#especially considering the reaction so many americans had to the ending

[russenoire]

#wow; i got chills reading this and i thoroughly agree#deku is my hero academia - and what mha stands for has been built up well only to end in a tragedy that could have been avoided if only#there was an actual message of redemption behind. but also consider that while mha is critique to the current society i do think it is a#very realistic representation of how things work. which they don’t; people pretend they do because if they did not they would also end up#demonised as the villains themselves and society has greatly encouraged us not to do so. rebelling against the status quomakes you a threat#bnha#bnha 429#bnha critical

tags from @ignitification

in a conformist society ruled by a single conservative party since the mid 50s... who are the real villains? those who speak out or fight back against inequality and injustice, who rebel against the status quo? or those who say nothing, look away, swallow their frustrations, take the abuse in order to preserve social harmony... and just move on?

i don't like the growing opinion that people are being 'too hard' on deku for his failing to save shigaraki.

i've seen quite a few people complaining that a lot of the bnha-critical crowd are being too mean to deku for getting tomura killed, arguing that it isn't really his fault, and that hes a 16 year old child soldier who's been failed by almost every adult in his life, why should we be putting all of this on his shoulders? hes just a kid after all?

and the truth is, they're right. deku IS a 16 year old boy whos had the fate of the world thrust on his shoulders. but the story itself just plainly refuses to acknowledge this.

the narrative doesn't acknowledge how fucked up having a school that trains literal children how to be combo cop-celebrities is. it only tentatively acknowledges the fact that a universe having combo cop-celebrities is fucked up, and even then the only people who ever point this out are antagonists, who are portrayed and treated in-universe as untrustworthy. the narrative doesn't care how fucked up dekus circumstances are. the narrative treats deku like hes a fucking messiah here to touch the hearts of the evil depressed villains with his magical empathetic heart of gold before they get blown up or just sent to fucking superhell for daring to challenge the status quote.

deku isn't a person. he's barely even a fucking character at this point. he's a plot device, and a mouth piece for the objectively shitty themes bnha is trying to spout. the themes that tell you that if you're mistreated by society and want to do something about it, you're a villain. that disrupting the status quote and refusing to repent to some random teenage boy spouting empty platitudes at you means you deserve to get sent to fucking superhell. the themes that portray people fighting for civil change as mass murdering supervillains. the themes that look the audience dead in the eye and can call deku the greatest hero to ever live.

deku, who barely spared a second thought to lady nagant telling him the truth about the hero commission. who spouts meaningless platitudes about heroism and morality at nagant, and aoyama, and toga and shigaraki, when even the thought that he should question the world around him comes up. who's constantly talked about as this truly kind, empathetic person, but hasn't spared an empathetic thought to literally anyone who is classified as a villain. who listened to every authority figure around him except the ones who asked him to question his worldview. who saw la bravas tears, shigarakis various breakdowns, himikos plead for understanding, chisakis catatonic state, lady nagants truth, and barley batted a fucking eye. deku, who killed tomura shigaraki.

people don't criticize deku for failing shigaraki because they just hate deku. people criticize deku because of what he represents. because hes a mouthpiece for the atrocious morals and themes of this ideologically rotten manga. because any character he had was chopped up to bits in favor of the incomplete husk we have now. people criticize deku because hes the main character of my hero academia. theres nothing more damning then that.

[cheriladycl01]

Would you write a Carlos or Max x reader please where she’s a driver too. They’re always worried about her when she races but they’re not prepared when she gets into a serious crash just running errands to the store. They get a call from her caller ID expecting her to have forgotten something but it’s a police officer or paramedic telling them she’s been in an accident. Thank you!

Is this Mr Sainz? - Carlos Sainz x Driver! Verstappen Reader x (Brother) Max Verstappen

Plot: You get into a car crash when shopping for the first food shop before a race weekend.

You were used to driving, it was literally your job at a professional level as a driver in Formula One driver. And you were good too, having 3 wins under your belt in only your third year in the sport.

Sometimes it felt like you only had your seat because you were a Verstappen, but racing was in your blood and you were becoming just as much of a menance as your brother on track.

You also had your boyfriend Carlos who you’d been dating since you were in F2. You never thoughtyou’d make it as far as F1, but after proving yourself in your F2 season, and not struggling too much without power steering, you were promoted.

Having Carlos and Max on track with you was so fun as you were always teasing and making jokes with each other especially in interviews and on Thursday media days.

Carlos and Max however hated the fact that they had to race you and track an that you were good enough to actually fight for position with the pair of them. They were both pretty worried about you before they got into the car. Once they were on track they both tried to consider you as just another car, but admitidly that was pretty hard.

They never thought about you normally driving… it was such a mundane thing compared to driving round tracks at around 250mph.

“Hello is this Mr Sainz?” the call came through whilst Carlos, Max, Lando, Oscar, Charles and Pierre were all in the hotel lobby just waiting around having drinks and talking. It was your caller ID so Carlos didnt think anything off it when he picked it up to here … well not you on the other end.

You were out, getting some snacks for in the hotel room. Everyone had sent you their orders and you’d gone out by yourself wanting some time alone ahead of the race weekend.

You were walking around the large shop, picking out what was given from the list before heading to the checkout. It was getting kind of late, and it was media day tomorrow so you wanted to go back as soon as possible.

“Hi, how are you?” You smile at check out lady who looks shocked to see you before starting to scan your items.

“I’m okay! How are you?” she asks back still looking over you in shock and you try not to chuckle at her reaction.

“I’m pretty good, just shopping for some snacks for my friends. This was the nearest place, its really nice in here” you smile as you take the items off her and pack them into one of your reusable bags.

“That’s gonna set you back $82.52” she says, her American accent coming through. You smile and shake your head.

“On snacks, my god I forgot how many people I was buying for” you chuckle handing over your black card and putting the food back into the trolley.

“Thank you so much! You’ve been so helpful!” you smile before you walk outside going to the car you had rented and loading up the boot of the car.

“Yes this is he” he says with a confused look, furrowing across his brows as he glances a the group who are also looking over to him.

“You are listed here as the emerency contact for a Y/N Verstappen yes?” the voice asks and Carlos feels his heart skip a beat. He looked over to Max, who was now chatting and joking around with Lando.

“Hold for one second please” he says before muting the call.

“Max, come outside. Now…” Carlos says gruffy, before walking outside to a quiet area where there arent any people to interrupt.

“Yes I am the emergency contact for Y/N Verstappen” Carlos sighs and Max freezes.

“She’s been in an accident and we are requesting you and a Max Vertsappen, her second emergency contact at he hospital immedielty” he explains and Max and Carlos share a look.

“What happened?” Max asks, a pause from the officer slighty confused at the different accent change.

“Whos this?”

“I’m her brother Max Vertsappen” he says, his tone cold.

“Well, it looks like she was coming back from the shops and a drunk driver ran through a red light and went into the side of her car crossing the road. She’s in surgery right now but that’s all i can confirm right now” he offers and tears build up in Carlos’ eyes. Max is sort of frozen in shock before he shakes himself out of it.

“We’ll be there as soon as possible, St David’s I’m guessing?” he asks and gets cofirmation from the officer before hanging up Carlos’ phone for him.

“Carlos come on” Max says pulling at his fellow drivers wrist who is now the frozen one with a blank look on his face.

“I-“ he starts but cant say anything.

“Carlos come on, this cant wait!” Max exclaims before the older man wakes himself up from his daze and follows Max to the lobby where their friends are waiting.

“Can one of you drive us to the hospital, we’re both to irratic to be behind the wheel right now” Max asks, looking at everyone who’d stopped their convrsations the minute the absent duo had come back in.

“What? What’s happened are you. okay?” Charles asks standing up.

“It’s Y/N she got into a car crash, drunk driver or something and she’s in the hospital right now” Carlos explains to the group.

“I’ll drive!” Lando agrees quickly, before taking them out to his McLaren, Carlos sat next to him while Max sat in the back.

“Whoever did this is going to pay” Max spits out angrily, tapping against the back of Lando’s seat.

“She’ll be okay, she’s like the strongest person i know” Lando replies looking in the rear view mirror at Max before concentrating back on the road.

They get to the hospital in record time running into the emergency department trying to look for Y/N.

“I’m going to go get some flowers and chocolate for her, you guys let me know the room shes in yeah?” Lando says knowing that they just want to ask and see how she is.

They nod the younger driver off before hounding the receptionist with questions.

“Is Y/N Verstappen here?” Carlos asks.

“She was in a car crash, an officer said she was in surgery?” Max asks.

“She’s an F1 Driver has her team been informed about the accident, what about her family?” Carlos asks.

“Slow down. I unfortunaltley dont have the answer to any of those questions but the first. She’s here, I’m not sure if she’s out of surgry yet but I will. page her doctor to come see you both. Please in the meantime take a seat” she directs them to the smaller and more privte waiting area.

Carlos takes a seat first his head in his hands while Max starts to make calls to his mum and dad and ther sister letting them know what was going on and telling them the limited knowlege he had on the situation.

In the time they’d been waiting, it had gotten out to h general public that you’d been in a car crash and articles and posts had been made online regarding the situation.

“For Y/N Verstappen?” a lady calls in a longwhite coat clipbaord in hand. Carlos’ head lifts up from his hands and he steps up towards the lady as Max hangs up.

“Yes?” Max asks looking over to the doctor.

“Your sister Y/N is out of surgery, it was hard work but she’ll make a full recovery in time. She’s a fighter and we really thought we’d lost her for a second. She’s asleep right now but you can visit” she smiles offering to guide them through the area.

“Thank you” Carlos’ cries pulling Max in for a hug, leaning agaisnt his shoulder before they follow the doctor through to your room.

You were asleep on the hospital bed, some wires and other medical tech strapped up to you and Max never thought he’d see you like this, he’s prayed you’d never ever be in this situation. He hated seeing you, looking so fragile and vulnerable.

Eventually your anesthetic wore off and you were woken up to voices lightly talking and rays of sun bursting through the window. The first thing you notice is how relaxed your body is. Not that you knew right now but the morphine you were on for pain was making you very woozy.

“Mmmmmm” you groan as you try to move.

“Hey baby” you hear lightly from next to you, your eyes fluttering open to meet your boyfriends.

“Hi Carlos” you smile soflty looking at him and the worried look on his face.

That’s when yourmind becomes a little less fuzzy and you realsise you are neither at home or in the hotel.

“You were in a car crash, you had us worried” you hear your brother admit.

“Mmmm Max?” you asklooking around the room seeing the various flowers and cards and noticing it was a hospital room.

“We’re here” he smiles coming to stand the other side of the bed.

“We’ll always be here for you” Carlos adds, holding your hand.

