From a thing to wear to an icon of culture 👘

There is this hidden detail in Muzan that when I noticed I could not help but smile. Remember how he said that the thing he hated the most was change? Well coming from someone that had to live in 5 different eras is kinda funny, and it's even funny when you realize that he ended up adopting the Western fashion pretty fast. But that's the twist, if you look at Muzan's vest you come to realize that it's the exact same pattern as the kimono he used to wear. The best part? That was a thing that actually happened in history.

Wanting or not, the clothing that the people used to wear represents the history they lived through. "To look seriously at art objects of the everyday, such as clothes - their discourse and practices, their meaning-bearing forms and their codes of internal and external interpretations - in an essential, and often neglected, component of any study of modern aesthetics." - Slade, 2009 Yofuku [Western Clothing] is a type of clothing that is now common all over Japan, but during a lot of time, it was a type of clothes that only selected few grew up with. The 1st contacts with these types of clothing [even if extremely different from what we now call western clothing] was in the 16th century when the Portuguese arrived in Tanegashima. With them came not only different shapes but also different fabrics. But the “true” introduction to western fashion would only happen with Commodore Matthew Perry, catharsis to the Meiji restoration, where Emperor Meiji would start to dress in a typical western military outfit, and soon after the empress would start to aper in the typical victorian dresses. In the Edo period clothing visually distinguished the social classes. "Certain articles of clothing visibly differentiated people of diverse social classes, and simultaneously distinguished an individual within a specific group. The materials, motifs and construction of military campaign coats, for example, marked their wearers as men belonging to the military class." - Milhaupt, 2014; Samurai ranked on the top, followed by farmers, artisans, and merchants on the bottom. What happen was that most of the times the samurai where poor while the merchants lived in economic success. But samurai had the privilege of using certain types of fabrics and patters, even tho most of the times they could not afford them, and so, the merchants would start to adapt the fabrics and patters they were allowed to were and would end up becoming the patrons of arts and fashion. The trends of fashion would later be documented in ukiyo-e, and not only in the work of art sense, but also in pattern books were people could browse the prevailing styles. After the 1st contacts with the westerners, what would start to happen is that slowly but surely the Japanese would start to integrate the western ways of dressing into their lives. The Japanese started to introduce some of its elements with the kimono, shoes, hats, gloves, glasses, umbrellas, etc. Then in the 19th century a full change would happen starting from the man in the highest classes to the man in the lowest classes. The emperor decided to cut his topknot in 1872 and started to dress in western clothing in official appearances, also changing some of the more cultural habits like eating meat and more wester kind of meals. In the official portraits he appears adorned with a French-style military uniform with ornaments in gold and ostrich feathers. Before this, the emperor was never a public figure, so when pictures of the Meiji Emperor became available, and he started to appear more publicly the nation would have their eyes on him and start to imitate him. Women would, for the longest time still dress in the now classic kimono, that would develop as a symbol of the old and traditional Japan. The idea of the western clothing being associated with a modernized Japan and the Kimono [that literally means “thing to wear”] to a traditional country came from the fact that the emperor would choose to wear western clothes in more formal, international events, and for religious national events would choose the traditional Japanese court dress. The western clothes will end up being a symbol of the modernization of Japan, and the Meiji government would use it as yet another tool of national control. For all the Japanese born after 1945 the western clothes became the norm. Most families would end up transforming their kimonos into western clothing pieces, and the patterns sold for kimonos would double for kimonos and western clothing.

But it is funny to notice how despite it all Muzan is the one being presented in western clothing and Ubuyashiki is the one in traditional clothes, always being the contradiction of the other, but also it can also be interpretated as the Ubuyashibi family being "trapped" in the past since in hundred years the corps never killed an upper moon, the history never changed. And Muzan in his ever-changing cycle of his life, in the changing of eras and changing of personas he decided to reuse the only thing he could: his clothes. And just like him, they would adapt through the times.

MILHAUPT, Terry Satsuki. 2014 - Kimono: A Modern History. London: Reaktion Books [Ebook]; SLADE, Toby. 2009 - Japanese Fashion: A cultural History. Oxford, Berg. [Ebook];

Proposing a reform on Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics!

An essay on why we should reformulate the often misguided interpretations on each secondary gender.

In this essay I will debate the absence of personality often assigned to Beta's secondary gender, the inherent nature of violence that shouldn't exclusively be attributed to Alphas, and how deeply we can explore the aspects of Omega's biology in fiction, furthering its visions from the deep rotted misogyny implicated in these matters.

(remember this is a joke, you can create your ficverse and works however you'd like)

1.0 THE BETA ISSUE

The beta role in an a/b/o society is pushed towards the sense of "normality", betas normally aren't that phased by their nature. This is fitting, although the lack of complexity deposited onto its concepts led a creator to create variations of betas that aren't really necessary.

I propose that betas have pheromones that emit a scent genetically structured to be smelled by a specific type of group, regardless of their secondary gender, people who are able to scent betas pheromones have a variation in their olfactory-receptor genes and allow them to strongly perceive their scents. (this happens irl, with cilantro tasting like soap or some people being able to smell cockroaches)

It would solve the beta complex and wouldn't necessarily affect the whole structural alpha/omega naturally based relationship.

2.0 THE ALPHA MATTER

It is easy to antagonize alphas, and I do believe it is crucial for it to be antagonized, given how the discourse towards alpha aggression can create well built debates approximated to human reality. But it also can spice up some debates on a lot of more interesting matters other than hierarchy and dominance.

"Soft-alphas" was a term designed to fit in the alphas that are able to somehow "contain" their inner wolf, on contrary to "normal alphas" that are aggressive and excessively dominant.

Of course, as fun as it is to explore this concept, it's not necessary to give them this title, it thins the discussions that can be made upon this type of characteristics on alphas.

It is easy to explore the topics around an alpha considered "defective", and give them the capacity to have more and more deepness, an alpha who doesn't feel protective despite their love towards their omegas and needs to learn how to stimulate its natural instincts, an alpha who was forced to submit and therefore had their alpha contained to a point it needs healing and an exercise in dominance!! Fun aspects of an inverted container of the morality based alpha corrections often seen around the fic community.

I propose more and more diversity and complexity around alphas, seeing them fight their instincts is fun, but it would also be fun to see them fight for their need to have the same instincts that antagonizes them.

3.0 THE OMEGA DEBATE

There is a lot of discourse around omegas, especially when people simplify them as "the woman of a/b/o society".

Although understandably fitting for the time it was developed, it is still a conception most people have and has grown outdated.

It also created a movement to fight against this idea, that has empowered omegas, but the lack of consistency fails to impress. For example, in this case, it doesn't matter how much of a rebel omega the character is, they will still "fail" their morals and submit to an alpha.

I know you guys can do better!

What is better than an inner monologue on why your nature is failing your mundane conceptions? Better than that what's more revolutionary than being able to mend your instincts and ideas?

