#BARBARA I LOVE YOU. SOLIDARITY

[dragon-spaghetti]

Coworker who has been off sick for ages just came into the office and lost her MIND seeing my hazbin art on the wall

She recently binged it and helluva boss. She's literally wearing an alastor shirt rn. GUYS AJSJS

[mkarchin713]

Danny just goes with the whole thing and does a “how long will it take Bruce Wayne to realize I’m not his kid” challenge for his blog.

The Wayne kids are all process this turn of evens differently

Steph is enabling the shit out of Danny for the chaos.

Cass is chanting “new brother” under her breath when ever she sees Danny.

Damian is still pissed his father left him at the crime scene and is taking it out on Danny. (“Give my back my knife” “you stabbed me, it’s mine now”)

Tim is just happy Damian has a new toy to chew on that’s not him.

Duke is doing his best to stay out of the line of fire, that you Ghost Vision.

Dick is torn between supporting Damian and mothering the shit out of Danny.

Jason just wants to know why the pits act weird around Danny.

Barbara is filming all of this for black mail posterity

And now #Danny Wayne is trending.

Prompt: on a dare Danny dresses up as a Robin (OC style and it’s a different variation costume every time) and randomly join the bats on their missions or patrols.

The goal is to time it and see how long it takes before the random bat figures him out. After a while he decided to just start getting costumes that are cheap nock offs of the actual heros instead of his mix and match robin set. Sam 100% funs this and Tucker is feeding Danny info to help him blend In

Imagine if Dani joins in so they can be a duo of Robin and Batman. Sometimes Dani gets to be Batman.

[casscainmainly]

Race and Perception in Batgirl (2000)

This is a companion piece to my two gender posts on Batgirl (2000). There are many interesting takes on race and Cassandra Cain, but most focus on whether she is a 'racist' character or not. This post is not about that, though I think my stance is fairly clear given what my blog is about. Rather than retreading the same ground of whether the conception of Cass is racist (something I might tackle later, because some arguments are flat-out wrong), I want to look at how race actually plays out in Batgirl (2000).

This post focuses on how Cass' Asian identity influences her views on perception, beauty, and agency. As usual, feel free to disagree as I'm not an ethnic or Asian studies expert.

Mask of the Batgirl

We all know and love Cass' iconic Batgirl costume. Besides its distinctive total-blackness, the most interesting aspect is the full-face mask. She is the only Batgirl to cover her face completely - when Stephanie takes over, one of the first things she does is rip the bottom half off.

Skin and external perceptions don't mean the same things to Barbara and Steph as they do to Cass. Cass' entire life is fraught with not just the male gaze, but the White male gaze - her father, David Cain, films her on video tapes, and Bruce later views these tapes (importantly, Cass herself does not get to). These tapes symbolise how her appearance does not belong to herself, but to external White perceptions.

In issue #1, Batman says the following:

"You... are me." Here, Bruce posits that the full-face mask makes Cass more like Bruce. It functions to hide their racial and gendered differences. By covering her face completely, Bruce (and Cass) tacitly suppress her race. Once again, White men are controlling the way she is perceived, something that began with David Cain and continues with Bruce.

Interiority and Exteriority

A common Asian stereotype is that Asians are mechanical - they have no interiority. The common conceptions of Asians as STEM majors and being emotion-deficient all come from this core belief, that Asians are utilities for White people. For Cass, this belief manifests from Babs, Bruce, and David Cain:

Babs says it's hard to care without knowing what's "going on in her head." She cannot connect with Cass' exterior, and finds it hard to imagine what her interior is like. Even worse, Bruce and Cain both argue that Cass belongs to/is like them, almost treating her as property- they reject Cass' own interiority and project theirs onto her, using her as a tool to extend their own identities.

In the early issues, Cass doesn't have an internal monologue. This somewhat reinforces what Babs, Bruce, and Cain all believe about her interiority. However, in issue #5 a White man gifts her the ability to think in language:

This plot point serves to demonstrate Cass' interiority to the reader, but it is another example of a White person choosing for Cass. She didn't get a choice to be raised without language, and she doesn't make the decision to receive it. Both externally and internally, White people control her narrative.

The Shiva Solution

After her newfound language skills impact her ability to fight, Cass encounters Lady Shiva, her future surprise mother. Shiva is the first one to ever acknowledge Cass' race.

Unlike Cain or Bruce, Shiva doesn't say 'you're like me'; she says, "we're a lot alike." She doesn't map herself onto Cass, but finds something they both have in common. By naming Cass' race ("in terms of our coloring") and framing their similarities in this way, Shiva affirms Cass' difference from White people, while providing an alternative solace: Asian solidarity.

