#i know it says sexism doesn’t exist

[famousinfamous]

me when I see Della fanart: omg she’s so pretty and cool she’s so skilled to and such a powerful vanisher

also me when I remember that one time Della invalidated Sophie pointing out gender stereotypes: *insert intense cringing here*

[christian-culture-is]

I’m always hesitant to talk about a problem that’s in Christian communities online because you get a lot of people telling you just to leave Christianity and our beliefs. I once saw a post from a woman pastor talking about the sexism she faces and how much more difficult it was for her and most of the replies were people telling her to abandon her beliefs or just being rude and stuff.

I know things like this are important to talk about and the internet is the best way to connect with people and spread awareness but it also means that people who hate have access to this kind of information and they try and use it against us.

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision:“Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. (10 )For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” —Acts 18:9-10

Also in that situation the best thing to do would probably be to block those people they clearly don’t care about the situation or the people affected by it. I know it doesn’t make the feeling go away but it prevents more people like that from seeing that post

[raeathnos]

.

[transmisogyny-explained]

Making my own post because apparently this still needs to be said:

GNC cis men are not TMA, regardless of what specific words they use to describe themselves.

Yes, some TMA people do not self-identify as women or fem/mes, and some of their identities have overlap with those of GNC cis men’s.

These two things are unrelated because the specific words you use to describe yourself is not what makes you TMA. As transfeminists have been saying for years: yes, everyone is “affected” by transmisogyny to some extent. But proximity to transfemininity, being mistaken for a trans woman, does not a transfeminized subject make. GNC cis men being interpersonally discriminated against for their proximity to transfemininity does not make them TMA — does not make their identities inherently confined by the entire system of oppression that is transmisogyny — any more than TME trans people’s proximity to trans women makes them TMA.

What does make someone TMA is that they reject their male assignment and transition toward womanhood/femininity. It is both of these things in tandem that create the intersection between oppositional sexism (transitioning from one gender to another) and traditional sexism (rejecting the concept of male supremacy) that we know as transmisogyny.

Furthermore, it’s absurd to continually insist, no matter what new excuse you come up with, that feminism needs to start centering men and prioritizing their needs above those of women. We have had this exact conversation a thousand different times over a thousand different things.

Also, it is frankly bizarre to claim that GNC cis men can be TMA but then completely ignore the existence of GNC trans men. If rejecting male assignment is not, in some part, required to be TMA, then how exactly are GNC trans men not TMA too…?

The possibility that some or even all self-identified GNC cis men/femboys/sissies/drag queens/etc. are actually eggs or closeted trans women (insane thing to assume, btw!) doesn’t suddenly give them a pass for the rampant transmisogyny within their communities. Transfeminists have never just given a pass to TMA people for being transmisogynistic and putting other TMA people down in order to prop themselves up and gain favor with TME people. It’s a wild double standard to give self-identified cis men who might be eggs leniency but not extend the same to self-identified transfems.

And pointing out that GNC cis men are not TMA is in no way comparable to claiming that closeted trans women have male privilege? Closeted trans women aren’t TMA because they’re perceived as feminine men, they are literally women who have been forced to hide their identities. That, in itself, is transmisogyny.

Closeted trans women are still trans women, even if they call themselves men. TME people are still TME, even if they call themselves transfems. GNC cis men are still cis men, even if they call themselves femboys or sissies. What you choose to label yourself is more or less arbitrary, but the category into which a stratified society forcibly places you based on certain immutable characteristics like gender does, in fact, affect how you relate to conversations about privilege and oppression. “Identity” is made up, but Identity is not.

For the last time, trans women are not treated like feminine men (see: third-gendering/degendering); they’re treated like “failed women,” women denied their womanhood, women you’re allowed to abuse. To act like their treatment by society is the same as GNC cis men’s is to give credence to the theories transandrobros have been pushing about how transmisogyny is actually derived from “misandry.” Frankly, if you seriously can’t tell the difference at this point, then I don’t know what to tell you, you might just not be a transfeminist.

And, lastly, I will always be wary of any argument about how “x group is TMA too!” when nine times out of ten, it’s just TMEs trying to assert that they have the authority to speak over transfems about our own oppression.

[xzaddyzanakinx]

Not That Kind of Guy

Part Five: Stalker!Anakin Skywalker × femme reader series

Warnings: stalking, weirdo behavior, psychotic/delusional behavior, possessive/protective, sexism/misogyny, one-sided relationship, arm/hand kink, sexual content/fantasizing, pervy behavior, suicide/death metaphor[Be sure to pay attention to future warnings in the series]

Info: Anakin is and always will be the most romantic man to exist, that is all. Psycho!Stalker!Ani loves counting idk he just does & I know it.[diary entries from Ani] [texts from Luke] extremely not proofread. MDNI 18+

Diary Entry: July 8th

You’d better be glad I’m patient, or else you’d have another dead neighbor.

When I heard the *wwoop* of your phone sending out a text on my computer I didn’t check it immediately. Until I heard four *pings* in quick succession.

‘Lukey, call me.’

‘Why?’

‘I’m in class.’

‘10 mins’

‘Or emergency?’

Remember how I said I like Luke? I like him a little bit less. Who texts like that… just write a sentence like a normal person. One sentence.

‘emergency!!’

Emergency? The panic that flooded my veins was icy-hot as I frantically pulled up a the live feed of your home and blasted the volume.

Nothing.

You were just sitting on the couch snacking on those Extra Toasty Cheezits that you love so much. (Cheezits was a marketing genius for that though, profiting off burnt ones because little weirdos like you lived for that one random burnt piece at the bottom of the bag. Goofy girl.)

That doesn’t seem very ‘emergency!!’ to me. Unless you’ve run out of Cheezits, but you haven’t. I would know.

I chewed my nails, paced the floor, and wrung out my hands. I couldn’t just walk over there and say ‘Hey! Just wanted to make sure you’re okay cause I cloned your phone and saw a concerning text! How can I help?’.

You seemed fine, you weren’t crying, you didn’t look upset. You just started scrolling through Instagram reels and rapid-fire sending them to your sister as if she’d actually watch them all. We all know she won’t, but if you ask she’ll say she did.

‘step out. emergency!!’

‘no, give me 4. it can wait.’

Jesus Luke, are you trying to make me dislike you? I can’t believe you’d make her wait like that. The girl said it’s an emergency. That means pick up the fucking phone, dial her fucking number and say ‘I’m on my way, what’s going on?’

Drop everything and fucking run. I’d jump from a moving train if I got that text from you. Train station who? I have two legs and I can run pretty fast as long as I have the right motivation.

Pass a kid on a bike? ‘Scuse me I’m commandeering this vehicle.’ I’d be the fucking flash with pink tassels and purple glow wheels.

‘Now!!’

The suspense was literally killing me. I was withering away with worry.

‘if it’s the guy again I swear to god.’

Guy? What guy? What had I missed? There was a guy in your life that wasn’t me?

‘just fucking call me.’

Yeah, you heard the girl. Fucking call her already.

“No he did not.” Luke scoffed, as if what you’d told him was the most ridiculous thing he’d heard in ages.

“I swear. I swear he did!” You giggled folding over on the couch.

“There’s no way a straight man did that for you and didn’t try to fuck.” Luke laughed. “I don’t believe you. You’re delusional.”

“I am not!” You defended, not actually hurt by his comment but wanting to prove him wrong anyway.

“I literally don’t believe you.” He let out a snort and whispered something to Han on the other end of the line. “Han said he’s still set on Ben for you.”

“I told you I am not interested. There’s a reason I never texted him!” You retorted.

“Yeah because you lost his number you pea-brain.” He teased.

“No.” You said with a slightly haughty tone. “I happen to believe it was just the universe telling me it wasn’t meant to be.”

“That’s a really good justification for loosing his number.” Han’s voice came through the speaker slightly muffled from his distance.

“Shut up both of you. You’re horrible.” You laughed. “I’m sticking to it. The universe said no and I’m no match for the powers that be, m’kay?”

“Sure babes.” Luke said, you could almost hear his stupid little smirk.

“Anyway. Yes, look I’ll send you a picture of the book okay?” You hopped up quickly and snapped a picture to send to Luke’s phone. “Cause I can’t exactly send you a picture of him helping me with my groceries.”

“Mmhmm I know because it didn’t happen.” Luke said flatly. “Hard to get a picture of a hallucination.”

You rolled your eyes and huffed, Luke was just being protective. It’s not like he was wrong, most men wouldn’t do something like that out of the kindness of their heart.

“This would be so much easier if you had an iPhone. You might be hideous but I still miss your face.” You teased, hearing Han’s booming laugh in the background.

“Whatever.” Luke grumbled, “okay, so what am I looking at here?”

“See it’s this collection of paper that has typed out wo-“

“Smartass. I mean: what’s so… cool? about it?” He interrupted.

