#We do not actually want you correcting people for us

[aqua-tophana]

Actually, you know what? Reblogging again because the more I re-read Garret’s bullshit, the more it sounds like the Inquisitors from the Warhammer 40K universe preaching the Imperial Creed. An uncontrolled cult, completely cut off from its progenitor, radicalized against its founding tenants, and willing to devour any who hold to the “heresy” of wrongthink.

• “…We cannot afford mercy for any of its victims too weak to take the correct course. Mercy destroys us; it weakens us and saps our resolve. Put aside all such thoughts...”

• “Innocence proves nothing.” | “Blessed is the mind too small to doubt.” | "An open mind is like a fortress with its gates unbarred and unguarded."

• “The weak will always be led by the strong. Where the strong see purpose and act, the weak follow; where the strong cry out against fate, the weak bow their heads and succumb. There are many who are weak; and many are their temptations. Despise the weak … Pity them not and scorn their cries of innocence - it is better that one hundred innocently fall before the wrath of the Emperor than one kneels before the Daemon.”

Yada yada yada. But can you see the similarities?

Like, these people - the real ones like Garret, not the fictional Ecclesiarchy - are cartoonishly evil. Their extremism is extreme even compared to the intentionally radical and uncompromising theocracy of a fictional media that coined the term “grimdark”.

And they can’t see it. They can’t see that while claiming to follow a god who preached to the homeless and the infirm and the weak; who - if you look at cultural norms of the time - preached civil disobedience (that’s what turn the other cheek actually meant); who raised up the down trodden; god who preached love; who claimed the meek would inherit the world; who’s first converts were predominantly women and slaves - people without power; these people can’t see they are doing the exact opposite of every one of his core principals while calling it Good.

I’m a heathen; I don’t believe in the god of the New Testament. But if Christ was born in this age as he was said to back then, I am absolutely sure American Christians would try to deport him, jail him, lynch him. They’d call him “woke” and a simp and silence his voice as he tried to speak for the minorities and the disenfranchised.

This man, Ben Garret, claims to be Christian, claims to speak for Jesus and to know what Christians should do in his name. And he said they should hate.

“Do not commit the sin of empathy… you need to properly hate in response.”

This is American Christiandom. This is the theocracy that the zealots want to put into place. Not one built upon the foundations of love and tolerance and good will laid out by the god they claim to worship. One built on greed and bigotry and open, unabashed hatred of others.

My mother was a simple woman. She didn’t understand the dark and bloody history behind Christianity. She simply believed in Jesus and the most simple of his edicts - to love thy neighbor, to be charitable and compassionate, to welcome strangers, to heal the sick, to never throw stones for who among us has not sinned. I can’t believe I’d ever be grateful my mother has passed, but I find myself in that horrible position. Because I can’t imagine the heartbreak she would be feeling right now to see open applause as people preach hatred in the name of her god.

[cripplecharacters]

I have two disabled characters who are in a relationship. One uses a wheelchair and has double LLA (one above one below knee), whike the other is generally mobile and doesnt use any aids. Theyve been in a relationship for years, but mostly online rather than in person (the story takes place in person). Should I have them have a consent and boundaries (e.g. you can lift me but only if I ask or if i'm already using you to pull myself up, you may offer to help me move over difficult terrain but what path we take is my decision, im okay with you touching my nubs if you tell me youre gonna do it and wait for confirmation beforehand) talk 'on screen' or should it have happened earlier in/at the beginning of the relationship and be referenced to?

Sorry if this is confusing. I am disabled, so I have had to have these talks before, but I dont use a wheelchair and ive never been in a largely online relationship where physical stuff isnt relevant.

Hello!

This is a similar situation/dynamic to my boyfriend and I. Though we're not in an online relationship, we are long distance and most of our day-to-day interactions take place through texting or social media. Both of us are disabled but at different "levels" (So to speak).

While we have several disabilities in common (Autism, Tourette's, ADHD, etc.), the main difference is our levels in physical disability. He is paralyzed and uses a wheelchair full time. I have an undiagnosed disability that causes me chronic pain/limited mobility and use a cane and other mobility aids.

Above all else, though, we're both two separate people. We have different histories, opinions, and experiences. Most of our discussions about boundaries have actually been about language. While I reclaim the term "cripple" for myself to a degree, he doesn't. On the other hand, he prefers to be called "somebody with autism" while I prefer the term "autistic person".

These seem like small things to worry about but they're fairly important, both to our identity and our relationship. We have a sort of compromise in our relationship. I haven't changed my language entirely and neither has he, but we've both adjusted it. He uses the language he's comfortable with for himself, I use the language I'm comfortable with for myself. We generally stick to neutral language when speaking generally.

I mentioned that this is the only real discussion we've had about boundaries. The rest of it has happened more over time, usually in the form of correcting one another or elaborating on our needs and preferences.

Like with consent, it shouldn't just be one conversation. It's constantly evolving.

In your story, it may be best to show that. If you leave it as something that happens offscreen, it may be looked over. If you have a big conversation happen onscreen, it could undercut the seriousness of their relationship or come across as clunky.

Having this discussion be an ever-evolving series of small conversations instead can make it seem more natural and also help show how somebody's needs and preferences can change over time.

If you do want a conversation/discussion to happen that's specifically relevant to their online relationship, it could involve their boundaries and preferences around things such as language (What terms to use, which ones to avoid, etc.), photos/videos (Whether they can be shared, whether they can be requested, what parts of themself will be in them, etc.), talking about them to others (How much information they can give others about their partner's disability, etc.), etc.

The big thing with boundaries is that it's not a "one size fits all" thing. Somebody's boundaries will constantly be changing and shifting depending on the situation, the day, or even just their current mood.

At least for my boyfriend and I, the biggest thing is communication. There will be times where I notice he's struggling and will ask if he wants me to push him for a bit. Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't. But even if he's okay being pushed by me, I would never just randomly start pushing him without his consent.

With your characters, this could look something like one character asking the other if they need help doing something (Ex: "Do you want me to grab that for you?"). It could also look like one character correcting the other on language for themself (Ex: One character says, "This is my girlfriend, she's autistic." The other says, "Actually, I prefer being called a person with autism."). The character could explain why that is (Ex: "I was called autistic a lot as an insult and don't want to use that language for myself now.") or they can just leave it as is and let their preference be known.

As with any relationship, navigating consent can be a bit awkward at the beginning -- especially if this is your characters first time meeting in person. It's normal for them to stumble a bit and for there to be misunderstandings. For example, maybe one character accepts the other's offer of help but they have two different definitions of what "help" means in that context.

