#like is it that worth it at this point?????

[khioneee]

simon acts as santa for your kid.

he was supposed to be the stoic, no-nonsense one. yet here he was, fully committed to the role of santa claus, going above and beyond for your child during the holiday season.

simon took the elf situation very seriously. every night after your child went to bed, he’d sneak around, setting up elaborate scenes. sometimes the elf was ‘caught’ stealing cookies from the jar, with crumbs left strategically on the counter. other times, it was perched on a stack of books with a tiny note saying, ‘reading helps santa know who’s good!’

in the mornings, he’d watch with a barely contained grin as your kid ran through the house, excitedly searching for the elf. the look of pure wonder on their face was worth every second of effort.

‘make sure santa knows what you want,’ he’d say, guiding your child to stick their wishlist on the fridge. of course, simon would ‘check it’ later, leaving behind a trail of flour dusted across the floor to mimic snowy footprints.

‘santa’s magic snow,’ he whispered to your child the next morning, pointing out the tracks. ‘he must’ve had a look last night.’

your kid’s eyes went wide, practically sparkling. ‘santa was here?!’

simon nodded solemnly, his eyes twinkling. ‘he’s keeping an eye on you.’

come christmas morning, the stocking was overflowing, filled with everything from sweets to little toys. santa went overboard this year. your child laughed in delight, and simon, trying to stay ‘in character,’ muttered, ‘guess santa thinks you’ve been extra good, huh?’

late on christmas eve, simon climbed onto the roof with a set of sleigh bells in hand. with quiet stomps and the occasional jingle, he created the illusion of santa and his reindeer making their grand departure. from the safety of their bedroom window, your child peeked out, eyes wide, whispering, ‘i hear him!’

you couldn’t help but laugh softly at simon’s commitment as he carefully climbed back down, boots crunching in the snow.

simon made sure to devour the cookies left out for santa—crumbs and all—and drained the milk, leaving behind a handwritten note:

‘thank you for the treats! keep being good, and i’ll see you next year!’

your kid squealed with joy when they found the note in the morning, clutching it like a treasure.

that night, after all the presents had been opened and the excitement had finally quieted, you found simon by the fire, still in his santa suit, looking exhausted but satisfied.

‘you really went all out,’ you whispered as you leaned over to kiss him.

simon shrugged, his face softening in the glow of the holiday lights. ‘they’ll only believe in this magic for so long,’ he murmured, brushing a hand through his hair. ‘figured i’d make it count.’

you smiled against his lips, kissing him again, the warmth of his dedication making your heart swell.

‘mommy, why are you kissing santa?’

[psychoticfemmm]

between two worlds

pairing: rafe cameron x pogue!reader

summary: Rafe steps out of his comfort zone to join the Pogues for a beach night.

The beach was alive with the usual chaos that defined the Pogues. JJ was digging through a cooler for beer, Kie was setting up a makeshift bonfire, and Pope was arguing with John B over whose turn it was to collect firewood. You sat on a blanket, watching the sunset over the ocean, your heart racing as Rafe Cameron’s figure loomed in the distance.

“I can’t believe you invited him,” JJ said, shooting you a pointed look as he cracked open a beer. “This is sacred Pogue territory, Y/N.”

“He’s my boyfriend,” you said simply, brushing sand off your legs.

“Yeah, unfortunately,” JJ muttered under his breath.

Sarah shot him a look. “Give him a chance, JJ. If Y/N can handle his crazy ass, we can for one night.”

You turned to see Rafe walking toward you, his shoulders slightly tense, his hands shoved in his pockets. The evening light softened his features, but you could tell he was uneasy. He wasn’t exactly a welcome presence among the Pogues, and he knew it.

“You didn’t tell me it’d be this many people,” he murmured when he reached you, leaning down to kiss your temple.

“Rafe, it’s literally just them,” you teased, gesturing toward the group. “You’ll survive.”

He rolled his eyes but sat down next to you, his hand instinctively resting on your knee. The gesture didn’t go unnoticed.

JJ snorted. “Look at him. Acting like he belongs here.”

“JJ,” you warned.

Rafe tensed but didn’t rise to the bait, his thumb rubbing slow circles against your skin. “Nice to see you too, Maybank.”

“Alright, everybody chill,” Sarah interjected, sitting cross-legged on the blanket. She gave Rafe a small smile. “Thanks for coming, Rafe. Even though I know you’re out of your element.”

Rafe raised an eyebrow. “You could say that.”

“Just don’t kill the vibe,” JJ added, plopping down on the other side of you.

The tension was thick at first. Rafe sat quietly, his usual cocky demeanor dimmed in the face of the Pogues’ scrutiny. You felt the weight of his discomfort, and it made you squeeze his hand reassuringly. He looked at you, his blue eyes softening as if to say, I’m doing this for you.

As the night wore on, the tension began to ease. JJ’s antics and John B’s storytelling had everyone laughing, even Rafe cracking a smile here and there.

“Alright, I have to ask,” Kie said, looking directly at Rafe. “How does a Kook prince like you end up with a Pogue queen?”

You groaned, burying your face in your hands. “Kie—”

“No, it’s fine,” Rafe said, surprising you. He leaned back on his hands, glancing at you with a small smirk. “I guess I just like a challenge.”

JJ scoffed, but Kie rolled her eyes. “Seriously, though.”

Rafe’s expression softened as he looked at you. “She’s different. She doesn’t care about any of the crap I used to think mattered. She calls me out when I’m being an idiot, but she also makes me want to be better.”

The Pogues fell silent, exchanging surprised looks. Even JJ looked slightly less annoyed.

“She’s good at that,” Sarah said, smiling at you.

You felt your cheeks heat up, but before you could respond, JJ pointed at Rafe with his beer bottle. “Alright, Cameron, you’re scoring some points. But don’t think I’m not watching you.”

“Duly noted,” Rafe replied dryly, earning a laugh from John B.

As the night wound down, you and Rafe wandered a little farther down the beach, away from the firelight and the laughter of your friends. The ocean waves crashed gently against the shore, and the cool breeze tugged at your hair.

“See? That wasn’t so bad,” you said, bumping his shoulder playfully.

He huffed a laugh, wrapping an arm around your waist. “They hate me.”

“They don’t hate you,” you assured him. “They’re just…protective.”

He stopped walking, turning to face you. “And you’re worth protecting.”

You rolled your eyes, but the sincerity in his gaze made your heart skip. He stepped closer, brushing a strand of hair from your face.

“I mean it,” he said softly. “I know I don’t always fit into your world, but I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure I do. For you.”

Your breath hitched as his thumb traced your cheek, his touch warm and familiar. “Rafe…”

“I love you,” he murmured, his voice barely audible over the waves.

Before you could respond, he leaned down, his lips capturing yours in a kiss that was slow and deliberate, as if he was trying to pour every unspoken word into it. His hands settled on your waist, pulling you closer, and you melted against him, the rest of the world fading away.

When you finally pulled back, his forehead rested against yours, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Alright,” you said, your voice teasing but soft. “You’re forgiven for being awkward.”

“Awkward?” he repeated, feigning offense. “I was charming.”

“You were stiff,” you corrected with a laugh.

