#driving discourse

[narcissa-black-supermacy]

didn't know we were having vehicle discourse, that's wild because i thought it was an established fact that:

sirius black is a 100% biker boy and finds cars boring;

sirius only drives with james in cars as a dog;

james only rides as a passenger if it's with sirius on a bike;

and as per the big question of "what james potter drives":

it's either a fancy red khalijee fuckboy sand dunes Jeep Rubicon or that one absolutely indestructible Toyota pickup from the late 80's that all the terror organisations use that can roll over 17 times and remain scratchless and the only person in the world who is not afraid to get into the car with him behind a wheel is sirius because james drives like this:

[a-method-in-it]

You know that Chris Fleming line that goes "Call yourself a community organizer even though you're not on speaking terms with your roommates"?

I honestly think every leftist who talks about the "revolution" like Christians talk about the rapture needs to spend a year trying to organize their workplace. Anyone who sincerely talks about building a movement so vast and all-encompassing that it overwhelms all existing power structures needs the dose of humility that comes with realizing they can't even build a movement to get people paid better at a badly run AMC Theaters where everyone already hates the manager.

[alchemistc]

There's been something about the woobification of Buck that's been sitting on the tip of my tongue for weeks now, and I think I've finally figured it out.

This is, of course, mostly in reference to the moral outrage about a decade-ish (give or take) age gap between two adult men and the infantalization of one said grown man, so all the puritanism isn't really coming from a place of good faith anyway, but here's the thing that's been bugging me that I couldn't quite put a finger on until now.

Buck has people he goes to for certain things. He has, what are in his mind, experts in the field for most of the things he can't think through on his own, that he goes to for a sounding board.

He went to Hen to talk through the sperm donor dilemma for a few reasons that made sense to him. 1) She's a mom. She has very much had to deal with the reality of 'giving up' children she considered her own. Buck is aware that he would be giving up something that could mean something to him, and he wants to talk to someone who has some insight into that. 2) She's dealt with IVF. She knows the risks, she knows the trials and tribulations, she knows about this thing that he is thinking about agreeing to be a part of so she's going to have a fuller grasp on the enormity of everything this process entails.

And they drink about it. Hen gives him what she can and cautions him where she thinks she should and they continue to talk about it and regardless of what SHE thinks, he makes his mind up in part because he got to talk to his Expert.

Bobby is often his go to when he feels like he's losing his grip on things. He's seen Bobby staring down the bottom of the bottle. He's seen the work he's done to pull himself back into the world, and he's seen the way he fights for his family, his people. Buck leans on him in times of questioning himself because he knows Bobby has pulled himself off the ledge with bleeding hands and a bleeding heart.

He reaches out to Maddie about interpersonal shit constantly. We see it all the way back in S2 when he's starting to question what the hell he's still doing in Abby's apartment, and that never really changes. She's the one with advice for him when he's angry with his parents, upset with the firefam, worried about his friends, or just generally concerned with the way he's perceived by people or how he perceives the world. He goes to her when he's embarrassed, ashamed, because he knows she won't judge him for it. She'll call him out, for sure, but she's not going to look at him differently when she knows he's done something he considers bad behavior.

When he goes to her during the Tommy arc, he's there for one reason he'll admit, and another she has to ferret out. 1) He lied to his best friend and he doesn't know why. 2) Oh yeah he went on a date with a dude that's not strange WHY IS THAT STRANGE I'VE ALWAYS BEEN AN ALLY PLEASE DON'T PULL BACK THE CURTAIN - and Maddie is there with two things: 1) It's not weird but it IS new and something you clearly haven't worked through all the way which is why 2) you'll tell Eddie when you're ready

