#but antis and pros alike are toxic

[sophieinwonderland]

love how yall will call it hatred that were pissed off that a bunch of people who find it cool to roleplay having did are sick and tired of misinformation being spread, and sick and tired of not being allowed to have our own spaces. but sure. the people who claim to have an incredibly painful, dibilitating, and stigmatized condition which comes from severe cptsd without any trauma whatsoever, who are mostly roleplaying teenagers, are being "opressed"

You know that this is disinformation, right?

Most endogenic systems don't claim to have a dissociative disorder. Plurality is far older than the diagnosis of DID, and is recognized in various forms by psychologists and anthropologists alike outside of the context of dissociative disorders. Most endogenic plurals don't want to be involved in spaces specifically for people with dissociative disorders.

Nobody is disallowing OSDD and DID systems in their own spaces. At least, not for having dissociative disorders. You can have a general plural community AND have communities for dissociative disorders too. These things can co-exist.

Actually, do you know who IS getting kicked out of spaces for DID and OSDD systems constantly?

Mixed origin systems.

Systems who have severe childhood trauma, but believe their plurality predated it. Or systems who believe one or more of their headmates might be spiritual. Or any other systems who perceive themselves as only being partially traumagenic.

It doesn't matter if you have trauma, it doesn't matter if you have a diagnosis. If you perceive your system in anyway outside the norm, you will be harassed and bullied for it, and banned from spaces that should be there to protect you.

Nobody in the plural community victimizes DID and OSDD systems more than the anti-endo hate group.

So let's make this completely clear:

The pro-endo community has built valuable resources like Pluralkit and Simply Plural that have made the lives of so many systems easier. When I was looking for guides to creating inner worlds, practically all that I found were made by pro-endos. Even many of the terms used to describe plural experiences have originated from the pro-endo community.

The anti-endo hate group contributes nothing but making exclusionary toxic spaces that will regularly hurt trauma survivors, and they don't care because to them, it's okay to hurt people seeking help and support to punish them for the crime of not being traumagenic enough.

While the pro-endo community is looking for ways it can help people, the anti-endo community is constantly looking for new ways it can hurt people.

[antirumiko]

I have moved on but I refuse to sit and watch some jerk put dirt on my name all because they didn't like my personal opinion on their fav manga author. And validation from whom?

I am free to dislike Rumiko and it's not over the top. But the troll who attacked me isn't? I have moved on but I'm not going to sit here at let some troll change the narrative to deflect and paint me as something different because they got in their feelings. It was a classic Red herring and Non sequitur.

This is gaslighting at its finest. How do you know that I haven't volunteered at a community organization, anti-child grooming protest or soup kitchen? And if I haven't...that suddenly means I don't care? I can't imagine being this offended over your fav. She is not a good person. I stand by it, and I said what I said.

You know what....one last thing before I go back to reddit and facebook instead of this apparent shithole

Follow me on twitter: tallbutsmoll   i’m really not on their nowadays but feel free to DM here for main tumblr. Suprise! I have nothing to hide. I can make a new tumblr and post what I want as much as I please.

Also, while I have your attention, I want to give shoutout...check thegreatrefuge podcast! mc brooks is dope.

Btw...I will be deleting this post soon...probably tomorrow or sometime over the weekend because I don’t want to get flooded with trolls. And with all disrespect...there are way too many loons in this fandom, pro and sadly some antis alike. And yes, a just few is a few too many! But who am I really kidding? Looking back...it's always been toxic. Takes me back to days of gaiaonline. I was minding my own business. At first, I thought I found a safe space to vent my frustrations but clearly not. Instead, words were put into my mouth and wild assumptions were made. Thanks, sweet61:) Moving on...

[rametarin]

Why the alt right AND tankies favor Russia.

These two groups are nothing alike, and yet, a particular flavor of them both see something worth defending in Russia.

Big spoilers alert, but both these very different groups are despicable.

The more white supremacist elements are easier to understand, so I'll address those first. It's a granular spectrum between the white supremacists that are full blown, unapologetic white supremacists on the far side, and closer towards the center you have people that have been scarred and scared by the utter hostility of Intersectional Feminism that has made abundantly, absolutely clear that not only are white people evil, but that they should not perpetuate and be bred out, by any means necessary.

These ones see smug assed leftists crowing during speeches about how "Europe grows less andless white, and that's a good thing. :^)" while disparaging anyone that thinks otherwise as "just a Nazi," while they insist any white majority country or even community be made to take in, protect, finance and encourage them to not only become part of the community, but perpetuate their own culture instead of assimilate. And naturally, they feel a little slighted at the pivot away from "live as you will on your own times, don't hate people for their race or ethnic group or culture," when it's acceptable to hate on white people.

Is it any wonder then that a certain number of the population would see the hate levied against them by hard/radical lefts and see the modern industrialized world as not just hostile to them, as people, but that Russians propagandizing about how Russia is "anti-Woke" might be a good thing? Or how they may swallow pro-Russian propaganda? Or have trust approaching zero for anything left wing, approaching reactionary conspiracy theory given the penchant to lie in order to get, "baby to take their medicine. :^)"?

So this is how you get what would've been an unthinkable paradox just 40 years ago: Mom and Pop conservative republican types speaking positively of Russia and Putin and believing the absolute worst of democrats, liberals, and all kinds of leftists conspiring to make society as hostile and belligerent towards whites as possible, while putting those that are not (specifically, black people) on a pedestal. And Russia barely has to do more than highlight the things the academic conspirators on the western Left are either doing, or enabling.

In Russia they see the potential of a country where god and country are seen as positives and enshrined into the national fabric, where "LGBT+" is considered a brain disease or a moral failing and punished accordingly instead of institutionalized. Where they aren't punished and told that in accordance with "antiracism," if you're a white person you need to be taxed for the injustices and brutality other white people inflicted onto minorities, perpetually, and prevented from being able to access funds that help the poor due to your ethnic group, in the name of fighting "racism."

And it's hard to blame the fault in their logic. They're wrong, but also, this could've been avoided. It wasn't, because of the self-righteousness of the hard-left. Congratulations, assholes. You wind up making the status quo so toxic that you exacerbate borderline white people's dulling of senses due to fear and indignity so the dumber ones drift towards figures like Putin. By being such incessant douchbebags, you CREATED the population and mindset that voted for Trump out of desperation, when they otherwise would've ignored him as they did in previous generations of republican candidates.

So. That's the alt-right and the more far gone conservative republicans take on why they think Putin is their guy. What about Hard Leftists?

Those ones are easy. As the open and avowed white supremacists are to far-right ethnonationalism, there's a certain flavor of socialist/communist that idolizes the Soviet Union, specifically because it was Russia in charge and what it represented in the romanticism and fantasies of people that want something more Red Revolution. They're called Tankies, often, but don't necessarily have to be actual Tankies. They can be Russosupremacist explicitly, but not necessarily. The hard core crust, however, are these things.

These ones believe Russia still has the right and the pedigree to represent the idea of a socialist future, and Russia using the iconography as if they actually cared about it as anything but symbols of past Russonationalism/supremacy is both to attract this group and exploit their delusions.

So. Leftist Russia supporters can be hard socialists, or no different from just Russophiles and Russosupremacists, not unlike the way an actual blonde haired, blue eyed German might see the Nazi party as the right way. There's that ideological fringe, as well as a my-group-bestism bias.

And then there's a third type of Russian supporter. They can be socialist, hard-left affiliate, or not, but they tend to be things like South American or African dictators, and any that believe "the west" comprises a threat to their group's sovereignty and interests. They'll willingly drink the kool-aid of what Russia says and regurgitate it in a verbal, social, cultural war of information and romantic fantasies about what the truth is, and why. Their motivations are entirely selfish, but they've decided the global order of liberal democratic capitalist countries represents a danger to their ambitions. And they think they can either keep Russia and China at bay, or that they can somehow use them with impunity against American power to stretch their wings in their own back yards.

This third type covers people from India to parts of Africa, to Turkey and parts of Southeast Asia. And most of the OPEC nations.

And all of these people with their misc. selfish reasons or delusions for supporting Russia can eat rocks and shoes.

[wolveria]

Perhaps you're not getting the point of the original post, so I'm going to back up a bit. You may not have been in fandom spaces for long enough to know that "proshipping" is a term created by antis so they could carve out an "us vs. them" space in fandom.

Proshipping was the default. "Live and let live" was the motto most fans lived by, at least when I first got into fanfiction in the 90s. This is how I (and a lot of people) define it.

Proshipping is anti-censorship. It says nothing about being unable to criticize said media. It says nothing about romanticizing, normalizing, sexualizing, etc. It only means "you shouldn't ban and persecute artists and those who consume their art."

That being said, there is nothing inherently wrong with having fantasies, no matter how dark and taboo. Thoughts are not actions. Literature will not "poison" the mind or the soul. "Getting off" on dark content is not a sin. These fears and talking points are steeped in conservative Christian values. Perhaps you are a conservative/Christian, but that has nothing to do with me, or with anyone else.

Allowing "bad" content to exist doesn't mean you can't criticize it. The problem is, many antis seem to think stalking, harassing, and doxxing someone until they disappear off social media is the socially acceptable way to criticize fellow fans and artists.

By stating proshippers don't want you to criticize or scrutinize anything, you either don't know what proshipping is, or you're moving the goalpost.

"Antis are trying to cancel me!" We aren't afraid of antis cancelling us. We're afraid of being stalked, harassed, having our workplaces called on us and accusing us of being predators, etc. (Yes, this does happen, I have real world examples of it). I don't think you realize what a toxic, unsafe environment fandom has become because of this fanatical obsession with "good behavior" when it comes to literature.

How do you define romanticize? Who gets to decide what is romanticizing and what isn't? What if you think I'm romanticizing something, while I believe I'm writing it in a non-romantic way? Who gets the final say?

"Authors need to be watched" Authors are not here to teach you moral lessons, let alone need to be watched (whatever the hell that means). If you want moral lessons, go to church. I'm not being facetious. If you want your literature to "teach right from wrong" (and I say that very generously because I'm no longer religious), then controlling authors is not the way.

"We're not against dark subjects, we're against romanticizing and getting off on it." Got it. No one is allowed to be horny from sinful fantasies.

"So long as they only do it behind close doors and doesn't effect me I don't see the problem" I'm not sure what you find wrong with this statement. What do you care what consenting adults do behind closed doors? These talking points you're coming up with are reminiscent of right-wing, historically anti-queer language. Whether intentionally or not.

"We're not against writing/exploring dark topics!" That's. That's exactly what antis are against. Because they can't agree on HOW to explore those topics "tastefully" or "correctly." They can't even agree amongst themselves what content is problematic. It's a goddamn train wreck of hypocrisy.

I know exactly why antis think they way they do. I was Mormon once. You don't get more pro-censorship, thought-policing than that. So, yes, I have years of personal history and critical thinking when it comes to considering the media I consume. Don't worry about me, I'm doing just fine.

What I worry about are young people growing up in this environment where fantasies aren't only considered sinful, they're considered harmful, and they're being told to purge them from their thoughts if they want to be a good person. I can't even begin to describe how harmful that is to children and adults alike.

Do not let the antishippers find the Got or House of the Dragon fandom cause they'll cry

Or Labyrinth, or Flowers in the Attic, or any one of Stephen King's books. It's almost as if the wider public understands that fiction can be both fucked up and entertaining without the need for a moral lesson following after, or that it's an indictment that you're going to partake in the things you read about.

Antis are so far removed from reality, and they have to remain that way in order to not have their beliefs constantly challenged and torn apart.

[sapanaonline2]

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[nightswithkookmin]

Hey Goldy,

feel free to disagree but i was thinking about the whole jimin wanting to bulid muscles thing and i remembered blood sweat and tears era....the whole thing back then was that he was pushing himself to look like what an idol is 'supposed' to look like. so right now him trying to bulid muscles might be bcuz he wants to look more like a perfect idol and just have the kind of body that is expected of him as an idol. this is similar to many female idols trying to be really skinny to fit in with the toxic standards of being an idol. so more so than toxic masculinity i guess we should be worried about him conforming to toxic idol body standards.

If you don't mind, I agree with you.

Your point is equally part of the discourse: unrealistic male body standards, strict and toxic beauty standards for idols, toxic masculinity- I think they are all intersectional cousins living on the same continent. It don't mean they are mutually exclusive or that the presence of one excludes the other.

