#Reflective address markers

[heathersdesk]

Infertility in the LDS Church is such a weird place to occupy because it's the place where so much of the Church's messaging on sex and gender, on complimentarianism and divisions of labor within the Church, completely fall apart.

Being a parent may be the most important thing some people will ever do. I have no issue at all with people saying this about themselves to describe their own journey through the world. But that's not universally true for everyone because of someone's gender or alleged propensity for reproduction. The fact that infertility exists at all is all the evidence you need of that. If it was somehow necessary for a person's salvation or exaltation for everyone to have children, it wouldn't be withheld from anyone.

So why do people, including church leadership, treat having children like it's essential to our salvation, when neither the gospel of Jesus Christ nor any of the covenants we've made present it that way?

Power consolidation. Boundary maintenance. Cultural curation for the kind of person who treats children as an identity marker and avatars for their own influence on the world.

It's how the Church is trying to ignore the problem of dwindling membership, which this exact messaging has caused, instead of addressing the gender disparities reflected in this messaging.

No one is entitled to have children, and to use those children as a means of self-fulfillment, spiritual education, or approximations to the divine experience of being God. Even if you can have children, this is a harmful way of viewing children because it makes having children all about the parents and their needs.

You don't have children to meet your needs. You have children to meet their needs. I didn't need to have children to learn that lesson, or many of the other lessons that people needed to become parents to learn. There is more than one way to approach that kind of selfless love, in all kinds of relationships. Parenting is one of many, not the only kind of selfless love, and certainly not the most important kind of selfless love for many people.

And what kills me in talking to members of the Church who try to push back against this perspective is this: they claim to be the arbiters of the ultimate form of selfless love because they are parents. But these are the same people who will pound on the single piano key about parenthood to such an extreme that it alienates other people. And when they do, and someone tells them it's harmful, they're the first ones to say that what they're doing is more important than anyone else's feelings. They talk of a selfless love they don't actually possess—not for people outside of their family and, I would argue, not for anyone inside of it either.

All this to say: the Venn Diagram overlap between people who don't respect or value people at church with infertility and the people who also enmesh themselves in disturbing ways with their own children is a circle. Catch neither one of us wanting to be at church with them as adults.

[jessicamessicavillageofspillage]

Apparently transpeople will also die from the inaccurate recording of Sex within statistics

The collection of data on a person’s sex – that is, whether they are male or female – has become controversial in recent years, and a number of public bodies have moved away from collecting data on sex as a result. For example, Scotland’s chief statistician recently issued guidance stating that data on sex should only be collected in exceptional circumstances. This move has been greeted with alarm by quantitative social scientists who believe that data on sex is vitally important and that data on both gender identity and sex is needed.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) was also embroiled in controversy when it proposed to guide respondents to the 2021 England and Wales census that they may answer the sex question in terms of their subjective gender identity, rather than their sex. This was despite the fact that the 2021 census also included a new separate question on gender identity. The ONS was forced to change its proposed guidance on the sex question by a judicial review and went on to advise that people should answer the first question to reflect their legal sex. The Scottish census authorities have been criticised for disregarding the implications of that judgment.

Statistics on employment, health, crime and education have all been affected by this trend.

The Government Equalities Office has issued guidance to employers who are legally bound to report on their gender pay gap to provide data on their employees’ gender identity, not their sex, and to exclude employees who “do not identify as ‘men’ or ‘women’” from the data. This makes it impossible to assess whether natal males who identify as trans or non-binary may have different labour-market experiences from natal females who identify as trans or non-binary. Yet non-binary or transgender identification may not protect females from discrimination, for example, on the basis of pregnancy or maternity or the perceived risk of becoming pregnant.

The NHS decides who to call for routine medical screenings based on the gender marker a person has recorded with their GP rather than their sex as recorded as birth. The NHS’s failure to record biological sex on patient records has led to trans patients not being called in for screening for conditions that may affect them due to their sex, such as ovarian cancer or prostate cancer. If trans patients are not screened for such conditions, the consequences are potentially fatal. The use of gender identity rather than sex has also led to confusion for some trans patients attempting to use sexual health services.

Freedom of information requests have revealed that multiple police forces in England now record crimes by male suspects as committed by women if the perpetrator requests to be recorded as such. Even small numbers of cases misclassified in this way can lead to substantial bias in crime statistics.

Differences between the sexes are an important factor for analysis in most, if not all, of the areas that social and health scientists address. Sex, alongside age, is a fundamental demographic variable, vital for projections regarding fertility and life expectancy. Sex has systematic effects on physical health and is also linked to mental health. And the importance of sex extends to all aspects of social life, including employment, education and crime.

We know that many differences between the sexes have changed dramatically over time – education and labour market participation are two examples. Without consistent data on sex, social scientists would not be able to track this change over time or to understand whether efforts to improve the representation of women and girls in domains where they are underrepresented have been effective.

We have been losing data on sex, as public sector bodies have switched to collecting data on gender identity instead. But the tide may have turned. The UK Statistics Authority has recently published guidance that recommends that “sex, age and ethnic group should be routinely collected and reported in all administrative data and in-service process data, including statistics collected within health and care settings and by police, courts and prisons”. It also says data producers should clearly distinguish between concepts such as sex, gender and gender identity.

Both people’s material circumstances and their identities are important to their lives. We know that sex matters, and we have much to learn about the ways in which gender identity matters, too. Rather than removing data on sex, we should collect data on both sex and gender identity, in order to develop a better understanding of the influence of both of these factors and the intersection between them.

Original article in The Conversation

Professor Alice Sullivan’s academic profile

UCL Social Research Institute

[rosekisspeach]

TAROT READING//Ming's take on mingkey relationship

Date: 15/Jan/2024 Marker: Selca, Incense Deck of Cards: Trungles' Star Spinner Tarot (Inclusive, Diverse, LGBTQ Theme)

Notes Upfront:

I don't ask my cards questions that I already have answers;

I don't prey on information I should not know;

I respect their personal lives and;

This is for FUN ONLY.

ʕ•̫͡• ʔ stream Minho's Stay For A Night because Ming is a good boy who deserves love, and the song matches the reading energy -ㅂ-

Base Card: 9 of Wands Reverse Past: 7 of Swords Now: The World Reverse Future: The Lovers (I want to stress that I have 4 lovers cards in the deck, each representing different sexual orientations/relationship styles/dynamics, and getting this specific card is a 1/81 ratio instead of 1/78) Past to Now: 5 of Coins Reverse Now to Future: 5 of Cups Reverse Result Card: //

Please take time looking at the cards before proceeding to read the readings, thanks.

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Readings:

Before I dive in-depth into discussing the readings and meanings of each card, I want to share the incentive energy I grasp here: honesty. My cards are very honest in delivering information this time, for one, but I also sense that Ming is very honest (to himself) in approaching matters with Bummie now. He is able to better communicate his needs, discuss his concerns, and very importantly, reflect on his mistakes (!) & becoming ready to be a better boy for kibum. This does not mean their bickering nature changes immediately. Rather, as we see in the Live Alone episodes, Ming could now consult ways that fuel their dynamic without hurting bummie or himself. These joyful fights drag Bummie closer instead of pushing him away, and hurting Kibum is what Mings regrets the most in their relationship.

7 of Swords in the Past position matches my reading. In the plain sense, this card means betray. Ming had failed bummie in the past times. What he had believed (the swords he held in his arms), e.g., hetnormative thinkings, helped him accepting his new image, adjusting to work in the industry, and bonding with other SHINee members (and other workers), but it had turned away bummie (the sword behind him). Ming was an insecure boy struggled under the shadow of his father (a soccer couch who naturally prioritizes competitiveness, results, and seniority rules) and an older brother minseok who was better at everything than him at the time. That's why Minho desperately believed he must overcome any challenges to prove his worth. Minho weaponized this mindset, so stubborn even if the blaze hurt people around him. I mean, he is never someone aggressive, but he fought with bummie as if he was not mad at kibum but himself. Mad at the idea of not being the strong man he promised himself to be. He did not realize what protected him is the cloak (people around him, family, friends, SHINee members), not the sword (his will power) ...The distance between him and bummie made Ming lonely. His heart is the crescent hanging on the night sky that longing for love and connection.

