#and also learn that like...... that's an option????? you can do that?????

[gffa]

When it comes to Jedi discourse I think a lot depends on the amount of sympathy behind a statement there is. For example, "The Jedi have been corrupted by this war." is something Lucas has said, but it's in the context of how they were drawn into a trap, they were forced into roles that they were never meant to be, there's sympathy there for how the only choices here are shitty ones. "Do they compromise their morals (to fight in this war) or does everyone die and it's pointless anyway?" is basically what he said. I agree with that! But I have seen many people say, "The Jedi became corrupted by the war." and they mean it as the Jedi no longer cared about people, only themselves, they were only looking out for themselves, they were making selfish choices. There's no sympathy for the rock-and-a-hard-place situation the Jedi were in, and I disagree with that and I think that's what a lot of people are arguing back against. "They allied themselves with a corrupt government!" is another one--like, yeah, the Republic government wasn't great! But, when I say that the Separatists were worse, it's not because I'm refusing to admit the Republic had any fault, I'm saying it because that's basically the choice laid out in front of them--either you help the Republic or you let the Separatists take over, who were committing war crimes on screen. I do think the Jedi were hamstrung by their connection to the Republic! I just also think the alternative was worse, that the whole structure of Star Wars as a story was designed to hem them into this impossible choice (in as much as Star Wars is about the Jedi, when they're very much not the core of the story), that they couldn't find better options because the story wasn't set up to allow that. Could the Jedi have handled Anakin better? Ehhh, I think that's hard to say because the story itself doesn't present that, so making hard proclamations about what they did/didn't do wrong is reading into something the story didn't address. The story is about Anakin refusing to emotionally accept Jedi teachings--can we read beyond that and say there were ways the Jedi failed him? I think you can and some of them are fair (and some of them aren't), that it's a fun conversation to have, but that it's not what the narrative intention is, if we're talking about actual narrative intention. The narrative intention is that Anakin, though very human in his failings and Lucas clearly has so much affection for his Blorbo, failed to learn what he needed to learn. But there, too, I think a lot depends so much on how much sympathy comes across for the choices being made. I don't think we're meant to see Anakin as someone we can't relate to, Lucas even says that Anakin is a victim in TPM (of the Hutts and Watto, to be clear), I don't think criticism of Anakin can come without that he was trying, that he did genuinely love people. The ending of ROTJ doesn't work without us wanting for Anakin to find the good in himself! That we knew had to be there all along. So much comes down to how much sympathy there is in the criticism, how much sympathy there is for the reasons why any given character chooses the paths they do, and that's where a lot of disconnect comes from. So much Jedi criticism is done in the vein of saying, "They failed." and meaning it as an accusation of how a better choice was super obvious. But if you say, "They failed." in the sense that there was no way out of the trap that they could have possibly forseen, given the circumstances, that they did their best and they shouldn't have to be perfect to be good, then I'm all the way onboard! It's about how much sympathy there is for the context around a given character's choices and what the story allowed for them. I have no issue with saying the Jedi failed in the war, that they became corrupted by it, that their connection to the Republic led to their genocide, because I don't think the Jedi were bad for it, I think they made the best choices they could in the worst situation.

[itsagrimm]

Hey, Americans - you need to start learning foreign languages.

why? At this point - if you are staying in the US you need to have access to not just American news sources, ideally in a language that is not a primary concern of local censors. If you are leaving the US, you will have an easier time adjusting to a new environment by speaking with people in their native language. And while thanks to colonialism there are plenty of english speaking countries, you are limiting the places you can go if you are not able to communicate in another language other than English. Another aspect is your potential access to a different citizenship. Naturalisation may require knowing the language of the country you want to live in on a higher level. Fluency is not easily achieved and most people require years of practice. If you start now, there is a good chance you can do it. But if you never start, you never will. At last, if you are learning languages you will gain not just practical abilities and access. Learning languages requires learning about other cultures and norms other than your own. It can be an act of solidarity and deconstruction hegemony. It also requires emotional growth by learning how to deal with frustration over not learning as fast as expected and rediscovering your confidence in a different language. It will help you as a person.

I am aware that i sound like a duolingo advertisement. But you have everything to gain if you start today. not having options and being forced to stay where you are and rely on the limited sources that you have now, makes you extremely vulnerable. Do the linguistic education equivalent of tiktok users switching to xiaohongshu/Red note and give yourself the power to choose where you can be and what you can learn by picking up a language.

[butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway]

I am not EVERY autistic person so this probably won't be a total coverage approach, but here's what I have learned:

People like to feel that you pay attention to and remember little but important things about them. And when someone is "small-talking" with you, it is often because they either want to offer you some of that info about themselves, or they want to pearn it about you so they can "return the effort". I think of it a bit like call and response with my cats! They don't understand me, and I don't understand them, but when I walk into the kitchen each morning, Lup runs towards me excitedly making her tiny little squeaks and trills. That's kitty small-talk! Many words of all varieties just say "I love you! I missed you! I'm happy to be here with you today!"

So I answer her! Sometimes I mimic her little sounds, and other times I pretend we're gossiping like church ladies (*gasp* NO, you're KIDDING, he said THAT?? What a scandal!") But whichever I do Lup gets excited and continues her little "conversation" with me.

People are harder. I had to really take time and practice different ways of responding before I found appropriate "call and response" for small talk, but I found that there are genuinely more options than you'd think. And the same thing happened! As I learned how to "call and respond" to small talk, I found that people would excitedly approach me to have it, and gradually we got to know each other enough that the "calls" coming from both sides got less general, more tailored to our personal preferences and interests, and I didn't have to small talk as much (but when I did it wasn't as scary either)

This isn't just my personal theory either! A fair amount of research in interpersonal/social in-group dynamics suggests that "bids for attention" like small talk function in this way of call-and-response intimacy/connection building. I have found that a LOT of social etiquette gets less scary to navigate when I at least understand the function of it. It also gave me some understsnding of why people might be hurt when I visibly don't WANT to "respond" to a "call" they've made: I'm the same way about my "calls" I just use different ones! The way I feel when I ask someone "would you want to hang out with me in the kitchen while I make lunch?" (Sad, a little anxious or vulnerable, maybe hurt if they've said no to a LOT of recent calls, etc) is the same way others feel when I decline theirs! That doesn't change if it was MISSED rather than DECLINED, but it can be repaired! Ao another thing I've taken to doing is naming for people the calls I have learned I'm most likely to miss. I know I have a hard time understanding/recognizing small talk as a call to attention, so I let people know that! And generally the people I connect best with are the ones who notice I missed a call and offer me an explicit/direct opportunity to reject it before internalizing what I've done as a rejection. This isn't really an option for everyone! And while I'm always delighted when someone is compatible with me in that way, I don't get upset if they're not, and work to not take it personally as something I'm doing wrong either.

Anyway, this got rambly at the end there, but the point is, most social interactions have a FUNCTION and while being autistic frequently means that we struggle to learn and interact in these systems as they currently exist, but that doesn't necessarily mean that we don't also depend on those functions. I think it can be easy to forget that part of the "disabling" effects of social/communication symptoms in autism is how it cuts us off from systems of support, care, and human interconectedness (things we still NEED) and it can matter to our quality of life to be able to find compatible alternatives to fulfilling those functions even if the original mechanism (small talk in this case) doesn't suit us.

Being bad at small talk doesn't mean you don't need friends, but it will probably make it very hard to MAKE friends. And we each and all deserve to decide for ourselves what to do about that.

I'm trying to figure out a good way to say "you really should actually learn the basics of small talk" with sounding like I'm biased against autistic people.

[yuurei20]

Can you tell me about the teleportation magic? Does it need a potion, a huge magic reservoir? Are there any back lashes to it? Can anyone use it or there are conditions?

Hello hello! Thank you for this question! 🐊

Long post! Points below touch upon: ・What teleportation is in Twst ・Teleportation and limitations/pain ・Muti-person teleportation ・Telemancers ・Raverne

We might learn the most about teleportation magic in Twst from Baul:

He explains, "Teleportation magic works by converting the body--and mind, by extension--to aether, then reconstituting them at the destination. Such a process puts considerable strain on the sick and wounded."

This is why they were unable to teleport from the Citadel to Maleanor, as Lilia was too injured at the time to survive it.

There seems to be more risk to long-range teleportation than there is to short range, with even the injured Lilia managing teleportation from the outside of Maleanor's castle to the inside.