“It’s a special edition. $50. He just gave me a special edition book without a second thought.” You said excitedly. “Remember I lost my copy not too long ago?”

“Mmm yeah I think I remember.” He said noncommittally. “You should really keep up with your shit.”

“Hey I’m doing better!” You retorted. “My life is so put together right now. You’d be amazed.”

“Delusional Han I’m telling you.” He snickered quietly.

“Oh my god! Have you no faith in me at all?” You scoffed. “I haven’t forgotten to charge my phone or take my medicine. I’ve kept everything tidy. All my important stuff stays in my bag.”

“You’ve been possessed.” Luke gasped.

“Fuck. If I have then I’ve got the sweetest demon the 7th circle could provide.” You joked. “I’ve even been sleeping better, I think maybe even boogie is happier too. She’s started sitting at the living room window to watch the pigeons again.”

“Aw, my niece.” He crooned. “My *favorite* niece.”

“What about leia’s new-“

“I said what I said.” Luke interrupted.

Diary Entry: July 8th

The way you gushed about me on the phone was everything I could’ve asked for and more. I’ve never been so fucking proud of myself. I feel like I could… I don’t know lift a fucking car or something. I feel good. This is a good feeling, to be appreciated like this.

I want you to know how happy you’ve made me today.

To hear your voice, see your face, watch your body language as you spoke about how we met and our little chat today. I could live off purely that for days. Your giggle is nourishment for my soul, your voice is honey to drink with my tea, your beauty is the sugar in the much-to-big spoon I’d use to stir it with.

That’s what life with you would be like. Tea time. It’s soft, I always think of tea time as being soft; a big blanket of comfort and security. I just feel like it’s the perfect metaphor.

You are the ingredients. The tea leaves, honey, sugar, and water.

I am the the cup and life, fate, whatever it may be, is the spoon.

Can you use all of those things separately? Sure. But would it make much sense to pour hot water on a pile of dry leaves, drizzle some honey and sprinkle sugar into a goopy puddle right on the kitchen counter?

Would it be enjoyable to drink air from a small cup and leave the spoon lonely and unused?

No.

You need me to hold you; you are so many things. All of them are perfect and all of them are uniquely you. But when joined together in a secure little cup you’ll have the opportunity to mesh those things into something new.

A cup is just a cup if there’s nothing in it. Cold and empty ceramic. Sturdy and reliable although delicate when handled irresponsibly.

Fill me with you. All of you.

You’ve already started that you know? Each tea leaf is a tidbit of you.

Your likes and dislikes. Your happiest memories and even your sad ones, your angry moments, your bad days. I love and cherish even the deepest caverns and widest chasms in your beautiful mind. Without them, you wouldn’t be you.

Please believe me when I say that even if the leaves are crumpled or incomplete… it doesn’t mean that they won’t make tea.

Honey, my favorite. Your personality. God you’re so fucking sweet it hurts. Your voice, those lovely lips that speak such well written poetry.

My love, everything you say is a hymn.

I wasn’t a religious man before you. My Goddess, I fall to my knees at the altar for you. Speak to me and you’ll sing to my very soul. Tell me truth, tell me lies, tell me those things that float through the nether. I’ll take it all as gospel.

Ask of me anything and I will spill blood, even if it is my own, to provide you with whatever you wish.

I never understood why honey was akin to the nectar of the gods until I met you.

Now I understand. To taste you is to taste life. To smell you is to breathe freely. To feel you is to be soothed.

Sugar. Do you know how many grains of sugar are in the average tablespoon? Around 60,000. The human eye processes visuals at the average rate of 13 milliseconds per image. Even faster if presented with an image that invokes emotion. Though for the purposes of math, we will go with 13 milliseconds.

13 milliseconds is about 75 frames per second. 60 seconds in one minute. 4,500 frames.

If the average tablespoon holds 60,000 grains of sugar that’s 270,000,000 frames per second.

4,500,000 minutes. 75,000 hours. 3,125 days. About 102 months. Alittle over 8 years.

I use 3 tablespoons of sugar per cup of tea.

That means by our 25 anniversary I will have been graced with every grain of your beauty.

By then I’ll probably need a few more spoonfuls if I plan to survive raising children with you. If they’re as hyperactive as you get sometimes I’ll fucking need it.

Oh well. Just more time for me to bask in your beauty.

All these things have filled me, your cup. All that I need now is water. Your love.

The kind of love that burns so hot that it bubbles up beneath your skin and makes you itch if you’re apart for too long.

That’s what happens when water boils, the atoms separate and bounce around until they come back together as the water cools.

Just like us.

I’m the flame that’s heating your water, the closer I get the hotter it’ll grow until it’s rattling the kettle, screaming to be let out and bring all the pieces together.

Adding that boiling water, your love. It will bring life to me. You’ll warm the cold ceramic shell that I’ve been for so long. Fragile and lonely and horribly handled. I might have a few chips but the foundation is strong and worthy.

A cup is just a cup if there’s nothing in it.

You give me purpose. You make me useful.

I will let our love steep. Let it steep, because you can’t make tea without all the ingredients and a water-worthy cup.

We will stir it and stir it and stir it until the the hand of fate declares us ready, I will be there for you at the *clink* of the spoon against my rim.

I will be there after to hold you until the very last sip.

I will be there until I am broken beyond repair.

If the last sip happens before my ceramic cracks… I will be quick to join you after slipping through the hands of fate.

It’s a long winded way to say that I love you, but if you wanted, I would memorize it and recite it for you every night before drift to sleep.

Diary Entry: July 12th

You’re so cute.

I don’t know how you haven’t noticed that your laundry detergent should’ve run out ages ago. I giggle like a school girl everytime I see you at the laundromat holding it up to measure it out.

I’ve started washing my stuff in the same as you, I love the way your laundry smells.

But I love the way you smell even more.

You just bought some new sheets recently and I took the liberty of ordering the same ones. What luck that we both use a queen size bed huh? The cutesy little strawberry print isn’t exactly my style but I don’t give a shit. The giddy way you opened up your package was nothing short of adorable.

You know what else is super handy about using the same detergent?

You won’t notice when I switch them out.

You’re washing them for the first time today since you just received them in the mail yesterday. I know you’re so excited to put them on and make your pretty pink bed up, I’m amazed you had the patience to wait until today to go to the laundromat. It’s open 24/7, proud of you baby. Prioritizing that good deep sleep you’ve been getting.

You’re welcome, and thank you.

Watching you sleep from the end of the bed is one of my favorite things. It just… I don’t know it makes me feel comforted to be there. It’s the closest thing to sleeping next to you that I can get right now. Then I’ll be getting some good deep sleep.

It’s hard for me to rest if I can’t reach out and make sure you’re safe.

The audio from your room is wonderful ASMR though. Your snores and snuffles and the rustling of blankets while you sprawl out and occupy as much space as your body can manage; it’s soothing to me.

Partially because I know you’re okay, partially because I was able to give you that deep rest.

You wash your sheets once a week because you love the feeling of fresh warm linens. It’s the simple pleasures of life that bring you the most joy. That’s something I adore about you.

So here’s the plan. I’m a man of my word and I promised you a reward for all your hard work didn’t I? I’m also a man who enjoys the killing of two birds with one stone.

Life goes so much more smoothly if you take the time to line up the shot.

That’s why I immediately ordered my own set as soon as I checked your Amazon account. Mine arrived today too and I’ll be stopping by the laundromat just as you’re leaving. I’ve left them in the box and put it at the bottom of my basket though, I don’t want to ruin the surprise you know?

I���m so glad I was able to hear your little chat with your friends. Not only was it a wonderful reassurance, it also allowed me to plan our encounters more closely together. I’ve made myself known to you, I’ve spaced out our previous meetings well enough to leave you wishing you’d catch me out in the hallway even for a quick hello.

Trust me I have been dying to indulge you. But if this whole relationship has taught me anything it’s: trust the process.

See you soon princess, my timer just went off. I’ll be there just in time to watch you nuzzle your face into the last warm item of clothing from the dryer before tossing it in the basket.

Date:

July 12th

You were tossing the last of your clean laundry into the basket when the bell above the door jingled. Purely out of habit you glanced over, instead of the usual stranger or semi-familiar face, it was Anakin.

He seemed not to notice you straight away, keeping his head down and walking to the washer/dryer set closest to the front window.

It was shameful the way you took this opportunity to stare and soak him up. His whole physique just screamed at the primal parts of your brain. The parts that want you to sprint across the laundromat and l seduce him into ravaging you right up against the glass he stood near. Who cares who sees? You’d be beyond proud to be spotted in the throes of passion as long as it was him who was behind you.

The way his arms moved should be illegal. How is it possible for someone to be so… lean? The veins that and corded tendons that roll beneath his skin become even more visible as his wrist gives way to his hands.