Shiva gives Cass her first real choice. It's not exactly a good choice, and it's somewhat coloured by White perceptions (the idea of 'perfection'), but it's still the first major thing Cass gets to decide for herself. She even frames Shiva's path as opposing "Batman's method;" it's the beginning of her path away from White control, towards racialised agency.

It's no surprise, then, that Shiva is the one that helps Cass over her death wish. Not Bruce, not Babs, but Shiva - a literal and metaphorical link to her heritage.

Another Stephanie Brown Segment

As an integral part of Cass' sexual and gendered awakening, Stephanie of course plays a role in Cass' understanding of race. Moving from Puckett's run into issue #38, Stephanie and Cass have this iconic conversation on the rooftop:

I've written before about how this marks the beginning of Cass' foray into gender and sexuality, but this scene has a different meaning when viewed from a race angle. Stephanie is the quintessential American girl, with blonde hair and blue eyes; additionally, she's sexually and romantically experienced. Cass' own Asian appearance, then, may be causally linked to her lack of experience.

When Stephanie comes back as Robin, we have this moment:

Cass is unable to be perceived as non-threatening, helpful, or friendly, while Steph achieves all this with ease. Beyond the differences in temperament (Cass is definitely the spooky scary type), it's also the difference in costuming - Robin's bright colours and majority-unmasked face make for a friendlier appearance than Batgirl. Once again, Cass is unable to control other people's perceptions of her.

It's notable that the majority of Steph's appearances throughout Batgirl end with her leaving Cass on a rooftop. This happens in issues #38, #53, #54, and of course War Games. Their relationship is consistently tenuous, and I think this contributes to Cass feeling like she'll never belong in Steph's world.

Tai'Darshan Turns the Tide

At this point Cass is in pretty bad straits: no one has ever shown romantic attraction to her, Steph is mad at her, and she still doesn't have a full understanding of her race (bar Shiva, she's encountered no other Asians). This feeling of disenfranchisement from both the White and Asian worlds is a very common experience among third culture Asian kids, particularly mixed-race Asians.

Then comes Tai'Darshan, the second major Asian person Cass interacts with.

He is the first person to show romantic interest in her, and asks to "see [her] face." He wants to see her interiority and her skin - Cass' Asian features are now described as something attractive, something worth seeing.

Where Cass is creeped out by Conner's gaze on the boat, she's not similarly affected by Tai'Darshan. She's beginning to understand racialised dynamics, and finding comfort within other Asians rather than her majority-White friends and family.

Both during the fight with Tai'Darshan and the later fight with Bruce, Cass wears these eye-cut-out masks. The eyes are both the site of perception and the site of Asian racialisation, as the most identifiably 'Asian' part of people's faces. By wearing these kind of masks, she's allowing others to perceive her race, reclaiming racialised perception as an act of choice rather than something imposed onto her.

Choosing

In the final arc of Batgirl (2000), Cass sets out to find Shiva. The decision is spurred by this conversation, where Brenda explicitly asks about Cass' race. Everything has been building up to this acknowledgment of Cass' fuzzy origins, a recognition that the uncertainty around her race impacts her ability to achieve full self-actualisation.

Cass rejects Batman's help on the matter, instead going to Onyx:

By going with Onyx, a Black woman, instead of Bruce, Cass is starting on her journey towards racial solidarity beyond Asian communities.

The abrupt ending to Batgirl (2000) kinda cuts off any definitive arc, but I actually think what we have already paints a solid picture. There definitely is a lot more room for explorations into Chinese culture (Spirit World kinda covers this), Cass' relationship to White proximity, interactions with other Asian characters and more. I think her Asian identity deserves more of a spotlight, and I'm hoping more comics in the future delve into it.

[aingeal98]

Barbara, finding out what happened in the Birds of Prey: You took my protégé with you to fight WONDER WOMAN?

Dinah: In my defense, fighting Diana was not the goal. Also I needed her to rescue my own sister-daughter-protege! Where is the solidarity?

Barbara: She has a criminal record now. On Themyscira. She got punched by both Barda and Diana. Because of YOU. I would never put Sin in that situation because I'm a responsible step-mentor!

Dinah: Cass loved it! Isn't that what good step-mentors are supposed to do? Take the protégés to have risky fun they can't do with their actual mentors?

Babs: There's a line and you know it. You are so close to becoming an ex step mentor right now- Wait. What the hell are we even talking about anymore? You know what, Cass is a grown woman. She can die fighting Amazons if she wants to.

