#or even that they're about outsiders finding community amongst each other

[homoquartz]

a show doesn't necessarily have to be ABOUT queerness to BE a queer show. it's a cultural dialect that cishets don't quite speak.

edit: i gotta clarify that the shows do indeed still have to have actual queer characters in them to count

[acid-ixx]

Planned Fanfics !

ft. platonic/ yandere batfam, superfam, villains, au's & many more!

— Disclaimer! This contains massive spoilers and all my plans for future works that I'll soon publish. This is posted because I wish to update my readers upon the contents of what I'm working to write and for them to leave inputs and whatnot. Sorry for the delays and all, life is hectic and as much as I love writing, I also have a life outside of this site sadly. By the way, this is not even half of my drafts and if anyone is interested in the things written beneath here, then please do tell!

To Be His Child is All I want (A&A, Chapter 5): Confronting Jason, one of your brothers who played a role in neglecting you, and being partly the reason why you ventured out the manor to seek love, away from the unhealthy environment, was no easy task. Back and forths with him, and reasoning why you don't wish to return back 'home' only poured fire into the flames of your already aching heart, as you scream about only wishing to be loved by even a fraction of the compassion Bruce feels for all his other children was all you needed to feel happy in life. It was enough to leave Jason breathless, muddled with emotions he couldn't quite grasp.

As you drown in a seamless fit of arguing and sobbing into the arms of your brother, the manor holds a meeting regarding your sudden disappearance. Bruce is promptly disappointed at Jason's absence; the others are just as intrigued with Dick and Damian's urgency to find you. Yet all are unbeknownst to your plans of escape, and most especially to a certain Kryptonian's scheme to have you in his arms all for himself.

Family Dinner (A&A): Silly, old you can't seem to stomach the fact that they're all looking at you now at the elongated table when months ago you were a mere ghost in their eyes whilst they chatter happily amongst each other. Unfamiliar with how communicating with a family who estranged you works; you end up having a panic attack in the middle of dinner when Damian attempted to hug you.

To Love and To Cherish (Random): Bruce Wayne loves his spouse and everything about them. They're everything desirable in his eyes and he couldn't help the urges that keeps him running back to you every time he patrols to ensure not only the safety of Gotham, but for the sake of his growing plans to fully integrate you as a full-time house spouse. The problem Bruce faces, though, is that he's not actually married to you, yet, and you're unaware of his prying eyes on your form as you live alone in your shabby apartment.

Flowers on My Grave (A&A, Hanahaki AU): Flowers don't only bloom inside your lungs when you're rejected by someone you love romantically, they can also manifest through platonic love unrequited. Vomiting a bouquet of yellow carnations and an arraw of purple and blue hyacinths, you set to sever the bond of love you once felt for them once and for all.

Cold House, Lone Spouse (Loving Family, Unpalatable Desire): You come home from Clark's farm to sleep in your own room to make sure nobody suspects a thing; expecting to power through the pain of loneliness in your room. But you end up waking up to Bruce's body pressed against your back and his arms caging you, unrelenting in its pursuit to make sure you never seek out another man's hold again.

Once Your Son, Always Your Son (Loving Family, Unpalatable Desire): Your routine with your beloved son, Jon, leaves nothing else to be desired as you set about your usual nightly schedule of helping him clean up, fix his bed, and read him bedtime stories— something you've grown accustomed to love naturally as being a parent does. But when Damian comes to visit you once Jon falls asleep, he enviously demands you do the same to him and to return to the manor where a better family is waiting for you.

The Confrontation (Loving Family Unpalatable Desire): Clark's night with you always ends up with him hovering above your body, kissing all the exposed parts of your skin, and worshipping your body which lays upon his bed every night. It's the perfect fantasy, yet it's promptly shattered when he sees the familiar silhouette of his comrade, clad in all black, demanding that Clark returns his spouse back in his arms; as if he's not the very same man who left you all alone that night at the gala, available for taking.

A Father's Strange Case of Gift Giving (A&A): To make it up to you, Bruce tries to spoil you rotten with a bottomless allowance and unrestricted access to all his credit cards. Even a mansion built on your name is built as one of the family's vacation houses. One unsettling fact, though, is Bruce's proficiency of capturing every detail of all things you prefer in such a short span of time after kidnapping you. (i.e. You're unaware of the cameras planted in every corner of your room trying to capture the things that makes you smile).

Mind Games and Mind Control (Brutus): What if it were The Riddler and Scarecrow who saved you from nearly dying? With your emotional reception, and both their wits, you end up stirring more trouble for Gotham's vigilantes. But during times where you've nothing to do but watch as both villains enact upon their master plans, itching to satisfy the ache of bloodlust coursing through your veins, you start to notice the abrupt bouts of energy they exert upon tormenting whoever stares at you (sitting comfortably on a cushioned couch, treated like royalty no less) or talks behind your back— crazed for your words of approval and praise as if it's not them who are capable enough of controlling you instead.

The Powered, and the Powerless (Random, Romantic Batfam): During the night, they are your city's saviors, the light that shines bright on darkness, the hope that never wavers through moments of fear. Daytime, meanwhile, they're portrayed as a rich, socialite family who donate millions on charity and everything that promotes good costs. Power comes to them naturally, and praise is served to most of them in a silver platter for all their hard work. You can even say their status is akin to that of Gods, except you don't think of them the same way others do; choosing to utilize your immense knowledge of internet safety to publish articles and conspiracies pertaining to each member of the Wayne family through anonymous forums. Yet all this results in their interest in your secret identity.

Fate Unwanted (Random, Soulmate AU): You're a simple person living on the outskirts of an unnamed town on the boundaries of Gotham. Curious on why your parents are protective of you, forcing you to live with countless of strick rules written boldly on paper and plastered on the front of your refrigerator, and why you just can't seem to produce or perceive any soulmate bond; you set out on a mission to find the mysteries of your unmarked soul. Little did you know that the strangers you stumble upon who chose to assist you on your journey, all from every city and every known state, have found their soulmate that they're unwilling to share.

[deconstructthesoup]

Some miscellaneous trivia about the Hellraisers (my concept for a next-gen party involving Fig and Fabian's baby sister and a couple of theoretical Sandra Lynn-Jawbone kids):

-Despite Faroe's affinity for wild-flavored yogurt with fruit chunks, she is absolutely Hallariel's daughter, right down to the flighty, rich-girl nature, the love of letting loose, and next to no knowledge of basic life skills. This has, in part, come from Hallariel---outside of mandatory sparring lessons, of course---spoiling Faroe rotten, and Gilear has never once attempted to dissuade her. Of course, this treatment of Faroe didn't necessarily help Fabian's opinion of her in the early days, but seeing as she absolutely idolizes both him and Fig, they had to start getting along eventually. They still challenge each other to a duel whenever they see each other, though.

-Arko's personal hero is Gorgug, purely because of how he completely changed the game of artificing. They don't flip out often, but they did flip out when they first met Faroe and the twins and learned that they knew him, personally.

-Parker and Luna both see Adaine as their super cool older sister, but only Luna really views Aelwyn as her sister, too. It helps that they're both cat people, which Parker absolutely is not. (Luna has a cat familiar named Biscuit. She's a lovely little lady.)

-Luna originally bounced back and forth between gods, knowing that she wanted to be an Arcana Domain cleric but struggling to find a god that really suited her. She initially attempted to worship the more witchy aspect of Cassandra before realizing that she didn't really vibe with the whole "embracing the unknown" thing, gave Osmir (the god of magic and secrets) a shot before realizing that the time she needed to dedicate to him would make it impossible for her to also be a wizard... and then Cassandra and Ankarna ended up having a kid who needed a cleric, and lo and behold, they were perfect for Luna. Borealis is the deity of magic, wonder, discovery, exploration, and mischief, and all that cheerfully wondrous energy means that they’re actually pretty easy to promote—especially amongst rogues. If Cassandra is twilight and Ankarna is dawn, Borealis is the Northern Lights, and the awe that comes when you find something beautiful and extraordinary even in the harshest of conditions. They’ve got similar vibes to The Collector from The Owl House—all-powerful child with whimsy for miles.