Of course, the nature of the conversation will differ depending on when they're having it. If it's happening during the online part of their relationship, it likely won't focus as much on physical things (When to help them, for example) and will instead focus on some of the other points such as language and discussing their disability with other people.

The last thing to keep in mind is that the process of discussing consent and boundaries looks different for everyone. The information I'm sharing is just my perspective on the matter. You'll have a different one, as will your disabled readers.

Cheers,

~ Mod Icarus

[piracytheorist]

Things about Greece you're (probably) getting wrong

When you say "Greece" or "Greek", that's automatically referring to Modern Greece and Modern Greek. It's an existing country with a population of around 10 million people. The Modern Greek language is spoken natively by those 10 million along with 1 million people in Cyprus and around 2 more million in diaspora. If you want to refer to Ancient Greece or its history/culture, just add the word "ancient" to it.

The Greek name for the country is "Hellas". "Hellenic" is an adjective used for non-human nouns. Don't call yourself "hellenic" even if you have Greek roots, you're basically calling yourself "Greek thing".

There is no one correct way of pronouncing Ancient Greek as a whole. That language spanned over a thousand years and across places that didn't communicate easily or were outright hostile to each other. It's like claiming that Shakespeare's works should be pronounced with an Australian accent.

Along with the famous 300 Spartans, in the battle of Thermopylae there were also 700 Thespians (not actors, people from the town Thespiae) and according to some sources, also 900 helots (slaves) and 400 Thebans.

The town of Sparta exists in modern day. However, if you visit Greece, unless you actually are from Sparta, do NOT call yourself a Spartan, no matter what school/university you went to. "Spartans" is the name of a far-right, outright neo-nazi political party, so calling yourself that here equals to associating yourself with that.

Greek houses in American campuses sound weird. Do those letters (some of which are wildly mispronounced, btw) even mean anything

Democracy in Ancient Athens was not fair by today's standards. It was mostly a glorified, expanded aristocracy. The "demos" that had the authority to vote only consisted of land-owning Athenian men. If you were a woman, a slave, poor, an immigrant, or a child of immigrants, along with other descriptions I might be forgetting right now, you didn't have the right to participate in the ruling.

Oh yeah, the "birthplace of democracy" very much did have slaves. Some whom were prisoners of war.

Greece is on the southern end of the Balkan peninsula, located in South-Eastern Europe. However, many Greeks are wildly racist and will not admit we're part of the Balkans or Eastern Europe. There are cultural differences due to Greek not belonging in the Slavic languages (the most common language family in Eastern Europe) and for political reasons, but the main reason this distinction happens is very much racism. They prefer to be called a "Mediterranean country" (because then we're associated with countries like Italy and Spain, you know?)

Greece never recovered from the financial crisis of 2008, and has only been going downhill since then. However, the war reparations that Germany never paid Greece for the damages and the deaths it caused in WW2 is estimated to be over 200 billion euros. The German government considers this matter "to be in the past" (since they never paid them, I guess, we can forget about it!), yet is one of the countries that most strongly demands Greece to keep paying back the loans it took over the years from the EU. This is a very painful matter for all of us (especially considering there are people still alive who witnessed the destruction and death the nazis brought to the country, and now they along with their descendants are paying taxes that'll eventually reach German pockets), yet racism centers around hate for other Balkan countries and Turkey. Divide and conquer I guess.

[weekendlusting]

A TALE OF FAME

pairing ꪆৎ charles leclerc x ahaana patel ᥫ᭡. f1 driver x bollywood actress au

chapter ꪆৎ 3

summary ꪆৎ she's everything, and he just drives.

note ꪆৎ no hate to any characters used in the story, none of what i write reflects on how they actually are. all my love, happy reading.

prev

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Charles Leclerc sat in his hotel suite, fingers drumming impatiently against the glass of whiskey in his hand. He wasn’t even drinking it—just swirling the amber liquid in the dim light of his room, as if the motion itself could steady his thoughts.

Alex was late. Of course, she was. She had a way of dragging things out, prolonging the inevitable, believing that if she held on long enough, reality would bend to her will.

He heard the sharp knock at his door and exhaled slowly before getting up to open it. Alex stood there, all too put together—her blonde hair in effortless waves, her lips curved in a knowing smirk, like she already thought she’d won whatever game she was playing.

“Chéri,” she purred, stepping past him without waiting for an invitation. “Miss me?”

Charles shut the door and ran a hand through his hair. “Sit down, Alex.”

She turned, arching a perfectly sculpted brow. “Oh? We’re being serious now?” She strolled over to the couch, sitting with the grace of someone who still thought they held all the cards.

Charles didn’t sit. He remained standing, arms crossed, his jaw tight. “I told you this was over.”

Alex let out a soft laugh, tilting her head as she crossed her legs. “And yet, you called me here. Mixed signals, don’t you think?”

“I called you here,” Charles said, voice measured, “because you don’t seem to get it. We are done, Alex. Finished.”

Her smile didn’t waver, but something flickered in her eyes. “Are we?” she said smoothly. “Because I keep hearing your name next to mine. The media still calls me your girlfriend. You haven’t exactly rushed to correct them.”

Charles clenched his fists. “I shouldn’t have to. We broke up. You just refuse to accept it.”

She leaned forward, resting her chin in her palm. “Or maybe you’re just confused. Maybe this—whatever this little tantrum is—will pass, and you’ll realize that I am the only woman who truly understands you.”

Charles let out a humorless laugh, shaking his head. “Tantrum? You think I’m throwing a tantrum? Alex, I am exhausted.”

Her smirk faltered slightly, but she masked it quickly. “Exhausted of what?”

“Of you!” His voice rose, exasperation lacing every word. “Of the mind games. Of the manipulation. Of the constant need to control everything, including me.” He pointed at her. “You think if you show up enough times, if you insert yourself into my life over and over, I’ll just—what? Change my mind?”

Alex’s eyes darkened. “I wouldn’t have to insert myself into your life if certain people weren’t trying to replace me.”

Charles exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. “And here we go.”

She stood, arms folding as she stepped closer to him. “Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about, Charles. That little actress you’ve been parading around—Ahaana.”

Charles’s eyes snapped to hers, his posture stiffening. “Ahaana has nothing to do with this.”

Alex scoffed. “Please. You think I don’t see the way you looked at her that day?” She stepped closer, voice dripping with venom. “She is nothing. She’s a novelty. A shiny new toy for you to play with. And once the excitement fades, you’ll realize what I’ve always known—you and I are inevitable.”