Cass, lurking hopefully in the corner: Sooo... Wonder Woman rematch?

Babs and Dinah: NO

[polish-art-tournament]

photography round 1 poll 11

Russian army tents at the Castle Square in Warsaw, 1861:

submitted description: a 19th century sepia photo. view of the castle square and the opening of krakowskie przedmieście street in warsaw. the wall of the royal castle on the left, sigismund's column on the right. in front of the castle there are rows of white military tents.

propaganda: despite the scary and violent reality of what the photo depicts (it was taken after the russians imposed martial law in october 1861), the photo to me is quite beautiful? the light is absolutely stunning. and the white tents look very innocent in contrast to what they mean for the people living in warsaw at that time

Krakowskie Przedmieście in Warsaw during the Corpus Christi procession, 1861:

submitted description: 19th century sepia photo. krakowskie przedmieście street in warsaw. a huge crowd of people clothed mostly in dark colors walking away from the camera in the direction of the royal castle. some of them carry umbrellas.

propaganda: honestly everyone should read up on the year 1861 in poland, it was bonkers. (wikipedia for beginners and the book "przed nocą styczniową" by barbara petrozolin-skowrońska for the advanced). or the whole 1859-62 period. there's failed politial assassinations! solidarity between different religions! more and less competent plotting! russian generals duelling stupidly! people doing really heroic things and people doing extremely stupid things, and people clowining on the oppressive government, and everything. and besides, the photos of this corpus christi procession/ political demonstration remind me of all the impressive big protests we had in poland since like 2016. i love it when people organize and mobilize against the pricks in power, and it's such a universal thing across centuries

about the artist: Karol Beyer was the very first professional photographer in warsaw. he is the author of many photos of famous people and famous events from that time. besides warsaw he also took photos of other cities in all parts of the partitioned country. during the january uprising he was arrested and deported to russia because of his role as the photographer of the 1860s protests and his links to the people who organized them.

[ultimate-marysue]

My headcanon for sexualities for the Batfam is mostly baseless but I feel it so deep in my soul. You can tell me I'm wrong but you can take them from my cold dead hands.

Bruce Wayne: he's bi. Like, yeah that's obvious.

Barbara Gordon: Bi. She prefers women but she will go after a guy if he proves interesting enough. So far only Dick has truly caught her attention enough to date. She's also kinda masc, in my brain she's giving Ripley or Nora Price.

Dick Grayson: here's where people kill me, to me Dick is either straight with a preference for masc women or bi with a really big preference for women. Yes, he's fruity like that, but at this point he's been queer-baited so much it's funnier if he's the only straight one. Don't kill me I know I'm wrong.

Cassandra Cain: let my girl be a butch lesbian. The world would heal if Cass was a butch lesbian. I don't know how else to convince because it's just butch Cass. What is there not to love about Butch Cass? Give me butch Cass-

Jason Todd: That's a gay man. I can't explain it, but he is. Like, he's definitely fooled around with Artemis just to try and both of them decided "Nope". They're gay-lesbian solidarity. No one knows but not because it's a secret they just haven't bothered to ask.

Stephanie Brown: bi. Also, let her date Cass you fucking cowards. She would treat Steph so well, lord knows she deserves it after what DC puts her through. Let them be together I'm gnawing at the bars of my enclosure.

Tim Drake: He's bi. DC got one right, that's a bisexual man and I don't know what else to tell you. I think he's more into guys than girls, but that's something he ends up realizing as he's older.

Duke Thomas: He's Ace or demi. Is this because he's one of my favorite characters and I'm bestowing him with my sexuality. Yes, moving on.

Damian Wayne: honestly I'd need to read older versions of him to get a better picture but maybe demi or bi. Whatever he is he is an absolute romantic about, that man will grow up to be Gomez Addams' levels of insane for his partner.

[oatlystrawberryicecream]

I love your takes on Barbara and Jason's friendship! When you said they both would have to worked past their differences to keep their friendship, I'm immediately sold. There's just something about people with more differences than similarities trying to keep a friendship going despite it all. Though, correlating with the anon's ask, what do you think will Steph and Damian think about Jason? I usually like to think that Steph would kinda understand where he's coming from because of her past, but I'm kinda torn with Damian.

the jason and babs friendship could be so great!!!!!

steph and jason have a lot of things in common. i think they would get along pretty well and there is an aspect of solidarity with them that they are the ones who get questioned and underestimated and mistrusted more often. also a bit of them sharing looks when some rich people idiocy is going on. there is no way to explain what certain things are like but you can sometimes find understanding in another person and in cases of addiction and chronic instability they see it in each other. (there were little crumbs of jason and steph interaction in task force z that i liked)

as for damian… i love a jason and damian are brothers au but i do think that stuff is not really how it would go down in a more canon compliant setting. damian is gonna side with his dad. he works hard to be his dad’s son and robin and it means too much to him. i think for a while he would see jason as weak for not being able to set things aside and come back to the fold, and there would be a decent amount of frustration at the stress and problems he causes to the family. as he matures though i think damian will get better about finding grace and accepting that jason is a person who can manage himself and it is no one else’s place to dictate things for him. so in that regard he may well surpass his father.