He grinned, kissing you again, this time quicker but no less sweet. “You bring me around them enough, and I’ll charm them too.”

“Let’s not push it,” you teased, lacing your fingers with his as you started walking back toward the fire.

In the distance, you could hear JJ yelling, “Hey! No PDA where we can see it!”

Rafe groaned, but you just laughed, pulling him closer. He might not be a Pogue, but tonight, he’d proven he was yours—and that was more than enough.

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩

[woso-dreamzzz]

Leaving: Christmas

Alexia Putellas x Teen!Reader

Summary: Christmas with Menor

It's not often that Eli gets to have all three of you in the same place, not with you off travelling the world for your tennis, practically in a different country every month.

But the winter months is one that she can almost guarantee you'll be home for.

You finish your tennis season on a high, lifting the trophy at the WTA Finals before you spend a few more weeks in Poland with your training team coming up with a rough schedule of what you want to compete in next year.

But you're home now which means that Eli has all three of her daughters in the same country. Which also means mandatory days out together on the run up to Christmas.

It's easier to get you sorted than Alexia - still playing football every week - and Alba, still teaching as the schools haven't gone on holiday yet.

You're back in your childhood bedroom and seem to delight in sleeping the day away and only getting up around two in the afternoon to migrate from your bed to the sofa.

Occasionally, you roll out of bed early in the morning to take part in some sponsorship commitments.

Your tennis season has been nothing short of extraordinary this year and you've somehow become Nike Tennis' golden girl along the way with all of your tennis gear bar your racket being supplied by them.

Like how now, you and Alexia are wearing the exact same Nike shoes as you all walk through the Christmas market together.

"Mami!" You complain over the noise of the crowd," Mami, make them stop!"

Somewhere between the stall making handmade Santas and the stall with fresh paella, Alexia has gotten you into a headlock and is none too kindly ruffling your hair while Alba pinches your cheek between two fingers.

"She started it!" Alexia yells back.

"Alexia," Eli says with a sigh," You are thirty years old-"

"Yeah, Alexia!" You butt in," You're old."

"No, y/n, that's not what I meant," Eli tries to correct you but she's interrupted yet again.

"Yeah, older than you!" Alexia says," Which means you're meant to do what I say! Listen to your elders!"

"Oh? So you're elderly now? Maybe you should sit down, Ale, and rest your old back!"

You shove her off of you, stamping on her foot before taking off down the street.

"Hey! Get back here!" Alexia yells, taking off after you as she forces her way through the crowd.

Alba shakes her head in mock disapproval. "You know, Mami-"

"No, Alba," Eli says," I will not only buy you stuff tonight. Stop trying to get your sisters in trouble."

Alba shrugs. "It was worth a shot."

By the time Eli and Alba catch up, you and Alexia have forgotten whatever argument you've been having in favour of nosing around some of the stalls together.

Somehow in the time it's taken for Eli and Alba to return, you've both gotten cups of hot chocolate with caramel sauce and marshmallows along with little Christmas ornaments to hang on the tree.

"Must you two spend so much money?" Alba complains as she points at the little paper bags that Eli hadn't even noticed.

"It's not our fault that we've got a lot of it saved up."

Alba rolls her eyes. "It's exactly your fault! You don't have to keep winning so much in prize money."

You shrug. "It's not my fault I'm good at what I do."

"It's your fault you're not spending it on me," Alba says, tongue poking out of her mouth.

"If I buy you stuff, will I get sister points?"

Alba doesn't even have to think about it. "Yes."

You grin. "What do you want?"

Eli sighs. "Alba, please stop exploiting your little sister's goodwill."

"Yeah Alba," Alexia butts in, her own tongue sticking out," Don't exploit our little sister."

"You do it all the time!"

"I'm allowed to!"

"Girls," Eli says wearily," Please stop exploiting each other."

It's a weak request, one that Eli knows will be ignored but she has to at least attempt it, if only to look like a good mother in a crowd of strangers.

She easily tunes out the bickering of the three of you as she turns to the hot chocolate stall and buys herself a cup of it.

You and Alexia have good taste, she can give you that because it's delightfully creamy and Eli takes a long gulp before turning back around.

She's not surprised that the three of you have disappeared.

In all honesty, she's surprised you all stuck around for so long.

Usually, the three of you go off by yourselves the moment you step into a market. Eli's kind of been a bit antsy for you to all disappear. She does her best Christmas shopping when none of you are around.

"Alexia!" You complain," Hurry up! Alba's saving us a spot in line."

"But..." Alexia pretends to stumble, making herself seem suddenly weak and weary. "I...I don't know if I can go on! You know, with my old bones!"

"Alexia, you're so dramatic!"

She grins. "Yes."

"Come on!" You say," I want to go on the drop ride!"

"You always want to go on the drop ride!"

"Exactly," You say, pulling her more forcefully than before," Because it's tradition! Don't ruin tradition!"

Alexia laughs, finally having stopped digging her heels in to throw her arm over your shoulder.

"You know I'll never break tradition."

[worfsbarmitzvah]

what i meant by this post:

this rant i typed out isn’t actually relevant to whatever i responded to except by the convoluted chain of tangential associations constructed by my brain, so posting it would not be productive or add anything useful to the conversation

i am not able to word my point well enough to make a coherent argument and i’d rather step away from the conversation than continue to waste both my and my interlocutor’s time when i know i can’t engage with the topic on the level it deserves

this is not actually a person or a topic i want to engage with or that i can engage with while protecting my own sanity, so i will not give in to the terrible rage demon in my brain that wants me to pick Every Single Battle

i am not the correct person to be making this argument and/or i am not knowledgeable enough on this topic to delve into it like this

any number of other situations in which whatever i’m typing is not actually an appropriate or productive thing to add to the conversation

what i did not mean by this post:

i am so annoying and nobody wants to hear what i have to say and it’s always better for me to shut up

no internet argument or conversation is ever worth engaging in

i promise you have thoughts that are worth putting into the world and experience and knowledge that can add to a conversation where it’s relevant. this post is about discerning what you do and don’t have to bring to any given discussion and knowing when it’s best to walk away. learning that skill also means learning when you should engage.

do you ever start writing a comment on the internet and then think “oh what the fuck am i going on about” and delete it

[l0v3r666]

YOU BACK :D!

Hopeless in love Ace and Deuce, but both are in love with MC. I can already imagine the disaster that would be.

wait isn’t this what the game is about??

Hopeless!Adeuce is insufferable with their crushes- but the thing is Ace knows Deuce likes you (and vice versa) but neither of them are aware of their OWN feelings,, they’re much too preoccupied with the icky sensation of seeing you with someone else, (100x worse if it’s not either of them) it’s excused that he’s feeling that way because he covets your friendship and doesn’t want to lose you. But when they do realize their feelings that’s when it gets real.

Hopeless!Deuce loves you loyally. He wants a life with you after he achieves his goals, and definitely thinks you’d suit a neat suburban life (maybe with a couple kids?). But he’s way too scared to admit it :( what’s he supposed to do if you reject him? All the class time he’s spent thinking about you would be wasted!!