Wide palms that would be perfect for grabbing a handful of your ass. Gripping your hips to guide you down onto what you can only assume is an equally impressive cock.

Long fingers as the most elegantly carved necklace. Fingertips that could trace swirling patterns across the vast expanse of your skin. Those same fingertips caressing the slick and swollen folds that just so happened to be in desperate need of his attention.

How could you not be a puddle of a person when he locks eyes with you like that? Like he’s reading the transcript of your soul, his eyes never stayed in one place too long. He needed to take in as much of you as possible each and everytime he was in your company.

How could you not forget how to speak when he walks over to you with such confidence? His towering frame would be intimidating if he didn’t radiate comfort. He seemed like he knew he had that affect on you, or maybe he was just one of those clueless types. That special kind of man who doesn’t realize what a catch they are.

“What’s up sweet girl?” He asked with that same gritty tone that had you feigning for him in ways he’d find unholy.

“Hey Anakin.” You managed to tone down the smile that instantly spread across your face. “I was just about to leave…”

“Well isn’t that a shame.” He chuckled, his eyes darting from your lips to your eyes and back again before he looked up and away. Stretching his arm up behind his head to rub his neck.

“Hmm yeah it is.” You murmured, too distracted by the tiny sliver of skin and dark hair the peaked out from beneath the hem of his shirt.

“Eyes up baby.” He teased, his finger tapping the underside of your chin before you could even register his hand was coming toward you.

‘Jesus Christ.’

If he can make your knees this weak from a few words… it’s almost concerning to think of the state you’d be in after he rearranges your guts.

The blush on your cheeks could’ve been mistaken for a sunburn, never had you felt so fucking embarrassed and flustered at the same time. You couldn’t even be mad.

“Let me help, yeah?” He said, choosing to glaze over your blatant staring and not push it farther with the teasing comments.

Truly a gentleman.

“Oh! Yeah, yeah.” You nodded. “Thanks.”

You managed a soft smile as your brain attempted to rewire itself into working condition again. He closed the dryer and placed your detergent and fabric softener beads into your basket and carried them over to his washer/dryer combo, expecting you to follow.

He sat it down near one of the many metal folding chairs lining the wall and turned to you again, his expression one of concern? Worry? Apprehension?

“You okay sweetheart?” He asked gently. “Did I make you uncomfortable?”

“What?” You asked, eyebrows furrowing. “Uncomfortable? No, no.” You shook your head in realization that he must’ve assumed he’d struck a nerve with his flirtatious comment.

“You sure?” He asked.

Somehow his hands, those strong hands that you just knew would feel like heaven on your skin, had made their way to your biceps. Slowly traveling the length of your forearm to hold both of your hands in his, your fingers curved over his while his thumb rubbed your knuckles.

“Yeah, I’m sure.” You nodded, shooting him a bashful smile.

His eyes searched your face like he was scanning for even the most minuscule change in expression, any twitch of your lip or shift in your line of sight that might say otherwise. When he was sure you were being truthful he spoke again.

“Alright princess,” he conceded with a warm tone. “you sticking around or headed out?”

“I’d stay to chat for a bit if I could, but I’ve gotta clock-in, in about… 45mins.” You said, thankful for the change in subject.

Anakin never failed to both confuse and amaze you. Every fucking time you spoke to him. You were tired of telling yourself he was just too damn good to be true, fuck it, he is that good.

In all your years, you’d never had a man check-in with you like that and in such a caring and considerate way… you couldn’t have dreamed up a man like this. It was a small detail of his character, but it made a world of a difference.

If you would’ve said ‘yes, that made me uncomfortable.’ you had no doubt in your mind that he would apologize and mean it. He’d mean it, apologize with his whole chest and make sure that it never ever happened again.

That was the kind of comfort and security that only a fictional love could provide.

But here he is.

In the flesh.

Maybe hearing about this, Luke might change his mind. Luke was only doing his job as your best friend and protector, shielding you from the dangers of the average Brad that you’d dated in the past. But…

Anakin’s not that kinda guy.

“You know, I don’t think you’ve ever told me where you work.” Anakin pointed out.

“Huh, I guess I haven’t.” You realized. “Bluebird Diner. It’s a good place to eat, yummy pie.”

“Oh yeah I’ve been there before!” Anakin said happily, “that butterscotch pie is so good, oh my god.”

“Right?” You agreed excitedly. “That’s my favorite. I’ll have to tell Rosa that she’s getting compliments on it. She’ll be thrilled.”

“Maybe I’ll grab a slice later.” Anakin suggested. “Before I have to go clock-in.”

“Where do you work?” You asked, finding it a bit comical that you were drooling over him but didn’t even know this basic detail of his life.

“The Cerulean.” Anakin nodded toward the window. “Just a couple blocks from here.”

“The Cerulean? What do you do, bartend?” You asked, curious as alittle itch in the back of your mind needed to be scratched.

“Mhm, I do.” He smiled.

“I think… oh my god. I think I’ve seen you there before!” You laughed. “It was a while back but I was there with some friends… you made my drink!”

“Really?” Anakin laughed. “Shit don’t make me feel bad baby, I don’t remember that.”

“I didn’t expect you too.” You giggled. “The place was packed. I can’t imagine how many people you serve a night.”

“You’ve got no idea.” He blew out a puff of air, with a chuckle.

“Well I’m due for a night out soon,” you said with a grin. “You come grab some pie later and I’ll come get a drink from you tomorrow night.”

“Sounds like a deal princess.” He beamed.

Part Six

Tag-List:

@wickedtactics @tsugumiholic @kingdomhate @burnthecheshirewitch @exquisitcorpse @arzua10 @bby-imasociopath @depressed-kay @aliciaasky @naty-1001 @mrsmikaelsxn @bunnylovesani @ausskywalker @angelsadmired @slut4starwarssmut @chocolatepalacecloudhoagie @starkiller419 @hearts4mitski4 @lethargic @allhailbuckybarnes-blog @shadowhuntyi @mortalheartache @fallinlovewithevil @sythethecarrot @chaoticantihero @vadersslut @luvvfromme @anakinsbaee @doblasftcisco @sweetcheesecakesblog @luvskywxlker @angelsadmired @kaminokatie @anakin-pilled @graveyard-stray @chiaraanatra @jediavengers @zapernz @lunalitva @salted-snailz @queenofchaos99 @ellie-luvsfics @dazednstars141 @rorysbrainrot @hopesworlld @lonaah @t8lzw @guiltycherries @syralix @doblasftcisco

THE TAGS LIST IS FULL! But if you want to be tagged I will comment ur username for you. Love you all so many.

[zuppizup]

Rayllum, 10 babies and Xadian family planning

I’m trying to post the next chapter of Dark Alternative, but AO3 is very wonky, so you’re going to be subjected to my rambling thoughts on my new WIP for Work in Progress Wednesday.

So, over my vacation, I’ve been plagued by post-season 7 fanfic ideas. Short fics, obviously. No more than three chapters, as usual.

What’s got me intrigued right now, is how the continent of Xadia, or at least, a select group of people, will manage with living with the knowledge that Aaravos, in some form, is coming back in seven years. How would that affect politics and society, as well as the individual characters and the choices they make knowing that?

The regular folks would struggle to miss that whole eternal darkness and dead creatures thing that happened, but what do they know about exactly what went down?

And what do they know about what’s to come?

You know me, I’m a Rayllum person, so pretty much any fic of mine is a Rayllum fic, and this current idea is focused on how this particular threat affects the next stage of their lives.

Without a doubt, when we last saw Rayllum they were totally committed to each other and are fully ride or die… but how would that devotion relate to their future, in particular, the subject of children?

Now, I’m an angster in my deep dark heart, so while I’m sure many people could conceive of a fic where Rayllum are secure in their ability to defeat Aaravos come round two, that ain’t where my brain was ever going to go.

Rayllum are in love and clearly want a future together. Callum was openly planning a quaint little one in the Silvergrove before they were rudely interrupted by the whole end of the world dealio.

So, where does that leave them now (in my angsty reality anyway)?

In their youth, they both leaned into their more paranoid natures (Rayla leaving without Callum in TTM and Callum getting physical with Soren in season 4), and while they’ve both grown and matured since then, would such a threat as the world ending be enough to bring that paranoia right on back?

Which leaves me with my current fic planning conundrum.

Assuming Rayllum decided to forego the whole having kids thing until Aaravos is imprisoned again, how likely is it that they could plan when to have a family.

I’ve seen people say that the world of The Dragon Prince is in a medieval setting, and so people had children younger then, which, aside from not being the entire story, doesn’t feel like it really applies to a world with magic and dragons, a world that lacks the sexism and gender roles that are also associated with medieval times or other more grounded works set then.

Additionally, looking at canon, I think it could be reasonably argued that some form of birth control is readily available in the setting. In fact, I think it’s likely multiple forms of birth control exist in the world of The Dragon Prince.

