#if it's not your thing that is totally valid

[khorneschosen]

Typically the left wing of this country. However I do like keeping things broad enough to say that the you can refer to whoever it hits. If you read this and think this applies to you then it definitely does.

I will clarify my meaning however. And expand on it because I usually write a lot of these and don't expect much attention for them.

The left wing has always found it ideal that it's opposition would not be conservatives or libertarians because these typically operate with an entirely different framework of philosophy. And that means there is a meaningful choice between you and them.

However if you notice in Europe there is the opposite trend where people are asked to choose between national socialism and socialism. If you want a clearer example of this is the European politics particularly those in the western sphere.

It's why right now many of the more libertarian or at least alternative parties are gaining in traction in the Western European countries.

For example the Conservative party of the UK has always been a party of anti-capitalism since it's inception. Resulting in a originally feudalesque approach to politics which is not necessarily fascistic but it's differentiation is rather limited in its approach to problems. And it does not have the radical ideology which demands complete loyalty to the state.

This is the ideal state for left-wingers and socialist of all stripes that their opposition necessarily concedes to the principle behind what they proposed to do.

Understand the ultimate ideal behind socialism in this country and abroad is that you cannot demolish the Master's house with the master's tools in other words you have to overthrow the entire system in order to bring about the change you want thus it is not necessarily a boiled frog approach but you must actually dismantle the system violently and thus having an opposition who would validate your violent approach to politics is necessarily something you would need it order to engage in your Utopia building.

Thus as I pointed out from a political science perspective socialists need Nazis in order to bring about socialism.

However in America fascism is not a popular philosophy. Because necessarily in order for fascism to take hold Americans would have to a either start becoming racist which they are unlikely to do considering their outgroup preference or at least the whites out group preference is higher than its own in group preference so that's not happening.

Two and two after a decades of having even a slightly more authoritarian government since world war II the result has been a complete and total hatred of the federal government thus the state worshiping necessary for fascism cannot be maintained either. Americans made love their country but that does not extend to their government.

What's more it's kind of goes against the framework that has been defining American politics which is been the 2008 economic crisis and recession. In which the principled new right and new left were defined by occupy Wall Street and the tea party. Libertarianism and socialism.

In short fascism is not possible here and this is not even getting into the sheer amount of political parties and political interests that would not want this. If you look at the special interest groups not a singular fucking one of them actually once a authoritarian system because I will tell you blatantly that means that they're going to have to pay a lot more for lobbying rather than less.

However it is popular with a small subsection of Americans who don't realize that that is exactly what they're doing. And typically it's those who are trying to bring about the Chinese model in America. Which is often times you are very young and very naive and honestly very stupid American left-wing socialists. The differentiation between them both philosophically and just in policy is becoming weaker by the day. Though they typically don't do the predominant ethnicity sort of thing even though they do have their preferred ethnicity which they consider to be non-white. Particular focus with black because that is the ethnic group which scores highest in their privilege hierarchy. And when you necessarily start looking at what is the concept of power plus privilege and racism you start seeing a philosophy which is very close to David Duke's racial realism.

In short the differentiation between you guys and the Nazis is becoming a lot less day by day and I don't think you guys understand that or care to fight it because again the end of socialism being the creation of this utopia is an ultimate good and the ends justify all the means.

And finally for the part where I said we do not recognize your observations anymore it is mainly due to the amount of things that you have called fascistic or Nazis in the past decades. For example I was called a Nazi for bringing up the issue I had in my local community that being the hog from the feral hog problem the one that causes billions of dollars in damages in my state. Or the state next door which has one of the highest hog populations in the United States. One wonders if they even have people there or if the hogs finally started walking upright like Orwell said. Jokes aside Napoleon.

The ultimate point here is that we no longer recognize your ability to be one truthful and to actually be able to tell what is and isn't fascistic.

For one your movement has fascist as I pointed out and two the baseless accusations that have gone on for so long that you've ultimately destroyed the meaning behind that word and it has semiotically meant opposer.

Three the left wing approach to what is fascism historically and Nazism historically have been discredited because they are not accurate depictions of fascism or Nazism. It is a model which cannot be used to predict anything about what they did during the war or the philosophy of it or their actions during it what's more it is in conflict with how those people at the time describe themselves. And say what you will about subversive philosophies being one of yourself you necessarily know that they have to at some point tell you something about the ideology you are supporting You have to have a reason for it Free association and clever rhetoric will not actually get you supreme power anymore than any other subversive ideology.

In closing I'm glad that you allowed me to answer both your question and to clarify my own statement in greater detail.

An important PSA to remember!

[ID in Alt]

[vonbabbitt]

Okay Von hi feel free to just ignore this if it's not a topic you want brought up and I'm not saying this was bad writing on your part since it was definitely unintentional but GOD DAMN it hurts that Watari died and was specifically burned during black history month. The cold motive being during December was a coincidence so this definitely is too but holy fuck it just hurts. A lot.

Praying it's a suicide honestly because one of these students I've grown to love burning a black woman alive on purpose during February (ik they don't know it's February but on principle it still hurts) would fuck me up so bad.

You're an awesome writer so don't take this the wrong way, it isn't a critique at all and definitely just seems like an awful coincidence to me but still. It's an awful coincidence.

