#Woman Lead

[bastardlybonkers]

i feel like not enough ppl are factoring in the cultural clash between laios and shuro and the many micro agressions shuro faced while being in their group. literally the name 'shuro' in itself is one

his name is toshiro 😭 lets also not forget that he has his own communication issues, in the opposite way that laios does- thats literally a factor in their argument, that his envy for laios's ability to express himself sincerely manifested as part of his distaste for him.

ig all this to say like, was their fight heart wrenching, especially when reading laios as autistic? absolutely. anybody whos ever been in laios's position knows how much it hurts to realize someone you thought was your friend doesnt actually like having you around, especially when they didnt tell you and you had no way of knowing due to not understanding their cues. but im begging yall to step back and see the nuance of this situation cause im gonna be real a lot of you are kinda just brushing over it acting like everything is toshiros fault and that hes a terrible person when in reality hes an average guy who really, really clashed with laios and it led to a very long misunderstanding due to their supremely opposite methods of communication. even laios and toshiro, after letting everything out in their fight, were able to come to an understanding and start a foundation for an actual friendship built on better communication

ok yknow what Edit: i shouldve made it even more explicit at the end of this post, i hadnt thought i would need to since i started the post with this, but i think a few too many people are missing my point so i just wanna clarify. i shouldnt have said 'really clashed' and left it at that because yeah they did, but it wasnt just their opposite methods of communication, it is also very much that toshiro was experiencing microaggressions via laios. it may have been unintentional on laios's part, but it still happened and wore him down, made it harder for him to communicate on top of both the more subtle social cues that he was raised with and his own communication difficulties. i also want to say that the fandom reaction to toshiro and the complete ignorance of this point is also racist tbh or at the very least ignorant. i understand that the anime did not cover this panel, and neither did the manga, as this was an omake, but im gonna be real with you guys. there are enough context clues within the story to clue you into this. if you didnt pick up on it thats ok, but i think this is a good lesson in picking up subtext in the stories that youre watching and/or reading. kui shouldnt have to explicitly say 'by the way laios was racist to toshiro' for this point to be understood, and at the very least, when the author portrays a character in a sympathetic light (as kui clearly does) it should make you question Why they are doing so and what makes them sympathetic, rather than youre immediate and only reaction to be 'well i hated what this guy did/said so i hate them and they suck'. idk exactly how to finish this, just. idk. question your biases and gut reactions to things you see in media and stories, and think about whether or not theres subtext that youre missing.

[ruleof3bobby]

THE WOMAN KING (2022) Grade: C+

Did not need to be 2 hours. 130-140 minutes would've been a sweet spot. Dragged. Good action scenes that were hurt by the overall pace of the film. Felt like it didn't know whether to tell an epic drama or 300 with women.

[rookanisstuff]

The Dellamortes

[klanced]

can we start placing bets about the live action voltron movie. everyone download draftkings right now

[mohntilyet]

illario as the grandchild that is most like caterina is something i'm loving to chew on. the grandson that took her lessons to heart the most. kill anyone who sees your face and knows your name, "we are not revolutionaries", the first out of the two to prioritise the contract. power at any cost, and the only one to lean into the unnecessary abuse that their grandmother told them was tradition. why is anyone surprised he allied with the venatori? and then there's illario's considerable skill in infiltration and manipulating any mark, he has always had the charisma that lucanis lacked. illario isn't attached, he has/can/will use someone and immediately drop them; "that does free me from promises i don't intend to keep". he can lie about how much he cares so well that he fools a magister into believing he loves her. he kills zara without hesitation to cover his own tracks, meanwhile lucanis blindly promises a young girl in the middle of a siege that he will help her find her father. even the lessons about family stick with him, and in this entire messy power struggle, he never actually orders anyone to directly kill caterina or lucanis, not until he's backed into a corner.

and even after all that. despite even lucanis believing illario should be first talon, lucanis is still the better killer. illario is not strong enough to be the brutal assassin caterina needs him to be. so when lucanis seems to fill the role his mother left, grief and love for her dead heir apparent remains, and any of the other qualities caterina needs in her next talon doesn't matter. whatever his mother was, lucanis has to be. what illario does doesn't matter, because he will always be second best to caterina's memory of her favored daughter.

