#and what a privilege and a horror that we get to learn from it now

[stephobrien]

Is your pro-Palestine activism hurting innocent people? Here's how to avoid that.

Note: If you prefer plain text, you can read the plain text version here.

Over the last few days, I’ve had conversations with several Jewish people who told me how hurt and scared they are right now.

To my great regret, some of that pain came from a poorly-thought-out post of mine, which – while not ill-intentioned – WAS hurtful.

And a lot of it came from cruelty they’d experienced at the hands of people who claim to be advocating for Palestine, but are using the very real plight of innocent Palestinians to harm equally innocent Jewish people.

Y’all, we need to do better. (Yes, “we” definitely includes me; this is in no small part a “learn from my fail” post, and also a “making amends” post. Some of these are mistakes I’ve made in the past.)

So if you’re an advocate for Palestine who wants to make sure that your defense of one group of vulnerable people doesn’t harm another, here are some important things to do or keep in mind:

Ask yourself if you’re applying a standard to one group that you aren’t applying to another.

Would you want all white Americans or Canadians to be expelled from America or Canada?

Do you want all Jewish people to be expelled from Israel, as opposed to finding a way to live alongside Palestinian Arabs in peace?

If the answer to those two questions is different, ask yourself WHY.

Do you want to be held responsible for the actions of your nation’s army or government? No? Then don’t hold innocent Jewish people, or Israelis in general (whether Jewish or otherwise), responsible for the actions of the Israeli army and government.

On that subject, be wary of condemning all Israeli people for the actions of the IDF. Large-scale tactical decisions are made by the top brass. Service is compulsory, and very few can reasonably get out of service.

Blaming all Israelis for the military’s actions is like blaming all Vietnam vets for the horrors in Vietnam. They’re not calling the shots. They aren’t Nazis running concentration camps. They are carrying out military operations that SHOULD be criticized.

And do not compare them or ANY JEWISH PERSON to Nazis in general. It is Jewish cultural trauma and not outsiders’ to use against them.

Don’t infuse legitimate criticism with antisemitism.

By all means, spread the word about the crimes committed by the Israeli army and government, and the complicity of their allies. Criticize the people responsible for committing and enabling atrocities.

But if you imply that they’re committing those crimes because they’re Jewish, or because Jewish people have special privileges, then you’re straying into antisemitic territory.

Criticize the crime, not the group. If you believe that collective punishment is wrong, don’t do it yourself.

And do your best to use words that apply directly to the situation, rather than the historical terms for situations with similar features. For example, use “segregation,” “oppression,” or “subjugation,” not “Holocaust” or “Jim Crow.” These other historical events are not the cultural property of Jews OR Palestinians, but also have their own nuances and struggles and historical contexts.

Also, blaming other world events on Jewish people or making Jewish people associated with them (for instance, some people falsely blame Jewish people for the African slave trade) is a key feature of how antisemitism functions.

Please, by all means, be specific and detailed in your critiques. But keep them focused on the current political actors – not other peoples’ or nations’ political or cultural histories and traumas.

Be prepared to accept criticism.

You probably already know that society is infused with a wide array of bigotries, and that people growing up in that environment tend to absorb those beliefs without even realizing it. Antisemitism is no exception.

What that means is, there’s a very real chance that you will screw up, and get called out on it, as I so recently did.

If that happens, please be willing to learn and adapt. If you can educate yourself about the suffering and needs of Palestinians, you can do the same for Jewish people.

Understand that the people you hurt aren’t obligated to baby you. Give them room to be angry.

After I made a post that inadvertently hurt people, some were nice about it, and others weren’t. Some outright insulted my morals and intelligence.

And I had to accept that I’d earned that from them.

I’d hurt them, and they weren’t obligated to be more careful with my feelings than I had been with theirs.

They weren’t obligated to forgive me, trust me, or stop being mad at me right away.

I’ll admit, there were moments when I got defensive. I shouldn’t have. And I encourage you to try not to, if you screw up and hurt people.

I know that’s hard, but it’s important. Getting defensive only tells people you care more about doubling down on your mistake than you do about healing the hurt it caused.

Instead, acknowledge that they have a right to be angry, apologize for the way you hurt them, and try to make amends, while understanding that they don’t owe you trust or forgiveness.

Be aware that some antisemites are using legitimate complaints to “Trojan horse” antisemitism into leftist spaces.

This is a really easy stumbling block to trip over, because most people probably don’t look at every post a creator makes before sharing the one they’re looking at right now.

I recently shared a video that called out some of the Likud and IDF’s atrocities and hypocrisy, and that also noted that many Jewish people are wonderful members of their communities.

I was later informed that, while that video in particular seemed reasonable, the creator behind it is frequently antisemitic.

I deleted the post, and blocked the creator. I encourage you to do the same if it’s brought to your attention that you’ve been ‘Trojan horse’d.

EDIT: Important note about antisemitism in leftist spaces:

While it's true that some blatant antisemites are using seemingly reasonable posts to get their foot in the door of leftist spaces, it's also true that a lot of antisemitism already exists inside those spaces.

This antisemitism is often dressed up in progressive-sounding language, but nonetheless singles Jewish people and places out in ways that aren't applied equally to other groups, or that label Jewish people in ways that portray them as acceptable targets.

If you want to see some specific examples, so you can have a better idea of what to keep an eye out for, I suggest reading this excellent reblog of this post.

Fact-check your doubts about antisemitism.

Depending on which parts of the internet you look at, you’ve probably seen people accused of antisemitism because they complained about the Likud and/or IDF’s actions. So you might be primed to be wary, or feel unsure of how to tell what counts as real antisemitism.

But that doesn’t mean antisemitism isn’t a very real, widespread, and harmful problem. And it doesn’t mean many or even most Jewish people are lying to you or being overly sensitive.

So if someone says something is antisemitic, and you aren’t sure, I encourage you to:

A. Look up the action or thing in question, including its history. Is there an antisemitic history or connotation you aren’t aware of? For best results, include “antisemitic” in your search query, in quotes.

B. Understand that some things, while not inherently antisemitic, have been used by antisemites often enough that Jewish people are understandably wary of them. Schrodinger’s antisemitism, if you will.

C. Ask Jewish people WHO HAVE OFFERED TO HELP EDUCATE YOU. Emphasis on WHO HAVE OFFERED. Random Jewish people aren’t obligated to give you their time and emotional energy, or to educate you – especially on subjects that are scary or painful for them.

@edenfenixblogs has kindly offered her inbox to those who are genuinely trying to learn and do better, and I’ve found her to be very kind, patient, reasonable, and fair-minded.

Understand that this is URGENTLY NEEDED.

In one of my conversations with a Jewish person who’d called me out, they said this was the most productive conversation they’d had with a person with a Palestinian flag in their profile.

THIS IS NOT OKAY.

I didn’t do anything special. All I did was listen, apologize for my mistakes, and learn.

Yes, it feels good to be acknowledged. But I feel like I’ve been praised for peeing IN the toilet, instead of beside it.

Apologizing, learning, and making amends after you hurt people shouldn’t be “the most reasonable thing I’ve heard from a person with a Palestinian flag pfp.”

It should be BASIC DECENCY.

And the fact that it’s apparently so uncommon should tell you how much unnecessary stress and fear Jewish people have been living with because of people who consider themselves defenders of human rights.

By all means, be angry at the Likud, the IDF, and the politicians, reporters, and specific media outlets who choose to enable and cover up for them.

But direct that anger toward the people who deserve it and are in a position to do something about it, not random people who simply happen to be Jewish, or who don’t want millions of people to be turned into refugees when less violent methods of achieving freedom and rights for Palestinians are available.

Stop peeing beside the toilet, people.

[fishermanshook]

ASK: Yan! Andrew, Matthias, and Luca with a reader that's weak and a people pleaser, please? :')

A PUPPET TO ALL IS A PUPPET TO NONE.

( yandere puppeteer & “prisoner” ) + gn!reader

*ੈ♡⸝⸝🔮⋆ yandere characters , mentions of killing + manipulation , I do not condone any of these actions , useage of pet names , reader is considered “weak” and “easy to manipulate” + an INSANE people pleaser , , Luca x Sock /j , little knowledge of chess ik , this is absolute ASS I’m so sorry , Andrew isn’t here b/c I gave up , grammar and spelling warning

INTRO

You've been stepped on and used your entire life, and it didn't help the fact you turned out to be a weak kiss-up either. But that was how you got by. That was how you avoided the worst outcomes and changed your fate for the better.

