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xxrougefangxx · 6 months

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Jason Todd x Reader fic recs

This is originally made for @marinas-trench , but anybody can use this. Will update as I find more

Added little notes in pink to specify some stuff, includes BOTH platonic and romantic works.

Anybody who does use these recs please try to reblog works- that's the Tumblr algorithm likes don't do anything- to help the authors out <3 (no pressure tho)

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Authors because I can't pick a favorite work:

DC Masterlist by @sanguineterrain - The works speak for themselves.

@jasmines-library - Includes lots of platonic batfamily x reader and the hurt/comfort is just *chefs kiss*

@morverenmaybewrites Ao3 link- Her works are just godsend. She portrays Jason in such a beautiful way and acknowledges his trauma as well.

@minnieearsposts Ao3 Link - Jason works are 10/10, but she also has many other fics that connect with each other. Definitely recommend

@xxgoblin-dumplingxx - All of the au's are just magnificent! There's no master list but you can check the works out using tags.

Batfam masterlist by @book-place - All works are platonic

@writersfailure - Honestly a gold mine, check out their dc master list and other fics as well!

@wh1sp3rr - The jackpot at the end of the rainbow. That's all I'm going to say

@dccomicsimagines - Amazing pieces of work that I can't believe I didn't find before.

Series :

love is not designed for the cynical by @thenyoumightaswellwrestleangels - The thoughts and emotions are portrayed SO BEAUTIFULLY!!! And while Jason is just spectacular, I also recommend the other series as well.

What we want by @sophiethewitch1 - It's with all the batboys

Crimson Red by @ravenna-reid - Has multiple parts all located on the master list.

Guard Dog by @mostly-imagines

Your secrets are ours, kid by@jaythes1mp - Platonic and yandere

again &. again masterlist by @acid-ixx - Platonic and yandere

Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie by @urmoonlightbebe - I can't believe I almost forgot to add this here

Batfam x neglected reader by @dickgraysonass - Platonic

Gilded Cage by @heavysighing-dreamyeyes

Headcannons/Drabbles:

Girl!DadJason by @in-som-niyah

Reaction to you letting go of their hand by @gay-dorito-dust - Its paired up with both Dick and Damian

Existentional Crisis by @millyhelp

College student!Jason by @orchidsangel

BabyDaddy! Jason fic idea by @kuromitos

Unnamed by @aldryrththerainbowheart

Saturdays by @zer0wzs

Unnamed by @misdeliria

Artist!Reader by @charliedakotariley - This is so wholesome I love it

Fics:

JasonTodd x Fem!Reader by @spidernuggets - reader gets stuck in a time loop to save Jason

sickly sweet romance of u & jay by @wh1sp3rr

Unnamed by @millyhelp

tired and touchstarved!Jason by @indulgentdaydream

A Spoonful of Honey by @stararch4ngelqueen

Golden by @orionremastered

Reader who likes Superman more than Batman by @spidernuggets

Reader who prefers Superman more than batman (different fic than above) by @gay-dorito-dust

Rescuer by @kimberly-spirits13

graceless by @udiudijaye - platonic batfam x batsis but love the fic and had to recommend

Take care by @batsycline69

Forensic Psychologist Reader by @ravenna-reid

What are you doing here? by @a-reader-and-a-writer-for-all

What a night by @batboysandgirls

call me your fool by @jasonsmirrorball

18+ Works MDNI

Til Death Do We Part Brings Us Together by @luvf4ngz - I love the au idea!

Jason distracting you from studying by @millyhelp

Slumber Party by @dollwritesarchive - Includes Dick

Thoughts on Jason being rough by @midnightorchids

jason 'don't run from this dick' todd by @killakalx

BabyDaddy!Jason by @hanasnx

Say Sorry by @dancewithdeath11

Jason fucking reader in the Batmobile by @martiniluvr

Series 18+

guns and roses masterlist by @jayswhorex

#jason todd x reader #jason todd #fic rec #fan fiction recommendations #Jason Todd x fem!reader #Jason todd x y/n #Jason todd x you #red hood #red hood x reader #red hood x you #Jason todd fanfiction #red hood fanfiction #Jason todd imagine #jason todd smut #Jason todd x reader smut #red hood smut #red hood x reader smut

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0blobthefish0 · 7 months

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Partygirl

leighton murray masterlist | main masterlist

Part 2

Leighton Murray x Female Reader 2,204 words

You take biochem with Bela and Whitney and you're never usually one to party, so when Bela finally convinces you, you find yourself letting go. Leighton can't help but keep an eye on you.

You let out another sigh as you fall onto your back in the middle of your friends' common room.

"We're gonna fail," you mumble, covering your face with your hands and slowly dragging them down before letting them slump against the floor with a thump.

"Stop, don't say that," Bela quickly scolds and you can't help but frown in defeat. You feel a gentle pat on your knee and groan. Biochem was going to be the death of you. "See? The thing just goes in this thing and that other.. thing comes out?" A half-suppressed - but lighthearted - laugh shot out of you and, in return, you felt a slap to your knee.

"Ow-uh," you pouted at Bela as you sat up to which she scrunched up her face and mocked you like a child. Your mouth fell agape at the sheer audacity of your friend and you felt for a pillow from behind you.

"Are you guys still studying for the exam?" You hear Whitney question and you begrudgingly release your hold on the pillow.

"Sadly," you and Bela reply in unison - which brings a grin to your faces.

"Ugh- it's no use though, I need to let off some steam." Silence fell of the room for a brief moment and then Bela turned to you with a glint in her eyes.

"I know what could help..." she smirked, but you were already shaking your head. You knew what she was going to say. She had brought it up so many times and each time you said the same thing.

"No, absolutely not," you waved her off as she began to creep closer.

"Oh come onnnnn," she whined her hands gripping onto your upper arm, "pleaseeeee? Just this once."

"I've been before, they're not that good," you replied and you felt Whitney sidle in next to you.

"But," she lightly paused, "have you been to one with us?" She combated with a sly smile. You shook your head in defeat.

"So you're going?" Bela asked loudly, causing Kimberly to emerge from her room.

"Yess.."

"Yes!"

---

The four girls, Kimberly, Bela, Whitney and Leighton, stood in the middle of their common room - all dressed in accordance for the evening - and four shot glasses stood lined on the coffee table. A knock sounded and the four girls turned their heads toward the door, Bela ran over, her heels clacking against the floor.

"Quick!," she waved to one of the others, "pour a shot."

