#I'm going to be insane about this for the next week

[abbygailfox]

This is so, so important.

The amount of posts I have read – especially during the last few weeks – about how people think that she has always been this way and she wrote Harry Potter with the intention of pushing her agenda onto children from a very young age.

I truly, honestly think that that's incredibly dangerous. Because it operates under the believe that people's believes always stay the same. It stems from a black-and-white mindset in which people are – in the most simple of terms – either "good" or "bad" and they always stay that way. That is not the case. People are never unchanging in their views. They are made and influenced by things that happen to and around them. Constantly. And usually that is even a good thing. We measure the ability of critical thinking by observing how someone reacts to new information. If we give people information that they did not have before, we expect them to reconsider their stance. However that also means that we need to check ourselves again and again and again. And to do that tomorrow as well. And next week. And next year. And every day that comes after that again. It's a never ending process.

Because human beings never stop changing. And we are so easily influenced. Mainly because of two things:

1) All of us – every single one – want's to belong somewhere. Some of us may enjoy being alone, yes. But no-one ever wants to be lonely. And people have done and will do horrendous things to prevent being lonely.

2) If we have power, we don't want to let go of it. Especially if we know what it feels like not to have any. That doesn't mean that no-one ever does. There are good people in this world. But our first impulse is always to hold onto what makes us stronger and harder to hurt. And power does that.

Number 1) is what makes it so easy for people to get caught up in even the most ridiculous, dangerous or hateful cults and why it is so incredibly hard to leave them again. Because as soon as you can push a "we against them" agenda, you are a part of the "we". You're part of a group. You belong. No-one in their right mind would want to leave that. The situation – of yourself or someone you hold extremely dear – has to be incredibly dire for you to leave everything you know behind, leave your entire social circle, and subsequently be helpless, lost, potentially without means and confronted with people who don't understand why you joined in the first place. Who will potentially make fun of you and exclude you.

Number 2) is what happened to Rowling, I suppose. I don't know Rowling and at this point I don't care to. But she also probably didn't just wake up one day and said: "Actually I like all this money and power and the platform I have now quite a lot. But if I help marginalised groups to get more power, I might loose some of my own. So let's hate on them instead." No. It happens in increments. Maybe one day she was asked to give up more money than she was comfortable with for "some charity". And she decided the cause wasn't worth it, because after all, it was "just trans-people" and wait a minute what have "they" ever done for her? Or for women in general? In fact, couldn't their mere existence be a hinderance to the progression of women's rights? And after all it's her money. She worked hard for it. They could have done the same thing, but they didn't, did they? Or something else entirely, I can only speculate. (I don't support any of that, obviously. I'm trying to show how you slip into this kind of thinking.)

The point is, non of this is noticeable in the beginning. All these processes are gradual.

No cult just knocks on your door and goes: "We have the most insane conspiracy theories out there, science is a scam, we won't allow you to take modern medicine and we will drain all our your financial means to a point where you are helpless without us. By the way, do you have any LGBTQIA people in your social circle? We don't condone those. But hey, we can provide you with people who will act like they are your friends. You know, to substitute the ones that you will inevitably push away, if you join us. Heads up though, if you try to leave, we will blackmail you." No racist (or at least very few) will just come up to you and say: "I have this theory, that white people are better than people of colour. Let me convince you of it." (And frankly most people are not self-aware enough to realise when they are being racist.)

It will always start small. It will seem reasonable and harmless in the beginning. Some of the arguments you might even agree with. And suddenly you are in too deep, to get out.

This is NOT – and I cannot stress this enough – meant to be any sort of excuse for Rowling. I think the woman and the bullshit she spews is truly vile. This is also not meant to condemn all people in positions of power, because there are counterexamples – even if they get way to little attention. There are rich people who give money to science. Silently and without a self-serving agenda. Famous people who speak up for all kinds of marginalised groups. Powerful people that do invest in slowing climate change. There are powerful people giving a shit, just as much as there are people in marginalised groups that hate on everyone else and buy into a "we against them" agenda. (It's never black and white).

And please don't misunderstand me. You absolutely have every right to be angry at the bitch. You *should* be fucking angry. At anyone who tries to hurt and invalidate you. You should be livid. I am too. Oppose hatred wherever you find it. Oppose every vile word that comes out of Rowling's mouth, every anti-human rights bullshit you hear. Not just from her, but from everybody around you. Protect yourself and others. Do whatever you need to do to cope, especially if people don't just attack your believe in everyone being treated equally, but if they hit you on a more personal level. (Frankly, I personally get twitchy when people burn books – no matter which ones – mainly because I am German and pictures like those do not have great connotations in my world. But everyone copes differently.)

However the point is, the focus of this conversation has turned to "Harry Potter" way too much. (Yes, it makes her money, but we're not about to stop that, at this point. And I'll leave the decision, if the work can be separated from the author, enough to engage with content that does not make her money, for everyone to decide for themselves. The debate has been going on since before Roland Barthes discussed it [yes I know he mainly meant the level of influence the authors bibliography had on the text, it's still the same argument, but with a different aspect], using multiple prominent figures as examples. That is something every single person has to decide for themselves and we cannot push our decisions onto others.)

What I am really trying to make you understand is: We all like to think about ourselves, that we would use our power for good if we had any. That we would treat all people equally and would use our money to further the cause of all marginalised people in the world. End world hunger, end poverty, end the patriarchy, the list is endless. But we do not know if we would do that. Because we are not in the situation to do so. We do not know if – on the road to power – we would have kept the same three friends, that call us out on behaving like an asshole. We don't know if we could have kept a hold on our humility and our worldview and our ability to still see people in positions of less power and feel the urge to help.