Your luck ends here though, as the harsh conditions of these "games" leave you feeble, but also delicate. He promises to help you, to keep you safe for as long as he needs to and to only do what feels necessary to protect you from the onslaught of horrors.

꒰wc꒱ 1.7 k

✦— THE PUPPETEER ♟️ | A pawn created to be controlled by the gods above, a loyal piece to be sacrificed for “the greater good”. Although very talented, he is looked down upon by those above him. What happens when this ‘pawn’ grabs at the ropes that bind him to this role?

Matthias Czernin had always been neglected and disregarded as if he was worth nothing his entire life. “Louis” has always taken the spotlight and, even in this wretched manor haunts his every move no matter how many times he tries to abandon him. Fire and ash, he’s watched the puppet's death countless times now. And yet, he always comes back without as much of a scratch on his wooden body.

But then, he gets the chance to meet you, and Matthias doesn’t understand what he’s done to be graced with such a presence. The life he lived before arriving here shouldn’t qualify for this type of privilege. What god had crafted every wrinkle and twitch of your perfect body just to discard you this Alcatraz? It seems he’ll never know, but the Puppeteer will do anything in his power to save you from the wretched forces orchestrating these games. Even if it means getting dirty.

♟️| Matthias Czernin is an introvert at best. He strays away from large crowds and doesn’t start conversations unless needed to. But with you, he finds speaking like second nature. Easy, relaxing, and enjoyable. The Puppeteer likes watching the creases in your eyes appear and the smile you show to him. [He wishes it was only for him.]

↳ It’s not that Matthias couldn’t [communicate], more so he just struggles with the ability to do so. We never get any insight into friends he might’ve had/made, so it’s safe to assume most if not all of his time was devoted to learning the craft of puppetry. Not for his enjoyment, but rather for his fathers as he was seeking acknowledgment and praise from him. [his mother as well, though, it seems Matthias craved it more from his father.]

♟️| Matthias Czernin doesn’t realize why [yet…] he feels this indomitable obligation to keep you entirely to himself. The annoyance he feels when someone comes in between the two of you is unmeasurable to anything he’s ever felt before. So much so that he enjoys keeping a hand on you. It’s almost sweet, whether it be a pinky intertwined with yours or a harsh grip on your wrist.

↳ Either subconsciously or not, Matthias starts to cling to you as if his life depended on it. This tactic seems to work wonderfully for him, as your friends, old and new, start to greatly distance themselves from you. They’re sick of the looming, brooding presence that the Puppeteer gives off, and seemly leave you in the dark about it.

♟️| Matthias Czernin who yearns for your praise above everything else. A puppeteer who’s been controlled with his strings [for his entire life] eventually starts to forget what it means to truly be appreciated. The feeling of want, need, and utter desire sends Matthias spiraling. He needs more, and especially from you.

It’s a quiet, dusk day when it accidentally slips from his mouth. His head in your lap with the two of you alone and away from the world had to be something straight from a rom-com. So when a subtle, yet distinct noise that sounds like a profession of his love is ripped from his throat, he does his best to act like you never heard him. It’s only when you seemingly light up that he starts to think that maybe you reciprocated a bit more than he thought.

The Puppeteer is immediately up and out of your lap, and, from somewhere somehow is filled with the courage to continue where he left off. Yes, he thinks you’re better than everyone here. Yes, he doesn’t care what past actions you’ve committed to land yourself in here, he thinks you’re absolutely perfect. Yes, he would trap you and keep you all to himself if he could. Yes, he loves you. And yes, he absolutely adores you. Albeit, maybe a bit too much.

✦— THE “PRISONER” ♝ | Intelligent, cunning and corrupt, the Bishop is a worthy opponent and is always thinking outside of the box. However, jealousy runs deep through their veins. What’s the next step when they get messy and act on impulse? Breaking their picture-perfect persona in exchange for revealing their true self?

Luca Balsa was destined to be the next big inventor from the get-go. The Balsa prestige was always meant to be written down in history books anyway. So how did he end up here? With the blood of his old mentor on his hands, there’s no erasing what’s already been done.

And yet, a murderer with or without remorse is still just that: a murderer. The stings of electric shock stay as a reminder of the act that has been committed, and the Balsac name that will forever be tarnished. But there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. This time, it’s you.

♝ | Luca Balsa comes face to face with you during your first-ever match. You’re like a baby bird: completely and utterly unaware of the dangers that will soon show their face to you in only the most haunting forms. You’re scared, frightened even. Is this all just a nightmare? Will someone pinch you and bring you back to earth? It isn’t until the “Prisoner” lends you a helping hand that you realize that, no, this isn’t a dream, but a purgatory turned into your new reality. You leave your first match unscathed. At least, physically.

♝ | Luca Balsa isn’t blind to your shaken form, and who could? After a match like that, the tremble in your legs and the quivering in your speech can be excused [especially since it was your first of many!] So, being the kind, “aristocratic” gentleman he is, the “prisoner” lends his arm out to you as an invitation to dinner. You take it, and it’ll probably be the second worst choice you’ve ever in your life up ‘till now. [number one being you coming here, of course.]

↳ It’s almost scary how quickly Luca begins to stick to you. He keeps it concealed from most [including you], but others can see through his facade. They can tell an obsession is forming, and not a healthy one. [to be fair, none of his obsessions are healthy.]

♝ | Luca Balsa who, whenever you’re not looking, sifts through your belongings, keeping little mementos of you when you’ve been stripped away from his side. [It sounds cute at first, but soon you start to notice that some of your items have gone missing.] So far, it seems the “Prisoner” has pilfered a silver bracelet, a shiny stone, and a singular striped sock. You don’t notice it, but the bracelet is on his right arm covered by his black and white sleeve. The stone, in his left pocket [he considers it lucky]. And the sock? Well, um, yeah.

↳ Luca may or may not have been caught coming out of your room before. He plays it off giving an almost actress-worthy performance. He states that he’d “forgotten something and left it in your room.” Most fall for it, but others [more specifically Ganji & Naib] are starting to keep a closer watch on him. Little do they know, Luca may or may not be planning their downfall.

♝ | Luca Balsa who isn’t afraid to pull at the weak strings of your life, to manipulate the events for his desired outcome to be brought to life. And with you, an easy prey and an incredibly naive person makes his job just that much easier. Whether it’s him whispering lies into your ears or sending threats under the [dinner] table, he’s got you wrapped around his finger in no time.

↳ if you haven’t picked up on it yet, this man isn’t above approaching these situations with more serious accusations. He’s already got blood on his hands, what else is new? [don’t ask about the pocket knife he’s started bringing around now.]

♝ | Luca Balsa is anything but the quiet type when it comes to his affection towards you. His undying feelings for you already started strong, and his blabbering mouth won’t shut up about you. It’s beginning to rub others the wrong way.

Luca Balsa is the type to whisk you away [farther than he’s already done before] and to confess his dying feelings for you in a field of meadows, the action beautiful and strange whilst he presents to you a promise ring. The topaz center glistens and gleams in the golden hour, and everything looks straight out of a romance novel. Unless you knew where to look.

The shiny kitchen knife stowed away in the picnic basket speaks as a warning in it, and the glint of something gold—something like your grandmother's bracelet that’s been missing for weeks now— shines underneath his black and white striped sleeves. But the glint of hope, life, and pure adoration in his eyes has you fooled. Your rose-tinted glasses make every red flag seem a playful pink, and you stick out your ring finger as he graciously slides the piece of jewelry on.

The ring shows itself to you as a promise. A promise to always love and cherish you no matter the wrongdoings you commit [even if he believes you can’t do any] and to hold you so close it would bruise the body he worships oh so dearly. The ring shows itself to you as a promise to not let anyone or anything get in the way of this relationship.

—

note: thank GOD they’re weird people out there like me who give chess pieces personalities. thank the people on the 2012 forum at chess.com.

