#and like what is that pose who fights like that

[oediex]

You know what, yeah, that bell hooks quotation wasn't appropriate, it doesn't say what the person who added it think it says.

But I don't think it's fair to say that that man who everyone is pissing on somehow claimed we had to "hold his hand" or "coddle" him or whatever. Or even that women had to do it.

He never once even mentioned the word 'woman' in that post. I'm not excluding that that what he was implying - it's very possible! - but what he said was "the left", and let's be clear, this is his understanding of what the left is. I saw people saying that a "self-proclaimed leftist" should understand that his answer was still drenched in patriarchal thinking. But he never once proclaimed he was a leftist. Perhaps he thinks he is, but all he said was that he got "out" of the "alt-right". For all we know, that means he voted for the Democratic Party and we, who are on the left, all know that's not the fucking left.

The question that was posed was how do we keep young men from turning right wing, and he offered an explanation. An explanation! Not an excuse! Again something that a lot of people just assumed.

And yes, it was a flawed explanation, and yes he has some things to learn, and yes it was uncritical and terribly phrased.

But can we recognise that not everyone has the necessary critical thinking skills to completely dig their way out of the overarching ideology that fucking rules our lives? Critical thinking skills aren't something that we are born with. It's something that is learned, something that you have to train. It's a never-ending project. And from what I know of the educational system in the US? That's not where you get it.

Speaking of bell hooks, at least she understands this. In that book (The Will to Change) she writes that "most men never think about patriarchy - what it means, how it is created and sustained." She writes how the patriarchy sees men's violence and the one emotion they're allowed to have, anger, as "natural". Understanding the patriarchy is something that has to be learned, and you either figure it out yourself by reading, but most of us probably had someone in our lives who talked to us about it, taught us about it, and then we might have started reading more about it.

What if you don't have someone like that? What if all you hear is that the things feminists tell you is bad is what was imprinted on you as "natural" to you?

Here's bell hooks:

Yet no one talks about the role patriarchal notions of manhood play in teaching boys that it is their nature to kill, then teaching them that they can do nothing to change this nature—nothing, that is, that will leave their masculinity intact.

Here's what she says of her own brother:

As patriarchal thinking and action claimed him in adolescence, he learned to mask his loving feelings. He entered that space of alienation and antisocial behavior deemed “natural” for adolescent boys.

She clearly pinpoints the moment of these patriarchal ideas taking hold to be in adolescent, and the question that was posed was, what can we do to stop that from happening? I've seen people say that nothing can be done until we change the material conditions that make it so that men systematically have power over women. And yeah, undoubtedly that is a fight we need to have. But is that truly the only way we can keep (some) boys from falling into the grasp of the (alt-)right? Is there no hope in at least reaching them in the meantime?

I've seen a post saying, "omg of course he goes for misandry" and while misandry isn't real in that men are not systematically oppressed, that doesn't mean that there aren't some out there who express hatred or disgust of men. That's not what the left stands for, obviously, but it is not absent. Here are some comments from the notes on some of these reaction posts (and presumably these are all people who consider themselves leftists):

"you should be hunted for sport"

"makes me want to commit homocide"

"kys right now"

"'leftists constantly said i should die' yeah fucking right"

"we need to double male loneliness and I'm not even kidding"

"I HATE MEN AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. THEY HATE US MORE AND THEY HAVE ALL THE POWER TO DO ACTUAL HARM TO US. Misandry is NOT FUCKING REAL but I wish it was"

"we should kill people who don't get it"

Is that hatred of men (non-systematically)? Not all of it, but some of it definitely or possibly qualifies. And it sure does look like some people (who probably think themselves leftists) think this man (or men in general) are the "scum of the earth" and that they want him/them dead. How else do you interpret some of these phrases?

Now imagine that this is something that you encounter online, and with the help of the stranglehold of the patriarchy, whispers of right wing ideology, confirmation bias, and negativity bias? I can imagine you might end up concluding they "hate you for your immutable traits" (remember patriarchy teaches boys that violence and anger is natural to them) and that they "blame you for everything that's wrong in the world".

Is that the right conclusion? No. But as much as being able to use reason is part of being human, so is not being immune to ideology and propaganda. We wouldn't fucking be where we are right now if that wasn't the case.

How do we teach boys that anger and violence aren't "immutable traits"? How do we educate them about the power of the patriarchy? Well, where does it have to come from if not from the fucking left?

