#religious people fear monger about all the time

[lvnarsapphic]

One day we will have finally fully removed religion from the world...

[kcthelazyartist]

Fiddauthor may be canon, let’s discuss

At first glance this relationship appears to be completely fanon, but when you dig into it there's actually a lot more to Stanford and Fiddleford’s relationship than meets the eye.

This is a compilation of evidence [And slight analysis] so if I have missed anything or if anything is wrong, please let me know.

Warning: Long post ahead

Setting

-As @ratsbanes mentions during Stanford and Fiddleford’s college years the aids crisis was going on, during this time there was a lot of misinformation and fear mongering as it was falsely thought that only queer men could be affected. This event is very significant in queer history and needs to be considered when looking at their relationship.

-Fiddleford came from a hog farm in Tennessee, a deeply religious state, and as he is told to be superstitious, crossing himself when walking over graves, it can be assumed he too is religious

Religions in the same circle as Christianity tend to hold homophobic views as was common during this time

This creates religious guilt for queer people

-Queer politics were becoming a hot topic and most of society was homophobic during this period, there is a chance it was still illegal to be queer whilst they were in college, depending on where they were

This led to a lot of violence against queer people and a very real fear of being outed as it could have dire consequences

There was even programs in the military dedicated to having ‘gay spies’ to act queer and attract gay men in the military so they could be punished or discharged

There was also the Vietnam war going on, causing political unrest and many protests, america being very unstable during this period

-Lavender marriages [Marriages between heterosexuals and homosexuals, often to conceal the latters sexuality] were still common

-Putting this altogether into Fiddleford’s character it could create a very real feeling of religious guilt and fear of being outed that could of led to him entering a lavender marriage instead of staying with Stanford. Fiddleford would have had to worry about violence against himself and his family’s view of him, which he would likely worry about as he has shown signs of anxiety [But this may just be because of trauma]

It appears Fiddleford and his wife got married quickly when he left college which makes it all the more suspicious, whilst it could be they were high school sweethearts or an out of wedlock situation, it is more likely it's his fear of being outed that led to such a quick decision. [I will talk for about him and Emma-May later]

-Stanford was also in a position not to pursue anything as it can be assumed Filbrick was not the best father due to him throwing a 17-year old Stanley onto the street with almost nothing, leaving him to the wolves after refusing to hear his side of the story, and not coming to Stanley’s funeral. Filbrick instead views Stanford as something to make him money with his talents which is why he's so angry at Stanley for ruining their chances.

This would put stress on Stanford as to not disappoint his father and be the perfect child and it can be assumed that Flibrick was homophobic as many were back then.

Deep bond

-They are close enough Stanford has a measuring system for Fiddleford’s restless legs, knee bounce per second, AKA KBPS

-Stanford knows Fiddleford’s favourite can of beans, and stocks them in the bunker

-Stanford calls Fiddleford his ‘friend’, ‘assistant’, ‘partner’, and ‘buddy’, putting him on the same level as himself, not putting him down until Bill manipulates him.

-Fiddleford could tell that something was wrong with Stanford, even the slightest movement when meditating clued him in as shown in one of the flashbacks.

This itself is further evidence of their bond as Stanford trusts him enough to let him into the worship room and meditates around him, which leaves Ford vulnerable to attacks

Even parallel Fiddleford knows this isn't his own, though that can be explained through an age difference.

-Fiddleford loves his banjos, having multiple collections of them such as the one in the Gideon Bot blueprint, but he uses them as a weapon to protect others, willing to break his most prized possession to help others. He does this twice for Stanford, once during Weirdmageddon and another time to save him directly from Krampus.

During this Krampus attack Fidds had just gotten back when he saved Stanford who was about to basically be murdered, all whilst Bill was nowhere to be found

-Fiddleford only really violates Stanford’s boundaries and trust after the memory gun and neglect of his mental health have come into the picture, he does this when he steals the book to create a thesis to try and help Ford, and when he used the memory gun on him [More on this later]

-Alex Hirsch refers to them as the kind of friends with the same kind of interests and humour

-After 30 years away there is a thought shown on the mind reading machine that just says ‘I’m sorry Fiddleford’, completely unprompted

-The ‘Sorry’ photo in general

-When they first met Ford saved Fiddleford from dropping out due to embarrassment

He stayed up 9 hours with a stranger to help him prove a theory

-Ford takes notice of Fiddleford’s reaction to the cubics cube and takes joy in messing with him, knowing he wont get angry at him

-Both recognize each other at weirdmageddon despite how long they have spent apart [Ford may have seen him in Dipper’s part of the journal, but Fidds, with brain damage, had no reason to recognize him]

-Despite disliking Fiddleford’s tobacco chewing habit Ford allows him to continue with it

-Fiddleford can read Stanley, who has similar mannerisms to Ford, like a book

This is after he has lost his memories, such as when he calls out Stan’s suspicious laughter

-When Fiddleford first arrives at Fords house he mentions being ‘overcome with emotion’ and is overjoyed to see him, going out of his way to buy him banjo strings and microchips

Despite having Bill he is very lonely and is very happy to see Fiddleford again, saying ‘the past few days have been the most energising I’ve had since I first came to this town!’

