#i like that it's bringing up these important topics

[captainwidowspring]

More good points in the tags from Amarriageoftrueminds:

#interesting thing to think about#there's also the possibility that steve might not want tony to know about it even if steve didn't know it was bucky...#because it might make tony go into hyper-hydra-hunting mode#in a way which might end up hurting bucky while he's on-the-run/in-hiding#bucky's location being exposed immediately resulted in him being swatted#so steve might keep that specific piece of hydra intell on the dl#to protect bucky... even if steve didn't know it was TWS#another possibility:#tony has had access to shield's files and hydra's files for years#steve might assume tony already knows and is just not bringing it up because it's painful etc??

Personally, I think that last point is the reason that makes the most sense regarding why Steve never discussed Tony's parents' death with him. As I have also mentioned in my Civil War essay, there is seriously no reason why Tony should not already know the truth of what happened to his parents; it really seems like the only reason he didn't was so that the final battle could happen the way it did. But Steve figuring that Tony already knew, since he should have, was not an unreasonable assumption, and such a topic is not an easy or desirable thing to talk about: so Steve is not at fault for never having such a conversation.

As for the rest of the meta, I disagree with the statement that neither Steve nor Tony were completely right in the movie—Steve was in fact completely in the right, he literally didn't do anything wrong, and only the extremely biased framing prevents more people from seeing it— but the rest I largely agree with.

And I'd like to add another detail, that is very important to this whole situation, but which people seem to always forget: THE ZOLA SCENE HAPPENED BEFORE STEVE FOUND OUT THAT THE WINTER SOLDIER WAS BUCKY!!!

The sequence of events is that Steve and Natasha find Zola in the bunker, the bunker gets blown up, the two of them escape to Sam's house, and this subsequently leads to the highway fight where Steve unmasks Bucky and the truth is revealed. But at the time that Steve saw Zola's newspaper clippings, he was still unaware of The Winter Soldier's true identity. It is thus very possible that, in all the ensuing chaos, the finer details of Zola's revelations were pushed from his mind (if he even believed them to begin with, and didn't think it was just Zola manipulating them), and so he never connected the dots until it was thrown in his face.

And indeed, the video thing is something that bugs me too. Zemo literally frames Bucky with a video, but then later he presents a highly suspicious video that we're nonetheless supposed to assume is completely real? I guess the creative team just didn't want people questioning it because then Tony would look really bad for uncritically accepting it when Zemo literally straight-up told him that he wanted the Avengers to fight each other.

So yeah. There really is a mountain of plausible and understandable reasons that easily explain why Steve never told Tony about his parents, and why Steve might not have even known if the story they were presented with was true.

I'm about 8 years late with this but one thing in the Civil War dispute I have never seen anyone from either side point out (and I could just be completely wrong on this):

There is no indication Steve actually knew Bucky killed Tony's Parents

Steve knew it was Hydra because, and as far as I am aware ONLY because of Zola's little exposition scene in Winter Soldier where he shows a bunch of newspapers clippings of things Hydra is responsible for, including Howard and Maria Stark's death.

I repeat: things HYDRA is responsible for. So, yes, Cap knew Hydra killed the Starks, and knew Bucky was working for Hydra. That does not mean, because of that little exposition scene, Cap decided, 'oh yes, in the last 70 years Hydra has only had one man doing all their assassinations, so that must mean Bucky killed Howard and Maria.'

The thought it might have been him could have occurred to Steve, but either way, that would be a theory, and not something Steve has any reason to tell Tony.

For further proof, this exchange from Civil War straight after Tony & Steve watched the security footage:

Tony: "Did you know?"

Steve: "I didn't know it was him."

Tony: "Don't give me that shit, Rogers. Did you know?"

Steve: "...Yes."

To me at least, that 'yes' means Steve knew Hydra, as an organisation, killed Stark's parents, and he elected not to tell Tony, which he is shown to have found out in Winter Soldier so we know that. But his initial statement, "I didn't know it was him", we have no evidence wasn't entirely truthful.

(Whether Tony hears that 'yes' as 'yes I knew Bucky killed your parents' or 'yes I knew your parents death wasn't an accident/orchestrated by Hydra' is ...debatable, but either way I can't see any reason to believe Steve meant the latter, especially since he has already said he knew it wasn't Bucky specifically.)

Why didn't Steve tell Tony Hydra killed his parents?

I can think of a few reasons, whatever side of the Civil War divide you are you can probably come up with more:

1. Steve knew Zola was trying to distract Steve and Nat when he showed those newspapers, so was just trying to keep them engaged, and hinting there might be more to the death of an old friend and get Steve emotional would be a great way to do that. Steve might have suspected it was true, but with no actual evidence he didn't want to open Tony's old wounds.

2. The avengers were going after Hydra post-Winter Soldier, and Steve was worried about what Tony might do/how reckless he might be/didn't trust him enough to risk telling him the people they were targeting killed his parents.

3. It was more than 30 years in the past. If Steve didn't know it was Bucky, it would be likely the person who did it (or at least authorised it) was long dead or unfindable (again, 30 years cold case, no evidence except in a bunker in nowhere siberia that Zemo spent a year searching for when he knew exactly what he was trying to find), so there would be no justice to get, so it would be only hurting Tony for no reason.

But the point is there are a lot of reasons Steve wouldn't tell Tony (admittedly a lot aren't very good or wishful thinking, and Steve probably should have said something, but it is a common theme across the MCU that Steve doesn't always have as much faith in Tony as he should (and then sometimes Tony builds Ultron because he got scared and you can understand why Steve might not trust him when emotional), I'm not here to idolise either of them or say either were completely right in this movie, just point out one thing I see a lot of people complain about). A lot of those reasons don't hold if Steve knew that it was Bucky, and we will never know if Steve might have told him if he did, but you can't blame Steve for not telling Tony something he didn't know himself.

[doumadono]

sorry if this sounds rude 😢 but you haven’t been posting a lot of stories lately and that’s like the only thing you have to do? just post something it’s not that big of a deal? dygwim? i think fanfic writers especially on the anime side like to exaggerate things too much and if you don’t post then just deactivate? there’s no point in staying if you’re not gonna do anything but reblog silly content all the time? i don't understand how so many ppl can follow you when you are not even trying to be grateful and you only write not what people request but what you find interesting (which is not, like vampier Shigaraki???? viking Dabi???? so silly stupid ideas imo 😒)? whoever finds your writing or you as a person nice is either blind or stupid. and even if you write something chaptered it takes you literally months to update which isn't fair to people?? but I guess you don't care at all. you must be a freaking entitled white woman to treat otherz the way you do.

(again sorry, didn't mean to sound rude) 😔

When I first read your message, I was completely speechless for a minute or two, anon.

Firstly, it seems there’s a misconception about what fanfiction writers, or any creative individuals for that matter, have to do. Let me clarify something important: creativity isn’t a tap that one can simply turn on and off at will. It’s a complex, often unpredictable process that cannot be rushed without compromising the integrity and quality of the work. Quality stories often require research, plotting, editing, and revising before they’re ready to share. My creative process isn’t a fast food joint, nonnie, and I'm not here to serve up reheated ideas just to fill the silence.

My blog belongs to no one but me. I post what I want, when I want. As for the content of my stories, I believe every writer has the right to explore subjects that excite them the most - even if that means delving into topics or settings others may find odd, like vampires or vikings. My goal is to write stories I’m passionate about and then offer them freely to anyone who might find them entertaining. Some people will, others won’t, and that’s absolutely okay.