Does it have to be you? No. Does it have to be women? Also no. It's probably good if it's men, and especially men who themselves walked with the right at some point (if someone has already been pulled into the right, rather than catching them before).

It can be a woman though, if there's someone who wants to do it. I don't mind doing it if someone wants to talk about it. Will I be nice? No, I won't hold back and I will tell them if what they're saying is wrong. Will I coddle them? Fuck no. Will I keep trying if someone clearly isn't listening? No. Will I be compassionate? Yeah, I think I will.

Because compassion is really important when you're trying to keep people from falling into the far-right, or even if you're trying to get them out of it (which again, isn't what we were talking about in the first place).

Here's Pete Simi, professor of Sociology, talking about Life After Hate, an American non-profit that tries to help people leave the far-right:

The organization was started by former hate group members who have been doing a lot of outreach in terms of providing testimonials and trainings to schools and law enforcement and other community groups across the country. The focus of their message is the importance of using compassion to inform prevention and intervention efforts and aftercare for individuals who want to change their lives but may need various types of support. I think LAH is a very promising development and I hope it will continue to find the resources that it needs to expand the services it provides.

Being compassionate doesn't mean coddling. It doesn't mean holding their hands and it doesn't even mean being nice to them. It doesn't exclude holding people accountable for their views. It does require patience, though. And I understand that if someone is holding the belief that you are not allowed to exist, that isn't something you can do. And that's fine. It doesn't have to be you.

But somebody has to do it, and it has to be someone on the left.

Now none of that means that the suffering of men under patriarchy, and the fact that this has to be addressed loud and clear, are more important than the suffering that women, and especially women whose oppression intersects with other levels of oppression. I've seen some tags on reaction posts that stated "omg of course centring men in discussions of gender" - but the post was about men. That was the whole starting point!

Because men do suffer under the patriarchy. And it's pushing them to the right, towards misogyny and racism, unless they develop the necessary critical thinking skills to understand their own suffering. And you know who thinks so too? bell hooks.

Often men, to speak the pain, first turn to the women in their lives and are refused a hearing. In many ways women have bought into the patriarchal masculine mystique. Asked to witness a male expressing feelings, to listen to those feelings and respond, they may simply turn away.

Since men have yet to organize a feminist men’s movement that would proclaim the rights of men to emotional awareness and expression, we will not know how many men have indeed tried to express feelings, only to have the women in their lives tune out or be turned off.

It is a form of abuse that this culture continues to deny. Boys socialized to become patriarchs are being abused. As victims of child abuse via socialization in the direction of the patriarchal ideal, boys learn that they are unlovable.

The patriarchal model that tells men that they must be in control at all times is at odds with cultivating the capacity to be responsible, which requires knowing when to control and when to surrender and let go. Responsible men are capable of self-criticism. If more men were doing the work of self-critique, then they would not be wounded, hurt, or chagrined when critiqued by others, especially women with whom they are intimate. Engaging in self-critique empowers responsible males to admit mistakes. When they have wronged others, they are willing to acknowledge wrongdoing and make amends. When others have wronged them, they are able to forgive. The ability to be forgiving is part of letting go of perfectionism and accepting vulnerability. At the same time, constructive criticism works only when it is linked to a process of affirmation. Giving affirmation is an act of emotional care. Wounded men are not often able to say anything positive. They are the grump-and-groan guys; cloaked in cynicism, they stand at an emotional distance from themselves and others. Affirmation brings us closer together. It is the highest realization of compassion and empathy with others. One of the negative aspects of antimale feminist critiques of masculinity was the absence of any affirmation of that which is positive and potentially positive in male being. When individuals, including myself, wrote about the necessity of affirming men and identifying them as comrades in struggle, we were often labeled male-identified. The women who attacked us did not understand that it was possible to critique patriarchy without hating men. Indeed, recognizing all the ways that males have been victimized by patriarchy (even though they received rewards) was a way of including men in feminist movement, welcoming their presence and honoring their contribution.

“in order to create loving males we need to love males” means teach boys that they can be themselves without being less of a man. it means being encouraging and nurturing of their emotions so they don’t become cold and hateful. it means showing boys, early in their lives, that they have value outside of what our society deems proper masculinity. what it doesn’t mean is that it’s our job to handhold men who see women as walking sex toys through the concept of empathy, and maybe if we’re really really nice to them and don’t say things that hurt their feelings they’ll stop killing us for saying no

[utilitycaster]

The thing that I think gets me about Neve the most, and this is past the point where I personally am in the game, is that you can still romance her after you've chosen to prioritize Treviso (which you can't do for Lucanis if you do the reverse). The thing is, it makes sense. Neve judges you negatively for trusting her. There's a dialogue in the Shadow Dragons hideout where Tarquin (Shadow Dragons faction agent) gripes about The Viper (Shadow Dragons faction agent and leader) running background checks on him, before admitting he'd probably do the same. And the thing is, if you tell Tarquin that this seems reasonable he accepts it, but he seems irritated. Neve doesn't.

