#but that doesn't mean i would put down a person who does

[lordofdestructionm]

Did anyone else feel like Jax was trying to reach out more to the others in this episode?

Before Gangle freaks him out a little with the threat of a punishment he is his usual jerk self

Then he tries to have a very casual and relaxed conversation with Zooble about the situation. No sarcasm and no mean comments.

He tries to downplay the earlier threat, and seems to want them to agree with him that Caine wouldn't actually do anything that bad

Of course Zooble out of everyone in the group has the least patience for Jax so he doesn't get any reassurance from them

Then just before Gangle send him off for his employee training/Clockwork orange torture session, he responds to Gangle's manic behaviour with the comment "I like you better when your sad"

That could just be him being mean and saying that he likes it better when she's like that because its easier to pick on her and stops her standing up to him

But considering he always goes out of his way to break the Comedy Mask at every opportunity, it could be that he simply prefers when she is her authentic self, and not putting on some fake act (a lesson gangle herself seems to learn at the end when she rips off the new mask and smiles despite wearing the Tragedy mask)

Plus look at his face when he's saying it. He isn't grinning or making any other mocking expression, he just looks tired

Then when has encounters drunk Ragatha he asks her if she can move, despite the fact that he could easily walk over her with those long legs, and he does exactly that a moment later. Was he being polite? Or was he asking her literally if she could still move her body in the state she was in?

Either way he get another little blow when the nicest person in the group says outright she hates him

Then he tries to do with Pomni what he attempted with Zooble earlier, have a relaxed casual conversation about things without any signs of sarcasm of mean teasing.

Pomni herself is even taken aback and doesn't know what to make of it, suspecting probably that he is trying to trick her in some way. Again Jax's previous mean behaviour is now a barrier stopping him from connecting with the others even when he actually wants to

He makes one last effort to pretend everything is normal and get back to his usual persona, but the second he is out the door and out of sight of everyone, the frustration and despair are clear

When Gooseworx said that people who want to see Jax "get worse" will "enjoy what they have planned", maybe they didn't mean he would get more evil, maybe they meant his mental health would start sinking as the bully/prankster persona he hides behind starts to break down

Maybe he is starting to realize how isolated he is making himself

[glorioustidalwavedefendor]

No where did I say it was okay to remain willfully ignorant and leave it at "I didn't learn that in school". You read that in in rather bad faith. I never implied that. I never said that. You created a straw man I never brought up and then shaded me in the comments for it.

That wasn't adressed at you

-> That's why I put it in the tags You really have to make a desicion, are teh tags to be considered part of teh conversation or not?

It's just the impression I got from hundrets of discussions and stories other people posted

That in certain parts of american culture, it is a point of pride to never admit that you don't know something

And to react real badly if someone uses "big words"

That knowing moer then other people is a mark of shame and you are supposed to at least pretend that you don't

And that's what my whole issue is

I am ALSO dyslexic and rely heavily on autocorrect for my own spelling.

That's not gonna cut it for me XD

Autocorrect is the FIRST of many many revisions XD, I was not joking with the 12 hours

By the time I get my first beta reader involved I already went over the whole catastrophie with autocorrect XD

It was not a snide remark at you, it was a personal example of growth I feel was taken in bad faith as an attack. Text is a notoriously bad medium for hearing tone as intended.

I thought the "XD" would have let you know that I did not take it as an attack

No matter how you meant it

But since you did bring it up, I took the liberty of adressing it.

Please correct me if I misread your entire two additions, I just feel like we both expressed the same sentiment. The same base opinion.

We DO have the same generall opinion,

But I think

And I don't mean that to brag

I have a slightly more nuanced take on it

Or if you prefer

For me it is THAT deep XD

Because for me context and intention are very importan in all things

as I said: For you saying: "Dude why do you care, what a grown ass man does with his dick?" is simply code swicthing

For me saying: "Dude why do you care, what a grown ass man does with his dick?" Is at the same time: -Code swicthing -giving up on the person -Talking down to them becasue I no longer see them as an equal who can be reasoned with, but a probem that needs to be handled

Funktionally we act indistingushable from each other

But it is the ... I don't realy know how to put it

Personall context? assosiation? connotation?

Something along those lines, where I have put way to much thought in to it XD

And also I have, simply for my own delight, connected it to the bigger picture of teh other peson who pointed out that:

a lot of conservative cultural sticking points right now are just slightly more advanced versions of what they believed as somewhat dull children

Although as we agreed

It is less children and more spoiled little brads

Becasue i fits so nicely in to the bigger picture

But because of assumptions made by one of us- both of us feel unheard.

As I said, you missunderstood what I meant wenn I said "talking down"

I just think if one IS INCAPABLE of breaking down 5 dollar words without making someone feel talked down to, or cannot avoid them in all casual conversation- it's not very helpful to anyone. Speak to your audience. Adapt to your audience.

I agree you need to talk to your audience

But my whole point was about people who sneer

And the thing is

Just becasue THEY feel talked down to doesn't mean, they actually ARE talked down to

I have been accused over and over again of talking down to people wenn I am just talking

Wenn I am just using "big words"

Wenn I am just talking about big concepts and topics etc ...

And so I no longer take people serious who imidiately think someone is out to humiliate them, simply becasue they are insecure

Becasue if I talk down to someone they will either never know

Or I will be extremely obvious and condesending Like that one person talking to her insurance That was gold XD

Using "big words" just measn I see you as my peer or at least a potential peer

I see you as worthy of my time becsue I am willing to take the time to explain what you don't understand But I also grant you the brain power to keep up with me -> Sometimes it's enough to get teh jist of a topic even if you dodn't undertand every word Wenn I got in to historicall fashion I just had to look up every second word It's hard But it gets easier, it's like learning a language ... it IS learning a language ... And while most of that learning was just me reading stuff, I honestly would have hated it if peope hadn't used the correct terminology Becasue to ME it means you do not consider me worth teh time to teach me.

I just also think sometimes we all need to slow down and ask ourselves "am I actually disagreeing with this person? Or do I just not like how they are talking to me right now?" Because the answer to the latter question is "Yes" far more often than people who are riled and might be reading in bad faith [in that moment] wanna admit.

Deffinitely

That was my whole point Sometimes peopel talk a certain way becasue that is just the way they talk

And it has nothing to do with talking down/looking down on the person they are talking to

So a good way to figue out if you are being talked down to is to just ask for clarification instead of jumping to assumptions

Becasue people have different signifiers for how they treat peopel they consider their equals Mine, is to treat them as my equals

#and asking passive aggressive rhetorical questions in the tags after I went out of my way not to be an asshole by ad homineming

SO am I supposed to read this as being adressed to me this time

Or am I supposed to treat this as you mumbling in to your *metaphorical* beard?

#please- reread this with a more open mind before responding to this addition. because we are not disagreeing. you are being condescending

I am not

But this IS exactly what I am talking about

The way I talk IS read as condesending by some people

If I was condesending to you

I would not have answered point by point

I would have just said:

This really IS the pissing on teh poor webside

And called it a day

But I do consider you worth my time <3

Becasue I don't easily produce walls of text

I don't know how other peopel do it

But I take a lot of time to answer

#tho. and I am not sure why I deserved being dragged when you were the one who came in hot-

I did not come in hot

If I do

You will notice :-)

#tho. and I am not sure why I deserved being dragged when you were the one who came in hot- and I tried to reapond honestly in good faith.#my original tags got dragged to the front of class because others agreed with them

Oh

second missunderstanding

I didn't even know those where yor tags

I thought you where a completely different party

I have no idea how I would know those are your tags

And it wasn't really adressed you/the person whos tags those where since I had no idea if teh person would ever even see those tags

To me it was a bigger conversation

About

a) this trend that as stated I have seen in a lo of places that admitting you don't know something is apparently shamefull/the resulting demand that people dum down their conversations

b) the demand people change they way they talk, even if that is simply the way they talk becasue someone felt talked down to wether they where or not

c)

a lot of conservative cultural sticking points right now are just slightly more advanced versions of what they believed as somewhat dull children

-> Which was a new concept I had encountered that day and was still fresh at the back of my mind

#i am only responding because i was dragged to the front of class and someone took the opportunity to speak up against the point I made

Again, I really wasn't talking to the person in teh tags since again, I didn't know that was you and I didn't think the person would even ever see what I wrote

I only notice if someone disagrees/agrees with me if they reblog directly from me I never go in to the reblogs

And I do apologize if you felt attacked

Since again, I did not disagree with you, I disagree with people who sneer

However I will not apologize for teh way I talk

It is teh way I talk

If you feel talked down to, attacked etc. I am very sorry

But I have wasted to much time on trying to not sound condesending wenn I am simply talking and someone is always complaining so unless I have to, becasue someone has power over me, I will not change. It is simply the way I talk, same as the way my face looks is read by some people as arrogant I can't help it and I am tired of trying

That is just what my face looks like and it's just the way I talk and since I am trying to comunicate with you and not just handle you, this is all I have.