-Ford originally doesn't tell Fiddleford of Bill because he doesn't want Fiddleford to think he's insane or badly of him, as he knows his friend is superstitious

-Ford teaches Fiddleford to meditate to help with his anxiety

-Fiddleford chastises Ford for staying up too late and not getting enough sleep, to which Stanford is comfortable enough with him to make a retort

-Ford appears to look for Fiddleford after coming to his senses and is immediately remorseful

-Ford keeps comparing parallel Fiddleford to his own, showing how much he misses him

Obsessions

-Ford has an obsession with Bill and Work, worshipping both like gods

Despite this he takes time from work or Bill to spend with Fiddleford instead;

After the gremloblin incident Ford takes Fiddleford to a fair, he throws a christmas party for Fiddleford and when the shapeshifter attacks and ties up Fiddleford he immediately shuts all work he was doing with the shapeshifter down despite his obsession of learning about creatures [This could be because he nearly got his hands on the journals but he appears to have tried to get them before and this event was the catalyst]

-Fiddleford appears to be obsessed with Stanford and later the memory gun due to it

Fiddleford leaves his family very quickly to join someone he hasn't seen in over 6 years, which is the first sign, then he stays after being traumatised and put in near death situations.

This devotion is made obvious when he stays to help with the portal even after his thesis and ideas have been blown off and his safety ignored, only leaving after seeing the horrors beyond the portal. This leads into the memory gun.

Fiddleford creates this as a way to cope and be able to stay alongside Stanford and help him, because he starts using the memory gun instead of leaving this toxic situation after seeing the gremloblin he becomes addicted

The memory gun is symbolism for addiction and self-harm when it comes to Fiddleford, he is aware it might be doing damage later on but he cant stop using it, its implied he even used it after noticing he wasn't wearing a piece of clothing right, which may have been a side effect of the memory gun.

Unlike Stanford Fiddleford does not have anyone to help him realise how obsessed he is or stop him, so he only continues to spiral, making his anxiety and self-harm worse [His hair pulling is also self-harm, though less obvious]

His obsession with Stanford is what led to this sadly.

His obsessions lead to him stealing the book to create a thesis to try and help Ford, and using the memory gun on Stanford [He uses it on him for both unknown reasons and to stop him from remembering construction workers, as well as maybe witnessing him in the red cape using the gun on himself or others. Even then you have to remember Fiddleford had been using it on himself and was not in the right state of mind due to Ford’s neglect, as Fiddleford was repeatedly shown to be kind and have a big heart but as his mental state declined so did his morals] This is sad as it shows that Fiddleford knows its bad but is already showing signs of addiction when he first makes it.

This ultimately ends up with him breaking his own mind to a point where it scares and hurts BILL CIPHER, hurts him in a way he doesnt think is hilarious

Bill Cipher

-Both Bill and Fiddleford are obsessed with Stanford, though they go about it differently

Bill’s obsession destroys Stanford, Stanford’s obsession destroys Fiddleford and Fiddleford’s obsession destroys himself

Bill manipulates and guilt trips Ford into getting what he wants, often using flattery or a twisted form of it, feeding into Fords insecurities

Meanwhile at first Fiddleford is just doing whatever he can to help Stanford, only hurting him after the gremloblin incident that destroys his psyche

-Before Bill came along Ford admired Fiddleford for his ‘brilliant mind’, heart and trustworthiness, but Bill manipulated him into thinking lesser of those qualities of his, even then during the portal incident he calls Fiddleford ‘buddy’.

-Bill repeatedly tries to get rid of anything Fiddleford gets Ford

-Bill and Fiddleford have some similarities

For Stanford’s birthday Bill possessed a bunch of rats and used them to spell out his name [This is interesting due to both Ford and Bill having a tendency to mix up both love and fear, Ford not reacting properly to monsters when he should fear them but instead being fascinated], he then insists on taking Ford out for a drink, when Ford was not the most willing to [Contrasting to him willingly and even suggesting getting drunk with Fiddleford on Christmas after he saved him, drinking eggnog, despite not celebrating Christmas]

Meanwhile Fiddleford handmakes two gifts for Christmas for Ford, despite knowing Ford doesn't celebrate, which makes Ford very happy and makes him want to spend time with Fiddleford [Did Bill have this gift giving tradition beforehand or did he see a memory or dream of Fiddleford’s gift giving tendencies and copy it like he did with Ford’s love language of experiences? Or are they just that similar?]

Both are obsessed with Stanford; Bill using manipulation, flattery and guilt tripping to get what he wants from him, feeding into Ford’s insecurities and ego. Meanwhile Fiddleford is devoted to helping Stanford achieve his goals instead of his own like Bill is. Even when he uses the memory gun it's to help Stanford so he can continue working and so the construction workers can help the portal be built quicker.