Hopeless!Deuce thinks Ace is a total sleaze. Sure they might be friends (maybe), but that doesn’t mean he deserves to have you! Deuce would much rather protect your peace than lose to Ace, and it’s only a little awkward when Deuce shows up at your dorm even though Ace insists on hanging out alone. Deuce is only second to Grim when blocking your love life, and neither of them are very good at it <3

Hopeless!Ace doesn’t even chance thinking of life after school. Why’d he trash brain power on something that cheesey when he’s just looking for a little fun? He may want you to watch his games and give him good luck kisses, but it’s not like he LOVES you. Maybe just.. advanced liking.

Hopeless!Ace gets downright devious with how he sabotages Deuce, to the point that nothing is off the table anymore. From hiding important assignments to turning off his alarm- he’s evil about it, and so annoying. That’s what tips Deuce off that he has competition.

Hopeless!Adeuce can’t do anything right without their favourite prefect, so show them how it’s done! Alternatively, you do have pick of the litter and some of the other freshmen’ll cause less headache.. Please let them show you the “loveable scamp” is worth sticking around for!

[mixingandmelting]

Winter Series: Day 7 - Mistletoe

Summary: how  the tradition is kept when the two of you stand under the mistletoe that’s hung in front of the Christmas Tree as everyone is in the room to enjoy the Christmas party

Dick:

Duke covers Damian’s eyes, Stephanie covers Cass’, Tim rolls his eyes, and Jason asks who the hell is the culprit. Of course, honorable mentions for Alfred’s unamused expression and Bruce rubbing his forehead out of exasperation. For ten plus hours all he’s been wanting was to kiss you once. Just once. But, no matter how much he tried, it was impossible to even get a quick peck from how busy the two of you were with helping in preparing for the Christmas party in the manor. It gnaws at his mind from listening to your laughter and catching you smiling every time he passes by yet he wasn’t able to steal a quick one, much less be with you. So imagine how he feels when someone genuinely, innocently points out the mistletoe you and him stand under. With the glow of the fire in the fireplace and Christmas lights highlighting your features beautifully, his grin should’ve been obvious to what he plans next. His hand sliding from your waist to the small of your back, all his pent up frustration is released as he pulls and locks you in. There’s not a single drop of shame in him, ignoring your frantic taps on his bicep while taking in your burning face and tightly closed eyes as his fingers stay tangled in your hair. It tempts him to push against rationality and go further, only to not when he realizes you are literally out of air. With that, the kiss breaks and he pulls you up, laughing when you slap his arm while covering your face with a hand. He does complain a bit from the over exaggeration when everyone gets on his case after Alfred’s comment on how unacceptable his behavior was. He still thinks it’s worth it when your hand stays on his arm and he catches your blush remaining in your cheeks from the corner of his eyes.

Jason:

When it comes to traditions, Jason isn’t a stickler about it. As long as things seem Christmas-y and the people he cares for, especially you, are happy, he couldn’t care less. Ugly sweaters? Sure. Elv hats? That’s fine. Cover everything in gold, green, red, and white? Obnoxious, but tolerable. Mistletoe, though, is a whole different issue. He did hear about someone planning to hang mistletoe somewhere in the manor, but he needs to know whose idea it was to have it  hung in front of the Christmas tree of all places. And to make things better, it gets pointed out when everyone’s in the room while he stands under it with you whose arms are wrapped around his tricep. He was initially not going to do it despite all the crap the rest gives (Dick and Tim currently top 2 on his hit list), not wanting to put you in the center of what seems like unwanted attention, only for his brain to freeze when his eyes catch your actions. A hue of pink looking vermillion red in the warm light around your cheeks and tips of your ears, glancing up at him for a second and looking away right after. That does the trick, his mind backing up and taking a sharp detour. Silently sucking in his breath, the back of his hand brushes your face and pushes back some stray hair away before he leans down and captures your lips. It’s gentle, soft, and pure, none of the sappiness to be found as it lasts only for a few seconds. He chuckles when you instantly duck your head into his chest as soon as the two of you part, leading to some of the others to coo from the sight. Wrapping his arms around your form, he chuckles and starts giving crap back, gloating over none of them not winning like he was as he waits for you to recover. 

Tim:

There wasn’t supposed to be mistletoe. Much to Steph and Dick’s chagrin, he even made sure there wouldn’t be any, having gone through long lengths to get it banned from entering the manor and its vicinity this year. So how it got brought in and out of everyone, it was you two standing beneath it, he doesn’t have a clue. Knowing there’s no way out of it, he hasn’t stopped rubbing circles on the back of your hands as a means of keeping his sanity, color continuing to rise to his cheeks. PDA is not his strong suit, him treating intimacy being precious moments for him where he can re-memorize your features to all his heart's content without the worry of prying eyes or judgement. After all, he wants both yours and his days filled with memories of each other making every second count, not wanting a single regret left. That being said, having no contingencies for the unexpected situation, his mind starts to overwork itself to figure out how to deal with this debacle. How to make it brief but still perfect without being humiliating or gross, at what angle and pose to take that’ll be convenient for you and- oh. Eyes are suddenly wide open at first then slowly, fluttering closed. He leans in, tilting his head slightly as he melts from soft against soft, warmth against warmth. Tender yet brief, the two of you look at each other for a moment before ducking down, suddenly finding the grain in the wooden floors interesting. He’s very much aware both his hands are still holding yours. Not like there’s anything he can do about it, steam coming from his head with his blush now passing the base of his neck. He does note those that coos how he’s a “big bird flying on his own now”, swearing to get back at each of them in the most painful way. 

Duke:

It’s been over a minute since someone oh-so-kindly noticed a certain plant hanging over both of you and yet no progress has been made. Sure, some of it was from his rebellious side of not wanting to give into the pressure and the satisfaction. Really though, most of it was from how the two of you were the same red as Jason’s helmet after looking like deer in headlights. He does think credit is deserved for managing to physically face each other despite his eyes and yours avoids making contact. But that’s it. He continues to rub the back of his head and neck while you won’t stop playing with your hair, 0% confidence, 100% awkward and embarrassed from all the attention that’s being given. His mind stays conflicted and hesitant between going for it from how (and he’s pretty he’s hallucinating it) there seems to be gold reflecting off of you from all the lights while not wanting to make you uncomfortable or feel forced. So the plan was to wait for you to show some sort of sign, until he and you get pushed from behind. Initially there’s shock but it quickly disappears, his arms supporting you by the waist with your hands resting over them. The two of you stay in that position and then, slowly back away from what seems like forever when in reality, it wasn’t long in the slightest. Faces covered by one hand while the other slides down to hold the other, he swears he can hear sizzles from how badly you two are burning. It only gets worse when some start cheering, others even expressing how “cute” the scene was. He does appreciate Jason clapping Dick back when the former states something about “young love”, only for the latter to ask if the eldest had finally accepted being old. Bruce didn’t appreciate getting dragged in nor being referred to as ancient. 