(if it wasn't obvious btw I am black just so this doesn't read as some weird yt person lmao)

Thanks for making tetro anyway, hope you're in better health soon

hey anon, i wanted to address this because its a totally valid thing to bring up and your message was really really polite about it

it genuinely is just an awful coincidence unfortunately. when i first wrote all of tetro a few years ago i had zero idea of when it would be releasing or what the release schedule would look like, and things just happened to line up in a really unfortunate way.

obviously i cant speak on any matters of the case or the trial or the culprit right now, so i think a much better use of this platform and time would be to discuss ACTUAL issues of anti-black racism in japan with the focus people are now giving watari. hopefully thats a use of this platform that people will be able to take something away from

japan, historically, has had relatively limited interaction with african countries and people of african descent. the first time a black person was actually recorded historically in japan was a 16th century samurai named yasuke who was brought over by portuguese traders and eventually then served as a samurai under a 16th century daimyō named oda nobunaga. yasuke was very much a spectacle in 16th century japan, with records at the time saying that people in kyoto were fascinated by his height and dark skin. japan's interaction with black people remained extremely sparse throughout a lot of this time.

in the late 19th century, during japans early globalization, american minstrel shows (blackface performances) toured in japan, which introduced derogatory caricatures of black people to japanese audiences. it was a sort of imported imagery in that sense, carrying imported western racism with it into japan and laying foundations for japan's anti-black stereotyping in future japanese media.

during ww2, japan portrayed itself as a champion of non-white peoples against western imperialism and proposed a racial equality clause at the 1919 league of nations, which western powers rejected. while they were advertising this anti-racism approach, propaganda and attitudes within japan were actually a lot different. for example, after the war, many japanese people initially blamed black soldiers for the bombings, insisting that their skin had been "blackened" by the bomb. the american occupation of japan from 1945 to 1952 then brought a significant black presence to japan, with about 15000 black troops stationed in tokyo alone by 1946. these soldiers' interactions with japanese civilians (including romantic relationships) served as many japanese people's first prolonged contact with black people. the occupation era brought a new wave of mixed-race children that then went on to face strong social stigma in japan and the US alike, dredging up entrenched ideas about racial purity. generally, japan's historical context regarding black people is one of limited contact and imported stereotypes, setting the stage for modern perceptions.

in contemporary japan, which is still about 98% ethnically japanese, black people are an incredibly small minority, thought to make up only 0.02% of the population. because of this homogeneity, many attitudes towards black people are shaped by media images and lack of personal interaction. on one hand, theres still a curiosity and admiration for aspects of black culture in japan - mainly african-american pop culture, particularly hip-hop, sports and fashion. younger japanese people emulate black musicians and athletes, as well as certain subcultures (notably the late 1990s "B-style" trend) and at times even darken their skin to imitate black celebrities. on the other hand, deep-seated stereotypes persist. black people are often stereotyped as exceptionally athletic, musical or "cool", but also dangerous and foreign. as an example, black residents in japan will commonly report that strangers perceive them with a mix of fascination and fear. baye mcneil (who is a black author living in japan that i absolutely recommend reading the works of) notes that japanese reactions to blackness are frequently rooted in ignorance rather than malice. he notes that many japanese people fear blackness, and that their fear comes from a place of ignorance. this manifests in ways that may seem subtle at first glance - avoiding sitting next to a black passenger on the train or holding their belongings a little tighter in the presence of a black person. microaggressions against black people in japan are still extremely prevalent.

that same prejudice can also take the form of insensitive comments or questions, usually stemming from the assumption that all black people are from africa or america and fit certain tropes. for instance, a black friend of mine who visited japan recently noted that she was asked on more than one occasion if her skin colour would "rub off", reflecting a massively prevalent lack of exposure. japanese anti-black racism is strongly rooted in ignorance as opposed to the overt hatred displayed in western countries; physical attacks motivated by race are unusual. instead, social exclusion and othering are the more common issues. black people, like other visible minorities, often face the "perpetual foreigner" mindset japan still holds - no matter how long they've lived in japan or how well they speak japanese, they may be treated as outsiders. even japanese-born residents of mixed african descent can be viewed by some as not "fully japanese", as seen in public reactions to famous mixed-race individuals of such descent. to recap, modern attitudes are a complicated mix: a general polite public demeanour masking unspoken biases, a fascination with black culture coexisting with lingering stereotypes, and a lack of awareness that results in black residents frequently feeling hyper-visible yet entirely misunderstood and misinterpreted.

id also like to talk about the role of japanese media in anti-black racism in japan. japanese media and pop culture have a bit of a mixed record in their portrayal of black people. historically, representations were often steeped in caricature. in anime and manga, black or dark-skinned characters are often drawn with exaggerated features reminiscent of racist minstrel imagery, such as the very frequent use of exaggerated lips seen in many popular anime. two fairly infamous examples are mr. popo from the dragon ball series and jynx from pokemon. mr. popo is a genie-like character depicted with jet-black skin, large red lips and a turban, features clearly echoing the blackface iconography japan became familiar with in the 19th century. these designs sparked criticism internationally as well. western releases of these shows later altered the characters, such as mr. popo's skin being recoloured to bright blue in one edited instance, to downplay the resemblance to racist caricatures. the portrayal of black people in japanese media has thus been subject to intense criticism for insensitivity. many japanese viewers initially did not recognize these depictions as offensive, due to the different historical context, but awareness around anti-black racism has since been growing.

live-action media and advertising have also featured plenty of tone-deaf portrayals. blackface in comedy shows persisted in japan long after it had faded from other parts of the world. as recently as new years eve 2017, a popular comedian (masatoshi hamada) donned full blackface to impersonate eddie murphy on national TV, igniting outrage among international viewers and anti-racism activists. domestic reaction within japan was mixed, with some defending it as harmless cosplay and others (both japanese and otherwise) pointed out that, intentional or not, such images are hurtful and stem from ignorance. baye mcneil (shoutout again) led campaigns to educate the public on why blackface is offensive, especially with the 2020 tokyo olympics on the horizon and japan under greater global scrutiny. in 2020, japans public broadcaster NHK aired an animated segment about the black lives matter protests that depicted caricatured black figures (a muscular black man speaking broken japanese, with others shown looting) without any mention of police brutality - a portrayal widely condemned as racist. NHK retracted and apologized after facing backlack, showing that japanese media institutions are finally (but slowly) being called to account for promoting racist imagery and stereotyping.

