#hate mongering is a thing too now that i think about it

[bidoofking]

so you know we’ve got fear mongering and war mongering and fish mongering and spice(?) mongering and honestly i was going to ask what other sort of things can be mongered but frankly that feels like a reasonable assortment of things to monger

[spacelazarwolf]

apparently a bunch of ppl on social media are trying to call for a boycott of rick riordan because of this statement in a blog post:

Becky and I are just back from a busy weekend with events at the Boston Book Festival and New York Comic-Con.

Before I get into that, however, some words to acknowledge the ongoing horrors in Israel and Gaza. As many of you may know, I am no longer on social media. My accounts post only updates on my books and related projects. I do not read posts, reply to posts, or share my thoughts about world events on those forums. That doesn’t mean I don’t have strong feelings and reactions. It means I am offline as completely as possible, except for the occasional blog post like this one.

I will say this: Over the last eighteen years, I have received many fan letters from young readers, both Israeli and Palestinian, who often told me that my books helped them escape the fear, grief and anxiety they were dealing with at the time. Some had lost family members to violence. Some were writing while in the distance they could hear explosions, gunfire, and the launching of rockets. They used my books as a way to escape into another world, where the monsters were fictional, and where demigods usually saved the day. While I am always glad that my books can help young readers find joy during difficult times, my heart breaks every time I hear about the things they have to deal with. I am grief-stricken by the horrific events now unfolding, especially because I know that they are part of a long historic pattern that has been robbing too many children of their childhood and perpetuating hatred for far too long.

I am also quite aware that when anyone, myself included, tries to speak about this issue, the reader is waiting to pounce, thinking, “Yes, but whose side are you on?” That is exactly the wrong question. If there are two sides to this issue, those sides are not Palestinian/Israeli or Muslim/Jewish. The two sides are humanitarian and dehumanizing. Dehumanizing has a long evil history. It is appealing and easy to buy into, because humans are tribal animals. We are hardwired to think in terms of ‘us’ versus ‘them.’ We are the real humans, the good guys, the ones with God on our side. Those other people are evil monsters who don’t deserve empathy. Hate mongers have thrived on dehumanizing for as long as there have been humans. It provides them with a purpose, a way to rally support, power, and scapegoats. It is easy to point to atrocities committed by our enemies, while justifying or minimizing the atrocities committed by ourselves or our allies.

Humanitarianism is a much harder sell. It requires us to empathize, to see other groups of people as equally deserving of dignity and quality of life. It requires not always putting ourselves and our needs first. But in the long run, humanitarianism is our only hope. If violence could end violence, if we could put an end to “those other people” once and for all, human history would read very differently than it does.

So yes, I am appalled by the Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians. I am appalled by the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Both things can be true. Both things must be true. My thoughts are with all the people who have died, who have lost loved ones, who have had their worlds and their lives shattered, especially the children. More death and violence will not break this cycle, which has been going on for generations. There is no military solution. Even since I first wrote the post, only twenty-four hours ago, the Israeli government’s brutal retaliation against the entire population of Gaza has reached genocidal proportions. This is not only an atrocity. It is folly. Answering misery with misery only creates more fertile ground for extremism, dehumanizing the “other side,” letting hate mongers thrive, stay in power, and reduce us all to our most monstrous impulses. The only real solution is treating each other like equally worthy human beings, and negotiating a peace that allows all parties a chance to live in security and dignity, with hopes for a future that does not include bombs and rockets and gunfire. This means security and support for Israel, yes. It also means a secure Palestine which is allowed to get the international aid and recognition it needs to build a viable state.

Do I think that will happen? Unfortunately, no. Humans are simply too selfish, too ready to blame “the other” for all their problems, too ready to dehumanize, though I also believe, perhaps paradoxically, that most people just want to live their lives in peace and have a chance for their children to have a brighter future. The problem is when we don’t allow other people to have those same hopes and dreams — when it becomes a false choice of us versus them.

What can I do? I will continue to write books that I hope will give young readers some joy. I will resist the urge to demonize entire groups of people. I will call for less violence, not more violence. And when asked whose side I am on, I will tell you I am on the side of humanitarianism.

So with that said, I return to the world of books . . .

honestly, if you have a problem with this statement, it’s probably because he’s talking about you. this is exactly what legitimate activists (as in not just random westerners who share social media posts but on-the-ground activists who are doing real work) have been saying for decades. and i think all this really speaks to just how disconnected a lot of westerners who claim to be pro palestinian are from those activists.

if you can’t read a statement that says “i am on the side of humanitarianism and less violence” without immediately jumping to cancel them, you are the problem being discussed in the above statement.

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

My thoughts about the Trump assassination attempt

After having a few hours to process this whole thing and see reactions from across the political spectrum, I'm having some thoughts and some feelings.

First off, as I said earlier, Trump is a fucking boss. Take anyone who ran for president in the last 20 years, put them in that exact situation, and I don't think a single one responds by raising his fist and snarling in defiance and righteous anger. They run. They cry. They keep their heads down and the first statement you h ear from them is hours later filtered through 20 different speech writers. Today proved to me that, whatever else he may be, Trump is a genuine bad ass. He's exactly the person I want at the end of a sword pointed the United States. Because he's going to have a sword of his own pointed right back, and he's not going to run and hide when it comes time to use it.

Second, the modern left is full of monsters. The amount of people screaming and crying because this assassination attempt failed actually sickens me. It's one thing to have fantasies about easy solutions to the things that scare you. Hell, I'm not innocent. I've thought about how much better things might be if this politician was no longer around or this activist group got axed. But one of the things I did today was think about how I would feel if the assassin succeeded. And then I thought about how I'd feel if someone took a shot at Biden and he didn't survive. Neither thought gave me any good feelings. Obviously I'd be more upset if Trump died, but today showed me that I don't want us to start down the path of shooting political leaders. But too many people on the left, people who should know better, at least enough to hide their true feelings, have no problem publicly wishing Trump was dead right now. That assassinating presidential candidates was a legitimate tactic--but only against the politicians they don't like, of course.

Fuck that.

Fuck them.

America is better than that. Americans are better than that. We're not some third world shithole like Mexico. We're the greatest country in the world. We're the last bastion of representative government. The last place in the world where freedom exists. And it's time we started acting like it.

Third, I ain't got no time for conspiracy theories. Sorry guys, but this wasn't staged and this wasn't a CIA hitman. Unless real, hard evidence comes out otherwise, you won't ever get me to believe any of the nonsense I've seen floated around. Don't be so lost in the true things the media has dismissed as "conspiracy theories" that you immediately jump to the most conspiratorial explanations first for everything that happens. It's lame and cringe and a lot of people I've seen seriously putting these theories forward should know better. I know we're in our emotions right now, but keep your heads.

Fourth, my heart breaks for the families of the people who were hit with the bullets meant for President Trump. But that's the kind of evil we're facing. Whoever did this decided that the idea of a Trump presidency was so awful that they were okay with shooting innocent people just to stop him. And this is after he was already president and none of the things the media is fear mongering about happened during his first term. Those people just wanted to see a man speak. To have some hope for the future. And some piece of shit shot them because he didn't like a presidential candidate. Or worse, because the TV made him scared.

Fifth, fuck the media. You think you hate them enough, but you don't. The media is the driving force behind our enemies, and there's no such thing as a good journopig. They're all lying propagandists. We just like some of them because their propaganda occasionally hits on the truth.