Damian:

He refuses to do it. He won’t become entertainment for the family. According to what he found beforehand, it’s not even a tradition required to celebrate Christmas. It’s simply meant to romanticize the holiday and you and him are above romance for needing such a thing. He’s already having it bad where his heart won’t stop fluttering from you wearing the matching ugly sweater he’s wearing. His siblings keep pulling you away from him, curious who it was to have him wrapped around their little finger or so they said, though he fully disagrees that being the case. He tries to keep you near the snacks table so he can finally have you to himself only for it to not last long when your eyes land on the ridiculously large, yet admittingly, beautiful Christmas tree. Which of course, lands him into this situation that he completely faults you for, him having followed you when you suddenly started leaving his side. His scowl deepens when Tim and Steph go on about how it’s confirmed the two of you are really a couple for looking like matching red Christmas ornaments along with the matching sweaters. The rest of the siblings join in to egg on while Bruce and Alfred tries to mediate (Dick acted as if he was also but was obviously not when the corner of his lips kept twitching). Then, while he’s in the middle retorting back, he feels something on his cheek. He goes mute, words dying in his throat, his mind slowly processing what just occurred. Then he turns to you only for him to find your ears completely dyed, fidgeting nonstop and playing with the hem of the sweater. The moments get ruined from laughter but he eventually does your cheek back, telling you it’s his way of getting back at you with a stained pair of his own when no one looks. Or so he thought, which leads to round three of arguing to start. 

[jayktoralldaylong]

One of my favourite things about Arcane is that all the couples can be read as toxic, which is GREAT.

I'm tired of people bringing morality debates into dark media. Let dark media be fucking dark. You guys wouldn't survive a day in the TMA fandom, needing everyone to be as good as gold. How are they going to make for enjoyable complex characters if they're not morally grey. In fact, I wish there'd been more expansion on just how morally black they can become!

"CaitVi is so toxic" According to lesbian statistics, that sounds just about accurate. 💀 Heck, I wish Caitlyn had done more (Not really, but it would have been nice to further explore the darkness in her heart). Isn't it adorable how she immediately folded as soon as Vi called her cupcake? Caitlyn's like one of those villains that will consistently do the most....until it comes to someone else hurting her girlfriend. The only one allowed to hurt her girlfriend is her. 💀

Then let's talk about Vi. Someone pointed out how Vi never cared about Zaun's independence in the first place and many people yelled that they were wrong. But actually, they were right. Vi never wanted Zaun. Zaun was Silco's dream, and Jinx inherited that dream cause Silco would never shut up about it. Vi wanted Piltover to take responsibility for all the shit they allowed to happen in the Undercity. That's a part of the reason she joined up with Caitlyn in the first place. Let's not forget she wasn't dissuaded when she dragged Jayce down to fight with her and he killed a child. Children been dying, it's been her whole life. Someone needed to do something about it, and Zaun would have just isolated the people from all the privileges that Piltover SHOULD have been providing for them. Some people just can't accept that Independence cannot in fact solve every problem, and sometimes independence is colonisers running away from the responsibility of fixing the mess that they started in the first place.

Besides, we all know Vi joined up with the Enforcers because "I feel like I am worthless if I can't be of service." She'd already run out of family members to serve, Caitlyn was the next best thing. She's just like Jayce.

And speaking of Jayce, let's talk about his violent levels of codependency with anyone who'll give him attention. People LOOOOVE to talk about Mel, but it's there with Viktor too. When bro wasn't basing his worth on his inventions, he was centering it around Viktor.

Viktor who decided at some point in his life that he would not LIVE without Jayce. He was fine dying without him, but living without him was unacceptable. Oh how healthy. 🙄😂 Viktor be the kind of toxic ex to threaten divorce 500 times over, then burn the world when you actually leave him. Jayce is no better cause he's the kind of guy to keep going back to his toxic Ex.

Yes, Mel is manipulative. That's what I love about her. How are you guys failing to give this woman the praise of being an outsider in Piltover, but running their entire council. 💀 Girl raises her hand once and the whole government starts spinning. She was the best sugar mummy Jayce and Viktor could ever ask for. She kept the whole city running. Literally the entire of Piltover dancing on her palm. And yes she manipulated Jayce but let's not forget she thought that was a love language. 💀 You wanna be mad at someone, be mad at Ambessa for raising her that way.

I also don't think it's fair to blame her for the Undercity situation, she's not native. Monkey see, monkey do, and not a single one of those Council members actually cared about the situation down there, it was deplorable. 💀 Jayce did way more in his two weeks as Councillor than any of those drug pushing, money laundering, Piltovian heads of government.

And that just covers MelJayVik, we don't even need to get fully into TimeBomb, cause we know what's wrong there. 💀 Surely we have not forgotten the many teammates Jinx has killed, but making sure to never kill Ekko cause that's her man. Ekko has a lot to unpack, like how his consistent and unwavering love for Jinx is an indication of a lot of doors he might not be ready to open. I know they dynamics go crazy and I love to see it.

Ambessa and Sevika are a crack ship but I'm sure we all know bedroom dynamics go crazy with Mrs. Warlord and Miss Liberation. I love it when characters clash in a toxic heap. It's insane and should be explored.

Quit saintifying my toxic ships with your woke morality debates. If you want everyone to be sunshine and rainbows then you should be watching literally anything else. 💀 "It's not healthy." GOOD, I like it that way. 💀 Angst, spice and trauma are the recipe for a plethora of explorative fanfiction. Any of their dynamics can be taken in any toxic direction and I want that EXPLORED.

[mishkatelwarriorgoddess]

I sit conflicted on this issue. Let me explain before y'all come for me.

I TOTALLY get the fact that insurance COMPANIES beget violence on the American people daily. And I was one of them that had to jump through a multitude of hoops and take the recommended prescriptions, one of which has been taken off the market, to take care of my lower back/hip/leg pain.

I had my own doctors go to war for me so that I could get the surgery that has allowed me to be able to continue teaching for the last 7 years, and probably the next 6-10 until I retire.

But also, I took advantage of the programs that my INSURANCE had that actually sped up the process from 5 years to 2 1/2 years. It meant getting a lot of signatures and paperwork, but in the end it was worth it.

On the other hand, the CEO was a MAN. His sons will continue their life without a father, and his wife is now a widow. I KNOW that his death doesn't really impact the family financially, but the emotional toll on the family is where my focus has gone.

It does this because of me being an empath and that empathy showing up ALL. THE. FREAKING. TIME.

I do not wish violence on anyone, except maybe my ex's girlfriend/wife but that's a story for another day, nor do I condone the violence that the shooter did.

BUT I do understand his frustration and feeling like he had no other option because of what little we've heard about his medical background. And I am VERY surprised it took this long for something like this to actually happen with the access that we have at our fingertips in this day and age.

I guess what I am saying is I feel for the former CEO's family on a human level. But in the larger scheme of things I too am sick and tired of the insurance companies making decisions based on JUST their bottom line and not taking the whole person into account, and realizing that the DOCTORS of the insured are actually experts on the patient and know what the hell they are talking about when they say that the patient would have adverse reactions to medication X, Y, Z and not force the patient to show the reactions.

Our healthcare system has got to change, and hopefully this incident is the starting point of the change.

I’ve got my tumblr inbox turned off so I really have to commend the person who actually emailed me to let me know they don’t like the things I’ve posted about the UnitedHealth CEO being murdered on their commitment to their beliefs.