[dchuntress]

Ship ask, since it's like-- the only hetero ship that has even vague traction involving either Ted or Booster, but--

Babs/Ted? Ship or no ship?

i love and chuckled the phrasing of how you introduced this ship, lmao, because tedbabs definitely feels like a "blink and you'll miss it" pairing that a lot of people probably wouldn't even realise has been canon(ish? i guess? they did go on a date irl!) — that, or they simply don't get talked about a lot. i learned about their history when my friend who roleplays babs brought it up!

but whether this is surprising coming from me or not — i do ship tedbabs!!!!! it's one of the very few canon, especially m/f ships that make me happy. in my experience, i've seen m/f ships feel unbalanced or unconvincing or just not well written enough, especially in comics or any medium where love interests are pushed, but tedbabs is so cosy <3

i actually enjoyed their dynamic when i was reading bop, they seem to get along pretty well and respect each other, and they seem so sweet and fun. in the grand scheme of things, i'd prefer them to be wlw mlm solidarity best friends, since i would love for them both to be queer (manifesting that helbabs and boostle double date fingers crossed) and also for them to hang out again, i wouldn't mind reading more of tedbabs if that wholesome dynamic stays :) regardless, ted and barbara respectively will always have a special place in my heart

does this entire thing count as an unpopular opinion considering i haven't seen a lot of posts about them...? /lh

anyway, thank you for the ask!!! 🩵🩵🩵

[cleolinda]

Weekend links, April 28, 2024

My posts

I spent the first half of the week struggling through (well-medicated) mania and the second half currently with a sinus infection! I’m not enjoying it! Not either one! 

Reblogs of interest

Pro-Gaza protests at universities in the U.S.: a solidarity Passover seder and an accidental Pulitzer photo

Canada Agrees 200 Islands Belong to the Indigenous Haida Nation

--

The Hot Vintage Lady Polls continue to go for the throat. I felt so bad about Dorothy Dandridge that I started posting and reblogging propaganda for her, but Ava Gardner, my beloved, went through anyway. Backing her felt like a wish on a monkey’s paw ("Not like this!!"). (See all poll results here.) I tremble to think what round 5 will look like. Like, there’s a point when your girl is gonna come up against a Hepburn, you know?

Notably gone this week: Judy Garland, Julie Andrews, Lupe Vélez, Irene Papas (who took out Vivien Leigh in the previous round), Gene Tierney, Barbara Stanwyck, Lena Horne, Jean Seberg, Anita Ekberg, Angela Lansbury, and Cyd Charisse. Like I keep saying, everybody loses. Everybody but one. Round 5 will start May 1st. 

--

Hozier Watch 2024: His first U.S. #1, which he’s now playing at shows! The first U.S. #1 for an Irish artist in 34 years! What?? you cry. Did “Take Me to Church” not do that ten years ago? Well, I went and looked it up: No. That was the “Blank Space” era. Say no more. 

Speaking of Taylor Swift—Paste Magazine went IN on the new album and got threats as a result. Meanwhile, Taylor’s fans are harassing the ex-boyfriend who did nothing wrong (as opposed to the racist one) because her PR is egging them on. I’ll admit: even though I’m not a fan, I found the Paste review to be overlong and not focused enough on the actual songs, proportionally. But that post about the PR saga is everything I miss about Fandom Wank. 

(“My rival dresses to display her legs, and her shoes are of an alluring fashion”)

Meanwhile, the Watcher guys issued the best apology possible, although it was still excruciating to watch. (Background.) They will remain on YouTube while introducing the streaming service. As a Patreon member, I haven’t asked for my free subscription code yet, but I’m going to. Some fans forgave them pretty easily; others have walked away. I’m curious to see if this affects the mood of anything new they film, since a segment of the fandom got really, really ugly about it. Mostly it just felt sad all around. 

Meanwhile, in Alabama: nobody wants to measure the feral hog.

Turns out Death Note had a good reason to concoct “American” names like “Bobson Dugnutt.” Also, I somehow had two posts tagged “death note” this week and I don’t even go here.