To assess the Present, we will be talking about three cards:

the base card -> Ming's attitude in this relationship, the now -> Ming's understanding of this relationship, the event -> what changed that made him to act/think like this.

In one sentence summary, Ming does not feel content of how their relationship functions and he is heartbroken because he sometimes feels one-sided putting most effort. Kibum can be cold and out of reach, as Ming experienced during the military times, and as I joked with my friend when I was doing the cards-pulling, Ming sometimes sees himself as a "clown". He addresses it to bummie but has no confidence in changing their relationship (and changing bummie's attitude) to what he desires: a more honest, heart to heart, same-level love energy dynamic. This is not the "world" or reality Ming wants and he is trying his maximum BEST to alter. However, there is an fundamental unbalance between his and bummie's view of how they should interact, and if you read my readings of bummie's view on the other post later, you will understand it is both out of insecurities.

For Ming, the insecurities come from the pain of losing a great great friend. We have a reversed 5 of coins, the dream of 5HINee achieving success together was shattered like the broken mirror - and one coin, our dear jjong, stays in this never coming true dream forever. My cards are very honest, as I said earlier, and my heart ached when this card came to me. Jjong's death changed Ming tremendously. In ways he now views friendship, relationship, and any intimate interaction. Do you notice how Ming takes photo of everything and every moment he shares with close friends? He maxed out his phone storage on bummie, as if the grieving taught him pictures and videos are the only things he can go to when he lost loved ones. He is afraid of idea of losing bummie (and of course other SHINee members), because after jjong, ming finally realized he is just a little boy hiding under the cloak. Hiding under the protection of his hyung. He was never strong enough to protect himself and what he loves - and this is why, he dedicated himself to work out the “problems" in his relationship w kibum.

To hold bummie closer is to put his shattered reality back in place.

Even if it means the cold treatment and left on read messages.

!!skip this part if you only see them as platonic friends/co-workers and resume when you see exclamation mark again!!

I usually don't do romantic readings on RPS. But the lovers dropped and as I said earlier, getting the "man & man" lovers card is a 1/81 ratio that I think my cards is trying to tell me something. We gotta give major Arcana some respect. And obviously, it gets more evident *spoilers alert* when the SAME lovers card dropped in bummie's result.

I want to keep this section short because it preys on their private life, and assuming anything can be disrespectful. However, considering Ming has posted both rainbow flags and the the notting hill bookshop LGBTQ+ themed books...I will share what I have read on the cards. A lot of tensions between ming and bummies still come from their different opinion of intimate relationship. Bummie has not fully forgive ming because in a small corner of ming's mind, he still holds on some of the hetnormative thinkings. He does not realize that there is an option of love. Or more frankly, he does not realize what he wants (the level of love) from bummie is what bummie only gives to his romantic LOVERS. And only when ming stops "overcoming" the idea of man to man love unnatural (as to support bummie), but truly accepting it (as himself doing it) can make the world right for him and bummie.

!!resume here!!

The lovers card in the future is a beautiful and mind-assuring result, because before that ming still has a long way to go. We have the reversed 5 of cups here, stressing how the past events left scars on ming to a breaking point. He is/will be overwhelmed with pain, sadness, and the feeling of helplessness when trying to forge deeper bonds with bummie. The refusal hurt him enough that he almost gives up. But giving up is not really Minho isn't it? And bummie is sensitive. When bummie finally comes around, forgives ming, and accepts that he no longer can avoid ming's sincere heart, things will be good for them. Things will be great. They will have each other's back and heal together from the past memories, and from losing jjong. The moon will be full.

The only thing ming needs to know is (since my cards are shouting this to me!!), he has to stop project the grief of losing jjong onto bummie. Bummie wants ming to love him, not as the grieving-i need to grab someone way, but really just sees and loves bummie as himself.

-over-

Feel free to chat or find me on twitter @rosekisspeach

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Lil Kalish at HuffPost:

Jules was driving to their friend’s house in St. Petersburg, Florida, last year when a police officer pulled them over for a busted taillight. Jules wondered if the officer saw their “Say Gay” sticker — a small protest to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “Don’t Say Gay” bill — and nervously handed over their driver’s license. The 26-year-old EMT in training had legally changed their gender marker to an M on their state documents in 2019, but their photo still reflected how Jules looked early in their medical transition, someone without a thick dark mustache and more baby-faced. The officer returned Jules’ driver’s license without any mention of their photo. But the officer did scold Jules, who had recently moved to a new home, for not having their current address on their ID. When Jules, who is using a pseudonym out of fear of harassment, went to their local Department of Motor Vehicles in November to update their address, employees told them there was no record of their gender marker update and that they could not get a replacement ID with their new address and keep the M at the same time.

“I seem to think that they lost my paperwork,” said Jules, who is nonbinary and transmasculine. “The person sitting across from me at the time was pretty much like, ‘Any point going forward, any other time you change this ID, we’re going to have to put an F on it.’ I was like, ‘Damn, wow.’” Jules said the same thing happened when they tried to get a replacement ID in January. Then, on Jan. 31, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles quietly issued a memo stating that residents could no longer update or change their gender on state driver’s licenses but could still receive replacement licenses for any name or address changes. “Misrepresenting one’s gender, understood as sex, on a driver license constitutes fraud … and subjects an offender to criminal and civil penalties, including cancellation, suspension, or revocation of his or her driver license,” the memo read.

Now transgender Floridians like Jules don’t know what to do: They’re worried about being turned away from getting a replacement ID with an accurate gender marker, but they’re also anxious about what will happen if they’re pulled over again with a license that has other incorrect information. The memo isn’t a formal law, rule or policy, advocates told HuffPost, which means it may be enforced at different department locations around the state. But even though there isn’t a law in place, the reality is that many trans Floridians are barred from updating their gender marker on their licenses, said Quinn Diaz, a public policy associate at LGBTQ+ rights group Equality Florida. People can still update their gender marker on newly issued licenses if they have already done so on other documents such as a passport or birth certificate.

“Expanding the Department’s authority to issue replacement licenses dependent on one’s internal sense of gender or sex identification is violative of the law and does not serve to enhance the security and reliability of Florida issued licenses and identification cards,” wrote Molly Best, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, in an emailed statement. “The security, reliability, and accuracy of government issued credentials is paramount.” Florida’s DHSMV rolled out the memo while the state legislature was still deliberating over HB 1639, a bill that would have narrowly defined sex by one’s genitalia at birth and also barred transgender people from updating their IDs. “Sponsors of the bill started presenting the case for passing HB 1639 on the basis that it would bring the state into compliance with its current operations at the DHSMV,” Diaz said. “They were saying the bill was necessary because of the memo that was released by the agency days earlier in a unilateral overreach of its delegated authority. It’s so frustrating and I feel like we’re likely to see that again.”

State lawmakers ultimately rejected the bill and nearly two dozen other anti-LGBTQ bills this spring. But the memo, Diaz said, is an example of the larger trend across Florida state agencies — many of which are stacked with DeSantis appointees who are sympathetic to his anti-trans agenda — creating policies or unofficial guidance that will help pave the way for other anti-trans legislation down the line. Under DeSantis, Florida has in many ways been a testing ground for the broader conservative movement to push some of the harshest anti-LGBTQ policies — from the memo to laws barring trans people from bathrooms and gender and sexuality from being discussed in public classrooms.

“The right wing was using Florida as a petri dish for what would be possible across the country should they gain power in Washington, D.C., again,” said Brandon Wolf, the press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign. “I think we should believe them. It is a road map to making America a place like Florida, and allowing the federal government to do much of what we’ve seen governors like DeSantis and [Texas Gov. Greg] Abbott do across the country.” The reality unfolding in Florida today is just a microcosm of what the United States could look like if Donald Trump were to be elected president this November, according to a nearly 1,000-page document that lays out goals and recommendations for a conservative president. The “Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise,” better known as Project 2025, draws upon many of the current state-level anti-LGBTQ+ laws and policies and expands them to the national stage by any means necessary.

