#NO. I WILL CHOOSE LOVE. I WILL CHOOSE FAITH.

[creature-wizard]

How to persuade people more effectively

So my lovely Tumblr people, I think you can agree that we are facing dreadful times and that it would be wonderful if we could get out of them. As we all know, changing anything in society and politics requires changing a lot of of minds, which often feels like a Herculean task. Since I believe in trying to fight smarter rather than harder, here's my list of advice to make this work easier.

Ask yourself if you’re really up to the task.

If you’re really tired or not in a good mood, you might want to pass. If you’re looking at someone who’s really obnoxious and maybe likely to set you off in bad ways, you can pass. If OP has a username that signals an extreme viewpoint like retvrn1488, maga5ever, or wyldwombyn, consider that just blocking them may be your best choice. Also, you’re probably never going to get anywhere with someone who thinks you’re beneath them – if someone obviously holds you in contempt, just don’t bother. You are not required to try and educate or argue with everybody who’s wrong. Pick your battles.

Know your stuff.

I’ve made the mistake of trying to talk about things that I didn’t know nearly as much about as I should have a few times. Even though I wasn’t wrong, I just didn’t have enough information to demonstrate that my positions were justified. Each time I tried this, it basically blew up in my face. Please don’t repeat my mistakes.

Ask yourself: Can you explain and justify your position without repeating a soundbite like “X is a conspiracy theory” or “Y is racist”? Can you show why it’s a conspiracy theory? Can you show how it’s racist? If you can’t, you’re not ready yet. Go level up first!

Stay composed and be charismatic.

I know this is sometimes easier said than done, but coming off as calm and confident does wonders, especially in contrast with someone who just can’t hold it together. It also helps to have a big vocabulary and to be articulate, and to inject an energy into your message that makes people feel empowered and motivated.

Don't talk to people like they've been consciously choosing evil just because they want to.

People don't do that. People believe that what they've been doing is either good, neutral, or necessary to survive. Functionally telling people "you're evil and you know it" signals to most people that you're a bad faith actor. (The ones who will actually agree with you are probably deeply traumatized from abuse and/or suffering from moral OCD.)

Don’t show contempt.

Showing contempt signals that the person you’re arguing with isn’t worth taking seriously. This is can be useful for handling bad faith actors who come and try to make themselves your problem. You know you aren’t going to change their minds, but you can signal to anyone watching that this person is an utter fool, even a laughingstock while signaling to them that they aren't getting anywhere with you.

If you’re trying to actually change somebody’s mind, you do not want to show them that they aren’t worth taking seriously. You want them to feel respected, like you think they’re smart and have ideas and feelings worthy of attention. I know this can be easier said than done! But if you begin with the assumption that the person you’re talking to is capable of learning and probably has some insights, values, and opinions worthy of consideration, you’re going to give off a much better vibe for them.

Don’t attack people personally.

If you’re trying to persuade someone, don’t call them racist, sexist, bigoted, etc. Don’t call them ignorant, stupid, or whatever. This is basically just a form of showing contempt. Again, showing contempt has its uses, but persuading people isn’t one of them.

A lot of people assume that the people they want to persuade think very highly of themselves and if they just cut their ego down to size they’ll become receptive and listen. But most people are just going to see an attack and nope out. Besides that, teaching self-hatred is how capitalism manipulates people into making themselves more profitable and marketable, and it’s also one of the ways white patriarchy manipulates people into taking on its repressive and often oppressive roles. Self-hatred is the weapon of the enemy, we don’t need it.

Don’t play the victim.

Playing the victim isn’t the same as acknowledging that you have been abused or harmed, or acknowledging that you lived a life where everything was stacked against you. Talking about ways you’ve been victimized doesn’t equal playing the victim, contrary to what some bad faith actors out there say.

Playing the victim is about the role you take on in a social interaction, where you position yourself as fragile, put-upon, and vulnerable. It’s the kind of thing a lot of white women do when things don’t go their way. It’s also a habit that’s easy to pick up if you don’t have firm boundaries. People who haven’t realized they can just go, “I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to have this interaction, so I just won’t,” might start traumadumping, or try to shame the other person, or try to make a big guilt trip. “How dare you talk to me this way, you don’t know what I’ve been through! You’re so selfish, you don’t think about anyone but yourself! You’re forcing me to do all this work for you because you’re so entitled!”

I know, people can be really frustrating. Sometimes they can be incredibly upsetting. Sometimes they can send us spiraling into dangerous places. But the thing about playing the victim is that it not only doesn’t persuade people, but it’s also really unhealthy for you. It feeds a narrative that you are always disempowered, even when you’re not. On the Internet, you can usually just choose to not interact if things get overwhelming, and maybe use the block button. It can be harder to get away from people offline, but it’s important to do the best you can.

It’s also useful to recognize when you’re getting defensive and to know what you can do when that happens. Here’s a page that might help you with this.

Don't act like anyone you wouldn't listen to.

When's the last time you've listened to one of those street preachers screaming about everything they think is wrong with society and yelling at people to repent of their sins? Never, right? Don't act like the kind of people you would ignore.

Be a good listener.

Persuading people isn’t just about saying what you want them to hear, it’s also about listening to them so they feel like you’re engaging with them, rather than talking down to them. Plus, listening helps you assess what they actually know and believe, which helps you determine what you need to say to them. Here’s a page to help you improve your listening skills. (And I know stuff like maintaining eye contact and reading body language isn’t always easy or possible for people – just try to do the best you can!)

Validate people where you can.

Validation signals that you understand and care about people’s problems, which makes them more open and trusting. You don’t have to validate bigotry or anything like that, but you can validate how frustrating it is to deal with high grocery prices, politicians who don’t seem to care, and lots of everyday frustrations. This is also how you begin building solidarity, by the way – when people see how we all suffer the same way, they can begin to see that we’re all working toward a common goal.

Use anecdotes.

It would be wonderful if we could just show people scientific data and have them be persuaded by it all the time, but for many people data feels abstract and not really real. (It probably also doesn’t help that most people don’t understand how the data was collected.) However, anecdotes often feel more real to people, and have a lot more persuasion power. (Consider how many “this happened to a friend of a friend” stories get passed around like gospel!) Personal anecdotes are really great – telling someone about your awesome trans friend can do a lot do make them reconsider their prejudices about trans people.

But also, have scientific/scholarly resources.

Some people are going to be sharp enough that anecdotes won’t work on them – and good for them, honestly! Also, scientific and scholarly resources can lend further credence to anecdotes. So try to have them on hand, if you possibly can!

Give people reasons.