What I am really, really trying to say in this rant (and I know it is endlessly long and I apologise) is this:

Nothing in life. EVER. Is black and white. You are not on the "good side", because you once made a selfless decision. Other people are not on the "bad side" because they have power or money. And the borders are not clear-cut. There are so many shades of grey. You can always ALWAYS slip. And you probably won't notice. EVERY SINGLE PERSON on this planet is corruptible. And this is not meant to discourage you. I don't mean to paint our world and our society as hopeless, because they are NOT. You are not condemned to become some soulless creature that does not care a lick about others, simply because you get to a place of greater power. This is in fact meant to encourage you. Encourage you to call others out. Especially encourage you to call yourself out. Encourage you to listen, truly listen, to people when they tell you, that you're being an ass about something. Maybe they are wrong. But maybe they are right. You can be influenced. But you can also influence how you yourself behave and how you treat people. How you view people. Not just groups, but individuals also. Have the courage to be kind. To everyone. And have the courage to question. Yourself and others. Check yourself and your thinking. Always. And if you think this could never happen to you and you could never harm people or mentally sort them into groups to be stigmatised and thusly easier pushed aside… Check yourself twice!

ok im going to #seriouspost for a second here. I don't think Harry Potter is a manifesto. I think it was a flawed passion project that millennials latched onto because of the fantasy of sticking it to their mean teachers and arbitrarily categorizing themselves (hogwarts houses; it's the thinking millennial's astrology). I think the fact that the series got popular when and how it did was very much a product of its time.

I don't think Harry Potter is the biggest symbol of JKR's bigotry. I think the most flagrant sign of that was how she responded to critics. I watched her become radicalized in real time. I watched how she doubled down on her racism when she was called out for the ways she promoted her tragically mid fantastic beasts movies. I watched her chase marginalized teenagers with a double digit follower count off of twitter for daring to criticize her thought process, and no one with any kind of power standing against her because she was the one who was paying them. This isn't to say Harry Potter is without flaws. This is to say she really didn't give a shit about that. Getting rich and powerful is a hell of a drug, and she had enough sycophants that she had no reason to care about what her critics were saying.

She was convinced that she was a martyr; a voice for the unheard; a leader for the ages, so of course her detractors were the bad guys. And I think we should take this to heart. We should see this as an example of how easy it is to get radicalized; if you think of yourself as a paragon of virtue, you are going to think that whatever you see as good and right is an objective fact. Most people don't know this, but the majority of terfs start out as trans allies. You are not immune to propaganda! You are not immune to falling into dangerous ideologies!!!

This is why the most important thing you can do as an activist is to listen. Do NOT think you're above being wrong; do NOT develop a god complex; do NOT form an identity out of being right all the time. Involve yourselves in the groups you claim to speak for. Listen to trans women; share resources that help trans women; familiarize yourself with the diversity of experiences that trans people have and the struggles they face.

No, none of you are as bad as JKR because you don't have her money or her power. You will likely never have the capacity for harm she does. But check yourselves. Do not affirm yourselves into thinking you always have the moral high ground. Watch yourselves; humble yourselves; check yourselves for signs of cult behavior and internalized prejudice. You are always learning. You will always be learning. Do not allow yourselves to get a power trip from brushing off marginalized voices.

[sammy8d257]

[ TUNNEL VISION ]

-( | )-

[Excerpt from an old, worn journal]

[The date is unreadable under the eligible scribbles]

It's been about a week since Mango King, has left me in charge of this, colony kingdom thing. I should be happier because this proves he trusts me enough to let me run this by myself.

And he obviously wouldn't leave me anywhere dangerous so he must have done something to ensure this desktop is safe but, I don't know.

These villagers are nice. They're still a little wary of me but that makes sense. I'm a little wary of them myself. They're friendly though so I think we'll be fine once we all get comfortable with each other.

But where is he?! It's been a week and I haven't heard from him at all. He wouldn't leave me here. I know he wouldn't.

And I get that he's busy doing other kingly shit and setting up new side kingdoms and all that but

What if he doesn't care about me anymore? That's ridiculous right? He must still care otherwise he wouldn't have reached out on that cliff-

He cares. I know he does.

He cares. He cares. He cares. He cares.He cares hecareshecares-

[the next section is a scribbled mess of "He cares" written several times]

I just have to find a way to keep his attention.

He's not allowed to leave me.

-( | )-

I guess you could say, Purple got their wish

ALSO!!

New Character Trait just dropped!!

And it's Toxic Codependency!!

Featuring a journal entry from Purple's first week on the MAC!

Fun fact, I was originally going to have Purple be like, so normal before they slowly go insane due to the End Void

But after revamping their backstory and how they initially meet MT, having abandonment and codependency issues just makes sense

Oh how far friendships can fall

-( | )-

AvM Mad King AU Masterpost

[bronx-bomber87]

Hello incredible fandom and readers :) My heart is so sad this is the second to last episode already. This flew by so fast it's insane. I seriously can't believe it. I have zero idea the wait we will have to endure for the hiatus. We shall see at Upfronts this year. That's my assumption anyways about where those details will be. Anyways I liked most of the episode except for the Randy stuff. He's just not my cup of tea.

I would honestly take more Rodge than him if i'm being honest. I know he seems to be a favorite for some though. So no disrespect to those who do enjoy him. I'm glad they got an episode with him in it. This is an ensemble cast and all and should be treated as such. But for me I cringe anytime I watch him. He's a bit much for my liking. That being said besides him it was a solid episode in terms of ensemble and all that.

Shawn really has crushed the opportunities he's gotten this year. So glad he's gotten more screen time. Also I'll take me some 'Harpez'. all day. I legit just found out that's their melded names and I love it haha Bad ass mama's getting it done. Never complain to see Alyssa and Mekia on my screen. This one will be shorter than last week for sure since our content was low but good nonetheless. Let us start on this ep shall we?

7x17 Mutiny and Bounty

We start off with an incredibly anxious Lucy. The Sergeants exam results are coming out today. Melissa always does such a good job conveying emotion through her body language alone. I wanna just hug the stress out of her. Or have Tim do that....It's radiating out of her. Luckily Celina has an issue she can focus on. Something to distract her immense stress. Kind of like the last time in 6x03 when Tim used the day to distract her.

