#bigots leave me alone challenge

[onesaltysir]

Hi yes I am a HUGE antinatalist however I'm REALLY going to need the insane side of tumblr to stop interacting with my posts please 😐 Terfs, radfems, so called pro life people, evangelicals, etc this means you thanks. I am antinatalist for my own reasons and to be associated with their lot in any way feels like a punch to the gut.

This is just a reminder: No I am not and will never be part of their group. To any of the bigots in said group, stop interacting with my posts for gods sake I want nothing to do with you or your rancid views.

My hands are tired from blocking so many blogs before typing this up. Bigots, leave me alone 🖕

[rheakira]

I've come to temporarily break my hiatus to bring up something deeply important. Because after a recent event, if I have to go another day without talking about it, I don't know what I'll do.

Fandoms have an enormous issue when it comes to bigotry and people feeling comfortable enough to be openly bigoted.

And I want to make it clear: everyone is capable of it. In fact, most people do it more often than they don't. But because this strange myth has been built up that if you aren't "blatantly saying slurs" or "killing others" it can't possibly be bigotry, we have done nothing but become dangerous behind closed doors.

If your friend has odd beef with a person of color in the fandom and holds them to standards they don't hold their white friends to, that is bigotry. If your friend feels some sort of way about the trans person in your friend group and tries to come up with reasons for why they specifically can't stay, that is also bigotry. If your group insists that a person with a personality disorder is making it up just for attention and uses that as a reason for why they can't be around them, that is bigotry as well.

I've never been upfront about it because... why do I, as a human being, need to be upfront about my identity when people randomly decide what I am? But I am in fact a person of color who is queer and disabled. Whenever I join a fandom group that is mostly white people, I am liked until this is discovered. And then I watch as people get brutal about things I do or say. Things that they don't do to other people in the group, and I also watch as they take my words and either twist them for convenience or ruin my reputation for it.

As a marginalized person, both in fandom and out, you are held to a unique standard that does not apply to other human beings around you. It makes doing what you love very difficult, because unfortunately as a marginalized person, people will always subconsciously side with the person trying to oppress or attack you. This has happened to me my entire life, from school to work spaces to even internet spaces claiming to be safe places.

People will say that they care about you and like you and even form a friendly bond with you, but the moment a person of privilege decides they do not like you very much, they can and will side with the other person even without proof of their issues with you. It's exhausting and ruins lives in places that should be fun and safe.

I am on my umpteenth experience with this exact cycle and I would be lying if I said it didn't make me feel like I couldn't live or breath in places I should be allowed to be involved in. It's a very real problem that refuses to end because no one has the courage to challenge it. I am speaking not only on my own experiences, but for the many other people of color or queers or disabled people who simply cannot join these so called "safe spaces" because of our identities conflicting with people who have been taught that we are lesser and not worth love or care.

If this is a problem you face, please know that I see you and I love you. It's hard to keep surviving in a world that wants to hurt you and leaves you abandoned and alone. I want you to know that the world is scary, but we all exist. You should be allowed to experience joy and fun without feeling like you're being suffocated and wanting to die.

You matter. The people around you that make you feel like you don't are nothing by comparison. You matter and I truly hope that we'll one day find each other and become the safe space that we deserve.

The marginalized people in your fandom are more important than your fictional characters and plotlines that you put above us. We're here and we're not leaving. Learn to live with us and protect us.

If we're truly your friends, you would care when your privileged "friends" want to remove us.

Additionally, please do not take this rant and make it only about white people who are part of these marginalized categories. This is a post about EVERYONE. Including the people of color around you. Do not remove us from this conversation. Care about ALL OF US if you support this at all. Thank you.

[karaspal]

you honestly don’t need to like every queer character that exists, and i truly mean it. at the end of the day, if you don’t like them, you have every right to. but you don’t get to say they are bad representation simply because you don’t related to them. not every character will appeal to you, but that doesn’t make them a bad representation. feel free to critique them and their personalities, it’s your right to, but don’t be a jerk about their queerness unless they are falling under a harmful stereotype.

some people take it on the next leave too, and say that a character who isn’t queer in canon is better representation. in what world? you might feel connected to them and see your queerness in their journey, the same thing has happened to me too, but that’s not the same as having a literal queer story. queer characters are there to make you feel seen, but not only that. they are also here to challenge the status quo, to normalise queer people just existing and to make bigots uncomfortable. remember when jon kent was first announced to be bisexual with the cover of him kissing his boyfriend? yeah, a headcanon will never have such reaction.

my point isn’t made to attack people for seeing parts of themselves in “straight / allo / cis” characters. it’s wonderful that you found a character you could relate to and make you feel less alone. it really is. like i said, i see parts of my queer identity in characters who “don’t” have my sexuality too. but don’t put down actual queer representation for characters who have never been confirmed queer. it’s wrong of you to. at the end of the day, these are the characters who actually make the difference.

[blitheringmcgonagall]

@jilytoberfest microfic prompts & 31 prompts…

Prompts #1-4

Prompts 5 (climb) & 6 (“Why do you have two ice cream scoops but not any food?”)

“Good evening, er, Mr Black. How kind of you to call in for a… chat. A problem, you say? May I be of assistance?” Dumbledore asked, periwinkle eyes curious as he reached over for the sweets. “Lemon sherbet?”

Sirius Black shook his head.

“A problem. Of the very irritating, long-standing variety. And I know how to fix it!”

“I see,” the old man’s eyes twinkled, and Sirius noted how simultaneously amused and shrewd they could look.

“Yes. Well, the fact is that Evans and Potter have been mad about each other for ages, at least for all of 6th year and frankly, I’m sick of it. I know you are too. Lost a bet with Flitwick in April, didn’t you?”

Dumbledore stared at him.

“Flitwick pays me a retention fee to keep him updated on their progress. I was able to appraise him of the fact that diddly squat had changed since March, February, Christmas - you get my drift,” Sirius said.

The fact that the professors had a betting pool which included among other things - whether the marauders would successfully pull off a splendid prank without getting caught, whether Hagrid managed to find a new dangerous beast to befriend, or whether his stupid friends managed to get a life and start dating - wasn’t that surprising. It just proved to him that most grown ups led extremely boring and unstimulating existences.

Mind you, those were more or less the kinds of pointless things they themselves bet on - Peter had won a galleon last week for betting Dumbledore would buy a new pair of roller skates before the NEWTs started. And he had won two galleons for betting that David Bowie would climb to number one in the muggle charts and that Evans and Diggory would be toast before the Equinox (so what if he’d had a hand in the ending of that blight of a relationship? Evans had been telling MacDonald that she wanted to break it off in a gentle manner before he’d gotten involved. He had simply speeded the whole train wreck…)

“Anyway, the fact is, you need to make Prongs Head Boy next year,” he finished triumphantly.

“I see.”

“Yes, it’s very simple. Evans is definitely going to be Head Girl, correct?”

Dumbledore hesitated.

“Don’t even bother denying it, Sir, professor Slughorn told us last week. She’s outstanding.”

“Yes, um, that may be correct,” the headmaster replied cautiously.

Of course Slughorn had said no such thing.

“Excellent,” Sirius grinned. “But as for Head Boy… there’s no obvious candidate, is there?”

Dumbledore regarded him silently.

“I mean, you and I both know Remus Lupin would be a great Head Boy, but you’d never risk giving it to him. Plus he’d hate all the attention and he’d be terrified someone would find out about his furry little problem, and he’d feel too guilty having someone else do his duties on full moons and all that.”

He stopped. Dumbledore hummed in possible agreement.

“The Slytherins this year are all a bunch of Voldy-supporting, bigoted wankers - no offence intended,” he said, raising his eyebrow in challenge.

Dumbledore raised his palms and shrugged.

“Ha! The Ravenclaw chaps this year are all far too introverted to want to boss everyone about. The only good candidate in Hufflepuff is Diggory,” he grimaced. “And frankly that chap is far too irritating, he already got hexed through the Veil and back on five occasions so far this year. If he makes Head Boy, he’s screwed.”

Dumbledore looked glum.

“Which leaves Gryffindor. What you need is a strong, well liked character you can rely on. Someone who knows how to lead and is experienced in managing a team under difficult circumstances. Someone who is a pureblood- those bastards would throw a fit if one muggleborn head girl is appointed, let alone another less than thoroughly inbred fellow - yet somehow manages to hate bigotry and has a record of standing up against mini Death Eaters in this school.