On EN Lilia says "Teleportation magic definitely hurts more when you're wounded" and I originally wrote so much about how interesting his use of "hurts more" is, implying that teleportation magic always causes some degree of pain that is exasperated when you are already hurt, but this is not true:

In the original game he simply says that teleportation magic hurts when you're wounded, not "hurts more," so it seems that it is usually a painless experience 📝

In addition to the backlash of using it when sick or wounded it seems that it is a dangerous option to take with things like unborn children, with Lilia's group having to physically walk from Maleanor's castle to Maleficia's due to teleportation putting egg-Malleus at too much risk.

At the time there was a bounty on the egg and they had to travel through territory flooded with enemies trying their best to kill them, and they still chose to struggle through rain and mountains while fighting for their lives at every turn as the safer option when compared to teleportation 📝

And another thing that came out of Book 7 was the teleporting of Sebek, Silver, Grim and the prefect!

So it seems that it might be possible to teleport mages that cannot teleport for themselves and even magicless people, although this was inside a dream where the rules of reality are not always followed very strictly.

It would maybe be best to wait until there is an in-game non-dream example of this happening, just to be safe, before calling it canonically possible!

While we do see Malleus instantly transport Silver in the real world, Malleus' limitations (or lack thereof) do not really apply to the average fae/mage, and this might not have been normal teleportation.

All the teleportation we have seen before/after this scene has included sparkling sounds and effects as is usually shown to represent the use of magic, but Malleus taking Silver with him to Diasomnia did not: it involved the green flames that seem to be unique to Malleus, and may have been a form of instantaneous transportation that only he can do rather than teleportation as we know it 📝

(Not guaranteed--it may have just been a more dramatic example of normal teleportation--nothing confirmed yet that I know of!)

The usual sparkling and sound effects are present for Malleus' transportation of the six other Housewardens to Diasomnia, including Idia in tablet form, implying that the magic did not interfere with their electronics.

And this may have been an example of "normal" teleportation? Except that Malleus says that he used it to link Diasomnia to the Mirror Chamber, so it was not focused so much on any particular individuals than it was two specific places, like a portal 📝

Is that normal for teleportation? Is it unique to Malleus? Curious~

It is also possible that Lilia/Baul themselves did not teleport the group in Book 7, but they were actually all teleported together via a third party: Telemancers.

After learning about the siege on Castle Wildrose Lilia calls for telemancers, with Baul ordering them to send everyone back except himself and those soldiers who were no longer standing.

And this asks so many questions:

・Do telemancers have to be fae? ・Does the existence of telemancers essentially prove that not all fae can teleport? Or is it just dangerous for multiple people to teleport to one location simultaneously, so telemancers are used in war so that soldiers do not get picked off by enemies in order of appearance? ・Can telemancers teleport themselves, or only others? ・If telemancers were who transported Lilia's group to Castle Wildrose, does that mean that teleporting others is something that most mages and/or fae cannot do? Is Malleus a special case? Would Lilia have been capable of doing so if he hadn't been injured at the time? ・Do telemancers do what Malleus did with the teleportation spell and connect two locations rather than focusing on who specifically is being transported, or are they only sending select individuals?

And the telemancer-teleportation from the Citadel is proven to be successful, which asks: why didn't they teleport to the Citadel in the first place?

There is the issue of mages disappearing when they tried to magically relocate to the Citadel before, but it seems that Raverne wasn't using teleportation when he disappeared--he was using flight magic!

If the problem with teleporting to the Citadel wasn't that people kept disappearing, then why didn't they--unless maybe teleportation does not work if it isn't to somewhere you have already been to before?

This hasn't been stated outright in the game (that I have been able to find), but it is another potential limitation to teleportation :>

I am not sure about the conditions of teleportation, if it is something that non-fae magic users are capable of at all, or if maybe it is limited to only exceptionally strong fae?

Sebek has a line where it sounds like he is impressed by Lilia's ability to teleport--are Malleus and Lilia the only fae he knows of who are capable of doing so? But this is all conjecture at this time :>

In Summary: ・I have not been able to find any reference to potions that make it possible to teleport ・There are backlashes to teleportation for the wounded, and it is considered too dangerous for the sick and unborn. ・As of this post I believe Malleus, Lilia and telemancers are maybe the only people we have seen capable of teleportation magic? This does not mean that they are definitively the only people in the universe capable of doing so, but if there is anyone else who can do it then they are keeping it to themselves 👀

[melaninfury]

MOVE

What is your next move in life. What will help you move on. Moving into a new environment or place. What is about to move in life for you.

Book a Full Reading

Tip Jar

Firstly this reading is for general guidance. Please do not use this as an excuse for medical needs. The point is to see if there is a message for you that is describing a present energy in your life.

Choose wisely.

Pile 1

Hello my pile one. So I first got a download. You need to move your ass, there needs to be more of your time and energy towards your career/finances. You e gotten a strike of clarity about a venture, something you may be learning or developing. Some of you here may be in school or thinking of going into education to work on a skill/craft. This is your sign to put some energy towards investing into yourself. You have some options on the horizon, I see some travel for you.

If some of my people here have been working on spirituality, you are being called to move some working if you know what I mean, lighting a candle or an actual ritual. I’m seeing there being some mindset shift for you pile one. If you have been stubborn or walking a comfortable path towards your goals, you will be put in a decision to set outside of your comfort zone towards a new opportunity. Move towards that new beginning. The path towards this new beginning that will appear for you will come after some contemplation and careful planning. You will strike gold of you move down a certain path. But the choice is yours how to get there. I see a move towards success but remember if you fail to plan you plan to fail. Success is not without clarity. You’ve gotten your answers and that may be different from what you expect but you must show up at this time.

Moving or making the move kinda feels out of place. Though you may feel as if you are walking through the dark it does not mean that you aren’t able to find your way. You must stop looking at yourself as the broken lamb in the road. You have some strong grounded power here. MOVE your legs like you have a journey to get finished. You might be an also going for a promotion or financial opportunity that will be successful once you invest the time and energy.

You need to move through your breakthrough. Something is going to be in your hands very soon do not drop it take it and face every fear. Focus attentively to your abundance and plan your next steps in silence. This is a time to move through your list of priorities. Don’t be afraid to have very high standards for yourself. And protect your ideas with pride and joy, lighten up on your journey also. Have joy in triumph. You are a student of life, you know your way even if you need to meditate to get to it. You may have an ally or some support to help you get through this time. Allow them to help remind you that you’re loved and capable. Believe in your strength. But go on and move towards you manifestation because it’s here. Prepare well to harvest in your abundance.

You got the 3 of pentacles twice. You may be involved in some sort of plan for a career idea of some sort of financial venture. That will be lucrative for you. With the emperor coming out I think there needs to be a sense of strong authority moving along this path. You could be healing from some dark childhood traumas, fears that can easily take over your mind and make you feel so blocked and blind. The task is to make the burden an opportunity. There is an illusion based out of fear that more burden will follow with the next steps you want to take. This leads to doubt, there is no more room for that unnecessary thought. One who is afraid of their past is afraid of their future and can’t understand who they are. Don’t weapons but prioritize making your shadow your friend. Fall in love with the joys of your inner child rather than the destruction. Don’t be afraid to be alone on a journey of self you are not a deep dark abyss you are a deep person with depth and that includes joy. Work with all parts of yourself including the part that seems so silly in joy and innocence. Protect and nurture yourself.

Side note you are very protected spiritually. And you protect yourself fiercely maybe to much because when the threat is different the red scary lights your not able to see. The people you keep around you that seem like they can’t grow will never be able to water your garden. Yon may have a family member or two you need some boundaries and a vacay from don’t feel guilty or burn yourself out because you love or feel connected to someone, don’t burden yourself you have enough to figure out for yourself. Take a vacation or relax with yourself away from things that are draining. But you are protected and very strong person.

Want to know more of what’s next? Tap in ❤️

Pile 2

Welcome to your reading pile 2. Okay so this is such a lovely message to relay, you have been waiting a very long time for this moment. You are such a beautiful spirit and soul my pile twos. You love wholeheartedly and your energy never fails to find joy in a room. Some of you here have a soulmate, a person that is more to a just a friend. Not only a support but a confidant. You are about to establish a plan for your future. You may have or be contemplating what options you have or defining the vision for your future. I’m here to tell you are moving into your dream.