But you did some very good environmental storytelling here yourself

You felt condesended to, where no condesending was meant

Do you realyl think I would spend this much time just disagreeing with someone?

I correctly assumed this was a missunderstanding (although I only learned this time around how deep the misunderstanding went) and did my bets to clear it up

#and I am quite earnest my assertion of 'please correct me if i am wrong- but we seem to be agreeing on principles just not on wording'

See above <3

I am gratefull that you did take the time to talk to me even though you felt hurt by me

I did not mean to hurt you, or "drag you in front of the class"

Have a nice day <3

Listen, I'm having fun playing with the ultra patriotic voice, but after a couple years in blue-collar landscaping jobs, you really do need to phrase things like that.

"I'm pretty sure that fella ain't here legally."

"Well, that ain't your business Chip, it's his."

They hate being preached to. If you pull out words like 'gender wage gap' they'll tell you you're brainwashed by the far left media.

"He's one of them transgenders."

"He got freedoms too, Jimmy."

[lexirosewrites]

okay i know it's almost 7pm but i JUST had a thought for slick sunday and this took me over 20 minutes to type out but here i am. my brain automatically went for omega!steve alpha!eddie BUT it could be viewed the opposite way too, just swap a few things in your own brain.

thinking of steve and eddie mating young (late teens/early 20s, maybe they were high school sweethearts, maybe not, up to your discretion). steve wants a big family and eddie is more than happy to be along for the ride. he loves kids, and he wants his family to be different from how he grew up.

anyway i'm imaging them having kids relatively close together. like a year or two between each kid, but no more than two years. in this thought, specifically, they have 5, with their oldest being freshly 7 and their youngest being about 1 1/2. and they have a 6th baby on the way.

people are super judgy. steve gets COUNTLESS comments throughout this pregnancy about how 6 kids is a lot, and they're all so close in age, and oh, he looks ready to pop any day now his belly is so big, and why do they want so many kids? (actual comments people have made to a coworker/friend of mine who is getting ready to have her 4th + 1 bonus child from her partner's previous relationship). steve tries to keep a brave face and not let it get to him, but a person can only take so much.

one night, after a very chaotic day, the pups have all been put to bed. steve and eddie are curled up on the couch together, and steve is feeling so overwhelmed by all of it. he starts to think maybe everyone else was right. he was in way over his head. he doesn't even think before the words are coming out of his mouth.

"do you think we're making a mistake?" he asks quietly.

eddie frowns and looks down at him. "what do you mean?"

"this. all of it. having another baby. do you think it's a mistake?"

eddie is VERY quick to counter that and reassure steve that it is NOT a mistake. he is so grateful for their big family, no matter how stressful and exhausting some days can be. he wouldn't trade their pups for ANYTHING, and he NEEDS steve to know that. their family is the best thing to ever happen to eddie, he LOVES being a dad, and he LOVES creating a real home with steve.

eddie does everything in his power to make sure steve knows he doesn't give a single fuck what anyone else has to say about their family bc it's THEIR family. they can have however many kids they want, and those kids will be smothered in love bc that's the kind of home the two of them have been building from the moment they met each other. their pups will never EVER know what it's like not to be loved.

it does help reassure steve, and eventually, after pup number 6 finally joins the family, he never worries about what other people have to say ever again. bc it doesn't matter. he loves their family, eddie loves their family, their pups are so so loved, and that's all that really matters.

(i may or may not be writing a little one shot based on this idea that may eventually develop into a whole universe at this rate)

the good news is that I’m still awake and doing lesson plans for class this week, so we can enjoy this without waiting a week😉

oh i’m sure people would make nasty comments about them because there’s nothing people hate more than a happy family they’re not in😤 as long as steve and eddie are happy and their pups are loved and cared for!!!

[wingedshadowfan]

some thoughts about the caitvi breakup scene

i saw ppl pointing out what looks like a tear running down caitlyn's nose after her and vi's fight w/ sevika and jinx (when she finally stops hitting the wall w/ her rifle and puts her forehead to it) and it could've been just sweat, but here's why i think it wasn't:

it's bcuz vi took the choice away from her.

we all know caitlyn's parents had been keeping her in a golden birdcage since she'd been a child. we see this symbolically in her conversation with jayce when he gets kicked out from the academy after the explosion - he's outside in the rain, but she's within the gates of the kiramman estate, under an umbrella, protected, hidden. she tells him her parents don't allow her to talk to him anymore but she doesn't care. they're friends.

we know cassandra didn't approve of caitlyn's choice to become an enforcer (we assume caitlyn had to fight for it and her family tried to stop her). even after, her mother kept meddling and made sure caitlyn would always get safer tasks - out of harm's way and where she'd never be able to prove herself or do any actual good. her own coworkers made fun of her for being a kiramman and only "playing dress up" as an enforcer - a job she decided she wanted and had been working towards since she was a child, in order to help and protect people. she'd had to fight (not for the first time) to be placed on a case, in a real guard position, to be taken seriously.

caitlyn's choice and her agency - things she's barely been given in her own life, because of her parents, her name and how sheltered she'd grown up - she'd always had to fight for. she'd had to fight to be able to choose, she's had to fight to defend her choices, and she's had to fight to prove herself over and over again.

then for the first time in her life, she didn't have to fight because vi (perhaps being swallowed by her own guilt for everything jinx had done to caitlyn) gave caitlyn the ability to choose what happens to jinx.

and caitlyn chose. vi agreed with her choice.

take the shot.

then vi took the choice away from her in the last possible moment, physically stopping her from shooting. (now, we can talk abt what that means to someone who's never been the stronger opponent in any physical altercation they've been a part of so far, but i won't)

this is the real reason caitlyn completely disassociates shuts down, not to mention the adrenaline after almost dying again. she goes all out hitting the wall, lets out a single tear, refuses to look vi in the eyes and tells her, "i thought you were different but you're not"

she's yet another person who denies caitlyn the ability to make a choice in her life.

it's her blood in your veins.

vi's loyalties lie with the blood of someone who'd worked for silco in oppressing the undercity, lured and blown up caitlyn's coworkers, tried to kill caitlyn (and vi) multiple times, kidnapped her from her fucking bathroom, dressed her up against her will, kept her hostage for a full day in which she with almost 100% certainty tortured her, kept her as the only person gagged throughout the tea party, asked vi to kill her, then blew her mother up and (allegedly) attacked her memorial. talk abt taking someone's freedom of choice away.

then why are you the one acting like her?

vi - not fully without reason - compares caitlyn to her worst fucking nightmare. a psychotic killer who's caused so much fear and trauma to caitlyn, that she admitted jinx's smile is all she sees when she closes her eyes, up there w/ her own mother's lifeless eyes?? and yeah, vi has a point - caitlyn had indeed grown more violent and aggressive in her desparate pursuit for revenge. that doesn't mean it hurts caitlyn any less, especially when she'd been trying so hard to do the right thing (sending a squad to catch jinx, not a full armed invasion, only her and vi having hextech, clearing the streets first), and vi knows this: she just automatically did what she does best - aimed for where it hurts the most. i think she even realizes she's overstepped but before she can do anything about it, caitlyn bites back reflexively and hits her with her rifle. there, in the place of the wound she once took care of herself.

the perfect storm.

the only question i have left is why everyone in this fandom keeps acting like caitlyn is the only one who hurt someone and vi is the only one who got hurt in that scene.