Someone with positivity coming out of his arse. The type who sees a thunderstorm and starts talking about the benefits of a cold shower. You know, sees the best in all his fellow students despite being surprisingly and unexpectedly intelligent to boot? The sort of chap who is always looking for solutions, tenacity to beat the band, and gives most people third chances and whatnot. And yet, unbelievably, is practically universally well liked and respected. At least half of the wankers who dislike him still fancy him rotten. Which only leaves the usual suspects - and frankly, you and I both know that if you appointed someone they approved of, we’d all be screwed.”

Dumbledore shifted in his chair, hands steepled in front of him.

“You really think he’d be Head Boy material?”

Sirius rolled his eyes.

“Yes. He’d hate it. And so would I. But he’d do a damned good job of it.”

“When I mentioned Mr Potter as a possible option, Professor McGonagall expressed grave concern about the amount of pressure he’d be under, were he to retain the title of Gryffindor Quidd- “

“Don’t be ridiculous, Sir, you’d have to pry the Gryffindor Quidditch Captaincy from his cold dead hands.”

“On that, I do agree with you, Mr Black.”

“Of course you do, you’re not an idiot, unlike bloody Prongs,” Sirius sniffed.

“Hmm, I’m not sure we want an idiot as Head Boy,” Dumbledore mused, leaning forward.

“Well of course not, frightfully irritating. I’m ready to hex his ball- ballast off! But if they get to be Heads together? I guarantee the best working relationship of any Head Persons in the past fifty years, plus a top tip in your betting pool… situation.”

Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled.

“Top tip?”

“Life hack,” Sirius nodded, hand outstretched. “Do we have deal, Sir?”

Dumbledore leant back into his armchair and smiled benevolently.

“I had, of course, been planning on giving Mr Potter that role since he managed to fight off your cousin Bellatrix’s rather dangerous attack on students in Hogsmeade in April. Do you think you could also pass on a few useful tips concerning Hagrid’s latest furry friends?”

Wiley bastard.

“Consider it done, Sir.”

Dumbledore stood and shook his hand.

“And what about you, Mr Black - you don’t fancy the role of Head Boy yourself, do- “

“Haha! Godric’s gonads, no way in hell!” Sirius snorted aloud. “Dealing with horse manure from all sorts of shady bastards and always resisting the urge to hex them all? Attempting civil conversations with the likes of Snape? Mulciber? Wilkes? I’d rather eat Hippogrif dung with raw billywig maggots, er, no offence, Sir.”

“None taken, Mr Black, none whatsoever,” the Professor replied mildly. “Some celebratory ice-cream, perhaps?”

“Thank you, Sir.”

The door closed behind him with a jaunty slam.

“Yessssss! Operation Smitten Idiots is a go!” Sirius punched the air with his fist and grinned in elated triumph. “They better fucking name me best man AND godfather to their first born, or there shall be war!”

“What are you on about, Padfoot?” the most idiotic half of the Smitten Duo asked as he rounded the corner, ice-cream cone in his hand.

“Abraxan racing results, Prongs, Best Man came first.” he said, winking at Remus, licking the chocolate and raspberry ripple.

Remus stared at him (mind you, Remus was very partial to chocolate, so that was the most obvious reason why he’d stare at his lips, wasn’t it?).

“Why do you have two ice cream scoops but not any food?” Remus asked, clearing his throat.

“I merely entertained our Headmaster with witty conversation and he felt obliged to give me ice cream by way of thanks.”

“Good news, then? Do we get an extra day off for Merpeople National Feast Day, or whatever barmy idea you came up with?” Prongs asked, pushing himself off the wall with his foot.

“Don’t be ridiculous, old chap.”

“Well why are you looking so pleased with yourself then?” His best friend rolled his eyes and scuffed his shoe against the stone pavement.

“Top secret, Prongs my deer, top secret!”

[shamelesslymkp]

Sending as an ask since tumblr won't let me @ you and so that post doesn't get even longer - - don't worry, your tags are actually funny instead of insulting. I use it/its pronouns /because/ they aren't normally used for humans, so it's meant to be challenging people's idea of what a makes a person a person. Funnily enough, I was using it/its pronouns long before I even heard of Murderbot, let alone knew it also used it/its pronouns, which I think is hilariously ironic.

As for my response, it was mostly because a lot of other people in the fandom like to either explicitly or subtly victim blame me and say that because I get so upset about people being purposeful bigots, that's why people are being bigots in the first place. Even though most of time time I make a post where I'm angry, I'm not actually reblogging from anyone directly, I'm explaining what is being done wrong and why it's wrong. This time I reblogged the post directly because it was so infuriating I could not let it stand there by itself without any correction.

And funnily (ironically) enough, before I saw that post, I saw another post by the same person where "he" was used for Murderbot. So I reblogged it with my usual polite copy and pasted correction of, literally, "Just so you know, Murderbot's pronouns are it/its, not he/him! :)"

And the purposefully misgendering post was made yesterday too, and at this point I can't tell with the timestamps if it was made before or after I corrected the first post that looked like an honest mistake.

As for not seeing people misgendering Murderbot, if you have people blocked already, their posts won't show up in the tags, and also tumblr's tagging system doesn't show everyone the same posts even if they're all tagged as the exact same thing, so it might just be sheer luck that you are not seeing the posts, or just the timing being off.

I also tend to make a lot of posts at once when I see people doing this, so that shoves the offending posts deeper into the pile and makes them harder to find, so that might also be why you don't see them.

Also, some of these people strategically make their bigotry hard to find, by only leaving exorsexist (bigotry against nonbinary people, for the record) comments on replies, rather than reblogs or original posts, so that no one looking at their blog will see the horrible things they're saying. It is unfortunately a very common tactic with bigots that I've had to deal with across multiple fandoms now, and bigots in general.

Usually if someone is being a bigot in the replies, it means that's almost the only way they ever interact with posts, because it means only people who go into the replies on that specific post will see what they're saying, with no blog filled with evidence to hold against them.

Anyways, thank you for standing up for people who use it/its pronouns.

ahh yeah that makes sense! and I'm glad my tags were funny and not insulting xD

(also, thanks for defining exorsexist! I had intuited most of the definition from context but I wasn't sure if I'd gotten the nuance right)

I have to go prep for D&D now but I'm glad we were able to talk like this!

I'm publishing this response actually because you made a really important point that makes sense but hadn't particularly occurred to me before and might not to others:

some of these people strategically make their bigotry hard to find, by only leaving exorsexist (bigotry against nonbinary people, for the record) comments on replies, rather than reblogs or original posts, so that no one looking at their blog will see the horrible things they're saying.

and

Usually if someone is being a bigot in the replies, it means that's almost the only way they ever interact with posts, because it means only people who go into the replies on that specific post will see what they're saying, with no blog filled with evidence to hold against them.

I'm going to have to remember that, that's an important thing to keep in mind!

[treadmilltreats]

I challenge you to become better

Yesterday morning, while I was getting dressed, I heard Marvin Gaye's song "What's going on…

It goes on to say:

"Father, father

We don't need to escalate

You see, war is not the answer

For only love can conquer hate.

You know we've got to find a way to bring some lovin' here today, oh oh oh oh

Picket lines and picket signs

Don't punish me with brutality

Talk to me so you can see

Oh, what's going on? "

I started to cry because I remember this song in the late 60s, and here we are in 2024, still dealing with these same issues. I am so sad. I am sad for the world we are living in, for a world that I will be leaving for my girls.

I am sad that we haven't learned anything in 50 years.

I am sad because why can't we see that we are all human beings and we all should have the same rights.

I am sad because we all bleed the same color. We all want a better life for our children and that we are all God's children.

But I realized that I can only change my part in this. I am only in control of what I say and what I post. So I asked myself what do I want my girls to hear me say, what do I want my readers to hear from me?

I don't want to be part of the problem, I want to be part of the solution. So how can I do that? I prayed because I needed to find the answer, and it came to me, I realized that the song is it…. Only love can conquer hate…

Only love can conquer hate…

So I have decided from here on out that I will only post about the good stuff, acts of kindness, compassion, and love.

And I challenge all of you…

I know so many of you have done stupid challenges in the past, but this one can change the world.

Let's flood social media with this, people helping people, all races united, random acts of kindness.

Let's put out pictures of people standing together. Police officers doing good deeds, children of all races playing together just like in Martin Luther King's dream.

I will no longer be part of the problem. I will not keep pushing hatred on to one another. I will no longer finger point. Instead, I will love. I will not delete the bigots and racists I've realized I know, some of which are my own family members. No, I will keep them on my social media pages so that they can see what love looks like and what true compassion for another human being feels like.

I will not argue when others call me names, I will just keep flooding my pages with love.

Now some of you might laugh and say what's going to change… your one person, that's nothing.

So I will kindly remind you that Rosa Parks was one person, that Martin Luther King was one person and the countless others that were alone in the fight for righteousness, and yet they changed the world.