People don’t like doing things if they don’t feel like there’s any good reason for it. Also, be aware that different types of reasons will be more or less compelling to different people. Some people will find moral reasons compelling on their own, while some people will respond better to a “how this benefits you personally” reason. Someone might respond better to “we shouldn’t do X because it hurts the environment” than to “we shouldn’t do X because it’s cultural appropriation.” (And of course we want people to understand that cultural appropriation is bad, but that’s going to be a whole other thing you’re going to have to give reasons for!)

Adjust your rhetoric for the person you’re talking to.

Though we all share many common values, we also understand the world through many different lenses use different language to communicate what we see and feel. We also prioritize certain ideals over others.

If I were going to talk about the racism in the Republican party to a strongly Christian person or a New Agey person, I might say that all of this stuff they’re saying about immigrants is meant to stir up fear and divide people, then go on to talk about how the data just doesn’t support this idea that immigrants are as violent as they say.

If I were talking to the kind of person who strongly believes in the ideals of freedom and liberty, I might talk about how anti-queer legislation infringes on people’s freedom to live how they see fit. I might bring up that it violates their constitutional right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Offer alternatives.

The easiest way to end a bad habit or belief is to replace it with a good (or at least neutral) habit or belief. For example, if you’re trying to persuade people to stop using unsourced white sage (here's information on the problem with this, if you don't know), list alternatives such as rosemary and juniper.

Leave them with additional resources to explore.

Keeping a big list of resources on hand is the secret to activism bliss. Okay, maybe not, but it sure makes things a lot easier! If someone is really curious and engaged, they’ll often be willing to explore resources if you have them. Do try and make sure that not all of your resources are locked behind paywalls or require a deep understanding of specialized language. Curating resources accessible to any means and level of education will help you maximize your ability to persuade and educate.

[katerinaaqu]

Why do you think people downplay the importance of Penelope’s loyalty and her decision to be faithful?

I’ve seen people say she was forced to remain faithful or saying things like it wouldn’t matter if Odysseus and Penelope had slept with other people for comfort.

Homer writes her as choosing to be faithful to Odysseus by her own choice out of love and as a pious woman. Why ignore these important parts of her character?

Sorry for this being long 😅. Just wanted to know your thoughts on the matter since you have a better understanding of Homer’s Odyssey than most.

Oh gosh when I hear "she was forced to be faithful" I wanna laugh! I also read the part that says "she was socially expected to be faithful" like...nope? Literally every part of her society urged her to remarry; the suitors, her community, her father etc. Penelope had zero social obligations for staying loyal at that point

I feel like sometimes people think there is no way a woman be loyal or have SUCH extreme measurements for their husbands unless they are oppressed or brainwashed by society like "Penelope would never do that for Odysseus who is not even worth it anyways if she weren't indoctrinated by her society to be loyal"

Like...no guys. Penelope loved her husband and she did all that because of that. And in the end of the day she didn't want to marry any of these suitors. Is not like she lacked options outside Ithaca either

[triassictriserratops]

Katniss and the Motherhood Ending

I've been seeing the (frankly exhausting) resurgence of the "Katniss was forced into a motherhood she didn't want/sexism/feminism" debates and holy shit does it make me want to swallow splinters.

----------------------------------------------------------

The Katniss of the rest of the series is not choosing not to have children because she doesn't want to have children.

She loves her children so much, and so deeply, that she would rather they never exist than to have to grieve them. Than to subject them to the terror, the hunger, the death, the risk - even if they are never reaped. Even an unreaped life in Panem is cruel and dangerous.

Katniss takes on the stance of "no children" because that is the biggest act of love she can ever commit for her unborn children.

This conversation with Gale specifically happens after she is thinking about the hardship of life for the Everdeens and the Hawthornes - even with two hunters/traders between them.

----------------------------------------------------------

During the baby announcement, Katniss thinks to herself that, if she hadn't made the choice to cut off that part of herself - to shut the door firmly on romance, marriage, and the children that result - this baby could be true. And she ties it in to the fear and pre-grief experienced by EVERY SINGLE parent of Panem.

----------------------------------------------------------

And, boom. Here it's made explicitly clear. Katniss can only connect a child being safe with an entirely different world than the one she lives in. No games. No Capitol. This is what she needs from the world to imagine a safe child.

----------------------------------------------------------

So now we have our epilogue.

The fear she feels she describes as "old as life itself". This is the fear that every parent has when they're bringing new life into a world that they can't always control. But she does not refer to being afraid of her ability to keep them fed, clothed, or loved - she just can't promise them a perfect world - which NO parent can.

----------------------------------------------------------

But her children? Her children (whose identity she protects, because the curtain is closed and she will not strip them of their right to privacy the way she was) they take a lullaby for granted. They dance in a meadow built on ashes of the past. They are CHUBBY.

How could you read this and not see the closed loop that it is? She has accepted, TRULY accepted, that the world is as safe as she can make it. So these children that she ALWAYS loved are now allowed to exist. Because now, EXISTING is the biggest act of love she can grant them.

----------------------------------------------------------

I have always, always, always understood the choice to have the series end with Katniss as a mother but now? As a 32 year old woman? I understand it so much more.

I don't have children. And, if someone were to ask me, I would say I don't want children.

But the truth is - right now "no" is the only answer I have to give because I'm not in a position to make any other choice.

I don't feel safe in the country I live in. I don't want to bring my children into the state of things as they currently exist. We have a legally dead woman in a hospital right now being forced to be an incubator for a clump of cells. Women are dying entirely preventable deaths because cells are being given more rights than the real, live, breathing human beings in front of us.

It is dangerous to be a pregnant woman right now - EVEN if you want to be.

People are being detained and deported to international "prisons", never to be released, without due process. In too many cases, the crime is their last name and the color of their skin.

I cant, in good faith, bring a new life into the world as it exists.

Do I want children? I DONT KNOW. I can't let myself think that far. The ability to sit down and make that choice was taken away from me and all I'm left with is "no".

Not here. Not now. Not like this. And maybe not ever?

But in a different world? In a different time? Would I still make that choice? Would the answer still be "no"? Would I ever feel safe enough? I don't know.

I hope I get to find out.

[riemanifests]

Hi babe, I have a question. What is this thing about “persisting”? I’ve read a lot that when you’re manifesting, that’s the most important thing, but I don’t really get it. Like, do I have to have faith that my desire is already here, or what?

Thanks for answering ♥️

hi babes thank you for you send, let's get into it. ⠀

♡ 𓈒　What tf is persisting??

Textbook definition of persisting: continue firmly or obstinately in an opinion or a course of action in spite of difficulty, opposition, or failure. ⠀

LOA definition of persisting: choosing to stay loyal to your desired assumption despite anything that may oppose it. ⠀

Basically you will literally just continue to feed your mind the new story NO MATTER WHAT you experience in the 3d or any contradictory thoughts you have in the 4d. ⠀

No matter if you see that you dont have it, you choose to persist in the fact you have it ⠀ No matter if you just got told you can't have it, you choose to persist in the fact you have it ⠀ No matter if you feel like it's not working, you choose to persist in the fact you have it ⠀ No matter if you keep getting doubtful thoughts, you choose to persist in the fact you have it ⠀

No. matter. what. you choose to persist in the fact you have it.