Leighton stood, brows furrowed as Kimberly quickly rushed to pour a shot, unaware of the incoming visitor. "Who's here?"

"Y/n!"

"Y/n? As in biochem Y/n?" Her question was answered as soon as the words left her mouth.

"Ayy! You actually came," Bela shouted and wrapped you in her arms. Leighton took a few moments to blink back her shock.

"Yeah, I wasn't gonna leave you hanging," you smiled shyly and looked up, your eyes locking onto Leighton's, just for a brief nanosecond but you felt as if you had been winded, before engaging with the others. As soon as you let go of Bela, Kimberly passed you a glass.

"We only have four, so it looks like you'll be taking the first one," Bela cheekily grinned. She watched as you wavered slightly. "I'll help you," she whispered and a smile pulled at the corners of your lips so she touched the bottom of the glass and pushed slightly over time as you guided it to your lips and threw back the first shot of the night. The girls erupted into cheer and your cheeks warmed as the liquor burned its way down your throat.

Leighton watched you intently as you were pulled into the middle of the room, the movement causing the skirt of your dress to ride and your hands quickly pulled the material down. You picked up the bottle and placed your shot glass down before pouring the liquor.

Once again, four shot glasses lined the table, only this time they were full. The four girls reached for their respective glasses and you swallowed a gasp as Leighton grabbed the glass you had just drank from. It was stupid, really; getting butterflies over sharing the same glass, but you couldn't help it. Your small crush on the blonde was sometimes all-consuming and it needed to end, for your own sake. Leighton would most likely find a one night stand tonight and you ultimately concluded that you would do the same.

"Okay, one," Bela began, "two," she pointed at the bottle in your hand and gestured for you to take a swig, "three!" Your lips met the lip of the bottle and you let the cold liquid fall into your mouth.

The four girls felt the instant rush of the first taste of alcohol and the excitement of what the evening could hold was nearly suffocating. However, Leighton couldn't help but look at you; she's never seen you like this, so eager to get drunk, and she can't tell if she should be worried or not. She shook the feeling off, you were your own person. If you wanted to get black-out drunk, then so be it.

---

Loud music boomed through your very soul. Your brain felt as if it were vibrating in your own skull and your heart felt too big for your chest. But you found that you didn't mind. Bodies pushed up against you, the crowd moving as a collective body, swaying and jumping in time to the beat of the music.

You're the most drunk you've ever been, you're sure of it, and you find yourself being glad that it was the weekend. You feel so light and you throw your head back as you take another shot. The room starts to spin as you push a cup to your lips and you do your best to ignore it, just closing your eyes and giving in to the music, giving in to the feeling. There's a pair of hands on your hips, you aren't sure how long they've been there, but they grip onto you and you'll probably find finger-shaped bruises the next morning.

Leighton nurses on her red solo cup as she eyes you in the crowd. She's staring daggers at the boy behind you - the one with his hands on you - and she feels her jaw clench involuntarily. She can't help it. And she swallows painfully when she watches you lean back into him, your eyes fluttering closed. You're drunk. So drunk she's surprised you haven't toppled over yet.

Then his hands begin to roam.

At first dragging up towards your waist and pinching at your skin. He's so rough. Leighton can't help but point that out. His hands move back down toward the hem of your short skirt and push the fabric up, his hands resting on the skin of your thighs. There's a sharp tingling feeling in her fingertips and a lump begins to form in her throat and, before she knows it, she's pushing through the crowd to get to you.

"Okay that's- that's enough of that." She spits out at the boy as pushes a hand between the two of your bodies. She knows him, one of her brother's friends. And she feels sick to her stomach as you slump so easily into her side as she guides you away with a hand on your shoulder.

You stagger on your own feet as you cling onto Leighton's arm.

"Where're we goin'?" You mumble.

"Back to mine, I'm sure your roommate wouldn't be too happy if you came home now," Leighton explained as she unscrewed the lid to a bottle of water and pushed it toward you.

"You taking me home?" You smirk, taking the bottle, and she can hear the innuendo in your voice, causing her heart rate to pick up ever so slightly. She shakes her head with a smile on her face as she heads in the direction of her dorm.

You're uncharacteristically flirty. Something she wasn't prepared for by the way her stomach does flips and the grin on her face. It's cute. Seeing you like this. But she can't really understand you as she opens the door. You're babbling - something about your dress and the floor and her bed. She's glad you're as drunk as you are, otherwise you would have taken note of the deep blush covering the blonde's cheeks and the way goosebumps litter up her arms.

"Yknow?" You pause as you use her to keep your balance to slip off your heels - her hand finding your waist as yours rests on her shoulder so that you can stand on one leg.

"Know what?" Leighton questions softly, following you, as you pad over to her room and climb on top of her bed. You sit on your knees and reach out for her. You've misjudged the distance by quite a few centimetres and slip so fast Leighton feels her heart jump out of her throat as she catches your fall and pushes you back up. She lets out a nervous laugh as she stabilises you and your hands move to cup her face as you stare down at her.

"You're so pretty, you know that, right?" You smile softly as you search her eyes and she doesn't know what to say. "Your eyes and your face and your hair and your nose and your lips," you whisper as she sees your eyes flicker to her lips and she absentmindedly pushes her tongue out to wet them slightly.

You're drunk - she tells herself. You'd never say this if you weren't. Maybe you'd never even think it if you weren't. Your hands glide over her shoulders and then down her arms before grabbing onto her wrists. Leighton swallows a gasp as goosebumps rise in wake of your movements. She doesn't know what to do. Of course she's dealt with drunk people before and of course she's dealt with liking friends before. But it's you and this time liking a friend could actually amount to something. It didn't have to be some silly little fantasy, it could be something real.

No, she couldn't do that to herself. Not when you're currently pulling her into her own bed, which you are in. You not liking her in the way that she wants would be different; different because you're the first friend that she's liked who actually likes girls. You not liking her would be so much more personal.

"Where're you going?" You question her with furrowed brows as she tucks you into her bed.

"The couch," she mumbles in reply and you frown ever so slightly as you search her eyes.

"Aren't you staying?" You're so tired that words are hard to form and Leighton pauses as she racks her brain for an answer. For some reason there's a sharp pang in your heart and you lightly clear your throat before moving the duvet off of you. You go to say that you'll go sleep on the couch, but nothing leaves your mouth. Instead, Leighton pulls the duvet back over you and bids you goodnight.