So today, my friends, I challenge you to make a difference, to change, to love, not hate. I will leave you with this, these amazing words of change from people who have done it.

Compassion is the radicalism of our time.–

The Dalai Lama

In a gentle way, you can shake the world.–

Mahatma Gandhi

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.– Martin Luther King Jr.

Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.– Malala Yousafzai

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.– Margaret Mead

And like I always tell you at the end of every blog..."Be the change you want to see,"

@TreadmillTreats. Check out my daily blogs @ https://treadmilltreats.blogspot.com/?m=1

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[automatismoateo]

Im so sick of religion. via /r/atheism

I’m so sick of religion.

I’m sick of seeing it, I’m sick of hearing about it and I’m sick of reading about it. It’s starting to get to the point where the mere mention of someone being religious makes me not trust them, want to be around them, or even acknowledge their intelligence.

I have seen people act like blind and mentally unstable sheep because of their religion. I’ve seen people commit hate speech, violence and even murder because of their religion. I’ve seen people disregard ACTUAL FACT for their fiction, then get angry and violent when shown that their (supposed undying faith) is challenged.

First and foremost, leave people the fuck alone who don’t believe what you believe - I cannot stress this enough and we shouldn’t still be having this conversation. You have a right to believe what you want, but you DON’T have the right to push it onto others. If you ARE going to follow your religion, follow it to a damn T, don’t pick a choose what you want to follow to help your often bigoted and oppressive agenda — and yes, it is more often than not an agenda (kinda like what you accuse members of the LGBT+ community of having).

Your beliefs are NOT above the law and I cannot believe we live in a society where religion is often protected and even exempt from the law.

We’re rapidly approaching 2024, how much longer is this going to go on? Surely some of you must be tired?

I’ll stand by this next controversial opinion: religion is one of the worst things to ever happen to humanity.

Disclaimer: yes, not all religion is bad and not every religious person is bad, but the vast majority that are very vocal are bad.

Submitted July 06, 2023 at 07:07PM by HomoMcSexual (From Reddit https://ift.tt/63j0nyc)

[zenythycal]

🧠Welcome🧠

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🫁Any pronouns + nya/nyaself

🫁My name’s Quill Wrights or you can call me 682 and I’m a digital artist and writer! I have commissions open usually. I’m a pretty heavy shipper (no proship or boundary breaking) and I love talking about my favorites! I own a black cat named Velvet and am a system. Do not be afraid to ask who’s front!! I’m pro (educated) self diagnosis! I’m anti terf and truscum and I eat bigots regularly!

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[avalovesindie]

Faced with the current state of the world, I was once again thinking “why can’t they just leave us alone?” And I still think that, but it hit me that that’s what they- the fearmongering bigots, that is- think and say as well.

But what do they want? Let’s look at what the queer community want, in detail. The ability to not be killed or imprisoned for expressing our identity. To be able to access life-saving medicine and therapy. To be able to get married. These are not abstract- these are real threats we face, propagated by specific people and policy. This is our daily lives.

What’s on the line for them? In their own words, their way of life, their culture. What does this mean? What is their way of life? If you press further, it just circles back- their way of life is excluding and ignoring queer folks existence.

This group, by nature, seek dominance and segregation. We want acceptance and inclusion. This is immediately obvious if you are paying any attention. We want gay couples to be allowed to go to prom. They want only straight couples at prom. We want gay couples and trans people to be allowed to exist peacefully on TV and media. They want only straight, cisgender people. They actively campaign for this, and treat the very idea of acknowledging us as people as not only obscene, as funny, so ridiculous it’s humorous. Plainly, we want to exist, while homophobes and transphobes don’t want us to. Their safety and well-being is not on the line. Ours is. What’s on the line for them is the ability to not see what might be a potential gay couple once while taking a walk and never again. For their kids favorite book series to not have one line regarding a characters transgender identity. For their not to be a gay couple mentioned among the straight couples in the newspapers marriage section. And, most importantly, for their sense of dominance and control not mentally challenged. Of course gay marriage doesn’t affect them, but it challenges their view of the world where only their way of life is right and true. It challenges what they’ve grown up believing. And that, truly, IS scary. They are truly scared- but they are not truly in danger.

Their most concrete compliant and demand, which has picked up steam extremely quickly in the past year, is to let the children be. Don’t groom the children. Don’t force the children to be trans.

This is a decades old panic shifted from primarily targeted towards gay men, to primarily focused on trans people. ‘Think of the children!’ has been used for a long time, and to some extent, that’s perfectly understandable- I, too, want children to be safe and happy. But this argument is, at best, projection. The people being forced to live in a body that makes them miserable is not cisgender kids- it is transgender kids. Transgender people, including kids, are the ones much more likely to be groomed or assaulted. There ARE kids having their genitals changed without their consent- intersex babies, a practice that once again targets people whose gender doesn’t match certain ideas, and a practice largely condemned by trans activists. This is not happening to 8 year old boys who wanted to wear a dress and are now having surgery on their privates. That is a fantasy, put simply, it is a lie.

Queer people want freedom. Queerphobes want suppression. Queer people want equality. Queerphobes want dominance. Queer people want truth. Queerphobes want misinformation. And no amount of lies, no amount of changing history (“we were fine with gay marriage, but now you’ve taken it too far!”), no amount of colorful cartoons seen on Twitter or Facebook is going to change that.

[rjalker]

hey autistic transphobes, stop being transphobic. Just because you are autistic does not mean you get to speak for all autistic people. If other autistic people say being autistic affects how they understand or view gender, you don't get to fucking say they're being ableist for literally just describing their own experiences.

Your experiences are not fucking universal.

Just because you do not struggle to understand gender and don't feel like your being autistic affects or impacts your gender does not mean you get to shit on other autistic people and being ableist as shit.

Just because you're autistic does not mean you get to be fucking transphobic.

Just because you're autistic does not mean you get to fucking be ableist as shit to other autistic people and tell them their experiences aren't real.

Shut the fuck up and leave other people alone. Autistic people are not being ableist by describing their own experiences with being autistic and being trans. You're just an ableist transphobic peice of shit.

If you think you're going to argue with me on this post and say autistic people don't do this, or I'm just making things up to be mad about, fuck off because if you do you're literally just being blocked and reported.

Autistic people stop fucking being transphobic and ableist challenge.

You can reblog this even if you aren't autistic or trans. I'm tired of other autistic people being bigots and no one calling them out.

[gotnofucks]

Colour Me Red

Pairing: Steve x Reader

Summary: Your boss is chasing you like the proverbial hound of hell, and one vibrant shade of red is going to be his undoing, and yours.

Words: 3k

Warnings: Oral sex, allusions to smut, suggestive talking, kinda workplace harassment but not really, boss and employee relationship, 18+ ONLY

A/N: This is for my jaan Lexi’s 700 Challenge. Congratulations baby girl @bluemusickid​ , you deserve this and so so much more. Every day I live in awe of you and can only love you more. I’ve chosen the colour Red for this challenge.

Most people arrived at work early to impress their boss. You came early to avoid yours. Every morning was a race to dress up faster so that you could be out before he pulled up at your place to give you a ride. When you’d started working at the Avengers Compound, you thought your biggest problem would be alien attacks or spontaneous combustion. Yet, here you were, being pursued by your boss who was the very embodiment of the hounds of hell.

Captain Steve Rogers, for all his brilliance, was a man unaccustomed to being told no. At one word from him, agents would run in the field and fight a battle of their lives. He was respected and revered, his beautiful visage both an endearing and terrifying symbol. However, all you wanted was for him to leave you alone.

The first time you’d met him, Steve had taken one look at you and said, “I am going to fuck you”. You had gaped at him in disbelief, wondering if this was the true Captain America. You had almost gone back home, intent on finding another job but you needed the money and well, there were so many others around, how often would your paths cross with him?

Turns out, a lot. You had applied for the PR secretary position for Natasha, so imagine your surprise when you showed up for work and were told that you’ll be working for Steve Rogers. In retrospect, you should have quit that day, but the pay was far too good. You had ignored sleazy men before, how difficult could it be to ignore Steve’s advances?

From the very first day, Steve didn’t bother to hide his interest. He offered you a seat in his office, but only after you pointedly ignored his offer to sit on his lap. He had rolled his eyes playfully, explaining your role and duties before dismissing you.

“Walk slow, I want to have a good view of that ass.”

Months later now, you could say it was a well-versed routine. He would flirt with you and you’d kindly remind him about appropriate workplace practices. He would bring you flowers, and you’d pass it on to the old lady who sat behind the reception. You almost wanted to thank him, for it was because of him you’d become a pro at running in high heels.