Whether the soulmate here is a path of self discovery, a beautiful partnership or a wish fulfilled…maybe all three it is a perfectly crafted moment of unity. Love.

A good amount of you will be moving into a long term commitment, a more official…cause of celebration. This thing that will be moving into your life will be coming at your pace…like the fool that jumps off the cliff it is there to meet you halfway in the air for an embrace. Your emotional fulfillment this year will solidify to a capacity that makes your life feel like a home. One you love opening the door to everyday.

You will move into a new stage of community with your family and ancestors. Life will move you quickly and joyfully into territories you have never really seen before. You will delight with adventure into this next stage of life. Success in life is more than a moment or a material it is truly having the things you need around you.

I see a relationship no matter the kind but you will have a soul family member entering your life very soon mutual respect and commitment. If this is a lover they will work for that happiness and spark with you. You will want to engage and thrive with them. Whatever work you do have in career or opportunity with shine as a nice stepping stone to your financial prosperity. You will be fulfilled sexually with them also. But alas before we get juicy let’s get into shall we.

You need to get yourself together before you can truly enjoy this though. The task for you is to free yourself and pay attention. The fog and the walking through the fire with your eyes closed is not gonna cut it this time. You have to release in order to truly let go and only then can there be room for more. Be careful letting finances and career influence your love life in a negative way. Nothing should be in your way and if it is it’s really you. Don’t move to slow but take your time. Trust and have faith in your situation. You cannot walk around feeling hopeless because of the past or the things around you. You move yourself out of places that don’t make you happy. I got a warning here that some of y’all here need to take heed to two faced people around you if you think they are going to ride with you on this journey you are mistaken. You have some envy eyes around you that seek to tank and get close to you inner circle, they seek to take and control how you feel about this person coming in. Be careful who you call a friend and truly evaluate who you have around you. Two faces means one see the truth of who they are not the illusion and that includes the life you tell yourself. Faith without work is dead. Hope is nothing if you can’t truly be sincere.

What you lose at this time may be in the cards a divine intervention for your greater good release the things that have to go with grace and healing. Mourn but let go.

You have a soulmate coming in and that doesn’t mean anything but someone is out there for you and with you. Don’t think you are all alone nor things will stay the same. Shedding skin is more painful than washing the dirt off. Free yourself and take back control in your life.

Yeah no more happy stuff until you address the elephant in the room is funny how your reading started showing the future and quickly revealed the smoke clearly and truth of how your living in the past. Move on the time is here.

Want to know how to move on? Tap in ❤️

Pile 3

Hi pile 3 let’s get into your reading. You need to move your priorities for the top of the list. Be very careful indulging at this time. You are about to have a test of your boundaries and mindset. You will have an opportunity to choose to free yourself for a proper new beginning. But you and I both know it’s work that you fear. Part of you in this pile need to move out the way and let what needs to be destroyed be done. The key to how you need to move is to have strength to recover from disappointment and stagnancy. Choose the discipline of self and healing over choosing a dead end road. The key here is move on your path not a path laid out for you but you must learn to listen to your inner guidance. You might need to go back home or turn to your family for guidance at this time. You must stop procrastinating your moves to a better future. I’m seeing there are some heart to heart conversation about your life you need to start having with yourself. Make the effort towards your goals because you can.

There is a need to be more practical. How are you valuing your time? Because now is the move towards priotiies and patience. You need to have patience and stop trying to rush past the finish line. Your only slowing yourself further start with things outside of what your hyper focusing on. No matter how hopeless you feel and blocked there is another way you are not seeing. You can move past this situation but something must be released. You got the death card also so there is skeletons in the closet that will never just go away. You must sacrifice in order to grow. Something here is also being looked at very naively and foolishly stop that. You know the right way even if it’s not the way you want.

Don’t fret it’s a matter of healing and cleansing. It’s not as big as it feels know that. They want you to move towards the direction of self care and healing. Patience and endurance for a while is what’s best for you. You have an option or two on the horizon that will bring some newness to the situation. You have a big heart but it’s time to take a look at your emotional investments as to why you don’t feel fulfilled. Because all you wish for and want is on the horizon if you just move the swords in your heart out of the way. Trust that you can heal and move forward and you will pile 3. Close this cycle after some pondering and watch your life change for the better. There is a new beginning here and some of you could actually be pregnant so if that’s something you know of you need to be very strict with your boundaries and your family life. You have a deep heart use it for good not to do good. Because not everybody deserves that heart ❤️. Invest into your mind body and spirit as you are. You’re growing more beautiful and graceful by the day. Allow the inside to reflect the outside. You are not alone you are feeling the ache of needing comfort. Put into yourself as if your cup was empty and don’t hold back. Your naive touch is also a true source of your joyful yet expressive inner child who is very much active in your energy right now. You may need to show some deep love to yourself and show how much you love you right now. Make the move to grow emotionally and spiritually. The move is moving on to better. Heal.

Want to know how to grow? Tap in ❤️

Pile 4

My pile 4 welcome to your reading. I hate moving for you…well let’s see the one thing you’ve been fighting to stay. You have pushed and you have dragged on a while in this mindset of it’s what I want so it’s mine. Now things are going to move out of your life and show you that it’s a sacrifice for self not a sacrifice that loses self. Your Latinos because you’ve already know you made a decision that left you juggling while on one foot. Your feeling lost and blocked and that because what path are you trying to walk that’s not your own. Some of you here are seeing someone that is not yours whether your aware or not is a question only you can answer but there is an act that is lustful yet hopeless and your feeding it. Why. I think you really want to feel something even if it can’t be what you want and that not the ways you should treat yourself.

Whether you are with this person or not they are someone you’ve already made a judgment call on. It’s something that will selfishly lead to pain. Choosing something that is not good for you is selfish to a part of you that want to be better. Now is not the best thing to do you. It’s a time to let things move through you the pain, the discomfort, the trivial feelings all of it and after it passes you pick up the pieces. I need you to move into a place of PAUSE and reflection. Cause you’ve been told this before sit down somewhere and focus instead of trying to rush everything forward or focus on shit that doesn’t matter in the future.

With the way your going now and I tell you your walking into a while lie whatever it is, there is hidden yet anterior motives involved here and it has to do with a man I ebekiev or some type of strong emotional attac that bring you a lot of passion/energy/rush. You’ve blocked the soulmate and the proper energy chasing something else allow this to play out so you can actually get to a place to be happy. You’ve blocked and need to nurture your masculine energy. Not give it to other masculine energies.

Something you’ve ignored or looked past will return. You will be moved by a strike of clarity or information and it will push you to stand up for yourself and make a proper decision. You’re stepping into confrontation while also trying to avoid it or at least you should because it’s going to cost you in ways if you do not allow the tower to fall. You will find whatever you’re looking for once you let it go. There is a move here towards a shift in mindset and true stability. You need to have more heart for the people that love you and spend time with friends allow the real ones to be there. There’s a direction here for you that if you take it this upheaval can be calmer and more stable on the other side. With justice and the 8 of wants you know the right way or at least the start you must let the right things move on by so you can see that. I don’t think you should make any rash decisions right now now is just not the best time to do you it may not end so well. Meditate and get a deeper reading for clarity but as for now I would say focus on the small things like what your consuming, what are you nurturing in your mind and how your feeding your emotions and space.

This new start is more of an uncomfortable place but it serves you more than you know. Once you get over the pain or disappointment.Focus on the right things pour into the right things and it will come back to you. You have to take charge of it and be more independent and solution based. The problems are just that problems let them go and fix what you can because you don’t have all bad here it’s more of a good ole transmutation. You need to breathe and let go take some time to recharge your energy. Be very careful what you wish for, work on your healing and mental health. It’s all about you and your betterment from here what doesn’t not fit, allow it to move out the way.

Want to know more about your journey? Tap in ❤️

Alright y’all that’s the reading for this one don’t forget to check out the paid readings I offer for a more in depth one on one session here!

Much love ❤️

[flawssy-227]

Fogwell’s pt.1 Matt murdock x f!reader

pairing: College!matt murdock x fem!reader

a/n: this is a repost from almost THREE years ago on my old blog! since the new daredevil is coming out soon... maybe I'll revisit my favorite hell's kitchen baby boy.

