#(aside from the diversity etc; but I personally need more than that)

[hiiragi7]

Yes

We are often different and that is okay!

We don't need to be exactly the same as each other. We don't need to prove how similar we are to each other to all coexist in the same community or prove that we belong here. We don't need to minimize our differences to be accepted.

Does that mean our experiences can't be similar or never overlap or have blurred lines? Absolutely not! But it does mean we do not need to force ourselves to fit into a box we do not fit.

There will be folks in the middle, there will be folks that are more one origin than another, there will be folks that have very little in common with others of their origin and folks that have quite a lot in common. There will be endogenic systems with CDDs (hi, me) and traumagenic systems without CDDs. There will be disordered systems who don't really relate all that much to other disordered systems. There will be mixed origin systems that are a mix of all-endogenic or all-traumagenic origins, there will be traumaendo systems, etc. And we should talk about all of these!!

We can also have both "these two things, broadly, are different" and "on an individual level, there may not be any differences between these two things aside from personal identity for some systems". Also "these categories may be fluid over time for some systems and shouldn't be treated as rigid and unchanging".

A lot of conversations around non-disordered systems say it's "just like DID but without the disordered part" and I think that's really harmful and unproductive. Non-disordered systems do not have to be "just like DID" to be valid! Let's not base all our ideas of what different kinds of plurality can look like on DID.

The constant comparisons of various forms of plurality to DID really just feels like erasing the sheer amount of diversity in experiences we're working with here (pushes the idea that all plurality is somehow related to DID, which isn't far off from "plurality cannot exist outside of DID"), as well as gives the impression that DID is Alters Disorder and that the "disordered part" can be easily separated from it, as well as that DID parts are the exact same as ("just like") non-DID plurality. Which... considering that most non-disordered systems don't particularly enjoy being referred to as dissociated parts or alters, doesn't really make sense.

Experiences can be different from each other and also not be a binary, we can be different and still have plenty of room for complex experiences, we can be different and still find use in shared spaces and terminology. We are not so different that we cannot understand each other.

It is good to be different because it means we have a lot to learn from each other.

A nuance / understanding I wish was out in syscourse more is that the ideas that

(1) Traumagenic / Dissociative / Disordered / CDD plurality is EXTREMELY different from Endogenic / Non Dissociative / Non Disordered Plurality

AND

(2) The line between traumagenic (and other labels) and endogenic (and other labels) is not always clear and frequently overlaping AND coexisting

Can both be true at the same time; Ie Two things can be extremely different AND not mutually exclusive

Like.... I feel me, @hiiragi7, and @indigochromatic are very clear examples of there being a mixed and/or grey line between false dichotomy of CDD vs non-disordered plurality as systems that have all been diagnosed with a CDD and have different but heavily notable aspects of non-disordered plurality / endogenic plurality / quiogenic plurality

The two experiences are very different and only have surface level similarities BUT trying to divide the two into clean and separate groups will always results in the ostracization of individuals that don't fall into that A or B category.

[aroaessidhe]

2023 reads // twitter thread

Venom & Vow

YA high fantasy about two enemy kingdoms whose leaders have been cursed to sleep, and are being run by the teen heirs

a bigender dama/assassin and trans prince are both trying to find the enchanter from the other kingdom who they believe is responsible

two disabled MCs (cane users)

[t34-mt]

What jewelry do kyhuines and maanuls have?

and what jewelry do humans have? many various ones that are influenced by the environment, history in terms of current fashion, current movements, beliefs and etc... same goes for them! but aside from the boring answer:

pre-alp traverse traditional jewlery by maanuls might share a common theme of being centered around the sea despite the various cultures, because maanuls lifestyle and everything they need revolve around the sea. People live near it, people live in structures at shores or in the sea, people may be part of sea-fearing ethnic groups who spend their lives out there on boats. some seafearing communities are more stationary than others but the life on a boat remains. Pre-alp traverse and first contact with kyhuines, maanuls lives depended on the oceans only. and it reflects in their art forms and folklore a lot. which include jewelry, from literal depictions of an animal from the shore to just more vague imagery, or usage of shells, the ocean can be found through many pieces of jewelry across the globe.

earings are very common among maanuls, the triangle skin hoods over their ears can be pierced. Although that defeats their purpose of blocking water once flattened against their temples, not that it was efficient at its job to begin with either way, so it's not a big loss of functionality in the end. Much like human lobes they have to be careful with the weight of their earrings. Because they can always risk having it slowly rip because of gravity. I guess for them it might take longer. Since gravity is lower its not pulling on it as hard as it is on earth. And the pierced ear hole sits on top of a cartilage ridge.

piercings? yes, maanuls are half made out of skin, and piercings are plausible on many parts of the body. Such as the face, but piercings on the face are restricted to certain areas, and all of them are temporary. They're surface piercings and they'll come out rather fast because facial muscles are constricted a lot in maanuls for facial expressions to communicate. just like how a bridge piercing in humans don't last long because we move our eyebrows constantly.

The "nose" isn't an area they can pierce, the skin there is rather tight against the structure, its hard to pull any for a surface type. Piercing through it is quite horrible and will in almost every case end up in a bloody injury. Sometimes leading to an infection too. Its literally a cartilage hell with so many blood vessels hanging around. also, this is a sensory organ they use for facial interaction with one another, so they rather have it "untouched". And the nose is never pierced successfully. Then the person with it will be seen as a masochistic. A "nose" piercing for them wouldn't look like a hoop passing through it, but more so probably a curved bar inside the structure, with each side of the nose protruding with a little piece of jewelry.

traditional kyhuine jewelry dating before the alp traverse and first contact with maanuls, does not have an overarching theme like maanuls does. Their lives do not revolve around one big thing, as kyhuines as a whole can live in incredibly diverse biomes from each other, think of the biome variety found in SWANA. if you know you know then. However, things such a jewelry based on bugs (domesticated species or not) can be a common recurring thing because of how bugs are a big part of their diet + they have many domesticated species. Some domesticated themselves because kyhuines let them in their homes for various reasons.

pierced ears in kyhuines? its impossible to find. why? because kyhuines do not have external ears. what they have on their head is just some sort of "plumicorn", identical to what prairie chickens have. just growing at a different angle. The plumicorns in kyhuines are raised up for the neutral expression all the time. If you plucked a kyhuine their heads would be smooth, and you'd find the ear holes near the eyes. If you find old art on my blog with kyhuines having earrings that's just me being indicative of what I wanted. But yeah, in conclusion, no earrings for kyhuines can be found.

piercings in kyhuines are rare because they're covered in feathers everywhere apart from the pelvis, gular sack, around eyes and snout end, and keel. and only the facial skin can be piercable, mainly piercing under the eyes by pulling the extra saggy skin if there's enough. they last longer than they do with maanuls, because kyhuine facial muscles are stiffer. they emote emotions via opening their mouths, tahofah fans, sounds, inflating gular sack, and piloting/ flattening their plumicorns. not a lot of contracting facial muscle is involved in it. I'd say they're much more common in plateau/mountain flank groups, where the dulls have wattles under their eyes. Its just extra skin that can receive piercings or minimal dot tattoos. one of the few ethnicities to be able to do tattooing because of this extra skin bit

example of a haut-plateau / moutain flank dull ("dull" being an afab individual) kyhuine. sketch from some months ago i never finished but you see the idea ->

i do not think they could pierce their gular sack safely, perhaps if the jewelry in the pierced hole is flexible? after all pierced holes will close back. But i don't know about this one yet.

necklaces usually are lose enough that they hang under the gular sac area, just to be safe and not break it if they inflate it for whatever reason. although necklaces that are several decorative hard pieces on a stretchable threat where it can widen in case the person inflates their sac is also a thing. but the first option is the most popular and spread out. Plus, several ethnic groups will consider it indecent to have a gular sack exposed, leading to covering it with tight necklaces, or much more commonly just tissue. as its more convenient and can be a part of a larger piece of cloth.

in mierthri kyhuines, jewelry is considered as clothing for them. average conception of clothes as in like sewed tissue together is a no for them. as it might weigh them down and restrict movement during gliding. if they wear clothes its super minimal and most of them just do not wear anything for convenience, and when they do its 1 piece where they just have to slide their head in, the sides are cut so they dont restrict any arm movement. And even then, these clothes are mainly used for events only and not as a day-to-day thing. although exceptions can be seen in kaar'kchir immigrant mierthri communities. Not because they're forced to, but because of cultural exchange and cultures evolving and merging together.

the jewlery in mierthri kyhuines is either at their necks as a necklace or ankles as a ring or band. ribbons are used too, even if they're cloth are still a decorative items that for mierthri kyhuines count as a full piece of clothing. ribbons are attached to the ankle of the end of their tail. when they fly around gliding, the ribbon, or necklace, ankle jewlery are mainly used for quick identification in the community. for example, spotting a paramedic.

after the traverse of the Alps and first contact between the two cousin species, many cultures merge through immigration and create new ones, many communities become of mixed species, and people bring their cultures where they go. which will include the jewelry! and it will evolve, its adapted into new etnic groups or modified to be more in the taste of the people living here, new fashion movements get created and so on with variants like this.

i could think of more to yap about, but i think that's all for this one. thank you for reading!