But seen as how you emailed me from a dud email that appears to be bouncing back replies and I really wanted to address something you said to me about violence begetting violence:

My migraine medication, the medication I was given for my debilitating neurological disease that has gotten so bad I spent most of this year actively suicidal, costs $1300 a month.

My insurance covered it. But only because my doctors office went to fucking war for me because I’m a high anaphylaxis risk for the drugs the insurance wanted me to try.

Because that’s the thing.

My doctors knew, based on my documented medical history, I likely wouldn’t be a good fit for the “first line” of preventative migraine drugs, but because of insurance, I had to be given drugs that were contradictory to my other life threatening conditions, because otherwise insurance wouldn’t cover anything else.

I failed them. Spectacularly and with an anaphylactic reaction to one of them. And I was still warned insurance would fight me because I hadn’t tried the remaining drug they wanted me to try.

A drug which I would have to take in an ER waiting room because my mast cell disease is unpredictable but insurance wouldn’t cover in-patient treatment to let me try it safely under medical supervision.

Is that not violence?

Were all the times I was denied coverage for vital and necessary procedures that could have prevented my disabilities from worsening not violence?

Maybe not in the sense you mean. But I assure you it felt very much like violence to me.

Do I condone murder? No, obviously. But I’m also sick and tired of people pretending that what is happening to the American people every day isn’t eugenics through class warfare.

Violence begets violence.

It sure fucking does.

Maybe these insurance companies should have thought of that first.

[comatosebunny09]

merry christmas, mr. sylus [ aftermath ]

— summary: maybe he doesn’t hate you as much as you thought. — cw: fluff, romance, jealousy, feelings of inadequacy, reader is not mc, ceo au, modern au, aged-up characters (sylus is in his mid-30s), mutual pining — notes: a happy ending for the holidays. happy holidays, all! [ part 1 | part 2 ] — now playing: some days - stella jang

It’s been nearly a week since you kissed your boss that fateful night.

Well, more like since he kissed you. 

And it’s strange because even though he was the one to initiate it, he’s been avoiding you like a sickness. His curt good mornings have felt glacial, where they were once warm enough to light the torch of your day. Your daily briefs have felt rigid, and the car rides together have made you want to tuck and roll out the door. Worst off, he hasn’t maintained consistent eye contact with you since Christmas Eve, his gaze often fleeting away, studying the floor or the blurred space over your shoulder.

It really pisses you off. It’s bad enough that the night replays in your mind like a warped record, bringing with it warring feelings of relief and hurt. Relief because, maybe, he didn’t push you away as much as you initially thought. Hurt because the look on his face when he booked it to the elevator, leaving you to nurse bittersweet emotions and a broken smile, is permanently ingrained in your memory. 

The pain overshadows all because he won’t even look at you now. 

Were your lips chapped? Is it because you didn’t know what to do with your hands? Did you smell offensive? Were you just shit at kissing? Said thoughts hover in your mind like a nebulous cloud stretched across the galaxy, even as you sift through documents and folders, trying your best to distract yourself. 

Mr. Sylus is tucked safe in his office behind you. Over the past few days, he’s made a point to arrive earlier than you—which is alarming considering you’re usually the night heron, showing up to fix his coffee, line up his daily schedule, and greet him with an unbridled smile. 

You slam the folder you were working with shut, garnering a few perturbed looks from the staff scuttling about on the tenth floor. Sighing, you pitch yourself back in your chair, a pout inhabiting your features. If he wants to be childish about it, sure. But you’ve rarely been one to let sleeping dogs lie, and the awkwardness between you affects your at-home life as well. 

Your gaze flits to the lower drawer of your desk. You scrutinize the lacquered cherry wood, contemplating barging into your boss’ office and giving him your makeup present. You figured maybe, just maybe, he was partially upset because he’d been expecting something more practical for Christmas. And perhaps that’s why he rushed out that night, all stone-faced and covering his lips with spindly fingers. 

You still remember their taste—their feel. Your lips still tingle, and your face bleeds bashfulness whenever you recollect. They were slightly chapped but warm as they moved against yours. And, through the union, it felt like he poured something molten into the chasm of your belly. Something that set your heart rate into overdrive, the gears in your head whirring until steam billowed from your ears.

A swift hand covers where your heart thrums, and you shake your head to dispel your memories. Was kissing him really worth it if it meant your working relationship would suffer? Obviously not if you’re mulling over it so hard. But with determination bleeding over your countenance, you bend to throw open your bottom drawer. An oblong, matte black box peers back at you from within, intricately dressed with a scarlet bow. Scarlet, like the irises burned into your memory, looking at you with utter mortification.

Banishing your thoughts, you snatch the present from inside. Kick your drawer shut, standing so quickly that the front wheels of your chair bounce against the floor. You turn towards the heavy oakwood door of his office, the embossed letters of his name challenging you, and you steel your resolve.

But fate has been the most fickle bitch as of late, intervening when she sees fit, burning your efforts to mere soot.

A familiar, mellifluous voice calls you from behind. And just your luck, it would be her. You swivel, greeting Ms. Hunter with all the rehearsed ease of someone in your field. 

She’s all bright-eyed and youthful with a thousand-watt smile. Gorgeous despite being in uniform, her hair windswept and cheeks mottled pink. A part of you would love to hate her, but you’ve truly no reason to. She’s never disrespected you, never called you out of your name. She’s been sickeningly cordial since you met her.

“Hey! Sylus in?” she asks, and your heart plummets into your stomach. Why else would she be here?

You nod rigidly, dropping back into your seat with the finesse of a bowling ball. And you take up the handset of your desk phone, dreading the familiar drawl of a particular voice on the other end. 

“Speak,” he answers, the curl of his voice making your stomach do somersaults. Despite its flatness, this is perhaps the most emotion you’ve heard from him in the last few days.

“Ms. Hunter is here to see you, sir.”

A part of you hopes he turns her away–tells you he doesn’t want to see anyone, even if it’s his darling lady friend. And you feel you might get your wish when he’s silent for a beat, the crinkly static being your only company. Instead of answering your prayers, he simply answers, “Let her in.”

Your stomach freefalls to your feet. Your mask of a smile twitches, your disappointment sluggishly leaking through the fissures. “Of course, sir.” And you hang up, standing once more to lead Ms. Hunter into the place you haven’t been allowed into for days yourself.  

She nods curtly, brushing past you, her hair wispy and the scent of stale Jasmine staining her clothes. When the door clicks shut behind her, you melt into your seat until your shoulders touch your ears, and you kick your excuse for a peace offering under the shadowy abyss of your desk. 

And to think you’d worked so hard to muster the courage to confront your boss, too.

—

It’s nearing lunch, and you’re shoving things into your bag as your stomach reminds you that you skipped breakfast. You sling your pack over your shoulder, pushing your chair under your desk, preparing to hit the cafe in the city’s heart for something quick. You barely make it two steps before you’re summoned for the second time, though there is no high and light voice curling around your name this time.

This one is low and even, velvet-smooth, furling in your chest like smoke, sticking to your lungs like ash. You whip your head around to meet a familiar sheen of white hair. 