I will always do my best to leave the reader description as vague as possible (albeit female, but I am a woc, so will also always have woc in mind in my writing)

WC: 1.3k

Warnings: mention of beer, language

You remembered the first time you met him.

It was a Sunday at Fogwell’s, the gym was closed except for a private training session you had held earlier, some women from a hair salon in Hell’s Kitchen wanting to learn self defense.

You heard the little bell chime above the front door that signaled someone was coming in.

“We’re closed,” you called out without turning around. You were preoccupied with taking off your hand wraps as you heard him tentatively tap his way into the gym.

“Oh, sorry,” he started. “I was hoping I could speak with the owner.”

“You’re lookin’ at her,” you stated definitively. You took in his appearance, tall, somewhat built, a slight blush crossing his cheeks, and stubble you almost wanted to reach out and run your fingers across. He was cute you thought, as you tried searching his eyes before realizing they were pointed downward, a walking stick clutched tightly in his hands. “What can I help you with?”

“You don’t sound like the owner of a boxing gym in the middle of Hell’s Kitchen,” the man cocked his head to the side with a small smirk.

You scoffed a bit. “It’s my uncle’s gym, but he is on an extended vacation in Florida. Till he comes back, if he comes back, I’m the owner-operator,” you stated matter of factly. “You gonna question me or tell me what you want?” you said as you finished unwinding your hand wraps.

His small smirk extended into a full grin as he took a step closer to you and extended his hand for you to shake. “I’m Matt. I uh, I wanted to see if I could train here?”

You shook his hand, large and warm in yours. “Yeah, sure. We have open gym from 11-4, Monday through Saturday, kickboxing classes during the week at 5, boxing after that…” you trailed off. “What are you looking for?”

“Something more… private, actually.”

Now it was your turn to cock your head questioningly. As if he could feel it, he started speaking again.

“Even though I’m blind, I can feel people watching me. I know they’re wondering what someone like me is doing at a boxing gym, but I don’t need the judgement or little comments they make that they think I can’t hear. Plus my dad used to box here, way back in the day. I just want to be able to train in peace, privately. After hours?” he explained.

“After hours?” 

“Just a couple of days a week. I’ll stay out of your way. I promise.”

There was sincerity in his voice as you weighed your options. He seemed perfectly nice, innocent even. You usually stayed late in the gym most nights anyway, either looking over Fogwell’s books or training by yourself. Matt training after hours wouldn’t really impact you either way, plus, if you were being honest, you could use all the extra help financially.

“I’ll tell you what, you can stay today. I’ll be in the office, working on some things. Use the gym, do whatever you want, and I’ll make a decision after. Does that sound fair?”

Matt nodded his head, still clutching his walking stick. “Thank you, I really appreciate it.”

“No worries, Matt.” You began walking your way back to your office before turning around again. “You’re a Murdock, right?”

Matt was in the middle of unzipping his jacket when he turned to look back at you quizzically. 

“You said your dad trained here. It was Jack, right? Jack Murdock?”

He slowly nodded back at you. 

You walked backward to your office, taking in the man in front of you. “Nice to meet you, Murdock.”

That was about 5 weeks ago, and Matt had been making regular appearances in your gym ever since. He would show up after hours a few times during the week and on weekends, sometimes giving you a call and begging, pleading you to come back and unlock the gym for him. You always would, knowing he would slip you a few extra dollars or bring you a 6-pack of beer to show his gratitude. You knew it wasn’t the only reason you would go out of your way to let Matt into Fogwell’s, but he didn’t have to know that.

You had a quickly developing crush on him. He was sweet, kind, and smart. Not hard to look at, either. He would flirt with you sometimes too, you were sure of it. Complimenting your perfume, praising your generosity. Sometimes you felt like he could read your mind, calling out your name or coming into the office every time you would daydream about him. You would always ask him to stay later when he brought you beer, too. Sometimes he would, and you two would spend an extra hour sitting around and talking about life. You really began to look forward to his calls, feeling a little lonely if you didn’t hear from him for a couple of days. 

There were other reasons you wanted to see him, too. He would do things, when he thought you weren’t paying attention. Things that made you question how much his disability really affected him. So, when he gave you a call at 9 PM on a Saturday, begging, no, pleading you to open up the gym for him, you immediately said yes.

He was waiting for you at the front door, body perking up as he heard you approaching.

“You got here fast,” he said.

“Murdock, you know I live upstairs.”

“I know, I know. I’m just surprised you didn’t have plans. It is Saturday, after all.”

You scoffed as you held the door open for him. “Here to make me feel bad or to train?”

He laughed as he made himself comfortable in the gym. He took off his hoodie and you made a sharp inhale at his toned stomach. Was it just you, or was he getting ripped?

“Can I ask you a question?” you asked, walking toward the ring in the center of the gym.

“Sure,” he said, rolling his neck and shaking out his muscles.

“You ever think about getting in the ring?” You hopped up onto the platform and lowered the middle rope to climb in.

Matt looked at you, a smile tugging on his lips. “Can’t say that I have. Might not be easy for me to see who I’m fighting, on account of the no seeing thing.”

“Humor me,” you said, trying to take a slow deep breath as the shirtless man made his way toward you.

Matt walked to the ring, reaching his hand out to feel for the platform before climbing into it himself.

You slowly walked around the ring while Matt stayed close to the ropes, trying to decide the best way to approach your theory.

“I’ve been watching you these past few weeks,” you started, centering yourself directly across from him.

His eyebrows quirked up at your confession. “Oh?”

You nodded your head. “You’d probably be a tough opponent. Natural ability, a lot of fight in you.”

Matt’s smile grew bigger, his chest puffing out slightly at your compliment. He was clearly about to make some clever, flirty remark back at you, as he always did, but you took advantage of his distracted state and slid your keys out of your pocket, throwing them straight at his head.

You watched as his brows furrowed, only slightly, his head popping straight up. You don’t know it, but Matt feels the breeze shift in the gym when your arm quickly moves to throw the keys, he smells your deodorant, the fragrance being released because of the little bits of friction caused by your movement, and he tastes the metallic of the keys as they fly through the air.

You weren’t sure what you were expecting. You had a feeling, but you were still surprised to see Matt clutching your keys directly in front of his eyes. He looks at you, eyes pointed slightly downward, a devilish smirk plastered on his face, knowing you caught him.

“I fucking knew it!”

would you guys like more Matt? I have a very very old angsty wip that I'm tempted to finish if anybody is interested!

[i-am-a-bad-influence-writes]

What car would they drive?

Masterlist

Author's note: I saw someone on TikTok do this and it was Sylus with a red Lambo, Rafayel with a Masserati, Zayne with a Mercedes, Caleb with some kind of off roading car, and Xavier with a Fiat Panda. I slightly disagree. Here's what I think as someone who loves classic cars. These are also just my opinions, they're not canon at all.

∘₊✧───────────────────────────────────────✧₊∘

Zayne

2019 Volvo S60 T6 4-door 4wd, no questions asked.

Why? It is widely considered one of the savest cars on the market while still looking cool as hell. If there's anything I think Zayne would want in his car, it's safety and quality. Volvo has both. It is also a semi-automatic, so he can use it as an automatic but I feel like Zayne would like the extra control of changing gears at certain times.

∘₊✧───────────────────────────────────────✧₊∘

Xavier

Okay, so I get why this person said he would drive a Fiat Panda. He's sweet and all that, but we all know he's a lot darker behind closed doors. Which is why I feel like he would drive a very nice, very unique car.

This is a Maserati Ghibli 4.7. For this one I'd really like to hear if others agree with me, but I do think he would be part of some classic car club. Other than Sylus and Rafayel, he would actually like the quirks that come with owning a classic car. I feel like he would like tinkering with it.

∘₊✧───────────────────────────────────────✧₊∘

Rafayel

See, there's two ways this could go. We all know Rafayel is a drama queen, so I think he would drive at least two cars. One for drama and one for convenience.

The drama car, in my opinion, is definitely a Chevrolet Bel Air 1957, specifically in the pink as on the picture below. This is a car that screams drama. It's a classic and pretty old, so he would probably have it upgraded cause he can't deal with the engine problems that come with owning classic cars but he likes the look.

