister who he cares about and is forced to be responsible for, like shit. Would he NOT tell her that there are some people you shouldn't be around. And that that boy is one of them. And in the Byer house where he sees her with Lucas again, AFTER HE WAS JUST ABUSED BECAUSE SHE RAN AWAY, of fucking course he's gonna target Lucas and not one of the other boys. He hasn't seen them with Max, he has no reason to thing of them as being bad influences or harmful.

And fuck no it doesn't excuse his actions or make them okay. He still attacked a 13/14 (don't remember their exact age) yr old. But nothing about his words or actions are explicitly, outwardly, whatever word u wanna use, racist. And even if he is racist (which by the way, every yt person, especially/specifically in America has institutionalized racism at the very least which takes a long time, and lots of education to break down, which isn't gonna fucking happen when u live in an abusive household where you have other things you have to focus on so you and ur kid sister don't fucking die, especially in the 80's), Max never fucking says anything about it. Even if what he said or did was racist, Max never said or did anything. Obviously I could understand her not saying anything to Billy because she might think he'd get angry. But she never goes to Lucas trying to comfort him, apologize for Billy's behavior, anything.

While I'm on the topic I might as well bring up the fact that NO ONE IN THE SHOW. EVER FUCKING TREATS LUCAS WITH RESPECT OR UNDERSTANDING IN RELATION TO HIS STRUGGLES WITH BEING A BLACK TEENAGER IN THE 80'S. In season 1, he gets SO MUCH shit from the fandom for not trusting Jane/El. A random girl who showed up out of no where, who, through no fault of her own, brings a bunch of dangerous ppl coming after the group. And basically no one gives Mike any shit for doing the same thing to Max in season 2. In season 4 when he is trying to fit in, to not be seen as a weirdo, outcast, freak, etc. So fucking many people treated him like he's an asshole for that. He is a black 15 yr old boy in the fucking 80's. In a town that is predominantly white. Where all of his friends are white. Most of the people at his school, are white. Of fucking course he's gonna do whatever he can to "fit in" and stay with the popular crowd. Not doing that would put even more of a target on his back. I'm so happy they put in that brief moment at Benny's where the only other black person on the team and at the house comes over to tell him it will be okay after the police show up. That he's not gonna be in trouble. Despite a good portion of the fandom being really diverse, be it queer, poc, etc. so many of y'all put the cishet yt characters on a pedestal and either ignore or straight up shit on the few queer characters & poc characters.

That's the end of my fucking rant for now. I'm tired. Thanks for coming to my TEDTalk. night guys.

#stranger things #billy hargrove #max mayfield #lucas sinclair #y'all are stupid

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kasu-m1 · 24 days

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Kasumi ♠️:

Basics :

-Name : Kasumi

-surname : Tenshiro

-age : 20

- birth date : 13 june

-Gender : woman

-sexuality : straight

Appearance :

-height : 1,60 cm

-weight : 54 kg

- hair : short, straight & black

- eyes : left : grey ish blue (scarred)/ right : black (minnow)

-skin : pale beige

-body type : rather muscular

(Here’s a some art I made !)

Personality :

- best at ♠️ games

- first impression : cold, distant, quiet, serious

- beliefs : doesn’t really believe in any god but believes in life after death

- fav color : purple n blue

- greatest strength : physical

- greatest weakness : social interactions (lmao)

- pessimistic realistic

- introvert

- skilled : armed and hand-to-hand combats

- unskilled : collaborating with others

Game skills :

Best at ♠️

Good at ♦️

Okay ish at ♣️

Least good at ♥️

More random details

- she’s ambidextrous (can use both hands equally well and doesn’t have a dominant hand)

- chews on fingernails (not really because of stress but she developed the habit of doing it)

- often cracks her knuckles and neck sometimes without even realizing

- high pain tolerance (this will make sense when you read the story)

- gives off cyber like vibes (kinda like the banner)

- she can analyze people quite accurately but when it comes to social interactions with new people, oof

- she’s awkward. And no not the “omg she’s so awkward cutie”, more like the “can look you dead in the eyes without talking for 38 mins” awkward.

- sarcasm is like a coping mechanism for her. Thing is sometimes it actually takes time for people to get it because of how serious she looks

- has a soft spot for cats but will NEVER show or admit it.