Jimin could very well be grappling with all of these at once we will never know- much like headache. You think it's just your head, next you know you feeling cold too, then you're dizzy, puking, passing out and explaining to your doctor why you're gay but think your period is late. Then you find out you're not pregnant but you wish you were because what you've been diagnosed with is far worse than being pregnant by a phantom Male who probably might have raped you when you were passed out even though you hate men and it's like WHAT ARE WE EVEN HERE ON EARTH FOR?!

Not that any of that happened to me.

As I said in the last post, I think skinny and androgymasculine is the body standard for men in Kpop. Most male idols who get cosmetic surgery or makeup do not do it to enhance their traditional masculine features. They try to look soft and feminine- especially around the jaw so it looks more oval and feminine.

When any of the members gain body weight they are immediately placed on a diet- whether or not that is healthy is another issue to debate on. You know what I think.

Fans and antis alike blatantly call the members fat and complain about their appearance, that they look chubby or fat even though sometimes it's just the bulkiness that comes from building muscles.

Much like Jimin defending Jungkook when a fan called him fat. He explained it was muscle not fat. What's wrong with being fat?

The fatphobia and fat shaming in Kpop is one conversation I sincerely don't think y'all are ready for, given recent events. Didn't Suga, the lady from Twice and one guy from Enhypen come under such vicious attacks for being fat in recent times?

People were making fun of her for being 'fat' and some assumed initially she was pregnant or something of the sorts- allegedly. Can't verify the source or identify how recent this was.

That this piece was written by someone called I love BTS is not ironic, the main irony is that the lady being fat shamed for showing her biceps and belly had just returned from a hiatus during which she had sought psychological treatment for her mental health.

The things these Idols do to maintain the looks we see on screen is outrageous and really worrying- to some of us at least. Jungkook recently saying he didn't eat anything for about 5 days when they filmed the butter MV gave me palpitations. I hope they stop glorifying these things as if it's something to be proud of. It's disconcerting at best. But what do I know, I have to leave people to make their own choices I'm told.

If I choose to harm myself because I feel pressured by my work environment it's not a choice it's oppression. Just saying.

And yes, people can CHOOSE to do bad things to themselves. it don't make those bad choices right and that's the nuance of the conversation we are having.

And I hope people who fat shame the boys know and understand the risks they take and how hard they work to meet these beauty and body standards- IT'S RIDICULOUS.

Jimin calling himself fat is not a choice. It's him cracking under the pressure of Idolhood. Like I said, he is prone to these things. And saying he is mature now and so he cannot be affected by these pressures is obtuse and toxically positive.

If you've been paying attention to Jimin for sometime now since On Era last year, he's not been talking positively about his body especially whenever they talk about his early days and when they've reacted to their debut.

He's talked about how his body looked so great then as compared to now- even though it was ON ERA and he looked pretty buffed- relatively speaking.

RM felt his biceps and told him his body now was ok. Seems to me whatever is going on with him and his view of his body now didn't just begin. Something is just acting as catalyst and bringing it all up to the surface.

He's comparing himself to his debut days and thinking that masculine aesthetics- which he himself said was a trap for him and was glad he had overcome that, "hurry up and be me now" - he's backpedaling to say that looks better than his present look.

Towards the end of 2020 we saw him proudly sporting Illucebra Arcanus- male and female adjectives, the bigender symbol, and proudly comparing his body to a flower because he says it was delicate.

But it seems to me he is struggling internally with identifying himself or trying to fit into these labels external to him. Not to be psychoanalytic or anything. I think I talked about this in one of my blogs. A florist described him as delicate during Run and he's since been using that word to describe his features. I think he wears his internal struggles on his identity on his sleeves which is very typical of people with dual like gender identities or identities that exist on a spectrum ranging from one form to the other rather than being gender A or B- sometimes those identities conflict.

He's on a journey to self discovery I'd say and that includes deciding for himself what he is rather than bending to the labels of what people think he is or should be.

Androgyny can be attained by make up, or clothes- it can be fashion or trend but it is also a valid form of identity.

All these songs they write about persona, ego, map of the soul... these are very Carl Jung in nature and it's not far fetched to assume they dabble in these things and learn from it to shape their own understanding of who they are- Jimin pays attention to these things and if you are a huge fan of his you'd know which moments I'm referring to.

Non of these however exempts him or preclude him from having toxic notions of masculinity I'm afraid.

It's like assuming gay people can't be homophobic or black people can't be racist.

I don't know why people are struggling to wrap around that Jimin struggles with toxic masculinity tendencies when he has addressed that very issue himself on several occasions- I'm simply putting a name to it. Toxic masculinity don't mean he is a toxic person or man. A toxic man can have toxic masculinity on top of his toxicity.

A woman can be a perpetrator of toxic masculinity if they are prone to expecting men to behave in a certain way that is harmful to men and other women.

These are the people who call skinny, effeminate men weak and gay and expect or encourage men to be heroes, and violent and aggressive and even nurture those traits in their men.

I do agree with Jimin pushing himself to look like the perfect idol in the past- I did, have and will continue to condemn that choice he makes from time to time just as I condemn the toxic masculinity now.

It's interesting how you see him bending to the pressures to look as an idol in kpop as a problem and articulate it well but fail to see that an ad which is pro manly men would have a similar effect on him to push him to look a certain way which is opposite of how he looks naturally- especially when he's been questioning himself for quite some time now.

If fat shaming causes idols to loose weight, there's a shaming that causes effeminate men to want to bulk up. And if the former is fatphobia and can be internalized, the later is toxic masculinity and can be internalized too.

If an idol loosing weight to meet a strict standard is not about their choice and personal body preference, skinny men gyming to bulk up isn't so much about choice either. It's nuanced in that way and those two can be happening together at the same time.

I'm ok if he is not feeling pressured to look a certain way- whether skinny or buff. If it's his choice and his alone it is not toxic masculinity or internalized fatphobia.

I loved reading your POV. Thank you.

Signed,

GOLDY

[enigmaticpink]

Like a quick aside bcus I'm worried I came off as an ass with my last reply

Like, I get it, there's assholes and terrible people on both sides of the discourse. I'm sorry the previous anon has had to deal with assholes, but that's not an excuse to come into my inbox and try starting an argument with me over a topic I've already said I'm done speaking about publicly

Like you've dealt with toxic pro shippers? That sucks, I'm sorry to hear that, I've dealt with toxic antis and pro shippers alike!

But you don't get to use your bad experiences to project onto me for my opinions, opinions I don't even discuss publicly anymore, and you don't get to drag me into a topic of discourse that I've removed myself from. The biggest problem with for alot of people involved with shipping discourse is that they have no respect for other people or their boundaries.

I don't discuss my opinions on shipping discourse publicly, I don't get involved in the discourse anymore, Respect my boundaries.

[guiltysecretpasttime]

The Airbender’s Wife (Chapter 3)

Note: Here’s the next chapter 😊 I have a rough outline of the rest of the story; all is left to actually put it all into writing. As you may have noticed, the plot more or less happens on the outskirts of what we see on season 1 of LoK with a Linzin AU focus.  Let me know what you think 😊

----

The next few training days were not any better.

In between training one-on-one with Tenzin and having sessions with the air acolytes, Korra felt she had not progressed as much as she should have. She was disappointed at herself – she had been able to grasp most of the other bending forms quite easily. Aligned with the worry of her other bending masters, she was adept in comprehending the physical aspect of her training but lacked connection with the spiritual side. Everyone knew that Air was the most spiritual among all the elements. This was also why she was training with Mr. Spiritual himself. There was no hint of disapproval from Tenzin, which made it worse.

The Avatar quickly fell into the routine.

Each morning would begin with meditation with Tenzin. The rest of the day would depend on the Airbending master’s schedule.

Korra would either have a training session or asked to join the Air Acolytes’ classes to learn more about the Air Nomad culture. On days that Tenzin was needed at city hall, Korra would be left to her own devices. On other days, Tenzin was able to work remotely from his home office and so is able to supervise training at the island.

One of the first things that she did back in Republic City was to request to go to the library, which pleased Tenzin a lot.

The teenager decided to brush up on the recent history, taking time to take seriously the reading lists that the White Lotus gave her years ago. She had also gone to the archives to just catch on what the press had been saying about the previous Avatar and his family, and by extension the currently last Airbender and his wife.

Aside from satisfying her curiosity, she felt she owed it as much to learn about her hosts to ensure she does not say anything offensive or taboo. Not that the airbender or the metalbender seemed to care a lot anyway.

Chief Beifong, meanwhile, as her husband mentioned previously, did not have regular hours. Korra cannot recall the last time she had seen the woman at the island aside from night of the Pro-bending match. At most, she would see Tenzin having short calls at night (“Yes dear, I understand.” A pause. “Mhmm, take care, okay? Yes, Korra’s here safe. What? Why would she need to blend in the crowd?” Another pause. “That makes sense, yes, the public knows that Avatar is from the Water Tribe.” A sigh. “Yes, dear. Stay safe.”).

-----

Korra had reached the top step of Republic City Hall, having come from exploring the city after spending an hour at the library. It was almost time for Tenzin’s office hours to be over. She was surprised to see the airbender standing in the foyer already.

“Ah, there you are, Korra.” Tenzin strode towards her. “Let’s go.”

“You’re done for today?” The councilman usually waited until the last minute before packing up. Then again, Korra did observe that Tenzin seemed to be disquieted by something in the past days.

“Yes.” He replied brusquely as he quickly exited the building, robes billowing in his wake.

“Uh – the ferry is that way?” Korra stopped and pointed to the opposite direction which Tenzin was heading towards.

“We’re dropping by somewhere first.”

Korra jogged beside him to keep up until they found themselves entering the police headquarters.

“Ah, Councilman Tenzin, Avatar.” The Deputy Chief greeted them as they entered arrived at the floor of the Chief of Police’s office, hands behind his back. “I wasn’t aware that you had an appointment today.”

“We don’t,” Tenzin responded still in that somber tone. “I’m here as Lin’s husband. Would you know where she is?”

Saikhan cracked a smile, barely perceptible but it was there. “I was wondering when you’d show up.”

Korra fidgeted by the balls of her feet. The last time she was in the presence of the deputy chief was when she was in the interrogation room more than a week ago. She figured that it might be a regular occurrence for Tenzin to drop by, judging by his reaction.

Tenzin released a heavy sigh. “How long has she been in?”

“She’s been here for close to four days,” The metalbender consulted his watch. “Four days entering the fifth day in a few minutes actually.”

“Four days?!” The teenager blurted out in shock. “That’s how many working hours?” She knew she had not seen the police chief recently, but she thought she just did not see the woman’s comings and goings from the island.

“Too many.” The grim airbender crossed his arms. “Didn’t she leave headquarters at all?” Korra remembered that the couple also owned property in the city; she supposed that Lin could have gone home there instead of Air Temple Island.

“She’s been out from time to time on case-related activities,” Saikhan responded with a frown. “But no, Chief spent the rest of the time here.” Chief’s husband tsked quietly at hearing this. “Right now, she’s finishing the last training class of officers and detectives.”

“I didn’t know it was time for the refresher exercises?” Tenzin looked towards the end of one of the corridors, which was connected to the stairwell of the training rooms.

“It’s not. The Chief decided to have mixed group sessions specifically for non-bending forms and techniques.”

“Oh?”

Both Tenzin and Korra were curious; after all, the police department was initially established with the elite metalbenders as the main members.

“With the rising anti-bending sentiment on the streets, the force needs to further assure the public that we are a non-biased organization who is out to serve both benders and non-benders alike.” Saikhan said tightly. “The chief saw it fit to equip all divisions with working knowledge of non-bending: both defensive and offensive. Generally, she instructed benders to use bending as a last resort when encountering non-benders in skirmishes. Maximum tolerance and all that – there’s no point in escalating the tension.”

That makes sense, Korra thought.

“I take it there has been some resistance?” Tenzin tugged at his beard, a mannerism that the Avatar was starting to recognize. He was either agitated or pensive. Korra voted for agitation this time.

“Of course,” Saikhan exhaled. “Good thing this happened now though; if it were a couple of years back, when there were just benders on the force or further back when it was all metalbenders, it would have been chaotic.”