What I loved about this episode were the parallels I noticed, especially in comparison to her detective exam. In s6 it was Tim having her co-train Celina with him. Now it's Celina inadvertently distracting her with her Rodge problem. Just fun full circle stuff I appreciated. Lucy needing this and jumping on the train to help her pick something out. She would've helped anyways, but doesn't hurt it also serves as a much needed distraction.

Only reason I picked out this scene to do was Lucy's replies. I loved them so much. Also gives so much insight into what she wants out of a relationship. Her saying she likes getting to know shared values and goals. No doubt that is something her and Tim most definitely have in common. For the most part lol Whether they had a convo like that when they were dating idk. I assume they did on some level. Her following that up with women just want to be listened to. Ding ding ding. 10 points to Lucy Chen. That's legit all we want is to be heard. Valued of course but to have healthy communication is paramount. It's why Chenford fell apart the first time.

It was their fractured communication as a couple that ultimately pulled them apart. It's also why this entire season's slow burn has been so important. To slowly rebuild that communication between them. To rebuild them in general. So when they do get back together they'll be stronger for it. So that they can move towards an engagement and marriage when they reunite. This season preps them for those next stages in a way they weren't ready for before. So that communication she's talking about, that feeling of being heard, it’s a big part of why Tim has been so successful with her this year. How he's inched his way back into her life.

That open and honest communication he's demonstrated is everything. It's a promise when they reunite that their communication will be better. So suffice to say Tim has been fulfilling that need quite well this season. Not only that but truly listening to her. Never once shaming her for spiraling or sharing. Only building her up when she does. Being a rock and a listening one at that. When they finally reconcile, it’s going to feel so worth it because we watched them slowly rebuild, piece by piece, all season long. Lucy saying it's the foundation of a real relationship. She is spot on. Also that's been this entire season for them. Tim rebuilding that foundation with her. Rebuilding their foundation.

Tim Bradford in a suit. Mmm gimme. I will take this all day long. Thank you writers. *fans self* They’ve taken care of me Tim wise this season phew lord. I am well fed. Man wears the hell out of suit. Good Lord I can't get enough of it. I'm a very happy girl with this brief shot of him in it. I also love this scene for the Miles/Tim of it all. It's so cute.

Oh Texas, your metaphors are so out there. Like you're speaking another language my friend. LOL Tim's reply of ignoring the country commentary haha Tim is all business and Miles is bright eyed and bushy tailed. Their dynamic is so good I love it so much. It gives off some of the same vibes as his relationship with Aaron IMO. Miss you Aaron. Del Monte loving his spirit and attitude. Says his personality can go a long way with a jury.

Tim ending it with 'Not with your T.O. though.' lol Oh Timothy, wouldn't be you without a little bit of your hard edge. Like his work, kid, he has to make sure he stays on track, despite the compliment. Doesn't want it to affect him in his questioning. Did love the opposing lawyer saying it was too much handsome in one hallway. HA He wasn't wrong.... They're all very good looking men. Deric is like 35 and not in his early 20s like I thought. So I don't have to feel weird about thinking he's an attractive man LOL

We rejoin Celina's birthday crisis about Rodge. This is giving me 2x04 vibes. Lucy is adorable and says they need to call some "experts." The boys. Seeing if they can give any insight into what a man would want. Now this cracked me up because Tim was of course going to bomb this. He is an expert in all things Lucy Chen. There is zero doubt. It reflected in every gift he gave her while they were together. They were tailored to her and thoughtful af. Asking his opinion on a guy he barely knows? He's gonna give S2 clueless answers LOL I love you Tim haha

His reply is so Tim Bradford. I am dying laughing. 'Whisky and a good cigar.' My old man being an old man. haha I love him so much I cannot. I do adore her going to Tim for this though. He’s been her go to a lot lately and I’m here for it. Their banter taking over for a moment. Lucy, giving him crap, saying, 'That’s what you would give a father-in-law, not a twenty-something man.' She's not wrong.....Better hold onto that idea though Lucy, if you guys ever have a daughter and some guy tries to impress Tim with a gift. That'll be his in with Tim birthday wise. Well maybe lol

Miles chimes in like the precious little nugget he is. Asking what his love language is? They land on a song and Tim is not about it. Saying he's professional. It'll never work. My goodness Timothy. You only have a romantic sense of things when it's Lucy I swear. lmao Miles is even cuter when he says doesn't have to be perfect. Just heartfelt. It's true. Anything like that is always warmly received like that. Truly come to love Miles so much. So glad he's full time next year.

They return to the station and Lucy is bursting. Knowing they are possibly walking toward her results. She is so pent up Lucy calls Tim 'Bradford'. Whoa. Holy hell. I can’t remember a time she’s ever called him by his last name alone…Someone can correct me if she has but I can’t remember one right now. Basically shouts his name at him. Catching his attention immediately. She adds a soft. "Hi.' to soften the blow a bit. Not that it does any good, because Tim’s already bracing himself for whatever storm is coming his way lol

I do love Tim’s response asking what he did? haha Such a husband response my love. Celina explains what's going on. Sadly Tim has to be the one to tell her the crappy news. That the results are delayed...Not exactly the info she needed in this moment. She loses it and takes off. Leaving a baffled Tim in her wake. The way he turns to her as she takes off. My heart. Wishing there was something he could do. But only being friends right now all he can is let her walk it off. *sigh*

I love Tim showing up for the unveiling. Because of course he does. Been the name of the game the entire season for him. To show up for her. Also hello yummy street clothes Tim. Mmm. Had to note this before we move on. It was necessary. heh. Tim being sassy with his opening line to her. Knowing maybe some banter might calm her nerves. Lucy doesn't have time for cute banter right now though lol Just cuts to the quick with Tim. Asking why they haven't posted them yet? Tim kicks into gear immediately. Showing up the way he has all year long for her.

