#but I have such a good support system here

[boreal-sea]

And my main statement still stands as well: it is not ok to discriminate or hate every person assigned male at birth because this was not something they had any control over.

I can only speak from the perspective of American patriarchy here.

American patriarchy serves exactly one kind of man: a cisgender, heterosexual, abled, neurotypical, white Christian man, the richer the better. He is on top of the hierarchy, and all others are below him. Other men can gain some access to some privileges, but the all bounty is not bestowed upon them.

And, for the record, this access to privilege is conditional. A man can be ejected from the top of the hierarchy in a myriad of ways.

Yes, American patriarchy hurts men. All you have to do is look at black men or queer men to see how the "wrong man" performing masculinity is seen as a threat to the cishet white patriarchy of this country. It takes an intersectional approach to see this, however. That is why I recommend reading bell hooks and Kimberlé Crenshaw so much. American patriarchy takes the very same traits it applauds in a cishet white man and turns those into demonic, frightening qualities in anyone else who tries to perform them. These people are viewed as threats to the hierarchy of American patriarchy.

It is not good or healthy for any man to be coerced from childhood into performing toxic masculinity in order to gain privilege. Many men, even those whom American patriarchy is actually "for", are still damaged by the very system they conform to, uphold, and in many cases like.

I did not say "nobody wants it to exist".

There are in fact many people who want American patriarchy to exist because they don't view it as harmful. Americans are raised from a very young age to think that the hierarchy of American patriarchy is how a healthy and productive society should function. White men are the ideal men, white women are the ideal women, and everyone else should strive to be like them. Men should be the breadwinners, women should take care of the home and children. This is baked into our society at its core. Men and women both support the system continuing because they view it as stable, as safe, as functional. The very idea of the "American family" is patriarchal.

51% of white women voted this past election to uphold American patriarchy. It is a system beloved by both men and women.

So, who is enforcing American patriarchy? Americans. Anyone you meet walking down the street. Certainly the majority of white people. Men, women, even trans people -- everyone. We're all raised in it, and every one of us who has said "hey wait that's fucked up" has had to choose to unlearn the culture we were steeped in since birth. It takes active effort to say "hold on. I don't actually believe the patriarchy when it tells me men are naturally aggressive and violent and women are passive and weak".

This is the culture we've been raised in since we were assigned a sex at birth based on the shape of our genitals -- an event that we, as a newborn, had no control over. An event that determined how society was going to treat us. And it's pretty uncool to hate an entire group of people for something they had no control over.

Actually feminists want you to shut the fuck up about how much you hate men and males. Yeah we voted. We decided it's actually super uncool to hate half of humanity due to something beyond their control.

[mossadspypigeon]

“i hate states” “i can never support states.”

the bitch with degrees in anthro, archaeology, and jewish studies is here to tell you GOOD FUCKING LUCK WITH THAT.

humanity has lived in some form of a state since the dawn of agricultural societies and even earlier. the city state??? the precursor to the modern state. you can’t just unravel thousands of years of societal programming. and no, i am not talking about societal programming like class systems and racism etc. i am talking about the innate animal urges human beings have that lead to living in societies. our primate relatives live in societies too. and those societies are not perfect.

can you change this programming and make it better through actual work, research, listening skills, and time? yes. it has happened. but shitting on states when they are the only option for protection and self determination for many marginalized peoples AND the way humanity AS A WHOLE, ACROSS CULTURES, has lived for centuries? fucking dumb, not to mention lazy. yank your head out of your ass. the rapture glorious revolution is not the medicine for society you think it is.

and please, read a book that isn’t the communist manifesto for dummies.

[judesmoonbeauty]

2025 Mystery Bag: Team Two "Lowlife Bastards & Troublesome Fox" - Jude, Nica, Alfons & Harrison Story Set

CW: While not depicted, the story does mention groping.

This is a fan translation only. Please expect grammatical errors and translation inaccuracies. This is a full translation. Creative liberties are taken for characterization and smoother translation process. Cybird owns everything. Re-blogs are appreciated, but please do not post my translation elsewhere. Thank you for your support! ☾.

Committee Member: We now shall begin the qualifying round for Group Two.

Literally translates as “Steering Committee Member” - I opted to shorten it.

Committee Member: Whomever reaches the finish line first will be named as the 2025 Happy Boy!

Committee Member: Get ready and your positions……Ready, Set, GO!

Harrison: Uh, why’re you all stopping so suddenly when we just got started?

Alfons: The gallery is no longer in sight, so I thought it was a suitable time to stop, and the abandon this fair and square pretense.

Harrison: Huh?

Harrison: I take it that Al’s not the only one. You guys are probably hatching some kind of clever scheme too, right?

Jude: Can ya not go ‘round accusin’ me when ya ain’t got all the facts? It’s down right cruel treatin’ people like villains.

Nica: Yeah, same. There’s no way I’d ever commit a crime in broad daylight.

Harrison: It’s so obvious you guys are all lyin’ through your teeth. I don’t even need my ability to see that.

Harrison: I could just snitch and have the committee members withdraw you guys?

Alfons: Oh my, how frightening. I’ll come clean, so please do keep quiet.

Alfons: Were you aware that there’s a water station site just a short distance from here?

Alfons: I’ve simply tampered with the drinks a bit there.

Alfons: A rapid acting sleeping draught.

Harrison: You’re the worst.

Jude: That’s somethin’ a walkin’ offense to public order ‘n morals would do.

Alfons: And what have you been up to?

Jude: Nothin’ much, just bought off one of the board members on the committee. He’ll just fudge the information later on ‘n get me through the preliminaries.

Jude: There’ll be people comin’ ‘n goin,’ so it’s an easy cover up.

Harrison: You’re the worst.

Nica: As expected of the president, you’ve gotta dirty way of doing things. I could never copy you since I’ve had a good upbringing.

Harrison: Yeah, so what plan did you cook up?

Nica: Don’t lump me in with the mirror man and president over there.

Nica: I only used my brilliant mind and investigative skills…..Hey, did ya know?

Nica: There’s a sewage system running underneath the course, and it leads right to the finish line.

Nica: I’ll wait underground, bide my time…..and then nab first place.