[apollos-olives]

Hi sorry Israeli Canadian anon from earlier. White gays are saying that Palestinians are homophobic??

(Admittedly, i am a white gay. I say that in the sense of "didn't realize ppl were doing this" and not in a distancing way to exempt myself from the shitty things us white gays do. I'm not perfect.)

Okay, putting aside how bullshit it is to label an entire ethnic group as being homophobic - do ppl think that Israel *isn't* homophobic?? Or transphobic for that matter? I actually happen to be trans and when I was changing my name and gender marker on my legal documents, I learned that I can't change my Israeli birth certificate bc to do so requires bottom surgery. Which I personally don't want or plan to get. To put that into perspective, canada (with all its bullshit facade of being such an ~accepting~ place) doesn't require that. Requiring bottom surgery to change gender marker is so fucking antiquated and transphobic.

Also, to be honest, even though I was born in Israel, I'm not super educated on all of the history. Part of that being because for so long I saw the discussion surrounding it being portrayed as oh so complicated. And then I realized that it really isn't. At its very core what it boils down to is: do you support genocide? If your answer is yes, then you support Israel. If your answer is no, then you support Palestine.

(Very much want to learn more about Palestinian history and Israeli occupation/apartheid. Do you have recommendations for articles/documentaries/etc on it?)

hi anon. and yeah. white gays, especially libs, constantly use the belief that all palestinians are homophobic (which also leads to islamophobic sentiments) and that people should not support palestine because of that. unfortunately that is a very overly used belief in arguments, especially in north america. the belief that palestine is homophobic and that israel is very open and supportive is due to pinkwashing, which can be explained very thoroughly on the website decolonizepalestine. this website also has TONS of information all about palestine, the occupation, and the various forms of questions people often ask, while also debunking a lot of myths and falsehoods that are produced from israeli propaganda. very good site to scroll through, and i'm sure many of your questions will be answered just by taking a read through it.

i'm not going to waste time and repeat what thousands of others have already said about pinkwashing, but i do want to mention that pinkwashing does play a huge role in the dehumanization of palestinians and also plays a role in how western propaganda continues to split oppressed minorities constantly, making them against each other rather than uplifting each other.

the belief that all palestinians are homophobic is. honestly. well. it's islamophobic. i'm queer, trans, muslim, and palestinian. i exist. queer palestinians exist everywhere. western and zionist propaganda makes people think that all palestinians are muslim, and therefore against queer people. this is simply not true, since palestinians are very VERY diverse. palestinians are christian, jewish, muslim, atheist, and whatever else as well. it's not a religious thing, it's an ethnic and racial thing. palestine simply has not had the time to unlearn homophobia or had the time to try to advocate for queer and women's rights because we are too busy trying not to die. we don't have time to fight for queer liberation because we're too busy fighting for our HUMAN liberation. we are trying to exist first, then we can worry about the discrimination against queers.

israel also claims to be a safe space for queers, but it is literally the opposite. it's just as discriminatory as other countries, and hurts queer jews, as well as blackmails queer palestinians into submission. like you said, israel does have transphobic regulations, like the whole "need bottom surgery in order to legally get a sex change" and other things like that.

i've been recommending this masterlist of palestinian resources for everyone, but please look through this if you want to learn more about the occupation in palestine. the website i mentioned earlier is very helpful as well.

inshallah we will see a free palestine in our lifetimes.

[witchygfsgf]

everything i hate about the modern marauders fandom ✨✨

characters are stripped of all defining traits. example: In POA, Remus is overall, a kind person. He has faced huge adversity, and despite this, proves society wrong by being a good person, by helping, by listening, time and again. But in fanon, he is aggressive, rude to friends, believes himself superior to the dumb, weak Sirius, he hurts people physically and verbally, he sides with bigots, he is quick to anger etc. He is not allowed to be gentle, supportive, meek and kind.

by assigning a villain character an LGBTQ+ sexuality, they are protected by any criticism. It's seen as homophobic if you so much as point out canon actions, much less make theories/headcanons about them that aren't positive, or negative but "hot." Everyone's personality is either warped beyond recognition or sanitised to the point they did nothing wrong, or both. Creating a ship for them, especially a character who we've only seen do terrible, unjustifiable things, only romanticises them, watering down their personality to create an aspect of their life that isn't so terrible, all in the hope that this will "make up" for their actions. "Barty didn't torture Alice and Frank, silly. He was too busy getting railed by his hot crazy boyfriend." "What do you mean Regulus is a fascist? Tell that to his husband."

extreme misunderstanding of canon backstories. example: Fanon perpetuates the idea that Regulus betrayed Voldemort in the end, which must mean he held no bigotry to begin with, he hated his parents and his upbringing from birth, and his crimes weren't that bad because eventually he changed. In reality, he had clips of newspaper articles about Voldemort hung on his walls, a literal shrine. He did betray Voldemort, but there is no implication this is because his beliefs changed. The fact it was likely due to the fact Voldemort planned to leave his house elf to die is ignored every time people theorise. What was well-known information is know deliberately cast aside in favour of popular headcanon, even if it doesn't fit the character. Barty wasn't Imperiused when he first joined the Death Eaters! He did that by choice! But fans remembered his daddy issues and now that's all that matters. Your father being an asshole doesn't give you the right to join a supremecist cult.

women are neatly paired off in wlw ships to avoid them affecting plot. example: A Jegulus shipper feels bad that Lily has been sidelined. Instead of investigating why they never allow women to prosper with their canon love interests, they find out about Mary, and decide that she will do, so no one is lonely. In most cases, Mary and Lily's relationship is defined by a) being a softer, drama-free counterpart to Jegulus and b) that's it. But they will rarely further the narrative in fanfiction, let alone provide more than background diversity.

shipping is prioritised over all else. there is no headcanon, no fic, no piece of art, that depicts one character without making it extremely clear that they are soulmates with another, and any attempt to depict characters separately, to show their own traits and individual stories and familial/platonic relationships instead, is pushed to the side. similarly, any discourse is less important when not related to shipping. talk about how jegulus makes no sense and how jilys better and get 100 notes, but talk about the evans sisters and get none.

the ableism. example: Remus' condition is very similar to a disability or chronic illness. He is constantly exhausted, especially nearing full moons, appears prematurely aged from the stress on his body etc. And then there's the societal stigma. For example, he is unable to get a stable job because he will be fired for missing work for rest/a full moon (reminiscent of needing frequent days off for flare ups). It impacts him in every aspect of his life. Many fanon fans have decided to erase all of this in favour of creating the two symptoms that impact him at all. One being horniness, and the other being anger. He doesn't have extreme fatigue and even pain, he just wants to rail Sirius twice daily. He doesn't hate himself because he will never be viewed as more than a beast by society, he yells at his close friends, hurts people he loves, and is forgiven by those weaker than him, because he is first and foremost powerful and intimidating. Instead of allowing the reality of his condition to be portrayed, it must become sexualised in order to fit in with his fanon characterisation.

"there's no information about them in canon, we have to make it up." I guarantee you there is. You can gather a lot from a small piece of information while still having it be accurate, and then, you can expand on that and build on those ideas by creating headcanons. Headcanons should not contradict canon, that's an AU. But if you're talking about canon-compliant universes, and you claim there's no information on Sirius Black, who has a whole book named after him, I have to laugh. For rarer, smaller characters, it's more complicated, but she still exists, and you can still take certain things from her character. Take Mary MacDonald. She was assaulted with Dark Magic by Mulciber, a friend of Snape's who later became a Death Eater, and he was described as "creepy." Despite that being her only mention, you can infer plenty from it, and build your own ideas that could fit with her character given those roots. To say there is no information, you have to have tried to seek it out because I promise (without having to give money to the TERF) you will find more than you thought was out there. If you prefer to ignore it, be my guest, please don't let a stranger on the Internet tell you how to live your life. But that's a choice, not your only option.

the fatphobia. For a fandom that claims to be inclusive and diverse, their attitudes towards plus size people imply otherwise. Peter is canonically fat, and while in the original context of the books this is done for fatphobic reasons, erasing this representation lets plus size fans know that you don't think they should have a place in your world, that you'd rather they were skinny so that they match your standards of "hotness" that you change every character to fit in with. For example, since the 2010s, Dane DeHaan has been the primary fancast for him, despite being slim, and this detail is rarely looked upon as anything other than standard altering of characters' appearances - e.g. it's treated similarly to people who use Ben Barnes (an actor with brown eyes) to portray Sirius (a character with grey eyes), a minor mistake that can be excused based on preference. If Peter is allowed to remain fat, many fans treat him worse than those who make him thin. His only hobbies include eating excessively and baking/cooking. He priorities food over people, is lazy and greedy/selfish in regards to food, he is always seen eating something or thinking about food out loud. Any angst about him pre-betrayal is focused on the idea of giving him an eating disorder, which fans claim "makes so much sense." That reflects how you view real fat people, and it can make us feel uncomfortable to engage in content about an otherwise very interesting character, because this will almost always be coloured by society's negative perception of fat people. He is also held to a higher standard than other Death Eaters, such as Evan Rosier. I would say that this applies to all fan-favourite DEs but for sanctity's sake, I'm only using one example. Rosier is heavily romanticised, his actions are excused or diluted, and he is given a sob story and angst unrelated to his appearance. His canon friends (Snape's gang) are replaced and any attempt to remember his true affiliation is ignored. Peter is villainised from a young age, he is never shown to be more than a traitor, he never gets a backstory let alone one that attempts to explain his personality and choices, and all angst in related to his appearance and weight. His canon friends (The Marauders) do not care about him in fanon, as if they were gifted with the knowledge that he was always a traitor. The only difference between them is that one is viewed as conventionally attractive and the other isn't. Also, any attempt to imagine any of the characters as plus size, even those with no physical description, is shut down or ignored. Fans hate fat evil characters because it's "fatphobic" but hate fat, good characters more because it's ruining their idealised, perfect version of the series, in which everyone is thin and hot.