there have been positive developments. the rise of internationally successful mixed-race japanese athletes and celebrities - such as tennis star naomi osaka, who is haitian-japanese, or signer crystal kay, who is korean-african-japanese - has prompted more nuanced conversations about identity. advertisers have featured more diversity in commercials, though not without missteps. as an example, one 2019 nissin noodles ad drew criticism for depicting a cartoonized naomi osaka with much lighter skin and eurocentric features. on variety TV, black personalities often appear, but sometimes in tokenized roles. notably, foreign talents like bob sapp and bobby ologun became famous in japan in the 2000s. while they gained popularity, they were somtimes boxes into caricatured personas (the "big scary black man" or the comic relief.) a quote from a japanese viewer at the time noted that "bobby ologon speaks weird japanese, bob sapp eats raw meat...it's like watching a circus show. people look down on them and it is obviously discrimination." this underscores how japanese media often plays up stereotypes (the non-fluent funny foreigner, the brute strength athlete, etc.) for laughs. however. more recent years have seen more candid discussions in media about racism. for example, japanese news programs covered the 2020 BLM marches in japan seriously, and films or other literature by afro-japanese creators, such as the memoirs of black residents, are slowly gaining more attention. overall, japanese pop culture is gradually, if slowly, moving from caricature to more authentic representation, pushed by both international pressure and a new generation that is more globally aware.

for black people living in or visiting japan, everyday life is generally safe but can be clouded by subtle discrimination and challenges. japan has no law explicitly prohibiting racial discrimination, so incidents of bias can go unchecked. a government survey in 2017 revealed that nearly one third of foreign residents had encountered derogatory remarks, and about 40% reported facing housing discrimination. black individuals often find themselves included in these statistics and often experience much greater suspicion than white foreigners. for instance, many black residents have stories of being repeatedly stopped by police for "random" ID checks or questioning, a practice linked to racial profiling. michael sharpe (a professor with the university of oxford) notes hearing of south asian and african immigrants being "stopped and harassed by police, denied housing, relegated to certain types of employment, and exploited" in japan. such profiling feeds a sense among black communities that they are being watched with particular scrutiny. a black american in tokyo reported that in his first week of living in a neighbourhood, he was stopped by police for riding a new bicycle, with the implication that a black person on a new bicycle may have stolen it.

housing and employment present other hurdles. its common for landlords and real estate agents in japan to flat-out reject foreign renters, with excuses such as language barriers or different lifestyles. black applicants, especially those from african or non-western countries, report this rejection at higher rates, sometimes hearing that neighbours or owners are "uncomfortable" renting to them. in the workplace, blatant racism is uncommon, but black professionals often face a ceiling or bias. many employers prefer hiring white westerners, perceiving them as more "suitable" english instructors or corporate representatives due to pervasive western-centric images, which can sideline black candidates. those who do work in japan might also endure ignorant comments from colleagues - for example, joking about skin colour or being compared to random black celebrities. a lack of diversity training means coworkers may not realize their "innocent" jokes are hurtful or disparaging.

social interactions can range from warmly welcoming to awkward. many japanese are genuinely curious and might ask personal questions with a racial charge behind them that the japanese fail to recognize. in more negative cases, black people may be avoided in public - a phenomenon illustrated by baye mcneil's anecdote of a man literally turning away and guarding his pockets when mcneil stood behind him in a train line. children often point or call out black people because they so rarely see black individuals, with such moments highlighting the feeling of otherness that black residents frequently experience. there have also been many incidents out outright rudeness: strangers touching black hair without permission, or making vulgar comments about the hygiene of black residents based on stereotyping.

its important to note that in the modern day, many black visitors travel in japan without incident, and many black expatriates build meaningful lives and friendships in japan. the discrimination tends to be subtle or indirect rather than open hostility. japans strong cultural emphasis on politeness often restrains open hate. however, this can be a double-edged sword. problems of racism may be denied or swept under the rug entirely. a common culture among the japanese is that "racism is an american problem, not a japanese one," which was a reaction seen when BLM rallies were held in tokyo. black residents in japan know differently - they live with daily reminders that their appearance sets them apart, for better or worse. in summary, daily life for black people in japan is usually from from violence or blatant abuse, but not free from the strain of being viewed as "alien" and having to navigate systemic biases in housing and policing that other groups might not face to the same degree.

several high-profile incidents in recent years have brought anti-black racism in japan into the spotlight and stirred public debate. one example is the case of ariana miyamoto in miss universe japan 2015. when miyamoto, born to a japanese mother and black father, won the miss universe japan title, it sparked nationwide conversation about what it means to be japanese. while many were proud of her win, a vocal sector on social media questioned whether a mixed-race contestant should represent japan. miyamoto, who was raised in japan, revealed she had faced bullying growing up - classmates threw trash at her and called her racial slurs due to her darker skin. the controversy around her victory - with comments such as "she doesnt look japanese" being prevalent - highlighted the exclusionary view some hold. her grace under fire and the support she received from others also became a teaching moment about multicultural japan.

another example is the case of tennis champion naomi osaka, who - as mentioned earlier - is hatian-japanese. while she is widely celebrated in japan, her rise came with many instances of racism. in 2019, japanese comedy duo a masso joked that osaka was "too sunburned" and that she "needed some bleach", implying her skin was too dark. they apologized after receiving harsh backlash. earlier that year, as mentioned earlier, nissin noodles released a cartoon ad where osaka's character was depicted with much lighter skin and hair than in reality. following criticism, nissin withdrew the ad and admitted they had not consulted osaka on her portrayal. osaka herself has handled these instances of racism with maturity, even joking in response to the bleach comment, and continues to proudly represent her mixed heritage.

anti-black racism in japan is a multifaceted issue, shaped by history, media representation, and japans self-image as a homogenous society. only in recent years has japanese society progressed towards a stance of anti-racism. i think whats genuinely fascinating about japans position is that we're seeing the disassembly of societal racism in real time in japan. massive civil rights strides that happened a hundred years ago in america are happening now in japan for the first time. we're seeing a new generation of japan that wants to directly oppose racism, and a generation of black japanese residents that are showing their strength and exceptionality. i really vividly remember the backlash against naomi osaka - and backlash on that massive of a scale can be terrifying. its inspiring on such a genuine level to see her demonstrating that level of strength and determination in the face of racism.

its genuinely unfortunate how the uploads happened to fall in regards to watari and black history month. however, if nothing else, im glad to have been given the opportunity to talk about black history in japan, and im glad to have been given the opportunity to witness the fight for the safety, acceptance, and love of black people in japan in real time. i know this was a bit of a long read but i had a lot i wanted to go over lmao.

as a final note, please dont be complacent. its really easy for people to reblog posts about black history and civil rights without really doing much of anything else. please always be the type of person who fights against anti-black racism. please use your voice correctly. you dont have to be anywhere near japan to have a say in how japanese racism is received by the greater world. the benefit of a global culture is that you can use your voice to affect things in other countries. when there are japanese comedians making horrible jokes about black people, and when there are japanese companies putting out ads that mock and erase black people, you have the ability to loudly raise your voice about it. so please always do so

idk how to end this but if you made it this far thank you for reading lmao. and thank you anon for giving me an opportunity to talk about this in more depth. i hope everyone has been able to have a reflective, meaningful, happy and genuinely loving black history month

[fairyminnie444]

You are the main character in your life. Take this seriously now. ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆

You are living this experience now as your name here, but that doesn’t mean you are limited to this fixed identity. What allows you to create your reality is your consciousness—your true self that is beyond this physical form.