Emma-May

-Emma-May and Fiddleford’s relationship appears to already be rocky when Ford calls him

Fiddleford is seen working out of the cluttered garage, instead of a building, this might show he isn't making much money which could cause strain as she would need to work more to help provide for her son

He is isolated from her in the garage and is seen playing his banjo in the garage instead of with his family around, he also appears to have made himself at home in the garage instead of inside his house

This could be seen as a mancave, which was often used by men who didn't love their wives and ‘needed time away from them’, this could be explained through Fiddleford just being neurodivergent though as he shows signs of being on the spectrum- and not every man with a mancave dislikes their wives

She was also rather quick to get divorced for the time when her husband is away getting money for them.

-There is also signs he might not have any romantic interest in Emma-May or women in general, and if he does it is far less than the feelings he has towards Stanford

He rather quickly leaves his wife to go after Stanford

He makes Stanford TWO Christmas gifts [One of which required 5 prototypes], but forgot to even buy her one [This could be because of the memory gun but as its not mentioned that he forgot to get his son anything it can be assumed he remembered his- and we know he loves Tate]

He makes a continued effort to get his son [and somewhat Stanford] back, the gobblewonker is implied to not be the only way he has tried to get Tate back as Tate seems very done with him, and Stanford and him reconnect as he easily forgives him despite everything. Yet he only seems to have tried to get his wife back once with the pterodactyl, the same amount of effort he gave his friend when he didn't come to his retirement party. In the end he isn't even shown trying to reconnect with her even in a friend or co-parent way after he’s regained his sanity.

The robot and raccoon wife can be explained through the same reason; Heteronormativity. In this context it could be seen as Fiddleford wanting to have a nuclear family and be ‘normal’ [AKA, not queer] or feeling pressured to, which might be why he married and had a child so young, seemingly right out of college. Raccoon wife and the robot could be seen as him trying to be ‘normal’ and disliking that its been taken from him, trying to get some semblance of his old life back.

Love language

-Someone on tumblr pointed out both Ford and Fiddleford’s love languages [I cannot find their post…]

-Ford’s love language is experiences

He invited Fiddleford to help him with portal in the first place

After the gremloblin incident Ford takes Fiddleford to a fair

The duo go hiking together to the spaceship

And the biggest one is the Christmas incident, he wants to spend time with Fiddleford after he gave him gifts but is unable to at the time and Bill tries to cheer him up with another experience… Only for Ford to be attacked by Krampus and saved by Fiddleford, he then decorates the portal room for a holiday he doesn't even celebrate and builds snowmen that resemble each other with him.

-Fiddleford’s love language is gift giving

He gives him a homemade snow globe [Which Ford accidentally breaks thanks to Bill]

He handmakes six-fingered gloves that required 5 prototypes [They later give Ford comfort]

He buys him a squash that looks like a face because it reminds him of Ford [Of which Ford wrote an entire page about before throwing out]

He gifts him an axolotl because it reminded him of his sideburns [Bill later manipulates him into getting rid of it after a lot of struggle from Ford]

Downright Suspicious

-When Fiddleford is called by Stanford he very quickly leaves his wife and son behind to travel to Gravity Falls and live alone with him in the woods without anyone living nearby for miles, somewhere nobody can see them work… Or interact

-Fiddleford designed the bunker with only one bed, one small bed for him and Ford to share

Several people have mentioned that they would have to be practically on top of eachother to fit on said bed

Fiddleford would not be aware that Stanford doesn't sleep, meaning they were planning on sleeping in the same bed together. This is furthered by the supplies for years into the future and having both of their belongings littered throughout the space, such as the shmez dispenser.

Stanford in the journal mentions losing Fiddleford’s shmez dispenser, this implies either he was moving stuff around or they were sharing it. And Fiddleford does not like people messing with his stuff, as shown with the cubics cube.

-In journal 3 at the end when Ford goes to see Fiddleford they sit by a furnace and Fiddleford plays on his banjo, Ford says he can practically see ‘the age lift off his face’.

A common thing in romance stories is thinking back on when the duo was younger together, this mimics that plot device.

-Ford draws Fiddleford more than once in journal 3

He usually only draws people once in the journal, but Fiddleford and his family get drawn more than once. This may mean he considers him as close as family

He also draws him from behind, obscuring his face as if Fiddleford doesnt know he is drawing him or if he feels guilty about doing so [Another common romance plot; drawing your crush without them knowing]

-Ford says Fiddleford has one of the biggest hearts he's ever seen, and says he used to hold him so dear

-Bill hates polyamory and calls Fiddleford a ‘third wheel’

Despite the Ford’s knowing each other longer

-Ford lets Fiddleford hug him during weirdmageddon and reciprocates despite disliking touch and only really being shown giving side hugs

Whether this is because he isnt used to Fiddleford full on hugging him or wasn't expecting to be forgiven and trusted so easily is up to debate, as the position leaves the back vulnerable to attack, showing how much Fiddleford trusts him.