-Marsh’s birth circumstances are… strange, to say the least. His father is aroace and proud of it, but he’d always wanted to be a dad, so he asked his hag patron for help—resulting in a child that was, quite literally, made in a cauldron. Marsh does wear his fey heritage with pride (and he’s on great terms with his dad’s patron, seeing her as his grandmother), but he’s still struggling to find ways to connect with his stone giant heritage. That’s partially why he chose to be a City druid—combining structures and tech with nature felt like the best way to honor both parts of himself.

-Marsh’s dad is a lawyer who specializes in negotiating, investigating, and breaking deals between mortals and extraplanar entities. He’s also very tight-laced and enjoys nothing more than a hearty debate, which has left almost all of the Hellraisers confused as to how he was able to have a son as laidback as Marsh. That is, until it's revealed that Marsh is also really good at debating---he's just more relaxed about it.

-To everyone's surprise, Roshini has a family that's literally Elmville's version of the Addamses---which, when you take into account that she's a cross between Cher from Clueless and Megan from But I'm a Cheerleader, is truly mind-boggling. Her mom is a very amoral Efreet who considers herself above the dealings and affairs of mortals (except for her darling husband and children, of course), her dad is an undead mortician and a brilliantly talented Necromancer wizard, her younger sister is a Phantom rogue who regularly communes with ghosts and uses those skills to commit petty crimes, and her younger brother is a Circle of Spores druid who is always either finding or growing incredibly disgusting, poisonous, and/or carnivorous plants. To sum it up, Roshini's house is even more haunted and foreboding than Mordred Manor, and it doubles as Elmville's one and only funeral home. Her parents still absolutely adore and support her despite her being decidedly not creepy and cooky, though her siblings are kind of embarrassed of her in the way that siblings are. Well, her sister is.

-Arko is smack dab in the middle of five siblings---two older brothers and two younger sisters, all with names that start with A (based off of my dad's IRL family dynamic, though he and his siblings all have names that start with J). Their oldest brother is a Thief rogue---specifically, the 2024 version that literally allows you to play a D&D cat burglar---their second-oldest brother is an Eloquence bard, their second-youngest sister is a Wild Magic sorcerer, and their youngest sister is... well, undecided as of yet, but based on how much she gets into fistfights at school, there's a betting pool amongst the Spitz siblings as to whether or not she'll be a barbarian or a monk. Arko's got 200 gold pieces on her multiclassing.

-Roshini, in a hilarious moment of accidentally falling into an old cliche, eventually winds up dating the captain of the Owlbears---Ryoko Dobashi, an amethyst dragonborn Samurai fighter... and the only Aberrant Mind sorcerer in a family of Draconic Bloodlines. Needless to say, they both bonded over being the odd ones out in their families, and they're widely regarded as Aguefort's power couple. Ryoko's also very serious and straight-laced, so Roshini's manic positivity definitely balances her out.

-Faroe does not actually take bard lessons from either Lucilla or Terpsichore---well, she does take some from Lucilla, but it's a once-a-week thing for songwriting purposes. Instead, the vast majority of her bard lessons are from a bard teacher who specializes in the storytelling aspect of bard magic, which is not only recommended, but vital to being a College of Spirits bard. (Fig likely would have signed up for those classes as a Lore bard had she actually attended bard class.) Also, Faroe casts magic using tarot cards. The guitar is for Go-Ghost rehearsals and gigs only.

-Despite absolutely loving being a Beast barbarian, Parker is always a little hesitant to go into a rage---not because he doesn't enjoy going more werewolf, but because he's nervous about fully losing control and accidentally biting someone. He may have a lot of pride about being a werewolf, but he knows that it's not something to be passed on lightly. Combine that with a truly ungodly strength score (like, Parker is the embodiment of that rare and glorious moment when you roll three sixes when you stat out your level one character and know you can easily max out their core stat), and Parker, for all of their wild and rebellious traits, kind of handles themselves with kid gloves, especially around their party. Both of the twins inherited Jawbone's kind nature, and it's very evident in Parker.

-I may have mentioned that the party name came from them performing an exorcism on their first day... and, well, this is basically what went down: Faroe decided that the best way to form a party was to follow in the example of the Bad Kids and get detention, staging a fight with Parker while Luna attempted to break into the Restricted Section (she's still Fig's sister, as sweet as she is). Meanwhile, Arko wanted to use a robot to pants Gilear during the welcome ceremony, but Marsh saw them and attempted to interfere with the robot... causing it to set on fire, and Jawbone had to physically throw it out of the building (also inspired by an IRL experience of mine, except it was a microwave). As they were getting chewed out, Roshini stepped in and claimed that she'd accidentally caused the fire, which just got her detention along with the rest. While they were all in detention, chaos broke out when it was revealed that a demon had been smuggled into school... and it was friendship at first ritual circle.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand that's it!

Edit: Intro post to them here, Picrews here

[ominousvibez]

a little thing about the madrigal family and their gifts

something i really find fascinating about encanto is the different gifts each madrigal sibling receives and how it correlates to this greater idea of "protection" or "defense".

as in defense/protection against outside intruders.

like, look at the triplets. julieta, pepa, and bruno.

julieta is able to heal with the food she makes, which can help her family and her community recover from injuries from attackers faster. pepa can control the weather with her emotions-- weather that could be used to wash away or slow down any intruders. bruno literally can predict the future.

and then the grandkids, too!

isabela's control of plants and luisa's strength stand out as the most outwardly powerful. isabela can summon cacti or trees to harm any intruders, and luisa's brute strength can overwhelm anyone who tries to get after her.

dolores and camilo are a little more subtle in theirs, but they're still pretty good for a defense. dolores, similar to how bruno could predict them coming before they arrive, can hear any intruders approaching before they get there, so she can provide early warning to her family and community. camilo is a shapeshifter, he can shapeshift into other, stronger people, or even into the intruders to become a spy amongst them.

mirabel, obviously, doesn't have a gift. she's more representative of a change against the idea of the gifts being used mostly for defensive purposes. perhaps casita realizes that they're strong enough to protect themselves now, or maybe abuelita unconsciously asked for her children to get these specific gifts to protect her family and then felt like there was enough following camilo. either way, mirabel is the shift away from it.

antonio's gift of animal communication can still be used for this "warfare" or defense. he can tell his animal posse to attack people for him, or they can even become spies for him, overhearing secrets and plans from their attackers and reporting back to him, but his gift feels like the first one meant to be just for himself.

granted, we do not get the backstories of the other madrigal children that deep-- how they were as little kids. maybe julieta always loved to cook, and isabela loved flowers and plants, and camilo was always playing pranks, and their personalities subtly manifested their gifts in them.

but i still think it's really interesting how the gifts of the madrigal family can be used to defend and protect their family and community from outside attackers. after all, that's the reason that abuelita first left her home-- they were attacked by outsiders. it makes sense that the gifts could reflect a response to that fear.

[rhaemaya-valwynn]

Quiet Love vs Loud Love

While it's late at night and I cannot sleep, I want to ramble about my thoughts on Jotaro as a lover and how I wish to potray him in my own fanfics.

Outside of the obvious 'he's closed off' and 'isn't very social or interactive with others,' all of which is interpreted via the author of said fanfic or taken away at their discretion as anything goes in writings, I find that unlike many other typical ships amongst fan communities, Jotaro is a quiet lover, not a loud lover.

As I've gotten older, I have noticed that I enjoy the quiet love more than the loud love. It requires more thought and direction than just, 'He gave them a bouquet of flowers' or 'took them out to a fancy restaurant'.