Arranging your documents, you waited for Steve to arrive. He won’t be happy knowing he has a press conference today. You’d typed out his speech, he only needed to say it into the camera without looking constipated.

“You evaded me again today.” Steve greeted you, entering and taking his seat behind his desk. You met his eyes, unimpressed. He never gave up, did he?

“Good morning Captain Rogers.” You said with a smile, handing him the papers that he took with a wince.

“You don’t call me Captain Rogers in my dreams.” He casually said, going over the planned interview. You rolled your eyes, ignoring him the best you could. It would be a lie to say you didn’t find Steve attractive, but you were not about to sleep with your boss.

“Can you please stick to the script this time and not call the government a piece of shit organization who are greedy, racist, bigots?” You asked, not wanting another disaster management situation on your hands.

“Spot me the lie darling.” Steve said, smiling. He threw the papers on the desk, leaning back to look at you with a fond look in his eyes. “You need to let me drive you here someday. Or I’m gonna camp outside your house so you can’t run away.”

You flush, averting your gaze. God, why did he need to be so beautiful with such gorgeous eyes?

“Can you give it a rest until the press conference? I have a lot on my hands.” You said, rubbing your temples tiredly. Steve frowned, his eyes lingering over the dark circles under your eyes before getting up and coming around the desk to stand behind you, his large hands gently taking your shoulders and kneading. A soft moan escaped you, your bunched muscles relaxing under his touch.

You leaned back farther, your head meeting his firm stomach. His fingers splayed over your collarbones, heal of the hand pressing into the soft juncture where your neck met the shoulder. Groaning, you relaxed yourself, letting Steve massage the stiffness out of your body. Slowly, he leaned down, mouth right next to your ear.

“Imagine the kind of sounds you’ll make when you’re under me.” He breathed, pressing the softest of kisses on your cheek. Your eyes widened and you shot up, putting some distance between you. Steve grinned, taking in your labored breath with interest.

“Captain Rogers” You warned, taking a step back when he took one towards you.

“Say my name.” He demanded, walking purposely towards you until you crashed against the wall. Leisurely closing the distance between you both, he caged you with his hands, leaning in close. You gulped as he got into your space, his breath fanning over your heated cheeks and eyes turning liquid.

“This is inappropriate.” You said, blinking and looking away. You were scared his super senses would smell the arousal pooling between your thighs, warming your core. Steve chuckled, dipping his head as if to kiss you but stopping short.

“I’ll let it go today, since you’ll be screaming it soon enough. Why don’t you go and edit the speech, hmm? I want that part about thanking the government for their cooperation struck.” He smelled like sin, the musky aftershave he always wore clinging to your pores and infusing in your scent.

Smiling a little at the deer caught in the headlights look in your eyes, Steve pushed away from you and flicked your forehead playfully. He turned and walked back to his desk, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as your stumbled out of his office after hastily collecting your papers. Every time you thought you’d gotten used to his advances, Steve would reduce you to a bundle of nerves with a few well chosen words.

Persistent little fucker.

If he didn’t show up in five more minutes, you’ll have a coronary. The reporters were already waiting for him, and you still needed to debrief Steve about the changes you had made. Left to his own devices, he’d unapologetically curse the government out and call out their crap with Bucky and Sam cheering from the sidelines. Again. That had been a nightmare.

“Where is he?” Jacob asked. He looked frazzled, looking worriedly at Tony from across the room. His boss was just as likely as yours to cause a scandal during a press conference and when they sat together, a shit storm was definitely on its way.

“I have no fucking idea!” You swore, running a hand through your hair and hoping your makeup hadn’t run off. You’d be sitting at the podium beside Steve, ready to kick his shin at the first moment he went off script. Jacob shot you a sympathetic look and a pat on the shoulder, his hairline glittering with sweat.

“One day I’ll quit this job and be a professional troll just to roast these assholes. Oh god, where the hell is he?” You bemoaned.

“Right here.”

You turn around, finding Steve striding towards you. The frustration in your eyes melted as you looked him over, the crisp navy blue suit fitting his body in a way that saliva pooled under your tongue. Shaking your head, you wagged a finger at him, trying your best to give him an angry frown instead of fuck me eyes.

“You’re the reason I’ll get greys so early in my life.” You scolded. Steve, however, lost his smirk. His eyes were trained hard on you, eyebrows turning in as if deeply disappointed. When his eyes met yours, you unconsciously stepped back and stumbled into Jacob. You knew Steve had a temper, but that anger had never been directed so harshly at you before.

“What the fuck?” He hissed from between clenched teeth. You blinked in surprise, completely at a loss of words about why he was suddenly so angry. You exchanged a bemused look with Jacob who was inching away from you, eager to be out of sight of the fire that was so obviously burning in the captain’s eyes.

Gulping nervously, you peered at him and cleared your throat. “Captain Rogers?” Your voice was soft and confused, and yet it only seemed to incense Steve more. He made a deep rumbling sound in his chest before grabbing you by your arm and pulling you away with him. You protested, trying to steer him back towards the conference but you were no match for his strength. He remained silent as you tried to loosen his grip on your arm, alarm evident in your voice at this unexpected aggression.

He brough you back to his office, pushing you in before he shut the door with a loud bang that would be sure to scare off anyone who might have wanted to step in and save you. Facing him in bewilderment, you opened your mouth to ask him what the fuck had gotten into him when he raised a hand in warning.

“If I hear ‘Captain Rogers’ pass one more time from your lips, I’ll shut you up in a way that will leave your throat sore for days.” He growled. Your breath hitched, fear and thrill spreading like venom through your blood as he prowled towards you, completely masculine and yet feline in his approach. Your legs refused to follow your command to move away and stayed rooted to their spot, trembling when Steve was standing right before you.

“Say my name.” He whispered. You licked your lips, eyes locked with his as his name passed your lips for the first time ever.

“Steve”

It was barely audible and yet you could see the shiver that ran down Steve’s body, a victorious growl expelled from his throat and suddenly you were pulled flush to his chest, his lips enveloping yours and branding a searing kiss on your lips. You gasped into his mouth, clutching his shoulders to keep steady on your legs that had turned to jelly.

“You dare,” Steve said, pulling away to glare at you, “you dare wear that shade of sin on your mouth in front of the world?”

It took you a moment, brain still in shock from the intimate embrace you’d just came out from when you registered what he said. Taking in his words along with the red that bled from your mouth to his, you sputtered in indignation.

“Did you drag me in here because I wore a red lipstick?!” You asked, slapping his chest to push him away. Steve, unhappy with your ire, pulled you closer still and slowly traced the curve of your bottom lip, pulling back his thumb to show you your lipstick that sat in stark contrast to his pale skin.

“My girl doesn’t go out looking like this in front of the world.” He countered. You scowled, twisting in his hold so you could knock some sense into the sexist bastard.

“I won’t be policed by somebody who regularly wear three sizes too small t-shirts to fuck with my ovulation cycle deliberately. And what the fuck does it mean ‘looking like this’? What do I look like to you Captain Rogers?” You sassed, breathing heavily.

Steve fisted your chair, tilting your head back as he possessively ran his nose down your neck and sniffed appetitively. “Looking like this, like the forbidden fruit that caused man to fall. You are already my undoing, do you wish to cause a war looking as tempting as this?”

Anger that had boiled in your gut disappeared as if doused by water. Maybe you were still pissed at being treated this way, but the heat that simmered deep in your bones overpowered it. His words set your heart on fire, a raging desire you rarely let yourself feel near him sending you straight into his arms, your head buried in his massive chest that cradled you close. Oh so close.

“There are ten different things I have to say to you about what just happened here, but I’ll do it later when my sanity has returned to me.” You said and Steve chuckled, his arms around you strong like boulders.

“If my kisses alone drove you insane, you’ll be a puddle of dumb mess after I’m done with you.” He huskily whispered in your ear and your core pulsed, a warm gush flooding your panties. This man would be the death of you. For months you’d fought the urge to let him fuck you on his desk and in the elevator, trying your best to overlook this eye fucks and flirting only to end up in his arms, right where he had prophesized you belong the moment he clapped eyes on you.

You didn’t believe in destiny, but then again Steve Rogers didn’t need a divine force to interfere on his behalf to get him what he wants. This moment had been building for a while now, like a volcano threatening to erupt until it finally did, encasing those close to it in scalding layers of passion and sin and love.

“I love this shade but just this once, I’ll make an exception. I’ll wipe it off.” You conceded. This was not you accepting defeat, just a compromise. There was much left to talk about and discuss, but you had a hoard of reporters waiting for the good captain to make his big speech.