[bumblingbabooshka]

Thinking about marriage/women's rights on Vulcan Some may think that T'Pring not being allowed to divorce Spock was because he was going through the pon farr but if she were allowed to divorce him at all she probably would have done that a long time ago, confirmed by T'Pol when she's speaking with Koss, who isn't suffering from the pon farr. She says that he can choose another mate (without invoking a fight it seems: note the difference between a 'mate' and a 'challenger') and after he makes it clear that nothing she says will change his mind about marrying her, she finally threatens to declare a kal-if-fee. It's clear that Vulcan women cannot divorce/refuse to marry a man they've been betrothed to under any circumstances if A) He himself doesn't consent to ending their marriage or B) She doesn't have someone else waiting in the wings to be given to in his stead. Though, if the challenger she selects fails to win the fight, she'll have to marry her betrothed anyway unless (again) he decides he doesn't want her after the challenge. That seems like an incredibly unfair system, heavily biased towards men. SNW is an alternate universe in many obvious respects but most egregiously in that T'Pring has a lot of non-canonical agency over her relationship with Spock. It's interesting to me that Vulcan society has women in many positions of power and treats women as equal to men from what I've seen despite these laws. We don't really see Vulcans exhibiting a misogynistic attitude towards women in general but in TOS (perhaps because of its general writing style but it's still interesting to note) both Sarek and Spock take on patriarchal attitudes specifically regarding wives. Amanda says that 'of course' Sarek commands her because "he is a Vulcan and I am his wife." It's worthwhile in my eyes to note that she specifies 'wife' instead of attributing this attitude to women as a whole. Again, with TOS' writing style it wouldn't be out of place for her to say "he is a man and I am a woman." Spock, while in a pon farr induced irritation, states that it's "undignified for a woman to play servant to a man that isn't hers" - again implying that there's something specific about being a Wife in Vulcan society which is different from being a woman in general and demands subservience to a husband. This could perhaps stem from the extreme sense of ownership that Vulcan law has permitted men to have over women. A woman legally cannot point blank refuse marriage. There is no option which guarantees she won't have to marry her betrothed other than death. When T'Pau speaks of T'Pring she refers to her as being 'property' and Stonn, before being interrupted, states he's made 'the ancient claim' - we don't know what this is because he gets cut off but it's obvious they're both using the language of Vulcan law. Men are permitted true freedom to choose. If a woman wants to choose someone else to be with there is no option available to her other than the kal-if-fee which might result in the death of the one she wants to be with. And, if her lover fails, her husband can still just decide he wants to marry her and she'll be forced to. T'Pring gives two scenarios: One where Spock 'frees' her and one where he doesn't - it's still ultimately his decision which is clear when he ends the conversation with "Stonn, she is yours." This again isn't just because of the pon farr as T'Pol also goes through this. Koss can choose another mate and when the option is talked about there's no implication that this would result in any sort of fight (both by the casualness of its mention and by the fact that there's no formal word for it unlike the kal-if-fee.) Also, the fact that Koss does eventually grant T'Pol a divorce and it's all fine means that T'Pol isn't lawfully required to have another man waiting if her HUSBAND doesn't want her. It's ONLY required if SHE doesn't want her husband. Tradition must take precedence over individual desire UNLESS!!! You're a man. Then it's fine. Like, your parents might not be happy but legally you're golden.

[providence-park]

Ana de Armas as Joi

BLADE RUNNER 2049

2017 | Dir. Denis Villeneuve

[ectonuritez]

POST BUTCH RATCHET please. 🤲🏽

yes boss 🫡

her wife (derogatory) wheeljack

[thepersonalquotes]

Don't let people intimidate you into downgrading your goals. They intimidate only because they are intimidated by your goals.

Janna Cachola

[xoxorealitygalore]

Always A Bad Girl

Jey Uso x Black OC

Once a bad girl, always a bad girl.