[l1v1ngd3dgrrl]

Tulpar crew: Least to most likely to have an Alternative (Goth) Partner. [HC's]

AN: No one asked for this, this is purely my thoughts alone. (And yes when i said all I mean ALL...Minus Polle duh.) Please behave yourselves I'm BEGGING you

CW(S): Slight UNINTENTIONAL fetishization of Goth women (it's brief and no it's not Jimmy's doing. It's a reference to a meme, it'll make sense when you read it.)

MDNI banner: cafekitsune

Curly [Least]

I can hear your gasps behind the screen (I'm sorry!)

He doesn't mean it maliciously! I feel like he wouldn't like..Actively seek out a goth BUT he would date (and or marry) one if the chance presents itself.

doesn't really get the fashion aspect, but does like some bands (I can see him liking some of The Cure)

Swansea

Have zero clue when this man was born, or when Mouthwashing takes place. All I know is he's old (not like super old but old y'know)

..I don't think he's ever met a goth? Maybe like once and they were someone younger than him.

Finds the more 'traditional' goth looks annoying in a sense. Whaddya mean you did all that for some fashion?

Another person I can see liking very few goth bands..maybe a song or two. He can't tell you the name of the songs or what bands it is, but if you put on a song that he likes he'll kind of bop his head to it.

Daisuke

Honestly It's hard to pin point his type, based on in game dialogue he likes hot women (who doesn't) and since ones definition of hot varies who knows what he's into.

now me personally... I see him as a straight man BUT for the sake of this list he plays for all teams m'kay?

Similar to Curly I don't think he actively seeks out Goths, but if you two get along and you happen to be goth then yeah.

Would be the type to post "Need me a big tiddy goth gf" as a JOKE, he's joking i swear guys pLEASE. (you cannot tell me that he wouldn't have some stupid shitpost account on instagram or something.)

If it upset you he's taking it down and apologizing over and over and over.

If you think it's funny it becomes a joke between you two.

He canonically likes thrifting so he'd be down to help you find new pieces for your wardrobe (we love a supportive man)

Jimmy

Hear me out-

He does kind of view you as like an accessory, or like a trophy. if you don't dress 'goth' all the time he will view you as fake and not 'goth enough.'

HOWEVER, I do see him having some base knowledge about Alternative subcultures. (I saw a headcannon from curly-my-beloved and that's what made me think about putting him here)

During his high school years he probably considered himself Punk or something. Maybe had one Goth gf that dumped him in a really really messy breakup.

Unironically He would be the fucker to see someone wearing a band shirt and go "name 3 songs" or give you a pop quiz about the band, and call you a poser or fake fan.

I can see him liking some Type o negative, but he strikes me as a metal guy. Metallica/ Rob Zombie maybe? (Every man I've had the misfortune of crossing paths with who was obsessed with either have been the most insufferable dickheads to walk this earth. don't get me started ughh.)

Anya

Firm believer that Anya is one of those goths who doesn't dress goth at all, but her entire playlist says otherwise.

Once in a blue moon she'll get all gothed up but with how busy she is with work and med school she doesn't have time for it.

I can totally see her being the most likely to have a goth partner.

You two share music recommendations often, and sometimes you get into squabbles about what band is considered goth or not. (with love of course)

she KNOWSS her subculture history. Ask her any question about the subculture and she's gonna give you a whole presentation on it.

[discoursedumpster]

Ok I wrote a bunch, and then I realized that there's an unrelated secondary problem:

Kafir is decidedly not the same thing.

Wikipedia says, "Kafir is an Arabic term in Islam which refers to a person who disbelieves the God in Islam, denies his authority, rejects the tenets of Islam, or simply is not a Muslim—one who does not believe in the guidance of Muhammad, the Islamic prophet.

"Kafir is often translated as 'infidel',[6][7] 'pagan', 'rejector',[8] 'denier', 'disbeliever',[3] 'unbeliever',[2][3] 'nonbeliever',[2][3] and 'non-Muslim'.[9] The term is used in different ways in the Quran, with the most fundamental sense being ungrateful toward God," etc.

This is not a comparable term. "Goy" does not also mean disbeliever, unbeliever, one who has rejected Judaism, etc.

The difference is that Islam, like Christianity, is a "universal religion." A religion that actively seeks converts, and which kinda thinks everyone would be happier if they joined it.

Judaism, however, is an ethnoreligion. It's a set of spiritual practices and traditions that a specific ethnic group uses to pass down its culture and history. It doesn't seek converts. In fact it makes converting pretty difficult, even if you're doing it for a common reason like marrying into the tribe.

In Jewish culture, outsiders aren't "people who did a silly/bad thing by rejecting our obviously true faith." They're "normal people."

We're extremely aware that we're the exception to the rule.

Like: as an American, I perceive Muslims as an oppressed group, but in most countries they're in a position of power.

When I looked up terms for non-Muslims, the first result was dhimmis... non-Muslims who are formally second-class citizens.

Then there were a bunch of specific neutral terms, e.g. for polytheists. And then there was kafir. Which clearly CAN be used to just mean non-Muslim, but which also can carry connotations like "unbelievers," and is sometimes used to insult or call out Muslims, or to refer specifically to people who are anti-Muslim.

That's very different from "goyim." The only way "goyim" is used as an insult is with a connotation of "surprisingly ignorant outsiders who could have literally googled this."

As for what I'd already written:

"if an English speaker does not wish to be called goyim" -- Goyim, "people who are not Jewish," is the plural. A goy, "a person who is not Jewish," is the singular.

These are nouns, not adjectives. Goyische is generally the adjective form.

I'm not pointing this out to be a grammar nerd. Partly, I'm pointing it out because if someone says "I don't want to be called a goy," they're talking about someone describing them personally.

Using the term "goyim" to talk about "non-Jewish people" in general, without having to type out three separate words, doesn't mean anything about specific individuals.

If I write, "argh could the goyim please stop putting Passover matzah in their supermarket Hanukkah displays," my supportive non-Jewish friends aren't going to think I'm personally attacking them somehow.

Just like if I say "oh lord, the cis perception of trans people is getting alarming" on a post about far-right school boards, my cis friends aren't going to get confused and think that I think they agree with far-right school boards. They can draw meaning from the context.

"Non-Jewish people" or "people who aren't Jewish" just feels so incredibly awkward to spell out.

I'm also pointing it out because this is the difference between, say, "goy" and "cis" or "straight."

The latter two are adjectives: cis person, straight people. Goyim, by contrast, are automatically people.

It's not like calling someone straight implies they're inhuman.

It's more like... As a queer trans person, I can at least understand that a straight cis person who has negative feelings about queer trans people might bristle at being described as specifically as we are.

Someone who's used to just being "normal," and seeing us as "abnormal," might take pride in being straight and cis.

But they might also feel like it's gross that we have words for talking about gender and sexuality. They might want to live in a world where there's just "normal," and where people don't talk about these things.

We definitely live in a world where some people don't want Jews to exist. Barely a year ago, a group that thinks Jews corrupt society committed mass mutilation, torture, and murder for that very reason.

I'm sure that people who have negative feelings about Jews perceive "goyim" as an insult, a slur.

If I perceived "Jews" negatively, I think hearing a term that identified me as a person who isn't Jewish -- as if Jewish is sometimes the default?! -- would be very jarring to me.

I'll go even farther: There's legitimately something jarring about finding out that a group you're not a part of perceives your group as Potentially Negative Outsiders.

Probably all of us here care pretty deeply about owning our privilege in some area or another. About being aware of where we're part of an oppressor group, trying to unlearn the biases we've unintentionally absorbed from the world around us, and demanding that our own oppressors do the same.

And finding out that yet another group you're not a part of perceives your group as Outsiders With Power-Over is jarring.

Maybe more so if you're unaware of what the group experiences that makes it need separate words for you versus them.

I'm sure all of us in this conversation have one or more oppressor groups. We all know that even a neutral and common term like "men" sometimes means "those outsiders who treat us badly," or worse.

But by the same token, we also know that that's on them.

It doesn't inherently mean that. It doesn't necessarily mean that. It doesn't even mean that most of the time, except in certain contexts and circles. (E.g. a discussion of systemic sexual violence.)

It only means that when that's what we need to talk about. The rest of the time, it's just a neutral identifier for one group of humans.

calling nonjews...nonjews... is not racist pls find an actually real problem to worry about

[mvmnbnv]

possibly hot take from me as a Vi stan, but hear me out

Vi didn't need a verbal apology for being hit

again hear me out

In s1, she never gave Jinx a verbal apology for hitting her. She gave her two verbal apologies for leaving her. But you know why Vi seemed more genuine with Jinx than Cait did with her?