They also shown in the ‘sorry’ photo in a side hug, hanging onto each other

-When Fiddleford brings up marriage Ford immediately shifts to him being thankful that Fiddleford is helping him.

-They stargazed together, one again a common romantic plot point

-In journal three there is a quote from when talking about the bunker's security system, ‘Sometimes I think how fortunate I am to be friends with F… because if this room is any indication, it would be terrifying to be his enemy’. This format is suspicious as the wording can make it seem joking, or make it seem like he is making an excuse for thinking this- and why would he feel weird for thinking this if there wasn't some sort of romantic undertones between them.

-In a livestream [‘Alex & Dana Charity Draw-A-Thon’ on TheMysteryofGF on youtube, at 45:48] When asked whether McGucket loves Ford, Alex says yes before expanding on that and calling them friends

At first I thought this was a way to get around Disney’s censors but later he confirms the deputy’s relationship

Story Importance

-Fiddleford is the only reason why Bill was able to be defeated

It took Ford around 30 years to build something able to destroy Bill, and it was a parallel Fiddleford that got him the final component to finish it, just looking at the weapon and knowing what it needed. Then the weapon that actually killed him was the memory gun, something that took Fiddleford under a year to create. [Maybe even in a couple of days whilst he wasn't in his right mind due to the gremloblin]

This combined with him and Ford's bond means Fiddleford is a real threat to Bill, as he keeps Ford grounded in reality and is smart enough to know something is wrong about what they are doing with the portal before anything happens, he even warns Ford, which makes him even more of a threat.

Bill attempts to manipulate Ford into distancing himself and thinking lowly of Fiddleford, and it works, for a period of time. It really shows how strong their bond is because while he is angry at Fiddleford leaving the event planted the seeds of doubt in his brain. Instead of continuing to trust Bill when he starts hearing things after years of being manipulated [Bill would even injure him! And Ford did not react like a person not being abused typically would in that situation], he realises Fiddleford was right and confronts Bill who likely realised that he could no longer manipulate him, as if he thought he could continue he would have, it would have been easier to reach his goal that way.

Fiddleford leaving is what caused Stanford to unravel as Fiddleford was the only one grounding him.

Stanford brushing off Fiddleford’s thesis and fears was the turning point as the ring the witch gave him turned black after this altercation

-Stanford has presumably been carrying the guilt of how he treated fiddleford for 30 years, this likely contributed to Stanford pushing others away and acting how he did towards his brother and family after leaving the portal, as he didn't have that someone that helped him trust others anymore, he's been alone for 30 years.

-Fiddleford was Ford’s first ever real friend outside his family

When he met Fiddleford he helped prove his theory and they finished it together and put both their names on it, this is important to the story as the reason Ford doesn't accept his thesis is because he is paranoid of somebody else stealing his theory. [Parallel Fiddleford and Ford even share a company together]

Furthering the previous point Ford was considering telling Fiddleford of his muse before finding out Fiddleford had created a thesis for him, a thesis where Fiddleford only credited Ford and based it off his work. Ford instead of taking this as Fiddleford wanting to help instead took it the wrong way due to his paranoia

Fiddleford didn't even notice Ford’s polydactyl when they first met and seems completely unbothered by it, basically brushing over it. Bill on the other hand makes a big deal of it, basically saying its why he can become one of Bill’s ‘freaks’, something he was called as a child.

Bill acts as if he is the only one to understand Ford and as if he is Ford’s first and only friend to manipulate him, despite Fiddleford understanding him so well he can tell something is wrong from the smallest movement when Mabel couldn't tell something was wrong with Dipper. 

It takes Bill a long time to drive the duo apart and change Ford’s views of Fiddleford into ‘he wouldnt understand’ as he knows Fiddleford could ruin his plans [Bill had been with Ford since the 2nd journal and had time to manipulate him before Fiddleford arrived, even with this considered his view of his friend is still positive once he sees him again. He may say he has no choice but to ask for help before seeing Fiddleford, yet he is very very happy upon Fiddleford arriving- this hints that Bill has already started manipulating his views]

Ford wants to be famous and Bill feeds into his ego on this, knowing Ford wants to prove himself. Fiddleford can't seem to understand this as he already sees Ford as normal, but he wants him to be happy, which is why he helps because if money makes him happy so be it. Fiddleford does not question it and reserves judgement.

-Thank you to @jellied-beans in the comments for pointing out something I missed! That being without Fiddleford they would not have been able to get in and rescue Ford and all the other civilians.

Jellied-beans points out that Stan did not want to go through with the plan to rescue Ford, but it was Fiddleford who took the lead despite only recently regaining and reliving the trauma Ford had put him through, and even after he and Ford's last interaction was cruel.

Fiddleford is also the only reason the Shack-A-Tron became a thing, as it was his engineering and planning that saw it become a reality. Without him it would have taken much longer to rescue Ford and everyone else

This situation also goes to prove Fiddleford does in fact have a big heart and is empathetic as he not only rescues the man whos hurt him and easily forgives him, but Stan mentions that he led a bunch refugees to the shack with him.