↳ hi and hello everyone! it’s been a minute, hasn’t it. I personally NEVER thought this fic would see the light of day, but then again, here we are. I want to thank everyone for their patience and for all of the support I’ve earned during my time here on this platform. getting to write for people makes me so happy, and the notes make me giddy — especially when people talk about how much they liked the fic in it. I am so, so sorry this came out so late, and I’m ever more apologetic to all of my tumblr friends who had to deal with my…less than communicating ass. To the person who requested this, I’m personally hunting you down and letting you know this has been in the making since APRIL 9TH 2024. YEAH. [im kidding, it’s not your fault.] thank you all again for the unwavering support, and almost for 300 followers. LOVE YOU ALL!! ⸜( ˃̶͈̀௰˂̶͈́ )⸝ <3

© fishermanshook — no stealing , translating , plagiarizing or reposting my work on other any other sites + reblogs adored !!

[yandere-sins]

Not to be the monsterfucker y'all know and love but I was running around, clearing the map today a bit while I was waiting for a visitor and I found these absolute UNITS of skeletons (They are called Death Shepherds):

Like HELLO???? I don't even mean that sexually but WHY ARE THEY SO FREAKIN' HOT???? (Sorry for the crap resolution on the first pic, I forgot screenshot's existed and used my phone, but then I remembered.)

Also they were HUGE BOYS (yes, plural, there were 2. Like Gale certainly has BJ height at most next to them, they were MASSIVE CHUNKS OF SKELETON AND ARMOR!!) compared to everyone else, even my Dragonborn Tav, and they kept reanimating the ghouls (which weren't as pretty), so I told my friend who was obviously appalled by how infatuated I was with the skeletons really tickled my inspiration for them, and I was thinking...

Yandere skeletons that are just your scary dog privilege, protection squad.

(And no, we are not sexualizing this time, this is not Sans Undertale.)

You should have died that day you met them, but without any apparent reason, they didn't attack you. They just watch you with their holes for eyes, ever so slightly creeping closer. It's not until the ghouls sticking around them notice you that you get into grave danger. You see those hungry, violent creatures charge at you, their claws scraping over stone and dirt as they come for your life, when, suddenly, the sound of a sharp blade cutting through the air and then flesh fills the crossroad where your unfortunate encounter takes place.

The scream ripping from your throat gets stuck as the head of the ghoul that attacked you rolls up to your feet, a now bloody sword lowering again as you hear the other ghouls whimper—whimper!—before they take off the other way. Instead, the two skeletons stalk closer, their armor rattling as if they were still living, breathing beings going off to war. Instead, one bends down, inspecting you with soulless eyes, its hand coming up to cup your cheek as if concerned with the horror etched into your face.

There's no getting rid of them. After standing around for what feels like ages, you are as confused as you are increasingly in a hurry to get away. Once you take enough steps away to turn your back to them without fearing being struck down, you make a mad dash for your life, running until your thighs burn and lungs beg for a moment to breathe—only to hear their armor rattle behind you.

Honestly, purely from a travel companion point of view, you cannot ask for anyone better. They are swift and skilled in battle, scaring away anyone who dares to come close to you, and incredibly low maintenance, as they don't need food or shelter, really. But they aren't mindless goons either, and that's where things get crazy.

Because one night, they decide they deserve cuddles for all the good they do.

As if being watched by the darkness in their eye sockets while you sleep isn't bad enough, you feel the hard armor press to your back one night, an arm—clothed but mere bones—wrapping around you from behind, face nestling into the nape of your neck. You can kind of come to terms with them trotting behind you all day, never saying anything, never leaving your side. You might even be thankful for their help when they keep robbers and goblins at bay and you out of any harm's way. Hell, you let them watch you do anything like eat, sleep, and—despite feeling unwarranted shame rake its claws down your body—bathe. But this was getting out of hand.

It could have been okay if it had only been a moment, but learning that these creatures sought out contact this intimate freaks you out. And it's never just a moment of putting their souls at ease, no. Because no matter how much you wriggle, they won't let go of you, their scraggy fingers digging into your flesh. You'll have to wait for them to switch if you want to try and escape, leaving everything behind to make a run for it in the middle of the night. But in stark contrast to you, who ran into the darkness without the time to collect things, they have all their belongings on them if they pick up their swords, and they can run endlessly without worrying about aches and stamina, catching up to you quickly. You'll just hang your head and be escorted back to camp when you decide to stop panicking, only for them to take the opportunity to rearrange and occupy both sides of your bedroll as they please once you want to lay down for another sleepless night.

It's not like you can get rid of them. You can't take them both on and if one falls, the other will just bring it back to life in an endless circle. You saw it before; no doubt it will happen again. Even if you talk to them, ask them questions, or shoo them away, they don't budge and cannot answer, getting into motion again only if you do. The most they ever give you to indicate their thoughts is laying their head to the side as if they don't understand you. Or admire you. Or stare at you adoringly. Who knows.

Things turn from bad to worse when you decide to end your adventure and return home. The stares you receive when you enter the city you live in with your hulking, undead companions are mortifying. Some people faint on the spot; others scream. And the two try to fight anyone trying to squeeze past them, seeing them as possible enemies to you. They made sure your life will never be the same. Neither friends nor family can get close to you, and no one dares to talk with you, trade, or even look your way. These two are creating a life where you'll be separated from anyone but them, and you begin to doubt they are doing it unintentionally. You'll never be able to free yourself unless you find a group that manages to actually kill them both.

But then again, as you stare at the night sky, stars twinkling above you, you can't help but feel bad for the two boney companions hugging you and resting their hard heads on your chest. The same ones that are so scarily indifferent, yet swift and merciless in a fight, straight out of a horror story with blood splattered on their white faces and swords in hand. Yet, they pick up flowers for you on the way or clean your equipment while you're asleep, hunting food for you and preparing it so you can cook and eat it right away. They are like needy puppies, putting their heads on top of yours while you read the map or admire the scenery, or hold onto your sleeve as you walk through a dark cave so you don't get lost. Clearly, they have some lingering sentiment, searching for warmth and affection from you. There's nowhere for you to run or hide, as they have all the time and strength to go after you. Maybe you shouldn't have given them names, shouldn't have treated them kindly when you started to travel together. But all these regrets come now when it's already too late.

Because they will let nothing and no one take you from them, no matter who or what they have to fight, just so they can have you all to themselves.

Their pretty, little, alive darling with a heart that races so fast whenever they do anything, be it scare or love you. 

__________________

Bonus points for you somehow dying despite their efforts (traps and magic are a bitch to avoid), so they keep reviving you, and they either... 

a.) succeed, and now you owe them your life and have to live with the knowledge of what it's like to die and that they'll most likely keep reviving you, even if you die of old age. So you'll suffer eternally with them.

b.) don't succeed, and can't accept/don't understand you're dead, so they carry your body around, trying to show you all the pretty things they learned you like as you slowly decay in their arms until you are a mere skeleton like them, so they lay you to rest in a grave with them, coming alive only when someone tries to rob your grave before returning to slumber next to you. You three won't even be apart in death.

Like, sorry guys, that's my emotional support yandere skeleton beloved ♥

[dailyadventureprompts]

hey! was wondering if you have some ideas/tips for running a dark fantasy campaign? ive been running one for about a year now and while ive included horror elements im a naturally silly person and i feel like i go a couple sessions without including something strange and off-putting. i do wanna be distinct from grimdark, i want my story to have hope and moments of levity, but still feel scary and like the world is against the pcs.

hope ur day is well :]

Genretalk: Dark Fantasy

Maintaining a consistent tone at our d&d table is a notoriously hard thing to accomplish. Partially it's because it's a collaborative game and not all of our players might be as dictatorially inclined as we are, there's also the dice to contend with and those little polyhedral bastards don't care about dramatic consistency or the wrath of god.

So it falls to us as dungeon masters to do most of the work, but luckily I've found that evoking a specific genre can be pretty easily done through keeping a few ideas in mind while we're running scenes and building out our worlds.

First, a meditation on loss :.|:;

What makes dark fantasy dark? The surface level is aesthetics; dirt covered fauxmedivalism, horror imagery, gritty "realism", a lack of smiles and rainbows and happiness. These are all too common but they only reflect the feelings the genre exists to convey, specifically ones related to both the fear of loss and the suffering caused by it.

If people are going to lose something (whether they be players or npcs), you're going to need them and your audience to care about it, which means learning to build connections and evoke sympathy. Having those moments of levity is SO important because they're the point of attachment for your players, the thing that makes them care about this sometimes rotten world you've crated that they've taken on the responsibility of saving. If you skipped this step you'd be going into grimdark, which is one of the reasons I dislike the genre: death and suffering lose all meaning if there's no alternative.