Taglist:

@littlebitchsposts @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @daemyratwst @lauralarsen @the-untamed-soul @thewulf @itsjustkhaos @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @summissss @gulphulp @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhhhh @georgeparisole @youcannotcancelquidditch @tallbrownhairsarcastic @ourteenagetragedy @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @eiraethh @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @dark-night-sky-99 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @laneyspaulding19 @malynn @viennakarma @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @yourbane @teamnovalak @nikfigueiredo @fionaschicken @0picels0 @tinydeskwriter @ironmaiden1313 @splaterparty0-0 @formula1mount

[timegnosticproductions]

Ghosts: BBC vs CBS

It’s been almost a month since I finished BBC’s Ghosts, and I cannot stop thinking about it. It has quickly become one of my favourite TV shows. I watched the US-American version first because it had been plaguing my TikTok FYP. It was a fine show, but it didn’t have the grip the BBC version currently has on me.

This is an exploration of why I found UK Ghosts to be a much more compelling story than US Ghosts, even if they are “the same show”.

DISCLAIMER: There will be spoilers for both shows.

The Main Couple

Underappreciated in both shows, let’s begin with the two livings: Alison and Mike, and Sam and Jay.

Sam and Jay feel, to me, like they just spawned at the beginning of the show. They aren’t people, with lives before the fragments we see, which will continue after the show ends. Sam is the biggest offender of the two. Where are her friends from before she moved to Woodstone Manor? I would understand if she didn’t have any friends over, and we also have to consider that the US is massive compared to the UK, and her friends might live on the other side of the country. But not one call? No facetime? Not even one text message? And let me be clear: I don’t want this to be a show about her living friends, and I don’t need them to be characters in the show, but do Sam and Jay have to be completely cut off from the real world?

Alison and Mike, on the other hand, have a friend group, and when these friends play a role in an episode, the focus is still on the ghosts’ reactions. They don’t distract from the main characters, while still making Alison and Mike feel more grounded in reality.

Character moments vs. cheap jokes

I’m not the first person to point this out, and I certainly won’t be the last, but it’s still worth saying: why would you change a ghost’s powers from Mary reliving the moment of her death, being “burned at the stake” again, and subsequently making the living people that have passed through her smell the burning of the fire that killed her, to a fart joke. Isaac’s life/death is tragic, but his ghost power being “fart” get’s really exhausting really quickly.

Ghost lore

Expanding on ghost powers, let’s talk about the other ghosts. This point, I realise, is less black and white and more about personal preference rather than bad writing. I like that Ghosts (UK) doesn’t always directly answer the viewer’s questions about the afterlife. Some ghosts have powers, and some don’t and the ones that don’t aren’t searching for them. Mary gets “sucked off” but we don’t know what comes next.

In the US version, however, there is explicitly a hell and a heaven, and Elias comes back from hell to tell us what happens there.

That is one of the many charms of the UK version, the uncertainty. What comes next? I don’t want to know.

I also think it helps the emotional punch of Mary’s death (re-death, moving on? idk) land better. If one of the CBS ghosts were to die, the grieving wouldn’t be as devastating, because we know what comes next, and how could we be sad when a character has, certainly, gone to heaven? It could still be made into an interesting episode, maybe exploring the other ghosts’ (especially the older ones) jealousy, who also want to get “sucked off”. Still, I much prefer the uncertainty of Mary’s death (would also very much like to see a main character from the US version move on, just because I would like to see how they handle it when it isn’t a fake out like with Flower).

Found family vs. pair the spares

CBS’s Ghosts has an obsession with romance, to the point where it is quite frankly absurd.

You know when in a fandom there is a four-person friend group (or other even number) and two of those characters are in a really popular ship, so the fandom decides to ship the other two characters together as if they couldn’t be happily single, or aromantic, or whatever? (Author’s note: yes, aromantic people can still date, doesn’t take away from my point.) Yeah, I feel like that watching CBS’s Ghosts. Some characters are single, but I still think there is too much of a focus on romance/sex, with Flower and Thor, Isaac and Nigel, Hetty and Trevor, Pete and Alberta/Donna since he discovered his ghost power, and I’m sure when the series is over I will have more examples. Maybe, if these couples had more chemistry and were properly set up, I wouldn’t be so hard on them, but my point still stands.

Both shows try to pull off the found family angle, but only one of them succeeds. You can’t call it a found family if your only “family dynamic” is “romantic relationship”, that’s just a regular friend group. The Captain and Kitty’s father-daughter relationship is one of my favourite things about the original, and I also love Julian being a sort of mentor to Alison in all things scheming. It can even be played for laughs, with Robin being the “family dog”. None of this charm is carried over to the US-American version, and I really, really wish it was, because it has made me fall in love with the BBC’s version.

Pacing

You know, for a show with 20-ish episodes per season instead of six, you’d think they could take more than an episode to develop a storyline properly. Let’s take a closer look at two storylines that appear in both shows.

Firstly, the one with Alison’s/Sam’s long-lost sister. In the BBC’s version, this is a season-long arch, and it is not solely centred around uncovering whether she is lying, but also discussing Kitty’s jealousy and possessiveness over Alison; and Alison’s deep desire for a family, and how the ghosts have become that for her. And, generally, it makes you believe that Alison would believe the lie, and wouldn’t see the holes in the story, because she just really wanted a sister. Sam’s story plays almost the same but is reduced to a single episode. I know it is the classic sitcom formula, things must return to the status quo by the end of the episode. Still, I wish it wasn’t so rushed.

Secondly, the Captain(s) coming out. In both shows, the queerness of these characters is very obvious, but in the UK version, coming to terms with his queerness and learning to express his feelings is the core of his character. However, the US version takes this in another direction, placing more importance on the budding relationship between Isaac and Nigel (see: my point about this version’s obsession with romance). The UK version is hardly subtle, but compared to the US version… I wouldn’t be so angry if they hadn’t decided to undo their development by having Isaac leave Nigel at the altar.

Bad people vs. bad characters

This discussion should extend beyond Ghosts and into literature/art in general. To quote Oscar Wilde, “It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.” A character being a bad person doesn’t mean they are a bad character, those two qualities can coexist, but don’t always come together. CBS’s Ghosts seems wary of making any of the characters bad people. BBC’s Ghosts doesn’t have this problem. Julian (the equivalent to Trevor in the CBS version) is a bad person, especially at the beginning of the show. And he is probably my favourite character. He died of a heart attack while cheating on his wife, he didn’t bother to take care of his daughter and he attempted to kill Alison, which ultimately resulted in her being able to see ghosts. He is not nice, and the show doesn’t want you to think that. And you watch him grow throughout the series and it is great.

None of the characters in the US version are bad. This is mostly just a pet peeve of mine, but I do think it makes things much more static. Everyone in this version is just too nice. And too excited about everything. Why is Sam so onboard with the ghosts? Why is she never annoyed with them? And why do they never talk over each other? Do they never get tired of each other? I mean, some of them have been “living” together for centuries!

This topic in particular is something I want to write about more extensively, looking at other shows and fandom perception and that kind of stuff, so I’m going to cut myself here.

Conclusion

I don’t think that CBS’s Ghosts is, like, the worst show ever, it just doesn’t live up to its predecessor. That was just, from my point of view, a really high bar. There is one thing I think it does better than its BBC counterpart, and that is Jay’s relationship with the Ghosts (as opposed to Mike’s), which is to say, he actually has one.

So, yes, CBC’s Ghosts has lots of issues that may come from adapting the story for an American audience, or may just be lousy writing. Either way, I still enjoy it, although the episodes are definitely harder to get through.

[morlock-holmes]

A pointless, overly long, barely edited review of White Fragility

Well that book sucked.

The end I guess.

OK honestly the process of reading White Fragility was incredibly draining, I started out annoyed, then became amused and fascinated by Robin DiAngelo’s peculiar definition of “Individualism”, then got annoyed and angry again, then just… drained. It’s an exhausting book.

As I try to put my feelings out there I’m having trouble linking them together coherently but this book is just so exhausting that the idea of editing this and doing several passes is just draining to think about. So here are some scattered thoughts:

Before anything else, it’s just not well written or edited

White Fragility is very repetitive, ambling, and just kind of… not very well arranged in general. It’s clear that the book desperately needed a proper editor, or maybe it didn’t, since it became incredibly successful despite everything wrong with it. Here’s an example I’ve already mentioned. 

Towards the end of the first part of the book, DiAngelo puts together a list of a “common set of racial patterns” that are “the foundation of white fragility” and one of the bullets on that list reads,

“Wanting to jump over the hard, personal work and get to ‘solutions’”

Not once, anywhere in the preceding 111 pages or the succeeding 128 is the idea expanded on in any way whatsoever.

And it’s a truly baffling statement if you don’t expand on it. Why are solutions somehow opposed to “hard, personal work”? Is hard, personal work not part of a solution to some problem? If not why are we doing it?

The whole book has a similarly sloppy vibe; there’s very little factual information inside and what ideas there are are explained very badly.

A Christian apology for non-Christians

The more I read of White Fragility the more it seemed to me to have in common with badly written Christian apologia.

First off, modern, right-wing American Christian religious material often contains a sort of confusion that anybody could respond badly to the Gospels. After all, the good news of Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection is both obviously factually true AND self-evidently good news, but somehow when you go out and preach the gospels, non-believers will often act with derision or anger.

And there is a certain kind of Christian who will respond to that anger, not by considering that there might be factual or moral objections to the gospel, but by essentially asking, “What kind of bizarre psychological condition would cause somebody to get angry about something that is obviously true and obviously good?”

This is an ongoing thread in DiAngelo’s writing, starting with the introduction,

“In the early days of my work as what was then termed a diversity trainer, I was taken aback by how angry and defensive so many white people became at the suggestion that they were connected to racism in any way…

“I couldn’t understand their resentment or disinterest in learning more about such a complex social dynamic as racism. These reactions were especially perplexing when there were few or no people of color in their workplace, and they had the opportunity to learn from my cofacilitators(sic) of color. I assumed that in these circumstances, an educational workshop on racism would be appreciated. After all, didn’t the lack of diversity indicate a problem or at least suggest some perspectives were missing?”

Well gosh, why wouldn’t these people be excited to hear about all the things they’ve been doing wrong? Truly a mystery.

Secondly, most of the arguments DiAngelo makes are made very sloppily, and are only really convincing if you have already been well-convinced. To demonstrate this I would essentially have to just quote the whole book to you, but for an example see the bit above about wanting to jump over hard personal work. You and I have spent too much time in the fever swamp, we can guess what she means from cultural context, but she never explains it.

Third, as others have pointed out white supremacy in this book takes on the qualities of sin in Christian theology. All of us white people, simply by virtue of growing up in a white supremacist society, are racist. This isn’t really proven so much as assumed. 

You might assume that in Christian circles the fact that everybody is a sinner might level out hierarchies. After all, the Pastor is as much a sinner as you are.

But in many cases there is this kind of passive-aggressive jiujitsu. Oh, sure, the pastor sinned, but why should we criticize him when all men are sinners? Aren’t you failing to practice the virtue of forgiveness? 