- she does talk more to people she considers as “friends”

- always wears a hairpin that her sister gave her (on the pic)

- the scars on her left and her right cheek are due to some street fights she had.

Lore

“You were an amazing person. Then you became my saddest memory.”

Before the Bordelands

Kasumi’s pov

I was too young to remember my parent’s divorce but from what she told me it was a hard moment.

Mother is mean. She doesn’t care about us and she doesn’t love us like mothers do, but she told me that mother is mean because she’s aching, because she misses dad. Even when he hits her. So she’s the one who takes care of me. My real mom.

My sister, she raised me and gave me the love I needed from a mother who didn’t care about me, about both of us. She played the role of a parent I never had and she sweet oh so sweet. I never thought so much sweetness could turn bitter so quickly.

One day coming home from school at thirteen, I expected the usual greeting when I entered my sister’s room. Her caring gaze and her comforting arms. But I got neither. What I got was her cold, lifeless body hanging from the ceiling light.

What happened next was fast and blurry.

I think I screamed, my mother entered the room and she was equally shocked. Police came next. They tried to talk to me but I wasn’t responsive. A part of me died with her that day.

After that, my mother tried to make things “right” with me. I hated it, only her death made her realize how awful she’s been ?

I lost what I cared about and I wanted to join her, but I couldn’t.

“…Kasu, live on for me. You’ll do amazing, or at least better than me at life. I love you…”

So I kept living by that line.

At 18 I got involved with the Yakuzas, I learnt how to defend myself and how real physical pain felt.

I was 20 then, when it occurred. The fireworks.

Borderlands :

3rd person pov

At first, she was extremely confused, and a bit panicked. But she quickly understood the way games worked.

Working her way through each games and soon finding the Beach, the Utopia in this cruel world.

Trouble was only starting.

She would spend most of her time roaming around alone in the beach. But soon came the time where she had to play a game to keep living.

She was sent to play with Chishiya since their skills were apparently a fit. She had physical strength and he had the intelligence. Their game was tag.

They won without much problem.

Relationships :

- Arisu : she finds him smart and fine to hangout with since he doesn’t speak that much. They both played games together and she finds him to be… useful.

- Usagi : almost the same as Arisu though she doesn’t speak with her as much for some reasons. She really admire her climbing skills.

- The hatter : he is… a bit too loud and weird. She doesn’t really like hanging out around him but she tolerates him.

- Aguni : she respects him but doesn’t like him. She tries to stay out of his way though to not have problems with the militants

- Niragi : she hates his loud self but respects him as a militant. She finds him to be overly annoying though. (Bonus : she sometimes wished to fight hand-to-hand against him if he wasn’t so crazy.)

- Kuina : she enjoys her presence. She surprisingly finds her talkativeness to be quite pleasant (probably because she doesn’t have to interact with anyone else when Kuina’s there). She considers her as a good acquaintance. (Also wishes to try and fight her someday in a friendly way).

- Chishiya : she feels… conflicted. She has trouble reading him and hates that stupid smirk of his for that. Even so, she ends us spending quite some time with him because she sticks around Kuina when she’s not alone, roaming. She doesn’t particularly hates him but doesn’t trust him that much. (Bonus : she finds his intelligence impressive but would never admit it)

- Ann : She is positive about her, she like the way she deals with the games and everything in general. But most of all, she loves her seriousness and professionalism in every situation.

-mun 🩻🫀

#out of character.#ooc post #ooc #oc lore #aib roleplay #minors dni #mdni

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thebogmonster · 1 year

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ellie williams psych analysis part I: early childhood experiences & issues with attachment

i made a short post about how i view joel's mental health and psychology and some people seemed to enjoy my thoughts, so i am going to do a multi-part analysis of joel and ellie. i want to start with ellie because we know the most about her childhood (ofc)

The presentation that we see of Ellie in the HBO show is a very bright young girl who has been constantly thrown into incredibly disturbing circumstances since her literal birth. She is impulsive, resourceful, and fiercely independent despite having a deep need for connection. She is often violent and appears to hold a considerable amount of rage. We know she has experienced multiple traumatic events and due to the nature of her upbringing in FEDRA, and in the apocalypse in general, she carries an underlying current of tension.

Additionally, we know that Ellie's mother was under a significant amount of stress not only throughout her pregnancy, but immediately before, during, and after birth (the prenatal and perinatal environments). Thus, cortisol and other stress hormones were predominant in her body and nervous system. This imbalance of hormones and neurotransmitters will have effected Ellie.