By being a positive light that builds her up. Won't let any self doubt creep in. Or self deprecation. Letting her know that no matter what she's going to be ok. This doesn't define her in any way. That she is a bad ass regardless of what that paper says. What I love about this is he's there. I was talking about parallels to her detective exam earlier. This a hugely positive one. Tim is there this time. He is there no matter the outcome. Last time she was alone in her initial grief. Alone in finding out the result. Grey was there but wasn't exactly comforting.

She needed her person there. And he is this time. Even though she can't handle his blind optimism right now, you know she is happy he is there to dispense it. To be a pillar of strength while she freaks out. This is exactly what she was telling Randy earlier. Women just want to be heard and that's what Tim is doing. Isn't judging her one bit. Just letting her get it all out right now. Because he knows her. This is how she processes things. Grey appears and tells to breathe LOL

Grey posts the results and she can't do it. Can't check it. Clearly having some PTSD from 6x03. Can't say I blame her. Lucy having Tim check for her is amazing. Of course he’s gonna take that bullet for her. He’d do anything for this woman. Literally anything. If this is what she needs, then he’s going to give her exactly that. No questions asked. Lucy stops him then lets him go quickly after. It's adorable.

Our nervous little bean. Tim cracks me up with his expression. Shaking his head at her indecisiveness. You love her Timothy. Neurosis and all haha His little sigh before he turns around gave me a heart attack. But it was purposeful so she got the full effect as she walked up and saw the results. Loved him calling her by name. *heart clutch*

Tim telling her to go look. Lucy clutching her tattoo on her walk up. I love watching Tim in the background. Making eye contact with Grey before setting his sights back on his girl. Wanting to soak in her reaction. He is all but beaming she passed. Transparent Tim exuding unwavering pride throughout this whole scene. His sweet smiles kills me. He couldn't be prouder of her if he tried. Heart eyes to boot. Look at our girl. Not only did she pass but she was top of the class. Of course she was. I'm so damn proud of her myself. Another positive parallel to her Detective's exam. She killed it and then some.

She did this for her and no one else and it paid off. God did she need this win. Especially after the emotional beatdown she got in s6. Jesus. I feel like I can breathe again for her regarding her career. This is a HUGE game changer for her. Oh my lord. She needs a new #1 trophy now Tim hehe Lucy achieving everything Tim knew she was capable of in both s6 and now. Finally seeing that come to fruition is a beautiful thing. Tim breaking Lucy out of her revere with his reply. 'Typical A student.' What a puppy. So in love. At this point, he’s basically a walking love letter for her. Just look at that man.

I love her turning around and seeing the absolute love and pride splashed across his handsome face. Lucy saying 'I did it.' Tim having the best reply back. 'Of course you did it.' No one believes in Lucy Chen more than that man standing behind her. He has been a walking/talking billboard of that all year. Tim KNEW she aced it last week. They just had to wait a torturous week and some to get that result. Grey lets her know she can use it right away. Lucy checking in with Tim and he looks just as shocked as her there's an opening there.

It's the night shift LOL Well it’s better than nothing Lucy. ha Also it is MUCH better than her having to possibly transfer. Thank God we're not going down that route. That was my absolute first worry when Grey said she was open to use it ASAP. Luckily it's just the night shift. She cracks me up asking if it's possible to trade? haha Wade shutting her down immediately 'No.' That had me laughing so hard. It is a start if nothing else Sergeant Chen. Gah, I love writing that. Makes me so damn happy I could cry. I'm so happy with this path for her.

No one deserved this win more than her. Last season was SO hard to watch. It killed me. Chenford was a massive proponent of it. Don't get me wrong. But to watch Lucy struggle so much emotionally and professionally. Ugh. I hated it. She lost everything last year. Legit everything. Now she's on the road to regain it all back. This is such a massive triumph for her. Lucy could not be cuter turning around and holding her new rank patches. Tim can hardly contain how proud he is of her. He looks at her with such reverence I could squee to death. It's like she’s the most remarkable thing he’s ever seen. Because well. She is.

I would be red as hell if I had Tim looking at me like that. Phew Lord. Just look at his smile Fandom. Oh my word. Transparent Tim reporting for duty. Lucy couldn't be cuter holding up her patches to him when we pan back to her. It's here we watch Tim's face form into something more serious. It's all in his eyes if you ask me. Knowing what those patches now represent. Gah the LOADED LOOKS. They're so intense Lucy has to turn away from him with a giggle. What a lead up to the finale. We are in for quite the ride next week. I can feel it. I can't wait.

Speaking of the finale. That promo. Oh my. Celina asking Lucy if there is going to be more Tim around now? I can't wait for that scene. Love Tim saying he wants to be respectful because he’s the one who broke her heart. Gah, the growth everyone. I'm dead. Angela isn't wrong. The longer he waits the more it's going to break her heart. Now I've said this all season long for the most part. I do think it needs to be Lucy to be the one to go for it. Tim went for it in 5x08 when she was too scared to risk what they had. He was the one who took the leap of faith. I think now it's Tim who is scared to go for it. The way he hesitates in the promo to text her is screaming that.

As we can see above Tim is still respecting her boundaries to the nth degree here. That is of the utmost importance to him. Post-therapy Tim wants her agency to be respected and adhered to. So I think it has to be Lucy to break this cycle they're in. Tim seems pretty set in respecting Lucy where she is at. He’s spent the entire season laying his heart down for her for to see, showing her exactly what he wants and just how deeply he cares. Never pushing his luck because as he says in the promo. He was the one who broke her heart. She's a Sergeant now, there is literally nothing keeping them apart anymore.

I think the ball is firmly in her court IMO. Tim won’t make a move unless Lucy shows that same deep desire to be with him in this ep. I could be wrong. But I would prefer Lucy to be the one to do it personally. Now I won't be against Tim fighting to get her back in the finale instead. That is a road I am happy to go down as well. I have no need to be right. As fun as it it lol We all want reconciliation no matter the form is comes in. It'll be fun to see how the finale goes down. Which way happens. They're either going to be reconciled or it's going to be a cliffhanger alluding to it. Idk which. (hopefully the former) That's the fun part if you ask me in not knowing.