Her show of remorse.

Vi was the perfect example of how one, show dont tell is used, and two, where media literacy can actually be brought up. And where the scripts and what the writers say actually mattered.

When she hit powder, she immediately regretted it, when using media literacy you can see this when she looks down at her hands after she did it, and can see the blatant remorse on her face. When she hit her, she needed to get away not to hurt her again in the heat of the moment. She was determined not to hurt her again.

When she is taken away, she uses what little resources she has (which are literally nothing, just silco's goons who probably dont even know what she's talking about when it comes to "powder"). She spends seven years trying to get back to her sister to make up for what she did. To make up for calling her a jinx and for hurting her.

When she finally gets the chance she immediately apologizes. She's gentle with her sister and comforting, letting her know that everything would be okay.

When things go haywire she tells her she wouldn't abandon her again.

We see Vi ON SCREEN talk about her guilt about leaving Jinx and see her pour her heart out to Caitlyn, remorseful about what she did, and for the leaving her on the bridge (which i dont blame her for she was literally just shot at and had an injured person with her).

She once again when faced with jinx, apologizes, tells her how much she meant to her by letting her know how her time in prison was spent, and even offers to run away with her to get her away from this "monster" (who she has yet to find out Jinx had a genuine connection with) even if it meant leaving with someone who at this point she knew could kill her (she mentions to Ekko she can't promise she won't die trying to get her to change her ways).

While Vi's show of remorse in some cases are more extreme and I wouldn't advocate for them in a normal circumstances (again like not looking out for her own wellbeing when dealing with someone she knows could put her in danger or worse), it was the perfect mix of everything ppl yap about now. "you lack media literacy", "show don't tell", the works...they managed to pull all of that off with Vi last season.

If they could've done this same thing with Caitlyn, maybe my and a lot of people's attitude would be different toward her and how she treats Vi. but she literally does the complete opposite of everything listed here.

She waits for a few seconds before hitting Vi, leaves and never comes back (people point out the .3 seconds of her grimacing and go "see!? she felt bad!" but literally everything I'm about to mention points to something different), is never shown giving a fuck about her outside of what other characters say, which doesn't mean much when she can't even be bothered to treat Vi well when they are together. She assaults her again when she runs into her and insults her appearance...and is willing to physically hit her again when its not necessary. She condescends to her, telling her to "calm down for once" when Vi's rightfully upset, and still expects trust out of her and for what..? And when she is on screen all we see is that she's replaced Vi and is sleeping with someone else, and speaking of that's the only thing she does try to apologize for...not for hurting vi, not for saying shitty things to her, not for being condescending to her, for sleeping with someone else...and while Vi is away she doesn't use ANY of the unlimited resources she has to make sure she's okay. They couldn't even write her telling Vi that she hurt her...matter of fact that gloss over it and phrase it as Vi just "being away"...

It's lacking...and to try and act like ppl are just dumb for holding arcane writers to a standard they themselves set for their own show is just ridiculous.

Vi didn't need a verbal apology necessarily, she needed a thorough show of remorse...and we barely got it.

[moriitis]

uhm so I don't know if requests are open right now but I wanted to ask maybe a EJ in a relationship hc like you did with Toby? Only if you want to though!!! ����

What would it be like dating Eyeless Jack? Content/Warnings; sexual themes, blood. MINORS DNI. 18+

The most laid back, chilled boyfriend you could ask for. It would be rare to get into an argument with Jack, either because he never looks for one or because he'll walk away from the situation altogether. Would absolutely be his biggest green flag! If you were to get heated or flustered over something, he'll mutter little words to try and calm you down.

"Try not to worry about it, it'll be a thing of the past before you know it."

Very reserved and unlike Toby; he wouldn't go out of his way to piss you off or annoy you. Maybe he'll tease you softly here or there.

Loves to encourage you to do the things you love! And hates it when you put yourself down if you aren't good enough. Admittedly, he has a huge soft spot for nerdy or even smart s/o's, so when you're rambling over something you love or something you're passionate about; he'll be swooning all over you.

Understands distance and admittedly, likes his own alone time. Don't read this wrong, he absolutely loves your company but simply loves it more when you're both preoccupied with something and just sat in the room together in silence.

Due to his lack of.. eyesight, Jack is a very touchy feely person. Which means he is very, very physical. It took him some time to feel confident enough to touch you, purely because he wasn't sure how much he could hold himself back. His hands will roam over your arms, occasionally rest on your lower back if you were together. Would tend to avoid touching you in a sexual manner.

He is a very good listener! Need to vent? He'll lend an ear. Just don't go to him expecting advice though, because really he's the worst. Somebody annoying you?

"Just don't talk to them..?"

Just doesn't really understand the concept of shit talking, so if you are venting don't expect him to join you. He'll just try to give you logical options so you can resolve your issues quicker.

On the matter of gossip, Jack knows everything. Hiding a secret from him is pointless because not only is his superb hearing going to pick up the most quietest of things; but he can sense a change in your body language too.

And despite the fact he doesn't enjoy shit talking, he will share a lot of juicy gossip he has heard.

I said he likes touch, well this guy loves to fucking cuddle. He loves smelling your intoxicating scent, wrapping you around his large frame and protecting you from anything that may threaten you. His cuddles will always lead to sex though, he can't help the raging boner he gets every time.

Always gets little hyper bursts, especially after he's eaten and during that time he's so fucking hilarious. It's like he's drunk, but except drunk on alcohol; it's like he's drunk on the high amount of blood he's consumed. You'll notice little tinges of red under the greys of his cheeks as he's chuckling, a low and raspy chuckle as he's mumbling complete bullshit that frankly makes so sense.

It wouldn't be Jack if he didn't teach you the basics of sewing up a human body, where to find your major arteries and quizzes you on where all your vital organs are. Maybe it's because he loves hearing you talk about it, almost like it's his own, unique dirty talk.

Oh, and the endless piggy backs. Despite his scrawny, skinny appearance, this guy is strong as fuck. He loves carrying you around. Tired? Get on that mans back. And there's something about holding you while he fucks you relentlessly too..

Does not open much, like.. at all. So you have to come to terms with the fact that Jack is just a reserved person who doesn't like talking about his past. Unless he has a mental breakdown and then it's all spewing.

The. Fucking. Pet. Names. Always finds a new pet name for you.

"Darling. Lovey. Love. Angel. Sweetness. Honey. Sweet thing."

But then his pet names gets him hungry and after all he can't help it, your blood smells so sweet, so inviting.

Lots of little acts of love too. Making sure you don't forget medication, tucking you in under blankets (even though his body heat is enough to warm you), peppering your face with endless amounts of kisses.

He's a romantic too, he's just not very good at showing it. He's awkward, so you can't blame him. He'll put the effort in to be romantic nevertheless, but he's a natural gentleman so he doesn't need much effort put in to begin with. Hold doors open for you, shit this man will even get on his knees to tie your shoelaces for you.

And of course, he lectures you a lot; sometimes about the most dumbest of things. But it's just because he cares about you.

I wouldn't imagine Jack to be controlling, but there's aspects where it could seem that way. It wouldn't be outright either, he'd just kinda say things like;

"You shouldn't do this. Think before you do things. What would the consequences be," etc, etc.

Forgot to mention this guy is smart as all fuck too. Got a math equation you're struggling on? He's a fucking human monster calculator.

rambled a little too much about this man.

thank you so much for requesting this! glad my man jack is getting a little more love, lord knows he deserves it.

sorry if these aren't great lmao

[sysig]

Puts the “plates” in “Fellplates” (Patreon)

[cybershock24601]

Feel like you completely missed the point I was making here. Veilguard isn't saying the problems are eternal, it's saying that if you keep looking to the past you will never be able to make a better future. Veilguard has it's writing flaws but it is consistent in delivering it's points about regret, grief, and being unable to return to the past so you must keep moving forward.

It's not saying that its okay that things are the way they are, over half of the companion quest lines are about deciding how to forge a new future while grappling with the sins of the past. It's trying to say that you can't change the past but you can make new decisions in the present to make a brighter future. It's a game about hope as much as it is about regret.