End note; I attempted to keep in any points I have found and tried not to leave any information out, as well as leaving in anything nuanced [Such as the Christmas gift situation maybe being caused by the memory gun]. I find this important as I’ve seen people arguing against the ship and calling it generally toxic, whilst leaving out crucial details such as Bill's manipulation, as well as people calling Fiddleford a bad person due to the whole memory gun thing and completely ignoring why he did it.

[As a side note Fiddauthor definitely toxic during the Bill era, but overall it's not, and unlike Billford they are able to mend their relationship as its built on understanding and genuine feelings, as shown by the parallel world where they were able to trust each other and repair their relationship]

I have not read the Book of Bill yet so this might be updated later, any BoB content on this is just what I have seen circulating around.

[cosmic-pheonix]

So uh copying and pasting my comment from a server I’m in:

Been watching the US election madness all over my timeline and on other social media, and as a non American, all I have to say I’m so sorry to all my American moots/followers.

The next few days/weeks/possibly months are gonna be rough, so if you ever need to vent or just want to hang out as a get together to stream YouTube or whatever and chat with me in private, please don’t hesitate.

Right now everything sucks and times are getting super scary. Everything is looking uncertain for sure. Hell, I know I’m freaking out and I’m not even from the US.

But we will get through this, if you can, distract yourself with some movies, fanfics, memes, listening to music or your favourite shows/cartoons/anime etc, whatever you can to distract yourself but also don’t forget to log off, keep in touch with your friends/family/community, take deep breaths, drink some water and get plenty of sleep. 🫂😴💧🌱

It should also go without saying that if you feel like you can’t do any of those things right now (and that’s okay, you’re valid!) and you’re at an all time low with mental health please, PLEASE don’t hesitate to call a hotline. Despite it all, there are people that care about you and there is so much more to live for in this world, you matter, you’re loved and not alone! 🫂💗

Hotline 📞 (if there’s anything important I missed or if I’m misinformed, then please don’t hesitate to reply to this comment)

https://www.iasp.info/suicidalthoughts/

But don’t let the election results and the fear mongering of social media and news deter you, we may have lost the good fight, but don’t you ever give up fighting for your (and your loved ones!) rights!

Sending out lots of love and prayers (or positive, good vibes if you’re not religious) your way!

Stay safe in these internet (and irl) streets and take care of yourself!

Love from NZ! 💗💗💗💗

[unscryptedscribbles]

Posting this on main in hopes someone sees this and spreads the word, because I think it's important.

I just got an ad on Youtube, for what seems like a legitimate documentary, published by Epoch TV. It's a docudrama.

The ad topic? "Transgenderism". The trailer for this documentary presents the "Transgender Movement" as an agenda created by social media, corporations, the government, social media, etc. as a means to create a division between Parents and their Children.

This advertisement, EXPLICITLY says that. It says "They're turning our children against us [parents]". It says "'You should let your child transition. Or else their chance of suicide increases.' Therapists are trained to say that."

This so-called truth-revealing documentary presents the "Transgender Movement" as a war against Parents. It is FEAR MONGERING and MISINFORMATION. It is TRANSPHOBIA.

It's blatant lies if you're educated enough about trans people. It's not blatant lies if you're uneducated about trans people. It's an advertisement directed at anyone who isn't educated about trans people, who don't have the time, or energy, or education to look up real research studies.

It's an ADVERTISEMENT, directed at PARENTS. On YouTube. YOUTUBE. This is an advertisement I got on a video that was an anime song quiz. Anyone can get this ad.

Really YouTube? You're going to force everyone to stop using adblock, and then play this shit? This passed your advertisement standards?

This is what the website looks like. There is an embedded trailer if you scroll down.

Beneath the trailer, there are 14 featured guests. Most of them are labeled as anti-trans activists or "investigating the roots of the transgender movement", or something similar, on a quick google search. They have "patriotic", conservative, and/or religious beliefs.

Beneath that, there are three reviews.

All three of these reviewers are in the movie. And profiting from the movie.

Pamela Garfield is a known anti-vaccination, anti-trans activist. More information can be found at this link.

Walt Heyer is a detransitioner. I do not know much about him other than the fact that he is also an anti-trans activist. More information can be found at this link.

I'm fucking pissed about this. There is already a lack of media literacy. There is already a lack of critical thinking skills, fact checking, etc.. There is already enough hate towards trans people.

It should be ILLEGAL to present your propaganda as fact and scientific research. It should be ILLEGAL to intentionally spread misinformation, advertised not only as "the real truth" , but also using it as a means to make money. It costs you $5 to watch the documentary. That is evil, preying on people who are uneducated or who won't google a researched statistic, and then manipulating them to parrot your beliefs.

[athenawasamerf]

Is it Islamophobic to question why Muslim women in Western countries advocate so hard to wear burqas and niqabs? Or to generally critique gender and religion and using Islam as an (unfairly) intense example? Especially from non-Muslim women?