The nature of an omega is vast and instinctually more prone to aggression than most alphas! Omegas protect and go feral over their offsprings! Explore it more!

And make omegas also be proud of their nature, instead of simply making them disgusted by it without backgrounding their stories! (i mean, if they have traumas associated with their secondary genders it is obvious and expected for them to hate it).

Omegas can be hard creatures to deal with, omegas can reject their offsprings scent for example, give them hardships dudes! It will be fun!

A/B/O is fun, and I LOVE TRADITIONAL A/B/O SO MUCH! but we can do more justice at least to betas :3

(this is literally a joke in case someone hates me for it)

Theories for The Prisoner’s Throne - Part I

As we approach 100 days to go to TPT, I have some theories on what is happening in the Islands.  I only read The Stolen Heir once, so I have low expectations on these.

1. The land might be crumbling - at least the islands raised by Mab.

What if the power that kept the bones from transforming also kept the Islands she created afloat/alive, as a battery of sorts? 

Another aspect is that Mab obtained Land powers by bargaining and not delivering on her promise. Her powers weren’t freely given by the Land and it's not clear to me how Bogdana got the power to bestow upon Mab in the first place. I suspect the power only trickled to Mab's descendants because it was never meant for her, let alone her heirs (blood or not) and therefore meant to be reabsorbed by Nature.

(TFOTA theory: I also suspect that Lady Nore knew it was a good time to attack the Court of Shadows from Locke. I don’t think Madoc was in the kidnapping Jude diversion.)

2.  Symbolism of the bud on Mab’s bones

This is probably one of the most cryptic hints in TSH. I read it as a reference to Jude’s entering the Greenbriar line through marriage. Tendrils support climbing plants allowing plants with weak stems to climb and find light without getting blown away.  

A more grim interpretation would be that the one blooming bud is a foreshadowing of only 1 person remaining in the Greenbriar line. Since this will be told from Oak's perspective that means Cardan would either die, die, or somehow get fully disconnected from the Greenbriar power line. I'm not ready to be stabbed through the heart like this, so hoping this is not it.

There’s the theory that this is a reference to pregnancy. Although not impossible, it would put much weight on a pregnancy during the conflict resolution and I don’t see Holly writing it. I might be wrong, and I would even be happy to be wrong, I just don’t see it happening.

3. Jude’s getting over wanting Oak to be High King

I don't know if this is a theory or a wish list item of mine. It comes across as out of stubbornness and a bit nonsensical at this stage. As if to not admit Jude wanted to take over a throne for herself. After Jude and Cardan rose from his blood in QoN, one or both are meant to be great rulers, which means they should rule until they do so.   No event in TSH points to Oak wanting this role and I'm not sure if he would be suitable. We might see some parallel with Nicasia being raised in Land. Yes, they were more likely to survive in a less hostile environment but it also means they are too unaclimitized to rule. I hope Queen Annet is taking notes.

Let's talk about Avatar Studios

And what the hell is going on

1) I already talk about the risks of a new Avatar following up Korra so I won't go much further on this here. The problem is this new show already have to face 3 problems

1. Technology. Like, if it really will be 100 years after Korra, makes sense that the Technology will evolve a lot but more technology also means less mystic shit and the fandom love the mystic shit in the Avatar World.

Transform Avatar in some sfi looking show can be bite the ass of Bryke. A lot of fans already complain about Tlok modern world because there's less mystical stuff because of it, now imagine a Avatar where the technology evolve during 100 years.

2. Repetition. For the technology not evolve this much, something have to happen to the world, something that Korra wasn't able to prevent. So then we would have Roku - Aang arc all over again. The children of the Krew will be important to this new Avatar? It's tlok all over again. We will have modern sociological and political discussions? It's tlok all over again. We will have the classic hero journey, where he have to beat the bad guy at the end of the show? It's tla all over again

3. Characters. Tla characters are hella charismatic and the structure of their show help each one of them to develop. Tlok characters were able to sold themselves just with charisma since the storytelling structure of Tlok didn't allow the show to focus on each of them so their development is more off screen. The characters of the new show will have to match the charisma of the previous shows and not sound repetitive. I don't wanna look to a character and think to myself "oh, this is just like Katara". If they want to give us a new show, then give us truly new characters.

2) As a lesbian Poc I understand, respect and agree with the choice of bring more diversity to Avatar Studios but recast the cast is a wrong decision storytelling wise and c'mon...Dante did a stellar job as Zuko (just like the rest of the cast with their respective characters) so if he wasn't half asian he would get recast too? They were all also responsible to give life to your beloved characters, I wouldn't discard them like that.

Storytelling wise, each actor brings something new to a character, this can be good or bad. What if the interpretation of the new cast feels too different for the fandom to buy it? It's more than just a voice. Think about the Joker, James Bond, Superman....all have multiple actors playing the character and every actor brought something new with them, and because of that some are loved like Ledger and Daniel Craig and some are hated like Jared Leto.

Also, I don't want the new cast to just imitate the og cast, that would be disrespectful to their talent. They should simply just keep the cast if the actors wanted to go back and voice their characters and with the new upcoming movies and tv show, then they would search only for native and asian actors to play the new characters.

3) They are taking too much unnecessary risks because a new Avatar will divide the fandom just like Tlok did in 2012 and the fandom can also don't vibe with the new cast work(and I didn't even coment on the rumors they can change the animation style). Both of these things can flop Avatar Studios projects especially in a world were they have to compete with Rick and Morty and Arcane among other young adults cartoons.

So their job is to please the fans and please the main audience that can become a fan after the new projects, but too much changes can make the old fans go away, we saw that happen before with other franchises. And again, they will have to compete for audience with excellent Young adults cartoons

They should do the safe, conquer the fandom first and then start to taking risks and expand the show to newer audience. If they tried to please both all at once, they can ended up pleasing no one

i'm happy that video essays are a popular format on youtube now. i've loved the genre for years and, with care, it's a reliable source of accessible education.

that said, the popularity of video essays on youtube makes me feel like my brain is leaking out of my ears. it is so easy to immediately tell when an author has no actual investment in the genre and sees it merely as a vehicle for #Content™️©️®️

There are three basic qualities I see suffering the most for this

1. Length

I see so many of these newer channels pumping out 8 hour pieces that are closer to exhaustive book reports then they are tight, well written examinations of something and, while I LOVE the diversity inherent to the video essay format, this is a terrible way to explore a topic. It's boring, lame, and extremely profitable.

Quinton Reviews is a good example; I like his work occasionally, his recent thing on Dan Schneider was genuinely pretty good. It did still suffer from the resulting pacing sickness from overloading on information and underloading on composition & organization. Wendigoon is an even better example. Most "iceberg" style vids also are (not u jan misali. never u.)

Also, there's no defined rule for the length of a video essay. They can be 5 minutes long or 5 hours, flash fiction or a full-bodied thesis. Shots of tequila or a whole bottle of wine can both get you drunk.