heteronormative ships. example: In canon, both Remus and Sirius are fairly masculine, for example in terms of the way they dress. However, Sirius has shoulder length hair, while Remus' is short. This is his only "feminine" trait, and is definitely part of why fanon later decides to feminise him. In fact, as Remus is gentler, more mild mannered and kind, you could argue that of the two of them, he is more stereotypically feminine. Fanon has latched onto the idea that Sirius is feminine, whether that be transfem or an identity under the non-binary umbrella, and therefore their personalities have been altered to fit this. Remus is no longer as described in the books, but aggressive, tough, rude, hot-headed and dominant. He has also changed physically. Whereas canonically his height was never mentioned, and he is described as having prematurely aged, and as thin and weak looking due to exhaustion and poverty, he is now muscular, tall and conventionally attractive. Sirius is no longer careless, mean, immature and selfish, he is weak, submissive, dramatic, stupid and obsessed with Remus, who seems in most cases to not care about him, or at least find his personality annoying and make it very clear. He is also short, his hair is even longer, he dresses in short skirts and low cut or cropped shirts with heels and jewellery, he wears makeup, and he is referred to with feminine terms. These are all stereotypes of women. Men can be feminine, and non binary/trans identities are of course valid, but by stripping him of all masculinity and increasing the stereotypical masculinity of his partner, fans effectively suggest that there should be "a man and a woman" in the relationship. Further, sexist ideas of what a man and woman should be like when dating are ingrained into the fandom version of the ship, for example Remus is almost always the aggressive dominant top, and Sirius is almost always the weak submissive bottom. This is true, though not to the same extent as Wolfstar, in every MLM ship in the fandom. I will say that it seems to be different for the WLW ships, but I'll elaborate on that later (see "the palatable kind of lesbian.")

shipping the oppressor with the opressed. example: At the point most fan works are set, Regulus is a Death Eater or close to becoming one. He shares their beliefs of Muggleborns and Muggles, and worships Voldemort. Lily is a Muggleborn girl. She has been called a slur for her background, and I'd say she likely faced similar if not worse oppression to Hermione. Shipping them together, despite the fact that Jegulily/Regulily isn't as popular as other ships, betrays their entire personalities. Would Regulus date someone he views as inherently inferior? No he wouldn't, but his character has been so butchered it becomes impossible for people to remember what would be realistic for him.

the palatable kind of lesbian. Marlene/Dorcas. Masc*/Femme. Typically 2 Cis girls. Skinny. Conventionally attractive. Relationship rarely interferes with the main plot. Lily/Mary. Femme/Femme. Typically 2 Cis girls. Skinny. Conventionally attractive. Relationship rarely interferes with the main plot. Pandora/Lily. Femme/Femme. Typically 2 Cis girls. Skinny. Conventionally attractive. Relationship rarely interferes with the main plot. Emmeline/Mary. Femme/Femme. Typically 2 Cis girls. Skinny. Conventionally attractive. Relationship rarely interferes with the main plot. Alice/Narcissa. Femme/Femme. Typically 2 Cis girls. Skinny. Conventionally attractive. Relationship rarely interferes with the main plot. Do you notice the theme?

*Marlene is often presented as "masc" but in a way that conveys that the fandom views her as the butchest they'll allow a character to be. She has long hair, wears skirts and dresses, wears elaborate makeup and excessive jewellery, and yet many people seem to claim her as representation that they don't view femme lesbians as the only "good" ones. These are all things that butch lesbians can do, but when a fandom that claims to be diverse doesn't allow their lesbian characters to stray outside of the acceptable standards for womanhood, when the most masculine female character there wears leather skirts, lipstick and has long hair...Their efforts to be inclusive aren't succeeding.

women are avoided at all costs to prevent them effecting gay ships. Now forgive me that this isn't 100% Marauders Era, but i like to rant so you're getting context, if anyone's reading this that is. Tonks. She is constantly treated as if she shouldn't exist by predominantly Wolfstar shippers who want to justify pushing her aside. "Well (insert TERF) made her up to stop people shipping Remus and Sirius." Not true. Wolfstar didn't become popular until after the release of the POA film, in around 2009, and even then it was around 2015 when the Marauders Era itself became less underground and 2020 when Wolfstar started getting all-colnsumingly popular. Before that, Snupin was more popular by a long shot. If she created a whole character to stop gay ships, it would have been that one. That being said, it's not. Tonks existed as her own person in OOTP onwards. When the TERF decided not to kill off Arthur in the Department of Mysteries she wanted to kill off Remus instead, and so he was not only a semi father figure to Harry, but a biological father to Teddy. It's likely that because this child and death were "needed" Tonks was put with Remus to fulfil those themes of loss. And yet, despite not existing to prevent them, many Wolfstar shippers treat her character as if she's in the way, as if she doesn't have a place in the story etc. She is treated like a child who can't make her own decisions, even at the big age of 24, and portrayed as a victim of Remus. In reality, she holds all the power in the relationship that an older man would. She has reputation, money and she's an Auror (Wizard cop). Remus however, has had any reputation he did have stripped in Book 3, he is poor and unable to get a job, and he's a werewolf, a minority that is heavily discriminated against. And yet the age gap is suggested to be the only thing that matters, and the primary reason their relationship shouldn't exist, and as a result, why Tonks shouldn't be acknowledged. According to fans, her relationship and very existence is problematic, and she destroyed Wolfstar. Two crimes that cannot be forgiven. She has to go. In fact, her own child isn't her's now. In fanon, Teddy is more of Sirius' son than he is her's. She is never even grieved.

basically, it's a beautiful fandom, and i love being in it, creating for it, discussing with people. sometimes people just need some critical thinking, but they refuse to do so because thinking deeper about canon characterisation apparently makes them a jkr supporter. it doesn't. don't give money to the bitch but enjoying characters as they are is not the same thing. not basing all headcanons off of stereotypes and instead caring about how they realistically would act based on their previous actions is not the same thing as hating on trans people. you can make up as many trans headcanons as you want while still appreciating the fact that lycanthropy shouldn't be sexualised, or more importantly, that plus size people shouldn't be mistreated.

anyways, do what you want im not your mum.

[pteropodidaes]

it's been a while since i interacted with the marauders fandom, (like a month or two) but one recurring theme that i saw was the drastic recon of a lot of the slytherins in that era.

i remember when your main cast in your average marauders fic was mostly gryffindors, and then a lot of the antagonists were slytherins. barty and evan were almost always villains (bullies, toxic exes, etc) and regulus was an angst device for sirius. nowadays, the main cast is split into two main friend groups, gryffindors and slytherins. most gryffindors have a slytherin they're paired with (lily and dorcas [which btw i remember when dorcas was a gryffindor], james and regulus, etc etc). the slytherins all have family issues where their parents are blood purists and they don't agree with them and it's a whole thing blah blah blah

i like that there is more diversity in where the characters come from, but there is so much nuance that is stripped of these characters to make them all get along. regulus is the number one victim of this.

i've noticed there is a desire to make the characters people like morally good. they preach about grey characters, but when it comes down to it there is always a justification for the "bad" things they do. sometimes people do bad things because they believe bad things. regulus is a bad guy. he is a death eater, he gets the dark mark and everything. a lot of people write that regulus secretly agreed with sirius the whole time, but it makes it so much more interesting if sirius and regulus's morals actually clash instead of regulus just agreeing with his parents. i personally love when sirius and regulus are close in their childhood and then it changes as they both mature and find themselves.

i think if we look at the characters realistically, regulus barty and evan would never truly get along with people like james and sirius. they're both righteous people (ESPECIALLY james) who would not tolerate blood purism. and that's interesting to explore and to write! sirius watching his brother become a complete stranger who resents him because their morals conflict is so interesting!! you don't have to take away murky morals from a character so they can make out with your fav... which leads me to my next thing.