Religion is important to people and sure women should wear what they want, but I’m not sure if others deserve such harsh criticism in asking why or saying that it’s not a good thing but a fetishized modest ownership tradition. It’s not fair to the women who want to practice their faith wearing it, but a good part of liberal western society acts like calling out traditional conservative behaviors from a majority probably ‘non-white’ religion is bad.

Obviously women pulling off their veils or hijabs should be their choice, and that simple acts like that shouldn’t be simplified as ‘liberation’ (a very western narrative), but is it also wrong to see it that way? Religious women are deeply entrenched in conservative narrative which I can understand; it just makes me sad.

I wish you well, sorry to bother you and if you prefer not to answer that is valid!

I don’t really believe in the concept of Islamophobia to start with. Being wary or critical of any religion isn’t a bigoted stance, and all religions need to be criticised for human rights and women’s rights issues. That doesn’t mean that Muslims aren’t oppressed in regions where they’re the minority, but I believe that has a lot more to do with racism than religious persecution.

Is Islamophobia a useful term to discuss Arab/brown-specific experiences in the west? Maybe, but I find it a lot more harmful than helpful most of the time. It seems to be mainly used to stifle discussions and criticism, and foster a narrative of persecution to create an ‘us vs them’ mentality which is subsequently used to control Muslims and prevent them from seeking community with the ‘other’, and to scare them into remaining within their existing community and faith. It’s a lot like the Jehovah’s Witnesses tactic of sending their young out with intentionally annoying guides to ‘recruit’ people, knowing they’ll be met with hostility that only reinforces their safety and belief within the religious community.

That said, critical analysis of why women hold on to, and even advocate for, religious or cultural practices that contribute to their subjugation - even when they live in countries where they can theoretically be free of these expectations - is not only not Islamophobic/racist, but necessary. I could go into that topic in depth on a separate post if anyone is interested in hearing my thoughts.

Critiquing religion, as I mentioned, is a cornerstone of feminist analysis and can not be ignored to preserve people’s feelings. However, most people who are the racial or religious majority in their communities will hold conscious and unconscious biases towards racial and religious minorities, and don’t usually bother to learn about the religion or culture they’re critiquing. These critiques tend to be based on stereotypes and fear mongering, and usually stem from a place of xenophobia rather than any true concern for women. The best way to remedy this is to take the time and effort to learn about the religion and culture in detail, and listen to women, feminist or not, from said culture or religion to properly understand their experiences and issues before you start making criticisms. Try to run your thoughts by someone from that culture or religion who shares your political ideology (in this case, Muslim or ex-Muslim radfems, especially from SWANA) to sound out any misguided ideas or unconscious biases. It’s a lot of work, so if you’re not up for it, maybe it’s best to stick to criticism of your own culture and/or religion.

When it coms to hijab/niqab/burqa/other modesty garments, you need to tread carefully with real women (as opposed to impersonal ideological critique). Modesty culture is deeply ingrained and many religious people are brainwashed into fear and abject horror at the mere notion of critical thought about their beliefs. Try not to get into heated arguments with religious women unless you’re trained in de-programming and cult tactics. On the other hand, if you’re talking to a liberal who supports dehumanising and oppressive religious/cultural practices on the basis of cultural relativism, you need to stress the dignity of women above any culture or religion. That said, gently questioning the beliefs behind something is never a bad move if you can keep the discussion civil; best case scenario you plant a seed of doubt that can lead to more critical examination, worst case scenario nothing happens and you move on with your days.

As for calling something as simple as shedding modesty items being called ‘liberation’, while I don’t think it’s offensive or a western concept (in fact, considering liberation a western concept is very… paternalistic? I can’t find the right word but it definitely rubs me the wrong way), it is a reductive way of looking at this. The shedding of modesty garments should be a protected human right regardless of faith or location, such that gaining the ability to do so is a tiny drop in the ocean of rights that need to be gained in order to achieve liberation. If we deem the simple right to dress as we please to be liberation, we lose sight of the much bigger battles ahead, and we give conservatives and religious extremists an opening to claim that liberal and feminist movements only strive to achieve sexual freedom and degeneracy for the benefit of men. We already see this happening in SWANA, where MRAs and religious extremists have taken up slogans like ‘they don’t want your freedom, but the freedom to get to you’ (aka the freedom to have sex with you).

Thank you for the thoughtful ask <3

[noctivagant-corvid]

Can I hear the unskippable 2 hour dialogue rant about gentrification and westernization of judaism and how zionism reflects that? It sounds interesting.

