#In Dictum

[familyabolisher]

I don’t want to sound like I’m asking this in bad-faith but could you please explain why criticising certain kinks like cnc, ageplay and incest-play is specifically transmisogynistic? I keep seeing posts defending ‘taboo’ kinks like that with the claim that thinking it’s gross is such and I don’t really get it?

Many people I’ve been mutuals with who’ve criticised it in the past both as IRL kink-practice and as fanfic are trans (both TMA and TME) or queer in some other way but I’ve seen this argument quite a lot recently. It’s just the implication that trans women are more likely to be into those things that bothers me if you get me when most of the criticism surrounding them usually point to white daddy dom types instead. Apologies as I’m bad at phrasing things.

it's because trans women are disproportionately targeted in "callouts," which in turn can be linked back to the fact that trans women/TMA people are already culturally perceived as sexual predators/sexual degenerates/etc even by other queer + trans people. certain articulations of a kink are able to fly under the radar when articulated by demographics for whom a socially unacceptable sexual degeneration is not already presumed -- as many others have noted, the only difference between a cishet woman calling her boyfriend "daddy" and trans girls calling one another "sisters" sexually (or similar, ygwim) is that the latter are operating within a discourse that already casts them as sexually predatory, and all sexual expression thereafter merely functions as confirmation bias. the "callouts" which circulate on this website and the scale of vitriol that they attract (doxxing, sexual harassment, social murder) are almost always for trans women (i'm not going to name names but think back on some of the biggest ones!) and almost always rely on significant actual violation of consent and boundaries -- digging out and circulating screenshots of people's private nsfw sideblogs, for example, is unambiguously sexual harassment, but never gets regarded as such, and the people who make + spread the callouts are never called to account for their participation in said sexual harassment.

"criticising [x] kink" is a bit of a rhetorical sleight of hand here, because that's not really what's happening -- there's no "critique" of a kink actually taking place, only calls to action predicated on a presumed shared assumption that xyz kink is a) morally wrong and b) indicative of harm being committed. if you said "incest kinks are wrong because x, y, and z," irrespective of whether i agreed or disagreed with you, you would be making a fundamentally different statement to that of "x person has an incest kink, and i am sharing this information on the assumption that we all agree what should be done with it." i think this distinction is necessary because it's easy to let online sexual harassment fly under the radar under the guise of "criticising," being "critical," having "critical thinking," etc etc.

[thepersonalwords]

Millions of sane people would each be sexually attracted to their own parent or child if they were not related to them.

Mokokoma Mokhonoana

[dicta-lavendula]

salvēte. discō linguam latīnam, sed diffīcilem est. ergo discam scrībendō latīnē hīc. spērō mē hanc linguam cognitūram omnīnō.

placente mihi linguā graecā melius, cōnābor nōn ūtī hīc...

[jacksgreysays]

i saw this and this is SO perfect for shikako: "ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem" (with the sword, she seeks peace under liberty) - maybe something with the shikabane-hime in the gardens-verse?

Okay anon, I did learn a few things about this phrase, specifically: The phrase is often loosely translated into English as "By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty." The literal translation, however, is "she seeks with the sword peaceful repose under liberty." The "she" in question refers to the word manus from the full phrase manus haec inimica tyrannis ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem, which means "this hand, an enemy to tyrants, seeks with the sword peaceful repose under liberty."

Which, you know, is VERY in flavor of my usual “let’s murder Danzo, that’ll take care of at least 95% of the world’s issues” as seen within the Shikako Nara’s Guide To Delinquency and Military Insurrection series which is basically where I put all of my messing around in the Gardens-verse.

But I find myself interested in the, hm… steps of translation for the phrase… like, the original specifically saying “this hand, an enemy to tyrants” which is then removed from the final phrase. However, the final phrase does still keep the sword and also specifically says peace ONLY under liberty.