2. Pacing

Obviously related to length but this is another problem; video essayists have always struggled with this and it got worse recently anyways.

A lot of that "information overload" is to blame. It's important that, when researching, YOU come to a strong, nuanced understanding of a topic through disparate sources. It is, by nature of the format and genre, an extremely bad idea to try and make your audience learn the information the same way.

We don't need a thousand sources spread across several dozen sentences, we want the 3-4 (max) best sources on a given subtopic concisely synthesized into a coherent idea.

Use music, jokes and relevant graphics to make this information as engaging and interpretable as possible without sacrificing accuracy. It's okay to abridge and note that you were, in fact, abridging. We don't need to know every detail about every single thing loosely related to the topic.

Dan Olson from "Folding Ideas" is a good example of this. His script writing and camera work does an extremely good job of creating effective flow with an appropriate amount of detail & nuance. So, pacing, basically.

3. Topic

U can tell some of these jamokes don't give a fuck or shit about the thing they're discussing. Worse still when it's some inane internet drama they're recounting like its "news."

To be clear: the best video essays are OFTEN on topics you have no previous interest in. Robolox_oof.wav by HBomberguy is an easy example. This shit is a complete mess thematically but, because the author engages deeply and effectively with the topic, it literally doesn't matter. It's an insanely good video you should spend all 2 & 1/2 hours in rn. Go. Watch it.

Nor is internet drama a bad topic to cover. You're allowed, encouraged really, to discuss the weird bullshit people do to each other but like... this is closer to a soap opera than it is a national news headline. Looking at you, "Turkey Tom" or whatever the fuck your name is.

There's something to be said, too, for how quick people are to make an essay about a still moving situation. I know the algorithm is an insatiable maw of content hunger but, counterpoint, ONLY MAKE A VIDEO WHEN YOU CAN ACTUALLY DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED. If there's reasonable suspicion stuff isn't done, SHUT THE FUCK UP. It's okay if you misjudge a timeline here or there, you're allowed to admit fault and correct yourself, but, like, cmon.

Also something to be said about how quick so many essayists have ALWAYS been to talk about someone else's business without permission, particularly intimate partner violence.

4. Style/Presentation

Video essays are an extremely novel format, particularly for education, so there's a genuine debt of easy-to-adopt styles. And, because of the recent growth, there are a lot of new people entering the space with very little experience in it.

That said, the next time I hear that fucking "influencer cadence" I'm gonna EXPLODE. You know the one, they slow down towards the end of a sentence to lend "gravitas" and overarticulate every. single. word. to, idk, build credibility?

It's shallow and obnoxious and I hate it. Nothing makes me skip a video faster than a boring intro & a predictable cadence. Be honest about the way you speak. If you struggle to create rhythm & flow with your voice, use music! Seriously, music sampling is a super valid method, most indie artists would be JAZZED to have their stuff in parts of their video. A lot of orchestral stuff is in the public domain, especially a lot of famous "classical" works. Put Beethoven's 5th in your video about potato farming in russia, God might not be real and if she is she'd ALSO think it's funny.

Another problem: predictable cuts & generally uninspired editing. I know editing is a pain in the ass but, like, it IS still a creative process. You do have space to do interesting stuff here and, if you can't focus for that long, literally just make a shorter video.

It's okay if 95% of your transitions are purely functional, the trick is to make those 5% REALLY silly to keep your audience on their toes.

5. Tone

You don't need to be "an authority" on a topic to make a good essay about it. It helps but, as long as you're clear & honest about the limits of your understanding and you've done your due diligence, you almost certainly will be fine to talk about anything you want.

If you want to build credibility quickly, consider starting with disambiguation instead of dry recitation. Dates matter less to me than actually understanding a topic better. Even better if you come across like another autistic person infodumping about whales or w/e.

I'd keep going but my phone's gonna die. U get the gist. Lots of format problems that algorithm-brain is exacerbating.

Am I the only one who feels like the way this fandom talks about female characters is always so like???? Omg girlboss but also a girlfailure I support women’s rights AND wrongs she was robbed!!!! Idk it’s always the same few phrases lol I don’t get it.

OHHHH I AGREE SO HARD💀 seeing the same 3 phrases used to describe the female characters bc they think its a diversity win. ok.

Female character is independent or strong etc -> omg shes suuuuch a girlboss teehee🙈 step on me. other weird and annoying sexual comments bc girlbossery is sexy (or something) and thats the only appeal female characters are allowed to have for a lot of people Female character is kinda cringe sometimes and doesnt succeed at everything -> omg my silly girlfaliure girlloser shes so sillystupid i love her Female character has dimension -> omg??? shes like a girlboss and a girlfaliure at the same time???

ignoring the fact i hate so many things about tacking on the prefix girl to random shit as something that feels like a negative connotation (or something degrading), there is 0 critical thinking people have for female characters and its like. ok man. people come up with 600 random headcanons and backstory elements for every single male character they like but designate the female characters they like to "oh ummm shes a girlboss so i like her😊" AWWEEESOMEEEEE. LOVE TO SEE IT🥴

and to people that dont see that or say that doesnt happen....... it does. i see it with my own eyeballs every damn day. eg; in fanon noah has 8 (or 9? i forget) girlboss sisters and is an expert hacker and speaks 300 languages and knows everything and makes 0 mistakes and is always calculated all the time and has 20 boyfriends while in canon he got kicked out of the opportunity of 100k dollars because he was reading and hates everyone and plays video games all day and is a massive schmuck for 1 single person that being emma. sorry noah fans thats just how it is. headcanons are fine but it gets to the point where its like hey guys what are we doing here.

and ok whatever. say we all stop talking about noah bc god knows he did nothing to deserve it. where do we go from there? the amount of people i see saying they wish there was more f/f in fandom they just dont wanna write it or people that say they wish they wrote f/f more its just too hard has me :I i think it really just proves how little fanon there is for female characters. since generally fanon is what fandom bases its fanfiction and general characterization on and f/f famously contains only women, it makes sense that if its "hard" to write for f/f pairings it means that people just dont care enough about the women to make wide spread fandom interpretations of them.

and it reaaaaaally sucks. total drama has what i consider a pretty good cast of diverse female characters. And sure, a lot of the time the show doesnt do them justice (they were robbed as many many MANY people say) but a lot of them have so much potential and all of them have at least SOME potential. but ofc, due to how theyre treated in the fandom, no one really cares about them outside of them being paired up with men. and even worse, people will just straight ignore them outright a lot of the time because they 'get in the way of their mlm ship' or some bs.

am i saying its inherently misogynistic to write mlm ships? HELLLLLL no. im just saying that the heavy apathy or visceral anger many many many female characters get unless theyre paired up with a man or because they 'get in the way of' a mans love for another man is quite frankly laughable when you consider what actually goes on in the show. this shit was made for kids, these people are kids. its just so weird just how obsessed people can be with a fictional character to the point of these overblown reactions to other characters of the same god damn show

1D Wordplay Fic Challenge - 2023 Edition

About the 1D Wordplay Fic Challenge

The Wordplay Fic Challenge is a challenge that runs for five weeks. Every week there is a single randomly generated word that acts as the prompt for that week's fics. Those who would like to participate in the challenge are asked only to do their best to write a fic based on that word in a week's time before then getting the prompt for the following week.