OHHH BOYYY OH BOY YES YOU CAN. this will be very tangenty tho

so starting off with the gentrification of judaism. i’m going to b e talking about the us, cause that’s where i’m from.

if you don’t live in a primarily jewish area, chances are you’re the only jew in your town, and your teachers say hannukah like chah-nah-kah. it’s not a coincidence that half of the jews i know (esp younger ones) call hashbrowns “gentrified latkes��.

in non-jewish areas, we’ve been bending our traditions to fit in with the christian crowd. i know many kids who are jewish by blood, but the only difference between them and their relaxed christian neighbors is that they celebrate hannukah during the winter instead of christmas. hell, i know jewish kids who only know what hannukah is! not to say there’s anything wrong with being reform- i am reform- but these kids are being deprived of their culture and given a bleached, christian-comfy version of it. even in my own household, i used to be told my presents came from a “mystery maccabee” in order to give me a sort of santa claus like all my friends had. (it didn’t work- i just boasted that santa wasn’t real).

now, people who live in primarily jewish areas might not run into these problems, but problem is these areas are few and far between. i live only an hour away from a “major jew area”, but my temple is the only one for over ten different towns. even then, we’re a pretty small congregation. the lack of jewish prevalence is letting our culture fall to the side, especially for kids (rightfully) who don’t want to sit in services every weekend for God-knows-how-long.

i’ve been to fun services. it is very possible to make fun services! even just making more of the services group singing makes it like, 10x more fun. tell more stories. create an atmosphere. teach the kids what the hell the hebrew means. have breaks in services so you aren’t sitting on your ass the whole time. sing. sing. sing. sing!!!!!!! kids can like services!!! we can keep our culture alive without remolding it to look like christianity!!!!

zionism is literally just the bleed through of western values (like manifest destiny) into a religious ethno-state comprised of a notoriously prosecuted and scared group. the us gave them land that wasn’t their’s to have and told them to protect it. the citizens are more american than we are. i mean that in a bad way. fear mongering rules that land and now they’ve done the very thing that got them all scared in the first place.

[enter-the-darkside]

I will never get over how amazing Nine Sols is for exploring a story about someone very smart falling into a bad group and becoming an extrememist.

Spoilers under the line

For context, there's this prevailing beliefs I see that only very dumb people fall into cults, conspiracy clubs, or other bad groups - and that people who are 'too smart' would never fall for their crap. However, it's becoming more obvious that someone's intelligence doesn't play a part in forming communities, but our loneliness, poor self-esteem, and desires for connections.

Yi was a very smart but very lonely kid. His anti-science but pro-religious parents never approved of his interests and he likely felt very isolated and rejected by that. In almost every instance we see of him as a kid in the game, he only hangs out with his sister Heng or is hiding from his parents. The only exception is Kuafu at the academy.

It seems like his parents still barely tolerated his scientific endeavors even when he became an adult and made good achievements. At one point joins the Tiandao Council and becomes one of the ten Sols, which I read up was anti-taoist and pro-science.

Now Eigong accidentally created the Tianhuo virus and wanted to find a cure, but she didn't hesitate to use it to gain more power and funding for the council. When Yi found out her secrets - and that the other Sols already knew - he was so angered and betrayed by it that he decided to go on a quest for vengeance against them all. I think the reason why he took their betrayal so personally wasn't just because of the virus's damage, but because the Council was likely the ONLY time Yi ever felt like he was part of a community.

It sucks because there's hints that Yi was never actually anti-taoist. He certainly hated how religious people were so fearful and anti-science or used their superstitions to fear monger, but he also learned martial arts like Tai Chi (this has roots in Taoism), stopped to pray at an altar in Ji's area, and does know some mythology like the Immortal from that painting he collected for Shuan-shuan.

I think what I like the most is how this was done with such nuance. No one just straight-up said that he joined a bad group, this was shown by:

how each Sol was a corruption of what they stood for (even Yi as the story went on)

The various cutscenes and conversations between Yi and Heng being lonely as kids that I already mentioned above.

The lore bits of Penglai and how the world was culturally polarized between being pro-science or pro-religion, but never tried to balance both.

Yi and the player exploring New Kunlun and seeing what a mess things became.

Yi's conversations with the others in the Pavilion about him being a terrible person or his quest being more of a personal vendetta then real justice and some points. Most of these you only get when you find items or do the side quests.

[alakazamboni-blog]

To be clear, Trump won this campaign because he had the support of the most influential people in the country. I'm talking about Elon Musk. I'm talking about X (formerly twitter). Online personalities with huge followings like Andrew Tate. And the most popular news site in the country: Fox News.

He did not win because he is the right person for the job. He won because nearly every American recognizes him and knows his name.

He flew above us on an plane held aloft by the fear mongering and hate and weaponized religious piety. He won with simple popularity. By not shutting up. By generating endless online content and rage.

Harris lost because she didn't have campaign time. Joe Biden undermined her messages. She is a woman of color. And MOSTLY because she doesn't have a platform.

Fox News and X choose who our president is.

I feel sick.

I'm sorry my fellow women and uterus possesing friends. I'm sorry my fellow LGBTQA+ family. I'm sorry PoC. I'm sorry to the countries that Donald Trump, the president of the United States and therefore the end all of military operations, will terrorize.

I don't know what more to say. Stay safe everyone. Let's let this reality pass through us so that we can settle into a new rhythm and pick up the pieces.