Korra recalled reading that the current Chief Beifong had opened the police academy to non-benders early in her term as chief of police.

The airbender agreed. “It would have been more challenging to placate the public if that were the case.”

“If I may speak candidly, Councilman?” The deputy chief asked. Upon Tenzin’s nod, he continued. “Here’s hoping that the city council pass more…progressive laws for Republic City. There’s only so much that we can do to keep peace and order when enforcing some of your more pedantic laws.”

Any reply Councilman Tenzin might have given was cut-off as footsteps were heard coming from the stairwell. A group of sweaty, disgruntled yet subdued looking officers and detectives came rushing towards the showers, murmurs and shouts littering the air.

At the tail of the group was the Chief of Police in her non-metalbender uniform, wet hair stuck to her forehead and nape, towel on her arm, and a water bottle in hand. Both Tenzin and Saikhan noticed her at the same time and set about to approach her when she was intercepted by another uniformed officer.

“Chief, they’re ready for you in the briefing room.”

Lin nodded and strode purposely the room; Saikhan hurrying after her.

Tenzin was used to this occurrence, Korra figured, as he went inside what she supposed to be the Chief’s office.

The Avatar was surprised at the state of the room.

While the paperwork was arranged neatly on the desk (complete with folders, binders, and impressively cascading tabs), other areas of the room was in disarray – obviously, the owner of the office practically lived there.

The side table had several pots of beverages, (Korra sniffed at it – one was tea, two were coffee, and three were probably coffee at some point. She lifted a pot and tried to swirl it – it looked like toxic sludge, then again she would not put it past Lin to be capable to subsisting on bitter sludge just because she can), one empty cup, multiple bowls of partially eaten food (normal pantry food consisting of bread, noodles, some stir-fry and rice), and a metal tray (“Lin being Lin,” Tenzin dipped his head, smiling at his wife’s stubbornness. “She prefers to clean up herself, didn’t want the staff waiting on her.”).

The couch in the room was a little bit better; a folded blanket was placed on top of two pillows at the end (“She didn’t even bother to rest at the sleeping quarters.”).

Tenzin snuck a couple of packets of biscuits (which the teenager puzzled where he got them from) into the Chief’s desk drawers then he began clearing the side table.

As Korra helped him out, she realized that the airbending master has been worried about his wife not being home all this time.

She stopped to peek through the blinds that faced the rest of the floor.

She saw the police chief patiently listening to one of the officers gesturing towards a diagram on the board where several photos and a map were posted. Lin wiped the sweat off her face and took a long drink of water, eyes not wavering from the officer speaking in front. If that look of determination was anything to come by, the Avatar did not think that whatever the Chief was working on that week was not easily solved.

---

“Go home, Chief.” Saikhan attempted to get the folder from Lin’s hands after the briefing for the stake-out ended.

“No, the stake-out –.”

“Can be handled by myself and the rest of the team.” At the Chief of Police’s skeptical face, the Deputy Chief opened his hands imploringly. “Chief, we’ve worked together for a lot of years now. I know our protocols by heart.” He eyed her massaging a part of her left shoulder. “And, how many has it been? Eight?”

Anyone who has worked with Lin Beifong knew her philosophy of leaving all the confrontation on the mats. Having personal issues and altercations with fellow policemen on field or while on the beat may pose security concerns. It could also be a matter of the operation’s success or failure. She had then allowed sparring (regulated sparring, that is) at headquarters to get them to let off their steam.

With her recent focus on the integration of non-bending techniques, there have been a couple of people on the force (both detectives and uniformed officers) who were a tad too miffed (and that’s putting it lightly) at this development. At the start of each training session, she opened the floor to anyone who wanted to challenge her. To prove her point, she did not use earth or metalbending while her opponent can use either.

The last time Saikhan checked, there had been less than ten challengers so far.

“Fifteen is the final count.”

“Fifteen!” He was stunned. “So, seven more in the last session?”

Lin shrugged, testing her sore shoulder. “I saved the most difficult group for last.” She has managed to win each of the fifteen matches (Lin idly wondered if that was how her mother felt when she won her Earth Rumble championships back in the day).

“Well, either way, you need to rest up, Chief – you’ll be no good to us if you’re not in tiptop shape.” He half-jested, knowing fully well that his boss can still take anyone down even at her current state. The man received a punch to his forearm in retaliation. “Don’t worry about it, all that is left is the waiting game and paperwork. We can manage.” He waved towards the office, grinning. “And, if anything, I also do not want to be at the receiving end of the last airbender’s tirade should I not be able to convince you to get some rest. Your husband and the Avatar are waiting in your office.”

Saikhan did have a point and she did trust that the man was highly capable in her absence. He also knew very well that when Tenzin drops by as Lin’s husband, Chief Beifong has overstayed at work.

Lin thrusted two files under her arm to him. “Fine but call me as soon as you hear anything.” The man had the audacity to salute her as he shooed her away (“Get some rest, Chief!”).

The past days have been hectic.

The triads were taking advantage of the pockets of gatherings supporting the non-bending movement. Legally, there was not anything the police can do about it. The citizens do have the right of freedom of assembly. There has been no incident that would equate to any law-breaking; all the force can do is wait and observe.

Patrolling schedules were revamped to ensure mix of benders and non-benders per location. Both sensitivity training and non-bending techniques training were quickly delivered to the force. It was short-notice and the timing was tight but Lin believed that it would be better to be prepared than to be caught off guard.

The triads were not making it any better as they were, more often than not, composed of benders preying on establishments owned by non-benders. She had allotted more metalbenders as plainclothesmen in the vicinity to allay their fears. It did stave off crime.

For now, she thought pessimistically. The city never did seem to rest; by extension, neither did she.

Just today, she had given a go signal for stakeout made up of the mostly junior detectives and officers. There was a severe lack of progress in the intelligence reports provided by the seasoned officers. She figured that if this junior team produces more results, the other team would be challenged to step up and shape up.

Tenure was not enough to secure promotions in the force, after all. Spirits know she knew that very well.

She tilted her water bottle back, finishing the rest of her drink. An empty stomach and a sore body never did not make for a happy chief of police.

Another day at headquarters, another day to remind herself why she had to keep going.

As Lin approached her office, she could sense Tenzin pacing inside.

Well, there’s my number one reason.

The metalbender shook her head to clear maudlin thoughts (wouldn’t want to get distracted while on the job, wouldn’t we?) before turning the doorknob.

“Tenzin, Korra – to what do I owe this pleasure of a visit?” She entered the room, shutting the door behind her, correctly assuming that her husband was about to berate her.

“Visit?” Lin could hear the strain in Tenzin’s voice. “This isn’t a visit, Lin. It’s almost a week since you last went home. You’ve practically camped in your office.” The airbender’s robes flowed as he waved indicating the room. “This can’t be healthy, Lin.”

A blast of air escaped as he huffed, causing several paperwork to flutter from her desk.

“Don’t worry, I was just riling you.” Lin could vaguely see the Avatar cautiously watching the exchange from the couch, inching towards the desk to pick up the fallen sheets of paper. “I’m leaving headquarters with you.” She placed a hand on his arm, gripping it and trying to reassure him. “I’ve arranged it all with Saikhan. I’ll just have a quick shower.”

---

The next hour found the three of them in an alcove of a popular (albeit expensive) restaurant in the city. Tenzin selected this one as he was sure that they would be granted privacy (that and he knew that the service was quick). Soon their table was silent except for the clatter of utensils and bowls as they dug into their ordered food.

“Are you part Fire Nation?” Korra tilted her head, her face scrunching in disbelief at the amount of spicy on Lin’s plate. She had been unable to resist asking as she watched the metalbender scoop more chili garlic.

“Wouldn’t we all like to know,” Lin mumbled through a mouthful of said spicy noodles, not looking up from her plate.

Tenzin shot a warning look at the Avatar, silently communicating that she does not push the woman. Her heritage was a prohibited topic.

Lin’s nickname before she made chief was Captain Crankypants (though if he were a betting man - which he isn’t, mind you– he would bet that her detectives and officers still called her that away from her earshot). He knew her long enough to know the trick to this was to let her eat first. She was the very embodiment of hangry. It was for this particular reason that he always made sure to have some biscuits on his person. His robes, after all, were voluminous enough to hide a pack or two.

Korra had her mouth form an “O” in curiosity. Lin glared at her to stop her from probing further.

Tenzin thanked the spirits that the usually impulsive Avatar held her tongue.

He could see that other patrons of the restaurant were starting to notice their presence as dinner time approached. It was not like they were particularly inconspicuous – he with his Air Nomad robes, Lin in her particularly striking green attire and of course, Korra’s Water Tribe outfit. He realized that this was what Lin had called about a few days ago – for Korra’s protection, for her to ideally wear something less distinguishable that would mark her as the Avatar.

He tossed a side glance at his wife, knowing that she would probably have noticed the same attention that they were drawing but at the same time wishing that she would not chew him out just yet.

Instead, he discreetly pushed the fried salt and pepper squid to her.

Airbender through and through… redirect, diffuse the situation…

Lin stabbed two pieces of squid and that was that.

Tenzin knew Lin’s moods. He could feel the tension on her shoulders, coiled and ready to pounce at a single trigger. She was too amped-up to be coped in Air Temple Island. He would probably lose her to the earthbending training grounds if he insisted that they go home.

“Where do you want to go after dinner, Lin?”

The woman just continued to chew her food for a couple of moments; Tenzin started to doubt if she heard him.

“What day is it today?” Lin finally asked, chin resting on her hand.

Korra answered for him.

The earthbender turned to him. “There’s a pro-bending match today at the arena.”

Tenzin could feel the heat behind his ears as the Avatar also turned her attention to him. “You want to go to the arena?”

“Yes, why not?” Lin leaned to the back of her seat, where Tenzin’s arm waited, and crossed her arms. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen a live match.”

On any other day, he would have tried to dissuade his wife from supporting a spectacle.

However, it wasn’t any other day. He has not seen his wife out of work for almost a week and he was not about start an argument during her first night out in a while.

“Pro-bending match it is.” He said resignedly as he tightened his grip on her shoulder, feeling at least a small amount of tension leave her posture.

I’d count that as a win, he thought, kissing the top of Lin’s head.

---

“Where is Korra? I would think she would be back by now.”

“She’ll be fine. There’s probably a long line at the loo.”

“But still – ouch - did you just punch me?”

“Tenzin, she’s the Avatar. She knows three elements; she can defend herself.”

Grumbling. Grumbling.

“Fine. Move – remove your arm around me, I need to stand up and concentrate– yes. That’s it.” Stomp. “She’s at the players’ platform.”

“She’s WHERE?”

Her hand clung to his robes, keeping Tenzin at his seat. It was all she can do to prevent him from storming down to where she detected Korra was through seismic sense.

“Tenzin,” She hissed as they both sat back down. “People are starting to look at us. Keep it down.”

Lin had selected these particular set of seats so as to not draw any attention to them (well, as minimal attention they could get with a tall bald tattooed airbender clothed in the colors of the sun as they could get).  She truly did enjoy pro-bending and she knew her husband was just humoring her tonight. Nonetheless, she was quite contented to sit through his griping throughout the match (“What kind of move was that? That waterbender had the worst form I’ve ever seen.”).

A loud cheer erupted from the crowd as the bell rang, proclaiming the Golden Temple Tigerdillos as the winner of the first round.

As the match went on, the earthbender felt her husband become more receptive to the sport as he started to lean forward in his seat (“That waterbender of the red team is an idiot. Why are they keeping him?”).  She laughed at his indignant face (“Where did they even find him; why don’t they kick him out??” “Tenzin, it doesn’t work that way.”); she found his reddening head endearing as he worked himself up on a sport he said was a mockery.

She gave his hand a squeeze.

The airbender looked down at her, seeing a smile on her tired face, the smile reflected by the crinkling at the corners of her eyes.

He returned her smile and he tugged her closer to him.

Maybe, just for now at least, Lin can pretend that they were just an ordinary couple on an evening out rather than the chief of police and the last airbender.

----

“Here they are – the Fire Ferrets.”

“Thanks, Toza.”

“Any time, Chief Beifong. Councilman Tenzin.” The burly man lumbered off, muttering a congratulations to the bending brothers.