It's more about subtle things, like prepping coffee, as he always gets up first. Creamer and sugar at the ready. There could be notes left around the house to remind his partner of things they always forgot about, like lunch or to drink more water. Maybe even during stressful times or a rough day, Jotaro would most likely order their favorite takeout, have it arrive at the right moment, and enjoy a silent meal between the two of you. Love is in the quiet gestures, the texts asking if they'd arrived home safely, or needed anything at the store while he was there. Buying something small while he was abroad because it made him think of them (like a carved crystal of their favorite animal, or a book in the genre his partner enjoys.)

I feel, for Jotaro at least, it would never be some broad open stroke or showcase like others would do. For him to show his love, it comes in the ability to enjoy doing nothing but working on something with them in the room, no words spoken, but each other's presence felt and held in the soft moments like these.

Of course, there'd be times when a more 'grand' expression is needed, but I am not saying they're unimportant. It is just, to me, looking into how a partnership 'dances' with each other in the mundane life breathes so much clearer and more realistic in a story. It's so easy to talk about the most extravagant events, but I find the more tender moments, like prepping for bed and a soft squeeze of the hand before Jotaro flicks off the lights and nestles next to his partner to be more riveting then him taking his partner on yet another aquarium visit.

anyway, thank you for coming to my ted talk. I'll be here thinking at 1am in the morning about quiet love.

[chronicxwanderlust]

get to know the author!

name: tabitha

pronouns: she/her

preference of communication: used to be a die-hard tumblr im's girlie but finally caught onto the discord train a few years ago! still stick to im's for like initial contact/plotting but definitely am reached better and interact more consistently on discord.

most active muse: that would be my bb marley! she's my longest active muse of about...four years now? i feel like it might be longer but that's as old as any of her blogs that i can find! but without fail she's always the muse i have the most inspiration for, and a foolproof way to get myself out of any writing slumps. will say though after really only exclusively playing her for like three years, this last year or so i've tried my hand at so many new characters/fcs and now have so many new muses that i adore!

experience/how many years: when i tell you that i have absolutely zero recollection of how i discovered rping on this hellsite!!! my middle school bestie introduced me to tumblr for sure but how i ever discovered rp will probably forever be a mystery to me, but i think i've been here since i 2011? do not remember if rping on omegle (PLEASE who let me be unsupervised on the computer!!!!) came before or after, but once i was here i started with glee rp (cannot interfere, it's a canon event) and somehow crawled my way to today and into my home amongst simple town rps asdfghgfghj.

best experience: this last year or so has probably given me the biggest giggles that i can remember ever having!!! i had the fortune of meeting some really great writers to brave this madness together and just getting to laugh and bounce ideas and plots off of them and also to have a front row seat to their work outside of what we've come up with has just been so cool and inspiring? like the fact that this is done as a silly little hobby but i genuinely am constantly left just in awe of their talent is just so beyond me!

rp pet peeves: lazy plotters or people who so clearly don't read your intro before just throwing connects out there (usually in order to face chase and it's like babe, if you read my intro i wouldn't have to tell you why x, y, and z does not fit for this muse like?)! i don't mind shipping certain faces together but wanting a ship solely for the faces and not caring about the muse themself is usually so blatant and obnoxious.

fluff, angst, or smut: big fan of both fluff and angst! i generally like more plot driven threads, which i feel usually lends itself to angst, but love balancing out the heavy stuff with something light and fun when it calls for it and def think those can help move a plot along as well! think it's kinda funny that before i was allowed to write smut, i wanted to do so more than i do now that i actually can? it's not that i won't, but it'd probably have to be a ship i really cared about and thought it'd add something to see what that connection is like when they're intimate?

plots or memes: i am the worstttttt when it comes to memes! i start off with such good intentions but usually they just build up in my inbox and i tell myself i should answer them...and then let them sit in my inbox for longer until it's really been too long since i should've answered them and tell myself i'll be better next time. but plots, i live for that shit! don't even need big elaborate ones, like one of my longest rp besties and i usually just send each other little blurbs of an idea and literally could spend forever going back and forth with musings and headcanons for it. 

long or short replies: i look back on like my 2016 rp days and literally do not know how i went from little one line responses to writing novels. like the #pls don't feel like you have to match length tag is v me coded bc i absolutely am not getting out of a response without at least a paragraph. love love love exploring my muses thought processes and reasonings and their inner monologue, which can lead to some pretty lengthy responses, depending on the thread!

time to write: tell myself all day at work that when i get home, it's time to write...and then i get home and i tell myself that it's time to nap instead! i have the most time to write in the evening/night time or during the weekends, and that's when i can get random little bursts of motivation to not wait until the suns gone down to start writing.

are you like your muses: i do like to give my muses tiny little parts of myself, like if they reference a tiktok that's ended up on my fyp, or some weird quirks or opinions, but as a whole, i don't think i'd consider myself too similar to any of them!

tagged by: @waveofstars thank you bb!

tagging: @sinsoakedsaints, @tinytriceratop, @kiplingwriter, + anyone who wants to!

[space-ninja-fashion-show]

Thinking very sappy thoughts about telepathy-having relationships (transference)

The closest you could get to really knowing how someone feels about you! Their thoughts, right there, right beside yours! Sure, it takes a Lot of work, a Lot of trust to get to that point, to allow these feelings through honest and comfortable but not overwhelming or ugly, to be able to read them with so much certainty. But once it's there! It's there! A big, bright proof of just how loved you are! Going both ways!

Unsurprisingly I was thinking about this bc of North and Higgins

North, with their loneliness and the hell that was Duviri and fighting a war all but alone, and then this feeling of just Not Belonging that persists for the longest time. This certainty that they're the worse (if not the worst) version of Kohlrabi and aren't doing anything right. And Higgins, with his self-made self he had fought for, with his need to prove himself to be worth it, eventually learning that his past self wasn't happy and realising that the present one is

And both of them having this deep and yet simple way of being told, again and again and again and with no room for embellishments or lies: you are loved. Right here, just like this, by me. You are so loved

But the others too! More thoughts!

Kohlrabi and Alden are a well-oiled machine and…that's exactly the problem, a lil bit. For Kodiak

Bc Kodiak comes around, and over time sorts out his relationship with Alden, and on the way realises that even if Alden wasn't a factor he would be dad'ing Kohlrabi around bc he grows a huge soft spot for the kid. But it's a struggle finding his place in this weird lil family unit when Kohlrabi and their first dad can literally read each other's minds sometimes

It's something that both Kodiak and Kohlrabi need to work on together. Communication in general. Kodiak to not feel like the Lesser Dad, to not look upon transference with envy, to stop considering letting Kohlrabi attempt transference just bc it might bring them closer when it'd really hurt Kodiak in the process. And Kohlrabi, well, it's been so long they almost forgot that the typical parent-child relationship doesn't have the level of communication and understanding and teamwork, and, y'know, mind-reading as theirs does with Alden. They need to work on this together

And Keiko…she wasn't unloved by her parents, no, but she was the daughter of two very busy ppl and they didn't spend as much time together as would've been best, until everything went to hell. And she'd spent her life before becoming a Tenno an outsider amongst her peers, a thorn in the side of her teachers

And then they connected her to Lanius. And they started to build a bond. Lanius was always so interested in anything Keiko had to tell them, figured out ways to curb her impulses in a way that didn't hurt. And Keiko found herself giving back what she could. Later she would understand about herself that she shows affection through actions, not words, and her connection with Lanius never required reliance on either. With Lanius, Keiko learned a level of not just understanding but willingness to understand and parental love she never would've thought was possible before

[ahappydnp]

sorry if this is a frowned upon question but I’m just curious, is the general opinion amongst their fans that Dan and Phil are together in a relationship, even if they’ve never explicitly stated?