the jegulus boom. i remember when jegulus was a crack ship and now i think it's literally up there in popularity with wolfstar. i used to ship it as a joke, and in the beginning it was cute but honestly i don't see this ever being an actually healthy relationship. again, james has very strong morals and he would not tolerate regulus being a death eater. he would also ALWAYS choose sirius and he wouldn't stay in a relationship with someone who would cause sirius so much pain. there are a select few circumstances where i see them in a select few dynamics??? but i just don't see it happening.

it's sad because i feel like lily has been tossed aside for fandom's new bl ship. like i love wlw ships with all my heart but sometimes it seems like they come out of people wanting to do something with the canon female love interest. jily is such a beautiful and adorable ship, and the chemistry is honestly so much better than jegulus if i'm being honest. lily is also such an interesting character and you can still get your enemies to lovers fix out of jily. you don't need to compromise the morals of both james and regulus for your yaoi.

it always struck me as weird that these canon death eaters are suddenly heroes now, as in they never believed this shit at all and they're actually victims of their families and society and stuff. don't get me wrong, they definitely are, but it would be better if it wasn't just "i always thought this is wrong and i'm the rebel in my family!" people in these systems actually do get brainwashed and manipulated, and they do believe these things wholeheartedly.

i understand the whole thing with marauders is that there is no canon and you can do whatever you want, but sometimes the characters are just so flat. regulus is interesting to me because he was a bad person but he ultimately chose to sacrifice himself for something good. there's also the issue with changing the characters to the point where they're completely unrecognizable from canon. jkr is a shit writer, but that doesn't change the fact that james has been repeatedly described in canon as a righteous man with incredibly strong beliefs. he may have been a little shit, but never to the point where he would date a death eater. he literally pantsed one upside down and washed their mouth out with soap.

i'm also not saying the old fics were better. there used to be a LOTTT of inconsistency with the characterization of a lot of side characters like dorcas and mary and marlene. i love that the new fandom has given these characters a chance to shine. (well, the male ones at least...) i'm also also not saying that the slytherins should be just bad guys again. i feel like we've flopped from making them total assholes to angels that rebel a little bit.

i could honestly talk about the issues within the marauders fandom for literal hours, but the slytherins are something that has bothered me for a while now. don't be scared to make your skrunklies evil, they don't even have to be evil the whole time you can give them a killer redemption arc 👍

[laineystein]

I understand and agree the very observant would probably adjust to life in Israel very quickly. I know there’s a lot of Israelis that are secular as well, and I think they live ok? I don’t know for sure. To my understanding though, the government is tilted to favor the more observant Jew. As someone who isn’t terribly religious, that concerns me as much as the bombs and the bomb shelters. As far as stuff like the weather, to each their own. I grew up experiencing Lake effect snow storms and still do. I couldn’t handle year round hot weather. Where I live, a 60 degrees Fahrenheit and a sunny day happening before the summer heat descends is considered an opportunity to wear shorts and sunbathe.

I respect your opinion and I’m glad you feel at home in Israel. To me, personally, trading a bomb shelter and bombs to escape colleges students aspiring to be terrorists isn’t a trade off that nets a positive gain. To me, it’s the same.

That being said, I hope you, your husband, and the growing baby are doing well. 🙂.

I think the key here is that, again, I have lived in both Israel and the diaspora so I can confidently state where I prefer to live. I see a lot of Israeli Jews and a lot of Diaspora Jews both saying they’d prefer to live elsewhere but none of them have actually tried. So their opinion is based on perception and not fact. I’m not discounting their opinions as invalid but it’s worth acknowledging that they’re based in theory, not actual experiences they’ve had.

Yes, our current government is more conservative and does favor a more religious society but that’s not indicative of our population as a whole and even many religious Jews don’t favor our current government and didn’t vote for them. I also think it’s dangerous to say that more observant Jews would adjust to life in Israel quickly because that’s not an accurate statement. I, as an observant Jew, find being observant here is easier than in the diaspora - my level of observance doesn’t make life here easier, my life is easier because my level of observance is accommodated for in Israel unlike in other countries. Many religious Jews move from the diaspora and struggle with things just as secular olim would. Anyone moving from any country to another will struggle to adapt to that country. An Italian who grew up in New York will struggle to fit in in Italy. It’s the same thing. They’re different places and even if some of the practices may be the same, they’re still different cultures and customs, etc etc etc.

I need everyone to be careful not to paint Israel and Israelis with such a broad stroke brush. Just like every country, we are diverse and nuanced. Just like every country, those differences both cause difficulties and are what make Israel and Israelis so great. Half of the people in my life are not religious in the way that I am and they are all proud Israelis who would never want to live elsewhere. Some of them despise our current government and I have a few secular friends that vote Likud and always have. Again - it’s important not to fall into the same propaganda trap that we see with the pro-H@mas group that all Israelis are radical zealots with close minded viewpoints that enable us all to support a problematic government. That assessment applies to like 0.0001% of the Israeli population. Israelis are not a monolith, our government and levels of religious observance cannot be viewed through a monolithic lense. That’s just not how life works.

Bottom line - I don’t care where y’all want to live. Everyone should be able to live where they want to live. I just think a lot of diaspora Jews in particular essentially talk themselves out of living in Israel because it’s just unfamiliar to them and they feel that it makes them a bad Jew for not wanting to live here. Which is inaccurate because again, I don’t think anyone cares. I certainly don’t. Live where you want to live. Jew do Jew.

Thanks for the well wishes. Eye injuries aside, we’re all doing great BH 😅

[skopostheorie]

What China does better than Australia (and I'd assume most of the West):

Substantial food (i.e. meals) is very cheap, even relative to the minimum wage here

Most places, even less famous cities, have a lot of cool culture and stuff to do, and of course their own cuisines, whereas Australia, as a young colonial country, doesn't have as much history to boast of and most attractions are less meaningful in that sense

The average person is quite kind, though some drivers will get frustrated with you

Bike infrastructure is more present, especially in urbanised areas (of which there are lots... Maybe more than there should be, but who's gonna stop the one party system hey?), and if not, you are allowed to use the footpath

Also related to urbanisation, the skyline views and things like that in major metropolises are really beautiful, where as Australia's are... Meh?

What Australia does better than China

We're less addicted to our phones (I know! I can't believe it either!)

You don't need your passport of citizenship ID card for literally everything and travel between states is not the government's business. For example in China I needed to produce my passport so I could go into a garden

Entertainment is cheaper relative to the minimum wage e.g. a book is $20 ish, which is a little under an hour's min wage, where as in China is 50RMB ish, or two hours of min wage work. However food is much worse, see above

The 70 years ownership law can make life quite precarious for the average Chinese family especially because the gov't can just snatch it off you whenever they want for their development and don't have to answer to anyone. In Aus they can take your land off you but constitutionally they have to pay you back for it. Farmland also belongs to the state in China. Farmers have it ROUGH in Australia but the fact that they actually own their land gives them an out if they need to sell and move

Similarly, while rural-urban discrepancies are a serious issue in Australia, those of China make Australia seem like a paradise and quickly puts into perspective why there are so many people in places like Shanghai

The air in Australia is mad crisp

People staring at you for being a foreigner in the city is just.... Not going to happen

What they're about the same on

A Chinese person's English is about as good as an Aussie's (insert whatever language they did in school here), obviously not including those who graduate in international studies etc. if they can't explain something to you in English they'll bring the translator out

Places like Shanghai aside (where they're absolutely fantastic), public transport is about the same

Ethnic diversity*: while Australia's is about the many many Indigenous groups AND immigration, much of which has an extensive history as well as those who are "new arrivals", China's ethnic diversity is from their ethnic minorities that don't tend to stem from immigration but is equally as vast and vibrant. Both countries have major issues with the oppression thereof but also have govt initiatives etc to support them

[phynewrites]

🍓 Author Ask tag 🍓

Thank you for the tag! @leisoree (here) and @at-thezenith (here!) These are all wonderful questions and a perfect moment to share with others

This is a long post ahead so I'm going to put this here already:

Gently tagging (no pressure) @writingamongther0ses @distortedsense @alnaperera @sm-writes-chaos @bluet-s @silviathebard @caxycreations @inseasofgreen @sableglass

Your questions are:

Which OC are you most fond of and why?

Is there any form of media (other movies, books, theater, news, etc.) that inspired your wip/s? How so?

What wip-related activities do you do aside from writing your wip? (making moodboards or playlists, etc.)

What are you most proud of in your wip/s and why?

What tropes are common among your wip/s? Why do you enjoy incorporating these tropes?

Which part of your wip are you most struggling and how do you plan to overcome it?

Any advice/ words of encouragement or just really a greeting to any writeblr who would have read this far?

From @leisoree

What is the main lesson of your story (e.g. kindness, diversity, anti-war), and why did you choose it?

This is kind of tricky. Karikultura is essentially a satire/social commentary on the woes of my country as a former colony of Spain and America, as well as the neo-Imperialism that I learned during my years as an activist. I guess I wanted to impart my ideals there that we, as a nation, continue to operate in a colonial mindset by patronizing the foreign and especially putting attention on foreign needs instead of the welfare of our own people. We have not learned, that's essentially what I want to say

For In Death, Forever, at its core is just about how love endures everything, even the universe itself. But at the same time, there are things that are beyond our control no matter how we fight it for. Despite that, fate can be kind and it can work out in our favor even though the outcome is not something we want.