Contrary to your belief, I don't exist solely to churn out stories at the speed you dictate. I write on my own time and for my own pleasure. The notion that I should be a content machine is, frankly, laughable. Writing takes time, creative energy, and often real-life circumstances can slow the process. I post when I’m ready, and if that doesn’t align with your desired schedule, you’re free to unfollow or seek out other writers who update more frequently. Suggesting I deactivate because I’m not constantly posting or because I reblog content I enjoy is dismissive at best. I'm not a streaming service like Netflix, darling🙄

Calling me an entitled white woman or implying I’m ungrateful crosses a line. You know nothing of my background or personal circumstances, and bringing race or entitlement into the conversation is neither accurate nor constructive. My ethnicity or personal identity, whatever it may be, does not diminish the value of my creative output, nor does it affect my commitment to my followers. I appreciate every person who visits my page - whether they come to enjoy what I reblog, to read stories I post or to offer critique.

It's also laughable that you think my followers are stupid. Just because their tastes don't align with yours doesn't make them any less intelligent. Diversity in fandoms exists because creativity resonates differently with everyone, something you seem incapable of recognizing.

In the end, I won’t apologize for taking the time I need to create or for following my own interests - that’s part of being a writer. I do, however, expect basic respect in return. If you can’t extend that courtesy, I hope you'll block me, step away from my blog, and never interact with any of my content again.

With all this in mind, it's precisely why I've stopped taking regular requests. Last year, I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of requests and the rudeness in many messages, pushing me to my limits. That's why I've decided to concentrate on my own projects and only accept commissioned work.

I'm taking a few days off to gather my thoughts and concentrate on my writing projects.

[beans-core]

Some batkid reactions to being hassled by the press and other PR related shenanigan (inspired by this post by @timdrakewhump, it got the brainworms shmoovin)

(edit: added a cut here because DAMN this post is fucking LONG and I know it’s clogging up other people’s pages too)

Dick: the humble founder of the batkid “troll the press” train, so he has a lot of experience and stories. As a kid, he charmed the pants off of everyone but was a handful to interview because he kept going off on random tangents. And it was just. the most unrelated and weird shit ever, like his favorite species of beetle or how he used to think when he was little that all clouds were pollution so he hated cloudy days. Things so off-topic it was practically unusable material. Bruce once asked if it was on purpose, and Dick responded “sometimes!”. He’s also the king of petty but ultimately inconsequential pranks because of growing up where he did, a place where the job was bringing joy and entertainment. If someone was an asshole to him (or anyone really) in his presence, they’d better prepare to be on the receiving end of the most manipulative, career-devastating smackdown delivered by a pink-cheeked, gift-to-the-world, curly-Q babychild— who’s now got tears running down his face because of them. It’s joever. This performer stuff helps when he’s trying not to get caught (ex: the pranks). As an adult, he wears the most butt ugly outfits (even to “important” events) but can dress stylishly if he wants. That’s usually how the press will notice which events Dick actually cares about, and Dick utilizes this to get better coverage on the more meaningful events. It’s fucking hilarious when ppl can't even really comment on the outfits because even if the clothes aren’t great, Dick somehow manages to make it look decent. When he’s out casually in public, he’s notorious for wearing shirts with puns and dad jokes on them. The shirts started ironically, but now it’s a whole thing. He gets them as presents too, Tim giving him shirts that have horrible brainrot on them. Additionally, when someone is more comfortable talking in a language other than English and Dick can speak it, he’ll switch over. But the flip side is that he knows the best insults in that language too, so if you piss him off, his roasts are both more accessible, personal, and devastating.

Jason: Snuck books to read into boring events like clockwork, and Bruce never really tried to stop him. (It’s hard to be upset at your kid for reading of all things, especially when you’d rather be doing the same too.) But Jason’s favorite activity was spreading lies and slander. He dragged everyone into it whether you were kind or bitchy, and had barely any limits. (Dick was really proud, even of the particularly wicked rumors, but tried not to show it too much else Jason go wilder.) Jason has the most fun with the gossip-distribution method of old-rich gossips who are just incapable of shutting the hell up— it’s like one big maze traversing the social cliques and making a plan of action. He gets to map out how it all works and then find the best way to wreck it, and he lives for it. Overall, he made up such an astronomical amount of bullshit that photographs were practically the only thing the paparazzi could reliably use. And even then, Jason still trolled them by wearing the same type of common plain hoodie over every outfit out in public (when he wasn’t at some special event). Present day (post-death), anytime Jason goes into the manor (not often if possible), he sneaks in. Absolutely refuses to use a door. One time, someone gets a blurry picture of Jason sneaking in, and the figure is visibly packing heat. The person who got the photo went to the police immediately, and it sent the media into a frenzy. Bruce had to make up some story about an attempted robbery and how the (non-existent) security guards he’d hired were able to take care of it. Jason thinks it’s the funniest thing ever, and can barely keep his face blank whenever he remembers it. Tim got the articles/papers printed and framed as a gift, and Jason begrudgingly accepted it (it’s proudly displayed on a shelf). He’s also secretly pissy that he can’t blatantly make up rumors for the gossips anymore because of the whole “being dead” thing.

Tim: holds grudges to hell and back if you’re not a loved one. If you happen to be more than just an average-everyday amount of douchebag and mess with him or someone he cares about, he’ll make sure you know he dislikes you by basically passive-aggressively harassing you back (when it won’t have immediate/future bad-time consequences). It’s obvious he’s being unkind only to the person/people it’s directed at, and it’s an art form Tim has been honing since the age he first understood what ‘passive aggressive’ meant. One example: once, some person said how odd it was for Mr. Wayne to keep taking in children who looked like him and “forcing them” to take the Wayne last name. The man said it in that condescending tone of people who try to imply something’s “wrong” with you without actually saying it (you know what I’m referring to). Even though Tim was visibly disgruntled in the video, it was still published. (Tim hacked the site, unpublished, and deleted the recordings out of spite… but it’s the fact that they did it in the first place!) So now whenever he sees that news station he refuses to answer them until they address him by “Timothy Wayne” (his last name is hyphenated and he doesn’t mind answering to either— usually). When Tim’s not in the mood to be passive about his aggression, he’ll just fuck with rude ppl anonymously. Hacking to mess with files/programs, deleting important info, digging up dirt and publicizing it, recruiting Jason’s help to concoct a fake scandal (Jason tries to pretend that he doesn’t love the chaos but he really obviously does), and other ways to constantly annoy/inconvenience them. Tim also accidentally adopts Jason’s habit of scoping out and analyzing the famous gossips of Gotham. It was something he’s been proficient at as a kid out of necessity, but he actually gets into it when he becomes Robin, beginning to view it like one big puzzle he can solve and use to his advantage. As a child, he’s not in the immediate focus of the news as much as you’d think. The Drake’s keep him out of the way unless he can be useful somehow (PR mostly— the Idealistic Loving Family tactic and Cute Kid Distraction are utilized often). (This becomes Pretty Boy Distraction and Desirable Man Distraction as he gets older.) They think that controlling his media presence is easier than doing damage control if he makes a mistake, as all children tend to do, which inadvertently ends up protecting him from some of the more despicable side of modern media… as long as he doesn’t seek it out himself… but as we know, Tim Drake is a very curious kid.

Damian: the perfectly behaved Wayne child, but rude without realizing (of course he realizes, but the press doesn’t know that… or won’t mention it, at least). The Wayne family PR team has long-standing beef with this kid and has had to put up with him repeatedly for PR training and other PR nightmares of his creation. He refuses to act childish in front of the media unless it’s for a mission or some other gain. (He can look like the cutiest patootie on command now, but it’s something he had to work on in his PR training, unlike some of his other siblings who have charm oozing from their pores.) The only thing that reveals Damian’s discomfort to those who know him is how he’ll stay near his family members' side, following them around like he’s stuck with glue. Once he got overwhelmed by a sudden crowd, and didn’t notice one mic coming his way until it was shoved in his face— he reacted instinctively, punched the mic (it goes flying), and ducked low into a fighting stance next to Bruce. The others poke fun until they realize he’s genuinely upset he couldn’t stay calm, so they don’t mention it again. Even though Damian loudly rebukes and scoffs at his family’s shenanigans against the press, he still secretly wants to be included. So, when he doesn’t want to be talking to someone, he’ll slowly shift into speaking Arabic and pretend not to notice. More than half the time, the listener will feel too awkward to point it out and will find some way to leave the conversation. Dick takes him to his favorite dessert place when he does this for the first time, and brags about Damian finally joining in on the family tradition all day, so he keeps doing it.