And that's all I got. None of this is organized, none of this is proofread. These are just the thoughts I've been wrestling with for the past few hours. This is the only place I can get them all down without being interrupted or feeling like I need to censor myself. Do with them what you will.

[rainbluealoekitten]

this is definitely not a witchcraft blog but regardless i do participate occasionally with online witchy theatrics and i have an opinion i'd like to share.

there's too much pressure on learning the basics and not enough resources that teach damage-control.

this is in relation to fear-mongering discourse, bc almost every witchy "content creator" (hate that term) and almost every witchy book, podcast, whatever, seems to put a focus on protecting yourself, putting up wards, easy peasy baby beginner witchcraft. which! yes, that is important, but it also means that it perpetuates the idea (and often full out says) that you should never do blood magic. you should never talk to these entities. you should never make bargains, you should never do divination without cleansing, you should never curse, bla bla bla don't go outside at night!! it's spooky!!!

great, now we've got a bunch of witches who are scared shitless and won't actually do anything beyond blow cinnamon through their front door.

there are a lot of people who claim to be teachers, but a good teacher is someone who pushes you. not someone who limits you.

some witches love to tell you to fuck around and find out, but again, only provide resources on warding. we've got witches who ward so much that they can't even get friendly spirits to talk to them. banishment is seen as a basic skill, but if everyone is too scared to practice their craft, they're not going to even end up with an entity to banish!

i'm starting to ramble, but my point is that i want to see more content, more books, more generalised resources that teach you how to unfuck a situation. not prevent it, unfuck it.

you did blood magic? great, it's not always going to work out, here's how to unbind yourself from this entity, now you know to do this slightly differently. you've done a curse and it's backfired? don't panic, these are some ideas on how you can undo your spell, and next time you might want to choose your words/ingredients more carefully. you wandered into the wrong part of the woods and upset some ancient spirits? it's more common than you think! luckily, there are plenty of ways to go about this situation.

etc etc. people do dumb shit. that is part of life. just like with sex ed, teens aren't going to abstinate, they're going to be too scared to go to an adult when they get an sti.

yes, some practitioners will basically stop practicing out of fear of doing things wrong, and many others will do things wrong and end up entirely alone, scared, and with no resource that can guide them out of it, all because you should have known better, you should have warded, you should have stuck your head in a fucking hole.

anyways. this is the end of my rant but i hope it also comes off as encouragement to anyone who is in some way sharing their practice and sharing resources, especially the much wiser witches who have fucked around, please share what you've learnt. <— i'm asking this in a very sincere, very hopeful way, i really wish it was normalised to share spells and prayers and basic actions to help witches through really tough times.

[horrorshow]

Can you talk about why you think blocking and moving on is a bad thing? I thought it was a way to curate your space and avoid drama

idk maybe i'm too idealistic but fandom is a much more friendlier, welcoming, supportive, creative, engaging, active, diverse and interesting space when it's treated like a community where people are encouraged to participate and talk about their interests and where there's space for niche or more unpopular opinions without these people having to worry about being blocked and feel unwelcome by the majority of the fandom they are in. i can't stand how blocking everyone you disagree with has become the first thing to do.

you say its 'to curate your experience'. but blocking people does not only curate YOUR experience. you're also forcefully curating other users' experiences. and not for the better.

people say 'i will block you for literally anything' and then those same people wonder why engagement is down, why no one sends asks, why no one reblogs, why rarely anyone talks in the tags anymore and why this place feels so dead and boring and quiet. i wonder why!!!!

people treat real people as annoying ads they can dispose of at their whim. but that's not how a fandom or a site like tumblr works. (besides, if you really care about people curating their own experience you wouldn't block people. you can filter and blacklist and never see them again while still granting them the same freedom instead of actively making their experience worse.)

you say its to avoid drama. but seeing a post you dont agree with is not 'drama'. and blocking is not solving anything except for you personally. fandom was more fun when we remembered that every user is a real person you share a space with, and probably some mutuals as well, so you find a way to live with each other. starting with a restraining order seems a bit excessive and is not contributing to anything. it's not that hard to be respectful and tolerate others and acknowledge people have different opinions and interests and still co-exist in peace. its not that hard to be nice to people and try to find common ground with them and interact with the stuff you DO like. you do this in every aspect of your real life, so why not online?

i hear you say: 'but that requires WORK and i don't NEED to do any of that bc i can just block them'.

yeah, you can try to create your own bubble and only hang out with like minded people but you wont EVER fully achieve that (no matter how much you block, social media WILL keep feeding you posts you disagree with bc it makes them money). social media WILL pressure you into an 'us vs. them' mentality where you constantly feel like everything online is a threat or an argument you have to win and where being mean and unnuanced gives you the most notes and where you don't even see, let alone be able to treat, other users as people anymore bc you don't interact with them anymore other than to block or fight them. that's not how i want it to be online. it's not fun to me. and maybe i'm a pessimist but i think it will eventually be the death of online fandom and sites like tumblr. look at the state of twitter right now. DOES blocking give you a better experience in the long run? i doubt that it does. overall, i think it makes people even less tolerable and more vulnerable to hate and fear mongering, and social media an even more hostile place.

it's everything i hate about social media and everything i want to fight against and WILL fight against. i won't pretend my meager contribution will change anything, but i LIKE to just scroll past posts i don't vibe with and not see every argument online as a personal offense. it keeps me curious. most posts aren't that bad when you know the person behind it. i mean, you do you, i'm not gonna say what you should or shouldn't do bc that's up to you, but i recommend it: free yourself of the block button and bring back supportive user communities based on a shared love for the same thing and focus on what you have in common with people, just like you would do in real life. save the block button for the rotten apples who DO keep trying to pick fights and exclude others.

(which is, now that i think about it, probably the main difference: most people see the block button as a neutral way to prevent worse. but. that's only the case on an individual level. and treating everything online as an individual choice to which there are no further consequences, especially if they happen on a larger scale, is already a loss.)

[therainscene]

Since The First Shadow has folks talking about Henry’s queerness (or lack thereof), I wanted to share my take on it as someone who tends to interpret him as gay.

I’m not going to be talking about his relationship with Patty, though -- I can’t afford to see the play and don’t want to rely on secondary sources for this, so I simply can’t comment on it. (I’m sure they’re lovely together, though.)

To me, Henry’s queer-coding isn’t a question of whether he’s literally gay -- it’s a question of what role his villainy plays in the story.

The biggest non-Patty-related criticism against queer interpretations of Henry is that it would carry an uncomfortably homophobic implication: that queers are dangerous predators.

This was a common belief in the 80s, and the show references it by having Troy chuckle at the idea of Will getting "killed by some other queer" -- a prediction that comes symbolically and unpleasantly true when Joyce finds him with one of Vecna’s vines literally shoved down his throat.

It's tempting to try and solve this problem by interpreting Henry as straight -- the homophobic implications of his child-assaulting villainy will disappear if he's not queer, right?

Well... in my opinion, no.

A key aspect of Henry's character is that he's different. Whether you interpret that difference as queerness, neurodivergence, or simply that he has powers -- the fact remains that he is fundamentally the sort of person whom society looks down upon with fear and suspicion.

If he’s not a predatory queer, then he's a remorseless psychopath. If he's not a remorseless psychopath, then he's a vessel for an evil alien. There's no way to escape the implication that he’s dangerous because he’s different.