“Chief, Tenzin!” Korra burst forth, placing herself ahead of the two Fire Ferrets in attendance. “I’m so sorry, I got distracted and I -.”

Tenzin turned to his wife, who had her hands on her hips defensively. “I told you this was a distraction, Lin!”

“What are you talking about? We’re all off duty tonight, aren’t we?” The Chief of Police responded sardonically, gesturing to her overcoat, reminding the airbender that her armor was on the sky bison’s saddle (“I’m calling Oogi tonight – leave your armor there Lin, I’m sure you’ve seen enough of your armor this week.”).

She tuned out the teenaged Avatar’s exuberant storytelling and continued to scan the room with interest.

Even as a follower of pro-bending who occasionally watched matches in the arena, Lin has never been to the player holding room. She noted the brothers – the earthbender, with wide eyes, was pulling at his brother’s sleeve, clearly trying to draw his attention to Lin. She caught the eye of the firebender, recognition dawning on both of them at the same time.

She felt the agitation come in waves from the firebender as indicated by his increased heartbeat. The Chief of Police glanced at Tenzin and Korra, both engrossed in their discussion, then approached the pro-benders.

“So, this is where you both ended up.”

“Yes, Chief Beifong.” The earthbender squeaked out, shifting his eyes between his brother and the policewoman.

The firebender, the older brother, if Lin’s memory served her correctly, inclined his head in as he added. “We’ve been trying to make ends meet – within the law, this time.”

“Good to hear, kid.” She could not resist the slight upturn of her lip. Juvenile delinquents who manage to turn around their lives were quite close to her heart (not that she’d admit it though it was fairly obvious to Suyin for obvious reasons). “You’ve been making quite a stir this season, good job.” It was the most that she could give as a compliment.

“You-you-you’re following pro-bending?” The green-eyed earthbender stammered. “You’ve followed the Fire Ferrets?” He was practically bouncing with excitement. “Mako, Mako! Chief Beifong knows who the Fire Ferrets are!” He stage-whispered to the firebender, Mako.

Mako rolled his eyes while he took off the arm guards. “Well technically, she did know us even before we became the Fire Ferrets.” He moved to clean his helmet.

Isn’t he just a ray of sunshine, Lin thought. He just might grow on me.

“Okay, fine!” A gust of wind got their attention as the airbending master had apparently bowed out to the Avatar and allowed her to spend some time training with the pro-benders in her spare time.

Lin decided that she did not give the kid enough credit. There might be the makings of the diplomat (or politician?) within her just yet if she was able to wrangle this agreement with the airbending master.

“Oof!” A blue blur hit her at the chest.

“Thank you- thank you -thank you -thank you!” Korra held the metalbender in a tight embrace.

Over the Avatar’s head, Lin threw a Tenzin a look, asking for help. The man had the gall to grin widely at her, signaling her to return the hug.

“I didn’t do anything, kid.” Lin gasped out as she awkwardly patted the teenager’s shoulder.

“Is she allowed to do that?” The younger Fire Ferret brother whispered loudly, hand partially covering his mouth, other hand pointing at the waterbender.

Mako looked disinterested while Tenzin shrugged, grin still plastered on his face.

The metalbender narrowed her eyes at him, thinking of ways to retaliate later at home.

------------------

Note: Hmm. So there.  Tossed in some thoughts based on headcanons for me like Lin actually liking pro-bending, because, well, she was raised (or minimally raised) by an Earth Rumble champion. And of course, I did not take Tarrlok’s comment about the Chief of Police’s track record sarcastically so I wanted to include bits on how she would have worked on the Equalist issue in the background (because she probably wasn't just a glorified body guard? 🤷🏽 Idk haha). Lemme know as well if you have specific HCs that you have in mind; quite curious too. :) 

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My related posts:

Prologue (Contentment) | 1 | 2 | x | 4

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #292

“dear god, let’s make this fucking clear: dear god, there’s nothing that i fear”

What internet browser do you use? Chrome. What brand water do you drink? (Smart Water, Dasani, etc) Mom just grabs the Great Value jugs. Do you have a job? No. Are you full-time or part-time? N/A Are you watching TV right now? No. Or are you listening to music? Yeah, "Mr. Crowley" by Ozzy. Such a great song. Would you go to jail for 3 years for $1,000,000? No. I would NOT survive in jail. When's your birthday? February 5th. I cannot fucking believe I'm almost 25. Thoughts on kids? Too impressionable for me. Even with my niece and nephew, I feel like every single word I say just like... stamps into their brains, and what if I say something that negatively affects them? I feel like it's my responsibility as an aunt to be a fountain of wisdom when I'm definitely not. I just get nervous around kids. Worst punishment you've ever received by your parents? I wouldn't call it a "punishment," but when I skinned the everliving fuck out of my knees and Mom was patching me up while I was just sobbing away, my dad literally roared "SHUT UP!" from my parents' bedroom, and it's stuck with me forever. Honestly, I think it may be a root in my extreme fear of men yelling. Worst punishment from Mom, probably this time where she smacked the shit outta my arm as a kid and left a clear handprint for a while. Are you the type who is completely against abortion? Why? No, I am firmly pro-choice, despite being pro-life most of my life. I don't feel like writing a moral essay, but basically, I absolutely cannot agree with forcing a woman to carry a human they don't want for whatever reason for nine fucking months, endure one of the most traumatically painful things known to man, and then properly and adequately care for that child. That is such a huge fucking responsibility that should be forced upon *nobody*. "But adoption!" Yeah, go tell that to the thousands of children waiting on you. This is leaning on exactly what I said I wouldn't do, so moving along. Have you ever read a book that actually changed your outlook on life? "I’ve read some books that were phenomenal, but I wouldn’t necessarily go so far as to say that they 'changed my outlook on life'." <<<< This was Johnny Got His Gun for me. Does your favorite flower hold any meaning to you? No. What would you do if your favorite animal became endangered? I would fucking freak. Have you ever owned an expensive eyeshadow palette? No, but I honestly do want at least one, primarily with a deep black and then some nice grays and neutral colors. Do you own a tripod for your camera? Yes. Are your nails always painted? Quite the opposite. What's one thing you've had a toxic reaction to? A breakup. Which holiday is your favorite to decorate for? I honestly don't really decorate because I just don't have the motivation, but Halloween is the best. Were you popular in school? Nope. Are there any foods that often give you heartburn or indigestion? BANANAS, dark sodas (like Coke or Dr. Pepper), peanut butter can... It's hard for me to tell much now because I have chronic heartburn and am medicated for it. Works great, so I don't experience this much. Is there something you intend to buy in the near future? Yes. Once my tattoo is done (I'm setting the appointment the next time we leave the house, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH), what I have left is going towards Venus' new terrarium. She really needs a 40 gallon. Is anyone in your family artistically talented? What about musically? I was the art kid, and family still insist I should be an artist. What cute behaviors or characteristics does/do your pet(s) have? Omg, Roman has so many. He nuzzles me all the time, will collapse into my hand to pet him, he insists on being the little spoon at bedtime (no, really), he literally tries to groom me with his teeth, licks my face... He is just a doll. My little buddy for sure. Now onto Venus. She loves to chill next to me in bed or find a cozy place under the covers, and omgggg does she love to slither around the bed doing the periscope thing. So curious. What's the screensaver on your computer? I don't have one. What’s the sexiest thing about a guy? I am WEAK for nice shoulderblades/muscular shoulders ok. What’s the sexiest thing about a girl? I am an ass bitch and I will not hesitate to admit it ayyyyyeeeee. Who were you with at midnight on January 1, 2021? Nobody. Who was the last person to send you a message on social media? My sister Misty. She's planning to surprise Mom (her stepmom, anyway) by showing up in a few weeks with her fiance and all her kids she's never met but desperately wants to. My mom is the only "real mom" she's ever had, and she just feels so bad that she has a by now teenage daughter (among three other younger ones) that has never met her "grandmother." It's just an expensive and long trip, but Misty's finally called it enough and is just driving down here with everyone. Mom is going to fucking sob. ^ What qualities does this person have, that you appreciate? Nice timing for this, since her fiercely anti-mask bullshit is all I can focus on about her lately... but there are good things about her. She truly is a very loving, passionate woman that, just like me, feels deeply and expresses it. What was the last thing that caused you to scowl, or frown? Does grimacing count from a sudden bodily pain? Have you smiled at any point during the last hour? Yeah. I'm watching the VOD of Arin Hanson playing Kingdom Hearts 2 for charity, and he went on a total fucking laughing fit. His laugh is so precious, so I just couldn't stop grinning. What was the last thing you consulted Google for? Ensuring "grimace" was the right word for my former expression, even though I was pretty positive it was correct... I don't know if anyone's noticed, but my English skills are degrading, particularly in spelling. It's concerning me. I was an English whiz my whole life up to now. My only guess is it's related to how godawful my memory is also declining. So, did anyone send you a "Happy New Year" message when midnight hit? No. When was the last time you were on a carousel? Probably not since I was a teenager being goofy with Jason or somebody. What is the closest you have ever been to an elephant? I have a picture on my dA of a beautiful elephant walking RIGHT by its fence at the zoo. It was pretty amazing, considering just how incredibly immense their enclosure is. Have you ever played Halo? No, it's not my kinda game. Have you ever read a National Geographic magazine? Oh, I'm positive I've read sections while in waiting rooms of various places. When was the last time you had a pillow fight? I have no idea. Realistically it was probably w/ Jason since that sounds like some cute playfighting thing we'd do, but I don't remember a particular instance. Name somebody who you think deserves more respect: "Retail works. The horror stories my mom has on the daily is absolutely ridiculous. People can be so incredibly rude." <<<< I absolutely agree with this; what friends and strangers alike rant about is just depressing. Nobody, especially those working through a goddamn pandemic that's killing thousands, deserves the disrespect that comes their way. Have some goddamn decency and know half the issues you bring up to retail workers isn't even their damn fault. Ohhhh, I could rant about this. In your own words, define what the word sexy means. So you mean like, what I think is considered sexy, not just the general definition? If that's the case, uhhh. Self-confidence (but absolutely not arrogance) is very attractive to me as a bitch who lacks it entirely, as well as good manners, being outgoing, and just... charm. I don't quite know how to describe that "charm" other than I'm really drawn to people who are unique and happy with it and just seem to have an aura about them that feels good to be in. What is the most popular tourist attraction where you live? I'm going to look at this question as if you're asking about my state and not general location because 1.) there ain't shit here and 2.) I'd prefer to keep relatively where I live quiet on the Internet. Looked it up and apparently NC's biggest tourist bait is the Biltmore Estate. Never been there myself, but it'd be pretty dope. Without looking - do you know what brand your underwear is? I'm in my own home and pjs, who the fuck wears underwear with that criteria lmao. Are you any good at volleyball? NOOOOOOOOO. I went to a volleyball camp thing once when I was younger and that shit hurts the hell outta your hands. I didn't stay long. Have you ever had a water balloon fight? Why of course. Do you think some babies are ugly? Quite honestly, probably most, especially newborns. Don’t you miss Chuck E. Cheese? I do; going there was one of the most exciting possible things to me as a kiddo. Do you think Fall Out Boy is gonna be a classic band, like Queen or AC/DC? Possibly. I mean they sure are pretty successful and well-known. Do you love stuff-crusted pizza? Eh, it's not my preference, but I'll eat it. Do you apply lotion after you bathe? No, but I really should, given how dry my skin is. What’s your favorite color? Pastel pink. Who did you have your most amazing kiss with? I'd like to not think about this. Has a YouTube video of yours ever gotten over 10,000 views? Lol definitely not. I think at least one on my older channel hit 1k somehow???? It was a birthday gift I made for someone. Would you ever get a tattoo on your collar bone? lol I already have one there. At some point I'm getting it covered, though. Do you like Robert Frost poems? I do! Do you go to church every Sunday? I never do. Have you ever been in a relationship on-and-off for more than a year? No, I don't play that game. You want me or you don't, so I'm not wasting my time on your uncertainty or just our lack of stability for whatever reason. If you had to get famous for one of the following, which would you choose: music, acting, writing, modeling? Absolutely writing. What do you think of girls with huge boobs that don’t wear bras in public? ?????????????????? i don't?????????????? care???????????????? they're not my tits??????????????? What is the last thing you tried on in a store? I don't know. I avoid trying shit on like the plague. And then it ends up being too big/small. I wonder why. Is sleeping naked more comfortable than in clothes? I've only ever fallen asleep naked once, and accidentally at that, so I really don't remember how I felt about it? Consciously though, I would feel very, very vulnerable so don't have plans to when I have my own place. Have you ever had a dream in which you were making out, or more, with someone? HAHAHA Y'AAAAAALLLLLLL THIS WAS DEADASS THE ONLY LUCID DREAM I'VE EVER HAD LMAOOOOO Do you feel as though you have a good memory, or are you forgetful at times? Do you feel that your short-term memory or long-term memory is better? My short-term memory is absolutely atrocious, like to the point it seriously affects my ability to get shit done. You can give me something that needs to be done and I will forget in a heartbeat. Now, my long-term memory is astonishing. I can remember many things from my childhood in incredible detail. Have you ever had a concussion or some other sort of brain injury before? Did you need to have surgery for it? I've had a concussion or two. I can't remember which. I didn't need surgery. Do you have any sort of mental illnesses or disorders? What do they involve? Yeah: chronic depression, crippling social anxiety, generalized anxiety, avoidant personality disorder (AvPD), obsessive compulsive disorder, PTSD, bipolar II, and I think that's it. My head's a mess and a half. What’s the longest that your hair has ever been? How about the shortest? When is the last time that you got it cut? About to the small of my back; how it is now, which is pretty much shaved on the left and fades to near my chin on the right. I actually got it cut last month; we've gone to a family friend for years whose shop is just an extra building by her house and very rarely has more than two clients in it. We had masks on, of course. At what age did you start getting gray hairs, if you happen to have any? I don't have any. Somehow, given my stress level at all times, haha. What are some ways that you style your hair? Do you use any sorts of products in it? It's too short to style. I don't use any products in it but obviously shampoo. Who was the last person to truly get on your nerves? What do you think caused you to feel that way? Probably my mom. I think she was in a rotten mood for one reason or another and just being snappy and generally rude. Do you recycle? Is this through choice or do you live somewhere where it’s compulsory? We do; it's by choice, and it'd be immensely ignorant not to where we live considering it literally gets picked up with the other garbage. Do you prefer plain, carbonated, or flavored water? Do you think you drink enough water throughout the day? I've never tried carbonated water, and flavored water rarely works for me due to artificial sweeteners giving me beastly headaches. So I'll just take really cold, filtered water. Have you ever needed to call the police, ambulance, or fire department? I had to call the ambulance for my mom right before her cancer was discovered because she was literally immobile and in ungodly pain. When was the last time you visited the library? What was the purpose of your visit? At my old college, as the newspaper photographer, I took some artsy pics up there. I will probably forever worry that leaving school resulted in the biggest career opportunity slipping through my fingers through that newspaper. Do you see a lot of wild animals where you live? Are any of them dangerous? I guess about the normal amount you'd see in the country. Some dangerous animals live here, sure, that's probably everywhere, but you very rarely see any. Aside from when you were born, have you ever had to stay the night in the hospital? For suicidal thoughts and one attempt, yes. Have you ever experienced a panic attack? Ahhhh, do I know those well. Thankfully, it's been a long time since I had an all-out panic attack. Would you ever want to go into the medical profession? Was your answer different pre-COVID? Nope. Well, besides being a vet, which I haven't wanted to be since I was a kid. Where you live, are people paying attention to whatever restrictions are in place to help control COVID? Many? No. Because it's apparently a fuckin hoax or not as bad as the government wants us to think. Fucking cretins. Do you get a real or artificial Christmas tree? Artificial. Real ones aren't worth the money nor mess. What’s your favourite type/flavor of popcorn? Caramel corn. Do you drink oat milk? No, but I'm interested in at least trying it. The dairy industry is absolutely repulsive if you look into it, and I'd love to do what I can to take as little part in it as possible... even though I am a dairy fiend. I seriously wish I could go vegan, I am just WAY too picky for it. Do you love thrifting? Oh fuck yes. I've been very few times in my life, but I'mm all about it. Do you consider using only lowercase letters your aesthetic? I do find it visually appealing; I like the flow of similar letter height. I never do it for "serious" things, but on places where it's "for the aesthetic," it's likely that's how I'll write something. Do you say “mood?” Way too much lmao. Do you own fairy lights? No, though I would like them if it wouldn't look stupid in my room. Do you own glass straws because the metal ones kind of gross you out because you can’t tell if they are clean or not? ... I didn't know glass straws were a thing. I have a handful of metal ones though, but I always forget I have one in my purse when I go out... Have you made a TikTok? No. Do you own airpods? No. Are you afraid of Mercury in retrograde? I don't believe in a planet's position or whatever having any effect on people. Do you make life choices based on astrology? Definitely not, considering I don't believe in it to begin with. How many pairs of converse shoes do you own? Maybe like, five? Number of jeans in your closet: Zero. What accent do you have? Not really any, but sometimes I sound kinda southern with specific words. Do you have a big butt? Yo I got a Hank Hill ass, so no. Do you count how long you and your gf/bf have been together? In my past relationships, yes, I assigned our anniversary to memory. I don't really... know why, like it doesn't really matter how long you've been together, I just do. Have you graduated? From HS, yes. I dropped out of college three times lmao. Rihanna or Lady GaGa? Ohhh, not sure. Maybe GaGa, but both ladies have songs I love. "Disturbia" doess beat all of her songs, tho. The fuckin BEAT. Do you use fake eyelashes? Never tried 'em. Which was the last book that really captivated you? The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. What makeup brands do you use? I'm not loyal to any, really. I would be if I could afford expensive shit, but yeah, that ain't my life.