He stands in his doorframe, a pensive look on his face, scarlet eyes smoldering with something you can’t quite place. Has his hands stuffed in his pockets, and he’s looking between you and your bag, wordlessly inquiring where you’re off to.

With a nervous laugh in your throat, you turn to face him fully. “Was just about to grab some lunch. You want anything, sir?”

He shakes his head, the barest cant to his lips. It’s gone before you’ve time to appreciate it.

You don’t know whether to laugh or scream as you fiddle with your fingers. At least he’s trying to approach you first, no matter how uncomfortable the exchange. You wonder if Ms. Hunter had something to do with this. Maybe he told her what happened six nights ago, and she gave him a pep talk to put him back into good spirits. But you know that’s just wishful thinking. In fact, she seemed uncharacteristically somber when she left his office earlier, barely acknowledging your goodbye. 

“Can I speak to you before you leave?” he asks, brows slightly furrowed, head tilted, lips set in a stiff line. 

Something cold drips through you. You grab the strap of your bag, grip white-knuckled, and the leather squeaks. Despite the dread turning your limbs to lead, you plaster on a smile and nod. He motions into his office, stepping aside to let you in. And you try to ignore how your heart threatens to leap from your rib cage because this is the part where he fires you, isn’t it?

Oh well. The job was good while it lasted—something to fatten up your résumé and harden your heart.

It’s warm inside his office. Of course, it always is. And you’ve missed this, not having been amid these softened, gray, accent molded walls all week. It smells of cracked cinnamon sticks and vanilla beans with something inherently Sylus snuck in between. The city stretches like a yawning beast against the horizon, peering through the ceiling-high windows behind his desk. 

Strangling the strap of your pack, you ease into a red, tufted armchair, your legs bouncing and your throat growing dry. You jolt when the door shuts and admonish yourself for being so jittery. If Mr. Sylus intends to fire you, you’ll face it head-on with a smile on your face. 

So you muster one as he moves to inhabit the space mere inches away from you, leaning against the edge of his heavy, cherry wood desk, arms crossing over a broad chest. He’s as devastating a sight as ever, his blazer slung over the back of his rolling chair, his forearms bleeding from cuffed sleeves. And the sight of his veins, branching like a roadmap beneath his skin, still makes your tongue feel heavy in your mouth.

You’re going to miss this. 

He looks contemplative as you toy with your bag’s zipper. And your cheeks ache from smiling so hard. Wonder how long you’ll have to keep up this act before he drops a bomb on you. 

“How are you doing today?” he queries. And you blink rapidly, not expecting him to open the floor with small talk. Regardless, you’re grateful he’s offering you more than curt grunts, even if it’ll be the last time you hear them.

“Um…I’m doing alright, I guess.” 

Your stomach growls, disrupting the tension that brews between you. You rub your stomach placatingly, and Sylus snorts, perching virile hands on the edge of his desk, leaning back. He seems a little more open. A little lighter, and you find your lips twitching with a genuine smile this time.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to steal you away from your lunch break. I promise to be brief.”

You nod as a knot of nerves forms in your gut, warring with your hunger. Straightening your back, you cross your ankles, hands flattened in your lap. Here it comes—

“Do you…have any plans for New Year’s?”

You blink again, brows pinching. “Wh-wha?”

He sheepishly rubs the scruff of his neck, and you can’t recall a time you’ve ever seen him so at odds with himself. He reminds you of an adolescent, rallying the courage to ask out their crush. 

“A friend of mine owns a cabin up in the woods.” He looks at you, wetting his lips. You nod, cautiously encouraging him to continue. “He usually hosts this whole weekend extravaganza there every New Year’s. Bringing a plus one is a bit of an unspoken rule. I was wondering if you didn’t already have plans—”

You unconsciously lean forward, brows lifting. 

“—if you would like to accompany me?”

Well, that took a left turn. A hand placed over your heart, you laugh, the knot of your nerves slowly unraveling. So, does this mean your boss doesn’t hate you?

“I would love to!” you say with a little too much enthusiasm. And he smiles in turn, stuffing his hands in his pockets, chuckle infectious. 

The load of the air a little lighter, you exchange small talk, and it feels as if nothing’s changed between you. Like that fateful Christmas Eve night, you didn’t make an ass of yourself, and he didn’t regret kissing you.

Sylus walks you to the door, twin smiles donning your faces. You turn to him on your way out, awkwardly running into the hardened planes of his chest. He steadies you with tender fingers wrapped around your arms, and the gleam in his eyes siphons the air from your lungs. You find your gaze falling to his lips, his mirroring yours. And had there not been people still milling about, you would’ve kissed him.

“W-would you like to grab lunch together, sir?” you ask instead, caught up in the alluring stir of his eyes—the wispy dance of darkened lashes, the tremor of pink lips.

“Of course,” he answers, his warm breath fanning over your mouth. He sweeps some errant hair behind your ear, the glide of his knuckle against your cheek reminiscent of pill bugs rolling over your skin. 

You nod, pulling yourself from the spell the moment cast. And you lead the way, trying vainly to stifle the grin splitting your face in twain, Mr. Sylus a warm and homely presence at your back as the pair of you make your way to the elevator.  

[clockworkspider]

Setting aside whether I think killing the rich is an effective solution to the fundamental problems with capitalism...

I also wanna point out what someone else did in another post that being "rich" is different from owning capital or controlling the means of production.

Doctors and dentists are rich. They have a degree of power, but at most they own a small business. They do not control the economy.

Movie stars and top musicians are obscenely rich, they too mostly profit off their own image. (At least on the surface... Their investment portfolio is a different matter.)

When you get to heads of large corporations, that's when you get people whose money actually directly translate into power. They control means of production. Their financial decisions affect people's lives. So there, that's the people you should guillotine.

But even UHC CEO still have to answer to investors. One CEO gets shot and the next one immediately reassures investors that nothing will change, don't worry, we'll keep squeezing that profit for you.

So who even control the means of production? Yes, the major corporate C-suits. But also, to a degree, the stock holders.

Ultimately the problem with capitalism isn't even the fact that there's wealth discrepancy. Rich people are not hoarding their gold like Smaug. It's worse. They're reinvesting it into the stock market. Which is a problem because the very money the free market (and thus all good and services which it provides) runs on are from people who need to make sure it generate as much profit as possible, regardless of the longevity of the business they invest in or the consumers it serves.

So how do you turn a profit on healthcare investment? By making sure it's less accessible. How do you turn a profit on manufacturing? By paying your workers the bare minimum.

A lot of it is unfortunately cyclical. A company or union buys their employees or members a pension fund, which is what the workers need to survive after retirement. They buy this pension from an investment firm, whose portfolio managers carefully monitor the most competitive stocks, the one that'd generate the most growth. Companies wanna be those stock. They want the portfolio managers to pick them. They gauge prices and grind their workers into paste to maximize profit.

That being said... High net worth investors are a complete different level than the teachers' pension fund. Still, it's really not as clear cut as how much salary someone makes.

Okay, so, friends. Occasionally I see an American post on here about “guillotine the rich,” and it turns out that “rich” means “anyone making over $50k.”