Eddie’s character resonates with this principle too. Indeed, our introduction to him is a monologue in which he complains about being treated with suspicion just because he’s different.

Given their similarities in this regard, I think it’s interesting that the show endears us to Eddie in the same breath it makes us fear Vecna. It almost feels like a test--

We know you’ll sympathize with a weirdo who sells drugs to troubled minors when you get to see things from his perspective, but can you sympathize with a weirdo who hurts troubled minors when you don’t get to see things from his perspective? Will you jump to unfair conclusions about Henry in the same way the town jumps to unfair conclusions about Eddie?

My point here isn’t that Henry did nothing wrong or that his villainy is justified -- I’m pretty sure he did commit the murders Eddie was scapegoated for and I’m pretty sure that’s a bad thing -- but he’s always held at arm’s length from the audience. The show plays the role of Jason, encouraging us to blindly hate him on gut instinct instead of giving him a fair trial.

It’s an easy test to fail, because it does seem like we get to see Henry’s perspective -- he has a whole villain speech, after all.

But the trouble is, this speech takes place within NINA. What we’re watching is footage that has been curated by his abuser and shown through the eyes of a traumatized girl who barely understands what happened -- secondary sources who are invested in viewing him as a threat.

Consider that Henry’s hairstyle mysteriously changes during the massacre. It’s one of those subtle costuming choices that isn’t meant to be consciously picked up on, but which registers at the back of our minds and leaves us feeling unsettled -- this Henry isn’t like the Henry we were looking at before.

The obvious way of interpreting this is that the mask has finally slipped -- the “nice” Henry was fake, and now we see him for who he “really” is. But I’m not inclined to interpret it that way, because of all the hairstyles they could have chosen... they just so happened to opt for one that resembles Brenner. (Pun intended.)

This isn’t Henry with his mask off -- this is Henry as Brenner wants him to be.

Fear-mongering over the existence of queer people has long been a useful tool for those in power -- in the 80s, fear of AIDS did the job nicely -- and so too has Brenner forged Henry into a tool to further his own goals, no regard given to the harm he causes in the process.

Like the “predatory queer”, Henry is defined on his oppressor’s terms, and like Eddie, it makes him a useful scapegoat. He only became what he did because of an unethical institution, and treating him as the problem is just as short-sighted as blaming gay men for the AIDS crisis.

That isn’t to say Vecna hasn’t become a genuine threat, though. Will makes a prediction as to how S5 is going to end--

--and while I’m not expecting things to end as violently as Will implies here -- that’s not Will’s thing -- I do believe that Vecna is going to be defeated by his hand. As tragic as Vecna’s origin was, he still made his own choices once he was free from Brenner, and he’s likely too far gone at this point to be capable of earning his happy ending.

But that’s what makes it so important that Will gets his happy ending.

Queer characters have been exclusively cast as villains or tragic sadbois for so long that I can completely sympathize with people’s hesitance to embrace Henry as a tragic queer villain.

But villains only exist within the context of the heroes who challenge them... and in a show about a queer-coded villain who personifies the anger and despair of being abused for what you are, a loving gay boy who breaks the cycle of abuse by learning that he has the right to be the hero of his own story is the perfect foil for him.

[bulletswithribbons]

"Fucking hate journalists"

Kai Anderson X Fem!reader // NSFW

Warnings: Kai Anderson. You guess it. Very little plot, degrading, non-con/dob-con, mentions of murder, implied masochism, rough oral sex (m receiving), gun play, slut shaming, hair pulling, let me know if I missed any.

Summary: Kai breaks in your house to teach you your place after non-stop asking him back handed questions during the interview. Events eventually take a twisted turn, you were never that much of a good girl anyways.

Word count: 2.5k

a/n: This is my first ever fic, I've read plenty and wrote smut before so I'm pretty confident. But first time publishing so here we go.

Interviewing Kai right after his campaign was not the best call at all, especially the way you kept pressing him. You knew you shouldn’t have but this is war whether he knew it or not. You took a vow on yourself to make him expose himself on his own. You’ve always been suspicious about him but you had no proof of your accusations, and calling someone out based on your gut is not really professional, especially as a journalist. 

Even though someone had to confront him about his mistakes and fear mongering, your questions only made things worse, for you at least. You pushed too hard, making him feel small in front of the media. He could sense your suspicion with every question, and it's clear you put a big dent in his ego.

You were sitting on your desk, ticking your pen as a form of anti-stress. A bit of a mess actually, papers scattered, pens strewn about. Newspapers and magazines pile up, post-it notes plastered everywhere and a coffee cup long forgotten. Your desk lamp sits on the edge, casting a soft, warm glow in the room. You've always preferred gentle lights especially when working, it helps you think.

Your thoughts spiral around making your headache worse than it already is. How could you possibly put him down, once and for all..?

A bone-chilling breeze whispers over the back of your neck, sending shivers down your spine. You enjoy it while it lasts, a refreshing breeze in this stifling hot night. It must have come from the window behind you, although you don't remember leaving it open... It doesn't matter. Nothing does as long as you still have work to do.

Your slender fingers reach for your white blouse, unbuttoning it. Once removed, you toss it aside, letting it fall to the floor, trying to cool your temperature down. You're digging through Kai's files, searching for a gap to use against him. It wasn't your job to do so. But as a journalist of course, you'd investigate and research to report the facts and keep people up with the facts.

Perhaps it's because you take what he says in the media personally. After all, a part of you is a feminist, a part you're not ready to let go of, at least for the sake of all the women who fought for their place in this world. You see through his manipulation tactics because you've seen them before. You know a narcissist when you see one.

"Fuck!" You shout as you throw the papers off your desk.

"Hm, come on now, how dare you throw these papers. We don't want little big mouth to lose her temper." He tsks, with an overly sweet tone dripping with sarcasm.

Shocked, you recognize the voice as you feel something hard poking you in the back of your head, trailing down to your neck, detaching your hair that was hardly holding up in the messy bun. Cold, metal. Sudden realisations hit all at once, but most importantly is the outsider in your house -your room- you pissed off earlier this day holding a gun to your head.

"Mr. Anderson, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. What the fuck are you doing in my house?!" you ask, your voice rising towards the end. You're trying your best to stay calm. One mistake, and you’re dead. Young lady in her 20s corpse’ found shot in her bedroom because she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.

“Mr. Anderson?”He repeats after you, chuckling. “They’re always respectful when fearful.” A sinful smirk tugs his lips, a look of pride in his dark cold eyes after hearing his last name coming from your trembling lips. “But I would have to politely decline your offer. I’m here to fix the mess of a situation you’ve just created for yourself. After all, I don’t want to lose voters over something so foolish. Especially this… close to the election.”

"Like hell I—or anyone with a brain that knows right from wrong—would vote for you!" You yell as you stand up from your seat.

His jaw clenches and nostrils flare, showing his annoyance. His grip on the gun tightening as he lifts the gun up to your temple, his finger twitching on the trigger. His voice, on the other hand, remains eerily sweet. “I really think you should keep your voice down.”

You swallow, your throat drier than ever. 

His voice lowers to a whisper, "I see you started learning. Good girl, I'm proud of fast learners." He takes a step towards you, his free hand stroking your chin and cheek, his touch alone giving you goosebumps. The gun rests on your temple, his eyes darting around the room.Then his focus shifts back to you. "Get on your knees," he orders and pulls his hand away from your face.