You meet Neve striking a pose, having frozen her assailants, needing none of your help. Neve does not, on the whole, ever seem to want your help until she begs you to save Minrathous. She approves of you taking her to interrupt the ritual, and seems to be entirely unbothered by the fact that it leaves her badly bruised - indeed, you have to actively choose to leave her behind later when you go looking for Bellara.

Neve loves Minrathous and Dock Town, which means she also hates them. She takes you there, if you do the companion quest, which you should. She invites you after Bellara fangirls out over some news pieces about her (Neve drily remarks they were hit pieces), to go pick up some leads and some serials Bellara wants. For all she's sarcastic, gruff, and even a little snide with Bellara (and with my playing of Rook, who is fairly direct and positive with the Veilguard companions) and doesn't believe a Tevinter serial would ever truly end happily if it were remotely realistic, she still wants to get those serials for her teammates. She's not here to make friends, though she's slowly doing so, but she also believes in working with your allies even when they're sunny and scatterbrained or bracingly positive and you're an exhausted, cynical detective.

Exhausted is I think the most salient point. Neve is fucking tired. She tells you she's lived in Dock Town her whole life, and she became a detective, taking on cases for people who weren't helped by the Templars (who, you learn in one of the core missions prior to your choice to save only one of Minrathous and Treviso, are corrupt all the way up to the top). After solving a missing person case successfully, with an implication that she freed a slave in the process, the Shadow Dragons recruited her, but she's been doing the same work she always done. And the Shadow Dragons, meanwhile, in addition to attempting, with limited success, to infiltrate the Magistrate and fight for abolitionism, also do a lot of work like Neve's: helping people on the street. Their basement is full of unhoused and hungry people with nowhere else to go.

Neve is tired because, I think, she doesn't really believe Minrathous will get much better in her lifetime. She tells you in her companion quest, as you eat street food on the docks, looking out into the ocean, that she treasures the small wins because that's what she gets. Whereas the Crows remember a free Treviso and fight for that, Neve, in particular, feels like she's just trying to keep things from getting worse, and maybe help a few people. She's cynical because dreaming big probably won't pan out and she knows it so she's not going to waste her time.

Her work is her life. Her gift is literally just more evidence. Harding, Lucanis, and Bellara all reminisce about friends and family, but Neve still hasn't yet. You get the sense that Rana, one of the few clean Templars with whom she works, is probably the person she'd put down as an emergency contact. She doesn't even really get along with Tarquin, though, to be fair, doesn't seem like anyone does. Her world is a network of people who are useful.

I'm going somewhere with this, and that's, unsurprisingly, to Critical Role Campaign 3, because after all that here's my thesis: Neve is what people want some of Bells Hells, but especially Ashton, to be.

I've seen defense of Ashton's abrasiveness because many leftists are abrasive people, and the thing is, that's not untrue, but they're abrasive because they're like Neve: they're doing endless difficult work with very little reward or thanks, and at most they get small wins.

What has Ashton done for their communities? The Nobodies and Krook House aren't feeding the hungry or fighting corruption; the former is a group of thieves with no particular cause and the latter a punk co-op house. What was Ashton doing for the people of Jrusar or Bassuras? I struggle to find anything tangible. There's a lot of talk and no action - punk aesthetics and a lot of talk about standing for the weak, but when do they actually do that? It's all very surface level, and so the defenses of Ashton must focus entirely on what and who they are (nb, disabled, punk, had a terrible childhood) and what they say but never, ever, what they do. It's posturing.

Neve? It's entirely what she does. She is, for what it's worth, disabled and queer (and played by a woman of color, though whether she's coded as such in-game probably requires an academic background in both the history of Thedas and the history of the real-world Black Sea region) but we don't know a damn thing about her childhood yet. We don't know if she's been hurt or heartbroken or abandoned until we, as Rook, have to decide whether to do that to her. And when we do? She takes her time (she's not back yet in my game) but in the end, she blames the actual root causes of the elven gods sending the dragon and blight, and the Venatori working with them and, as far as I know, gets back to work. As she always has.