⠀

♡ 𓈒　Example

Example of Persisting: let's say your desired assumption is "i have my SP". ⠀ You 🧖‍♀️ - "My Sp is so in love with me" you check your page and see that he blocked you in the 3d ⠀ You 🧖‍♀️ - choosing to persist - "Nope, my Sp is so in love with me" someone tells you that your Sp was just out with another girl ⠀

You 🧖‍♀️ - choosing to persist - "Not true, my Sp is so in love with me" you end up in a relationship with your Sp happily in love ⠀ Example of NOT Persisting: You 🧖‍♀️ - "My Sp is so in love with me" you remember that argument you guys had 3 days ago ⠀

You 🧖‍♀️ - choosing to waver - "But we fought... so ofc he hates me" you then see that you are blocked from his page ⠀

You 🧖‍♀️ - choosing to waver - "I can't even msg him. i have no chance." you end up giving up on manifesting your Sp and stay unhappy ⠀

♡ 𓈒　It is a choice.

it is a choice to see something that shows you that you don't have it in the 3d and still decide to persist on the fact you have it. ⠀

everytime an unfavorable thought comes up that basically says "you don't have it", you have the choice to either persist or waver. ⠀

everytime you experience an event in the 3d that basically says "you don't have it, you have the choice to either persist or waver. ⠀

also wavering is just you going back on your decision that you have it. basically you contradicting yourself and not sticking to one story. ⠀

it is up to you to decide whether or not you're going to be more loyal to your desired assumption over the 3d or anything else that contradicts it. ⠀

persisting is standing 10 fucking toes down on what you want and being stubborn about it saying "No, i fucking have this" NO matter what.

[sparklesandmarvel]

Rewatching The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and I have some thoughts:

1. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier hate was soooooooooooooooooooooooooo forced. Just because this show hit some major social and political issues and people didnt want to deal with racism in the Marvel universe. This was a legit good show.

2. Some people, for some reason, expected Sam to like, to solve racism? And a lot of what the show was addressing was obviously complicated issues that could not be wrapped up in a little bow by the end of the show. The show kinda gave you background for the decisions the characters made/make in the future. This show never pretended to have allllll the answers nor did Sam, but they did address the elephant in the room.

3. I love how Sam never forgot Isaiah Bradley 💗 From TFATWS to Brave New World, he never forgot him. And I honestly think having Sam in his life made him happier in the long run and restored some of Isaiah's faith in people.

4. I need to people to stop saying Bucky was nerfed. HIS ENTIRE ARC IN THIS DAMN SHOW IS THAT HE IS NOT A KILLER ANYMORE EVEN THOUGH HE VERY WELL COULD! He chooses not to kill people, he is choosing not to fight all out. Even when he's fighting Walker, Walker is fighting to kill, Bucky is fighting for the shield.

5. Bucky and Sarah need to be a thing. It needs to be mentioned again, it was just so damn cute.

6. I HATE that Lemar died. Like they could've had Walker think he was dead, but actually he was seriously injured and had to retire from the military. I'm not sure he needed to die to be the catalyst for Walker and the plot. (Still kinda pissed about that, Malcolm Spellman.)

7. What was the best episode and why was it 5? With 4 being a close second!

8. There are a crazy list of things that Walker does that pisses me the fuck off but I think what bugs me the most is that A) He lies to Lemar's family and B) He never learns from his mistakes, never takes accountability but because he saved some people, everyone wants me to feel like he redeemed himself? And this extends to Thunderbolts, because he STILL HASNT LEARNED ANYTHING and is still an arrogant jerk. People online complained so much about Bucky and Sam "being mean to him" but Walker was rude and has an amazing ability to not be able to read a room or de-escalate anything.

9. I don't even want to talk about Sharon....cause like, why Marvel? It feels like they didn't know what to do with her character, but they definitely wanted to bring her back, so they made her the Power Broker, and I'm just so baffled by that decision.

10. I love Sarah and Sam's relationship. He's still protective of her and his nephews, but he's able to be honest with her and talk things out. I think Sarah really gets to understand her brother a little more and put a little of the HUGE load she's been carrying alone on him. It's not just her anymore.

Anyway about to finish the series again and I'm sure I will have more thoughts.........

[starlight-bread-blog]

I'm caught up. I really don't know how to celebrate, so I'll write my stages as a fan.

Romance Dawn

I'm never finishing this. I have no intention to. I'll just watch until I give up.

Orange Town

This is nice. Still not finishing it.

Syrup Village

Okay what the hell is up with the character desig- OH MY GOD THEY'RE DONE FOR.

Baratie

Oh... I see. I see. I see what's being set up here. Too bad I'll never see the payoff.

Arlong Park

WHO SAID ONE PIECE ONLY GETS GOOD AFTER 7483891 EPISODES???

Loguetown

*Grabs a notebook* Okay so we need to find out what the One Piece is, who the man who saved Luffy is, why was there a lightning... how is he similar to Roger...

Reverse Mountain-Little Garden

It's not just Luffy. EVERYONE is an idiot.

Drum Island

Is this the kind of show where a cute creature is traumatized?

Arabasta

I'm SO glad I started One Piece. Also I'm into shipping now. #Namivivi.

Jaya

Haha... Luffy's so strong.

Skypidea

People skip this? It's so funny???

Water 7

We've been through so much together...

Enies Lobby

This might be my favorite anime... no... it's too soon... it's not THAT good yet...

Thriller Bark

I get why it's skipped. Nothing happened.

Sabaody Archipelago

I must continue. I must.

Amazon Lily

Aroace Luffy #confirmed.

Impel Down

WE'RE HERE! WE'RE QUEER! GET USED TO IT- *Bursts into tears*

Marineford

When was the last time a piece of fiction made me feel like this?

Return to Sabaody

HAHAHAHAHA LUFFY'S SO STRONG!!!

Fish-Man Island

Huh. Um. Okay. But I do need to rewatch Baratie because I must regain my love of Sanji.

Punk Hazard

I cannot hear the words "One Piece" without bursting out laughing.

Dressrosa

*Mocking tone* "OH MY GOD THEY'RE DONE FOR" I was so naive back in the day.

Zou

*In shock* ......Huh.

Whole Cake Island

My love for Sanji is back stronger than ever.

Reverie

*Excessively writing on a murder board* SHANKS???? KING OF THE WORLD??? SABO "KILLED" VIVI'S DAD?

Wano

This is one of my favorite stories ever told.