So my interpretation of this is: once “this hand, [she who is] an enemy to tyrants,” goes away, all that remains is the sword, ie violence, and the prioritization of liberty over peace. Which actually makes me wonder if… hm… I wouldn’t necessarily say a “dark turn AU” but a… pessimistic version of the “let’s murder Danzo, that’ll take care of at least 95% of the world’s issues.” What happens to Konoha as an institution after Danzo is dead and all of his machinations are brought to light?

ESPECIALLY considering how much he claimed to be merely following the Nidaime’s vision. Imagine the repercussions! The implication that Konoha has been so twisted and rotten from its founding. And I’m not saying it’s a return to the Warring Clans Era, because it’s not as if the clans would necessarily rekindle any issues with each other, but how much of the village infrastructure is suspect? How many people did Danzo influence either with the ROOT seal or with Shisui’s eye?

How many clans then think, we are not free under Konoha?

For example, the twins vows when becoming genin prioritize clan, then allies, then teammates, then the village. (I know they had different vows, but I think that’s roughly the order of priority for both of them?) But I can’t imagine—given Hatake Sakumo’s treatment by Konoha when he saved his teammates and “started the war” (although I do have Danzo-related headcanons for that, of course)—that vow would prevent a court martial or disciplinary action.

So if being a good soldier of Konoha contradicts being a good member of the clan, then the existence of Konoha itself is a contradiction to a clan’s existence—I am, of course, exaggerating for the sake of the premise, and I guess what I’m saying is that the premise is:

Shikako killing Danzo does solve a lot of problems, but then unleashes a whole lot of other problems which, unfortunately, a single murder will not solve. Might be multiple murders. Or maybe a war. Whoops.

Because! The fact that the phrase wasn’t shortened to just “Peace [Only] Under Liberty,” the fact that the “by the sword” part was kept is interesting. But a sword without a hand behind it, a sword without an enemy to target, is just an unsheathed weapon that could harm allies or yourself.

So that is the premise, but I don’t know what the plot would be, per se…

OR maybe this is a universe in which someone that ISN’T multiverse-traveling Shikabane-hime clocks Danzo’s rancid vibes and kills him but without a plan to deal with the fall out or a way to deescalate the situation. Like… if it were Shisui and/or Itachi who killed Danzo but in a kind of panicked way. The Uchiha clan is already SO SUSPICIOUS to the rest of the village (at least, that’s the impression they’ve been given) so they can’t come out with a laundry list of Danzo’s crimes and everything will be fine.

Okay, this isn’t the prompt necessarily, but the idea of two freaked out teenage Uchiha just panic whispering to each other over the corpse of Danzo who they just killed while Shikako watches from the shadows, bemused, because… well… they beat her to the punch, but also they have no idea what they’re doing. It’s very funny.

[just-slightly-chayotic]

how often do other people get the urge to get a degree in classical languages? because it happens to me at least twice a year

[judge-fairleigh]

Good gracious! I return to the Tumblr jurisdiction after a long hiatus only to find soon thereafter that I have been given a "boop", a "super boop", and an "evil boop". What, pray tell, are these "boops" that have been bestowed upon me?

[a-passing-storm]

Oh... I've finally gotten back around to reviewing/relearning Latin, and verb forms are probably the thing I struggle the most with/need to review the most urgently. So I...

I'm using this as a checklist... the ones with the periods are the ones I Definitely Remember And Could Do In My Sleep* and the others I either have not quizzed myself on yet or just... know that I won't be able to do them.

How did I KNOW all of these??? At any point???

To be fair, I never knew the subjunctive all that well (I mainly went off of, like... "I know indicative verbs and this sure doesn't look like one!"), but... this makes me so sad. I've forgotten so much.

And that's not even getting into participles and infinitives. Imperatives are fine, probably.

I think I'll be good on prepositions and ablative uses with just a little bit of review, but the various subjunctive uses are going to be a pain in the ass to learn/relearn. (To be honest, that's another case of learning more than relearning. I was able to guess/use context in class, but I'd like to also actually know them well.)