“I’m sorry?” You rush out, your eyes widening.

“Now,” he responds, his tone dripping with impatience as he jerks his gun to signal his order. “Expecting company?” He inquires looking down at your —bra only— chest.

You crouch down on your knees, his gun still pointing to your head. “No,” you respond short and clearly. For a minute, you believe you saw him smile slightly. A smile of pride.. 

“You’re such an obedient slut, aren’t you?” He pauses, “You defied me, made a fool of me in front of everyone. That doesn't go unnoticed.” He whispers, his voice pitch getting higher towards the end.

“So you’re going to shoot me? Because I hurt your little pathetic ‘man ego’? Because I’m small and vulnerable while you’re big and strong?” You retort, fake amusement hiding your fear.

“You’re smart. Most girls aren't smart. Well, that was the plan.” His smirk widens, his tone sounding even more sadistic as he slowly traces the gun barrel around your jawline— tracing it slowly with the tip of his gun. You notice him staring at your lips. “But now, seeing how big of a mouth you have, I’m going to show you what whores like you are made for.” He informs, his tone bled dry of emotion.

“The kitchen and carrying useless men’s babies. I Get it, trust.” You lash out. Although you know keeping your mouth shut is probably the better option, especially in this exact situation. But that never really happens, at least not most of the time.

Kai’s grip tightens on the gun as his rage begins to seep through his body. His other hand darts out to your face and before you even notice it, a slap lands with a sharp crack, sending a jolt of pain rippling through your cheek and leaving you on the floor. It stings, you can feel a red mark in its wake. Leaving you feeling shocked and humiliated.

You were lying down there on the floor, your body stretched out, limbs motionless. There was no sense of ease in your posture nor the room, rather a stillness that borders on tension. Even the air itself felt stifling.

Your eyes widen at the sight of his free hand darting to his zipper, pulling it down tooth by tooth. “You see, you just know how things work.” His tone becomes condescending, he pops the button and grip the waistband of his pants pulling it down until it’s enough to pull his dick out. “You have such a delicious looking mouth. I'm sure it has been put to good use for the benefit of passing by men. I'm guessing you've had a lot of fun.” He grabs the elastic of his boxers, lowering them down over his balls and pulling out his half hard cock.

You stare at him, your face frozen in shock. “You’re sick!” you shout.

“Am I now? You're the one who's been around so many men in your life. You should be used to it by now.” He grins, his hand holding his gun and moving it from your cheek to beneath your chin, pulling it up, so you were looking at him. “You should be grateful I'm bothering to even look at you.”

Although the men you’ve been with aren’t that many, you don’t bother to waste your time explaining. He believes what he wants to believe.

“Get back here,” he orders as he starts to pump his cock, the veins bulging beneath his grip. A bead of precum glistening from the tip.

You crawl back to him on all fours, doing as he says, and getting back on your knees, looking up at him. “Are you going to hurt me?” you ask.

He pauses for a moment before tilting his head with a small grin. “Isn’t that what you deserve? Do you want me to hurt you? Is that it? You like pain? Is that what you crave, y/n?” 

Fear… Regret.. Along with arousal.. Unwanted arousal specifically. You always knew you had a thing for troubled —twisted— men, but this is beyond fucked-up. Not to forget, he’s your worst enemy. He’s any woman’s worst enemy.  Feeling your pussy weeping in response to his tall figure towering over you is not really something to be proud of. The heat between your thighs only grew bigger every second and you knew you needed to get rid of the feeling.

He stops pumping his cock, his hand darts to your head caressing your hair with —almost— a soft touch.

“Suck,” he orders.

Your eyes widen, your tongue ready to curse at him, “I’m not going t-” 

“I won’t ask again, suck.” His hand darts up to your face squishing your cheeks painfully together. “You run your mouth a lot, might as well put it to good use. I’ll show you what exactly happens to smart mouths. Suck it like the slut you are.” His eyes burn with anger while he’s squeezing tight, his voice dripping with venom. The tip of his heavy warm cock caresses your soft lips, tempting you to bite it off.

He roughly lets go of your face, grabbing a fistful of your hair and yanking your head to the back to force your mouth open.

He forces the tip past your teeth, hatred spewing from your eyes.

“Wider,” he demands, but you want him to beg. Beg for it on his knees and switch the table, be the one with the gun ordering him around like a house pet. Getting back your dignity sounded good but not enough if you compare it with its consequence, having your life taken away from you.

You ignore his request. Making him reinforce his hold in your hair, pulling at it harder making your jaw drop so he can get deeper to your throat. The salty taste of precum evades your taste buds.

You loved the taste of him, your mouth watering with his cock inside it. But you couldn't admit it, of course you never would. It didn’t take too long for you to wrap your fingers around the base of his shaft.

Your head bobbing up and down. A breathy moan escaped him.

“Do enlighten me,” he breathes out, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Your tongue massaged the veins that swelled on his thick cock, flattened out on the thickest one underneath and flicked at the tip.

Ragged breaths escaped his mouth as you began to inch your way down, taking in more of him. The tip of his cock bumped against the back of your throat. Kai tightens his grip around your hair, and shoves your face down against his cock, making you gag around him, violently forcing you to deep throat his dick, making you gag. His length occupying your whole mouth down to your throat. You were practically choking, but he didn’t really care about it, he’s there for one reason and one reason only, teaching you to know your place.

“Fucking whore. You thought you were so smart with those non stop questions?” He pauses panting as he thrusts harder into your throat, the sound of you gagging and the wet thrusts echoing through the room. “Fucking hate journalists. Tell me… Who got the upper hand now?” 

You can't help but ignore him once again. It's not like you would give him what he wants and come undone beneath him, right? Of course you can’t answer him, after all you’re his number one hater. But even haters would give in when it’s the most mouthwatering cock a man can ever have. 

When you avoided answering, or maybe couldn’t answer since you were basically choking on his cock. His dick alone is enough to murder you if he wanted to. It only made him thrust faster, the asshole didn’t stop mouth fucking you even when he noticed your cheeks turning to a bright red and your eyes watering. Your cries turned him even more on. Kai forced his cock further into your throat, until your nose was pressed in the bush of his pubic hair.

Finally, you gave him a wobbly nod, motioning that he has the upper hand.

His head fell back to his shoulders, “That’s good to hear.. You’re learning, you’re such a good girl…Fuck…” 

You smile at the praise. Surprisingly, him being somewhat ‘sweet’ only made him ten times hotter. 

Tears keep running down your red cheeks, your cries echoing through the room.

“Just so you know, I’m enjoying this. Your whimpers are music to my ear.” He groans. “But god dammit don’t whine like a fucking bitch.” He spits at you and it lands on your cheek. Add it to the list of body fluids covering your face, along with the sweat gathering at your forehead and drool drenching your chin. 

You moan around his thick cock, sending him vibrations through his whole body. After all, you’re not putting on an act, you are enjoying it which is something you, yourself, are afraid of. But mostly you were focused on getting oxygen into your lungs. And maybe he is right, as always. Maybe there really is a part of you that enjoys the pain. That burning stinging sensation in the back of your throat. It’s scary because it’s true. 

