#its truly outrageous if i say so myself

[cloudlesbian]

Been burning a bunch of CDs, heres a pic of most I've done so far

[karenandhenwilson]

Let's talk about the 21st century and queer rights

Sometimes I see a post and wonder what kind of world people live in, how ignorant and hateful they are of the community they claim to be part of, and even the most recent history of that community.

I saw this post with this line in it: "Its the 21th century, are we still suppose to justify people who lie at their partners in order to protect their reputation?" And I'm not reblogging because I don't want to have it on my blog.

So, let's talk about the 21st century and queer rights in the US, shall we, @queershits?

Did you know that same-sex marriage in the US as a whole has only been legal since the Supreme Court decision on Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015? Prior to that, the first state to grant same-sex marriage was Massachusetts in 2004, while the first civil unions for gay and lesbian couples became legal in 2000. But at the same time, 28 states had banned same-sex marriage and the recognition of those marriages from other jurisdictions until 2015. In fact, the federal government had been banned from recognizing same-sex marriages by the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, which had been voided by the Supreme Court decision in 2015 but has only been fully repealed by the Respect of Marriage Act in 2022. That's all the 21st century. And very recent 21st century!

When Hen and Karen adopted Denny in 2011, they weren't married. Because at that point in time, they weren't allowed to in California.

Did you know that until the Supreme Court ruling on Lawrence v. Texas on June 26, 2003, same-sex sexual activity was illegal in 14 US states? And that even with that ruling 12 of these states have not changed their state's constitution, so that these laws aren't executable but still on the book and regularly used to harass queer people? (And didn't the current Supreme Court just say after overthrowing Roe v. Wade they'd like to take a good long look at Lawrence v. Texas, too? People might lose their rights again in those 12 states if the worst comes to pass here.) That's all the 21st century.

Did you know that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" came into effect in 1994, allowing gay and bi people to serve in the US military as long as no one found out about their sexual orientation? If they were found out, they could face dishonorable discharges or even prison time. Either would be a permanent burden on their records for the rest of their lives. DADT was repelled in 2011 after a long and hard debate. That's well into the 21st century.

Karen explicitely states that DADT is part of the reason she didn't become an astronaut. (Though, NASA was never truly subjected to the rule as it is not a military organisation. But on the other hand, many of the astronatus are active or former military.)

Tommy was at the 118 in 2005. We know he was in the Army prior to joining the LAFD. That means Tommy served under the rule of DADT, which would have been an immense burden on him.

Do you know that there is a defense called "LGBTQ+ panic" often used in combination with a defense of insanity, provocation, or self-defense? This defense tactic is only banned in 21 US states, and most of those bans are very recent. In 2018, only three states had banned this defense. In 29 US states people are allowed to say "this person is gay/trans/queer/etc and I felt threated by that fact alone so I saw myself with no other choice but to hurt them" in a court of a law and the jury has to consider that argument. That's the 21st century.

Let's take a look at the kind of world Josh, Michael, and Tommy would have been children and teenagers in. That's not quite the 21st century, but it's near enough.

Tha aids epemedic started in the 1980s, and is — for the record! — still ongoing. But in the 1980s it was very much deemed a problem of the gay community only. And many, many people claimed outrageous things like "they're getting what they deserve". Josh and Tommy are both 80s children, Michael was a teenager in the 80s. We know Tommy grew up with a bigoted and hateful man like Gerrard as a father. He probably heard the above quote and worse regularly.

Have you ever heard the name Mathew Shepard, @queershits? (If not, go and educate yourself!) Mathew Shepard was a young gay man tortured and murdered in October 1998. Josh and Tommy would have been teenagers or maybe young adults (as we don't know the exact age of either of them) when that happened. It was all over the news and there were, again, people not shying away from saying he got what he deserved. I've no doubt Tommy's father (and Gerrard) was one of those people.

That's the world Josh, Michael, and Tommy grew up in as gay men that Josh talked about. They didn't hide to protect their reputation, as it was put in the quote above. They hid to protect their life and well-being. Finding the confidence and security to let go of that kind of learned behavior to protect yourself is so hard. But all three did it!

There are still people today who have to hide like this in the US. Because they're born into the wrong family or the wrong neighborhood or the wrong religious community where being queer is still seen as a ground to hate them, to exclude them, to hurt them, to kill them.

The number of hate crimes is rising again. The hard-won rights and freedom of queer people are threatened again. It's the 21st century, but that doesn't mean we are always safe or that we don't sometimes have to do shady things to protect ourselves or that we can lean back and enjoy the rights we have. Because many of us all over the world either don't have any rights or are facing the very real danger of losing the rights again that those who came before us fought so hard for.

[bl00dlight]

A Song of Shadow & Flame

CANON Dark! Aemond Targaryen x OC niece Targaryen. | SERIES

All NSFW warnings apply in future chapters.

Word Count ~ 3.5k+

Index

i ● ii ● iii ● iv ● v ● vi ● vii ● viii ●ix ● x ● xi ● xii ● xiii ● xiv ● xv

vii ~ 'Lord of the Tides'

129 AC

VISENYA - DRAGONSTONE

The sky above was grey, as it always was upon Dragonstone. The air thick and cloying, the inescapable stench of salt, smoke and brimstone filled the lungs of all who dared cross upon its stormy threshold. It was always warm here, clammy - even when it rained.

I oft found solace, riding high over the plains of ashen volcanic rock. The sulphuric steam stinging my skin as I let my dragon take me high upon Dragonmount. There I let myself venture upon its edges, discarding my boots and feeling the jagged stone beneath my feet. I enjoy feeling how it cuts and presses into my skin, sometimes I leave bloodied and limping. Though it feels good, feels righteous to have my blood dried upon its rocks, ritualistic. Just as I claimed Silverwing, I shall claim this island as my own one day.

I watch as Silverwing scurries into the large cavern etched into the side of the mountain. She oft goes there, for that is why Vermithor can be found lazing. It is a strange sight, seeing two beasts which strike such fear into the hearts of men, so affectionate with each other. I too have found comfort in their embrace, often falling asleep aside the two beasts as a child, usually as they coiled. My father, Daemon would be the one to find me, to scoop me in his arms and return me to Dragonstone.

Vermithor had taken a liking to me, he was an aloof beast - distant. Yet it was my bond with Silverwing which softened his gaze upon me, allowing me to sit by them both under the torch light, reading. Silverwing had always been the most gentle of the elder dragons, tentative to my thoughts and whims. I needn't say many commands, for she already knows my desires. Many found it odd I had claimed her over Vermithor, thinking his temperament was more aligned with my own. In some ways, I wish I had. There was something terribly revealing about claiming such a docile dragon. Something vulnerable, as though it revealed my own heart to others without any need for confession.

This was my home, not King's Landing - city of piss and rotting teeth. Dragonstone was a place of magic; I can feel it simmering in the air and ground. Sense it when I place my palm on the rocks. That low humming of the hearth of Valyria, of the Targaryen's. Many find it to be a grim place, akin with Harrenhal - though mystified with blood magic instead of a curse.

But it is that which drives me to it, my heart doesn't fear it's darkness nor its danger. For I know within it, for those truly of the blood of the dragon - its darkness is merely there so that our fire may burn brightly. A cocoon of warmth. It is not like the emptied and sullen corpse of Harrenhal, no, Dragonstone is full - it is alive. So, it came as no shock to my mother that I had forfeited my claim to the throne, opting to rule Dragonstone instead and allow my brother, Jacaerys to be her heir.

The realm deserves a King of a kind and just nature; that is not me. My temper burns too hot, and I have no desire to be pulled as a puppet on a string. I have no taste for politics, nor can bear the burden of pleasing the faith. In that regard, I am much like my father, and he was not meant for the throne either.

Daemon, of course was outraged by this notion and doubled down, claiming my willingness to give up the throne proved I was fair enough to sit upon it. But I know that is not true, for if it were - my mother would have refused me. At first, of course she protested but came to see that my heart lies here, not in court. And I shall continue our line, where our House belongs and I shall raise my brothers Viserys, Aegon iii and any child I might have here - amidst the ash and warmth.

My mother has been generous in her patience of me, and my father overjoyed with the notion that I have not wed yet. They are letting me decide who is worthy, and I still have made no choice. Marriage is to be political yes, but I cannot bare marrying and laying with a man I feel little for. I wish to have what my mother and father have, but there is an unlikely chance it seems.

The most promising match's hail from House Stark and Blackwood. Though neither of which please me greatly. In truth, I had wished to marry as mother did, to a Targaryen, to have an ancestral wedding too. Though it seems the God's did not write such a thing within my fate. So, in turn, I wait. I wait to see just where this path of what has felt like endless girlhood shall end. I am but eight and ten, still no marriage or children to speak - some have suggested that I shall take after my great Aunt Saera Targaryen. In truth such a life sounds rather pleasing; fucking lovers then taking off to Lys, pretending to be a maiden to exploit patrons of pleasure houses. Only difference being I would not have to pretend at first.