For day to day he drives an Opel Mocca. Why an Opel Mocca? Well, I am learning how to drive in an Opel Mocca and that thing is smooth as butter, very forgiving, and a very nice car with very simple luxuries that make driving very fun. Yes, I added in that it's forgiving because I doubt that Rafayel is a good driver. Also, don't ask me why, but I think he wouldn't drive the electric version. I feel he would just drive a diesel, which also gives a lil more drama cause it has 6 gears.

∘₊✧───────────────────────────────────────✧₊∘

Sylus

Lamborghini Espada Series 3

A beautiful classic car from 1973, the last of the espada series. Luxurious leather seats, luxurious Italian design, the most Bond-esque car there is. I will die on this hill. I mean it. He would, however, probably upgrade it insanely well. Bulletproof windows, upgraded engine, etc. This car is already insane as is, but you best believe this man has it in mint condition. Maybe even has a backup. Tell me you can't imagine Sylus driving this. That's right, you can't.

Also drives a Fiat Dino Coupé 2400 when he's in Linkon. Not to blend in or anything, the Espada is just fucking huge and the Dino is a little smaller. Why not to blend in? The Dino is a lovechild of Fiat and Ferrari. It has a Ferrari engine and you can hear it.

∘₊✧───────────────────────────────────────✧₊∘

Caleb

Listen. Me personally. I think Caleb is probably a great pilot. Maybe even on of the best. He has many great qualities, but...

He can't drive.

Doesn't have a license. Also, as a colonel, he gets driven around everywhere so it doesn't matter at all.

If he could drive, I have two options. First, as our childhood friend he would drive a beat up Peugeot 205. You cannot tell me this silly little car doesn't fit him perfectly.

Then, after the whole ordeal, he would drive a BMW e32. Why? It is practically the perfect mob car. It has an outline for a gun in a hidden compartment by the driver's side, bulletproof glass, and another hidden compartment between the two backseats that is controlled with a switch. Oh, and it has a screen where you can watch movies in the back. I think they used to be used as presidential cars or something because some of them still have attachments on the side for flagpoles so it would fit his whole vibe.

∘₊✧───────────────────────────────────────✧₊∘

[cavegirlpoems]

They Think Empathy Is A Sin Because They Worship Satan, Literally, Not Metaphorically: an esay.

OK so. I am going to do something inadvisable and make a lengthy post about something other than game design, because I can and I want to.

It's a long one. Like, extremely long. So, to avoid "Do you like the colour of the sky [gone quaker, gone tolstoy, christian anarchist edition]", here's a convenient break so you can scroll past if lengthy religious diatribes aren't your thing.

To begin with, some baselines. I am writing from a Christian perspective. More specifically, I would describe myself as a Liberal Quaker. To me, at least, this involves Christianity as a communal mystical practice, with unprogrammed worship (IE no clergy) and an entirely flat religious heirarchy. Values associated with this branch of religion include honesty, charity, humility and peace.

I adopted Quakerism as a religious framework because it was the one that worked for me. I was raised in, and still live in, a culturally Christian society; as such, Christianity provided a religious framework of symbols and meanings that I was culturally fluent with, whereas other faiths would have required a steeper learning curve since I lack that baseline familiarity. That said, I try to study and understand other religions: I would say that what I've learned of Islam and Budhism - while I'm far from an expert - have been valuable to me.

Politically, I lean hard to the left and hard towards anarchy/libertarianism. I would describe my politics as antifascist first, and then largely anarcho-communist after that, but I'm a pretty big-tent progressive. I'm also a british trans woman who keeps ending up voting Lib Dem for lack of better options, if that gives you any context.

Now, let's define some terms as I understand them and intend to use them. These are all metaphors or symbols, that we can use poetically to better articulate certain ideas. I use Christian imagery here, because that's what I'm fluent with; if I was instead fluent with Jewish or Daoist or some other religious culture, I'd be expressing my ideas with those symbols instead. So.

God: A manifestation/personification/symbol of absolute perfect goodness. God is Love. That is God is absolute unconditional love for all of creation.

Jesus/Christ: Jesus is a representation of God's love for us humans taking tangible effect. Jesus is a sacrifice God made on our behalf to rescue us from Sin. Jesus is inspired by the historical figure Yeshua of Nazareth, a 1st-century Jewish religious thinker who was quite popular and then executed by the Roman occupation.

Sin/Original Sin: Sin is simple, it's when we do bad things that hurt people. Since God loves all of us and doesn't want us hurt, God doesn't want us to Sin. Original sin is part of us; the fact that we are capable of Sinning simply because we're human.

Satan/The Devil: Satan is the force that urges us to Sin.

Heaven/Paradise: A state of goodness, where - since we have escaped sin and embraced God's wishes for us, we do not suffer.

Hell/Damnation: The state of rejecting God and personally embracing Sin, and therefore suffering.

When I talk about these things, I do not mean them in the literaly sense that a fundamentalist might. I do not believe that there is an actual literal guy called Satan who is red with stylish little horns and a goattee who spends all day tempting people and poking dead souls with a pitchfork.

Rather, these are social constructs. By way of analogy, gender and money are social constructs; they're concepts that have no inherent existence in a world that's ultimately just atoms and energy in a vacuum, but because we believe in them and lend them social weight, they gain power in our lives. In the same way the concepts of God, Satan, Sin, etc clearly effect the world. Saying 'Sin' isn't real is like saying your bank account isn't real; it has a tangible effect on the world, so it's useful to discuss it.

Does this mean that I think God, Sin, etc are just made up arbitrary symbols? No. I happen to believe in them. I happen to actively choose to believe in them, because I want to invest them with meaning in my life. This is why it's called 'faith' and not 'rational observation'. But even if they were purely arbitrary ideas, then I think that - like other purely arbitrary ideas such as 'human rights' and 'love' - they're worth believing in anyway.

Lastly, the Bible. I like the bible. It's an old historical text with some incredibly beautiful writing in it, that conveys some potent and meaningful messages. It is very obviously not an account of literal fact, but interpreted through a lens of metaphor or poetry it has a lot to teach. Not everything in it is perfect - it's a historical text that has been translated and retranslated repeatedly - but IMHO you can get a lot out of it, and its writers were, as a general rule, onto something.

You will notice that these ideas are wildly counter to the culturally conservative evangelical christian mainstream. They are, however, entirely unremarkable within the framework of liberal theology.

OK. These should be our base assumptions going in. Perhaps you disagree with them; if so, that's nice for you, but here I'm describing my worldview, not prescribing what yours should be.

It is perhaps notable that I've got this far in and only just finished defining my terms.

SO.

I have observed in the past that there are - effectively - two different, largely incompatible, religions both called Christianity. On the one hand, we have what I believe in, a belief structure that champions such virtues as mercy, forgiveness, peace and humility. On the other hand, we have the mainstream conservative evangelical christian right; this version of christianity values things like obedience, authority and (most of all) punishment.

These are fundamentally incompatible belief structures. As a stark illustration of this, consider what these two christianities want for wrongdoers. One branch wants them to repent, atone and be forgiven. The other wants them to be punished and suffer for their transgressions.

I am going to differentiate between these two beliefs. Because it's my essay and I'm on my side, I will call my beliefs Christianity, and the other side Christian Fascism.

I would argue that my values are more fundamental to the underlying message of Christianity (as derived from the teachings of that guy Yeshua I mentioned) than the other approach. In no particular order:

we have the parable of the prodigal son. Here, Yeshua teaches his followers that when somebody fucks up and then changes their mind, this is to be celebrated and they are to be welcomed back. The message of reconciliation and forgiveness is obvious.

we have the parable of the good samaritan. Again, the message is clear: we must seek to do right by even our enemies.

there are many other stories and teachings attributed to Yeshua with similar messages. Forgiveness and redemption are constant themes in his teachings. He praises the humble and the downtrodden consistently.

However, most importantly, we have the central facet of Christianity itself; the crucifixion. What happens here, and why?

God comes to earth as Jesus, and - after spreading his message described above - is publicly tortured to death in one of the most horrific execution methods available at the time. This sacrifice is made, knowingly, to absolve humanity of Sin. All of humanity. No exceptions. God loves us, He wants us to be forgiven when we sin, so he suffers and dies for us to offer us a way out.

It's right there. John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." God loves the entire world so much that He made this sacrifice, so that whoever wants it can be saved. No exceptions. Whoever you are, God loves you, and sent Jesus so you can be saved if you want it.

This is the single central pillar on which the entire rest of Christianity is built.