His thrusts then began to lose their rhythm, but still managed to keep up with his pace. You knew what was coming for you. You shut your eyes, dramatically accepting your fate. Your jaw was already tired from him using you. His shaft was heated up, thrusting in and out of your red swollen lips. His hand gripped on your hair even more tightly holding you in place while his hold on the gun loosened. 

“My cock is a reward, tasting me is a blessing. Fucking thank me for letting you suck me off.” He says between breaths. 

No response, just a wet sticky cough. But afraid of his reaction, you choke out with a full mouth, “thank you.”

You could promise that you felt the disgusted face he did, “what a filthy bitch didn't your parents teach you not to talk with a full mouth?” He says while non-stop grunting like a wounded animal. That's probably what he is anyways... A wounded animal.

Few seconds later, ropes of cum spurt out from his dick into my throat, milking it after the abuse it went through when he was hammering into my mouth. He pulls out from your mouth and tug his dick back into his boxers then his pull his pants back up.

“Swallow,” he orders. “Fucking swallow my cum.” Kai grabs your face and presses his fingers into your cheek flesh.

Desperately, all you wanted to do was spit it at him, right in his face, but you don’t. You actually swallow like the obedient little slut he said you are. His seed slides down your throat, alongside your dignity and maybe your hatred towards him. 

Your fingers reach to your face drying up the tears that ran down your cheeks and the saliva running down your chin along with lines of cum. Looking up to him, you see him breathing heavily. His body working hard to get the oxygen he needs from how hard you sucked him off.

He looks at you up and down, judging you, it can't be anything good.

You expected him to do something, whether beat you up, shoot you, the least of it is spit at you telling you how much of a filthy whore you are.

But he didn't, and you were grateful for that... For him..

The taste of him still lingers at the tip of your tongue. You lick your lips unintentionally and in the most discrete way possible. Last thing you want is having him know you liked it and boost his ego, not that it could possibly needed any more promotions. But he already knows, you're sure of it. The way you sucked the life out of him like it was the best thing you laid your lips on, you can't hide that from anyone.

He turns and walks to the door, completely silent. What could he be possibly thinking about...?

He pauses at the door, turning his head to see you, he’s sweaty.

“If I see you run your mouth about any of my work, newt time will be much worse.” He promises, which you thought was kind of cute.. Promises… 

Zipping up his fly, and slipping his gun in his pants, he finally turns away and leaves, slamming the door behind him.

[enter-the-darkside]

I will never get over how amazing Nine Sols is for exploring a story about someone very smart falling into a bad group and becoming an extrememist.

Spoilers under the line

For context, there's this prevailing beliefs I see that only very dumb people fall into cults, conspiracy clubs, or other bad groups - and that people who are 'too smart' would never fall for their crap. However, it's becoming more obvious that someone's intelligence doesn't play a part in forming communities, but our loneliness, poor self-esteem, and desires for connections.

Yi was a very smart but very lonely kid. His anti-science but pro-religious parents never approved of his interests and he likely felt very isolated and rejected by that. In almost every instance we see of him as a kid in the game, he only hangs out with his sister Heng or is hiding from his parents. The only exception is Kuafu at the academy.

It seems like his parents still barely tolerated his scientific endeavors even when he became an adult and made good achievements. At one point joins the Tiandao Council and becomes one of the ten Sols, which I read up was anti-taoist and pro-science.

Now Eigong accidentally created the Tianhuo virus and wanted to find a cure, but she didn't hesitate to use it to gain more power and funding for the council. When Yi found out her secrets - and that the other Sols already knew - he was so angered and betrayed by it that he decided to go on a quest for vengeance against them all. I think the reason why he took their betrayal so personally wasn't just because of the virus's damage, but because the Council was likely the ONLY time Yi ever felt like he was part of a community.

It sucks because there's hints that Yi was never actually anti-taoist. He certainly hated how religious people were so fearful and anti-science or used their superstitions to fear monger, but he also learned martial arts like Tai Chi (this has roots in Taoism), stopped to pray at an altar in Ji's area, and does know some mythology like the Immortal from that painting he collected for Shuan-shuan.

I think what I like the most is how this was done with such nuance. No one just straight-up said that he joined a bad group, this was shown by:

how each Sol was a corruption of what they stood for (even Yi as the story went on)

The various cutscenes and conversations between Yi and Heng being lonely as kids that I already mentioned above.

The lore bits of Penglai and how the world was culturally polarized between being pro-science or pro-religion, but never tried to balance both.

Yi and the player exploring New Kunlun and seeing what a mess things became.

Yi's conversations with the others in the Pavilion about him being a terrible person or his quest being more of a personal vendetta then real justice and some points. Most of these you only get when you find items or do the side quests.

[neonartistycauseidk]

Sooooo….. tell me about this rtc x catcf au of urs…. 😈😈😈😈

HOOOOOOOOGHH HUHUUUHUHHU!!! You’re asking for it!!!!

Okay, so, I’ve been thinking about this concept for the past couple months or so, and I’ve just finally settled on the roles (at least for the kids, Karnak is another thing in and of itself)…

Let’s go in order of song for the kids (in terms of roles):

Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg: Miranda Mary Piker

Noel Gruber: Violet Beauregarde

Mischa Bachinski: Mike Teavee

Ricky Potts: Charlie Bucket

Jane Doe: Veruca Salt

Constance Blackwood: Augustus Gloop

OKAY I’VE GOT SOME EXPLAINING TO DO…

Miranda Mary Piker is one of Dahl’s scrapped characters for the original “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” book and was originally intended to be the daughter of a school master who HATED the idea of holidays/breaks from school/work and wanted to straight up ban them. In the story, she “died” after ending up inside (I believe it was referred to as) “spotty-powder machine” and, assumably, turned into spotty powder. Coming out of the factory, Miranda had red/orange spots on her face…and even in some versions…began to laugh uncontrollably as beforehand, she was a very “no-funny business” girl.

That aside, in my headcannons for her, Miranda was heavily pressured by her parents to be “a winner” and “the best of the best.” This kind of mentality sticks with Miranda and is tough to break out of. With that being said, what role fits our little over-achiever better than Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg?

Now onto Violet…Idk…it just…sorta made sense to me? If I included Marvin Prune (another of Dahl’s scrapped characters) he’s likely fill this role—-but since he’s not, Violet was the next best option. It’s half because I headcannon her as a lesbian and half because I think she and Miranda would have a rivalry with one another (like Ocean and Noel), mainly because of their strict parents who force them into reaching the “highest heights possible” in life. Also, since she’d be a female Noel…instead of Monique being her alter-ego, instead it’d be filled by “Jean Gibeau”…a male version of Monique. (She’d also change into more masculine clothing for her song).

Okay, I think this next one shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise…I mean…“The angriest boy in town”? Who do we know who fits that to a ‘T’? Well, Mike, of course! There’s also, of course all of his dialogue revolving around his phone and social media so…I mean…yeah. I get why people would cast him as Ricky (due to him being imaginative/a literal genius) but…idk, this just makes more sense to me.