And Eddie is sort of his go-to to bounce ideas off of. Eddie is his Buck expert. Eddie is the guy who can sort through all the bullshit and who sees Buck for exactly who he is, every time, regardless of what Buck himself is thinking. Eddie is his best friend, and he knows the good the bad and the ugly better than anyone else. He is also, quite frankly, the one Buck seeks out to help him contextualize all of his romantic feelings for people. Eddie's the guy he talks to when he's interested in someone, when he's falling for someone, he's the guy through which Buck filters his love interests into the firefam. I do the same shit with my best friend. It's instinct to want the person you consider the expert on you to meet the person you are interested in, it's instinct to want them to like each other, to get along. Buck knows Eddie loves him (in whatever way you see that love, Buck knows Eddie loves him) and he wants this person who loves him to be at least an active listener as he talks himself through the minefield of relationships. I do also think that up until the events of season seven, Buck considers Eddie sort of an expert on that traditional love-marriage-kids-white-picket-fence relationship Buck thinks he's striving for - in a very naive way, because obviously the wasn't what Eddie and Shannon had and Buck knows that, but he's probably fed some of Eddie's rose colored reminiscences back into that notion.

When he comes out to Eddie he's got two worries. 1) I lied to you and I figured out why but I'm still a little worried you think it's weird and 2) I screwed it up with someone I really like and I don't know where to go from here.

And Eddie (Buck expert) reassures him that just because it's new and unexpected doesn't make it strange, that it doesn't change anything in their friendship. And then he gets right to the heart of it - if you like him you should reach out and tell him that. He doesn't know you like we do but if you give him the chance to, he'll love you as much as we do. If he doesn't give it the same shot you want to he's the idiot.

With all that context in mind, Buck isn't seeking out Tommy's attention because he wants an authority figure, or someone to take care of him, someone to guide him through sex or love or relationship dynamics or any of the other random shit I've seen ppl infantalizing Buck about.

What he's looking for, and what he ultimately tells Tommy he'd like to pursue, is a partnership. Someone to walk (or more likely for Buck, speedrun) through experiences together. The Athena to his Bobby, the Chim to his Maddie, the Karen to his Hen.

So every time I see someone infantalizing Buck for seeking out a relationship with an older man for X or Y reason, I'm just like - no. He has Bobby, Hen, Maddie, Eddie, Chim etc for that. He doesn't want or need Tommy for that. He is a grown ass man who has built these strong relationships with his peers and his mentors and he is so fucking aware of that because he reaches for their help any time he feels the urge for a helping hand.

So yeah, Tommy's older. Yes, Tommy has more experience with his sexuality than Buck. And that - that's really it. Buck's been in the same career for more than half a decade. He's lived on his own since he was no older than 19/20. He's had serious relationships, he has a rich and fulfilling life. There is no power imbalance in the relationship between Buck and Tommy.

And while the age gap may be a bit of a draw for Buck, it's not WHY he's attracted to Tommy. We know because he's told Maddie. He's cool. He's interesting. He's confident. He has a cleft.

Buck isn't going into this waiting for someone older and more experienced to take the fucking reins. He felt like he clicked with Tommy, like there was an immediate connection, and yes, Tommy had to kiss him about it for Buck to actually figure out what it was he was experiencing, but from that point on it was all on Buck (and the people he leans on for advice) to help him sort through.

Tommy didn't do shit other than pump the brakes and try to give Buck the space he thought he needed to decide what he was ready for. Buck (again, with the help of his experts - Maddie for the emotional piece of it, Eddie for the Buck of it all) did the work on his own. Tommy didn't swoop in and overbearingly hold his hand through a sexual awakening. He kissed him, asked him out, realized he wasn't ready, stepped back and then checked in multiple times when Buck came back at it going 120 miles an hour.

And then he did everything he could to prove to Buck he wanted the same thing - a partner, someone to talk to, and lean on, and flirt with and rely on to show up whenever they could feasibly manage it (and sometimes when it's a little unfeasible too).

The narrative even acknowledges that Buck had no reason to go to Bobby in this scenario, when he often would, and lays out exactly why.