There are a variety of implications that we can draw from this information about Ellie's perinatal environment. Ellie is likely going to have a slightly different brain structure and different hormonal and neurotransmitter levels than a normal infant. Of course, we can assume that for most babies born into the apocalypse. They are likely going to have issues regulating their emotions, and they'll be at risk for depression, anxiety, psychosis, aggressive behavior, and a general level of hypersensitivity. We can see where some of that applies to Ellie - she's been shown to have aggressive, anxious, and depressed sides.

Another important factor is the death of Ellie's mother. We know that that Ellie never had a stable adult in her life - she never formed a secure attachment with a caregiver. This is a form of socio-emotional neglect. The first selective attachment should form in early infancy, around 2-4 months. At this time, Ellie may have been in Marlene's care, although we know that Ellie is not aware of meeting Marlene until she was 13 or 14. This means that she was placed in the FEDRA boarding school very young. As an orphan in a FEDRA boarding school, she likely rotated through caregivers and was unable to form selective attachments. We know that she entered the Boston Quarantine Zone at 13 (according to comics), and she is introduced at age 14 in the main storyline. Thus, we can assume any attachments formed between 4mo to 14yrs were unstable and those that formed were ultimately disrupted. This suggests that Joel was her first long-term caregiver.

The best evidence we have of Ellie's lack of secure attachments is her own statement: "“Everyone I have cared for has either died or left me. Everyone - fucking except for you!” Joel is Ellie's first secure attachment to a caregiver, but also to anyone.

Two patterns may arise from those early childhood experiences of socio-emotional neglect and an inability to form secure caregiver attachments. The child may be withdrawn, not seeking comfort or not responding to comfort, and struggle with emotional disturbances; or incredibly outgoing and overly familiar with strange adults. Ellie likely falls into the first category. If we are taking a pathology-based approach, where we consider her response a traumatic disorder, we could say Ellie has Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD). We can also see this as Ellie’s overarching trauma response.

Throughout the show, we see multiple examples of Ellie being emotionally withdrawn and not responding to comfort. In Episode 4, Joel attempts to provide comfort to Ellie after she shoots Bryan. Ellie does not engage with Joel's comfort, rather, what she responds to is being given a gun. We see that pattern again after she is traumatized by David.

The other part of this response to socio-emotional neglect and a lack of stable caregivers is emotional disturbances. For a diagnosis of RAD, at least two of the following is required: a lack of social and emotional responsiveness to others, limited experiences of positive emotion, and episodes of irritability/sadness/fear. Ellie does express social-emotional engagement with Riley and with Sam (and in adulthood, with Dina). Her pattern of social-emotional disengagement seems to be focused on caregivers or adults in general. However, Ellie does display some degree of limited positive affect - while she does express joy and humor, we also see that beneath that she carries a significant amount of fear, sadness, and survivor's guilt. Additionally, Ellie does display episodes of irritability in nonthreatening situations with adult caregivers. We have seen that she can be aggressive and easily angered. Additionally, she displays a preoccupation with violence (ie, her obsession with guns), she is argumentative, argumentative, distrustful, and seems to have some feelings of detachment or emptiness. Another interesting sign of this is a pattern of nonsense chit-chat and questioning of adults - something she does to Joel quite a bit.

Essentially, Ellie's early childhood experiences have set her up to struggle with attachments and relationships to others. It is might be hard for her to recognize and understand her emotions. She is going to be at risk for developing substance abuse issues or an eating disorder. Additionally, she is to really push for her independence at some point, which we see early int he second game.

I'm going to write a second part to this and focus on her response to acute trauma and her display of PTSD.

#the last of us #tlou #tlou hbo #tlou 1 #ellie williams #my ass over here writing a psych eval for a character #this is fun for me bc i have autism :)

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wonderlandleighleigh · 2 years

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So I generally catch Sarah Zed’s video essays on Youtube, because I find them interesting and engaging and pertinent to that Fangirl life. I learn a lot from her deep dives (Johnlock conspiracy, Homestuck, etc), and I also get to revel in the sheer chaos when she touches on something I do know about (the Destiel drama).

Last night she dropped a video asking the question: Is Fanfiction Art?

And obviously, if you’re following this lil space, you know this is relevant to my interests.

Except in watching the video, I kind of found that it...wasn’t.