I know nothing of this finale. Won't even read the description. Spoiler free square right here. I don't like having expectations from my interpretation of spoilers or descriptions. Takes the fun out of it for me. Also it's much better to go in with zero expectations and see what happens. If you were wondering why I avoid spoilers that's it. But that is just me. Also get to see what my final bingo card looks and have to post that later on. I will enjoy that for sure. Anyways Thank you forever and always to my readers who like, comment (come chat with me it's so much fun haha), and reblog these. They make my day in a way I can't put into words. Shall see you all in the finale :)

~~~~~

Side notes-non Chenford

Ooof that scene with Harper’s mom. It explains her career choices tbh. To feel you weren't prepared for the world. So she immersed herself in a world where she would see how it really is and how to adapt to it. Probably a tad overkill with UC but it makes sense why she chose that honestly.

I enjoyed Lopez's mom and Nyla's being besties. That was hilariously adorable.

Field Tim always sexy if you ask me. I'll take that all damn day.

Tim being adorable af with Kike Hernandez. Turned into a little boy and it was precious.

Really enjoyed Wes's SL. Shawn has knocked it out of the park this year with the stuff they've given him. Glad they're using him more. I hope he gets the same treatment next season too. Loved Angela getting protective of him. Saying if he was threatened Cop-Wife is coming out to play lol They cute.

Also Del-Monte is a bad ass the way he protected his kid holy shit. Well done sir.

[gothamite-rambler]

Batman gives a good example as to why he has the contingency plans he has to the Justice League. This isn't hate to any of the heroes in this either. I love the JLA, but after reading many of these comics and watching the shows I can see why Batman has these plans, prep times and slight paranoia of those he sees as friends or associates. Also I'm a big fan of Aquaman too so... Fair warning there's some Aquaman praise in this.

Batman turned his back on the Justice League members who were scolding him, their voices rising as they told him to get rid of his contingency plans or at least make them less brutal. Ignoring their protests, he whistled sharply, the sound cutting through the tension in the room.

With that, he strode purposefully toward the window in the JLA meeting room, determination in his step.

Batman: You know, when four of you got Jokerized and attacked me, I was recovering from fear toxin. That made things even worse that day.

Batman went silent for a second, the other members backing away until only Superman, Flash, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman remained front and center.

Batman: I don't like having to fight you, but I almost died that day. I actually feared some of you, and that’s saying a lot since I rarely take you seriously. You were in hospital beds for two weeks, wearing those sick, twisted smiles and completely unmoving. I could've been killed if I didn't have my plans. You could've died yourself from the Joker toxin and God knows the damage you four could do to your own cities.

Batman cracked his neck and took a deep breath. Wonder Woman looked down at the floor, ashamed. Flash frowned, his shoulders slumping. Superman struggled to find the right words, and Aquaman felt the same weight of the moment.

Batman: I have these plans so you don't kill me. I have these plans so you don't kill the people in your cities. I have these plans to protect everyone on Earth! I want to not have them and I do see you as... friends... Associates.. colleagues to a degree, but you haven't given me a good reason to put my life on the line for any of you.

No one spoke for a few seconds. Superman cleared his throat hopeful what he said wouldn't sound bad.

Superman: I mean if you could just make them less intense.

Green Lantern (John): Man, that was actually the worst thing you could've said.

Batman turned to face the group, his expression neutral, but the fury inside him was boiling over. He was at his breaking point, the metaphorical water slipping from the pot. While he regretted having to raise his voice, he felt he had no other choice.

Batman (shouting): I am a Justice League member and I will work with you, but if you don't stop pestering me about my contingency plans, I will go insane and I am taking you all with me!

Most of the Justice League: …

Batman: If the next person who talks says something that I find even a little irritating and makes me have those insane people's thoughts, I'm taking away every single vending machine in this building as well!

Aquaman: Hey, just speaking for the group here, but you seem to be going through some stuff and we're exacerbating that frustration. You're still mad at some of us for getting Jokerized and attacking you.

Batman: Which led to me contemplating death more and losing my memory.

Aquaman: Yeah, we said some rude things.

Batman (deadpan tone): Wonder Woman said she always hated me.

Wonder Woman: I wasn't in my right mind.

Batman: Superman talked like Bizarro and almost killed me.

Superman: I am really sorry about that, buddy.

Batman (glaring at the speedster): Flash… go to hell, Barry.

Flash (saddened): How come mine wasn't descriptive?

Batman (to Aquaman): And you ... I actually find you pleasant when you're not insane so I'm not that mad.

Wonder Woman: Why did that wound me?

Aquaman: While I appreciate that, you have every right to not trust us for a while. You saved us and kept us safe while we got better. I can't believe what I'm about to say... Batman, after what I went through, I get why you have those plans.

Batman: You do?

JLA members: You do?

Aquaman: I do now. Batman, first, thank you for saving us after we went Joker levels of insane. I'm sorry for attacking you and all the awful things I said which weren't true. The others are sorry as well.

Batman: You're forgiven, I wasn't mad at any of you since you weren't in your right mind that day, but my contingencies are what I keep for a reason.

Aquaman: I don't blame you, they came in handy; you got us an antidote before we got worse and although my face hurts from smiling that much, I'm glad that I'm better now. If it weren't for your incredible paranoia and quick thinking, I wouldn't be back with Mera and my son. For that, I am eternally grateful and again deeply apologize for dismissing your plans earlier.

Batman blinked, crossing his arms, secretly relieved to hear this, even if he did get called paranoid. That paranoia had helped him in the past.

Everyone else stared at Aquaman, some at how charming he was, the others annoyed he was siding with Batman. Superman was just jealous.