[sophieinwonderland]

What about the anti-endos who don’t hurt people? The ones who believe in endogenic systems, but use anti-endo as a label to prevent people who’ve traumatized them from interacting?

I think the label of anti-endo is inherently harmful because it normalizes hate. Even if you're not someone who is actively spreading hate, by using that label, you're signaling to people that it's okay. Especially when "DNI" is right there. (I don't really like these sorts of DNIs either, but it's at least better than calling yourself anti-endo.)

I'm truly sorry for the people who have had terrible experiences with the endogenic community... but being traumatized by individuals within a group doesn't give you the right to oppose every single person who falls under that umbrella.

I don't think that we would be okay with this labeling if it was basically any other group, whether a gender identity, a race, or a neurodivergence. If someone was traumatized by transgender people, that wouldn't make it okay for them to identify as anti-transgender. If you were traumatized by an autism group, it wouldn't be okay to call yourself anti-autistics. Many endogenic systems have faced harassment and been hurt by traumagenic systems, but do they call themselves anti-traumagenic? Would this be acceptable?

Not to mention that endogenic is just a HUGE umbrella.

You have soulbonders, daemonists, the former empowered multiples, tulpamancers, etc. And even those communities have sub-communities. Tulpas.info isn't the same community as r/tulpas which isn't the same community as the various tulpa Discords.

And the unique nature of the websites is never really taken into account when talking about the different communities.

A lot of the very worst stuff I see happening, the most toxic and even bordering on cult-like in extreme cases, is coming from Discord. This is because Discord servers tend to be very private, tight-knit communities. Moderators have absolute power with no oversight whatsoever, and the people most likely to want to be mods are those who tend to be charismatic and enjoy having power over other people, which is a dangerous combination.

I've heard horror stories from both endogenic and traumagenic spaces alike that are a direct result of the type of environment Discord creates.

Which isn't to say Discord is inherently bad, but people need to do a good job vetting the servers they join, and if something feels wrong, be prepared to jump ship. (But I realize the fact that you form friendships in these communities is what makes it hard to leave once you're a part of them, which is what gives them power over you.)

Every website has its own problems. Tumblr's is getting hate anons and death threats for everything from political opinions to drawing a character slightly thinner than they are in canon. Twitter's is a character limit that makes it nigh-impossible to have nuanced conversation. This is the flaw with Discord, and is the reason a lot of the horror stories to come out of it end up being much more personally harmful to the victims.

I'm sorry for the people that have been hurt by endogenic and pro-endogenic systems, but the fact is that there are bad people in every group, and that doesn't make it okay to harm and oppose everyone in a group just because someone bad in it did a bad thing to you.

I'm not saying that people's trauma isn't valid. Or that they don't have a right be hurt and angry. You absolutely do. But that anger needs to be directed at the people responsible. You don't have the right to be angry at me and other endogenic systems who are fighting for our right to exist and be recognized because someone else in an isolated sub-community hurt you.

Bigotry is never okay or acceptable.

Having said all of that, while I think publicly calling yourselves anti-endo might do passive harm, I don't really care all that much about them. I'm okay letting them be as long as they aren't actively attacking our community.

My main focus when I talk about anti-endos is the syscoursers, regardless of the label they use. Somebody calling themselves anti-misinformation while exclusively spreading anti-endo propaganda is far more dangerous to the endogenic community than someone calling themselves anti-endo while not engaging with syscourse at all.

[figuringouthowtobehere]

u mak me unconfortable idc keep things to yourself youre ruining my mood toxic masculinity is from transphobic radfems terfs and toxic people. i am being serious. saying toxic masculinity is actually negative and toxic. that is a form of inflicting verbal and mental distres and pain. idc what you think it all is. enjoy your uniqueness, hate the dumbasses but do not fucking call it toxic masculinity. is radfem terf material. it is boxing groups of people who are not all alike. ignorance is showing.

sorry i make u uncomfortable?? i use this blog as a place 4 me to rant and jus fucking scream into a void, im actually trying to learn other strategies to vent, but with my concussion and brain damage blablabla its taking longer than id like it to. if im ruining your mood, id suggest you unfollow? ive never heard of toxic masculinity, like, that term being from radfems and terfs, i am very much against radfems and terfs, do you have any sources for this?? im gonna look into it more but im preeeetty sure thats wrong. this is also, like, a very disjointed message. your reasoning isnt clear, so, i cant actually just take this as truth. also - i have a therapist, shes very much pro-decolonization, anti-terf, etc, ive discussed toxic masculinity with her numerous times, im fairly certain that if the term toxic masculinity was actually rooted in transphobia she would have mentioned it by now. id like to know how you got to this conclusion though, even though i disagree.

if anyone who isnt this anon sees this and agrees with them and has some sources or sees their reasoning, comment on this? or reblog it with a source or something? i really have no idea where in the world theyre coming from but i dont want terfs to think im aligned with them

[eretzyisrael]

Year after year, we have witnessed student leaders at McGill University being targeted as a result of their Jewish and pro-Israel identities. This year, that student is me.

I am a Jewish second-year Science student at McGill. I represent my peers to the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Legislative Council and serve on the Society’s Board of Directors.

This winter break, I have decided to participate in a trip called Face to Face that is being offered by Hillel Montreal, an organization that I have been involved with since I first arrived at McGill. The trip entails visiting Israel and the Palestinian territories to meet with politicians, journalists, and locals from all sides to better understand a very nuanced geopolitical conflict. As a Jew, my connection to Israel is a core aspect of my identity, and I hoped that this trip would help me to experience Israel through a new lens.

As a result of my decision to participate on the trip, last night, the SSMU Legislative Council voted to call for my resignation from my positions in student government. The SSMU President personally singled me out, and actively encouraged others to attack me. Only I was targeted, despite the fact that another non-Jewish Councillor will also be joining me on the trip. I am outraged and disgusted, but not surprised. This is not the first time that Jewish students at McGill have been bullied out of student government.

I have also been subject to attacks by members of student government in my own faculty. At Science’s General Council last week, I was blindsided and interrogated on-the-spot for almost two hours about my participation in Hillel Montreal’s trip. Not only were the questions designed to target and intimidate me, but I was purposefully prevented from having sufficient time to find the information they wanted.

This week, the Science Executive Committee also voted to give me an ultimatum: either I withdraw from the trip, or I resign from my position. If I do not resign, I am being implicitly threatened with impeachment upon my return.

Those who have sought to remove me from student government frame my participation as a Conflict of Interest issue. If that were the case, then why is a SSMU Executive with a pro-BDS sticker on their water bottle not facing the same scrutiny? Every member of student government holds a multiplicity of personal political opinions, yet we constantly and necessarily separate these from our roles as student representatives. They take issue not with the fact that I have other involvements, but that these other involvements are associated with a political view that they personally disagree with.