Oh, what’s that, you did something bad? Well that’s a different story. It sounds like you haven’t been really giving yourself over to God. Maybe we haven’t been doing enough to help stop you from sinning. You should talk to the pastor and really think about where you’ve been going wrong, and of course we would just be enabling you if we didn’t call you out publicly, it’s an opportunity for growth on your part, and of course if you disagree with how we think you should atone, that's just further evidence of your sinfulness.

Anyway, speaking of passive-aggression:

The Passive-Aggressive style in Woke Politics

Robin DiAngelo comes off as one of the most passive-aggressive people I have ever read. And also, ironically, one of the most clueless people I have ever seen when it comes to the most basic aspects of ordinary human psychology.

Here, have some examples:

“I am typically received well when speaking in general terms–for example, ‘Your requirement that applicants have an advanced degree rather than equivalent experience is automatically disqualifying some of the applicants that could bring the perspectives and experiences you say you are looking for.’ Yet when I point out a concrete moment in the room in which someone’s racism is manifesting itself, white fragility erupts.”

Oh, what, seriously? When you say, “We all need to try harder to improve at this” people agree, but when you go, “Especially you Greg” Greg somehow becomes defensive? Crazy!

“For example, in a conversation about racism, when white people say that they work in a diverse environment or that they have people of color in their family, they are giving me their evidence that they are not racist. If this is their evidence, how are they defining racism?”

I mean… Literally the same way you do? DiAngelo talks extensively about how white people don’t understand racism because we often have very few interracial friendships or relationships. Like a lot. Like it’s one of the major themes of the book and, in her mind, one of the major sources of white fragility.

I mean, imagine you are talking to someone, and you go, “See, here’s the thing that people who have never been to Cleveland don’t understand” they might respond with “Oh, actually I was born in Cleveland and spent the first twenty years of my life there” and their reasons for doing so are so incredibly obvious and natural that it’s kind of hard to even articulate them. Like… yeah of course if you tell a room that they don’t understand racism because of their shallow relationships with people of color, fucking of course the people who have deep relationships with people of color are going to bring it up!

“White people are receptive to my presentation as long as it remains abstract. The moment I name some racially problematic dynamic or action happening in the room in the moment–for example, ‘Sharon, may I give you some feedback? While I understand it wasn’t intentional, your response to Jason’s story invalidates his experience as a black man’--white fragility erupts. Sharon defensively explains that she was misunderstood and then angrily withdraws, while others run in to defend her by re-explaining ‘what she really meant.’”

Sharon, let me stop you right there. Can I just take a moment to completely ignore the substance of what you just said, while pointing out that you are objectively annoying to the people around you?

“When another police shooting of an unarmed black man occurred, my workplace called for an informal lunch gathering of people who wanted to connect and find support. Just before the gathering, a woman of color pulled me aside and told me she wanted to attend but she was ‘in no mood for white women’s tears today’ I assured her that I would handle it. As the meeting started, I told my fellow white participants that if they felt moved to tears, they should please leave the room. I would go with them for support, but I asked that they not cry in the mixed group. After the discussion, I spent the next hour explaining to a very outraged white woman why she was asked not to cry in the presence of people of color.”

Hi, thanks for coming to our meeting where we coworkers can support each other and connect. Before we start, I just want to tell Donna, Tammy, Jim and Bob that your coworkers don’t really want to support you too much, so if you need support please go somewhere else and get it from people other than your coworkers.

Look, I get it, that black lady finds the idea of comforting some distraught white woman in the aftermath of a black man being shot absurd. Maybe don’t handle that in the most ham-handed way imaginable though?

I want you to reimagine some of these scenarios as though they were addressing a less politically fraught issue than racism. In order to do that, we need something with the following qualities:

It is often unintentional;

The people who do it are often unaware that they are doing it;

It is genuinely difficult for others to live with and should probably be corrected because of that;

There is a social stigma to it so people feel embarrassed when called out for it.

I think having really bad body odor is the perfect analogue. But can you fucking imagine some of these if that’s what we were talking about?

Imagine somebody saying, “When I say that proper hygiene is important as a way to respect your fellow employees, I get broad agreement, but when I publicly point out that a particular person has bad BO and many of their coworkers have complained, instead of being grateful for the feedback, they often get angry or defensive”

That person would be a monster!

The dirty secret of Robin DiAngelo and her ilk is that as much as they talk about “systemic racism” they really think of racism primarily as an interpersonal problem.

Here’s another quote, “The dominant paradigm of racism as discrete, individual, intentional, and malicious acts makes it unlikely that whites will acknowledge any of our actions as racism.”

I mean… All the examples I just cited above involve DiAngelo calling out discrete, individual, intentional acts. I guess sometimes the discrete, individual, intentional acts are non-malicious.

That’s the kind of central hypocrisy and profoundly passive-aggressive style of this kind of discourse. You call out a specific person for a specific act in a very public way, and then, if they get defensive, you can talk about how sad it is that when you told them that the specific thing that they personally did was bad, they didn’t realize you were just talking about systemic racism and it’s awfully silly that they are getting so defensive when all you are talking about is systemic problems, not individual faults.

DiAngelo often talks about how whites need to be less sensitive because we are not in any danger, but, like, most of the concrete problems she addresses aren’t dangerous to black people either.

Which brings me to the last section,

What is the goddamned point of all this?

DiAngelo constantly talks about the absence of cross-racial relationships between blacks and whites, but never really addresses the question of why the hell a black person would want to be friends with a white person. Honestly it sounds like it sucks; we’re all racist. Frankly I don’t see what we bring to the table other than an endless parade of microaggressions and neuroses that could just be avoided altogether by sticking to making friends with your fellow minorities.

A couple of people responding to my blog have called the book racist against whites but that’s not quite right, there’s also this bizarre sort of… Apologizing for how much better off we are then everybody else. It’s taken as basically a given that black people all wish they had the position that we do, but we just don’t let them and they’ll never get it unless we shape up and learn to give it to them.

There’s a tremendous amount of guilt but it’s combined with a massive self-absorption. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that for DiAngelo, the entire world revolves around whites and our conception of ourselves. And I mean that literally:

“...[W]hite supremacy is circulated globally. This powerful ideology promotes the idea of whiteness as the ideal of humanity well beyond the West…

“In his book The Racial Contract, Charles W. Mills argues that the racial contract is a tacit and sometimes explicit agreement among members of the peoples of Europe to assert, promote, and maintain the ideal of white supremacy in relation to all other people of the world. This agreement is an intentional and integral characteristic of the social contract, underwriting all other social contracts.”

Like… All of them? Like relations between China and the Democratic Republic of Congo are underwritten by the belief in white supremacy? White supremacy is in fact integral to the politcal relationship between those two countries?

One of the things I wondered when reading the book was why on earth DiAngelo gets paid so much money to consult. In her telling there are two forces, a white supremacist overclass dedicated to ignoring and minimizing evidence of systemic racism and a minority underclass which is nearly helpless in the face of white supremacy. Which of these groups is paying her five figure speaking fees?

Anyway to continue that quote, 

“Mills describes white supremacy as ‘the unnamed politcal system that has made the world what is is today.’”

I mean… I feel like it has a name. It’s named white supremacy. Robin DiAngelo wrote a best-selling book about it that people only bought because they already agree about it existing and being really, really important.

Hey, so, how does Tammy from HR crying about the police shooting a black teenager maintain a global white hegemony that undergirds literally all other social forces?

One thing, at least, that made me glad that I finished the book was seeing DiAngelo state overtly something that I feel has been implicit on much American thinking about race lately:

“When white people ask me what to do about racism and white fragility, the first thing I ask is, ‘What has enabled you to be a full, educated, professional adult and not know what to do about racism?’...”

Uh… You’re asking me how I graduated college without knowing how to upend a massive collusion between every nation in Europe that undergirds all of global politics and economics?

I mean I didn’t actually graduate, maybe “Overturning the entire global paradigm 101” was one of the classes I didn’t get around to.

“If we take that question seriously and map out all the ways we have come to not know what to do, we will have our guide before us. For example, if my answer is that I was not educated about racism, I know that I will have to get educated. If my answer is that I do not know people of color, I will need to build relationships. If it is because there are no people of color in my environment, I will need to get out of my comfort zone and change my environment, addressing racism is not without effort…”

Hey, yeah, but what about the part where I make minimum wage and probably can’t even overthrow Luxemburg, let alone all of Europe?

“Next, I say, ‘Do whatever it takes for you to internalize the above assumptions’ I believe that if we white people were truly coming from these assumptions, not only would our interpersonal relationships change, but so would our institutions. Our institutions would change because we would see to it that they would.”

This is exactly what I have been saying seems to be the dominant belief in America today. If we just teach Sharon from accounting to stop talking over her black co-workers, if Sharon internalizes exactly the right ideas about white supremacy from exactly the right corporate consultants, eventually, once we get our heads straight, there will be a kind of spontaneous eruption of will which will end racism forever.

From talking to more right-wing acquaintances I have come to the belief that many of them essentially agree with that premise. That racism sort of emerges as a kind of spontaneous emanation of wrong-think, and once we have used social pressure and the threat of being fired to get everybody to say the correct things about racism, racism will vanish.

And so the debate in America is no longer about policy; we don’t believe in a racial policy. The debate is about how we ought to talk about racism, with the parties disagreeing on what kind of talk will ultimately cause racism to disappear.

Do we solve police shootings by hiring a diversity consultant to tell the employees of our tech firm about white fragility, or should we hire a different consultant to teach them about color-blindness and treating people as equals?