That, I am, officially, entering my late thirties at the end of the month, and that I don’t...

Care.

And I guess I hadn’t realized just how hot a topic this was for people. I didn’t realize people cared so much about whether their fanfiction should or could be labeled as art. I never thought about it before.

Generally, when I write, it is out of a love of something I enjoy. And/Or I have been taken over by the single-minded writing beast and I can’t seem to stop hyperfocusing (which is how things like Fashionable People came out so fast). It never seemed important whether or not what I was doing was art.

It’s just a thing I do that happens to bring me joy, and I like that it brings a small subsect of other people joy as well. I don’t always write for the same fandom (if you’ve been following this space long enough, you’ve seen me go through many, many fandoms), and maybe sometimes my stuff gets repetitive, but I still find it enjoyable, and as long as that’s true, I’ll likely keep doing it.

For as long as I’ve been in fandom, though, fic has been mostly derided. At the tender age of 13, my older brother called me a hack for writing X-Men fanfic instead of trying to write my own stories.

Most people who are not in fandom think that fanfiction only consists of smut. And while there certainly is a lot of that (and I am responsible for a microscopic portion of it), there’s also a lot of not that that many people don’t realize is there.

But it’s interesting to me that there seems to be this tug of war between traditional, published literature (plenty of which is utter garbage), and fanfiction (plenty of which is perfectly engaging and some of which can be wildly deep and thoughtful).

Zed also made the distinction between published works about pre-existing characters and worlds in the public domain vs. Fanfiction. For instance, Dante’s Inferno isn’t fanfiction, even though it takes place in the already established world of The Bible.

And I just don’t know that I agree. Because, at its base level, it is fanfiction. And to say that it is not, or that the wild audiobook I read on Audible that was a Sherlock Holmes/Dracula crossover is not, kind of makes Fanfiction feel like a dirty word still.

I think Zed’s point was that this kind of literature lacks the tropes often present in fanfiction, and that fanfiction is mostly written to be engaging feel-good stories. That it often doesn’t have anything to say about the human condition. And because fanfiction is so often serialized, and gets critique while it’s being written, it often changes the writer’s trajectory.

And while all of that is often true, it is not always true.

And the idea that something can be engaging and feel-good but that means it cannot say anything deep about life feels a little snobby. Keep in mind that Zed is a former fic writer, who has mostly gone on to that video essay life. And she’s quite good at it. But she certainly seemed to view fanfiction as something like training wheels for writers. A stepping stone to original work.

And that can be true. But does that make fanfiction a lesser medium than original fiction? And are there any new ideas under the sun to even write about without stepping on the toes of those who wrote before us? And does that matter? And why do people get so pissy about literature vs. fanfiction anyways?

If everyone takes inspiration or cribs from something else, which has always been the case, aren’t we all just writing some form of fanfiction or another whether we like to admit it or not? Because original fiction doesn’t happen in the vacuum that more pretentious writers like to say that it does. They absorb other stories from other writers, and news articles, and television and movies and video games and anecdotes from friends and family. Their fictional worlds and characters are cobbled together from experience. And if someone is writing an AU of an already established work, it’s not completely different. There are parallels to filling out an original world vs. filling out an already established world in a different way.

And I could be wrong about that. I’ve written original work before and struggled to find an in with new worlds and characters. Fanfiction does have the building blocks already set up. But in some ways that can be hard too, because you’re working in the confines of an existing space. You have to change Midge Maisel and her life and her world completely if you write a story where she never married Joel or became a mother. At that point, you’ve written yourself almost a new character because her life experience is different So...how is that entirely different from original fiction?

And maybe this is too complicated a subject to tackle in a tumblr post. I don’t know.

I don’t know. I think it’s one of the first times I watched one of Zed’s videos and thought “who cares about this subject?” and also “I don’t know that you’re right.”

Anyways.

TL;DR: it doesn’t matter whether fanfiction is art or not, and it doesn’t matter how it matches up to published fiction. We’re all just farting around until the inevitable heat death of the earth. We might as well enjoy what we enjoy.

#Leigh thinks about stuff #fanfiction

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horizon-verizon · 1 year

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I know you've criticized the show portrayal of Alicent but what about Rhaenyra? They turned her into "not like the other girls" and just a good flawless mother and nothing else.