Charles’s jaw clenched so tightly it hurt. “You are delusional, Alex. And actually fucking crazy if you think that Ahaana has anything to do with this.”

Her lips curled. “Am I?”

“Yes,” he snapped, stepping forward, closing the space between them. “I have never—never—been more certain about anything in my life. We are over. I am breaking up with you. I don’t love you. I don’t even like you.”

She inhaled sharply, but before she could speak, Charles continued.

“You want to know why? Because I see you now. For who you really are. You’re not the woman I fell for—you’re a version of her, twisted and bitter, clinging onto something that doesn’t exist anymore.” He exhaled harshly. “You’re right about one thing. I do look at Ahaana differently. Because she isn’t like you.”

Alex’s face twisted, her hands curling into fists. “She will never be me.”

“Thank God for that.”

The silence between them was thick, charged with something dangerously close to hatred. Charles had never wanted to hate Alex—had never even imagined he could—but looking at her now, seeing the pure, unfiltered malice in her eyes, he realized he might be close.

She straightened, lifting her chin. “You’ll regret this.”

“No,” he said quietly. “I won’t.”

She stared at him, something almost desperate flickering across her features, before she masked it with indifference. “Fine,” she said. “Have it your way.”

Charles said nothing. He just watched as she turned, her heels clicking against the floor as she stormed toward the door. But before she left, she paused, glancing back over her shoulder.

“This isn’t over,” she said, voice eerily calm.

And then, she was gone.

Charles stood there for a long moment, his heart pounding, his fists clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palms.

But then he exhaled, shaking his head, as if shedding the last remnants of whatever hold Alex had on him.

For the first time in a long time, he felt free.

Meanwhile not too far away,the hotel room was bathed in soft hues of twilight, the warm amber glow of the setting sun spilling through the sheer curtains. Ahaana sat curled up in a chair by the window, her phone resting idly on the armrest. Her fingers absentmindedly traced the rim of a coffee mug, long gone cold. The day had been uneventful, yet her mind was anything but still. The ghosts of the past lingered in the shadows, whispering doubts, tugging at old wounds she had worked so hard to forget.

India.

Film city.

Even the thought of it sent a strange chill through her veins. It wasn’t fear—not exactly. It was the weight of something unfinished, something unresolved, lurking in the corners of her memory. The industry that had once been her playground had also turned its back on her when she had needed it the most. And yet, here she was, being offered a way back in.

What the fuck is happening? She sighed to herself, rubbing her temple.

The phone buzzed suddenly, pulling her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the screen, expecting yet another half-hearted PR email or a message from her manager. But instead, a name lit up the display, and for the first time that day, she felt something shift inside her.

Varun Dhawan.

She hesitated for only a second before answering. “Hello?”

“Finally! Madam has answered my call.” His voice was light, teasing, filled with the familiar warmth that had always made her feel like home.

Ahaana huffed out a small laugh. “Hi, Varun.”

“Hi, she says. That’s all I get? After ignoring me for days?”

“I haven’t been ignoring you.”

“Really? Because Karan and I were starting to think you had developed some severe phone phobia. Should we be concerned?”

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress the small smile tugging at her lips. “You’re being dramatic.”

“Dramatic? Me? Never.” His tone dropped slightly, losing some of its playful edge. “Ahaana, you know why I’m calling.”

Her smile faltered. Of course, she did.

“You and Karan are relentless,” she muttered, leaning back against the chair.

“Because we believe in you,” he countered immediately. “And because we know you still love this. Don’t pretend you don’t.”

She exhaled slowly, staring out at the dimming sky. “It’s not that simple, Varun.”

“Yes, it is.” His voice softened. “You were born for this, Ahaana. And you know it. Whatever happened before—”

She stiffened slightly. “Let’s not talk about that.”

There was a pause, as if he was choosing his next words carefully. Then, he sighed. “Fine. But don’t let the past dictate your future. You’re not that person anymore.”

She wanted to believe that. She really did.

“You don’t have to do this alone, you know. And we’re still your people, Ahaana.”

She closed her eyes for a moment. She had spent so long pushing everything away, convincing herself that she didn’t need anyone, that she had forgotten what it felt like to have people who cared. People who wanted her back.

Then, before she could respond, another voice chimed in from the background. “Has she said yes yet?”

Karan Johar.

Ahaana let out a small laugh despite herself. “Karan, are you eavesdropping?”

“I don’t eavesdrop. I supervise.”

Varun snorted. “He’s been pacing for the past ten minutes, by the way. I think he might actually combust if you say no.”

Karan’s voice came through again, a touch more serious this time. “Darling, you’re a star. Stop dimming your own light.”

Ahaana stared at the city skyline, a myriad of thoughts swirling inside her. But for the first time in a long time, the hesitation didn’t feel quite as heavy. Maybe Varun was right. Maybe Karan was right. Maybe it was time to stop running.

She inhaled deeply, a quiet moment of clarity settling over her. Then, she spoke.

“Okay.”

A beat of silence. Then Varun whooped so loudly she had to pull the phone away from her ear. “YES! Ladies and gentlemen, she’s back!”

Karan’s relieved sigh came through the speaker. “Finally. I was this close to staging a full intervention.”

Ahaana laughed, shaking her head. “You two are impossible.”

“And you love us for it,” Varun quipped.

She did. More than she cared to admit.

And maybe, just maybe, it was time to come home.

The gang had game nights far too often then they'd like to admit, Max and Kelly were ofcourse there, Ahaana was there, Carlos and Rebecca joined, Lando somehow always inserted himself in even though everytime he cheated and got himself uninvited. Even Alex Albon and Lily joined them from time to time, but couldn't make it this time and Charles was with them for the first time ever.

The night was young, but the energy in the room felt like the start of a Grand Prix itself—fast, loud, and filled with the potential for absolute disaster. The gang had gathered in Max’s hotel suite for a game night, and true to form, it had already descended into chaos.

“I’m telling you, Lando cheats,” Ahaana declared, pointing an accusatory finger at him as he smirked from his spot on the couch. “There is no way you won that round fairly.”

Lando, lounging back with all the ease of someone who had just scammed his way into victory, dramatically placed a hand on his chest. “How dare you? I am an honest man.”

“Honest, my foot,” Kelly interjected, shaking her head. “Even Charles saw it, didn’t you?”

Charles, who had been uncharacteristically quiet for the past few minutes, blinked. “Huh?”