From humans to elves, we don’t see large families normally associated with the inability to plan a family via the use of effective birth control. The “largest” family we see are the Sunfire monarchs, with three children. Viren and Lissa had two children only. Sarai may well have had more children had she lived, but Rayla’s parents spent multiple years at the Storm Spire and she remained an only child.

I can’t imagine there’s much in the way of entertainment at the Storm Spire either. Sure, they could abstain or get creative, but oof, hasn’t enough been asked of them?

Even looking at prior generations, we do not see large families. Given the closeness in ages of the siblings we know of, it also seems unlikely to me that children were lost in childbirth or to childhood illnesses.

To me, it seems far more likely that family planning is active in Xadia and would be a tool Callum and Rayla could exercise.

Clearly, no birth control is infallible (or I guess it can be, magic and all) and I assume Miyana’s twins were unplanned.

Personally, I head canon Rayla herself was an oopsie baby in order to further explain the complications of her parents being called away to join the Dragon Guard.

Where am I going with this? I don’t even know anymore.

I suppose, to me, it’s not a foregone conclusion that in seven years Rayllum would have a kid (or indeed multiple). The setting of the world doesn’t imply that it’s particularly difficult to prevent pregnancy. In fact, the small families imply to me that family planning is a cultural norm among elves and humans.

Faced with the imminent threat of Aaravos’ return, would Rayllum plan to start a family? Certainly, people put off having children for far lesser reasons.

We also don’t know how using dark magic, even in that limited capacity, has affected Callum and the potential for him to get possessed again. It was clearly enough to physically mark him, but does that go deeper?

Would imprisoning Aaravos once again result in an inevitable possession?

Not great when Dad gets taken over and abandons the family.

Or worse, Mum has to take him out.

Angsty though!

As usual, I’ll be doing my own thing in my fics, but I’m interested to see where Arc 3 goes with this (optimistically assuming we get it). There are a lot of factors at play to explain why we might see a lot of the characters in a state of stasis. Seven years isn’t that long when you’re facing the world ending, after all. Particularly when you’re likely to play a very active part in trying to stop that returning apocalypse.

So, which way to go? I see the angst potential in both.

On one hand, you’ve got the pain and desperation of protecting your kid from a returned Aaravos, or perhaps worse, a possessed Dad.

But on the other, you’ve got two people who likely want to take the next steps in their lives, but feel the pressure of a ticking bomb haunting them and potentially preventing them from moving forward.

Either way, bring on the pain.

[plaidos]

oh my god i unfollowed that guy youre clowning on like a week ago bc he had the stupidest taste on sex scenes id ever seen and now im losing my shit at everything he says. like yes im a trans guy who doesnt pass i know it sucks and i think there is things to be talked about irt that but just saying "trans men have no power over cis women" is CRAZYYYYYYYYY like use your brain for 2 seconds man cmon...

it’s crazy bonkers how often trans guys will see the sentiment “men benefit from male privilege & patriarchy above women, yes, even trans men” and then rush to misinterpret it as “all trans men always benefit above all cis women and are completely respected and valued by the patriarchy in all circumstances” which just isn’t something anybody actually believes, much least transfeminists; imo its an attempt to move the goalposts & portray trans woman as hysterical.

it is pretty obvious to me that “transmascs don’t have any institutional benefits over any women, because the patriarchy doesn’t see them as men” is the literal exact same argument as “black men don’t have any institutional benefits over any women, because the patriarchy doesn’t see them as men”.

like of course you can (and should) recognise the difference in how black and white men are treated, white women’s white privilege above black men etc. but abstracting that to “black men can’t oppress white women” or even the reverse is like… a comical childish misunderstanding of privilege & institutional power & intersectional feminism. “(male minority) doesn’t have power over (female non-minority)” is an antifeminist misdirect; we can talk about the unique ways that trans men and men of color (and other marginalised men!) experience violence & the ways they disbenefit under less marginalised women without saying “institutional sexism & the patriarchy don’t exist, and if they do, their society-wide implications & effects magically only apply to specifically white cis men”. it’s antifeminist nonsense that frames “male privilege” as interpersonal circumstances rather than an institutional cultural power structure and it’s a racist & transphobic as hell argument to boot, especially to the women of those communities who suffer comparatively to their male equivalents!

[crooked-wasteland]

I’m weirdly torn about Lite’s character arc.

On one hand, feminine rage (yes please), she’s the only one who understands Hell can BE A THREAT (sure, Charlie and Pentious are nice and all, but there are other people in Hell who are probably not well intentioned), she’s rightfully pissed that her role as second in command was overlooked for some (admittedly sweet) guy who doesn’t even wanna be here, and she’s rightfully upset that her sisters and best friend/man she loved were murdered in a job that she was authorized to do by the supposed good guys. She shouldn’t be seen as the bad guy for being convinced by others that what she was doing was right, and is upset when she’s told all her work, her allies, and Adam being killed meant nothing.

On the other hand, she’s being depicted as the bad guy. I’m not saying she needs to be sympathetic, 100% likable, uwu babey. But her pain and issues are being brushed aside to make her appear like the stereotypical “crazy bitch” who will probably be the villain of the season, or at least A villain. Not the antagonist, the VILLAIN. Her grief and valid opposition is more than likely going to be villainized, when in reality, she may be cold and sadistic, but I don’t this Lute is ultimately a bad person. She spent her existence fighting for what she was told is right by a holy figure. Not some cultist or priest who says God talks to them, but THE ACTUAL HIGH SERAPH. She was convinced angels don’t make mistakes, to the point she never questioned that in all her cruelty, if she was right or wrong. She believed she was right. If this were on Earth, on could compare this to crusaders or people who force conversions or kill anyone who doesn’t agree with their beliefs. But I don’t think that can really apply, because Lite isn’t human, she lives in HEAVAN. Religious asshole humans aren’t comparable to ANGELS who are familiar with THE SPEAKER FOR GOD HIMSELF. So her genuine belief she is doing good is understandable, but will probably be what makes her villainized. Or maybe it will be the fact she’s in mourning? Who knows! Viv will never skimp on presenting a woman as a villain for the flimsiest of reasons.

And on the other other hand. Yes, it suck a huge part of her motivation is her connection to a MAN (the first man, no less) who is a douchebag. But idk if that’s that big of an issue. For all her being sad her boss/love interest/a dude died, there’s also her being angry that her position as leader was passed over for some guy as well. I’m not saying it evens out, but maybe it does? Not to mention that even though Adam was a dick, he was more than just a man/asshole/boss/probably misogynist, he was also her friend, someone she looked up to as a leader, and still was comfortable enough to hang out with when not on the job. He called he names, but that might’ve been out of familiarity rather than genuine malice or sexism. Then again, Viv never really let us learn Jack shit about Adam as a person, other than CHARLIE GOOD, ADAM BAD. So while it is kind of iffy from one perspective for Lute’s arc to be connected to Adam, I don’t think it’s an issue of gender, and more of the fact that she meant something to him.

Sorry for the long ask, but what’re your thoughts?

I agree with pretty much all of this. I think she is an extremely compelling character and I think her deeper character reasons for being a real villain are solid. I even think the song itself is genuinely good at showing that Lite isn't only raging about some guy. The actual meat of her character is really well balanced on paper, and the song does a decent job of depicting that ...

Until it gets to Adam.

The issue is the poor pacing of the writers and how we never got to see Lute and Adam as much. Lute is extremely formal in most of the scenes in the early part of Hazbin. Calling Adam "sir" doesn't give the impression of "best friends", so she does come off as oddly obsessed, especially with the rushed "crazy bitch" routine as you pointed out. We don't actually have a strong foundation for their relationship. Additionally, the revival of Adam as a figment of Lute's imagination as she falls into some form of psychosis is just rather silly. I understand it's to give Lute someone to talk to, but it makes Adam as a love interest is the most important characterization.

I do completely agree with your points on Lute's character. She has excellent motivation, and a clear arc that I also think is worth the effort. It just suffers from weak world building and lazy shortcuts.

[bunniesandbeheadings]

Again I don’t mention it a lot but it is true: I got my undergrad at a military university. No, I’m not a soldier, I will not throw my body into a meat grinder to serve an overlord who doesn’t know I exist and to murder people I’ve never looked at

But due to familial connections and other weird shit

I went to a military university to get my bachelors. It’s both a good, respected university and was also cheap as hell for me. Student debt for a bachelors? I don’t know her.

And when I say “military” I mean, for example, I was one of the only students who, uh, wasn’t just getting her bachelors in order to become an officer I was getting my bachelors in order to go on to get my masters and later PhD.

And yeah, I got my bachelors there in history, and we did learn history there’s no doubt there. But there was also a lot of military history. And tactics. And strategy. I didn’t go there for those purposes but I was taught these things against my will.