Summary: When a group of girls shows up to fight his nieces and their friend, Joshua is stunned to find that his niece’s friend’s mom, Divinity, is the woman he’s been unable to forget after a one-night stand. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and Joshua quickly realizes he wants more with her. But as their connection deepens, he’s about to learn that Divinity’s wild side may be more than he bargained for.

Masterlist

Joshua had imagined his day at the park would be nothing more than an ordinary, peaceful outing. It was a simple idea: he, his twin brother Jonathan, their cousin Joe, and a handful of other relatives would spend some time outdoors with the kids, bonding over nature, food, and simple pleasures.

It was meant to be a break from the constant grip of screens and digital distractions, a chance for the younger generation to experience the world beyond their phones. He wanted to show them that there was more to life than the constant notifications, the endless scrolling, and the constant pull of the virtual world.

The morning had started as expected. The park was calm, the weather perfect, sunlight spilling through the trees in warm golden rays, the smell of fresh grass and earth filling the air. The kids, a mix of rowdy and restless, had initially complained about how boring being outside was.

But after the first hour, they had started to settle in. Joshua’s nieces Joelle and Jayla began exploring the park, and Jenova, their friend who always had a spark of energy to her, quickly became the leader of the little group. The peace Joshua had been craving was beginning to settle over him.

That peace was short-lived, however.

What began as a few loud words between Joelle, Jayla, Jenova, and a group of girls quickly escalated. Joshua looked up from his seat, sensing the shift in the air. The playful banter had turned into something sharper, more charged. His eyes followed their gaze to a group of girls that had appeared at the edge of the park, their presence slowly becoming more menacing.

At first, it wasn’t clear what was happening, but as the girls exchanged angry words with Joelle, Jayla, and Jenova, it became apparent that things weren’t as innocent as they had seemed.

This wasn’t the first time these girls had clashed with his nieces and their friends. The previous day at school, an argument had erupted—one that was now spilling into the park. When the girls saw Joelle, Jayla, and Jenova, they took it as an open invitation to settle things with fists, rather than words. The tension in the air was thick. A fight was brewing, and all of them could feel it.

“Let me call my momma!” Jenova shouted, her voice tinged with defiance and frustration, as one of the other girls' mothers marched over to her, clearly angry.

Joshua’s stomach sank. He had known Jenova for years—ever since she was just a little girl—but he had never met her parents. He knew her grandmother well, though, and that had always been enough. Her grandmother was strong, a no-nonsense woman, but Jenova’s parents? He had never heard much about them. Now, standing at the edge of the conflict, Joshua was forced to confront the reality of what was happening in front of him. This wasn’t just a kid’s fight. It was a mess of adult emotions too, and that was about to become all too clear.

Before anyone could stop it, the situation spiraled further out of control.

A car engine roared to life in the distance, and Joshua’s gaze snapped toward it. The unmistakable sound of a high-performance engine grew louder, and soon, a white Lamborghini Aventador LP 740 Roadster appeared, its sleek, aggressive design cutting through the park's serene atmosphere. The car’s wing doors opened with a dramatic swoosh, and a woman stepped out—curvy, striking, and undeniably confident.

Joshua’s heart stopped.

There, standing in front of him, was Divinity. She was Jenova’s mother.

And as the shock of recognition hit him, the puzzle pieces of his life suddenly fell into place in the most unsettling way.

He had known Divinity from that one night in Miami—an unexpected encounter that had never left his mind. A one-night stand that had seared itself into his memory. They’d met, they’d been together, and then she had disappeared as quickly as she’d arrived. Joshua had spent months trying to forget about the fiery woman who had ignited something in him that he hadn’t been able to shake.

Now, here she was, standing just a few feet away from him, a confrontation brewing as she locked eyes with the woman who had been yelling at her daughter. Joshua’s body stiffened. He had known nothing about Jenova’s mother, and certainly nothing about the fact that Divinity was the one raising Jenova. But there was no denying it now. Divinity was here, and she was livid.

Jonathan’s wife, along with a few other women, recognized Divinity almost immediately. They knew her well from the reality television shows she had been on, where her infamous temper and ability to fight had made her a fan favorite. They knew better than anyone what was coming next. The air crackled with tension. Something was about to happen that Joshua never could have anticipated in a thousand years.