"Leight.." you whisper just before she gets to the door and you stare at her for a moment, your pupils wide from the alcohol and your gaze hazy. "Please stay with me?"

Leighton tugs at her bottom lip with her teeth, but she's recently found that she can't say no to you.

"Okay," she whispers back and you quickly move to give her more room as she steps forward. She climbs into bed and you unashamedly make yourself comfortable - tugging the duvet over her as you snuggle into her side. It's a small bed, of course the two of you were going to be close, but you were practically holding her and your head rested on her chest. Her heart was pounding, so hard she could hear it in her own ears, and she hoped that you were still too drunk to notice.

You could hear it, of course you could, but, little does she know, it's the sound that you're falling asleep to.

Leighton lets out a light yawn, she hadn't realised how tired she was until she got into bed and before she knew it she found herself closing her eyes and falling asleep.

---

Bela, Whitney and Kimberly fall into the dorm after struggling to open the door and push their uncomfortable shoes off as soon as possible. Whitney stops dead in her tracks when her eyes land on a mystery fourth pair of shoes. She points a finger at them and turns a head to her friends.

"Are those Y/n's?" Kimberly whispers, though not very well. Whitney's pointed finger moves up from your shoes to the closed bedroom door.

Bela's eyes go wide and she slaps Whitney's hand down before tiptoeing over to her shared room with Leighton. The two other girls followed closely behind. She pushes the door open and takes a few steps in. Wide grins fall onto all of their faces as they take in the sight.

Your head is still on Leighton's chest, but now her arms wrap around you protectively in your sleep.

"This is the cutest thing ever-"

"They didn't sleep together?"

#female reader #x reader #reader #reader insert #wlw #fluff #leighton murray x reader #the sex lives of college girls #leighton murray #Blob's fics

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mariacallous · 3 months

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The socially conservative, and often religious, rightwing opponents of such divorce laws are arguing that the practice deprives people – mostly men – of due process and hurt families, and by extension, society. Republican lawmakers in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas have discussed eliminating or increasing restrictions on no-fault marriage laws.

Defenders of the laws, which states started passing a half-century ago, see legislation and arguments to repeal them as the latest effort to restrict women’s rights – following the overturning of Roe v Wade and passage of abortion bans around the country – and say that without such protections, the country would return to an earlier era when women were often trapped in abusive marriages.

“No-fault divorce is critical to the ability, particularly the ability of women, to be able to exercise autonomy in their own relationships, in their own lives,” said Denise Lieberman, an adjunct professor at the Washington University School of Law in St Louis, who has a specialty in policies concerning gender, sexuality and sexual violence.

Before 1969, when then California Republican governor Ronald Reagan, who had been divorced, approved the country’s first no-fault divorce law, women, who are more likely to experience violence from an intimate partner, were often forced to stay in marriages. If they could not prove that their husband had been abusive or persuade him to grant a divorce, they would not be able to take any assets from the marriage or remarry, according to a study in the Quarterly Journal of Economics.

States around America gradually followed suit and passed similar laws allowing unilateral divorce until 2010, when New York became the last state to approve the practice.

Without such laws, “it’s hard to prove anything in court relating to a family because you don’t have any witnesses”, said Kimberly Wehle, professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law. “It’s very difficult to get evidence to show abuse of children. How do you do it? Do you put your kids on the stand?”

Conservative commentators such as Matt Walsh, Steven Crowder and lawmakers such as the Republican senator JD Vance of Ohio have argued that the laws are unfair to men and hurt society because they lead to more divorces.

The divorce rate in the United States increased significantly from 1960, when it was 9.2 per 1,000 married women, to 22.6 in 1980. But by 2022, the rate had fallen to 14.5.

On the increase in divorces, Vance said in 2021: “One of the great tricks that I think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace” is the idea that “these marriages were fundamentally, you know, they were maybe even violent, but certainly they were unhappy, and so getting rid of them and making it easier for people to shift spouses like they change their underwear, that’s going to make people happier in the long term”.

Beverly Willett, a writer and attorney, argues that unilateral no-fault divorce is also unconstitutional because it violates a person’s 14th amendment right to due process.

The defendant “has absolutely no recourse to say, ‘Wait a minute. I don’t want to be divorced, and I don’t think that there are grounds for divorce. I would like to be heard. I would like to call witnesses,’” said Willett, who experienced a divorce she didn’t want because she thought her marriage could be saved. “I believed in my vows” and “didn’t want to give up”.

But Willett’s argument relies on the idea that “women are either property or that somehow men’s liberty is restrained by not allowing them to stay in a marriage with someone who does not want to be married”, said Wehle, who also wrote about it in the Atlantic. “I disagree with the idea that women are somehow property interests of their husbands. That is an arcane relic of law that has no place in modern society.”

Willett responded to Wehle’s critique by writing that “nobody has suggested a return to antiquated laws of the 18th and 19th century. Considerable reform that protects women and ensures their equality in family court has been enacted since then.”

On the argument that no-fault divorce reduces domestic violence, Willett points to data that most domestic violence occurs between unmarried couples and says regardless, with “any contract, any lawsuit, you still have to follow the constitution”.

But without such laws, victims of domestic violence would then have to navigate a court system that can be time-consuming, “very adversarial and very costly” because the plaintiff often must then pay for child care and transportation, said Marium Durrani, vice-president of policy for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

“Any sort of additional barrier that we add to the ease of legal proceeding is, frankly, a nightmare and an enormous burden for survivors,” said Durrani. “I’m not trying to be an alarmist, but it can increase death [if] a survivor of domestic violence has to prove that they are being abused in a divorce proceeding.”

Still, Lieberman does not think Republicans will succeed in their efforts to make it more difficult for people to get divorced.

“I do believe that that train has left the station. I mean, we have had no-fault divorce now for 50 years,” Lieberman said. But “I didn’t think the supreme court would overturn Roe v Wade, which we had for 50 years, so I suppose we will see.”

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sgbabereview · 7 months

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Welcome!

Thanks for visiting the page. We rate and review SG’s best and sluttiest girls and how well they get boys hard.

MOST DESIRED GIRL: Kellie 94 reblogs (Updated 8 March)

For the first time, a non-influencer tops our chart of the most reblogged girl. If you found someone else you like more, reblog her review and put her in contention for the top spot!