Asfdsgahjklf alright normally I'd just ignore this kind of ask but assuming you're genuinely asking and not some kind of phannie police or undercover journalist about to make a shitty clickbait article (how did you even find me bestie lmao)

Under the cut for hot takes and also my rambling

I guess it depends on what your interpretation of 'never explicitly stated' is? I mean Dan in BIG alone said it's 'more than just romantic' and that they are 'real best friends, companions through life, like actual soulmates'. Then again in an Attitude Magazine article calling them 'best friends, arch enemies, husbands, business partners. partners in crime, soulmates, just mates, who the fuck knows'. On top of that, they've bought and just moved into their "forever home" (their words not ours) that they custom built together.

This topic isn't the easiest to discuss because yes, they are some people who have varying opinions on the nature of their relationship and want to fight tooth and nail to claim it's not what it presents to be. Obviously there's a long history of it being a very tense subject and some people think they're 'protecting' dnp by being so adamant there's nothing but deep friendship there and anyone who thinks otherwise is "crossing boundaries", but also personally I think that dismisses the larger picture and more importantly dnp's words and actions.

It's not about ~finding the truth~ or whatever rhetoric people outside the community try to peddle. It's looking at the words and actions and accepting them for what they are. Occam's Razor and all that jazz ya know. Ultimately it doesn't matter and no one is too bothered about specific labels (other than the people who will swear on their deathbed they're just friends until dnp say the words verbatim and everyone else is just gross). Also just....bro look at their instagrams...look at the videos they're still making together...and just make your own observations. Listen to them make divorce jokes and talk about their daily lives together for the past 13 years.

Regardless of certain people not being satisfied, those of us who take it for what it is are happy because they're happy (and god they are glowing lately). They've genuinely changed the lives of so many queer people. Their relationship has given unimaginable hope and comfort to people who were told love does not exist for people like us. Their friendship and trust and respect for each other has been a foundation for thousands upon thousands of people who decided they're deserving of that kind of understanding too.

It's a nuanced topic because people want to make it a nuanced topic I guess? Tldr; the majority say yes, but if you're wanting a scientific quantitative declarative statement without needing context then you're not going to be satisfied.

[theuncannytruthteller]

I'd like to make it known I'm very much Pro-Black and unlike many mines is Anti-White and Anti Everyone else who isn't Black. We have no Allies, we have no friends we're all we got but at the same time I understand not all Skin folk is Kin folk. You have some Anti-Black Black people out here who'll hold Up and yield our progress even run back and tell Whites all that we're doing. This is how many of our leaders were assassinated. You get one of them in amongst our ranks and they'll rat us out all for them snakes. I'd like to also elaborate about us not having any Allies with a paraphrase of what Muhammad Ali said. "You don't trust one snake because it isn't poisonous a snake can and will always shed its skin and show you its true colors at the end. You treat them all as if they're venomous and you won't get bitten." The only Allies the Black Man & Woman ever needed are each other.

Yo I heard the wildest thing ever on TikTok buddy said I'm Pro-Black but I just don't feel connected to Black Women. He then proceeded to say being Pro-Black is a cult because you can't have any individuality. Rather than calling another Black Man out his name and acting discourageous towards him like White people wants us to act toward one another. I sat there knowing I'm wasting time effor and energy trying to explain to him how being Pro-Black is a lifestyle. I even used the example you wouldn't call the LGBTQ+ Community a cult although it's a lifestyle so why would you call what were doing a cult. He then said because we're saying he isn't Pro-Black for not wanting to build a Black family structure of a Black Man, Woman and child supporting Black people and passing down wealth. He then said I'm a racist because I said yellow devil he still insisted to being Pro-Black even though he wants a Asian woman oh and his page was Asian Women worship. I knew I what I was saying fell on deaf ears but I tried to enlighten. By how he spike you can tell he isn't Pro-Black in fact he is very much Anti-Black. He retorted the same rhetoric as those racist Whites & Asian people. He is very much in the sunken place. On a separate post I seen a Black Woman claim her white husband is an Ally and unlearning all he was taught that he's a good man. Many replied to her respectfully saying how she isn't Pro-Black and her supporting Black people is honerable but still she isn't and can't be considered Pro-Black. It's like they have this notion that you can be Pro-Black even when your dating outside. Which is impossible its a contradiction, that's like going to a vegan restaurant finding out they serve non-vegan items only. You can't take what their saying with seriousness especially when they're spewing Anti-Black sentiments because they're being called out for the contradictions. These types should be avoided once identified and never speech truths round them otherwise they'll go back spewing secrets they're also here to confuse and use misinform to lead others astray. They're also here to derail and disconnect you from seeking out true Pro-Blackness.

[rosemary-is-in-pesterquest]

okay I gotta get something off my chest about Eridan's pesterquest route cuz I never see anyone get annoyed about it and it drives me nuts. y'know how he talks about liking wearing feminine clothing and talks about gender identity stuff? it's been forever since I've revisited this, but basically, I thought it was super weird the first time I played that route cuz it kind of like... mischaracterizes Alternian society?

like, hear me out cuz this shit gets a little odd. first of all, gender arguably meant very little to the trolls in terms of social restrictions or roles and expectations, and I think that's because of the broader theme of the trolls having different issues than the humans. see, it was always sort of a part joke, part worldbuilding, part social commentary sort of thing, that some things that were a big deal to humans weren't a big deal to trolls, and vise versa. for example, sexuality is basically a non-existent issue for trolls, and due to the way reproduction and genetic diversity works in their species, it's basically impossible for them to care about incest as we know it, and gender doesn't seem to matter as much to them socially when it comes to dating. meanwhile, the humans don't understand anything about the hemospectrum, and the complicated web of issues faced by those lower or higher on that spectrum. we see everyone struggle with their position, from Feferi putting in the work of staving off genocide by keeping her lusus fed, to Equius's trouble reconciling his natural inclination to behave subserviently with his class's expectation that he subjugate those lower on the spectrum, to Vriska's own struggle to survive by ruthless means... high bloods don't necessarily have things easier. but those lower on the hemospectrum are subjected to a lot of cruel systemic threats, which are often the direct result of the expectations that high bloods face. it's all pretty complicated, and the human kids are at a total loss... they have no clue about any of this.

so with that being the case... the things that Eridan was saying about his gender identity just seemed like they were issues imported from human society, rather than issues that would actually manifest that way on Alternia. on Alternia, it's doubtful that anyone would give a shit about gender identity, to the point where I doubt there'd really be much discussion around it. Alternia is kind of a rude and ornery place by nature... part of the joke is that Altenians may be literal aliens called trolls, but their society also produces a population of rude and ornery people that communicate primarily online... making them also internet trolls in the expected sense. therefore, if they find something that they can pick on you for, they will do it. Vriska clearly displays that this is a no-holds-barred kind of bullying, when she harasses Tavros for having a disability that she caused... and that makes cultural sense because Alternia has such a heavy focus on resilience, and physical strength. they're very survival oriented, so making fun of someone for a perceived physical flaw is very in character, no matter how horrible it is. but nobody makes fun of anyone over, say, sexuality. because it is literally unremarkable, and it would not get under anyone's skin to mention it. it's not even out of benevolence that nobody touches that topic... it's literally not on anyone's radar, because it doesn't matter. and I think gender identity is the same way. the only mention of gender I even remember from the trolls in homestuck, was Karkat telling Tavros that he should stop playing games that are for girls... but what Karkat meant was "stop playing games where you're likely to get murdered" because the girls he was talking about were TEREZI AND VRISKA. the game is called FATAL live action role playing, and Vriska explicitly uses the game to KILL PEOPLE. and that's literally the only thing I can remember about the trolls mentioning gender amongst each other. outside of that, it seemed similarly off of their radar, and a lot of the troll girls are so excellent as characters because they aren't subject to the narrative making them adhere to human "girl expectations".

and all of this makes it a lot more transparent that what the writing in Eridan's pesterquest route was really trying to do, was retcon the whole "March Eridan" meme of old, into something more progressive than it actually was. originally, the joke was just "boy in awkward looking drag = funny joke" and/or people finding it hot, which is like... standard fare for that era of fandom, but your mileage may vary on how irritating you find it. they could've just left that whole thing in the past, or just mentioned that he had the outfit in his wardrobe as a cheeky little wink/nudge to people who know what it's getting at... but no. they had to have him go on some lengthy monologue about gender identity, which Eridan in actual homestuck probably wouldn't have thought about for 2 seconds... and then they follow it up with the whole Sollux conflict?!??!!!