Jude & Alfons: Whadda outrageous bastard. What an outrageous bastard.

Nica: I don’t want you bastards calling me that.

Harrison: Gotta be kidding me, are they all just scumbags.

Harrison: Well, what wishes do you guys want granted to go so far for it?

Alfons: Why naturally, to use Her Majesty’s authority to do this and that.

Harrison: I’m an idiot for even asking you.

Harrison: And you, Jude?

Jude: Anythin’ goes. There’s lots o’ thin’s I wanna take down with that queenie’s power.

Jude: Bet yer bad nature’s gotta terrible request too.

Nica: Nope. I’m just trying to make money, which I love.

Nica: I could have all the money I want, right?

Harrison: If you mean what you say, then I’ll leave it at that.

Nica: ….You can tell when someone’s lying, right? Your ability’s pretty pesky, Harrison Gray.

Harrison: They said using our abilities are prohibited now. I was just reading your mind.

Nica: You’re the only one who can tell if you’re using your ability or not, so hiding it’s easy. As expected of the one with the lying fox curse.

Harrison: Thanks for saying so.

Nica: — Anyway, what should we do now?

Alfons: What do you mean?

Nica: I mean, now that we’ve exposed each others intentions, I don’t think this’ll end smoothly.

Nica: Well, it’s fine. I don’t mind crushing you all here. I won’t go easy on you scumbags.

Jude: Heh, yeah. Last man to survive’s the winner. Plain ‘n simple.

Alfons: I’m not particularly fond of dangerous things, but you can't make an omelet without breaking eggs.

Harrison: Oi, you guys -

Screaming Woman: AHHH!

Harrison: That voice just now….

Screaming Woman: Someone! Molester, it’s a molester!

Nica: A molester?

Nica: Guess there’s some idiots in the world who can’t satisfy their desires without taking advantage of an event like this.

Nica: I just don’t get it. Well, it’s a large enough crowd, they’ll be arrested quickly.

Alfons: I should think that an imbecilic molester would be caught immediately —

Alfons: Wasn’t the direction the molester fled to, the same location Kate was going to cheer?

Harrison: ….I’m heading there. I’m worried about that girl.

Harrison: You guys do whatever you want.

Jude: Tch, it’ll be more revoltin’ ignorin it ‘n gettin’ yelled at.

Alfons: Ahaha! Those men who weren’t even in a hurry are now dashing as fast as they can.

Alfons: And what of you, Nica?

Nica: Should I tag along? I’ve got free time just standing here anyway.

Male Assaulter: Shit….Why are you chasing me? Gah!

The side chara is literally translated as "Molester/Groper Male." However, I opted to change this to assaulter because I don’t really like either of the other words, and I felt it was over utilized in context in general.

Harrison: Okay, got him.

Jude: Hold onto that piece ‘o shit perverted predator.

Harrison: That goes without saying.

Harrison: Oh, Al and Nica came too.

Nica: Oh, so this guy’s the groper? Ahaha, it looks like he would have trouble with women.

Alfons: It’s nonsense to criticize someone’s appearance. Even so, he does appear to be frustrated though.

Male Assaulter: I didn’t do it! My hand simply touched her bum by accident!

Males Assaulter: Besides! It would be frustrating to make a fuss out of it.

Alfons: An accident, you say?

Alfons: While en route here, I queried others for information.

Alfons: As I’ve heard so far, six women have complained that you touched them.

Alfons: How coincidental.

Alfons: Do you have magnets embedded within your hands that are drawn to women’s bottoms?

Nica: And we happen to have a lie detector here.

Nica: So, what do ya think?

Harrison: Without a doubt, everything you just spewed is a lie.

Harrison: Well, that’s just my “hunch” though.

Male Assaulter: ……

Male Assaulter: D-damn it! Yeah, that’s right. I did it!

Nica: Yeah yeah, I really can’t stand hearing that bastard’s rotten voice.

Alfons: So then, since he’s openly confessed, what punishment should be dispensed?

Alfons: Ah, but our abilities are currently prohibited. Well then, Jude.

Jude: I’ll kick yer dirty arse, as many times ya been feelin’ 'em up, idiot.

Male Assaulter: GAHH!

Nica: Yikes. I just heard a loud sound, wasn’t it his hip breaking?

Alfons: My condolences. Now, what shall we do with this person who’s passed out?

Harrison: Hand him over to management and the police.

Harrison: Today we aren’t Crown or Vogel, just participants.

Jude: Dunno, but if that’s what’cha wanna do then go ahead ‘n do it.

Unidentified Scream: ARGH!

Harrison: Another scream…?

Alfons: Now what?

Kate: Oh, everyone!

Kate: We have a huge problem! All of the participants who drank water at the water station have fallen asleep!

Alfons: Really?

Kate: And then the committee board members started revealing that they’d been threatened and bribed —

Jude: Hmm.

Kate: On top of that, it was discovered that someone was trying to use the sewage system as a path unfairly!

Nica: Oh, wow.

Kate: Who the hell could the culprit be? He’s such a lowlife that I’ll never forgive him.

Harrison: Tell us more, Kate.

Kate: What?

[Story Set Master List]

Tags List: @sh0jun @theimaginativelyreticent @sapphire-323 @velisle @nateko @greatwitchsongsinger @injudescoat @aeyumicore @complexivelovely @cosmowgyral @lunaaka @rosalyne08 @8the-perfect-lie8 @voydsoul @drachonia

If you're 18+ and wish to be added to my tags list, please comment below. If you wish to be removed, please do the same!