*There's the caveat of... my first-person singular future active indicative of "superāre." For which I wrote "superam." Which I guess is third conjugation rules? Or third-io? I don't remember? I guess it's good that I vaguely remember conjugation rules from a different conjugation, but... help.

[nix-latine-loquitur]

Salve! Nomen mihi est Nix (simile ei quae de caelo cadit 🙂). Pronomina sunt is/eum mihi; vir transgener sum.

Hic solum Latine loquor. Si Anglice legere vis, @rationix spectandum tibi est. (Hoc ‘blog’ est ‘sideblog’ Latinum mihi; @rationix principale est, in quod Anglice loquor.) Noli Anglice, aut alia aliqua lingua, me colloqui, praeter Latinam.

Hoc feci ut linguam Latinam meditarer. Forsitan mea grammatica, aut verborum scientia, erret. Modo discipulus sum. (Sis licet tibi me corrigere.)

[gangshuffle]

[GANGSHUFFLE]

The Mutinous Cabal

Marvel Capital's crew of self-proclaimed watchdogs. They keep an eye out on whatever's brewing on the city's notorious criminal underbelly- with a little cut of the pie, of course. Gotta keep their heads above water, after all.

Posing as their figurehead is the ever charming and mysterious DEBONAIR DESPOT, an ex-soldier turned vigilante. He's a quiet, dedicated man with the energy of a restless cat. Of course, when you have the ability to see the future, wouldn't that make you restless as well?

The real boss hiding behind the curtain is SCRUTINOUS SCOURGE, the visionary behind Marvel Capital's creation. He's madly in love with his city, and rumor has it he's made a deal with a Terror to secure her flourishing in exchange for his sight. God complex? Seems pretty simple to him!

With their intel guy, COGENT DEALER- a former Dersite agent- and medic turned heavy muscle, HARMONIC BASTION, the Cabal keep the shadows in line and out of the light of day. It's their city.

Team Ace

A gang of dishonorably discharged ex-coppers, teamed up with the goal of cleaning up Marvel Capital's dirty laundry. Little do they know, they've already passed their hero arc. Everyone else starts looking like a villain when you think you're the protagonist, after all.

Leading their rather suspicious charge from the shadows is the obstinate POLEMIC IMAGINEER. They say that cute face hides the wrath of God.

Functioning as the 'man in charge' is ACEPHALOUS DICTUM. But his friends, and his co-workers, and.. Well. Everyone calls him ACE DICK. Tired father of one girl and two grown-ass men.

And every ragtag group needs a poster boy, and for Team Ace that boy is the grown-ass man, PROSAIC STEWARD. He's. Uh. Been in a rough spot since a.. Particular even that happened before he was kicked from the Marvel Capital Police Department.

They seem at odds amongst themselves often with their goals- but when they pose as a threat? Shit just gets REAL.

The Flux

The top yakuza syndicate in the Marvel Capital. Having taken over during a vulnerable time for the city, they've had their claws dug deep into the corner of every block in every district. No gang seems stand a chance against them and their wide array of magical abilities- utlizing Shadow and Temporal magic alike.

The Flux use number based aliases, with their real names mainly unbeknownst to the public. But two in particular send shudders down the spine of even the most notorious oyabun in the city's underworld.

Number Six, DEOR. The big boss himself. A reclusive man who stands firm in his ideals, hellbent on sucking Marvel Capital dry before running it into the ground. Some say he's got a powerful Terror pact- other's claim he's a naturally gifted Green Sun mage. No one's lived long enough to determine for sure which one's true.

Number Seven, YUSHA. Deor's personal lapdog. He's never seen without a smile, nor without his Crowbar. People who know him say he's got an odd air to him, as if he doesn't even know what's going on around him. Regardless, that doesn't stop him from swiftly fulfilling his orders with great efficiency.

This rainbow of thugs will stop at nothing to claim Marvel Capital as their own. It's their land.

