#if I misinterpreted just feel free to send another ask

[canisbeasts-ooc]

fqvorite ttoevir color

Hmm

Mod Dog - My favorite colour is probably a tie between orange and green, probably orange if I absolutely had to choose. It reminds me of joy and there is a lovely poem called "The Orange" by Wendy Cope that I just adore! It is the color of sunsets and oranges and the feeling of friendship to me :]

Mod Chrysocyon - probably a grey-blue. though yellow is also nice, especially just slightly desaturated ones. like around #EFDB82.

[hephaestuscrew]

You listened to Greater Boston, right? Is there a metaplot? Like, is it a conspiracy theory red string board podcast or a listen on long car trips looking out the window podcast?

I’m trying to listen to more things post w359 and heard Greater Boston was good, so… yeah

Hello Anon! Yes I do listen to (and love) Greater Boston! I'm going to try to to focus on the particular questions you asked here, but for more of general attempts to pitch the show, you can look at these posts of mine: Greater Boston description ask , Greater Boston pitch post. (These posts are from a while ago, so stuff has happened in the show since, but I still think they provide a decent introduction, to the extent that it is possible to sum up this show.)

Greater Boston very much has an ongoing plot, or rather a range of interweaving ongoing plot threads. I hesitate to call it a 'metaplot' because I almost think that implies an apparent anthology structure (like in The Amelia Project or The Magnus Archives, both of which I'd describe as anthology shows from which a metaplot emerges. Greater Boston isn't really that). The first couple of episodes might seem slightly like they are each a few somewhat self-contained stories, but that approach changes quickly. The show follows a wide range of characters and events, but I'd say that the connections, throughlines, and returns to key characters are frequent enough to create the sense that you are following one big story.

I'm not sure I completely understand what you mean by your dichotomy of red string vs long car ride podcasts. Greater Boston definitely lends itself to a fair amount of red string thinking, given that there's an extremely high number of characters who interconnect in a range of ways, and some really interesting stuff going on with the nature of the storytelling later on.

But, at least in my eyes, Greater Boston is not primarily focused on figuring out a mystery/conspiracy, or theorising about what will happen, in the way that the 'red string' approach might imply. There are some mysteries, but for all of the utterly wild stuff that happens in this show, what appeals to me the most about Greater Boston is the characters, and how the show forces you to engage with everyone from the main focus characters to the smallest minor character to the antagonists you thought they couldn't make you sympathise with. What ultimately keeps me thinking about this show is the emotional journeys of these characters, the ways they struggle and impact each other and relate to one another... (And to be honest, I don't really kid myself that I can actually predict where this show is going to take you next.)

Does Greater Boston fit the "listen on long car trips looking out the window" vibe? If the long car journey vibe means a show you can just let wash over you while you tune in and out of it, then probably not. But if you mean something that can hold your attention for a long period, with enough variation in tone and plot to keep you interested, then Greater Boston definitely slots into that category for me.

Obviously I'm going to say you should listen to it, because, well, you came to a fan of Greater Boston in order to ask about it, but I hope this response helped you figure out if it's the vibe you're looking for at the moment!

(From the past tense of 'listened' in your ask, I wonder if you might be under the impression that this podcast is fully released. So I just thought I'd mention that while the Season 4 finale had some sense of resolution, there is still a fifth and final season of the show planned!)

[pedantic-poison]

Oscar's hc abt him dating an ex of the drivers

upgrade | OP81

pairing: fem!reader x oscar piastri (pierre gasly as the ex)

genre: FLUFF! no warnings necessary here

word count: 1.3k

author's note: loved this ask, oscar needs more content NOW! please let me know if I misinterpreted anything and feel free to send in another if this isn't what you dreamt of, this definitely turned into more of a blurb of the start of their relationship than a headcanon so oopsies. thank you!

The first time he meets you, it's a Friday morning, way too early for Oscar's liking, but he likes having some time to settle in before he has to get in the car and drive, even if it is just for a Free Practice session

Just before he reaches the McLaren motorhome, someone rushes up to him, already apologizing for interrupting him, and he assumes you're going to ask for an autograph

He freezes when he finally looks at your face, more than a little stunned by the sight of you, even with you panting from running around frantically and looking a little frazzled

You told him you'd managed to get yourself totally turned around and you just needed to know which direction the Alpine motorhome was and you'd be out of his hair

For obvious reasons, he thinks you might be messing with him somehow, but your eyes are so earnest and pleading, staring straight into his, and he's overcome with a strange feeling of not being able to say no to you

Despite your assurances that he just needs to point you in a direction and you'll find your way to Alpine, Oscar insists on walking you all the way there, ignoring the quizzical looks he inevitably gets being seen near their motorhome

He's way too occupied with staring at you to notice anyways, listening to you ramble about how you ended up lost in the paddock, startling out of his trance at your mention of your boyfriend

Apparently, you were there to see Pierre, who you'd been dating for a few weeks, and with this weekend's GP in your home country, you'd made your way there to support him

(though you assured Oscar you wouldn't have missed an F1 race in your country regardless, but the paddock passes Pierre gave you were pretty sweet, which makes him laugh)

As you both arrive at the Alpine motorhome, you thank him with a kiss on the cheek, seemingly oblivious to the blush that spreads on his face

He does terribly during the practice sessions that day. Almost hits Pierre (who was definitely impeding if you ask Oscar), and accidentally lets loose on the radio, which, naturally, ends up on the broadcast. Lovely.

He tells himself that he's totally puzzled as to why he was so distracted today, that he has no idea why his focus kept drifting from the car.

But if he had to be honest with himself, he knows exactly why.

On the way out later that night, he sees you in the parking lot, and without meaning to his feet start taking him towards you

Stopping in his tracks when he sees Pierre, leaning against his car, arms crossed and voice harsh as he speaks with you, though Oscar can't quite make out the words.

It takes him a lot longer than he'd like to admit to force himself to continue on towards his car, driving the long way back to his hotel in an attempt to clear his head

It doesn't work.