What did you use as inspiration for your worldbuilding (like real-life cultures, animals, famous media, websites, etc.)?

I'm going to mention a wip that I think hinted at it before and that is Mantra (I think I remember talking about it with @yesireadbooks and @holdmyteaplease I don't know why I can't tag you HAHAHA), although I never got to fully flesh out the story I did go HARD! on the lore, which is mainly inspired by Hinduism and Philippine mythology. It has a polytheistic religion, each person has a specific deity they worship (except if you're a sage, you're mandated to have more than one deity to worship). The landscapes, I was not able to flesh out but I wanted to take inspiration in ancient India. It was also at that time that I was rereading the Ramayana and Mahabharata that I wanted to incorporate the same values of heroism, bravery, remaining true to ones vows, etc.

Karikultura isn't so deep in worldbuilding, but it's heavy on symbolism. Each character represents an idea that is personified. The main character, of course, represents our country. His friend represents our countrymen. His sister represents language. His mother represents glory. I guess that counts as worldbuilding?

In Death, Forever was supposed to be a simple time-leap story, until it just, like any other wip as you would know, expanded. I included, like in Mantra, a polytheistic system but they are not a form of religion. These gods, compared to the ones in Mantra, are not worshipped. They are considered personified forces in the universe that control various dimensions of human life. (Father Time, Sister Fates, Mother Death, I'm not sure if I'm gonna add someone else, maybe if I thought of it and if they play a relevant role in the story.) The time leap structure was based similarly on Tokyo Revengers, to which I still am an avid fan of today.

What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them? Do you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, help readers grow as a person?

Felipe in Karikultura appears to be a businessman who intends to expound his reach and conquer the world together with his American friends. As I've said, what I want to achieve in this story is neo-imperialism awareness through the decline of his character, that this is a faux success and the real success would rely on the prosperity of the people and not the foreigners.

Mary in In Death, Forever's goal is simple: find a way to stop the death of her husband Connor. Compared to Karikultura, there isn't really a deeper meaning in her journey apart from showing her resilient and determined nature despite her hardships, which in itself is, I think, a worthy message to the readers. It's going to a be a story about her grief, understanding the ways of the world, pushing its limits, and the raw power of the human mind against the universe and those that govern against it. In the process, she gains an unlikely ally.

How many chapters is your story going to have?

Well, I'm not really one to set a wordcount or number of chapters for my wips, but Karikultura is finished now! YEHEY! And I have finished editing it! It has Three Acts: Act 1 with 15 Scenes, Act 2 with 8 scenes and Act 3 with 6 scenes, a total of 19 scenes of 18,967 words (Kinda short but I think it's an ample size for a playscript)

In Death, Forever currently has 12 chapters with 9,519 words in, and that's not even halfway (or even a thirds) of the original plot I have in mind.

Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

Oh boy HAHAHHA, all my wips are original content. My top contenders of where I plan to post it are in Wattpad and A03. Actually, Karikultura is available in Public now, in Wattpad at https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/374982617-karikultura

It's in Filipino and English, a little bit of Spanish.

When and why did you start writing?

I formed the love for writing when I was in 3rd grade. The first book I read was Roald Dahl's The Magic Finger and I thought I wanted to write stories like that. I started to read more -- a hobby that I got from my mom -- and that's where I started concocting stories. I would write in notebooks about stories in schools and ideas that pop in my head. I started formally writing in high school, when I was 14 years old I think. It was a retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood except werewolves. I posted it on Wattpad then and it got good reads for a while, but I didn't get to update it frequently due to busy studies. I picked up on my writing slump when I was a college student again, a few moments before I made my writeblr account. Truly, the reason why I started writing was because I wanted to put my thoughts on paper and have an outlet for my emotions

Do you have any words of engagement for fellow writers of Writeblr? What other writers of Tumblr do you follow?

Keep being you. Don't lose sight of why you write in the first place, and that is for yourself, your leisure, your feelings, and your story. Don't be discouraged if there are challenges, these are normal. The way you handle and react to them is completely in your control, so keep going and always remember to write because it is what you love to do. It is not for anyone else to dictate to you. All the love <333333333333

From @at-thezenith

what was the first piece of writing you did where you thought "wow I'd love to be a writer"?

Okie, so I said a while ago that technically it was reading first that got me into writing, but I think the first piece that I wrote that really inspired me was a story I made about my friends in 5th grade. We were playing a royalty roleplay-esque game that my friend invented. I wrote about it in my diary, and then a flash of inspiration came into me that I could turn it into a fantasy story where each of us were queens from distant lands with different powers, each needing the other to balance the world. Kind of like that. I think that's the earliest wip I've had.

how do you gather inspiration for your works? (pinterest boards, writing prompts, etc)

The biggest inspiration for most of my wips just come into my head from either a (1) dream or (2) various media. I remember specifically having an abandoned about attending a magic school that was based on a dream, and then another about venturing into the depths of a volcano to retrieve an ancient artifact and then using lucid dreaming to travel to another dimension. (please don't ask me to revive these I literally don't know anything about them anymore, maybe in the future something might inspire me)

However, a good chunk of my serious works are from other stories, that's why one of my inspiration as a writer is also to instill inspiration to others (and that's how I also get inspiration from my lovely moots!)

For example, Karikultura is specifically a mishmash of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Grey and Chinua Achebe's Things fall apart. The story is literally an adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Grey and at it's core is the message of Things fall apart.

In Death, Forever is an awful mishmash of Ken Wakui's Tokyo Revengers and Chinese series Link Click in regards to the time travelling logistics, Crisostomo and Maria Clara from the Television series Maria Clara and Ibarra as well as the extreme grief I felt from Demon Slayer: Mugen Train. I think even the atmosphere and the multiple universes of Sonny Boy also had an influence.

Another wip (unnamed but what I have in mind is "Berserker" or something like that) is based on Carnby Kim's Bastard Manhwa in regards to the atmosphere and the motivations of the main character. It also has elements of Venom such that the alien specie is like a symbiote but not really.

All these unrelated media mix together to create the shitshow I am brewing now.

what genre is easiest to write? what's the hardest? why?

For me, fantasy and science fiction is the easiest to write because of my exposure with the genre. With all the books and movies I have read and watched in this genre, I find it easy to pick apart how to make an effective story and create a world that is intricate according to this genre.

On the other hand, the hardest for me to write is Romance. Listen, sometimes love can be an overwhelming thing to write for me. I feel like I might be overdoing it or underdoing it. Do the characters have chemistry? Am I glamorizing a red flag? Do normal couples even do this? And it doesn't help that there are a lot of romance books that I have criticized a lot. That may be one of the reason I'm skeptical of my own writing when it comes to romance (which is kinda ironic considering In Death, Forever is also a romance story. Anyway, it's always good to go outside of our comfort zones once in a while)

what does a typical day of writing look like for you?

My job required me to write a lot of technical stuff so really, it's also a part of my daily life now (just not the type of writing I do to enjoy.)

When I'm writing for my wips, I want to remain focused and undisturbed as much as possible. If you would observe, I reblog some others writers' works here sometimes. That would mean I'm not in my headspace and want to get there, and most of the time I read stuff to get in the writing headspace. I also put on ambient music, mostly piano, to stay in that headspace. I have a notebook where the ideas are propped up and its sitting in a book stand next to my laptop. I have my favorite mechanical keyboard propped up, and a cup of cold coffee by the side. I really need the external orderliness to coordinate well with my headspace HAHAHA.

free space! ramble about a character you've most enjoyed writing about

Oh boy, this is actually from a short story that I posted here a long way back, it's a prompt fill that just sparked something in my brain and I knew I had to write it down, get it done. I don't care that I have a class in the next few hours, we still have time to get this shit.

Not just the characters, but I really love the worldbuilding I did here, especially since it was all in a whim but I'm really proud of it. I really like Luna and Skye's character. Actually there was another one that was supposed to appear which is a childhood friend of Skye. I think I have written her story somewhere, I just need to find and edit it before I get it out here. I wish I could expound more on their world, but there's nothing that coming out of my brain right now lol HAHAHA. I think what I most enjoyed writing about them is the spontaneity and how I was able to come up with their stories as fast as I could, on a deadline before my classes start.

I have a lot of babies, most of them are residing in my subconscious and I love them all.

if you could pick the brains of one author, who would you pick and why?

That would be Khaled Hosseini. I was deeply moved when I read The Kite Runner and it really made me feel... feelings. There's something in the way that Hosseini weaves words into not just a story but a prose. He was the first writer that I truly admired for the way he placed words together. I said that I want to have that kind of poetic way of writing and I would love to get into Mr. Hosseini's train of thought while writing so I could write like him and string the hearts of people like what he has done for me.

7. what's one writing tip that has stuck in your head?