In the past, I was warned about getting involved in student leadership at McGill. The toxic environment, countless scandals, prohibitive anti-Israel sentiment, and anti-Semitism have led to a tainted image of an unfriendly campus for Jews. Two years ago, three students were voted off of the SSMU Board of Directors simply for being Jewish or connected to pro-Israel organizations. Last year, a Political Science summer exchange course taught at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was the source of a controversy in which pro-Israel students were harassed and cyber-bullied. This year, I am feeling the discriminatory burden that our student politics routinely places on Jewish and pro-Israel students.

While the form may change, the messages are the same year after year. There is a double standard for anything that involves Israel at McGill. In this case, controversy surrounding my participation in Hillel Montreal’s trip resulted in a publicly humiliating witch-hunt, repeated interrogations of my personal life, and me being placed under an intensely unfair microscope. SSMU passed the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, which includes that holding Jews accountable for the actions of the Israeli government or holding Israel to a double standard is anti-Semitic. By scrutinizing only me for participating in a trip to Israel, SSMU is engaging in this kind of anti-Semitism by assuming I have to be held accountable for what the Israeli government is doing.

I have had friends and colleagues denounce, abandon, and slander me in professional contexts. I have been the subject of thinly-veiled and blatant anti-Semitism. Someone I used to consider a friend said I was “victimizing myself” when I voiced my concerns about my right to visit Israel as a Jewish student. On the other hand, I have had people I only knew in professional contexts before reach out and support me. Colleagues have turned into friends. Jewish and non-Jewish students alike have vocalized their support to me because they understand what’s happening is not right.

I am proud to be Jewish. Israel is the country with which I identify my heritage and culture, and I am lucky to call it a second home. My personal views do not preclude my sympathy for the continued suffering of the Palestinian people. I never hid my identity when I ran for my position. I am an open book, and Judaism is an integral part of who I am.

McGill’s student leaders consider themselves to be champions of equity, inclusivity, and diversity. I am appalled that McGill politics continues to exclude and discriminate against Jewish students.

It is time to end this pattern of anti-Semitism deeply embedded in the SSMU that continually targets Jewish or Zionist students year after year. We must demand better of the people we elected to serve us.

Science demands that I resign as a Councillor. SSMU demands that I resign as a Director.

I am Jordyn Wright, and I will not resign.

[This statement represents my personal views and does not reflect the perspective of any particular organization in which I am involved.]

[smcculloughashgov]

POLITICAL INTEREST GROUPS AND PAC ASSESSMENT

1.    Identify one national interest group that represents your issue. Include:

a.    Interest group name 

The Sierra Club

b.   A brief statement assessing the position/perspective of the interest group.

The Sierra Club strives to protect nature and the wild by promoting responsible usage of the earth’s resources. They want to restore nature and protect it by lawful means.

c.   Visit the interest group’s website. Spend a few minutes exploring and reading about what this group believes, what it wants to happen in Washington, and how it seeks to influence politicians. List five important pieces of information that give a picture of what this interest group believes. 

-grassroots environmental organization 

-a national community of volunteers, advocates, and grassroots activists who show up when and where it counts

-environmental issues can’t be separated from social justice

-want to continue to fuel the current surge in Green New Deal momentum, amplify state and local policy wins that lay the groundwork for a national Green New Deal, and support a nationwide

 -There isn’t time to waste in coming together for new solutions

d.    From your research, describe one (preferably current) piece of legislation, specific policy action, or candidate this group desires or endorses. 

The Sierra Club endorses the Green New Deal. A proposition that would completely transform the economy by taking on the two critical issues of our time, climate change and inequality. The bill would like to transition the economy which is built on fossil fuels to one that is fueled by clean energy.

e.   Where is this interest group located? Are there any local meetings you could attend? When? 

The Sierra Club is headquartered in Oakland, California, the Sierra Club California is based in Sacramento. There are local meetings held by the Sierra Club chapter San Francisco Bay, they organize hikes and meetings to plan social events that help spread their ideas and move forward with their initiatives. The meetings for hike and advocacy happen periodically throughout the month and are posted on each respective chapter's website.

f.    Are there volunteer opportunities? If so, what are they?

The way to volunteer and help local campaigns is to attend a committee meeting. Committees covering numerous issues including energy & climate, water, transportation & compact growth, public lands, zero waste, population, and National Parks. Committees organize events about their issues and these differ from issue to issue, but advocacy on local levels.

g.   Identify additional developments you find interesting from the group.

I think it was interesting that they don't only serve as an advocacy group but also want to create a community of people who love nature and want to protect it. Hikes are organized by local chapters to appropriate local nature and beauty.

2.    Identify one state interest group that represents your issue. Include:

a.   Interest group names 

California Environmental Justice Alliance

b.   A brief statement assessing the position/perspective of the interest group. 

A community-based alliance that seeks environmental justice through policy change. They want to build the power of communities across California to create policies that will aid with both poverty and pollution alike. The hope is to create a statewide movement for environmental health and social justice.

c.   Visit the interest group’s website. Spend a few minutes exploring and reading about what this group believes, what it wants to happen in Washington, and how it seeks to influence politicians. List five important pieces of information that give a picture of what this interest group believes.

-equity needs to be at the center of the climate debate to ensure that environmental justice is a part of climate policy

-environmental justice communities should play a central leadership role in climate policies so the most vulnerable communities are not left behind.

-California climate policy needs to protect and benefit environmental justice communities by reducing toxic hotspots, implementing strong regulatory measures, and speeding our transition off fossil fuels. 

-grassroots organization 

-they combine organizing, movement-building, and strategic policy advocacy 

d.    From your research, describe one (preferably current) piece of legislation, specific policy action, or candidate this group desires or endorses.

California Environmental Justice Alliance supports the bill AB 523 that expands access to clean energy in California. The law would help to ensure that low-income communities have access to energy efficient services and programs that will improve their well-being.

e.     Where is this interest group located? Are there any local meetings you could attend? When?

The interest group i s based in california having an office in Oakland and Huntington Park. Currently on their website is does not appear that they have meetings but they do promote letter writing  to politicians and petitions for laws to be passed.

f.      Are there volunteer opportunities? If so, what are they? 

On their website they don't have any specific volunteer events but have petitions and letter to right to the state government that address their concerns.

g.      Identify additional developments you find interesting from the website/group.

I don't think this group updates their website often enough, much of it is outdated and something related to former governor Jerry Brown you is no longer in office. As a result of this it was difficult to get a clear picture of where exactly they stand on certain issues at this current time.

3.      Finally, compare the two interest groups. Which one seems more organized? More successful? Who is their target audience? Supporters? Additional thoughts, concerns, observations welcome. Be sure to follow them on twitter.

The Sierra Club is much more organized, it has many members and  substantial following and national recognition. This puts the Sierra club in a better position to make change because their umbrella of influence reachers farther. Both the California Environmental Justice Alliance and the Sierra Club have the same target audience, the common man who cares about the environment. They are both grass root campaigns. I think that  the California Environmental Justice Alliance needs to become further established before they can make bigger and greater changes but there efforts current are good. The Sierra Club also targets people who love the outdoors and the recreational opportunities it provides.

4.       Choose one PAC or Super PAC that pertains to your civic action issue. Include:

a.      PAC name

League of Conservation Voters

b.      A brief statement assessing the position/perspective of the PAC.

A national non-profit organization that wants to turn environmental values into national priorities. Advocating for sound environmental policies, elects pro-environment candidates who support policies that help to accomplish their mission. They run campaigns to defeat anti-environment candidates, and support those who stand for a clean, healthy future for America. They hope to develop the next generation of environmental leaders and activists as part of their grassroots campaign.

c.       How much money have they raised/total receipt? How much have they spent? How much cash do they have on hand?

Their raised/total receipt was $2,145,888. They spent $2,179,272. They have on hand $47,954.

d.      How much of their budget is spent on: Republicans? Democrats?

The contributed $480,218 to federal candidates 96% of that went to Democrats, and only 3% to Republicans.

e.       Click Donor. Who are some of their donors? How does this reflect the interests of the PAC?

While looking through their donor list I happened upon a Lafayette couple. I thought it was pretty neat to know that I could see people in my communities participating in the political system. Just from pure observation, I notice a lot of the donors originated from more traditional liberal or more democratic states, this makes sense because democrats are pro-environment. There were also a lot of investors, lawyers and people who were retired making large contributions to the PAC.

STRAUS, SANDOR

LAFAYETTE, CA 94549

EDGESTREAM PARTNERS, LP

06/03/15

$5,000

STRAUS, FAYE

LAFAYETTE, CA 94549

HOMEMAKER

06/03/15

$5,000

[bigskydreaming]

And another thing!

Can we like, just collectively fuck offffffff with this whole ‘the natural opposite to Bruce’s abusive relationship with Jason is Jason having a warm, nurturing relationship with Talia after she adopts a pseudo maternal role with him when she dumps him in the Lazarus Pit’?

This trend has kinda been around forever, but I feel like its been popping up in like, every Jason-centric fic I read lately, and uggggh, dislike. Look, I actually feel no desire to defend Bruce and his parenting, ever. I try and go with AUs and canons like Young Justice where he’s like, Bad At It, but not to the point of the absolutely toxic abusive shit he’s guilty of in various writers’ runs in the comics, but that’s just because I want his kids to have nice things and his kids all at least WANTED Bruce to be a good father at one point. But if your take on Bruce is that he’s abusive despite his best intentions and the best thing for any one of his kids is to move on and get the hell away from him, I’m not gonna argue with you, or try and defend him in the slightest. I will read the fuck out of that, happily.

Until you try and pretend Talia’s not...just as bad?

Like, okay, I have complicated feelings on Talia, mostly because the shared universe nature of comics makes it impossible not to. She’s an extremely nuanced and complex character and has been for decades, which means I really enjoyed her and found her every bit as compelling as Bruce, until....Morrison happened. And I loathe Morrison’s dumbass writing and try and pay it as little heed as possible, so wherever possible, I go with one of the takes or canons or AUs where Bruce and Talia had fully consensual sex and she just never told him about Damian til later, because I will never ever ever excuse the date rape interpretation of Damian’s conception. And I’m fully aware that it was written that way largely BECAUSE Morrison’s a dumbass and most likely didn’t think through the full implications of what he probably just saw as an expedient way to give Bruce a longlost kid he knew nothing about, or how it would throw Talia’s character under the bus. It’s different with Dick and Tarantula, because Catalina didn’t have those decades of prior characterization and attachment, her agenda was pretty clear from not long after she debuted. (Although, we gotta talk about how just like with the aggressive man of color stereotype, the only times comics show a man being raped by a woman, its a woman of color. Pin in that for now).

So I mean, I don’t automatically write off Talia unless we’re dealing with a fic, AU or run in canon that clearly expresses its going with the version of events where she date raped Bruce. I vastly prefer being able to still enjoy her as the compelling equal and foil to Bruce that she was for a long fucking time before that. 

But even with that, the idea that she’s a superior parent to Bruce and a convenient candidate to step into the void he leaves in any of his sons’ lives, let alone Jason, and just...Do Better....umm...how about could we not?

Like, YMMV obviously, but to me the entire point of Talia in the context of her relationship with Bruce has always been she and Bruce are as alike as they are at odds. Selina and Bruce, the appeal of their romantic dynamic is they’re opposites. Talia and Bruce....they have far more in common than they don’t. They have different goals, different lengths they’re willing to go to, they’re not the SAME by any means, but they understand each other in a way few other characters do, because deep down, they always GET why the other one does what they do.

So I mean, I’m not saying Talia is inherently WORSE than Bruce, I’m just arguing that even with all of Bruce’s flaws, she’s usually not any BETTER. Like...its pretty much a lateral move.

Sure, you could easily WRITE Talia as being a loving maternal figure to Jason or Damian or anyone....but just the same as you could write Bruce being a healthy paternal figure to them. The potential is there in either character, depending on what takes in canon you choose to focus on and you clarify where and in what ways you’re diverging from any takes where they both devolve into outright abuse of their kids. Because both definitely have, and thus, you don’t get to just....handwave away any problems with Talia’s character (and parenting) and default to her as this superior parental figure on the basis that hey, she’s not Bruce. 