And anyway, sometimes I forget I went there! And I speak to fellow academics about military history and tbf, I think I don’t know jack about military history. And that’s how I present myself so there isn’t secret sexism here

That is, I think I don’t know Jack about military history until I’m talking to men who (justifiably) assume I don’t know anything about military tactics and want to explain it to me like I’m a half-deaf parrot…but who also, themselves, don’t seem to really know anything about military history or strategy.

I think I’m in a weird place where “I know so much that I feel like I don’t know anything at all” but my male peers are in a place of “I don’t know anything but I know enough to make me feel like I know everything there is”

And they’re not bad, there’s no villain in this story

It’s just…

You know

Odd.

[homestuckreplay]

Webcomics at Day 100 #8: El Goonish Shive

Pages read: 1/21/2002 – 12/27/2002 & 4/14/2009 – 12/29/2009; about 300 pages (including author’s commentary)

Reason for selection: To be honest I just wanted to read it. It’s best known for its real-time exploration of transgender themes via science fiction technology as author Dan Shive (along with many others on the internet) explores his personal experience with gender.

Current status: Ongoing since 2002 with no major hiatuses; update schedule has varied but is currently three times a week for the main comic.

Content warnings: nonconsensual gender transformations, non-explicit sexual themes with 16-17 year old characters, cultural appropriation (Japanese language; dreamcatchers), period typical sexism and homophobia (early strips only)

Note: To the best of my understanding, Dan Shive uses he/him pronouns, but if anyone has a recent source stating otherwise please let me know and I’ll revise this post.

Overall thoughts:

‘And then Susan was all like "I am NOT your strawman", hit me with a hammer, and developed into one of my most favoritist characters ever in anything.’ (Commentary for 5/29/2002)

On August 1, 2014, as part of a Patreon goal, Dan Shive began going through the archives of his already long running webcomic, adding author’s commentary to early strips. In the twelve years between making and commenting on his 2002 comics, Shive has gone from being a teenager with no formal artistic experience who’s absorbed the sexist attitudes of his culture, to an experienced artist and writer with a vision for his project and an honesty about his process who’s ready to be both excited and critical about his early work.

Shive states several times that his commentary isn’t designed to be read on a first read of EGS, but I personally disagree. Around May 2002 in the archives, I realized I was reading for the extremely compelling commentary and not the then-fairly mediocre comic. Shive’s clear excitement for future storylines and regular references to his improvement as an artist and person gave me the drive to keep reading, knowing the upward journey ahead of me. The commentary also provides an alternate, twisting path through the narrative, frequently linking back to previous comics when they’re relevant to help the reader notice foreshadowing and continuity, which is really helpful for a new reader taking in lots of information at once – and I like seeing an author clearly proud of himself for his hard work foreshadowing, where some creators might be dismissive of the feat or ignore it altogether.

EGS – named for the ‘goons’ hired by supervillains - begins by focusing on regular(ish) high schoolers Tedd, Elliot and Sarah, and top-secret lab experiment squirrelgirl Grace. Tedd has a mad science laboratory in his home where he creates questionable technology, including a laser gun that can change the target’s species and biological sex. The characters form relationships and experiment with this technology. When Elliot gets ‘stuck’ in a female form, an adventure to restore his original form ends in his male and female forms becoming two separate entities, after which point Ellen, the female version, explores her existence as essentially the human form of Elliot’s removed curse, and achieves self-actualization while fighting a giant pile of goo.

Ellen’s identity exploration in October 2002 was when I began to connect emotionally with the comic itself, and I started noticing improvement in the art in November. Shive improves massively in the first year, and even he’s surprised by it – a character casually mentions that he’s gay in June 2002, and Shive’s commentary says that he doesn’t remember this happening so early. 2002’s ‘Sister’ arc, which runs for around nine months, uses a board game metaphor to describe the story beats – it’s a little clunky in places, but I like what it’s going for. By 2009, Shive is far more confident with complex emotional arcs, and with balancing serious/comedic and magic/realist elements in his story, which can only come from those first efforts to improve.

‘You look in the mirror, but someone else looks back. You remember a life you never had, one that cannot be yours. You are the piece that does not fit, you don’t belong in this game. The board has been knocked over, you shall be swept away…’ (Strip title (!!) for 10/02/2002)

Shive is an anime fan and former martial artist, and the comic assumes a knowledge of anime – especially anime fight scenes – that I just don’t have. However, Shive is good at citing his influences, mentioning Ranma ½, Dragon Ball Z, Pokemon and The X-Files as inspiring specific choices, among others. With the exception of an excruciating ‘how dare you not get that reference’ in-comic moment in June 2009, knowledge of Shive’s influences isn’t necessary to enjoy EGS; he’s just giving credit where it’s due.

EGS begins with a typical newspaper format – a horizontal black and white four-panel strip, with a full color A4 strip on Sundays. Although Shive never experiments with animated or interactive elements, he plays around with the strip format and panel size in the early years. In July 2002, Shive uses three-panel strips describing the actual continuity, with a fourth horizontal panel below containing events that ‘don’t actually happen’. Shive also tries out using the comic’s title for extra information, as in May 2002’s ‘Jeremy is Juggling Dinner Plates Off-Screen in the Last Three Panels’. By 2009, the majority of comics fill an A4 page in shaded grayscale, a format that carries through to this day. In an August 2009 author’s commentary, Shive considers how a scene would look if animated, but doesn’t express any desire to actualize on this.

My favorite thing about EGS is how Shive discusses his characters. In his commentary, he addresses ‘past me’ with criticism like ‘you should at least have a decent reason if you're going to make Grace upset like that’, or says he ‘honestly didn't want to write commentary’ for a strip where Ellen was upset, showing a really strong emotional connection to the leads. He also addresses the characters directly in commentary, and discusses them as though they have agency beyond his own, for example, ‘I gave Tedd access to something he could totally abuse without anyone knowing, and he didn't’. He’s very interested in alternate universes of his own story, claiming to be an Elliot/Tedd shipper since 2002 despite their not being canon in the main comic, and creates the EGS: NewsPaper subcomic for non-canon storylines.

Among literary writers and critics, it’s very unfashionable to discuss characters this way, but a lot of mainstream and hobbyist writers (including me!) have had these experiences. I think it’s human instinct to connect with other people, and it’s a strength that we’re able to create the idea of a guy and see them as real, like when we see a face in the clouds or in raindrops running down a windscreen. It helps with having compassion for real people we’ve never met. And while it’s definitely not the only way to look at characters, an author being so excited and invested about their own OCs definitely helps me get excited about them too.

The first villain introduced in the comic is a sentient pile of goo, accidentally made by Tedd in science class. The goo, which can mold and change shape, becomes a recurring enemy – an ultimate shapechanger for a story that’s so deeply focused on transformations. It’s a story about malleability and getting the chance to physically shape yourself into the person you want to be, and at its start, it’s definitely a wish fulfilment comic. That applies to lots of things that a young person might think is cool – the existence of an ‘anime martial arts’ class, getting a squirrelgirl gf who walks around your house naked, breaking in to government facilities to steal jewels – but applies especially to the transformations.

Actually, no, the title of this comic [‘The Real Reason for the Male/Female Options on the TF Gun’] is such a liar. It is lying super hard. I don't care if that's a spoiler. I'm just gonna say it. Liar liar, metaphorical pants on all SORTS of fire. I'm not 100% sure, but I think this is yet another example of me basically saying "not that that sort of thing interests me and has been on my mind for nearly literally as long as I can remember" (and only "nearly" because I think my earliest memory involves looking out at a porch or something and I'm pretty sure I wasn't thinking about being stuck as one sex at the time and how that was not a preferred state of being). (Commentary for 5/28/2002)

Relevance to Homestuck: [spoilers for Act 6]

‘Alright, someone send a message to past me to send a message to his past me telling past-past me to get back to me in regard to…’ (Commentary for 8/28/2002)

Both Homestuck and EGS are known for causing fans’ queer and transgender awakenings, which leads to a particularly powerful personal connection between the fans and the comic. Both feature characters with uncommon experiences of gender and sexuality, and characters who begin life as regular humans but develop animal traits. Both also feature multiple versions of the same character spread across different timelines and universes, and both even use the terms ‘alpha’ and ‘beta’ to distinguish between these versions. They explore identity in similar ways, including a focus on whether one version of a character can ever be the ‘true’ version, and the different potential versions of ourselves we all have the power to become depending on what choices we make, thereby exploring free will as it relates to identity formation. In both cases, this broader theme is explicitly connected to how characters choose to express their genders.

Also in both, the theme of gender is obvious from early on – before the authors themselves were fully aware of it. The exploration of this theme does date both comics, as understandings of gender among online queer communities have radically progressed in the past decade, but both are attempting to reflect changing understandings – Shive uses sex and gender interchangeably in early EGS strips, but becomes attuned to the distinction as time passes – and both are radically ahead of the mainstream media of their time. I’d also argue they better represent trans peoples’ real experiences of gender, instead of the ways we might describe our genders to cis people – but others might disagree.