We need to clear this shit up REAL fast, because otherwise it’s gonna wind up like the French Revolution, where more middle class and poor people were killed for being “class traitors” than actual nobles. (Did you know that France has more nobles today than during the French Revolution? While there were a few showy executions, many nobles did just fine or experienced minor setbacks.)

If someone makes $60,000 a year, they are making about twice as much as a full time worker making minimum wage in California, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, or Washington State.

Brian Thompson, the CEO of United HealthCare who was just assassinated in New York City, earned $10 million a year, which means he earned 333 times minimum wage in those states. Basically, he cleared an annual minimum wage salary in just over a day. And that “rich” person making $60k/year that you want to guillotine? He made their salary in a bit over two days of a year.

So he was rich, right?

Well. Tesla is trying to give Elon Musk a pay package of $101 billion. That is 10,100 times what Brian Thompson earned and 3,366,667 times more than a minimum wage worker. (Tesla hasn’t been successful yet because of a complicated lawsuit from a shareholder, but they’ll get there.) If you are a minimum wage worker, Elon Musk makes more every SECOND than you do in a year. And that “rich” person who you want to guillotine? He makes their salary in about 1.6 seconds. Even when he’s sleeping.

Now, remember. The Muskrat also is the head of SpaceX, the Boring Company, X.ai, and X.com, so this is just ONE pay package for him.

What I’m saying is — you have much more in common when it comes to economic grievances with someone earning $60,000 (or even $200,000) than the ultra wealthy that have real power. They are not the people you should expend your energy on.

[dixons-sunshine]

The Hottest Santa | Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

Day Twenty Five: Christmas Morning

A/N: Merry Christmas/Happy holidays my loves!

You awoke to the feeling of tiny fingers grasping and poking at your face. Opening your eyes, you were nearly nose to nose with your daughter, her toothy smile widening as she came to realize that she had successfully woken her mother from her slumber.

“Hi, Mama,” she whispered softly, her voice as sweet as honey.

You laughed lightly. You could not be angry when you were woken up by such an adorable little bean. “Hi, Baby,” you greeted Hazel in a voice just as quiet, slightly hoisting yourself up to rest your weight on one of your elbows and reached out to cup her cheek in your hand. “What are you doing up so early?”

She giggled and looked over your shoulder, before shifting her attention back to you. “Gifts,” was all she offered up for an explanation, and that was all you needed to hear to know why she was up barely at the crack of dawn.

From behind you, you could feel two arms encircle you, pulling you flush against the chest of your partner. He rested his chin on top of your shoulder, his tired cerulean eyes meeting those of your daughter. Despite not being able to see his face, you could tell that he was smiling. That beautiful smile of his was always present when your daughter was involved.

“Gifts, huh?” he inquired in a ‘surprised’ voice, feigning ignorance. His voice was gruff and clearly still laced with sleep. It sounded downright sexy, although you had to remind yourself that it was definitely not the time to let your mind indulge in not so innocent fantasies.

Hazel nodded and eagerly pointed towards the door. “Gifts! Out there!”

“Can’t be,” you said with a playfully surprised gasp, your eyes widened for a dramatic flare.

“It is!” Hazel giggled, her earlier quiet demeanour gone and long forgotten. “Under the tree. So many gifts!”

“Santa must have come, then,” you whispered softly, as if revealing a secret you had sworn to take to the grave.

Hazel did not share in the sentiment of keeping quiet. She squealed happily and bounded on her toes, a mere two seconds away from losing her cool and racing to the living room to open all of the gifts. Her excitement elicited chuckles from both you and Daryl, and you had to admit, your daughter’s happiness was contagious.

“Okay, okay. Here’s what we’ll do since I can tell you really wanna see what Santa got you,” you began with a big smile on your face. “How about you go get dressed and Daddy and I will meet you downstairs. We’ll eat a very speedy breakfast, and then we’ll see what Santa brought us during the night.”

“Okay!”

That was all it took for Hazel to go running from the room, leaving you and Daryl alone. You turned over to finally face him, smiling up at him and taking in his handsome features as his body slightly hovered over you. God, how did I manage to get so lucky? you thought to yourself.

“Thanks for the gifts, Santa,” you joked with a light laugh.

Daryl rolled his eyes and let out an amused scoff. “Don’t start. S’too early for the teasin’.”

“What? I’m just trying to thank you,” you laughed, bringing a hand up to cup his cheek. “Did you see how happy she was, Dar?”

Daryl nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “I did. Ain’t never seen her that excited ‘bout anythin’. Was definitely worth it, them days spent lookin’ for toys and shit like that.”

“I appreciate it,” you began in a sincere tone of voice. “And I know Hazel appreciates it, too, even if she doesn’t know that her daddy is Santa.”

“You ain’t gonna stop callin’ me that the whole day, are ya?”

“Nope,” you confirmed with a smile. You leaned up and gave him a soft, tender kiss, one that spoke volumes of the love you both had for one another. “Merry Christmas, Dar. You’re definitely the hottest Santa I’ve ever seen.”

“Thanks.” Daryl huffed a breathy laugh at that and simply shook his head. “Coffee first, then you can continue with your relentless teasin’. Deal?”

“Deal.”

And to seal the deal, you pressed your lips against his for one final kiss.

[asthedeathoflight]

Still thinking about none houses left grief, and while I understand where people are coming from, "it took me out of the world" is just... Really not a relevant criticism here. Like, that line is SUPPOSED to be jarring. It is supposed to be kind of darkly funny, but the point isnt for you to laugh. Its not trying to be a punchline. The point of that line IS to "take you out of the world" because the point is that *this world isn't what you thought it was.*

[cometconmain]

I have someone who comes to groom my dog because I physically can't keep up with it. He's extremely good at his job.

He also thinks Trump isn't all that bad a guy, the Democrats are the anti-human rights party, had no idea the Supreme Court was a thing/is controlled by Republicans and that's why so many human rights are being rolled back in America, refuses to actually use his privilege of having a preferential voting system to not have to vote for the two major shitty parties because he insists on believing nothing good has been done despite numerous proving points to the contrary in his own life let alone others' lives, thinks climate change is a hoax and can't wrap his head around why university studies need to be checked for a donor list and a fossil fuel company supported 'study' isn't reliable actually, hasn't even learned the most basic empathy concept of "you not suffering from a problem other people suffer from doesn't make that problem less important/you should care about people whose lives you don't experience", outright said with his full chest that maybe we should racially segregate the Olympics again actually, and a number of other toxic to downright rancid things I would have just written him off and slammed the door in his face for last year let alone a few years ago.

Don't get me wrong. Talking to him is fucking EXHAUSTING and I feel physically disgusting afterward having to just calmly listen to all these things he spouts which have historically resulted in entire groups of people being targeted for genocide and numerous other human rights abuses when left unchecked and allowed to fester at the societal level.

BUT HE LISTENS WHEN I CHALLENGE HIM.

I can see him actually seeing me as a human being worth listening to. He's older than me and definitely been down way too many right-wing rabbit holes for me to pull him onto the surface any time soon. But I'm giving him things to chew on and hopefully if we're lucky I've planted some seeds which will eventually grow into some semi decent human being plants one day. He's really ignorant and clearly under-educated and that itself isn't his fault and biting his head off isn't remotely going to make up for that gap and is only going to drive him further into the arms of whatever fucked up extremist conservative groups he's been listening to.