I too am a Solas enjoyer but I enjoy him explicitly because he is a super flawed character blind to his own hubris. He cannot admit that he is wrong because that would mean what he has done has all been for nothing. The guy is stuck in a sunk cost fallacy and just keeps digging himself deeper and deeper with every new mistake he makes because this time it will be different!

Do you really think if Solas takes down the Veil and sees the amount of death and destruction it will cause that he won't end up painting another giant regret mural? He can justify it all he wants by saying this new world will be better but will it? How does he know? The world has adapted to the Veil and destroying it will destroy the world and with it all the evil currently in it but all the good too.

There are so many things that Solas with all his wisdom and might could have done to help the people of Thedas but the thing is that he doesn't see them as people. He is so consumed with trying to put thing back to the way they were before he fucked up that he can't accept the world for how it is and try to move forward from there.

Solas can't see the good that exists in the world and can only focus on how wrong it is compared to how he remembered it thousands upon thousands of years ago. He has to tear it all down so he can do it right this time because in his pride Solas sees himself as the only person that can possibly come up with a solution to the problems he created.

Sometimes people make mistakes they can't fix and the only thing they can do is deal with the consequences. Solas can't accept that he can't undo his mistake so isn't willing to engage with the consequences, meaning modern Thedas. Solas cannot bring down the Veil without making everything worse than it already is.

At no point is Veilguard saying that if you can't accept what's wrong in the world "it's because there's something wrong and narcissistic about you" as there are plenty of characters pushing to make things better, the difference is that they're not willing to sacrifice thousands of people to do it. If anything most of those character (Neve, the Viper, Davrin, Antoine & Evka for just a small sample size) would sacrifice themselves first even if it would save just one person. Solas would never put himself on the line like that because he sees himself and his plans for a "better world" as too important to do that.

Veilguard is condemning Solas for the fact that he isn't trying to make the world better for everyone else, he's trying to make himself feel better. For all his talk of a better world, who will it be a better world for? Certainly doesn't seem like it will be one for all the people living in it currently, but they're not real people so it's okay if Solas sacrifices them to achieve his goal.

The way Solas talks about all the people that will have to die to make his perfect world is so jarring for someone who claims to care. He talks about them like their livestock destined for the slaughterhouse so let them have a few good years frolicking in the pasture before he comes to kill them all en masse.

Never once in all of Solas' talks about a world without the Veil does it seem like anything will be different except that the Veil will be gone but I guess with everyone dead Solas can just step in to benevolently lead them all into a better future because he is the only one wise enough to do so, because he is so prideful to think that he can do everything right so long as it is his guiding hand leading whoever is left alive.

I also find it really weird that you're calling the spirits an oppressed group and acting like its okay for everyone else to suffer because it would help them. The elves and dwarves get the short end of the stick all the time too but it's okay for them to suffer and likely die if it would uplift another group of people? Solas' solution is not the only one there is. There are so many other things Solas could do to try alleviate the situation the spirits face that don't involve fucking over everyone including the spirits themselves but he won't even consider them because he's already decided his solution is the right one.

You are right that one day the Veil may come down and that day will be a truly apocalyptic one, so I don't see how anyone could justify bringing about the end of the world early as a good decision unless they've completely blinded themselves to the true cost of the lives it would take. The people of Thedas don't want to die to see a world that they have no connection to, so why is right that Solas gets to make the decision to kill them all just so he can undo a mistake he can't move past?

theres something very sinister about the way datv views solas and his redemption.

when i imagined a happy ending for him (in my wildest dreams) there was always something for him to //do// to begin the process of healing the blight and helping the spirits beyond the veil. i, too, view inaction under such circumstances as unbecoming, even if he makes things worse in the process. the alternative is worse. it has to be worse.

but it very much isnt. time and time again solas is portrayed as evil for doing anything. his regrets are all about choosing action over inaction. it's kind of insane that the game doesnt punish rook in a similar way.

when my character foil lets blight loose upon the world that's just a heroic quest for them to go on, but when i, solas dragonage...

and in the end it all comes down to forgiving him for attempting to fix his mistakes without offering any alternatives, and it's about his moral and ethical failings, not the actions themselves.

and through revealing that it was solas all along, with him gone we are blissfully free from asking questions such as why was there slavery in a society with abundant magic?

because the world has been saved. or minrathous, i guess.

[monards]

sometimes teh hater agenda gets to me. and i need to reason myself away from it

[aeide-thea]

like i guess re pronouns i think also like. many of us (trans/gnc/~gender-diverse~ people) are going to feel differently from one another and that diversity of thought is both inevitable and important

but there is a way in which, as with the question of whether you can group nonbinary people into 'people functionally includable in lesbian attraction' and 'people functionally includable in gay male attraction,' there's this process where like. there's an attempt to expand beyond the traditional framing and create more space for people, and then when that attempt runs up against cissexism and gets gummed up in some of the ways that article describes, you get people going, 'you know what, actually the really queer thing is to stop trying to expand mainstream culture into something that can accommodate queerness and just exist in a totally unspoken way,' and like. it's not that i don't get where that reaction is coming from, or that i totally disagree with it—as my one transfem ex said, the best days are the ones where you don't have to actively make a case for, or even really think about, your own gender!—but like. funny how that approach in certain ways ends up looking (and more to the point feeling) pretty indistinguishable from just. subsiding right back into the underbelly of the cistem…

[creatingblackcharacters]

No, That’s Not ‘How Color Works’. - Whitewashing

Whitewashing, as defined by Merriam-Webster:

"to alter (something) in a way that favors, features, or caters to white people: such as a) to portray (the past) in a way that increases the prominence, relevance, or impact of white people and minimizes or misrepresents that of nonwhite people and B) to alter (an original story) by casting a white performer in a role based on a nonwhite person or fictional character"

In fandom context, we know it to include:

Making someone’s skin lighter

Making someone’s hair a thinner texture

Changing someone’s nose to be thinner

Shrinking their lips

Changing the character in their entirety to be someone else

The Normalization of Whitewashing

Remember how I mentioned last lesson that despite the nature of poorly drawn Black characters, most audiences are not turned off enough to discourage the action in professional works? Similar idea with whitewashing. Not the same- unlike the Ambiguously Brown Character, which claims to have plausible deniability, overt whitewashing is usually enough to make fans speak up! But that’s the key word here- overt! It has to be “bad enough” to make enough people speak up, but as we’ve seen many a time, “bad enough” seems to have a much higher threshold for nonblack viewership (sometimes the limit doesn’t exist!)

Some visual examples

This is a link to my personal thread on a Netflix show I was watching- Worst Ex Ever. Now, while the show itself was quite enlightening, there was something I could not get over. I thought I was going crazy. And that was that no matter how dark the person of color would be in real life, the animated portions would draw this light pinkish-brown. Every. Single. Time. It's like they couldn't fathom scrolling down the color wheel. And this is a Netflix original! Netflix has plenty of money for someone to have caught this in creation. But... it was produced. And put out. And they're making more of it.

I asked all of the Dragon Age fans about the series, and uh… I didn’t know things were this bad, guys! Apparently this is a man of color, but it doesn't seem like the creators want you to know that 🤣. Jokes aside, as I’ve discussed before, the noticeable whitewashing- and that was one of many racist things I was told- was not enough to prevent sales... so why would they stop? I can only hope this new game, with all the updates, is enough to turn the tide. But the series has gone on for a while now, that if they’d chosen to do ye same olde… there clearly would not be a lack of financial support to prevent it.

Colorism as a Tool

Even when actors of color are cast, colorism often plays a role in normalizing whitewashing to audiences, even to Black audiences! People think “oh well at least they’re Black!” as if that is the only important part. It is not.

While Aaron Pierre, the actor cast for John Stewart of Green Lantern fame, is a GORGEOUS, STUNNING man, he is not the dark-skinned man that John Stewart is supposed to be and should not have been cast! To me, this is overt colorism, but clearly for many people this is not “enough” to warrant concern or even prevent the casting itself- including the studio behind the movie! Black fans have plead for years for the character of Storm to be played by a dark-skinned, preferably African, woman, and it has never happened.