This is meant to be a low-stakes and fun challenge to get your creative juices flowing and help get those words out quickly by allowing you to create five shorter works instead of one larger project (as is done in similar challenges such as NaNoWriMo). It is also a fun way to see how everyone interprets the prompts differently giving us a group of incredibly diverse fics all written for the same prompt.

Details

As stated above, the 1D Wordplay Fic Challenge lasts for five weeks. The words used as the prompts are assigned via a random word generator and posted to the @wordplayfics blog and Discord weekly. Everyone choosing to participate that week will have one week to write a fic inspired by that word. This year, the prompts will be given on Wednesday mornings (Eastern Time) with the fics for that prompt posting the following Wednesday. Each Wednesday morning (August 23, August 30, September 6, September 13, and September 20), the new prompt will be assigned and that week’s fics will post a few of hours later. Authors can begin their work on the next week's fics as soon as the prompt is posted and they are ready to do so.

Those interested in participating are not required to take part in all five weeks. It is preferred that all who sign-up have the intent of participating in at least three weeks, but all five would be wonderful. Life happens and creativity doesn't always come about when you would like it to, which is fine. Just to say it once more, this challenge is meant to be fun and as relaxed as a challenge involving this kind of fast turn around can be.

Rules

All participants must be 18 or older. Please respect this rule.

There are no word count limits or other rules regarding content, though as this fest is a One Direction fandom fest, all fics must include a member of One Direction as a main character. 

The only requirements for the fics themselves are:

They are written within a week’s time and posted to the appropriate collection before that week's fics are revealed

The assigned word prompt is clearly used as inspiration for the fic  

Tentative Schedule (Dates are subject to change):

Sign-ups Open: July 26, 2023 Sign-ups Close: August 22, 2023 First Prompt Posted: August 23, 2023 First Round’s Fics Posted: August 30, 2023

Posting Details

Below is all of the information regarding the details for posting your fics to the collection(s) and what information I am asking you include in AO3 when you post. I will update this post every week as I get the new collection set up for each prompt, but there will also be a link to the collection in the bio of the blog where the prompts are listed for each week, so that will likely be the easiest way to find it. 

The Basics:

Add your fic to the appropriate collection (details below) by 2 pm EDT on the respective Wednesday

Please make a fic post for your fics and tag @wordplayfics  

There will be a masterpost updated weekly with links to the newly published collection

Each week's collections will be able to be found here: Week 1: Poem Week 2: Run Week 3: Stable - Fics post 13 September Week 4: TBA Week 5: TBA

Please be sure your fic is in the collection before 2pm EDT each Wednesday. 

There will be a countdown linked in each post with that week’s prompt because timezones can be hard. If your fic is not already in the collection when I go to publish the fics, then they won’t be approved to be in the collection. You may still post your fic and link it to the challenge–I will even reblog your fic post to the challenge page–but the point of this challenge is to write a fic in a week’s time. I don’t want to give any one person more or less time than anyone else, thus the deadline of 2 pm and not allowing late fics into the collection. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know!

Also remember: you aren’t required to participate every week, but please do your best to participate in at least three of the five weeks this challenge is active.

Once fics are posted, it is recommended you make a fic post. Be sure to tag @wordplayfics in the fic post so it can be reblogged here. (I also recommend you link to your fic post at the end of your fic in AO3. If you don’t know how to do this, please reach out and I will be happy to help you.)

It would be preferred if the fic posts are scheduled to post within an hour of the fics going live so they don't have to be searched for every week and it also helps lower the possibility of fic posts falling between the cracks and getting missed. Tumblr does not always notify me when the blog has been tagged, though, so if your fic post has not been interacted with by this blog or my main @lululawrence by Wednesday evening, please send the post to me!

Questions? Concerns? Please let me know and I’ll get back with you as soon as I can.

If you’d like to see what resulted from the Wordplay Fic Challenge in previous years, you can find all the fics in the Wordplay collection on AO3 as well as a breakdown of the weekly prompts and the resulting fics in the Wordplay Masterpost.

I have a question and I’m not trying to be annoying. I just want to understand because I feel like I have been misunderstanding how Zionism should work.

Obviously, Zionism is the belief that a Jewish state should exist in Israel. The thing I’ve been misunderstanding is how this can be achieved while protecting the Muslim arabs.

What I mean is, there are a lot of Arabs in West Bank and Gaza, and if Israel gave full citizenship to these people, they would outnumber Israeli jews, and this it would no longer be a Jewish state.

How, realistically, would the Jewish state, protect the rights of the Arabs while remaining fundamentally Jewish?

The main solution I have seen is a two-state solution, but I feel like that would force Jews to leave their homes in the West Bank.

I understand if you aren’t comfortable answering this - I’d just like to try to understand both sides. It’s hard to get unbiased info from the news.

Thanks for the polite question.

The problem with the question I think here is twofold, first Zionism is a very specific word. Zion is the name for the hill that Jerusalem is built on, and was used by the Israeli people when we were taken as slaves to Babylon in the 5th century BC. Zionism isn't inherently about a Jewish state existing, but about the right of the Israelite people to return to Zion, now known as Jerusalem.

The second problem, and I don't mean this with any disrespect, is that you've fallen for the Great Replacement theory as espoused by Ben Shapiro and Elon Musk. It's a very common and very insidious idea, which is based on the idea that if "foreign" cultures were allowed to come in to a society that they would outnumber and overthrow the people currently there. That's not true, and in fact a majority of the Palestinian people ARE Israeli citizens, with full legal and voting rights. Israel is not a theocracy (significantly more religious diversity then the US has for example), and maintaining a religious majority should not and can not be our goal. Allowing the Jewish people self determination in our homeland does not have to correlate with oppression or discrimination against the Palestinian people who also live there.

This current war betrays the fact that there is a long history of cooperation and conflict between all these groups - Eretz Israel is the most contentiously fought over piece of land in the history of the world, and this current war isn't even in the top one hundred most deadly. On the other hand though, cooperation has happened before and it will happen again. Muslims and Jews are not automatically enemies - we've both been willing to make sacrifices on hardline religious interpretations for the sake of peace before, and I hope we can do so again.

Fundamentally, the Jewish people have a long history of living in Israel and we have the right to live there safe and free. However, the Palestinian people ALSO have a long history of living in Israel and have the right to live there safe and free. There is no solution here that will create a mono-state of any culture or religion, and especially not when it is the most important place to 4 billion disparate people.