He doesn't see you the next morning

FP3 goes fine, and Qualifying was equally mediocre, though Oscar got bumped up a few spots after impeding penalties were handed out (including one for Pierre, and Oscar had the strangest feeling that Pierre got in his way on purpose today, too)

After he's changed out of his race suit and leaving the McLaren motorhome, Oscar's stopped in his tracks by the sight of you waiting just outside

He asks you if you've gotten yourself lost again, teasing, and when you tell him you could use some assistance finding the parking lot, his grin is so wide it nearly splits his face open

The conversation as you two walk is easy, lots of teasing and playfully mocking each other

Eventually Oscar musters up the courage to ask you about what he saw in the parking lot the night before, explaining that he doesn't want to pry, just wants to make sure you're okay

You sigh, seeming more annoyed than upset, and you tell him that Pierre was pissed after seeing you talking with Oscar the day before

And he wasn't too happy when you made it clear that he didn't get to dictate who you're allowed to speak to

The only thing that really matters about that conversation is that you realized Pierre was a jerk, and you dumped him

Oscar's quiet for a second, then grins and asks you if you're still using the paddock passes he gave you

To which you reply of course, which makes him laugh

Before he can think about it enough to stop himself, he offers to get you McLaren paddock passes, promising you that he has it on good authority that making the switch from Alpine to McLaren was worth it, and you snort as you laugh, completely unladylike and totally endearing to him

He invites you back to his hotel, using some excuse about how you need post-breakup ice cream and shouldn't do that alone to tell himself he's just being friendly

You don't mention to him that you definitely aren't torn up enough to need to be consoled, because you're pretty sure he can tell

But you let him pretend that's the reason he wants to spend time with you, and he lets you pretend that's why you come back to his hotel room

You end up staying up way too late, talking and making each other laugh so hard you cry, and Oscar ends up insisting that you stay the night because it's way too late for you to get yourself home

You go back and forth for a while debating who gets the couch and who gets the bed (you're pretty sure at one point there was a standoff that involved both of you simultaneously demanding to sleep on the floor)

Eventually you both get too tired to keep being stubborn and honestly the bed is unreasonably huge so you both just collapse in the bed, murmuring sleepy promises to stay on your own sides

Which probably lasts about fifteen minutes before you're so tired and cold that you unconsciously curl yourself around him

And Oscar can't really help the way his arms move to wrap around you, gentle and warm, as he sleepily relaxes into you

Which is how you wake up the next morning, both a little bashful

It doesn't occur to either of you that you're showing up to the paddock together, on a race day, with a McLaren pass dangling around your neck and a McLaren shirt hanging from your shoulders - both from Oscar

He ends up having to take your hand to guide you safely through the fray of reporters and fans, apologizing shyly for doing so when you reach the safety of the McLaren motorhome

You tell him you really don't mind, and he just can't help but stare into your eyes for a beat too long

You wish him luck before he takes off, placing another kiss on his cheek, and this time you catch the blush that creeps up his face

He drives incredibly. When he steps out of his car, he decides that he just finished the best race of his life

No podium (yet), but he doesn't care

When he gets back to the motorhome, he's sweaty and flushed and exhausted

And he sees you and you throw your arms around him without a second thought, a huge smile on your face

And then all of a sudden he's kissing you

You're not sure who initiated the kiss, and you're so consumed with Oscar that you really don't care enough to think about it

When he pulls away to breathe, Oscar tells you that he never wants to see you in any other number but his

You laugh and tell him you're just fine with that

You don't actually notice until later that night that Pierre didn't even finish in the points

You didn't really care if he was mad, he'd just have to get used to seeing you in the paddock, hand in hand with Oscar, dressed in orange, every single weekend

Oscar didn't really care if Pierre hated his guts either

He'd already beaten him - on and off the track

[beanghostprincess]

Not to keep beating a dead horse so to speak, but circling back to how the anime handles the Shuggy breakup it is personally the first time I've fully understood people who say the manga is way better & the "true" story because on the whole I think the anime is a really good adaption....except for this omg. I haven't read the manga fully either yet so now I'm wondering what else got a totally different vibe than intended & how that colors the perception of the story & characters. For instance, I'm already seeing anime onlys completely misinterpret Buggy's feelings in the shuggy breakup probably because of how brief it was.

I've had arguments in comments sections about people who do not think Buggy wanted to be Pirate King himself & his anger with Shanks isn't tied to him secretly sacrificing his OWN dream to follow him. To me the manga made it very clear that Buggy was making a great personal sacrifice in order to stay with his friend & how that all ties into his own insecurities, but a ton of anime onlys only saw it as Buggy being a whiny baby & not realizing how deep of a conflict Shanks refusing to look for the One Piece was for them 😭 and it's so frustrating! They just think Buggy is being "ungrateful" for everything Shanks did for him. I'm tired of the Shuggy dynamic being viewed so one sidedly in Shanks's favor & Buggy's detriment because they both narratively hold equal amounts of significance to each other. We just haven't been allowed to explore Shanks's side of it...yet. Oda kept Shanks's face obscured for a reason I'm sure.

And since the anime didn't frame it correctly Buggy's speech to Cross Guild about reigniting your dreams & setting sail for Laugh Tale loses all seriousness & comes off as just another gag instead & it breaks my heart because in the Manga while there is humor in it Buggy's tears are REAL & you can literally feel the spirit of One Piece flow through his speech. That speech shows us Buggy is a TRUE pirate! He ALSO inhereted Roger's will! I could literally feel the "I'm gunna become king of the pirates" OST from the anime play as I read it, but the anime framed it like another one of Buggy's "upward fialures" 💔 and it breaks my heart anime onlys don't get that. Imagine if Luffy gave up on his dream & finally after 30 years decided to believe in himself again? Imagine If Usopp really did give up in Water 7 & we didn't see him find the will to believe in himself until 39 years later? Buggy is an example of forgotten dreams & a lesson on it never being too late to go after them.

So I completely agree with you that it doesn't matter how little panel time a moment gets because if Oda can convey all of THAT in like 3 panels then the anime can do so and then some in a minute or 2. I also can't help but think this will confuse viewers later on because I'm certain Buggy is going to get to do some really cool & meaningful stuff in the last arc & a lot of them will feel blindsided because the set up was executed weirdly.

Sorry for sending such a long post & feel free to ignore If ur tired of discussing this I just wanted to give you some validation &let you know you're not the only one who thinks this way. Adaptation has a lot more going into it than just copying manga panels & the a good anime should definitely know when to expand on brief scenes & how to set the correct mood for them.

Oh, please, if it's not a negative ask you can keep sending me stuff about the episode and the breakup all you want!!! I'm just tired of having to defend my opinion. As if it wasn't just that, an opinion. But I'm sooo open to talk about it!!

And you're right!!! It bothers me so much to just think about how Anime Onlys are going to perceive this episode... If Buggy is already misunderstood within the fandom, I can't imagine what's gonna happen now that HIS episode has gotten this awful pacing and explanation (I complain but I've watched the episode so many times already lmao)

People misunderstand their relationship so much and in such levels... I don't get it because it's literally right there. You can't miss it. They're canonically crucial for each other no matter how you see it. It IS mutual whatever they have going on. I know we don't have much of Shanks' POV but you don't even have to read between the lines to see it.

And Buggy being seen as whiny because he has... Feelings... And is emotional... After his whole life crumbles down... Idk about you but if I lived in my best friend's shadow for years and gave up on my dream to trust in his instead, and suddenly when our captain dies he says he won't follow it... I'd be pretty fucking emotional too tbh. I could defend Buggy all day long and explain his character, but I believe I've done that already... So many times... (I love it it's my favorite thing ever)

I love your comparisons to other characters giving up on their dreams because it's so real. Buggy is the representation of people who once gave up on their dream and now are getting the courage back to follow it again. His speech is so emotional I think I know it by heart at this point with how many times I've read this chapter. I always cry-- Every time-- And I'm sooo angry Toei made the episode for laughs basically. It frustrates me in unimaginable ways.