[nenelonomh]

making friends is still worth it

as an extroverted individual, i have many friends. a diverse collection of people, offline and online, who support me - in many different ways. lately it's been difficult for me to put myself out there and talk to people, and hence, this post.

making new friends and meeting new people will always be 'worth it'.

worth the time. the troubles. the slight worries. this post is going to walk through the barriers i've been struggling with in meeting new people, and if you relate, should be able to help. firstly - that friendship can be seen as transactional, and secondly - that some (most) friendships are short lived.

transactional friendships

friendship can sometimes be seen as transactional, especially if individuals focus on the benefits they receive from the relationship. however, true friendship goes beyond mere transactions. it's built on mutual respect, trust, and a genuine desire to support one another.

in transactional relationships, interactions are often driven by a specific exchange of goods, services, or favors. while this can be a part of friendships, it's not the defining characteristic. authentic friendships involve emotional connections, shared experiences, and a commitment to each other's well-being without expecting something in return.

consider the difference between helping a friend move because you know they'll help you in the future (transactional) and helping them because you care about their happiness and want to support them (genuine friendship). both actions might look similar, but the underlying motivations are different.

and this is not to say that transactional friendships are bad - they simply are a different type of friendship. if you're engaging in a transactional friendship (for whatever reason), both parties typically know what to expect from each other, which can lead to more straightforward interactions.

these relationships can be practical and mutually beneficial, especially in professional or networking contexts. however, support in transactional friendships might be dependent on reciprocation, which can lead to feelings of obligation rather than genuine care.

my focus in this post is cultivating deeper, more meaningful relationships.

short-lived friendships

making friends and building a support system is essential - even if these friendships do not last forever. here's why:

every friendship brings a unique set of shared experiences that enrich our lives. these can be anything from late-night conversations, shared hobbies, travel adventures, or even just watching a movie together. these moments create lasting memories that contribute to our personal narrative. even short-term friendships leave an indelible mark, helping to shape our identity.

imagine you've moved to a new city and meet a friend at a local coffee shop. you bond over your love for art and decide to visit art galleries together. these shared experiences create lasting memories and enrich your understanding of the city's art scene. even if you eventually move away, the experiences and insights gained during that time remain with you.

during challenging times, having someone to confide in can make a significant difference. friends provide a sounding board for our thoughts and feelings, offering empathy and support that can help us navigate difficulties. the comfort and reassurance that comes from knowing someone is there for you, even temporarily, can enhance your emotional resilience and well-being.

friendships expose us to different perspectives and ideas. each friend brings their own experiences, knowledge, and worldview, which can broaden our understanding and spark new interests. these interactions foster intellectual growth and encourage us to think critically and empathetically about the world around us.

being part of a social network, even if it's not long-lasting, gives us a sense of community and belonging. this connection is vital for our mental and emotional health, as it reduces feelings of isolation and provides a sense of purpose. engaging with different groups and individuals helps us feel connected to the broader social fabric.

why don't people go out of their way to make friends? is it just me?

this is an incredible fear i get whenever i am met with no response whilst trying to build community and reach out to new people. there are several reasons why many people may not go out of their way to make new friends, including:

modern life can be incredibly busy, with work, family, and personal commitments taking up a lot of time. people often prioritize these responsibilities over socializing.

some individuals experience anxiety or discomfort in social situations, which can make it difficult for them to initiate and maintain friendships.

negative experiences in past friendships, such as betrayal or conflict, can make people wary of forming new relationships.

people tend to stick to familiar routines and environments where they feel safe and comfortable, making it less likely for them to seek out new social connections.

the rise of digital entertainment, social media, and online interactions can lead to a preference for virtual connections over face-to-face interactions.

the nature of a digital society certainly plays a role in changing how we form and maintain friendships. while technology offers convenient ways to stay connected, it can also create barriers to deeper, more meaningful interactions. online communication sometimes lacks the emotional richness and nuances of in-person conversations, which can affect the quality of friendships.

however, there are ways to build and maintain community online, including:

joining interest-based groups on platforms like tumblr, reddit, or discord can help you connect with like-minded individuals and foster a sense of community. instagram and youtube also have creator communities now!

participating in virtual events, webinars, and online meetups related to your hobbies or professional interests can help you connect with others.

using platforms like zoom, skype, or whatsapp for regular video calls and chats can help maintain and strengthen friendships, even at a distance.

working on collaborative projects or joining online clubs, such as book clubs or gaming communities, can provide opportunities to bond with others over shared activities.

while online interactions can complement face-to-face friendships, it's important to balance both to create a well-rounded social life. making an effort to connect with people, whether online or in-person, will lead to meaningful relationships and a strong support system. once again, it is very much worth it.

i hope this was helpful! ❤️nene

further resources:

tips to make friends with people you find cool

be social (a list)

instagram | pinterest | blog site

[luneemeritus]

Happy New Year, guys!! You know what I'll be discussing in the very first day of 2025? Yes, slandering Stella fans. Here we go.

TW: VICTIM BLAMING, ABUSE APOLOGISM, MARITAL RAPE, STELLA STANS BEING THE DELUSIONAL CREEPS THEY ARE

True!! He was the only one who was abused though 🥰 he was the only victim. Stella is the abuser and always was 🥰

First: she didn't "give birth" like humans do, she laid an egg. Just basic education for media illiterate abuse apologists, if it even matters. Second: that's a tragedy, Stolas was also a teen father, funny thing, he didn't turn out to be an abusive rapist like Stella! Maybe because she is a terrible person and he is her victim, you know, very simple for a normal person to understand.

BOO-HOO, the woman that raped and abused Stolas for 17+ years got cheated! A low-class imp treats her husband better than her! Boo-hoo, victim of society, someone help this poor defenless rich racist abusive woman 🥺 I love how in Round 1, "oh poor baby was forced to marry Stolas, a guy who tried to make things comfortable and be an ally to her during all these years, that justifies her abuse!", Round 2, "oh she was cheated! Suddenly the marriage matters now, that justifies her abuse and her attempts to murder her victim!" Another lesson of basic media literacy: Stella was not humiliated. Stella doesn't care about Stolas "cheating" (it was not cheating, they were never a couple). Stella cares that an Imp, a class that she gracefully abuses, dared to bring her victim happiness. She is upset that she is losing control over Stolas. Boo-hoo, your racist abusive pet got humiliated? And what about her using the time she raped Stolas as a joke to her friends, turning everyone against him and isolating him even more ("stolas is terrible in bed, he lays there (dissociates) and I have to do everything (rape)"? Boo-hoo, I hope she gets even more humiliated in next seasons. I want to see her downfall.

Oh, so you're basing your argumentations in stupid headcanons. Great!! Btw: Stella chose to be an animal abuser when she was a child, she chose to SA Stolas to concieve Via, she chose to abuse Stolas for 17+ years, she chose to isolate Via and abuse her dad in front of her (multiple kinds of child abuse). She chose to hire an assassin to murder her victim when she was losing control over him. Your imbecilic headcanon about her WhItE dReSs is meaningless, she chose to be more than a bride: an abusive monster.