All people are expressions of the same consciousness — you. This means that, in essence, you are already everyone, only now you are living from the perspective of your name here.

If you want to change your experience, you can choose to assume another version of yourself, because deep down all versions already exist. You are not “stuck” in this body, but this is the perspective you are living in right now. The key is to realize that your external reality is just a reflection of your consciousness, so changing internally is what transforms the external.

But here’s the thing: if you are all things, then you are also all the possibilities of your own life. This means that you can choose which version of your name here you want to live, because everything already exists within that same consciousness.

You are not “choosing to be someone else,” but rather deciding which version of yourself (millionaire, famous, confident, loved) you want to experience.

It’s like an actor in a movie. They are always the same actor, but they can play completely different characters. In the same way, you are the consciousness (the actor), and your name here is the character you have chosen now. But the script of the character changes when the actor decides.

So, what do you choose to be? Because whatever version you assume to be true is the one that the game will reflect.

clarifying frequent doubts

☀️ If we are all one then was I once a bad person?

Everyone is the same being experiencing different perspectives. This means that at some point, you have lived all the lives, including those of people you consider bad.

This doesn’t mean that you are bad or that you have to accept bad behavior. What it does mean is that from the perspective of total consciousness, it’s all part of the same experience. But the version of you that exists now is the one that matters. You choose who you are, what you accept, and how you want to live.

You are not stuck being anything you don’t want to be. You create your reality and decide which version of yourself you manifest in the world.

☀️ About change appearance:

You will always be your name here but you can be any version of your name here you want—with the look, life, and circumstances you want.

Your appearance is not limited. Just as you can change your reality, you can change your face, your body, your voice, everything. What defines your appearance is not a physical limit, but your assumption about yourself.

If you assume that your appearance is changeable and that you already have the face and body you want, then that is what will be reflected. Your body is a manifestation of your consciousness. And consciousness has no limits.

☀️ How and why do circumstances align with who I want to be?

Your complete acceptance that you are already who you want to be. When you truly know that you are this version of yourself, without needing proof or external validation, reality automatically adjusts to reflect that.

It adjusts because external reality is a mirror of your consciousness. When you embrace the version of yourself that you want to be without hesitation, your perceptions, thoughts, and reactions change. This influences your decisions, behaviors, and even how others see you, which creates a domino effect shaping the world around you to align with your new identity. It’s not something you “do,” but rather something that happens naturally because your reality has no choice but to reflect who you believe it is.

☀️ Do I notice this change?

It depends on how you focus. If you’re constantly checking 3D to see if it’s changed, it may seem like nothing is happening or that it’s taking forever. But if you just accept it and live as if it’s already real, one day you’ll realize that everything around you has effortlessly adjusted.

☀️ How can this change be made quickly?

Stop looking at 3D as something fixed and stop waiting. Simply assume that it is already done and live as that version now. The less resistance and doubt, the faster everything will fall into place.

☀️ How do I just accept that I have this power?

Stop questioning. You’re already using this power all the time—everything around you is now a reflection of what you’ve assumed to be true. Instead of looking for proof or trying to convince yourself, just decide that it’s real and act like it. The more natural this becomes, the more absolute your mastery will be.

☀️ With this clear power in our hands, why do we choose to suffer?

Because we have been conditioned to believe that we do not have that power. From an early age, we learn that reality is fixed, that we need to fight, deserve, wait. Most people don't even question this. But when you realize that the choice was always yours, that you always had control, suffering becomes optional. You just have to decide to stop feeding it.

POST INSPIRED BY - THE EGG on YouTube

[djarins-cyare]

Writer’s Tag Game: 5 Things You’ll Find In My Fics

Thanks for tagging me @burntheedges and @ace-turned-confused 💚💙 This was deceptively hard! I’ve settled on these 5…

Soft-dom Din I know I’m totally giving myself away, but the way that this man(dalorian) can be simultaneously so strong and fierce yet so polite and respectful… it’s the dream (well, mine, anyway) of Consent King absolutely railing you while praising you throughout and taking care of you afterwards. So it goes in all the fics.

Mature slow-burn relationship I’m a sucker for the pining, the yearning, the little touches and fleeting looks, the rush of adrenaline from crossing a line, the over-analysis of innocent gestures and comments… and the moment when it finally happens and you and your blorbo give in to the inevitable. By ‘mature’, I mean it burns slowly not because they’re idiots who don’t know how to recognise attraction (well, there’s a little of that), but because they have valid grown-up hurdles to overcome before they can let themselves be together. I find that sort of characterisation fascinating to explore.

An insane word count Yeah, I’m loquacious. Sue me.

(UK) Publishing house-level grammar I’d like to say this is because of my English degree and the fact I did semi-professional proofreading for a published author, but really it’s because I consider language and grammar an area of expertise, and I’d be mortified if I screwed something up. I think I would feel sick if I posted something I hadn’t proofread and edited the absolute fuck out of – like I’d posted nudes or something! And yeah, I’m British. Sorry.

Happy endings Not the smutty kind. Well actually, yes, those too, but mostly in that I can’t leave my characters suffering when I close the book/tab, so even if there’s angst, I have to resolve it. Fanfic is the place I seek the sort of conclusive positivity that doesn’t exist in real life, so I’ll always indulge in a happy (or at least hopeful) ending.