Egghead

This is me now. It has been an amazing experience. When I started it, I couldn't enjoy anything. But One Piece changed that. I wanted to watch One Piece, which was insane at the time.

Almost every parameter in this show is exceptional. The action is hype, the characters are well written, the worldbuilding and the mystery element are captivating, the theme of hope is explored thoroughly, and while doing all that, it's actually funny.

How many animes you can name that genuinely made you laugh like this? Not too many, right? Here, it's done in a show where comedy isn't even the main focus. Minor or major, the characters are so well characterized that every interaction between them is writing itself. And it's funny. Except when it's not.

When Zoro and Sanji fight in Thriller Bark over who's going to die for Luffy, it's because of both's specific traumas interacting. When Sanji insults Luffy and Nami to keep them at bay, he's doing so in ways specifically insensitive to them. He knows how to read people because he payed attention to it all his life, so he calls Nami, a woman whose trauma relates to money, "poor". Every minor detail in their interactions, whether comedic or not, is tailor made for them.

Additionally, while everyone's so different, all their storylines convey the same message, creating a theme that's showcased from all possible angles. I see a lot of people characterize One Piece's message as being purely about dreams or purely about politics. In my eyes, it's impossible to discuss one without the other. One Piece starts out about achieving dreams, and moves on to political injustice – both topics that require hope, faith and will-power to "solve". It's about trying, on all scales.

And when people choose to try, it's powerful.

When they endure, it's felt.

When they celebrate, it's joyous.

When they fail, it's painful.

When they win, it's glorious.

When they banter, it's a delight.

I love One Piece. I'm glad I had the honor of consuming it. The only think I'm bummed out about is that now I have to wait a week for a new episode. I guess that's the post-Egghead mood.

I have some bad news. Yersterday I finished the live action One Piece... and... I'm hooked. I'm gonna have to watch the anime. Oh my god... over a thousand episodes... my life is over for good...

Wish me luck.

[readscreamrepeat]

Victory Red

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader.

Warning: I don't think this should have any?? Light Sexual Tension, Kisses. FLUFF

~

Author Notes: This turned out longer than I expected. I enjoyed writing it. :)

I did not write the AD to the lipstick, I have its source, and the lipstick that is used linked in the story below.

The necklace that is mentioned: I feel like Bucky would choose something like this because it's a bit reminiscent of his dog tags.

Please feel free to let me know your thoughts!

This Gif has nothing to do with the story, but mannnnn look at that smile.

~

Bucky had mumbled it in passing to you one morning, when you had asked him what was on his mind, 

Just wonderin’ what it would’ave been like to come home from the war a winner? Instead…

You filled the silence as he trailed off��

What would you have wanted to come home to, Buck? 

Just a thought, honest, it doesn’t matter, you wouldn’t have been there, darlin’.

Over a few weeks, his just a thought bloomed into a full-blown obsession for you. The idea was like a burning inferno in your mind; no matter how you tried to douse the flames, it only grew hotter. So much so, you found yourself combing through tons of antique shops, hunting for the perfect dress… Then one day, on your walk home, the dress was hanging off a mannequin in one of the many shops you had already browsed through. 

A perfect vintage baby blue dress, reminiscent of Buck's eyes on a clear, warm, cloudless day. The dress was the perfect size for you, it hugged your hips nicely, the skirt flared and landed a bit below the knee, a sweetheart neckline graced your collarbones…you knew it would pair perfectly with the double heart pendant necklace Bucky had gifted you for no other reason than just because I love you, doll. Also, those silver kitten heels had sat in your closet for way too long, untouched. 

~

Tapping the tip of your pen against your lips, as you browse through social media on your phone, your mind was racing; it felt like you were missing something for your outfit, but you just couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Then pausing as something catches your eye, then scrolling back…It was an ad of a woman in a dark green army uniform, her eyes raised to the sky. Your eyes glinted with glee as you read the article:

—--

Introducing 1941 Victory Red Classic Color Lipstick: 

From: Bésame Website

BEAUTY AS DUTY

The glamour of gorgeous red lips lifts the spirit. Like all expressions of glamour, a classic red lip elevates the morale of the woman wearing the lipstick, as well as all who see her.  That’s why we are proud to introduce Victory Red to the Bésame collection.

The name references the Allied Victory in World War II. We painstakingly researched our red, based upon our collection of historical samples and lots of study. Our Victory Red is an absolutely faithful color-match to the original 1941 classic shade.

 —--

It was the one touch you needed! You place the order before you can change your mind, and choose to have it delivered to your office, you can unbox and stash it away in your bag before coming home. Bucky would be none the wiser about your plans. It was hard hiding things from a super soldier.You keep the new dress and lipstick tucked away in the very back of your shared closet, in a place you are sure Bucky will not go.

Bucky had informed you with some grunts and a grimace that he was due to an event in DC this coming week, so he wouldn’t be returning till Friday afternoon. It was planned a bit last-minute, but he felt he needed to do what he could to rub elbows with “other interested parties”; he had said it with his hands in the air, doing finger quotes. You had only giggled and said. I will be here when you return. 

You mulled over the idea of saving his surprise for his birthday, but it was just now rolling into October, and March was so far away, and you were terrible at keeping surprises. You also debated about keeping it for when he won his seat in Congress, but there was always a tiny, slim chance that he might not win. It was Wednesday, and he was due home in two days. As you toyed with the pendant necklace around your throat, you were agreeing to the idea before it had fully formed in your mind. You’d do it just because you love him, and why wait? You’d do it the day he arrives home from traveling. 

~

The morning of the day he’s due home, you go out to the grocery store, purchase fresh plums, his favorite box of pancake mix, even though you swore they tasted the same, and a top-shelf bourbon to replace the last bottle he had finished before leaving. Before making it back to the small apartment you both shared, the flowers blooming in the florist shop window stopped you in your tracks. In that window sat blooming victory roses, and a grin took over your face. The roses were white bleeding into pink ends, the smell soft, delicate, and would be just strong enough to not bother Buck's enhanced smelling. You had asked the florist to put them in a crystal vase, and had bought as many as the vase would hold. The walk home left you giddy, the air crisp, cool, and comfortable.

~

Time is ticking closer to Bucky’s homecoming, and your excitement is hard to contain; it's pouring off of you, scenting the air. You were hoping the cool shower would help calm you down, but it had not. You plop down on your vanity chair, after drying your hair, your heated curling iron waiting for you. Your hair curls perfectly, in tight spirals, and you pin a small piece back and out of your eyes. As you set the curling iron down and turn it off, your phone lights up, and a message flashes onto the screen.

Be home in 30, Doll. 