Like, okay....you want to write Jason moving on from Bruce and rejecting his attempts to reconcile because he’s come to view Bruce as having essentially raised them all to be child soldiers? I WILL TOTALLY BACK YOU ON THAT. I mean, the dude’s memorial to his SON, was a case containing his uniform and a plaque that said A GOOD SOLDIER. Case made, you know? Not one fucking argument from me. Your take is valid, and Jason’s complaint has my full backing.

But here’s the thing....if your fic does NOT significantly diverge from canon prior to Damian’s joining the rest of the Batfam, if it does NOT show Damian having a WILDLY different upbringing than he did in all versions of canon, and by extension, resulting in Damian having at least a somewhat different approach to interactions, worldview, mannerisms and ideology.....

Then no matter what relationship you craft between Jason and Talia, you are STILL swapping out his parental figure - who he resents for raising him as a child soldier - for another parental figure, who LITERALLY RAISED HER KID AS A CHILD SOLDIER.

Like, hellooooooo? Any take where Damian grew up in the League of Assassins without Talia objecting to him being trained with them or getting him the hell out of there, is a take where Talia literally does the exact same thing you’re holding against Bruce on Jason’s behalf. (While, I might add, ignoring that while Tim at least was well into  his teenage years by the time Bruce became his mentor, Dick, Cass and Damian ALL have this child soldier upbringing in common with Jason. It really doesn’t work to single Jason out as the only one who was victimized by their parent in this way).

But okay. Let’s say you’ve got an explanation for Damian’s upbringing or have written that differently. If you’re going with the take that Jason has a connection with Talia now because Talia’s the one who put him in the Pit and either brought him back to life or restored him to full coherency, then almost inevitably (because you COULD do this differently, but I’ve yet to see a take where a writer DOES)....you’re also going with the take that before coming back to Gotham, Jason trained with the League of Assassins, and this is how he was so competent by the time he went up against Bruce and the others, given that he wasn’t nearly as skilled back when he died at age fifteen.

And it really, really, REALLY bugs the fuck out of me that people so rarely spend much time or focus looking critically at Jason’s time with the League of Assassins, and how that contributed to his ideology and methodology as the Red Hood.

And this is a complaint I have both with fics/writers/headcanons that are pro-Jason and anti-Jason. 

Again, don’t get me wrong. I honestly don’t have a problem with Jason’s initial return to Gotham. Like, he can murder the fuck out of every rapist and crime boss he wants, I’ll be in the stands holding the OMG LOOK AT MY BABY, LOOK HOW GOOD AT MURDERING ASSHOLES HE IS sign and doing high kicks up and down the bleachers. 

But ESPECIALLY if your take on Bruce and his raising of Jason is that he was abusive and trained him as a child soldier.....it absolutely IMO does not work to overlook the role the League of Assassins...and by extension Talia....played in shaping the man he was when he first returned to Gotham. 

And they abso-fucking-lutely played a role.

Because Jason is not Bruce, was never going to be Bruce, was always going to clash with Bruce’s ideology in ways even Dick never did, especially when it came to killing. Even before Jason died, it was very well established that they did not see eye to eye there and likely never were going to. It IS part of Jason’s core characterization that he fundamentally disagrees on the subject of killing criminals, the worst of the worst. Whether you think he actually killed Felipe Garzonas before Bruce benched him, or whether you think he didn’t, or that it was an honest accident...this was a hard line they were always going to end up on opposite sides of, and that inevitably was destined to create at least SOME kind of divide in the family.

But thing is, arguing that its okay to kill a serial rapist they have evidence that should convict him, but who keeps getting away with it because of diplomatic immunity and legal loopholes that show how ineffective a corrupt justice system is.....is NOT the same thing as arguing even to kill a murderer in the name of avenging your son that he murdered.....and even THAT is still along way away from.....

tossing eight heads in a duffel bag down onto a table in the middle of a meeting of local crime bosses as an intimidation tactic.

Felipe? That was Jason’s own personal thoughts and morality, his own perspective on right and wrong at work there, 100% him. The Joker? That was a natural, easy to follow extrapolation of those same thoughts and perspective and how they might change and grow as a result of the trauma of what the Joker did to him and how it affected him.

But Jason’s tactics when he first came back to Gotham weren’t either of those things. They were textbook League of Assassins methodology and justification.

And its just fucking WEIRD to discount that when examining his character and how he changed from the Robin he was to the Red Hood he became.

Like, even with varying canon takes, the youngest Bruce took Jason in at has him at about twelve. He wasn’t a trained acrobat like Dick, he was a malnourished street kid with none of the head start on his training that Dick came to Bruce with, already having it under his belt. Everything Jason knew how to do as Robin, the detective work, swinging around Gotham on grappling hooks, various martial arts forms and mastery of weapons....Bruce had to train him in all that from scratch, and that took time. Jason was at the earliest still only like 13 or so when he became Robin. And pretty much every take I’ve ever seen on his death has him at around fifteen when the Joker killed him. That’s two, at most three years of time spent training and being Robin, under Bruce’s tutelage.

Then things split into two takes....some go with the sequence of events where Ra’s or Talia take Jason’s body right after his funeral and put him in the Lazarus Pit, others go with the sequence where he was resurrected on his own, and was found by Ra’s or Talia a year or two later, still largely catatonic, with them putting him in the Pit to heal his mind the rest of the way.

But either way, by the time Jason comes back to Gotham he’s put at around nineteen or twenty, with it usually said that it was five years after his death, and AT LEAST two or three of those years were spent training with the League of Assassins, or with other teachers thanks to Ra’s or Talia’s patronage.

So.....any way you cut it, if you’re going with a take where Jason’s skills post-Robin come from training with the League....he spent at LEAST as much time being trained by them, with their perspective, in their methods, according to their philosophies....as he spent being trained in all that by Bruce.

There is no angle here in which they didn’t play EVERY BIT as much of a role in shaping him as the man he resents for raising him as a child soldier! With it also largely unacknowledged that even WITHOUT the effects of Pit Madness from the Lazarus Pit, you’re talking about a KID, someone who was either fifteen or at most seventeen by the time the League started training him....who is recovering from a trauma the likes of which pretty much nobody can even comprehend. While nursing a massive grudge and resentments born of insecurities and issues that carried over from his fucked up childhood from even BEFORE he met Bruce, and that Bruce absolutely failed in addressing. 

Again, no matter how you look at it, we’re talking about an extremely traumatized and impressionable and suggestible minor, desperate for anything to hold onto, any ideology to grasp hold of, any justification to make sense of all the shit that’s happened to him and where he goes from here, a purpose, a way to move FORWARD.

Like.....I’m all for Jason resenting Bruce raising him as a child soldier. What I DON’T get, is neither him nor anyone writing him in this way displaying the same awareness of the fact that....the League literally raised him to be a child soldier after he was brought back.

Same shit, different generals. That’s it. But again, that’s not an upgrade! That’s not better for Jason! That’s not an improvement over Bruce! It’s literally a lateral move!

And if your take includes ANY aspect of Talia training or overseeing Jason’s training to help him get back at her ex, someone she definitely has issues with at the time, no matter what canon or existing adaptation you’re going with.....you’re talking about someone literally weaponizing a traumatized teenager against her ex.

Ummm. Yeah. We’re just....not gonna call that better for Jason, or healthier for Jason, or in any way, shape or form to JASON’S benefit, okay? Cuz its not. No matter what his issues with Bruce, no matter what your issues with Bruce as a reader or writer, no matter where you fall on the ‘is killing bad people bad, y/n’ spectrum.....it is just deeply WRONG to just generically write Talia as forming a maternal bond with Jason WHILE he’s being trained by the League she holds enormous influence over, even if not as much as her father.....and act like this is the opposite of Bruce and how he failed Jason. Instead of just more of the same.

Like sorry not sorry Talia, but if you actually give a shit about Jason when he comes out of the Pit all traumatized and chock full of issues....you put him in fucking THERAPY, not How To Be An Assassin and REALLY Get Back At Your Dad 101.

And it doesn’t have to be that way, to be clear. You can write Talia taking off with Jason and toddler Damian in the middle of the night, abandoning the League of Assassins to take both of them far away and hide them so Jason can heal and cope and find himself and Damian can grow up not learning how to poison people by age five. You do that, all my objections vanish, THAT is infinitely superior to Bruce’s parenting, and that’s a parental bond with Jason I can happily stan as being for his benefit and to his betterment.

But no fic where he debuts as the Red Hood with years of League training under his belt has that. And this oversight is realllllly starting to get on  my nerves, lol.

Again, from both sides of the Jason camp, pro and anti alike.

Cuz if you’re a Jason fan for any reason, no matter whether you’re in favor of him reconciling or bonding with any or all of the Batfamily or not, why WOULDN’T you want them acknowledging that who he is now and what he’s done as the Red Hood has every bit as much to do with the skills the League gave him and the philosophies the League taught him as it does with what he learned from Bruce? That he was conditioned in these things while in a highly vulnerable point in his life?

And if you’re not a Jason fan, no matter the reason, it is again, STILL a massive oversight not to acknowledge that his actions and agendas as the Red Hood stem from years of being trained as a teenage assassin while in a highly vulnerable and thus suggestible state and with a clear lack of other options or support systems to counter anything they taught him.

Like I said, I’m pro Red Hood, I love Jason, I agreed with him back when he was arguing with Bruce about Felipe Garzonas. Jason’s never targeted anyone but the worst of the worst and he’s always displayed an ability to see reason and back down, he’s not some mindless killing machine. I lean way more towards his philosophies than I do Bruce’s, even if I don’t always agree entirely, and part of my point here is like...this isn’t about judging Jason for his actions or like, ugh, I really like Jason but I think he’d be even better if he was less murder-y, you know, more like Dick.

But like...the rest of my point is that I just honestly don’t see Jason’s actions and professed ideologies as one hundred percent HIS natural perspective, not influenced to an unhealthy degree by others in a position to take advantage of him at more vulnerable times in his life and sway him more to their positions. And THAT’S my problem with how little people reflect on the role the League played in who he became, AND with the insertion of a maternal and nominally supportive bond with Talia that’s written as being superior and more to Jason’s benefit than anything he shared with Bruce.

LOL even when I don’t mean to, like I definitely didn’t when I started this post, I always seem to keep coming back to how alike Dick and Jason and their stories are and how well and how often they parallel each other, because its the exact same issue I have with Dick. They’re just a very easy way to point out certain things about the other.

Like, I’ve talked before about how I think Dick’s aversion to killing, not when others kill but when HE himself is presented with killing as an option - its really just him being terrified of disappointing Bruce and being abandoned by him if he does so, no matter that he’s an adult now. Because I DO agree and always have, that at the very least, Bruce was at times emotionally abusive with Dick and Jason at least, with a strong case to be made for Damian as well. (Tim’s harder to gauge given that most of his time under Bruce’s direct care was at a time when Bruce was overcompensating for all the things he missed with Jason and blamed himself for, and ever since Jason’s return, Tim’s written as being so independent and removed from Bruce’s influence that its more like Bruce rarely has the OPPORTUNITY to fuck things up with Tim to the degree he has with his other sons.)

Sorry. Digression. Point being, like, I do fully agree with the interpretation that Bruce’s rigid moral code and how forceful and insistent he was on imprinting it on Dick, Jason and Damian has at times been emotionally abusive, and I think the effect of that is most clearly demonstrated with Dick, due to the simple fact that Dick has spent more time under Bruce’s care and tutelage than all the others combined. 

So my problem with Dick’s aversion to killing and how its so often hyped up in canon and in fanfics as him being so like Bruce in this regard, or just a Boy Scout, or ‘too good’ or ‘too pure’ to ever kill, at least not without it ‘breaking him’....that’s got nothing to do with me wanting Dick to suddenly go all trigger happy and kill his enemies with no problem. It’s just because.....I don’t think its Dick’s moral code at work there. I think its Bruce’s, and the way Dick’s written sticking to it without any self-analysis of where it came from and WHY he clings to it so rigidly, I view as evidence of conditioning due to how he was raised. With Dick so focused on other areas where he pushed back against Bruce he’s never really realized that how thoroughly Bruce influenced him in this regard flew completely under his radar.

It’s not that I want Dick to kill more, its that I want his choice to kill or not to be based on HIS choices, HIS morality, and not just a kneejerk response to conditioning he’s never recognized as such because who doesn’t have blinders on in regards to parts of our childhoods, you know?