Cassandra: leans heavily into the “can’t speak” thing that she’s been mistakenly assigned just so she doesn’t have to talk to the press as much or be a center of attention. If someone does approach her she just stares at them with wide unblinking bug eyes until they back off and/or are distracted by something else. But really, she isn’t even approached that often because she sneaks around everywhere. When she is found, it’s because she feels like teasing someone that day. (It’s a bonus when her family gets all giggly seeing her mess with the press because yeah, it’s practically a Wayne family tradition at this point.) Also, everyone knows by now that Brucie will unabashedly raise hell to defend his loved ones, so even years later, when media people are like “okay wait shouldn’t she be able to talk by now??” they keep their ignorant mouths shut lest Bruce Wayne descend upon them with the power of a thousand suns lawyers. Misinformed media-people assume she’s deaf or hard of hearing all the time because of her use of sign language, and sometimes, in the spirit of trolling, she’ll feed into it indirectly. Because if you’re calling over to her for a comment and she happens to not answer, it’s your fault if you “connect the dots” and assume she didn’t hear you because she’s deaf/HOH. This also leads to her getting away with absolutely everything, because she’s a (assumed) deaf woman which means she gets infantilized, meaning she can obviously do no wrong! /s It would piss her off more if she gave a fuck about what the media thinks, but she really doesn’t, so she just uses it as another tool when she wants to cause havoc.

Duke: doesn’t get bothered too often compared to most of the others, and subsequently doesn’t give a fuck. Was offered PR training just in case by Bruce and he took it, but he could hold his own just fine before. Sometimes he’ll get approached by those sidewalk interviewers as Signal, and if he has the time he’ll stick around to quickly answer a few questions because he finds them funny. He’s always terribly vague though, and taken out of context you just have no earthly idea what he’s on about. Clarification? Duke doesn’t know her. As someone who hangs out with a family consisting of some rich white people who are often in the public eye of other rich white people, he likes to make the annoying ones squirm by interpreting everything they say to be offensive, just. Fucking with them until they’re panicking, having mini heart attacks thinking of the PR nightmare they’re gonna have. “So young man, do you think you’ll go to college?” “Why do you ask? Think a black kid wouldn’t be able to?“ “I didn’t—” “Think I’m not as capable as anyone else?” “NO no no of COURSE NOT—” Damian, Cass, and Dick think it’s genius so they take inspiration from him and do it too in their own ways. Duke usually goes straight from Bat Business to the manor, entering from the batcave but when he does visit normally, he’s pretty discreet. All that to say that when he’s first noticed hanging around the batkids + co. it’s in public areas. There are definitely some rumors going around because Duke hangs out with them like all the time. the media are left wondering where the fuck another kid came from, why Bruce hadn’t introduced his new kid, etc. Bruce comes out with a vague summary story to get the majority of the press (the ones who didn’t bother to do more research) off dukes back, and after a while, they go back their normal level of invasive.

Stephanie: will get pissy if someone calls her Bruce’s child but won’t deny being part of the family. Loves to spread misinformation like Jason, but it’s only ever fake news about herself. At one point, half of Gotham is convinced she’s some estranged Wayne (some third cousin, or was it second?) and the other half thinks that she’s the secret affair child of Martha Wayne (even though the timeline zero sense). She drives the celeb-focused conspiracy theorists bonkers by introducing herself by different names, bringing up fake relatives, sharing absurd fake stories, etc. Then, she’ll throw in an absurd truth, someone will connect the dots about that one thing being real, and it’ll start another conspiracy frenzy because wait, if that’s true, what else is??? She's also mastered how to use makeup to make her features look different for undercover missions, but will wear it out in public too so it makes sneaky pictures and videos look doctored/fake. One time, she applied some fake facial prosthetics too for fun, and a paparazzo got into hot water for trying to pass off a picture of ‘some random woman’ as Stephanie Brown. She decided to frame the best of those articles written (framing “best-of” incidents is kind of a thing now). She’ll always be excited when one of the bats comes to her asking her to disguise them for a mission because they all know that the price of her work is that she gets free reign of what the disguise looks like (as free as you can be within the mission parameters, but she finds a LOT of little ways to entertain herself).

[lilylushes]

Anything but a cliché

!!! making out, mentions of sex

You were always the single friend who never had anything going on in her love life. Had been on only a couple of dates and got the ick every time. But this guy, Luigi, was different. You really thought he was perfect for you. You couldn’t find something about him to twist into a turn-off or a reason for no second date. Your first date had only been last week. You two went to the beach in the evening to split a bottle of wine and pizza and watch the sunset. On your second date, you went ziplining. Now, you were on your third date with him, having dinner at an Italian spot he recommended. You wore a dress and heels and he had on a suit. Honestly, you were both quite out of your element in these clothes. But he was trying to be sweet and impress you. You told him he was impressive enough just like he is, but he insisted on doing this dinner for you.

You two would talk about anything and everything. You both loved to read, work out, travel, and be adventurous. You’d talk about philosophy, society, politics, religion, and all the topics that normal people stray from in the dating stage. He told you that he liked that about you, that you’re open, honest, and follow your own rules.

You enjoyed dinner, holding hands for much of it, and having your discussions that 99% of other people would shy away from. 

“Can I walk you home,” Luigi asked.

“Oh no, it’s okay. I live like a ten minute walk from here.”

“All the more reason for me to walk you home if it’s so close by,” he smiled, rubbing his thumb on your palm as he held your hand. “Please, let me walk you home.” You made a bit of a sour face, protesting. “I know you can get home just fine by yourself, y/n. I just want to spend time with you. You’re amazing,” he brings your hand to his lips for a quick kiss.

“Mmm okay, fine. But only because I really like spending time with you, too, Luigi,” you smiled at him.

“Okay, let’s go.”

You two walked hand by hand down the city streets until arriving at your apartment. You wanted to invite him upstairs, but figured that doing that on the third date would make him think he was getting something you weren’t ready to give. You had kissed already - something that wasn’t normal for either of you at this stage, but neither of you were ones to ignore your gut.

“Hey, um, do you want to come up and have a glass of wine with me? I just figured because it’s Friday night and neither of us have to wor-”

“Yeah, of course I want to,” he grinned, pulling you into him by the waist. You smiled back at him. Your lips meet for a gentle kiss.

“I know I’ve said it like 50 times, but you look so pretty, y/n. Not just tonight, every time I see you.” 

“Thank you,” you smiled back at him. “That’s really sweet of you. Come, follow me.”

You enjoyed more than one glass of wine on your couch. You were having all of your intellectual conversations that you always did. This time, you were talking about Walden by Thoreau and how solitude is not only a beautiful thing, but also important for people.

In the middle of the intense and deep conversation, Luigi starts smiling. More than smiling - he’s grinning from ear to ear.

“And Walden actually set the tone for oth- what is it?” you asked him.

“You’re pretty darn amazing, you know that?” he grabs your wine glass to set them both on the coffee table. He takes your hand in his.

“I never thought I’d find someone like you out there. I really just can’t believe it. I’ve been pinching myself every day.”

“Me too, Luigi.” you look into his eyes.

“I want you to know that this isn’t the wine talking, that I really like you, that I see you in my future. And that this is scary for me to say because I didn’t think I’d ever feel like this, let alone this early after meeting someone. You’re special, y/n. Not just special, perfect. I want to see where this goes with you, if you’re okay with it.”

“Yeah, I am,” you whispered. “I feel the same way about you. I really like you, and it scares me, but I want to like you for a long time to come.”