As I made my way across the stones, I noted the sky dimming slowly, twas time I return home. Even for a Targaryen, nights on Dragonmount can be treacherous. It was no surprise to me that upon my return, more news of dramatics at King's Landing filled my ears. Luke's legitimacy was being called into question as heir to Driftmark by Vaemond Velaryon, on account of Lord Corlys' sudden illness. Of course, we were to be dragged to the capital for his trial. Despite the matter being settled already, it seemed those sniveling Hightower’s were to reconsider claims that had already been declared by King Viserys, though it was no surprise either to hear how my grandsire had deteriorated in years passing. A part of me longed to visit from time to time, though I knew why mother had to leave. Why it was impossible to stay amongst those dens of vipers.

I sat in Lucerys room, my hand entwined with his as he sat upon his bed. The both of us watching as Jace paced back and forth, ranting and muttering.

"Tis an outrage... how can Grandsire let this stand!" Jace paused and turned to us, his face curdled.

"I... do not know." I say softly, contemplating his words.

Jace's face hardens, he scoffs and turns to where Lucerys and I both sit. His finger pointed directly at me," We should not have spent such time away from King's Landing. Mother ought to have trusted us to face them!"

"She has been rather busy brother, rearing us. Tis not her job to entertain the Hightower’s wicked lies and let us spend our lives defending ourselves against them." I can only shake my head at my younger brother's fierce words. For I know he is brave and true, at times Jace can be too stern for his own good.

Jace purses his lips and turns to look upon the view of the bay. I can tell he has no argument against me, so I smile softly and turn my attention to my other brother, who nestles himself upon my shoulder.

"They aren’t lies though... are they?  Even the Velaryon’s think it so. " The silence is broken as Luke's soft voice fills his chamber. His head rising from my shoulder as Jace turns once more.

“Ser Vaemond does not speak for the Sea Snake, brother…” I said, gently brushing his dark hair from his eye.

“But he speaks the opinion many seem to share.” Luke mutters lowly.

 I turn my head to Jace, and both our gazes interlock as we struggle to confirm what our younger brother already knows. The silence continues, and then, Jace steps forward, his tone proud and measured.

"It matters not what they say. The only relevant truth is the fact we are Targaryen's and that Grandsire, and the Sea Snake supports yours and all our claims." Jace beckons, giving Luke a small smile. We both exchange another look before I watch as Jace turns, making his way towards the window once more.

In the corner of my eye, I can see how Luke’s face curdles with discomfort, I turn my head and give him a gentle nod, “You worry too much. All will be well in time.”

“There is much to worry about. I… I do not feel I am right to rule Driftmark, mayhap they are right to challenge me. I know nothing of commanding a fleet.” His dark eyes lower themselves to the ground, Lucerys frowns softly and I can’t help but pull his chin up so that he might look into my eyes once more.

“What do any of us know of our future duties, brother? What does Jace know about protecting the realm, or I about ruling Dragonstone? That is for us to uncover in time. Fuck the treacherous webs our enemies spin, they have their own wants… desires that tempt them. We need not listen, for once we sit upon our thrones their voices shall be too quiet to even hear.” As I let go of his chin, I found the excitement in my tone again. Lucerys face shifts to chuckle quietly and I do the same, he nods giving me a soft glare before rising to his feet to speak with Jace.

I take a moment to gaze upon my two brothers, to see them now growing into men… when it felt like only a moment ago they were mere boys before me. To see how their temperaments became more distinct by the day, gave me a sense of relief for our futures. They were good and brave, it seemed such were rare traits in times such as these. Their dark hair gleamed bronze in the sunlight for a moment, and I was filled with a warmth, a love that I couldn’t quite explain. Though yes, they were my mother’s sons – at times it felt like they were just as much my baby’s as they were hers. How I had held each one upon their birth and ran my fingers across their fat cheeks when they were babes. How, now as they grew into men it was the hard bone of their jaws my fingers would feel beneath them. Such sentiments made my stomach coil with a grief for our youth, for the innocence I felt was being chipped away at by the day. Yet now, seeing them before me, they still appear as the small boys I once held so close, and I knew it would not be very long until I had to let them go.  

●

The trip to King’s Landing was but a short one on dragonback and the Princess Visenya indeed watched her earthly surroundings go from smoky wonders of Dragonstone to the dust filled haze of the capital. She practically felt her stomach reel from the mere thought of the familiar stench, and after leaving Silverwing in the Dragonpits it came as a surprise to all her family that upon their arrival to the Red Keep, none from their own House were there to greet them. Only Lord Caswell appeared before Princess Rhaenyra, approaching her with an understanding gaze. Of course, Alicent and her peculiar spawn would not show the decency of kin, for they weren’t. Not truly. Perhaps by blood, but it seemed that made matters worse given the context of the Blacks return. Still, Visenya thought, it had been six years since last they saw the rest of their family. Six years since the night on Driftmark which led to an even greater rift… six years since he had lost his-

“Sister!” Jacaerys snapped his finger before her face, snickering at the dazed Princess.

Visenya looked up from her entranced gaze, realising she had been staring at the ground below, she looked around to see the bustling of carriages and servants around her. The Princess shifted to her two half-brothers, Jace and Luke standing before her. The glimmer of Rhaenyra and Daemon’s silver hair disappearing into the darkness as they made their way into the keep.

“Mother and Daemon are to have an audience with Alicent, and it seems none of the Hightower’s have made time in their day to greet us. We are on our own.” Jace scoffed, folding his arms as he cocked his head.

Visenya raised her brow, nodding as she began to walk, “Tis a blessing really. I do not wish to ruin such a beautiful day with the look of their sullen faces.” Her head turned as Jace and Luke followed alongside her.

“They did all seem rather grey didn’t they?” Jace jested, chuckling to himself.

The three young Targaryen’s continued forth, making their way up the stairs from the middle bailey and into the halls of the Keep. Visenya spoke once more.

“I’d imagine all the years of conspiring and prayer has meant for little time in the sun. They likely appear as corpses now.” The Princess hollowed her cheeks as she gave a wink to Luke, winning a small giggle from him.

Once they had reached Maegor’s Holdfast, the siblings had branched off, returning to settle in to their childhood chambers. As Visenya reached hers a wave of bitter nostalgia washed over her, she let her fingers glide upon the stone walls observing how it had been kept so similar yet… different to how she had left it. Naturally, she had taken her belongings with her but the furniture and the deep crimson bedding. Yes, it had been left just as it was. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the freshly lit candles, the small dish of water and soap which sat in a silver tray upon her vanity, a small rag draping over the chair. Visenya smiled, knowing the servants had remembered such preferences of hers. Near her bed, sat the small trunk of the few belongings she’d brought from Dragonstone. Upon the mattress itself, lay the scarlet gown and matching slippers.

She sat upon her bed, taking in the smell of damp and mildew. The air around her was quite cold, though a fire crackled. It was likely her chambers had not been used since her departure, from the smell of it – it seemed to not have been cleaned very often either. She settled in, and soon found herself sitting at her old vanity. Admiring how she had grown, how the last time she gazed into this mirror she was but a girl.

The princess had indeed grown vigorously as the years passed. Much like her parents it seemed she had inherited both the mind and body of a dragonrider. Imposing, her body had become – not only to others but to herself. Her form Junoesque, unyielding in its femininity as her hips and breasts were among the first thing to develop suddenly. It seemed almost overnight she had no longer fit into the clothing she once freely adorned, her body changing, aching even. The first time she had gotten her moonblood felt like a life sentence for Visenya, as no more did she feel the same kind of unawareness of her body. The princess had felt like she was now very much a prisoner to her newly found womanhood, she seldom understood why such changes were needed. Why every moon her belly would swell, growing heavy and coil with pain, how she would have to crawl to her mother’s quarters and lay by her side simply to reassure such things were normal. Though, as the years had gone by, she adjusted to such feeling, relished that the pain she felt at times was proof of her fortitude. That no man could endure such sufferance so frequently.

Visenya marveled at her sun-kissed skin, the way her silver hair gleamed now that it had grown even longer than her mothers. She kept it loose, unbound; for she relished in letting her body grow as it pleased, there was no use in taming herself; her hair included. Indeed, did the Princess enjoy herself – for no matter how beautiful a man thought her to be, it was herself which she wished to appease the most. The Princess was strict regarding her standards, unwavering that she would be dressed in the finest gowns, and smell of the richest scents the realm had to offer. Whether it was silk from Dorne or perfumed oil from Lys – she simply refused to lead a life without such beauty within it. Some may think it shallow or indulgent, but Visenya knew it was merely her lust for life which drove her towards such luxuries. She wished to experience everything, wished for a life of sensuality and passion. There was no grey cloud in her sky that was without a silver lining, for she would not accept much less than satisfaction. After all, there was so much suffering in the realm, so much ugliness and brutality. She owed it to every poor soul who died so terribly, to live life as it ought to be lived. Indulging and embracing pleasure and beauty in every way, for so few had the opportunity to.

Such mentality, did however, lead her at times to indulge in the filtrations of men and despite Visenya’s bravado, she was gentle at heart - oft stringing men along rather than shatter their dreams of winning her favor. Such is exactly what her father had told her worried him before their arrival to King’s Landing. He spoke of how difficult it was stopping his inclinations to assault the few men he might find leering at her at Dragonstone. King’s Landing, however, was a different beast and Prince Daemon had no doubt he would be combatting an endless sea of men who might have more lecherous ideas. He had spoken sternly about keeping to herself, not drawing attention to herself beyond what would already be given. That if any man were to approach her, she would deny him.