He is reachable. He's just also a very long project I only get to work on for an hour at a time every 6 weeks.

And some of the things I've said which I think were part of what got through to him involved showing empathy for him being a single father(? I may have mixed that up with someone else but I think he is) with a disabled kid. He shows empathy for disabled people because he's the father of one (and probably is neurodivergent himself I believe but unsupported and doing his best to give his son the support he didn't get from the sounds of it).

But yeah.

Listen: you don't have to take shit to the face if the person is solely malicious and trying to hurt you. No one is obligated to meet that with kindness and anyone saying otherwise can get fucked. There is a limit to how much bullshit someone can cop while the bullshitter acts like any emotional response to their bullshit is unreasonable/out of nowhere and that is valid on the part of the person copping the crap.

However, if you a) can handle coping long enough to break down those walls with unexpected kindness/it isn't dangerous for you to try that method (VERY IMPORTANT. PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE DETAILS. DON'T TRY THAT ON SOMEONE WHO IS ACTIVELY THREATENING/DANGEROUS TO YOU), or b) can tell it's soft bigotry/general ignorance driving the otherwise yuck things being said, do give the compassion and patient education route a try.

I've had numerous instances of me holding shitty ignorant beliefs I had no idea were actually harmful. The people biting my head off didn't get to me. The people who took the time to see I was just ignorant and under-educated on the matter (and hadn't yet developed the empathy for a group I didn't belong to) taking me aside and patiently dealing with my idiocy long enough to explain things to me in a way that got through my skull (and eventually into my heart as well) were the ones who fundamentally improved me as a person. I still have plenty of things I always have to work on. But I can tell you now I would be much MUCH worse without those patient, kind, educational interventions by people who could tell the difference between malice and ignorance.

The same applies to everyone else.

Human beings are human beings. All of us. Re-humanising each other is the last thing any of the politicians and extremist groups want us to do BECAUSE IT WORKS. IT BREAKS THE WARPED MODEL OF THE WORLD THEY PORTRAY AS REALITY TO DIVIDE US AND KEEP US ALL AT EACH OTHER'S THROATS INSTEAD OF CUTTING OFF THE FOOD SOURCE FOR THEIR WEEDS AT THE ROOT.

When we remind a hurting person that we are a person too, not the bogeyman the extremist groups paint us as, it shakes their warped worldview to the core. It makes them think. It makes them QUESTION. It makes them look at the flower the 'evil' Pride-pin wearer gave them because no one gave them flowers when their mother died and their hate begins to crack at the seams.

The things the world teaches men hurts men too. Teaching them they DON'T have to subscribe to that mentality all the way down to the roots of the patriarchy weed is the best and most effective way of cutting that mentality off at the source. Even if you struggle to empathise with men because you've been hurt; ok, valid. But it is demonstrably more effective, sustainable and long term changing to just get rid of all of it by addressing their pain and showing them how much healthier and happier they can be just in their own life let alone others' lives by casting off the system that hurts them too.

I'm pretty sure I'm just rehashing the same points here, sorry, but the concept of deradicalisation as a healing and long term change tool has been my social justice special interest this year so talking it out helps it solidify in my own head too. (And gives me strength to deal with bullshit because it reminds me it's worth copping what I can personally handle in order to get someone to think, change and grow, one exhausting person at a time).

part of the reason i love how bell hooks talks about masculinity is that she shows real compassion towards men suffering from the effects of toxic masculinity. she was conscious of how we need to unlearn the ways we talk about men + masculinity just as much as we need to unlearn the same for women + femininity. so many times ill see someone talking about toxic masculinity like (hyperbolizing here but only slightly) “these FUCKING STUPID BABY BITCHES won’t MAN UP and go to a therapist!!!” and like. i get the anger. but you see feminists recreating patriarchal manhood by only promoting good behaviors through patriarchal frameworks. any use of the term “real men” is bad because it reifies the idea that manhood is a special title you must earn, and it is something possible to fail and fake. & as important as it is to promote sexual equality + the pleasure of non-cis-men, lots of people are essentially still working with the idea that men need sexual prowess to have worth but just shifting it slightly so there is more emphasis on women’s pleasure. but I want cis men to think about their partners’ pleasure because they care about their partners, not because they need to check a box in order to keep their man card. and don’t get me started on small dick jokes– and the absolutely pitiful excuse people will use that “well, I don’t believe it, but misogynistic men get upset when I say it, so it’s okay!”

basically bell hooks is so fucking right. in order to create loving men we need to love men, simply for being alive, whether or not they are performing. as much as we need to actively unlearn misogyny (and we do), it’s equally vital we unlearn patriarchal ways of seeing manhood. we can’t just assume that taking a feminist perspective automatically means there is no work to be done there.

[egophiliac]

this started as a reply to someone (a million years ago) (I am so sorry) and then very quickly got out of control, as these things do. so...uhhh....here's everyone else at Playful Land!

sorry

[lotus-pear]

yeah sure therapy is nice but teen soukoku is faster and a lot cheaper

[lyricwritesprose]

Sometimes, old media is engaging in insensitivity, but it is also doing its best to rip bigots a whole new one.

Like Blazing Saddles. Which has redface (used specifically to mock Hollywood portrayals of natives) and homophobia, and not great representation of the intellectually disabled, and a whole lot of unacceptable language, and was born of Mel Brooks' absolute fiery blinding rage against racists. In my opinion it's his best work, because I don't think he achieved that level of searing anger again and sometimes the best comedy happens when you're in a mood to rip someone's balls off with your teeth.

(It's also intensely memeable. To this day, when I refer to someone as "the common clay of the New West," my husband knows what I'm quoting and where I'm going with it.)

Huckleberry Finn is another one, which this post already covered. Absolutely unacceptable language, absolute rage against the sea of bigots that seemed to be society at the time, would we do it that way now, no. But it doesn't mean it wasn't what the people then needed to see and hear.

The thing is, when you're looking across time, sometimes allyship looks a lot different from what you want out of a modern day individual on the tumblr dot com. And sometimes a writer is ignorant along one axis and absolutely fighting for justice along another. (Dickens was an antisemite. He also gave us so much language and symbolism for talking about poverty, such that my dashboard has been nonstop Dickens for more than a week now—I mean, yes, that's because it's Christmas, but the man wrote such a story that talking about rich people repenting is now part of the fabric of Christmas, and how many writers can even dream of that?) The point is that what we think of as flawed and fumbling and having so many problems it may not be worth it—that thing might have been the best instrument for justice that the writer in question could possibly forge. and it may have done things that our own sense of justice and fairness is built upon.

So it's a good idea to delve deeper than your initial reaction and ask why.

You gotta read and watch some old books and films that aren’t 100% modern politically correct. I’m not saying you should agree with everything in them but you need to learn where genres came from to understand what those genres are doing today and where media deconstructing old tropes is coming from.

Also, more often than you might think, they’re not actually promoting bigotry so much as “didn’t consider all the implications of something” or just used words that were polite then but considered offensive now.

Kill the censor in your head.