I'm sorry, Eridan barely knew Sollux existed and probably would never have given him the time of day before he got involved with Feferi. and Sollux and Feferi similarly had absolutely nothing to do with each other until he saved her as they were entering the medium. he literally died for her, but prior to that, I'm pretty sure they didn't know each other at all. and, and, AND. Sollux mainly needed Feferi as a rebound to help him fill the void left behind when he lost Aradia! Aradia has not died in pesterquest! Sollux has a bit of a thing for girls with chipper demeanors who act as a counterbalance to his negative outlook. but tbh, Aradia is a better fit for him because she acknowledges macabre and depressing things, but doesn't let it get her down. Sollux's troubles are acknowledged with a genuinely warm response, rather than glossed over with a coat of sunny optimism. Feferi tries to help Sollux, but it isn't perfect... and then Eridan crashes into the middle of it all expecting even more wild shit from Feferi, who honestly just can't catch a break.

so basically, if Aradia hasn't died, then Sollux has no reason to be interested in Feferi. and if Sollux isn't interested in Feferi, then Eridan has no reason to give a shit about Sollux. and when you add that to the gender thing... Eridan's whole route totally unravels. I'm not saying I don't support the idea of Eridan being GNC or trans in some way... I'm saying he probably doesn't have an oppression narrative because of it on Alternia. the whole point of the difference between Alternia and Earth standards, is to lampoon the importance of both of their issues, by showing a contrasting society that just doesn't have the hangups that the other side considers to be SO fundamental and SO important. it's like whoever wrote that route didn't understand this at all.

OOOO THIS WAS A VERY INTERESTING READ

[vsavirtualschool]

Online Learning: How the Internet Changed School

The internet has revolutionized the way we learn.

Students now have access to information and knowledge from around the world at their fingertips, through online databases, videos, websites, and more.

The days of picking up a textbook for every subject are long gone. Students now use digital sources for research papers in just about every class.

This is not only a positive change because it saves time and money on books but also because it allows students to pursue topics they're particularly interested in without having to worry about being punished by teachers who disapprove of "going off-topic."

The Internet has changed schools dramatically over the years as well - giving instructors greater ability to share course materials with students all over the globe and make classes available 24/7 via an online portal.

For many people, the internet is their #1 source of information.

This blog post will outline some of the ways the internet has changed education as we know it!

The Internet has changed the way people access information.

The internet has changed how students learn and what they're learning about.

To make connections, ask questions, or gather information on any topic imaginable, all you need is a connection to the World Wide Web!

The Internet has changed education in a variety of ways, both good and bad. It is important to be familiar with these changes as they only continue to grow more influential over the years!

One way that the internet has changed schools is by providing students access to information all around the world through online databases, videos, websites, etc.

It has also increased creativity in students. Studies have shown that kids who use technology are more open-minded and innovative than those who don't.

For example, creative expression, in terms of both visual arts and music with multimedia tools makes it possible to become a composer without years of training. Opening up this level to new creators not only might produce a lot of rich hits but may also widen the range of artistic styles available to take into account.

Additionally, the internet has also increased student/teacher connections. It is much easier now for instructors to reach out and get feedback from students all over the world, leading to a more interactive learning experience!

How has the internet changed schools for students in different parts of the world?

In many countries, internet access is not as widespread and has yet to seep into the education system.

However, there have been many studies that show an incredible value in online learning because of how easy it is to acquire information when presented in the right way.

Plus with the push for more technologically savvy classrooms, incorporating technology seems like the natural next step.

You can even get college credit by taking free online courses offered by top universities even if you don't plan on pursuing a degree.

The accessibility to information about virtually anything online opens up new educational opportunities for remote communities where the nearby library might have limited resources or outdated books.

There are several different benefits when it comes to digital, or e-textbooks.

First, less paper is used because students don't use physical copies of their textbooks anymore.

Second, some studies have shown that students with electronic tablets experience increased instructional participation because they can build relationships more easily with their classmates through online discussion boards, chats, and message groups.

Thirdly, it allows for adaptive assignments which helps customize learning according to each student's area of need to increase engagement and enjoyment." This ability is called "Accommodative Learning."

And finally, there are also psychological benefits to e-textbooks:

The ability to reread passages and annotate sections as needed.

Ability to speed up or slow down the audio narration of content, which can be especially helpful for people with reading disabilities.

Increased motivation because students are more likely to complete assignments when they know that there is immediate feedback.

What are some pros and cons to having an internet connection at school?

Pros

The advantages of Internet use by students have expanded over time. Technological advances such as increased speed and affordability have made information readily available near their fingertips anytime they need it.

Students from different cultures and backgrounds will be able to encourage each other, share their ideas, and learn how to work together.

Apart from their academic endeavors, students can use the web for research and entertainment.

In addition, it is a great way for children who come from single-parent homes or busy families that don't have the time to help their kids with homework, so they need that kind of assistance.

In this modern age, job applications are not only sent by email or fax anymore. Students can now apply to schools online and get their education from the comfort of home using a computer, tablet, or other electronic devices.

Cons

One major con would be that it slows down the lessons in class thanks to all the distractions people have when trying online.

Also, there are some dangers on certain websites that can affect students negatively. This can include seeing inappropriate or violent content that could potentially scar them for life.

There are as well many things that break down about socializing from lack of face-to-face contact which affects both teachers and learners.

Students can now take courses online that were once only available in person

Social media and the school curriculum

Social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter make it easy for students to stay connected with their classmates and teachers outside of school hours.

In fact, the use of social media in schools has increased significantly over the last few years.

An advantage to schools using social media platforms would be having immediate feedback when correcting mistakes or grading papers. This could certainly motivate students to complete their assignments.

However, some parents and school administrators are concerned that these platforms can be a distraction for students who often spend more time on them than they do with their homework or other classwork.

This could lead them away from academics, which can make some parents and school administrators concerned about the potential risks involved.

With social media's popularity on the rise amongst teens, it also makes staying connected much easier and opens up potential risks such as cyberbullying.

The Future of Online Learning

The Internet has had an unprecedented impact on our society's education. It is now easier than ever before for individuals of all ages to learn new things or gain knowledge about topics they were previously unfamiliar with, from anywhere around the world.

We have seen how this vast resource has significantly impacted classroom learning by providing students with more resources outside of their schools' reach which includes higher quality textbooks (e-textbooks), educational videos, and even live lectures online given by prominent faces in their fields such as professors and PhDs.

"Technology has changed nearly every aspect of modern life that it touches - including education." -Bill Gates

The internet, as a tool for learning, is now equal parts necessity and luxury. All over the world, schools are using technology to provide their students with opportunities not previously available when studying from books alone.

Online courses allow teachers and learners alike to take classes on subjects they can't find near their home - without leaving it!

Furthermore, connecting with classmates through social media platforms such as Instagram makes staying connected outside of school hours easier than ever before while increasing creativity amongst peers who may never have met otherwise.

And let's not forget how even job applications can be submitted online these days!

[fleetwoodmoth]

“I know it hurts to breathe but you have to stay with me, okay?” And “Come on, damn it, open your eyes!” For Luna and Jack, bc you gave me feels and it would be a shame if something happened to one of them on that mission they're planning ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

*inhales* B O I 

“That’s the target,” Jack passed the binoculars toLuna, both of them hidden quite well in the lush foliage of the Mexican jungle.