The Princess of course, found her father’s worry amusing, the few times she had entertained men had only ever ended up with innocent mischief being made, and at times drunken affections… which were oft less innocent in nature.  But she was no fool as to lose her virtue before marriage, for she knew how such a thing impacted her mother and she had promised herself that her virtue was a pleasure in itself. That there is beauty in saving herself for the truest, purest of loves, as there is beauty in indulging in fleshly pleasure. Visenya was positive no man would attempt to accost her in such a manner, for if they did they would face the wrath of her mother and of course the looming threat of her rumoured father, Prince Daemon.

As she prepared herself to leave, she peeled the thick, black riding leathers from her frame, cringing at the particular scent of sweat and dragon that ruminated from them.  Visenya then doused the rag in the bowl of water, using the soap to scrub at any and all places which eluded to such a scent. Soon, she had changed her undergarments, and drew the scarlet shaded gown over her frame; it’s sleeves long and elaborate, intwining string which laced across her structured shoulders. Visenya then pulled a small vile of perfumed oil, from her trunk, dabbing it upon her skin and threading it through her hair. The contents of which filled the room with the smell of heady jasmine and musk, a recent gift from a nobleman in Lys.

As she left her chamber, she was accosted by Jace and Luke. Who swiftly grabbed her wrist pulling her along the corridors as they babbled about going back to the middle bailey to re visit where they trained as children.

 Once they reached those fateful steps, they let go and waved for her to join them in a busy yard below..

“Come. You can watch.” Jace beckoned, Luke stopping upon the steps to look up towards her.

Visenya shook her head, leaning against stone banister upon the mezzanine which overlooked the commotion below. The Princess cocked her head to the side, “I’ve just changed… I have little intention of getting myself filthy once more.”

“Of course…” Jacaerys shook his head, rolling his eyes as he let out an amused scoff, “Suit yourself then.”

With that, the two boys trotted down the steps, and Visenya looked upon the bustling yard below.  She watched with a hearty smile as her brothers made their way towards the wooden weaponry stand, Jace playfully swinging one of the swords at Lucerys. However, she noted the few people who glared at her brothers and the whispering that occurred in their presence. A slight anger rose in her belly, do these fat old Lord’s and Lady’s have little else to do but gossip?

She waited until a pair had noticed Visenya’s scowling from above, and smiled smugly when swiftly they turned their heads and went about their business. A small gathering had distracted the Princess, as it seemed there to be an on going sparring session in the far corner of the yard. The whipping of long silver hair catching her attention, and she noticed how her brothers had soon caught wind of the action, joining the crowd below.

The silver haired figure was lithe with lean thew and a tall frame all tightly contained in black leathers. He swiftly jostled the sword in his hand with a fine precision, but her eyes caught a familiar sight, that it was Ser Criston whom the figure dueled against. A cunt, though he may be, but a talented fighter indeed.

Criston swung his Morningstar, shattering the figure’s shield. He’s done for. Visenya thought. However, she raised her brow in intrigue as the figure discarded his shield with fierce aggression and then began striking. Perhaps not. She thought again, impressed by his fortitude. One after the other, a flash of steel and light locks before he ducked and turned – it was then when she felt her heart practically fall into her chest. The figures face sharp and aquiline, his skin pale… too pale. That familiar grey.

It was the black eye patch which was tightly fastened over his right eye which gave it away.

Aemond.

He continued on, fighting harshly and fiercely against Cole before finally, winning the duel. Visenya looked at her brothers below, hearing Aemond’s voice mutter something to them both as he had finally acknowledged the two young Princes’. Though something had told her, Aemond was well aware of their presence. Jace looked up at Visenya pleadingly, and it came as no surprise then when she looked back, she noticed Aemond’s gaze follow her brothers upwards.

For what could have only had been a second, they clocked each other. The Princess felt her eyes widen, shock, fear, anger, intrguie, digust; any and all emotion flooding through her in those fateful seconds. He noticed her, he took her in. He knew it was her. She tussled her hair back and looked away, pretending as though she hadn't recognized him.

Aemond narrowed his eye upon the Princess, scanning her briefly. He had only gazed upon her for a second, he tilted his head as if he was contemplating something before his attention was drawn to the incoming drawing of the heavy gates.

Visenya steadied her breath and watched as the gates opened with a heavy moan. If only to make matters worse, the arriving party was another headache in itself... Vaemond Velaryon.

○viii○

[booksandabeer]

Ramblings on Fandom: Peggy Carter, Steve Rogers, Delusional Shippers, and Alleged Misogyny

So with the release of Season 2 of What If…? emotions are once again running high, the outrage is outraging, and people are up in arms about the whole Captain Carter situation. While I do think that some reactions are a little overblown, even needlessly aggressive in tone to the unfortunate detriment of their otherwise convincing arguments, I share the confusion and frustration about the sudden centering of a long-dead & never excessively popular character, the sidelining of the Steve-Bucky friendship, and the as-inexplicable-as-it-is-total exclusion of Sam Wilson as Captain America. However, I’m not here to talk about the show because (1) I haven’t watched this season and have no plans to (why waste time torturing myself with something I know I’ll hate?) and (2) other people have already written dozens of metas about it, so what could I possibly add at this point.

What I do want need to talk about (lest I explode) is something that has irritated me for a long time and that is now happening again: Every time someone even mildly criticizes Peggy Carter, expresses doubts about her suitability as a heroine, or even just questions her disproportionate importance to the franchise post-EG, inevitably a certain section of fans will come out of the woodwork to immediately throw around accusations of misogyny and yell about how we’re all just a bunch of delusional Stuckies who are mad that she got "in the way" of our ship. Sigh.

This is gonna be a long one, so I’ll put it under a cut. Rant incoming. You've been warned. If you don't want to read, simply keep scrolling.

First of all, let me state very clearly that I’m not debating the existence of misogyny and sexism in fandom spaces—or in the media from which these fandoms originate. At all. It exists, it’s a thing, I’m not denying that. Which is exactly why it frustrates me endlessly to see these accusations thrown around as a gotcha! argument to shut down any and all critical debate around a female character. All it does in the end is escalate rhetoric and radicalize attitudes.  

In the case of Peggy Carter, specifically her treatment by Stucky shippers, I’ve always found 'misogyny as a motive' to be a largely unsubstantiated accusation.¹ Now, I neither presume nor do I want to speak for the entirety of Stuckynation, so I will not claim that there aren't corners of the fandom where people discuss her in ways that I find off-putting and deeply unserious, but I will say this: If you genuinely believe that disliking one (1) fictional female character equals “hating all women” and wanting to suppress and marginalize their presence in fiction and real life alike—then I think we need to take that word away from you until you’ve learned its true meaning.

You might also want to ask yourself how exactly reducing a female character to a mute trophy wife or a heroine who has to act out her love interest’s recycled storylines helps your feminist fight.

As for the “getting in the way of your ship” part of the argument. Very simply put: No character can get in the way of something if there never ever was “a way” to that something to begin with. “Being mad” implies that there was a reasonable expectation that wasn’t met, a substantive hope that was crushed. Now, I’ve said this before and I’ll gladly say it again a million more times: No Stucky shipper in their right mind ever truly thought that there was even the slightest chance that Marvel Studios owned by the Walt Disney Company would allow Steve “Captain America” Rogers and Bucky “Winter Soldier” Barnes to be canonized as an explicitly romantic pairing in their billion dollar franchise. Be serious. That was never in the cards. I wish we all lived in a world where it was, but we don’t, and it wasn’t. The best we could ever hope for was for Steve and Bucky to get a good, satisfying, in-character ending. And if, in Steve’s case, that would’ve included hints (or more) about a possible rekindling of his, uh, aborted romance with Sharon—then so be it. But we never got any of that. The characters never got any of that. Instead they sent Steve into 1950s suburban hell, literally trapped him behind a white picket fence, and condemned him to a life of passivity and lies, all so he could be married to a woman he barely knew a long time ago in a completely different world; who built and ran a top-to-bottom Hydra-infested organization, but apparently never noticed that there was anything wrong with her life's work. For decades. Great. As for Bucky—well, we’ve all seen the devastatingly grim-faced, utterly lonely, and deeply sad version of him that was presented to us in TFATWS. Happy endings all around, I guess.

So. Am I mad that Steve didn’t get to ride into the rainbow-colored sunset with Bucky at the end of EG? No. Because that was never going to happen anyway. Would I have been mad had he ended up with Sharon or another female character in the 21st century? Also no. Granted, I wouldn’t have been ecstatic about it, but mad? No. But am I mad that Steve ended up with this specific female character under these specific circumstances as presented in canon? Fuck yeah, I am.

The thing is: I personally believe Steve and Peggy to be fundamentally incompatible when it comes to the way they view the world and their respective places in it; their morals and values; their capacity for compassion and empathy; their ability and willingness to compartmentalize, compromise, and collaborate with people and institutions whose ethics and/or politics do not align with their own. I have a real hard time believing that a relationship between these two (or worse, a hasty marriage) could be either happy or long-lasting.