Jenova dashed toward her mother, her anger fading slightly as she pointed toward the woman who had been in her face. Without a second thought, Divinity strode toward the woman with an icy determination in her step. She spoke, her voice sharp and commanding: “Anybody wanna fight?”

Before anyone could react, Divinity reached the woman and, without warning, grabbed her by the hair. In a single, fluid motion, she pulled the woman toward her and struck her hard. Chaos erupted as the others rushed to separate them, but Divinity wasn’t done. She wasn’t backing down. Again, she lunged toward the woman, this time leaving her with four painful knots on her head. The scene was pure mayhem, a spectacle that drew the attention of everyone nearby.

Joshua’s heart pounded in his chest. He couldn’t just stand there. He had to act. He rushed over and grabbed Divinity, pulling her back.

“Chill, Divinity,” he said, his voice low but urgent, trying to steady the situation before it escalated even further. Her body was tense, her anger barely contained, but his words seemed to have an effect. For a moment, she stopped struggling.

The situation was tense, but through a combination of force and quick thinking, they managed to get everyone out of the park before the police arrived. The children were shaken, and the adults were exhausted from trying to manage the chaos, but somehow, they all made it out without anyone getting arrested. The tension hung in the air like smoke, and Joshua could feel the weight of everything that had just happened.

Jenova, still visibly upset, walked over to her mother. There was a quiet conversation between them, too soft for Joshua to hear. He could see the affection and worry in Divinity’s eyes. Despite everything, she was still a mother, and she cared deeply for her daughter. And that, in a strange way, was the moment that Joshua understood Divinity a little more. Behind the bravado and the tough exterior, there was something softer, something human.

As the group made their way to the parking lot, Trinity leaned over to Joshua, her eyes narrowed in curiosity. “You know that woman, don’t you?” she asked.

Joshua nodded slowly. “Yeah. Divinity... I didn’t know she was Jenova’s mother.”

Trinity raised an eyebrow. “Small world, huh?”

Joshua couldn’t help but laugh softly. “Too small,” he replied, though his mind was still spinning.

Later that night, as Joshua sat at home, the events of the day replayed in his mind. The way Divinity had shown up out of nowhere, the anger in her eyes, the intensity of her presence. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. But now, the idea that she was Jenova’s mother and that she had been living so close to him, in a way was dizzying. There was a connection here that he hadn’t expected.

The next morning, Jonathan showed up at Joshua’s house. He had questions. Lots of them.

“Trin thinks something went down between you and Divinity,” Jonathan said, sitting down heavily on the couch. His eyes were wide with curiosity.

Joshua’s mouth went dry. “She’s right. Divinity... she’s the girl from Miami. From that night.”

Jonathan’s eyes widened further. “No way. You’re telling me that this whole time, you’ve been thinking about her, and now you find out she’s under your nose all along?”

Joshua nodded slowly. “Yup. I didn’t know she was Jenova’s mom, or that she was even connected to Joelle and Jayla. If I had known, I would’ve been all over her.”

Jonathan smirked. “I’m not surprised. You’ve been thinking about her nonstop, haven’t you?”

Joshua didn’t deny it. He shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s crazy, right?”

“What’s the plan, man? Are you just gonna keep thinking about her, or are you gonna actually make a move?”

Joshua didn’t know. The truth was, he hadn’t even processed what was happening yet. All he knew was that Divinity was out there, and he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Meanwhile, across town, Divinity was talking to her older sister, Serenity. The conversation, of course, turned to Joshua.

“You mean to tell me your daughter’s friends with the nieces of the man you’ve been thinking about since Miami? The one who had you begging for his babies when he was deep in your guts?” Serenity teased.

Divinity rolled her eyes. “I regret telling you that, but yes.”

Serenity grinned. “Girl, what are you going to do about it?”

Divinity’s gaze darkened. “I want him. I want him bad.”

Serenity raised an eyebrow. “So, Jenova’s getting a little sister, huh?”

Divinity smirked.

“Maybe two or three, if everything goes my way.”

Serenity chuckled, shaking her head. “Girl, you better make sure he’s top tier, or you’re gonna regret it.”