It naturally happens in fan spaces as well, which is another indicator that colorism as a tool for whitewashing is quite effective for audiences. If I see one more Zendaya fan cast for Kida from Atlantis, I will scream. It’s been happening for years, and I don’t think any of the people who just want to see her and Tom on screen either understand or care that Kida is a dark-skinned character. Zendaya doesn’t look anything like Kida- it doesn’t matter if she’s Black too! Just because someone is Black does not mean they can play every single Black character! I’ve even seen people fancast Emilia Clarke of Game of Thrones fame, to which… I don’t have the words. I can’t fathom what would cause these decisions other than racism.

The Common Excuses

I must be honest. I don’t really feel like re-iterating how certain things are not okay and how to fix them, because I’ve already discussed these things in massive detail. So I’m just going to direct the excuses I regularly hear to my lessons, where you can read up on them.

“Their hair/eyes are like that because they’re biracial so-”

Relevant Lessons: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 8, 9, 10

There is nothing wrong with having biracial characters with a range of features. I am not saying that! Because yeah, genetics do happen!

But I mentioned this in my last lesson, and I will re-emphasize here, that using biracial identity as a way to whitewash is a sinister form of racism. The intention here- the real intention- is the issue here! The idea that somehow this character can only look the way you want them to look by "diluting" their Blackness… I don’t know how you can explain yourselves out of that one.

You don’t get to use us as an excuse for diversity while still trying to maintain your preference for Eurocentric beauty standards. Black biracial people don’t always look light skinned, thin-haired and ambiguous, and even the ones that do don’t deserve to be treated as your fetish for pretend antiracism. If you just want to draw a white person with a tan, do that. But don’t change a character’s entire look just so you can work in some whiteness. If you want to claim that canon Black character’s mother was white, then I guess they inherited some of her personality because their features should not change.

“It’s my style/It’s the color-”

Relevant Lessons: 3, 4, 10

I hate all excuses for whitewashing, but I’ve grown to despise, hate, abhor and loathe this one the most as I’ve become an artist. I wish there were stronger words to describe just how much I hate the “style” and “color” excuse.

Are style and use of color oft intertwined? Absolutely. I’m not saying they aren’t. But out of everything, there are two things I want artists to understand:

1. Style does not cancel out racism! No style forces you to choose ashy greys and to change peoples’ features. That’s you! If you look at something, and it looks offensive, you change the style. You grow as an artist!

2. “Everyone who is brown will look ashy so I just-” if you recognize that your Black characters look strange in comparison to your nonblack characters, then it’s time to try something else! I don’t understand this sudden need for “realism” when it comes to color and lighting, but not when it comes to hair, for example. No one cares about realism when giving every and all Black characters wavy tresses they probably wouldn’t have, but suddenly milquetoast watercolor attempts at brown and off-putting lighting is “how it works”. That’s not fair.

The color picker is an available tool! I use it often!

Dead giveaway of purposeful whitewashing: if someone gets the outfit color palette right via color picking, but the skin color is multiple shades lighter. That means they were looking at that character and chose not to proceed.

Dead giveaway of purposeful whitewashing: if the white characters in the show are completely correct in their palettes. Again, that means they cared enough to look at everyone else… and not the Black characters.

If you use the color picker and the color picked is… disrespectful, you do not have to use that! You can simply choose a better color that is still similar to the brown that ought to be depicted!

“It’s the lighting-”

Relevant Lessons: 4, 5

If your white characters do not shine like snow in the sunlight because of your lighting, then your lighting does not make your Black characters suddenly light tan.

If your Black characters look bad in your lighting of choice- for example, putting a very dark-skinned character in electric white lighting can be ghastly- try changing the intensity or the color of the lighting. DON’T change your character’s skin color!

I'm going to show you some pictures of South Sudanese model Nyakim Gatwech. Pay attention to the choices of light, color, and makeup.

Look how BEAUTIFUL she is! Look at the choices of intensity and color of light, and how they make her look different in each image.

Now look at this image in comparison:

In this image, whoever did her makeup and took this picture did not take into consideration her skin tone. She's also under this really intense lighting. This is an example of "increasing the lighting does NOT make an image "better"". She didn't need to have lighter skin or "more lighting" to look good. She needed BETTER lighting, lighting that worked with HER.

To see this as an example in drawn art, @dsm7 makes an excellent argument for proper lighting and color, why it is an issue to use it as an excuse, and how to solve that problem.

‼️DISCLAIMER FOR NEXT EXAMPLE‼️

Okay. I am about to show y’all a fan-created example from my personal experience. It is a TEACHING EXPERIENCE ONLY. I am not including the artist’s name in this image. It happened a couple years ago, and it’s over- they’ve chosen to be who they are despite me kindly confronting them about it. The only reason I’m including it at all is because I feel like it would be remiss to have such a clear-cut, multi-level example, and not teach with it. That said, no, I am not telling anyone to act out towards them. Again, that is not what I’m telling you to do. The last thing I need is a literal lynch mob of angry nonblack viewership for trying to teach you all, and y’all sitting there watching it happen to me. Every example of whitewashing is not going to be so obvious, but I hope you learn how to spot the examples in the art you see and share.

I'm obviously a Hades fan, particularly of Patroclus- despite my disdain for the lack of effort in his canon character design. So I've seen a lot of things. That said:

“Well it’s just MY design of them-”

Relevant Lessons: ALL

The sepia coloring did not do this. The lighting did not do this. The design is the exact same as the Hades version, even down to the shape of the hair curling in the back. The only thing that is different… is the man himself.

Y'all. Y'all! You CANNOT take a pre-existing Black character and say “oh well this is my design of them” …and the design is of a whole white person. Because if the rest of the fit is the same, and the only thing that changed is the Blackness… Racism. If you’re going to “make up your own design”, then do that!

“Blackwashing”

Speaking of: I’m sure someone edgy out there thinks they’re so smart as they retort to the screen: “but if that’s not okay, then why is Blackwashing okay?” To which I say- shut up. 😐

The “definition” by fandom: making a nonblack character Black, usually an anime character, but characters in general.

Funny enough, the actual definition in the dictionary (or closest to) is “to defame”, in contrast with whitewash (as in whitewashing history). Maybe racist fans ARE using it correctly when they say you’re blackwashing their characters, when they mean you’re making them “less likable because they’re Black now”. 🤔

Anyway: Blackwashing is not real for the same reason reverse racism is not real.

Me painting these characters brown is not going to take away from the fact that there are far more of you in media than there is of me. Me saying that I ‘headcanon a character as Black with 4C hair’ is not going to make the studio go “oh! Well they must be Black with 4C hair now!” Me saying “oh I think I’d like this character better if they were Black” as a beta tester (less overtly, obviously, because I’m not racist!) will never make a studio change that character. Black viewers have minimal value in comparison to the power of the white viewer’s dollar. I could draw white characters Black every single day of every single game media… and they would still produce majority white characters. There has not been centuries- if not millennia, when we consider Jesus Christ himself, even- of purposeful “Blackwashing” with the intent of removing the original ethnicity- and thus importance- of white people. No one has ever been allowed to forget when someone is white. No one has ever been allowed to forget or not acknowledge white people.

How it could be "solved"

Personally, I love Black edits and I welcome them here. I find them creative and fun. But if you really, REALLY didn’t want us to make those edits, then naturally, we need more Black characters in all of our media!

I wouldn’t have to make edits if I saw more of me to begin with in the things I like to watch- but when we have those characters, racists act an ass about them. We’re not allowed to even be present! I’ve seen too many gamer bros mocking the existence of Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed, and he was a real ass man. But if we made a game about African peoples in African societies, how many of the gamer bros would actually play those games? Do you think there’d be as much support, when we hear so much about Black characters that are treated so abhorrently? How many games do we have where people would love their faves just as much if they were Black? I even learned that Solas was apparently supposed to be a man of color. IMAGINE how many people would not have liked that man, with the same exact plot and characterization.

Something I’ve noticed recently: apparently "Blackwashing" is not a thing when White fans “allow” it. Take this recent trend with Miku. International Miku was beloved! But if you draw any other character as Black on any other day, there will be people that are horrid about it. Ask any artist, Black artists and Black cosplayers especially, who’s ever done it what their comments are like. I’ve read entire missives akin to white supremacist drivel on how it’s somehow morally wrong to make characters Black. Meanwhile no amount of “hey maybe you shouldn’t do this” prevented the movie Gods of Egypt from being created, with a cast full of British White people.