‘The Worst Of Everything We’ve Seen’

Authored by former Trump officials and dozens of right-wing organizations including the Heritage Foundation, nearly every page of Project 2025 details policies that would impact LGBTQ+ people — and there’s a particular focus on transgender people. On the very first page of the manifesto, Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts laments the “corruption” of the country “under the ruling and cultural elite” whose children “suffer the toxic normalization of transgenderism with drag queens and pornography invading their school libraries.” Many of the document’s suggestions are things that advocates say Trump could enact on his first day through a series of executive orders, like barring trans people from the military, and removing gender-affirming care and abortion from veteran health care policies. The document also calls for policies to redefine sex as “biological sex,” which not only effectively erases the legal recognition and protection of transgender people but goes against modern science. Project 2025 also recommends rolling back Bostock v. Clayton County, the Supreme Court decision that protects LGBTQ+ people from employment discrimination; eliminating the promotion of gender-affirming care for minors nationwide; reinterpreting Title IX to permit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity; and abolishing the Department of Education and returning “control of education to the states.”

The project’s agenda encompasses a number of recommendations that target the very existence of LGBTQ+ people. Per Project 2025, a second Trump administration would erase the legal recognition of transgender identity — and go as far as to delete any mention of terms including gender identity, sexual orientation, diversity and abortion from every “federal rule, agency regulation, contract, grant, regulation, and piece of legislation to exist.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would stop collecting data on gender identity, and the administration would block transgender students in public schools from using a name or pronoun that is different from what is listed on their birth certificates without the written permission of their parents.

The conservative manifesto illustrates a vast agenda to “restore the family as the centerpiece of American life and protect our children.” In a chapter about the Department of Health and Human Services, former Trump HHS director Roger Severino, who drafted many of Trump’s anti-trans health policies, urges the incoming HHS secretary to “proudly state … that married men and women are the ideal, natural family structure.”

HuffPost reports on how a 2nd Donald Trump "Presidency" would be a massive nationwide nightmare for trans, intersex, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people (and LGBTQ+ people and their allies more broadly), with the assistance of The Heritage Foundation-led Project 2025. 🏳️‍⚧️

[soberlovey]

out of the ashes that burn.

JOHN WICK + F!READER father/daugher. (PLATONIC)

THIS WILL BE A ONGOING SERIES (if continued)

mild cussing, yah yah..

You placed your wet hand on the brick wall, it making a dark hand print where it lied. Your eyes shined in the dark streetlights, tears running down your cheeks while your arms struggled to stay upright while pressing against the rough, white, brick wall.

The streets were emptier than normal, however this was the part of the city where barley anyone was. Especially at night. By a lot of people you knew, this part of the city was called "Dead Of Night"

Your jacket stuck to your skin, humid and wet. Your black long sleeved shirt grey from the streetlight shining on it. The rain pattered against your head, large, heavy droplets descending from the dark clouds in the sky.

Running from a car nearly hitting you because you decided to jay-walk is scary as hell.

Hands off the wall, you took a step back as the weight of the damp sleeves of your shirt weighed your arms down. You took out a sharpie and held it to the wall, eyes searching for any nearby cameras.

Nothing, but thats not a surprise.

Taking a moment to think what to write, the puddles near you splashing from the raindrops, giving the slightest inspiration to you.

"Dont jay-walk. You'll drown in your own blood."

Warning people is fun, hm?

You shoved the marker back in your pocket, then looked back up at the writing on the wall, reading it over and over again.

Then, that loop of reading got interrupted.

Footsteps echoed from the corner of the building you stood near, they were audible, but you couldn't hear them that well.

You figured it was most likely the mailman. You were near a neighborhood afterall.

Dismissing it, you decided to walk off.

Curiosity grew, you were aware this person was behind you. You had to look back.

Your head spun, looking back as the shocked mailman jumped.

"Oh my gosh! Ma'am im so sorry."

The mailman yelped.

The guilt rose from your heart, you felt horrible. You didnt mean to scare the poor guy.

"Oh, dear. Sorry. I thought you were following me."

The mailman's words started to jumble and he stuttered as he tried to explain.

"I-I mean you were heading to a certain address.. I thought."

"No. Its fine."

You were a bit tired from talking to this socially unstable mailman, obviously.

"Listen, Ma'am I have to deliver some mail-"

The drop of a slightly heavy envelope interrupted him mid sentence.

You read the address, a bell rung in your head as the familiar name struck your memory.

"Oh, The Continental? I know where that is."

You picked the envelope, it sounded like a few quarters or something were in there.

"Say, how bout' I do you a favor.. and I drop this off at The Continental."

You smirked as the mailman's expression changed to a look of concern.

"Ma'am. Its my job. I got it."

Really? Well, you did have to stop by the store near that dumb hotel anyway. Why not have something fun to do while you were on your way.

"No, sir. I insist. Just tell your boss you got it, alright!"

You didn't even give him a chance to respond, but it was clear he agreed.

As you walked, the wind gusted against your clothes even though the rain stopped. Your body, still wet sent chills along your back.

The urge to open the envelope grew, well because what seemed to be in that envelope didnt seem like a rent due notice or a letter from the owner.

Some coins and a letter didn't seem like that at all.

"I have to open it"

You whispered under your cold breath, as the transparent gust left your mouth from the coldness of the air.

Using your nail, you opened the envelope for a piece of folded paper and two big, golden, coins to greet you.

The light reflected off them as the light from the reflection glazed your eyes at the slightest.

You grabbed the piece of paper and held it up to your eyes.

"John Wick"

Written across the front of the folded paper in black, bold pen.

Hm, whos that?

Opening up the paper, the dark words seemed as less professional than a eviction notice or anything. This was obviously a letter to John Wick, whoever that is.

Your eyes went back and fourth across the paper as you read the letter.

"Dear Jonathan, I and my crew are aware of the situation you have gotten yourself in over the past few weeks, and fortunately we stand with you. We have made sure to help you the best we can by providing you with ammunition and weaponry. We pray for you and your safety."

"Well, no sincerely? I guess we'll never know how this belongs to. Not my problem. Unless this "John Wick" Becomes my problem."

You whispered with every ounce of pride, it was clear no one could hear you. But it wasn't necessary for anyone to hear your prideful remark.

[campgender]

from The Preacher’s Wife: The Precarious Power of Evangelical Women Celebrities by Kate Bowler (2019)

transcript under the cut

As mainstream culture pondered questions of women’s liberation, evangelical readers wanted to know whether the most conservative kind of woman—a wife and a preacher’s wife no less—could ever be as happy. “The bras are burning, the flags are waving, and pins and bumper stickers burgeoning to announce the dissatisfaction of women. … The libbers are upon us and we must come to terms with them—and ourselves,” said one pastor’s wife. A whole genre of pastoral spouse literature answered with a well-publicized yes.

Wives of famous pastors were in an ideal position to combat the primary accusations of feminists: that housewives were trapped and unsatisfied. Ruth Peale’s 1971 The Adventure of Being a Wife was penned under the name “Mrs. Norman Vincent Peale,” which summarized much of her message: that her greatest achievements have come from being conformed to the image of her husband. Almost every famous preacher’s wife tried her hand at it. There was His Darling Wife, Evelyn about the wife of Oral Roberts and Woman: Be All You Can Be by Dale Evans Rogers, wife and co-star of singing cowboy Roy Rogers.

Other family members got into the game with books such as They Call Me Mother Graham, a celebration of the significance of Billy Graham’s mother “in a day when the bonds that hold families together are unraveling as never before.” The mother of famous 1970s televangelist Rex Humbard weighed in on the decline of modern faith with Give Me That Old-Time Religion, and the daughter of 1980s televangelist Robert Schuller wrote separate books about both her famous parents.