The worst brownies ever created and what Tumblr has to say about them

“You roll up to the Wizard Battle and your opponent takes out his spellbook but it’s just one of these”

I know that Loki is not Odin’s son in actual Norse mythology, but the bredlik is amazing.

TIL that Florence and Ravenna are still feuding over Dante’s remains

Maybe haunted dolls cost extra

Chorses

Video

Branch manager

Senior branch manager

“Free serotonin from Honey the Italian greyhound”

Sola learned to show love from her humans

I have seen many of jauncydev’s videos about dog personalities, but I have never seen him commit quite this hard before

I like tie-dye videos anyway, but this one is sick as hell

The sacred videos: you are not prepared for this police sketch, and neither is this news anchor

The sacred texts

Kick his ass, baby. I got yo flower.

Gold Star, You Tried: A compilation

A personal favorite: “mayhaps I TWIMST aroumd”

The origin of “By Talos this can’t be happening”

Personal tags of the week

Seasonally: cherry blossom. Also, art: an old standby, but it was really good, and also, I’m sick.

[gwendolynlerman]

Books I want to read in 2024

I was inspired by @fluencylevelfrench to write this post, so here are the 50 books I want to read in 2024, which is my provisional Goodreads goal. (I always set a lowish number and adjust it throughout the year depending on how my goal progresses.) Last year, I read 121 books, so I'm hoping to be able to read at least 100, but I have no idea what my year is going to look like.

1Q84 Book 1 by Haruki Murakami (currently reading)

1Q84 Book 2 by Haruki Murakami

1Q84 Book 3 by Haruki Murakami

Hamburg – hin und zurück by Felix & Theo

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Die Verwandlung by Franz Kafka

Words and Rules: The Ingredients of Language by Steven Pinker

Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

International Relations Theory by Stephen McGlinchey

You Are What You Speak: Grammar Grouches, Language Laws and the Power of Words by Robert Lane Greene

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt

Meditations on Diplomacy: Comparative Cases in Diplomatic Practice and Foreign Policy by Stephen Chan

Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich

Reflections on the Posthuman in International Relations: The Anthropocene, Security and Ecology by Clara Eroukhmanoff

In Cold Blood: A True Account of Multiple Murder and Its Consequences by Truman Capote

Haus ohne Hoffnung by Felix & Theo

Effi Briest by Theodor Fontane

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer

Migration and the Ukraine Crisis: A Two-Country Perspective by Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska and Greta Uehling (eds.)

Writing Systems: An Introduction to Their Linguistic Analysis by Florian Coulmas

Nations under God: The Geopolitics of Faith in the Twenty-First Century by Luke M. Herrington

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell

Herr der Diebe by Cornelia Funke

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser

Park Statue Politics: World War II Comfort Women Memorials in the United States by Thomas J. Ward

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Restoring Indigenous Self-Determination: Theoretical and Practical Approaches by Marc Woons

Veronikas Geheimnis by Friedhelm Strack

The Sacred and the Sovereign by Özgür Taşkaya

1984 by George Orwell

Sounds of War: Aesthetics, Emotions and Chechnya by Susanna Hast

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Feminists Don't Wear Pink (And Other Lies): Amazing Women on What the F-Word Means to Them by Scarlett Curtis

Into the Eleventh Hour: R2P, Syria and Humanitarianism in Crisis by Robert W. Murray

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams

Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit

Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams

Women & Power: A Manifesto by Mary Beard

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams

The Sources of Russia's Great Power Politics: Ukraine and the Challenge to the European Order by Taras Kuzio

Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams

Women, Race & Class by Angela Y. Davis

Feminism without Borders: Decolonizing Theory, Practicing Solidarity by Chandra Talpade Mohanty

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

The “Clash of Civilizations” 25 Years On: A Multidisciplinary Appraisal by Davide Orsi

Making Space for Indigenous Feminism by Joyce Green

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

[fantastic-mr-corvid]

philia 2, 3, 4 and agape 2!

Oohh ty Romeo! for this ask game - rest of the questions under the read more, i had a lot to say

Philia

2, Does your OC find it easy to make friends? Or are there barriers to them doing so? If so then are these due to issues of inclination, communication, or something else entirely?

Gonna go with Rametta<3 She struggles making friends because shes learned from a young age that her peers are also her competition. Like her older bother, when she was at school she was seen as a weak boy and so had to go above and beyond to prove her worth and skill, and her ability to be a threat. Luckily for her, Muros protection meant she managed to successfully prove herself- unlike Conficcare. Her closest friend [other than Cecio who is practically a sibling to her] is Amelia, but for most of school they were rivals, both competing to be the leader of their year, though unlike Celias year, they had a lot of respect for each other and the fight for power was not as deadly- Muro and Tesoro both keeping a close eye on the power struggles of the kids after the disaster of their year.