Next, Charlie…Your ideas for him as Constance work VERY well…however, hear me out on this one! Hear me out! So, what do we know about Charlie? He aspires to be an inventor/chocolatier just like Wonka and is INCREDIBLY imaginative…Now, what was Ricky’s title again? “The most imaginative boy in town”…LISTEN…I MEAN…ITS LITERALLY IN THE NAME. Many people also headcannon that Charlie’s a genius, like Wonka, so—-for me, at least, it’s not too much of a stretch for him to say all of those “groundbreaking/intelligent” lines. Also, just as a note, “Space Age Bachelor Man” would be re-written to better fit his character since…uh…the cat-love stuff isn’t really…Charlie’s forte, lets say. (I feel like the name should be changed to “Space Age Candyman”, thoughts? And yes, he’s still in space…Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator exists after all).

Now…Veruca. Listen, even though I think it’d make sense to have Miranda as Jane (due to her LITERALLY being a scrapped character, thus limiting who knows her story and name) BUT…In this universe, Veruca being Jane almost makes sense. See, many people headcannon that Jane/Penny’s parents were never really there for her, per-say, and who do we also know aren’t really there for their kid? The Salts. Sure, they spoil her…but spoiling isn’t love. If anything…it turns people into monsters. But in this au, Veruca doesn’t turn into an angry, fear-mongering little rich girl…in fact, it actually leads her to become lonely and feel she isn’t loved by anyone…So, naturally, at St. Cassains (lets just say the story takes place in Uranium, still) Veruca is outcasted and seen as “the weird girl” who comes from that really rich family that nobody really knows too much about other than their famous nut business. Also, can’t leave this out…in the broadway version (referencing “Veruca’s Nutcracker Sweet”) she is LITERALLY TORN APART LIMB FROM LIMB. That includes, of course…her head.

Finally, Augustus. Yes, again, Charlie and Constance makes sense…however, something about Augustus and Constance just…fits for me. In WWATCF specifically, there isn’t a lot of evidence leading to Augustus being a jerk or even a “rotten kid” despite his parents kinda just…giving him more food to eat and him being a foodie. In fact, I’d argue any bad behaviors of Augustus are just endorsed by his parents and never addressed because…well, they caused it. (The same argument could be made for literally any of the other kids and their parents…but I digress). Anyway, in this au, Augustus never had these types of problems with his parents (or unhealthy relationships with food)…and I think that without all of that? Augustus would be a very good kid. Not a Charlie, per-say…but a good kid with a big heart. And because of that? The title of “nicest girl (or rather boy) in town” works quite nicely. It’s the only thing he’s really known for, really. His kindness…and…well…thats about it. Oh, except for the fact that his parents own the best bakery in town, of course! (Yes, the butcher shop is changed to the bakery in this…AND IT STILL FITS). Also, also…I headcannon that Augustus and Miranda would eventually end up as close friends…perhaps even lovers (blackrose, anyone?) in the future…so, in this world…bestie Augustus and Miranda just works.

So uh…that’s my casting! For the kids, anyway…Karnak I’m stuck between it being Wonka or Mr. Wilkinson (from the 1971 movie)…I’m leaning more towards Wonka because of certain headcannons I have that would make this au…EVEN SADDER.

Any more questions? (You have no idea how happy I am that I’m getting asked about this!!! EEEEEEEEE!!!!

“I’ve waited YEARS for someone to ask me about theories…! Hang on, I made a model!!! :)”

[crownmemes]

Supernatural & Paranormal Sentences, Vol. 3

(Sentences from various sources for muses exploring the unexplained. Adjust phrasing where needed)

"These sightings only occur on nights when there's a full moon, which tells me something."

"It happened just the way you said it would. How did you know?"

"What's the matter? Don't you believe in miracles?"

"The truth is out there. Maybe you should find it for yourself."

"You can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality."

"The human mind delights in grand conceptions of supernatural beings."

"The crimes we are investigating are paranormal, I can say that with absolute conviction."

"There are things you just don't know."

"Why can't you just go for the simple answer?"

"What would you do if you were a werewolf?"

"Lost time is a common symptom of close proximity to anti-gravity propulsion systems."

"We are all capable of believing things which we know to be untrue."

"You never believed in any of this stuff. This paranormal or whatever you call it. So, what changed your mind?"

"If you're waiting for my usual theory as to that is going on, I don't have one."

"Nothing happens in contradiction to nature, only in contradiction to what we know of it."

"I'm delusional? Did you just hear yourself?"

"You just jump at whatever explanation is the wildest and most far-fetched, don't you?"

"I don't buy your hollow threats."

"I have seen my share of the hideous, of the disgusting, and the repellent, but you are the most perfect expression I will ever see of all that is vile and hateful in life."

"What are you saying you believe now?"

"I believe that you will find all of your answers. You will find the answers to the biggest mysteries, and I will be there when you do."

"This isn't my life anymore. I'm done chasing monsters in the dark."

"Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else."

"There has to be a scientific explanation for this."

"Don't go looking for something you don't want to find."

"Have you considered that something else might be going on here?"

"The way I look at it, calling something paranormal is just a way of avoiding a real explanation."

"Are you monitoring my life? Bugging my phones?"

"Human logic doesn't apply to me."

"You have to believe me. Nobody else on this whole damn planet does or ever will."

"What are you even after out there? Do you ever even think about that?"

"If you look too hard, you can go mad, but if you continue to look, you become liberated."

"Just because there's magic in one place doesn't mean there's magic in every place."

"It's easier to believe in monsters out there in the world than to accept that the real monsters dwell within us."

"It's hard to believe in something when you can't understand it."

"The guy that we're after knows what it's like to have died and be dragged back."

"No, it doesn't matter that aliens from out of space have no genitalia - they still have groins, and they shouldn't be kicked there!"

"I'm not suggesting anything. I think the facts speak for themselves."

"Ghosts are benevolent entities. Mostly."

"What does that tell you? That I'm crazy, or that I'm right?"

"Next thing I know, you're going to tell me I'm the crazy one."

"What is this? Another one of your whacko conspiracy theories?"

"If there were secret experiments going on here, I wouldn't tell you."

"You have no idea about true evil."

"The conspiracy is not to hide the existence of extraterrestrials; it's to make people believe in it so completely that they question nothing."

"Without proof, we're nothing more than conspiracy mongers."

[kyrawaff]

Talking with a friend about Monch from Kjerag and now I wanna ramble, let's go!!!

Ok, so Monch is a side character in the first event, and an even more minor character in the second. (I deeply want her as a decent 5* welfare next Kjerag event please I beg!)

She is Sciurus's most trusted confidant and companion. Despite secretly working for Gnosis (oh ill get to his fuck face in a sec) she genuinely works to help the Browntail clan and especially Sciurus. She grows pretty attached to her from what little we are allowed to see. That's made explicitly clear at the end of RS when her and Sciurus reunite.

In BI, she's working for Gnosis as an informant and spy. She places a ton of trust in him and his judgement,, but definitely begins to question things when she has to directly take action against the Browntail clan. Eventually, the smug prick outright betrays her and leaves her for dead essentially.

Now I could write an essay on why I genuinely dislike Gnosis and Silverash. They are well written, and I think they are written specifically to hate, so props to the story writers. But back to dear Monch.

Because of his devastating betrayal, she is forced to go into hiding. She even has to abandon Sciurus and goes no contact for a pretty lengthy period. That shit hurt to read.

They were so close as to be essentially better sisters than the actual browntail sisters. And yet, here she is having to dissappear because of a war monger and his dick wad of a bf.

Thankfully, in RS, we finally get to see them reunite near the end. It's not a very long moment, fuck I wish there was more, but it at least vrings them back together.