[umbramoons]

TECH MOMENTS PT. 6

The Bad Batch S1 E2: Cut and Run

- “That would be dirt.”

- The way that he kind of smirks when he points out that they're deserters to Echo. Like he's almost proud of that fact. ❤

- The way he immediately starts paying attention when Omega speaks up about the inhibitor chips.

- “How else did you think it worked?” ❤

- I love that he looks up to watch how happy the kids are with Wrecker.

- Tech RUNS when he hears Omega is out past the fence.

- HE LOOKS UPSET WHEN OMEGA IS APOLOGIZING. ❤

- The worried look he gives Omega as Cut carries her away.

- “All in all, I would say that could have gone much worse.” ❤

- Hunter: "Tech, you think you could forge some chain codes?"

Tech: "I only learned of them moments ago, but yes." ❤

- I love his pose, leaning back against the navicomputer, looking down at his datapad… I adore him.

- “It’s… ingenious.”

- “Already thought of that.” 

- Echo: “You’re suggesting we call the authorities and have them seize our ship?”

Tech: “That is exactly what I am saying.” ❤

- "This was the simplest solution."

- "I have this under control."

- He looks genuinely concerned when he realizes that he roped Omega into his plan.

- The way he’s bracing himself above Omega to look out the hatch and down into the ship. He’s so subtly protective of her, and I love it.

- I NEVER NOTICED THAT HE STRAIGHT-UP FLIPS OVER OMEGA AND OUT THE HATCH! Show off. ❤

- Waving Omega down so he can catch her. Something about that little movement drives me crazy.

- He barely strains at all when she lands in his arms, my man is strong! ❤

- “Excellent.” ❤

- "In progress. The encryption shouldn't be a problem."

- “Don't worry. I can slip through security unnoticed and deliver the disks to you momentarily.”

- “Found her.” His eyes look like he’s smiling. ❤

- He looks a little irritated by Echo’s jabs, but he knows better than to snap back, especially after all these years dealing with Crosshair.

- “We cannot get caught with these chain codes.” His EYES. Beautiful!

- “Well, we didn’t let her go. She ran off on her own.” 

- "What is taking so long with the boot? Are you trying to get caught?" ❤

- He must have run outside SO fast to get that trooper who found Echo, which was an epic moment. ❤

- “That is not ideal.” 

- “Hunter, we have worn out our welcome. We need to go right now.” Sir, how are you always so calm?

- Putting up his blasters for a second to watch when Hunter joins the fight. 

- “Glad you could make it.” ❤

- Shooting as he runs onto the ship.

BONUS: GIFs of my favorite 10 seconds of the episode

[mintmatcha]

Somehow, you worm your way deeper into his life.

He's pulling on a suit jacket when he notices you on that same damn couch in his office, lounging with your phone in hand. It seems like he never sees you in motion, just in the times you choose to be spotten.

"'tsuki." He cringes at the knickname but doesn't fight it this time. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

He shoots you a glare from across the room.

"Why do you care?"

You click your tongue against your teeth and eye him, up and down and up again, like you've spotted something he can't see.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," you say.

Pushing up from the couch, you motion for him to move. He obliges, backing into the corner by the window. It's dark outside, illuminated by only the red neon signs of the bar across the way.

"Pose for me."

"Really?" Katsuki asks, "You aren't gonna to your sneak attack shit?"

"Just pose."

He jams his hands in his pockets and you sneer in disgust from behind your phone.

"Bruh. Stand up straight. Left foot more towards me and hands just-- yeah, like that. Tilt your head. Not like a dog, just a little," you demand. "Good boy."

"Fuck off." But he's grinning.

You take a couple steps to the left, then that damn smile comes across your face again and everything's done.

He doesn't see the post until the next day. He's stopped obsessing over your depictions of him. You always paint him in a soft light, one he would have never chosen for himself.

But then his phone goes off. Again. And Again. And again. The notifications pile up until he's forced to open the apps and see what you've done.

This picture, he's in his office. You've posed him well- he looks tall, mature, fit. The red light catches in his eyes and across his cheeks, dragging his lips down into something strangely mischievous and desirable.

It's a good fucking picture, probably the best one that's ever been taken of him, but no one in the comments is talking about that.

No, they're talking about the silhouette caught in the glass' reflection- a mysterious woman, face covered by her phone. You. You're barely visible, but there, demanding the attention of his followers.

-dynamaxxing167: omg is this a girlfriend soft launch?