[nenelonomh]

skincare practices

skincare refers to the practice of maintaining and improving the health and appearance of your skin. this post is a guide on where to start!

having a routine (starting with simple practices)

cleanser: begin and end your day by washing your face with a gentle, sulphate-free cleanser. even if your skin feels clean, this step removes any impurities.

moisturizer: apply a fragrance-free moisturizer twice a day. hydration is crucial for maintaining a healthy skin barrier.

sunscreen: protect your skin from uv damage by using a mineral- or chemical-based sunscreen with at least spf 30. apply it in the morning.

skin types

there are 5 primary skin types, each with unique characteristics and needs.

normal skin is balanced and not too oily or dry. it's like the goldilocks of skin types! maintain it with a gentle routine. if your skin is generally normal, opt for a lotion. as you age, consider switching to a cream-based moisturizer for added hydration.

dry skin lacks hydration, feels tight, and may have flakiness. opt for richer moisturizers with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides. for dry skin, skip lotions and go for creams or ointments. these provide more moisture and help preserve water in the skin.

oily skin produces excess oil, especially in the t-zone (forehead, nose, and chin). use lightweight, oil-free products and consider salicylic acid for acne-prone areas. if you’re prone to oiliness, choose a light gel-based moisturizer to avoid clogging pores.

combination skin is a mix of oily and dry areas. focus on balancing - light moisturizers for oily zones and richer ones for dry areas. treat your face as two zones. moisturize the dry areas and skip the oily ones. remember to look for spf 30 or higher for sun protection!

sensitive skin is prone to redness, irritation, and reaction. choose fragrance-free, hypoallergenic products and patch-test any new products.

common skincare mistakes

skipping sunscreen. sunscreen is non-negotiable! protect your skin from uv damage by using spf 30 or higher daily. if you live in a sunny environment, make sure to reapply before you go outside!

not cleansing before bed: properly cleanse your face before sleeping. it removes dirt, makeup, excess oil, and pollution remnants, preventing breakouts and maintaining healthy skin.

sleeping with makeup on. gross! no! remove your makeup before you go to bed to prevent clogged pores and skin irritation.

using too many products. overloading with products can overwhelm your skin, so learn how to simplify your routine. additionally, using products that are not right for your skin may have negative effects - creating more issues instead of solving them.

overusing acne products. be gentle with acne treatments. overuse can lead to dryness and irritation.

using harsh products. avoid aggressive ingredients that strip your skin. opt for gentle formulations.

remember - healthy skin starts with mindful habits.

further reading

understanding skin - skin types and conditions | eucerin

what are skin types? | verywellhealth ↑ this link has a 'determining your skin type' section

how to pick the right moisturizer for your skin | american academy of dermatology association

combination skin care (youtube video) | dr. aanchal md

how to build a skincare routine for beginners | arizona dermatology

skin care: 5 tups for healthy skin | mayo clinic

end notes

thank you for reading! i get a lot of skincare practice asks, so i figured it was about time i had a good response.

as always - if you're troubled by your skin take yourself to see a professional. they are specially trained to help you with your problems. this post will only be able to share with you what i have researched. definitely have a look into some of the 'further reading' links - it's so important to learn about (and determine your skin type).

if you'd like to have a look at more of my skincare posts, check out 'how to reduce acne - and what is acne?' and 'how to properly wash your face'. feel free to send any questions to my ask box!

❤️nene

[jovianwishes]

Hetalia and the myth of the Dutch independence war: a mini essay/rant

One thing I often see go by in the Hetalia fandom is the notion that the 80 years war/the Dutch Revolt was an independence war against the Spanish and solely that, sort of American Revolution style. This is not surprising, since for many years, over two hundred, this notion has been pushed and propagandized here in the Netherlands. But, modern historians are now pushing a different view on the 80 years war: the independence of the Dutch Republic was completely accidental and not the intended goal.

Ever since I began studying history in university this has been quite a special interest of mine. So I'd like to shed some more light on this new look at the 80 years war and why it actually makes complete sense. First of all: before the 80 years war there was no interest or idea that the Dutch provinces form 1 nation together. In fact, all the provinces, and especially the cities, were highly independent ever since the beginning of the middle ages. They all had their own identities, coin and even language sometimes. These provinces (which by the way, were their own countries (editors note: with which i actually mean duchies, counties, bishoprics, etc) but for ease I'm calling them provinces) and cities have centuries of history with each other as allies, rivals, and sometimes even conquerer. In generally, none of them really liked the other. The concept of a united Low Lands came *solely* from the top, from those that colonized the provinces (e.g. the Habsburgers, but before that as well with the Burgundy's).

The 80 years war started because the Spanish king began taking away the rights of cities and provinces, began taxing them heavily and started imposing trails against non-catholics. After peaceful negotiation didn't work, riots began breaking out in the south, in what is now Belgium (back then kind of the southern Dutch provinces). These riots formed a reaction that went all the way to the north of the Dutch provinces. Then the Spanish send in troops and the 80 years war was truly kicked off. Before I continue, it is also good to mention that some consider the 80 years war a civil war, which indeed had it's merits. Not all provinces and cities were in agreement with each other (in the contrary...) and religious differences caused a lot of tension within the rebellion.

So as I said, modern historians are in agreement with each other that until the last few years, there was no real interest in forming one country. The (northern and southern) provinces wanted to regain their rights, lower taxes and have religious freedom, that was their goal. The forerunner of the 'have the provinces become one country' party was William of Orange, an important noble who, although he was symbolic the figure head of the fighting Dutch provinces, did not achieve anything of what he wanted before he died. So, in the later stages of war (and, it is good to mention here that the war was not one monolith - it was a long series of conflicts stretching out many years), there came a slow realisation that the only way to win was to unite. And eventually, that is what happened. What follows was a true "Golden Age" for the Dutch Republic but also a time of *extreme* political unrest - the Republic was honestly constantly on the brink of falling apart because again, no province could agree with each other.

Anyways, I want to end this way too long post with saying that you're not wrong for depicting the 80 years war as an independence war. It's a notion that has been pushed for many years, but I would like people to consider a different way of looking at the NL. A way that considers that the provinces were just like the HRE: a collection of countries with long histories that deserve to have their own story told. I personally, in Hetalia, consider all the provinces their own personifications. Ned is for me the personification of the "Low Lands", an imagined community of trading and fighting provinces that would love to stab each other's hearts out and then steal their gold, hahah. Oh, and also, people need to remember that Belgium was an incredibly important factor in the 80 years war. The Belgian provinces, which back then were just the southern Dutch provinces, helped enormously in the fight against the Spanish but eventually they were too weak to hold up. Anyways, thanks for reading!

[stormblessed95]

Hi Storm! It might seem a shady question, but it's just curiosity: have you ever disapproved of something the boys did or said, or felt that something wasn't exactly your cup of tea?

I'm thinking about the fact that even between the closest and most affectionate friends disagreements can happen, and that it can happen also with idols, actors etc; I'm thinking about the recent declarations of Jackson Wang, and on a more personal note of a disagreement I had with one of my best friends. It never happens, and then it happens, and I was wondering if you ever felt like this towards BTS, since I think you have a cool and rational perspective on things and you aren't one of those fans that follow blindly their myths.

Personally, I don't have any issues with BTS, and even if I think about some wrong stuff like the misogynistic lyrics Namjoon wrote when he was very young, I also think about his mature and responsible reaction, and how he addressed clearly the issue for what it was without trying to sweep it under the rug. He held himself accountable, a thing that can be hard, so it was worthy of respect in my opinion.

About what is or isn't my cup of tea, I think I feel less of a connection with Taehyung, but this doesn't mean I don't find him quite funny, or adorable or smart, at times. It just means I feel less drawn to him and more towards other members. I think it means he's not my bias? I still don't really use the terminology 😅

I made these two examples in hope you see this question as sincere and not as a provocative one: I adore BTS, I just think they're humans and deserving to be treated as such.

Hi, BTS are humans and they are not infallible. Of course that's okay to talk about, as long as the conversation is respectful, which you have been and I appreciate. Yes, there have definitely been things they've done that I haven't liked. Most honestly that I think they've grown and learned from though honestly too. Because they are geniunely good people.

In their early years, they did have some issues with cultural appropriation with their use of black culture in, probably an effort to be more hip hop, but just ended up being inappropriate. As well as some issues with cultural appropriation for Native American Cultures as well. Some hairstyles they (all) did, using AAVE a few times in an earlier interview in not a great way, some not great comments about not wanting to be "too tan." And honestly, mostly after 2015, they grew up a lot and things got better and they seemed to learn. There haven't really been any similar type issues that I know of and they are in general, much more sensitive and culturally aware. Especially considering the world wide stage they now stand on. And while I fully appreciate their growth and respect it, doesn't make me not cringe and some old photos of theirs at times too. (Although there also isn't as many instances as antis like to pretend there are) But it's not an issue for them currently. And Namjoon even apologized for his past actions in cultural appropriation during an interview before too and made a log video with an apology later as well too. A very sincere one. Similar to his apology for any participation he had in misogyny with his lyrics. Fully owning up to it and growing.

I also, and this is the only one that is still something that is hard for me sometimes, hate how entrenched they are in diet culture. And I know a lot of that has to do with how they were raised and probably lowkey traumatized in the kpop industry where that is a HUGE deal. But while they are professionals, and they do have staff and med staff and trainers with them to help make these sometimes unhealthy choices to be healthier. They do have a lot of people who look up to them and I sometimes wish they would be able to help preach a healthier relationship/mindset with food and with body positivity towards themselves. I do think they have gotten BETTER about this, but it's still prevalent. I don't necessarily fault them for it at all either. Because it's an industry thing and self love is a continuous and constant journey. I actually have an ask about this topic too that I've been sitting on and trying to figure out how to best answer that and I'll get into it more then, or maybe I won't and I'll keep my answer more general. It depends on how much I think I actually have to say about it all. Lol I'm not REALLY wanting to open these topics up for debate or discussion really as I don't think there is anything that can be added here and be a productive conversation.

The misogyny issues brought up were never ones I personally found offensive, but that's just me and I know other people can feel differently about that as well. And that's okay.

Overall though, they are geniunely good people, tend to make good decisions, and geniunely care about people, the world, their fans, each other, etc. I trust them, I also trust them to make good decisions for themselves and those around them and as examples to the world. I trust them to learn and grow from any mistakes. And I trust them to do what's right for them and trust in them as good hearted people, because they really are. Hopefully that all makes sense and this is taken and received well, as I mean it to be. Love them all so dearly. And love yall. Thanks for the ask 💜

[tacticalvalor]

«────── « HEADCANON » ──────»

The Resident Evil brainrot has been real lately, but especially for Ashley. She's such an underrated character in my opinion, and it's sad we don't see her again after RE4. That said, we also don't know a lot about her prior to the events of RE4, and I'd like to tune y'all into my thought process regarding her characterization on the blog.

TW/CW for: Kidnapping, Emotional Neglect, Brief Mentions of Rape

These thoughts come from interpreting both the og RE4 dossiers and the RE4RE dossiers, as the former gives a clear cut explanation to things, and the latter gives a more in-depth expansion on these notes.

One thing that I really think is a huge part of Ashley's characterization is the fact that she comes from a privileged background.

Considering her father was able to secure a seat as the POTUS for two back-to-back terms, we can assume he's had an extensive political career prior. And, if we look at most American politicians, they tend to have privileged backgrounds. Familial wealth, access to higher education, etc. As for Graham himself, his backstory is giving… George W. Bush. I mean:

Quite literally, both served terms from 2000 to 2004.

Both assumed the presidency during a slew of domestic and foreign challenges.

Both were in the presidency when 9/11 happened (yes, that is canon to the RE verse).

Both kick started the "War on Terror" as a result, though Graham's focus shifted to BOWs instead (which that being said, it's still bullshit because we know the WoT was just an excuse for acquiring oil and slaughtering Islamic people).

Then, on top of that, Graham was actively covering up the Raccoon City incident and working WITH the Umbrella Corporation during the Raccoon Trials (striking deals with Wesker for information). And I'm sure similar happened during the Bush presidency, but I'm not versed in that too much… outside the WoT.

But anyway, back to Ashley.

Her father is a career politician. Her mother is… dead, and he never remarried, so I don't imagine she's had a lot of emotional support entering her teen years. And coming from a background like hers, it's not unlikely that when she has opened up about how she feels, she's met with adversity. The whole "You have wealth/everything, you literally have nothing to complain about" argument. Which I get, as someone who's like… very much barely making end's meet. And as a result of that, I'm sure she's developed this mindset where she feels guilty for having these "weaknesses" (which I use the term loosely, because wanting meaningful emotional connections is not a weakness).