Miguel isn’t the only villain in across the spider-verse - it’s the fans too

On the surface, Miguel is the obvious antagonist in atsv. From the get go he demonises Miles, treats him as if he understands what’s going on and puts all the blame on him for the multiverse being in danger. His justification for this is that Miles is an anomaly - a mistake. His role as Spider-Man was not meant to happen at all and he’s simply a poor replacement whose existence has catastrophically left a universe without a Spider-Man. The key part here is that Miles is an error, a blunder, just an inferior stand-in: he’s not the original.

The meta-narrative of the spider-verse movies is wholly centred around adaptation and the different adaptations of Spider-man, and Miles himself has a poignant role in this. Unlike the majority of the other Spider-men in the society he isn’t just some other rendition of Peter Parker or a ‘what if this person got bit instead’ character. He is unique. Something new. His lack of connection to previous Spider-men allows him this fluidity and ability to write his own story. For this meta-narrative to work he has to be the protagonist. We have to see the story through his perspective so we can see Miles as his own person and separate from the stereotypical idea of what Spider-man is. Miles’s iconic line from the film “Imma do my own thing” is a perfect summary of what he represents and stands for. He may not be the ‘original’ or anything like Peter Parker but he is something truly amazing. After all, that’s what the first movie was all about: anyone can be Spider-man. But with the wide variety of different Spider-men through atsv and the trans-coding of Gwen’s character, this movie seems to be hammering this point home and is actively fighting against fans who cling onto ‘canon’ and don’t accept any kind diversion or reinvention of a source material. In this movie Miguel represents these kind of fans who desperately cling onto canon and reject things like headcanons and interpretations that threaten to be different from their own.

In atsv Gwen gets a lot more focus and we get to see another side to her, seeing her personal life. We see that on a daily basis she has to hide a part of herself from everyone around her, especially her father. Her own flesh and blood is out to get her, hunting her down and talks about arresting her to her face, and all she can do is just smile and nod. Initially, this appears as simply what every Spider-person has to go through - hiding their identity, but with Gwen it cuts a lot deeper than that. Because she isn’t just hiding her identity as a superhero but she is having to hide her personal (gender) identity. From the phrase ‘Protect Trans Kids’ painted in her room, the trans flag on her father’s uniform to the repeated use of the trans flag’s colour palette during her conversations with her father, Gwen is undeniably coded as trans.

This new approach to her character has angered some people, and that’s what the whole movie is about.

Atsv tells a cautionary tale about how restricting artistic expression and religiously sticking to canon only harms stories and writers. It prevents the creation of amazing works like itsv/atsv! Fans’ obsession with staying inside the box could have resulted in this incredibly revolutionary film - itsv - from literally being created. Atsv is throwing everything at the viewer to tell us that this is still a looming threat and that it doesn’t just stop at producers and executives, fans also have an influence, for better or for worse.

Another example of how queerness is used in this film to fight against toxic fans is the queer undertones in Miles’s arguments with his parents. Every time he’s about to reveal his identity as Spider-man it is very reminiscent of a coming out scene. His parents speak of him lying to them and hiding something, and even more poignantly, that no matter what is going on with him they will love him no matter what. Whether Miles is under the queer umbrella is not what matters here, instead it’s the impact which speaks volumes on what atsv is trying to get across. Spider-man can be queer, can be gay, can be trans (this also applies to Spider-man being a person of colour). Even if the original iteration of the character wasn’t, it has long since evolved past the rigid boundaries of canon.

In the context of fandom, this message is very important right now as queer headcanons seem to be receiving more criticism as of late. This message is integral for many to hear and to remind us all that canon is just the building blocks - not the whole structure.

So the narrative is using Miles and Miguel as placeholders to portray these two clashing point of views. To break canon and continually reinvent stories or to swath canon in a blanket and never touch it. We as the viewers are left with a choice on who to side with, to decide who we believe is right and who is wrong. But to be honest, it’s pretty clear who’s right.

Feedback Form

Earlier this year, we had a Feedback Form open to hear some of the fandom's thoughts on how FeudalConnection should be run, issues they've run into in the past, as well as what the mod-team can do better moving forward. Some of those issues and concerns we wanted to address publicly in case others had those same concerns.

What happened to the LGBTQ+ categories? When FeudalConnection was in its infant stages, Best LGBTQ+ Romances were staples in the list of categories people could nominate into. However, as the years passed, nominations for those categories began to dwindle. The mod-team then decided to bring them back as Roulette Categories one time per year around June to honor Pride Month and those creations. Even still, there isn't as much participation for those categories. That being said, the mod-team is very much open to continue trying to work those categories back into the fold to honor those relationships. Please note that LGBTQ+ pairings are always welcomed to be nominated into Best Romance.

Why are stories being nominated into Best Romance categories that don't seem to fit? Determining what is romantic is a subjective viewpoint, meaning that it is different for everyone and can be interpreted by everyone differently. Although one romantic/sexual relationship is not portrayed well to one person, it does not mean that same relationship isn't being portrayed well to another. The mod-team respects the subjectivity of romantic natures and will continue to do so moving forward.

What is the fandom's opinion on AI as a whole? The mod-team heard you loud and clear. At this point in time, AI is not widely accepted by the fandom and thus will continue to not have a place within FeudalConnection. Moving forward, AI will not be allowed within FC in any media, and the mod-team will do their best to filter it.

Would FC consider collections on AO3 where nominations or winners' fics could be added/bookmarked to? Absolutely! FC actually already has AO3 collections where past winners have been added to individual term collections. However, the mod-team hasn't done a great job with keeping it updated. We hope to give it a major overhaul in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled!

It felt like in the past that there was favoritism shown with categories or nominations. We hear you and understand your concerns. However, FC is not built on favoritism, as much as some people seem to believe that. The moderators have no control outside of the parameters in place as to who is nominated or wins in each category. The fandom as a whole are the ones who nominate works/creators and vote for their favorites. The moderators will continue to do our best to make FC as diverse as possible, but it ultimately is up to those within the fandom on who is being recognized.

I don't feel comfortable participating in FC because the mods don't bother to ensure the integrity of the event with things like AI art and there's no category management. It's clear you're here for the attention and fame, and not at all for an event with integrity and honor. We're sorry that you feel that way. Since FC's inception, it has always been run on the premise of integrity and honor. AI art has only recently become a hot button issue. Within FC, there has only been one issue that regarded AI, and it was dealt with swiftly and accordingly. The only reason further discussion of AI continues to happen is to obtain a better understanding of the fandom's position on the issue, nothing more. As for category management, they are mostly set in stone except for the Roulette categories, and the nominations are consistently held to the definitions of the categories in which they are nominated into. Your definitions of those categories may not line up with the definitions that are in place, but those definitions are what FC is abiding by at this time.