           Beforethem was a warehouse nearly a couple decades old, rusted and dilapidated butwell-fortified by its adopted owners. It was obvious that no one came out herebecause of Los Muertos, Luna and Jack having to hike nearly five miles in orderto go undetected on the one lane dirt road. Due to its isolation, the warehouseseemed to have limited guards, a few people milling about outside, most of themposted around a bonfire smoking and talking.

           “Whatexactly are we looking for?” Luna asked, the sound of the nocturnal wild lifeloud enough to drown them out from any of the guards.

           “Ametal weapons case, don’t think they know what exactly they got, it contains acube that could be used as a weapon.”

           “Acube… that can be used as a weapon… you have any other details than that?” Lunaasked, her voice flat.

           “Otherthan it should be taken out of the hands of dangerous criminals? What else isthere?”

           Lunasighed, rolling her eyes as she handed the binoculars back to him.

           “Fine,I’ve got a good idea for a perch, I’ll cover you if needed just like weplanned,” Luna said, adjusting the magma rifle over her shoulder.

           “I’llradio you when I’m in position.” Jack said.

           Therewas a moment of awkward silence, neither of them really knowing what to telleach other before they began.

           “Don’tmove unless I tell you or you’re being flushed out,” he finally said.

           “I’mcapable, Jack,” Luna replied quietly.

           Hegrunted a reply before turning to leave before Luna stopped him.

           “Becareful, Jack.”

           Hepaused, glancing at her over his shoulder “yeah, you too.”

           Lunawatched him meander off into the foliage before finding her way to theparticularly sturdy looking tree she had picked out earlier. Its branches werethicker than that of the generally small and skinnier trees of the forest.Climbing it was a breeze, like riding a bike it was easy enough for her to pickup again, tree and rock climbing one of her favorite pass times when she was akid. It took some getting used to, finding a spot amongst the branches that wasstable enough that she wouldn’t fall and workable enough that she could firefrom differing positions if needed. When she had finally settled she clicked onthe comms system.

           “Sirenin position.” She said quietly.

           Thiswas nothing like what missions used to be, at least not for her. She had heardplenty of stories from Jesse and his work with Blackwatch where one and twomaned teams were used often for stealth missions. Luna had always been underJack’s command, working primarily crisis situations which required large teams.After a moment of silence there was a soft click and Jack’s voice came over theradio.

           “76in position. Can you see me?”

           Lunascanned the outside of the warehouse with her scope until she finally foundJack on the Eastern side, back to the wall, rifle in hand. If it weren’t forthe absolute pitch darkness of the rainforest’s night he would have stuck outhorribly, it was probably why he hadn’t taken a run at the place on his own,Jack Morrison was a lot of things but stealthy was not one of them.

           “Ican see you. You’re clear for infiltration,” Luna said, watching the movementof the guardsmen.

           Therewere three who patrolled, flashlights obnoxiously bouncing off anything withinfive feet of them, making it obvious that this wasn’t a very professionalorganization. The rest of the gang members hung out around the fire mostly,their voices and laugher biting through the sounds of the forest every now andthen. Luna watched Jack move towards the congregation, he needed to get in theside door, the one most shrouded in darkness. As bright as a fire was in thedarkness it still struggled to shed any light past a certain radius, making thesmall group look like they were on an island in the middle of inky blackness,the guards with their flashlights like sharks in the water. In a moment Jackhad ducked inside, the scene in front of Luna not changing as if he hadn’t evenbeen there to begin with. Luna waited, the seconds feeling like years as shewaited for him to report in. They had a blueprint of the warehouse, it was old,nearly as old as the building itself so it was a sketchy plan to go off ofseeing as they had no idea what Los Muertos had done to it while they had it.Jack was basically going in blind and that was something Luna was the mostuncomfortable with, that and the fact that she had to sit outside and wait.

           “Theysure tore this place up,” Jack’s voice nearly made Luna jump as it came overthe communicator.

           “What’sit look like in there?”

           “Mostof the walls have been torn down, they just have stacks of crates and weaponscases. There’s a lot, much more than I anticipated, this might take a while.”

           “Ican reposition, come in and help you look.” Luna said, knowing what his replywould be.

           “No,I need you to keep an eye on our hosts.”

           Lunaadjusted amongst the branches, making herself as comfortable as possible. Shemade passes over the structure, watching the guardsmen, watching the camp fire,waiting for any sign of trouble. It wasn’t long before her shoulders began toache and her thighs were going numb.

           “Status,”Luna said, not wanting to sound impatient but the action of just watching wasmaking her stir crazy.

           Therewas no reply, only the soft crackle of the radio. Luna swallowed hard, makinganother pass over the perimeter. She waited another minute, unsure if maybe hewasn’t able to reply because of a nearby threat.

           “Soldier76, status.” She hailed again and once again the line was silent.

           “Jackif you don’t answer me I’m coming in there.”

           Shewaited, counting in her head to keep track of time, not wanting to remove hereyes from the men who had seemed to settle in around the fire. When there wasno reply Luna began her decent, once she hit the ground she clicked the magmarifle into combat configuration, allowing her to fire more rapidly in case ofconfrontation.

           “Morrisonyou better be dead on the ground when I find you,” she hissed, more to herselfthan to Jack in particular. Really she was nervous, and not just because if hewas downed she would have to find a way to extract him out of the jungle on herown.

           Lunafollowed Jack’s movements, remembering his part of the plan they had mapped outbeforehand. Being down nearly feet from the gang members was much worse thanwatching from the tree line and even her breathing seemed loud to her as sheclosed in on the door. Entering wasn’t difficult, but as she stepped inside shecould see what Jack had been talking about. Piles of crates, boxes and othervessels were stacked nearly to the ceiling, some of them laying open and empty.How many of these were full was a mystery which made Luna’s skin crawl. Shekept low, moving through the darkness as she searched for the mess of whitehair and that obnoxious motorcycle jacket amongst the cargo.

           “Status,”she hailed again.

           “Wellthis is a surprise.”

           Lunafroze, a voice coming from her communicator.

           “Ididn’t expect mister lone wolf to have a partner, probably how he grew theballs the actually move in on this place.”

           Thevoice was female with a Hispanic accent. Luna had heard this voice before, sheknew who it was.

           “Sombra.”She breathed, finding a spot to hunker down while she figured out her nextmove.

           “Where’s76. If you touch him I swear—“ “—relajate amiga, I’m miles away, your ‘hosts’not so much.”

           “Whatdo you want? Are you watching us?”

           “I’mnot watching you, I’m watching what you want, which is what I want too. Maybewe can come to an agreement?”

           Lunascoffed “if you think I’m going to give you the cube then you’re dumber than Ithought.”

           Alaugh came through the receiver.

           “Idon’t think you have much of a choice. The room that thing is kept in isimpenetrable without the right key. Luckily I have a copy.”

           “Why?”Luna asked.

           “BecauseI built it pendejo.”

           Lunahuffed.

           “Where’sJack?” Luna asked.

           “Checkyour fancy watch.”

           Lunaglanced down at the screen on her wrist, after a moment a skull flashed acrossthe screen, angular and purple before what looked like a video feed cropped up.Jack was crouched in some kind of room behind a stack of boxes, a handful ofmen sitting around what looked like a vault door. It was huge and brand newlooking, completely contrasted with the rest of the building.

           “Ican get you that cube,” Sombra spoke again, this time infuriatingly smugsounding.

           “Andwhat makes you think I want it so desperately?” Luna snapped.

           “Don’tyou want the famous Jack Morrison to return back to Overwatch? That’s why youcame right?”

           Lunafroze, how could she have known that?

           “Youget the cube, he accepts the mission is over and he goes home, you have yourlittle family back. That’s what you really want isn’t it?” Luna could hear thesmile in her voice, making her blood boil.

           “Howcome Ja—76 isn’t answering me.”

           “Theyhave com blockers.”

           Lunawas surprised by her answer, it seemed they had vastly under estimated LosMuertos. Luna chewed at her lip contemplating her options. Jack was pinned,either way this was going to go badly, and if they didn’t retrieve the cube hewouldn’t go with her. But to hand over a weapon like that to someone sodangerous, was she that desperate?