“See? He wasn’t even paying attention,” Lando scoffed. “Probably too busy thinking about how free he is now that he’s finally dumped his psychotic ex.”

That got everyone’s attention.

Rebecca, who had been stacking poker chips, froze mid-motion. Max, who had been snickering at Lando’s misfortune, raised a brow. Ahaana, who had been preoccupied trying to figure out how Lando had managed to win five rounds in a row, looked up.

“You finally did it?” Carlos leaned forward, grinning. “You actually told Alex to get lost?”

Charles exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. “It was not exactly smooth.”

“Of course, it wasn’t,” Max said. “She’s like an overly attached leech.”

Kelly winced. “Oof. Harsh, but fair.”

“I don’t even want to know the details,” Lando said, tossing a handful of popcorn into his mouth. “Actually, no. I do. Tell us. In detail.”

Charles groaned. “Why are you all like this?”

“Because this is the most entertainment we’ve had all season,” Rebecca quipped. “Now spill.”

Charles rolled his eyes, but he recounted the story of his final conversation with Alex. The room responded accordingly—with gasps, laughter, and a few muttered curses aimed at Alex’s name. When he finished, Ahaana just shook her head, unimpressed.

“She’s delusional,” she said simply. “Absolutely delusional.”

“I would’ve paid money to see her reaction when you told her it was over,” Max admitted, grinning.

Charles smirked. “It was… satisfying.”

“Okay, enough about the she-devil,” Lando said, stretching. “Let’s get back to the game before Ahaana starts accusing me of cheating again.”

“You do cheat,” she said without hesitation.

“I do not—”

“Lando, you have a history of cheating at literally every game we’ve ever played,” Max said, unimpressed.

“I prefer to think of it as strategic improvisation.”

“Strategic bullshit,” Rebecca muttered.

The next hour was filled with absolute mayhem. There was yelling. There was a near-brawl between Carlos and Lando over an Uno reverse card. At some point, Kelly got so frustrated she threw a playing card at Max’s head, which only made him laugh harder. Charles, for the most part, found himself entertained just watching it all unfold.

Ahaana, in particular, seemed to come alive in the chaos. Her laughter was light, effortless, and every time she rolled her eyes at Lando or tossed a witty remark at Max, Charles found himself watching her just a little too long.

“Alright, alright,” Ahaana said, throwing her hands up in surrender after another brutal loss. “I need a break before I throw Lando out the window.”

“Jokes on you,” Lando said. “I’d land gracefully.” To which Max snorted.

Ahaana got up and stretched, and that’s when she casually dropped, “Oh, by the way, I officially start shooting for Jigra in 17 days.”

The room went silent.

“What?” Max was the first to react, blinking.

“You’re actually going back?” Lando added.

Rebecca gasped. “Finally! You’re returning to the big screen!”

Ahaana smiled, a little softer this time. “Yeah. It’s time.”

There was a beat of silence before Max, ever the older brother figure, crossed his arms. “Are you sure?”

She looked at him, understanding the weight behind his question. “I am.”

Max studied her for a long moment, then exhaled. “Alright. If anyone gives you trouble—”

“I know, I know.” She grinned. “I’ll call my attack dog Verstappen.”

He smirked. “Damn right.”

After a long round of jenga and then stuffing their faces in food, the last slice of pizza appeared on the table, and the room instantly went silent, all eyes locked on it.

Ahaana leaned forward, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. “Well, look who’s in the spotlight now.”

Carlos didn’t miss a beat. “I’ve been eyeing that slice for the last ten minutes.”

“Oh, please,” Ahaana shot back. “You just noticed it now because it’s the last one.”

Lando raised an eyebrow. “You’re really gonna fight over pizza? This is an all-time low, even for you.”

“Shut up, Lando,” Carlos grumbled. “It’s mine.”

Max chuckled from the side. “This is gonna be good.”

Ahaana picked up the slice like it was some sort of prized possession. “I’m just saying, I’ve had a long day. So I think I’m entitled to this.”

Carlos shot up from his seat, but Ahaana held the slice just out of reach, her smirk widening. “Nice try.”

Max shook his head, watching the two of them. “This is the dumbest thing I’ve seen all week.”

Ahaana, sensing victory, took a deliberate bite of the pizza. “Too slow, boys.”

Lando leaned back, popping a piece of popcorn into his mouth. “Well, that was anticlimactic.”

Later that night, after the raucous energy had settled slightly, Charles found himself watching Ahaana from across the room. She was laughing at something Lando had said, her head thrown back, eyes crinkled in amusement. The dim lighting softened her features, casting warm shadows over her skin, making her look almost ethereal.

He didn’t know when it started, this quiet admiration of her. Maybe it was when she first walked into his life with that effortless confidence, like she belonged in every room she entered. Maybe it was when he realized she wasn’t just sharp-tongued but also deeply, frustratingly kind. Or maybe it was moments like this, when she wasn’t doing anything extraordinary—just laughing, existing—and yet, she managed to pull his entire attention like a force of gravity.

There was something in the way she carried herself—unapologetic, bold, yet with an underlying grace that was hard to ignore. She was an enigma, a storm and a lull all at once. And he was starting to realize he liked that about her. A little too much.

“Are you staring at Ahaana?”

Charles nearly choked on his drink. He turned sharply to see Max smirking at him, amusement flickering in his eyes.

“No,” he denied, a little too quickly.

Max hummed, unconvinced. “Sure. And I’m a level headed person when angered.”

Charles groaned. “Can you not?”

Max chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder. “Oh no, mate. I definitely can.”

Across the room, Ahaana caught his gaze, a small, soft smile playing on her lips. Charles smiled back but quickly looked away because he was scared his blush would be way too evident, but the warmth on his face lingered and Ahaana caught it anyway, chuckling a bit at the very handsome man, which Charles heard.

Yeah. He was in trouble.

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ᝰ.ᐟ third part! hope you guys like it!

next

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tags @seonghwaexile @bookishprophecy @justadesirebel @peterholland04 @bakingpiastries @ricciardosheart @mikefaistgf @sp1rl @charlesgirl16 @leila-030304 @uhcalli @blahblechblah

comment to be added to taglist

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© weekendlusting

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[honourablejester]

I’m going to respond to this directly, since I’m one of the ones it’s aimed at, but I understand if OP doesn’t have the spoons for direct conversation. This is just running into several related things I’ve been seeing a lot lately, so I’m going to explore this a little.

Fantasy, Religion, War, Genre Conventions, and Portrayal as Endorsement.