RS was full of moments I could stand and shout about for days, it's such a good event. This is one of those moments for me. Seeing them come back together and still have that same trust and care for one another.

Now, Sciurus is married (and iirc expecting a child?). But, idk, I simply can not see these two apart. And I think Yucatan absolutely understands that too. So yeah, I poly ship them.

Monch and Sciurus have a label of them in my head that says "DO NOT SEPERATE" and that's a rare thing in my ship addled mind.

I really really hope we get to see more of them next Kjerag trip, and even sweeter if she was a 5* welfare. I can cope and dream at least.

Anyway thanks for reading me ramble pointlessly again lmao

[ajokeaboutadog]

It seems like some terfs are seeing a post of mine, which I guess is inevitable if you tag something with feminism.

So I had a really intense cussing at terfs phase, and I try not to do that as much now, but terfs trying to interact with me probably aren't going to get serotonin.

I don't consider myself to have a developed opinion on too many things but I do understand conspiracies and radicalization pretty well, and terfs are ensnared by and propagating a hateful cluster of conspiracy theories.

In these spaces and in this like moment it's difficult to separate conspiracy believer from conspiracy monger, and I have a lot of sympathy for people drawn into these patterns of behavior and thought. I'm not stupid though, people who say they're my enemies don't get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to their actions.

To the extent I think I have any responsibility posting shit here, I should post more about conspiracy deradicalization and resources to avoid getting started with them in the first place.

Terf thought is a conspiracy theory on the level of the red scare and the satanic panic, approaching the organization of the 1920s kkk or the John Birch Society. Terfs are both an organized threat to society and lone radicals acting independently, the essence of stochastic terror.

Whatever terfs are reading my bizzare, low numbers shitposts, I believe you can be helped but I'm not your friend.

[beautifulpersonpeach]

https://twitter.com/mhereonlyforbts/status/1712181142789542327

Out of all the members, Jimin has the most grammy submissions. After all the noise Bpp, of Hybe favoritism in only submitting JK for awards, after all the chaos and fighting and insults rained on jk, BTS, Hybe, after all the victimizing, fear-mongering, hate, discourse about how Hybe was not submitting Jimin and only pushing JK.

After all that, Jimin has the most Grammy submissions out of every BTS member. I checked some Pjm pages after the full list came out today and all of them are ignoring it. Nary a pip from them Bpp.

Just like how it was when the BB article came out or when Jimin renewed his contracts.

You're right these people really do act like taekookers where the reality has nothing to do with their beliefs. It's just insecurities, anxieties and hate. Thank you for keeping this blog open truly. It's one of the few tethers I have to sanity in this fandom.

***

Your link, Anon.

You can say this now because Jimin has the most submissions, but what do you think would've happened if he had the least or if Like Crazy wasn't submitted?

I'll let you think about that for a bit.

For me, it wouldn't change a thing. Because ultimately this is Jimin's career, I trust that he is intelligent and capable of managing his own affairs and especially achieving the key desires he has for his career. I know that every BTS member values their team and is able to balance their own ambitions with that of their team, and that they are all aware of their own plans and desires more than any group of fans claim to be.

All the hate those fools heap on Jungkook is frankly just copium. They're simply awful people who cannot accept the reality that they know very little and have almost no real influence over Jimin or BTS's choices. They roam the internet looking for an outlet for their frustration and hate. These are people who aren't intelligent enough to recognize their hate of those closest to Jimin won't bring Jimin any closer to achieving his stated goals.

I love that Jungkook is asserting himself however and whenever he likes, I love that he's putting himself out there trying various collabs even if they aren't my taste, I love that he's having his moment, sometimes alongside all the other members.

Joon is getting ready to release his stuff too. He's come live several times in the last few weeks and I can tell he's excited, and that too warms my heart. And then there's Jimin. Blessing, soothing, and turning us on all at the same time during Jimtober.

I've already talked about my views on the Grammys which lean more pessimistic than not, and it's going to take some effort but I will try to treat that event like an afterthought. Even then, it makes me happy to see all the guys able to toss their hats in for a nomination, all while advancing their own projects and putting out new music.

It feels very good to be ARMY right now.

(It's always a lovely day when Jimin Jimins)

[blackmageeljin]

I haven't posted in a long time.

My anxiety and depression have backslid a lot in the last year. My social anxiety and agoraphobia are particularly out of control.

I have fallen out of producing fandom content, frankly because I have been too afraid to. Fandoms have become a lot more charged than they were when I was younger. I keep trying to get into new fandoms that I hope are less problematic only to stumble across the same patterns, up to and including someone being harassed and told to 'kys' repeatedly over fandom drama to the point of ending their own life.

But being isolated is hard. I haven't stopped making content I just... Stopped sharing it. I don't really know what to do, or if any followers I have here are even still active. I got back into JoJo's and expected most of the discourse to be more 'gay vs not gay' type stuff but some parts are... Really, *really* bad. Worse even than KH. And inconsistent! Censoring myself to fit some fear mongering anti's agenda seems like an anathema, so I just haven't posted anything, even the stuff I have I know isn't problematic.

To me the 'right' thing to do would be to post anyway and stand up for a censorship free Internet and community, but I'm afraid that, especially right now, I just don't have the resilience.

I guess I'm asking people more in touch with a 2024 Tumblr what they think. If it's even worth it. What tools there are. I've spent half the day blocking hate in a tag and trying not to panic about it. As an actual abuse survivor, seeing some of these accusations fly over such inane things is just... Disheartening. Especially knowing my abusers will never be prosecuted, but I'm getting accused of those crimes by trying to cope through artistic expression.

Also if there is anyone interested in some of the 'problematic' ships I've tagged, please give me a ring. I might try finishing and posting some stuff after all of it will actually make people happy. But after seeing witch hunt posts calling for people to haze or blacklist certain crators? It's just... Really scary.

But I'm so tired of being alone.

[stagkingswife]

hi! do you have any tips on getting to know local fae and any anecdotes? also any warnings if you have them. ty!

Getting to know you tips:

Most of the folklore I draw from in my work with the Folk  is specifically Irish, and it seems like the Celtic types of Folk are the ones you see most commonly spoken about online (I believe they were spread via human immigration - i.e. the American Gods theory). Many cultures have folklore of spirits that people often lump into “ the fae,” but I think this over is a mistake.  A Russian Domovoi and an English Brownie might seem like the same thing because they’re both house spirits, but they operate on very different rule sets and have different roles within their cultures.  So I find it important to get to know the Folk around you on their own terms.  Are they native to the area, or are they essentially immigrants?  My own work is so Irish flavored because I believe the Folk I work with came here from Ireland.  

We’ve talked about human culture, now let’s talk about Otherworldly culture.  A lot of working with the Folk for me has been like learning a new culture.  You’ve probably seen a lot of “Rules for Working With the Fae” around, and while those are great general guidelines they aren’t always necessarily applicable in their entirety to every group of the Folk or every individual spirit.  Every time I encounter a new group of the Folk it’s like moving to a new city, there’s a unique culture to learn and internalize.  Each Court, Clan, Troop, Mob, etc is going to be unique, and solitary types even more so. At first I recommend listening more than you speak, ere on the side of too formal rather than too casual, and try to get just one or two close allies who will help you learn and practice, and hopefully kindly point out your mistakes before you make them with someone less forgiving. 