“Good to know we’re on the same page, y/n,” he holds your face, bringing you in for a kiss. He always kisses you so gently and so softly. Just when you think he’s going to pull away, he deepens the kiss. You grant his tongue entrance to your mouth, letting him explore. His hands remain holding your face. You can’t help but want more in this moment, and you know he’s waiting for you on this, because he’s respectful. You run your hands down his chest and over his abs before moving your leg over to straddle him. You place his hands on your ass, grinding over his growing bulge, eliciting a moan from both of you before you continue kissing. At one point, you break this kiss.

“Hey, I want you to know that I’m not doing this because it’s the third date, I’m doing this because I like you and it feels right. You know I’m not one for clichés.”

Luigi moves one hand to your waist and the other to tuck a piece of hair behind your ear. “You’re anything but a cliché, y/n. You're amazing. You’re perfect…but especially perfect to me,” you bring your lips to his for what you can only describe as the best kiss you’ve ever had. It was gentle, but you knew he wanted you in that moment.

“Now, can you show me where your bedroom is, because I don’t know how long I’ll last with you looking that pretty on top of me,” he smiles.

[astropoprocks]

Im not sure why you decided to bring #letwomenspeak up, as this conversation wasnt related to them lol. Im not a fan of right wingers posing as radfems. (And, judging by your page, most “radfems” that you’ve seen are exactly that. Im sorry that you’ve been hurt by the movement.)

I get that the term I used may have some negative connotations. But I dont think its wrong to critique the ideas that trans rights activists (in general) support. And I mentioned it because at the time, I was against criticism of any of those ideas. Im talking about TRA specifically because I have had more experience with TRA than MRA. And also, MRA often *use* TRA as a front for their ideas.

And also, post wasnt about #letwomenspeak or men’s rights activists. It was about the destruction of an important Womens space, and how the destruction of that space was actually *excused* by claiming it was about trans rights. (Wrote a report on this topic sometime last year, i can try and dig it up if needed. Twas for a school project, not professional. But i probably explained it better then)

Fyi, I feel like its necessary for me to say that I have been heavily involved in trans spaces and have (and still) identify with the term transmasculine. My experience is why I’m bringing this up. I’m not trying to spew hate speech, I used an abbreviation to briefly criticize a community im in. Maybe I shouldve gone more into detail about what I meant, but thats what I’m doing now lol.

Also, sorry if im all over the place and unclear lol. Got a crazy migraine atm and am kinda word vomiting.

seeing the female only space i grew up with getting its name changed from “womens center” to “survivor empowerment center” radicalized me honestly. Why are you so scared of the word women??? It didnt even start as a “survivor” center. It was for all women. Any women.

It had been operating since the 80s. My grandmother knew the founders. She was on the board. She was rightfully pissed at the name change. I (shoulder deep in TRA rhetoric) was pissed at the name change. It was a womens center. In the middle of a rural hick area with no other refuge. And now they welcome males into their space. What a fucking joke.

WOMEN built and kept that space alive for forty fucking years. Fucking everything else is for men. Men can go anywhere. I cant even walk downtown with my MOTHER next to me without being catcalled. Why do they need female spaces so fucking badly??? Why cant women be left alone anywhere?????

[annicht]

teamwork

Kuroo Tetsurou x reader | very suggestive fluff

word count: 1.8k

warnings: post timeskip Kuroo x coworker! reader, fluff nsfw-ish language, office shanennigans, corporate baddie reader

@ anni says: I’m Kuroo Tetsurou’s whore. neways, this was just another self indulgent drabble that was lost in my drafts. -> I'm actually reviewing and proofreading some of my works from my second account here to organize them and delete the other account, so. there you go.

[cover by loony, go give her some lov]

the lingering stares, the coffee excuses, the light subtle touches while exchanging papers, the gossipy chatting every lunch break,

the way you look so goddamn hot when you’re focused in your work and how that sometimes distracts him from his own work…

and also the inhuman strenght he needed to gather to divert his stare from your plump thighs when you cross your legs under the desk… the privileged view from his desk across from yours can be also a burden sometimes

and then there’s that damn high heels you use… not often, though. only when there’s important meetings. makes you feel more confident, you said once. but god, when you use it he just want to lay on the floor for you to step on him

there’s more and more and so much more about the office bond he shares with you that irks him both in the right and wrong ways.

working in the JVA marketing implied that your most strong stakeholder was the promotion division, once the areas needed each other to thrive

therefore, makes total sense that you and Kuroo were so close to each other, right?

so it’s normal when you’re training a new intern and he tags along with the excuse to help you, but spends the whole time glaring menacingly at the guy when he stares at your cleavage a little to much, isn’t it?

or when he passes by your desk, leaving a chocolate every other week, with his handwriting in a note thay says “that presentation was sick, congratulations ;]” or “you deserve a raise, but take this chocolate in the meantime >:)” or some other silly thing that makes you smile

your eyes always dart to him, flashing a playful smile

but you also can’t help but think to yourself that he wanna fuck you so bad— and the thought itself is so entertaining that you shake your head, snorting, as he eyes you puzzled

the tension is clear for you as much as it is for him… he, too, checked all your boxes. a handsome smoking hot smart and competent man that has his eyes set on you? you’d be crazy not to enjoy

so, eventually, you would throw paper balls at him while he’s focused, making him roll his eyes and smirk

but also, you bring him coffee when you go get it for you. you know how he likes, he works so close to you, why wouldn’t you bring him one too?

and the glint in his eyes makes it worth it every damn time

neither of you were making the first move so soon, but everyone in the office knows about the unspoken bond you share, gaining some attention in gossip groups around the floor

but then, one day, you were working until very late, apparently alone at the office.

and suddenly, he popped up back in the office after having left already, with a can of beer, a loosened tie, two buttons opened, walking torwards your desk, placing the beer on your desk, beside your papers

you looked at him tilting your head puzzled

“Where did you get that?”

“At the bar across the street”

you tilted your head even more

“You were at the bar across the street and came back to the office to hand me a beer?”

“Exactly”

he said matter-of-factly, making you snort. his words were subtly slured, indicating he drank enough to get at least tipsy

“Why?”

“Why not?”

he answered shrugging, and you read through his attempt to divert the topic. but you also know he’s very stubborn, so you just brush it off

“How did you even know I was still in the office? It’s late…”

you say, while opening the can and looking at the hour on your computer

“It’s the first Monday of the month, you always stay late finishing the monthly report… Besides, I saw the light on from across the street… just put two and two together”

“Damn, you’re good—”

you say, amazed at how he memorized your routine by now, while sipping your beer, sighing as the cold liquid soothes your tense muscles, feeling the last motivation to end the report today getting obliterated

he watches your every move like a hawk, walking sneakly behind your chair to rub your shoulders

you sigh, feeling a chill down your spine with his touches, humming softly with the massage

“You’re done with the report?“ he asked, his fingers rubbing circles in your back muscles, sliding to your shoulders. you lean in his touch

“No… But I think I can finish it tomorrow morning,” you reply, trying to suppress the pleasure in your voice from his magical touch.

he chuckles lightly, lowering his torso to lean closer, his breath hitting your neck, making you shiver embarrassingly

“That’s what I thought,” he says softly, his hands never ceasing their movements, the tension that’s been building between the two of you for months feels like it’s finally reaching a boiling point

before things get awkward, you start to stand up from your chair, closing your laptop on the desk, sipping your beer casually,

he took advantage of the moment to pull your chair away, leaning closer, his chest pressing against your back, his mouth on your ear

“Don’t I deserve a… reward… for the beer and the massage?”

he whispered, his words borderline suggestive, the warmth of his breath making your heart race, his arms encircling your waist in a new way… despite your supposed closeness, it’s the first time you feel him this close.

his voice is like velvet, seductive and irresistible, making you question if this was a good idea.

you pathetically place your free hand on the desk to anchor yourself, feeling the weight of the intensity that has been building between you

”Is that what you’ve been thinking about all this time? Pinning me on the desk when there’s no one around?“

you whisper back, your voice dropping to a sensual tone as you lean back in his chest, looking at him through your shoulder

the tension is palpable, your mutual attraction finally coming to a head. you put your beer down on the desk, meeting his gaze with a daring look, ready to cross the line you’ve been flirting with for so long.