Buggy is gonna do something incredible and people will complain and say it was out of nowhere because his speech in the Anime seems for jokes and like one of his schemes to get away from his problems. But this man was literally having a breakdown in the middle of a torture session and made an impulsive, emotional decision that came from the depths of his heart, because he had been holding onto it for his whole life. That's what bothers me about the animation. The pacing is bad and the way they treat him is even worse...

Don't apologize!!!!! I loved reading this. You expressed yourself sooo well and in such a polite way!!! Basically, you wrote everything I thought about the episode and I'm so glad to finally talk to someone with my same views 😭💖💖

[crimsonhydrangeavn]

HI! Love the game demo! Please pardon my english as it is not my first language. How would the LI react if they accidentally hurt MC or took something too far? Like if they were arguing, and only noticed MC crying/sad after they said something. It could be on a emotional or sexual sense as well.

I'm so happy to hear that you love the demo! Please don't apologize about your English, I'm bilingual and i know how tough it can be to switch languages sometimes haha. That being said, I appreciate the effort you put into playing the demo and reading my posts!

For this post, I'll focus on the emotional aspect and if they got into an argument with MC. If you want to know about the sexual aspect, please feel free to send another ask!

Garret can be pretty stubborn when it comes to certain things. He tries his best to be kind and understanding, but if he'd holding his ground about something, he really digs his heels into the ground and will refuse to budge. His reaction to finding MC hurt/ crying after an argument would vary depending on the topic and what was said, but generally he would pause. He'd replay the argument in his head several times and eventually come to the conclusion that he was probably too harsh on you. Once he came to that realization, he'd approach you with some water and sit down next to you. He would then apologize for his delivery, not for the argument itself or for being wrong (because he's never wrong), but for saying it in a way that upset and hurt you. It probably wasn't his intention, and he would apologize for expressing his viewpoint so harshly.

Marcelo tends to cool off pretty quickly after a fight, so if he saw you upset and crying he would immediately be wracked with guilt. He'd never want to hurt you or make you cry, so he'd feel absolutely terrible seeing you so upset because of him. It would take him a little bit before he gathered the courage to approach you, but when he did he'd immediately apologize for everything. He'd probably admit to being wrong ( even if he wasn't) and do everything he can to comfort you. Speaking of comfort, if you allowed him he would be holding your hand or somehow touching you throughout the apology.

Camilla tends to take a while to cool off after a fight. However the guilt would start creeping in when she saw you crying after a fight. It would take her a little while, but she would reluctantly swallow her pride and approach you. She'd apologize for hurting your feelings and do her best to talk it through in a calmer and more rational manner.

Rita probably holds grudges the longest after a fight compared to the rest of the cast. Granted, it takes a lot for her to get into a heated argument, especially one where she's actually saying hurtful things. She tends to shut down whenever she becomes upset and gives everyone the cold shoulder. The most it'll last is a few days, but once she's worked past her own emotions, she'll reach out and talk things through. By the end of the conversation, she'll probably be in tears apologizing for lashing out at you, the one person she loves the most in this god forsaken world.

Teagan, true to form, is probably the most toxic compared to the cast. If they saw you crying after an argument, they would feel vindicated. That's right, you should be upset. It's what you deserve for being so stubborn. They'd also take some joy in seeing you so upset over them and their actions. Your reaction just validates how important they are to you, how much power they have when it comes to your emotions. Once they felt as though you've suffered enough, they'd approach you and twist the scenario so that you end up apologizing to them first. Then they'd offer an "apology", one of those fake non-apologies that really blame you for what happened. ( Ex. "I'm so sorry YOU felt that way." " I apologize I wasn't clear and YOU misinterpreted my words" etc)

[practicalsolarpunk]

Do you know any herbology books that aren't. . .idk, mostly only theoretic?

I took a long time to answer this question for a couple reasons. First, I’m not fully sure what you mean by “theoretic,” but I’m assuming you mean you’re looking for herbology/herbalism books that are more practical and less “this herb heals depression because it elevates your kidney vibrations” type of stuff. Second, if that is what you’re looking for, there’s unfortunately not a ton of books that I’ve found like that.

The one herbalism book I keep on hand is Penelope Ody’s The Complete Medicinal Herbal. It does have a lot of the more “woo” stuff as well, but I like that it provides photos of the plants, lists the actual botanical and chemical compounds in each plant that does stuff, and points out when a plant might not be safe for certain people. The other book I keep on hand is Sharon M. Herr’s Herb-Drug Interaction Handbook, which tells you which herbs are safe and which are dangerous/deadly or could mess with dosages if you want to try herbal remedies while also taking other medications.

I have heard good things about Body Into Balance: An Herbal Guide to Holistic Self-Care by Maria Noel Groves, The Modern Herbal Dispensary: A Medicine-Making Guide by Thomas Easley and Steven Horne, and The Nature Cure: A Doctor’s Guide to the Science of Natural Medicine by Andreas Michalsen, MD. Since I haven’t personally read any of them, I can’t unreservedly recommend them, but they might be worth a look. I DO recommend “The Science of Integrative Medicine” from The Great Courses, which is a series of lectures from an MD with the Mayo Clinic discussing a variety of alternative medicine remedies (both herbal and other types) and the science behind them. It’s more from a patient perspective than from someone who actually wants to do some herbology, but I found it helpful. I listened to it for free through my local library.

Herbology/herbalism resources are pretty scattered and often in the realm of the less-than-scientific. Studying botany is a good foundation for herbology (and “pharmacology” is a good keyword for further information about a specific plant), and absolutely avoid anything that talks about “energetics.” An unfortunate fact of herbology is that a lot of these herbal remedies and cures just haven’t been studied. So it’s very possible that some of the remedies do actually work, but nobody has done the research to figure out how or why. It makes being interested in herbology but not interested in “clearing your liver energy” or whatnot very difficult.

I hope this helps! If I misinterpreted your question or you have additional questions, please feel free to send in another ask. (And followers, if you have any ideas/suggestions, please leave them in the notes!)

- Mod J

[cowboyemeritus]

Hi!!! I am a fellow Mary gore enthusiast and i had this idea.

You were a sibling of sin at the ministry, a relatively new one, but you had a secret. You were raised catholic and only recently converted, so you were a virgin. Mary can practically smell the innocence and can’t keep his hands off you.

Ugh what I’d do for this baby 😭

ugh I know!!!! I’m so down bad for Mary it’s embarrassing

thanks for reaching out! here’s a little something something under the cut for your time. :)

everyone please feel free to send in requests/suggestions! I want to get back into writing and could definitely use the motivation lol

quick cw: no smut, but definitely mature content. also maybe stalking? idk Mary is a little creepy here but reader definitely likes it.