           “I’mnot gonna blow up the world with the cube, I promise.”

           Sombra’svoice chimed into her thoughts.

           “Ican’t trust you.”

           “Thendon’t. I don’t care really, this just saves me a trip to the Mexicanrainforest.”

           Shewas so casual, so frustratingly aloof. Luna huffed.

           “Fine.What do you want me to do?”

           “I’msending you updated blueprints and the code you’ll need.”

           Thecomms went silent again and Luna was left with her thoughts. After a moment herwrist lit up again, files downloading rapidly, what looked like 3D specs forsome high tech vault the first to open. She didn’t like that Sombra had sucheasy access to not only her tech but also her location. The map of thewarehouse was pretty simple, except there was an extended version that neitherLuna nor Jack had seen. A basement had been added only a few years ago, theblueprints themselves looked hand drawn, nothing like the original plans thatJack had gotten from the city. How Sombra had gotten her hands on it was amystery, much like everything else about the hacker.

           Lunamaneuvered through the darkness, guided by the plans until she found a smallmetal stairway that lead into an even deeper blackness. Descending as quietlyas possible Luna watched as a room could be seen as she was halfway down.Construction lamps lit up the space beyond the small front room that the stairsended in, what looked like four people stood around, guns at their sides,cigarette smoke clouding the air. So this was where the rest of the gang hadbeen hiding out. Luna thought back to the video feed she had seen earlier,judging by where the guards were Jack was somewhere behind a pile of emptycrates just inside the doorway. How in the world she was going to get theguards out without causing too much of a scene was beyond her. As if answeringher question all of the guard’s heads seemed to perk up, not necessarily in herdirection but it was enough of a movement to get her to find shelter behind awall of discarded cardboard boxes beneath the stairs.

           Theyall started saying something in Spanish, all too jumbled for her to understandas they began to run from the room, their voices angry.

           “Goodluck. You’ve got a minute.”

           Sombra’svoice nearly made Luna yelp from the unexpectedness. She wanted to argue, toprotest that she could have figured it out on her own, but if she really meantthey only had a minute there was no time. Luna entered the room, finding Jackwhere she had seen him, his visor just poking up from where he had been hiding.

           “Itold you to wait outside.” He growled, moving out from behind cover.

           “Yeahwell I’m here now,” she replied, beyond irritated.

           “Howdid you get them to leave?” He asked as he surveyed the door.

           “Ididn’t. They might be switching shifts which means we should hurry.”

           Jackglanced at her like he was taking her in and Luna wondered if he knew she waslying. Finally he turned back to the door, specifically the keypad in front ofit.

           “Theyhappen to leave a code lying around?” Jack asked sarcastically.

           Lunafroze, she needed an excuse.

           “Let mesee if I can figure it out.”

           Jacklooked at her, a raised eyebrow over his mask before shrugging and turning awayto watch the door.

           Lunanodded, crouching in front of the keypad. Her wristwatch blinked, a series ofsymbols popping up corresponding with the pad.

           “Ithink I heard them talking, they uh, they change the code every other week.”

           “Thishelps us how?” Jack asked in a hush tone, Luna making sure his eyes weresecurely focused on the stairway.

           Lunawent silent, she could write it off later, they didn’t have much time now. Shepunched in the code, before hitting enter she made some dissatisfied noises,like she was testing something, playing up the unwitting code cracker for amoment.

           “Gotit!” She said as the door clicked several times before opening with a hiss.

           “Howin the world—“ “—we don’t have time c’mon.” She rushed into the safe.

           Therewere several containers within the sterile vault, a simple square room with noother features than the metal walls, floor and ceiling. Jack went straight to ahefty looking case, as Luna grew closer she realized she could recognize thesymbol on its top.

           “Wait,this was an Overwatch weapon?”

           “Wenever used it as a weapon, we kept it safe. Well, we tried.” Jack pulled itfrom the myriad of other cases.

           “Howcome you didn’t tell me?” Luna asked, halfway offended.

           “Itwasn’t important. Let’s go.”

           Hedidn’t look at her when he passed, set on a determined course forward. MaybeLuna wasn’t the only one hiding something. Luna followed him, tension thick asthey began to make their way back upstairs.

           “Theysaid someone had infiltrated us, find ‘em.”

           Theyboth froze, crouching on the stairs as heavy footsteps made their way throughthe mazes of cargo.

           “Whatdid you do?” Jack snapped.

           “Whatthe fuck do you mean what did I do?”She hissed, voice low but no less filled with venom.

           Jackwent silent as a pair of footsteps came dangerously close to them beforepassing by.

           “Ifyou had just stayed outside like I told you—“ “—you wouldn’t have gotten intothat vault and you wouldn’t have gotten the cube.”

           “It’snot going to matter if we don’t make it out of here alive.”

           “Areyou really that afraid to go home?” Luna retorted.

           Jackwent silent, the only sound was the yelling of the guards above as theysearched.

           “We’renot talking about this right now,” Jack finally said, Luna’s jaw setting as shelooked away from him.

           “Seethe end of that row of boxes? On my count we’re going to make a run for it.”

           “Rogerthat,” she said, her tone compliant but no less angry at him.

           “One—“Luna let out a breath she had been holding “two—“ they both readied themselves“three—“ Luna sprinted out first, her feet light across the cement flooring,Jack’s heavy boots a little louder than her own, but as they crouched down inthe shadows it didn’t seem like they had been caught.

           “Ionly came in because I was worried.” Luna mumbled.

           Jackwas surveying the warehouse floor around the corner, not turning to her but shecould see his shoulders tense.

           “Ifwe make a run for it they’ll see us, but there’s no other way for us to get outof here.”

           “Fine.”

           Jackturned to her and she made eye contact with his visor.

           “Let’sgo.”

           Hepaused, taking her in for a moment before nodding.

           “Yougo first, I’ll take up the back, get ready to lay down cover fire,” he said.

           Lunatook a deep breath, reading her magma rifle.

           “Go.”

           Luna’sstomach clenched, adrenaline kicking into high gear as she barreled forward outinto the open. The darkness was a good cover, but Jack had been right aboutthem being spotted. It took about five seconds before the yelling started, tenbefore someone started shooting.

           “Ceasefire! Cease fire! Not around the cargo!” Someone shouted but it was already toolate, gunshots blared, bouncing off of the metal surroundings, Luna wishing shehad turned down her hearing aids.

           Shewas nearly to the door, throwing a glance back at Jack who fired back at thegang members. This was extremely dangerous, live ammo in a place filled to thebrim with explosives, but they weren’t given much choice. Luna’s hands hit themetal door, Jack pausing to cover their exit when something bounced across thefloor at their feet.

           “Jack!”Luna grabbed his arm, shoving him outside, a surprising amount of strengthsurging through her.

           Hestumbled and she could hear the panicked shouts of the gang members behindthem. Someone had just made a very big mistake. Jack turned again, reaching outfor Luna as she hurtled herself against him, hitting him in his side, armsbarely coming to a close around his chest. The next moment happened in aninstant. There was a relatively small bang, the sound of a grenade going off,both of them halfway shielded by the doorway, but it was the explosion thatfollowed that would dwarf the first as a wave of hot air rushed over them. Lunadidn’t remember what happened after that, she remembered a searing pain thennothing, just darkness.

           Thefirst thing she could hear was a loud pounding, she couldn’t tell if it was herheart or her head. She felt like she was numb, completely out of her body, orrather completely trapped inside of it one of the two. The next instant camerushing in all at once, her chest hurt, damn it burned to inhale, andeverything went from silence to too loud. She could hear labored breathing andeven as her head spun she knew she was moving although slowly.

           “Comeon, damn it, open your eyes!” Jack’s voice was worn, broken and pleading.