"And what if I have?” he whispers back, his voice a low growl that sends shivers down your spine. “What are you going to do about it?”

his challenge hangs in the air between you, a gauntlet thrown down, waiting for you to pick it up.

and that’s exactly what you do.

you turn around to face him, raising your chin to line your mouth with his, as his hands unconsciously sneak around your waist and your hands rests on his chest

“I might just finally kiss you… would that be bad?”

his eyes darken when he realizes you’re on the same page, his hands working to pull you closer.

“That might be the best idea you’ve ever had,”

and just like that, you two give up, succumbing to the tension building for months,

he leans in, or you lean in… its indistinguishable who kissed who first, but you capture each other’s lips in a heated intense kiss, your tongues already seeking each other’s and you taste the faint malt of the beers he had earlier, sighing with the deliciousness of it all

he gives one step further, boxing you on the desk behind, making you lean back, his hand traveling down your hips

you retaliate, taking his bottom lip between your teeth and biting softly, making him groan

he pushes his tongue inside your mouth again, and you gladly take it, sucking on it, kissing him back with the same passion

it feels almost relieving having him like this after so much tension building. it feels right.

he parts the kiss, but keeps his lips on your jaw, leaving a trace of wet kisses down, reaching your neck

you lean your head back, giving him free reign there, which he gladly take it, switching from kisses to bites, making you moan softly

your moan unlock something primal in his brain, and one of his hand on your hips travel down your thigh, reaching the back of your knee, pushing up on his waist, while the other arm encircle your waist, pushing you flush against him

all that while assaulting your neck with languig nibbles, and you can’t help but let out a chuckled moan with a smug smile

“Fuckk… eagerrr, are we?”

you say, low and purring, and the way you draw the words from your mouth goes straight to his pants, making his cock twitch, unconsciously grinding his hips against your thigh.

he grins, groaning a little in your neck, the tone vibrating against your chest

it takes you the damn last bit of strenght to knock some sense into him

“Mmhm… Kuroo… there’s cameras in the office… ”

you say slightly breathless, threading your fingers in his hair, gripping, trying to pull him away from your neck

“Call me Tetsurou”

he say lowly and you can’t help but huff a breathy chuckle

“Tetsurou…” you say, rolling his name from your tongue, liking the sound of it “there’s cameras—”

“They’re not gonna check the cameras unless something gets stolen…”

“We’re not fucking in the office,” you say categorically, your last ethical straw working doubled against the wetness in your panties

he parts from your neck, looking straight at you with hazel hazy eyes, his lips curling in his famous lazy smirk with a hint of smugness

“Oh? So we are fucking then?”

you narrow your eyes, he got you now.

you snort, grabbing his tie and pulling him for another kiss, mumbling a quick “Shut up”

he kiss you while chuckling against your mouth, his hand on your thigh progressing further, sliding your skirt up and invading under the hem of the clothing, feeling the soft skin he drooled so many times before—

“Not here, Tetsuro—”

he grumbles, releasing your thigh and raising his hands in mocking surrender

“Okay, okay… I get it” he says, then he takes your hand, pulling you closer to him “but you’re coming to my place now, and I’m not taking no for an answer”

as you two leave the workplace giggling and holding hands, your coworkers on the bar across the street watch the scene, all ready to let the gossip spread, but also knowing it was bound to happen eventually

[gojoest]

Aiii how would satoru react if he sees a notification on your phone which is a text from your ex telling u that they saw u earlier and would like to catch up (u didn’t block the number because he was one of the nice exes u had.

i think he steals a quick peek anytime your phone buzzes with a new notification. it’s not like you hide anything from each other, there’s no reason for him to be suspicious either — he’s just curious like that when it’s you in question >:( when you’re done with a call, he looks at you, smiling innocently, and asks “so— who was it?” then waits, persistently smiling still, until you tell him AHAHAH if you change the subject, he’ll come back to it later and ask again :,) it’s just the need to know everything about you. rip your personal space, but also cut him some slack — he doesn’t want to miss out on anything, especially on signs indicating that something might be off about the way you’re feeling that day or in general but are also invisible to the naked eye unless he pays meticulous attention to every single detail and event that holds place in your day to day. he really just..leans in super close and looks you in the eyes deeply and trembles over you so so much, you’re so important to him — he can’t mess it up, not with you

as much as he tries to be cool about it, he unfortunately fails to be cool about it when he sees a text message from your ex — he recognizes the name immediately, because he is well informed about your past partners. truth be told, the source of his information was not just you. maybe he did a bit digging up here and there to find out what kind of guys you dated before him (he made ijichi help him and the poor guy had to nod along while satoru was being petty and bitter over your exes…)

if he’s the only one to see the notification — let’s say, because you were in the shower and you left your phone back in the bedroom, tossed on the bed — he will do something which he will not be very proud of, and he’ll never ever speak of it…like, deleting the message. but if he leaves it just at that, it won’t really give him any peace of mind — he needs to do something about that guy wanting to see you again. maybe he’ll stage an accidental butt-dial right after you come out of the shower and end the call before you get all lovey dovey with each other (he won’t let that man hear your sweet moans, hell no — he’ll just let him hear enough to know he has no place in your life and no privilege to see you again) of course, he will promptly delete the call from your recents lol the point is, you must never know bc you might end up getting mad at him

he won’t block or delete his number, because god forbid you figure out that something is a bit stinky about this situation >:( instead he’ll find a way to casually bring up a topic about exes and whether you still keep in touch with any. he’ll get a bit pouty and throw a cute jealousy fit after you admit that a certain ex of yours you still haven’t blocked since things ended on good terms between the two of you. by the end of this conversation tough you will be convinced that cutting all ties with your ex is the best way to make your manchild of a boyfriend stop whining and pouting :,) it’s really not that big of a deal to you, besides he’s being very cute getting all jealous… little do you know how manipulative and sly he is being with this AHAHAH

i think he will one day admit this, like years into your marriage, and it’ll make you laugh your ass off and tease him so much about it bc WHAT A CUTE SCHEMING LOVESICK IDIOT he wanted you so bad and all to himself :,)

you’re like “oh, so that’s why he looked so distressed and uncomfortable when we ran into him together that one time”

“yeah”, satoru chuckles. “why are you so concerned only about him now — do you know how nervous i got thinking he might say something that would get me in trouble with you?”

“oh my— is this why you looked so murderous back then?”

“not really”, he snorts. “i really wanted to kill the man”

[flo-zoinks]

Stupid hc of how you think rdr1 characters would do as babysitters

Ive been stuck on babysitting duty so they gotta be too /lh /hj

HOW EACH RDR1 CHARACTER WOULD BE AS BABYSITTERS (MY OPINION)

😭❤sorry to hear ab ur babysitting babes but dw I got u you're my first rdr1 hc too !! Imagine here you're babysitting someone close to them's 4 year old child

John - be SO awkward around the kid, like offer it a cigerette for a minute then take it back, and when the kid asks to play he just reluctantly is like "sure.." and goes along with whatever they do. Counting down the SECONDS

Marshall - can be a little strict, fairly however, and will just entertain the kid by telling crazy stories of gangs he attacked (hes had to take care of lots of children when people reported missing children and really young criminals)

Irish - yeah he should NOT be doing this. Like Marshall, except his stories he tells are often much too 18+ for any parent's likings. Openly gets drunk around the kid and forgets it's there, maybe even leaves to go out

Nigel - spends the entire time talking to them about his store so they tell their parents, but otherwise is quite nervous around kids and just gives them lots of old toffee he found in the suit he bought