So, yes. The 'no true scotsman' argument gets used in discussions around Christianity, but in this instance I firmly believe that it is, in fact, possible to say that somebody is doing Christianity wrong, because the central message of Christianity stands for something (mercy, redemption, charity, etc) and when somebody acts in opposition to that, then whatever they are doing is not christian.

(an analogy: suppose somebody called themselves a communist, but in practice they voted for right-wing parties, assisted the owning-class over the class interests of the workers, espoused anti-communist rhetoric, and never did anything communist. They could claim all they want: the truth remains that they are failing to be a communist through their actual behaviour. likewise any other set of principles).

So. Christianity is not Christian Fascism. Christian Fascism is, instead, fascism wearing christianity as a disguise. They are not, meaningfully, christian, they just want you to think they are. They might believe it themselves, even.

Another example: terfs. Terfs are transphobic bigots who appropriate the name of feminism to advance their transphobic agendas. They want you to believe they're feminists. They might believe they're feminists themselves. But the things they say, and do, and seem to believe are profoundly unfeminist, and feminism as a movement has a duty to reject them. That terfs wear the mask of feminism doesn't discredit the actual feminist movement.

It's idealogical parasitism. Hollowing out one ideology and wearing its skin to advance the agenda of a different, opposing ideology.

Fascists do this a lot because the actual things they want are straightforwardly evil, and being evil on purpose tends not to be popular until you're, like, super indoctrinated, so they use appropriate the language of other movements as a trojan horse.

To my mind, there is a fairly simple litmus test for these things. There are two groups in the Bible that we are repeatedly, consistently, unequivocably told to treat well. One is Widows. The other is Refugees. These two groups were hilighted by the writers for a reason; they're vulnerable demographics with fewer social connections to support themselves, who can easily be neglected or actively victimised by a society that doesn't make an active choice to support them. When Yeshua says "Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me", they are 'the least of these'.

Luckily, widows are not in the modern day at the centre of a huge culture war. Refugees, however?

So. A good litmus test. How somebody believes we should treat refugees, and immigrants more broadly. The message of the Bible is consistently to help foreigners who come to your country, to provide for them and help them settle. Jesus doesn't make any exceptions about visas or 'legal immigration' or contributing to the economy. He tells you in no uncertain terms that you must help refugees, always, every time. If you disagree with that... you're not a Christian, you're a Fascist appropriating Christianity.

(There is a massive discussion that could go here about the bible's position on sexuality, queerness, divorce, etc etc. I cannot be bothered with all that. The christian-fascist reading of these verses tends to get the most visibility, because the translations of the bible with the most visibility leaned into these interpretations. there are other interpretations and other translations that don't have these problems. I could go into more detail, but I have better things to discuss. Two key points:

the bible was written in societies where the family was incredibly reliant - socially and economically - on the husband's support. If the husband casts aside his wife and family, or stops giving a shit about them, they're totally fucked. This is the same society where 'do not let widowed women starve if they no longer have a husband to support them' is reiterated constantly. So, many admonishments against adultery etc should be read in this light: your family rely on you, do not abandon them. Many other passages - eg sodom & gomorrough - are likewise condemnation of things like sexual abuse.

more importantly, remember, the central message of christianity is one of absolute universal love so powerful that Jesus personally sacrificed himself to save us. All of us. 'The world' that God loved includes the gays and the divorcees etc. That central message takes precedent over any edge-case reading you might find that suggests that God's love has exceptions.)

There is an asymetry in public discussions of christianity (and, I think, religion more broadly).

If you have a set of beliefs that value everybody's intrinsic worth, that values considers charity and mercy good, that tells you to embrace foreigners and outgroups more generally, you will tend to the left. You will tend to adopt other left-wing ideas alongside it. Among these are ideas like cultural sensitivity, inclusivity, etc. If you believe Jesus commands you to embrace foreigners, then you will do your best not to reject them or their practices, even if they practice a different religion to you. This is doubled when christianity is a culturally hegemonic force, and you wish to do right by the meek and the humble who are being oppressed (often by that hegemonic force of christianity).

What this means is that on the left - where those following the message of Christianity properly should end up - there is an understanding that making explicitely Christian arguments is alienating and disrespectful to those you should have solidarity with. So, as a result of following (Christian) moral principles, the leftist Christian will generally not express their principles in explicitely religious terms, even when they could do so.

Not so on the right. The right doesn't have a problem with making the outgroup feel alienated or disrespecting them. Often, it quite likes this. So, they will use christian language to express their ideas.

So, even if both sides are balanced in numbers - heck, even if the christian fascists are significantly in the minority - the majority of people being vocally christian will be the christian fascists. And this presentation will reinforce the issue.

If this pattern continues within christian circles as well as in public forums - and it does in my experience - then this likewise gives the christian fascists a dispropportionate influence over what christianity becomes. So, it becomes important that in internal discussions, christian fascism be vocally opposed, and opposed in explicitely religious terms.

The fascists are not doing christianity. They do not speak for christianity, and they are not representative of the entirety of christianity. Their hollowing-out-and-puppetting of christianity to promote evil is itself an act of evil; people like this are why we have the word blasphemy.

Seeing somebody spewing hatred that results in actual, material harm to actual, real vulnerable people, and claiming that this is done in the name of Christ, is a profoundly horrific and perverse thing. It makes me feel ill to witness it.

(A further thought: traditionally, Christianity has held that Salvation is through both belief and works. That you must not only want salvation, you must act on it - which is to say, be a good person. If you claim to be saved but continue to willfully sin, that isn't good enough. So, christianity is what you do, not just how you label yourself. There is a correlation between discarding the belief in salvation by works, and christian fascism. John Calvin's spanner remains in the works to this day).

A thought on Idolatory. What is idolatory? In my view, the treatement of a man-made, worldly thing with the same reverence as holy things. If there is an object or symbol that represents a worldly, human thing that you insist must be treated with reverence and ceremony - as if it was holy - then you have made an idol of that thing.

You know, when I first learned about the way americans treat their flag, I was horrified. Because that flag is an idol. It is so obviously and clearly an idol, and yet. And yet.

Patriotism and nationalism - the revering of the state - is idolatory.

The way we fetishise cops and the military is idolatory.

Even discounting that these symbols are things that do horrific evil as their stated goals, you have taken a human thing - a political body - and treated it like its sacred.

When we consider that an Idol can be a concept or a structure, and not just a literal graven image, we start to see idolatory everywhere on the political right. This is, after all, the entire concept of 'civil religion'. The american founding fathers are not saints, the american constitution is not a holy text, and the american flag is not a holy relic, and the treatment of these things like they are is obvious and flagrant idolatory.

Read up on Tolstoy's thoughts on christian anarchism, as a logical end point of these ideas.

A little diversion on the Antichrist. I dont think Revelations is a literal predictive prophecy, I think it's a warning. It describes - through poetic and symbolic language - pitfalls the faithful might encounter, and encourages them to stand firm against them, and promises that however dire things get, good will triumph over evil in the end. It says 'things will get bad, here are some specific ways they might get bad, but you should hold onto hope'.

Who is the Antichrist in this text? It describes a type of person. Somebody wealthy and politically powerful, who achieves a position of global power and unifies disparate nations under his banner. He isn't christian, but he makes a pretence at piety and convinces the masses to treat him as a religious figure, even as he perverts and distorts religion towards his own hateful ends. He's supported by powerful cultural entities, and combined with his charisma this makes his ascent to power seem inevitable. He is utterly, utterly evil, but he also has really powerful branding that people willingly adopt. He will rise to power in a time of turmoil, sickness and widespread disasters.

Remind you of anybody?

His mark goes on the forehead and the right hand. The red maga hat, and the roman salute. I know I'm doing a paradoelia here, but surely I'm not the only one seeing this shape in the inkblots?

In times like these, I keep coming back to Revelations, and its message that even though things will get really bad, there is always hope, and God's love wins out in the end.

So. The christian fascists are not doing Christianity. They are not following Christ's agenda, which is one of universal love, mercy, and redemption. So, what are they doing, and whose agenda are they serving?

I think you see where this argument is going.

I have not discussed Satan much yet, because while I'm cogniscent of Satan's influence, my faith focusses on Christ; on mercy and redemption and fundamentally goodness rather than evil. But discussing satan becomes pertinent.