EDITED (8/16/23)

Weird that people still complain that Rhaenyra was not a good mom for sending her sons out to assure alliances. This was at a time before the Dance when everyone [except Aegon II and Aemond] was actually trying to pretend that they weren't going to battle, so both sides expected their messenger-children to be safe. Plus you do not kill messengers. This is diplomacy basics 101, killing one itself and act of war, let alone then being children. If Rhaenyra expected any green negotiator (she didn't even know Aemond would be the one) to not risk the greens' image and possible upper hand in such a way, I cannot blame her. Plus, she expressly said to Luke not to be in any fights jic. Aemond is the one to start something.

It happens in canon, so people who did not like Rhaenyra for being a women pursuing power over men are going to find reasons to critique Rhaenyra's motherhood as a means to criticize her pursuing power over men, which being a Queen Regnant would give her.

In the original story, there is no hint of contention between Rhaenyra and her kids, bio or not. Same with Daemon. Her kids turned out self confident with stronger senses of responsibility and unity (Jace and war planning, trust in Daemon; Joffrey eager to participate and avenge his brother; Lucerys protecting his brother from Aemond; Aegon the Younger apparently worshipping his older siblings and Daemon, Baela wanting to fight and stay with Jace, Rhaena's grace, these twins doing all they could to help their younger brother, esp to oust Unwin Peake, etc.).

Why would Rhaenyra NOT be portrayed as a caring and responsible mother?! Those kids turned into great people, and it had to come from her and/or her parenting skills. Compare them to their book!green counterparts (Aegon, Aemond, Daeron) who have do not have have even a basic care for anyone aside from themselves, sacking a city of injured people, perform genocide, leave each other out to dry when need most, rape, etc...well apart from Aemond raping someone (yet) little has (or should) change in the show. So still applies.

In the show, again, no contention, bio or not. Meanwhile we have Helaena refuse to let her mother touch her several times since childhood, despite allowing Jace to dance with her. Alicent and Otto either slapping or dragging Aegon around as if he's a contraption that won't work the way they want him to. Aegon brought his 13 yr old younger brother to a brothel house before the kid could even prepare even with his too-young age. And Aemond, while seemingly close to Alicent, is obsessed with besting his "Strong" nephews while becoming some sort of co parent with Alicent.

I actually have criticized the show!version of Rhaenyra. Here is one POST. And ANOTHER. In these two posts, I and mononijikayu express how the show takes Rhaenyra's canon aspects and actions and either gives them to Alicent or removes them entirely for the sake of the prophecy that Viserys uses against Rhaenyra. Rhaenyra's characterization quite literally takes a backseat to this prophecy that truly is so unnecessary the way that it is currently written that it flattens the narrative drama entirely.

And why does it flatten and dull it? Because the writers made Rhaenyra, similar to what they did to Alicent, a less self-drive and determined version of her canon self for the sake of the male gaze (post by xenonwitch). Rhaenyra, the protagonist, was flattened so the male audience and creators could feel comfy about a woman seeking power. Flattened into a woman who only wanted to do what her daddy said she should as a ruler (even though being a ruler wasn't as altruistic as the show tries to make us feel with all this "for the realm" stuff, either in the real world or in Westeros. Even if you are Aegon I. So why can't a woman be the same?).

They even constructed a storyline where they wanted people to compare her sleeping with a Kingsguard vs a prince sleeping with an ordinary noblewoman or servant girl into a debate of rape when I can't take that seriously. Besides the post I linked to you, Aegon II is the rapist of subordinates here, not Rhaenyra. Canon!Criston, like in the show more likely tried to get Rhaenyra to run away with him or sleep with him but in canon, it's unlikely she actually would have slept with him because she wanted Daemon.

This is a real question I'd like you to answer since it has confused me since I first heard it. In what ways is even show!Rhaenyra "not-like-the-other-girls"?

Though I can't believe that I am defending this show, I can't see it. NLOG are either women/girls that feel all women are inherently lesser, but that themselves are the exception (and a few others who they grow intimate with). They are thought of as "non-girls" who don't care to "be a girl" at all because they are led to believe that being a girl and having feminine-perceived traits and behaviors is inherently inferior to anything construed as masculine.

However:

show!Rhaenyra never has shown a dislike toward other women for being women that she then thinks are inferior women to herself.