Likewise, as easy as it is to lose hope, people are going to try to make the best of bad times. There's good food and the warmth of a fire and the company of friends and the chance of something better happening tomorrow. People are going to want these things no matter how turbulent circumstances get, so it's important to focus on them to give contrast to the darkness of your story.

Bad things happen to good people and there's (probably) nothing you can do about it

One of the central conceits of playing D&D is that the players are heroes, characters with a unique power and agency in the world and the ability to shape the outcome of events, specifically to beat the odds and save the day. However we can still lean into the dark side of dark fantasy by highlighting that while the players are privileged by their protagonist status, most other people aren't.

Most NPCS the party end up getting to know should have something tragic in their backstory; a war, a famine, a plague, a loved one's death. This will have affected them deeply and have coloured their outlook on the world and will set up their later dramatic arc. The town magistrate is going to have opinions about adventurers after her sister befriended a passing gang of sellswords and ended up dying in childbirth after being seduced by their charismatic leader. The townspeople are unlikely to rebel against their petty and sadistic baron since they remember his military acumen that saved them during the last border war. This also sets up the unexpected moments where the party can fight against the darkness of the world by getting people to see past the lifetime of cruelty they've been forced to endure.

A centeral part of the players having agency is making choices, but sometimes things go wrong, and sometimes there's no good options. Innocent people get hurt, there are costs that we end up having to pay that may or may not be worth the price. Keeping the young lovers apart and letting the unpleasant political marriage go through is the only way to avert war. There's a murder demon stalking town and the only way to banish it is for someone innocent to be ritually sacrificed, none of the heroes count, they've all got blood on their hands.

One of the best tricks I've learned to highlight the "no good options" approach is to present the party with a status quo that needs to change, but characters they like who are reliant upon it. It's easy to justify toppling the evil empire, those guys are jerks and are actively making life worse for everyone, but things get messy when doing what needs to be done involves making life worse for a lot of generally good people.

Messy decisions are what we want in dark fantasy because it really gives the party agency over the story. Are they willing to give up something they care about to perform an act of heroism? Are they willing to let the world tip further into chaos for the sake of seeing justice done? If there is no right choice, then what choice will you make?

The universe trends towards darkness

Worldbuilding is an important part of establishing your tone, and while you don't need to constantly keep ratcheting up how dreadful things are it pays to be mindful while thinking up new details for your setting.

Living in the world is a bloody business and people are all too often accepting of awful things if it makes their lives easier. On the base level it's the "kill people who are different monsters take their stuff" angle of self enrichment, but it gets more abstract as you venture into the non-adventuring levels of society. It's stuff like religions venerating painful martyrdoms as miracles, joyous feast days and festivals to commemorate some bloody event, national or family pride over participation in historic slaughter. A dark fantasy world is one that celebrates it's hypocrisy and compromises because it has long given up on good actually winning out.

To really hammer in that "fighting against the odds" feeling, stories/legends/songs about other heroes should either be tragedies or well known falsehoods.

Change (to say nothing of actual improvement) comes at terrible cost. It isn't fair that the world/narrative/universe is set up this way, but now the heroes have to deal with it.

Artsource

[melonteee]

I've seen many people complain that Oda in Post Time skip One Piece spends a lot of time worldbuilding and making up side characters on every island that distract from the main ones and the plot. While I can see where some people are coming from, as someone who reads comics from Marvel, I WISH the wordbuilding and side characters were that developed because most of the time, unless it's about space or magic or directly related to the plot, the world feels genuinely dead. Even the main setting of a story sometimes feels so dead, like for comparison

Around 2 years ago, they had an event where, at some point, an inhabited island got pretty much nuked. We spent 3 real life years on that island and the writers really couldn't make any readers care less about all the civilians (men, women, children and babies) dying as they wrote them as a single minded entity who didn't mind that fate if their government told them to do it so they used two of the "main characters" (the most selfish pricks imaginable who never even cared about the island and the people there as they are long-established villains + due to plot, were made part of the people who rule over the place and get the most privilege and best life there compared to everyone else), to pull the heartstrings of fans on how terrible it is for them to die this way and how tragic that these two had to die in this event... All because the plot hyperfocused on the island's government (not even interesting to read and full of what felt like highschool drama) instead of the people the government looks after and who would be the greatest casualty here. All of this didn't matter either because everyone on that island was brought back to life (that plot device was present even before the event so caring about anything was going to be hard from the get go) including the "main characters" that died.. Guess who got to come back to life first while many others were on a waiting list years down the line still ?

Now compare this to Oda and what he did with Lulusia. All things related to this island were mostly cover stories, many cuts back and forth in a "meanwhile in...", ... But once Chapter 1060 hits, we feel the tragedy and horror, we are at awe at how much destruction was unleashed on these people. That scene was made even more horrifying and sad when it was animated in Episode 1089...and then we learn the reason the island was obliterated had nothing to do with Sabo being there. Any island we knew who partook in a revolution could have been a target. We find out that even that was an excuse because the main goal was to test a weapon and nothing more. Oda is using a tool here called "less is more" for this island and it was sincerely enough for me to care A WHOLE LOT about Lulusia even if the main characters never set a single foot there and it wasn't part of the main plot. There wasn't even a main character who "died" there either to pull on our heart strings. We just saw these people triumphantly come out of a political crisis and enjoy their first hours of freedom after lord knows how long and then

They were all gone. Erased. And even if they didn't all see what was about to happen to them, they felt it. They died in fear

Oda is very very good at his world building, because he makes sure these islands are LIVED in, not just that they EXIST. It's all well and good to wipe out an island to show the political and immoral powers that be, but we don't feel the impact unless we SEE the people and culture existing on the island.

It's why now, with Vegapunk explaining the state of the world, we are getting reactions from EVERY corner of the globe. We are being reminded how big this world is, how lived in this world is, and how many people are suffering under the world gov. We CARE about this world, we care about the PEOPLE in this world, and Oda's spent years building his world up for THIS moment. It's really spectacular.

[wutheringmights]

The first time I read Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler, it was 2016 and I was in a college course taught by a professor I hated. Making us read the novel had been the one good decision she made, though I didn’t learn much from her. 

She more or less tossed the book at us and told us it was relevant to the times-- and that was the whole lecture. Flipping through my original book (I used to write my course notes in the book itself for easy review later), I can see that I learned close to nothing from her. Her lecture material had no insights an average person couldn’t have gotten from reading the damn text themselves. Where’s the review of academic literature? The historical context? Interpretations based on different schools of thought?  And she had the audacity to complain that my class was made of the worst students she ever had. Ma’am, you were one of the worst professors I ever had. I would curse your name, if I had bothered to remember it. 

 Anyway, I read the book in 2016 and decided that although the book was relevant, it still felt a degree removed from the current state of affairs. In the privileged bubble of having all of your needs met while in college, I was convinced that the world would miraculously fix itself by the time I graduated-- or that the world would suck, but I and everyone else I cared about would miraculously be effortlessly thriving. Call it optimism, naivety, or sheer delusion: the world sucked, and maybe it would get a little worse, but surely things will turn around soon. 

Now it’s 2025. Jesus christ. 

I’m in a book club now and, by the democratic will of the club members, we decided to make Parable of the Sower our first book; which also makes it my first read of the year. 

What a fucking time to go back to it. This was perhaps the worst time I could have picked to reread this book. 

Parable of the Sower  hits way harder now, in no small part because I grew up and got a reality check. Butler famously said that her near-apocalyptic depiction of America was born from exploring what the state of the country would be if the problems present in 1999 weren’t solved and continued to worsen. She’s succeeded. The housing crisis, climate change, wage gaps: all of our familiar everyday terrors are here, vivid, and downright terrifying. 

I was not having a good time. The entire time I was reading it, I was in a terrible mood. But as dark as the story gets, it never feels overdone. There’s cannibalism and sexual assault in spades, but Butlet lifts the tone by showing that the relief from the horrors is in being good to others and building a community. 

I love Butler’s writing. I loved it in 2016, I loved it when I read Kindred, and I love it here. She always writes with a strong, unique voice, and her plots are always on point. With some authors, you can see their tinkering all over the prose. Everything Butler writes feels perfect. No sentence is out of place. Her ideas and themes are well-developed and culturally relevant. She writes books that remain wholly original no matter the genre she writes in. 