The appetite for stories of their lives soon translated into books like Living Cameos, featuring famous wives such as Edith Schaeffer, Shirley Dobson, Macel Falwell, Beverly LaHaye, and Rexella Van Impe. Even Rita Bennett, the wife of the Episcopalian priest who had helped kick off the charismatic movement in mainline Protestantism, became a star: I’m Glad You Asked That showed her looking like a beautiful bohemian, wearing a homemade floral dress and ultra-long hair, ready to answer intimate questions about husbands and wives.

Colleen Townsend Evans, whose book A New Joy had sold a quarter of a million copies, published reflections about her marriage and her famous husband—she had abandoned a thriving Hollywood acting career to wed Presbyterian luminary, the Rev. Louis H. Evans Jr. She revealed that he was not only her spiritual guide but also her friend. This was not a shocking revelation, but that was precisely the point: there was remarkable consensus about the importance of a woman’s submission. Each woman had her own brand of submission: Beverly LaHaye’s was political; Anita Bryant’s was bubbly; and Elisabeth Elliot’s was poetic as ever, even in the way she called the sexes “gloriously and radically unequal.”

The three major topics these women addressed were the true meaning of liberation, the acceptance of innate sexual differences, and the spiritual importance of femininity as a marker of the Christian counterculture. In the 1972 memoir One Woman’s Liberation by Shirley Boone, wife of 1950s chart-topper Pat Boone, “liberation” centered on her struggle for a happy marriage to a husband who battled the temptations of Hollywood while she struggled with loneliness and jealousy. The story wanders through the private rooms of their famous lives, giving readers a tantalizing peek at the ordinary dinner conversations and glamorous soirées, but it culminates with her discovery that the age’s “new morality” was a threat to her family and to the divine order of creation.

Pat’s accepting responsibility as the spiritual leader of their family restored Shirley emotionally and spiritually, and so the story ends with frank chastisements of women who will not accept their place. She fretted that “women’s libbers militantly object to the place in society God has ordained for their sex, but by doing so, they lose much precious liberty the Lord intended them to have.” The hard-won ease of their marriage came from a loving husband who “frees his helpmeet … by being head of the house and protecting her” and being a submissive wife who “relieved of a lot of the hard, emotion-taxing decision making.” A wife under her husband’s authority would not resort to nagging or counterproductive independent action. Freedom came from letting herself fall into the deep grooves of God’s divine roadmap for men and women.

Though the rhetoric made much of their inequality, it simultaneously elevated such women to one of the most powerful titles of all, that of wife. This was odd, given that most evangelical and pentecostal women were not only wives and mothers, but had joined the workforce in the 1970s. (African American and Hispanic women simply remained in the workforce, having never experienced a similar golden age of single-earner households.) But when white evangelical and pentecostal women looked for paid employment, they clung to the ideal of wifedom far longer than the American mainstream.

The wider society had already begun to valorize the working woman, and this trend gained cultural recognition by the 1980s in everything from Madonna’s power suits to the rash of Wall Street comedies like Nine to Five and Working Girl, proving women could make it to the corner office. By the 1990s, evangelical women were still critically considering their place in relationship to second-wave feminism and its various causes as a third wave crested in the 1990s. Though difficult to precisely define, third-wave feminism was typically characterized by sex-positivity and heightened awareness of the ways gender intersected with class and race to shape (and limit) women’s agency.

At least on the surface, the stars of the Christian industry seemed entirely undisturbed by the vast economic changes that had turned most women out of the house. They had instead become the greatest public defenders of private domestic life, and would soon do so from church offices with their names on the door.

[peskellence]

Pairing: RK900/Gavin Reed

Tags: Post Pacifist Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Masterlist

Read on AO3 here:

Summary: A lot has changed since the revolution. Crimes against androids are now punished in the same way as crimes against humans. A reluctant Gavin Reed and his new partner RK900 have been assigned to investigate a string of disturbing murders. Despite the shift in Detroit's social climate, Gavin still holds reservations about whether or not androids are truly alive. Will his developing feelings for 'Nines' be the thing to change this?

Warnings: Graphic Violence, Depression/Self Destructive Behaviour, Eventual Smut

Word Count: 2.3K

DETROIT POLICE DEPARTMENT

01/15/2039

Case No: 437689

Reporting Officer: Detective Gavin Reed  

Assisted by: RK900

Incident Type: Homicide 

Address: 14D Hartwell Tower, West Detroit 

Evidence:

Written Messages (Black Marker, Blue Blood)

Victims Diary (Possible Alias/Contact number used by culprit) 

Polaroid Photos taken by suspect

I was dispatched to address and met at scene by attending officer, who escorted myself and partner to Apartment 14D. Front door to apartment was intact, no apparent forced entry. Victim (HR400 Android) was operating as sex worker, attacker may have posed as client to gain access. 

Attack likely started in bedroom. Visible signs of struggle in hall, android had tried to escape. Fatal damage was inflicted, and shutdown occurred - weapon is currently unidentified. 

Client information in the victims' diary suggests Male Suspect. Thod Graws – likely alias. Contact number yet to be traced. 

Drag marks consistent with android being moved. Found displayed on curtain rail in bedroom. DNA evidence discovered at crime scene - currently being handled by forensics. Multiple profiles. 

Gavin stalled in his movements, fingers hovering over his terminal keyboard. Despite his best efforts, he was finding it extremely difficult to concentrate with his current unwanted company. RK900 was sat across for him at an adjoining desk. It took none of the same effort to file its own report, pressing a hand to a nearby sensor, and upload its findings autonomously.

Not only did RK900 carry itself with an inflated sense of entitlement, but it was also able to flaunt its superiority over Gavin with an action as simple as blinking its eyes. He lamented the injustice of the situation, watching on with resentful envy.

"I sense that you are stressed, Detective", RK900 stated, not even bothering to look up from its terminal. "Perhaps a walk around the station may release some tension".

Gavin could think of several more satisfying ways to release his tension. Not of which were legal, regrettably, "Go fuck yourself".

He went back to the top of his report, compelled to make a few adjustments in light of recent inspiration:

Reporting Officer: Detective Gavin Reed  

Assisted by: RK900 Officer RK900?? What is the fuckers name???

Incident Type: HomicideProperty Damage

Evidence: 

Written Messages (Black Marker, Blue Blood)

Victims Diary (Possible Alias/Contact number used by culprit) 

Polaroid Photos taken by suspect

Fuck All

"What is your name anyway?" Gavin said, more a demand than it was a question. "Don't think you ever bothered to tell me...".

RK900 did not respond immediately, as it appeared to be in the middle of a download cycle. Hand still pressed to the sensor on its desk, its lifeless grey eyes filled with the reflection of rapidly changing case files. The speed increased to such a degree that Gavin could not interpret meaningful information. Just a confusing blur of colours and text.

"My model number is sufficient".

Gavin pulled a face, mouthing the android's words in a mocking gesture:

Reporting Officer: Detective Gavin Reed  

Assisted by: RK900 Officer RK900?? What is the fuckers name???

mY mOdEl NuMbEr Is SuFfIcIeNt 

"When looking at the findings from the HR400 case, there are seven near-identical homicides that have occurred within a 10-mile radius", RK900 announced, removing its hand from the panel. "As well as fifteen further assault or harassment reports with notable similarities". 

"How do you know they're connected?" Gavin challenged, folding his arms. "This could just be a bunch of random hate crimes".

"Our suspect works carefully not to incriminate themselves – they leave little to no DNA evidence. However, they like to leave calling cards for the police..." RK900 tilted its monitor, allowing Gavin to view the case files. As it scrolled through the images, Gavin observed a pattern of aggressive anti-android rhetoric. Scrawled in messages on nearby walls or scratched into tiles and floorboards, "The handwriting is consistent across the crime scenes".

"That's all well and good, but the fuck are we supposed to do with a handwriting sample in 2039?" If that's all we have to work with, then we're royally screwed".