Wonder Woman: I often forget you're a king until you start talking like that. Impressive.

Aquaman: I'll take that as a compliment. Batman, if we hold back on criticizing most of your contingencies can you give us a tenth chance?

Batman closed his eyes, mentally debating what to say next.

Batman (clearing his throat): Apology accepted, Arthur. Thank you for understanding my plans. I can find it in my heart to give you all a hundred and twentieth chance. But don't mess it up.

The JLA members nodded, voicing their gratitude for the second chance. Batman sighed, feeling a headache forming.

Aquaman: Alright, thanks. Now, will I see you for movie night this Friday?

Superman: Movie night?

Batman: Yeah, I don't find you nearly as annoying as everyone else. Especially Hal.

Hal Jordan: I didn't even say anything! And I didn't even attack you!

Superman: You don't find him nearly as annoying as everyone else? I'm not included in that am I?

Batman: Most of the time.

Batman walked past the group, heading out the building.

Superman: Most... Most of the time? Okay I can accept that, but look at him! He looks like a surfer dude! No offense Aquaman.

Aquaman: That's not an insult to me, thanks for the compliment.

Flash: Hm, I see it now.

[purrassicjet]

Brennan was so causal about the fact that Sandra Lynn wasn't on Baxter. Sir what do you mean she wasn't on him. What do you mean her ranger mount didn't have his ranger with him. What do you mean.

[unopenablebox]

blocking! rate of curvature on this thing is such that i had to overlap the ends to get the lace fully extended

[h0estar]

alright, i know being a manga reader makes you... dissatisfied about how certain scenes played out but literally after finishing the recent ep, i understood WHY.

I WAS CLUTCHING MY PEARLS AT 1 IN THE MORNING BC OMFG???????????????????????????

The cute Jinmao interactions in the beginning may not have made the cut but they sure as hell went up and beyond with their cave scenes and i gotta say, those were necessary sacrifices for the greater good 🙏

BECAUSE HELLO?!?!??!!!!!!!!??!

THE WAY JINSHI LOOKS AT HER HAS ME FLOORING MAOMAO IS SO STRONG

(she definitely wasn't tho. i saw the way she gaped at his face. I KNOW YOU MAOMAO!!!!)

and the way jinshi instinctively locked her in place with that delicious waist grab?!? my guy did NAWWTT do all that in the manga but if his slutty outfit and hairstyle in the beginning had to be sacrificed for this, then to hell with them 🔥

ALSO HELLO????????? THE CLOSE UP OF JINSHI GIVING HER A PASSIONATE CPR HAS ME WEAK ON MY KNEES

This can be taken out of context and I'M GLAD IT CAN BC HELL YEAH

the animators had to set their priorities with this ep and I'M GLAD THEY DID. THEY KNEW WHAT WE WANTED AND THEY GAVE ITTTT

I can't wait for the next ep!!!!

[cassiskurocorner]

Try not to make Sebastian have heated eye contact with another man challenge (Impossible edition)

[doriansredroses]

I ACQUIRED THE SCRIPT TODAY!!!!!

[fearandhatred]

C by fearandhatred (6k words, 1/1 chapters)

Crowley's time with Jesus dredges up an old wooden box of memories 3000 years past—a flood, a reckoning, and lives lost. And in the box are two other things, one of which is a braided lock of her own hair, straw-like from dried-up rainwater, and hacked off violently and unevenly at the edges.

*don cheadle voice* boom, you looking for this?

it is finally here... the mesopotamia–golgotha fic! this is intended as a sequel to my golgotha fic, via dolorosa. also if you see the very tiny stitches of colour on his clothes and on the C in this drawing... they're surprise tools that will help us later :)

please go check out the wonderful art my beloved @knifeforkspooncup made for me!! i have probably racked up five hours of screen time just looking at it if we're being honest here. thank you loml <3

also this idea came my way because of this post and the lovely (life ruining) additions by @idliketobeatree and @eybefioro. this fic is for u two <3 (i also eventually realised that my original post was factually incorrect but hey it birthed this fic so! happy accidents!)

[girlwiththegreenhat]

hey when they wrote "knight behind bars" and they wrote kitt helping a couple get together and they gave him the line "Some day, it will be my turn" [to find love]. did they know what they were doing. did they know that in some 40 years some gay autistic robot-obsessed little freak on tumblr would not stop thinking about it for weeks and write literal dozens of paragraphs screaming about it on discord. did they know they were going to ruin Me, Specifically, with this concept that feels like the culmination of everything kitt has gone through through the show and such a fascinating thing to think about in regards to michael and kitt's relationship,

one of the themes of knight rider is kitt developing as a Person, developing a line between the Knight Industries Two-Thousand, and Kitt. discovering humanity, his own emotions, the joys of the seemingly and logically pointless, and often through the lens of his own driver, his partner, his friend, Michael - his primary guide through all these experiences, his reference for those human things he doesn't understand. and as much as he initially claims to not be capable of experiencing emotions, of understanding feelings, he learns to. he experiences a wide range of emotions through the show even while claiming he doesn't, he even learns fear and insecurity. perhaps it's only natural a robot would learn to love, or at the very least be terribly curious about it and wonder if such a thing could ever exist for Him

the majority of people are not exactly kind to kitt. they talk about him like he's not there, they talk about him like he's a machine, a novelty, some people are even scared of or disturbed by him when all he's trying to do is make polite conversation and company. he's always Othered - there's no other cars like him (at least not anymore), but there's no other person like him either, he doesn't truly belong among humans or vehicles. some of the technicians at FLAG don't even seem to fully respect him as a person, at least they don't based on my vague recollection of how they talk about him in Junkyard Dog. when Michael asks him after KARR is destroyed if it feels good to be one of a kind again, he doesn't say yes or no - he only says it's a "familiar feeling." it may be familiar, but it's surely also isolating, and i think that's something he'd realize as he slowly picks up this curiosity about love. where could he even find it when so few people see him as an equal person to begin with?