Then, on top of that… Kind of examining the fanbase's reactions to her appearance (which is meta and outside of universe, but still), and the fact it was the early 2000s, it's probably also not a stretch to assume that Ashley had to mature quickly as a conventionally attractive person in a position of status. Any attempts at establishing a meaningful emotional connection, outside of being met with adversity, were most likely met with manipulation. An expectation that she had to give herself (re: her body) to men to make up for her sensitivity. She was mature because she had "appeal" to give. And that's just a reality for so many women, back then and to this day. We see that mentality both in RE4 and RE4RE, because Ashley's like… go-to in response to Leon's efforts to help her is to flirt. To play it up a bit and make moves that she thinks he would like (to which he leans into a bit, but ultimately sets that boundary with her that he doesn't want or expect that from her).

So with that in mind… I want to shift to the actual kickstarting event of this all: The kidnapping.

We know from both RE4 and RE4RE that Jack Krauser was the one to kidnap Ashley, and that they (the government) considered the event an inside job.

File on Ashley (RE4)

She was kidnapped by an unidentified group while on her way home from university. The kidnapper's motives are still unknown. Although there's reliable information that the perpetrator is an insider. Only a handful of people know about this kidnapping. It's been kept under wraps mostly due to the fact that we can't determine who the traitor is. The guys in intelligence say they have reliable information that Ashley's been sighted somewhere in Europe. But until we find out who the insider is, I don't know what to believe. It could be a ploy. We have very few leads as to the whereabouts of Ashley. But members of the Secret Service and anyone related to Ashley are being questioned by an investigative team. Even active agents are being investigated for any information. It's just a matter [of time] before the kidnapper is exposed.

File on Ashley (RE4RE)

Contact was suddenly lost with the subject as she made her way home from campus. Soon after, she along with her ex-military bodyguards were reported missing. Upon further investigation, it was determined that she was kidnapped by an organized group and a team was convened. Our intelligence department has confirmed several sightings of the subject in a remote village located in a mountainous region of Europe. One agent was specifically chosen for the task.

Additional Info:

- We have confirmed that the perpetrators received help from an insider. To prevent leaks, this operation will be kept strictly confidential. - Local law enforcement have been brought on board and are providing assistance.

What's implied with these notes, and what we know, is that Krauser himself was the insider.

Which would make sense considering Krauser's position in the military, and his proximity work with Leon prior to the Los Illuminados Incident (re: Operation Javier, which happened in 2002). It's likely he's met Ashley before when being briefed on these missions (considering he was a part of USSOCOM and was the one to train Leon). He would be one of few people to have the ability to gain classified information on her routines and whereabouts if he really needed, and it's entirely possible he might have done prep work prior to faking his death and employing himself with Wesker (that, or he had unnamed contacts who could slide him that information when the task was assigned).

Either way, Krauser had a thought out plan and very easy access to Ashley.

Ashley Graham's Abduction (Jack's Dossier; RE4RE)

Phase 1: Depart from campus with the target. Escort the target as usual until the start of Phase 2. There should be three others inside the vehicle, including Baker. Able's unit will follow behind you in a separate vehicle. Continue to drive your normal route.

Phase 2: Stop the vehicle under pretense of engine trouble. Transfer the target to Able's vehicle.

Phase 3: Able's unit will change course. Subdue and restrain the target. Place the target in a large container.

Phase 4: Baker's unit will create a diversion. Henry's unit will infiltrate the investigation's database and disable their network.

Phase 5: Meet at point K9 and transfer the cargo onto the ship.

And that shit hurts to think about, especially if Ashley was someone who could recognize Krauser (and potentially find security in him). Like. Setting the scene here:

It's probably evening or sometime at night (that's one of the best times to make a move; fewer witnesses and more cover). Ashley's a young woman walking back to her dorm. She's not alone per se, because she does have bodyguards, but are they visible? Or are they tailing? How much attention does someone like Ashley have on her during times like this? Either way, it's scary. We all know what happens to women just trying to exist in public spaces (especially if they're perceived as being alone)… So she sees Krauser, and probably feels a wave of relief! He's a familiar face. He wouldn't hurt her, right? Wrong. He would. He probably made a casual approach to avoid raising suspicion, then grabbed her.

What is the first thing you think went through Ash's mind? Probably the all too common scenario. 'Oh God, I'm about to be sexually assaulted'.

Except she isn't. And for that, there's probably a bit of relief before a nauseating pit of panic sets in. If that's not what he wants, then what the fuck is going on? There's suddenly more men around her. She's being shoved into a vehicle. She doesn't know where they're going. Her team was (probably) killed. And then that realization hits that she can't call for help, and nobody is coming for her. Nobody saw it.

Then, everything with Los Illuminados happens. That shit is TRAUMATIC. She has no idea where she is or who she's with. She has no idea what they want with her, besides talks of infecting her with… God knows what. She's constantly disrespected and insulted, and she has her autonomy violated (again, barring sexual assault, it's more so regarding being moved around like some sort of trophy).

That's why she has that initial reaction that she does to Leon. Sure, he MIGHT be a familiar face to some extent, but she's learned quick that she cannot trust that. If she's seen him, she still doesn't know his intentions. And then, when she does learn them, she feels like she has to overcompensate for her own inabilities (re: the previous points about emotional neglect, sensitivity, and flirtations).

Ashley is just… such a fascinating character. She deserves the world after everything.

[tani-b-art]

"Because the construct of race made Black women's children innately enslavable, enslavers were assured a profit with every birth. And that assurance became even more important in 1808 after Congress banned the importation of Africans to the United States. With the supply of newly enslaved people from Africa cut off, enslavers had to rely on a single source to replenish their essential labor force: the wombs of Black women." — Nikole Hannah-Jones [The 1619 Project: Race (S1E2)]

Two things came to mind for me:

1 — it's a recurring theme when Black enslaved Americans got some semblance of "victory" that not soon after followed danger & violence and rage from white people.

I remember watching another documentary (I can't remember) and the "abolishment" of slavery was being discussed and how the reaction to that was extreme violence. Now, former white enslavers became that angered and enraged that the KKK formed not that soon after. Following the "abolishment" of slavery, did lynchings begin. No longer could slave owners force their enslaved to free labor, so they had no use for their property (they didn't damage their property in that sense pre-abolition because they were useful for them). In return, they got rid of them. Lynchings didn't take place pre ending of slavery. It started after slavery ended.

2 — the ways reproduction is framed today w/ Black women...it wasn't frowned upon when it made white society a profit for Black women to be forced to reproduce many children (unwillingly and against their own self-governance and violently). But today, we still hear that negative rhetoric of Black mothers.

How "absentee mothering" has been a stereotype but during slavery, Black enslaved women weren't even allowed to mother their own children (not even allowed to breastfeed their kids but were forced to breastfeed their owners' kids). Our ancestors never had autonomy over their bodies (nor their lives). Especially Black women.

So many things trace back to the institution of slavery and more than likely, alot of what we consider as "stereotypical behavior" can be attributed to the forceful customs of slavery.

[lilmackiereads]

IF I HAD YOUR FACE (2020) BY FRANCES CHA SPOILER FREE REVIEW

A couple months back I finished If I Had Your Face (2020) by Frances Cha. I was drawn in by the gorgeous magenta and yellow cover of a lovely Korean woman looking lost in thought. This review will discuss my thoughts on plot and characters without giving away spoilers. For spoilers or comparisons of your opinions to mine, check out my Spoiler-Filled Review.

Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The story relates the lives of five young Korean women in Seoul who each have their own personal and family hardships. The main ladies we receive first-person narration from are Ara, a mute hairstylist with a tragic past and a K-pop obsession, Kyuri, a room salon worker who knows all the coolest plastic surgery and fashion trends, Miho, a Korean-American artist who made her way out of an orphanage, and Wonna, a newlywed facing the uncertainty of motherhood. While there are five main storylines we hear about, one of the women, Sujin, does not get any chapter narration and thus we can only discover her story via the observation of the other women in the group. She is saving up to be like her role-model, Kyuri, in hopes to be considered rich and beautiful by South Korean standards. I like that this story brings together friendship, through hardship and fun, as well as talking about economic strife and the harsh standards of beauty, marriage, and motherhood expected in their society as women.

I do not know a whole lot about Asian culture, let alone South Korean culture so some of the cultural standards seemed very odd to me. For instance, plastic surgery is not considered taboo/ high maintenance/ unnatural in South Korea as it is in many parts of the United States but is rather encouraged as a way to compete for better opportunities in romance and the workplace. Due to this, I feel like I was able to relate to Miho the most because she is Korean born but spent a few years in the United States as a young adult and is considered the "odd" one of the group due to her American customs and opinions on individuality (American belief) vs community (Asian belief).

My favorite character was Ara because I feel like she had a lot of spunk and I feel like she and I have similar interests and reactions to life's challenges. While I like Miho a lot, some of her decisions made me CRINGE. The most heart-breaking story for me was Wonna and why she is so worried about becoming a mother. Kyuri and Sujin were ok, but I feel like their characters revolved so heavily around working in the salon room and getting plastic surgery that there was not a lot of other interesting things happening in their lives in my opinion. Reading their sections just made me kind of sad to be honest because they were so pretty on the outside but so sad and ashamed on the inside.

This book reminds me a lot of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, which I have not read but I have seen both films. However, I think this story relates on a lot darker topics, such as body modification, physical-emotional-and mental abuse, working in the sex and service industry, suicide, adultery, and alcholism.

Would I read this book again?

Probably not because I think the story ended without a lot of the questions I had unanswered. Also, the backstories on most of the women is just pretty depressing. However, I think it is a very interesting book and is worth the read, especially if you are interested in Korean culture.

[flagellant]

I think the way you phrased this is important.

"Are they really any more propaganda than, like, Colonial Williamsberg? [...] I'm just not sure what makes a video [...] count as propaganda, if the same kind of videos by Americans don't?"

Because you got it in one, the thing I was trying to get at! They aren't! As in, they are propaganda, but they are not unique to East Asia. That's something I tried to get across in a few other branches of this post--that these channels being part of state propaganda isn't actually inherently moralistic. Or at least they aren't any more or less moralistic than, say, Monticello or American colonial-era reconstruction or reenactment. They're interesting and often relaxing videos meant to educate (to a certain extent) and entertain.

But therein lies the issue, if there is one. The idea of propaganda as innocent entertainment we aren't really watching for or paying attention to as such. Who is asking the question of who benefits for all these different channels posting these elaborate high-expense professionally shot videos for tens of millions upon millions of views? What purpose is there to this, and what do we get out of it?