Write for yourself. It's very simple but powerful because it reminds me why I'm doing this in the first place: because I love it. It gives me a chance to bring my stories to life, be productive, do something meaningful, and create. Also, I'm the kind of person who believes that the universe will give people what they need the moment they do. I might not be writing just for myself. There might be someone, somewhere out there who needs to read what I wrote just as how the countless works of other authors have found me. But for now, these stories will not be finished unless I do it for myself first.

[kimageddon]

Hey I wanted to thank you for your comments on the long thread about Phee/Tech and neurodivergence, etc. You managed to put into words what I couldn't about posts of that nature and why they were bothering me; I've mostly just blocked them rather than try to articulate what didn't sit right. Neurodivergence is a large spectrum and I think it's easy for everyone to assume a given ND character's experiences must align with theirs, rather than acknowledging it's going to work for some of us and not others, and that's all part of being a large, diverse group of people whose life experience at the hands of neurotypical society is going to be radically variant.

Hello Anon!

Thank you kindly for such a lovely message! I am very glad that I was able to say something. You may regret sending this, because I am jumping back on my soapbox.

I'm gonna talk about Autism, ND, mental health as it relates to Tech and the Bad Batch.

This is gonna be another long one:

For clarification, if anyone needs it, my message in the aforementioned thread was to offer a different perspective as the arguments did not make sense to me. I wanted to talk about the show and not about the people having the opinions.

I wanna clarify that my comments in regard to Autism being different was not to dismiss the experiences of anyone ND but to specify that while perhaps you(anyone reading this) would find the comment "it's called a conversation" upsetting (I know I would if it were said to me!).

However I do not think Tech would.

My reasoning is this:

Autism is treated differently in men and women and men (generally speaking) are not pressured to mask as much. (They still are, but not to the level of women from everything my research tells me.)

That being said, Tech has not really had to do that from the evidence I have seen. He Info dumps, interjects, and pretty much acts with confidence throughout the time we see him. Why would he need to mask? He was created to be a well of information and his brothers more or less accept him as he is.

To the argument that Phee somehow controls or manipulates or otherwise pushes her self on Tech in any manner.

I think that is ridiculous.

Firstly, she is gentle and kind when she speaks to him, if a little sassy. Nothing Tech hasn't encountered before from his brothers, or even dished out himself.

Hunter's introduction to us of Tech is: "He can fill your head with useless info for hours."

Which is probably the most dismissive thing said to him in the time we get to know him, but that just doesn't bother him.

In relation to this, people saying things like this are at risk of infantalising him. Which is a major problem within the Autistic and ND community.

Secondly. Tech is a grown ass man (weird clone aging aside). If he didn't like Phee or something she says, he can walk away, and I believe he would. He doesn't appear to feel the societal pressures, he's a soldier and doesn't get civilian etiquette so why would he follow it and stand around her just to be polite?

"Since when have we ever followed orders?"

We aren't children.

We might think differently and process differently, but we are people. We're not poor widdle babies that don't understand our feelings. We don't need protecting from the world and people that wanna treat Tech that way are doing he and the Autistic people that identify with him a massive disservice.

Finally, I wanted to clarify the part of my message that seemed to be the most controversial.

If something is so deeply upsetting that it affects your mental health detrimentally perhaps you need to look at your life and disengage from said thing.

From what I gather, some people have interpreted this to mean : just don't watch the Bad Batch. or "it's just a stupid show why do you care?"

This is not what I mean.

Of course care about it, get engaged with the characters and the story and let it make you feel things.

What this message means is:

If something -- whether it be a piece of media, a person/relationship, a social platform --

Is so deeply upsetting that it effects your mental health detrimentally -- if you have trouble sleeping or thinking about anything else or fall into depressive states (not depression generally speaking but because of the something specifically) and you cannot function at your usual level --

Perhaps you need to look at your life -- true happiness comes from within (i'll get to this in a sec) --

And disengage with said thing -- take a break, take a breath, drink water, have a snack. Let your emotions process and let yourself relax, then you can go back to it (provided of course it's not a toxic situation.) --

I realise this is far easier said than done, and it would take a significant amount of introspection, but I use this in multiple situations, not just here.

The TL:DR version; go touch grass, you'll feel better.

Alright, we've strayed a little from the point

Finally: Ship and let ship.

If you don't like Phee because you prefer to write Tech as not liking anyone but y/n or your OC -- go for it! That's totally valid! (They did it with Anakin so why not?) Besides, there were only a few interactions and it was a budding closeness, it's not like Tech was getting married to her!

But if you wanna make excuses that you only like the actress when she's not a direct romantic threat to your blorbo or do some mental gymnastics to try and portray her interactions as toxic, and he "deserves better" my dude, that reeks of something else entirely.

I decided to cut it here as it's getting a little longer than intended and I wanted to keep this to Tech/Bad Batch related stuff. I will make a post explaining the more controversial takes that apparently upset some people.

That should be interesting.

Again, thank you anon for the kind message, and giving me an opportunity to further clarify my thoughts.

If anyone has any questions or counterpoints, I would be interested to hear them.

[sexualitiesresearchgroup]

Fanfiction & The Power of Making Your Own Representation

Hey besties, worsties, and those whose relationship with me is much more complex than that, let’s talk about fanfiction! We know it, we love it, and it has absolutely never been the topic of any controversy whatsoever! I see a lot of discussion on here about the literary merits of fanfiction– people like to say that Dante’s Inferno is just Bible self-insert and the like, and whether or not that is a joke (and I do believe that the majority of people saying this are doing it for the bit, it’s not the insidious act of anti-intellectualism that a lot of y’all think it is) this kind of rhetoric does reveal an underlying urge on a lot of our parts to try to legitimize fanfic as something that’s worth spending our time on. Whether or not your 20k word Destiel soulmate AU is high art, fanfiction does have a very real benefit, aside from just being fun.

It’s no secret that the majority of fictional media that’s coming out is Overwhelmingly Heterosexual, and it can be really difficult to find books, shows, movies, etc. that you can connect to as a queer person. Plus, there’s this overwhelming pressure for queer media to be perfect in how it deals with social issues, and while it is more than justified to be frustrated when media portrayals perpetuate stereotypes or are otherwise inaccurate, the environment for queer storytellers has become rather hostile, both from the industry they are climbing uphill to break into as well as from fans. As such, while media is steadily getting more diverse, many queer people still find themselves feeling alienated by the media they enjoy, and that’s where fanfiction comes in!

When mainstream media is sorely lacking in representation, queer fans take it upon themselves to create media that suits their needs, retelling stories as a form of social transgression, taking aspects of the normative and making it queer. French philosopher Michel Foucault discussed the concept of the ‘heterotopia,’ which has nothing to do with heterosexuality, believe it or not. Heterotopias are spaces that can “disrupt the normative processes and power—including heteronormativity and cisnormativity– within which society functions” (Llewelyn). These spaces engage with normative, mainstream culture while also subverting it: while it should by no means be where your activism ends, there is something personally empowering about, for instance, writing about two characters being gay when their creator has said something homophobic. It is a small act of resistance, even if it is not something that the showrunners will ever see. You’re carving a space for queerness within a larger space that either explicitly or implicitly rejects it, and that’s pretty cool! 

Writing gay fanfiction isn’t necessarily going to change anyone’s minds or get any legislation passed, but it has a very real value in how it allows queer people to take the media that they love and reimagine it, reclaiming it and making it something that they are able to see themselves in.

[omamervt]

Something I find infinitely funny is the conservative insistence that the very people they want to see erased from society (or perhaps to exist as an eternal out group to "other" people to at will) also have to be their friends/lovers/etc, in spite of the whole "othering" thing. And I've seen a lot of guesses on why that is, most of them are likely contributing factors.

Most likely answer is that they know anyone who is able to reach across the political aisle for their hand in friendship/love/etc is gonna side with them, end of the day. They may have different political alliances but the hope is that your community alliance is stronger, and while they'll have no issue turning on undesirables, they're comfortable in the belief that you will have trouble turning on them.

In line with that, most conservatives also seem obsessed with the idea, the fantasy, of subjugation. The reason incel/redpill bros and tradwife girls haven't all married off is because that's not what either group actually wants, even if it's what they say on paper. Redpill bros don't want a premade tradwife, they want to MAKE one out of one of a woman with blue hair and pronouns. It's why you see so many Reddit relationships posts where a man is angry about his girlfriend, who he met at The Club, still going to The Club. It's why they're so obsessed with "body count" - They don't actually care if a girl has slept with a lot of people, they just want her to be ashamed of it. And likewise the aspiring tradwife girls want a Real Manly Man who will Be A Provider for them... and the Red Pill bros are all too insecure to fill the role. Who's not insecure about their masculinity though? Men who place little value in it to begin with. It's the same deal with friendships - like I said before, they expect their friends who are further left on the political spectrum to fall in line when it comes down to it.