Satan is not simply a red guy with a goatee scheming to take over the world like Bible-Skeletor. Indeed, satan is not really a 'guy' at all; it's a tendency. It's the urge to sin, the temptation to not be your best self, or to be your worst self. Every time somebody pisses you off and you have that little spiteful urge to fuck them over? That idea is satan. Every time you want to take something for yourself when somebody else needs it more? Satan.

It is, I think, useful to have a concept of satan that you can personify, so you can (internally) argue against those urges.

Anyway. God loves us universally and absolutely, and wants us to flourish and prosper and do right by each other. Not doing that is Sin. So, here are some things that are sins:

the pursuit of material wealth and power at others expense (see; camels and needles, the meek and their inheritence, etc).

the defining of outgroups against whom cruelty is acceptably or encouraged.

the belief that some people are lesser; less deserving of God's grace and mercy, and so your own kindness too.

raising worldly human powers - states, laws, militaries, flags - into idols.

the - as established - blasphemous perversion of God's will towards evil ends.

These are pretty central patterns we see over and over again among the christian fascists.

They see the outgroup (queers, sluts, immigrants, muslims, people who get abortions, jews, leftists, and so on and so on) as lesser, as deserving of punishment, and they embrace the thought that God will punish them with eternal hell. (See that time pope franky said he hoped Hell was empty, and a lot of these people were furiously angry at the thought.)

They think 'prosperity gospel' isn't a blasphemous oxymoron.

They treat human authorities - cops, armies, nations - with reverence. They fucking love flags, they get extremely patriotic.

They take their hunger for power and their hatred, and they wrap it in the bible - they take God's name in vain - and sully holy things with their evil.

Plus, if we scroll back up to my tangent about the antichrist, there's a pretty good contender for the role currently, and they've embraced him whole-heartedly.

So, their worldview promotes sin.

And they are obsessed with the Devil.

But they don't see it as something they must struggle with; after all, they tend to reject the idea of salvation through works, and claim their saved because they're saved. According to them, rather than doing Christ's work making them christian, because they claim to be christian whatever they do - no matter how evil - retroactively becomes Christ's work. The things they do are good because it's them doing them, and the exact same things done by their enemies would be evil.

So they ignore that little satan-urge in their head, and displace it. They see Satan in everything else, in the outside world, in everything that isn't christian fascism. And then they do Satan's work, by seeking to punish the people they project this satan onto.

What does Satan want? He wants you to hate, he wants you to hurt others, and to profit at their expense. And their religion teaches them to hate and punish others and profit.

They serve satan. And they do it in the name of faith. They are clearly worshipping. So, who do they worship? They worship the one their actions serve.

That is to arrive at the thesis statement of this whole essay, and something I sincerely and wholeheartedly believe, in a literal sense:

the right-wing evangelical Christian mainstream worships and serves Satan.

And then what? I will confess, I am as fallible as any other human. These people - due to their hatred - hurt me and people I love. I am angry at them. I am incandescently angry at the things they do. There is a slippery slope leading from righteous indignation to hatred, and I am struggling emotionally to stay at the top of the slope, and not become actively hateful.

But rationally, how I want to feel? What my better self feels? I feel pity. Hell isn't a place with lots of bats and fire, it's seperation from God's love, and - even if they don't realise it - they turn away from God, and they suffer, and their spread their suffering. They are profoundly spiritually sick, and I want them to get better. I want them to fucking stop. I want them to step out of the dark place they've gone to and return to God's side, and to repent, atone for their actions, and find the same Mercy I want for everybody.

It's fucking hard to look at somebody who viscerally hates me for existing, and want them to recieve salvation, but I try.

I don't know how to fix them or save them. They don't want to be saved. They think our attempts to reach out to them are corruption. They think mercy is weakness and pity tempts you.

They warn each other not to give in to the sin of empathy. It's fucking heartbreaking.

[coffeewhiskeysleeprepeat]

So, I'm an autistic nerd who had to learn class code switching as a kid, and is also slightly obsessive over leather. There are cheap masc boot options which will pass in business environments without being too fancy for everyday wear. Those are close, but the sole is wrong. Whereas, something like this Chelsea boot:

will read as a deliberate style choice to anyone high class (in America), without being so pretentious you can't also pair it with jeans and a tee. The only downside is that because they're a single piece of leather, they require slightly more upkeep. Ensure they're leather not suede, treat them with a round of saddle soap three times a year, followed by mink oil (and be very sure to do this on either side of winter if you wear them when it snows, salt is hell on leather), and a good pair will hold up for a decade.

IDK how useful this is, but I'm a lawyer who grew up poor, who can code switch from "Shopping at Save-a-lot for groceries" to "do you know who I am?" via outfit alone. Good luck at your conference. Hope this helped.

Hey, people who understand business stuff, if I were going to a conference and wanted to be business casual for dress code reasons but also masc for "for the love of god don't make me perform femininity in front of strangers and my coworkers" reasons could I get away with these boots paired with burgundy chinos, navy chinos, and a neutral blazer?

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I have to politely disagree with you saying that Malleus is destined to be in an arranged marriage, and I'm saying this as someone who isn't that much of a Yuu/Malleus shipper. If we were talking about a real life royal, I would totally agree that would be the case. However, there is one big factor you neglected that makes me hesitant to believe that any sort of traditional arranged marriage would even be an option for him in the first place.

We learn in Book 7 that in order for a dragon age to hatch, they need "true love". If Malleus was in a loveless arranged marriage, he and his partner would never be able to "bear fruit", so to speak, rendering it pointless. I don't think the council would ever dare to try that, since they know what happened with his mother and her constantly rebelling against her arranged marriage, expecting more of the same from Malleus if they did that to him.

If anything, I think a Princess Jasmine situation would be FAR more likely with him. You know, having his grandmother constantly throw "eligible fae noble ladies" at him for Malleus to resent it and rebel by falling in love with someone for love? I can easily see something like that happening if the game was able to mention romance.

[Referencing this post!]

Hey, I’m not sure where the Malleus x Yuu ship is coming from?? It was briefly mentioned in the disclaimer of my original post, but not in the actual body of discussion. And, as I’ve stated in that original post, nothing that I said there is meant to invalidate shippers, whether you ship Malleus with Yuu, an OC, another main cast member, or whoever else.

As I always stress, it’s okay (and it should be expected) to have different interpretations of the same content. I’m not going to fault you or anyone else for simply saying they don’t agree with my headcanons. However, I do also believe that there are a number of objective misunderstandings and extreme assumptions being made here and I’d like to address them.

Firstly, the claim that a dragon egg needs “true love” to hatch is false. This phrase is never used (whether in EN or JP) to refer to the situation with Malleus’s egg. A similar phrase (“someone capable of truly loving you”) was, however, used to refer to the condition needed to break Silver’s sleeping blessing/curse. When describing how to hatch a dragon’s egg, it is said that you need “love and magical energy from their parents”. I think you may have gotten the two circumstances mixed up?

I also think it’s… short sighted??? To imply that “true love” MUST explicitly refer to the romantic love that the parents have for one another. Even if you were to define “true love” that way (it’s a neutral take to have in a vacuum), love between the biological parents doesn’t even seem to be a prerequisite in the Twst world. In both Silver and Malleus’s cases, they flourished because of the platonic love provided to them by familial figures. It’s commonly speculated that Silver woke up because “someone capable of truly loving him” (ie Lilia) appeared. Malleus received love and magical energy from his grandmother, and eventually fully hatched thanks to Lilia’s sacrifice. In both cases, there is NO romantic partner or romantic feelings involved, and Silver and Malleus still turned out fine. You don’t need romantic love between the biological parents to hatch a dragon’s egg, just the platonic love of a willing parent or guardian.

On the subject of dragon eggs, this proposal is running on the assumption that there would even BE an egg to hatch when… that’s not a guarantee???? Maleanor is a dragon fae, so naturally she laid an egg. This is how a dragon fae brings a child into the world. Depending on the race or fae subspecies of Malleus’s potential spouse, they may not produce an egg in the first place. No dragon’s egg means no need for vaguely defined love magic.

I also don’t think you even need to be in love to order to have a child. This (unfortunately) happens in real life too. It might be uncomfortable or awkward in the case of an arranged marriage, but it can be done. Were this to happen, it would still be possible to hatch a dragon’s egg. One parent, both parents, or even no parent (although the “some other third party” route would definitely get pushback from the senators) could provide their magic. Again, this is because romantic love between the biological parents is not a hard requirement, as we saw with the hatching of Malleus himself. You could still theoretically care for a child that isn’t one conceived from your romantic love with a partner.