There's conversations to be had here, I think. I've been trying to make it very clear that in these conversations--where the whole point is to really think about these things and consider them for what they are, might be, or could be--we need to be aware not just of the fact that much of it is propaganda, but also the sinophobic and Orientalist histories that have an effect on the lens we view and consider them from. Blindly accepting these sorts of videos without questioning them, simply acting as foreign voyeurs into this seemingly lackadaisical peaceful wonderland of nature and rural beauty (and oftentimes wishing our lives looked even remotely like this, as comments can often be seen saying) is inherently Orientalist by the very definition of the word.

But if your impulse on learning that these things are propaganda, and especially prevalent in China (for tourism? for nationalistic purposes? It's difficult for me to say and I don't want to pretend I know about things I don't), and the reaction is hostile, judgemental, feeling tricked or righteous about not wanting anything to do with the propaganda--is that sinophobia? It isn't as though this is a uniquely Chinese phenomena. Propaganda is everywhere and exists for all sorts of reasons.

So with all that said...no, I don't think it's any more or less propaganda than other similar videos. I just think the fact that it is propaganda, the fact that many people consume it unthinkingly, the fact that clearly it MUST be made for some reason, the intersection of all of those points is all fascinating to me. And at the end of the day, as I've said, they're cool videos that I just feel a little weird about spreading sometimes because, well. Taps the sign.

sometimes i feel a little guilty reblogging those fake chinese homesteader tiktoks bc i don't think most people realize theyre all staged sets and not actually indicative of a capitalism escape fantasy but frankly theyre fun and relaxing to watch and i enjoy seeing traditional practices being done so who give a shit

[lserver362reviews]

At this point, just shy of reading the play myself, I have consumed most of what I could about this movie before seeing it. I was visiting family in Rhode Island for the New Year and decided I didn't want to wait to see it at the end of the month in Vermont. I wanted to start the year with my Brendan Fraser Film Completionist status in tact. I also wanted to go alone for this viewing. I think that years of Catholicism does a massive brain shaping and it's very apparent in Aronofsky's films. I get the internalized Catholicism that goes into his movies. Maybe there's a connection between this and the attraction to trauma. As prepared as I was, two packs of tissues in hand, there were times during the film when I said, wow, he really did it. Aronofsky has made a film about second hand religious trauma. As much as this film is being talked about in regards to fatphobia, it seems to me the real aim is a discussion of homophobia. I was extremely taken by the character of Allan, his story, his tragedy. My biggest personal gripe about my time in organized religion was the focus on escaping the reality we're in. At 'New England's Largest Christian Music Festival' (Soulfest) I quite literally remember seeing a booth entitled, "Starve the Flesh" and they handed out tattoos that, I'll admit, looked metal af, but they looked like a razor carving and the impact of that still shakes me to this day. American society has a lot of faults, one being the focus on individualism, but also the obsession with the physical self. Fatphobia effects us all, at any size and it is everywhere. Maybe it's because I've not only struggled with my weight, my body image, my sexuality, my self esteem, but I've also just struggled to remain in this body at times, and always been interested in human's relationship to food and addiction, all coupled with the religion my life has been founded on, and so, this movie scratched a particular itch for me. Now, back to Allan's story. This is a gay man, raised in a church (considered cult-like), ostracized by his family, and yet he still had his bible on his bookshelf, annotated no less. He kept a white mug with a blue crucifix on it that Charlie now has kept in Allan's absence. This is a man who never lost his faith. And it ruined him. He starved himself, on a bible verse that pits the soul against the flesh. The ultimate struggle of existence is to balance this idea that we are more than corporeal and to have a relationship with the creator while we're still in this form. Allan's faith rejected him, but he never rejected his faith. I am astounded by that writing and conveyance in this film. Then we have everyone else picking up the pieces of that truth. I had read about reactions to Liz's character, and my expectation was absolutely blasted apart. I see her as a fully justified character. My mom lost her brother due to suicide. I know the way that trauma can make someone over compensate in really perplexed ways, especially when the inverse of someone's demise is someone else's addiction. Anyone who writes Liz off as simply an enabler has a thin understanding of what it is to be in relationship with an addict and/or the impacts of losing someone to suicide. At many times I was reminded that this is a play but that never got in the way of the story that was being told, and I haven't even gotten to Brendan Fraser yet. I watched all of his movies from 2021-2022, and the biggest take away from seeing every role was that, no matter the content, he has a way of infusing a genuine spirit of life into his characters. They're never without authentic life, and that's a bit of weird ask when it comes to acting. I found Charlie to be completely disarming. The little wink he gives to Thomas was perfection. Charlie's bungled in many many ways which I'll get into, but I will say his wit absolutely caught me off guard. He's clever, he's a writer. I wish we knew what his connection to religion was. I sometimes forget how tall Brendan Fraser is, and I had heard complaints of the score, and I'd agree with the overscoring in the first moments we see Charlie stand up, and then at the end (which the final moments I despised). The moments of monologue were exceptional and this movie was absolutely carried by Brendan Fraser. I don't think anyone else could have done it. I don't care if he gets an oscar, or even nominated. I've seen him do this role and that simply speaks for itself. This movie isn't what a lot of people, including myself to an extent, wish it was. I wish we had a movie that opened up how vile and insidious fatphobia is, but this wasn't that. We see Charlie as a happy fat person with Allan in a photo, and when he sees it he is still incredibly hurt by his loss. I don't think movies should undercut, as Sam Hunter has said, "hard-earned hope" and this movie doesn't. I don't think Charlie is a bad character. I think he has developed coping skills, his binge-eating and his positive outlook. In Everything Everywhere All At Once, a multiverse Waymund states, so beautifully, "You tell me that it’s a cruel world, and we’re all just running around in circles. I know that. I’ve been on this earth just as many days as you. When I choose to see the good side of things, I’m not being naïve. It’s strategic and necessary. It’s how I’ve learned to survive through everything. I know you see yourself as a fighter. Well, I see myself as one too. This is how I fight." That's Charlie. He uses hyperbole so often because he so desperately wants to believe it. He wants to say it and make it honest. I love a character this complex. Charlie is running from a past and ending up deluding himself. We see this best with Ellie. I didn't mind Sadie Sink's at times psychotic performance. I think I can empathize with her rage, looking back on my own family's unraveling when I was 15. I do think she's evil, but I think that to pretend that everyone is ultimately good and there isn't deep hurt one can do to their own soul is the kind of dangerous positivity we see in Charlie. I was very struck by Liz's statement that we can't save people. I agree with her but I also see our being here (once again the struggle for the balance) as to care for one another. How do we love when we know we can't save? Maybe salvation requires the love of others, especially to bolster love for ourselves. We can't save, but we can share. Once again, I am left with love for Allan and what he and Charlie shared together. I was reminded this is rural Idaho, especially when Samantha Morton's character came into the story. I felt that Thomas' character was the least interesting and I do not trust his parents one bit, and believe he is ill-fated. Once again, Ellie might be evil. But that is the damage of undealt with trauma. I don't know if I'll ever truly sort out my thoughts on my relationship to food, but I believe that it's morally neutral. Charlie's coping and dealing with his trauma has manifested through binge-eating. I don't need the movie to remind me that this story isn't trying to reach universals of people who are fat. Not everyone who is fat has trauma and that's the A to B, cause and effect. I don't think that this means we shouldn't see body diversity in media. I think this is a first step and was handled pretty well. Now let's truly move away from using massive body suits and get age appropriate and size appropriate casting. To me, this movie is about the religious trauma of a gay person. That needs to be sorted out in this country, not because it led to Charlie being fat which he should be demonized for, but because we never get to meet Allan, just the ones who love him who were left behind.

Freddie Prinze Jr wrote some wonderful words about Fatherhood due to this movie and that should be read: www.interviewmagazine.com/film/brendan-fraser-and-freddie-prinze-jr-on-trauma-and-transformation

[daviddshiki]

The Adventures of David Dashiki-Story of an African American Hero... Why Can’t We All Just Agree?

“This is critical.”. So Daddy Dashiki says.  ‘Why can’t we all just agree to agree?” It happens regularly and especially during sporting events. Daddy Dashiki would wrinkle his face and shout out that same interrogative sentence as a warning that something greater was imminent. Immediately thereafter, the tirade would begin. “Words are human entities, David.  They have character, person, number, tense and feelings. Before, we use them incorrectly, they crash around in our mouth. They push against each other. They argue amongst themselves to impede that garbage which is about to stumble from your lips and brain. They punish you for speaking so ineptly. They try to make you look stupid so that your audience knows that it has nothing to do with the words. You are the culprit and generator of poor grammar and usage. I will not bore you with the etymology of certain words or why syntax requires that we speak with power, dignity, fluency and accuracy. Speaking correctly enhances your presence, your style. People will want to listen to you..”

“A few nights ago, I was, as is my custom, retired to my man cave to watch a sporting event. I had not even rested my drink on the side of my chair when the torrential downpour of incorrect grammar flooded my space...The team are playing good. I reached for my beverage and almost fired it at the screen. He do play a smart centerfield. They plays quickly and clever, but they had to expend and enormous amount of energy in the last inning Stop it ! Stop it! There are women and children watching and you blaspheme.”

“The team is playing well.. He does play a smart.. They play smart and clever. These are the corrections made. They are correct because grammar like sports has a set of rules. Without proper grammar and syntax, you foul. Eventually, you will lose your audience.” 

Some of you might consider my reaction and complain to be exaggerated and  elitist. Not at all! This! is personal. When I hear these gross errors of grammar and speech, my crotch begins to itch. I break out in a cold sweat. I lose all sense of consciousness. I, on rare occasion, black out. Next, the grammar gremlins squeeze my genitals. The pain is excruciating. I scream and nothing subsides. This all occurred because someone did not take the time to do research before taking such abuses with the English language.”

“Therefore. I beseech you. And for the treatment of my crotch itch, that you make your subject and verb agree.  Also, I call on all citizens of this great country to keep those past participles in the company of an auxiliary verb. I am surrounded by celestial voices which descend from the sky and ask that I use my vast resources to right these grammatical wrongs and set the planet on its right axis. I fall to my knees and request wisdom and courage for there will be many enemies to correctness. Thoughts rush to my cerebrum. I am encouraged and move forward with the following intellectual and grammatical insights..”

If you are in doubt and refuse to do the research to verify the correct grammatical usage of a particular word, sentence or paragraph, then do not speak, write of talk. Why subject others to your mistakes?. Subjects and verbs have person and number. For example, Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather would never fight in the same weight class. This is also true of subjects and verbs. Singular subjects always hang out with singular verbs. It is as if they were married. No divorces here. It is for life. He does...He wants...He is ...Although, the verb ends with an ‘S’, it is singular and parties with the singular subject. If the subject is plural, ,the verb/object has to be plural. This is the marriage contract. When in doubt, shout the hell up. Don’t spread ignorance throughout the universe. We don’t want a grammatical pandemic. There is no vaccine for that. 

Most Americans have difficulty with their past participles. He has sung that before. He has not spoken in weeks. However, that is a talk for another time.