Within the canon of this particular arc, we're meant to see this as Buck realizing he has the experience necessary to think these things through on his own. This is Buck finally taking control of something that's always felt like it fell into his lap a bit. This is Buck doing more than treading water until his legs give out.

And minimizing that growth bc you personally don't like the LI he's pursuing is gross at best. At worst it's something much more insidious.

[quillthrillswriting]

i'm sorry, but the atla fandom is the only place where i've ever seen people unironically use a 12 year old telling his friend that killing someone out of grief is maybe a rash decision and not healthy to argue that that same 12 year old is being controlling and is an unhealthy partner

you guys know that murder is like....a bad thing....right? especially for a 14 year old? you guys know that revenge murder isn't a healthy strategy? you guys know that anyone who would encourage that is probably actually the unhealthy one in that scenario...right??

[queercelestialhoneybee]

most of the votes came before the context. in the states, the left lane is widely known as the passing lane and bc tumblr is us-centric im sure ppl assumed and went with YTA. with context, op is NTA

AITA for refusing to give way to speeding cars?

I (late 20sF) always drive in the fast lane because I'm always in a hurry. Where I live it's legal to go 10% over the speed limit so that's the speed I'm always driving at. Sometimes a car behind me will drive faster and start honking nonstop at me to move to middle lane so they can pass. I tend to ignore them because they have no right to kick me out of the fast lane if I'm not being slow. They often can't move to middle lane and pass by me because of the traffic, so they have no choice but to drive behind me and match my speed. The same can be said about me though, but most of the times I can move while the car behind me can't.

I feel like I might be TA because sometimes these people might have real emergencies like going to the ER or something, and because the nonstop honking must be annoying other people on the road, but at the same time I feel like I'm helping prevent a possible accident. AITA?

What are these acronyms?

[the-magpie-collective]

Wyll seems to be the only companion who intentionally and repeatedly uses the mindflayer tadpole to communicate. I did a quick search through the dialogue files and the only other instance I found was at the beginning of Act I, when Lae'zel is captured by the tieflings, she'll use the tadpole to demand you free her.

And yet, Wyll is one of the companions most against using the tadpole's powers. Arguably, I'd say he's more against it than anyone save for Lae'zel. Which is why I find it so interesting that out of all of companions, Wyll is the one to latch onto and make use of this facet of the tadpole's powers.

The first time Wyll can use the tadpole is when Mizora bids him to rescue Zariel's asset. If the Player succeeds on their perception check, they can bargain with Mizora to free Wyll from his pact. Wyll link his mind with the Player's Character in panic, demanding to know "What are you doing?"

Then again when Wyll is finally reunited with his father, he uses the tadpole to show his father why he pacted with Mizora. Instead of explaining in his own words, he shows him the cultists as they attempt to summon Tiamat into Baldur's Gate. He'll do the same for the Player Character if his father isn't saved, even when he is freed from his pact and could say it in his own words. If the PC refuses to let Wyll show them, he will explain it, but clearly prefers to use the tadpole.

Finally, Wyll will also use the tadpole to bid farewell if he has a falling out with the player character, telling the player "Godspeed, and may your journey be true."

For Wyll, who had spent the last seven years under a devil's thumb, this narrative choice to use the tadpoles to communicate is telling. One thing all of these scenes have in common is that they all emotionally charged moments. They are also moments in which, in my opinion, it is very important for Wyll to convey his sincerity. Wyll has spent the last seven years always dancing around the truth and now here comes along a power where not only can he tell the truth, he can show the truth as he sees it, so that there is much less risk of being misunderstood. A power like that has to be irresistible.

Just another thing I wish was explored more in depth in game.