Rhaenyra in the show is not masculine just because she loves to ride her dragon, because she killed a boar, or because she wears pants. That's really just enjoyment of the dragon, dragonriding, and freedom. As all Targ women love their dragons: Alysanne, Alyssa, Visenya and Rhaenys the Conquerors, Rhaenys who would have been Queen, Saera who would have found freedom if she hadn't been stopped, Rhaena who was Queen Dowager and found self-confidence when she bonded with Dreamfyre, Baela & Rhaena the twins, and Dany way after. Including all those Valyrian dragonriders like Jaenaera Belaerys and the ones who were sent out, like the men, to control Valyrian outposts and established. It's really only in a Westerosi/Andal patriarchy that show!Rhaenyra could be seen as a "tomboy" (more accurate), or a woman "trying" to be more like a boy and not "herself". Visenya was a warrior but also was comfortable in dresses, as F&B explicitly states as if this were strange.

Before anyone brings up episode 3 and Rhaenys lighting up on that older woman, here is the dialogue:

Ceira Redwyne: My lord husband says that no king has even been able to tame the Stepstones for long. It's an inhospitable place suited only for savages. Perhaps the Princess...can give us some insight.

Rhaenyra: Oh, I'm not sure how I could. I've never been to the Stepstones.

Ceira Redwyne: Your dear uncle is the great mind behind this war. Is he not?

Rhaenyra: I wouldn't know. I've not spoken to Daemon in years.

Ceira Redwyne: Since you supplanted him as heir.

Alicent: Daemon made his choices, Lady Ceira. The Princess was more suited to the role.

Ceira Redwyne: He's made a mess and the King must put an end to it. Send fleets and men and clear out the Triarchy for good.

Rhaenyra: But the Crown is not at war.

Ceira Redwyne: The Crown is at war, Princess. Though your father refuses to admit it, we've been dragged into it by your uncle and the Sea Snake.

Rhaenyra: And how have you served the realm of late, Lady Redwyne, by eating cake?

Ceria (and maybe the writers but were giving the the benefit of the doubt here for the sake of argument) doesn't seem to be aware that the pirates like the Crabfeeder have been endangering the commerce of merchant and traders in KL for a while (Fire and Blood). They had been extorting them with "tolls" and of course what happens when someone can't pay?

Daemon may be out in the Stepstones to keep himself distracted for. Viserys' rejection, busy from the nothingness he'd left be else since he hated Rhea Royce and the Vale, and to gain some glory/experience for himself. But he is also still the only other person doing anything about a real threat. Viserys had been ignoring Corlys for a time in the show, and as I said, the pirates and their tolls would have gotten worse for KL's economic well-being if not for the lives of traders. Now Ceira wants to complain about how it's taking too long, implying that she's losing out from it? Yeah, it'd annoy me even if I wasn't Daemon's relative or if I hadn't liked him.

This is hardly Rhaenyra thinking the woman is inferior bc of her gender. It also isn't Rhaenyra equalizing Ceira's gender with an inherent inability to actively participate in militant activities, whether due to an idea of female weakness or the practice of disallowing women from such activities. (explained above about the accountability of Daemon for the war)

It's more about getting at her for criticizing someone she loves (romantically or not) and respects and has missed "for years". Even with Viserys, Viserys is her father whom she still wants trust and intimacy with.

Again, not because Daemon and Viserys are male and she's looking to impress them to validate her very existence or just naturally thinks she is a superior woman over the "typical" woman, but because they are quite literally the only family/companions she has left. Her mom died tragically and her last minutes were unnecessarily violent (it's unclear how much Rhaenyra knows about Viserys cutting her open). Rhaenyra had to burn her by Syrax's flame and by her own command! Daemon was the one to bring her confront when she was looking for that from Viserys.

We see her angry and lonely from the image of her at the tree, unable to really reconcile how Alicent married Viserys or go to her for comfort and destress as before. Remember that Viserys didn't speak to her before he brought her down to Balerion's skull to discuss his making her his heir, and afterwards we still see no evidence of them conversing easily, getting along, or talking about their loss. Viserys pushes through, doesn't try to see what's going on with Rhaenyra. To Rhaenyra, it's going to feel like her father abandoned her mother and her. Hence the frustration with him saying she has to marry despite her fears of childbirth (it's like Viserys isn't aware why she is afraid or reluctant...thus that feeling of abandoning her mother). She's also concerned that she'd be even more emotionally abandoned and used by her could-be husband (we find out in episode 4 and that her power will wilt under said hypothetical husband's lack of concern or real care, bc hed likely try to do as people say Daemon is doing and undermine her authority and steal power for himself. Make her a puppet queen/heir.