-allmightstillclears: You see that's why he's been so tame lately. Some girl stole his balls.

-theofficialcellophane: so that's who runs this account lol

The realization clicks that you weren't asking about a girlfriend out of pure curiosity-

You were asking to see if anyone was going to be jealous.

bakugo x the tiktok famous hero that's assigned to 'save his public image'

[taravangians-storming-balls]

I don't really know what I've done here but here's lion kaladin, thanks @stormlight-archive

[celestialmantdonna]

Mantis didn't think that her willingness to help, to make Vossler confess after what happened, was a big deal. She wanted to help others, and if she could do so in any way, she would.

She wasn't sure how to respond, so she simply nodded and quietly thanked Basch when he said her actions were admirable before she left with Gamora. She couldn't blame Vossler's actions on all of Dalmasca, and everyone else seemed to condemn his actions at the moment.

Quill waited for Basch and Ashelia to leave the room before he did, and after slamming the door shut, a manifestation of the lingering anger he felt after the assassination attempt on his teammate, the Star-Lord left as well to return to the Benatar and talk to Rocket.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* . ───

Mantis smiled at Munoh again after they told Soryn that Basch had approved of her help. She was lucky to have the being's support, and she would happily work with Munoh to get all the information they could extract from the traitor.

Gamora crossed her arms when Vossler demanded both she and Mantis stayed away from him. They didn't want to see him either, but Mantis wanted to get him to tell the truth, and... it wasn't like Vossler would confess spontaneously.

Gamora was a little surprised when Munoh revealed themself to her, but since both Mantis and Quill had seen them, and they had helped Mantis, she wasn't as shocked as she could have been by the glowing, floating presence of the being.

As Mantis offered to remove her influence over him, his suspicion was more than evident, and for a moment, she didn't think that her attempt to lure him in would work. However, it did, and the empath couldn't help but think that he was not that clever for someone so boastful.

He warned her? Now? To warn someone was to tell them about a possible danger beforehand, and Vossler had already tried to take her out. Had she been anyone else, Mantis would've digged her nails into the skin of his face before telling him that she had saved his life twice; first time by telling the Guardians not to kill him, second time by not commanding him to drop dead in that moment. But unlike Vossler, she didn't act out of ego. So instead, her palm was gently placed on Vossler's cheek as she gave a simple order in her mind. Something that to many would be far scarier than a heated fight.

Tell us everything you are trying to keep secret.

She had made the guards tell Raminas that Vossler would confess because he would. Mantis wanted to see him again before his trial to make sure he would do so, and if anyone accused her of lying, of making things up or forcing Vossler to say things that weren't real... Munoh would take care of that.

At least Vossler would stop wailing now. He would be too busy pointing out his own treachery.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* . ───

Drax walked with Groot for a while, admiring the Royal Palace of Rabanastre and its beautiful surroundings.

He was visibly protective of the young Guardian, especially after what happened with Mantis. He knew the guards were keeping an eye on them, but he wouldn't attack them. If the guards were wise, they would realize that the Guardians had not landed there to pose a threat.

The threat had come from within the palace's walls.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* . ───

"No!"

"Man, c'mon!"

"No! Fuck that!" Rocket insisted.

Arguments weren't uncommon in the Benatar, especially between Rocket and Quill. After reaching the ship, Quill had told Reks that he needed to talk to Rocket in private, although he knew what Rocket would say: no, we are not going to fight for Dalmasca, fuck no, personally I do not fight for those who try to kill my friends, call me crazy, I'd rather fix the ship and get outta here, thank you very much, we will not return.

"Dude, you think I wanna do it?" Quill retorted. "I don't! But we need to! Don't you remember what I said when you asked me why I'd want to save the galaxy?"

"Do I look like I give a fuck?!"

"That's not what I said to you!"

"If we stay here any longer those assholes will try to kill Mantis again!" Rocket snarled. "What do ya want me to say, huh? Oh, yes, we will go to war for you! Sure, use us as your doormat while you're at it, anythin' you need, let us turn around so you can shove your mighty swords up our–"

"Okay, enough! We're not doing this. This is the kind of decision we should make together." Quill sighed and crossed his arms. "I think Mantis should have the last word." As much as he wanted to use his authority as leader and Captain of the Guardians, he knew that the assassination attempt had been on Mantis.

Rocket glared at him and then he kept working on the small, shiny green object.