Divinity smiled, pulling up Joshua’s Instagram profile. “Oh, trust me, he is.”

As she scrolled through his photos, her smile widened. “I love a man who knows he’s fine.”

Serenity laughed. “Just don’t like any old posts now.”

But of course, Divinity did exactly that. She shrieked, flustered. Serenity giggled, and Divinity quickly unliked the post.

“So, what’s the play?” Serenity asked.

Divinity’s eyes gleamed with determination. “I’m going to show up at the next family gathering. Get to know the people my daughter spends so much time with. And show Joshua I want him.”

Serenity raised an eyebrow. “A little late for that, don’t you think?”

Divinity shrugged. “It’s never too late.”

Serenity sighed. “Just don’t let Jenova feel like you’re ignoring her or using her to get close to Joshua. You don’t want her to end up like how we were with Mom.”

Divinity’s expression softened. “I’ll make it up to her. I’ll do better.”

And as the conversation came to an end, Divinity knew she had her plan in motion. It was time to make her move.

The following week seemed to stretch endlessly for Joshua. Every morning he woke up, the events of that day at the park replayed in his mind like a movie he couldn’t stop watching. His thoughts kept drifting back to Divinity. The way she had stepped out of that white Lamborghini—cool, confident, and undeniably magnetic. The sheer intensity of her presence had caught him off guard. He had barely been able to process what was happening before she was in the middle of the chaos, throwing punches and drawing everyone’s attention.

What was even more surreal was realizing who she was the woman he couldn’t forget from that one night in Miami. The one night that had haunted him in the best and worst ways. He hadn’t been able to forget her, no matter how hard he tried, and now, here she was standing in front of him, angry, fierce, and entirely different than the woman he remembered. Yet there was a pull, something deeper that made him rethink everything. Was he just imagining things, or was there some unspoken connection between them that had been lying dormant for all these months?

The following Saturday, Jonathan called.

“You ready for this family gathering today?” Jonathan’s voice crackled through the phone. There was something oddly knowing in his tone as if he already knew the answer.

“Yeah, I’m ready,” Joshua replied, but his words lacked conviction. He wasn’t sure if he was more anxious to see Divinity again, or if he was simply bracing for the awkwardness of what lay ahead.

“Uh-huh,” Jonathan said. “Just don’t make things weird with Trin, okay? She’s been talking about you and Divinity, and I swear, if you start acting strange, I’ll lose it.”

Joshua chuckled softly. “I’ll behave, I promise. But you’re right. This is gonna be... interesting.”

When they arrived at the gathering, the tension in the air was immediate. It wasn’t just about catching up with family or reminiscing over old memories. The kids were running around, their laughter loud and carefree, but the adults had a different energy. The women exchanged knowing looks, and even the men seemed to have a heightened awareness, glancing over at Joshua and Jonathan every few moments.

Then, she appeared.

Divinity walked into the backyard like she owned the place, her curvy frame moving with a confidence that made it hard to look away. She was wearing a fitted black dress that hugged her body in all the right places, her hair styled perfectly, and her makeup flawless. She was the kind of woman that commanded attention without even trying.

Joshua’s heart skipped a beat. He felt the pull again, the way he had felt that night in Miami. Only this time, it was stronger, more undeniable. He tried to calm his nerves, but it was hard when Divinity walked right up to him, her presence almost overwhelming.

“Well, well,” she said, her voice smooth but tinged with something playful. “Small world, huh?”

Joshua’s mouth went dry. “Yeah, too small,” he said, trying to sound casual, but his voice betrayed him.

Divinity smirked. “I didn’t expect this, but here we are.” Her eyes scanned him for a moment as if she was taking him in all over again, the way she had the first time.

The conversation felt strange at first—awkward almost, like two people who had once shared something private, only to have it thrust back into the public eye. They spoke in small bursts, light and easy, but there was an undeniable tension. Neither one of them could pretend they hadn’t been thinking about the other since that night in Miami. But neither was willing to address it, at least not directly.