City Officials

Every city is only ever as good as the people in charge of it. Luckily for the Marvel Capital, capable hands work hard behind the scenes to keep the place livable for the average citizen- determined to keep the peace. Even if it means occasionally having to play by the Cabal's rules.

The former Mayor, WINDSWEPT VILLAGER, keeps a well trained eye on the city's archives. After an attempt on his life during that left him disabled, he's stepped down from his position. Nevertheless, he continues to work behind the scenes- playing as an informant and confidant for the current Mayor. PEACEKEEPING MAYOR is the current head honcho serving in office. Having been an ex-archagent like Villager, positions of great responsibility (and stress) are nothing new to her. She's a stubborn woman with a who will do anything for the city- going so far as to work with the Cabal to keep as eye on what goes on in the shadows. If the Mayor watches over the city, who watches the Mayor? That duty of course goes to ASSIDUOUS REGIMENT, the head of the City Council's security department. Having failed to protect Villager before, he's sworn to himself to not allow that to happen ever again. He's a stiff, stern figure, but below that tough exterior, he's got a good heart.

The three of them work day and night trying to maintain the balance of the city- but everyday it grows clearer it was made to be less of a home and more of a playground.

[hypaalicious]

Y’all absolutely need to touch grass if you’re policing the sanctity of a fictional character and that goes double if you are harassing real people over it.

It’s alright if you’re uncomfy with other people’s characterizations or projected desires onto your smol bean-ified comfort characters. There are more things than I can count that weird me out in fandoms. But to react as if you are morally superior than someone else because of your preferences or act as if you being offended is equal to actual real-life harm is absolutely wild.

Fictional characters are a conglomerate of flattened personality traits and aesthetics, nothing more. In most cases, everything is arbitrary. In all cases, everything is make-believe.

So, like… maybe take a breather.

[pissmd]

She never saw that Brando was playing the equivalent of high-level quality tennis across sound stages all over both coasts, Jim, is what he was really doing. Jim, he moved like a careless fingerling, one big muscle, muscularly naïve, but always, notice, a fingerling at the center of a clear current. That kind of animal grace. The bastard wasted no motion, is what made it art, this brutish no-care. His was a tennis player's dictum: touch things with consideration and they will be yours; you will own them; they will move or stay still or move for you; they will lie back and part their legs and yield up their innermost seams to you.

— David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest

[dblackthorne]

Some personal philosophical guidelines.

{Elaborations in Dracomeroth}

[thepersonalwords]

A truly compassionate man gives a poor woman a portion of his meal before he eats, not after he has eaten.

Mokokoma Mokhonoana

[dicta-lavendula]

hodiē īvī ad bibliothēcam et ēmī duōs librōs. "bibliothēca" verbum graecum est: βιβλιοθήκη = liber + ubi positus est. nunc faciō exercitium latīnē, et audiō mūsicam ā Stevie Nicks. nesciō quōmodo dīcī hoc nōmen in cāsū ablātīvō...

[jacksgreysays]

Generalia specialibus non derogant (Shikako and Shikamaru)

Generalia specialibus non derogant => general provisions enacted in later legislation do not detract from specific provisions enacted in earlier legislation ==> A principle of statutory interpretation: If a matter falls under a specific provision in a statute enacted before a general provision enacted in a later statute, it is to be presumed that the legislature did not intend that the earlier specific provision be repealed, and the matter is governed by the earlier specific provision, not the more recent general one.

So for example… since the specific earlier rule still holds true over the vague later rule, that could mean…

—

We don’t really talk anymore, because whenever we talk we just seem to fight. We don’t celebrate our birthday together, which really ought to be the one thing we can share without any problems (literally the one thing we’ve shared our entire lives). We both still live at home, but with how often we’re out on missions (and I so often sleep in the ANBU dorms just to save time) we don’t see each other much—and I already moved out of my childhood bedroom for Kino so that’s not the same.