The evening dew soaks into your habit, and you squirm uncomfortably as it chills your skin. Mary’s lithe figure presses into you from above, pinning you to the grass with a surprising strength. Backlit by the full moon, you can just barely make out the contours of his face, high cheekbones and a blunt, straight nose. Now that it’s drying on your skin, you can smell that the blood they wear is fake. After everything you’ve experienced in the last month, that actually comes as a surprise.

Mary kisses you again, humming contentedly against your mouth. There was little resistance when, on your way back from the initiates’ bonfire, they ambushed you in the garden. Despite the warnings, all the rumors passed around about who — or what — they are, you were under their spell from the moment you first felt their eyes on you.

“Oh, Mary?” The Sister asks. She blows on her cup of tea, the steam dissipating into the air in faint swirls. “No one quite knows what their deal is.”

“I’ve seen them a few times now,” you note. “He’s always there when I cut through the cemetery. Groundskeeper, maybe?” She shrugs.

“I’m there all the time and I’ve never seen him.”

If they’ve been watching you, as you suspect, it certainly took them long enough to make a move.

“Look at you,” Mary growls, a grin splitting their pale face. You hang on to each word, not quite used to the sound of his voice yet. After all this time, the only thing exchanged between you being glances across rows of graves, hearing them speak is new and exciting. “Beautiful.”

I should be afraid, you think. Instead, your cheeks flush.

“M-“ You have to swallow, your mouth suddenly dry. “Me?” You’re shaking. A part of you worries this is all a mistake. Maybe you misinterpreted his attentions? You’re just a lowly initiate, after all. You’re still wet behind the ears. Inexperienced.

Naive.

Mary laughs, and it’s like music. He brushes his cheek against yours affectionately, stubble just barely tickling your flesh. Your eyes flutter shut, and lost in the gesture, your guard drops.

Before your eyes open again, he’s latched himself onto your neck, nipping and sucking at the tender skin there. A tremor wracks through you at the unfamiliar sensation, wrenching your mouth open and pulling out moan so loud the ghouls can probably hear it down in the dens. You should be embarrassed — the other initiates in your cohort will likely tease you relentlessly if you’re caught, but you couldn’t care less. None of them, it seems, are of interest to Mary. This mysterious, beautiful stranger has eyes only for you.

Pressing his nose into the junction of your neck and shoulder, Mary takes a deep breath, full of your scent. They sigh, flicking their tongue across the spot on your neck you know is already deep purple.

“I can practically smell it on you,” he says, taking another whiff. You consider asking what they mean, when you remember you’re still using the bar of soap you brought from home. Sweet-pea and violet; such a mild scent underneath the wine on your breath and the bonfire smoke that’s seeped into your clothes, but the contrast is so heavy even you notice it now. The irony isn’t lost on you. It reminds you of your old life; pleated skirts and tacky polos, of dragging yourself out of bed when, in your heart, you know Sundays are for sleeping.

The gears in your head click into place. Your eyes widen.

They’ve figured it out.

Mary retreats from the crook of your neck, but suddenly you can’t meet his gaze.

“Why so shy all of a sudden?” Mary asks. The flush from your cheeks creeps downwards as embarrassment grips your whole being. You squirm beneath them, trying to find the right words.

“It can’t be that obvious…” Mary cocks his head to the side, feigning confusion.

“What do you mean, baby?” He wants you to say it. Fucking hell. Trying to prolong the inevitable, you surge upwards, crashing your mouth into his. Mary groans into the kiss, and you feel a bit more of his weight press down on you. “Hmm?”

You huff and roll your eyes, finally defeated. If they don’t keep touching you, you’re going to get desperate. “It can’t be that obvious I’m a virgin!”

Mary grins, and for a faint moment, you swear you see something in his eyes flicker unnaturally.

You gulp.

[cleverthylacine]

Okay. Wow. (also feel free to circulate this post to people even if they don't like me)

I didn't want to make a post like this but things have gone too far. I am still not mentioning names. If you know you know, if you don't know, ignore this post and be happy that you don't know.

Yesterday I went on a blitz of blocking people I was told had been sharing my private DMs and talking shit about me behind my back with an artist who is freaked out that I told them I wouldn't take down a reblog, and then explained that they are popular with RavWave shippers, and that I didn't know who they were until other shippers sent me their stuff, because their art does look shippy to us.

It seems that a lot of the people who are really mad about this (and you're welcome to share this one post of mine with those people, though I do not appreciate that their friends have been stalking my blog in general) think that I was trying to ARGUE with that person.

Much as their motivation in drawing the art was not to depict my OTP, my motivation in telling them that they accidentally did was not to argue with them about how they should view the relationship. It was information about why people get what is apparently the wrong idea about their art.

If I were writing or drawing something that was being misinterpreted all over creation, I would want to know why.

Then I would be armed with the knowledge to decide whether or not I wanted to do things differently in the future.

"I don't care what those people think" is a valid decision. So is "hmm, maybe she has a point." Whichever decision I made, I'd want to make it as an informed decision.

I feel a little sorry about this giant misunderstanding, but I'm absolutely disinclined to apologise because:

Their first message to me was insulting. Many people believe that it was a "polite request". But polite words can be used in a thoroughly rude and nasty way. There is no nice way to tell someone that you think they're so nasty you don't want your public posts appearing on their blog.

Saying no to requests is a thing that people are allowed to do.

Their second message to me, which evaded my block because it was sent to another account, was blatantly offensive and went into the quality of my family and relationships. I didn't respond to that because I'd have gone off.

They have their friends stalking my blog and have admitted to doing so, and have responded to venting on my part by vagueblogging in my own blogs by telling everyone that they're the person I am annoyed with and here are the receipts. Seriously, wtf?

I only know this because I'm trying to block all the assholes who are reposting my personal conversations with them, a thing i only know because a friend of mine told me so after receiving a demand they unfriend me.

This person and their friends are sending anon asks to my friends, or in one case, publicly demanding in an RP community, that people who want to interact with them unfollow me, because they will not interact with anyone who interacts with me. Go the fuck back to high school, Regina.

Don't put icing and sprinkles on a pile of shit and tell yourself you gave someone a chocolate cake. This person has never been "nice" to me.

Under the cut: why IDW Ravage would never allow herself to be handled like a pet cat, and why RavWave shippers feel the same way about the Earthspark deleted scenes, even though we know that's probably not what the showrunners meant us to think.

I have come to the conclusion that's it's just another case of antis thinking that if you can see two people in a non-platonic relationship that they think of as family, you're just nasty. Especially if the feline shaped character is being handled like a pet cat.

But the person who said "I look disrespectfully on anyone who ships this, that's just a goof and his cat" has missed the entire point of these characters' relationship. Soundwave would never treat or handle Ravage like she was a pet cat.

Anyone else who says RavWave shippers are nasty because "it's NoRMaL to handle your cat that way" is fundamentally not getting who Ravage is and how she feels about being touched.