Both comics start off with a very fast update schedule, which rapidly slows down over the course of the story in response to the author’s changing schedule – in both cases this dramatically affects the pace of the story, and storylines which would finish in months instead take years. EGS’ ‘Sister’ arc includes 158 comics released over 9 months in 2002-2003, while ‘Sister II’ includes 133 pages over 21 months in 2008-2010. This means that in-universe time passes far slower than real time, Homestuck famously taking two and a half years to cover a single in-universe day, and EGS taking nine years to cover eleven in-universe weeks. In Homestuck, Hussie is already much older than the characters at the story’s start, but in EGS this has major implications for an author who began as a peer of the characters aging much faster than they do – this has been softened by an in-universe timeskip.

Both comics contain occasional author-driven retcons; while Homestuck’s famous examples concern the characters’ race, EGS’ concern better characterization, and Shive is more open about them. A June 2002 comic contains an altered line of dialog from Susan, as well as a link to the original version, and the explanation ‘If I had to somehow explain how both the new and original version could be canon, my explanation would be this: The original was what Tedd imagined Susan was saying!’ (commentary for 6/27/2002).

There’s also some clear differences. While Homestuck becomes a collaborative project over time with Hussie moving into more of a director role, EGS continues to be one person’s very weird, unedited vision, with little outside input. It also primarily contains actual foreshadowing, instead of the ‘retroactive foreshadowing’ described by Hussie in their end of Act 2 Q&A.

Q: Is Tedd REALLY a guy? A: Yes! Well 99-- um, make that 95% certain. 90%. Yup. 80% certain he's a guy. Totally. ...65% certain. (EGS FAQ, archived on 2/13/2002)

Continue reading? Definitely. It’s not without problems, but I think EGS is important to the trans community, and I think Shive is an attentive, dedicated and gifted storyteller with a deep love for his own work, which is rare to find in something so long-running.

[tooturtly]

Just watched Nosferatu, and I’ve heard a lot of things. But oh boy did nobody warn me that it was a bad film (in my opinion)!!!!!!

Here’s me ranting bc I have so many thoughts:

1. The costumes and set, the DESIGN that went into this film were all gorgeous, but they did nothing for the story. The costumes and set did not convey the story of the characters

2. The environment also did not play a role in the story of the film despite being used visually. Why use beautiful vistas and the grandiose aspects of nature if you’re not gonna fucking use them for anything other than “here’s something nice to look at!” (Especially when you’re set in the FUCKING ROMANTIC ERA!! Come on!)

3. The plot (oh boy the fucking plot), of which there were three? There were too many plots. This film did not know what it’s point was.

Was it about forbidden desire? (I don’t think so) if it was it didn’t say anything with it. What was the point? What was the message? That forbidden desire is something you must sacrifice for?

This film wanted to be about desire and then someone (the director?) made the choice to make vampires unsexy??? For a film where one of the plots was about sex and desire, it was shockingly uninterested in sex and desire??? It was so committed to being unsexy? Where the vampire is literally called by her desire to exist and yet, there’s nothing? What is happening!

4. Sexism. I thought, considering the setting and the new focus on the woman (idk her name, idk anybody’s names, the Mina Harker stand in), they would address the sexism of the period??? But no! They even discuss hysteria!! Melancholy! They tie her to the ficking bed and it GOES NOWHERE!!!

5. The dialogue. This film is so over exaggerated, it could be so stylistic, the dialogue certainly is. and yet it plays itself so serious, so straight. How can anybody say “I’ve seen things that would make Isaac Newton crawl back into his mothers womb” and not even a little bit acknowledge that it’s a crazy thing to say??? If you acknowledged that this man was a little off his rocker it could work! But no! The audience in the theater laughed!! Multiple times when the tone of the film was very clearly supposed to be serious! But it was funny!!

5a. See Thomas laying flat on his face after his first night in the castle (laughter). Or like, plenty of the buckwild lines. I’m gonna have to go to Reddit to find a proper list some day bc there’s some real gems.

6. Lily Rose Depps performance. It’s so intense. She’s going at a ten when everyone else is acting very subtly, with really great subtle expressions that convey what they’re feeling. And then she’s shouting half her dialogue, with very little build in intensity or time to build up. It made it hard to tell how I was supposed to interpret what she was feeling. Did she really love Thomas? Was she truly afraid of Orlock? What was happening?

7. Pacing. There’d be one incredibly intense, chaotic, horrifying and emotional scene, and then it would cut to Frederick and the two doctors just standing around talking!!! Where does your carefully built tension and suspense go!!!!! For a film highlighting the experiences of a woman, it sure doesn’t spend a lot of time showing us what she’s thinking!!! Or doing! Or feeling!!!

This film dragged. The first half was too long, the second half was unfocused. I could go into the cutting room with this film and take half an hour out and I guarantee you wouldn’t notice. Defoe’s character could be folded into the other doctor and no changes would be necessary. Why is Knock in the later half? What does he add to the story to begin with? (Nothing)

Especially when you consider that it’s totally normal to assume everyone is somewhat familiar with the story of Dracula. You do not have to reinvent the wheel!! You can cut stuff! We do not need Thomas spending so much time in the Castle! Or with the nuns! Or Frederick! (Speaking of, what happened to the money and debt subplot?) we don’t need them. Give me more of what’s her faces story! (Is it Tulla? Helen? Something with an L?)

8. Dracula’s castle: as a modern audience, we know Dracula is evil. Thomas does not need an extended scene of being told Dracula is evil. We do not need him in this house of horrors. It might actually be MORE horrifying if we don’t see it, if we guess! He doesn’t know what’s happening, he’s being violated! And we don’t know either! Just cut it bc it does nothing to the plot after the contract is signed. If you need a reason somebody in this story can kill a vampire, give it to Defoes character.

9. I have seen other films do these same themes and ideas, this exact story even, and I have seen it done better. Hell, I’m a massive fan of Bram Stoker’s Dracula from 1996 with Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves. It does the same story in a very campy, silly, seductive manner. But because it knows what it is, because it knows what tone and story it’s going for, because it does not take itself too seriously, I can actually get into it! I can vibe! I can have fun! I can see what it’s going for and appreciate it!!! But no! Count Orlock’s stuttering drawl has no place in this film! It does not fit stylistically! The “sexy” scenes, the need for Mina to sacrifice herself in a way, it doesn’t work the same!

I think this is what makes me so mad!!!!!!!! It’s similar to how I felt after watching Bullet Train. A well done, we’ll executed movie which very clearly had talented artistic people working on it, but without a soul. A film that has taken better movies and ground them up into a paste to spit back out at me. A film without anything to say. A hollow shell of shots and cuts and dialogue that doesn’t actually add up to a story.

[scretladyspider]

Asexuality can be an overwhelming topic when you’re new to it. If I heard for the first time ever that there are people who experience little to no sexual attraction, I’d have questions too. I did when I first heard about it and I asked a lot of things. If I knew in 2015 what I know now, I would’ve gone about it very differently. And so in this post I’m going to try to pass along some things I’ve learned only with experience.

If you’re curious about asexuality and you want to learn about it, the way to do that isn’t to ask people, especially strangers, invasive questions about sexual histories, trauma, or other invasive questions such as if someone masturbates, has sex, or has some sort of disorder that could effect their libido. Even if you’re curious about those aspects of someone’s ace experience, it isn’t a good way to start the conversation.

For starters, asexuality is a spectrum. Libido, arousal, and sexual attraction aren’t the same thing. Aces have different feelings about things like masturbating, engaging in sex, watching porn, etc.

A good rule of thumb is if it would be an invasive question for someone to ask you, especially without warning or permission, it’s safe to say it’s not an appropriate question to pop on someone else without informed consent.

More importantly, you have to be willing to be uncomfortable and challenge yourself. If you come into the conversation thinking asexuality isn’t real, and immediately dismiss anything that challenges you… you’re not really going to learn anything. You can’t learn something new if you’ve already decided the new thing doesn’t exist.

Aces are used to being dismissed.

We’re used to people saying it’s a disorder, it’s a mental illness, we just need to try it, it’s just trauma, it’s antidepressants, and so on. Whatever you’re thinking, we’ve heard it. And never mind that aces, like anyone who isn’t ace, can also be disabled, have experienced trauma, have had and enjoyed partnered sex and/or masturbation, watch porn, and so on. Any nuance is used as an excuse to write off asexuality. Again, we’ve heard it.

Aces know the whole world is expected to experience sexual attraction, and that what is and isn’t acceptable is heavily influenced by culture, race, sexism, and heteronormativity. Aces aren’t supposed to exist, but we still do.

So it makes sense that people want to ask the personal questions, especially those who really do want to learn about asexuality.

But we shouldn’t have to compromise our boundaries for you to believe we exist.