You reached for the napkins on his desk, intent in quickly wiping your lipstick off when Steve grabbed you to himself again, cupping your face.

“Oh no honey, that trace of desire won’t stain a piece of paper. The only place its going to be is smeared on my cock. On your knees.” He ordered, very much like he did on the field. And yet, the order was as much a request. You could say no and drag him to the conference right now with no consequences. He was the same man who came by every morning to give you a ride despite knowing you’d already have left. He was the same man who cheekily rolled his eyes when you snubbed his affections, and yet never said a mean word to you. What would it feel like, marking this exemplary man with your colour, knowing as he walked that he was coloured in you?

You sank to the floor, hands already working to free his cock from the confines of his pants. Steve looked at you, letting you do everything, his hands resting lightly on your shoulders. Peering up at him, you marveled at the fact that it took so long to have you here like this.

“You could launch a thousand ships even on your knees.” He said.

Your lips pressed against the head of his cock, kissing him delicately. Steve jerked at the first touch, digging his fingers in your flesh when you licked him from head to base, suckling lightly, teasingly. You adored the noises that escaped him, loving that he didn’t even think of hiding them from you. When it came to desire, Steve Rogers didn’t mince his words.

His cock was beautiful, silken and hard in your fist and on your tongue. He tasted like the sea after a storm, salty and electric, dangerous and beautiful. Loving him this way came easy, and though you hadn’t had much experience with cocks as big as his, you were determined to show him your feelings with a gusto. Running your tongue along his slit with an impish grin, you swallowed him deep, humming to send vibrations up his length. Had your mouth not been stretched around him, you would have smiled wide at the curse he just yelled.

Picking up your pace, you bobbed your head and rolled his balls, getting high on his taste and sounds as he came undone in your mouth, spilling his essence that went thickly down your throat and ended with a moan from both of you. Pulling away, you saw his member streaked with the red traces of your lipstick and an animalistic possessiveness swelled in your chest. You marked him.

Steve helped you stand up, kissing you deep as he seemed unable to utter anything at the moment. You reveled in his touch, holding him close and wiping the stray tear that was lingering at the corner of your eye.

“You know its love, don’t you?” He asked you softly, the most vulnerable you’d ever seen him.

Was this love? Was it love when you’d secretly smile at his fixation with you? Was it love that you always kept a flower from his bouquets before passing it on to the old lady? Was it love when you could read his tiredness in the lines of his forehead and make his coffee stronger? Maybe it was. Maybe it was love because there was no other way you’d have went on your knees to worship a man. Unknowingly, in accepting every ‘no’ you threw his way, he had earned your ‘yes’. In forsaking the access to your body, you had gifted him your heart. Holding his gaze, you pressed your lips to his palm, smiling.

“It is love.”

“Mr. Stark, where is Captain Rogers?” A reporter asked. “Wasn’t he supposed to be a part of this conference?”

Jacob groaned, kicking Tony’s shin repeatedly to no avail. He wished he could slap a hand on his boss’s mouth and drag him away, because the glint in Tony’s eyes meant that he would be working damage control for the next coming weeks.

“Rogers, you ask?” Tony said grinning, his face alight in mischief. “Friday just gave me some million dollar worth information on that, and I am proud to announce to the public that the world’s oldest virgin just got his dick wet.”

Banging his head on the desk in the view of the clambering reporters, Jacob cursed you and your libido that had ruined him.

“Why couldn’t they wait until after the conference?” He moaned, jumping out and almost tackling Tony who was about to give the media some ‘video proof’. “Oh no you don’t Mr. Stark, you sir are on time out. I’ll be reporting you to Miss Potts!”

[americangirlstar]

Now that both Courtney books are out and I’ve read and processed them both, I do want to say that I think they’re the least well-written of any of the AG books, but not through any fault of their own- let me explain.

(Note that for this discussion I’m ignoring the Doylist criticisms- Courtney and 3/4 of her friend group being white again, the lack of gay discussion in-text in regards to the HIV crisis, etc. These are valid complaints and concerns, but not what we’re talking about right now.)

The Problem with the Current Book Length

I think the main problem with Courtney stems from the fact her books are so short. American Girl has literally been doing the stupidest things in regards to their books lately, almost as if they’re trying to sabotage them on purpose. First they remove illustrations in 2015- when their target audience is about nine years old. I don’t know about you, but when I was six and getting into American Girl, the illustrations were the highlight for me. Not because I had no attention span and loved pretty pictures, but because it showed me firstly what the girl’s life was like, whether it be 1760s wilderness or 2001 Chicago. It was like stepping into their world, really helping you get into their heads, which was basically what the dolls were supposed to do, to let you know that girls like you exist throughout time and space.

As well as that, the illustrations were free advertisement. I can’t tell you how excited me and my sisters were as children to go to the American Girl place and look at the doll displays, shouting that that’s the dress Felicity wears to the ball! or look, Josefina’s goat looks exactly like the book! AG cut that from 2015 to 2020, as if they were trying to appeal to an older audience- while at the same time changing all the doll outfits, accessories and marketing to appeal to a younger demographic.

Now, this isn’t about the illustrations, as Courtney got those- it’s about what they did to the historical characters after the Illustration Outrage™ happened. See, they’d condensed the historical six-book format into two books- not necessarily a bad idea, parents would be more likely to buy two books for their kid than consider buying six. However, they then claimed that if they put illustrations back, they would have to abridge the books- literally my nightmare.

First of all, American Girl, we know for a fact you can fit all six books plus illustrations into ONE VOLUME, let alone two. You’re just being cowards here and trying to nerf your own stories for... some reason.

So that meant a lot of important things got cut- Rebecca’s Chanukah story, Melody’s cousin’s house search, Maryellen’s Christmas adventure... all things important to the girls’ histories and character.

The Problem with Courtney’s Writing

Now, Courtney was the first doll to be released after the abridging began, meaning her books were released, in their entirety, just as short as the abridged stories. So it basically means she gets four books while the others get six- and unlike the others, Courtney doesn’t even have mysteries or short stories to pad out. (And honestly, looking at her book’s amount of content, I’d even argue that she basically got two while everyone else got six, but I digress.)

The problem with her books isn’t that they have an author writing them poorly (I really feel like her author was doing the best with what limited time she had), but in how cramped American Girl made them. Because, well, Courtney has to deal with a lot in such a short amount of words.

Let’s compare her to Julie, for instance- Julie pretty much has a new 70s thing every book. In order: feminism, rising divorce rates, San Francisco’s Chinese culture, environmentalism, the country’s bicentennial, anti-bullying and deaf acceptance. And adding to this, we also have her own personal journies through her parents’ divorce and move, her basketball team, her friendship with Ivy (and later Joy), overcoming her fear of horses, student council, detention... It’s a lot, and yet her books don’t feel rushed or forced at all. It’s just a year in the life of a girl going through a lot of new and sudden events, and how she grows and changes throughout them. She may not be as deep a character as Addy or Kirsten, but not every girl goes through the trials and tribulations they do, and it’s a good series overall.

Courtney, meanwhile, does feel rushed and forced, because of the short timespan. Instead of fitting everything into a six-book format- or even at two-book format that is the same length and content as the six-book- everything has to be fit into two short books.   Everything Courtney has to cover includes the topics of divorce and stepfamilies, feminist and technological advancement, the Challenger explosion, the HIV crisis, Hands Across America, and the founding of Pleasant Company. And in Courtney’s own journey, she has to cover her learning to stand up for herself, her relationship with her stepsister and Tina’s own character development, her mother running for mayor and how that affects her, how much she misses her Dad after he moves, her friendship with Sarah (note on that later), her basically getting hate-crimed after standing up for her friend... that’s a LOT of stuff, and I didn’t even include the non-AG 80s product placement they shove into her collection.

But without the longer format, everything is pushed together to its detriment. Tina’s development and Maureen’s mayoral candidacy are two plotlines that are literally dropped and almost completely ignored in the second book. The Challenger and HIV issues were handled decently, but the Challenger only lasted a few short chapters, and the HIV topic was not as informative as it could be, leaving out several things like Reagan’s refusal to treat it for so long, and its effect on the gay community. Honestly, the HIV scare was more shifted to focus on the mob mentality of a new and scary disease- which, while needed right now, also ignores many of the bigotry-related reasons it became an epidemic. Pleasant Company’s inclusion feels forced in, and I think was the only resolution she had to her Dad plotline?