Girls:

Charlene - sgboobies Rachel Hailey XWP - small tits Beverly - small tits Jolin (IRL) Kellie (IRL) MOST DESIRED Az (content creator) - sgboobies Eunice (IRL) - small tits Laura (IRL) - small tits Jiahui - fitfucks, rising star, small tits Sherr (IRL) - sgboobies Tricia - sgboobies Jacelyn (IRL) Kimberly Zanna - small tits Queenie - fitfucks Leona (IRL) - rising star Chloe - sgboobies Yuki (IRL) - small tits Ellena - fitfucks Amanda (IRL) Esther - small tits

Series:

#30A is a series featuring the island’s tightest girls with cute tiny tits. Who ever said that small boobs aren’t beautiful!

#sgIRL is a community driven series featuring friends and girls you know. Share the love and help fellow men orgasm to your friends!

#sgboobies showcases the island’s best rates tits and the girls that flaunt them. Let’s encourage them to show their best assets and leave lesser and lesser room for imagination!

#fitfucks is a tribute to the disciplined girls in SG who dedicate themselves to looking tight and right. We join them on their fitness journey and inspire them with our cum.

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daisychainfiction · 7 days

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We're so happy to welcome you home to Deerbourne!

Since our founding in 1967, Deerbourne United has been a safe haven for study, self-improvement, and healing.

Did You Know? The Deerbourne campus is home to one of the oldest standing structures in Hallowe County!

The administration building - originally built as a private home in 1887, and then used as a wartime-orphanage – is a major hub of activity. Whether you need something from Crownie's Store, the mail center, or just to chat with our administrators – we're here seven days a week!

Fun Fact! 1965’s cult classic horror movie, Drake Gardens, was filmed right here at Thurman Hall! But don't worry, faint-of-heart! The original psychiatric hospital was remodelled in 1967!

All General Education courses are located in Thurman Hall. Whether you're just starting on your intellectual journey or you're expanding an existing foundation, this is the place for you. Thurman Hall features two libraries open for use 24/7.

P-U, D-U! What’s That Smell? Deerbourne United's agricultural buildings might be smelly, but they’re worth it! Our focus on growing our own food means zero emissions and zero carbon footprint! We’re breaking ground on all kinds of new fertilization practices and farming techniques that are not only sustainable, but tasty, too!

Sterling Hall is our beautiful dormitory and Deerbourne’s renowned cafeteria. Our in-house cooks work tirelessly to keep their seasonally-rotating menu fresh and healthy. Let us take care of your nutrition so you can focus on everything else!

Ready to begin your new life here at Deerbourne? Confirm your spot today!

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

DEERBOURNE is an upcoming 18+ interactive psychological horror. This work includes depictions of death, gore, violence, language, alcohol and drug use, sex, coercion/indoctrination, the supernatural, unreality, suicide, and other horror tropes. ﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

THE WATER OF THE WOMB

---MARIA, your mother (59)

Maria had never been quiet about her ambitions. She wanted it all – a lucrative career, a perfect family, a picket fence. Instead she settled as a bail bond agent, suffered a messy divorce, and birthed two radically different children.

While Maria was far from an easy person to live with, she loved you. Your relationship with your now-retired mother is smooth as silk.

---KIMBERLY, your sister (Deceased, age 22)

Kimberly left home without a word when she turned 16. She was always good at hiding, and that’s exactly what she did.

Three years ago, pregnant and hollow-eyed, she stumbled back into your life. Last year she stumbled out of it again – permanently this time.

---BUG, your niece godchild daughter (2)

Kimberly claimed Lily, “Bug”, was born cursed. You never put stock in your sister’s ranting... but then Kimberly died, and Bug was left in your unprepared care. Maybe Kimberly was right - or maybe she simply didn’t want to take ownership of the choices she was about to make.

Bug is selectively mute. You aren’t sure if you’ve ever heard her voice clearly.

---YOU, (28)

What is there to say about yourself? Your sister died and irreparably changed your life. You can’t decide if you hate her or love her. All you know is something drove Kimberly to do what she did, and you’re prepared to find out what. But are you prepared for the cost?

THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT

---FLORENCE DEERLY (she/her)

Your Boss Headmistress

Some days, Headmistress Deerly cycles between the classrooms and libraries, taking notes. Sometimes, she flits around the administration hall with a warm smile and helpful hand.

Other days, Headmistress Deerly walks the campus perimeter, cloaked in the woods’ shadows. She is always too far away to hear you. She is always gone by the time you look again.

---SILAS CHEN (RO, he/him)

Head Administrator

Silas has a habit of disappearing - into a book, into his mind, into a crowd. He seems to enjoy this.

When Headmistress Deerly is around, however, Silas becomes... someone else. He does not seem to enjoy this.

---ANNIKA NEUMANN (RO, she/her)

Agricultural Management

You could swear the crops lean closer when Annika enters the greenhouse. Likewise, the livestock will happily follow her anywhere - even to their slaughter.

Annika refuses to speak with you. She does, however, leave pretty rocks on your doorstep.

---VARDAH OSMAN (RO, she/her)

Head Librarian

Vardah has an apartment off of the library’s left wing, but you have a sneaking suspicion that she isn’t using it.

Especially now that her perfume is the first thing you smell when you enter your kitchen every morning.

---HUNTER COOKE (RO, he/him)

Baker

Hunter won’t admit that he’s using a fake name despite your best efforts. It’s hard to care when he buys your silence with confections.

His laugh is sugar-sweet, but he always seems panicked when you’re alone together.

---JORDAN MORALES (RO, they/them)

Porter, Kennel Master

Between the Doberman at their side and the handgun on their hip, Mx Morales makes a strong first impression. Lucky for you, it was a peaceful one.

They always smile when they see you, but it never reaches their eyes.

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

DEMO COMING SOON

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

This blog is still under construction! Bear with me - I'm more focused on coding the Demo :)

#deerbourne-if #interactive fiction #upcoming interactive fiction #upcoming if #interactive novel #if wip #dashingdon #no demo #Interact-if #interactive fiction wip #choice of games #choice script #choicescript #Interactive fiction wip

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fursasaida · 1 year

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turns out not only were a lot of remains misclassified due to gendered assumptions, but also a lot of data that did in fact report women as big game hunters (ethnographic and burial finds) was just...never evaluated as a whole picture, and so cases of women "unexpectedly" being hunters and not only gatherers were treated as outliers when they aren't. it's not even that all the data was hopelessly biased "in its time" - plenty of it was in fact recognizing and reporting that hunting was not a particularly gendered activity! but nobody looked at the whole picture across datasets at once because it was assumed there wasn't a question to answer. hilarious

in a brilliant comedic flourish, one of the critics of this study they found to quote for the article is saying that this is really too small a sample to generalize from. presumably that was also true before, but that is not going to stop this guy.