RK900 frowned, turning the monitor back to its original position. "If you were to review the files yourself, perhaps you might find something of greater significance".

Gavin bristled at the statement. He straightened his back, sitting upright and regarding RK900 with an accusatory glare. "Come again?".

"You have worked here for significantly longer than me". RK900 stared at Gavin with cold, unblinking eyes. "Yet you seem to lack all the prerequisite skills to fulfil your duties. Perhaps this would explain why you are so consistently passed up for progression opportunities, not to mention promotion -".

Gavin did not give the android time to elaborate further. He slammed his hands on his desk and shot to his feet, seething with barely-contained rage. "Where do you get off telling me how to do my job?".

"I am one of – if not  the  – most advanced model that CyberLife has ever created", RK900 stated plainly. "I was programmed to assist in police investigations, with my performance continuously adjusted and monitored to uphold exceptionally high standards. I know incompetence when I see it".

"Is it in your damn programming to be such a prick all the time?".

"I am simply being honest".

Gavin balled his hands together, nails digging into his palms "They should have left you in the warehouse to rot, you fucking machine".

Gavin didn't think - couldn't think - as he propelled a fist forward. In the back of his mind, he knew that androids couldn't feel pain, and the act of trying to hurt one was pointless. This knowledge, however, did very little to detract from his desire to try.

High off adrenaline, and with seldom time to process what was happening, Gavin didn't immediately feel the vice-like grip held on his hand. The sensation only became apparent when  it had been pinned harshly to the desk in front of him, entirely incapacitated. He stared down at the desk, horrified, and desperately tried to struggle free with little to no avail.

"Let go of me, you piece of - !".

"You are fortunate that I am not willing to fight you," There was a strange edge to RK900's voice, like static breaking on an old 2000's television "Had I been your hand would be broken".

Gavin felt a chill shoot up his spine. The unnerving static sounds, as well as the measured calmness of RK900's overall demeanour, was enough to rob him of any of his remaining confidence.

"Let  go ", Gavin repeated, with significantly less spunk than last time. The android held firm despite his request, LED displaying a steady blue.

Blue.

Gavin knew what that meant. All systems were operational, no faults or threats detected. The situation was already humiliating enough, but the realisation that RK900 was not even having to exert itself was like a harsh slap in the face.

RK900 leant forward across the desk, positioning its mouth just above the shell of Gavin's ear "Even if I were you let you hit me, is the fleeting satisfaction you would feel worth losing your career over? People are watching, Detective Reed. I would consider your next move carefully".

The android was threatening him – and it was entirely credible, as much as Gavin loathed to admit. Even if he somehow managed to escape the altercation unscathed, Fowler would come down on him faster than ever before. He would be dismissed on the spot, and RK900 would have won.

Swallowing his pride, Gavin slowly stopped resisting. Though he stared at RK900 the entire time with near-murderous resentment. The android allowed a few moments to pass after Gavin had stilled completely, as if toying with the idea of not letting go. Eventually it relented, releasing its fierce grip with what almost sounded like a sigh. 

Gavin shot his arm back, clutching at his aching digits in an attempt to soothe them. His fingers had turned pale from lack of blood flow, and they tingled unpleasantly as the sensation came back to them.

"If you ever pull a stunt like this again..." Gavin began, voice low and trembling in fury, "I don't care what happens to me. I will fucking murder you". 

RK900 paused for a moment, seemingly surprised that Gavin had any fight left in him. After a while it shook its head, scoffing dismissively, "As we have just established, you couldn't hurt me even if you tried".

"Good Morning, Detective Reed. RK900". A new voice addressed them. The individual seemed unaware, or otherwise unperturbed, by the heated interaction that had just occurred. "I hope I am not interrupting anything?".

Just what I need.  Another one.  Gavin thought despairingly, concluding that he was overdue for an extended coffee break. 

"What do you want, dipshit?".

Connor did not react to the detective's hostility, as if wholly desensitised to it. His brown eyes travelled curiously between Gavin and his predecessor before he regarded them with a pleasant smile. "I understand you were recently assigned to the murder of a former Traci. Tell me, what were your findings?".

"What's it to ya? Don't you and Anderson have your own cases you need to work on?"

"We do", Connor affirmed, nodding. "However, I do take a personal interest in this particular crime. I gather that it bares similarities to other recent attacks?".

"Several" RK900 affirmed, thoughtlessly clipping Gavin's shoulder as it stepped forward to speak with Connor. They blinked to each other in succession, LEDs whirring yellow as they shared information.

Gavin had always hated it when androids did that. It felt strangely excluding to the humans around them, like they were flaunting their membership to a private club that they could never hope to join. 

"Interesting..." Connor remarked thoughtfully as his LED returned to blue "An android serial killer".

"It would appear so – and an active one at that. The most recent report came through just an hour ago. A deceased MJ100 android was discovered in a Ravendale alleyway".

RK900 turned to Gavin, lips curled into a disingenuous smile. "Should Detective Reed be so kind as to not commit me to the current mortality rates, I would suggest we go over to investigate".

"If you want this case so bad, Connor", Gavin hissed through gritted teeth, trying desperately to manage his breathing, "Then I suggest you take Robocop down  to Fowler's office and ask to be reassigned. Tell him I'm not cut out for the job, or whatever. I couldn't give less of a shit".

Connor's smile began to fade as he tilted his head in confusion. "Apologies, Detective, it was not my intention to impose. I am confident that you and Nines have the situation under control".

Nines?

Who the fuck is Nines?

Gavin barely acknowledged that Connor had walked away as he stared into space, lost in thought. He was only stirred from his trance when RK900 grabbed him firmly by the shoulder.

"Will you be accompanying me to the crime scene, Detective, or are you intent on standing here all day?".

When they reached their dispatch vehicle, Gavin slid silently into the passenger seat without any quarrel. RK900 appeared somewhat confused by this, but made no attempt to challenge the detectives sudden change in demeanor. After inputting a direction request on the GPS, RK900 requested "Pilot Mode", to which the ignition obediently roared to life, and the vehicle slowly began to turn onto the road.

The only sound for most of the journey was low humming from the radio. Gavin continued to contemplate his unexpected revelation. Until then, he had been working under the pretence that RK900's detachment and hostility had been the fault of poorly thought-out programming. That it simply wasn't capable of behaving in any more agreeable manner.

"Connor called you Nines..." the detective muttered, staring out the car window.

He could see RK900 glance at him out of the corner of its eyes before it returned its attention to the road. "Excuse me?".

"I asked if you had a name, and you lied to my face", Gavin chuckled to himself humourlessly. "Why would you do that?".

RK900 remained silent at this, openly its mouth briefly before quickly closing it. Gavin wondered if it may have short-circuited. Its LED spun a continuous yellow and its jaw was locked unnaturally tight.

"Hello? You doing a software update or what?".

"It was not a name I chose for myself", RK900 said cooly. "It was assigned to me by Lieutenant Anderson, and RK800 appears to have adopted it. A nickname of sorts".

"How adorable" Gavin sneered, before making an animated gagging gesture "- and I don't get to know about your shweet 'wittle pet name because...?".

"From my understanding, terms of endearment tend to be reserved for use amongst friends" A sequence of button presses deactivated 'Pilot Mode' as RK900 took the wheel for the remaining stretch of the journey. "While I hope we can find a way to work together amicably, I cannot anticipate ever feeling fondness towards you".

"So I'm not good enough to be your friend? That's a real shame".

"I meant what I said yesterday - about our partnership. Just because I can conduct myself with professionalism, a skill you seem to be woefully lacking in, it does not detract from the complete disdain I feel towards you".

Gavin reeled back, RK900's words giving him all the confirmation he needed This isn't just its programming. It really fucking hates me.

Gavin was used to being hated, it was hardly anything new, but this was different. With human beings the reasons to hate someone were almost always subjective. The consequence of wounded pride or hurt feelings.