If you can spare the stress, please read Parable of the Sower-- or Kindred, or any other of Butler’s books. This has definitely reminded me that I need to go through her entire catalogue and get my hands on everything she has ever touched. Butler is truly one of a kind and a cut far, far above the rest. 

---

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

Rating: 5/5⭐

[ultfreakme]

I don't think Caitlyn is unkind, but I do think she's too privileged and too coddled by the story itself to ever have her confront said privilege long enough to dismantle it.

Yes, she is kind in S1 to Zaunites. Yes she defends Vi. Yes she tries to save that guy in the airship. But these kinds of actions become nothing to her when she and her position is threatened. The best parallel I can find for this is a character in the first Knives Out movie (got newly emerging issues with that movie franchise but whatever).

For those who haven't seen it- MC is a Caretaker for a very rich writer, the writer leaves all his wealth to her and the writer's family is fucking pissed and demands the money back. There's an 18/19 year-old girl who's the granddaughter of the writer, she's super inclusive, kind and genuinely wants to help the MC. She's very chill with the MC getting the inheritance.

Until we learn, that her Writer Grandfather was the one paying her tuition and now that all the inheritance is the MC's, no one will be paying for her education anymore.

And suddenly, the switch flips. Suddenly, she's acting even nicer to the MC, cajoling her. The MC promises she'll pay for her education but refuses to give her all the money. The girl doesn't trust the MC and by the end of the movie she's basically joined in on the witch hunt for MC to get back the money.

That's what Caitlyn feels like. She'll be kind so long as she is comfortable. She's grieving, she's traumatized, etc. But no amount of personal grief can forgive large-scale harm. If the story of Arcane didn't connect the grief to her actions as an enforcer, I would not be so critical. But the voice actors and writers and the story itself is telling me Caitlyn should be forgiven because she was sad and grieving.

People think fascism and cruelty comes only from people who are somehow horrible from birth till death. Common people are entirely capable of such horrors if they refuse to slow down and examine their actions, using personal comfort and grievance to justify their actions. "I am sad, therefore I won't", "I am suffering, and I need to deal with that first so bye", "I have things to do, so no I can't help".

Yes it fucking sucks. Yes it's a pain in the ass and it's draining but who tf said kindness is easy? It's a skill. It's learnt and built-upon.

I'm closer in class to a Zaunite then I'll ever be to a Councillor in Piltover just in terms of speaking analogically, but I do have privilege. And it's a horrifying fucking moment realizing my own kindness is restricted by how comfortable I am. It's something anyone with privilege feels, none of us are perfectly altruistic and virtuous and we have to look it in the eyes and dismantle it.

Caitlyn never, ever does. She uses her grief to justify things. She uses Ambessa to justify things. Ambessa didn't tell her to gas Zaun and shoot at a child. Ambessa didn't make her tell Vi to join the enforcers or leave her alone otherwise.

[hologramcowboy]

Since the end of the election many SPN fans have been online (X) saying they’re cutting anyone who voted for Trump/Vance out of their lives.

They also have been biting at Misha after he posted on X about not engaging in hate towards others. Never ceases to amuse me when his beloved fans lose their minds on him if he doesn’t think and act the exact way they do.

https://x.com/mishacollins/status/1854554551493296194?s=46&t=wx4CnlP_QMqkNn_0DvA9HQ

My question is how likely do you think it is that Jensen faces backlash from fans? He appeared in that Lynda Carter hosted event to support Harris/Walz, it looked like a shit show and he seemed somewhat uninterested in being there, and he hasn’t posted anything since the election. He was also at Steve Carlson’s gig in LA last night and Steve is supposedly a Trumper.

I personally think cutting people from your life because of their political leanings is the wrong way to go. Civil, open dialogue is better but that’s just me.

I just wonder if you think Jensen will get any hate, especially from Hellers, about his lacklustre reaction and his friendship with a conservative. Then there’s Danneel who retweeted one of Misha’s pre-election tweets… that was the extent of her online “activism”. Does she qualify for hate from the ultra engaged, politically active and aware set?

#jensencritical #antidanneel

I agree. Cutting people out of your life due to political leanings is unnecessary, however, I do get that at the moment it's coming from a place of helplessness and horror over the future. People are lashing out due to feeling powerless. Jensen is Jensen, he is a beyond privileged man who gets away with a ton of things simply because women fall at his feet. Due to this, he always does the bare minimum, just to check boxes. I seem to recall a comment he made "Just give them a picture with my face one it" (there is video of this, he was in an Impala at a CW event where Lucy Hale and others were present). In other words, I don't mean to be mean, but I don't expect much from him. He runs from anything that has to do with responsibility and only does things for clout ONLY if they are easy for him. Lazy and self centered, again, I don't mean to be mean but that's how he comes off. I hope I'm 150% wrong. I doubt he will get a lot of hate because he can do no wrong. Infatuation beats reality when it comes to Jensen.

Danneel, as always, follows whatever is trendy for clout, on her own she has no personality and no opinions, she can barely form sentences. What can we expect from a woman whose entire career rested solely on her fake bosom? Now that being said, no matter which side you belong to, I hope we all find ways to reach harmony and balance our perceptions. There are severe repercussions coming our way due to the result of the election and those who voted for Trump didn't do any research into any of that. They will learn from experience. We need to be united not divided, education is power. It's lack of education that has landed America in the position of voting for someone like Trump. I could go on and on but this blog is not the place for my critical thinking on this subject. To answer your question, I believe a certain part of fandom is set on hatred and will look for any reason to justify tearing into others. I'm not referring exclusively to hellers but to a general trend within fandom. People will do horrible things and hide behind their fandom loves. Let's just come out and admit it's not your ship that's driving you but your own instincts and desires. Don't use your love of X or Z as an excuse to tear into other people and be cruel. Civil discussion is more than possible, in fact, it can be enriching for both sides. Fanaticism is dangerous and we're about to learn just how dangerous it is thanks to our new President.

I'll stop here because this blog is not meant to be political in any way, it's merely a fandom blog. Thank you for the beautiful question.

[aro-geo-turtle]

Magnus protocol ep 31, start of s2 liveblog!!!

A single severed hand is not what I was expecting, I kinda assumed it was his whole body! No blood and threaded with wires is still very scary

Oh shit it vanishing is even scarier! What the hell! And Freddie has something to say about this…love it getting snippy about needing someone to formally start the case

This is fascinating. The way it sees Colin as a physical extension that has been corrupted and this is treating him like any compromised program, isolating and getting him under control. The individual elements that make him up being treated like his program files and deleted one at a time is really creative and horrifying. Plus, alchemy connection in that? Is there any of Colin left in there???

.jmj error persists throughout everything. What would fixing it change? I can only imagine it would change everything somehow

Who now holds his admin privileges???

So many Gwen lies in the first seven minutes XD

“A new process activates”??? What does that mean

Yessss archivesverse scene! Wow that seems really bad, I hope we get more information

It’s printing his face??? What the fuck Freddie???

Back with Sam…at least he’s been found. whistling??? Yeah circus music is going to make this worse

Canon Georgie! CAPTAIN Georgie?!? Georgie “P” according to the transcript so…Georgie Prime I assume? How’s Melanie doing? Awww truck named in honor of Gertrude. “Dreamer, cultist, possessed” so many horrors remaining in archivesverse :(

Kafka’s work does often feel like a tma domain. It’s weird to hear the term domain again after so long

The Scrutiny is a fun new name for the Eye. Oooh first blatant reference to Jon! Rip Heidi, though it’s fascinating to hear about the eyepocalypse in a statement from after it ended

Aww wow I am so hyped to learn more about the post-post-eyepocalype world!!!

[forgetyoursingalongsandlullabies]

TMAGP 31 Thoughts - Spoilers

- Severed hand! No blood!

- Cables running through it?!!

- Oh my God the hand just disappeared

- Gwen please call Lena

- Administrator privilege REVOKED

- Discard Data OH FUCK! All his elements?! Oh my God Colin you poor bastard

- ^^ My jaw was on the floor in horror and joy

- It sounds like the system was provoked! Lmao Gwen

- Oh is that the sound of a whimpering Sam?