Some taggies, no presh (and sorry if you've already done this!) 💚💙:

@604to647 @almostfoxglove @amywritesthings @bitchesuntitled @cas-readsandwrites

@desert-fern @din-cognito @djarinmuse @everybodylovedcontractors @evolnoomym

@for-a-longlongtime @ishabull @javierpena-inatacvest @jennaispunk @joelalorian

@lady-bess @magpiepills @mermaidgirl30 @mysterious-moonstruck-musings @nerdieforpedro

@pedgito @quinnnfabrgay-writes @sawymredfox @sixhours @syd-djarin

@the-mandawhor1an @thundermartini @wannab-urs @whocaresstillthelouvre @yopossum

[naamahdarling]

Whoa, okay. Literally what the fuck.

If it isn't for you then that's totally fine, I support that completely, but...fuckin wow.

That is not what meds do to the people they actually help.

Meds aren't a cure-all. It is true that not everyone is helped, and nobody's obligated to try or keep trying meds, but the people who do try them and are helped are not fake versions of themselves. You wouldn't be, either, if you found something that worked. That's how you know it's working. That you become more yourself.

Like, I'm not sure you realize how deeply, nastily judgmental you sounded just then. That's uncalled-for.

Meds can be the thing that restores person's dignity and humanity, allows them to feed themselves, make art, laugh...I couldn't enjoy music without them. I felt nothing.

There is nothing magical or more human or more worthy or more genuine about being in an unmedicated state. That's deeply ableist thinking. I'm not "created" by my meds. I do that myself, agonizingly, with the meds as a tool, and it's very hard. So show some respect.

Someday, if you don't/have not already, you will require significant medical intervention to survive, and I hope you're able to be kind to yourself on that day instead of questioning your own humanity and validity.

Jesus.

90s movies: Psychopharmacology is as good as a lobotomy. If you take pills to treat your mental illness it will literally murder your imaginary friends and you will become a boring, lotus-eating conformist drone.

Me after taking my meds: drives the scenic route home to see if there are any geese on the pond and does a little dance in line at the grocery store and comes home to throw everything​ in my fridge into a stew pot because I can finally taste food again while singing songs at my birds in which I replace all the instances of "she" with "Cheese" and doing a Dolly Parton impression on the phone to my sister

[iamnmbr3]

This isn’t meant as an accusation but after seeing some of your posts I have to ask, are you pro-Israel and if so, why?

Oooh. Definitely a totally in-good-faith ask that isn't at all a (poor) attempt at a gotcha and didn't come in response to me posting about antisemitism. Anon, I don't really know what you mean by being pro-Israel. I've actually been pretty up-front on this blog about my views of issues pertaining to Israel, the situation in Gaza, Palestine, the West Bank, and antisemitism - which are, actually, separate things shockingly, despite what a lot of uneducated people who insert themselves into nuanced discussions seem to believe.

If you check my Israel, Gaza, Palestine, and antisemitism tags I think it's not hard to get an idea of my views. I think antisemitism is bad and should be condemned and that some people try to be antisemitic and then claim they are just being pro-Palestine despite not actually knowing or caring about Palestine at all. I think Netanyahu is a despicable, corrupt wannabe dictator and he and the Israeli Far Right promote terrible, inhumane, and illegal policies that are a danger to the whole region and that will cause more suffering for Palestinian people and for Israelis too and that Netanyahu needs to be removed from power and pay for his crimes (which probably would have happened already if not for the October 7 attack). I think anyone who didn't do everything to get Harris elected despite Trump's obvious embrace of Netanyahu and the Israeli Far Right in contrast to Harris and Biden's very public efforts to work for a ceasefire (which they achieved!) has blood on their hands and is directly responsible for what is happening now under Trump and is an ideological fraud who needs to be held accountable for their actions and the consequences.

I think Hamas is a deplorable and violent terrorist organization and that anyone who actually cares about Gaza would be condemning it since shortly after Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 (a withdrawal that remained in effect till AFTER the October 7 attack) Hamas seized power there and has been brutally oppressing, terrorizing, and murdering Palestinian people in Gaza ever since. I think the terrorist attack in Israel on October 7 was appalling and also unjustified and I don't think rape or torture or murdering babies are ever justified or a form of "resistance." I think Jews are indigenous to Israel as demonstrated by historical and archeological records. I do not support genocide which is what the destruction of an entire country would be and thus think Israel has a right to exist and that anyone who says otherwise is a deplorable bigot. I think harassing random Jews in other countries is just antisemitism and is in no way a valid way to criticize Israel's policies.

I support a two state solution as the only viable long-term path for regional peace and stability. I think many people in the West who claim to care about Palestine couldn't actually tell you the difference between Gaza, the West Bank, Palestine, the PLO and Hamas and thus should stop trying to center themselves and should shut up and stop getting in the way of actual activists' work.

I have been very clear about all of this. And yet often when I post about antisemitism I get "well meaning" asks like this wondering if I "support Israel" and why I would do such a thing.

I've been clear about my views on Israel (which is an entirely different issue than antisemitism) so what these asks REALLY seem to be about is trying to shame me for speaking out about antisemitism and for decrying the narrative used by some antisemites that their antisemitism is really just pro-Palestinian activism, when in reality, it is anything but and they don't see Palestinian people as anything other than a convenient shield for them to use when attacking Jews which is despicable and racist. Palestinian people are human beings who deserve rights, freedom and dignity, not to be used as a tool to help bigots avoid accountability.

[acourtofthought]

Hey, just popping in with some thoughts! Based on your post last.

So, I totally get the frustration with the whole Elain/Lucien situation, but I feel like the argument that "because Elain said so" isn’t a valid reason kinda misses the point? Like… that’s actually a very important reason! Just because something is a major trope (angsty rejected mates, slow burn suffering, etc.) doesn’t mean SJM has to explore it every single time. Maybe the whole point is that Elain gets to choose, even when the universe tries to shove her into a predetermined path. 👏 Girl. Has. Agency. 👏

And honestly? Not every story needs a full-blown love triangle or 500 pages of emotional turmoil. Maybe SJM just doesn’t think an Elain/Lucien romance serves the larger narrative. We already know mating bonds don’t have to be romantic, so maybe Elain’s arc isn’t about tragic rejection but about defining love on her own terms. Revolutionary, I know.