RK900 was not weighed by the same emotional limitations. The way it interpreted the world was cold and methodic, and Gavin Reed was not about to be spared from its harsh critique.

It didn't just assume his weakness - it confirmed it. Knowing and understanding his every flaw, RK900 showed no reluctance in sharing with Gavin what he had already feared was true. 

I know incompetence when I see it. 

"Screw you", Gavin spat, unsure how else to respond to his unpleasant swell of emotions. "I don't give two shits if you want to keep your nickname between you and your gal-pals. From now on, I'm calling you Nines".

[obstinatecondolement]

I'm quite grimly fascinated by the YouTube pen pal creator sphere. Like… first of all, these people are just putting their full name and address on screen, huh?

Also, Idk, it just feels kind of disingenuous that they're always all "It isn't about the decoration or the extras! A simple heartfelt letter is what's important!" when they've built their entire online brand around elaborately decorated letters—that they, again, show in full on screen to millions of people who are not the recipient—with a bunch of stickers and tea bags and bits of confetti and washi tape samples added as gifts on top of what's used for decoration. Like, I don't know, if you have to disclaim a million times that having a pen pal is Not A Stationery Swap and that people shouldn't expect to be given these things, maybe you could reflect for a moment on what may have created this impression?

Like, personally, I never for a second believed that I needed more than "just an ordinary sheet of paper and any pen at all uwu" to send a letter, so it's sort of baffling to be gently reassured by people spending hours of work designing a visual aesthetic for their letters that, of course, I don't have to do it like that. Like, yeah, no shit, Sherlock.

I mean, I'm all for people having fun with stickers and washi tape and markers and whatever, but I feel like they've created this very false barrier to entry that I'm not about. It's bullet journals all over again.

[uwmadarchives]

Mapping LGBTQ+ Spaces through the Years

by Chloe Foor, Student Historian 2022/2024

Hello everyone! Welcome to a little project update from your local Student Historian in Residence. The last two months have been filled with research, data collection, and learning new software programs. I’ve had a great time, and I can’t wait to share what I’ve been doing. 

I spent the first few weeks of October doing more research, scouring both the Archives and the Internet to find more locations significant to LGBTQ+ Madisonians over the years. While in the Archives, I looked at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Folder 1 Subject File, which has materials from the 1990s to the mid-2010s (see University of Wisconsin-Madison Subject Files collection. uac69, Box 75, Folder 10. University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives, Madison, WI.). The most interesting things to me was a document written by Joe Elder on Reflection on the LGBTQ movement on Campus, which he wrote in the aftermath of the 2016 Orlando Nightclub Shooting. It provided some really interesting perspectives on the LGBTQ+ Rights movement in Madison. 

Online, my main source of information is the Wisconsin LGBTQ+ History Project, which I wrote more about in my last blog post. I didn’t realize that they had digitized copies of old guides that listed LGBTQ+ friendly businesses as far back as 1963. It was fascinating to go through those and find the locations that queer people frequented in the past. The most interesting place that I found that was listed was called Apple Island, which I have seen before in archival research, but I didn't know it was in Madison. Apple Island was a community organization created to promote women's culture, and it was reported that 90% of the clientele were lesbians. My favorite part of the research project is finding these lesser-known spaces, and I can’t wait for more people to be able to easily access them through my project! 

Outside of finding new “spaces,” I spent some time filling in the spreadsheet I use to keep track of each location.  For each space, I list the title, address, significance, and years it was active, but sometimes it's hard to find all of that information on the first pass through. Sometimes, I'll just write the title and a short description, and then I can go back through later and fill in the rest. Now, all 165 entries are fully fleshed out!

With the spreadsheet being fully populated, I was ready to import it into ArcGIS, a digital mapping software. It was able to read the spreadsheet into different categories and add every space to a map! In the above image, all of the gray makers are for “Purge,” the blue markers are for “Community,” the orange markers are for “Commercial Area,” the purple markers are for “Healthcare,” the pink markers are for “Media,” the green markers are for “Politics,” and the red markers are for “UW”! If you click on a marker, a pop-up window will display with information about the location, including beginning and end dates as well as a short description.

Here is the pop-up for The Crossing:

In the coming months, I will be working on making a public website to share my research! I also want to host an outreach event in collaboration with the Gender and Sexuality Campus Center and Phi Alpha Theta, the History Honors Society. I’m sure more meetings on the topic will come up in the coming months, and I will make sure to keep you posted! For now, though, that’s all from me!

[ae-neon]

Summer and the Stranger

AU cause @acotardeservesbetter is a genius and SJM robbing us of this couple was racist.

Tarquin isn't related to Cresseida or Varian. Also he's the only one with white hair and blue eyes (cause I hate that trope).

Also this isn't the best I literally just threw it together but hopefully I'll be able to write more for them once I'm over my writer's block

The click of her heels against the floor kept with the hurried beat of her heart as the Princess made her way to the Great Hall.

Cresseida's long, thin braids had been done half up to compliment the golden coronet and it’s gems, her dress a flowing sea of turquoise against the deep brown of her skin.

She was the Princess of Adriata, the Palace was as much her home as her office and yet she could not help but feel out of place with all that had changed.

A boy barely old enough to be a man, Varian had bit out below his breath the day Summer had welcomed its new High Lord.

She pushed down on the pit in her stomach – she’d known by her hundredth year that she showed no signs of inheritance. The only comfort being that no one else seemed to either, but it had felt like a kick to the gut when word of her father’s murder had come and the magic had not come with it.

High Lord was a title that could not be earned, could not be secured as birthright and yet was that not what her and her brother's whole lives had been? Years spent earning their crowns, living up to their titles? Only to have to bow to some sailor who’d spent his years fucking and fighting on the Southern Coast.

The doors to the Hall opened and she was surprised to find only two males inside, her eyes lowered almost instinctively. A spark of unease, anger and anxiety flickered to life in her chest. She’d never been meek. And yet she’d also never met anyone who outranked her either.

Cresseida steeled her spine and lifted her eyes, ready to deliver her introduction when the words caught in her throat at the sight of white hair. The man was bowing, lowering the head of hair that marked him as above even her crown.

He wore it short – the way a commoner would. White hair twisted into neat, finger length braids, unadorned by gold or beads. The head of a soldier rather than a king.

She snuck a glance at the guard who accompanied the High Lord – at the shock on his face, she jerked her chin in dismissal and waited until the doors shut before speaking.

“You dishonour yourself,” she curtsied low, adding when the stranger didn’t seem to register she was addressing him, “your Grace.”

“Ah,” she heard him mutter as he straightened, though she waited in her lowered position, eyes caught on the scuffed workers boots against the marble floor.

“You must never bow again. To anyone.” Her voice was stern and cold as she rose from her position, letting her eyes travel.

Her flecked brown eyes locked onto his iridescent blue. Eyes alight with magic. They marked him, same as his hair, same as the traces of glittering scales on his skin – as Chosen by the Sun, Beloved of the Sea, he who was Summer itself.

“High Lord, I-"

“Please, just Tarquin, I’m not...well I suppose I am,” He chuckled nervously, “But you’re the Princess.”

He was tall, taller even than Varian – and built by a life of hard work but beautiful beyond even the markers of power; his smile alone seemed to carry the warmth of a summer day.

"Your Grace," she tried again, distancing her heart. His eyes shot down to her and Cresseida had to look away, “When you lower yourself, you lower the Court with you. You are the High Lord...however this came to be, it is the will of the Cauldron and by the Mother’s own hand. Everything you do reflects that.”

“Of course, I’m so-”

“Don’t apologise. It was simply advice, you may take it...or choose not to, but don’t apologise or thank anyone, not even me.”

There was a beat of silence, though she did not let it linger any longer, “You must be tired – or at least you will be soon enough. There’s work to be done at every level – my brother and I have held court for the last forty years, we will manage until you’re settled but I think you’ll agree that seeing to the maritime borders and quickly settling the UnderSea Court should be your priority.”