So the thesis here is that the crusades should not be portrayed as a good thing. And what I want to know here is what specifically we mean by that.

Why were the real world crusades bad? And this is not some kind of gotcha question, I’m not claiming they weren’t, I’m asking why specifically. They were a series of religiously inspired wars of conquest that involved invading and occupying foreign territories.

Is the issue here ‘war of conquest’? Or is the issue here ‘religiously inspired war’?

Because the specific example in Pathfinder can be argued as a war of defense, in the sense that an army of demons had actually invaded and conquered one country and were looking to expand from there. Now, granted, the country invaded wasn’t the crusaders’ country, at least not the majority of them. This was pre-emptive defense where a foreign army basically occupied one country and walled off another to prevent a second foreign army from using them as staging grounds to invade further. So there is a native country stuck in the middle getting shat on by everybody, which was true of the Holy Land of the real world crusades as well. But if there is a genuine threat, is it wrong to go to war with them? At what specific point does a war stop being justified? (Or, alternately, at what specific point does a war start being justified)? Is the issue here the concept of war?

Or. Since the impression I’m getting is that the issue is the choice of demons, an objectively evil enemy that it is morally correct to fight, as the opponents of said war, is the issue that it’s a religious war? And in that case … Is the issue the portrayal of religion as objectively correct?

What I’m saying is, are we approaching this from an atheist standpoint? While we’re talking about the assumptions baked into our narratives. Is the assumption here that the historical real life crusades were wrong because religion is false and never a justification for war or anything else that would damage another person, and that therefore any portrayal of a religious war as something the heroes might morally take part in is objectively wrong?

Because. Fantasy as a genre. Assumptions, genre conventions of fantasy as a genre. Not universally, but quite often. Magic is real. Gods are real. Supernatural threats are real. If we have those as a baseline of the genre, how do we marry those concerns?

If a supernatural threat does exist, one that is inimical to other life, one that genuinely wants to destroy everything before it, and that supernatural threat is currently attacking, is it morally wrong to go to war with said threat? If you have an another supernatural ally, one that is the enemy of the thing trying to destroy you, is it morally wrong to listen to them? Is it morally wrong to believe in and follow a god if gods are demonstrably real things?

Now. Pulling back slightly, I fully understand that the terms are loaded. Gods, demons, crusades. These are real world words that had often horrific real world consequences. Blood libel, zealotry, genocide. Calling an enemy force ‘demons’ so that you can justify wiping them out has had real world consequences. Historically, the crusaders weren’t fighting actual demons, but people.

So is the issue here calling the fantasy war a crusade while swapping the portrayed enemy from people to an actual demonic foe, and thereby … justifying the real crusades the same way? They thought the enemy were demons, and demons are correct to fight, so actually the real crusades were justified?

The thing is, though, that we know that the enemies the real crusaders fought weren’t demons. The audience knows. (And the parts of the audience that don’t aren’t the part that are going to be critically examining much of anything).

The narrative is not real life. The narrative is operating on certain specific assumptions that, particularly in the case of fantasy as a genre, are held up as impossible in real life. (Whether they’re right to be or not, there is a particularly atheistic, Enlightenment, ‘we’ve progressed beyond such silly superstitions and beliefs’ sort of stripe in the Western approach to fantasy). Demons are a fantasy thing.

And a religious one. Which, yes, is where the danger lies.

So what I’m asking here is … What do you mean when you say ‘fantasy thinks the crusades were good’? Do you just mean that fantasy operates in a world where demons are real, and that makes fantasy automatically wrong? Is the basic premise of a heroic ‘good’ force fighting a supernatural ‘evil’ force just automatically wrong?

And again, I want to clarify that I do get it. The alignment system, creating a fantasy race or species of beings specifically to be your villains and specifically so that it’s okay to kill them. An enemy that you don’t have to agonise whether you have a moral right to kill, because they are inherently, on a molecular level, just … made of evil. That desire in and of itself is problematic.

But. The thing is. That desire also inherently indicates that the writer knows people can’t provide that. If a writer has to make up an explicitly supernatural foe to serve as their fantasy punching bag, it’s because they’re aware that their audience (or at least hopefully most of their audience) know that humans at least are not inherently evil and morally okay to slaughter.

(The question of other fantasy races created to be punching bags is a different one, the orcs, goblins, drow, etc, because those are explicitly meant to be people bred or damned to act a certain way, which goes different directions, but honestly I think demons are actually less fraught, here, because they are explicitly supernatural, a direct force of embodied evil. Which does then get complicated when you then go back and go ‘no, they’re actually people too’, but eh. This gets messy no matter which way you slice it, unfortunately).

So is the desire to fight an uncomplicated enemy and feel righteous doing so just the basic problem? Because I feel we’re veering there into ‘video games make people violent’ sort of territory. The desire to do something in a game in a fantasy environment that you are conscious is not real is not the same as wanting to actually beat someone to death for being different in real life. And even if it is, the desire to seek out a fantasy means of satiating that desire instead of a real life one is, I would argue, a very good sign. Thought police again. Desires aren’t the problem, actions are.

And, well. A lot of people have the desire to just, for once, know for sure where the evil comes from, to see it given a form, and to be able to directly fight that form. That’s just a thing that happens in the bewildering landscape of today’s increasingly stressful world.

There’s just. There’s a bundle of closely linked potential issues in here that don’t all point in the same directions. It’s a very broad statement, ‘fantasy thinks the crusades are basically good’. Potential elements of that:

Fantasy often uses metaphysical concepts like ‘good’ and ‘evil’ as physical, concrete realities, with all the potential loss of nuance that entails.

Fantasy posits a world where traditionally religious elements such as souls, spirits, demons, gods, sin, etc are physically real, which interacts in very messy ways with the history of religion in our world (as well as with current religion in our world).

Heroic fantasy often automatically creates a value judgement of certain violent activities (quests, war, combat, dragon slaying) as ‘righteous’ based mostly on the fact that it’s the hero doing said activities, and either doesn’t examine that value judgement or causes a lot of (sometimes) unintentional implications while trying to justify it.

When a fantasy narrative using the conventions of the genre (evil as a tactile force, heroes as morally justified, violence as the vehicle of righteousness) borrows terminology from real, significantly more dangerous and nuanced real world events, there is a potentially dangerous resonance where the fantasy narrative is (purposefully or otherwise) being read as an interpretation and endorsement of the historical event.

On the flipside, however:

Fantasy as a genre (whether rightly or otherwise) is specifically highlighted as unreal, as divorced from reality.