Bonnie - gets them to help around the house, If hers they will tend to the ranch and if someone elses they help make the house good for the parents return. Talks to the kid as though they're an equal, except she's aware how to treat someone of that age and what topics to use, so most kids grow to love her

Seth - yeah if ur giving ur kids to SETH.. but anyway he absolutely detests the kids if they are judgemental of his choice of company or too loud, but if the kid is fascinated by his company he will treat them its it's their best friend until he forgets it's not a hangout and a babysitting job, and invites them round again, much to any parents despair

De Santa - believes hes too good to be babysitting children, however he spends the time asking the child about their Mother, and tells them if it's a girl he bets she will be so gorgeous when she's 18 (15). Ignores the kid generally after that and dumps them to his next in command

Abraham - tells them stories of his greatness, and spends hours convincing the 4 year old to join the revolution. A lot of the stories are maybe a bit..twisted, but the kid is throughly entertained. Purposely gives the kid rations of straight protein, saying over again "the important food must go to the rebels...(yap ab their achievements)..but you must be strong to join us!! Eat this, it is good"

Luisa - whilst shes good around children, they don't like her too much as she can be a little strict, and spends a lot of time teaching them the horrors of the revolution and why they must take part, in a way that is perhaps a little too innapropiate to tell a young child. But shes good at playing games.

Landon Ricketts - the kids find him a little confusing as he speaks a lot of metaphors they dont get, but he always dumps it down for them. He mostly lets the kids just do what they want, saying some phrase he made up like "let them get it out before society does". As long as they arent hurting anyone, then they get a years worth of teachings and stories about moral compassing

Rdr1 Dutch - honestly hes a little bit freaky by 1911, so his actions are a little unknown, but he would probably bring the kid into battle with him, saying they need to learn to survive and fight for the correct ideals. He has brief memories of taking care of the children of the old camp, so takes care in this one to totally groom them into his ideals

Rdr1 Javier - hes probably got some long form of depression or smth, so whilst he does take care of the kid to make sure they are fed and okay, he mostly ignores them to smoke or do work. If the kid speaks to him, he responds half-assedly or says some mindless words like "uh huh??? Wow... Cool!!!" (They asked what time is was). Maybe played a quick game.

Ross - takes the kid fishing, or to some activity of the sort, entertaining any childish conversation they have. Honestly probably one of the better people to have, except the kid might return with some racist views 😬

Nastas - generally ok around kids, if a little awkward. He still makes an effort to go do some activity, like swimming in the lake, or crafts together. Probably he teaches them a little, both physically and morally

McDougal - agreed to babysit to study the child, the affects of cocaine on children, or if the child is of any minority then if the stereotypes he fully believes for each are hereditary or taught. (Racist). Nobody wants him near his child after.

1911 Jack - like john in the sense he is awkward around the kid, but will read stories books to them, and tries to be good around them in ways he can, yet is still quite cold and cut off around them. Imagine Benjamin to Boxer in animal farm

Abigail - treats any kid similar how she would to Jack, in terms of trying to get them to read, and staying nearby to watch over. Definitely the best option. If old enough in 1911 would get them to play with Jack, or teach Jack parenting skills. If they're a young girl she is close to tears thinking of her daughter though

Uncle - sleeps. Or goes to the saloon. Either way that kid is left alone to do fuk all

Herbert Moon - totally spends his time spewing hateful views at the kid, how the British Catholic Homosexuals are coming, and how they arent safe. Gets them to help his shop meanwhile though.

[destiny-smasher]

Not appreciating your tone here of extrapolating me saying Nemona is “entitled” to anything - other than mutual respect. I never said Nemona was entitled to anything, I said she is being neglected and that’s gotta be difficult to deal with, even if she puts up a front that she’s fine. But she, and everyone else, still deserves respect. Which she ain’t getting much of from ANY of her peers atm. And she’s likewise not doing a great job of respecting people’s boundaries and space, either, really. I am not upset because Nemona isn’t being “compensated,” friendship is not a linear exchange of goods and services lol When dealing with neurodiverse people, like Nemona (and again, very likely like Scarlet), things aren’t going to be all even stevens and easy. That’s part of what makes them MEANINGFUL, because it entails both people, who are at the fringe of society, being able to see the good in each other, recognize they are both outcasts and minorities, and learn to rely on each other, trust each other, and grow mutually.

But that’s not some simple “this for that” thing.

I’m less concerned with Scarlet “repaying” Nemona’s kindness atm so much as her rampant jerkish or even abusive behavior toward others, which only serves to make her situation worse on top of everything else.

You describe a series of issues Scarlet is dealing with, many of which are theoretical but sound “about right” given the evidence. I never dismissed them, because they’re just kind of ‘assumed’ to me, given the evidence so far - I’m just bringing up what I feel is a very relevant and important topic because of how it relates things to real life. Real life people can experience mental health issues due to the kinds of things it is implied Scarlet has goje through or is still going through. But neurodivergent people often end up struggling in these very ways BECAUSE OF the way they function differently from their peers, fundamentally. If you seriously are going to dismiss the POSSIBILITY of her being neurodivergent, like Nemona clearly is, then I find that insulting, so I hope that’s not what you’re doing, though it comes across that way (ex. Citing her ‘working out her issues’ would be useless in some way, when it absolutely would not, I assure you).

I’m not saying it’s canon she’s neurodivergent, I’m just saying that, like Nemona, there are LOTS of signs and it would make some logical sense of her behavior, in much the same way theories like “she was betrayed” or “she’s homeless” also ‘make sense’. People don’t always act n equivalent ways in reaction to experiences. Sometimes, they’re just built different, and react in different ways latently.

Which doesn’t EXCUSE said behavior, to be clear. None of these potential reasons for her behavior EXCUSE it when it entails hurting others.(which sadly the manga totally downplays, at least so far, which was itself the very basis of me starting this convo above). Scarlet can have an awful tragic backstory, be neurodivergent, etc., but it doesn’t EXCUSE her behavior. It just gives context to it.

What Scarlet needs is to be forced to confront her behavior and reconcile with why she is like this, and how some gradual, small changes over time could help alleviate things, as well as solve problems. And tbh I’m not sure Arven yelling at her is the best way to go about this. (Though seeing ANYONE calling her out on her shit would be cool to see) Giving her food and safety WITHOUT addressing her emotional/psychological needs will not fix her problems in the long run. If anything, it could just end up enabling her to keep acting out, potentially.

It reminds me of Wednesday Addams (Netflix), the character Scarlet is most inspired by, and how that character IS called out, DOES face consequences for her mistakes, and concedes small compromises here and there with those around her to improve things - though, to be fair, Wednesday as a person and her various relationships are arguably not much better or different at the end of S1, just the main plotty conflict has been seemingly resolved.

Scarlet has done some pretty shitty things even early into this narrative, and I love that - it makes for a compelling and complicated character, since we can tell there are reasons she acts the way she does which aren’t purely motivated by greed so much as survival. But she still needs to realize that a lot of her behavior is not OK. Abandoning Nemona at the tower after letting her get injured, stealing Miraidon, these two are already VERY not OK behaviors, on top of other rude social tendencies she exhibits.

But there’s definitely good in the character, and I hope the manga takes that thread somewhere edifying in the end - even though I am kinda expecting things to get worse before they get better. Which tbh is a more realistic approach with this kind of person than Wednesday has presented. But both still have plenty of story left. So it’d be good to see both of these protagonists make progress toward balance in their personal and social lives.

You seem to be missing or misinterpreting my basic assumption (which I suppose is fair) re: what Scarlet needs. ‘Working through her issues’ inherently ENTAILS finding a support network and stability. How the hell would it not? And she has the potential to have that right in front of her. But being part of a support network means being PART of it, not just using it for personal gain and ditching it the rest of the time. But someone with mental health issues and/or neurodivergency may not physically be able to just ‘flip a switch’ mentally and partake in such things as a support network even if they need it. It can take time and patience, but there needs to be gradual steps forward made on Scarlet’s part, too.