- It sounds very muddy and gooey where he is

- “Sam will be okay. Mommy was okay so he will be too” she’s really hoping but damn

- Choose not to get involved. Wow Celia now you don’t want to get involved

- Celia keeps saying stuff she knows is from a case. When will someone ask to see the cases she’s referencing? If I were Alice and Celia has way more info than me that she claims to have learned from a case I’d want to read it too.

- It’s using the photocopier and printing Colin’s face

- Circus music! Oh, Sam

- Georgie is an MVP as always

- Oh Georgie is Captain here! Of course she is. Georgie the badass that you are

- Got a ride in Gertrude. They named a car after her

- Georgie doesn’t seem caught by the name Celia

- Keep investigations off the books. Gwen you’re making choices..

- Archivist is here!

- Ah a good ol’ Eyepocalypse statement

- “the archivist died, his face still burned into my mind” so did everyone know what Jon looked like? Like was everyone dreaming him? Because some people that met him had no clue who he was while some people did kind of automatically know who he was. I just wonder how that worked. Who and why. Unless she gave a statement before? But it doesn’t sound like she did. I just want to know how his face was burned in her mind. Did everyone “see” the pupil fall?

- “There is no place left for monsters. We will be your end and I will watch” 👏🏼 RIP Heidi a short lived icon.

So, that was a lot. I’m really just dwelling on why Heidi said The Archivist’s face was burned in her mind. Wondering the logistics. I’m also wondering about the car named after Gertrude, just, who is left that knows about her enough to have enough affection for her to name a car that? Probably Basira as she handled Gertrude’s murder case and would have known the most. There is some spark in my mind that maybe this isn’t our Archives-verse but that would mean The Eyepocalypse happened in multiple universes in the same time period. That’s way too complicated. It 99% probably is our Archivurse.

Many questions. Many many questions.

[stephobrien]

Is your pro-Palestine activism hurting innocent people? Here's how to avoid that. (Plain text version)

I kept getting "needs pt" tags on the original post, so here's the plain text version:

Over the last few days, I’ve had conversations with several Jewish people who told me how hurt and scared they are right now.

To my great regret, some of that pain came from a poorly-thought-out post of mine, which – while not ill-intentioned – WAS hurtful.

And a lot of it came from cruelty they’d experienced at the hands of people who claim to be advocating for Palestine, but are using the very real plight of innocent Palestinians to harm equally innocent Jewish people.

Y’all, we need to do better. (Yes, “we” definitely includes me; this is in no small part a “learn from my fail” post, and also a “making amends” post. Some of these are mistakes I’ve made in the past.)

So if you’re an advocate for Palestine who wants to make sure that your defense of one group of vulnerable people doesn’t harm another, here are some important things to do or keep in mind:

Ask yourself if you’re applying a standard to one group that you aren’t applying to another.

Would you want all white Americans or Canadians to be expelled from America or Canada?

Do you want all Jewish people to be expelled from Israel, as opposed to finding a way to live alongside Palestinian Arabs in peace?

If the answer to those two questions is different, ask yourself WHY.

Do you want to be held responsible for the actions of your nation’s army or government? No? Then don’t hold innocent Jewish people, or Israelis in general (whether Jewish or otherwise), responsible for the actions of the Israeli army and government.

On that subject, be wary of condemning all Israeli people for the actions of the IDF. Large-scale tactical decisions are made by the top brass. Service is compulsory, and very few can reasonably get out of service.

Blaming all Israelis for the military’s actions is like blaming all Vietnam vets for the horrors in Vietnam. They’re not calling the shots. They aren’t Nazis running concentration camps. They are carrying out military operations that SHOULD be criticized.

And do not compare them or ANY JEWISH PERSON to Nazis in general. It is Jewish cultural trauma and not outsiders’ to use against them.

Don’t infuse legitimate criticism with antisemitism. By all means, spread the word about the crimes committed by the Israeli army and government, and the complicity of their allies. Criticize the people responsible for committing and enabling atrocities.

But if you imply that they’re committing those crimes because they’re Jewish, or because Jewish people have special privileges, then you’re straying into antisemitic territory.

Criticize the crime, not the group. If you believe that collective punishment is wrong, don’t do it yourself.

And do your best to use words that apply directly to the situation, rather than the historical terms for situations with similar features. For example, use “segregation,” “oppression,” or “subjugation,” not “Holocaust” or “Jim Crow.” These other historical events are not the cultural property of Jews OR Palestinians, but also have their own nuances and struggles and historical contexts.

Also, blaming other world events on Jewish people or making Jewish people associated with them (for instance, some people falsely blame Jewish people for the African slave trade) is a key feature of how antisemitism functions.

Please, by all means, be specific and detailed in your critiques. But keep them focused on the current political actors – not other peoples’ or nations’ political or cultural histories and traumas.

Be prepared to accept criticism. You probably already know that society is infused with a wide array of bigotries, and that people growing up in that environment tend to absorb those beliefs without even realizing it. Antisemitism is no exception.

What that means is, there’s a very real chance that you will screw up, and get called out on it, as I so recently did.

If that happens, please be willing to learn and adapt. If you can educate yourself about the suffering and needs of Palestinians, you can do the same for Jewish people.

Understand that the people you hurt aren’t obligated to baby you. Give them room to be angry. After I made a post that inadvertently hurt people, some were nice about it, and others weren’t. Some outright insulted my morals and intelligence.

And I had to accept that I’d earned that from them.

I’d hurt them, and they weren’t obligated to be more careful with my feelings than I had been with theirs.

They weren’t obligated to forgive me, trust me, or stop being mad at me right away.

I’ll admit, there were moments when I got defensive. I shouldn’t have. And I encourage you to try not to, if you screw up and hurt people.

I know that’s hard, but it’s important. Getting defensive only tells people you care more about doubling down on your mistake than you do about healing the hurt it caused.

Instead, acknowledge that they have a right to be angry, apologize for the way you hurt them, and try to make amends, while understanding that they don’t owe you trust or forgiveness.

Be aware that some antisemites are using legitimate complaints to “Trojan horse” antisemitism into leftist spaces. This is a really easy stumbling block to trip over, because most people probably don’t look at every post a creator makes before sharing the one they’re looking at right now.

I recently shared a video that called out some of the Likud and IDF’s atrocities and hypocrisy, and that also noted that many Jewish people are wonderful members of their communities.

I was later informed that, while that video in particular seemed reasonable, the creator behind it is frequently antisemitic.

I deleted the post, and blocked the creator. I encourage you to do the same if it’s brought to your attention that you’ve been ‘Trojan horse’d.

EDIT: Important note about antisemitism in leftist spaces:

While it's true that some blatant antisemites are using seemingly reasonable posts to get their foot in the door of leftist spaces, it's also true that a lot of antisemitism already exists inside those spaces.

This antisemitism is often dressed up in progressive-sounding language, but nonetheless singles Jewish people and places out in ways that aren't applied equally to other groups, or that label Jewish people in ways that portray them as acceptable targets.

If you want to see some specific examples, so you can have a better idea of what to keep an eye out for, I suggest reading this excellent reblog of the original post.

Fact-check your doubts about antisemitism. Depending on which parts of the internet you look at, you’ve probably seen people accused of antisemitism because they complained about the Likud and/or IDF’s actions. So you might be primed to be wary, or feel unsure of how to tell what counts as real antisemitism.

But that doesn’t mean antisemitism isn’t a very real, widespread, and harmful problem. And it doesn’t mean many or even most Jewish people are lying to you or being overly sensitive.

So if someone says something is antisemitic, and you aren’t sure, I encourage you to:

A. Look up the action or thing in question, including its history. Is there an antisemitic history or connotation you aren’t aware of? For best results, include “antisemitic” in your search query, in quotes.

B. Understand that some things, while not inherently antisemitic, have been used by antisemites often enough that Jewish people are understandably wary of them. Schrodinger’s antisemitism, if you will.

C. Ask Jewish people WHO HAVE OFFERED TO HELP EDUCATE YOU. Emphasis on WHO HAVE OFFERED. Random Jewish people aren’t obligated to give you their time and emotional energy, or to educate you – especially on subjects that are scary or painful for them.

@edenfenixblogs has kindly offered her inbox to those who are genuinely trying to learn and do better, and I’ve found her to be very kind, patient, reasonable, and fair-minded.