As the afternoon wore on, the conversation shifted. The sun began to dip lower in the sky, casting a golden glow over the group. The food was laid out on the picnic tables, and everyone had gathered around, catching up, and reminiscing about old family stories. It felt almost like any other gathering until Divinity sidled up next to Joshua, leaning in just enough to make his pulse quicken.

“I heard you’ve been thinking about me,” she said, her voice low, barely a whisper between them.

Joshua swallowed hard, his heart hammering in his chest. He hadn’t been expecting her to be so direct. But then again, with Divinity, he should have known better.

“I didn’t think I’d ever see you again,” Joshua admitted, trying to keep his voice steady, though his body betrayed him.

“Well, we always seem to find each other, don’t we?” Divinity’s lips curled into a small smile, her eyes glinting with something he couldn’t quite place. It was playful, but there was an undercurrent to it—something he couldn’t ignore.

Before he could respond, Jonathan appeared beside them, his eyes flicking between the two of them with a raised eyebrow.

“Alright, lovebirds,” Jonathan teased his tone light but knowing. “Don’t make things awkward for the rest of us.”

Divinity chuckled, her laughter smooth and easy. “Relax, Jonathan,” she said, turning to face him. “I’m just getting to know the family better.”

Joshua glanced at Jonathan, who gave him a knowing look before nodding in acknowledgment.

As the day wore on, Joshua and Divinity seemed to drift further into their little world, talking and laughing, exchanging glances that no one else seemed to notice. There was a subtle tension between them, a silent understanding that neither of them had put into words. They didn’t need to. They knew what was happening. It was the kind of connection that didn’t need any explanations.

However, as the evening wore on, Joshua couldn’t shake the feeling that Divinity had an agenda. She was too deliberate in her actions, too confident in the way she carried herself. She wasn’t just here to get to know the people who her daughter was with all the time. She had a purpose, and Joshua wasn’t sure what that purpose was. But he knew one thing for certain: she was determined to get what she wanted.

Later that night, after most of the family had left, including Divinity and Jenova, Joshua and Jonathan lingered outside, sitting by the fire pit with a few of the other relatives. The conversation had turned to old stories, and for a while, everything felt comfortable again. But then Jonathan turned to him, his expression serious.

“So, what’s the deal with you and Divinity?” Jonathan asked bluntly. “Are you gonna make a move or just keep pretending like nothing happened?”

Joshua chuckled nervously. He didn’t want to admit how much he had been thinking about her, but there was no denying it. The connection was undeniable.

“I don’t know, man,” Joshua said, running a hand through his hair. “It’s complicated. It’s not just about what happened in Miami anymore. There’s more to it.”

Jonathan raised an eyebrow. “More to it? You mean you want to pursue her?”

Joshua’s silence answered the question for him. He didn’t know what he was feeling, but something about Divinity had sparked a fire in him that he couldn’t ignore. The woman was a force, and no matter how hard he tried to stay detached, he couldn’t deny that she made him feel things he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Meanwhile, Divinity was at her own house, lounging on the couch and scrolling through her phone. She had been waiting for a sign, a message from Joshua, something to indicate that he was just as interested as she was. She had made her intentions clear, but there was something about him that intrigued her. He wasn’t like the others.

She heard her phone buzz with a notification. When she glanced at it, her lips curved into a smile.

Uceyjucey started following you on Instagram.

Joshua had finally found her. Divinity felt a surge of excitement. It wasn’t just about the following, it was about the message it sent. He had been thinking about her, just as she had been thinking about him. This was the beginning of something, she could feel it.

“About time,” she muttered to herself, opening Joshua’s profile and scrolling through his photos. A smirk tugged at the corners of her lips as she saw the images of him, his confident stance, his strong features, and that undeniable charm.

She hit the follow button. Let the games begin.

When Joshua arrived home, he couldn’t help but grin when he saw Divinity’s name flash on his phone screen. It seemed she was on the same timing as him.

“Let’s do this,” he muttered to himself.

As he scrolled through her photos, he knew things were only going to get more complicated from here. But part of him didn’t mind. The tension between them had been building, and now, it was about to explode into something neither of them could predict.