She and Alicent -- no matter what the writers have told us -- are no longer friends at this point because Alicent is now Rhaenyra's stepmother and it's a heavy conflict of interest with Alicent literally being pregnant & already having had a boy that make people feel free to question Rhaenyra's place more than they did before. At the very least, the court is less comfortable (understatement).

Thus she lashed out, and not even that harshly. We remember that lords and ladies typically talk to their monarchs, princes, and princesses well-manneredly, and while Rhaenyra doesn't seem to care for punctilious formalities -- unless she already dislikes you from a previous encounter of a person pushing boundaries (Jason Lannister) and wants to put distance and castigate for rudeness or insults (which she did here) -- again this was just not the right moment for Ceira to be telling the upset, depressed, lonely, and quietly raging Rhaenyra that her father and dear uncle are not doing things how she want them to, even if she could be argued as spitting facts.

Sometimes it just be like that. Ceira can take the L for talking too much. She seems strong enough to take a non-insult (or as some may say, a read) from a 17 year old, with all her criticisms. Aside from also being more than 40 years her senior, as I judged the actress's age to be late 50s to 60s.

#asoiaf asks to me #a song of ice and fire #asoiaf #hotd critical #hotd characterization #rhaenyra's characterization #rhaenyra targaryen #rhaenyra i #hotd wrongs #hotd episode 3 #rhaenyra and alicent

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sixofbows · 10 months

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I wonder how Calvin’s friends are gonna react to him breaking up with Grace.

is she gonna contact any of them about Spencer or just distance herself?

omg interesting question!! I think my response to this might be mild spoilers? Contains references to Calvin and Grace's breakup conversation that's going to be touched on in Chapter 13/hints of Chapter 13:

Calvin's the type who wouldn't tell anyone about him and Grace splitting up until someone asks to his face, "Where's Grace?" And even then he'll just be like, "It didn't work out". And that would be normal for them; like, Calvin didn't tell any of them that he was literally going take guardianship of another person until they physically ran into Spencer.

I don't think Grace would actually speak much to the group BECAUSE:

Calvin makes it clear that he split with Grace because of Spencer. I think after they broke up, it took everything in Grace not to run straight to Spenny to see if she's okay. Because Grace fears that Spencer is in a vulnerable position with Calvin, and Grace loves Spenny so goddamn much, she wants to protect her so badly :'(

But Spencer is so young, Grace is afraid that her genuine concern would be interpreted as jealousy, pettiness. That barging in like that to warn Spencer to distance herself from Calvin would only force Spenny to run to Calvin faster. Same logic applies to any of Calvin's friends; Spencer's not going to want to listen to well-meaning 30-somethings, not when her dream crush finally "likes her back". Especially when she's seen that Calvin has never hurt her, that he cares for her deeply. Like, has anyone else gotten a tattoo for her? No? Then clearly they don't care as much for her as Calvin does. She's painfully eighteen. All of her thoughts and processes are painfully uninformed.

(This is why it's so important that this story takes place solely from Spencer's POV. This is a story about how we look back on things and realize they take on different shades after the passage of time. We need to see how Spencer sees things, so that we feel the full impact of how she will see those same things later.)

Anyway, Grace opts to send that text instead.

We may not see each other as much anymore, but know that I'm always here if you ever need to talk in a safe space. About anything or anyone, don't be afraid to reach out. You can trust me, remember? Love you so much.

Still a warning, still showing genuine concern, but said in a way that Grace hopes will leave the door open if Spenny ever needs her (concerning anything or anyone), not in a way that Spenny would instantly slam the door in Grace's face (if she directly called out Calvin).

Calvin is very emotionally underdeveloped for his age. His closest confidante is a fucking eighteen year old lol, and even Spenny knows far from everything. He grew up hiding his emotions to avoid setting off his umma, it's spilled over into adulthood. He and Winnie got along really well, they never really argued, their divorce was as amicable as can be. She would still be coming to Friendsgiving if she weren't on a different continent. He handles most conflicts by dipping out, going silent. And this can work well in a lot of situations.

But what if leaving doesn't solve a certain problem?

What if it's something or someone you just can't drop?

#black magic

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