Also, why do we assume Lucien has to be central to Elain’s story? His whole journey with Vassa/Jurian and his identity crisis (Beron’s kid? Helion’s kid? Future High Lord???) is a lot, and maybe that’s his story, not one tied to Elain’s decisions. If SJM is holding off on Lucien/Elain, it could be intentional because she’s setting him up for something else.

All that said, if Maas completely ignores the bond without any meaningful resolution, then yeah, wasted potential. But maybe, just maybe, the point is that fate isn’t the final word on love. 💖

Curious to hear your thoughts! 🫶

This feels a bit like a copy and past messages because none of my recent posts dealt with what your referring to. It also seem you've either accidentally stumbled upon the wrong page since I'm clearly Pro Elucien or you're baiting, which I hope not.

However, the tone of the message was friendly enough so I'll definitely respond and tell you all about how I disagree.

I'm going to tackle one of your later points, "why do we assume Lucien has to be central to Elain's story."

Because Sarah has literally laid out Lucien's future journey for us while simultaneously laying out Elain's future journey while simultaneously laying out Az and Gwyn's future journey's and the journey's only line up when we're considering certain pairings. Elain was not part of the crossover in anyway, shape or form. She has never once been connected to time travel, been mentioned as being interested in time travel, had nothing to do with learning the history of Prythian. But Az was written to be interested in those things, was written to find out about the Asteri from other planets, was written as staring after the orb Bryce showed them even after it disappeared (just like Lucien was written as staring across the continent as if setting his sights on Koschei), and was written as learning about the history of their world when he was with Bryce. The only one of his possible love interests that was written as having done research on the past and time travel is.....(drum roll please), Gwyn! Not to mention Gwyn is a Valkyrie and SF told us Cassian and Az planned on continuing their training whereas Az never onced offered to help Elain train her powers.

As far as Lucien, he is now PERMANENTLY stationed in Spring. He is friends with Vassa who is soon to be called back to Koschei, he met Elain's father and with the retcon in SF of when he met up with him should now be aware of what bargain her father made. He's also the only male who can tell Elain what the last days of being around her father were like. In ACOWAR, Elain was given visions of Vassa and Koschei, in SF, she was written as being made for Spring, as having her scent linger like a promise of Spring, she was written to look like she had the life sucked out of her in NC black, was constantly sitting at the sunniest windows and said herself that what she needed was sunshine, while Sarah wrote her losing the color her face had gained once winter set into the NC. (Spring and Day don't seem to have winter!). Also, Elain and Lucien are mates and no matter what you think will happen the text specifically tells us the bond will ALWAYS TRAIL ELAIN FOR THE REST OF HER EXISTENCE. That's a long time. No matter what, Lucien will always hold some part of her and she him.

The question is not why Lucien has to be central to Elain's story, it's how could anyone not realize he is going to be Elain's story forever, no matter what her decision is.

As far as your whole choice argument, this is an author who loves fated mates, who feels that from the very first moment she laid eyes on her husband she knew he was the one. Was that a choice or something that felt like destiny? And Sarah has written Elain and Lucien, from the moment they laid eyes on one another, as knowing that they were mates. Now this is a book so of course it has to be a roller coaster before the HEA but I have no idea why you'd think an author would prefer to write about mates rejecting one another, knowing they'll always feel a draw to one another (even though the authors has written them as being absolutely perfect and extremely compatible for one another and you're lying if you pretend otherwise) all to say "but choice is so much more important than fate or destiny even if that choice says he hasn't thought of you beyond his sexual fantasies and didn't give you credit for the king and doesn't think you could handle the trove but thinks your sister can). If choice was more important than destiny than Frodo would have never destroyed the ring because he definitely would have preferred being back in his hobbit hole many times on his journey.

Elain has had nothing but choice when it comes to whether she decides to be with Lucien because he hasn't forced a single thing on her.

This particular author literally told us Elain chose Lucien. How she thought he'd always be with Nesta until she realized that they'd worsen one anothers wounds but then Elain took BOTH Sarah and Lucien by surprise. Elain's character spoke to Sarah, she literally told the author what her story would be then Sarah just went and added the drama.

It seems you believe Elain doesn't have some sort of say in who she ends up with and it'll be more powerful to break free of that so she can "pick who she wants" when she's clearly been free to do whatever the hell she wants over the last two years. She literally begged Graysen to still love her. But not once in those two years has she chosen to reject the guy who you are so convinced she doesn't want and yes, though Elain does not owe Lucien her body or time, she does owe him a formal rejection because they are linked and you and I and everyone in this fandom knows that. Author's don't have characters like Elain leave characters like Lucien in a weird limbo two years without having a real conversation with him if she's always known the plan is for Elain to reject him without ever interacting so you can bet your ass Elain's book is going to have a whole lotta Lucien.

And you're right, not every story needs pages upon pages of a love triangle and that's why Sarah wrote Elain returning Az's necklace then never again looking his way in the 4/ 5 months after Solstice. E/riels setup is over and Sarah can now focus on the true romantic arc of Elain's character which has always been Lucien and their bond. Az will be ok though because he's already got admiration and amusement going on for another girl.

[allylikethecat]

Get excited! I actually finished another oneshot for tomorrow...

[marzipanilla]

Partying on the could have beens and quietly sobbing into a red solo cup while staring into a corner waiting for the AUs to kick in...

Jasper: I am a TOOL-

Steven: Yeah you are : )

J: .. I am meant to be wielded in battle...

Connie just having to be like, Steven are you aware that ... ? Yeah, yeah I am. Ignore her, lets go on a walk show me your campus.