Allow me to ignore the dumbshit "Stolas is a bad dad" discourse because it was discussed multiple times here, he isnt a bad father, he was a teenager forced into parenthood and an abusive marriage, he did his best and always take accountability when he fails Via in some way. Let us foccus in the (other) delusional shit being said here. Since fucking WHEN Stella "became abusive 'cause Stolas turned into a baddy daddy". Are yall Stella stans fucking blind? Stella abuses Via's father in front of her, this is child abuse. Stella isolates Via from her father, takes her phone away and lets her in a dangerous enviroment with her creepy brother, and all of this abusing her imp servants. All of this is child abuse. What Stella does more, and the only thing she is good at, is abusing people. Stella was "punishing" Stolas for the crime of searching his own happiness, getting away from her control and getting the support system he lacked during his whole life. She is punishing him for surviving, and she has been abusing him since they married, because of his crime of EXISTING. She was an abuser, is an abuser and will be forever an abuser until the day she rots. All of this was HER. CHOICE. NOT. STOLAS'.S

STOLAS IS A V I C T I M.

STELLA IS AN A B U S E R

There is no nuance. There is no "mutual abuse". There is no "mutual victimhood". Stolas is the victim. Stella is the abuser. She doesn't fucking care about her daughter, she is a vile piece of shit that emotionally abuses Via. When she tried to hug Via in that false show of empathy in Mastermind, Via got scared and tried to cover up her face. She is horrified of her mother. Yes, she is upset at Stolas, she has reasons to be, but she's also oblivious and kept a victim under her vicious mother and uncle's "protection."

Yes, Stella was forced into this marriage, and if she wasn't the dumb abusive piece of shit she is, she and Stolas would've been allies and would help each other in a bad situation. This is what Stolas did during almost two decades. He endured her abuse so his daughter would be happy. They didn't even need to have sex to concieve Via, lavender couples have alternative way of granting heritage, but Stella chose to SA Stolas AND turn this SA into a joke, to re-traumatize him.

"guys i never said she was innocent😜🤪😜" no you just lied about everything to excuse her abuse and paint her as a victim, even though she was always the villain. You just lied about her victim. You just made shit up to victim-blame Stolas. "She isnt the only bad person" I agree, almost all the Goetias (ex, Paimon and Andrealphus) and the delusional creeps that defend her are also terrible. "She has reasons to hate Stolas", true, the reasons are: she is an abuser, he survived her abuse and is moving on. These are the reasons 💜 Stolas turned out kind despite every shit he's been throught, Stella turned out an evil monster despite all the priviledge, love, friends and power she had over everyone.

Hope this helps. You don't take female abusers seriously, you're an abuse apologist. You don't care about male abuse victims... not that I'm that surprised that a Valentino stan also babyfies another irredimable abuser. Excusing abuse is like. The day-by-day of these people.

Happy New Year guys, I hope yall enjoyed my gift ❤️ ya welcome ❤️

[serpentface]

I know that you got rid of all the definite super-natural stuff which I think was a really good choice. I know dreamlands cult is still around, but what happened to the giant ur-tree. That was really cool. I was wondering if that was still a thing or significantly changed at all. This blog and all your world building is super cool 🫡

Unfortunately it has to be significantly changed due to the original concept being like, not actually a tree but like a suspended structure of millions of years of plant life (the highest branches being composed of early land plants extinct everywhere else, the trunks being a twisted amalgam of contemporary trees and foliage) supported by a quasi-sapient deified fungal network.

There's nothing I can do that doesn't wildly nerf the concept down, but I'm maintaining the Spirit Of Things by having the Ur-Tree be a clonal system of very large trees that are actually a single tree connected by a root system, which is over 10,000 years old. This single tree is functionally its own woodland, and part of a much larger (otherwise non-clonal) forest.

This ancient tree is an individual from a spec bio species that I haven't fully fleshed out yet. I was thinking something spruce-like in appearance but it needs to produce fairly substantial quantities of dimethyltryptamine in its bark/roots. It grows in humid subtropical-tropical regions (the Ur-Tree is in the Lowlands, which is a humid coastal subtropical region) and has a fairly wide spread, but its range is fragmented and it's almost always found as a singular tree among other species, no other clonal colonies of this size and age exist (and thus the Ur-Tree is recognizably unique). Its root system is a key host/mutualist symbiotic partner for a spec bio fungus with strong hallucinogenic properties, which is refined along with the bark extract to make the Ur-Root entheogen used by the Scholars sect of the Eterhimhamdli religion.

This retcon allows for people to still live in the Ur-Tree (in a less literal sense of living within the space of the colonial organism), for it to be a large location that is a focal point for a religious practice, for its components to be used in production of a very strong hallucinogen, and for it to be a Presence that predates the cultural memories of any groups that encounter it. It might not have the cool factor of the Giant Fucking God Tree but it preserves the aspects that are most interesting to me in the confines of this setting.

The effects of the hallucinogen are also VERY similar to the pre-supernatural nerfing event version (just less Specifically Targeted without the 'experiencing the memories of a semi-sapient fungus' aspect). A full trip starts with minor visual distortion that turns into fractals, the experience of going through a tunnel and 'breaking through' into a distinct experiential Space, you may encounter things you perceive as entities that communicate with you, etc. (This is just DMT.)

The come up period for the fungus times itself near perfectly with the come-down for the DMT (there is usually no moment of in-between for the user). This is experienced as the previous space shifting into one that feels more like the real world, but with a heavily distorted sense of time, the user feels as if they are living through hundreds of thousands of years. Their senses are distorted and indistinct from one another, hard to categorize as 'vision' 'sound' 'smell' 'touch', it's raw Experience. In a good trip, the user loses all sense of individual identity and experiences a sense of oneness with all life, rendering the sensation of endless time into a peaceful experience. In a bad trip, the user remains semi-conscious and might retain the concept of the 'self' and therefore experience what feels like being trapped in this space for millennia.