The conventions of any narrative genre tend to interact very messily with the significantly more complicated real world. (Heroic war movies, unrealistic or unhealthy relationships in romance novels, etc).

The use or deliberate avoidance of specific terminology within fiction is its own thorny issue, and especially in fantasy given its interesting history of allegory and thinly veiled disguises. Just not using the word doesn’t automatically fix the issue.

Which is not to say that fantasy shouldn’t be examined and criticised and questioned! But. I want a bit more specificity than blanket statements like ‘fantasy thinks such-a-clearly-wrong-thing is good’.

Because. Does fantasy think the real world crusades were good? That likely depends on the writer. Does fantasy create a fictional world where fictional crusades are good? Yes, sometimes it has done. Is fantasy wrong to do so? It depends on the execution.

Because fantasy posits a world where supernatural forces are real, and in such a world, is it wrong to fight such forces if they threaten you? And does fantasy coming to the conclusion that in a world where such things are true, it is right to fight them, does that then mean that fantasy believes that a) such things are true in the real world, and b) such violent actions can be justified on that basis in the real world? Again, it depends on the execution. Because fantasy, as we are told so very often, is not reality, and when we’re judging fantasy (and any fictional narrative), we’re interpreting it both within its own universe, and on how it interacts with our universe.

And, again, going back to that specific example. Paizo, Pathfinder, and the Mendevian Crusades. Pathfinder is carrying a lot of baggage from the history of D&D, the alignment system, the concrete physical realities of good and evil and all the buggy and messy and wrongheaded ways its been implemented. Could they do better, absolutely. But. These specific crusades, as I mentioned before, were portrayed as incredibly flawed, politically and morally messy, and were shown devolving into mindless persecution and opportunism several times. Which means that, in a world where the enemy was objectively evil, where a real and genuine god had mandated the fight against them, and where the survival of the world depended on holding the tide back, the crusade was still shown as complicated and messy and wrongheaded and as harsh on the afflicted people as the demonic invasion itself. There are good demon characters within the narrative. There are intelligent demon characters within the narrative. There are evil crusaders within the narrative. So yes, I’m going to give Paizo some credit here, for interacting with the concept with nuance even with certain fantasy conventions in place.

And again, said fantasy conventions are not inherently wrong in-and-of themselves. Is it wrong to interact with the concept of physical gods? With a physical, supernatural manifestation of dark concepts? If we create a narrative in which evil is given a physical body for us to fight, is that an inherent sign of weakness?

I suppose the other part of what I’m asking, here, is what the solution is. Like. Are we not to interact with these concepts? Is fantasy as a genre inherently wrong for having these concepts as genre conventions?

When you say, fantasy thinks the crusades were good, what is the opposite of that? What is the thing you want to see? Are we getting rid of the supernatural as a genuine force? Are we getting rid of tying inherent morality to supernatural forces (which I can definitely see the argument for, and which to be fair, people are currently struggling with attempting in the genre, and the ttrpg expression of the genre)? Are we dumping the whole concept of the heroic struggle? Are we, say, removing heroic and high fantasy as genres and going exclusively for low/grimdark fantasy?

I realise that this is a very specific example, of how D&D-inspired ttrpg fantasy interacts with the specific concept of religious wars, but as I said this is bumping into a lot of related questions I’ve seen floating around recently. Morality of war, morality of religion, portrayal vs endorsement, morality of violent games, purity culture, etc.

And I am curious, I guess. How do you think a setting with the specific fantasy conventions of pathfinder/d&d, in this case specifically that gods are real and that good and evil can be physically embodied to threaten people, should interact with the concept of a holy war? Just avoid the issue altogether?

Because honestly I think it’s on the audience to draw the conclusion that since the Islamic forces were not actual demons in our world, we’re not going to judge the historical crusades by the same metrics that we judge a fictional world where the enemy literally was an embodied chunk of elemental evil. You know? What might be an understandable and moral course of action in a fantasy world where literal embodied evil trying to destroy the world is a threat you might actually have to face isn’t necessarily a moral and understandable course of action in our world, where things are unfortunately significantly more complicated than that.

I’m not sure if I’m still talking past you, but I figured I’d get my ramble in anyway.

kind of concerning how married the fantasy genre is to "crusades as a basically good thing"

[thevoicefromanotherworld]

"CUT THE CRAP"

SOOOO I WROTE ANOTHER FIC WITH TANGERINE

first of all I have to thank @gabrielemillers for letting me use this idea

I hope you like it!

(A photo of his hands because... do I need to explain it?)

You were supposed to hate him.

You hated the way he looked, the way he expressed himself, his eyes too bright to look at directly.

So how had you ended up sitting on his lap?

There was no explanation for it, it had just happened.

Lemon had gone to the dining car, leaving you two alone in the booth his boss had paid for. You had tried to steal their briefcase. Yes, the one they were supposed to protect from people like you.

Every few minutes Tangerine's gaze would focus on you and then look away again, as would yours, until you got tired.

"Stop looking at me."

"I'm not looking at you," he snorted. "Besides, who else do you want me to look at?" We're the only ones here, if we were in first class like normal people I'd be staring at the rest of the passengers and I wouldn't have to put up with you

-You can go if you want, I'll take care of the briefcase - you offered, he pointed at you with his index finger-

-Nice try, but I'm not going to bite again - he whispered, fixing his gaze on you, his eyes narrowed - you can stop pretending now, you know?

-What the fuck are you talking about?

-Cut the crap -he snorted, looking at you intently- I know you don't hate me as much as you want me to believe- he whispered- I think you actually want me to fuck you or let you fuck me, one of two

-You're disgusting -you complained, making a face of disgust-

-No, I'm a realist -he corrected, while patting his legs a couple of times- come here

-I'm not doing such thing

-I told you to cut the crap, I don't buy your role as a spoiled little girl -he said, and the authoritative tone of his voice made you shudder with pleasure from head to toe- you don't have a fucking clue how to act, so stop doing it

-Okay -you agreed tiredly- Do you want me to sit on your lap? I'll do it just to shut the fuck up

You stood up and sat on his lap, just like he'd told you to, with each leg on either side of his hips. You looked up at him, his blue eyes now having an unnatural glint.

"There," you murmured. "Happy?"

He didn't respond, instead he placed his hands on your hips holding you there and slowly pushed his hands up. A muffled moan escaped your lips but you weren't able to help it. Tangerine smiled at the look on your face.