That is to say shes pretty bad at making friends. She had a 'weakness' that she had to make up for meaning she was very hostile to others, and was set apart as Muros protege and Conficcares younger sibling, meaning a lot of people trying to befriend her had ulterior motives, not to mention many kidnapping attempts to use her against her family- including the one that ended with Muro dead in her place.

Shes often a cold and distant bitch but there's a reason she likes keeping people at arms length, even after she gets her stand and later takes over from Muro. in a way shes so used to the tight knit and very dependent family Conficcare brought her into, that she rellied on them as both her friends and family.

3, What qualities does your OC most value in a friend? Loyalty? Shared sense of humour? Or something else?

Elena is fairly similar to Celia in that she wants honesty in a friendship, especially when shes an adult. She exists in the cut throat world of art, so she has to really trust people if shes going to let her walls down. She also tends to group with the other outsiders, finding solidarity in their battle against the nepotism and favors for friends that run rampant. she will never be truly honest about her childhood and teens, but being around people who also understand poverty and discrimination makes her feel less isolated and alone.

4, Is your OC able to build close friendships with people very different from themselves? Perhaps in terms of culture, age or personality?

Tesoro is very good at bridging gaps between himself and others. Notably he [and Elena] showed interest in popular culture and critical analysis of it, especially things such as queer & feminist readings at school, and this lead both to having excellent grasp on the english language, allowing him to get to know more people and interact with more writing. He loves doing so, especially people with different life experiences, partially to expand his knowledge so he can manipulate more people but also because he loves learning of lives other than his own, and what possibilities exist out there.

[semi related- he has a print out of Barbara Krugers "you conduct intricate rituals which you allow you to touch the skin of other men" hung up in his usual corner of the gym because he finds it funny given most people around him don't understand english enough to get what its saying and how its applying to them]

Agape

2, Does your OC feel a spiritual connection to the world around them? Do they have a particular love for nature or living things?

Gonna answer for Georgie here! he very much does, from his animals to any living thing, and especially the nature around him! he is a great believer in spirituality and fate and can be even more superstitious than the farming community around him.

[church-of-lilith]

FMK: ted lasso WIPs? your writing is so good!!

omg thank you! your writing is always amazing, and your WIPs sound so interesting. I look forward to reading whatever you decide to put forward in the end.

fuck - the story you just want to read instead of having to write it yourself

I've started outlining (and I have like half a chapter written) a Keeley/Barbara & Ted/Trent fic that basically starts from Keeley introducing Barbara to Trent at one of their team get togethers. I'm so fascinated at the idea of how the two of them would interact with each other. I feel like they would be an unstoppable duo, literally autistic mlm wlw solidarity. And somewhere along the way they would get drunk and Barbara would be like 'I think I'm in love with Keeley' and Trent would be like 'I think I'm in love with Ted' and they would commiserate together. I have the idea so clearly in my head, but it's hard to put it down into words for whatever reason. So I guess that's why I would like to read it instead of having to write it myself.

marry - the story you're obsessed with writing and never want to stop working on or thinking about.

well, we all fall in love (but we disregard the danger) is my Beard/Trent fic and it consumes my thoughts on the daily. I think part of it is because I started it on a whim a few days before the finale aired, and then we were given the absolute insane ending with Beard and Jane getting together and I just could not accept that. So I think the canon ending made my brainrot with this piece even worse, because it's turned into a fix-it of sorts. I have it basically completely written but I keep going in and adding and editing it more with every little idea I get because it's just so fun to lose myself in the universe I've created for them. Part of this is also because the last scene between Ted & Trent in the finale was a thing of nightmares for me as well, and I haven't been able to even think about writing a fix-it fic ending for them after that.

kill - the story you're most frustrated with and would rather just put in the trash (or a high shelf somewhere to forget about for a long time)

long story short is my Trent post-canon fix-it fic that I started writing and published in a delusional haze the day after the finale ruined my life. It was borne out of a need for me to have some sort of solid ending for Trent (because the way they basically removed him from the Richmond family did not sit right with me.) But idk, I keep returning to the google doc and going through all of the things I wrote for the fic and none of it is really resonating with me the longer time passes. There's just so many ideas swirling around in my head and I can't really put them together in a way that I feel authentically fits. I didn't have a clear vision when I started it, and I still don't now. In a way I've already had it on a high shelf and forgotten about it for quite some time, and maybe I'll take another crack at it eventually but I can't commit right now.