           Theyhad stopped moving, at least she thought so, and she could feel something warm onher face. She breathed in, choking on the cool night air, a strangled yelpleaving her throat as she tried to will her eyes open. Her vision was blurry atfirst and it was too dark to see anything, she wondered for a moment if she hadgone blind. But slowly a figure appeared, a face in the darkness looking downon her, bright blue eyes that were watery at the edges. Luna couldn’t stiflethe pained sob that ripped through her, squirming as it felt like every breathor sound she made seared her lungs.

           “That’sit, wake up, look at me.” Luna squinted, even the involuntary tears hurt.

           “Ja—“she bit off his name, her throat was too raw.

           “Quiet,don’t try and talk, I know it hurts to breathe but you have to stay with me,okay?” he was messing with something that she couldn’t see. A bright yellowglow suddenly burst across Luna’s vision making her wince which only made herhurt even more.

           “Itburns,” she gasped, her chest felt like it was on fire, like someone had lit upa gasoline tank in her abdomen.

           “Whydid you do that? How could you be so stupid? How could you—why—?” Jack couldn’tfinish the sentence, the words tangling in his throat and choking him.

           Itwas better in the darkness, Luna’s body, but as the light from the biotic fieldwashed over both of them he couldn’t stomach it. His hands cupped her swollenface, a face that was so contorted in pain and covered in soot it was nearlyunrecognizable from the teenager that had been recruited to Overwatch all thoseyears ago.

           “Youcould have run, you could have saved yourself from this. I don’t deserve—I shouldhave—“ again he stopped, swallowing hard, his mouth suddenly too dry.

           “I’msorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry god dammit.”

           Thiswasn’t the time or the place to have this kind of break down, he knew that, heknew that the biotic field wasn’t enough, he knew he needed to get her out of thejungle and to a hospital before infection set in. But even as he screamed athis muscles to comply, to stand and pick her up he felt paralyzed. Instead heshook and cried, and begged for her forgiveness as he pressed his forehead tohers. He had been so selfish, so goddamned bull headed about revenge and truthand justice and whatever other bullshit he was so focused on, to face the factthat he was scared. Fuck, he was so scared.

           Amoment passed like this, the sound of residual ammo going off in the distancefrom where he had taken Luna deeper into the brush, the sound masking the ugly criesthat escaped him. It wasn’t until the biotic field shut down, having done allit could for now and they were left in darkness did he compose himself. He hadfailed so many times, but maybe for once he could succeed at protecting thosehe cared for. He removed his jacket, gently easing Luna into it, Luna’s body tensingand her muscle spasming as they tried to simultaneously react to his touch andstop the pain they caused themselves in the same action. When she was zippedin, having gone mostly quiet, her head bobbing as he pulled her close to hischest, he rose and turned towards the road that lead away from the smolderingwreck behind them.

           “Staywith me kid, we’ve got a long walk home.”

[96thdayofrage]

According to a survey released last year 52 percent of white Americans said they believe discrimination against them is on par with discrimination faced by black people and other minorities. In Canada, a poll taken in 2014 showed that most Canadians don't think they're racist—84 percent claim they have friends of different racial backgrounds—but 32 percent make occasional racist comments, and 27 percent agree with racial stereotypes. Those ideas are at odds with each other, demonstrating a lack of understanding of the basic concept of racism.

Last week, news broke that Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef was born in Iran, not Afghanistan, as she'd been led to believe her whole life. The Globe and Mail revealed the truth about Monsef's birthplace, prompting Monsef's mom to admit she'd lied to her daughter about where she was actually born. Consequently, some accused Monsef of being deliberately deceitful to the public and even suggested that her citizenship should be revoked and that she should step down from her job. While many journalists were quick to back up the story as legitimate—and aspects of it might be—there seemed to be a resistance to even entertaining the possibility that a white politician who'd been born outside of Canada would not have faced the same level of scrutiny. For suggesting as much, in a story VICE published, I once again found myself being accused of racism against white people.

My default reaction to claims like this is to roll my eyes. But seeing as it's no longer just Twitter trolls who believe in reverse racism—white fragility probably accounts for a large part of Donald Trump's popularity—I decided to reach out to some social justice advocates to ask why they think a certain segment of white people get so defensive when minorities vocalize their oppression. And why groups like BLMTO are being painted as divisive and race baiting when really all they're doing is fighting for equality.

"When you're so deeply invested in your privilege, and in this case white privilege, racial equality feels like oppression," said Anthony Morgan, a Toronto-based civil and human rights lawyer.

Simply put, Morgan said reverse racism doesn't exist and a person who claims otherwise is "outing themselves as someone who has little to no experience or knowledge of what racism is."

Read More: White People Explain Why They Feel Oppressed

Racism is based on a couple of things—historical, systemic oppression and power, Morgan explained. And as far as history goes, white people have never been persecuted for the colour of their skin—so there's no point comparing their experiences to those of black, brown, and Indigenous folks.

"It's slavery, colonialism, theft all kinds of violations on systemic proportions... versus feelings being hurt."

There's a difference, he noted, when white people who are in a position of power espouse a hatred of minorities than when it's done the other way around.

In April, BLMTO co-founder Yusra Khogali was highly criticized when a tweet of hers that said "Plz Allah give me strength not to cuss/kill these men and white folks out here today" was discovered.

But Morgan said even if all people of colour straight up said they hate white people, it wouldn't affect a white person's ability to get a job, an education, or increase the odds that they'd get carded or charged for a crime. "If all white people had that view [of black people], that would have a very dramatic life impact on the material reality of all those people."

The exclusion of white people in spaces created for minorities is another controversy that sometimes comes up in the media.

Last fall, flyers for a white students union popped up on a handful of Canadian university campuses. On its website, the group behind the campaign, Students for Western Civilization, claims schools are bombarded with the message that "only white people can be racist, because white people are the sole beneficiaries of this white supremecist (sic) system." To balance things out, a white students' union "would serve as a platform to promote and advance the political interests of Western peoples."

Meanwhile Ryerson University's Racialised Students' Collective received backlash for kicking two white journalism students out of a meeting because they weren't marginalized or racialized. Ditto when BLMTO refused to sell white Toronto musician Sima Xyn one of its protest T-shirts during this year's Pride Parade.

"Denying me service due to my race when I'm showing my support to the Toronto #blacklivematter movement is ironic and killing my human rights," Xyn tweeted at the time.

Debbie Douglas, executive director of the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, broke down why none of the above can be considered racism but is instead, again, about hurt feelings.

"It's interesting that as soon as you de-centre whiteness, it becomes about people being anti-white," she said, noting that at a panel for queer black people she attended, some white people were asked to move to the back to make space for black people. A few were offended.

"Why is it that in a place created for black people to have a conversation amongst themselves... to talk about what it means to be black and queer, that white folks felt they had to be at the centre?"

Morgan added that creating something like a white students union or having White History Month would be redundant.

"If you look at pretty much every profession in which folks have gainful employment or relative social prestige, it's overwhelmingly white."

As for the rise of the white victim narrative, both said issues like economic downturn—particularly in the US, where working class Americans are finding themselves struggling financially—play a role. Immigration and anti-Muslim sentiments that stem from falsely equating Islam with radicalization is another factor. But it's also just a response to more people calling out racism.

Douglas said the only reason we're talking about race more right now is because of blatant incidents that can't be ignored—the police beating death of Ottawa man Abdirahman Abdi, or the fatal shooting of Colten Boushie, an Indigenous man from Saskatchewan are two recent examples.

"As soon as we begin to interrogate issues of racism people get uncomfortable with it and hence the pushback we're seeing," she said.

If your default reaction to these discussions is to see white people as victims of reverse racism, Morgan has some advice: educate yourself.

"Anybody who would want to use or identify something as reverse racist, I would strongly encourage them to stop for a moment... and really think seriously about the last time they really have taken the time to study or get a deep understanding of what racism is and how it impacts different communities."