Bucky was not one to text often; typically, he preferred the intimacy of a phone call, but for once, you were grateful he had decided to embrace modern technology, because you were sure if you had spoken with him, he would have been able to hear the giddiness in your voice. You decide not to respond, as you set the phone down, and apply an unscented lotion, a few swipes of deodorant, and then you work on fanning yourself down with your hands, to help everything sink and soften your body. Feeling relatively dry, you slip on simple, cheeky, white lace panties, you wiggle into the blue dress, sans a bra, since it offers enough support for your breasts, and then push your feet into your silver kitten heels. 

You peer at yourself only for a moment in the mirror, as you hook your necklace on, it dangles right above where the sweetheart neckline ends. Opening the vanity drawer, the gold lipstick case sits waiting for you. You had moved it to your vanity once Bucky left, so he would not accidentally stumble upon it. Bucky liked to restock any of your items he saw running low, and your makeup and self-care were ones he found replenishing enjoyable. He had told you it was because he loved seeing you care for yourself in whatever way felt best. Your heart warms as you think of this moment, remembering the way his eyes had crinkled with his smile when you had first caught him in the act of restocking for you. You hope you see that smile tonight.

Uncapping the lipstick, you stare a bit, mesmerized by the bright hue. The red spreads across your lips, smooth, creamy, and you grin. You look good, you feel good, and now all that's left is to set the atmosphere and welcome your soldier home. You peek at the time on your phone, and you have at least 15 minutes, unless traffic is good. Unless Bucky is driving just a tad bit too fast to get home sooner.

Deciding not to risk it, you shuffle to the living room, flip through the records sitting below the player, and your fingers find the one you want to play. You set the record down, but do not place the needle just yet. Vase, and flowers in place, check, bourbon and Bucky’s favorite cup on the coffee table, check. One more glance at the phone, you then shut it down, set it on one of your shelves out of sight, 5 minutes…or could be sooner, so you drop the needle on the record, as a gentle song begins to play, your nervous hands smooth the puffy skirt down. 

You position yourself in line with the door, and wait…

Almost as if you, yourself have super sense, and can hear his dress shows in the hallway, see the turning of the knob, you smile as he steps into the opening door, softly a feminine voice fills the air, as he calls your name…

Well, what do you know, 

He smiled at me in my dreams last night, 

My dreams are getting better all the time.

“God, Doll” 

His long hair curling at his ears is a mess. He stands half in the door, and half in the apartment, frozen, stunned eyes roaming up and down, his pupils growing larger by the second. To your surprise he's clean shaven, his suit jacket unbuttoned to open to a white under shit, and to your delight his suit is a deep dark green, instead of his usual black or navy blue. You want to squeal at how well the universe has aligned for this moment,  but you hold it back:

“Welcome Home, Sergeant Barnes.”

The words drop from your lips, and they snap him out of his momentary trance. His hand that had been holding the door shuts it quickly and softly, as he advances towards you, his long strides eating up the entryway. He drops his helmet, his keys, and then his duffel bag from his vibranium hand, before you can even comprehend how fast he’s moving, he has his large hands on your waist, and he’s lifting you from the floor, twirling you around, the grin on his face looks young, boyish, and for a second, you see his hair short, his eyes light, his body clad in his army dress unform, and as soon as the image appears its flees, and you see him as he is, warm blues, long hair, and a smile that could certainly power the whole city. 

“All this for me?” Bucky’s voice is damp, warm, as he lowers you down out of the spin and pulls your body flush with his; he has not lowered you far enough to touch the ground, your feet dangling above the hardwood. “Of course, Sergeant Barnes,  I've been waiting for you to come home to me.” With your hands resting on his shoulders, to give you a bit of leverage, you feel the shiver rush through him at the usage of his title. Happiness is radiating off of him, his ears burning red, as he fully slides you down his body, back to the ground, relinquishing a bit of his hold. He glides his metal hand up to the back of your head and tilts your face to look up at him. 

“I would've driven faster if I knew you were waiting like this.”

Before your lips can break into a full smile, he captures your mouth in his, pressing his fingers into your hip, pulling you right against his chest. Bucky dips your body back a bit with his, as he licks at your lower lip, and once his tongue comes into contact with the lipstick he realizes:

This is what victory tastes like.

[coffeebooksrain18]

There is an uptick in pro hotd/ryan condal posts lately by some asoiaf bnfs like this shit is not believable. it is one thing to enjoy the show but another to claim the writing is good. bitch please! choosing ryan condal and his fanfic over grrm? they are not only kissing rump of a wannabe writer like ryan condal, they are also trashing grrm canon on which this show is allegedly based. I hate the patronising tone of condal lovers who say book readers have their headcanons as if sara hell and ryan condal are not pulling canons out of their behinds each episode. if they think book readers want their headcanons then hotd lovers are living in the clouds. I am a green who knows f&b is tilted towards the blacks but give me faithful adaptation over whatever sara hell is upto with her self-inserts.

I honestly have no respect for the people who say "but Ryan Condal and Sara Hess said!" Because what do you mean I should take the word of these two morons over the author of the book? Not only that but many of these people say they love GrrM and yet side with the people who have said ageist things about him, and then tried to back peddle and say they were the victims. No they weren't we know the weren't.

Them saying he just didn't understand Screenwriting shows how much they respect GrrM. Not one bit. Because GrrM has worked on shows and movies for almost as long as he's been writing. He has been in this business longer than they have, while he was writing show scripts (or helping at least) they were still shitting in diapers.

The people who do this also 99% of the time haven't read the book and don't see a reason to as there's a show. Which is stupid whe we have so many book to TV adaptions that went to shit. In that case we should take the Percy Jackson movies as Canon over the books. Or even take Season 8 of GoT as Canon over the early seasons since GrrM didn't work on that season as much. But we all know they would hate that.

At the end of the day we all should just be like Otto Hightower when they try spewing their "facts".

[sergle]

man, you know, nobody asked me, but I have such conflicting opinions on some of the fat falin art, where on one hand: it's always nice to see A Fat Body in fanart anywhere + it's being done in positive ways, for funsies and on the other hand, there is something so familiar about how you are automatically The Fat One if you are a woman simply standing next to a more petite woman, bc I've had a 0% hitrate in seeing people change Marcille's body type and keep Falin's, or change both of them. it's just Falin

[inquisitor-apologist]

Thinking about how, at the end of the day, at the fatal moment, the sunset of the Republic, it wasn’t Yoda, or Obi-Wan, or even the Chosen One himself standing in the way of Palpatine. It was Mace Windu.

Mace Windu, the inventor of Vaapad and Master of Form VII, the Jedi's strongest duelist, the only person to ever defeat Palpatine in combat. Mace Windu, Master of the Jedi Council and the youngest Master ever appointed to it, the revered leader of the Order. Mace Windu, who forgave even those who tried to kill him, who risked his life over and over again for his troops, who, after 3 years of desperate war, tried to negotiate with battle droids. Mace Windu, who knew the clones were created by the Sith and chose to trust them, who saw every Shatterpoint in the Republic, and loved it still, and fought for it until his last breath, until he was betrayed by Anakin, who he believed in and trusted despite everything.