Ravage is a sapient adult mech with a full range of sapient adult feelings, and touching her like she's an animal is a microaggression or a macroaggression, depending upon where and how you touch her. The oppression of beastformers is a big fucking thing in IDW 2005. Other beastformers also complain about constantly having to deal with unwanted and disrespectful touching. (Fortress Maximus is a known offender.)

IDW Ravage is sleeping in Megatron's bed throughout MTMTE (when she's under it, she's guarding him). She only allows him to touch her neck in front of others...because behaving like a pet cat increases the chances that people will treat her like one.

(She almost cut Nautica several times. That's another character I ship her with, because what would be funnier than her realising that this actually is a whole ass person and if she can't stop touching her, she might actually be attracted to her?)

(Note: Canonically, Ravage in IDW uses he/him, and I do know that. However, about half the fandom writes Ravage as female. I'm in that half.)

BTW, I feel exactly the same way about the Earthspark deleted scenes. Every RavWave shipper on the planet does. We've talked about it. We realise that the artists and showrunners probably intended it to be innocent on the grounds that she is a cat. But we are also people who like to write her as an adult Decepticon officer with agency and self-respect who wouldn't behave like that in front of other people unless they knew he has privileges they don't.

I am aware that half the fandom draws Ravage art that's basically cat memes. (I hate that so much. But as a proshipper, I recognise people have the right to depict characters any way they want. That doesn't mean I haven't had to vent to people like @bitegore and @miner16 to keep myself from saying something.)

Also, I strongly suggest that people who get this worked up about misinterpretations of their art or writing do not become professional creators. As a member of fandom since the 1970s, I'm kind of super extremely aware that most of what fandom does is counter to what the creator intended, and frequently that's the point.

I'm also kind of super extremely aware that if you don't have loads of people reinterpreting and remixing your work and your characters, that actually means nobody cares about your work enough to have blorbo feels about your characters.

(The side poll, which came from another blog and mentioned no names, was an irritated attempt to find out whether people really do think it's normal to cuddle your mom that way, because the second message insinuated that my mother and I must have a terrible relationship because we don't touch each other like that. I kinda wanted to know what people who were not predisposed to take my side and did not know what was going on would think of that idea, because I really do not think most people touch their mothers like that; their mothers aren't nonsapient animals and would thus consider it weird and inappropriate.)

[damnfandomproblems]

Since one ask in response to Problem #4927 has generated several replies in a short time, I've decided to consolidate the ones I've received into one post.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Anon:

You know when you see an ask that's so off the mark, and you wonder to yourself hm, which of the blogs I recently blocked for having 'proship dni' in their bio (because no reasonable and properly informed person would have that in their bio) could this be? This. This is that ask

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anon:

I wish I could block people who send anons to other blogs because sometimes the take is just so misguided don't even want to try unpackong it

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anon:

Most people seem to agree this is an ice cold take, but I want to add this too (without assigning blame to anyone who does this, since there isn't actually anything blameworthy about the example): I think part of the problem with all these people (including anon) thinking proship means "I ship (thing)" is bolstered by the fact a ton of people who ship certain uncomfortable, or controversial, dynamics often have "proship" in big words at the top of their blog. And anyone who sees this ends up conflating "proship" with "I ship (thing)"... Even though the causation is actually the inverse. As in, they ship (thing), so why wouldn't they be proship, a stance that says ship and let ship? Would be awfully dumb if they weren't. Meanwhile, a lot of proship people who don't really have controversial or dark or whatever else ships tend to not have "proship" at the top of their blogs, which just solidifies the conflation of "proship" meaning "I ship (thing)". Some do, but most don't. But like another commenter said, I feel like we might need to just move away from buzzwords all together, because clearly people won't stop trying to repackage what they mean, and or misinterpret them based on first-glance, passing observations. That second part is mainly why I think "proship", while the root is pretty damn self-explanatory, still confuses people.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anon:

"stop calling yourself a proshipper if you only like mix-raced and other such safe stuff," Okay, two questions: 1. Do you realize mixed race ships are actually super controversial and dangerous to ship, because some antis will say you're either fetishizing (even if you're not), or accuse you of "tokenizing" a non-white character by shipping them with a white character? 2. What are your parameters for what qualifies as "safe"? Because you're already showing one of the biggest anti (or pro-censorship, if you really don't want to use "fandom words") hypocrisies in the book: attacking certain subject matter while giving other kinds of subject matter, which are arguably just as taboo, a free pass. For instance, most antis don't bat an eye about shipping Hannibal and Will Graham (Hannibal NBC series) because that, despite the plethora of physical and mental abuse, is just that. It's not sexual taboo, just every other kind of taboo. So I ask, what are your parameters for what is "safe"? Because chances are, they will either be contradictory in some way, or just make no sense.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anon:

["Make a new term" fucking lol. Should proshippers go make their own Ao3, too?] My reaction exactly, lol. Also, for anyone who didn't already know: AO3 literally was created by proshippers. One person actually shipped Wincest and Thorki, and wanted a censorship-free (within the confines of US law, obviously) space to archive that stuff. Hence AO3 was born. The people who made AO3 are now middle aged or nearly there, and aren't going to take your shit. So in that sense, it's more like: listen up, all you annoying-ass censorship-happy babies: AO3's source code is public, it's all there, you're free to make your own space, if you don't like the one WE created, then YOU came barging into, then YOU started screaming about containing stuff you didn't like.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anon:

I am a fandom oldie and I miss when "proship" and "anitship" were just terms used in fandom with no deeper meaning. You could be both a "proship" and "antiship" person simultaneously because it was a ship by ship basis. I miss when they literally just meant "I like this ship" and "I do not like this ship". No argument on morality one way or the other. No harassment. Just people loving their fictional characters' dynamics and enjoying them with other people. Example: a NaruHina proshipper meant you shipped Naruto and Hinata for any reson (maybe you liked their chemistry). A NaruHina antishipper meant you probably not only didn't like the ship, but were actively against it for some reason (could be any reason like you shipped NaruSaku or something, that you didn't like their dynamic, or any other reason). It wasn't about the ship being "problematic" or whatever. It was just a personal feeling.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anon:

For Christ’s sake, a lot of issues could be solved with a Google search (proship means anti-harassment, anti-censorship, ship and let ship) or just blocking and moving on. Or just resolving misunderstandings instead of leaving dirty laundry out in public. I do not use the proship label. I am very against censorship, hence the meaning of the label, but I’m not slapping a label on myself that essentially boils down to, “I don’t like this, so I’m not gonna look at it/imma block people or tags because I don’t like it” and then moving on. And because ironically, people who have easy access to the internet where, again, Google is free, will slap on a false accusation on me over fiction. And that is something I do not want to deal with. Before someone goes, “I have been harassed by proshippers more than antis,” those people are NOT proshippers, those were actual antis. Or alternatively, “there was a kid that got groomed by proshippers,” again, those people are NOT proshippers, those are predators. Again, Google is free, look up terms, and wash the bias you have for specific people out of your eyes and out of your ears. Use your critical thinking skills.