[beingatoaster]

First-lines-of-fic meme! Tagged by @destinationtoast (I presume in toast solidarity <3)

Rules: share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written fewer than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway

All of these are Genshin Impact because I am a one-fandom gal right now, so I will note focus characters instead of fandom.

1. Little Lioness (Jean-centric, 15k)

The party is lovely, and Jean tries to put all her gratitude for it into her cooking.

2. Masks (Diluc & Kaeya, 4k)

The winery's stablemaster intercepts Diluc and Kaeya at the stable door.

3. Sleeping Warm (Jean/Lisa, 8k)

February is late in the year for snow.

4. Sheer Cold (Jean & Barbara, 14k)

The news arrives while Jean is halfway through putting on her dress uniform for the new year's vigil.

5. Deck-Building (Kaeya & Klee, 1.7k)

Kaeya is pleased to find that Klee's solitary-confinement cell has acquired an adult-sized table and chair in the corner.

6. The Crow-Child's Cloak (Kujou Sara, 1.2k)

Once upon a time, there was a little crow-child who gave up her cloak of feathers. She gave it to a human who didn’t deserve it, but then, has there ever been a human who does?

7. Secret Stash (Adelinde & Kaeya, 2k)

Adelinde only ends up cleaning Kaeya's room in the first place because Maddie sees a mouse.

8. Clouded Vision (Diluc & Crepus & Kaeya, 3k)

Ursa the Drake flings Diluc into a wagon hard enough that he feels his ribs crack.

9. Bitter Waters (Xiao & Bonanus, 3k)

Xiao finds Bonanus in the wake of a slaughter.

10. Role Model (Jean & Noelle, 5k)

Jean's week isn't going well.

And tagging: @kidlightnings, @gorgeousgalatea, @myopinionisimportant, @esmeraldablazingsky, @chidorinnnnn, @mhalachai, @etraytin, @memetrashmom, @lets-go-steal-a-hitter, and, for the last slot, anyone else who wants to participate! If you are tagged and do not want to (or already have and I've missed it in my inconstant attention to my dash), of course feel free to disregard. :>

[ladyraspberry-2540]

Went to see a movie, here are my thoughts for those who are willing to read

(SPOILERS, PLEASE DON'T LOSE THE PLEASURE OF WATCHING IT FIRST YOURSELF)

1. Went to see Barbie today, not gonna lie it was one of the best movies I've watched since I think Puss in Boots: Last Wish

2. It's a movie that makes you tear up both from sadness and happiness

3. I love women. This film really shows the beauty of solidarity and fighting together for us to be treated as we should: with equal respect and importance

4. I just love how sooooo many cishet men were so mad and grrrrr rumbly that how dare a movie (based on dolls and feminism and flaws of our society and patriarchal system) dares to not be made specifically for them

5. I've also seen an opinion somewhere that it shows not only obvious idiocy of patriarchy but also matriarchy. And with that, I strongly agree, here are the couple of situations to visualise it:

While Barbies have various important, impactful roles (shown in the movie with doctors, noble prize winners, astronauts, fully female supreme court, president), Kens fulfill only most basic and trivial positions like just being a beach himbo. Sounds very, very, very familiar (with reversed sexes) when you think about stereotypical, male-centered media, no?

In one of the earlier scenes, the Weird Barbie makes an unsavoury "compliment" about Ken's nether regions, which is an obvious example of cat-calling and objectification

One of the scenes near the ending feels so much like something you'd say when women finally gained the ability to have some even slightly significant roles: you won't get access to the supreme court buuuut we'd allow you to rule in something local (later followed by the narrator's: and Kens were happy, maybe one day they'd get as much power as women have in the real world)

6. Ordinary. Barbie. It made my eyes create a freaking waterfall! Just because you're not a doctor, carrier oriented, mother, super duper smart, pretty, charismatic does not make you any less of a woman. There's no need to prove yourself to deserve respect!

7. And finally, the real real tear-jerker, if the last point was a waterfall, this one is like 10 waterfalls. When Barbie stands with Ruth Handler (her creator, Barbie's name is based on her real-life daughter, Barbara), and she closes her eyes to finally see what humanity and womanhood is... The visions of so so so many women: babies, young girls, workers, doctors, mothers, wives...

Being a woman is hard. Being a woman requires you to endure challenges always everywhere: double standards, sexism (not only ideological), never being on the winning position (if you present yourself modestly you lose, if you're more "openly" presenting you lose, if you're too thin you lose, if you're too fat you lose, if you're focused on the career you lose, if you want to be a homemaker you lose and many many more).