Another Time, Another Place (A Hollow Universe In Space) || closed with tarnishedxknight

@tarnishedxknight continued from here

The Guardians stood there, letting Captain Basch formally introduce them to King Raminas. They all then bowed respectfully except for Rocket, who only did so because Gamora pushed his head down. They trusted Basch for the most part, as he assured them no one would hurt them after telling them to leave their weapons at the ship. Quill and Gamora were the first ones to leave theirs; Drax didn't want to leave his knives, but did so after Mantis looked at him, while Rocket pulled a comical amount of retractable weapons from his pockets.

As they followed Basch, Mantis had stayed behind for a moment to approach Vossler. She felt much better after Munoh sent her some calm energy, and she smirked at the man. Suddenly, her hand was on his cheek, her antennae aglow. "Whenever you open your mouth to say something unkind, you will wail like a baby. Honestly, it might be more coherent than anything else you have said," she whispered. She patted his cheek twice as if to seal her whimsical behest, and hurried to follow the Guardians as Basch guided them through the palace of Rabanastre.

Quill straightened and cleared his throat to speak to the King. Mantis took his hand; Quill was a little confused, but he allowed it since he knew she wasn't feeling great.

"Your Majesty," he said, once again lowering his voice in an attempt to mirror Basch's formal tone and presence, hoping it would make the King like him more. "We come in peace. We thank you for your time, and we apologize for occupying one of your docks. I think I have–" He stopped talking rather suddenly, and swallowed. "Uh... I think... I have..."

What was happening was that Mantis was frantically reading his thoughts as he spoke, using her powers to interrupt him because he was going to say he had the perfect stuff to make up for it, wanting to show the King some Terran music with the Zune. While Terran music was excellent, Mantis knew not everyone would like it, nor find it an acceptable form of apology.

"I have no excuse," Quill said instead. "And I have to... shut up... now."

[sysig]

Bitter breakup rivalry (Patreon)

[loud-whistling-yes]

27 for the ask game!

27: 入阵曲 by 五月天 (Song of Battle Entry by Mayday)

泪未干 心未凉 是什么依然在滚烫? 入阵曲 伴我无悔的狂妄

夜已央 天已亮 白昼隐没了星光 像我们 都终将 葬身历史的洪荒 当世人 都遗忘 我血液曾为谁滚烫 入阵曲 伴我无悔的狂妄

入阵曲 只因恨铁不成钢

(The tears haven’t dried, the heart hasn’t cooled, what is it that still boils? The song of battle entry accompanies my unregretting frenzy

The night is already over, the sky is already bright, day has drowned out the starlight Just like us, doomed to be buried in the flood of history When the world forgets for whom my blood boils for The song of battle entry accompanies my unregretting frenzy

The song of battle entry, if only because of high hopes faced with unmet expectations)

translating these lyrics... suck ass. but also these lyrics are so fucking raw i NEED yall to at least know kinda what they mean even though 80% of the rawness got lost in translation. drawing this also sucked ass. but in a different equally unpleasant way. 

also version with the outlines and the reference pic under the cut

[asteria-argo]

Some people are allergic to nuance in fiction and insist on making that my problem by being very confidently wrong in public

[shouta-aizawow]

Do you ever think abt how both WWX and LWJ got whipped bc they chose to save each other instead of watching the other be killed

[hecksupremechips]

Btw I’ve started playing the funny stars and time game. The the one about the loopty loop and the white diamond ass shit

[akkivee]

i feel very seen as someone who draws buff kuukou lmao

[onmyo-jin]

Guess who wrote all that before watching ep 17! Guess who immediately had to write more after watching episode 17 and drying my tears! Which I suppose makes this snippet for @echo-story as well^^ Just like last time I'm still taking prompts! Unlikely last time I will actually move on to the prompts people have sent already 💜

Since he showed the scars on his back at the gates to Kunlun mountain, Zhao Yuanzhou has never once tried to hide them. He has also not breathed a word about them since that they, simply acting like they are not there at all.

Eight scars.

Eigh long years.

Those same eight years have left their marks on Yichen, but all those marks were left against his will, not by choice. To choose that reminder, not once but many times? Zhou Yichen wonders at the strength behind that, fears for the pain behind that. 

Words are hard for him, always have been, but he hopes that his actions have at least shown that he is willing to accept, even if forgiveness is not (not yet) something he can offer. As they prepare for bed he catches another glimpse of those scars, this time in a mirror behind Zhao Yuanzhou, and he cannot help but stare. (Preparing for bed tonight involves fighting off repeated attempts at teasing kisses, as they have better things to do tonight than playing around– tomorrow will be an ungodly early start, and Zhao Yuanzhou is hard enough to wake even after sunrise. Only threats of dunking iced water on him to wake him tomorrow have made him cease his bothering. Which of course means that he is now trying to tempt Yichen to continue what he just made Zhao Yuanzhou stop doing.)