When I talked about Nemona only receiving ‘crumbs’ before, that wasn’t to say Nemona needs to be fed affection, per se, like some equivalent exchange. It’s also about proof, reassurance, indications that she is doing good for someone she cares about, too. (Though reciprocated respect and affection would be helpful for both, sure)

It’s not about ‘repayment’ or ‘compensation’ so much as it’s about progress and growth.

But again, I so far have little reason to believe this manga will handle these topics of psychology with the delicate touch they may deserve lol

I anticipate no one to change in any significant ways and for things like this to be laughed about and shrugged off later. Because that’s much less complicated. I would love to be wrong in that anticipation, though, and I’ll certainly look forward to seeing what ends up happening.

(Nemona getting totally blown off and stonewalled once again and trying to shrug it off once again, she's so determined! </3)

Since people on the Internet get fussy with this shit, let me state upfront these are my opinions, from the perspective of someone who shares a lot of personality traits in common with Nemona and used to be a lot like her in my younger years. Nemona's lying when she says Scarlet's behavior and needless secrecy doesn't bother her at all. She keeps enduring the neglect (and sometimes straight up abuse), because she thinks that's what Scarlet needs atm. It's hard to say how things will pan out atm imo.

The manga mischaracterizes Nemona in some ways for me -- or I guess it's more proper to say, I do not think the way the manga characterizes Nemona is as positive as the games. The manga so far really makes her out to be less mature, less healthy mentally/emotionally, and kind of a pushover who actively lets others step all over her. I don't prefer it lol

She experiences an 'invisible wall' between herself and everyone else. And Scarlet's behavior so far in PokeSpe would only exacerbate that -- BUT, the two could clearly have a very meaningful bonding if they both stick things through, in a way the game version of Nemona doesn't because the story forces the protag to more just go along with everything.

I want to believe the manga will eventually have Nemona learn to adapt to Scarlet, Scarlet slowly open herself up to Nemona over time, start doing GOOD for her in return, and heaven forbid, maybe even apologize for mistreating Nemona -- though I don't expect the latter for sure.

It can be very exhausting and draining to endure what Nemona is enduring, but if you have that determination and willpower to put up with someone's worse traits because you see the good in them, sometimes it's good to use that to be there for the other person.

Everyone's struggles are unique and people exhibit their flaws in different ways. Nemona is "too much" and Scarlet pushes back in hostile ways. Their personalities are potentially toxic for one another, tbqh, but there's so much value imo in them bridging that gap.

The core of most fictional relationships I genuinely care about and many of my real life ones is the idea of bridging the understanding gap, through communication and gestures and time spent together, where there is mutual growth and reassurance.

Because of how I've been mistreated in the past, it's REALLY difficult for me to look at Nemona/Scarlet even just as friends and not be very worried about them. They're not self-aware yet, much less mature enough to navigate their differences. But they COULD be.

Many of the most edifying and growth-defining relationships of my life were due to stark differences in personality being reconciled with mutual care, assurance, trust, and just plain holding on. I think these two can totally reach that. I just don't know if they WILL here.

Because the fact is, Scarlet's behavior is hurtful. She clearly has reasons she is this way, and sometimes you just gotta get that shit out. And having people strong enough to endure that shit can be valuable, even if you don't realize it at the time. But it's a fine line.

Scarlet seems to be dealing with mental health issues, or at the least neurodivergency -- and Nemona at least has the latter going on, too. That creates a lot of tension. But that also means they can be there for each other in a meaningful way if they can work that shit out.

At the current rate they're going, however, Scarlet's behavior isn't improving so far. It's like she just gets to be a jerk and 'get away with it' and everyone is supposed to be fine with that? Doesn't settle well with me, and Nemona sure doesn't deserve this treatment.

But at the same time, Nemona IS one of those rare people with the willpower and stubborn determination to keep being there for Scarlet in spite of things not going well for a while -- even a long while. She sees the good in Scarlet even if Scarlet doesn't.

The manga has NOT done much at all so far to sell us on Scarlet/Nemona working out even just as friends, but it feels deliberate how their dynamic has been set up. So I want to have hope there, but it does remind me a bit too much of stuff from my past, so I get trepidatious.

In a way, part of Operation Comet Punch (my long fic) entails exploring that very trepidation and (I hope) coming up with at least one 'version' of reconciling things in a healthy, mutually supportive way for everyone involved (and that goes beyond just Nemona and Scarlet).

I hope the manga can figure out ways to do this, too. Because I like the idea of Nemona and Scarlet at least becoming good friends over time. It's just difficult to see right now if you're being pragmatic.

"Desma this is a manga primarily targeting middle school boys wtf are you talking about"

Look, between my own fanfic about these characters and my real life experiences, I can't help but analyze and try to be optimistic on all fronts. I get triggered a bit by 'toxic yuri' and this is reminding me of that, but I want to believe in it EVOLVING beyond that (pun intended). And I know it can.

[starvinginbelair]

as a criminology student, i would honestly love to read an comics arc about the role of the police in vigilantism because i just think it's under-discussed for such a nuanced and complex topic.

[shalom-iamcominghome]

I've been doing a lot of reflection as of late, especially after this past class.

This past class was about the Torah and Tanakh in general, and the way the rabbi talked about the commandments (specifically the ten commandments) has made me really reflect on how I interpret them, specifically the fifth commandment, or honoring your mother and father.

This is a commandment I have wrestled with for a long time - in fact, it brought me away from g-d at multiple times. I was severely abused when I was incredibly young by my mother, and I used to feel insulted at the implication that I were to honor her while she got to live a better life. It was hypocritical, in my eyes.

But this rabbi surmised that this particular commandment was because parenthood is an act of creation, something that is like the g-d from which we come from. My realization is this: I don't think we're necessarily meant to take even these commandments literally.

I this particular commandment is more of a call to honor creation - creation is a gift, and like any gift, many people simply will not like it and will discard it. The person who abused me created me, but she did not honor creation. She didn't honor me, but I can still honor it.

I have started to honor creation much more. I'm too young, too unstable, not mature enough to be a father (though I fantasize about it), but I create all the time. I create relationships, I create with my hands through crochet. I create memories, I create my world. And I can honor who I am and where I came from that made me who I am. I've been learning one of the mother tongues of my family (Italian, since part of my family originates there) and it was judaism that inspired me to do this.

I don't think g-d wants me to honor my abuser. I think He wants me to remember the Holy action of creation. When I am a father, that act of creation will be Holy, and indeed, I am already joyful about the thought.

I have seen many people struggle with this particular commandment, but I think this perspective helps me personally. I don't think I ever have to forgive my abusers (plural), and I don't think I am commanded to simply because they happened to be family. I am commanded to recognize the holy, to elevate the mundane. In doing so, I will remember g-d. Through creation, I honor g-d and everything he has done for us, for me, and for our collective people.

[knifearo]

reminder to everyone that trauma IS a valid reason to use aspec labels. "i don't know if i'm aspec or just traumatized—" protip!!! you can be both!!!! the thing about labels is that they're not immutable states of being that you're born as. they're literally just words that we use to describe our lived experiences, and if asexual or aromantic or any related label feel relevant to the way that you experience attraction, whether it's a result of trauma or not, they're there for you to use. having trauma as a cause does not invalidate the fact that someone is experiencing lesser or no attraction. that's still the aspec experience babey. use the label if you want it's there for you <3

[reblogandlikes]

Ramble incoming...

I feel like the word "equal" gets misconstrued in these books. Because it's no longer simply meaning the 'same' or having the ability to be on par with another in specific scenarios. Like, no one is truly equal to another in everything, but even of its concerning power, then again, no, Feyre isn't equal to Tamlin. Hell, I'd say she also isn't equal to Rhysand either, and that even with the minor specs of power she has from every HL - a spec so small that they barely noticed its absence and yet she's Captain Marvel boss babe and suddenly rivals them? Yeah, no.