Yeah idk what Debbie and Aunt May would do but the vibes would be immaculate. dude. Peter getting hired as Mark's science tutor : ) Peter and Mark having one relationship, Invincible and Spidey having another, them slowly realizing who the other is (lbr Peter would figure it out idk if Mark would lol) Peter just hearing about Nolan but never meeting him bc he's always busy until one day Debbie invites him and Aunt May to dinner and Nolan is there and Peter is just internally screaming the whole time as his spidey senses go off. Debbie hearing that Peter is into photography and mentioning her husband got into it recently lol

Now I'm thinking about Art, JJ and Nolan on a fishing trip and it being just the most fucked up time ever for everyone xD Like not even supervillain attack type shit, just genuine mundane awful awkwardness and weird vibes off everyone. JJ instantly clocking Art is somehow involved w criminal elements/suspicious how a tailor in a strip mall is so financially secure... Nolan thinking everyone being hostile is Just Totally Normal behavior. Art being a bit of a shit to JJ, maybe he likes Spidey, appreciates someone who put so much detail and complexity into their costume, wishes he could chat w them etc..

The world conquering stops for one petty ass vendetta xD God what would the inciting incident between Omni-Man and Spider-man even be...

S1 had so many revisions and additions and changes and it made the narrative more solid but kept all the important beats!! they could have done that for S3!! stop just following the comic I effing beg show. What happened to your willingness to move things around??? Give plot points to other characters so they would have stuff to do ??

Bruh. Debbie confronting Powerplex and that being how she publicly reveals who her family is, YES then it being a very valid fucking concern for everybody because now The Public knows! (tho I will never not give the narrative shit for trying to say it is a ~dramatic thing she told Paul when only three ppl in the entire world apparently have civilian identities and literally anyone who actually wants to kill Mark already knows who he is and where he lives.. like.. there is 0 drama there bc it is so irrelevant. Mark didn't even think it was fucking weird that space aliens knew his name, but you're going to give your mom shit for saying something that you revealed on your own five seconds after the fact while walking through the door in your damn uniform? get your fucking priorities in order..)

And then it's not villains who come after them! It's heroes and wounded ppl like Powerplex who just want suffering when there is no justice! And then it's the villains who just want to appease Omni-Man who are keeping them safe. Eat your heart out on that moral clusterfuck Mark. Cecil losing his mind as this all out brawl erupts.

Oliver just being like, ah so there is no morality just who keeps whoever I care about safe! And Mark being like what?? no!! and Debbie being like, at the end of the day, yeah : /

I'm working it into something bc I realized another thing about Oliver's speech about his ~wonderful father that annoyed me- and it's that Nolan has never apologized. And I want so badly for someone to bring that point up, so it's getting integrated into a larger story. 'Cause yeah you can dream about a world of forgiveness kid, but that man has literally not done anything to combat the horrors. you cannot give him credit for something he has not done. still bitter he magically deleted two months of total city wide destruction and loss of life and devastation from his memory. Even if he waved it all away as the other viltrumites fault, fucking acknowledge that happening!!!

The Oliver thing is so weird bc I feel like the show is playing him as much more childish and human than they ever bothered w in the comic, while still trying to hold on to the very alien ideology he expressed in the comic (tho that fell so flat and was so flimsy for me I will never like the little shit heel lol) and its just like ?? I feel like the show is just trying to be 'look how cute he is! you shouldnt hate him cause hes cute!' and im just over here like you had a thousand ways to make him a layered character and ignored all of them. If you wont put the effort in I will continue to see 'plot device' in a trenchcoat insisting that its a fully fledged character please let them in to the deeper narrative and I'm just like, scram until you can justify your existence through character motivation.

I used to be totally fine with the Debbie dating narrative bc it kinda got to show her moving on (I do not believe Paul had nearly this much interaction w everyone in the comic, but Debbie is also barely in the comic so...) and I was worried if they didn't show her at least making the attempt they would fall into a 'she's just waiting for Nolan to return' narrative which also would have been awful. But now I'm just like why must I suffer this. what is happening. I think there is no way out and the writers would have done something stupid with her no matter what. Cause her just being happily single and doing other shit w her life would have been great! But seeing how couple obsessed the narrative is you know some motherfucker would have been like 'ah but isn't there a man shaped hole in your life?? clearly you are incomplete'. and that would piss me off more than her stupid relationship w Paul.

Let her be a bit of a dick to Oliver. let her get more aggressively competitive at work and piss off her coworkers. let her have fucked up villain friends. let her still struggle w drinking. I honestly wanted her to get in a drunk driving incident in S2 where someone died that way all the Graysons could have killed people under various circumstances lol Let her life be messy and motivated by her choices !! she can be an important voice of reason and pillar of morality and belief and still fuck up !! as bitter as I think she could get I do think she is an intensely change is possible oriented person (again I think she got into some stupid human level nonsense when she was younger and that motivates her belief in reform) I just want to see her living her life and not being an accessory to someone else's !!

While I'm not too familiar with the DCU- your batfam meta posts are intiguing- so in transfering some of the broader strokes from them- I think you tackling a 'Mark isn't Nolan's biological son' fic would be fascinating. Sort of a step to the side of the 'what if Mark never got his powers' fic that sometimes pop up in the fandom

OOOOOO chewing on this currently, hm, the much a distinct flavor of exactly what you’re talking about, but the potential for more family drama depending on WHO knows. Does Mark know?? Is he waiting every day only to be crushed? Does he confused non-Debbie features with Nolan’s? I suppose I’m not the most enthusiastic about non-power AUs, but I think there’s something very fun to explore about Mark having to settle with, if he knows all his life, he will never have powers? I think the trajectory of his dreams will obviously shift, I can see him still having that distinct fatherly idolization, but perhaps embraces being useful to the GDA? Cecil’s number one intern—only intern—curtesy of nepotism, ha! There is something tickling me about Mark taking the Robin Route/Role for the Teen Team in terms of having no powers, just insane skills, BUT there’s something way more delicious about intern Mark when s1e01 happens and Mark tries snooping around to find out the truth about what happened to his Dad.

I wonder if, with Mark having a whole another father, if they’re more or less distant relationship, depending on WHEN Nolan entered Mark’s life? Like if Debbie met Nolan later for this, or just for fun, they dated once, separated (Mark being born during then), then they happened to stumble into each others lives again and Mark’s already been born, anywhere from tween to teenager so there’s a gap in how close they are. I feel like one important aspect of the whole Family Drama is how close they’re supposed to be, a functional, loving family turned upside down? So I wonder what more distance does. I wonder how Nolan copes when his family is entirely human and he can’t project onto Mark.