#archaeology #gender

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tomorrowusa · 3 months

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The Republican war against women continues.

In addition to reproductive freedom, MAGA Republicans are now seeking to get rid of no-fault divorce.

Conservative US lawmakers are pushing for an end to no-fault divorce

Some prominent conservative lawmakers and commentators are advocating for ending no-fault divorce, laws that exist in all 50 US states and allow a person to end a marriage without having to prove a spouse did something wrong, like commit adultery or domestic violence. The socially conservative, and often religious, rightwing opponents of such divorce laws are arguing that the practice deprives people – mostly men – of due process and hurt families, and by extension, society. Republican lawmakers in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas have discussed eliminating or increasing restrictions on no-fault marriage laws.

Religious fundamentalist MAGA males want to be able to point the finger of blame at women in divorce cases. And by packing the courts with misogynist judges along the lines of Alito and Thomas, it will be women who will usually end up on the losing side.

Today's GOP superficially professes loyalty to the memory of Ronald Reagan. But in addition to their idolization of the Evil Empire, this is another way they are trying to nullify his legacy.

Before 1969, when the then California Republican governor, Ronald Reagan, who had been divorced, approved the country’s first no-fault divorce law, women, who are more likely to experience violence from an intimate partner, were often forced to stay in marriages. If they could not prove that their husband had been abusive or persuade him to grant a divorce, they would not be able to take any assets from the marriage or remarry, according to a study in the Quarterly Journal of Economics. States around America gradually followed suit and passed similar laws allowing unilateral divorce until 2010, when New York became the last state to approve the practice.

Getting rid of domestic violence laws could be next on the Republican fundamentalist agenda. Putin did this in Russia – another reason why the MAGA crowd loves Putin.

Between 1976 and 1985, states that passed the laws saw their domestic violence rates against men and women fall by about 30%; the number of women murdered by an intimate partner declined by 10%; and female suicide rates declined by 8 to 16%. Without such laws, “it’s hard to prove anything in court relating to a family because you don’t have any witnesses”, said Kimberly Wehle, professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law. “It’s very difficult to get evidence to show abuse of children. How do you do it? Do you put your kids on the stand?”

Republicans want to socially return the country to the 1950s when women were in the kitchen, gays were in the closet, and blacks were out of sight. They would ultimately want to turn the clock back to the 1650s when women were little better than chattel slaves.

#republicans #no-fault divorce #women's rights #reproductive freedom #maga extremists #misogyny #christian fundamentalists #mike luckovich #election 2024 #vote blue no matter who

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cityof2morrow · 4 months

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Sim Studies

Published: 6-3-2024 | Updated: N/A SUMMARY Did you know there are people out there who do extensive historical, psychological, mental health, tech, and design research based on sims? Did you know there are a host of positive mental health benefits associated with simming? Did you know simming has been used as a form of therapy by health providers…or that it has been implicated in international conflict(s)? Did you know it has made people more curious about others and can encourage civic engagement? Did you know simmers help each other become more tech-literate? The Sims/SimCity franchises have been around in one form or another since at least 1989 and continue to be a focus in game studies (ludology). This research is a part of my professional work and teaching – my research focuses on the psychology and cultural implications of simming. Occasionally, I’ll share interesting things scholars and curious playtesters have discovered about simmers and simming (there are some documented disturbing practices among simulation gamers but this project leans toward the positive/pro-social stuff). Look for more under the #CO2SIMSTUDIES tag. RECOMMENDED SIMS READS: I’ve only located a handful of trade (less-academic, intended for the average reader) publications specifically about The Sims, but I recommend the following to start with – this is a mixture of research-based and biographical reflections on simming:

The Black Simmer by Amira Virgial (@xmiramira) in Black Futures (2021; 2020), edited by Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham

Players Unleashed! Modding The Sims and the Culture of Gaming (2011) by Tanja Sihvonen

Women and Gaming: The Sims and 21st Century Learning (2010) by James Paul Gee and Elisabeth R. Hayes

Sims is the subject of several chapters in Women and Video Game Modding: Essays on Gender and the Digital Community (2020), edited by Bridget Whelan.

CREDITS Thanks: Simming and game studies communities. Sources: Beyno (Korn via BBFonts), EA/Maxis, Offuturistic Infographic (Freepik).

#co2simstudies #sims2

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mpchev · 4 months

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You like reading fanfics? How about reading about fanfics? 😏

Here’s what I've read so far (or am currently getting through) for my dissertation on fanfiction bookbinding! I'll be updating it as I go until the end of July. If you have any recs to add to the towering pile or any questions/opinions about something on there, I’m all ears!

on fan studies & ficbinding ✔

Alexander, Julia, ‘Making fanfiction beautiful enough for a bookshelf’, The Verge, 9 March 2021 <https://www.theverge.com/22311788/fanfiction-bookbinding-tiktok-diy-star-wars-harry-potter-twitter-fandom> [accessed 12 June 2024]

Buchsbaum, Shira Belén, ‘Binding fan fiction and reexamining book production models’, Transformative Works and Cultures, 37 (2022)

Dym, Brianna, and Casey Fiesler, ‘Ethical and privacy considerations for research using online fandom data’, Transformative Works and Cultures, 33 (2020)

Jenkins, Henry, Textual Pochers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture (New York: Routeledge, 1992)

Jenkins, Henry, ‘Transmedia Storytelling 101’, Pop Junctions, 21 March 2007 <http://henryjenkins.org/2007/03/transmedia_storytelling_101.html#sthash.gSETwxQX.dpuf> [accessed 12 June 2024]

Hellekson, Karen, ‘Making Use Of: The Gift, Commerce, and Fans’, Cinema Journal, 54, no. 3 (2015), 125–131

Kennedy, Kimberly, ‘Fan binding as a method of fan work preservation’, Transformative Works and Cultures, 37 (2022)

Minkel, Elizabeth, ‘Before “Fans,” There Were “Kranks,” “Longhairs,” and “Lions”: How Do Fandom Gain Their Names?’, Atlas Obscura, 30 May 2024 <https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/fandom-names> [accessed 12 June 2024]

Penley, Constance, Nasa / Trek: Popular Science and Sex in America (London: Verso, 1997)

Price, Ludi, ‘Fanfiction, Self-Publishing, and the Materiality of the Book: A Fan Writer’s Autoethnography’, Humanities, 11, no. 100 (2022), 1–20