I don’t believe Peggy to be inherently evil, I don’t hate her, I simply think she operates within a different moral framework than Steve (and even genuinely believes it to be a righteous one).² Your mileage may vary, but I personally happen to find that framework reprehensible, even indecent, and ultimately dangerous. After all, over the course of the 20th century, we have seen exactly where that kind of “the ends justify the means” brand of pragmatism leads—over and over again. Not to mention that the people who use this line of argument to defend characters like Peggy (or real-life politicians for that matter) never seem to want to look too closely at who gets to define what "the ends" are in the first place and who decides when they've finally been met.

(Never. The answer is never.)

And to be clear, there is absolutely nothing wrong with depicting, and even centering a narrative around a morally (dark)gray character—oftentimes it’s actually the more interesting option—but you cannot at the same time claim that they are purely good and should be only admired as such when their actions literally tell an entirely different story.

So, no. I will not accept Peggy Carter as the shining aspirational heroine that the MCU so badly wants to sell her to me as—while simultaneously continuing to reveal things that paint an increasingly darker picture of her character. And I will certainly not celebrate seeing one of my favorite characters of all time—whose defining trait was that he couldn't ignore "a situation pointed south"; who used to fight for the little guy and against the establishment; who once said about the very organization that Peggy Carter helped build that it was so corrupt, it all needed to go—rendered morally inert for some hollow happy ending that may as well be a conservative’s wet dream full of false nostalgia for an America that never really existed. I cannot find it in me to be anything less but mad about that.

But that does not make me a misogynist. It does not make me a delusional shipper. It makes me someone who looks at what the MCU has been telling me about Peggy Carter for years now—over and over again—and takes them at their own word.

--------

¹ If you’ve actually read a a fair number of Stucky(!) fanfics you will have noticed that the reverence afforded to and "page time" devoted to her character and her relationship with Steve is somewhat disproportionate to anything that's backed up by canon—well, up until EG, where she was suddenly reanimated as The Great Love of Steve’s Life—and in my experience, it's highly unusual for any fandom to put so much (mostly) positive attention on another character, let alone a potential love interest that is not part of the endgame ship.

² I also want to emphasize that if you love Peggy and she's your fave: good for you! I genuinely have no beef with you. People can agree to disagree. All I ask for is that we maybe stop willfully ignoring the less savory aspects of her character. You don't need to pretend she's perfect to justify your affection for her. I LOVE Steve, and yet I have no problem conceding that he is FAR from perfect.

[vortexonsaturn]

Was The Finale of How I Met Your Mother Truly That Bad?

That title may come as a shock to any How I Met Your Mother fan, or even just anyone on social media when the finale aired, as the infamous ending is widely known as one of the worst endings in sitcom history. It was unanimously agreed that this finale was awful, so much so that the creators of the show immediately released an alternate ending to appease fan outrage. However, I would argue the ending truly does make sense in retrospect.

What Went Wrong?

As a huge fan myself, for many years I also held the belief that the ending was well...wrong. Being an avid Barney and Robin shipper, their divorce felt abrupt, especially considering the fact that the entire final season takes place over the weekend of their wedding. And losing the sweet, wonderful Mother mere moments after meeting her? Pure insanity.

The biggest fault in the finale however was the fact that it was fully planned during Season One. The plan was always for Ted and Robin to end up together. In order to prevent David Henrie (Luke) and Lyndsy Fonseca (Penny) visually aging over the course of the nine years the show spanned (which was canonically probably just a month or two) they filmed the iconic, "You're totally in love with Aunt Robin!" scene way before any of the natural character development occurred.

Because of this advanced planning, it denies the characters we had grown to love the ability to change at all during the course of the series, forcing them to morph back into odd, and now unfamiliar, Season One versions of themselves. It leaves a bitter feeling to the whole finale as:

Barney resorts back to his womanizing ways, neglecting his growth and change over the series. Almost completely flanderizing him in the final episode.

Robin is bitter and barely seen by the group anymore.

The entire group has separated, only catching up during holidays if at all.

The Mother dies episodes after we meet her.

And most controversially, Ted and Robin are endgame.

So seeing all of this, its may seem as though the finale managed to screw up nine years of character arcs and fan loyalty in only two minutes.

But,

Was the ending actually the perfect way to sum up this story?

What Went Right?

While the ending truly did reject viewers expectations, it was always supposed to end this way. It wasn't a cop out.

The story of How I Met Your Mother is about so much more than Ted meeting the Mother, it's about Ted's 20's and his friend group. But more importantly, it's about reality.

We see many times throughout the show that Ted is chasing this idealization of fate, he spends almost the entire show chasing Robin because he truly believes that she is his fate.

But the reality is, fate is messy. You may not always get what you thought was the perfect ending. There isn't always that pretty bow to put on top of life. More importantly, the ending you thought was perfect is simply not always the ending you get. Life is ever-changing.

Foreshadowing for finale (however much you hate it) is sprinkled throughout the series, and these moments remain some of the most impactful scenes in the entire show.

Let's break this down even further.

↳ For the sake of this argument we're going to revisit 8x20, The Time Travelers and the writers use of Ted's Favorite Book. ↳ While the foreshadowing that I am arguing is shown in many episodes and plots, I believe these encapsulate it the best.

The Time Travelers Episode

This episode is one of the most popular episodes of the series, as it is truly depressing. It is argued to be one of the saddest episodes in the show (although I would say Bad News is objectively the most heartbreaking).

In this episode we follow Ted recounting an average night in MacLaren's Pub with his friends until it is revealed the entire evening was all in his mind, and in reality he is all alone.

Following this realization we get a narration from Future Ted, that in hindsight should've been the biggest hint for the finale.

Future Ted tells us that instead of simply going home this night, he would instead go to the Mother's apartment and say this:

“Hi. I’m Ted Mosby. In exactly 45 days from now, you and I are going to meet. And we’re going to fall in love. And we’re going to get married and we’re going to have two kids. And we’re going to love them and each other so much. All that is 45 days away. But I’m here now, I guess, because I want those extra 45 days. With you. I want each one of them. And if I can’t have them, I’ll take the 45 seconds before your boyfriend shows up and punches me in the face. Because I love you. I’m always going to love you. Until the end of my days. And beyond.”

What a gut punch considering the fact that the Mother falls fatally ill in the finale. Someone play The Prophecy by Taylor Swift.

Seeing Ted beg for just 45 extra days knowing the Mother dies is honestly one of the clearest signs of her ending. Her fate. Her destiny. The Mother while insanely lovable and a quick fan favorite, was always written to die.

But, an even BIGGER piece of foreshadowing remains in Ted's Favorite Book.

Ted's Favorite Book

In the episode Matchmaker (1x7), we find out Ted's favorite book is Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez. This book's plot focuses on a young couple in love who grew apart, one them goes on to get married and the others spouse eventually dies and the original couple finds one another. Sound familiar?

This is the exact plot of the Ted, Tracy, and Robin storyline.

We see Ted reading this book the exact moment he meets the Mother. This easter egg was planted in Season One.

I often times see people be critical of the shows finale as they view it as a cop out, a lazy ending to a show that was out of left field. But that purely isn't true.

As much as I love Swarkles, and as much as I love Ted and Tracy together, you cannot deny that sometimes stories just don't end perfectly. Life doesn't work that way.

So what does all of this mean?

Does foreshadowing excuse the ending? In my personal opinion I truly think it helps.

With a show like How I Met Your Mother that surrounds itself with themes of fate and destiny, you cannot be upset when these elements come into play. The Mother dying was her Fate. Ted and Robin ending up together was their Fate. This is always how the story was supposed to end, no matter how infuriating it is. This is their Fate.

Ultimately, I believe that if the creators fleshed out the ending across even just two episodes the fan reception would've been way better. The timing of it all causes a sort of whiplash feeling, leaving a bad taste in your mother when the How I Met Your Mother title-card flashes at the end.

So while personally I will continue viewing the alternate ending purely for mental health reasons, the original ending will always hold a special place in my heart.

TLDR:

The ending could've been way better, but this was always the fate of the show and characters and you truly cannot deny that.

Note: Sorry if this seems all over the place I feel very strongly about this show, prepare for a Swarkles rant next or maybe even a character analysis of Marshall Eriksen.

[i-just-really-like-renga]

I’ve talked about this before but I’m sleep deprived and I’m gonna talk about it again.

Why Adam Hates Reki And How Exactly Sk8 Made The Best Bible Metaphor Of All Time; A Disorganized, incomplete collection of thoughts:

For all its flaws, there are many aspects of sk8s symbolism that are masterfully done and today I am thinking, again, about Adam, his “Eve” Langa, (ew) and Reki.

Like. Adam’s obsession with Langa is self explanatory enough. Therefore I will spare all of you, and myself, and let that speak for itself.

“But how does Reki fit into that?” You ask, and I am so glad you did.

The first point I want to make is that, obviously, Reki’s color is red. I mean, just look at him. You can’t miss it. Okay, hold onto that thought because I will be coming back to it.

Now, see, Adam could have asked anyone to stand in for Shadow in the tournament finals. Joe. Cherry. Miya. Literally anyone. But no. He has Tadashi, aka Snake, invite Reki, specifically. Because in his eyes, Reki is a threat. An ‘obstacle’ between him and Langa that needs to be dealt with. (Excuse me while I barf.)