There seems to be favoritism and a popularity contest within FeudalConnection, as the same people are nominated each term. It has been said many times in the past that FeudalConnection is *not* a popularity contest, nor will it ever be. There are many creators within this fandom and many who create more content than others. Creating more content means more opportunities to be able to get your work noticed and recognized. That being said, the mod-team has no say over who is nominated or who wins outside of the parameters we have put in place. The fandom is responsible for how the awards turn out. FC was never created to see "who is the most popular". It is a place for creators to be recognized - those who are well known and those who have only created one piece. The real prize of FC is not "winning" but being recognized by your fellow creators and fandom lovers, who adore a piece so much that they need to share it with the rest of the world. It's a place to show gratitude for all the hard work our fandom creators put into fandom because without them, there wouldn't really be a fandom.

Several other concerns were brought to the mod-team's attention within the Feedback Form, and these did not go unnoticed! We are tucking away those tidbits to mull over further and perhaps implement in the future.

Thank you again to all of those who gifted us feedback! Remember, our inbox is always open, and if it feels as if it's needed, we will have another feedback form in the future.

Much love, - FeudalConnection

me: *sees a white man behead a black man trying to claim his land from the white woman trying to steal it*

me: well. that’s not a good look.

daemon ‘malewife’ fans: ACTUALLY HE DID IT FOR HIS WIFE SO IT’S A GOOD LOOK

(i know skin-color isn’t a big thing in the series but still. the attempts to diversify the cast and make the targaryens seem less like white supremacies has BITTEN THEM IN THE ASS.)

There is a certain subtext that most people simply cannot remove from media given our global history. Yes, the ASOIAF universe claims that skin color is unimportant and does not affect people the way it does in real life.

However, we viewers won’t be able to actually remove that view because it’s intrinsic to the world we live in. Racism is a part of our world and it’s incredibly hard to remove that view from media we consume.

What we have shown on our screens is an insanely rich and privileged white woman try to push her 100% white son on a seat that belongs to a black man (a black man that her white son is not related to whatsoever no matter how much she lies). And when another black man tries to say “this white woman and her sons are stealing my lands” what happens to him? He’s executed.

Now, obviously, each viewer is allowed to interpret that however they want. They can interpret it in a westerosi context where skin is inconsequential and therefore it’s just a political move where a woman is stealing lands for her bastards. Or they can interpret it in an Earth context where skin does matter and then it’s a white woman stealing a black man’s lands for her white kids and killing opposition.

Regardless, the point remains that it is a very bad look. Both for the show runners to make their diverse characters be the ones that have their lands stolen and those who are against it murdered, and for the fans who cheer for this murder.

I am doing very minor revisions of Daemon’s Handbook (mostly formatting and continuity errors), and I wanted to do some behind-the-scenes commentary before too much time passes and I forget my original thoughts. Here’s Chapter 5!

(Note that these commentaries aren’t canon to the verse until/unless the author writes them into the series. I might change my mind on a few points later, but these are the thoughts I had while writing.)

Daemon’s spies never see Sunfyre at Driftmark while Jace is fostered there. Does that necessarily mean Aegon never visited Jace at Driftmark? 🤔 (Hint: Helaena/Dreamfyre are frequently spotted visiting.)

In this verse, Rhaenyra is more familiar with her half-siblings since they spend so much time with her daughters. I think Rhaenyra has a soft spot for Helaena (because everyone has a soft spot for Helaena 🥰 and Helaena is allowed to spend even more time with her nieces since she’s a girl).

Helaena’s fidget toys are a collection of fabric butterflies, which Rhaena makes and sends with her letters.

Jace mentioned a Spicetown merchant selling a horn that can summon krakens, which, in the ASOIAF books, is part of House Celtigar’s collection of curiosities. Whether it’s a genuine artifact is a different question.

Jace doesn’t spend a lot of time talking to Rhaenyra and Daemon this chapter. That’s because she knows she’s a terrible liar, so she keeps her distance in order not to let slip anything about the elopement. Also, Jace’s lack of correspondence while she’s at Driftmark is because she’s distracted by Aegon, who may or may not have found a way to visit her without Daemon realizing.

When Rhaenys catches Daemon’s spy in her rookery, she lets Jace know that Daemon is keeping an eye on her. Jace passes on this message to Aegon so he knows to be sneaky.

Rhaenyra is reminded of herself and Alicent when she sees Rhaena and Helaena. I personally think Rhaenyra and Alicent had non-platonic feelings for each other when they were younger, but I left this bit open to interpretation.

Joff demands Daemon go with her to the dragonglass quarry, partly so she can get dragonglass, partly so Jace can talk about wedding clothes with Rhaena and Helaena without Daemon eavesdropping. Joff also drops the “babies are ugly” line later to distract Daemon and Rhaenyra so the other girls have time to fly to the elopement spot. Joff is an expert at diversions.

The crescent moon amulet that Joff makes is inspired by the ancient Roman lunula, a protective amulet for female children. The “multiples of fourteen” is a reference to the Fourteen Flames of Valyria, kind of like how seven is the lucky number in Westeros.

When Rhaenyra’s labors start, you can see Baela being antsy because she’s thinking about snitching to Daemon about the elopement. Instead, she ends up sending a raven to Rhaenys (referenced by Maester Gerardys later), which is how Rhaenys knows where to go at the end of the chapter.

Joff’s hatred of vegetables is a running joke I wrote into the story to underline that at heart, she really is just a kid.

The elopement happened very differently in an early version of this story, where Baela and Rhaena are both fostered at Driftmark while Jace stays at Dragonstone. Aegon picks up Jace in the middle of the night at Dragonstone, they fly to Driftmark, and Baela and Rhaena blackmail High Tide’s septon to conduct the ceremony, but Daemon arrives before they finish the vows. But I increased Baela and Rhaena’s role in the story, which had a domino effect on a lot of later events. And I made Jace and Aegon complete their vows so it’s harder for Daemon to brush off.

Aegon 100% found the drunk septon in Flea Bottom and hauled him along on Sunfyre.

Rhaenys didn’t know Jace was planning to elope, but she did know something about Jace and Aegon. I might explore her POV one day so I can figure out what exactly she knew 😛

@grison-in-space

Replying this way to spare poor OP from our continuing color conversation, and because I genuinely enjoy talking to you about these things and the post is looooooooooong af already

As usual I think we agree more than we disagree except on the fine details- I would agree with most of what you’ve said as well except for:

While I do agree that chihuahuas have low litter numbers (singletons are not uncommon in the slightest and a “big litter” for a chi is 5-7) and common practice is to keep them in large groups (helped both by size and by the clannish nature of primitives), I also think a large contributing factor is standard. Because written into the very standard is, nearly verbatim, “this breed has only two DQs for a reason, and even one of them only DQs from showing and should still be bred, because faulty dogs should just be bred to better dogs so we don’t lose our hard-won diversity by restricting too heavily on any one physical trait”. Whether that’s actually what happens in practice is, as always, something that varies breeder-by-breeder. But it’s also written directly into standard.