Being a woman is beautiful. Being a woman is empowering.

And I'm not only talking about cis women! Any person who identifies as a woman goes through these struggles and most importantly

DESERVE TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT

-🍓

[directedbynoraephron]

books i read in 2024:

lady chatterley’s lover by dh lawrence

either/or by elif batuman

the color purple by alice walker

i know why the caged bird sings by maya angelou

idlewild by james frankie thomas

night sky with exit wounds by ocean vuong

five tuesdays in winter by lily king

death valley by melissa broder

mutual aid: building solidarity during this crisis (and the next) by dean spade

bride by ali hazelwood

the very secret society of irregular witches by sangu mandanna

gilead by marilynne robinson

operating instructions: a journal of my son's first year by anne lamott

how far the light reaches: a life in ten sea creatures by sabrina imbler

eileen by ottessa moshfegh

how to keep house while drowning: a gentle approach to cleaning and organizing by kc davis

there there by tommy orange

tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow by gabrielle zevin

another brooklyn by jacqueline woodson

big swiss by jen beagin

housekeeping by marilynne robinson

the guest by emma cline

the answers by catherine lacey

educated by tara westover

how to talk so kids will listen & listen so kids will talk by adele faber and elaine mazlish

call me a cab by donald e westlake

the nix by nathan hill

the essential gwendolyn brooks, edited by elizabeth alexander

song of solomon by toni morrison

the emperor of all maladies: a biography of cancer by siddhartha mukherjee

we the animals by justin torres

funny story by emily henry

the dutch house by ann patchett

the remains of the day by kazuo ishiguro

a great and terrible beauty by libba bray

the love affairs of nathaniel p by adelle waldman

assembly by natasha brown

beautyland by marie-helene bertino

the cost of living by deborah levy

a god in ruins by kate atkinson

doppelganger: a trip into the mirror world by naomi klein

if beale street could talk by james baldwin

mountains beyond mountains: the quest of dr paul farmer, a man who would cure the world by tracy kidder

the wide wide sea: imperial ambition, first contact, and the fateful final journey of captain james cook by hampton sides

wicked intentions by elizabeth hoyt

all the pretty horses by cormac mccarthy

small things like these by claire keegan

all fours by miranda july

nickel and dimed: on (not) getting by in america by barbara ehrenreich

the friend by sigrid nunez

veronica by mary gaitskill

a thousand mornings by mary oliver

the looming tower: al-qaeda and the road to 9/11 by lawrence wright

you should be so lucky by cat sebastian

the art of catching feelings by alicia thompson

tiny beautiful things: advice on love and life from dear sugar by cheryl strayed

love and other words by christina lauren

long island compromise by taffy brodesser-akner

the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot

giovanni’s room by james baldwin

the haunting of hill house by shirley jackson

perfume and pain by anna dorn

evicted: poverty and profit in the american city by matthew desmond

stay true by hua hsu

the pairing by casey mcquiston

fix her up by tessa bailey

66 total books broken down into: 35 literary fiction, 9 informative non-fiction/history, 9 romance, 6 memoir, 3 poetry, 3 self-help/advice, and 1 YA

[polish-art-tournament]

photography round 2 poll 2

Krakowskie Przedmieście in Warsaw during the Corpus Christi procession by Karol Beyer, 1861:

submitted description: 19th century sepia photo. krakowskie przedmieście street in warsaw. a huge crowd of people clothed mostly in dark colors walking away from the camera in the direction of the royal castle. some of them carry umbrellas.

propaganda: honestly everyone should read up on the year 1861 in poland, it was bonkers. (wikipedia for beginners and the book "przed nocą styczniową" by barbara petrozolin-skowrońska for the advanced). or the whole 1859-62 period. there's failed politial assassinations! solidarity between different religions! more and less competent plotting! russian generals duelling stupidly! people doing really heroic things and people doing extremely stupid things, and people clowining on the oppressive government, and everything. and besides, the photos of this corpus christi procession/ political demonstration remind me of all the impressive big protests we had in poland since like 2016. i love it when people organize and mobilize against the pricks in power, and it's such a universal thing across centuries

about the artist: Karol Beyer was the very first professional photographer in warsaw. he is the author of many photos of famous people and famous events from that time. besides warsaw he also took photos of other cities in all parts of the partitioned country. during the january uprising he was arrested and deported to russia because of his role as the photographer of the 1860s protests and his links to the people who organized them.

Old Town Square in Warsaw by Sylwester "Kris" Braun, between 1993-95:

[no propaganda has been submitted]