It’s true that Maleanor “ruined the engagement talks […]” but Lilia’s wording (“that time”) implies this was a single occurrence and not a frequent or constant thing. It’s possible that Maleanor behaved for other engagement discussions (not mentioned), and it’s possible that engagement discussions altogether stopped after this one incident; we cannot know for sure.

Nothing is stopping the senators from attempting to push an arranged marriage for Malleus too, especially since they care so much about lineage, status, etc. Yes, he may very well react negatively—but the Draconias in general are temperamental and behave this way in several other situations. If the senators stopped doing everything that potentially angers Malleus, then there would be little that he would be allowed to do. (For example, Malleus has thrown several tantrums, including directing his magic at tutors that he believed were underestimating him or at servants when he was upset about his grandma not joining him for a promised meal. Does that mean the senators didn't dare to make Malleus have magic lessons again? Does that mean that Maleficia swore to never miss spending time with him again? Of course not.) As I mentioned before, I believe that an arranged marriage or at least a heavy vetting process would occur for Malleus. Lilia’s mention of a dragon flying halfway across the world for “engagement talks” already implies an arranged marriage for Maleanor. Furthermore, Ghost Marriage has Lilia specifying that Malleus cannot just “propose to a random ghost”, as it would “set off an international incident.” This implies to me that Malleus cannot go around expressing romantic feelings to whoever he wants (lie or not); there are rules and expectations in place, and he is expected to follow them regardless of his feelings.

Lastly, I don’t see Malleus as being the same rebel that Princess Jasmine is. Nothing in his personality or history as we know it shows us he is the type to go against the grain. He comes from a highly conservative, isolated country and has significant issues adjusting to change himself. In fact, his entire conflict in book 7 results from him trying to uphold the status quo and prevent change. Malleus typically does not rebel, at least not in significant ways; he normally observes ceremonies, traditions, and rules of social etiquette as he understands them. He's not a shit-stirrer like Leona, who disregards formalities, scoffs at royal expectations, and speaks and acts rudely.

You also can’t exactly make yourself fall in love in an act of rebellion?? Emotions just don’t work like that. Maybe you’d be more likely to go for someone that goes against the expectations others have for you, but 1) it’s not a definite scenario, and 2) again, you can’t force your feelings to be a certain way.

I think there’s definitely a discussion to be had on how Malleus would feel about being in an arranged marriage. This is the one thing I’m uncertain about. I personally interpret it as… well, Malleus can’t be so naive as to not realize this is a very real possibility for his future??? And he has mentioned before that he is aware of his responsibilities as a noble. He must know and be anticipating an arranged marriage somewhere down the line (though this doesn’t necessarily mean he’s excited for it). I get the impression he might be resigned to his responsibilities (since it's such a big thing he's expected to do; similar to how he respects invitation etiquette despite also wanting to join in on group activities). But he could also be very mad about it if he just doesn't vibe with whoever the arranged partner is (similar to his mom)?? Ultimately though, I would like to believe Malleus would have an understanding of what his role calls for and would have to put aside personal feelings to do what's best for his country. There are non-romantic cases of him acting on this behavior, like refraining from proposing to the Ghost Bride, insisting that Leona (someone who frequently picks fights with him) be apologized to in order to maintain amicable relationships between their nations, etc.

I think we’re also assuming a lot about Maleanor’s relationship with Raverne here. Yes, it’s clear she loves him very much. BUT we also assuming that Raverne is someone she fell in love with and married without the senators’ approval, and that Malleus will have the same freedom to choose. How do we know the senators didn’t approve of Raverne? How do we know that Maleanor and Raverne weren’t arranged and she just didn’t complain this time because she actually reciprocated?? How do we know they didn’t marry first and fall in love later??? None of this was covered in canon.

Based on my own understanding of the lore and Malleus’s character, this is the conclusion that I have reached. Although maybe I'm expecting (or hoping for) way too much maturity from him as he ages 💦

[gedwimora]

i will say about robb--

things he has discovered: he's kind of a slut things he hasn't discovered yet: boys

[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.

[theknightlywolfe]

Also, she pretty clearly, from the word go, hates Silco. She hates what he is doing to the undercity, she hates him for putting Shimmer on the streets, then she hates him for turning Powder into Jinx once she finds out about it.

If you look at everything she does from that perspective, her actions make a lot of sense. She also finally learned what Vander tried to tell her, Undercity can't win a war with Piltover. Not even with Shimmer in their veins, especially not with Shimmer in their veins.

She saw what Shimmer did to the unlucky when running from Silco with Caitlyn. Not everyone survived it whole but they all ended up addicts. She even focuses on Shimmer production as the way to stop Silco in s1. So in s2 Silco is dead but Shimmer is still there and the option Caitlyn gives her is the best way to get it out.

At the end of the day Vi is a fighter, she punches things. She doesn't know about addiction therapy or resource management or leadership (the last group she led ended up causing all of the mess and then dying). She may be able to rally people but she knows she can't lead them, and she won't risk it. So, she goes looking for Jinx by punching Sevika. Then goes looking for Silco by ... punching Sevika. Then takes Jayce along with her to the Shimmer plant to punch everything there. Then agrees to join Caitlyn's enforcer unit so she can punch her way through everything keeping Shimmer on the streets.

She's a pretty black and white attitude character. She has like three goals and one method and rides them through the whole series (except for her dramatic my girl hates me I wanna die phase).

“What happened to rebel Vi? Season 2 destroyed her character!”

“What happened to rebel Vi” is that Vander took her to the bridge where her parents died in his revolution and asked her what she was willing to lose. Then she meets Cait who is gentle and kind while still being tough and it makes her rethink how she sees topside. When Jinx tells her she changed too, that’s what she’s talking about.

I’m sorry if you thought Vi was going to be a topside-hating revolutionary in Season 2, but that’s clearly not where her character arc was going. Remember how she forced her way between Ekko and Cait? It seemed very straightforward that was the role her character was taking on.

I feel similar about people who act like the show was betraying its premise because it ended with reconciliation/Zaun and Piltover working together. Again, the fact that two of the most important relationships were between characters from both sides and that they made a point of talking about Zaun and Piltover first coming together against a common enemy was a pretty clear indicator that was the plan.

Now, I get being annoyed that that was what they chose to do. You don’t have to love the creative decisions of media, just like media doesn’t have to compromise its creative direction to satisfy you. But not liking that they went that direction is not the same as the show having bad writing or engaging in character assassination.

Everything Vi did in season 2 was very much in character with how she changed and who she became throughout Season 1. Hell, she used enforcers and Hextech to raid Shimmer facilities before Commander Kiramman ever threw on a beret. So, yes, actually wearing the uniform was a huge and complicated decision that she was definitely not happy about, but it also fell in line with what she had been doing.

There’s meat for another post at some point about the three different Zaun/enforcer partnerships we see in the show: Vander/Greyson, Silco/Marcus, and Cait/Vi; but I’m not going to go into that now.

TLDR: “Rebel Vi” who wants to fight all of topside hasn’t existed since the end of the second episode of the show.

Editing to add that Vi doesn’t see attacking Chem Barons as attacking Zaun; she’s taking down the people who are destroying Zaun.

[starry-bi-sky]

pouring one out for luo binghe in my disciple SQQ fic, poor guy has taken a backseat here. we're nearly 30k words deep and he hasn't even shown his face once. it'll be much longer before he even actually talks to Shen Qingqiu.

(i say im pouring one out but in reality im sitting in my director's chair chewing on a cigar and wearing a beret as he tearily and unsuccessfully pleads with me for more scenes with Shen Qingqiu)

[smilesrobotlover]

FINALY drawing fanart for Mob Psycho. I really loved that anime and I already want to rewatch it

[moongothic]

Seen a few people too many discuss the concept of Dragodile Baby 2 and my hot take is that there's no way in hell Crocodile would ever detransition just to go through nine months of horrible dysphoria again, let alone go through pregnancy ever again (or allow Ivankov to even touch him, what if they died and weren't able to trans Croc's gender again afterwards? Hell naw, ain't worth the risk)

But this leaves an opportunity for a Funnier Option:

Dragon wants another baby? Sure, but it's his turn to carry it >:)