Edit: Thank you to everyone who pointed out instances when other characters also use the tadpoles to communicate <3

Turns out Wyll/Lae'zel's writer is the only one who bothered to use proper tagging in the dialogue system ('MINDMELD' if you're curious). This is why I can never find what I'm looking for in the dialogue files smh

[cloverstellar]

insane to me that some people still think that you can say ctommy and cdream are separate and should be viewed separately narratively speaking when a big chunk of the dsmp’s story was driven through cdream’s obsession with ctommy. no im not saying cdream was in the right but its no fun to see people water them down to just cdream using ctommy as a side piece and less like an objective he had to conquer and subdue to fit his regime. or turn around and say ctommy’s story did not revolve much around the abuse he sustained from that in the same breath because it DID and. man. man

[communistkenobi]

been gawking at spn discourse from afar and the phrase “drunk driving headcanons” has taken up permanent residence in my brain

[bi-buckrights]

Evan Buckley is a grown man and is capable of telling his bf if he doesn’t like being called Evan, hope this helps <333

[stolenkissesdiaz]

the way the pacing is going i believe the eddie already realized he’s gay theory more and more….it would make sense why he felt the need to go to church out of nowhere….why he said “desires”……why he even thought to say he’s straight when it looked like the priest was flirting with him….the way he was so quick to tell buck not to text or call tommy even though he probably doesn’t know what happened…..the quick acceptance of letting himself feel joy like idk his face looks too calm and relaxed like even as he is living a real life psychological horror movie….

[lavender-phoenix-flames]

"Jc AnTI's are so jobless the are so obsessed with jc, they should cope"

Says the ppl who rewrote the whole novel and made up stuff with no proof or evidence just to 'like' their fave. Constantly harassing and discoursing with people if they disagree with their deluded opinions calling them 'anti'.

Babying a whole ass adult man and "wwx is an unreliable narrator aksually you should look at both sides" while they parade jc's words like it's the ultimate truth. Making up millions of excuses for his abusive and toxic behavior that harms jin ling and people around him. Undermining the effects of the abuse that jl goes through and blaming wwx for shit he didn't do. Holding wwx responsible for deaths of jiangs and yanli even when they know he wasn't at fault here. And worst of all saying "mxtx doesn't understand her own characters" like be for fucking real. In jc stans minds everything jc does is justified they will not show any proof for thier arguments but seethes at the facts we dared to point it out to them.

If engaging in fandom discussions makes someone jobless than every fricking person on tumblr is unemployed lmao.

Now they wanna barge in on canon jc tag and say "this is slander and bashing of my lil meow meow tsundere angry grape, you anti!!!😡" meanwhile the text itself presents and highlights jc's behavior in a negative light. Ask them to present proof of 'jc good natured behavior' and they are blank or they would post/take shit completely out of context.

In conclusion there is no point in arguing with jc stans who have completely and willingly let go of any kind of sensibility, logic, and chose to accept their delusions. Also canon jc fans and "jc antis" y'all are doing great, mxtx is proud of us. Keep discussing canon jc more so than ever. We don't need to make another tag, let's protect this one.

[ingravinoveritas]

Excerpts from a Digital Spy article with quotes from David's Single Father co-star Suranne Jones in 2010.

(With thanks to one of my followers who sent this in.)

[midnightsslut]

also what I find to be funny about the whole ‘let people have their wedding song!!’ discourse is that these same people will get mad at you for analyzing taylor’s songs within the context of her life. if you care so much about death of the author, why are you so bothered by taylor reevaluating the story of her own life? that shouldn’t change these songs for you if you never cared about their inspiration in the first place.

[firesofdainix]

The age gap is NOT the worst thing about Billford

[redstonedust]

i'm not gonna speak much on whats going on with the qsmp and its admins until we get more info, but i do think it is absolutely wild seeing random unqualified tumblr users making lengthy posts trying to explain how french labor law works when they are neither french nor a lawyer. like damn bro. citation needed.

[gabrielsbubblegumbitch]

I will always argue that Vox and Valentino are both verses that choose to play top/bottom parts when they feel like it, because strict binary division in that matter always gives me heebie jeebies.

I see what your doing here, trying to introduce heteronormative dynamics into my queer ship