“That’s crazy!” You say, lips curled in outrage and disgust. And, on one hand, you’re correct. But on the other hand, so is he. Because he’s right. In a way.

One thing we are shown repeatedly as the audience is that Reki embodies a pure and genuine love of skating. (What? Gasp, no way. And water is wet and the sky is blue???? Say it ain’t so!) Another thing we are shown is that Adam used to love skating the same way when he was younger, but all that sincere passion he used to hold for skating has been wheedled away into something dark and destructive. It is canonically stated on at least one occasion that he considers skating “an act of love”. So, maybe Adam’s annoyance (jealousy) of this particular aspect is more subconscious. Or he could be entirely self aware. I wouldn’t put it past him.

Another side still of Adams’s jealousy is much more simple. He hates Reki because Langa loves Reki. In his twisted little head, he is Adam, Langa is Eve, and Reki is a speck of dirt under his skateboard. Nothing else makes sense to him. And that is because he forgot the third and final piece of the gross bible metaphor he thinks he’s living.

Reki is not useless, a nobody, or a third wheel.

Because Reki is the apple.

The embodiment of knowledge, and the thing used to tempt Eve.

He is never referred to as such explicitly, but he is the one who first showed Langa how to skate. Reki is, in Langa’s words, his “teacher”. The person with the knowledge Langa wants to learn the most. (Plus, I find it hard to believe that they ‘accidentally’ had Snake, of all people be the one made to extend the invitation to Reki, which was done purely to get at Langa. )

And that is a good chunk of why I think Adam well and truly despises Reki.

You have Adam, Langa, and Reki.

Adam, “Eve,” and the apple secured by the snake.

And brother, Adam knows that Eve always chooses the apple.

[magicaldragons]

'in the name of pain and outrage'

an analysis of the ending

I say this with utmost love, but episode 16 was a shitshow.

i walked into this show accepting it at face value – a show that would take itself lightly, with a compelling subplot marinated in humor, and a dose of sweet romance.

this show tried to include very mature, sobering themes with slapstick humor, which is definitely possible if balanced properly, but i feel this show was not able to achieve this the way do bong soon or others could.

to get some of the discrepancies out of the way:

they never told us that the women's senses were connected, geum joo should not have been able to feel namsoon's thirst – that's something they abruptly added to fuel the tension of the situation.

there is absolutely no reason nam soon would react like that to the drug, when you compare it to how every other user was affected by it.

the strength exerted by gil-joongan did not feel like enough to knock her out like that

and with how easy it would've been to leave the situation, it's very obvious that nam soon taking the drug was an ill-planned way to raise the stakes and increase suspense

the homeless couple truly had nothing of value to add to the show or it's message

none of the show's themes or messages were delivered properly towards the end, and it went against everything it preached.

the immediate tone change after ryu si-o's death did not do any justice to the effort put into his characterization

i do not understand how nam soon became a cop, all technicalities considered

why was she throwing humans out a window from the second floor, even if they're criminals??

they REALLY cheapened the whole marriage conversation by bringing money, property, and heirs into it. that was NOT romantic or wholesome. hee-sik deserves better parents, tf.

side note: i'm pretty disappointed with namsoon's character arc, but lee yoo mi worked within the purview of the script to give us honestly wonderful acting, especially in episode 15.

now, to get into the ending, i'll start with this:

what we got, felt like an empty victory. hollow and out of place.

i've always been an advocate for all parts of a show coming together to create an experience – there's usually no single keystone.

but as soon as si-o died, the rest of the episode felt like a blur, with all loose ends being succinctly wrapped up and prepared for season three. byeon woo seok, and his characterization really carried the show as a unit, and added to its cohesiveness. i did not find myself rooting for geum joo and nam soon's successes afterwards

because they had failed the ONE thing most of us had been hoping for them to do:

to save people who were victims of oppression from those with the power of money, and empower them, including to save si-o from his oppressors, and help him take down pavel.

there is no satisfaction in geum joo doing it by herself, because she has no emotional investment in destroying pavel.

losing hwaja and si-o, watching namsoon & heesik become one dimensional all of a sudden, and seeing tertiary unrelated characters having their loose ends tied, is extremely unsatisfactory – for a show that had an incredible cast and so much potential.

at the same time: i loved the portreyal of gil joongan's mission to help the elderly and her enthusiasm for her future, and the addition of binbin + looking into their past from an additional angle also really elevated the emotional context of si-o's character arc.

i loved each character, truly, and to not see the plot and writers give them the detail and care they deserve, is wholly disappointing.

the show took me on a whole journey, emotionally,,,but to know exactly what would make it better, and be aware of its discrepancies makes me grieve the potential it had to truly leave an impact on its viewers, with a solid takeaway message.

[nightshadehoney]

I never watched James Somerton's shitty Killing Stalking video because I was trying to be good to myself and avoid something that I knew would make me very angry. In fact, I never watched any of his stuff because the fact that he made a video like that was enough to discount any thing he ever had to say (also I heard about the Celluloid Closet plagiarism).

But man, is the James Somerton discourse bringing a lot of Killing Stalking-related feelings back up for me. Because I'm mad; I'm still so mad. There are a suprising amount of people on social media who are saying they never watched any of his stuff except for the Killing Stalking video. I'm annoyed not just to find out that the vid had that sort of reach and influence, but also because Somerton's unmasking hasn't seemed to make people reasses the validity of the kind of thing he was saying. People are just now being like "hmm I think this guy might have Issues With Women" but that doesn't warrant any reflection on what exactly the motivation is of people who complain about women enjoying a niche webcomic? Because I don't actually believe you're concerned about the influence of some obscure piece of media when you advertise its existence to your large audience many of whom had not heard of it and would never have heard of it but for your transparent outrage porn video. It's rage bait and the target was women that are perceived as straight. A big channel has publicized the fact that they excised a section that endorsed the opinions in this video from their own because they became aware of Somerton's plagiarism and dishonesty (presumably; if it was actually because they recognized his views were coming from a sexist place I would welcome a clarification). And you know, I don't think that's a good look actually. That you needed to be told he was a bad person and couldn't idependently put together that the misogynist man was saying misogynist things.

The comic ended years ago and the fandom has gone mostly quiet, but to this day people are still the peddling the"fujoshi/stupid teenage girls who don't know what's good for them are shipping these characters because they are too braindead to realize it's not a romance; it's a horror, two things I believe are mutually exclusive. I am smarter than all of these cringe degenerates" bullshit. It's in the comments of the hbomberguy video even; one comment was such a gross misrepresentation of the series that my friend needed to talk me down from getting into a pointless youtube comments argument (bless him) because these people are officially making me lose my marbles.

This narrative is full of shit, it's demonstrably not fucking true. You can go on the artist's twitter right now and its full of her retweeting shippy fanart of that pairing readers were apparently never intended to ship.

(I don't think Koogi knows or cares about James Somerton; she just reblogs the works of fans who tag her. This made me laugh though).

Now this is all speculation because he died decades before social media existed, but I think if Nabokov was alive today his twitter would not be full of Humbert Humbert x Dolores Haze fanart. And yet, I have unironically seen people compare shipping Sangwoo and Bum in Killing Stalking with the misreading of Lolita as a precocious sexual temptress more than once.

And this isn't me saying that Killing Stalking is the disgusting"pro-sexualized abuse" comic that tumblr purity police used to characterize it as either. One of these days I'm going to go truly bonkers and end up banging pots and pans on the street corner, yelling at random innocent passerbys about how stories about romantic and sexual relationships are not required to be Hallmark movies. You can make art about the negative, dark, and troubling parts of these feelings and relationships without creating a pat morality tale. You don't need to approach media analysis like your 7th grade teacher has assigned you an essay on explaining what a novel's "message" is.

Nobody, not the author and not the fans, genuinely thinks that Sangwoo and Bum have a healthy or aspirational relationship. This hypothetical person that does not understand the relationship is toxic doesn't exist. Because girls and women, even the ones having cringey fandom fun on tiktok or whatever, are not so stupid and naive that they are unware that breaking someone's legs and locking them in a muder basement is bad. The type of concern troll rhetoric Somerton employed in his video is directed near exclusively at women interested in men and there's a reason for this. Women are not responsible for abuse that men do to them; nobody is responsible for their partner abusing them. If I never saw people spit this bullshit again it would be too soon.

[castlebyersafterdark]

rewatching s4 and pissing myself at the airport scene. mike looks so zany looool what is he on

once again i am asking when he changed into that outfit. i cant remember where the shops are at the airport... would he have already come past shops in cali? gone to the loo to change before meeting them out of the gate? there's no way that boy bought a shirt saying 'surf' in indianapolis airport in march lmao.

this scene feels so grounded to me because its the first time i pricked up my ears with his character. like why the fuck is he wearing sunglasses indoors? is he julian casablancas? where is the sun, mike? is it inside the lenora airport lounge? is it will? are you blinded by his beauty so youre taking every measure to ensure you dont pop a boner in the middle of duty free?

argyle is OUTRAGEOUS for delving down the back of his neck like that, will could only dream of doing that and there is argyle doing it on FIRST MEET

and then mike and el have the hidden lines about trust tucked into the breakfast burrito conversation, oh what a set up. but mainly mike's zany face and smile like he is constipated. babe its just so...

oh dear. its a car crash isnt it.