But my personal favorite is that, no matter how you spin it, no matter how much an ongoing pandemic has fucked both our online and offline behavior, conservatives stand more to gain from befriending left-leaning people than they do other right-leaning ones on an interpersonal level. Aside from family, who is supposed to be there for you no matter what, who would you guess is the more empathetic group? Other right-wing extremists, who you've united with mostly out of mutual hatred and fear of change? The centrists, who disagree with just about everything you say but ultimately stay out of your way? Or the people who, even if they can't agree on a course of action to rally behind often enough to make a difference, are all hoping for a better world that benefits the highest possible number of people? At the very least, I know the group I'd trust to form healthy emotional bonds with the least. You MIGHT get your needs met by one of the centrists, but more people in group 3 care about things because they CARE. no agenda, no ulterior motive, just... actually care about people. Not just the ones immediately around them, either. They care about people overseas even when they AREN'T being opportunistic about it. But they're always shocked to learn that these people who CLAIM to care about diversity, who SEEM to care about everyone, could look at a conservative and find... nothing. These people would lose something that matters to them and get nothing in return. A relationship with a conservative is worth so little, they aren't even seen as worth converting.

That HAS to eat away at them, even if they're so deep in reality denial to ever understand why.

[giiaaaa]

Week 11 - Session 1

My group's manifesto key points are:

- Purpose That translates to principles of work that convey its messages, inspire, and interact and engage with the viewer. - Aesthetic Making it memorable and impactful with elements such as color palette, typography, layout, harmony, etc..And attention to detail. - Reflection keeping an open mind to constructive criticism that involves developing oneself and evolving with design trends.

Personally, I agree with my group's manifesto but here are my personal add ons:

My personal manifesto:

Get over myself

Embracing the mindset of getting over myself is a valuable asset to help me reflect on my commitment to growth, collaboration, and user-centered design. By understanding the connotations of "get over," I can set aside personal biases, egos, and preconceptions to prioritize the needs and preferences of end-users. Hence, I'm able to make room for a more user-focused, transparent, and empathy.

Art goes beyond aesthetic

For instance, this charity fashion show correlates with the idea that art goes beyond aesthetics by using fashion as a medium to raise awareness and support for cancer and survivors. This charity show highlights that fashion can be used as a tool for self-expression and empowerment, allowing individuals to express their identity and journey through their choice of clothing.

Correlation to materiality and techniques has taught me that creativity knows no boundaries and can be elicited through various mediums. As it explores the diverse materials, textures, and approach. Fashion design, like any other medium shares similarities like embracing unconventional materials or ways to create symbolic elements.

Art is meant to disturb the comfort

I like this quote a lot as I feel that it guides me in my endeavors, whether it be in my practice or outside. Cesar A. Cruz's quote captures the dual nature of art as a means of both solace and challenge which suggests that art, in various forms, can be a source of healing, empathy, and connection for individuals.

On the flip side, art also has a role in unsettling or challenging those who may be complacent or comfortable in their beliefs, perspectives, or societal positions. It suggests that art can catalyse questioning norms, provoking critical thinking, and prompting reflection. Perhaps, like this photo below.

Meanwhile, it challenges norms, where the boundaries of photography are challenged capturing thought-provoking images that promote critical thinking and challenge societal norms

Using this approach in my practice of photography, it helps me to ease both means of nature-whereby the presence of seeking photography as an outlet for my own emotions that capturing images brings comfort.

Taking risk is a crucial aspect

I feel it is imperative to my journey as it helps fuel creativity, explore the unfamiliar, and encourage me to trust my instincts.

Lastly,

Collaboration allows me to work with diverse perspectives, skills, and ideas.

This collaboration and willingness to find common ground demonstrates the point of connection and compromise in shaping what's best for an idea. We were able to create a concept that reflects both our individual styles and ideas by accepting different viewpoints and finding a middle ground.

I have learned from CTS the significance of open communication. It has taught me to think critically, which involves analyzing, assessing, adapting, and drawing conclusions. Through this practice, I can express my thoughts and conclude clearly to my partner, and allowing us to make informed decisions and work towards shared goals.

Word count: 454 References: "School manifesto". Ulfal, V & Gia. 7/11/20223 "Personal manifesto". Gia. 10/11/2023 In Good Company. "Fashion for Cancer". Image-Ong Bee yan. https://ingoodcompany.asia/discover-impact-fashionforcancer The Straits Times. "Fashion for Cancer". "more than just a fashion show". Akshita Nanda AND Gin Tay. SEPT 6, 2023. https://www.straitstimes.com/multimedia/graphics/2023/09/fashion-for-cancer-singapore/index.html?shell "Art Should Comfort the Disturbed and Disturb the Comfortable" Cesar A. Cruz." https://www.pinterest.com/pin/696932111097934092/ Medium. "When A Monk Set Himself On Fire — Burned To Ashes". Afaque Ashraf Janzai. 14 may. https://medium.com/@afaqueashraf9988/when-a-monk-set-himself-on-fire-burned-to-ashes-1986e6a6838c "Chill Zone Check-In". Gia. 5 November 2023 "Visual Concept". Ulfal & Gia. 17 October 2023

[tamaradoubraomonibeke]

RSA (Defined User Human Flow) (LO3)

After a lot of research( mostly on practical skills e.g ux as too much research on the audience may stray me from doing the proposed idea)

This is why I’ve narrowed down the user human flow.

Sign up page/ Sign in page

This will have the option of signing in with Google or Facebook too. After studying, logging in isn’t a natural phenomenon (we don’t log in for instance at a hospital, we sign in). A log is used for seafarers and when designing, it’s always good to relate to real-life than creating your own concept.

When signing up, the information needed will be; username/ telephone/ email, age, password.

The reason I ask for date of birth is to allow the audience see their peers. One of the main problems with social media as I’ve stated is how young people are influenced by an older demographic. However, they aren’t in the same life-stage and not all advice is helpful to the coming generation. The AI or algorithm will be fed appropriate information to suggest for a younger audience so they can still access information related to older audiences.

Before TikTok, Snapchat or Instagram, social media like Facebook required an age verification (I’m not saying I’ll do this as young folk inflated their ages). Back then, my mates would inflate their age as the required age for Facebook was 13, I believe. What I’m trying to say is, the younger generation, although exposed was less influenced than they are. For instance, I have younger siblings, the youngest being 12 (aside from him being a boy, our experiences are certainly different). It adds to the verification process but it’s worth it.

Personalization

This will include three steps; your purpose for using the app and preferences

Using your purpose, the app is specifically tailored to you.

I believe true ‘personalisation’ is about anticipating how diverse your audience is even if they have a similar identity (age, gender, social-economic class, sexuality, race, disability,etc). If they have all this in common, I consider that people don’t have the same mindset, we may have similar experiences but chose to react differently. This is the same thing for my audience.

The three options given for purpose are; linking with others, expression (creating posts) and enlightenment.

After this is the second phase which is the preferences. I’m not sure if it’s appropriate in this context but there’s a principle of not allocating more than 7 options to overwhelm the audience (especially when they’re not in categories). Based on assumptions and research; I’ve analysed how the average user human lives and used this to tailor the preferences.

Home page

Regardless of preference, the user human will be redirected to the home page. There’s the for you page and page for your friends (links). On the right hand position, recommended friends (links) will be shown and below it is a create post button.

For responsiveness, I’ve chosen this as the default setting. However, the TikTok interface, I find it interesting. Same with Snapchat or YouTube. The feed pages on this social media allows the user to focus on the content (YouTube has a full screen feature, unfortunately I can’t implement this as the prime focus of this site isn’t for video sharing). The golden ratio being a rectangle (for beauty), a full screen layout is more aesthetically pleasing. In forums like Reddit and Quora, this feature isn’t applied.

Thus, I also want to apply this feature to my site. Yes, posts have an inconsistent layout compared to the mentioned social media. However, I want my audience to be able to focus more on the content if they wish to (no distracting elements) and swiping is a natural motion for users humans, not scrolling (e.g you flip to the page when reading a book, not scroll to the next page, this is why TikTok’s interface is quite good).

This feature is customised for users humans whom’s objective is enlightenment and awareness.

Your profile (space)

I obviously can’t rebrand everything but I do know people are used to the word ‘profiles’ but it seems too stiff. The priority of this site is to provide a safe ‘space’, a word now commonly used in this generation. Your profile (space) entails where the posts obviously appear.

Recommended friends (links)

The more interaction a person has, the more their algorithm is set for them. Using the preferences and ways they interact with the site ( comments, reposts, or me toos (likes)), the algorithm recommend ‘links’. The act of networking with other people is called ‘linking’ because I’ve found in this generation, with hook-up culture, Gen Z call their hook-up partners ‘sneaky links’. Obviously, this isn’t in a sexual aspect……

Minute keywords to how you relate or are similar will be displayed. Then, you can choose to interact with the other human. The usual circle will lead to their profile (space) page.

Messaging

Once the user human has linked with another, they are automatically directed to the chat box. This then pushes them to network. (If your preference is to network with others)

Your link’s profile (space)

However, if your purpose is to view content or create, it then directs you to their space page of content.

Settings

It will have the usual settings of editing your information on your space or purpose.

New Key Terms

Whilst I was researching on UX (I finally know the difference between UI and UX), I found making new terminology is shunned. However, Snapchat did it with stories instead of ‘post’. It’s good to stick with what’s there (that’s why most of my UI decisions are based on pre-existing social media), however to move forward, we must be able to make little tweaks or UI will remain the same (and that becomes boring).