But say you do sincerely want to learn about asexuality. And you do want answers to the weird, uncomfortable questions.

What do you do?

read the full post on my ko-fi or on my patreon

ko-fi and patreon supporters get early access to long form essays and it helps me stay housed

also follow/subscribe on substack for the longer essays

[nottskyler]

I disagree with the belief that reproduction of divine beings will look anything like the unequal burden that exists here and now in our fallen world. From Mary conceiving the Savior by the power of Gd rather than sex to Adam being formed from the dust and Eve from a rib, there seems to be a precedent for creating life outside of cis-straight sex even in this fallen world. Yet somehow the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has decided to ignore all these evidences in the scriptures and hang new doctrines on the sandy foundation of a revelation that contradicts itself: Doctrine and Covenants 132.

(I acknowledge that I wrote a post about 132 being the law of polyamory, but the section I read to write this post was not the same section I read when I wrote that post. Whether that is because of the Mandela effect or I had my “JST” glasses on, I do not know.)

I want to start out with why I believe the unequal division of reproduction labor is a characteristic of the fall because it is better to start from a place of faith than disbelief. When we talk about the fall in Sunday School and list the characteristics of a fallen world, we usually end up with a list that looks like this: illness, death, disability, weeds, work to survive, and (if you have an enthusiastic feminist) painful pregnancy and childbirth. The purpose of the fallen world is given when we look at what these things all have in common.

When you are sick, someone else needs to do the work you normally do or the sickness will spread. When someone passes away, people need community to help support them in their grief. Disabled people need support to do some things while needing others to completely take over other tasks. Basically, all the effects of the fall are things that make us need to help and support each other. A world designed as a perfect test to see if we will help people who need it.

What happens when we fail these tests? When we abuse the possibility of death we get murder and war and genocide. When we ignore the consequences of sicknesses, we get pandemics. When we abuse the need for labor to survive, we get wealth inequality, slavery and racism, and dangerous working conditions. But abusing painful pregnancy and birth doesn’t seem to be all it takes to get sexism, rape, and sexual violence. Adding lust brings us closer, but I think the true root of sexism and sexual violence is the unequal division of reproductive labor because the benefit of making more humans without having to do the labor yourself is ripe for exploitation.

If you look at teachings of modern day prophets, you will find lots of teachings that allude to the fact that the way reproduction works on this earth is how it will work in the eternities. It is the teaching that is foundational to rejecting gay marriage and polyamory that isn’t polygamy. But when you look at the scriptures, you have section 132 and Abraham 3 who teach contradictory doctrines to each other. D&C 132:63 teaches “for they [multiple virgins] are given unto him to multiply and replenish the earth according to my commandment...and for their exaltation in the eternal worlds, that they may bear the souls of men” whereas Abraham 3:22 teaches of “intelligences that were organized before the world was;” which were the souls of humans before we were born on this earth. What do we do when scriptures contradict themselves?

Ten years ago, I likely would have told you to pray and listen to what the prophet has to say. Now I know that everything spoken by Christ or His servants can be tested so you can know for yourself whether it is true (John 7:17 and many other places); just remember that not every commandment has immediate consequences and sometimes have consequences that are a problem on an aggregate level (for example: pollution). When it comes to things we can’t know here and now for ourselves, we are best to look at the fruits to know the truth (3 Nephi 14:20 and Matthew 7:20).

It is very tempting to completely throw out D&C 132, seeing how the sealing power had been revealed before and likely has a written record elsewhere that could be put in its place (refer to section heading), especially with how many parts contradict scriptures. Jacob, in Jacob 2:23-24, condemns David and Solomon for practicing polygamy where D&C 132:38-39 extols them both for polygamy except for the murder of Uriah. Then verse 61 says “if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her consent” (D&C 132:61) while verse 52 commands Emma to accept polygamy, which is not consent in case you were never taught what consent it. Then, of course, D&C 132:63 where it claims polygamy is to bear souls of men in the eternal worlds whereas Jacob 2:30 states that polygamy is a temporary law when Gd needs to raise up a righteous seed.

But this is simply setting up the stage of contradictions, we can’t know truth without looking at its fruits. And honestly, there were terrible consequences in Joseph Smith’s time. Emma Smith is considered by many to have fallen away and some polygamist marriages were of dubious consent, but, other than that, wives of Church leaders were counseled on affairs of the Church, women performed what would be considered priesthood blessings today, girls passed the sacrament. While there wasn’t an office of prophetess like the wife of Isaiah had, women and men were more equal in the Church than they are today.

The full effects of oppression came later when it was not only followed but considered doctrine to build upon. I’m not a Church historian and so I can go into the specifics to how it got to be this way, but I can look at what has been built on this foundation and the consequences in our day: The belief that women are and will be the ones responsible for reproduction has created the idea that men and women are separate beings and have separate spheres of work and influence; that women are holier and more divine because they have part of their eternal powers now and their socialization to be kinder and more nurturing is part of their divine nature instead of a result of our cultures a societies that punish girls and women from deviating from this norm; that there are only two genders which are the presumed sexual ability from looking at their bodies at birth; that the ability to procreate is so holy that scientifically trying to alter the natural way it occurs is evil, except for when it is forcing intersex people to more closely fit into the only two genders; that Gd created some of His children unsuited for exaltation due to characteristics they cannot control and so if they choose to be lonely in this life they can be a ministering angel to others who were not born that way.

I hope everyone can reject that last statement as definitely not being of Gd and realize it the same idea that led to the Priesthood and Temple Ban for people of African descent. This similar belief is why I believe the Church hasn’t fully repented for the priesthood ban. Obviously there is a different faulty foundation than the role of men and woman in the eternities that supports the priesthood ban, but I am not writing about it today.

Back to the false foundation on the ideas of eternal polygamy, rejecting gay eternal marriage based on the idea that creation will look like it does here in the fallen world actually runs contrary to the command: “Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.” (Mosiah 4:9) Christ was born without being conceived by sex, Adam and Eve were created without sex, and John the Baptist taught “that Gd is able of these stones to raise children unto Abraham” (Matthew 3:9 or Luke 3:8) , and modern day science is also almost at the point where cis lesbians could conceive and have a child without a sperm donor (but with the help of a lab). Believing that the power of creation is more limited than our scientific ability in ten years feels more heretical than believing that women are not tools for men to use to achieve their exaltation.

As for the other false teachings, I have experienced how dehumanizing it is to be treated as holier but not equal, I have seen the issues my mother had from devoting her life to be obedient to being a stay-at-home mother instead of tempering her child care responsibilities with her own interests and ambitions, I had a visiting teacher who could not go a conversation without mentioning her fertility issues because she felt so unholy and broken for her inability to have children due to these teachings, I have experienced gender dysphoria and the joy from doing something leaders in the Church would consider desecrating my holy vessel, and I have listened to LGB people to learn how sexuality isn’t a choice and thus was able to accept my own bisexuality as an innate part of me instead of satan tempting me to do evil. And above all, my husband and I only conceived and had a child after my legal transition via iui and so we have experienced creating life without cis-straight sex. All things in my life point to the fact that our loving Heavenly Father did not make a plan where His children will be unequal for all eternity.

However, I am not a prophet and so I don’t know how the Lord wishes for the Church to repent and when that repentance will actually begin. What I do know is that the idea that creation will emulate the unequal reproductive burden in the eternities is false and that Gd has already told His current prophets and apostles “to treat homosexuals the same as heterosexuals” to begin the process of undoing this false doctrine. Gd weeps for His daughters’ exclusion and that He is running His Church at half-revelation capacity. He is with you as you suffer the effects of this false doctrine and He will not stand for His will to be ignored forever. But our time scales are significantly smaller than His, all I can do is hope this change comes in my lifetime and pray for patience until it does.

[sunflowerxthoughts]

Eddie visits Work Uncle Wayne and reader at work, just to see you again and ends up defending your honor. So tw, sexism and violence.

Eddie is desperate. It’s been what? A few days since he last saw you and every part of his fibre is itching to see you again.

So with the excuse of visiting Wayne, he visits you two. Eddie is well aware of what your role is in the plant. While Wayne’s more hands on, you get to deal with the awful awful experience of costumer service, both in person and over the phone.

It’s draining and again, awful but you don’t dare complain when you see the state of Wayne’s hands everytime you two go to smoke. You two literally schedule them so you don’t go alone and Wayne doesn’t go with some of the dullest men to ever exist.

It’s on one of those little slices of social heaven that Eddie shows up, all smiles and a charm, saying he brought you two coffee to help with the day. You could kiss him then and there if it wasn’t for the man walking fast to you three, red in the face and extremly mad.

“You bitch!” He shouts. The second you flinch Eddie and Wayne stand in front of you with a protective stance. “It was you wasn’t it?”

“What the fuck man?” Eddie yells right back.