Solutions to Avoiding Whitewashing!

1) Using References!!

Do I think you should know what Black people look like? Yes. We’re humans. It’s 2024. Everyone knows what we look like when it’s time to hate and discriminate against us, so you know what we look like when it’s time to love and depict us. If you’re on Tumblr, you have access to the Internet. ESPECIALLY if you’re in the U.S., as Black people are the source of damn near every piece of online pop culture. If you can find my dialect to make my jokes, you can find pictures of me.

Would I rather you use a reference every single time so that you can only strengthen your depiction of my people? ABSOLUTELY.

Anyone on the Internet telling you not to use a reference or that you shouldn’t need a reference? Unfollow them. You don’t need that negativity in your life. Why would you deprive yourself of a tool to create? The greatest portrait painters in history had to look at their subjects! You are not getting paid nearly as much to do this as Hans Holbein, and he had to stare at Henry VIII correct else lose his head- you can pull up multiple references. I’d far rather be judged for using hella references than be judged for being a racist!

Part of the issue is people draw what they’re used to, what they’re comfortable with (thus last lesson). But if what you’re used to is not what someone will look like… That’s not okay. Their features are not the issue, your skills are the issue. Learn! Practice! There is no rush. No one is rushing you to be perfect at drawing Black characters, and no one is rushing you to post them. You can just practice! If you’re not a professional, you can take as long as you need to draw! If you need to draw that piece of hair over and over until you feel like you have down the shape, you do that! If you need to use a tool that would draw the hair for you, you get that tool!

If you want to post, you can say you are practicing! If you make clear you are practicing, then be willing to accept that people may have feedback. I’d far rather deal with someone saying they’re unconfident and practicing, than someone posting a whitewashed caricature and closing their ears because “well at least I’m trying!”

2) Empathize! Care about actual Black people when you create a Black character!

Imagine, if you will, in the Twilight Zone: you went to an artist, and you asked for a white character (I typed in “regular looking white dude” on google). There’s hardly ever any white characters, you’re so super excited about this one! You paid good money, because you’ve seen just how amazing this artist creates! They’re so good at drawing characters of color! But no matter how many times you ask, they send you back an image of… Assad Zaman.

That man might be fine as hell! Gorgeous! Beautifully done! Chef’s kiss. Stunning! But… He’s not white. That’s not what you asked or paid for. You can’t even fathom how they mixed this up, they don’t even look alike! And when you confront them, they gaslight you, they call YOU the issue for not understanding how you can’t tell that this is a white man! They would never get this wrong! They have white friends, you’re the racist! But you’re not stupid, and you have functioning eyes- you can SEE what this drawing looks like! And… It’s not you.

It’s dehumanizing. It’s being told that there’s a “better way” to look like you, and that’s by… Not looking like you. You, as you exist, are what’s incorrect. Your identity is incorrect, not their drawing. It’s better to have thinner hair instead of an afro or locs, it’s better to have lighter skin, it’s better to have a straighter, thinner nose over a round one, and smaller lips.

And what makes it worse is knowing that people who don’t look like you? Probably won’t care. They won’t be willing to see- not unable, but unwilling- that playing with this caricature is harmful, that they’re propagating harm by not acknowledging it. They’re letting you know that your humanity means less to them than the clout received with a whitewashed or half-assed Black character, and that people will applaud them for that ‘attempt at inclusion’. And people will applaud! They will be entertained by the mere performance! And that hurts.

I’m going to say this, and it’s awkward and I try not to say it directly on here, but… Having Black friends and/or being around actual, real life Black people would help. I can tell from some of the questions I receive that Black characters and their traits- especially things like our hair and our cultures- are being treated as… alien concepts. But even if, for whatever reason, you legitimately don’t know any Black people, you do not need to know us individually to care about our humanity as a whole! Even if you do not know we’re there, we are, and we could possibly see your work!

By acknowledging Blackness and making room to understand what it means- and that includes how we can look- you are doing the bare minimum of acknowledging our personhood. If you cannot do even that, you don’t need to be drawing us.

Conclusion

Here’s the thing: if you want to draw a white man with tanned skin, do that. Just do it! You do NOT have to erase me to have more of you! There is not a single fandom where the majority of the white fans ever said “gee, not another white guy!” It simply doesn’t happen. God knows we wish it did sometimes. You will always have an audience for white characters. There’s no danger to any of you of “being erased”.

(Without putting on my political hat, I will say that a lot of white people who consider themselves to be far from white supremacist will express beliefs in line with great replacement theory if you push them hard enough. It is unfortunately not as uncommon an idea as you might think. I would do some self-evaluation.)

People are going to notice that you only ever draw white people, but… To be frank, that has never stopped anybody from being successful. Again, Jen Zee, at Supergiant with the terrible dark-skinned characters… Still has a job. at Supergiant. A professional studio. Dragon Age. Multiple games of consistent whitewashing and racist writing. Still going. If racism prevented creation and popularity, I wouldn’t have to have this blog. Alas, that is the society we currently live in.

But if you ACTUALLY want to depict Black characters, if you ACTUALLY want to do right and be respectful- not because you want the clout, but because it’s the right damn thing to do- then you need to commit! This means drawing them as they are meant to be! Accept that you’ll likely lose some fan base, who was there (whether they were aware of it or not) for the white and lighter skinned characters. Accept that this means that trying to appeal to those people by whitewashing characters is 1) wrong, 2) racist, which is 3) something you chose to do when you could simply have just… Drawn more white people.

I’ll say it again: antiracism is hard. It’s hard doing the right thing in a society that rewards racism so easily. It’s really hard knowing that people will stop supporting you or caring as much about your work when you start including Black characters as actively as you do white ones, especially if you start talking about the importance of it. But in my honest opinion, I’d far rather be someone that cared about others, with genuine fans, than someone that was racist for the fleeting internet clout of strangers. And that may be less ‘hopeful’ than I normally am in these lessons, but… People make choices. And people who have been informed- as you are now- are aware of the choices they are making. It’s the thought that counts, but the action that delivers- let’s choose better actions.

[sqtorux]

love makes a man tender— the same could be said for a monster.

sukuna sits patiently with his daughter on his lap while she applies various colours on his face he finds so hideous.

her small little hands pat the products into his skin, a bit too aggressively for his liking but he lets her regardless, not without a few grunts and huffs of annoyance though.

"pick another one" sukuna says in an irritated tone when she brought a bright pink blush close to his face.

the child only pouts "but 'ts pretty!!" now if you must know, sukuna dislikes pink; hates it even. it looks lively and soft — the exact opposite of who he was. (also maybe because a certain someone aka his least favourite niece has the exact same hair colour but the girl doesn't need to know that).

despite that, sukuna finds himself giving into that stupid pout he somehow catches himself adoring. all four of his eyes roll "get on with it then."

the giggles that follow after almost made him want to paint all of himself pink. almost.

however, what drove him to the edge was when he was asked to close his eyes so she could apply yet another colour onto them.

being the kid she is, she does it a bit sloppy— accidentally poking his eyes once or twice. "brat that hurts" sukuna growls but makes no move to stop her.

he thinks the foolish eye pokes were worth it when a light peck lands on each of his eyes "sorry daddy!" the child chuckles and sukuna opens his eyes.

one of his four hands make their way to her lips stained with a faint black— which he guesses were from his eyes, and wipes them away gently. "you look stupid."

the girl ignores his half assed words and brings yet another bright shade and begins applying it onto his lips. he sits obediently.

"there! you're done. you're so pretty daddy!!" the child squeals in excitement and brings a mirror to her father's face.

sukuna stares into the mirror and frowns "how horrifying."

"do you not like it?"

sukuna scoffs and places the mirror down "i have always wanted to look abominable."

"yes you look adorable!" the girl giggles while clapping her tiny hands together happily. sukuna doesn't correct her.

later when she sleeps and you're talking the makeup off for him, sukuna complaints.

"this is the result of the small brat's assault."

you only laugh in response and his eyes stare up to you. "i am being very serious."

"then why didn't you stop her?"

sukuna doesn't have an answer to that because that would mean he had to admit his affection for yet another person after you.

"that's right, you'd do anything for her won't you?" your chuckle makes all four of his eyes roll. he seems to do that a lot lately.