Me too instead of Likes (I wanted to use the terms ‘relate’ or ‘feels’ but Apple has already used Me too so It’d be nice to recycle it. My only fear is with the me too movement……)

Spaces instead of profile (I want people to have a safe space, rather than a profile. A profile feels like submitting a job resume)

Links (As I’ve stated before…. Sneaky link)

I wanted to do more like posts being expressions but no-one uses that word. I also can’t change too much.

Conclusion

Once I’m done, I’ll show my prototypes to at least 2 people and not more than 5 as that’s the general rule of thumb. A small group can help influence in how I tweak things.

[fickdichistwarum]

There's also potentially a degree of ableism in this conversation, though probably not intentional. Neurodivergent men are, generally speaking, worse at masking than neurodivergent women, hence the generally higher diagnosis rates for males (aside from, y'know, general medical sexism). And neurodivergent people are usually read as 'weird', which combined with the level of paranoia we see here means they'd be read as a threat, even if they're just harmelessly doing their own thing like having resting bitch face*. Which can be really dangerous for the neurodivergent person, cause that might get them assaulted, either by the paranoid person or by the cops they call. All for the crime of Looking at Tree near Woman (who they hadn't even noticed) Too Intensely.

Also, that study is almost worthless just on its sample size alone. 87 students at a university in North Dakota is in no way representative of some 3-4 billion male humans. To be at all useful you'd need a study with hundreds, more likely thousands of participants from a diversity of cultural and religious backgrounds, geographic locations, age ranges, socio-economic classes, etc. You'd also need to control for peer pressure, cause how participants answer around their peers may well be different to how they answer alone. And for factors like the age and gender of the interviewer (if applicable). And for the wording of the question in different languages and dialects. And almost certainly for dozens of other factors I haven't even thought of. This study is at best a preliminary one to argue for a more indepth study, and at worst academic clickbait. The only conclusions one could reasonably draw here are about the student culture at that one North Dakota university, and even then only tenuously.

*I have resting bitch face and look kinda annoyed when I'm not bothering to Have Facial Expressions, and some people read it as dangerous. Not many, because I am short and round and generally inoffensive looking, but still.

i am reminded, my coworkers were discussing "would you rather be alone in the woods with a man or a bear" and i was experiencing Complete Perplexment cause they were like "I would pick the bear" and then I learned this was a whole internet Thing, where women were saying they would rather be alone with a Bear than a random human man, and I was like okay first of all, the status of wildlife education in this country is truly pitiful.

but second, are you telling me that if you were stranded in the wilderness and you saw a bear and in the opposite direction you saw a man coming towards you, you would run from the human person and go TOWARDS the wild bear?

[theonlywayisinward]

May your life be an act of love: 30 ways to date yourself

As I'm about to turn 30, I thought it would be a really fun idea to list 30 ways to date yourself, all of which I've been doing this year.

To keep it nice and brief (or not 😉), I'll just dive in:

Meditating. Devoting time to centering and grounding yourself on the daily is maybe one of most productive, yet relaxing ways to love yourself. It has become one of the most crucial aspects of my life and a non-negotiable. If you've never tried it, do it like yesterday. You go into it as one person and leave as another. It's life-changing.

Reading. Read uplifting and inspirational books. I personally recommend any book by Brianna Wiest, who has honestly inspired me to start writing again. I think the best thing you can do to really date yourself is stimulate your mind through books.

Taking your supplements. I think this one is completely underrated and often overlooked. But really dating yourself involves paying attention to what your body and your mind need and the best way to really ensure this in addition to your diet is through supplements.

Eating nutritious foods and staying hydrated. What you put in your body DIRECTLY affects the way you feel. What you eat will affect your mental health as much as it will your physical health. Focus on prioritizing a wide variety of vegetables to help increase diversity in your gut microbiome, which will ultimately lead to a healthier, happier you. The staying hydrated aspect of it is a no-brainer. Drink your eight cups. Just do it.

Exercising. Particularly strength training. It not only helps you feel good and look good, but exerting physical strength also stimulates your mind as it promotes mental strength as well. The whole "your body will only go to where your mind will let it" thing is real. It's all connected.

Going for walks. Yes, the term "hot girl walks" is a thing. Aside from the fact that you're being active, walking is huge for mental health benefits, and it's primarily why I do it.

Following a skincare and oral hygiene routine. Taking care of your skin is so crucial for feeling good. After all, you have to look at yourself in the mirror everyday for the rest of your life-- don't you want the face staring back at you to look vibrant, hydrated and supple? I also highly suggest that in addition to maintaining proper oral hygiene, you whiten your teeth. Your smile will thank you.

Listening to podcasts and audiobooks. Where do I even begin, you can find a podcast or an audiobook for absolutely anything. If you need inspiration or motivation-- go to audible, listen to a Ted Talk, go on Spotify, etc. You'll thank me later.

Making playlists. This one in particular has been a game changer. I don't know where I would be without music. I have a playlist for everything. From breakup bops, to work playlists, to non-sentimental, groovy mixes, to cooking music, you name it.

Buying flowers and burning candles. I personally think everyone should buy themselves flowers. I mean Miley didn't write that song for nothing. My personal bliss is coming home with flowers from the market, lighting a candle, and just taking in the beauty of doing something romantic for myself. I've done it while in a relationship, I've done it while single. And I'll do it forever.

Shopping for new clothes. Simple-- A hot, new wardrobe to channel your inner Goddess? Say less.

Getting massages. This one is self-explanatory but what better way to date yourself than giving yourself the gift of relaxation? If you have some money to spend, I can't think of anyone more deserving of being spoiled by you than you.

Solo beach dates. All you need is a blanket, the cute playlists you've made, headphones and yourself. Wine sold separately.

Writing in a journal. It doesn't have to be a journal either, it can be a random piece of paper, your planner, or even Tumblr (yup, shout out to this platform), but writing out your feelings doesn't only work as a sounding board to help give structure to all the mumbo jumbo in your brain, but it gives you relief and clarity.

Practicing gratitude. Write down at least 3 things you're grateful for everyday and watch your life change.

Cooking. If you like to cook like me, you will find taking the time out of your day to try out new recipes incredibly therapeutic. If you don't know how to cook, what better time to start than now?

Taking up a new hobby. For me it's writing. But for you it can be anything from learning how to crochet, paint, taking up tennis, swimming, etc. Diving into a hobby keeps your mind and body focused; it keeps you entertained, and it opens you up to more creative thinking.

Dressing up and getting dolled up. Maybe get a nice blowout or curl your hair, put on some perfume & try out a new lipstick that catches everyone's eye and just step out of the house. Studies show that your Queen era starts with a solid makeover. I don't make the rules.

Watching uplifting tv shows. If you're currently single, you will never have as much time as you do today to do literally whatever you want, so binge some cute tv shows. I suggest Sweet Magnolias, Firefly Lane, New Girl, etc.

Taking fitness classes. Self-explanatory. Try yoga, pilates, cycling, maybe Crossfit? Whatever it is you want to try, now is the time. And who knows, you might just meet some new people, form a new friend group, meet the love of your life? Maybe, maybe not. But you'll get hot either way.

Feeling your feelings. In my personal experience, when any feelings arise, I allow them. Resisting prolongs them. No better way to date yourself than allowing every emotion into your space and accepting it as part of your human experience. You heal faster this way.

Spending time with friends. Nothing better than being around great energy to really make you feel your best. A good support system is everything.

Affirmations. Changing your inner dialogue at a subconscious level will subsequently change your entire life. Pick some positive affirmations and repeat them everyday, multiple times a day.

Dancing. Go out dancing with friends, take a Zumba class or any other dancing class of your choice. I personally think dancing is one of the most liberating forms of self-expression, so I do it as much as I can and I always feel amazing afterwards-- highly suggest it.

Traveling. Nothing better to help expand your perspective and broaden your horizons than experiencing new cultures, a change of scenery, and trying new food (if you're a foodie like me).

Spending time with family. Family over everything. Feel the love all around you when you're with the people who truly care about you most and revel in it.

Diving into work. Simple, excel at what you're already good at. Take on that extra project, work harder for that promotion, get a side hustle, etc. Not only will you be occupied, but you will increase your finances which will allow you to keep spoiling yourself.

Painting. Another form of therapy. If you don't want to write or talk about how you're feeling, paint it. Abstract art can help you get your feelings out while keeping the privacy component. If you want to be the only one who knows what your masterpieces really mean, learn to make abstract art.

Prioritizing sleep. Sleep hygiene is SO crucial to well-being. Buy the luxurious bed sheets, put your phone away 1 hour before bed, starfish in your bed to your heart's content, and get those 8 hours of sleep. Your body will love you, and your mental health will thrive.

And last but not least-- Cutting off ties with people and situations that don't contribute to your growth. This one's maybe the hardest one but walking away from what no longer serves you is top tier. Nothing more empowering than saying "no" to whatever situation or person is not bringing out the best version of you. Trust me. You will feel peace, relief, and pride. Thus entering your Queen era.