(Here's the original post about it. Everything about the religious practices and interpretations Surrounding the tree/the Ur-Root is still canon, with the exception of the Scholarly Order Of The Root being a singular sect/mystery cult of a much larger religion rather than The central priesthood of that religion)

[hurtspideyparker]

Heeey! Idk if someone has already asked you this but, if you could recommend three Stony fanfics which ones would you recommend? And What made you ship them? :] Also love ur writing!

IT'S MY NEW STONY MUTUAL YIPPIE ✨ HI FRIEND. Sorry for the late reply, been busy in my own way. I'm so happy to hear from you! 😸

that is a tough question...

Principles of the Thing by Annie D (scaramouche)

In Tony’s opinion, the only thing worse than having a crush on Steve is: having a crush on Steve while Steve won’t shut up about how great Tony is.

Mainly recommending this because the author's Stony fics are all amazing. They're a fantastic writer and I'm sure there's something there for everyone; I'm still making my way through them and I'm never disappointed! This fic in particular is very sweet and adorable, plus it has my favourite Stony fanfiction device—it's told from a self-deprecating Tony's perspective <3 that's how you know it's gonna be a good one 😌 I need my man to hate himself a little thankyouverymuch. I also think it's cute to have Steve be virtuous in a very sweet gentleman way, instead of the hurting-Tony way (although I like that way a lot too)

Loverboys by theappleppielifestyle

“Here’s the deal,” Tony says. “I’ll give you ten thousand dollars to pretend to date me.”

Steve stares at him, but only for a second.

“No thanks,” he says, and looks back down at his algebra worksheet.

(Or, a High School Fake Dating AU.)

I have a soft spot for high school and college AUs okay, sue me! Why I particularly like it for Stony, and what this fic does beautifully, is it uses their class disparity as a point of contention for their characters and relationship. I like young!Tony fics because we see the trauma of his family life and circumstances affecting him in real time. I love to hate Howard Stark <3 plus Stony is all about the tension of their opposing personalities, and AUs like this help highlight Tony's distant family and extreme wealth, and Steve's poverty and loving support system. This fic is also fake dating, which means ✨tension✨. Plus Tiberius Stone is a total guilty pleasure character of mine. Tony has many evil ex's in the comics, and I love to see them used for some good whump. And jealous protective Steve is absolute gold!!! Even if you don't like high school AUs this one is worth a shot because it wasn't written by a high schooler like many are, so it's mature and paced very well.

the girl with the modern face by isozyme

“Nice to meet you. I’m Steve Rogers,” Steve said, sticking his hand out and trying to wrestle the interaction back into something normal.

“I know, sweetheart,” Tony said, ignoring his hand. “Rescue told me all about you.”

“Did you make her?” Steve asked. It had been implied that Tony was a tech-man, and she said he was her boss. It would fit together.

“Yes, the armor, that was me; she’s my bodyguard,” Tony said archly. “Impressed?”

The only good thing about the future is Tony Stark's bodyguard, Rescue. She's beautiful in her red and gold armor, and Steve will never know who she is.

This story changed my brain chemistry when I read it. It's just such a fantastic culmination of so many delicate and beautiful things. Internalized homophobia and identity porn are severely underrated tropes and two of my all time favourites. I find it's hard to get them right, but boy does this story get them right. Also—genderfucked Tony Stark? Yes Yes and Yes. Steve falls for a woman, who is actually a man, who is actually Tony Stark. This hurts both of their feelings immensely. I love the tight-wound Captain and seeing him come to terms with his struggles and bigotry. And the juxtaposition to a flamboyant and open Tony, yessirrrr. Also, comic Stony fics are on a whole other level. They have so much more material to work from, so their characterization and background is really well fleshed out. You don't need to read the comics to understand it, don't worry.

—

I just love talking about this stuff, I will never be short or chill about asks 😅

What made me ship Steve and Tony? Oh GAWSH. Mainly, their opposing natures. Nothing is more compelling than seeing people so close yet so different have this intense magnetism. It's like a puzzle piece, they fit so well because they complete something in each other.

Rivals/enemies creates a lot of tension, especially when they have such a respect and trust for one another even if they don't always like it, it's undeniable. The betrayal and disagreement between them is painful because only those inside your heart can wreck it so intensely. I really like angst, whump, miscommunication, the push and pull. It's so them. They aren't rivals TO friends, they are rivals AND friends. Tony is incredibly Much, Steve is rigid. Tony is controlled by his emotions, Steve is controlled by his morals. Tony is an over-thinker, Steve is all intuition.

Also, have you SEEN the way they look at eachother?!?!? The gazing omfggg. The way they lead together, have such an intense relationship, perfectly in-sync even in disagreement. Their movies? Never without insanely strong feelings for each other, arm touches and long looks, trust broken and rebuilt. TV shows? Eye rolling yet great respect, a deep admiration that will always trump any mistake or disagreement. Bickering boyfriends. Comics? They're so intense everyone just KNOWS something freaky is going on. Divorced /pos. It's always hate or love, these two can never be neutral. Their relationship is incredibly dynamic—they're so soft for each other! They hate each other's guts! They are gonna fuck about it! All three at the same time.

ty for the compliment 🫶 yes this is yap city but I am a very passionate person mk. I could talk about them for hours 💕💔

[steadyperfectionnut]

Can you provide examples of endogenic systems invading CDD spaces? From what I have seen, the only ones who claim endogenic systems invade CDD spaces are places like the subreddits systemscringe and fakedisordercringe, neither of which have ever provided proof of this claim. I have literally never seen it happen.

You guys are the ones who are quick to click the block button when proven wrong, not the pro side. I have seen plenty of people share trustworthy sources to anti-endos spreading misinformation, only to be met with silence. Same when asking anti-endos for proof of their claims. Lots of claims, zero sources. If you have relevant and trustworthy sources to support your claims, please DO share them. Us pro-endos have been waiting years.

I don't know what sources you have seen, but if you want good and objective sources, you need only ask in "pro endo" tags here, not in random discord servers and tiktok. I have found several pro-endogenic blogs here that usually are quick to post sources for their claims that aren't just carrds.

How to trigger Republicans, sysmeds and other bigots in 1 easy steps

Step 1: Post facts with sources

That's literally it.