I love thinking about these, omg.

[frownyalfred]

Things you might not realize are affecting your ao3 readership:

Putting unrelated fics into one compilation instead of series or collections

Not tagging your fics/“haha I’m so bad at tagging!”

Tagging all of the ships in a fandom instead of the relevant ones to the story

“This is my first fic ever”/ “I’m really not a good writer” / “sorry if this is crap”

Summaries that say “sorry don’t think I will update much” or “might be abandoned idk”

Tagging “r@pe” or “unaliving” etc instead of the actual tag so people can filter/exclude

NOT tagging major, relevant tags or kinks without using the “creator chose not to use archive warnings” option

Telling people how bad your writing is and how you hate it so much and how they shouldn’t even be reading your fic (self deprecation)

Weird punctuation: not starting new quotes or descriptions on a new line, and/or putting extremely long blocks of text on the page without a break

[g0nta-g0kuhara]

I think I've gotten to the point where I'm just gonna not interact with or even block blogs that post v/3 fan art while aggressively and needlessly harping on it in the caption

[oliverstarkfame]

private: i didn't mean to do that, i just can't help it. you talk about your boys and i for whatever reason see a little stark-kloss running around. which i know is crazy because we've only been dating for a month but it's been the best month and i just i don't know i don't want to scare you away or anything like that. and i totally understand you feeling that way because of the divorce, it's a valid reason to feel that way and i understand it and i would never ever want to make you feel pressured at all, or like it's going to fast. you know i've never even thought of having kids before you came in my life, which again could possibly be a little scary to hear your boyfriend of one month say to you and i'm sorry, i can't seem to keep things to myself tonight at all...

oh no no!! please don't apologize! it just caught me a little off guard there. it's fine! i'm beyond happy that you see that kind of future with us. i know that Levi was beyond excited when he found out he was going to be a big brother. i just hadn't really thought about it much, especially since the whole divorce thing. i know i bring a lot of things back to that but it does have a lot to do with a lot of why i am the way i am and feel the way i do about a lot of things.

[okitanoniisan]

no one can reach my level of petty hating about the stupid english title

[thesoulsofthedarned]

So I finished the Rimet Cup Event

It was really good! I enjoyed the event story a lot, mostly because of the characters and how they moved the plot along. Nothing felt boring or dragged out longer than it should, plus the character interactions were funny and wholesome.

Melania was a queen, I thought she was cool at first but seeing her in action was amazing. I also liked her dynamic with Ms. Acey, and her plan to steal the Rimet Cup was interesting to watch unfold. Pickles was cool too, though what really got me invested was his relationship with Charlton. Regulus and Mr. APPle’s side plot was funny, I’m glad I got to see more of them.

The character who really stole the show for me was Diggers. I already liked him because prior to this event I thought he was a typical chill hippie dude that was just a little in over his head. Then I found out that apparently people hated this guy because it turned out he was lowkey a terrorist??? Bro was stealing documents, disrupting the peace, drugged a whole BLOCK of people to throw an improvised block party, and apparently in a scene I haven’t seen yet, kidnapped Pickles because he got more attention than him?!

I thought my opinion on him would shift watching these events unfold but no, I love him all the same. He’s just this chaotic, silly lil dude who wants to spread peace (by doing it in the worst way possible)! This man was honestly hilarious, and the fact that he may or may not have joined the Manus Vindictae in 1.4 is just insane to me. Bro really thought the best way to spread peace and love was to join a literal terrorist cult, that’s actually hilarious.

TL;DR: event rerun was great, Diggers was the best character, I love him 🥰

[mrs-theirin]

i'm thinking about it so you're gonna have to deal with it but like twc's narrative push to have a good relationship with rebecca is just not what should be present in an interactive fiction. if you are giving the player a choice you should not have the book itself trying to convince you that your choice is wrong, otherwise what is the point of choosing.

for example, mind blind does a much better job of a CHARACTER trying to sway you rather than the AUTHOR. nick is sad you have a poor relationship with your parent(s) because they're his parent(s) too and he wants a happy family. he understands your anger and fear and while he tries to convince you to forgive, he absolutely accepts if you say no, because he's your loving brother and doesn't want to push it, but wants what's best for you

twc's entire series (idk about book 3, i haven't played) is trying to convince you to forgive rebecca. not just with characters, but with the narrative itself. the book is constantly frowning at you for choosing a negative route with rebecca. meanwhile, again, with mind blind, nick, john, and hope all WANT you to have a good relationship with them, but there's no narrative push to forgive john or hope or both

i just think in a game literally all about choices, there shouldn't be outside pressure to make a specific choice

[solisitude]

I totally understand where you're coming from and I don't completely disagree with you, however, I would like to know if you have any siblings of your own? Specifically, do you have any siblings that you do not agree with morally or politically.

The thing about siblings relationships is that they're incredibly nuanced and complicated and it's extremely hard to find the line between complete hatred because of morality and residual familial love. You can hate your sibling for their moral choices and their political ideologies whilst still loving them because they're your sibling.

Whether or not the hatred of their siblings was valid or not, its hard to seperate the feeling of abandonment from someone who is supposed to love you through everything. So yes whilst Lily becomes estranged from her sister, she doesn't abandon her, its petunia who chooses to hate lily and who drives her away and in a way, abandons her instead.

In the same way, whilst Sirius HAD to leave because he detested his family and everything they stood for, he in the same way abandons Regulus because of the choices Regulus made.

Despite probably understanding why Sirius abandoned him, it's very, very possible that Lily would have felt the sting of being abandoned by an older sibling anyway and she likely would have argued with him because of it by stating that he should have put more effort into helping Regulus see the light because he was a child who was in way over his head.

The reason has very little to do with it, the feeling is there all the same.

everyone assuming that lily and sirius would bond over their sibling trauma when sirius is literally an older sibling who hated and ignored his younger sibling. yk. like petunia did.