[sidebaxolotl]

As someone who is celibate too, how you deal with celibacy? Do you have any tips? Thank you for this blog 💕

I guess it depends on what you mean by deal with? I'm pretty comfortable with being a celibate person so it's less me "dealing" with it and just me living my life.

I guess if ur generally looking for tips:

-have a small group of friends that ur super close with

-have a larger community that you can help out and serve (for me it's church and gamestore)

-live with roommates that you vibe with

-get a pet

-avoid material that causes the yearning (I don't watch romance stuff as much anymore and I've basically cut fanfiction out of my life entirely)

-have a fulfilling hobby or passion

-you dont owe anyone a justification or defense of your own celibacy and you are allowed to tell ppl to shove off if they are annoying about it

If I misinterpreted what you asked for then please feel free to send another ask!!

[27emailsicantsend]

I just have a question to ask about Tim's IG post, "Not Canon (at this time)"? What does that even mean? Does that mean it'll be canon when spinoff is happening? Or...I am trying to figure out what he meant by that, haha. I think it's hint hint for a spinoff, am I right or is it something else that I might misinterpret it?

Oh I wanted to talk about this so thank you for sending!! For anyone who is curious, it was this post:

This is not the only hint he has made about a possible spin-off.

He’s said (I can’t go find all the direct quotes right now but I can give you what I can remember and I’ll post some pictures at the end):

-he’s wanted 5-7 seasons since the beginning

-he feels like the kids are graduating high school for now but the “next obvious place is college”

-he has brought up ideas to the network but nothing is official for now

-he has specifically mentioned Ricky and Gina and where THEY are going next (in the picture above and other interviews)

-he has a “surprise” for everyone after the show ends… which looked like something at East High but I haven’t seen the actual surprise. Unless he was talking about their Wicked song, but even then the picture of him mentioning the surprise didn’t look like the Wicked song set up… it looked different. (I’m so sorry I don’t have this picture but if anyone has it feel free to reblog with it!)

-he wanted the franchise to be “Degrassi”-esque with lots of spin-offs and seasons and such. It was never meant to end here.

Not to mention when Josh and Sofia were asked about a spin-off they just giggled and shrugged nervously but made jokes about it being a rina college spin off (the body language is suspicious and telling)

And the official HSMTMTS account (which I believe Tim has some control over) posted a really cryptic tweet/insta about how “happy endings are just the beginning”

HSMTMTS cast was invited to D23 I believe? This year which is only for announcing NEW things usually so it’s kind of weird to slot a show that’s ended?

I find the amount of promo we’re getting from Tim and the official HSMTMTS account is… bizarre for a show that just ended? Maybe we’d get stuff for a few days but they’ve been hammering it home like we’re getting a new season next week. I don’t really watch promo for a lot of other shows though, so this could be a normal amount.

We also know that the strike is impacting a LOT of things, including promotion or talks of new shows. Tim wouldn’t do a movie/show for this without his og cast on board, so I feel like they’re waiting for the strike to be over to start things.

All of this to say, I do think we’re getting more but the strike really halted any of that coming forth for now. But with how good the show did, the contract Tim just signed with Disney, and how we were really starting to get moment with these characters (not to mention views and $$$ it was bringing in for Disney), I would be SHOCKED if we didn’t get more.

Tim purposely ended the show where he did because he wanted it to end on a high note and close the “high school” chapter, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get another. I think Disney was probably ready to offer him a s5 but he didn’t want to risk it… with a new show, he can at least probably get 4 more seasons.

(don’t ask me what the hell is going on with bunk’d and their 7 seasons… I’m still trying to process that)

[sweetlikehoneystingslikeabee]

Hello, you can have a couple of headcanon relationships with Oswald Cobblepot.

General Oswald Cobblepot Relationship Headcanons

I apologize if I'm misinterpreting at all, but I'm going to give you sfw and nsfw hcs! General penguin! If you wanted a more specific Penguin, just feel free to send another ask <3 Had to stop myself from dragging on forever for the sfw portion. Penguin is such a fun character with fun dynamics to play with.

TW: NSFW, body worship, mentions of breeding kink, exhibitionism

SFW:

There's going to be chatter about what kind of relationship this is. Traditionally, he's been someone who pays dinner for escorts to flock about him at events to pump himself up due to his... disfigurements.

Yes, it's been a thing for people to try and dupe him into a relationship for benefits. Now he's a bit more wary. More upfront, one might say. Are you looking to be well-kept? He's not exactly opposed to that.

Oh. You actually... hold on. It's going to take time for him to accept this as truth. He doesn't want to look a fool again.

When you do end up really caring for him, expect him to get a little... goofy. Still a villain worthy of putting fear in the hearts of his enemies mind you, but with you he's so enamored. Sometimes he gazes at you as though you hung the moon and all the constellations in the night sky.

Expect him to show you off whenever he can. This is his partner, his better half, and if someone don't show you the respect you deserve he'll gut them!

Bird nicknames and pet names. His chickadee, his lovebird, his songbird, his pretty passerine, etc etc. There seems to be a lot of variations.

And yes, he's going to show you his private bird collection that pretty much no one gets to see besides handlers and vets he hires.

He likes dancing to old records. There's a half-decent chance you're the same height or taller than him so... just give him patience as he leads. He'll appreciate it.

If you calmly wipe his mouth when he gets a bit excited while eating say, fish- he's going to find that so charming and cute.

Low-key a sugar daddy even if that's not your agreed relationship, he just really likes buying gifts and outfits and- really, whatever you want. You can even tell him to stop and he's still just finding ways to get you things. He'll just get more subtle about it.

NSFW, keep in mind these are general offerings, all might not appeal to you:

Kind of discussed some of this is in the general kinks/sex hcs but we're gonna go into details.

He likes having control. That doesn't mean he could never be in a more submissive role, in fact it was something he did more often when he was younger. Now, however, that vulnerability is something that makes him anxious. Scary thing to be vulnerable with you're a man in his line of work.

He will worship your body and adorn it with things he likes. Nylons and jewelry he can run his hands over as his tongue tastes your skin. Does not want to be body worshipped on his end. It's a nice gesture, but in his mind he's short, hairy, fat with a bird looking face (congenital anomaly). Trying to bring too much attention to that would make him egregiously self-conscious.

Kind of sort of breeding kink, particularly if you can get pregnant and want to be. Legacies and filling you to the brim with his cum kind of talk. This one is rather lower on the list and very well may never come up unless the right circumstances line up.

Dirty talk and biting. These are related considering a lot of his dirty talk consists of how he's going to mark you up in all these little ways to remind people you're his- of course as he's rutting deep into you nipping your shoulder. His teeth are sharp but you find he more grazes. The marking is a lot more talk because he'd hate to hurt you and your pretty skin...