The man goes on and on about shit he can’t understand, but all he needs is to see Wayne’s face to know whatever the man is bitching about, isn’t true nor right. It only gets confirmed when the man screams that of you course you can’t do your job when you clearly only care about makeup.

“Right okay buddy, I’m going to stop you now.” Eddie is almost cocky, he is ready to go to war. “Do you feel better now? Got all your big boy feelings sorted?”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh no, you are not excused yet. You come here screaming absolute nonsense to my uncle and my girl here and for what? Do you feel happier after being sexist because god forbid she has some eyeliner on? You are full of shit man.” The man gets visibly angrier and you miss Eddie calling you his girl completely.

Wayne doesn’t and the smirk in his face doesn’t sit right with the angry man.

“You think this is funny man? Are you, the bitch and the satanist having fun?” He lounges towards Wayne and to all of their surprise, you stick your leg in front of them so the man falls to the floor.

Eddie and Wayne look surprised but Eddie has to fight the urge to kiss you yet again when you hum, and out of nowhere, punch the man square in the face and grab him by his collar.

“You call me a bitch? That’s fine. However if I see you so much as breathe in his- their direction I’ll fucking end you, you piece of shit.”

“Holy shit.”

The man runs after that, you are taking deep breaths because if he looks back, you are going to end him. Eddie on the other hand has heart eyes when he looks back at you.

“Please tell me you didn’t forget to clock out when we came back here.” Wayne is the first one to break the silence, ever the responsible adult because you are well aware those were grounds for firing you.

“Not today, Wayne. Not today.”

Original post!

Tag list: @josephquinnsfreckles 🦋

[ihopesocomic]

As someone who has been in a lot of fandoms I think there's a big difference between bashing sexist tropes and fans who believe they are being anti sexist bashing certain characters or developments. (Not that that was the last ask about‚ but it kinda derivates I think?)

I have seen multiple times people insulting female characters going from more rude to softer as in "she's not enough girlboss anymore" or "she's too femenine now" (yes thats sadly a thing‚ literally saw people conplaining about a character wearing more purple because it was too "girly".)

Or female characters that have a love interest and while the narrative doesn't reduce them to love interests‚ the fandom does and seem to forget any other character trait she has just because she's in love.

With motherhood‚ characters being considered lesser beings for getting pregnant or becoming mothers is a thing too (the weird stuff I have read on Twitter on Reddit‚ I was also in a fandom where people went full sexist in a pregnant character for getting pregnant tho it was probably an excuse to hate her more).

There's also the absurd girlbossification such as Disney changing Snowwhite to a simple girl that wanted a good life to a... Badass leading an army? Or them not allowing the girls to be saved ever such as The Little Mermaid adaptation change. Some people do believe feminity is a synonym of weakness and girls should be all badass‚ it's a thing too.

I think the topic of female characters writing and people's opinions on the matter is complex one but sometimes‚ a lot of times‚ the audience can be way worse than the media. Taka and Sarabi are an example...

Just wanted to talk a bit about what I have seen myself. Misogyny in fandom is pretty real. Critizing sexist tropes is valid but critizing people who believe they are being progressive when they are not is also valid. (I'm sorry if this kinda off topic‚ maybe I just wanted to vent)

Just because I’m discussing one side of the coin where people disparage good faith criticism as being sexist doesn’t mean I’m saying the other side of the coin doesn’t exist and there isn’t actual sexism out there. lol

I read what you said about everything else and yes, misogyny in fandoms is a thing. Never said it wasn't. I've done nothing but complain about fans of xenofiction making bad faith arguments about sexism. I don't care much about fandoms because they're filled with people like that, and they're not people I'm going to entertain the opinions of because they think they live in a different reality when they live in this reality.

Don't conflate people with good faith criticisms with people who are making bad faith arguments. Which was what I already said. Sorry if I didn't make that clear, I probably could've worded it better. The things you're commenting on, I want to make it clear, that while they're no less real, these are chronically online people, and chronically online people don't reflect what's going on with the world outside. Out in the real world, no one bats an eye if you're a feminine woman who is a wife with kids. As far as the government is concerned, she's exactly where she should be.

I've always complained about people trying to be progressive with their female characters and they end up doing the opposite. The new Snow White is a recent example of this. It's certainly not the only one. (I've seen arguments about the new Tomb Raider being sexist and I don't entirely disagree.) It's still misogyny. Snow White may be leading a revolution but by golly she's feminine while doing it. Cuz that's more palatable to an audience than if Snow White were butch isn't it lol or hell, if Snow White was exactly the same but had visible arm muscles, she'd be deemed too "masculine". And that's not getting into the racism aspect of this whole conversation.

As for the pregnancy thing while yes there are dumbasses who complain when a female character gets pregnant. But know what I see more of? Pregnancy being used as a plot device because the writers don't know what to do with the woman otherwise. There's a lot of good and invaluable storytelling that can come with a pregnancy plot, but you'd be hard pressed to find one that shows any sort of respect or nuance. Most days it is simply there as a plot device, usually for the men. And if people think criticism of that is an attack then they need to rethink what they believe constitutes as misogyny.

As for your example of rude woman characters going soft, it was pretty vague but I'm sure you can figure out how that can be done poorly. This woman is undesirable because she is "rude" but now that she's "soft" she's more palatable to the audience. But since I'm not sure what you're talking about, I can't make a good argument here, I'm afraid. That's the best I got. Not saying you're wrong, but playing devils advocate here, I would say that a woman's personality need not be compromised in order to be nice.

Let's not ignore every movie that removes a girl's personality for the sake of making her girly, usually to obtain a man, where the narrative deems femininity to be the preferable option. I don't know how to tell you how much more common this is, even if its under the guise of one-dimensional girl-boss bullshit. I have spoken at length about how butch women are represented in media. And when you include trans women who are butch, the world may as well be on fire to these people. It's silly to assume that masculine women characters who are put in a positive light is the status quo just because it's more common now than it's ever been. It's still not a lot.

Of course women being love interests or moms or dead doesn't inherently reduce them to these things. I said this already. Its always dependent on how it is done. Lumping bad faith arguments with legitimate criticism is not doing anyone any favors. It's not a black and white issue, you are correct, it is complicated. But at the same time it's not. Again, I've spoken at length about this. In a lot of cases, people just take one thing I said and ignore everything else I've said. - Cat

[blake-1030]

Ghoul heeadcanon’s, cause why not??

No NSFW

Aurora

Definitely collects things, like trinkets or coins

Doesn’t like potatoes (idk)

Doesn’t understand he concept of cars, because they don’t have them in the pit

“Why don’t the humans just walk?”

Probably doesn’t understand buses, planes, and boats. That sort of thing

Cumulus

Loves glee, her favourite character is Mercedes

Is an amazing chef

She definitely says “oops” when she knocks something over

Doesn’t understand why sexism exists. Because in the pit all ghouls and ghoulette’s are treated the same

“Wait, human girls are treated like that?”

Cirrus

Can’t cook for the life of her

Her ringtone is definitely a recording of one of the ghouls saying ‘ring ring’ over and over again

I can picture her tapping the top of door frames when she walks under them

Doesn’t understand why humans don’t have elements

Mountain

Also taps the top of door frames (definitely teases Dew that he can’t reach the top)

Can’t cook, but is an amazing baker

He has a greenhouse outside and keeps smaller plants on his windowsill

Doesn’t understand that he’s a literal giant and just thinks everyone else is tiny

Phantom

Tried to learn how to cook, is now permanently banned from being within three foot of an oven ever again

Dances around with headphones in the middle of the night

Gives all the ghouls random hugs at the most random times

Like, they could be getting a pot out of a drawer and phantom will just walk up and hug them

Doesn’t get why Dewdrop is so warm

“I’m a fire ghoul, that’s why” Dew said to him one time

“Huh?”

Swiss

Loves shortbread for some reason

Picks the ghouls up and carries them around

Tried to pick mountain up once and practically broke his back

Loves drawing

It’s still sinking in that Phantom and Aurora are still getting used to earth, so sometimes he’ll say something and the new ghoul/ette won’t understand and he’ll be like “how do you not know that?”

Dewdrop

Is an oven so in the winter everyone clouds around him

Hates to admit he likes to get hugs

He may seem all angry and excited all the time, but as soon as you massage his scalp it back he is like a puppy

He keeps a small pendant in his pocket that Aether gave him before he left

He DIDNT ever hate Phantom because he replaced Aether. He accepted that Aether wasn’t coming back, so he was okay with phantom

Rain

Tried to teach Cumulus bass for some reason????

Eats practically every meal with a spoon

Cereal, noodles, soup, and toast are half of what he eats

Ironically hates the sound of rain

Loves to annoy Mountain

Like poking him and humming all the time, but mountains too much of a sweetheart to say anything

That just annoys rain lol

Is actually an amazing drawer, Swiss taught him how to draw