Schiller, Melanie, ‘Transmedia Storytelling: New Practices and Audiences’, in Stories: Screen Narrative in the Digital Era, ed. by Ian Christie and Annie van den Oever (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2018), 99–107

on folklore, the internet, other background reading ✔

Barthes, Roland, ‘La mort de l’auteur’ in Le Bruissement de la langue: Essais critiques IV (Paris: Éditions du Seuil, 1984)

Blank, Trevor J., Folklore and the Internet: Vernacular Expression in a Digital World (Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press, 2009)

Mauss, Marcel, ‘Essai sur le don. Forme et raison de l’échange dans les sociétés archaïques.’, L’année sociologique, 1923–1924; digital edition by Jean-Marie Tremblay, Les classiques des sciences sociales, 17 February 2002, <http://classiques.uqac.ca/classiques/mauss_marcel/socio_et_anthropo/2_essai_sur_le_don/essai_sur_le_don.html> [accessed 10 June 2024]

McCulloch, Gretchen, Because Internet: Understanding How Language is Changing (Random House, 2019)

Niles, John D., Homo Narrans: The Poetics and Anthropology of Oral Literature (University of Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia, 1999)

hopefully coming up next (haven't started yet)

A Companion to Media Fandom and Fan Studies, ed. by Paul Booth (Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2018)

A Fan Studies Primer: Method, Research, Ethics, ed. by Paul Booth and Rebecca Williams (Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 2021)

Dietz, Laura, ‘Showing the scars: A short case study of de-enhancement of hypertext works for circulation via fan binding or Kindle Direct Publishing’, 34th ACM Conference on Hypertext and Social Media (HT ‘23), September 4–8, 2023, Rome Italy (ACM: New York, 2023)

Fathallah, Judith May, Fanfiction and the Author: How Fanfic Changes Popular Cultural Texts (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2017)

Finn, Kavita Mudan, and Jessica McCall, ‘Exit, pursued by a fan: Shakespeare, Fandom, and the Lure of the Alternate Universe’, Critical Survey, 28, no. 2 (2016), 27–38

Hjorth, Larissa et al., eds. The Routledge Companion to Digital Ethnography (New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 2017)

Jacobs, Naomi, and JSA Lowe, ‘The Design of Printed Fanfiction: A Case Study of Down to Agincourt Fanbinding’, Proceedings from the Document Academy, 9, issue 1, article 5

Jenkins, Henry, Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide (New York: New York University Press, 2006)

Jenkins, Henry, Spreadable Media: Creating Value and Meaning In A Networked Culture (New York: New York University Press, 2013)

Kennedy, Kimberly, and Shira Buchsbaum, ‘Reframing Monetization: Compensatory Practices and Generating a Hybrid Economy in Fanbinding Commissions’, Humanities, 11, no. 67 (2022), 1–18

Kirby, Abby, ‘Examining Collaborative Fanfiction: New Practices in Hyperdiegesis and Poaching’, Humanities, 11, no. 87 (2002), 1–9

Kustritz, Anne, Identity, Community, and Sexuality in Slash Fan Fiction (New Work: Routeledge, 2024)

Lamerichs, Nicolle, Productive Fandom: Intermediality and Affecive Reception in Fan Cultures, (Amsterdam: Amsterdam Universtiy Press, 2018)

Popova, Milena, ‘Follow the trope: A digital (auto)ethnography for fan studies’, Transformative Works and Cultures, 33 (2020)

Rosenblatt, Betsy, and Rebecca Tushnet, ‘Transformative Works: Young Women’s Voices on Fandom and Fair Use’, in eGirls, eCitizens: Putting Technology, Theory and Policy into Dialogue with Girls’ and Young Women’s Voices, ed. by Jane Bailey and Valerie Steeves

Soller, Bettina, ‘Filing off the Serial Numbers: Fanfiction and its Adaptation to the Book Market’, in Adaptation in the Age of Media Convergence, ed. by Johannes Fehrle, Werner Schäfke-Zell (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2019), 58–85

#fanbinding dissertation #fanbinding lit #bibliography #dissertation #reading list #gradblr #study blog #research #fanfiction #bookbinding #fanbinding #ficbinding #fanfic #ethnology #folklore #currently reading

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nanshe-of-nina · 3 months

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Medieval Women Week || Favorite non-Queen or Queen-adjacent royal woman ↬ Adèle de Normandie

Though not beyond criticism, Adela generally received unalloyed praise from her male contemporaries for her deeds as countess of Blois, Chartres, and Meaux. For more than thirty years she worked, both alongside and apart from her husband, to enhance the authority and relative autonomy of the Thibaudian counts in their widespread domains, reacting astutely to events beyond her control while adroitly manipulating the lordly prerogatives at her disposal. She was one lay prince competing against neighboring lords as she strove to fulfill comital obligations to the French kings and her duty to enforce peace and justice in her husband’s share of the Thibaudians’ domains. Yet two features distinguished the countess of Blois from her male peers: she was not trained in armed combat, and she was expected to behave in ways thought appropriate to all lay women in the world. She masterfully compensated for any potential disability in those regards by deploying her wealth and diplomatic skills to assure the loyalty and service of powerful fighting men and to cultivate unarmed but influential churchmen. Because she carefully fostered familial and feudal relationships alongside her studied assertion of princely prerogatives, Adela secured futures for her children appropriate to their status and abilities, and she assured that her son Thibaud, poised to receive Troyes as well as Blois, would inherit domains with relatively stable borders that were both more administratively-cohesive and more economically-productive than his father had inherited before him. Adela’s manifold achievements, much vaunted by her contemporaries, fully deserve modern historians’ respect. — Adela of Blois: Countess and Lord by Kimberly A. LoPrete

#medievalwomenweek #adela of normandy #house of normandy #house of blois #french history #english history #european history #women's history #history #medieval #nanshe's graphics

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wielderofmysteries · 2 years

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(We Need to Talk About Narset)

[Left: Narset, Enlightened Master - Livia Prima. Right, clockwise from top left: Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory, Dr. Shaun Murphy from The Good Doctor, Sam Gardner from Atypical, Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds.]

(This article is intended to be a primer for my larger upcoming article on autistic representation in Magic.)