Understand that this is URGENTLY NEEDED. In one of my conversations with a Jewish person who’d called me out, they said this was the most productive conversation they’d had with a person with a Palestinian flag in their profile.

THIS IS NOT OKAY.

I didn’t do anything special. All I did was listen, apologize for my mistakes, and learn.

Yes, it feels good to be acknowledged. But I feel like I’ve been praised for peeing IN the toilet, instead of beside it.

Apologizing, learning, and making amends after you hurt people shouldn’t be “the most reasonable thing I’ve heard from a person with a Palestinian flag pfp.”

It should be BASIC DECENCY.

And the fact that it’s apparently so uncommon should tell you how much unnecessary stress and fear Jewish people have been living with because of people who consider themselves defenders of human rights.

By all means, be angry at the Likud, the IDF, and the politicians, reporters, and specific media outlets who choose to enable and cover up for them. But direct that anger toward the people who deserve it and are in a position to do something about it, not random people who simply happen to be Jewish, or who don’t want millions of people to be turned into refugees when less violent methods of achieving freedom and rights for Palestinians are available.

Stop peeing beside the toilet, people.

[myra-mains-writes]

I have so many thoughts on this, and my mid-30s ass is hopped up on an energy drink, so apologies in advance if this is somewhat disorganized.

I’m a Terrifier fan. In fact, Terrifier and Art the Clown inspired my WIP Funnybone. Recently I learned about Damien Leone’s Facebook post about horror and politics. I’ve already commented about it on one of my side blogs, but because of Terrifier’s hand in the creation of Funnybone, I feel the need to say something here.

When I was in high school, I went through a gore hound phase. I didn’t want subtlety or suspense—I wanted on-screen gore. The nastier and more shocking, the better. The furthest thing from my mind was any sort of message that the zombie and body horror movies I ate up could be sending, even when they were directly stated. (For example, the final battle between Lionel and his mom in Brain Dead/Dead Alive.) despite my own blackness—something I didn’t start unpacking until the BLM protests in 2020—I wasn’t thinking about what Candyman was saying about racism.

A couple years ago, I took an art history class, and I learned a LOT about art. That, and becoming more active in slasher fandom—which gave me opportunities to participate in discourse on some of the movies I was watching—was how I started thinking more about the movies I was watching.

All this to say, I can understand someone not realizing that horror is political. I can understand people thinking it’s just blood and guts or spooky ghosts and shit. I get that. I understand that someone can watch these movies or read these books without paying attention to what the art is trying to say.

But I also believe that creators should know better. Whether they mean to or not, the art they make sends a message and generates discourse. As artists, as creators, the act of creation allows us to understand things like symbolism, story beats, character arcs, etc. Thus, the way we engage with art is going to be different than those who aren’t writers, artists, and other creators. Our understanding of these facets of storytelling gives us an ability to analyze what we’re engaging with. (I’m not saying non-creators don’t also have this ability. This is just something I’ve noticed as I’ve grown as a writer.) This means we should be able to see the messages—political or otherwise—that a movie is sending.

Damien Leone is wrong. Horror—indeed, all art—is political. Art is a mirror held up to the world. It’s one of the many ways we can see how people look at and understand the world around them. Horror in particular is a reflection of societal fears at the time of its creation. But, as others have pointed out on Tumblr, horror is also a safe space for marginalized communities. After Trump’s reelection, I started reading and watching more female rage as a way to engage with the rage I was feeling at being let down by the system yet again.

Damien Leone’s neutrality will not benefit him. I’m not surprised that a privileged white man is thinking this way, but I’m very disappointed to find out that the creator of one of my new favorite movies (2 and 3 are just okay) has these views. I wouldn’t be surprised if the content of the Terrifier movies would lead to them being banned under Project 2025. As the saying goes, you may not care about politics, but politics cares about you.

The other thing about this is that there is nothing toxic or extreme in saying “fuck fascists”. A person is allowed to not want bigots to enjoy their work. When it comes to fascism, racism, homophobia, etc, there is no “both sides” of the issue. There are people who want equal rights, and there are people actively working to take those rights away.

So. Because of Damien Leone’s harmful take and the role that Terrifier played in the creation of Funnybone, I’ve found myself wondering if I’m going to even publish Funnybone. While I’m still part of the Terrifier fandom (…for now), associating myself with Terrifier also leaves a bad taste in my mouth thanks to Damien Leone’s post. Unfortunately, that’s trickled down to Funnybone a little bit.

At this point, I’m going forward with publishing Funnybone once I’ve finished its revisions and had it beta-read. As a female writer, I don’t want a man to have that much influence on what I create and choose to show to the world, not to mention the fact that Funnybone is in some ways my own middle finger to book bans and Project 2025. I’ve enjoyed writing this, and I don’t want some garbage Centrist to deprive me of that joy.

But this is not a short process, and I may still change my mind depending on how things go from here.

Fuck you, Damien Leone.

[bandofchimeras]

I have to say this: the education on fascism in American education is largely limited to "Germans in 1940s." And the settler hatred and right wing extremism we are surrounded by, growing up in my privilege felt invisible as water to a fish. The first cracks in the limited America centric blinders however into international awareness came from relationship: learning about Chiapas and the Zapatistas from my ex, from my friend's education on Armenia and refugees.

It started to click in my brain because researching the situation on Instagram, even on pictures of natural landscapes or other posts not even about the genocide, you would see these accounts with the most hateful vile dehumanizing language - Azeri. And out of the American context and programming it was easier to see that for what it is, baseless aggression towards Indigenous people based on insecurity. And how insane, how strange and baseless it was. I had to block and report and argue with a few of the trolls just from commenting something harmless on an Armenian's post.

Then a few months later - that aggression erupted into white phosphorus bombs. I did not respond in the way that Palestine has been responded to, or much at all. There was less on the ground reporting but that's not really an excuse for how little the waves of pain hit me, how invisibilized Artsakh occupation and land grab was and emotionally unattended to. I was still in my own bubble of settled misery.

It's easier to share content about Palestine because there is so much content made. And the visibility is so high that propaganda can't counter it. In contrast my friend had to put in a lot of work to educate me and most people around them about Armenian history. I regret that. And the resistance and ignorance I exhibited. And I regret coming so late to awareness of colonialism's tangled roots and the history and work of resistance and persistence of indigenous peoples. However it was that particular encounter with the Azeri hatred which laid the tracks for understanding my friend, and also for this further and intense assault on Palestine. Which was already in my proximal awareness but I am ashamed to say, never fully awakened by relationships with real people here.

And meanwhile, happening, and now, people are speaking up about the Congo. About Sudan. About Tigray. About extraction and assault and bombing and execution and horrors and violence which can scarcely be out to words. About the freedom they want for their people and the immense load of pain they have been carrying for far too long as refugees, as colonized people fleeing their own lands.

About these I know even less.

And I do not think it is wise to pretend to know more. I have been called in for posturing or getting ahead of my self in ignorance, of the heart of the movement which is care for and being in community with the people who are caretakers of the land and/or doing the work of survival and fighting colonial oppression and repression.

So what I have to say from where I stand is: the future is coming. If you do not know the survivors of this generation you do not know how strong they are, and their vision of the future. Beyond all the trauma and the need for care and support, this strength is not arguable. The ancestors are with people now.

There will be a future and Armenians, Palestinians, all of these nations will be in it. I choose to believe that, believe in them but not to hope for it because there is an absolute chasm of work to be done, reconciliation and listening and conceding and fighting. And hope can let us get off easy. No, but the work is joyous if you surrender to it.

Do not lose heart, do not be afraid to sacrifice and do not lose yourself in fear, guilt and doubt. They are a maze I've been lost in for years. And only finding my way out through the hands of these friends, having done harm and been corrected in it, witnessing the meaning of pain but also spirit, of God, of joy of true undying Love. This is what revolution is and requires is a total eclipse and regeneration of the heart, the ego, the mind.

I have only taken the first baby step but already despite the horrors laid out before us, the future is glimmering. The evils of settler colonial rabid fury are stains on the world that cannot be washed out. Every second they are allowed to persist kills the collective soul of humanity. Especially the souls of those of us complicit in settler states. We must release our fears, and fall in line with the call for reparation and return.

And our time is running thin but i do believe it is here. The road ahead is very dark, very brutal and very long. But we have the strength to walk it side by side because we must. Or stand aside.