The standard is deliberately left short and vague in order for many interpretations to be allowed. Nearly every fault is a minor penalty, with most of them having an added “but an otherwise correct dog should not be penalized”. Fae could show, despite her fairly faulty eyes and underline. The expectation would be just to breed her to a dog with better set eyes and a more correct underline. The two breed DQs are missing testicle (should not be bred) and oversize (just breed to a smaller dog). That’s it. Everything else is “improve it in the next generation”. So when that is the expectation the standard sets from the start, it helps allow diversity and also prevents extreme traits from worsened.

And genuinely being in chihuahuas has made me want other breeds to follow suit. A friend of mine has a doberman with fairly extensive (for the breed) white markings. Standard DQs more than 2in of white on the chest- the dog has a mark a bit bigger than that as well as some white toes. The problem is that while I could understand (but sort of disagree with) penalizing a truly tricolored dog, a small white mark on the chest and some white toes just means pigment didn’t fully finish closing all the way by the time of birth, and isn’t inherently a genetic trait. Additionally in a breed bred from butcher’s dogs and other randomass street dogs, especially in a breed that at its conception was “idgaf what it looks like as long as it bites”, I think it’s extremely silly to penalize a dog for an incredibly minor white mismark.

My friend has taken this dog through various show rings and working trials. The dog is honestly a fantastic worker and has titled fairly easily. While she’s not doing personal protection, she does accompany the owner to pretty much every public outing and does her job well of looking strong and intimidating walking next to my friend down a busy city street- and has both the training and the testing to prove that she will respond to a threat with protection. The dog has passed health testing with flying colors, received high marks in show rings that are willing to look past the white to evaluate the rest of the dog, and is now almost 10 years old without much sign of slowing down which is pretty good longevity for the breed.

My friend bred this dog to a correctly-colored dog and produced a litter of correctly-colored puppies except for a single one who also had a white mark on the chest and a couple white toes. A correctly-colored daughter was kept, worked, shown, and bred to an even darker pigmented dog. None of the puppies have white markings. Some of them have dark masks, which is also a fault in the opposite direction but one most people are willing to overlook because of aforementioned focus on dark pigment following WWII.

If we are to keep these arbitrary DQs, I think is almost always better to just breed better in the next generation than to completely axe an entire possibility for the sake of ~preserving standard~. Certain DQs I can understand- undescended or missing testicles are an inheritance problem that negatively affect both fertility and longevity (cancer), so sure. Albinism in the dobermans is a major health concern, so sure. Bad temperament, because no one wants a dog that will attack you just for walking by, sure. But others I think are less “means shouldn’t be bred” and more “means should be improved in the next generation by breeding to a better dog”.

I think that is really a major ticket to fixing the inherent problem of failing diversity in purebred dog breeding, and if by “breed to a better dog” means outcrossing, I think that should also be grouped under that. But right now some breeds (dobermans) are too busy clutching their pearls about even just line outcrossing and acting like show line vs working line dogs are two separate breeds with absolutely nothing in common and that breeding them together will create deformed horrific crossbreeds (you think this is a strawman but I have literally heard someone saying basically this at a working event) to even consider bringing in an actually different breed to their precious carefully-cultivated lines of a dying breed running out of time before it goes extinct. Big sigh.

All this to say: DQs that do nothing to the health of the dog or the ability to do its job are stupid and most of them should not be DQs and if they’re really meant to be avoided they should just be bred to a more correct dog rather than removed entirely from the breeding population.

18 January 2023, Dreamcatcher Interview with VIBE Magazine

Q. This is a ‘Special’ digital single release. What did you do to make it ‘special’?

지유(JI U) : We made it special by making it about the reason Dreamcatcher could exist so far. From the moment of our birth, nobody can live alone. We need the help of others, we learn from the wisdom of others, and that allows us to be part of the world. Dreamcatcher also exists thanks to the hard work of so many people and the special love given to us from the InSomnias.

수아(SU A) : More than anything else, the fact that it’s a song for the InSomnias makes it special. Just imagine, someone could listen to it reminiscing over the journey we’ve been sharing. Doesn’t that make it special?

Q. The title of the song is ‘REASON’. What reason did you mean by it?

드림캐쳐(Dreamcatcher) : As you can see from the line ‘Cause you are the REASON’, it means that everything we’ve been through -  Dreamcatcher’s 6th anniversary, the precious win, our contract renewals - was all for the fans. We thought it was the best way to express our gratitude.

Q. Lots of musicians express their gratitude and affection for their fans. Still, Dreamcatcher’s love for your fans seem to go a step further. What kind of bond do you have with your fans? What kind of energy do you get from them?

시연(SIYEON) : First off, they give us the strength to go on. Also, above everything, they make us better people. When I feel how loved I am, I find myself working even harder so that I can return that love many times over.

한동(HANDONG) : The InSomnias are more than fans to us, they’re like family. I think the love flows both ways in our case, and I know I was able to weather tough times and grow further thanks to the InSomnias.

Q. The song also commemorates your 6th anniversary. Looking back, what do you yourselves think of the last 6 years?

유현(YOOHYEON) : Sometimes I was peaceful and turbulent in others, but looking back, I was braver and shone more brightly than ever before. It’s my youth itself!

다미(DAMI) : It was like fire. It was intense enough to burn and hurt you, but I was able to be that passionate.

가현(GAHYEON) : Lots of tough times and happy times happened in the last 6 years. But being together made me happy!

Q. During the recording, how did each member interpret their part to bring out their own charm?

시연(SIYEON) : Personally, I got lots of parts that stretch outwards. So I vowed to use energetic rock vocal tones. It’s been a while since I used my head voice this much, so it was fun. Plus, since this is a fan song, I tried to sound dependable.

유현(YOOHYEON) : I utilized the rock vocal tones I learned from being Dreamcatcher to the maximum, and tried to invoke the overwhelming, diverse emotions that we experienced because this is telling our own story.

Q. The powerful rock aspect is one of the elements that set Dreamcatcher apart.The new song also contains intense rock sounds. What does the rock spirit mean to Dreamcatcher?

수아(SU A) : It broadened our musical horizons, and made us firmer on stage. Rock as a genre became our color, our strength - and it gives us a lot of energy on stage too.

다미(DAMI) : Rock spirit, to us, is the color. Every member has different music tastes, so we could mix in different genres with rock and create something uniquely ours.

Q. The song has a part that sounds like a crowd singing along to it in a rock festival. Imagine releasing a live version of the song, or performing the song with fans. How would you do it?

지유(JI U) : The song is incomplete. It will only be completed when we sing it with the InSomnias in a live performance!

한동(HANDONG) : I think it’s a song that everyone could enjoy at a concert. We would make the performance together, mixing in parts of our old choreographies!

가현(GAHYEON) : Especially for the encores. I want to sing along with everyone.

Q. Sometimes, the momentum you build up takes you to a completely different place than where you started from. As you said, as the fans are the energy source for Dreamcatcher, you could say the global fandom completes Dreamcatcher as an artist. From your current position, what is your new driving force, your goal moving forward?