As stated in the post, she had no education on fae's, the lands, or magic, let alone the court she now rules.

She doesn't have any courtly training, let alone knowledge of politics and what each decision can lead to that may impact the broader objective to rely on from previous experience. This then brings in her lack of foresight and perceptiveness when dealing with others beyond herself and ways of maneuvering the situation without now having to rely on throwing her "power" or "mate" around as a booster.

I could have minded less about her illiteracy if instead it came from, perhaps, dyslexia, which would then have made sense if she was good with numbers and finance, building up on the background with her helping her father as suggested in the books while Nesta had the pressures of their mother and grandmother to exceed. She'd have the numerical aspect to lean on and ways to build wealth, using her mind to be clever in different ways more suited to her besides hunting, but that's not the case. Made more obvious due to her dismissal of the Tithe in Spring yet wonders none on where her own new found NC wealth had been curated - curated enough to overpay the IC, but not extend to Illyria and the illyrians who live in tents, while she has a 5th house built as a gift, tf.

No, Feyre isn't equal, but that, as also mentioned in the post, didn't mean Tamlin wouldn't love and value her. Even then, him seeing her as not "equal" are her thoughts, not his. It's like she sees not being "equal" as meaning "less than" or "inferior" when it's not. Its just not the same, and that's ok. Because ruling a court is based on knowledge and experience over years of trial and error until a balance is established, and she has none or any idea on how to approach such a topic. Hell, she didn't even want to go to the "parties" Tamlin had, not understanding that respectfully mingling and making connections with people would be beneficial for Spring and herself. Yet somehow that's too much, but being finger f*cked on a dias in front of a non consented audience is a great introduction and makes perfect sense. (How she didn't get ptsd from that is beyond me - UTM pt.2, anyone?)

But because she now has powers and mated to Rhysand, the self-proclaimed most powerful with friends who hold substantial magic and also super powerful for some reason, she believes she's entitled to a position a couple months ago that she didn't even want. A position made to ease her ego and nothing else. Because what exactly is it that she does that a Lady of any Court couldn't? Nothing. She just sees being a "Lady" as less valuable and it's very telling.

High Lady of the Desk indeed.

She doesn't need a title to be loved, viewed as important or cared for, but she desires it in order to be seen and do what she wishes without consequence and that's witness throughout the books.

Feyre is equal to Rhysand in delusion alone. They both think far too highly of themselves, dismiss their wrong doings, are hypocritical, and live to praise each other, and that's about it. Oh, and rather f*ck it out than deal with the issue to last long term. Because even her word isn't equal to his when she has been continuously lied to. The IC "listens" to her because Rhysand told them to. They "respect" her because she's his mate. But ol' dude told them to keep their damn mouths shut about the baby going to kill her and they all agreed and would have kept it to her death because his word is law. Because he is the HL. Because the magic chose him, just as the magic chose Tamlin and everyone else.

She can't simply want to be equal without putting the work in. And no, breaking a simple curse dose not grant a High Lady title. Instead she could have just remained the Lady of the NC and put herself into studying what she'd be ruling over. To understand the history and complexity of the courts. To expand her understanding of fae and bridging the gap with her human upbringing. To grow. She's so young and is now an immortal fae, please tell me what the rush is? But instead she decents into manipulation, thievery, active and intentional destablisation of a court you'd need in the future whilst also now participating in the stigmatised narrative and subjugation of her own people without question. All made easier to disregard when she's no longer at the bottom of the food chain, but the top all while the narrative is telling you everything she's done is warranted and deserved.

I don't doubt that Feyre could be a good ruler if the effort was put in and self-reflection became her word of the week, but honestly, even though High Lords haven't earned their position, but instead chosen by a higher influence, Feyre hasn't even earned the right to be even given such a title which they expect other to respect because Rhysand said so.

Ramble done...😮‍💨😅

doesn’t surprise me feyre doesn’t do her high lady duties and she only brings it up for her own interests bc remember how much she brought up tamlin not making her a high lady?

tamlin would have made her his lady, same duties now she is doing now except her title has “high” word in it

“tamlin never saw me as his equal” bc your not! you don’t even know the basics of fae world!

tamlin not seeing feyre his equal for position of ruling does not mean he didn’t love or value her

it’s most likely tamlin thought they had all the time in the world now and he would teach her as they’d go

and is like what’s wrong with that?? some self reflection would go a long way feyre

she isn’t educated

she knows nothing about the faes or lands

has no training in politics

has no idea how to behave at court

she knows nothing

feyre had no reason to believe she is worthy of being tamlin’s or anyone’s equal in a position of leadership over a court

all she did was free tamlin, who then killed amarantha

if she believes it should be bc of love like honey, that’s not how it works. again it shows she has no knowledge of the land, of fae and the world of power

if it was human lands and politics then it’d make sense, they don’t follow magic bound laws

does that mean kallias sees viviane, who was in charge while he was UtM, as weak? no

if feyre wants to hate tamlin for not teaching her anything like girl at first u didn’t care about it and then u were traumatised and whisked away to nc, when was he suppose to teach u??

even if we ignore magic choosing the ruler rule….

she married a high lord and got her title, but she hasn’t earned it

it would be one thing if she worked after getting it through marriage but she hasn’t. all she did was destroy a court, attack lady autumn, look down on her citizens like her mate and opened a paint studio like?? that’s not ruling

“i’m the high lady of night court, i can do as i please” but u can’t honey, that’s not how it works

it’s a title she shows off but she doesn’t do the job it requires, and i don’t see how she is respected for it- for being a high lady

feyre hasn’t earned the title of being a high lady

she hadn’t even earned a position of power or a position in a court

for nesta, i don’t believe she’s ready nor has earned a title of a ruler either, but she is educated enough to be a part of a court

nesta was meant to married for power but it’s feyre who actually did

looking back, it’s crazy how much tamlin not naming her a high lady bothered her and she did no self reflection on it

[aparticularbandit]

Responding to this post as a separate post because I want to respond to something that I think is beyond the scope/intention of the original post (and honestly the scope/intention of the response in the linked post) but that, like.

I want to respond to it because it's been churning in my head.

Specifically the idea of the Protestant Work Ethic and trying to earn your way into heaven.

Because that's the very antithesis of what the Gospel is.

Over and over, it is made very clear that you cannot earn your way into heaven. (Titus 3:5 and Ephesians 2:8-9 are the ones that come immediately to mind, but there are more than that. (I also like - Romans 4 and the entire discussion about it being faith and not works and especially Romans 4:4-8.)) Literally one of the entire points is that you are stuck in your sin and you cannot get out and no matter what you do, you cannot earn your way in, but God loves you and chose you and wants you, so He paid your debt Himself (Jesus) and is giving you His righteousness - His perfection - because He was the only one who could earn His way in.

God is for you, not against you.

Are there things you should be doing? Yes. (Ephesians 2:10 talks about that, too.) But, like. It's not to earn your way in. It's out of love and gratefulness to the One who got you out of your horrible predicament? And then on top of that, made you a co-heir with Him?

Because it's...He paid for you to get in and then also you got adopted as a child of God? And someone described it once as good works after that being like when a child makes a drawing for their dad and their dad hangs it on the fridge? It's not to earn anything; it's because you love Him, too?

So, like - I want to know where the Protestant Work Ethic went wrong. Why so many people think it's about earning their way when it isn't that at all.

It's a gift. It was always a gift.

[tollsoftheclockwerkbelle]

sega please do not save maria please do not save maria PLEASE do not save mariaaaaaaa sega PLEASE

[ratatatastic]

"what are you thinking about?" that time in march when forsblad picked each other for the which teammate would you want to cohost a podcast w question

and ekky was too shy to look at the camera when he professed his love for forsy for the millionth time and that being the reason for his choice meanwhile forsy had absolutely no qualms staring into that thing and going we can talk about fishing :D