I found out about Narset in 2018, when I had just started learning about Magic's lore for the first time. I was overjoyed to see that Magic's first official autistic character seemed to be the complete opposite of the stereotypical depictions of autism I'd seen in other media. Instead of a nerdy brown-haired white boy, Narset was a 50 year old Asian woman and a badass martial artist. As an Asian autistic kid, I often felt invisible and underrepresented in the media I consumed, so Narset really meant a lot to me.

However, when I actually read Narset's lore, I was disappointed to find that she wasn't nearly as revolutionary as I'd thought. (Word count: ~2800)

When the Dragons of Tarkir stories were being published in 2015, Doug Beyer, a writer and designer for Magic, confirmed in a Tumblr post that Narset was intentionally created to be an autistic character.

=========

maudlingoblin asked:

hi doug!! reading the new uncharted realms, i felt an enormous amount of sympathy for narset, specifically with reference to the beginning sequence with her as a kid. the restlessness, the sensory overload, the self-distraction with counting and observation - these, to me, heavily code narset as being autistic. i am autistic myself and it would mean the absolute world to me to know that a character in a game i care deeply about is like me, and many other folks. is this something you can confirm?

dougbeyermtg answered:

That was the intent, yes. The most important part of Narset’s character is her amazing mind, which is central to her potential as a powerful Planeswalker and as a pursuer of knowledge — but it happens that she processes information and input differently than a lot of other people. Tarkir denizens might not have a term for the autism spectrum or being neurodivergent or neuro-atypical, but those terms would correctly describe her. In this timeline she is not khan of the Jeskai, but no matter the circumstances, she hasn’t let go of her commitment to seeking her own path to wisdom and truth. Kudos to Creative Team member Kimberly Kreines for exploring this aspect of Narset in her story “The Great Teacher’s Student.”

[https://dougbeyermtg.tumblr.com/post/112727174244/hi-doug-reading-the-new-uncharted-realms-i-felt]

=========

(Art: Dragonlord Ojutai - Chase Stone)

The Great Teacher's Student tells the story of Narset's childhood under the rule of Dragonlord Ojutai. At eight years old, Narset was a pretty typical autistic child, having many traits that I shared. She fidgeted restlessly, had sensory overloads, and her mother found it difficult to take her out to public spaces. Naret's brain was extremely pattern-oriented, one of the most defining traits of autism. She saw numbers everywhere, and counted to soothe herself.

=========

The cries of the merchants, the bold colors of the wares, and the too-sweet aromas of the produce were like walls that made the marketplace feel too tight, too close, too much. The muscles of Narset's legs twitched and her lungs felt cramped. She tugged at her robe; it was strangling her. Her mother must have cinched it too tightly.

"Stand still," her mother scolded from above. "You'll knock something over." She was poring over the apples at the top of a tall mound too high for Narset to see.

Narset tried to stand still, but she couldn't. The restlessness inside her wanted her to move. Sometimes when she felt that way she distracted herself. She would count things, or search for patterns, or study people's expressions. But she knew the marketplace too well; she knew its numbers and she knew its patrons. She had already taken inventory. The man with the cane was limping less that day, putting more weight on his bad leg; Narset supposed the balm he had purchased from the herbalist the week before had worked to ease the pain. There were, as usual, three dozen meat slabs hanging at the butcher's stand with an average of eighteen striations per slab; the average number of striations hardly ever changed, although sometimes there was greater variance. The merchant at the squash stand had uneven stains on his sleeves and three stray threads hanging from his robe; he must have gotten it caught in his cart and had to pull himself free. And there were sixty-eight apples in the mound in front of Narset; that was accounting for the volume inside the mound, which she couldn't see but could predict well enough. There would be sixty-seven apples if her mother would ever just choose one.

Her mother hemmed and hawed, her fingers alighting first on one apple and then another, fluttering over the choices, but never settling.

She's never going to pick one, Narset thought. We're never going to leave. Panic set in. Her vision blurred, her ears rang, and her forehead began to sweat. She frantically searched for something else to distract her, but there was nothing else she could see. At eight, Narset wasn't tall enough to see over any of the stands or any of the bodies. It was like she was in a never-ending maze of tall sweaty, smelly people-trees.

She was trapped.

[The Great Teacher's Student - Kimberly J. Kreines]

=========

Narset was a believably written autistic character in this story, but that doesn't automatically mean it was good, or that it was what autistic people wanted to see. To be clear, this story was neither unrealistic nor offensive to me. Writing Narset as an autistic character was something the creative team genuinely cared about and tried to do well. But I was still disappointed because Narset in this story is just another example of the "autistic savant" trope that the media can't seem to let go of.

Fictional or real, almost every autistic person you will see in the media will be a savant; some kind of socially-inept genius whose intelligence or skill far surpasses their peers. This person may be a mathematician, a surgeon, a child prodigy who attends college but can't tie their shoes– the list goes on and on. You've probably seen many stories like this before.

As a child, Narset had an extraordinary memory and a gift for mental math. She was able to calculate the volume of a pile of apples, find the exact trajectory of a falling apple to catch it in mid-air, and memorize things like the pattern of a river's flow; all at a glance.

In The Great Teacher's Student, Narset accidentally knocks over a pile of apples at the market, upsetting the merchant and prompting her mother to send her outside. Dragonlord Ojutai noticed Narset's talent and desire for knowledge as she explored the field outside, and wanted to encourage her. He tutored her from a distance for several years before officially deciding to train her as a student when she was 11 years old.

After this moment, the story shifts its focus almost entirely to Narset's academic journey. We get to see that in the years that passed since Narset became a student of Ojutai, she was still really, really smart. She finally felt challenged and supported in the way she needed, and she was good at so many things.

In fact, she was better than everyone else at everything.

She learned more, and faster than everyone else. She won every fight. She spoke Draconic intuitively, and Ojutai constantly praised her. At age 15, Narset became the youngest person to ever hold the rank of Master.

=========

As she looked back now, she recognized her time at the sanctuary as the best years of her life. She was happier than she had ever been; she was challenged, recognized, fulfilled. Her restlessness had ceased haunting her; she had felt a sense of peace. And while she wasn't physically moving, she knew she was on a path, going where she was meant to go, becoming who she was meant to be. Ojutai was leading her. And not a day went by that she didn't thank her dragon for the gift.

Narset advanced more quickly than any other student, climbing the ranks of Dragon's Eye Sanctuary, moving upward from the lowest balconies to the highest terraces, until one day Ojutai called for her to come stand on his own private perch.

[...]