If you threaten them or call them names, they will feel vindicated in their persecution complexes. But if you prove them wrong with facts, they will block you instantly because being proven wrong bruises their ego and they can't cope with it.

If you're angry at bigots and want to hurt them, I promise that nothing will inflict more emotional damage than calmly explaining why they're wrong with sources to back it up.

[space-station-nursery]

🛰️⸝⸝Sometimes i feel like im not clear enough in my DNI or even in my banners so... 🪐[a vent. TW for cussing, all caps, grooming mentions]

This is a friendly unfriendly reminder before my medicine kicks in, that WE DO NOT SUPPORT ENDOGENIC OR ENDO NEUTRAL INTERACTIONS. THE EXCEPTION TO THIS IS IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT ENDO SYSTEMS ARE OR HAVE NEVER HAD RESOURCES TO LERN. WE ARE WILLING TO DO THAT. WE DO NOT SUPPORT GOOD FAITH OR RADQUEER OR TRANS ID LABELS. I JUST LEARNED ABOUT A LABLE CALLED "PermaGroomingVictim" WHICH IS THE FEELING OF WANTING TO BE A PERMANENT GROOMING VICTIM/WISHINGN YOU WERE ONE I AM A GOOMING VICTIM. MY HUSBAND IS A GROOMING VICTIM. IF YOU THING YOU CAN JUST TRANSION INTO BEING A GROOMING VICTIM GET HELP. STOP INTERACTING IF YOU ARE 27 OR OLDER YOU MAKE US BOTH UNCOMFORTABLE, AND STOP INTERACTING IF YOUR BLOG IS UNDSAFE FOR A CHILD. IF YOU WOULDNT SHOW IT TO YOUR CHILDREN OR TO A CHILD RELATIVE, DONT INTERACT HERE. WE ARE AWARE SOME PEOPLE HAVE AGERE SIDE BLOGS SO PLEASE MAKE MENTION OF IT IN YOUR PINNED OR IN YOUR BIO OR IT MAY END UP BLOCKED. WE DONT SUPPORT THE PROSHIP COMMUNITY, [darkship, comship, and whatever the hell else you choose to call it or fall under some term]AND THE ONLY ONES WALKING THIS FINE LINE ARE SELFSHIPERS BREAKING ANY OF THESE WILL GET YOU BLOCKED, I AM AT MY LIMIT. I TRUST YOU GUYS A LOT TO FOLLOW OUR DNI DESPITE IT BEING SO COMPLEX, AND I AM AWARE I SOMETIMES INTERACT WITH BLOGS THAT BREAK OUR DNI UNKNOEINGLY, WHICH ONCE I FIGURE IT OUT, I STOP INTERACING. AAAAAAAA YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE ON THE BLOG ???????? THERIANS. ALTERHUMANS. PET REGRESSORS AND OTHER LITTLES. WE SUPPORT PLURALITY FOR TRAUMAGENIC SYSTEMS AND DONT BELIEVE YOU NEED TO TELL US YOUR TRAUMA TO BE VALID. WE BELIEVE IN PRO DIAGNOSIS AND SELF DIAGNOSIS, PRO CHOICE, AND PRO PALESEIN. sOME OF THESE TOPICS WIL NEVER BE BROUGHT UP IN A SPACE LIKE THIS, BUT I AM VERY TIRED WITH PEOPLE INTERACTING WHO DONT KNOW HOW TO

FUCKING READ

i don't even care if we loose followers due to this. New year, new Finn. I refuse to silence myself and sacrifice my comfort for the comfort of others.

🛰️⸝⸝Transmission ended 🪐

[razzware]

kind of astounding how assholish and shocked people on this website get when you tell them hating ruthlessly on a group of people is bad actually, and even more shockingly could harm people that may or may not be seen as a part of that group by an outsider

once again i am telling you all that it is kind of insane to hate all men as a whole. here are examples of who this could hurt:

- your friend who is a trans man, depending on whether or not you choose to include or exclude him from "all men-" both of which are hurtful in different ways. you're either saying he is a danger because he's a man, or implying you don't view him as one when you say he's not included in your hatred

- transfem people who may or may not pass in certain areas or on certain days, or by their own choice- you're signaling to them that they won't be safe in your company if they don't fit whatever bill of a "woman" it is that you have

- yourself, because you're subjecting your worldview to very bioessentialist brain-poison and are now very susceptible to terrible rhetoric, and are just generally being a tar pit and making yourself miserable

i don't think it's insane for me to say that, simply put, this is fucking rude, you all are behaving terribly and you need to do better. especially my fellow trans women- this is only going to hurt you and your community.

and i'm not excusing any criminal actions or harassment those who hate men have been victims of, and i will always support anyone in need of it- however, letting fear like that define your life and worldview is a terrible way to let yourself live and will likely put a wrench in your way to recovery. i'm not asking you to ignore those circumstances or act like it never happened, i'm simply asking you not to project this fear onto anyone you deem similar enough to be a danger, because it always does more harm than good in the end.

take a step back and reassess things. remember that infighting in this world is not only pointless but actively sets us back- remember that you'll only be perpetuating the societal systems you want to abolish.

[a-murmur-of-a-prayer]

I am going to move away from my college town, the state I've lived in for almost 20 years, and most of my friends in a week. I've known it was coming for a while, I've known I needed to move out of the state for longer (the climate makes my mental health worse and my town kind of sucks) but now that it's so close I don't know how to feel. On the one hand, this means I will be able to get a longterm job I enjoy, enjoy warmer weather, meet new people and be close to my family...but on the other hand, my friends I have here have sort of become like another family, and I'll be leaving everything I'm used to.

Plus there's the fact that I'm leaving now because I was laid off, so it sort of feels like it's not really my choice.