Contracts. This can be roleplay or like, legit, a sexy contract of what you're expected to wear around him, rules, shit like that. He wouldn't get too into certain BDSM dynamics because it's not necessarily his gig. But you know ;) something something signed in ink you gotta do it ;)

Lots of lace and pretty lingerie unless you're specifically not into it. But he likes taking it off with his teeth.

Loves messing around in public. Under the table him or you- oral, fingering. You in his lap. Messing around in a closet. If you ever got caught, he'd make sure you were covered and intimidate the fuck out of anyone until they end up leaving.

[r-i-fakier]

The editor was sitting on the floor, his laptop on his lap, fingers running down the keyboard. The day felt slightly colder than usual, even though that was a big deal for the editor, due to his severe frostbite, he didn't care. As he wandered through forums and other social places, looking for something interesting to do or someone who was looking for a new editor, he comes across a social media page. "Tumblr?" He mumbles out to himself, he looked at the page for some time, before finally clicking on the sign in button. Who knows, maybe he could find some new friends.

//RP Blog introduction!!//

//More info under the cut. Check before interacting.//

Hi guys! I am Lem, the person who runs this roleplay blog. This blog is part of the bursonaverse thing created by @emeraldsandpearlsxx, and is made just for fun.

This blog is "partnered up" with @coldarg , who is another argbur blog that's also part of the bursonaverse, our blogs might eventually interact.

My main blog is @ghostlem, I am a 15 years old Chilean. (fun fact I'm also an argbur fictionkin)

This is a "Canon-divergent" roleplay (canon-divergent means that it follows the Canon pre-established, but also adds some changes, or at least that's what I understand from the word).

When I'm talking OOC (out of character) I will write with // on both sides in a specific way.

//Example text.//

Asks and written stuff that contain NSFW insinuations will be seen and answered, as long as they don't contain visual stuff such as NSWF pictures or videos or isn't too explicit.

I created myself a system for asks, since I get confused if I should answer it on the "blog" or as if it was an interaction outside it. When sending asks to Jubilee's Blog please put something like "[{user}/anon sent and ask!]", when is an interaction outside of the blog, please put "(interaction outside blog.)" If you have any questions about this please feel free to dm me!

This blog might contain stuff that can trigger some people, they will be tagged properly, but please keep it in mind.

(with headcanons I mean the important data you should know about argbur before interacting with him and his blog, I'm just trying to make this intro thing look good)

☆-Argbur's name is currently unknown, as he doesn't like sharing too personal info about him.

☆-He uses He/Him pronouns.

☆-He uses this blog as a personal space, sometimes he might post stuff that could be seen as "incoherent".

☆-The glasses will be a current thing happening in this blog, it won't be explicit most of the time, but pay attention in the way he writes the posts.

☆-He's a video editor, sometimes he will post videos he has edited, but something might feel odd about them.

☆-He doesn't use tone tags (he doesn't even know what that is), because of this, the tone he writes in might be misinterpreted as mean.

☆-You can always interact with him, he'll be just a little weirded out about the social interaction since he's not exactly used to it (he's just weird over all /hj)

☆-He is Chilean, but doesn't speak Spanish often, and when he does, the Chilean accent is very noticeable, as well and the fact he speaks way too fast.

☆-He's so cold.

When he posts about stuff that happens in his life, it will go with the tag #An Editor's Life

When he posts a video he has edited, it will go with the tag #New Edited Video

When he answers a question, it will go with the tag #Editor Ask

All his posts will be tagged with #Argbur's Roleplay

Ooc posts (out of character) will have the tags #ooc post and #tda chatchat (which is shared with my main blog)

Posts where he speaks Spanish will be tagged with #Chilean Editor

I might add more tags, depending on what happens.

[officially-other]

hi!! I wanted to ask about your work with dragons! if you're comfortable, could you sort of explain how you view them in context of your spirituality/how you work with them? like are they similar to historic dragons of folklore or are they something else? seeing dragons as spiritual beings is an entirely new thing to me (I'm a pagan, but I don't consider myself a witch) and I'd really love to hear more about it!!! :3

This is a cool question, ty anon! Apologies, this is a pretty long and rambly; I really like talking about dragons, hence the whole entire blog for it :D Feel free to send in another ask if something here isn't clear or I misinterpreted your questions^^

My belief in dragons, if I'm honest, is very UPG/personal experience. Something that, in my experience, anyone who's worked with dragons extensively* will probably tell you "Yeah it's a lot of just working with whatever you learn on your own, no one's beliefs will look the same. It's not something you can really research online or in books much." *I am not nor do I claim to be one of these people. I still feel new to dragon work, although I will acknowledge that if we're counting any time spent with them as "work" I've been doing that for years lol.

All that out of the way; I view them primarily as astral entities. Divinity in a sense, I suppose, although I feel- and I think they feel- like it's laughable to call them "above me." But that's more about my experience of divinity as an ally rather than an authority figure- I don't view any deity as above me, just bigger and different. (Sort of like a human to a small animal of sorts. We're not above them in my opinion, we're not better, but our experience of the world is fundamentally different and we can see things/understand things that they can't.)

WHOOPS philosophy aside; I view them as astral/nonphysical entities, and while the historical mythology is a huge part of my reason for believing in them* it only has so much sway in my practice. I have ADHD that makes research difficult, so most of it is just... what I've felt, seen, and done. I do believe the dragons I work with are the reason for historical mythology, but since they're idividuals, it wouldn't be all that much help anyway. Looking at the whole of America wouldn't tell you shit about me, as a weird comparison. *seeing as just about every culture has a "dragon" of sorts but we can't trace their origin point because they all came up with it independently.

Right now my work with them looks pretty similar to my deity work. I don't do spells or any such thing often, so it's mostly just chatting and enjoying each others presence. I ask for help when I need it, or for insight, but to be honest mostly right now my work with dragons looks like my familiar popping in like "Hey, you should value ur inner child and playfulness should have a place in your spirituality" and popping back out. Mostly I think they're leaving me to settle into my identity as a dragonkin (just in case you're from my main: my soul is that of a dragon/I have past lives as a dragon, it's a whole Thing) before forming a relationship with me. Something about figuring out what being a dragon means to me and what that looks like before seeing what it means to them so I don't assume that my identity has to look like theirs.