"My student, Narset, it is time. Your hunger for knowledge is your greatest strength. You have become strong, and powerful, and wise because you have never stopped seeking enlightenment." The dragon beamed down at her. She knew what was about to come, and for one glorious moment everything felt perfect. "I now bestow upon you the title of Master, which you have assuredly earned, and with it all the honor and responsibility it brings." Ojutai bowed his head and rested his giant paw on her shoulder.

Narset bowed her head in return and clasped her small hand over the dragon's paw, making no attempt to wipe the hot tear that streaked down her cheek. At fifteen, she was the youngest master Ojutai had ever named. She had reached the top.

[The Great Teacher's Student - Kimberly J. Kreines]

=========

I didn't like how Narset's story focused so much on autistic exceptionalism– on how Ojutai gave her special treatment because she was better than everyone else at everything.

Autistic achievement should be celebrated, and Narset's desire for endless learning is so deeply, truly autistic. But I feel like Narset's story and those of other autistic savants are just so extraordinary that it's too hard to relate to them. These kinds of fictional portrayals and real-world news features attempt to endear autistic people to allistic (non-autistic) audiences by saying, "Look! Autistic people aren't bad, they're actually better than us!" But focusing on exceptional individuals doesn't help to humanize autism.

It sets an unrealistic expectation for autistic people, and can be extremely alienating. Autistic people shouldn't have to be superhuman to be respected, and the truth is that the overwhelming majority of autistic people are completely ordinary.

When I was diagnosed with autism at age 11, I obsessively searched the internet for information about autism, to learn what other autistic people experienced, and what "normal" people thought of us. I learned that geniuses were loved, and everyone else was hated. I hoped for years that I would magically develop some kind of incredible talent so I could be like the autistic geniuses in the news. I hoped someone would notice me and enroll me in college early or make me famous so I would be respected for something. It didn't happen. It wasn't fair to myself, but when I saw stories about savants, I didn't feel proud to be autistic. Instead, I saw myself as a failure.

Autistic savants don't need more representation. Most autistic people, even most of the geniuses and prodigies, will never have the kinds of opportunities that Narset and other famous savants have had. But when neurotypical people have only ever seen autistic savants, they expect you to be a genius. And when people expect you to be a genius, being ordinary just makes you a disappointment.

The Magic narrative team clearly recognized the fact that most allistic peoples' first exposure to autism is through popular media and that it's a major influence on the audience's image of what autism is like. So they tried to make a good first impression by making Narset a positive portrayal, but it backfired in one key way: Narset's writing in this story was so focused on making her as extraordinary and obviously autistic as possible that it neglected to make her a human being. She's believable, but not compelling. Narset's story is about an autistic character, but it's not really about what it's like to be autistic.

(And I hate to say it, but... there’s nothing revolutionary about making your Asian autistic character a math genius.)

What frustrates me about the way Narset was written is that I actually believe her autism was extremely under-utilized in her writing.

Autism is lifelong, but I don't really feel like the story treats it that way. Beyond the first scene of Narset as a younger child, the story doesn't show how Narset's autism affected her life other than making her really smart.

Upon realizing that Ojutai had nothing left to teach her, Narset became restless and anxious again. She was desperate to learn anything new. When she was 16 years old, Narset discovered the lost history of Tarkir, and it was the possibility of new knowledge that ignited her Planeswalker spark.

Narset's greatest challenge was that she was literally so good that she couldn't get any better.

As a child, Narset was shown to have trouble communicating and interacting with others. After Narset became Ojutai's student, she's barely shown interacting with anyone other than Ojutai ever again. How did Narset's differences affect the way she interacted with her fellow students? Did she want to try to make friends? What happened to her mother? How would she have felt about Narset's progress? The story doesn't explore any of this. What about her overwhelming sensory overloads? Did she still have them? If so, did her triggers change? She used to soothe herself by counting and finding patterns. When her anxiety returned later in the story, did her coping mechanisms change or stay the same? This isn't shown, either.

At the end of The Great Teacher's Student, Narset was still a teenager, but she's supposed to be about 50 years old now. We know that the present Narset is an independent autistic adult, who has friends and goals and decades of life experience, and that's beautiful– but we never get to see how she got there. How did she learn to make friends? How did she decide what she wanted to do with her life? That journey is what I want to see being written for autistic characters.

(Art: Quiet Contemplation - Magali Villeneuve)

To contrast, Narset's story in the Khans of Tarkir timeline does address these things. In Enlightened, Narset is the narrator, and she speaks personally of her challenges as a young autistic person: her academic struggles as a daydreaming student, her feelings of alienation, being bullied, and how she threw herself into her training to cope. These experiences and feelings carried on into adulthood, and influenced the way she approached her responsibilities as the Jeskai Khan.

=========

As a young girl, I had the same "problem," as my teachers called it. I always lived in my head, but not in the way the instructors wished. I dreamt of fantastical worlds and used the scrolls given for lessons to draw them, incurring the wrath of my elders. I found solace in my own mind and often had difficulty knowing how to talk to others. It was as though my mind was always five steps ahead of my mouth. It was so taxing interacting with others. I never knew what to say, often causing me to blunder, and I was embarrassed in front of my teachers and classmates. I then went over those failed interactions in my mind, and I found the imaginary worlds more forgiving.

Studying was a way to escape my anxiety and I eagerly embraced history and philosophy, memorizing all I could about Jeskai teachings. I impressed my teachers, but I still felt like an outsider. I did enjoy sparring with those who had taunted me, easily humiliating them in combat as they had humiliated me with their words.

[...]

Even though I am now their khan, I still felt like an outsider—like the young girl always fumbling her words—only now I don't show it. I think this has been what gives me the strength to do what is needed, looking at the Jeskai like I am not really a part of them.

[Enlightened - Matt Knicl]

=========

Overall, I feel like Enlightened was a much more thoughtful story despite being much shorter. Sadly, Tarkir's time travel plot means that version of Narset no longer exists. We haven't gotten any stories featuring Narset since 2015, so the version of Narset we saw in The Great Teacher's Student is the Narset we are stuck with.

I don't necessarily believe that Narset is "bad" autistic representation. I still love Narset, and she means a lot to me. But Narset's stories are focused on setting her apart, separating her from other people, and showing that she is too different to be a part of the world around her. In my opinion, Narset deserves better than that, and that is why I believe Narset is not the best autistic representation Magic has to offer.

My next article will be about the autistic representation I wanted to see in Magic. Something a little more down-to-earth. Something I could more easily relate to. And I found that in an unexpected character: Nissa.

#mtg #narset #tarkir #analysis #gwunky

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