[syscest]

other mod system here

we actually find "trauma", however vaguely defined, a pretty useful explanatory tool for features of our system. "these parts of our larger self got pushed down/pulled out/seperated off by this specific negative experience" does a lot for us.

i can't really take that and go start publicly identifying as "traumagenic" tho because like, there's no clear causal link between the trauma and our plurality as a whole and im not really interested in publicly staking a claim to specific trauma. I also don't think a social pressure towards publicly declaring your traumatisation makes for a healthy social environment. (if ur blog says "endos DNI" you are implicitly making me declare my trauma to interact with you and we probably wouldn't get along anyway yaknow)

i have a real generalised frustration with a lot of medical models for plurality because i think they rely on some really shit unexamined assumptions basically. why should i have to claim trauma caused our plurality in order to talk about how trauma and triggers interact with our multiplicity. why do so many people insist plural-making trauma can only happen in a critical pre-identity stage of childhood when it seems pretty obvious that identity development and is a continual process (i had a better sense of self as a 12 year old than as a 16 year old having a straight up identity crisis sorry). there are tools and concepts here i want to explore and find which parts are useful for me, but i have to wade thru so so much bullshit to get there.

anyway my frustrations when i see folks going very hard on "endogenic" as language are basically the same as the above post. you're allowed to reject the false dichotomy altogether rather than just defiantly labelling yourself as the outgroup camp - and I think this would do a lot of good for a lot of folks. maybe you'll realise down the line you actually do have some trauma entangled with your plurality, and if you do I think you deserve the space to explore that freely without having to fully reasses ur identity and what category you fit in lol

i also just think "were you made plural by trauma" is maybe the worst possible shibboleth for trying to identify broad differences within the broader plural communities. "is your dissociation/plurality significantly disruptive to your life or disabling?" cuts closer to a lot of frictions between folks imo. goals around integration vs functional multiplicity. whatever. pick something that doesn't require airing sensitive personal information that not everyone wants to air.

and you know. these things are maybe more important as conscious considerations in your interactions with other systems than as labels - the way I'm not gonna demand every autistic person i talk to describe their exact level of support needs but i try to be conscious of there existing a whole range of experiences out there, some with very different needs or priorities than my own.

hi im assuming the us vs them post is about a specific term, which one would that be?

so the sysmed out-group term being referenced in the joke post was (as the reblogs guessed) "endogenic", and I'll lay our thoughts out straight just once to avoid being potentially taken the wrong way

I've got two angles here, existential theological linguistic bullshit, and harm-reduction. stay with me here because even if you're not on board with the first thing you'll want to see the second.

so "traumagenic vs endogenic" is a false dichotomy, and I don't just mean "there's a secret third thing", I mean both classifications are fundamentally not real.

personally? we haven't the foggiest idea why we're a system. but the thing is, I don't think anybody else does either - I think it's genuinely impossible to know why your own consciousness is behind your own eyes and controlling your own body, why you *experience* existing in first-person at all. Like shit, lots of singlets believe it's because a soul has been created or introduced to their flesh, and a bunch of others think that's a load of crap and the chemicals just *do this* on their own. Singlets get this unalienable right to believe whatever the hell they want about why they're experiencing being themselves all the damn time, and I refuse to believe that systems are uniquely special in a way that singlets are not such that anyone can fucking flawlessly divine the cause of our consciousness all of a sudden. These are existential-tier questions and to deny their impossible complexity and the right to self-belief over them is, in my eyes, to deny systems something many singlets feel is part of what makes them human.

You can believe all sorts of stuff about the nature of your own systemhood just like how you can believe all sorts of stuff about the nature of your own existence - that doesn't make you definitively right, it's just a meaningful mechanism through which you understand your own experiences that other people should respect - it's like any faith, go figure.

Frustratingly, these words - traumagenic, endogenic - they're not talking about belief, they're objective buckets actively being used for exclusion. So every time we use the term "traumagenic systems", in saying "systems that objectively exist because of trauma" we are saying, loudly, "it is possible to know why a system exists". and frankly? no the fuck it isn't.

Anyway that's airy bullshit and reflects very idealised interactions so - practical, realist opinions, and harm reduction:

Saying "I'm pro-endo" is a net good, though I think "I support all systems" is probably marginally better because it doesn't perpetuate categories pushed by sysmeds for exclusionary reasons as being essential to defining systemhood - as we joked about.

Contrastingly, self-declaring "traumagenic" or "endogenic" in a bio is a net bad. Saying "I'm a traumagenic system" also says "Hello sysmeds, I believe in your dichotomy and I'm one of the good ones" (great way to get sysmed followers), and that factor doesn't go away if you go on to say that you support all systems - you've already thrown away your opportunity to shield more vulnerable systems from harassment through making who sysmeds need to target more obscure.

In fact, regardless of whether your bio says to sysmeds "I am a target" or "I'm not a target", by saying it explicitly, you're pressuring other, more vulnerable systems to similarly self-declare. It's like cis people putting pronouns in their bio to shield trans people from harassment through obscurity and embarrassment, but in reverse - if you shut up about it, and *just* call yourself a plural system, even if you do believe in their categorisations, you stop the propogation of the self-labelling and exclusionists are forced to make themselves look like idiots because most of their harassment would have to be done at random. It's basically herd immunity - nobody talks, everybody walks.

anyway yeah there's context for future, though honestly the section in plural respect is a lot more succinct lmao

[inkskinned]

you were raised in comparison.

it wasn't always obvious (well. except for the times that it was), but you internalized it young. you had to eat what you didn't like, other people are going hungry, and you should be grateful. you had to suck it up and walk on the twisted ankle, it wasn't broken, you were just being a baby. you were never actually suffering, people obviously had it worse than you did.

you had a roof over your head - imagine! with the way you behaved, with how you talked back to your parents? you're lucky they didn't kick you out on your ass. they had friends who had to deal with that. hell, you have friends who had to deal with that. and how dare you imply your father isn't there for you - just because he doesn't ever actually talk to you and just because he's completely emotionally checked out of your life doesn't mean you're not fucking lucky. think about your cousins, who don't even get to speak to their dad. so what if yours has a mean streak; is aggressive and rude. at least you have a father to be rude to you.

you really think you're hurting? you were raised in a home! you had access to clean water! you never so much as came close to experiencing a real problem. sure, okay. you have this "mental illness" thing, but teenagers are always depressed, right. it's a phase, you'll move on with your life.