[david-talks-sw]

Why do a lot of SW fans dislike the Prequel Jedi?

This was going to be the conclusion to this answer about "why a lot of people dislike Mace"... but it's just too long, so I decided to make it a post in its own right.

So why is Mace-- scratch that, why are the Prequel Jedi considered to be "unlikable" by a big chunk of the fandom? Especially when compared to Anakin "I killed a group of children twice" Skywalker.

Overall... I'd say it's three things.

1) Some fans had different expectations.

I touched on this in a recent post: older fans, who are now at least in their 40s, grew up seeing Luke as the ultimate Jedi.

He's Campbell's Hero With A Thousand Faces, up there with King Arthur and Superman. He's, for lack of a better term, the chosen one.

So when the Prequels were announced and they knew they'd get to see the Jedi Knights in their heyday, they expected to see something like the Knights of the Round Table.

A collective of errant warriors who go on exciting adventures, providing aid from place to place. Like Luke Skywalker.

Instead, they got this:

"A bunch of monk/diplomats who sit around talking about taxations and trading routes and measure the Force based on cell organisms."

"They're nothing like Luke Skywalker! What the hell?" (I address why this is inaccurate here)

Then the second film comes out:

"Wait, Jedi can't get married now? So were all those EU books about Luke and Mara Jade bullshit?" (also addressed in above link)

Then the third film comes out:

"Palpatine is right there, why can't they sense him or read his mind? They're Jedi!" (explanation why here)

Also Luke is no longer the Chosen One apparently? Anakin is? How does that work?

Plus, the way they speak, their jargon, is waaaaay too formal, gone are the OT characters talking informal English with American accents and quips. Even the way these new characters speak - and not just the Jedi, the Queen too - seems detached from reality and makes them harder to relate to. (but we're talking about diplomats and royalty, so how else would they be talking?)

2) How adult audiences perceive "morally pure" characters.

Even if one didn't have the pre-concieved notions about the Jedi... they don't seem to impact the adult viewers the right way.

Then again... neither does Barney the Dinosaur.

Many are the conspiracy theories and negative discourse surrounding him (there's even an upcoming documentary about it). You know why? Because he's not meant to be a character for adults, who have outgrown morally black or white characters and are unable to relate to them... his target demographic is children.

They see him and go "I love you, you love me". We see him and go "What the fuck is this guy hiding? What darkness lies beneath that mask of optimism and joy?"

Same goes for the Jedi.

So I'd say what we have, here, is a similar situation as the one in the recent Rick and Morty episode, "Juricksic Mort".

In the episode, a bunch of dinosaurs return to Earth and it turns out they're incredibly selfless, diplomatic, moral and spiritually advanced (kinda like the Jedi!)

Rick's reaction is - you guessed it - "what the fuck are they hiding?"

The dinosaurs turn Earth into a utopia, ending all wars, removing all conflict, bringing about world peace and giving everyone the chance to go on vacation... and everybody hates them for it and eventually wants to see them fail and step down from their pedestal.

The writing emphasizes their superior virtue so much that they actually come across as uptight and patronizing. This is done intentionally, so that it's difficult to find them likeable out-of-universe, and we relate to the earthlings in-universe who react the same way.

Why do the audience and the characters react this way to characters who - again - are good and moral?

Because as Moriarty says in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows... hidden within the unconscious is an insatiable desire for conflict.

It's why the presence of conflict is so crucial in storytelling.

It's why every scene in good movies presents some form of internal, external or philosophical conflict.

It's why protagonists need flaws to be interesting and relatable. Because we're flawed as well.

Also, the protagonist will eventually have overcome their flaws through an arc.

More importantly, the basis of all conflict, in storytelling, comes from something being out of balance.

And the Jedi are trained to not be that :D !

So on the one hand we have Anakin, a flawed, conflicted character who struggles with his inner balance, and on the other we have the Jedi, who are essentially presented as flawless and balanced.

What will a chunk of the audience do? They:

Won't like the Jedi.

Will project a flaw onto them (more on that in the next section).

Side with Anakin, the one that's as imperfect as the audience is.

Sometimes all of the above.

But the thing is, though... the Jedi we see in the Prequels are not flawless or perfect.

They are, for the most part, characters who have already completed their character arcs, characters who have already confronted their own inner flaws and overcome them.

And whenever these flaws resurface? Well, they've conquered them once, and they have the training, so they do it again.

Example, here's Yoda confronting and overcoming his hubris and inner fears:

Has he done it before, in his almost 900 years? Probably, yeah. But it's not a one-and-done sort of thing.

But the Prequels are not their movies. They're about Anakin.

He's meant to be the more interesting character. And they're meant to be the ones with less flaws, because they're mentor archetypes and the Prequels show an interesting situation wherein the protagonist fails to listen to the mentors and fails to overcome his own flaws, which leads him to - instead - be doomed by them.

3) Issues with the writing.

So, for the people who didn't like the changes but want to like the Prequels, there's a headcanon that seemingly fixes everything:

"The Prequel Jedi... are intentionally written as arrogant, hypocritical moralists. They are meant to come across as dispassionate. I mean, isn’t that what being a Jedi is, apparently? You purge yourself of attachments aka emotions, and act only logically (which was typically-encouraged behavior for a long time, in the US). They've become too systemic and lost their way." And guess what? With this interpretation, "Luke is special again! He's like Qui-Gon in that he found a middle ground between the unfeeling Jedi and the Sith, who have become slaves to their emotions. Like, sure, Anakin can be THE Chosen One, whatever, but Luke? Luke has found the balance, he succeeded where Obi-Wan, Yoda (who wanted Vader dead instead of believing he could be redeemed) and the other Jedi failed. So that's what the Prequels are about: the Jedi's failure."

The issue is, though... it doesn't align with what George intended. (as explained here and here).

But it does use most of the ingredients the films give us. Which - short of unleashing a barrage of George Lucas quotes, interviews and videos - makes it hard to disprove.

Because - seeing as the films aren't about the Jedi, they're about Anakin and his own inner demons - we don't see enough of the Jedi's culture and lifestyle and day-to-day unless it directly relates to Anakin.

So George's very clear idea of how awesome the Jedi are is never truly conveyed or fleshed out and as a result they feel like a group of people who always say "no" to the protagonist. The flawed, passionate and more relatable (by contrast) protagonist.

We get glimpses of it in The Clone Wars, but then it's tarnished by the fact that the Jedi are at war.

Then there's the reads that could easily be disproved... had George been more explicit about what he was going for.

"The Jedi Council bully a 9-year-old." This read could've been avoided had the scene ended with the Jedi telling Anakin that being afraid is normal, but his fear must be conquered otherwise it'll lead to the Dark Side. Which, they do, but in a vague way rather one with a kind empathetic smile.

"Obi-Wan is always berating Anakin, their relationship is tense." The whole movie partially features an arc where their relationship is on the rocks, so removing the tension isn't an option. However, the interpretation that it's been like this for a decade (rather than recently because Anakin reunited with Padmé) could've been avoided if, instead of just a minute-long elevator scene, we maybe saw a set-piece of them on a mission, maybe showing them working in tandem and joking as they escape that nest of gundarks.

More could've been done to frame the Jedi in the positive light thy were meant to be seen under. But again: the movies aren't meant to be about the Jedi.

Though it seems that a lot of people wanted them to be. And maybe that explains the hate re: the Jedi.

Older audiences wanted to see Campbell's Hero they grew up with again, they had a preconceived notion that the Jedi would be wandering, exciting adventurers... instead they got a bunch of "stale" diplomats whose whole job is to avoid conflict and adventure.

So instead of taking the story for what it was - a movie for kids - they projected a "morally gray" narrative that said these characters were flawed and weren't how they were supposed to be in-universe, when the truth is they weren't happy with the characters they witnessed out-of-universe.

[bastardfucker]

Homelander X Female!Reader SMUTTY Oneshot

Midnight Baker

Description: After being stood up on a date, you came home to bake away your stress. When you set a tray of cookies out to cool, you never expected The Homelander to show up. You really hadn’t expected him to stay.

~*~

It had been another exhausting day for Homelander; his face always ached from the forced smiles and bullshit he was obligated to spew to keep the masses happy, but today had been especially grating. It’s nights like these that he’s grateful to be The Only Man in The Sky. High above the citizens, high above even Vought, Homelander is free to be alone with his thoughts. That said, alone is not exactly his favorite state of being. He’s exhausted of the asskissers, and not interested in whatever the hell Ashley has to say, so here he is, alone in the sky.

All alone with his thoughts, his mind frustratingly set on his own loneliness.

Before he takes out his anger on the fire escape of the poorly maintained apartment building nearest to him, he catches a whiff of something sweet; the thick scent of brown sugar and chocolate distracting him from his violent intentions. Silently, he finds himself floating toward a small balcony attached to the building, tray of fresh baked cookies cooling on the old wrought iron table. He hesitates a moment, hovering a bit above the shabby architecture of the balcony as to not make any noise. He could grab a cookie and go, it would be easy, and the occupant of the apartment would never know he was here…but, who the hell bakes a whole batch of cookies at midnight? These weren’t the cold impersonal ready-made frozen cookies from the Vought Cafeteria; the recipe was special, a little hint of something extra. He allows his boots to touch the ground, bored and curious enough to meet his Midnight Baker. He hears her heart racing before she can even open her mouth.

“Oh my god, you’re the fucking Homelander!” She stares dumbfounded at him.

He turns slowly, carefully, plastering on a charming smile as he waves the cookie at her. “I get that a lot.” He appraises her while he waits for her to speak; she’s pretty, beautiful even, skin bathed in the moonlight, dark makeup accentuating her features.

Her expression almost immediately softens from shock to embarrassment, and he notes the heat in her cheeks. “I’m sorry.” She tugs at the hem of her apron, decorated in some silly Halloween pattern. “It must be exhausting having everyone gawk at you all day.”

“You have no idea,” he murmurs, having more expected her to start screaming like all the incessant fangirls did when he was spotted out and about. He’s unused to someone considering how their reactions might make him feel; Save of course, for Vought employees who know to tread carefully with him. “May I?” He asks, pretending to be nonchalant, gesturing with the cookie.

“By all means,” she offers up, too quickly to be completely casual. She’s nervous. “I bake when I’m stressed,” she explains; and he softens a bit when it becomes obvious that he is not the source of her stress. She’s not afraid of him, not yet at least.

He sighs as his teeth sink into the still-hot confection, the classic yet delicious flavors wrapping his senses in a warm blanket of American Domesticity. Cinnamon, that was the something extra he had smelled earlier. It’s good.

She smiles, watching him enjoy her baking with pride; it paints him in a much more human light than the Vought Approved meet and greets do. Even superheroes enjoy a good cookie now and then. “Have as many as you want,” she offers, the relief in her voice not lost on him. “I usually end up giving most of my baking to the neighbors anyway; can’t eat it all myself.”

Fuck the neighbors, he thought. “Are you new in town? I don’t remember seeing you before.” And he would remember her, he’s sure of it.