Mace Windu, High General and hero of the Republic, the embodiment of the Light, the last and greatest champion of the Order, the best Jedi to ever live.

[dylacola]

like all my fics are oneshots but a lot of them are long wips soooo

your favourite fic to write: do i look like him. it's set in my httyd modern au and basically a modern translation of stoick's death (i hate him!!!!). it's really fun because i get to explore the dynamics between hiccup and some other characters i don't often write him with (such as fishlegs and ruffnut!!). i haven't gotten to it in a while bc of other more imminent projects but god it's so fun.

a fic you thought readers would love: can i get you into bed. i did this one for whumpuary 2024 the night before i left for a trip and was stressed out of my mind. at the time i was so proud of the characterisation. i think i still am, although i guess my writing style has changed. but i lowkey really thought this one was gonna be a Big Hit and i guess it kinda was for me lol 300 kudos not too shabby

the fic they actually loved: you never really said it with your mouth. i wrote this for febuwhump 2023 so 2 years ago?? holy shit?? and the prompt was "muzzled" so i put my boy in a muzzle and threw it on ao3. never expected it to get more than like 20-30 kudos but it's sitting at nearly 500. insane btw

the fic you love the concept of but hate writing: (current title in my google docs is "pass the yuri!!!"). again set in my modern au, it's about heather and ruffnut like... falling in love and being lesbians i guess. it's such a fun fic and i like what i've done so far but it's soooo tedious to ACTUALLY write??? like actually painful. how do you write teen girl dialogue (i say, a professional teen girl)

the hardest fic you've written: i have a wip that fits the bill, but the question is in past tense :P so probably light and dark, at once OR give up on trying to save us. both are set in my modern au and are about topics very close to me such as abuse etc. with the first one i got stuck on one scene for nearly a year (february to december i think) and when i finally wrote another scene google docs decided it hates me and deleted the whole thing (a casual 1000 words). the second one was just more difficult emotionally, a lot of my personal feelings were attached to it and yeah it's hard to write like that outside of my notes app lol

a fic you want to write but never do: SOOOO MANY???? but there's this one i have, i'm fixing to bite, a wip set in my modern au (did you guys know i have a httyd modern au!?!??!) about astrid's relationship with grief, faith, and gender. it's sort of tied up in the stoick death fic mentioned above ^^^ so i really need to keep writing it properly but i only have a few hundred words and haven't added to it since (checks version history) november. jesus christ lol

thank u ember for the tag :P i am choosing to tag the only other mutual i have @pqrfi hiii

I thought this could be a fun tag for us:

Your favorite fic to write:

A fic you thought readers would love:

The fic they actually loved:

The fic you love the concept but hate writing:

The hardest fic you've written:

A fic you want to write but never do:

[maythedreadwolftakeyou]

perhaps my most #cancelable videogame take i can post on this website is i think that the kind of people who say that anyone who picks the "morally wrong" or "mean" options in video game dialogue should, as a player, feel bad about their own choices/morals in real life. is that those people are just another flavor of the kind of dudes who play Disco Elysium and get mad for not being rewarded for picking the facist options. both of these groups are reducing games to "a thing I want to agree with me and everyone else who doesn't either suffers or does not have the option to play a character who behaves otherwise" rather than "a medium where you get to (or even Have to) explore different kinds of characters in order to experience the full depth of the story and characters in it."

When I want to pick options in a game that are mean, negative, arrogant, or ignorant, it's because I want to explore what would push a character into becoming that kind of person. Sometimes I want to see how the NPC characters who I-The-Player like/agree with react to someone who is fundamentally different from them. I think it's GOOD actually when the narrative allows you to push limits and especially when it has the option to then punish you for it in some way, such as losing options/routes later on, or companions straight up abandoning you for your choices. It DOES often make me deeply, viscerally uncomfortable to make choices in a game that are so counter to my own, but it means I get to experience that discomfort in an isolated environment and also think about what it means, what would push the character or even yes a real person into actually feeling those things. And I get to play with what ways the narrative could challenge them/make them grow over the course of the game--or on the other side, it can let me make a character who does start off more open/accepting but let the events of the narrative push them into being more reactively closed-minded instead.

I like that we have invented a medium where you can play a game multiple times and experience it differently depending on the character you play as. Books and TV and movies are all static--the greatest draw of games to me is the ones that are responsive, that can tell a slightly different story every time--when other characters in the game respond differently to you because of it, or some paths open up and others don't. And so yes it did disappointment me when a franchise that previously had these elements, Dragon Age, did not include them in the most recent installment. I don't think games should have options where you get to just hit a button to say something racist with no consequences or exploration into why a character would do that. but like, if i can only ever play a game as an upstanding person who is morally right all the time in basically the same flavor for every dialogue. I only get to truly play that game Once, you know? And I only get to see the way the companions react to someone they like and trust. And never really go deeper than that.

So like... I just sit and think about the scenes you can get in Inquisition. with Cassandra breaking down, because she fears she placed a would-be tyrant at the head of a powerful organization--that she searched and searched and chose wrong. Of Varric who is desperate to convince you not to become a monster, like the last person he feels betrayed him. Vivienne intentionally pissing you off because she wants to see how far you'll go when angered, how much she has to worry about your reactions. They say so much about the companions, what they fear most, and where they will draw the line. And especially in Inquisition, at these crisis points--you don't have to double down. Your character can have a come-to-Andraste moment where they go "woah... is that really how people see me? is this what i want?" and I think that kind of option can do way more for encouraging actual players to examine the choices they make in stories, more than locking the player into supportive, non-aggressive options does.

now. do i think all games execute these flavors well? no. writers and devs will have their own biases and blind spots, even if they are otherwise well-intentioned. and I don't think the ends of the scale need to extend from "absolute angel" to "horrible bigot", because the real complexity of course lies in the middle. I am not asking for games to let me be bigoted at every turn, what I want is games that let me make the protagonist deeply flawed in one or more ways--fearfully closed-minded to things outside their upbringing, or afraid of change to the status quo, or who want to advance their own aims regardless of consequences to others. I actually agree that the game was correct not to include any options for disrespecting Taash and their personal journey for example, but I do wish... idk maybe that we could have had a scene where if for instance the player character avoided outside-world missions relating to clearing away blight, they could confront us on how this might devastate the natural world and its creatures like dragons, and push us into trying to resolve it. Or in the other direction, if you spend the (currently meaningless) time giving money to background NPCs begging in the cities, Neve could could have a special cutscene thanking you for your attention to people otherwise beneath notice. You know?