And don’t get me started on the Sarah plotline- every Girl of the Year since Kanani- sans Isabelle and Luci- has had the story of “oh no I’ve been ignoring my friend and now they’re mad at me :(” and it’s SO old. Seriously, I counted the contemporary dolls that have had that storyline, and it’s thirteen*. Thirteen times we’ve covered this issue- almost all of it in quick succession- and now we have to deal with it in a historical character book while much more important things are going on! Yes, it sucks when a friend ditches you while you’re being attacked and bullied for something you’re standing up for, but once again, with how much is happening in such a short book, it just feels like a forced-in plotline that we’ve seen a billion times, and with their falling-out happening mainly due to the attention Courtney was given Isaac, it serves to make Sarah seem closed-minded at best and bigoted at worst- it’s clarified that she’s not, she’s just scared and upset with Courtney, but when you put those events so close together, it leads the reader to lump them together and get the impression that, you know, Sarah is a worse person than she is.

*Full count: Nicki (book 2), Chrissa (book 2), Kanani (2), McKenna (1 iirc?), Saige (both books), Grace (2), Lea (3), Gabriela (1 and 3), Tenney (2), Z (1), Blaire (1), Joss (1) and Kira (1).

It’s a bit weird, too, that Courtney’s... what’s the word? Vibe? with her how her story is written and marketed Is closer to the Contemporaries than the Historicals. Am I the only one feeling this? My best explanation for it is that the author, Kellen Hertz, had only written contemporary books for American Girl before- the third Lea Clark book and all four Tenney Grant books, both of which contained the Friendship Issues™ plot. I’m not at all saying she’s a bad author- I honestly love the way the Tenney books are written- and I’m not saying she couldn’t write a historical book, but it’s clear American Girl didn’t ask her to change up her style or content from what she’d done for them before, as well as giving her way too much to cover in such short books.

Conclusion

Honestly, this conclusion should be obvious- American Girl needs to expand their books again. Whether they simply allow the books to be unabridged, or go back to the six-book format, Courtney's books are too cramped to tell an effective story, let alone the poor abridged girls.

The other girls were given six-book length, so if they went back to that length or format, Courtney would have to be rewritten, at least a little- and that’s okay! There’s a lot of things that could use expansion or connection, such as her Summer trip with her Dad that was given basically one sentence in the text. Her growth with her stepfamily could be acknowledged- and honestly? I think that if these books were expanded, her mother’s mayoral arc should either continue through the books, or Maureen should become mayor before the book 2 arc. I’ve mentioned this before, but having Maureen as mayor (or even still a candidate) would put a lot of pressure on Courtney to be perfect so that nobody can say “look at how awful this woman is for doing politics instead of raising her family right”- which means that when the Isaac stuff happens, it has even more stakes for Courtney and her family. Does her Mom still support her with her own reputation on the line, and what does that say about Maureen’s character, how does it affect Courtney and the D’Amicos... that’s all fascinating stuff that was completely missed out on.

And if she was turned into a six-book format- honestly, here’s how I’d do it, just off the top of my head. It would involve a bit of event shuffling, but honestly I think it would work!

Meet Courtney - pretty much the setup for everything happening, her starting to get her Crystal Starshooter plans and her mom’s campaign beginning.

Courtney Learns a Lesson - her relationship to Tina, culminating in the Challenger incident.

Courtney’s Surprise - we move the founding of Pleasant Company over here, since Molly’s basically her Christmas Present. We’ll probably need an additional plotline- maybe similar to Julie, she can have a story on spending the holidays in different places.

Happy Birthday Courtney - end of summer, aka meeting Isaac and her trip with her Dad.

Courtney Saves the Day - Beginning of the HIV arc, ending at her presentation to her class.

Changes for Courtney - Continuation of the HIV arc as things get worse for her and Isaac, ending where Friendship Superhero ends.

Is that a perfect sorting? Probably not, I came up with it in ten minutes. But would it give Courtney space to breathe and more time to explore everything happening to her? Probably!

The tl;dr of this is honestly that American Girl are absolute cowards right now, and need to expand their books back. Their abridging is only harming their stories- which, as Courtney herself points out, are the reason girls got into their company in the first place.

[joviantwelve]

well

I am loath to say it but I saw my first smattering of discourse™ on this site again so I figured I should clarify a few identity-related things about myself

OK so in general I consider the LGBT spectrum so insanely broad and gray that I feel like you can pretty much identify the way you want.  it’s just terms for your own personal experience, you know?  everyone’s going to experience things differently and different terms fit just as much as different clothes do

I feel like you see this so much more in irl communities and older communities & that younger people terminally online get dunked headfirst into these terms with 0 historical context and so they feel like certain labels NEED to mean one specific thing ONLY but then end up echoing the rhetoric of gatekeepers and bigots.

ESPECIALLY when you consider nonbinary folks, many without proper terms to define how they feel, because gender is a nebulous construct.  and so when you define sexuality based on gender, when that’s already so blurry, well...like.  c’mon.

all this to say, speaking as a he/she AFAB person, yes, he/him lesbians exist.  I quite consider myself one.  I’m panromantic too.  doesn’t stop me from considering specific crushes sapphic, styling myself as a butch, etc. etc.  you can find pics of bi lesbians from the ‘60s, you know?  I feel like folks just don’t do research.

I’m also asexual, and while I never really consider it part of how I style myself as a queer person, I don’t tolerate any acephobia either.  PERSONALLY I feel like the challenges facing ace folks are a little different, but I think the communities can vibe, and if someone defines that for themself as a queer experience, who am I to judge?

anyone doing any of the above because they like the terms, as they define them for themselves, is living a better life for it.  anyone doing so to deliberately anger people is a troll and should not even be engaged with.  so either way, leave them alone!!

IN SUMMARY it just doesn’t make sense to me to incentivize infighting in a community that’s already facing so much hardship.  who would even define such a thing, a thing based on indvidual experiences and how we interact with the world?  we have to stick together, folks.

if you don’t agree with me, I don’t want to hear it.  this place isn’t for you.  just leave, alright?

(if you have innocuous questions though, you can certainly ask, just be sure to be clear it’s genuine curiosity, haha.  had to block someone I was interested in making friends with today, so my patience is thin.)

[4stars-uswnt]

You Take My Heart Away [Kelley O’Hara x Reader]

requested by anon: Kelley O’Hara x reader where reader gets into a fist fight but she’s like I won’t throw the first punch bc I’ll finish it and like she gets teased by the team but Kelley is mad at reader for it bc R could’ve gotten hurt but it was still cool

requested by anon: Can we get another Kelley O’Hara x reader doesn’t have to be anything specific just maybe along the lines of them both being crazy and maybe oblivious

A/N: i decided to combine these two prompts! hope y’all enjoy it. also bonus points to anybody who gets the title reference (there’s a lil connection to a reference within the story)

warnings: homophobic and sexist language, violence, and swearing

Conversation was flowing and music was playing in the background of the bar, as the USWNT finished up their first round of drinks and appetizers. The team had pushed together a couple of tables, where you all were now sitting, laughing at each other’s jokes.

The air was light, victory and celebration filling the atmosphere. Megan and Ashlyn had been the ones to suggest a night out after your win against Japan, not only to celebrate the 2-0 victory but also to celebrate Lindsey’s birthday that was in the next couple of days.

You were currently sitting next to your best friend, Kelley O’Hara, bridging the gap between the veterans and the youngsters.

“Anybody want another drink?” Alex asks, pushing her chair back, as she moves to get up.

A chorus of yeses ring out, the team’s orders ringing out.

“I’ll help you with that, Al.” You stand up from your seat, giving the other woman a warm smile.

Once the two of you had left for the bar, the rest of the team began interrogating Kelley, who let her eyes follow you as you moved through the crowd.

“Kel,” Ash calls out over the noise of the music. “When are you gonna admit to (Y/N) that you’re hopelessly in love with her?”

“What?” Kelley sputters, flustered.

Megan rolls her eyes at the defender. “It’s so obvious that you’ve had a crush on her for the past like six years, and a blind person can see that she likes you too.”

“I- I’m not in love with (Y/N).” Kelley’s face flushes, as she rubs the back of her neck nervously. “She’s my best friend.”

“Kelley,” Christen softly chimes in,, hoping to talk some sense in her friend she’s known since college. “You guys obviously have feelings for each other that go beyond friendship, and you’ve been dancing around them for years. We just want you two to be happy.”

Many of the women nod and voice their agreement.

“But what if it ruins our friendship and I lose her forever?” The freckled defender bites her lip nervously.

“That’s not gonna happen.” Christen gives her a knowing look. “Even if she didn’t reciprocate those feelings, she’s not gonna cut you out of her life.”

“And Kel,” Tobin adds on. “You never know until you ask her. And who knows? The risk of putting your heart out there may be worth it. But you’re just gonna live in the dark haunted by the unknown and what ifs unless you tell her how you feel.”