-Look at you, a couple of minutes ago you were complaining about how much you hated me- he reminded you- and now here you are, desperate for my cock

-I'm not desperate for… -he pushed again, making a new gasp leave your lips-… your cock- you finished haltingly, his smile growing wider-

-Your body says otherwise, honey- he said as he slid his fingers under your skirt- Why don't you stop resisting and admit that this is what you want?

-No way- you responded with a growl-

There was no way you were going to let him think you were enjoying it.

His fingers reached the waistband of your panties, making you let out a curse under your breath. Tangerine smiled amusedly. He knew you were dying for him to touch you, but the fact that you were resisting him only made it more interesting.

-You're so wet, love -he whispered, running his thumb over your center- Are you sure you don't want me to take care of it? Because I could -he pressed you, you felt the cold of his rings on the skin of your inner thighs, making you grab his shoulders tighter, he smiled when he noticed your nails digging into his skin, despite the suit jacket he was wearing-

Under normal circumstances he would have complained, because that jacket cost more than your life and his combined, but he didn't say a word.

Because it wasn't a normal situation and because it was YOU who was sitting on his lap.

-you would be so satisfied… -he whispered, tangling his fingers in the waistband of your underwear- I would make sure to get rid of all that tension you always carry on your shoulders-

You didn't answer because you were lost in the sensations you were experiencing. He gently pinched your thigh to get your attention. You looked at him, his blue eyes shining with anticipation.

-This is your last chance, baby, you just have to answer yes or no

“Fuck it,” you thought. You had nothing to lose, but you could gain a lot. A couple of orgasms at least, so you nodded.

“Fuck, yes,” you growled, pressing your lips against his.

His mouth moved masterfully against yours, knowing perfectly how to use them to drive you crazy, as well as his tongue.

You gasped into his mouth when he tugged at your bottom lip between his teeth, before bringing his hands to your skirt and yanking it down along with your underwear.

You did the same to him, and when you sat back down you thought you had died. You felt the pleasure consume you completely, the way he filled you… it was simply out of this world.

His eyes bored into yours when he thrust his hips up into yours.

He was up, following your movements. Within minutes you were a mess of gasps and moans, both of you competing to see who could last the longest without cumming.

Even when fucking you couldn't help but challenge each other.

"I think I'm going to lose this time, baby," he growled, his curly hair falling in messy waves on either side of his face. "I'm going to cum," he warned as you moved on top of him again, making him gasp against you. "Fuck!" he murmured. "You're taking me so well, holy shit." He held your hips with his hands.

"Tangerine…" you gasped, feeling his lips on your neck, kissing your skin. "I'm so close… Shit!" you growled, tangling one of his locks around your index finger.

In the end, neither of you won the bet, you both came at the same time, and you had two orgasms, just as you had predicted.

[ozzgin]

Hi, I’m kind of shy to send you this but I feel I really do need to do it. Well I’m one of your fans, big one that I never miss any of your posts, even just simply you answer questions or adoration because, who am I kidding, doesn’t love your post?

But recently one of a post you post saying “Happy Chinese New Year” making me pause a bit because if you are Chinese, that’s fine. But if you are from other countries, it would be really nice if you said “Lunar New Year” than “Chinese New Year” since China isn’t the only country celebrating. I do not really want to offend you if you are Chinese, or anyone read this as Chinese, since this is a mere friendly suggestion.

Happy Lunar New Year and hope you have the best wishes.

Hello anon, my apologies for the confusion!

To answer your doubt, it was indeed an intentional switch of words. I am not Chinese, so do feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but just a few days ago I have learned something that made me reconsider the way I say my greetings.

Our apartment complex has an online community where people wished each other Happy Lunar New Year. A Chinese person in the group let us know that this kind of greeting can be considered offensive to them, because - while it is celebrated in other countries - it was first developed by and adopted in China. It differs from the lunar calendar, and the actual lunar new year would fall on a different date. They believe it counts as further erasure of Chinese culture and history. If something comes from a country, it should be named after said country, is the argument of it basically.

I am very aware that this is something celebrated by many other Asian countries, but I had no idea there were such strong feelings involved, so I wanted to do my part in being mindful. Here's the video we were shown:

So, yeah. I did not intend to exclude other countries from it, but I also didn't want to contribute to something that might be offensive to others. Anyone who celebrates is encouraged to weigh in, this was my take after being informed of it.

Edit: After talking to my partner, a compromise seems to be to just use 'Happy Lunar/Chinese New Year' as a greeting. Perhaps that would've been a better choice, sorry about that!

[ashanimus]

white people shut the everloving fuck up about what appropriating peoples culture means challenge and just enjoy your goddamn sparkle dragons

[butwhatifidothis]

(regarding the Fort Merceus scene)

"Claude doesn't know as much about the Seiros faith because he's an outsider" thanks for ignoring the entire point of Claude's route just to insist he doesn't grow as a character

Ohhh wait, no, it's not that he's not knowledgeable, it's just him definitely lying! Because disagreements? Regarding tenets of a religion? Impossible! Claude must be feigning ignorance and lying because that's all he does as a character! He's tricking the diligent Lorenz into thinking things that aren't true, because Church Bad and Claude would never tell the truth!

[statementlou]

Maya went on The Internet Is Dead podcast to be interviewed about her relationship with Liam and it's interesting; I recommend it for people who were curious about untangling the details in her book from real life (they talk about this in a number of different places with some detail), people who think she's making everything up, and anyone else sending hostile asks about her- we know she is following the fandom talk and responding to it but I have to say it's very satisfying to listen to her rattle through the exact arguments anons on here are sending around and answer every one of them.

some detail below the cut:

The experience was kind of grating at times; maybe it's just me but I never find it enjoyable to listen to people outside of fandom or casual 1D fans talk about us, and I cringe and bristle literally every time someone says "these people" or "they think", plus the hosts are not super useful; they refer to her tiktoks and book repeatedly without actually giving context for the discussion, like I could do with the occasional "in the book you say…" rather than just chatting about it and leaving us to figure out what they are talking about (they don't even say the name of the book), but whatever. There's interesting stuff in there so it was worth it for me and if you prefer you can just get my highlights, here ya go-

-Her making the point that the media training all of the 1D guys have done from such a young age not only impacts how they talk to the press but also how they talk to people in their lives, the tools it gives them for communicating with (and in this case, manipulating) people was fascinating to me, I hadn't thought about that but I will be in the future with regard to all of them, it's just very interesting to have in mind

-she says she had the book read by lawyers before publishing because it was about someone real and real events, and provided proof for things they asked about

-she points out that she has nothing to gain from making this up, and that as someone who works in a law office and is planning to go to legal school, that the fact that bringing false accusations against someone is illegal would be a huge deterrent to lying

-she says that one of the reasons she initially soft pedaled in terms of outright saying that the book was about Liam was that podcasts and such she went on didn't want her to say it, didn't want the liability, and that when she did say it that part would not get printed or would be edited out (hey speaking of this what are all these interviews she did about the book why am I just now hearing about it... when you guys see stuff like this let me know! I am interested and will maybe recap for you even!)