And of course not every game can do this, I can write those sentences up there that represent hundreds of hours of dev time, of course they can't do it all. But the prior games usually did have at least a little of this, and that was enough to make me really fall in love. I KNOW the tumultuous development cycle, restarts from scratch, interference from higher-ups all contributed to why Veilguard was unable to hit those same marks this time. And we probably won't ever know how much of the loss of options/reactivity was intention vs a side effect of these things. But I wish people wouldn't frame players who miss these aspects as insane/morally corrupt. When for most of us it's because we genuinely enjoy challenging and exploring these aspects of reality in fiction in a way entirely unlike what we actually support in real life. i fully acknowledge not everyone desires to play this way. and that's fine!!! i am glad people can enjoy doing a "good" run each time that brings them joy. but for me it really limits the potential bounds of my enjoyment i guess. I like media that is complicated and messy and makes me think, and extra so when I get to see how playing that way impacts the greater story around it.

[dirtytransmasc]

ok but like, Modest!Alicent Hightower au (more modest than she already is) cause I feel like it, it adds ✨layers✨

Alicent who veils her hair during her day to day life, elegant laces and silks adorning her long ginger-brown hair, covering it completely at the Sept.

Alicent who wears dresses with long heavy skirts and always covers her elbows with billowing sleeves.

Alicent who conceals her silhouette with thick shaping garments. they also just helped her back during her pregnancies and taking care of kids (her servants recommended them so she'd have full range of motion and support)

Alicent who was stripped of her modesty, her dignity and sense of security whenever Viserys wanted her. stripped of it by her own father when he sent her to Viserys's chambers in a dress that didn't cover as much as she would have liked, especially when she visited a man with those (silent) instructions.

Alicent who lets her hair down around people she trusts. covering it around Rhaenyra after she abandoned her, a blow to Rhaenyra, a blatant "you hurt me and broke my trust". letting Criston see her hair after he becomes her sworn sword. covering in front of Viserys until he demands she stops. Alicent putting a little makeshift veil on her daughter, who wanted to look like her mum, promising it would protect her from how loud the world was.

Alicent who only trusts her closest servants to dress her, and even then insists on being in a full shift before they can come in.

Alicent who felt stripped bare while giving birth to her children.

little Alicent looking up to her mum who was also very modest, and spending her childhood playing in long skirts.

Alicent who wears shawls and scarves out in public or at events. Criston watches to make sure she remains properly covered. her hands fiddling with the patterns or tassels while she talks to others.

Alicent doing this with her kids:

Criston offering her his cloak when she's put in bad situations like sudden crowds or outings.

wearing flowy but opaque fabrics during the summers, looking ethereal and goddess-like with her layers skirts and sleeves.

the whole Larys situation being even more sickening.

all 3 of her sons being protective of her modesty alongside Criston, always offering their cloaks to her or standing to block her from the wind or wandering eyes. Aegon holding her veil in place when it's windy, Aemond placing a cloak over her in public, Daeron fiercely defending his mum from lusting glances or lingering stares.

Helaena continuing to veil with her mum when they go out, they love matching veils and trying ornate styles.

Alicent fixing her daughters veil in attempts to get it to stay in on dragon back. it doesn't. but they don't mind the extra bonding time none the less.

gold veils that literally make her look like she's dripping in gold.

tucking her babes in her shawls or holding them against her skirts that are practically swallowing them whole.

Alicent collecting layers. Ornate undergarments that cover her arms in gold and embroidered patterns, some almost like tapestries others more simple. undershirts that cover her neck, with "choker" patterns and sewn in jewels. modest nightgowns and robes made of the softest, most breathable fabrics in existence.

covering her face on holy days/days of importance.

I just have so many thoughts.

[yashley]

Say something true!

[liones-s]

seems crazy to think that something couldn’t exist just because you can’t imagine it. I frequently go into Asian supermarkets and find fruits I could never have imagined. thankfully goodness and beauty aren’t limited by what I can conceive

[herald-divine-hell]

I do wish to add this:

I don't hate the Qunari companions that we do have. I still love Sten, the Iron Bull, and Taash. They are fascinating characters with their own distinct and interesting relationship with the Qun. I'm not discrediting them as characters at all.

At the same time, my point lies in the fundamentally worldbuilding aspect of the Qun, the Qunari, and the ideas, concepts, tropes, and caricatures in which BioWare choose to imply with the Qun. Rather if it was willingly or not (and I personally doubt Mary Kirby is a raging Islamaphobe that views the Islamic faith, much less all Muslims as hell-bent in conquering the rest of the world and forcefully converting them to Islam), the fact of the matter is that the Qunari has always, fundamentally, been a racist, Islamophobic, and certainly Orientalist creation. They are physically distinct from the rest of Thedas, being larger and taller than all the other racist, with clear animalistic features, that in many ways bare resemblance European views of Middle Eastern, but specifically Africans, since the time of ancient Greece. These are ancient and racist stereotypes and views that goes back millennia, even if the concept of racial identity was not a conception in the eyes of the Greeks or Romans (and to be fair to them, the imperial Iranians and even the Muslims themselves certainly held, what I would argue, proto-racist views of others, and certainly viewed themselves at various points in their long history as culturally, religiously, intellectually, and politically greater than the Europe. The Sasanian monarch's full title was Shahan Shah i Eran ud Aneran, the King of Kings of Iran and non-Iran, or Iranians or non-Iranians. Other imperial poetry of the Sasanians displayed the Iranian state as the sublime realm, in which the King of Kings overshadows the lesser kings of the emperor of the Romans and the Khan of the Turks.). Fundamentally, this element cultural superiority dates well back into antiquity, and is felt across cultural, ethnic, religious, and political borders, even if they did not view the world in the manner of "whiteness" or "blackness" that was developed by 15th-16th century Europeans during their colonial endeavors.

It does not matter if BioWare took inspiration from authoritarian regimes such as the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany. It does not matter if they sought to display a representation of Plato's ideal form of governance and society - these are all hearsay, as we have no evidence that any of these elements are true. We do, on the other hand, as other posts make note, of BioWare using Islamic theological terms such as kafir when it comes to the Qunari (a term that is heavily loaded within the greater Quranic theological perspective. It is multifaceted, philosophically complex, and etymologically fascinating.*)

What matters, in my view, is the fandom at large seeks to deny this clear Islamic connection with the Qunari, deny its racist connotations and elements, and proceed to ignore DA's past racist history and only seek to choose now in recognizing the orientalist and Islamophobic dimensions of the Qun within only Veilguard, while DAII, in my view, is far worse, and I would argue that Veilguard at least had to grace to make the Qun's situation complex with the revelation of the Devouring Storm, and the cultural struggles of refugees and immigrants in an unaccustomed land. While I understand many others views that Taash's ultimate choice is too binary, I don't think that is particularly just Trick's fault. It's the Qun's fault, and the past worldbuilding choices of the developers before Taash and Shanthann were conceptualized characters. Bull's story reveals that enough. There is nothing but the Qun. Any deviation removes you, proclaims you Tal-Vashoth. There is no love. There is no family. You don't have a name. This oppressive view is one that was prolific during the height of post-9/11 and War on Terror Islamphobic ferver, and still is, with those who view Islam as an oppressive, totalitarian-adjacent faith.