"Yes,"

The room should have felt empty but his presence seemed to overwhelm her senses. She needed to leave before the compulsion to step closer took physical form. She turned to leave but paused when Tarquin opened his mouth to speak, as if she sensed the words before he formed them.

“Thank you, Princess,” his voice, his words, the curve of his beautiful mouth – all too distracting.

“Lord Ta-“

“Just Tarquin. At least between us...” His eyes held hers and she wondered if his heart was beating in rhythm with her own, “And I’m thanking you on behalf of the Court, for everything...and for the advice too.”

He gave the slightest nod, the corner of his mouth lifted in a half smile and Cresseida felt the tug in her chest strengthen.

Her mate.

She clamped down on the burning tug in her chest. As home as the palace. Bound to her as surely as the title she bore at birth. Every question suddenly answered. And yet... 'Princess', the single word had always meant she had to be so much more, always putting her head before her heart. Even when it hurt so much to turn and walk away.

[spiderwarden]

“ you’ve been working hard, continue on like this and you may just earn a place here. ” Ketheric Thorm

An experienced hand moves a marker along the surface of the map table, another religious sanctuary was marked with the Absolute's name. Another fell to her name. The area claimed had been zealots dedicated to some insipid God of purity and light - there name mattered not when it came to might of the one true force. The Absolute, and her Chosen Three. Minthara was nothing but thorough when it had come to the objective that was set before her and that had been to wipe out all who would not convert to the Absolute's name. Yes. She heard the voice whisper in her mind, an almost ghost of Bhaal's chosen slipping her lips along her ear. Yes. Kill. Cut flesh from bone and make them bleed. Make them cry, make them scream. Obey.

"General." Minthara speaks, a nod given to address their command, their leader, General Ketheric Thorm. She felt the sensation of the tadpole between her ears tremble with the voice alone, and she straightens with the set of her shoulders. She had arrived on Orin's behest, a promise of complacency from a chaotic mind - and oh how Minthara felt that favor. Even now she could feel the kiss of that crimson blade sliding across her bare back. Even now four words echoed in her mind as she drags another map forward, four words that she cannot focus on too long before the voice pushed it away. I want this one. There's a brief pause, a flare of anger, before an exhale reflects subjugation.

"I expect that before long none will question the might of the Absolute, not without fear - not without knowing that soon they will be dominated, and they will know - Her influence." Tone is light, feeling that voice - her voice, warm her, the Absolute who puts her anxieties to rest and accept her plights. Yes. Yes!! Her obedience is rewarded! "They shall Praise the Absolute-" A smile, then quickly dips with respect. But her eyes flick up to him. Excitement reflected in red eyes - Orin's favor reflected in a controlled madness. Was it madness, or was it dedication?

"Or .. They will die." Then she steps inhales, hands folding behind her back with a bowing dip of her chin to their General. Lips press, unable to hold back her mirth and she looks forward to reserve herself. "You have more orders from me, General?"

@fallesto / Ketheric Thorm, Praise the Absolute!

[silmawensgarden]

Commissions Open 🌱

Commissions are currently open! If you'd like to commission me feel free to send in an ask/dm. I've got a few types of media you can commission me for. You will get a signed and stamped original sent to your home address.

Mediums available:

Graphite

alcohol based marker

watercolor

pencils

mixed media

Prices

landscapes& environments on their own are €20(A5)&€30(A4) + shipping*

If you want to commission a specific size the price will be adjusted accordingly. A4 is currently the maximum I'm able to send.

Prices are for works with a max of 2 full body characters, each extra character + €5. (Example: two characters in a rocky landscape)

Payment method: PayPal only

Reminder! You're getting a signed, original hand drawn work. The Commission price reflects that.

Examples of what you can request/what you get:

Size: A4 - medium: pencils

Size: A5 - medium: watercolor/acrylic detail

!! Rules !!

No: mecha, furry , nsfw, non-artistic nudity, gore, body horror, politics etc.

Yes: sfw, OCs, character interactions, landscapes, portraits, animals, botany etc.

Note*: Shipping costs are subjected to the country you are from. Someone from the US will have to pay more shipping than someone from France as it is outside of the EU.

[salamanderinspace]

Remy "thirteen" Hadley is a 30-something queer woman with a degenerative genetic illness and yet. I don't feel represented by her in any meaningful way. She's messy. She always makes the wrong calls. She doesn't bite back when she should. Allison Cameron, on the other hand ... It always felt to me like Cameron's role in the story is to voice the morally correct reaction. I relate to how she feels about House: first, when she's young, developing a crush on him, because she cares about people and likes broken people especially. She identifies that he saves lives and tries to do the right thing and is in awe of that because those are her goals, and she knows how hard it is, how Doing What's Right is not always right for YOU or the people you love. She has this very interesting moral center. Then she grows to get over the crush - a little piece always throbs, but she mostly gets over it - and becomes her own Superhero Doctor. She emulates House, learns from him, internalizes him enough that she can match his wit in season 5 and also go against Cuddy or even the patient when it matters.

I realize by making this about Hadley vs. Cameron I am pitting two bad bitches against each other for no reason but it's just making me think again about the discourse about representation. It reminds me of when Sense8 season 2 dropped and caught some criticism for addressing that discourse, for having a black african character say "actually I see myself in Jean Claude Van Damme, I don't think his whiteness matters, he represents COURAGE." Like. Little kids are going to idolize characters regardless of whether they reflect arbitrary identity markers. The important thing is that the story holds some kind of truth you can see yourself in. I never really see that with thirteen. She's too certain of herself. I don't understand why she would become a doctor. I'm with Amber on this one; Hadley is creepy and not really believable as a person.

It's complicated by Olivia Wilde's unearthly beauty and thinness but Jennifer Morrison is also very thin and she delivers something I can grasp, so ... IDK. I don't hate thirteen, I would write fic about her, but there's something missing and I'm trying to feel for what it is because I couldn't write her without addressing it.

[inkgobwin]

Monday 8th January 2024 - Let's Talk About... The Makeover in Marry My Husband (TvN).

Or Can adaptations stop making weird/bad style choices for their characters?

The ongoing adaptation of Marry My Husband by TvN has recently appeared in my explore and for you pages, which tells me that once again my information is known to these conglomerates "benevolently" trying to suit my tastes and that I had something new to avoid disappointment. I must say that I loved the romantic revenge webtoon comic of the same name, and after finishing the series was looking forward to an adaptation of the source material. However, after looking at other adaptations of webtoons, perhaps some stories are best left untouched on the phone screen and not live action.

Regardless, the comic has been adapted to the small screen and is now airing so as I saw my beloved protagonist grace my phone once more, I noticed something that bugged me. I am talking about the clothing, and how it's possible to lose things in adaptation.

I will speak on some key themes but try to avoid elements of the plot unless unavoidable.

A significant turning point in the webtoon happens as the main protagonist, Jiwon, has a makeover that culminates in a confrontation at a get together. The makeover is a common plot device, it signifies transformation of personality, the confidence of the inside is now reflected by the change of the person's outside. The live action drama follows this formula but, in my opinion, there is a flaw in their handling of this scene, the flaw is the styling of Jiwon.

At this point in the story, Jiwon is having to come to terms with her circumstance, (SPOILER)

she has reincarnated into her younger self with the knowledge that she will die at the hands of her husband and her supposed best friend, she adapts quickly but she is still brand new to this. However, by making beneficial and rewarding choices is able to accrue confidence. Among the first choice is befriending a younger colleague who invites her out and leads to the makeover.

In the webtoon comic, there is deliberate emphasis placed on the youth of Jiwon reliving her 20's and the older Jiwon, which is necessary since there isn't many visual markers that mark the older Jiwon to be significantly older than her 20 year old counterpart. The makeover understands this and places Jiwon in a white flowy blouse with blue jeans, contacts and curls her long brown hair to give volume to her typically straight hair. It's a markedly different character that exudes a vibrant light energy that suits big statement earrings.