"Enjoying the view, Xiao Zhuo-daren?" Zhao Yuanzhou teases, probably assuming Yichen is staring at his indecently uncovered chest instead of his back. He is in his inner robe, just barely, draping it from one shoulder in an impractical fashion he probably thinks is alluring. Yichen will not be admitting that he is right. Few things escape the demon's notice, and for anything else Yichen would assume he was posing in front of the mirror on purpose as well. But not for those scars.

"No," he answers absently, and gets to see Zhao Yuanzhou pout in a way that is more adorable than he has any right to be. He turns a shoulder to him when Zhou Yichen steps close, pretending that his answer hurt him. It gives Yichen the opening he needs, and he wraps an arm around the demon's waist to pull him close, his naked back close to Yichen's chest, the heat of him obvious even through Zhou Yichen's clothing.

"Don't think that I will forgive you so easily, daren–" his breath freezes in his mouth in a quiet gasp when Zhou Yichen leans in close and presses his lips, his acceptance, against the closest scar he can reach. Under his lips the skin is heated, the texture of the scar unusually smooth against the demon's already smooth skin. He bites the small ridge of it, softly tests it with his teeth, and is rewarded with another gasp from Zhao Yuanzhou.

"Zhou Yichen-!"

"Tell me to stop," he murmurs, an earnest offer. He's not even sure what he's doing, why the evidence of his demon's repentance pulls on him with such force, but he doesn't want to harm Zhao Yuanzhou– not this night. Absentmindedly he moves down the scar, alternating bites and kisses, receiving more little sounds from Zhao Yuanzhou in return. No request to stop follows. Those soft little sighs are his only answer.

Zhou Yichen takes it as acceptance.

ZYZ + ZYC = 20. Kiss on a scar ♥️

Amazing choice, thank you! This one went a little maudling...

I'm still taking prompts! You can find the full list here, or feel free to make up a fun addition to the list~

Zhao Yuanzhou forgets at times how easily humans scar. How they carry the visual, visceral evidence of their defeats or their victories on their bodies for the entirety of their short lifespans. He shudders at the thought: if one had to wear one's scars for life, at his age he might be covered in scars. It's probably for the best he can heal himself as well as he can.

Next to him on the bed Zhou Yichen sleeps on, unaware he is being watched so carefully. He claims he sleeps better when someone is with him, and to his credit Zhao Yuanzhou hasn't seen him have any nightmares on any of the nights they spent together. If he makes sure to thoroughly exhaust Zhou Yichen before he falls asleep, well, one does what one must to help a friend avoid nightmares.

The sweat they worked up together has since dried on Yichen's skin, but the smell of them still lingers in the room. These quiet moments feel like a luxury, and he would wake Yichen to share the moment, but waking him would break the moment too, and Yichen would not appreciate being woken for anything other than an emergency.

So Zhao Yuanzhou luxuriates in the peace alone, remembering the scars that cross Yichen's shoulders, the one round arrow scar next to his navel, the barely-visible scars on his hands. To say Zhou Yichen isn't self conscious about them would be a lie, but he forgets to hide himself between moans and sighs as they spend an evening in each other's company. It is only afterwards that he remembers, and they both pretend Zhao Yuanzhou hasn't long seen the past Yichen carries with him on his skin, like he didn't kiss the same expanse of flesh moments or hours ago.

Zhou Yichen rolls onto his side, his back now to Zhao Yuanzhou. Normally Zhao Yuanzhou would take this opportunity to lie down beside him, to pull him close, and fit them together in a way that will help him trap Yichen in bed come morning. Tonight, instead, he sits up, leaning on one hand as he reaches out and slides Yichen's shirt off his shoulder.

Lean muscles shrug in response to the cold, but Zhou Yichen doesn't wake. Instead he curls in on himself, pushing his back closer to Zhao Yuanzhou's warmth. In the moonlight the visible scars gleam like pearls, like treasures instead of imperfections.

Zhao Yuanzhou can't help himself– and why should he? He is a demon, after all. He leans in close, running a hand under Yichen's arm and to his chest to hold him in place (to hold him close), and presses a soft trail of kisses along one ridged scar, and down another. Zhou Yichen stirs, but wakes only slowly. Still languid from their earlier efforts, he only moves far enough to open one eye and stare balefully but sleepily and Zhao Yuanzhou.