You can like the Qunari all you want. You can like Qunari characters all you want. But do not try to deny these elements because it makes you uncomfortable, especially if you're trying to argue that DATV, for some unknown reason, is the only Islamophobic game in the series. The point is the Qun was fundementally Islamaphohic since the beginning. Veilguard didn't change that. It was a choice, consciously or subconsciously, made by BioWare the moment they introduced Sten into the series. It was reinforced constantly in DAII's depiction of the Qun and Arishok and with the messages revealed by Bull throughout Inquisition.

Look, I think all the religions in DA are severely underbaked. Where I think BioWare does shine, that a lot of fantasy series I think do fail at, is making realistic, complex, and fascinating religious characters - Leliana and Cassandra, in specific. Leliana especially is perhaps one of the greatest depictions of the complexities of those who actively engaged with their faith in an intellectual, emotional, and spiritual level. She holds strong faith, she wanes in her faith. She makes dumb comments that are seriously offensive at times. But her relationship with faith is a core element of her character. And I think Sheryl Chee (who I do have disagreements on in terms of writing) wrote her masterfully, from DAO to DAI. The same with Cassandra. I think Gaider did amazing work with her, too. What BioWare always shined at is their companions and their characters. It's why I'm not as fussed about Sten's admittedly lowkey racist depiction of connecting with soft things in the south rather than the Qun - it is not the fault of Sten as a character. It is the fault of the foundations of how BioWare choose to depict the character (though I still think they made Sten say some insane shit, like the woman comment).

Anyway. Leliana's the best. Love her. She would have definitely minor in religious studies in real life, tbh. If she wasn't already made the Pope by now.

*For a more in-depth discussion regarding the usage of kafir and the verb kafara in the Quran, I suggest Dr. Juan Cole's Infidel or Paganus: The Polysemy of Kafara in the Qur'an, which you can read here.

It is a bit amusing that the orientalism and Islamophobic depiction of the Qun and the Qunari is only know being brought up in the context of DATV, despite the very foundations of the Qun, and many other Qunari characters in the game are bult on orientalism, Islamphobia, and oversexualization.

It should not be ignored that particularly only the Qun display an extensive totalitarian police-state, where dissension is snubbed out, and dissenters quickly "re-educated" back into what the Qun considers obligatory. This was elements introduced way before Veilguard, and spoken with little condemnation over the Qun's relationship as the historical inspiration of Islam with Europe, but, in a sense and in my own view, instead an offering for the, primarily, white Westerner, to proudly denounce the "Other" of Thedas, and display how effectively superior Thedasian culture is over the Qun.

So, yes. Does Veilguard no doubt have problems with orientalism and Islamphobia? Yes. But I'll argue the older games were far, far more worse in their depiction and utilization of racist tropes, caricatures, and historical interactions with the MENA region, the Islamic faith, its history, and the greater Asian world as a whole. Since the very beginning, the Qun was meant to be the great "Other".

Honestly, if BioWare did the most barebones reading of the Quran as they did with the Bible, it may have been better than whatever the hell the Qunari are meant to be (at the same time, the theological depicition of Andrastanism makes ill-sense to me, though I do think certain lines such as a "learned child is a blessing onto his parents and onto the Maker."). Afterall, the Quran is clear that coercion or compulsion of faith is forbidden; that the Believers [the historically accurate term to Muhammad's direct followers, the mu'minun] are forbidden from being hostile to polytheistic groups that did not attack, discriminate, or oppress them for their faith.

"There is no coercion in religion. Sound judgment has become clear from error. So whosoever disavows false deities and believes in God has grasped the most unfailing handhold, which never breaks. And God is Hearing, Knowing." [The Cow, 2:256]. "Believers, when you fight in the way of God, be discriminating. Do not say to one who greets you with “Peace!” “You are not a believer!” You aspire to the goods of this world, but with God are many riches. You were like them in the past, but God conferred his favor on you. So scrutinize carefully. God is aware of what you do. [The Pilgrimage, 22:17] He endorsed those who fought because they had been wronged, and in truth God is able to aid them—those who were expelled from their homes unjustly, solely for saying our lord is God. Had God not checked one people with another, then monasteries, churches, oratories and places of worship wherein God is much mentioned would have been razed to the ground. God aids those who aid him. God is powerful, mighty. [The Pilgrimage 22:39-40] Perhaps God will create love between you and those among whom were your enemies. God does not forbid you, with regard to those who have not fought you over religion nor expelled you from your homes, from being righteous and just toward them, for God loves those who are just. [The Woman Tested, 60:7-8] Fight in the path of God those who enter into combat against you, but do not commit aggression. God does not love aggressors. [The Cow, 2:190]

Whose discourse is more beautiful than one who summons others to God, and performs good deeds, and proclaims, “I am a monotheist”? Good and evil are not equal. Repel the latter with the highest good, and behold, your enemy will become a devoted patron. [Distinguished, 41:33-34]

The ultimate problem is as I said before--the Qun are simply meant to be the great Other, the barbarian enemy of the majority of people in Thedas, without the real ability to actively engaged with its philosophical intentions and ideas in an understanding manner. No matter what, the Qunari's viewpoint of the world is black-and-white. Sure, you can argue the Quran's own viewing of the world has a shade of that, too - typically within its soteriology, where the Quran is inclusive of monotheists, limited in doctrinal beliefs, and exclusive to polytheism - but even then, the Quran understands complexity. It ordains to its listeners that the ultimate judge is not humanity, but God. It reminds Muhammad that he is only just a messenger, that he only brings forth the message, and it is to God who will judge, not him. He cannot force anyone to believe, and he should not burden himself with that reality. (Though, even there is complexity as he had a role of political leadership as well, but on matters on belief and disbelief, the Quran reminds Muhammad constantly that such judgement is God’s alone.) The Qun is not given that complexity, does not have it within its doctrinal foundation for pluralism that is adored in the Quran as one of the signs of God. This brutal viewpoint reeks of post-Umayyad and Abbasid scholarly interpretation regarding Islam, as well as European Christian views of Islam as the oppressive faith of slavers and conquerors. This is the foundation of the Qun, established well before Veilguard or even Inquisition. Yet when this is discussed, so much of the fandom hand-waved it away, made excuses, try to say that I’m overthinking it, or worse even indulged it (the oversexualization of the Qunari by the fandom at large).