[sugurushimura]

Hey! Was wondering your thoughts on Higuchi's self esteem. I mean obviously it's pretty darn low but what do you think are the sorts of things contributing to that as well as your thoughts on why its presented in the way it is (if that makes sense)

as far as what's evidenced in canon, i think higuchi's negative self-esteem is a self-fulfilling cycle. he has a low opinion of himself, so he tries to prove (to both himself and others) that he's better than others by verbally berating certain peers and generally acting arrogant, which only makes people dislike and look down on him, which makes higuchi have a low opinion of himself.

higuchi is pretty obsessed with how others perceive him, especially his colleagues and women in general. the fact that most don't like him, and a good number don't even pretend to like him, is probably the largest active factor.

there's also the fact that higuchi... sucks. like, not to be mean to mr. capitalism over here, but he's noted by pretty much every other character as being stupid, untalented, and hard to like. he knows this, on some level. it's one thing to dislike yourself for perceived flaws, and it's another thing to dislike yourself for very real flaws that you're constantly reminded of, although he ultimately pities himself too much to do anything about it, even though it would literally be as easy as "just don't be a dick all the time". plus he's in pretty deep denial about his own insecurities, which makes it difficult to remedy them.

of course, these issues don't just manifest out of nowhere, and canon is silent on how higuchi developed these issues in the first place. personally, i think it's partially a result of his upbringing. his father, in my headcanon, was pretty detached and had high expectations of kyosuke, who as a result was desperate for his attention and approval. he never really got either of these.

i also imagine that his contradicting statuses in school as both a rich kid and a wannabe rebel made him something of an outcast who his friends only really tolerated because of his family background. these things together started him down the "i'm not good enough and everyone hates me" path, which led him to develop a lot of insecurity and anger.

i also think the higuchi we see in canon is not exactly at his best. namikawa mentions that he's been demoted before, and i'd imagine that this was a serious hit to his ego and made his pre-existing issues worse.

as to the last part of your question, i assume you mean why higuchi acts like such an asshole? i absolutely think he's overcompensating. if he acknowledged his insecurities, which he'd have to do in order to deal with them, he'd be admitting that they're true. he can't be vulnerable, because then he'd be weak, and weak is possibly the last thing he wants to be. hell, his supposed resilience is probably the only thing he really thinks he has going for him deep down. so he makes a big deal out of how he thinks he's really great, actually, because he needs to make himself believe it, which also means he needs to make sure everyone knows that he's better than them (or at least better than takahashi).

if you haven't read it, i talk a bit more about higuchi's self-esteem issues in my higuchi analysis! and if i misinterpreted or didn't quite answer your question, feel free to send me another ask :D

[inqorporeal]

Hi! Sending this as an Ask instead of reblogging the post that prompted it because I’m worried that a) I may come off as antisemitic or just trying to Start Shit, or b) even if I don’t my question might prompt it from someone else. I want to start by making it clear: I am not Jewish, and also I am trying to be respectful while learning, so if I mess up I would greatly appreciate it if you have the capacity to tell me what I need to change.

Anyway.

You posted about Zionism and its definition in Christian vs Jewish contexts. I knew about the end-of-days antisemitism but the Jewish take was new to me. I was hoping you might be able to clarify it a bit? You mentioned that it’s about the “simple right to exist, with their own culture intact”.

I am 100% in favor of this!

But, you also said something about the concept of a nation, as distinct from a state. Their “own claim to the land of their faith’s origin” bit doesn’t make sense to me AS PART OF the right for ongoing existence and culture. Would you be able to elaborate at all?

I might be totally misinterpreting the post. I read the idea of them having a “claim” to the land as inherently meaning that other people don’t and shouldn’t be there, but I think that might be my background (Aussie, so colonial history, and people continue to get real butthurt at the suggestion that Indigenous Australians have any kind of claim to the land we’re on, because I think it’s understood as an “us or them” thing)

Again, I’m not trying to start anything or take your words out of context or anything. Please feel free to ignore this ask and/or block, or to respond either publicly or privately, whatever you feel is most appropriate and will protect your wellbeing! Thanks for your time, sorry this Ask is a bit long!

(Link to the original post in question)

Thanks for asking! I actually had a paragraph on this in my initial post before deciding to keep that one simple and on-topic. I'm not Jewish myself, so my own understanding is very broad and general. I welcome anyone who wishes to fill in the gaps or correct anything I get wrong.

Simply put, Jews have as much claim to land in the historic Levant as Native American and First Nations tribes have to land in the Americas, as Māori have in Aotearoa. It's the land of their cultural origin just as much as it is the Palestinians'.

The concept of Land Back is a difficult one to address in even the most optimal of situations. Human history is a long list of migrations, conflicts, invasions, and resettlements; one people's foundation is often built literally upon the bones of another. State boundaries have shifted over and over again throughout history, often without the consent of the people who actually live there.

Who has the right to the land? Who has the right to govern it? There are no easy answers to these questions without sliding into hypocrisy.

This is why there are many proponents of a single-state solution: in theory, if both Jews and Palestinians have their origins in the same place, they should seek a way to coexist in parity. In practice, this is rather more contentious. As with the differences between Zionism and Evangelical Zionism, the matter of a cultural connection to the land is easily misunderstood because Christian culture and Jewish culture view land rights in entirely different ways.

The difference between, for example, me going to Germany now with 200-year old property records to claim the right to build a house there, and diaspora Jews returning to the land of Israel, is that I have no cultural connection to my ancestors' land, while a key aspect of Jewish culture is an eventual return to Jerusalem. The cultural root of European-colonized nations is one of total assimilation to a culture determined by historical Christian ideals, where land is viewed solely as a financial transaction and source of wealth, and my family's only connection to Germany lingers in a paternal surname that's been mangled beyond recognition. The theoretical property records I mentioned do not exist and if they ever did, I have no legally recognized right to claim them (and if I asked people living there now to leave, I'd get laughed at). The idea of a cultural connection to the land my ancestors once lived on is an alien one, which is why it's difficult for many people from European-heritage cultures to understand its importance.

Jewish culture has a very different relationship with its history than Christian culture does. Judaism views Israel in three parts: the state (government), the nation (people and culture), and the home (the land of cultural origin). Just as indigenous groups have cultural connections to parts of the land, just as Muslims revere Mecca and have a culture of pilgrimage, so Israel is to Jewish culture. If we're going to recognize the importance of one culture's local connections, we need to recognize them all.

The transactional nature of property in Christian culture -- which forms the foundation of capitalism, which is now dominating the global economy -- is why we often view Land Back as an Us Or Them issue. It doesn't have to be that way, but it's very difficult to conceptualize a third way that treats all parties with respect.

Like I said before, there are no easy answers. Human geography is a messy field full of metaphorical land mines; just when you think you've come up with a good general solution, you get hit by variables you didn't account for. We can't even say that it's a matter that should be addressed solely by the parties who have direct concerns and everyone else needs to butt out, because some parties that hold power have no interest in compromise (I'm thinking specifically of the US government's handling of indigenous concerns, but that's far from the only imbalanced conflict ongoing), and because our global economy is so deeply intertwined that a conflict in one part of the world affects other parts.

(This is why the United Nations was founded -- to try to resolve such conflicts before they erupt. A noble ideal, although the UN often fails to live up to it because of international power politics.)

I'm trying to remain as neutral as possible in these posts, but I do think that the US's proprietary attitude towards Israel -- which is in very large part due to the Evangelical concept of Zionism (which, as I explained in the previous post, is creepy and antisemitic) -- is not helping the situation at all.

I am not qualified to opine a solution -- and as an individual with zero personal stakes in the matter, my opinion counts for nothing except with regards to the US's involvement. But I hope this helps you understand what I meant!