Next: Chapter Two

[whetstonefires]

there was a post i saw a while ago, before i'd read the vorkosigan books, unfavorably comparing that conversation about Cordelia being simultaneously put in charge of the child-emperor's education and told she was Not Allowed In Politics (where they're like, do those old men realized what they've done lol????) to a much sadder character in I believe a piece of historical fiction?

who had the early upbringing of several boys, but ultimately no control over the sorts of men they grew to be, which was determined instead by the men in their lives and the expectations of the world, because that's the reality of what it means to be a woman in a patriarchal society etc etc.....

and the person found that conversation obnoxiously twee and smug and unrealistic on Bujold's part. a cult-of-women's-knowledge style second wave feminist historical revisionism of how gender roles and power interact. and i remembered this, because it was interesting and well-argued.

so it was really funny when i actually read that book and was like. hey. hang on. the person who wrote that meta post was wrong. they Did Not Get this scenario in a very crucial way; they were imposing their own expectations too hard.

because the key thing about Cordelia in this scenario is not that she is a Strong Female Character, who's going to subvert this society single-handed via the undervalued Feminine Power.

it's that she's foreign. she is from another planet with wildly different social values, ones significantly closer to the interstellar norm than those of barrayar.

and barrayar is a formerly closed society going through the ructions and convulsions of adapting itself to external influences from galactic society, of deciding what it will and will not allow itself, in terms of change, and whose expense those changes that do occur will come at, and so forth.

aral's brief as regent, the thing the last emperor broke and bridled him to achieve, is staving off the reactionary fascist era of Barrayaran history.

they were so close to eating themselves alive that way.

giving cordelia, his partner, an outspoken Betan with a strong personality and strong opinions, control over the education of the boy emperor, and therefore structuring how he is going to respond to the inevitable changes in their no longer static society, is a completely accidental surrender of vast amounts of future territory by the conservative wing to the progressive one.

because they were so fixated on gender and pushing people into gender roles as a form of control that they couldn't see the bigger picture.

[anghraine]

It's wild to me that I had heard of the prime Kirk/Spock content in various TOS episodes long before I saw them, but had never heard of what IMO is the shippiest moment of all thus far, in an interestingly O_o goddamn I do not want whatever you two have but you do you?? holy shit though what a moment way.

I'm of course referring to the otherwise rather mid episode "Requiem for Methuselah," in which Kirk has an underwritten love affair with a clueless woman whose various secrets have to be discovered before her inevitable death.

At one point in this relationship, her.......uh, guardian??? sort of???????? had Spock play the piano while she and Kirk waltzed, which (in-story) Spock did perfectly while somehow managing to silently exude even more intensity than usual. After the plot (and her life) were over, we end not with the usual cheerful bit of snark on the bridge that ends most episodes, but with a weary Kirk falling asleep with his head on his arms and Spock hovering not for away. McCoy exposits the last bit of detail and then goes on an unprompted and honestly pretty viciously racist speech about how Spock, unlike Kirk, will never suffer from the joys and travails of love because of his inherent lack of feeling as a Vulcan. The speech is longer than usual and just really mean-spirited as McCoy waxes rhapsodic about all the aspects of passionate true love that Spock will not and cannot experience as a Vulcan before he just leaves.

Spock then turns to look at Kirk, and now just bleeding intensity, takes a few slow, deliberate steps towards the sleeping Kirk, lays his hand against Kirk's cheek and neck, and then very obviously mind melds with the sleeping Kirk while murmuring, "Forget."

Is this healthy respectful behavior that honors Kirk's autonomy? No, obviously. Is it god-tier repressed homoerotic passion between two people who should probably just work their issues out and stop inflicting themselves on anyone else? Yes.

[annabelx420]

Fuck...iz what it iz

[tiny-bird-of-sunshine]

there is something so satisfying about two of the most famous and anticipated movies this year, that both broke box office records, both having a jewish protagnist. take that antisemites.

[zosonils-art]

working my way through the long list of robot masters who i really love but have never properly drawn. one billion transgender robots on planet earth o7

[my bomb uses she/her!]

[abisalli]

rewatching Justice League (the animated series) and thinking about Bruce's inner monologue and secret identity things <3