"What are you doing, you ridiculous demon?"

"Hmm, I'm having my wicked way with you, can't you tell, Xiao Zhuo-daren?" Zhao Yuanzhou teases, lips barely releasing the marked skin under them to form the words.

"Why do you like them so much?" Yichen doesn't even respond to the teasing. It's no fun, except for the fact that Zhao Yuanzhou vividly remembers how he caused his current exhaustion. He finally relents his kisses, and settles down with his chest to Yichen's back, head propped up on one arm to lean over him- to be able to kiss him properly.

"I find it fascinating, the way you humans carry your past with you." 

Judging by his frown, Yichen is not moved by his kiss. "And must you enact this fascination in the middle of the night?"

"Would you prefer I do it during the day instead?" He replies in mock-surprise. They both know the answer to that, and Yichen pulls him into a rough kiss just to shut him up.

"No. Now sleep, you great ape."

[doodlboy]

Every year

[swordmaid]

most beautiful woman in the world BTW…

[beemovieerotica]

struggling with how to word this, but putting it out there anyway:

i can fully understand the posts on here from a lot of americans being tired of "vote blue no matter who" posts when the #1 thing that people are constantly (and sometimes only?) addressing is how the republican party is going treat trans/queer people if elected.

it's part of an unfortunate pattern of prioritizing the effects on a demographic that includes white + upper class people, when people of color and those in the global south are actively and currently being killed or relegated to circumstances in which their survival is very unlikely

it is genuinely exhausting to witness this, and i was also on the fence about even participating in voting because i a) felt like it didn't matter and b) every time i voiced being frustrated with the current state of the country, white queer people would immediately step in with "but what about trans people!" -> (i am mixed race trans man)

and i say this with unending patience toward people who do this, because i know that it's not something they actively think about. but everyone already knows how the republican party is going to treat queer people. you are probably talking to another queer person when you bring up project 2025. the issue is that, for those of us who aren't white, or for those of us who are but who are conscious of ongoing struggles for people of color worldwide, the safety of people around the world feels more urgent than our own. that is the calculation that's being made.

you're not going to win votes for the democratic party by dismissing or minimizing these realities and by continually centering (white) queer people.

very few people on here and twitter are actually talking about issues beyond queer rights that concern people of color, or how the two administrations differ on these issues instead of constantly circling back to single-issue politics. this isn't an exhaustive list. but these are the issues that have actually altered my perspective and motivated me to the point of committing to casting a vote

the biden administration has been engaged in a years-long fight to allow new applicants to DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the program that allows undocumented individuals who arrived as children to remain in the country) after the Trump administration attempted to terminate it. the program is in limbo currently because of the actions of Trump-backed judges, with those who applied before the ruling being allowed to stay, but no new applications are being processed. Trump has repeatedly toyed with the idea of just deporting the 1.8 million people, but he continues to change his mind depending on whatever the fuck goes on in his head. he cannot be relied on to be sympathetic toward people of hispanic descent or to guarantee that DREAMers will be allowed stay in the country. biden + a democratic controlled congress will allow legal challenges to the DACA moratorium to gain ground.

the biden administration is open to returning and protecting portions of culturally important indigenous land in a way that the trump administration absolutely does not give a fuck. as of may 2024, they have established seven national monuments with plans to expand the San Gabriel Monument where the Gabrielino, Kizh / Tongva, the Chumash, Kitanemuk, Serrano, and Tataviam reside. the Berryessa Snow Mountain is also on the list, as a sacred region to the Patwin.

i'm recognizing that the US's plans for clean energy have often come into conflict with tribal sovereignty, and the biden administration could absolutely do better in navigating this. but the unfortunate dichotomy is that there would be zero commitment or investment in clean energy under a trump-led government, which poses an astounding existential threat and destabilizing force to the global south beyond any human-to-human conflict. climate change has caused and will continue to cause resource shortages, greater natural disasters, and near-lethal living conditions for those in the tropics - and the actions of the highest energy consumers (US) are to blame. biden has funneled billions of dollars into climate change mitigation and clean energy generation - trump does not believe that any of it matters.

i may circle back to this and add more as it comes up, but i'm hoping that those who are skeptical / discouraged / tired of the white queer-centric discourse on tumblr and twitter can at least process some of this. please feel free to add more articles + points but i'm asking for the sake of this post to please focus on issues that affect people of color.