One of the greatest gifts the show gave us was the airport scene. The catalyst for everything. It's incredible beginning to end. Your reaction is so accurate.

He probably bought it genuinely thinking he needed to look cool and fit in out in California. He looks like a total tourist. That's absolutely what some nerd who only knows about Cali from movies / TV would dress himself in. Did Karen buy him the outfit? Did they order it out a catalogue? Did they specifically drive to the mall at the next town over to find him a new outfit for his trip and this is what he landed on? Awww. So many possibilities, all so interesting. And all - clearly not Mike at his realest.

He's trying and failing to be so cool. Failing so hard. He can barely speak normally! He's so weird about everything, so awkward. And he doesn't act like a guy who's reuniting with his long time, long distance girlfriend either hmm 👀 Specifically we see at the end of the season how Jonathan and Nancy reunite. Romance! Flying into each other's arms. Mike gives El a pathetic little peck as some random extras walk by and block the shot (On purpose. Consider that.) and he shoves her away and tells her she's crushing the flowers. Hmmmmmm.

We can go a dozen rounds over the terrible not-hug. So many layers to that one. I'll focus in on "are you blinded by his beauty so youre taking every measure to ensure you dont pop a boner in the middle of duty free" as a shoutout to a post I saw recently where some brave soul talked with enthusiasm at this very notion. People are getting bolder!! Truly love to see it!!

There's so much to unpack with the scene. Brilliant cinema.

The best part of this scene?? Will's excited little hops to get to Mike. AHHHH. He is the cutest boy in the world. 🐰🐇🐰🐇

Oh wait I forgot about the part where Argyle completely HUMBLES and eviscerates any semblance of cool he thought he might have acquired. Nerfed that shit immediately. Good for you, Argyle. We all needed that.

[xoxoladyaz]

Ultraworld

A/N: This is a concept that I've been tossing around in my head for a while, and when I saw the Day 5 "Reunion" prompt for @steddie-week the sequence below just flew into my mind. Think a mash-up of Westworld and Ready Player One and that's what this fic could potentially turn into. This is definitely just a preview of things to come (in the future when I don't have so many WIPs that eat up all of my brain space and agony lol), but I'd love any and all comments and feedback!

TW: Swearing

Regina Kelley, MSNBC: As I’m sure you’re well aware, Doctor Brenner, there’s been a lot of controversy in the media ever since the announcement of ‘Ultraworld.’ What do you say to the people – and international entities – who believe this project is nothing more than an aggressive overextension of American oversight in the global arena?

Dr. Martin Brenner, NINA Industries: Firstly, any individual who believes that ‘Ultraworld’ is solely an American enterprise is mistaken. And as for those ‘international entities’ you mentioned, any outrage is a mere consequence of realizing their own unimportance in the face of such a monumental project. The reality, Miss Kelly, is that humanity has been racing towards a singular moment of harmony between the magickal and the technological since the industrial revolution. NINA Industries is merely the steward, the guiding hand to lead humanity forward. Those educated beyond the sycophantic hysteria of the internet know that ‘Ultraworld’ could not have been created, nor could it be released, without the express approval and support of each country across the globe. We pride ourselves on our equitable global access, by which we have been able to work across borders, government, and religion to bring a unity the world has never before seen.

And it due to that global access that I can assure the general public that ‘Ultraworld’ is not a tool of American oversight. To say it in basic terms, ‘Ultraworld’ serves two purposes: to provide an immersive, alternative-existential experience for all players who long to live in a simpler, more peaceful time; and in exchange, to serve as active training for the first generation of Infused Artificial Intelligence.

Regina Kelley, MSNBC: Yes, speaking of that, since the announcement there has been an almost constant barrage of misinformation and concern regarding the imminent arrival of these Infused Artificial Intelligences. Many are calling for the project’s cancellation out of fear either of the A.I. itself, or out of concern for the Preternatural community’s response.

Dr. Martin Brenner, NINA Industries: Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news for those concerned, but artificial intelligence is already among us. As such, it was only a matter of time until something similar to our Infuseds were created, and I think everyone can agree that it is in all of our best interest to have a unified, singular force driving progress forward. And for those concerned about the Preternatural community’s response, it is for this reason that we created the Infuseds in the first place. While we may be in a moment of relative peace with our very distant brethren, history shows us that these pockets of peace do not pass long, and as we have grown and evolved so have they. The Infuseds are not a declaration of war, but they are a declaration of protection – and, perhaps, an encouragement to the Preternaturals to keep their end of our current bargain. 

Regina Kelley, MSNBC: Well, for all its critics, ‘Ultraworld’ has already garnered an incredibly vocal and passionate global fanbase. Do you have any final things to say to your fans about ‘Ultraworld’ ahead of its release? 

Dr. Martin Brenner, NINA Industries: I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I gave too much away, but I will say that I saw the final renderings for each city today and, well, it’s like nothing that has ever been seen before. If I may be so bold, it is truly the most remarkable thing I think NINA Industries has ever created, second perhaps only to the IAIs themselves.

Regina Kelley, MSNBC: Remarkable is certainly an understatement, Doctor. And with twenty-one distinct roll-outs occurring tomorrow simultaneously across the globe, it seems ‘Ultraworld’ is ready to take our world by storm.

/////

M. Bauman: The fact that Brenner didn’t dig his own fucking grave with that interview speaks volumes about just how brainwashed the American people are. An “alternative-existential experience?” Is that what we’re calling the total subjugation of civilization to the elites? Studies have shown that this ‘experience’ is almost ten times more addictive than the social media we already have! Sooner or later, every part of our waking lives is going to take place in ‘Ultraworld,’ and that’s not even mentioning the new sleep-cycles they’ve just pushed out, or the fucking neural chip that allows for total immersion twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty-five days a fucking year. And while everyone in this country and across the fucking globe is distracted by the ‘ooooh, pretty, shiny,’ the global elites are going to take everything left for themselves. Oh, and let’s not forget the fucking shitshow that these IAIs are going to cause – 

/////

92 hours since last Immersion

Steve.

He pulls his covers over his head, and it brings back memories of being a small child in that lonely house, terrified of every scratch against his window, of every creak on the empty stair, of every breath and snarl of wild creatures traipsing through the yard beneath him.

He tucks the blanket underneath his head, now fully submerged beneath the duvet that was now permanently lopsided and wrinkled since he rarely made his bed. He rarely had time to make his bed these days, not with how early he and Robin – 

It’s not real. It’s not real. Hawkins isn’t real, he chants to himself, over and over and over again, hoping somehow that if he just says it enough times it will all disappear, that Ultraworld will never have happened, that everything and everyone will go back to the way it was and he’ll have a life again, everyone will have a genuinely real life -

Oh, Stevie, His voice sings.

He grips his duvet tighter and shut his eyes because maybe, maybe if He thinks Steve is asleep, he’ll stop fucking hearing His voice, and he shouldn’t even be hearing His voice right now anyways because his computer is off, his Immersion Glasses are off, he’s been disconnected for almost a full week and He isn’t even real - 

Steeeeeevvveeeeeeeeeeee.

But it doesn’t matter how tightly he holds himself underneath his worn sheets, because nothing can change the fact that it doesn’t fucking matter how much space Steve puts between himself and his computer, between himself and his Immersion Glasses, between himself and this fucking apartment in this fucking city with all these fucking fully-immersed people – there’s no getting away from Kas. 

C’mon, sweetheart. Daddy’s missed you.

It’s time for you to come home, Stevie.

(Not for Steve.)

[eyesmadeofpearls]

as a girl with autism, autism does not make you violent. there is no direct link in behavioral issues to autism. if a person who happens to have autism is violent, please don't make that situation into something it's not and go on to spew myths that will ultimately harm us by keeping us from making friends or being accepted publicly. the reason for my personal outrage when i was younger was because of personal things to do with my parents at home, not because it was fun to hear myself yell and i didn't do it just for the hell of it. 9 out of 10 times if an autistic person is angry they've got a good reason, i know me and my boyfriend (who is also autistic) are very justice centered. apparently there's a lot of people who do actually do things for the hell of it and its confusing. anyways. you get the point, if you need to understand what's wrong just ask. so many people think that they read minds or that other people can read minds and it gets obnoxious. though i don't see why you'd cause violence over someone cutting your sandwich wrong. at that point it's likely the person has something other going on too. that's called being a bad person and it isn't mutually exclusive with being autistic.

autism also isn't "silly", it's not anything. it has been a different experience for many, me personally it feels like nothing and i think that's because i was diagnosed late in life. all my life i was told i was just a weird kid, and that it was okay, so i didn't really change. and when i learned i had autism, i didn't feel any different afterwards. i think the only time its truly affected me ever was this one time at the fair with my family when it was night time and things were rowdy. i hate the word overstimulated so i guess you could say i got just upset? i began to cry and get angry with my parents, my legs hurt, mosquitos were biting me, my hair was sticking to my skin, and my head was beginning to ache from all the loud people. i lashed out at my dad because my parents wouldn't take me home so they went on to go get lemonade without me while i sat at a bench alone. in another instance when i was super young and getting ready for 1st grade i cried and whined because my socks weren't inside out and i was too upset to talk about it. the texture of the seams on socks has always made me uncomfortable.