“Yes sir.” She shrinks a little, embarrassment flushing her cheeks again. “I’ve been here for a few weeks, but I don’t get out much…” She trails off, searching for the right thing to say. “I don’t really know anyone here, and a big city’s not exactly a safe place for a woman to go out alone.”

“You know me,” he answers a bit too quickly, a little frustrated that she’d imply he doesn’t keep the city safe as a schoolyard. “And I’d say you can’t possibly be safer than you are right now.”

This time when she blushes, her heartbeat quickens, and he shoots her a charming smile. “So,” he presses further, eager for a foothold into her life. “What’s a beautiful woman like you doing, all made up, alone on a Friday night?”

“Oh,” her voice waivers. “I got stood up.” Hence the stress baking.

He can’t help feeling annoyed. A woman as considerate, beautiful, and good in the kitchen as her shouldn’t ever be made to feel like she’s not worth the affections of lesser men. Not when she’s worthy of his attention. “Now why would any man in this fine city be stupid enough to pass up a goddess like you?”

The term of endearment takes her aback, but he misinterprets her shock to be swooning. “He got back with his ex…he texted me a couple hours after he was supposed to pick me up.”

“He’s an idiot,” Homelander asserts, taking her hand. “I don’t care who his ex is; he made a mistake passing up the opportunity to spend time with you.” He presses his lips softly to her knuckles, making her heart rate skyrocket. He peers up at her through his eyelashes. “I don’t make mistakes.”

“Mister-Mr. Homelander, sir…” she stammers, and he relishes his affect of her.

He leans in closer to her, close enough for her to feel his breath on her face. “May I come in?”

It’s a loaded question and he knows it, she knows it. She nods rapidly, backing into her apartment, his hand still wrapped around hers, blue eyes never leaving her. She stops by the couch with an expectant swallow, her eyes searching his. “Do you want to sit?” He nods.

Instead of allowing her to sit beside him, Homelander pulls the woman effortlessly into his lap, earning a gasp. “I thought this would be more comfortable,” he smirks with too much tooth.

She smiles shyly back at him, her heart a steam hammer in her chest. He rests his hands on her thighs, smiling comfortably. “You know, I like you. Apartment’s a little small, could use some sprucing up, but it’s comfy.” Her mouth opens to speak, but he stops her with a finger against her lips. “I’m not done, Sweatheart, let me finish.” She nods, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth; he licks his own teeth at the sight. “I’d like to buy you some things; make this place a bit…homier.”

Her thigh twitches against his, and his fingers grip her ever so slightly, threatening worse; she doesn’t know if he’s even aware he’s doing it. She rests her hands on his forearms, hoping to remind him how fragile she is compared to his strength. “I…appreciate it, Homelander, but…why?”

He laughs, almost a scoff. “Isn’t it obvious?” Her silence tells him it’s apparently not, and he pokes his tongue into his cheek awkwardly; like he’s frustrated that he needs to spell it out. “I’ll be spending a lot more time here, now that you and I are friends.”

“Friends,” she echos, very aware of her position on his lap, and the growing firmness beneath her.

“Well,” he licks his teeth, grinning like the cat who caught the mouse. “A bit more than friends, wouldn’t you say?”

“Yes Homelander.” She nods frantically, eager to agree with him.

“Good,” he growls, leaning in a bit to fast to press his lips into hers, almost bruising.

Her hands move up to cup his cheeks, her chest tightening with excitement as his tongue slides along her bottom lip, arms forcing her down against his growing erection still trapped beneath the brilliant blue of his suit.

He shudders when her thumbs stroke his face tenderly, her warm mouth inviting him in. His senses came alive with the excitement of her body, a far cry from Stillwell’s carefully manufactured lust. This is what a truly eager woman looks like, feels like; eager to please him and to let him please her. Fuck Vought, and fuck the leash they had kept him on. He moans into her mouth as she tugs at the hem of his pants expectantly; drunk on the idea of keeping her his little secret, his slice of Heaven Vought can’t touch.

He sits up a bit, helping her pull his pants down past his knees. She settles onto her own knees in front of him, hands stroking his thighs as she gazes up at him with those gorgeous eyes. “May I?”

He grins, tucking her hair behind her ear, ever the gentleman. “By all means.”

She presses a warm kiss to his palm before leaning in, close enough for him to feel her hot breath on his cock. Smiling at him when it twitches in response, she wastes no time taking the head into her mouth; warm and wet and his. A deep groan claws its way up his throat as his fingertips move to stroke her neck affectionately. “So warm,” he praises, and she moans around his cock appreciatively; the vibrations coming up from her throat hitching his breath.

Speaking of which, she manages the head of his cock into the back of her throat, with only a little gagging. He throws his head back over the edge of the couch, savoring the sensation as he takes a fistful of her hair. She gags and sputters as he forces her head up and down on his cock, but he doesn’t let her up until she desperately taps at his thigh. She sucks in a deep breath and grins, her hand wrapping around his cock to stroke him while she catches her breath. How considerate.

“That was a close one,” she hisses, flicking her tongue out at the sensitive head while she continues to stroke him. “Nice to see that your cock matches the rest of you.”

“How’s that?” He asks, not really caring so long as she keeps stroking him.

“Perfect,” she praises, causing him to buck up into her hand. “Perfect,” she repeats. “And strong…proud.” She flattens her hot tongue against like head like she’s licking an icecream, driving him wild with the hunger in her eyes. “What the hell are you doing here with me?”

He freezes, and for a moment she thinks she’s said the wrong thing, until in the blink of an eye their positions are switched, and his fingers are tugging at her panties beneath her black dress and apron. She shudders, shock at the sudden movement and lust for the darkness in his blue eyes.

“I’ll show you what I’m doing here,” he growls, savoring the moment as he slides her panties down her legs agonizingly slow.

His breath is hot and heavy against her inner thighs, and he sinks his perfect teeth into the soft flesh, marking her, although he has no intention of ever letting anyone else get this good a view of her thighs again. She hisses, but the need in her eyes and her parted lips as she watches him expectantly tell him she enjoyed it.

He slips two fingers into her easily, and pulls them out to show her. “Look how wet you are for me already, it’s a little pathetic, really,” he teases.

“I’ve got the Most Powerful Man in the World between my thighs, how could I not be wet?”

“For me,” he growls, demanding that extra clarification, hungry for her praise.

“For you.”

He rewards her by slipping his fingers back inside of her, his thumb circling her clit firmly, though careful not to hurt her; she stifles a moan by biting her lip. “There you go.”

Honestly, she’d have never expected this. His TV persona made him seem like one of those celebrities who thinks eating pussy is beneath him, but here now, with his face buried between her thighs like he’s desperate for her, for her praise, his fakey persona is dead and gone.

“God you’re so good!” she whines; preferring to savor rather than speak, but relishing the way her words invigorate him.

“Tell me what a good job I’m doing,” he pants against her pussy, face wet from her juices.

“No other man will ever satisfy me again,” she moans, bucking her hips into his face to encourage him to put his tongue back on her clit. “You spoiled me.”

She hisses when his fingers curl inside of her, stimulating that most sensitive spot until tears prick at her eyes and she hits her orgasm hard, her juices trickling over his wrist. He sits up, crawling over her to stare into her eyes as his thumb continues to assault her clit, dragging her orgasm into overstimulation.

“Homelander!” She begs, trying to squirm away from him to no avail, pushed into a second orgasm as he presses his forehead against hers.

“No other man is ever going to touch you like this.” It’s spoken as a fact more than a boast, and it sends a shiver of thrill up her spine. She breathes a sigh of relief as his thumb slows, giving her a short respite from the too-intense pleasure.

She’s trying to catch her breath, relaxing in a haze with her head thrown back into the couch, but he expects a response. His hand comes up to catch her face, chin held gently between his thumb and fingers to make her hold his gaze. “I want you to say it.”

“No other man is ever going to touch me like you,” she whimpers.

“Good,” he says casually, wiping his hand on her apron. “Good.”

“Homelander,” she whines urgently, her hands cupping his face adoringly.

“Yes, darling?” He does his best to sound charming, but he’s caught up in the tenderness of her hands on him, his own heart skipping a beat at the adoration in her eyes.

“I want you to fuck me.”

His face splits into a wide grin. He leans in close enough to kiss her, but when she tries to bridge the gap he leans back a tad with an amused scoff. “Well aren’t we greedy?”

Her thumb strokes his lip gentle as she looks at him desperately. “Please Homelander,” she begs. “I want to make you cum.”

He chokes up a bit, the tenderness of her touch and her preoccupation even in her own orgasmic stupor with his pleasure stirring something deep within him. He scoops her up into his arms, carrying her into what he assumes correctly is the bedroom. He sets her down gently, pulling off her clothes so that she’s bare before him, his eyes heavy on her gorgeous breasts.

“Take your shirt off,” she demands, dragging him out of his trance. “I want to feel your body against mine.”

For once, he listens, absolutely no hesitation as the top of his suit is flung to the floor. He wastes no time crawling over her like a wild animal, desperate to feel her lips against his. She presses back hard against his lips, and he obliges, knowing he’ll bruise her, but not caring in the moment; too lost in the genuine affection he’s craved for far too long.

“You’re perfect,” she exhales against his lips, feeling his hard cock drag against her thigh.

“Tell me again,” he urges, pressing kisses to her hair, trailing down her neck.

“You’re Perfect,” she obliges, thighs shaking a bit with anticipation as she feels the head of his cock tease her entrance.

They moan into each other’s mouths as he rocks into her, the wetness of her post-orgasm cunt taking him easily, like she was made for him. He kisses her deeply before pulling away, thrusting his hips against hers at an easy pace as he leans up to get a better look at her tits, gorgeous nipples taught and on display for him and only him. She’s perfect, he thinks, but doesn’t say, before taking a breast into his hot mouth, kneeding the other with a firm hand. She bucks her hips against his; pleasure building in her body.

His hand snakes down to rub her clit, causing her pussy to clench around him. “You’re so good, Homelander,” she moans.

“How good?” His voice comes out undignified, all but begging, as he edges toward his own release, desperate to take her with him.

“The best,” she squeals, trying to push his hand away to no avail when the pleasure becomes to much.

“You’re so right,” he groans, relishing her whimpers. “I’m the fucking Homelander and I’m the best you’ll ever have!”

He’s panting, rutting into her like a wild animal as she screams in a final orgasm of her own, dragging him along with her. He doesn’t pull out; coming hard into her and continuing to fuck her until his dick starts to go soft. If it bothered her, she’s too sex messed to say anything about it.

Good, he thinks. He has absolutely no intention of letting her slip from his grasp, and if he gets her pregnant? Well, all the more justification to keep her to himself.

He kisses her hair, pulling her face into his chest, encouraging her to snuggle into him. She does. “I’ll be staying for breakfast,” he tells her, as if it’s a matter of fact. “I like chocolate chips in my pancakes.”