“I hate that you’re philosophical insights are usually right,” Kelley huffs.

Meanwhile, as the team holds their intervention for your best friend, you and Alex were at the bar ordering another round of drinks.

As you were waiting for the bartender, you and Alex were engaged in your own conversation, when you hear a boisterous voice interrupt you.

“Hey! It’s Alex Morgan!” A large man approaches the two of you, holding a half-full cup of beer in his hand, and you have a feeling he’s downed a couple pints already.

You sense Alex tense up next to you, as she gives the stranger a tight smile. “Hello.”

“Oh, and who’s this?” He turns to you, a leering grin on his face, making your insides turn. You reach for Alex’s hand in search of comfort but also as a protective gesture.

“Is she your girlfriend?” The man looks back at the star forward. “I hear your entire team is full of d*kes, but I didn’t think you were one. You’re way too hot to be a d*ke.”

Alex’s grip on your hand tightens, as anger radiates off of her. “I’m actually happily married.” She raises her left hand to show off her ring.

“Woah.” The stranger lets out a low whistle, his eyes slowly widening before he squinting to get a better look, as his movements impaired by the alcohol. “That is quite the rock. How’d you afford that with your pay? I’ve heard all about your team’s fight for equal pay and all that. I personally think it’s a load of crap. You guys aren’t even that good at soccer, and it’s so boring. The only thing that makes your games interesting is your smoking hot bodies.”

You scrunch your nose in disgust at this man’s blatant misogyny. “I’m surprised you know about our equal pay fight. I’d think it’d be too complicated for your thick skull,” you quip, throwing the insult right in his face.

“Ooooo feisty, are we?” He raises his eyebrows at you. “And where do you get off calling me dumb?”

“I’m just calling them as I see them,” you simply state, letting go of Alex’s hand, as you move to stand in front of her protectively. “Where do you get off disrespecting women and being a bigot?”

“(Y/N/N), it’s not worth it,” Alex whispers in your ear.

“I’d listen to your friend,” the man sneers and stands up straighter, slightly sobering up. “Because I’m not afraid to hit a girl, especially a mouthy one like you. Women like you deserve to be put in your place.”

“Go on then,” you challenge, probably a stupid decision on your part, but the adrenaline is rushing and you are at your wits end with this man in front of you. “I dare you.”

You thank all the gods in the universe that the stupid stranger was actually stupid enough to try and throw a punch with his blood-alcohol level because you can see his punch coming from a mile away.

Before his fist can make contact with your face, you grab his hand and twist his arm, leaning in closely to his face. “Is that all you got? My mom hits better than you.” You smirk.

“Let go of me, you bitch,” he growls, snatching his arm out of your grasp.

“Wait, I have one more thing,” you call out.

“What the hell are you talk-”

Before he can finish, you cut him off, rather your fist cuts him off. The man in front of you had been testing your patience and had used up all your grace, which, in your opinion, warranted a punch in the face.

You can’t help but wince at the sharp pain shooting through your hand upon the contact, but the cracking sound of his nose eases some of your discomfort.

By now, the rest of the team had become worried by your prolonged absence and then had noticed the commotion this stranger was stirring. Hearing the raised voices coming from your direction, many of the veterans, including Kelley, Christen, Tobin, Ash, Ali, and Megan, made their way over to where Alex was currently holding you back from unleashing your anger on this drunk man.

“What is going on here?” Becky asks, surveying the situation in front of her.

“This asshole was insulting Al and then had the audacity to continue being a sexist pig,” you spit out, directing your words at the man, who was still holding his bloody nose, while Alex was doing her best to keep you under wraps.

“I think it’s time for you to go,” Ashlyn states firmly.

As the goalie, along with Becky, Megan, and Ali, coax the stranger into leaving you alone, and hopefully leaving the club, Alex, Christen, Tobin, and Kelley try and calm you down.

“(Y/N/N),” Christen soothes, cupping your face. “I need you to calm down. Take a deep breath.” The curly-haired forward inhales and exhales, motioning for you to mimic her actions.

You take a deep breath, and upon exhaling, you feel the tension, along with the adrenaline, leave your body.

“Shit,” you sigh. “My hand.”

You lift your right hand, revealing your split knuckles on which bruises were starting to form.

“Come on, Sylvester.” Tobin claps your shoulder, letting out an amused chuckle. “Let’s get you back to the hotel, and on the way, you can tell us all about your heroics.”

You amusedly roll your eyes and lean into the other woman’s side.

As the team gathers their things, ready to call it a night after the turn of events, Megan approaches you, holding out a bag of ice.

“Here, (Y/N), the bartender gave me this for your hand.”

“Thanks, P.” You place the cool ice on your knuckles, hissing at the temperature shock.

On the way back to the hotel, many of your teammates were interrogating you about what had happened back at the bar. After telling the entire story, you received many hoots and hollers from the rest of the team.

“Damn (Y/N)!” Ash whistles. “Remind me never to get on your bad side.”

“Way to protect our honor,” Rose gushes, as many of the women nod along.

“Thank you, (Y/N), for defending me,” Alex says sincerely.

“Of course, Al. Anytime.” You give the forward a warm smile.

“Who knew (Y/N) could be such a badass?!” Emily exclaims with an impressed look on her face. “Kel, did you know that your best friend was a secret badass?”

While the rest of the girls had been teasing you about your heroic actions, your best friend had been oddly quiet.

“News to me.” Kelley answers shortly, her face hard and distant. You furrow your eyebrows in confusion, wondering if the defender was mad at you. You thought she would’ve been proud of you for standing up for the team and putting a sexist douchebag in his place.

Before going back to entertaining your teammates’s jokes and questions, you make a mental note to talk to her once you get back to the hotel, silently thanking Vlatko for rooming the two of you together this camp.

You would never in a million years admit it, but you were harboring a huge crush for your best friend, had been for the past six years, ever since you’d joined the national team. Not only did you not want to ruin your friendship and end up losing Kelley, but you knew she would never return your feelings.

Over the past several years that you’d been friends with the defender, you’d seen Kelley go in and out of relationships, and comparing yourself to her other girlfriend’s, you had a feeling you weren’t her type.

You also had reservations due to the fact that Kelley was your teammate, and you didn’t want to change the team dynamic, especially if the two of you didn’t work out.

Thoughts of Kelley clouded your mind all the way back to the hotel, only further exacerbated by her deafening silence.

Upon arriving to the hotel lobby, before you all disperse to your rooms, Alex gives you another hug and thanks you again, and Becky, ever the mother of the group, gives you a warning.

“Make sure to ice on and off. 20 minutes. You know the drill, (Y/L/N). Kelley, make sure she takes care of that hand.”

“Don’t worry about me, Becks. I got it,” you reassure the veteran defender, giving her a mock salute.

Following Kelley, you cautiously enter the hotel room. You nervously watch the other women move around the room, as she silently goes about her usual nighttime routine. Taking the hint that she wasn’t going to talk to you anytime soon, you go about your own routine and get ready for bed.

After about twenty minutes later, after both of you had showered, you were finishing wrapping your hand and were about to get into bed, when you noticed Kelley discretely staring at your bandaged hand.

Unable to tolerate the silence anymore, you break the tension. “Okay, what is up with you?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“Kel,” you sigh, plopping down on the side of her bed. “You’ve been giving me the cold shoulder ever since what happened at the bar. Are you mad at me?”

“Nope. Not mad,” Kelley hums slightly passive aggressively, still not looking up from her book.

You roll your eyes, frustrated by your best friend’s childish behavior. “Kelley, I know when you’re lying, and I know that you’re mad at me right now, so would you please just look at me?!”

Sensing the exasperation and frustration in your voice, Kelley closes and sets down her book. “Fine, you’re right. I am mad at you.”

You thought you’d feel relieved, hearing her confirm your suspicions, but instead, the pressure in your chest increases.

“Why? What did I do?” You practically beg, scooting up the bed, so you’re closer to the other woman.

“As if you don’t know,” she scoffs.

Confused, you tilt your head. “I clearly don’t. Kel, please talk to me, tell me what I did.”

“You literally punched a dude in the face!”

“Yeah, but he deserved it, Kel! You heard the things he was saying,” you defend. “I couldn’t just let him get away with talking about our team like that. I thought you’d be proud of me for standing up to a sexist asshole like him.”

“I am proud, sort of. I mean that was completely badass and totally warranted, not that I necessarily expected that from you, and I’m glad you put him in his place,” Kelley babbles. “But that’s not the point, (Y/N/N). You were reckless tonight. You could’ve gotten hurt!”