[girlonthelasttrain]

Personal ramblings about the (potential) death of loved ones that you really don't have to read

Since my parents have both reached their 70s, and especially after the several snap floods that are now apparently a feature of the climate where they live, I've been having recurring panic attacks about either of them dying. I have not cherished the time we had together nor the sacrifices they made for me nearly enough, but that's a moral conundrum I can't solve. I'm unequivocally a terrible daughter. Another aspect of it hit me this year though: I don't know how to deal with the tangible bureaucratic aspects of death. I never had to learn the hard way, which I know is a privilege on my part so please don't scoff. I never looked it up either for some indefinite fear that I was tempting fate. And also I'm a coward who hates confronting potentially upsetting information.

Well, today I had a second epiphany. The fact that they will die some time in the next 20 years is pretty much a certainty. I cannot avoid it. It is actually one of the very, very few things I know for sure will happen, and bleak as it is, it is now... more endurable than the many undefined horrors that the future has in store for us all. You can scoff again here thinking why I wasn't already afraid, but I was. I'm always scared. It's just reached a critical mass now.

So today I finally looked up what I have to do when my parents die. I will keep reading more on it because, quelle surprise, the bureaucracy is so farraginous and I have to gather so many documents in a short time and I live 1500km away from my hometown. Finding out that neither of my parents will be locked out of their joint bank account if the other dies was almost a relief. Reading that you apparently have to get an authorization from the mayor (??) in order to get cremated much less so. What the fuck. But that's Italy for you I guess; gotta make things so much harder for those heathens. I think it's also pretty much impossible (unless you have planned it waaay in advance) to have a funeral without a priest being involved, which is downright medieval.

I'll probably try to write down an action plan, too, as a project. Trying to not succumb to anticipatory grief and all that by preparing for death rituals I guess. My parents (well, the one still alive, if they don't die at the same time) will certainly appreciate it if I can show that I can be prepared and stable in a difficult situation, for once in my life.

[thesunkenplace]

Living in the Shadows: The Tethered as a Symbol of Systemic Oppression

In my opinion, Jordan Peele is one of the best filmmakers of our time. He's a true visionary, one of a kind. After I saw Get Out, I couldn't wait to see what he had in store for us next. What followed was his film Us, and it did not disappoint. These two movies are by far some of my favorites to unpack, brimming with hidden messages about society, politics, human behavior, and more. While Get Out was relatively straightforward in its underlying messages, Us proved to be a little trickier to unravel. More specifically, I was completely drawn in and intrigued by the Tethered.

You sit down to watch the movie, press play, and a black screen appears with the words: "There are thousands of miles of tunnels beneath the United States. Abandoned subway systems, unused service routes, and deserted mine shafts. Many have no known purpose at all." It is here, in this underground network of tunnels, that the Tethered live, a group of doppelgängers, supposedly one for each human who resides above them, including the Wilsons, whose doppelgängers live beneath their vacation home in Santa Cruz, California. But what do the Tethered represent? What message was Jordan Peele trying to convey?

I went down a deep rabbit hole, learning everything I could about the Tethered and their symbolism. Once again, Jordan Peele blew my mind with his creative ways of expressing both micro and macro societal problems. This is what I love most about Peele’s films, they’re like onions, with layer upon layer to uncover, each one richer and more thought-provoking than the last. The Tethered aren’t just creepy doubles, they’re a haunting representation of the underclass, those who have been robbed of opportunity, forced into the shadows, and forgotten by society.

The world we live in today isn’t far removed from this psychological horror film. Whether we want to admit it or not, right here in the United States, we’re dealing with a class war between the haves and the have-nots. Those who have access to education, good jobs, healthcare, and plentiful opportunities live vastly different lives. Meanwhile, the wage gap continues to widen, and the middle class keeps shrinking. The haves literally tower above the have-nots, looking down from their ivory towers, seemingly oblivious to the suffering and struggles the have-nots endure day-to-day. The Tethered are a striking metaphor for how privilege and wealth often exist at the expense of others. They show us what happens when people are left behind, ignored, oppressed, and exploited. And yet, the Tethered aren’t fundamentally different from those above. They have the same potential, the same emotions, and the same humanity. But systemic oppression has reduced them to mere shadows, robotic, animalistic, simply surviving.

I think the message that resonated most with me is that the Tethered (the have-nots) are deeply connected to those above ground (the haves), just like in today’s United States. It’s not just that they’re doppelgängers, it’s that their existence is literally tied to the privileges of the people above. The haves are the ones who call the shots. They’re the ones who make political decisions that impact countless lives, especially those of the have-nots. They’re the ones who supply the jobs, decide who gets what opportunities, who qualifies for this job or that job, these benefits or those benefits, and ultimately who is deemed worthy of one thing or another. That being said, the Tethered’s uprising isn’t just about revenge, it’s about demanding to be seen, acknowledged, and recognized as human. To be recognized as “Americans,” as Red put it.

I’ve watched Us multiple times now, and each time it feels like I’m experiencing an entirely different film. Every detail reveals something new. The scissors, the red jumpsuits, the rabbits, the consistent use of 11:11, and the Hands Across America imagery, are all intricately woven together to explore themes of unity and division, privilege and oppression, the haves and the have-nots, the ways our government abandons its people, and the ways we ignore and abandon one another. I love that Jordan Peele doesn’t hand you easy answers and instead forces you to confront the discomfort and uncover the meaning for yourself. What I discovered was that the Tethered aren’t just characters in a story, they’re a haunting reflection of the exploited, the marginalized, the people society chooses to ignore because it’s more convenient to look away. The most unsettling truth, however, is that they remind us we’re not so different from them. In the blink of an eye, everything we know and love could be torn away from us. We could become just like them, the others. Watching Us is like gazing into a mirror, and what’s reflected back might be the most disturbing part of it all.

[lesb0]

Off topic but what's it like living in LA? I'm considering moving there for work and I'm curious if you're willing to share :)

I will try to condense what 24 years felt "like" lol but I am now more aware that I was very privileged to see every aspect of LA and took most things for granted. Even still, I'm learning things were either regional or upper-middle specific experiences, like living a block from exposition park down fig or going to San Diego every weekend for my summer "job" as a conservation zookeeper in my little khaki uniform.

LA has a unique geographical combo of all the natural terrains grouped together that makes it one of the most beautiful coasts on earth. I know people who did a beach surf, mountain biking, ski trip, and desert camping in one day. The pollution is awful but the grey clouds of ocean mist just feels cleaner to breathe. The sun will come out to dry up the marine layer and kiss your cheeks by 11am. The fires and landslides are scary. But the earthquakes are fun.

you have the widest international mix of stunningly designed immigrant towns that feel more like teleportation, so many major flagship museums, the most innovative nontraditional art galleries, unparalleled delicious restaurants, cutting edge of vegan American cuisine, the worlds best shopping from 99¢ to hermes, popups and events every week. so there's always something to do. Even the tourist stuff like Hollywood can be fun, I've attended many movies premier nights with everyone dressed up as princesses at El Capitan.

People are way friendlier and way crazier and way more community forward so you can't be some antisocial isolated weirdo, you need to go speak to humans. The opportunities are endless, I knew so many people who moved there poor and homeless but made it work. All the child actors are exploited laborers with 0 rights or autonomy. I used to think "some of my friends have a job inside the TV just like my job is cleaning my room" until I realized the parents were all robbing them.

If you make celeb friends, they will get you into cool parties and give you jobs later, my aunts first job was as tom greens' chef because she made him laugh. One of my school friends lived in one of those Malibu camper communes parked all along the pch while hustling on a B lists singers home stylist team as a fashion student from Idaho. Red carpets aren't fun, you mostly just get yelled at to move out of the way and it's only cute when you're little and all the pretty actresses pick you up. Home of all the greatest makeup fx artists, horror props, and costuming people in the world: so Halloween is the biggest craziest all & out holiday of the year. Everyone leaves for Christmas so it feels slow and quiet with less traffic.

I used to find it really annoying when transplants aggressively called themselves angelenos until I met someone born and raised on the east coast last summer, one of my best friends now. she worked in LA for a few years as a college professor in the 00s and still whines about wanting to "go back home" and "missing home" every time we talk, like you can see and hear it in her beachy hair and mean-bubbly hippy personality. LA has a way of crawling under your skin and pushing out your previous concept of home because it feels more alive and home-y than other cities do.