and then there's michael. oh my god, and then there's michael. no matter what flavor you choose to read it in, the whole show is about their relationship, they're a duo, a set Not to be separated, they're Partners. they work together, they worry about and look after each other (forever insane about when kitt was a melted shell, Michael stuck around the garage for hours, waiting for any news like a worried spouse, constantly checking on him every opportunity he got... encouraging him to recover, and even helping paint back on his protective coating... kitt always looks after michael, but for once, it's michael's turn to look after Him), in a way they were Made for each other - Kitt more literally, being programmed for Michael and holding his namesake, but Michael was also made in a sense for the pilot program, hand picked and given a second life to work for the foundation and with this strange supercar. and even if they had a rocky start, michael comes to view kitt as a person - car, TV set, or computer core, Kitt is his partner, his buddy. he helps him find himself, guides him and teaches him about these things that make us human, and in a way, kitt becomes human - but his entire experience is still through the perspective of an AI in a car, it's still very unique and isolating, and I think he sort of grows into his own limitations, he's finally brushing against the walls that define him.

he learns of love, and then he learns to dream Of love. these things he sees in the movies, that michael tells him about, that he so often sees michael Partaking in that he gets so oddly jealous of, doesn't it all seem so wonderful? he's very curious. but who could ever love steel and circuitry, who could ever see him as an equal let alone a partner in a romantic sense? who would ever love a car and all the limitations That comes with? it's a problem for a hypothetical hopeful Some Day, in the meantime stuck between two worlds where he doesn't perfectly belong to either, where no car Can love him and no human seemingly Would love him...

and michael loves him anyway. before either of them really realize or talk about it, in spite of everything, in any form, regardless of the fact it wouldn't be a typical relationship by absolutely any means, michael loves him anyway. kitt is as much a person to him as bonnie or devon or RC, and that person is someone he loves and cares for deeply. the feeling is mutual, kitt's world revolves around michael, he's one of the most important people in kitt's life, and he'd do anything to protect him.

and it is michael that will finally teach him to love, and what it means to feel loved in turn, to be loved as the person he undoubtedly is.

[community-gardenss]

I fear Hades the game brainrot has gripped me... alongside the usual rot I have for the classics... And EPIC...

[artfulacrostic]

memes for The Bad Batch 3x05, "The Return" PT 2

told y'all i'd be back here's ur second delivery

*SPOILERS*

[witherby]

creeping around in your messages 😈😈

-🧜‍♂️

MERMAN

MERMAN YOU BUSTED THIS OUT SO GODDAMN QUICKLY

HE'S BEAUTIFUL HE'S PERFECT HE'S STUNNING HE'S EVERYTHING I'VE EVER WANTED AND MORE HE'S MY BEAUTIFUL COLD SON HE LOOKS SO GOOD I'M PRINTING THIS OUT AND DEEP FRYING IT AND EATING IT AND FUSING IT TO MY SOUL

[gottagobackintime]

Music (and movies) and queerness in Ted Lasso. Particularly in relation to Ted (and Trent)

I want to start with a line from the show that contains the word music.

“If music be the food of love, play on. Give me excess of it.” Said by Mae to Ted in a scene where a few moments later Trent walks up to him after leaving his date to go talk to him. It’s a quote from the VERY queer Shakespeare play “Twelfth Night”. The line implies that the speaker wants to be fed more, to the point of it making them sick so that they won’t desire, love in this case, anymore. Because he’s unhappily in love with someone who he can’t have (Michelle?). BUT he falls in love with someone else later. And in the context of Ted Lasso, this line just so happens to be said right before they show us that Trent is there. Ted also answers Mae, not by asking if she’s asking him if he wants more but “If that’s your fancy way of asking if I want another one, you guessed right”.Another love?And according to James Lance, it was when he was on his way to film this scene that he found out that Trent is gay and that he is “with that guy” as he himself puts it. A man who has a moustache very similar to Ted’s and wears similar clothes.

(Also, this happens in season 2 episode 7. In season 3, episode 7 Ted talks about the red string/thread of fate myth while Trent wears a red bracelet and they are connected by red several times and season 3, episodes 7 and 11 are connected via “You’ve got Mail”, the opening scene in episode 7 being a “tribute” to the movie, and there are other smaller references. And the team, and Trent, watching the movie in episode 11. AndTrent also wears the bracelet in episode 11, an episode I’ll bring up later in this post).

Now, let us get to the music.

Bruce Springsteen If you google “Bruce Springsteen queer” you get a lot of results discussing queerness in his songs and so on, so to put him in this post is a must.

Bruce Springsteen is brought up by Dottie in season 3 episode 11. She tells Trent about the time Ted got onstage and danced with Bruce Springsteen (which turns out to be a lie) but the connection to Springsteen is still there, because Ted did get onstage with a Bruce Springsteen cover band and sang with them. So, we’ve established a connection between Ted (and Trent) and Bruce Springsteen.

Let’s connect it to something else that happened in the episode. They watch “You’ve Got Mail” starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan (I’ll come back to “You’ve Got Mail” later, the important part here is Tom Hanks). Ted states that the superior Nora Ephron/Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movie is “Sleepless in Seattle”,a movie about a reporter falling for a single dad simply because of the way he talks about things and what he talks about. He brings the movie up twice, once to say that it’s superior and once telling someone to watch it. Now what does “Sleepless in Seattle” have to do with Bruce Springsteen? “Sleepless in Seattle” came out in 1993, as did “Philadelphia” a movie about a gay man played by Tom Hanks. Springsteen made a song called “Streets of Philadelphia”, specifically for this movie. A bit farfetched? Eh, perhaps, but I’m including it anyway.

So, in this episode Trent, a gay man, is told by Ted’s mum that Ted once went onstage with Bruce Springsteen and that’s the story he needs to confirm straight away. He practically skips towards Ted’s office to ask about it. Why that story? Surely she told him about other things too. And he heard the stories she told the team. But this was the story he was excited to get confirmed. A story about Ted’s connection to an artist that has several queer connections and who can also be connected to something else that is brought up in the episode.