And then circling back to Jason, I went on that tangent to emphasize its the exact same thing there, just in reverse. It’s not even that I DON’T want Jason to kill his enemies, to have the same philosophy or ideology or methods as Bruce or Dick or Tim. It’s that I want his choice to kill or not to be based on HIS morality, as the result of conclusions he came to after having the time and space and distance to separate himself from his various teachers and surroundings and decide for himself just what it is he believes, what choices and instincts are his naturally, organically, and which ones are leftover from his training by the League, drilled in by his instructors - just as he’s taught himself to recognize when his old training and lessons from Bruce are kicking in.

Anyway.

tl;dr - Bruce sucks and is a terrible parent but lolololol unless you’re going well off the beaten path from canon and faaaaaar away from where the League of Assassins can get their hooks in Jason to any degree, like...Talia is not better. Let Jason be Jason, not just a child soldier raised by your general of choice and aimed in the general direction of philosophies you agree with more than their opposite.

[alwaysawesomesblog]

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Land of Missed Opportunity

For the past three years, I’ve penned an annual Independence Day piece discussion on what it means to be American – where we get things right, and where we need to improve.  Last year’s edition, entitled “Amber Waves of Pain,” served as an “Open Letter to the Entire World” from my quaint little lips.  In it, I acknowledge the many shortcomings of the United States...while simultaneously calling out other countries (along with any of their own nationalistic citizens) and challenging them to do better, for their own part.

One year earlier, I’d written a piece entitled “Star-Spangled Manners” that explored numerous reasons *WHY* so much anti-Americanism exists in our world.  The year before that, I wrote one about how blind patriotism amongst Americans is dangerous while simultaneously weighing the nuances of the pros and cons inherent within American culture itself.

Any of these op-ed articles of mine are relevant to what we are currently enduring, within the context of U.S. politics.  The next three years will comprise a major turning-point in American history...what happens during the 2018 and 2020 national election cycles could make-or-break us, collectively.

So today, I’m going to summarize six major areas in which our “beloved” U.S. government has failed our citizenry.  These failures have occurred due to a variety of factors:  individual greed, bad messaging, incomplete (i.e. badly-written) policy details, institutional corruption, “oppression-ranking,” mass media complacency, and lack of personal empathy.

None of these topical areas, in and of themselves, would magically fix all of our problems. However, if we gave each of these areas more focused attention...we could indeed undergo a truly transformative revolution.

AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY

In February, I launched The REGIS Initiative – an acronym that stands for Raising / Eating / Growing / Inventing / Sustaining.  It’s designed to be a multifaceted drive to confront aspects of food production, farmers’ rights, drought alleviation, environmental stewardship, and pollinator protection – in terms of legislation, education, public awareness, and the localized nonprofit sectors alike.

My main gripe is that the issue of sustainable agriculture has failed to become a significant part of our national discourse.  Whether this is by design or due to incompetence (or a combination of both) is, quite frankly, irrelevant; the point is that we need to get this issue “on the map.”

All of us should strive to become “Agri-Warriors” – conscious, proactive citizens who demand to our lawmakers that they design legislation, youth curriculums, and philanthropic incentives to achieve the outcome of affordable, plentiful groceries and healthy growing conditions.  This needs to be prioritized, at every turn, to avoid mass-inflation or food shortages.

It isn’t “socialism”...it’s about our survival!

ELECTORAL REFORM – NO, FOR REAL!

Whenever politicians invoke “electoral reform,” they are usually referring to the common solutions of term limits, campaign-finance reform, and overturning Citizens United.

The latter is a tall order (as is any U.S. Constitutional Amendment) that will take many years – perhaps decades – to achieve.  Campaign-finance reform sounds good, in theory; but will it become a backhanded way of preserving sectarian privilege on behalf of Democrats and Republicans?  Term limits are another nice theoretical concept, but implementing them won’t make one lick of difference (and, in fact, may only exacerbate current problems) without simultaneously enacting large-scale reforms to D.C.’s lobbying sectors.

What we should be focusing on, with much greater fervency, are alternative forms of voting.  Instant Runoff Voting (IRV), Approval Voting (AV), or Range Voting (RV) would be the most logical alternatives.  We should be looking to examples such as the entire state of Maine (along with select U.S. cities) that have offered up such new systems to voters.  The recent June 13 broadcast of The View initially featured this issue (via a joint campaign commercial from gubernatorial candidates Betsy Sweet and Mark Eves) as part of its daily “Hot Topics” segments; but then, before the cohosts could discuss it amongst themselves with any substance, ABC cut in with “breaking news” about the Mueller investigation (which, ultimately, was a “non-story” about how Trump attorney Michael Cohen had agreed that he would cooperate with federal investigators).  

I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but there’s no doubt in my mind that someone at ABC News intentionally disrupted/preempted The View’s potential discussion of Instant-Runoff Voting because, if other states begin to follow Maine’s example, it will probably disrupt and upend the two-party system (thus limiting the mainstream media’s ability to control the narrative).

MULTICULTURALISM...*ACTUAL* MULTICULTURALISM

In March 2017, I wrote a somewhat-controversial op-ed entitled “What No One Wants to Say About Racism.”  Many conservatives hated it because they don’t want to acknowledge the existence of systemic racism against people of color.  Many liberals hated it because they don’t want to acknowledge that some cultural and social forms of racism can additionally target white people.

I still contend that distinguishing between institutional (systemic), social (individual), and cultural (group-based) forms of racism will be the only way our society ever reaches any semblance of mutual understanding and cooperation.  Instead, too many people want to control the entire discourse on racial or cultural identities based on, narrowly, their own personal experiences and/or the personal experiences of those who they believe are getting a raw deal.  Or cherrypicked statistics that happen to “prove” their point.

Sometimes this manifests itself when folks insist that we all should be “colorblind” or how “the only race is the human race.”   At other times, people employ a “turnabout is fair play” philosophy alleging how it’s time for white people (or white-passing individuals) to be explicitly and pointedly targeted for discrimination, themselves.  Michael Eric Dyson – the classic example of a performance artist trying to pass himself off as “an academic” – epitomizes this toxic archetype.  

Not everyone should be expected to speak “on behalf of their race.”  And no one should be allowed to speak “on behalf of their race.”  Both systemic and personal experiences with racism need to be brought out into the open, keeping context in mind when looking at each occurrence.  No apologism for any of it.  No accusations that the narrator is making things up or “being too sensitive.”  No reducing those occurrences to “hurt feelings, ”political correctness,” or “cultural relativism” (and, thereby, writing them off). Not every person from a specific marginalized group necessarily has the exact same worldview.

As I discussed in my recent blog article, “Bigots Without Borders,” racism is a much more complex topic than either the Left or the Right would have all of us believe.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

After we take that first step of maintaining productive conversations on race and nationality, we all need to become razor-focused on actual solutions. Otherwise, platitudes without results only keep these vicious cycles repeating themselves.

The most life-threatening forms of systemic racism – police brutality targeted specifically at people of color – need to be stopped through meaningful criminal justice reform.  The platform of “Campaign Zero” – originally constructed by founders and organizers of the #BlackLivesMatter movement – has offered up the clearest path for enacting those changes.

Yet, instead of embracing “Campaign Zero” and trumpeting its proposed solutions, many guilt-ridden Caucasian liberals/progressives seem to think that caustic virtue-signalling (as described in my editorial piece from this past April entitled “White Knights of the Oblong-Table”) against other white people is somehow the wisest approach in lieu of direct policy changes.  Such cluelessness and tone-deafness from these so-called “anti-racists” will only exacerbate racial tensions.

#SorryNotSorry, but that’s a reality.

ECONOMIC STABILITY:  A “PIT STOP” TO PROSPERITY

Much has been said about raising the minimum wage, cracking down on corporations, or even guaranteeing employment and a basic income to all Americans.  The two peskiest questions that seem to come up, amid this particular conversation:  how do we administer it, and how do we pay for it?

My friend and fellow Morpheus magazine columnist, Pasquale Neri, wrote about this scenario in an op-ed piece from this past May.  He proposes guaranteeing a universal income to every qualifying American by replacing it with an opt-in guarantee of $52,500 annually in lieu of one’s Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits.  Unfortunately, his plan doesn’t address trickier confounding factors such as illegal terminations, geographic disparities, or limitations for citizens with disabilities.

Former Amazing Race contestant Justin Kanew – who is running for Marsha Blackburn’s open seat (Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District) in the U.S. House of Representatives – has floated a more workable idea that I myself have endorsed for many years now.  Rather than giving corporations lower tax rates right off the bat...why not offer corporate tax breaks as a REWARD for individual corporations that keep jobs stateside and add to the American workforce?

A lot of desire exists to raise the national minimum wage.  But not all industries are created equal.  Tell me with a straight face that an entry-level fast food worker and an entry-level computer programmer are equally deserving of $15 per hour.  Furthermore, American lawmakers have done virtually nothing to address the arbitrary taxation that hinders 1099 employees across-the-board.

Universal basic income, paid family leave, and The-Fight-for-$15 all sound lovely, in theory.  But, if implemented, what prevents these costs from being passed on to the consumers while driving up inflation?

IMMIGRATION REFORM

Two conflicting schools-of-thought, here:  “We are a nation of immigrants” versus “We must secure our borders by keeping out dangerous people.”

Nearly every politician claims to be in favor of “immigration reform.”  But what that reform itself literally involves – that’s dependent on the politician’s individual ideology.  I say – let’s pass a comprehensive immigration reform package that:   A.) mandates that people in the U.S. on work visas get paid wages identical to their American-born counterparts; B.) institutes a permanent renewal of DACA with clear and consistent guidelines; C.) incorporates a detailed and narrowly-defined version of The DREAM Act; and D.) establishes humane conditions for those seeking asylum from other countries.

When Democrats talk about “dismantling ICE,” they are usually referring to a broader goal of disempowering U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from its current power abuses of indiscriminately detaining people.  We must also end the “Show Me Your Papers”-style exploitation of laws such as Arizona’s SB 1070.  In turn, the trend of “chain migration” needs to be ended by making it stricter and tougher for Americans to capriciously sponsor an extended relative for immigration status (without that potential immigrant having proven his or her skill set).

I’m also tired of hearing people on the Left blather:  “Everyone in this country who comes from a nonindigenous background is technically an ‘immigrant.’”  Um, no...everyone who is born in America (or who has at least one American-born parent) is automatically an American.  Isn’t that the principle used to deconstruct those unhinged claims from “birthers” that President Obama was somehow here illegally?  So you can’t have it both ways.  Even the earliest members of America’s Tribal Nations migrated to the North American continent from other parts of the world.  Plus, many indigenous tribes fought and enslaved EACH OTHER.  No one’s hands are clean, here.

We should be welcoming low-risk, qualified immigrants from every country (not just Norway, Donald!).  At the same time, people who claim to be “progressive” or “feminist” or “anti-racist” need to quit exploiting “white guilt”...meanwhile, right-wing fundamentalists and obnoxious neocons need to quit embracing white supremacy.

BROADER GOALS

Finally, if Justice Anthony Kennedy’s successor proves to be a conservative hard-liner who shifts the U.S. Supreme Court away from reasonable progress, Democrats need to campaign in 2020 on the promise that – under a Democratic president and Democratic majorities in both the House and Senate – they will increase the size of the Supreme Court from 9 to 11 justices.  This would be done in the name of judicial balance...particularly to neutralize any extremism if Justices Ginsburg, Breyer, or Sotomayor have to leave the bench within the next two years.

Call it the #TwoMoreRobes movement.  It would be historically unprecedented (FDR tried to do it – and failed – back in the late-1930s)...but, if the Far Right succeeds in securing a clear majority on the U.S. Supreme Court in the present, then the rest of us might not have any other choice.

LGBT people need better representation in all areas of public life.  The #MeToo movement needs to clearly become about sexual survivors taking back power from their abusers and predators...not this divisive binary that gets boiled down to “women-vs.-men.”

We’ve missed a lot of great opportunities for positive change in this country.  That’s why we must change the narrative itself.  That’s why we must put forth constructive policies as a clear rebuttal to the smarmy Talking Heads of cable news.

It’s obvious that power-hungry deviants wish to tear us apart for their own financial gain.  But that doesn’t mean we have to let them!