수아(SU A) : ‘Just keep it as good as it was till now’ might sound bland, but even just keeping that takes a lot of effort. My goal is to keep giving people good music while communicating and supporting each other with the InSomnias - just like what we’ve done so far - for a long time to come.

시연(SIYEON) : Thank you for that sentiment! To be honest, I don’t think our goals have changed from the beginning. Showing our fans our best selves, becoming better singers, these are dreams that don’t have an end. As always, our energy is the InSomnias, our families and the members.

가현(GAHYEON) : I want our music to console and bring happiness to lots of people.

Q. Your music videos and visual content has been very consistent and very true to your team identity. Was there something you intended to really express in this new album?

드림캐쳐(Dreamcatcher) : Through happiness and through sadness, the InSomnias have always had our backs. Their endless love brought us this far, and the tower in the music video is an allegory of that journey. Dreamcatcher heads towards the top of the tower, and InSomnias offer to take our hands. That old friendship is symbolized by the 7 butterflies once seen in the ‘Fly High’ music video, one of our earlier songs.

Q. The great camaraderie and chemistry between Dreamcatcher members is also famous. Did you learn something again about each other or get a special story from the recording?

지유(JI U) : Before the recording, we talked to each other a lot about renewing our contracts. We learned once more just how deep and firm our love for the team and for each other was through that conversation. Our unified heart really shows itself in the music, I think.

한동(HANDONG) : In my part of the song, there’s a word that really moves me. That is ‘InSomnia’. I sang it thinking about the journey and the love we shared with the InSomnias.

유현(YOOHYEON) : Before we start recording, we get to hear the song to decide on how the parts will be divided. Because our members have been together for so long, we tend to speculate and discuss which part would suit which member the best. On this album, every member showed so much growth. They were so professional, beyond my expectations. That was amazing and admirable to see.

다미(DAMI) : There’s a group singing part in this song. When I was in the recording booth, I was listening to the recordings of the members who did it before me, and realized how alike we sounded. They say love makes people look alike, and I wondered if our voices were getting similar too.

Q. You are about to take your next step towards your next chapter. What does Dreamcatcher have planned next and what musical direction will you take?

드림캐쳐(Dreamcatcher) : Dreamcatcher has always tried new things and built new paths. We’ll continue to try different and new things so that we can keep bringing diverse acts forth and live up to the expectations. We will also include diverse messages in our music, continuing on our path as artists.

Source : VIBE Magazine

Translation by 7-Dreamers HojuneTL Please do not take translation without credit

Meditation • You don't need to convince anyone

of what you already are

➻➻➻➻

It is unnecessary to try to persuade or convince oneself of something that already exists within them. It is a waste of mental effort and energy.

ˁ῁̩ˀ

Photo credit @le.sinex

When you are aware of your true identity, you simply exist. You do not need to prove anything to yourself or anyone else.

Remind yourself that you exist and that you are alive, which can help you stay grounded in the present moment. This awareness of being present in the moment is crucial because it allows you to focus your attention on what is happening right now, rather than getting lost in thoughts about the past or future.

Everyone's perception of reality is unique. We all have our own experiences, beliefs, and values that shape how we see and interpret the world around us. We are all living in our own dreams and creating our own realities. Just recognize that what may be true for one person may not be valid for another.

❈❈❈❈

When we are aware of this fact, we can begin to appreciate and respect the diversity of perspectives and experiences that exist in the world. This openness to different ideas and perspectives can help us cultivate a more compassionate and understanding attitude towards others.

@botanicalsword

Cause @meanbossart has been getting a bunch of asks about DU Drow as a companion, it made me think about the world building of DND.

Specifically the Drow.

Cause meanboss’s interpretation is that in the Underdark, male Drow being fucking STACKED is weird and unattractive…. Which I get, Menzoberranzan and Lolth sworn Drow are a matriarchal theocracy, any “masculine” traits would be seen as undesirable. But then why is there a shredded Drow option then? (I know why, logistically, but story telling wise these thoughts don’t vibe and I know it’s meanboss’s headcanon but that headcanon makes sense—!)

And in game Minthara says that families are allowed two sons, with anything after that being culled.

But… that seems… wasteful? I don’t know how else to say it.

Menzoberranzan is a very isolated place, there’s like no real interaction with the surface and any interaction with people from the surface is a big no no… so while the two sons mitigates the genetic diversity issue, it’s not a long term sustainable thing. Then again, Elves live 700+ years on average, so it’s not as immediate an issue as if it were humans doing the practice.

But I still think it would be weird to kill every son after the first two.

Something that makes more sense to me, is that after the first two sons, every subsequent son is taken by the church. Where they are raised until physically capable, where they are then assessed. You’ve got a few possibilities:

Sold into slavery, there are references to a slave market in the Underdark.

Breeding stock, they already have regulations regarding the amount of male children, there being state sanctioned eugenics doesn’t sound so far off.

Church property/attendants, why waste a woman’s potential by having her clean? She has more important things to do.

Immediately killed.

This keeps body numbers higher for things like manual labor, and it helps scramble up the genetic diversity a bit, because class isn’t (as much of) a consideration. Then, for the boys who do stay with their families, the happiest/most content men they see are the ones who belong to the church. So it reinforces that devotion to Lolth is a good thing.

So stacked Drow existing makes sense, like you wouldn’t want your firstborn boy to be 100% underground beef, because he’s undesirable/more likely to have been sired by a stud and not your actual partner(s) (are male harems a thing in the underdark? I feel like they would be) but they exist.

And then once the men are no longer useful, they’re killed, either immediately or, more horrifyingly, strung up in the temple rafters to be eaten by the spiders.

Being strung up is seen as the more respectable death, even if you can no longer perform duties for Lolth, your flesh is still useful in this. This is mostly what happens to those who belonged to the church, their bodies paralyzed so they don’t feel anything or struggle, even in death they find peace in Lolth’s embrace.

BUT!!! It is also used as a punishment. Because if you can’t provide for Lolth in life, you will in death. And those who are punished this way don’t get paralyzed. So they struggle and feel the pain as their insides are liquified and their skin torn open.

People outside the church don’t know about the paralyzation, so they believe that it is Lolth’s judgement causing the different reactions. Even further reinforcing how important it is to be devoted to Lolth.

PLUS!!! This adds another layer of political intrigue and plays if that’s more your speed. Families bribing the assessors to have their sons given to the church, “Lolth may not have blessed us with another daughter, but we are thankful we can provide to her another servant just the same.” Have this other one sent to the mines, keep this family out of the breeding pool, we want them wiped out entirely.

Great- great- great- Grandma made a deal with a devil for power, the agreement was one of her descendants would inherit it, the first third son in generations is the (un)lucky sorcerer, having him killed would undermine all of that work, but he can’t stay with the family either. He couldn’t be bought back if he’s sent into slavery, having him be a stud would mean that power leaves the family line and is basically just given to some random other, manual labor could kill him, and most church attendants are celibate if not full on eunuchs.

Do you see the possibilities Charlie? Do you?