"the small brat and the big brat love tormenting me."

you raise a brow at this, "and do you have a problem with that?"

sukuna huffs but the soft expression replacing his usually grim one betrays the act of annoyance he puts up.

"i wouldn't have it any other way."

[stromblessed]

Mizu, femininity, and fallen sparrows

In my last post about Mizu and Akemi, I feel like I came across as overly critical of Mizu given that Mizu is a woman who - in her own words - has to live as a man in order to go down the path of revenge.

If she is ever discovered to be female by the wrong person, she will not only be unable to complete her quest, but there's a good chance that she'll be arrested or killed.

So it makes complete sense for Mizu to distance herself as much as possible from any behavior that she feels like would make someone question her sex.

I felt so indignant toward Mizu on my first couple watchthroughs for this moment. Why couldn't Mizu bribe the woman and her child's way into the city too? If Mizu is presenting as a man, couldn't she claim to be the woman's escort?

However, this moment makes things pretty clear. Mizu knows all too well the plight of women in her society. She knows it so well that she cannot risk ever finding herself back in their position again. She helps in what little way she can - without drawing attention to herself.

Mizu is not a hero and she is not one to make of herself a martyr - she will not set herself on fire to keep others warm. There's room to argue that Mizu shouldn't prioritize her quest over people's lives, but given the collateral damage Mizu can live with in almost every episode of season 1, Mizu is simply not operating under that kind of morality at this point. ("You don't know what I've done to reach you," Mizu tells Fowler.)

And while I still feel like Mizu has an obvious and established blind spot when it comes to Akemi because of their differences in station, such that Mizu's judgment of Akemi and actions in episode 5 are the result of prejudice rather than the result of Mizu's caution, I also want to establish that Mizu is just as caged as Akemi is, despite her technically having more freedom while living as a man.

Mizu can hide her mixed race identity some of the time, and she can hide her sex almost all of the time, but being able to operate outside of her society's strict rules for women does not mean she cannot see their plight.

It does not mean she doesn't hurt for them.

Back to Mizu and collateral damage, remember that sparrow?

While Mizu is breaking into Boss Hamata's manse, she gets startled by a bird and kills it on reflex. She then cradles it in her hands - much more tenderly than we've seen Mizu treat almost anything up to this point in the season:

She then puts it in its nest, with its unhatched eggs. Almost like she's trying to make the death look natural. Or like an accident.

You see where I'm going with this.

When Mizu kills Kinuyo, Mizu lingers in the moment, holding the body tenderly:

And btw a lot of stuff about this show hit me hard, but this remains the biggest gut punch of them all for me, Mizu holding that poor girl's body close, GOD

When Mizu arranges the "scene of the crime," Kinuyo's body is delicate, birdlike. And Mizu is so shaken afterward that she gets sloppy. She's horrified at this kill to the point that she can't bring herself to take another innocent life - the boy who rats her out.

MIZU'S ONE MOMENT OF SOFTNESS AND MERCY, COMING ON THE HEELS OF HER NEEDING TO KILL A GIRL TO SPARE HER THE WORST FATE THAT THIS RIGID SOCIETY HAS TO OFFER WOMEN, AND TO SPARE A BROTHEL FULL OF INNOCENT WOMEN WHO ARE THE CASTOFFS OF SOCIETY, NEARLY RESULTS IN ALL OF THEIR DEATHS

No wonder Mizu is as stoic and cold as she is.

And no wonder Mizu has no patience for Akemi whatsoever right before the terrible reveal and the fight breaks out:

Speaking of Akemi - guess who else is compared to a bird!

The plumage is more colorful, a bit flashier. But a bird is a bird.

And, uh

Yeah.

I like to think that Mizu killing the sparrow is not only foreshadowing for what she must do to Kinuyo, but is also a representation of the choice she makes on Akemi's behalf. She decides to cage the bird because she believes the bird is "better off." Better off caged than... dead.

But because Mizu doesn't know Akemi or her situation, she of course doesn't realize that the bird is fated to die if it is caged and sent back home.

Mizu is clearly not happy, or pleased, or satisfied by allowing Akemi to be dragged back to her father:

But softness and mercy haven't gotten Mizu anywhere good, recently.

There is so much tragedy layered into Mizu's character, and it includes the things she has to witness and the choices she makes - or believes she has to make - involving women, when she herself can skirt around a lot of what her society throws at women. Although, I do believe that it comes at the cost of a part of Mizu's soul.

After all, I'm gonna be haunted for the rest of this show by Mizu's very first prayer in episode 1:

"LET" her die. Because as Ringo points out, she doesn't "know how" to die.

Kind of like another bird in this show:

[awarmbowlofhomemadesoup]

What I love about Dungeon Meshi is that it writes platonic relationships with the same weight romantic stories would normally be written.

The Character that Got Their Heart Broken Too Many Times

Humanity broke Laois' heart. This is taken advantage later on by the Wingled Lion, but I digress.

Laois got bullied in all-boys school to the point that he ran away to become a soldier. Heartbreak #1.

He got harrassed in the training camp to the point that he became a deserter. Heartbreak #2.

The combination of these events were so bad, his lack of basic self-care can be a sign of a depressive state. If Falin hadn't joined him, who knows what would've happened to him.

Laois was so happy when he became friends with Shuro and felt so betrayed when Toshiro said he couldn't stand him. Not exactly a heartbreak #3 but it hurt all the same. They got past it but Laois remembers.

And when Kabru, for once in his life, stopped playing poker and laid down his cards, Laois wasn't going to let his heart be hurt for the fourth time.

The biggest thing that stands out to me in this manner is how Kabru's blurted confession of wanting to be friends with Laois was treated as much as a big revelation as a romantic one. Because the weight of that confession is Kabru's character development.

The Character Whose Sincerity Doesn't Come Easy for Him

This guy grew up being infantilized and not taken seriously by the elves for being a short-lived race. So, he honed diplomacy as sharp as his assassin's blade.

He knows the right things to say and when to say them, making him well-liked by everyone (much to his team's chagrin over their loved ones). And yet his personal cause puts a distance between him and his trusted teammates (including his childhood friend).

To say his true feelings and thoughts would end up with long-lived races dismissing him for being unwise and irrational.

So he keeps his cards to himself and works with subtlety throughout the manga, until things got worse, and he couldn't make Laois stay.

And he was left with nothing but to be sincere.

Right from the start, he said he wanted the Touden siblings to be unmasked. But in the end, he unmasked himself, much to his horror.

Addition edit: Kabru has been keeping his cards close to himself for so long, I don't think he realized what he really feels until he blurted it out. He chased after Laois throughout the dungeon because Laois might defeat the mad sorcerer. But for a guy who wants to understand everyone, he never understands what he feels about Laois and what that feeling means until his brain catches up with his mouth.

After decking Laois for not believing him, Kabru elaborated in his confession. He has developed a platonic crush (plush for short) or desire to be friends with Laois because:

1. Kabru wants to understand how Laois could love the very thing Kabru hates. Hate is just another face of fear. We fear what we don't understand. To understand Laois is to understand monsters. I think Kabru finds it admirable that Laois could admire monsters when everyone just view them as a threat.

2. He wants Laois to care about the same thing he does, which is saving humanity. Laois and co. are willing to side with the demon to protect Marcille from the Canaries. By asking to be Laois friend, Kabru becomes Laois' link to humanity that whatever they would do from there with the demon, please don't forget how it might affect other people outside his friends. And by gods, this is important to Kabru's development because he has never asked for help for his cause nor asked anyone to care because he's too used to the self-serving nature of all races. And yet, he chose to believe in Laois. Because if Laois could go that for his sister and elven friend, what more if he could do the same for what Kabru cares the most?

However, it was only in the end that they were able to talk after things had settled down. And they are so different and so alike at the same time.

Source

In this scene, there are two differing thoughts:

Laois, who experienced social rejection growing up: Do you still mean it?

Kabru, who had to deal with those of higher power: Are you testing me?

But they're still thinking the same thing: Is this real?

Like, all of their motivations have the weight often molded into romantic plots in any other story. A character who got their heart broken too many times and another character whose honesty does not come easy for them. But it's not a romantic story, but a start of a beautiful friendship.

There are more examples out there, but this is what came to my mind. Feel free to add more.