Your face softens at her outburst. Taking a deep breath, Kelley confesses, “I love you, (Y/N). I’m in love with you, and I just can’t stand the idea of you getting hurt, especially by some drunk idiot who doesn’t know shit about football or respecting women.”

Your eyes widen and your heart practically stop, when you process the words that have come out of your best friend’s mouth.

“(Y/N), please say something,” Kelley begs.

“You’re in love with me?” You test the words on your mouth.

“Yeah,” she sighs contently, giving you a soft smile. “Have been for the past eight years.”

“Gosh, we really are idiots.” You let out a wet chuckle, shaking your head.

“What?”

“I’m in love with you, too, Kel,” you rasped, your voice laced with pure emotion. “I’ve loved you since my first camp.”

“Wow,” Kelley scoffs, an amused grin playing on her face. “Are we really that oblivious?”

“Apparently so.” You shrug. “But we’re here now.”

“Yeah, we are.” The freckled woman softens. “Can I kiss you?”

You nod eagerly, leaning in to meat the other woman’s lips. The kiss is nothing like you’d dreamed of; it’s better. It’s soft and tender, full of love and passion. You melt into each other, as your lips move together in harmony.

Not wanting things to get too heated, especially not before you’ve talked about what this meant for the future of your relationship, you pull away, resting your forehead against hers.

“Hi,” you whisper, smiling like a fool.

“Hey,” Kelley murmurs softly, returning your smile.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She takes your hand, kissing your wrapped knuckles. “But please don’t be getting into any more bar fights.”

“Hey! I would never start a fight, however I have no problem finishing them.” You smirk, boasting slightly triumphantly.

Kelley rolls her eyes playfully, but then looks into your eyes. “I mean it, (Y/N). I can’t stand the idea of you getting hurt. So no more fights alright?”

“I promise, Kel.” You give her a chaste kiss.

“Good.”

That night, you stay in Kelley’s bed, cuddling into her side. As you slowly drift into a peaceful sleep, you notice the woman next to you is already fast asleep.

You sigh contently, and you can’t help but feel extremely lucky that even after all these years, and everything that’s happened, life still led you to this woman and a love worth fighting for.

[lavendulaconminatio]

This won’t reach the people who really need to hear it, but Many women like myself have supported trans rights from the first time we learned of the issues. We didn’t suddenly turn into transphobic bigots because some terfs brainwashed us. I used to proudly proclaim “no terfs”! Until I started to realize with a sickening certainty that there are aspects of trans rhetoric that Hates women. Hates it when we talk about female issues. Hates it when we rely on one another in solidarity. Hates it when we name our oppression as females and males as our oppressors.

I’m not going to lie, the crusade to make terf a thing was hugely successful. And now it’s used to shut women up for any transgression online and offline. They could be outright transphobic (which is not an excuse to be sexist) or they could be like me, trans supporter and feminist recognizing the rotten smell of sexism in too many trans activist demands. Our feminist spaces have been eroded. A rape crisis shelter was shut down because it recognized that females fleeing male violence must be allowed space away from any and all males.

But male privilege, it runs deep. Too many of you think you can identify out of male socialization. Too many of you think women are the true evil, not the men who actually kill most trans women of color. White trans people are not nearly in as much danger, and as a whole trans women are not in as much danger of being raped and murdered the way girls and women have been for centuries. Myths about death statistics have skewed perspectives on what trans oppression actually looks like.

I sympathize with the trans plight, but don’t piss on me and call it rain. You want to know why so many women feel compelled to speak out against TRAs? It’s not because you face the worst oppression ever, it’s because you perpetuate sexism and claim being trans means you can’t possibly be sexist. It’s fucked up, and many women are starting to see through the bullshit. Especially since that bullsht smells exactly like MRA bullshit. I mean, demanding lesbians have sex with trans women to make them feel valid is the MRA equivalent of thinking women owe men sex because they were taught from birth women are their playthings.

I have literally no problem with trans existence. I have every problem with female oppression. If it wasn’t for the fact that society is buying this shit and creating real and devastating consequences for women, I wouldn’t be doing this. This blog wouldn’t exist.

I have been personally attacked for not following the groupthink, something I have never and would never do to anyone online. This is real for me, not some online game. No one should be “called out” and attacked for reblogging people you don’t like. Why can’t any of you see how epically entitled that is and practically fascist?

Do I think feminism is perfect? No. Does it have its own issues? Of course. But arguments within feminism doesn’t put rapists in women prisons. It doesn’t remove female bathrooms to create unisex ones and leave men’s ones alone. It doesn’t systematically try to destroy every female space to validate the feelings of a few. For the most part it aims to bring equality to women of all backgrounds and challenge the privilege of men, not make itself feel valid by attacking another minority. Trans rights activists have a laser focus on hating women and some of you think it’s transphobic to respond? Fuck that. And despite my fury at what TRA’s have done to feminism, I don’t hold it against all trans people.

I wish I could look away and not have to focus on trans activism. You all did this when you couldn’t let women be. Now more and more women are seeing through this bullsht and those of you that hate terfs so much, you truly only have yourselves to blame.

[serpentstole]

Luciferian Challenge: Day 25

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned from this path?

Speaking specifically about Luciferianism or similar practices: you can be adversarial, heretical, and defiant against aspects of your previous religion without being a dick about it. 

Blasphemy is absolutely an aspect of my religious practice. I venerate a fallen angel. I incorporate the mother of mankind, who is recognized as a saint in some branches of Christianity, into my Luciferianism. I celebrate the Original Sin (as it’s understood within the context of Christianity), I want to make devotional jewelry and prayer beads out of chains from antique rosaries, and I refuse to surrender my appreciation for a blasting pipe organ or some stained glass. The reversal of my baptism, by nature, also has to be a very heretical rite. Part of the reason I say that my Luciferianism cannot be divorced or even distanced from Christianity is because if it was, none of this would matter. You can’t be a heretic or blasphemous if you don’t on some level acknowledge the laws and rules and expectations of that faith.

But I try not to rub it in anyone’s face, you know? It’s personal to me, not performed openly for the sake of making a statement or purely to offend.

Yes, there might be people who come into my house and take issue with the origins of the beads I used, or the cathedral architecture in my banner. However, they’re just as likely to take issue with the fact that I’m a Luciferian at all. For the rest, I strive not to be confrontational or publicly self indulgent about it. I get no joy from making others uncomfortable, or from shock value, or from offending people. My use of the heretical is my own, my adversarial nature is reserved for those that truly deserve it, and being nasty for the sake of it seems to me like it’ll do more harm than good. 

I’m not going to wring my hands and pretend that here in North America, Christians are oppressed. In both Canada and the United States, Christianity continues to be the dominant religion, and the way it exists within our culture absolutely impacts things like education and lawmaking despite claims to the contrary. I also won’t say that everyone who faces hostility from Christian individuals should meet it with perfect grace and poise, and that losing one’s temper in the face of such abuse is a failure. When someone else is initiating a confrontation, it can be very stressful and we can react how we might not have with a clearer head and a little distance. I know I’ve fallen victim to this in my life.

What I think is that sometimes it’s better to just disengage, to ignore, to block, or to otherwise distance oneself from those who have no interest in learning. They won’t walk away from the exchange feeling thoroughly owned, and you aren’t likely to sway their followers, as those are the fans of their content and message. They’ll walk away thinking Luciferians and Satanists are edgy assholes whose only religious purpose is to try and own Christians with sick burns on the internet. I also think those that seek out Christian bloggers or communities just to insult them or troll them are wasting their time and doing far more harm than good, regardless of what the blog in question is saying. Yes, even if they’re an Evangelical fundamentalist.

This might seem like a strange stance to take as someone who believes so strongly in social progress and empathy, but please remember what some of these communities can be like. That they might have grown up being told anyone unlike them won’t understand the way their church and family does. That people who don’t hold their specific ideals are worse off for it, and that Lucifer, Satan, and the devil is synonymous with evil and that anyone who venerates such beings are monstrous and trying to harm them.

Reinforcing those existing biases and assumptions will not help anyone. Everyone likes to escalate. To champion their cause, and get flustered and worked up over it. Don’t give them the enemy they crave. Do what is right for your beliefs and your practice, but in whatever sacred and personal space or corner of the internet you’ve set aside for it, and leave them to fester alone with their thoughts.

And if their posts only have like three or four notes, you’re only broadcasting those talking points to a wider audience, including those whose days might be ruined by having harmful ideology plastered all over their dash. Let them holler into the void. No one was reading it anyway.

Also, as a side note, way more occultists/people within the witchblr community are Christian than you might think, and you kind of just look like an stupid asshole if you’re taking pot shots at the concept as if you think every Christian is a funeral picketing turbo bigot.