The show on the other hand makes a bold decision, Jiwon's makeover ends up like this:

Spot Jiwon. Yeah, whoever made this choice needs to be fired. That might be harsh but this drastic change in source material needs to be examined and dismantled. (BTW: Jiwon is the right most female character in the screen grab.)

The original scenario has the characters dressed down and casual, in the adaptation, somehow everybody is formal but they're attending different occasions. Sumin (left most female character) is attending a formal work party, JiHye (middle of the three female characters) is in a casual jumper and Jiwon decided that she's going to wear a bold glamorous dress, perhaps she's going to the Oscars? This is bad. Inexcusably bad on the part of the stylist. At the very least, even with the changes to a more formal restaurant setting, their level of formality should match one another. Even if Jiwon is meant to stand out, it is possible to do that without putting her in a dress that is far too formal and daring for this scenario.

I'll address several of my grievances in bullets:

Jiwon would not have the confidence to wear a dress as daring as the one in the show. The scene ends with her running in tears away from the restaurant, she may be more confident than she was before but at this point in time, she is still vulnerable and hasn't found the support she'll later receive.

Jiwon and Sumin are rivals despite being best friends, they are meant to look similar to one another. As a result, Jiwon's makeover is meant to mimic Sumin's general style. A focal point of this arc is the statement earrings that are ugly on the protagonist but suit Sumin. Jiwon adopting Sumin's style, her flowy outfits, curled hair and earrings are used in part to demonstrate that Jiwon now understands the game that Sumin's played and can use it to her advantage. Choosing to differentiate the way they're dressed takes away from the visual storytelling of the webtoon.

The Hair. I'm sorry but even if I love a good short hair moment, this ain't it! As I highlighted before, Jiwon and Sumin are meant to look somewhat similar, their hairstyle is meant to draw comparison seeing as they both have long brown hair. Jiwon changes her style as the webtoon progresses and keeps the volume but doesn't always have it curled whereas Sumin tends to always have big statement curls. Cutting Jiwon's hair is a mistake, it's too strong and makes her look too mature, SHE'S IN HER 20'S. Putting her in a gown with a statement bob doesn't always make you look old but in this instance the immediate visual reads as OLDER woman. Sidepoint - Having a woman who is seeking revenge chop her hair into a bob is a cliche and when the source material allows for you to creatively overcome this, choosing the bob is a crime. IT IS A CRIME!

In my humble opinion, this was a missed opportunity that someone in production should have looked into. I joked that someone should be fired for this but this may not have been their call, it might have been budget, or the changes in script that forces changes like this. However, I think that in terms of adaptation, they should have someone who loves the source material so much that they can preserve the visual aesthetic of the webtoon and help it translate to the small screen. Who knows? All I know is... I hate that fuck ass bob.

(For real though, I hope that this adaptation goes well and all the best to the actors in the drama, they are gorgeous.)

[wistful-gremlin]

The Goblins of Wyrmspine

before I get into this one, I wanted to put a disclaimer/general blurb at the top, as this particular part of the project I was trying to be incredibly careful with. As a fantasy lover, I knew I wanted to include many traditional fantasy creatures in the world of Wyrmspine, while still putting my own twist on them. While this was a simple task for most, the goblins of Wyrmspine introduced somewhat of a dilemma. goblins have historically been both a staple of the fantasy genre, and a vehicle for antisemitic caricatures an stereotypes. As a fantasy lover, I wanted to include them in Wyrmspine, but had to understand throughout the process that, first and foremost, before my own personal feelings, I had to make sure that my portrayal of goblins was in no way damaging towards jewish people. I didn't want them to be represented in a way that would encourage stereotypes, antisemitism, or cruelty. I believe that fantasy worldbuilding can and should be an outlet for creativity, adventure, and curiosity, and that if the worlds I create enable hatred, or make people feel unwelcome in my work, then I have fundamentally failed as a creator. That being said, while I try as hard as I can, I am imperfect, and sometimes despite my best efforts, there is an element that I have not considered, and things can slip through the cracks. If something has slipped through the cracks now, I urge you to let me know so I can address it as soon as possible. Now, onto the main event.

The Goblins of Wyrmspine

Goblins are a heavily communal, subterranean race. As a rule, they have very little concept of “private property,” with a small number of exceptions, with all resources necessary for survival and comfort being shared among the group. Because of their environment, they rely heavily on sound for navigation and identification. Many goblins will carry around pouches of things that make pleasant sounds that aren’t natural to their environment, many learning to create coins from metal, and polish gems specifically for this purpose. Hearing this sound will identify them as other goblins, even if they can’t be seen. This helps differentiate the sound of breathing and footsteps between friend, and foe. Other goblins will attach windchimes to their belts, or wear shiny articles of clothing or items of jewelry. This allows them to be more visible to other members of the community, as these items will reflect light, and make sounds when they hit against each other. Shiny items are also placed as markers in certain important places, as their reflective nature allows them to be seen from a distance. This is mainly to help younger members of the community, as while most adults have memorized the layout of the cave systems they live in, younger children have not, and greatly benefit from visual guides. This can often lead to misunderstandings between goblins and other humanoids venturing into cave systems, as those without auditory markers can be mislabeled as a threat and attacked.

Goblins tend to be short, and have grey-green skin, similar in color to mossy rocks, which allows them to blend in with their surroundings and squeeze into small crevices to avoid dangerous cavern-dwelling predators. They most commonly have brown eyes, though some may have blue or green eyes. Their hair is also most commonly brown, but can also be black, or a similar grey-green to their skin. Their ears are large, and somewhat bat-like, to better enable them to navigate through audio cues. 

[neil-neil-orange-peel]

It's sort of my unofficial mission while at uni to reference sitcoms, comedians, and general comedy shenanigans in assignments wherever possible. So far, so good.

Back in late 2020, when I was on a different course at a different uni, those of you who've been here a while might remember me excitedly posting about doing a presentation featuring the B'Stard. My group wanted to do Blatcherism as a subject (the idea that Blair just carried on what Thatcher was doing) and we needed a cultural source, so I suggested The New Statesman. OG TNS was obviously satirising the Thatcher governments, but the revival play in the 2000s was very much satirising the Blair governments - suggesting Blatcherism was very much real and a thing that was happening. This was super surreal because I got to show a clip from TNS (below) to my class, as well as go on about Rik Mayall.

Also in late 2020, I got the chance to write a 2,000 word essay on a historical period of my choice, using one primary source to back me up. I decided to write about the early 1980s and used The Young Ones as my source. Retrospectively (it has been over two years now), it's not the greatest essay I've ever written... although part of that is because the word count was too restrictive, dammit! However, the module leader said it was the best essay from the class, so I'll take that. 😂 It was fun, anyway, using TYO to address the Cold War and Thatcher.

Then I made a very good decision and switched unis and courses.

Since then, I've referenced Jennifer Saunders' biography in a memoir assignment reflection and Drop Dead Fred in a playwrighting assignment reflection. Last year, we got to write a 1,500 word article about a show/film/book of our choice, examining it through a literary lens, so I did Ghosts and trauma theory. Last semester, I took a comedy module (equal parts absolutely fucking terrifying and nourishing). For the reflective essay - oh boy - I was dropping names like you would not believe. Laurel & Hardy, Steve Coogan and Alan Partridge, Rik Mayall and Richard Richard, Red Dwarf, Ghosts again, French and Saunders, Ben Elton, Alexei Sayle. I was a leaking tap of mostly-retro comedy. 😂 Thankfully, the marker liked that!

And now, with the current semester just starting, I'm doing a module on television genres and will get to do a group presentation and 2,000 word essay. My group have already decided we're doing the sitcom for the presentation (and I'm sure I'll end up doing that for the essay too) and we're using The Young Ones as one of our examples. Fingers crossed this all goes well!

So, that's what I've been up to/am up to, amongst other things. Not sure if anyone will have read all of this, I wouldn't blame anyone for turning away with an eye roll. 😂 But this is my blog for self-indulgent comedy bollocks so on here it goes!