Queen Let’s get the obvious out of the way. Their lead singer was queer.

And I talked about Fat Bottomed Girls and Queen/Freddie/Brian in THIS post. And I talk a little bit about the connection between Ted and Freddie Mercury in THIS post.

Queen has been used a lot throughout “Ted Lasso”, a lot more than I remembered. When I went back to look at the soundtrack for season 1 and 2, I found quite a few Queen songs. I also discovered that two of the trailers for season 2 had Queen songs in the background. “Under Pressure” (which also features David Bowie, another queer artist) and “We Will Rock You”.

Ted talks about having watched Queen at Live Aid on TV when he was younger, in season 2, episode 8 (that episode is called “Man City”, Ted mentions both Queen and Freddie Mercury. Season 3 episode 11 is called “Mom City” and Freddie Mercury is brought up again and a Queen song plays.) “Tear It Up” plays in season 2, episode 2 “We Are the Champions” plays in season 2, episode 9 “Fat Bottomed Girls” are both mentioned and played in season 3, episode 11 And, while not a Queen song, “Fought & Lost” by Sam Ryder featuring Brian May is also played in season 3, episode 11.

But let’s focus on “Fat Bottomed Girls”. Now, I’ve already talked about it in THIS post, that I also linked above. So, I won’t go over all that again. But a little recap, “Fat Bottomed Girls” is linked to “Bicycle Race” which is sometimes seen as a metaphor for being bi. They were both on the same single and they reference each other. The song is brought up by Higgins when he tells Keeley and Rebecca that Freddie, when he briefly owned Richmond in 1980, tried to make that song Richmond’s song but that it didn’t work. Rebecca then brings up that her dad went to art school with Freddie and that according to him if you would have asked Freddie what his greatest talent was, he would have said “flipping straights”.

We’ve already established Ted’s connection to Queen. And we’ve heard Ted refer to himself as straight just a few episodes ago (episode 7, and I’ve already pointed out the connection between episodes 7 and 11, this is another connection) now we get to hear Rebecca say that Freddie Mercury’s biggest talent was “flipping straights”. Ted is, as far as I know, and I’ve checked, the only person who refers to himself as straight, in the whole show. Not a single other character does that. Once in the Christmas special, once in season 3, episode 7, that’s two times. Will the rule of three apply here? Will he say that he’s straight a third time or will he subvert expectations or if you will, flip the script and say that he’s something else?

Dolly Parton Trent has worn a Dolly Parton shirt twice. Dolly Parton is a queer icon. In season 3, episode 11 Beard feels the need to call dibs on Dolly’s part in “Islands in the Stream” at karaoke. Implying that Ted perhaps snags that part for himself a lot of the time. Ted then walks away singing “Islands in the Stream”. Yet another queer connection between Trent and Ted via music.

Harry Nilsson/ (Judy Garland) Back to “You’ve got Mail”. The last scene of “You’ve got mail” ends with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan meeting up and they kiss while Harry Nilsson’s cover of “Somewhere over the Rainbow” plays in the background. We’re shown that scene, not just by witnessing the characters watching it, but by it filling our own screen for a while. “Somewhere over the Rainbow” is of course from “The Wizard of Oz” originally, sung by Judy Garland. A queer icon. The connection to “The Wizard of Oz” and Ted Lasso has been brought up before. But in this episode, it’s very front and centre. Ted is standing at “The Wizard of Oz” pinball machine, staring at the spinning house. And of course, Ted’s connection to Kansas is always there. And it’s brought up in a very important way this episode, with his mother more or less telling him he should go home to Kansas.

So, we have a well-established connection between Ted and Kansas and “The Wizard of Oz”. Let’s talk more about Judy Garland, Dorothy, the original singer of “Somewhere over the Rainbow”. As I mentioned above, Judy Garland was and is a queer icon. And “The Wizard of Oz” was and is a big part of the queer community. Then we have the “Friend of Dorothy” euphemism, a way to recognise other queer people, and it’s strongly associated with Judy Garland’s Dorothy. In episode 11 we are introduced to Ted’s mother, Dottie, which is a nickname/shortening of Dorothy. Another very clear queer connection to Ted.

And let us also look at James Lance who has said that there is a story arc for Trent’s shirts. And he wore a t-shirt with Dorothy’s ruby slippers to an event that is connected to Ted Lasso. And when asked why he was wearing that shirt, why he chose to honour Dorothy. It feels like he’s deflecting when he says “Well, every good character’s got to have a good pair of shoes, right. And these are surely, surely,the best pair of shoes in showbiz. So, you know, they get their own t-shirt. There aren’t many shoes to do that.” That’s suspicious. And we now know that James has had a lot of input into Trent’s costume, with him suggesting things and getting a thumbs up a lot of the time. He clearly thinks that clothes are important and can send a message. And he chose to wear a Dorothy shirt to a red carpet. When we now know that the eleventh episode of season three had several heavy references to “The Wizard of Oz”.

And to go back to Harry Nilsson. A song sung by him was on the soundtrack for Midnight Cowboy, starring Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, a queer movie. (And let’s remember that Trent himself said that Dustin Hoffman would probably play him in a movie).

Honourable mention

Mumford & Sons/Marcus Mumford

Why would I add Mumford & Sons and Marcus Mumford? Because Marcus Mumford made the theme song to Ted Lasso and the instrumental songs for the soundtrack, they’ve also used both Mumford & Sons and Marcus Mumford songs in the show. And the band have a connection to Jason Sudeikis. He was in the official music video for Mumford & Sons’ song “Hopeless Wanderer”, inthat video he clearly plays a version of Marcus, and he kisses another man in it. I think that deserves an honourable mention.

So, to sum it all up, there is queer subtext in the music and the artists that they mention and play in Ted Lasso, and these are just the ones that I personally can connect to Ted (and Ted/Trent). I don’t know if it is a coincidence, but I feel like there is way too much to just be a coincidence. To borrow part of Trent’s line “Through thousands of imperceptible moments, all leading to their inevitable conclusion.” Number four, that doesn’t even matter (but it actually does), LOVE. Queer love.

[queen-mabs-revenge]