what do you mean you feel burnt out at work. what do you mean you mean you never "formed healthy coping mechanisms?" we raised you better than that. you were supposed to just shoulder through things. to hold yourself to high expectations. "burning out" is for people with real jobs and real stress. burnout is for people who have sick kids and people who have high-paying jobs and people who are actually experiencing something difficult. recently you almost cried because you couldn't find your fucking car keys. you just have lost your sense of gratitude, and honestly, we're kind of hurt. we tell you we love you, isn't that enough? if you want us to stick around, you need to be better about proving it. you need to shut up about how your mental health is ruined.

it could be worse! what if you were actually experiencing executive dysfunction. if you were really actually sick, would you even be able to look at things on the internet about it? you just spend too much time on webMD. you just like to freak yourself out and feel like you belong to something. you just like playing the victim. this is always how you have been - you've always been so fucking dramatic. you have no idea how good you have it - you're too fucking sensitive.

you were like, maybe too good of a kid. unwilling to make a real fuss. and the whole time - the little points, the little validations - they went unnoticed. it isn't that you were looking for love, specifically - more like you'd just wanted any one person to actually listen. that was all you'd really need. you just needed to be witnessed. it wasn't that you couldn't withstand the burden, but you did want to know that anyone was watching. these days, you are so accustomed to the idea of comparison - you don't even think you belong in your own communities. someone always fits better than you do. you're always the outlier. they made these places safe, and then you go in, and you are just not... quite the same way that would actually-fit.

you watch the little white ocean of your numbness lap at your ankles. the tide has been coming in for a while, you need to do something about it. what you want to do is take a nap. what you want to do is develop some kind of time machine - it's not like you want your life to stop, not completely, but it would really nice if you could just get everything to freeze, just for a little while, just until you're finished resting. but at least you're not the worst you've been. at least you have anything. you're so fucking lucky. do you have any concept of the amount of global suffering?

a little ant dies at the side of your kitchen sink. you look at its strange chitinous body and think - if you could just somehow convince yourself it is enough, it will finally be enough and you can be happy. no changes will have to be made. you just need to remember what you could lose. what is still precious to you.

you can't stop staring at the ant. you could be an ant instead of a person, that is how lucky you are. it's just - you didn't know the name of the ant, did you. it's just - ants spend their whole life working, and never complain. never pull the car over to weep.

it's just - when it died, it curled up into a tight little ball.

something kind of uncomfortable: you do that when you sleep.

[compaculaaa]

Please excuse my attempt at being funny

[statementlou]

So I see folks pointing out that Louis' circle A tattoo is more likely an aesthetic choice than an announcement of a political commitment to anarchism, and saying basically that that maybe makes him a bit of a poser and I mean- I GUESS. But I don't like to look at things that way and I don't think it's useful. As I see it the subversive sexiness of the symbols of resistance have ALWAYS been gateways for people who are drawn to the struggle in vague ways and that's GOOD. Aligning yourself with those values is good no matter the reason, in my book, especially given the wretched options available out there, but also the journey doesn't necessarily stop there. Gatekeeping queerness victimizes people who are just trying things out and starting to discover that it may run deeper than just trying on a new look who should instead be welcomed and helped along their path, and I fail to see how gatekeeping political affiliations is any different (plus how counterproductive to actual movement building is that?)

ANYWAY. What I really want to say about Louis is that while I KNOW that Louis is probably not secretly a theory reading anti-state communalist anarchist, I think that actually Louis' optimism and idealism (and his unwavering commitment to allying himself with the working class and embracing those roots) are a perfect fit for the philosophy and always have been. I know that anarchism is mostly understood as being about throwing molotov cocktails and fighting the state (and the allure of its symbols are that they signify this, a terrific aesthetic for him to choose to sign on with in my book), but that's honestly largely cartoonish stereotyping that comes directly from anti-anarchist state propaganda. That resistance is necessary in this hellscape of oppression we live in and is super important, but in its heart anarchism is only about the state in that the state and capitalism currently stands in the way of its goals. The whole point of anarchism is that it's NOT about the state! It's about being able to imagine something better than a state, it's about how we live and about how we SHOULD live, it's about HOPE and picturing something utopian and something free of the ways capitalism pits us against one another! What could be more Louis than that?

"I need you and you need me and I love that" is as beautiful a way of talking about the cornerstone of anarchism that is mutual aid as any long winded essay I've read (even if what he meant was contextually different), and I think when he talks again and again about how special the space fans have made around him is he is expressing an intuitive understanding of the importance of autonomous zones, places and moments outside of the shitty life imposed on us by the system (also a huge part of anarchist thought). Maybe I'm just being an optimist but I think that Louis DOES understand that caring for people and wanting self-determination and freedom for all and allying himself with the working class involves a certain amount of resistance to and positioning yourself in opposition to the state. Thinking the symbols of smashing that state are cool isn't meaningless; it's a CHOICE. There are other cool symbols out there and I just happen to think that feeling a resonance with certain ones is something in and of itself, even if at this moment he does not choose to start a fight with the media about it all.

[getvalentined]

Got an email to fill out a survey on the concept of tumblr Premium and related features, and while I'm assuming that I'm not supposed to talk about it too specifically in case some things mentioned in the survey aren't fully implemented, the features listed as possibilities sound pretty solid. Limit increases, monthly benefits (both for the user and as gifts for others), special badges and decorations, etc.

There were no features listed that are already available for free, so they're genuinely looking at offering new features for paid users rather than following in Xitter's footsteps and locking existing features behind a paywall. Likewise, nothing listed would be obtrusive to the current tumblr experience or unfairly favor a paid user over a free user any more than dropping a few bucks on a Blaze already "favors" the person being Blazed. (Which is up for debate, since that whole feature is literally "LOOK AT MY POST, BOY" and is one of the most tumblr things that tumblr has ever done.)

I was extremely leery going into the survey, because "premium" features these days are generally not premium at all, but I'm feeling very positive about the upcoming features now. Overall—and I say this as someone who has worked in webdev and digital marketing, used to pay for icons on LiveJournal for multiple RP accounts, currently pays for ad-free here, and has been doing beta testing for so long I once had the personal email addresses of both the founders of deviantART—it sounds genuinely good! Nothing anyone can't live without, but a good number of fun things that would actually be of interest to the tumblr userbase.

Now I'm just waiting to see how many of the features floated in the survey wind up in the final package, and how much that package is going to cost.