-she mentions Liam's silence on the whole thing more than once; "if someone wrote that about me and it wasn't true I would not just say nothing!"

-she says that her and Liam went to see After not knowing it was a 1D fanfic and then, after finding that out, he joked that she should write a book about them, and that it was where the seed of the idea came from

[brick-van-dyke]

If there's one thing I've respectively noticed from Zionists and defenders of Israeli war crimes, it's that every source, argument and potential avenue to explore each explanation is riddled with cherry picking, moving the goalposts and mental gymnastics to explain why their conclusions, which typically are barely even related to the sources they use, somehow overshadow literal reality and what we see with our own eyes.

While scrolling, one example I came across was the repetitive misrepresentation of BLM, antifa and quotes from Martin Luther King Jr, as well as statistics, scholarly journal articles and government website information. These are all good sources, yet every single time they're mangled completely until the only possible "interpretation" of any of them is "well Israel is right to defend itself after shorting rockets beforehand because the retaliation was brutal and all Arabs are bad by default therefore". As if any of these sources are even about individual exceptions of Israel versus hatred towards Arabs.

I think what I find most absurd, as someone in the middle of their own studies, is how every bit of critical thinking and logic goes out the window as they do every single thing possible to do what professors worldwide say NOT to do when evaluating sources. It's like watching a race to see who can tangle and misconstrue scientific information to fit their world view the fastest. Then said people say "um actually I studied at university before so it's actually not wrong that I'm doing this exact this everyone is warned not to do because I have a permit". Ignorance I can forgive, but willful and arrogant manipulation? That's another thing entirely.

[summergoodwife]

Gonna say it again, "Just stop consuming the genre" is THE WORST POSSIBLE RESPONSE to someone complaining about the lack of representation in their preferred genre!! And "Consume other stuff too" is not much better!!! I don't care how much you think varying media consumption is a Good and Holy lifestyle, not everyone wants to do that! There is no obligation to do that and there should not be! Because it's fucking entertainment. It's not a college major.

And! And and and. I would be remiss to not point out that when you tell someone, "If you want well written (minority) just get out of (genre fandom)" you are, regardless of your motivations, rhetorically aligning yourself with the exact same bigots who just want the pro-representation crowd to shut up and go away.

[pa-pa-plasma]

i don't think i'll ever get over how people treat kids that aren't good in school as worthless no matter what. "oh it can't be that bad" my guy idk how to tell you this but the last time i went to a normal high school the principal called me into his office to brag about how he failed me in all of my classes before the semester was even finished & i should quit while i'm ahead cuz i'm too stupid ("officially" diagnosed as such by a school counselor & a psychiatrist!!) to succeed. & this is considered normal

[thatbuddie]

you seriously cannot make this up: you have people reblogging fic featuring a racist character as half of the main ship in the morning then trying to give morality lessons in the evening by calling others homophobic over a joke.

THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE, BABES.

[peoplesrazor]

The often stated goal of people in the crit community is for Lily to lose her platform. This would result not only in her facing some consequences for her behavior, but will also make it harder for her to prey on and influence vulnerable people. While it's certainly reasonable for those personally victimized by Lily to want to see some legal consequences as well, those goals aren't going to be reached by discussing her on social media, with a few exceptions.

For instance, using social media to present and archive evidence and as a way to make others aware. If a victim is actively in the community and close to people in it, it wouldn't be unusual for them to post updates on whatever is happening on the legal front. Maybe just to vent now and then. Legal action is always long and frustrating and very often expensive. Venting about that, at least, would be reasonable.

There would be little reason for the rest of us to continue talking about Lily, I'd imagine.

People may bring up something now and then. You'll see the occasional post that says something like: Remember when Lily Orchard compared a Jewish woman to a disease and got to keep her youtube channel? That shit was wild, huh? They'll be comparisons between her and other people who are being discussed. Sometimes more accurately, sometimes not.

I know there is a pervasive idea in Lily's base and in those critical of the crit community that we're all obsessed with her and using her for content as a way to make money or get clout. That we'd actually be secretly upset if she never made another video or blog post.

I'm pretty confident in saying, for most of us, that's not true. I don't think people outside of this understand how frustrating it can actually be. In my case, at least, there are any number of videos or post that I could comment on, that have factual errors that can easily be corrected, but I don't because they don't matter as far as that ultimate goal. I will sometimes, if I feel it might be interesting to discuss, especially since it was my original goal for my blog to discuss media criticism. Usually, it's not worth it though.

Because even when I do make a post with the express purpose of calling out Lily's racism, ablism, sexism, her victimizing people, or to show a pattern of behavior, my reward is being called a transphobe, a misogynist or having my motivations for doing so questioned. I can't tell you how lovely it feels to make what I think is a well documented and easily provable argument and have it dismissed because I chose to use one of her media takes as my starting point. You think I want to do this? That I enjoy that?

I'm not sure those of us without a "real world" connection to Lily would even be able to move the goal post past de-platforming. Like how? That's the only spot that goal post can be. There's this big immovable wall just past that with the words "no admittance through social media" scrawled on it.

We can't get to the other side of that from here.

So, yeah, I see most of us moving on. @spacefrog1984 will post more frog gifs. @thetepes will discuss tea and post more cultural food videos. @agramuglia will cover other media and media critics, which he is already doing. Sai may close @purpledemonlilyposting or she may use it to argue with people like you on here.

Me? I'll make more youtube recommendations, discuss indoctrination tactics and debunk things like pseudoscience. Mostly, I'll likely go back to vanilla media discourse and talking about bad media takes that don't involve Lily, which is what I started the blog to do originally. Maybe I'll do some more in depth analysis of The Owl House.

What are you going to be doing, Starry? Still, posting about Sai and everyone whose ever had an exchange with her all day?

Does a channel termination mean everyone can move on? Or does it just mean the goalpost gets moved?

[servuscallidus]

we need to study the art of rhetoric again in school. all 13 years. this can't go on