So what do we still have? Different teams, different specialties, different missions, different priorities. Dad’s already taught us what he could of shadow jutsu, unless he develops something new, but even that doesn’t take too long to learn. It’s up to us to individually seek out Kasuga-jii for more in depth training, and if Shikamaru’s gone I wouldn’t know. I have so many other things to learn that I don’t have the time to specialize any further into shadow jutsu.

So then what do we still have? Matching names which don’t even connect us to each other so much as to a long line of Nara clan heads. A shared childhood that we sprint further and further away from. A shared clan who I’ve already been burned by and which he is sworn to protect above all else. Our parents who love us but won’t interfere because it’s not their place to do so and our issues have nothing to do with them. A little brother who has seen Shikamaru more than me, and who would have different relationships with each of us even if that weren’t the case.

So what do we still have?

We love each other. Of course we do. That’s part of the problem. Or, no, it’s what is making the problem so persistent and tedious and awful.

We’re at cross purposes because I need him to be safe in this world that has already almost killed him and that means I need to get stronger as soon as possible, even if that means putting myself in danger. And if it drags the rest of my friends along—pushes them further and faster—then I can only try my best to make sure they don’t die in the process.

We’re at cross purposes because he wants me to be safe in this world that has already (probably?) killed me and that means he wants me coddled and caged in the village where he thinks nothing bad can happen but only because he has his eyes closed so much, watching clouds instead of the threats around us. As if the majority of the problems in the Elemental Nations didn’t originate from Konoha. As if the strongest S-ranked missing nin weren’t born and bred Leaf. As if an entire clan hadn’t been massacred within our walls, within our lifetime. As if Sai’s mere existence weren’t a screaming, flashing warning sign of how dangerous Konoha is.

We love each other. Great.

If we didn’t love each other, we wouldn’t worry so much. We could properly walk away from each other instead of circling each other, passive aggressively sniping and snubbing each other in turns. Tethered inexorably by all those things we share, but our sharp edges only scratch at each other instead of making us stronger. And now we’re stuck in this purgatory where we love and rage and hurt and sulk and brood and regret and reminisce. Then start the cycle all over again.

The problem is that we haven’t fully cut each other out of our lives. The problem is that we do still actually talk to each other even if that leaves openings for us to fight. A festering wound that we keep picking and poking and prodding at instead of leaving it alone, letting it scar over, skin hardened and discolored and less sensitive to things like misunderstandings and snide comments.

I want to fix things between us but I don’t know where to start, I don’t know how. I want to fix things between us but I don’t have the time or energy. I want to fix things between us, but it can’t just be me trying, putting in the effort, meeting him halfway.

And why should I meet him halfway? He’s the one being unreasonable.

How does he think it’s going to work? I stay in the village and grow stagnant and weak? Revert into that shy little girl, hiding behind her brother because one of the other kids said something slightly mean? But we can’t go back in time, we can only go forward.

I can’t save his life while being weighed down by his irrational expectations.

I’ll fix things after everything is done.

—

A/N: Dona!! <3<3<3 Thanks for the prompt! I’ll be honest, it did take me a while to understand what this particular phrase meant. And then a while longer to abstract it into a metaphor. And even then what I wrote above started as more of a stream of conscious for trying to figure out what either the “specific earlier rule” and the “vague later rule” would be—that it is in a Shikako!POV is a little bit of a surprise to me since I don’t usually do first person POV. But Shikako has always been an exception to that lol

I don’t think I clarified what either of the two rules are? So I guess it only sort of meets the brief. I think I was originally trying to pinpoint a specific “if we go to this particular hill we cloud watch/read and have nice quiet bonding time” versus the vague “we are currently fighting” but that didn’t really work out… If I had to pull a proper answer out of nowhere I’d say the specific earlier rule is “make sure Shikamaru makes it through the dangers of this world” which is more important than the vague “be a good sister.”

Also, I may have channeled some of my own sibling issues into this, whoops.

Ask Box Advent Calendar 2022!

[alphacygni]

Honestly this explains a lot about how S2 felt to me (Personally. Ymmv)