[candied-heartss]

can i request SOMETHHING?!! With my darling Pierre? whatever u want :)! preferably something sweet/with only a little angst!!

-countess bezukhova :)

ofc! here you go anon :) and remember, requests are always open!

𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄, 𝐌𝐘 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆

(ᵖⁱᵉʳʳᵉ ᵇᵉᶻᵘᵏʰᵒᵛ ˣ ᶠᵉᵐ! ʳᵉᵃᵈᵉʳ)

𝖽𝖾𝗌𝖼𝗋𝗂𝗉𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇: 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗁𝗎𝗌𝖻𝖺𝗇𝖽, 𝗉𝗂𝖾𝗋𝗋𝖾, 𝖻𝖾𝗀𝗂𝗇𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖽𝗈𝗎𝖻𝗍 𝗁𝗂𝗆𝗌𝖾𝗅𝖿, 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝗁𝗂𝗆 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝗆𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝖾𝖺𝗇𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝗒𝗈𝗎.

𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗯𝗮𝗱, 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘀𝘁, 𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁

"Darling, do you find me unattractive?" Pierre had asked you one day, while the two of you were preparing for a dinner party.

You looked at him quizzically, "What? Where is all of this coming from?" Pierre then sighed and walked over to you, holding your hands in his and looking into your eyes, "It's just... I saw you and Andrei dancing at the last ball, and it has made me feel like you found pleasure in the company of more handsome men."

You raised a brow at his words, "Really, now? Do you think I enjoy being around men who aren't you? Do you think that I'd rather be with them? Do you know how foolish you sound at this moment?"

Pierre looked at you like you had said something incredibly outrageous as you began to put your jewelry on, "But darling, wouldn't you prefer-" but you had cut him off, beginning to grow frustrated at his words.

"Pierre," you spoke sharply as you turned around to look at him, "do not think for a fraction a second that I do not love you, all because you believe that you are unattractive."

You came closer to him and wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him close and looking into his eyes, "You are the most handsome, most charismatic, most intelligent man I have ever met. You make me proud to call you my husband."

He sighed, "But, how? How can you love me when I practically loathe myself? I am no one special, just the bastard son of a count-"

This time, you had cut him off with a kiss, a passionate, loving act towards him so that he could hopefully realize how much you adored him.

When you pulled away, you cupped his cheek and caressed his face gently, gazing up at him as if he were the finest treasure in the world, "My darling, how I wish you could look at yourself with lover's eyes and see yourself for who you truly are. I love you more than anything else. You complete me, and I wish I could show you how much I hold you dear to my heart."

Pierre's eyes had softened at your words and he held you close to his broad body, petting your hair and keeping you in his arms as if the world would tear apart at the seams if he didn't keep you there.

"Pierre, my darling, how I love you so. I wish that I could say it over and over again, just so you could truly understand it. I love you, I love you, I love you... I knew it from the moment I met you." you spoke softly, still being held in his arms as you looked back up at him and straightened out his round spectacles, as they were laying slightly askew on the bridge of his nose.

"And, I love you... I promised you and I promised the Lord that when we were first married... You have shown me so much kindness and compassion over these years, I just wish to repay you for your generosity." He said, tucking some of your hair back behind your ear.

You laughed, "Nonsense, you will never, ever have to pay me back for anything. Being with you is a reward all on its own."

"Really?" He had looked at you like you were mad, "But-"

Putting a finger to his lips, you spoke, "But nothing, Pierre. I said what I said, don't repay me for something so minuscule as loving you. Your love is the only prize I will ever need to be satisfied, do you hear me?"

He nodded, leaving a smile on your face as you leaned in and kissed him passionately again before pulling away and laughing, "Remember that."

And with that, you turned back to the mirror and finished putting your jewelry on before you smiled again and looked at him with excitement in your eyes.

"Now, I believe we should get out there and wait for the guests to arrive, shall we?"

[koudelka-bloodmire]

So, it's Friday night. After waiting ten years and a day for the sequel to a beloved RPG franchise I've been a fan of for 12 years, made by a studio whose games I have been losing myself in for 27, I find myself neither playing the game, nor listening to its music, looking for fan art or joining online discussions. Instead I am judging the game for what it truly is, listening, hearing and seeing reports of what's happening behind the scenes, and even as I write this now, I am watching any and all criticism of the game, its development, and its developers, being eradicated in front of my eyes by those trying to peddle a product by smothering all unwanted opinions. Whether it's copyright takedowns, forum bans or even requests to "ban all bad comments", one's choices are either to slavishly supplicate to the blighted entity Bioware has become, stay totally silent on the subject, or leave the mono-minded community. None of these options are attractive, and the thought of having to turn away from the fandom because I won't worship the cultism of this product is deeply and indelibly isolating. Beliefs evolve and mature over time, in response to events and interactions with other people. My thoughts on Dragon Age: The Veilguard may be just one evolution in a series I will make in my lifetime, but despite the danger, threat and fear the community at large may make me feel for having these opinions, I would rather share them, and fall by their weight, than erase them, and therefore, my current self.

I am a proud gay man who has gone to the wall supporting the trans rights movement ever since I knew what a trans person was. If someone wants to change their gender, change how they dress, change what it says on their driver's license, and have surgeries to achieve it, then they have my blessing and support. It's no one's business what you do to your own body.

But in this arena, my arena, I'm saying enough is enough.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a wildly unprofessional, dismally executed and childishly written propaganda manifesto on gender identity. We are transported to the medieval, high fantasy realm of Thedas where... people label themselves as "trans", "non-binary", have double mastectomies, top surgery scars, and forced pronouns. In a cutscene I've watched about ten times with increasing appall, Isobella is having a conversation with someone who was (count them with me): born a woman, looks like a woman, has the face of a woman, and sounds like a woman. When she says "she" instead of their demanded "they", a simple "oh, okay, sorry" won't do. Instead she has to physically punish herself... for the fact that her human brain has learned how to interpret and understand the physical sex of other humans at an innate, natural level from a very young age. She is punished for the fact that language forms around a human's perception of the world around them. Dragon Age: The Veilguard wants us to support the physical punishment and public humiliation of women who, even accidentally, don't obey the status quo opinion.

And deeper we go into this mirror of 1984. Two prominent people at the studio, the lead developer and a writing consultant, are both male to female transgender. I can't speak for their intentions when contributing to this game. I won't lower myself by talking about how they look or sound or act or present, that's not my business. My business is the product they built with the intellectual property I once considered a safe haven. They have taken the monument that is Dragon Age and defaced it with painful, hurtful, outrageous and insulting nonsense. Their graffiti on this monument, their daubs of multicoloured paint, their cuts and stabs at the marble, all demean the most basic tenants of what it means to be a human, to be a woman. The monument may remain standing, but if it falls, the sound of it crumbling will echo in the world of video gaming for years to come.

As the defacers walk away, task completed, the dust settles, the paint dries. I am left here with these opinions, trying not to think something I might regret. But the thoughts come all on their own.

If you want to change your sex, and the end result is not convincing enough to make people believe you're a woman, you cannot use brute force to make people think you are. If you are a woman who doesn't want to be a woman anymore, but have done nothing to change your body, affect, or sound, you cannot punish people who look at you and innately know you are a woman by virtue of having a woman's body. There is a line that was crossed, and I draw that line around this damaged monument. Enough must be enough. I simply cannot support this absolute delusion anymore. I can't support the idea that anyone who even dares whisper this counterpoint is fascistically branded as the being the enemy within, of being a transphobe, of being a nazi, of wanting trans people to die because these people can't have their own way with the minds of other men and women.

Gay people fought to the death to get to where we were in the early 2010s, and none of it necessitated threats, humiliation, degradation, or hatred. Gay people are born gay. We don't need surgery, a diagnosis, pills or procedures to prove it. We don't need anyone else's loyalty or servitude to keep the pilot light on. We don't need money, pity, support, labels, ideologies or chastisements to fuel the fire. Dragon Age and the community around it was once a home to me and others like me, but now at age 32, I find it unrecognisable. I walk away from the monument in silence, wondering what will happen to it after I'm gone.

[transsexualgriffith]

3 about berk and also if youve seen any bad Dostoevsky takes, 7 +17 for bsd, 22 berk ❤️

lord I forgot to do this. luckily you haven't answered the ask I sent you either, so I think we're even.

3. screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr

oh god on tumblr?? it's not that tumblr isn't still brimming with bad berserk takes, but I am fairly good at evading those, and besides if I wanted some truly terrible berserk analysis, I could simply go on reddit. I think "the ideal culmination of their arcs would be for guts and casca to become king and queen of midland" is, well, I've certainly never heard that one before, but I find it more funny than offensive, and truly bad takes are the ones that feel like the story is purposely being misread to fuel downright dehumanising ways of thinking; so you know what I'm giving this to the racist fyodor x reader blog that talked abt how fyodor would never lower himself to selling his body and then basically went "(like that whore griffith from berserk)" which I still think is one of the most maddening things I've witnessed. perhaps not a berserk specific take, but a tumblr moment if I've ever seen one. ofc if we were talking outside of tumblr I'd have much worse things to show for. you truly got anything from misogyny posting to to blaming people for their csa out there (its a beautiful world), but tbh one of my favourites is the "guts left bcs he was trying to escape griffiths clutches". dostoevsky I'm not sure I can think of anything particularly outrageous, you must understand the true opponent of dostoevskyblr isn't the bad takes its the people trying to disguise tiktok poetry as quotes

7. what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because of how the fandom acts about them?

okay to start off with I don't think there's a single character in bsd that I truly hate: asagiri is too good of a character writer for this and I think the few that I do feel some disdain towards or find myself unintrested in could still be brought closer to me if asagiri could please get back to writing shoujo-esque character driven party conflicts and novels, instead of playing powerscaling with the 5th dimension. unfortunately i think the worst fanon treatment is that of my favourite characters. would be alot easier if I hated them.

i guess chuuya could almost be counted here, because although I very much like chuuya, he used to. basically be my favourite character (??) which honestly baffles me and I cannot quite understand why, but then again, that was many years ago when bsd was in a very different state, both story and fandom wise. I really don't want to look at much of fanon chuuya content and don't find him outstandingly interesting, but I will acknowledge that it is quite fruitless to complain chuuya should get so much attention even though he's "a side character" when we have asagiri to thank for two chuuya centric light novels with the approximate page count of les miserables.

i also do not really like kōyō and find the girlboss mafioso thing very weird and off putting, but it sucks to say this because there are also alot of people who clearly judge her through the misogynistic lense.

and I think everyone should shut the fuck up about mori and talk about something else. I like mori, but I actually find it quite exhausting how even when you're amongst mori likers they can never ever turn down the morality discourse, enough! I don't care what he is he's not real can we like actually talk abt his role in the story in a meaningful way. please.

this question should've been abt ships tbh fanon sskk is going to make me blast myself into the sun.

17. there should be more of this type of fic/art

shibusawa content..............my woman!? I swear to god the bsd fandom is four times the size of what it was when I got here (and mind you bsd was never that underground) and yet the fic count has gone up by like ten. and I have likely seen dead apple more than any other living person so I know how bad of a movie it is (though i think you are truly missing out on the sheer amount of homoeroticism if you do not invest in it even a little bit) but no one can deny how visually appealing shibusawa's character design is, so it is crazy to me that people aren't more eager to draw her. I've also never forgiven tiktok for what they did to dazatsu. we used to have it all in like 2017. we were pioneers. but overall I don't feel unsatisfied with fan content for bsd, it's always been expansive.

22. your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

i don't know if I have a good answer for this, just because berserk is so extremely appraised that it never feels like there’s a part of canon left untalked about, but I do know that my love for the black swordsman arc far surpasses that of the average berserk fan, and though I see it discussed often enough there really isn't any fanfic or something of the sort focusing on that period in time, which is rather sad for me bcs I think guts cringfail pursuit of femto is very funny. I also just have always liked millennium falcon, and don't feel like others particularly care for the inner workings of the kushan regime, or mule, or the ganishka conflict as a whole which I think is pretty lit. the cosmology lore in those chapters is much more compelling than whatever guts has going on in mage world.

[mikuni14]

Only Friends

Only Friends - but were they really friends? The show answered itself and contradicted its own title.

What I didn't like about the finale:

idiotic, highly manipulative and very cringe pool scene. I can't imagine being in a relationship with a person like Ray who resorts to such vile tricks just to prove something (that Sand has feelings for his ex). And his constant "either deal with it yourself or I'll do it" treated as romantic behavior. If it was a guy saying something like that to his girlfriend, everyone would be outraged :) Ray could have said "I think you still have feelings for your ex, please sort this out". Instead, he started a threesome, kissed his rival passionately and blamed it all on Sand that it was his problem. He's truly a Mew's fanboy, they're both the same in this regard. Will every problem in their relationship be solved in the same way, by creating theatrical scenarios and proving their superiority and someone else's flaws, as Ray and Mew do, for which no one has ever criticized them?

all problems, traumas, nasty behaviors mysteriously disappeared or were healed, but in some little acts, words you can see that they are simmering under the surface

everything is so perfect, but the appearance of 1 (one) handsome guy disturbs the paradise

Cheum with her constant interference in other people's affairs, forcing and pressuring them, her unwavering belief that she knows best what is best for others

forcing an apology, even when it is obvious that someone does not want it. Also - no apology that should have come from Mew, Cheum, Sand, Ray

everything Mew, Ray and Cheum did to Boston was disproportionately more evil and cruel than what he did. Boston slept with Top before he dated Mew, who then constantly questioned his motivations and kept him at a distance. Boston manipulated Top, but he didn't force him to do anything, and he kept their relationship a secret, he didn't do it to hurt Mew. Mew's revenge crossed all boundaries, including legal ones. And yet it is Boston who is forced to constantly pay for what he and Top did, to apologize constantly, and it is he who is thrown out of the friend's pack and it is he who is blackmailed, slandered and treated like garbage

I absolutely HATE how everyone treats Boston like a leper, how they seem to force themselves to be civilized towards him, how their facial expressions change when he shows up, says something, or is just there. Even when he sends a photo A YEAR LATER, everyone reacts as if he sent them a diaper with poop in it, not a photo of them. I admire Boston, I would never lower myself to spending even a minute in such company. Boston is treated like he did something incredibly wrong, like he killed a little kitten or something

Top apologizing to Sand for "stealing his boyfriend" as if it was a wallet and not a person with free will lmao Is Boeing a person or a thing that can be stolen? The series treats him as a tool though, so theoretically he could be stolen lmao

What I liked:

the iron consistency with which Boston separates his sexual life from his love life. He explains it calmly, without adding any ideology or pseudo-psychological reasons to it. He's honest AS ALWAYS about it. Maybe that's why he wants to stay with his "friends" because in his mind he didn't do anything against them, against Mew, he just wanted to sleep with a hot guy. Which they (especially Mew with his unhealthy relationship with sex) took as a personal attack on themselves

the fact that Nick was hurt by Boston but did not blame him for it, he noticed what no one else sees (does not want to see), that is, that Boston has a completely different relationship with sex and feelings than others, than accepted social norms

I liked that Mew rejected Boston, it felt like one of the few genuine moments of Mew where he is honest. The sad thing is that Cheum, with her actions behind his back, did not give him the opportunity to immediately say "no" to Boston's presence, which would have spared everyone the awkwardness and Boston from hearing those terrible words and the embarrassment of all his "friends".

And what I dislike the most is the change in tone of the show since the last two episodes. And the fact that the creators were probably forced to betray their own project...

[killerlookz]

I NEED TO GET SOMETHING OFF MY CHEST

I am a young adult. Born in a time where it was seen as cringey/insane to be obsessed with a singer. I remember going to school and my friends making fun of one direction fans/ Justin Beiber fans. I must admit I was in on that train at one age, but then it hit me.

What the fuck is wrong with people enjoying a person's music and showing their love?

Nobody is being harmed. Nobody is being discriminated. Nobody is being in anyway impacting the lives of others. Why do we as a society put down these people? (This excludes fans that were harassing/stalking)

And for years I respected those types of fans from a distance, never quite understanding their love but seeing how it brought them so much joy.

Then I discovered Joost.

My world has changed completely. I began listening on the day before TRAFIK came out and I was hooked.

I love everything about him. From his music, persona, fashion, friends, and even this fan base.

I am embarrassed sometimes of what a big fan I am, and that's not right. I wish nothing but the best for Joost and in my time of being a fan I have ensured I have done nothing that could make him uncomfortable.

...

Except maybe read RPF but I truly in my heart of hearts don't think he will mind, because the shit he wrote about himself was no better. And if he ever came forward saying it made him in anyway uncomfortable I'd never read it again.

Seeing how you and many other have explained RPF has really helped me get over my worries. Though I won't be putting it on display any time soon, I am a huge Joost fan.

Anyway, thank you so much for opening my eyes to the wonderfulness of Joost and reblogging so many different types of media.

You have helped me discover so many different blogs that have quickly made their way into my heart.

Sorry if this is all a lot. I just really needed to talk it through and I admire you a lot :)

hiiiii !!! thank you so much for your message :-)))))

i don’t know what it is in particular about the joost fandom that is so anti rpf hahaha but it’s kind of commonplace in most other fandoms so i’m not sure where the insane amount of outrage comes from when joost hasn’t said anything about it himself …

like i know there are obviously people who are anti-rpf in every fandom but its not usually such a big talking point??? like people keep it to themselves.

even I MYSELF used to not enjoy rpf for a time… (until i turned to the light) but even then i literally did not gaf if people wrote rpf??? like i literally did not give a single fuck? and i didn’t expect the people who it was about to share my stance either so i don’t really understand this fandom in particular

but whatever! don’t be ashamed of regular shmegular fandom activities! this shit is so normal and i think here it joost was ever to communicate anti-rpf boundaries we would all completely understand that :-) were just having fun here, and no harm is intended, just creating little stories with an artist we admire!

people feed into the stereotype too much that people who participate in fandom or fanfic are just all creepy stalkers who think about whatever celebrity 24/7 and try to invade all types of privacy. i just don’t think that’s true- but the stereotype has people literally gripped by the throat that so many people are turned off from fanfic / fandom without even trying to get to see what it’s actually like!

but i’m so glad you’ve found your space here!! i love the joost tumblr fandom so much <3 they’re so great!!! such a fun little community for real :-))