Some words of caution: 

Don’t be afraid of the Fair Folk if you want to have a successful relationship with them. There’s a lot of fear mongering that happens about this particular type of spirit, and yes there are particular dangers to seeking them out, but that can be said of any type of spirit in my opinion.  And in this particular case fear will not serve you well. Be cautious, yes, but not timid or afraid.  The Fair Folk I’ve been close to reward clever cautiousness and only mock fear.  

You’ll notice that I called them the “Fair Folk” try not to use the f-word you used, and never the f-word that rhymes with airy.  Now this is informed by my particular experiences and specific cultural beliefs that calling them those terms is…. Let’s say less than flattering to them.  It's also a cultural belief that these words attract their attention when one may not necessarily want it, so there are all sorts of traditional epithets and euphemisms.  But not all of those terms apply to all of the Folk, for instance the courtly types might like the classic “Lords and Ladies” term, but the Clan I have ties to hates being called this term and would take it as being mocked if someone used it with them, they prefer simpler options like “The Gentle Folk” or “The Folk Under the Hill.”  So the warning/tip here is to figure out what the Folk you’re getting to know prefer to be called and stick to that. (Of course this only applies if you’re operating within a paradigm that has similar cultural taboos, but these cultural taboos aren’t uncommon, so it’s worth checking if you don’t already know)

Story time:

I think I've mentioned before that two Folk from the Clan that I'm allied with now were the first spirit encounter that I can remember from my childhood. Their reaction was very much "You can see us!?!?" They clearly weren't used to being noticed by humans. They starting bring others to see me see them. Eventually they brought the leader of their Clan, who became my trusted ally who helped me learn the culture and practice the rules. He was ancient, even by the standard of the Folk (so old he looked look) but he had a soft spot for children, so he was more forgiving and patient of my learning curve than anyone else in the Clan likely would have been. I was working with him at the same time I was studying with mentor, so I would learn spirit work and Otherworldly travel techniques with her, and then practice them on/with him. He treated me like a beloved pet with an amazing repertoire of tricks, and the rest of the Clan treated me like a team mascot. I've grown in skill and power, and for the most part the members of the Clan treat me as an equal now, but there are still a few old timers who still act like I'm their mascot. But I don't begrudge them, change is hard for them.

[hawkinsschoolcounselor]

Hello. I'm conflicted and don't know what to do so I've decided to turn to you, the Byler fandom's school counselor, for advice. Some people who I consider to be my friends said I must no longer ship Byler since both actors are Jewish and one of them is a Zionist so shipping them means supporting genocide.

I googled the word Zionist and learned that even lots of nice and peaceful Jews identify as Zionists so I was confused and asked my mom and she said that my friends were being anti semitic, but when I told them that they said they think my mom supports genocide too and that I mustn't fall for western propaganda and that their opinion isn't anti semitic but realistic.

They even showed me videos of people in Gaza being attacked by the army of Israel and it was horrible. But now I don't know what to do believe anymore. My mom's always been a nice and peaceful woman and I love her and Byler has always been my comfort ship. I'm still not fully convinced that my mom, Noah and Finn are bad people or that the things Noah's said and done automatically make him an evil right winger, but I've seen the videos. Why would the people who post them make all of that up and why would my friends lie to me anyways?

I'm sorry. I know it's a lot, I just wanted to get it off my chest and right now I feel like have no one to talk to irl.

I really didn't want to get too deep into this, but, as a counselor, how can I ignore such a plea.

First off, forget anything anyone has told you about good or evil. Those are social constructs designed to idealize and dehumanize, respectively. Everyone is capable of actions that we would consider to be such things. However, people tend to pigeonhole anyone who is considered "other" into the evil category, while holding up their own group as good. This is not something exclusive to any culture, really. Humans, in general, are tribal. The only thing that's changed over the years is how we've defined our tribes.

Palestinians are not evil. Israelis are not evil. However, both sides have done awful things to the other despite there being numerous people on both sides who simply want peace. This leads to propaganda on both sides where actions are cherry picked in order to demonize the other side in the public mind. Why has Hamas been able to hold power despite people not wanting war? They promise to protect against the "evil" Israelis. Why do right-wing war mongers hold on to power in Israel? They promise to protect against the Hamas terrorists. It's a cycle that leaders on both sides use to prop up their own power at the cost of innocent lives.

Zionism is not, in and of itself, an evil thing. I'm not going to make or endorse any calls for the destruction of Israel, even if I think some major changes need to be made in order to guarantee a peaceful future. However, I do feel like this ardent defense of Israel's existence is often used as an excuse to engage in horrible actions against the Palestinian people. Zionism only becomes a problem when it's used as an excuse to subjugate and persecute Palestinians. Similarly, on the other side, the Palestinians who support groups like Hamas are willing to do anything and everything to destroy Israel. This is not ok, either, as the only difference in the two mentalities is that one side currently has a lot more power than the other.

The only way through this is for the two sides to stop seeing each other as a faceless, less-than-human "other." These are two groups of people who have become so desensitized to acts of hate and systematic extermination that they're willing to commit such things against each other. It doesn't help that their supporters around the world also see anyone who disagrees with them or supports the other side as horrible monsters. I personally see all the recent vitriol and bile being spewed, whether is be against Noah or anyone else, as performative outrage. People want to be seen as taking a side, but it's more for their own sense of self-satisfaction than anything else. It does neither side any good to attack someone who doesn't have any real power in the matter.

I don't personally agree with what Noah has done, even if I understand where he's coming from. He's a man who has recently undergone deep engagement in his cultural and religious identity, making a trip to Israel among that, so it's not hard to see why he'd be defensive of his culture after the Hamas invasion. In such a delicate situation, though, it's not a good idea to lose sense of humanity. I don't think he hates the Palestinian people or their plight, but he just wasn't considering that point of view when defending his own culture.

It's honestly not unlike how many people who support Palestine have ignored the fact that Hamas killed and kidnapped a lot of Israeli civilians in the initial attacks. Yes, the disregard for safety of Palestinian civilians in the Israeli counterattack is deplorable, but invoking one without the other is discounting the humanity of the other side. I don't think Palestinian protestors support the deaths and kidnapping of Israeli civilians (or I hope not, at least), but, like Noah and others on the other side, they aren't considering that aspect of the conflict when arguing for the rights of their own side.

This is why I say that perspective and nuance are important to consider in this situation. Both sides are so hyper-focused on their own, that confirmation bias is easy to fall into. Every atrocity by the "enemy" only proves your point, meanwhile any atrocity by your own is conveniently ignored. This doesn't make the regular people on either side "evil" or "bad." We're human; we fall into bias on the regular. We're also easily manipulated by those who need our support to stay in power. Make no mistake, both the Israeli government and Hamas are engaging in propaganda to influence people.

I don't think you're a bad person. I don't think your mom is a bad person. I don't even think that the people attack Noah or others are bad people (even if I have no desire to read the hate and vitriol). Even the people I've seen who have said things about how Israel shouldn't exist are not bad people. They've all just become so immersed in their own side that they no longer see the other side as thinking, feeling people anymore. That's what needs to change here. It's just not what the leaders on either side want since seeing enemies as people tends to make us not want to hurt them anymore.

tl;dr: Nobody is a bad person for supporting one side or another in this. It's not like either side has clean hands. However, we all need to take a step back to think about why this is happening and to see that the "other side" is made up of human beings, too.