[shini--chan]

I am not sure if you do AUs, but if so can I ask for some headcanons for Cardverse!America?

It’s a bit of a hit and miss thing with me and AUs - sometimes I’m into doing them, other times not so much. In the case of Cardverse, its a tentative yes. 

Most of the time, Cardverse America is comparable to normal America. Here, the deviations will be presented. 

Yandere Cardverse America - HCs

Trigger warning: Isolation, implied noncon/dubcon, forced marriage

The modern America we know is all about liberty and freedom. In the Cardverse world, he would hold the same values, he would just express them differently. As king, he has the freedom to do as he pleases and if that involves taking you as his willing, or not so willing, bride, then it is so. This is a land where the divine right of kings is in place, a right that places him above ordinary mortals. While there is a lot of classism in the land and it would be frowned upon for him to obtain you if you are of lower status, it is not like he was to be open about his relationship with you.

You are not to be Queen - that is a political position and he doesn't want you to be caught in that bloodsport. The most politics you'd be involved in would be managing the court and pulling strings from the shadows. You are to be his consort, and to him it doesn't matter if you have to direct affairs from your quarters, you'll still be his. 

As such, he is unlikely to gain much flak or backlash from the public for courting you, simply because you are not publicly or politically relevant. If you are, and that presents an obstacle for him, then he can very easily arrange for a fall from grace. That, or he can fake your death. Or he can pull the strings to make you quit your position out of loyalty and flee into his arms - the love story for the century, a charming fairy tale come true for the unwashed masses. 

All in all, the most critical part of his relationship with you would be the outside perception. The other member of court could use any perceived cruelty to usurp him, and while the country can be mostly sated by “bread and circus”, he can’t risk giving the populace a tangible reason to be rid of him. Religious glorification and fear mongering can only protect him for so long, should he go down the path of openly flaunting his possessive and cruel behaviour. So for all but a few, you’ll be a cookie cutter couple, so enamoured with each other that you sometimes need to be dragged out of the candy cotton bubble. 

Would love to have a big wedding with you, filled with foreign and local dignitaries. White doves, a several layered gourmet cake, a bouquet that almost makes the table break - he wants the full package. Any tears distorting your face paint can be dismissed as tears of joy or nervousness. You are just so shy, especially in front of all these people, and that is the excuse he’ll use to whisk you away and not let the public see you any more; exempting a few choice occasions. 

Alfred will expect you to give him a child soon, and so, will start pushing you to fulfil your marital duties soon enough. He won’t really care if you are unwilling, since duty comes before personal comfort, and the kingdom needs an heir to the throne more than it needs the wellbeing of a single woman. Though, if pleasure and need could go hand in hand, then he’ll be gentler with you, and more inclined to fulfil your desires. 

[defensivelee]

what if six lives! mary had tumblr

yeah what if. that would be crazy lol

0 notes

🗝️ cross-marked-angel

daddy finally fucked off 🥳 pls wish him a good trip. i'm going live in ten

🗝️ cross-marked-angel

does @raccoongirlbush want to join.. the stream always makes more when we pretend to kiss 💛 i PROMISE i'll take you out later with the extra dono money, wear something nice!!!!

🦝 raccoongirlbush Follow

o7

🗝️ cross-marked-angel

anne i swear to lo!!! ok whatever click here to join the stream, i look forward to seeing all of you there~

#streams #i'm just kidding ily anne... #please accept dinner as my humble apology #i'll peg you later <3 #wait how many followers do i have on here again?

2,392 notes

🧡 menhera-prince-unlimited Follow

We're all seeing this, right? The fucking election results? I feel so bad for Rersetia, getting stuck with an Ally governor who does nothing but fear-monger and whine about the Overlifers-- all bark and no bite, that one. Unfortunately, woke little brats who don't know any better will flock to this one and decide it's a great victory instead.

I think I know what the next podcast episode will be about. It's about time we get the Allies to step down-- power doesn't mean competence. There are better people, with horns and tails, nothing but pure devil blood running through their veins, waiting for their chance out there, but when will Altos Diablos realize that?

🦌 allybentincksmain Follow

william please

🧡 menhera-prince-unlimited Follow

hans omg i forgot you followed me here haiiii ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

#hanni tag

372 notes

🤍 vitamarkedheart Follow

just seen the UGLIEST girl omg

🤍 vitamarkedheart Follow

bitches still go out like this.

🤍 vitamarkedheart Follow

wear green stockings or don't show your legs at all, fucking cow lol

🗝️ cross-marked-angel

on it bossman 🤍💚

🤍 vitamarkedheart Follow

wasn't talking to you. but can you dox that girl for me

#and then stop stalking my blog thank you #i love you princess <3 but get out #you are such a creep

22 notes

🦝 raccoongirlbush Follow

when is @/menhera-prince-unlimited going to come out with the Ally Bentinck sex tapes like we all know what he's hiding

#ally bentinck #religious posts #horny posts

18 notes

🐾 madwoofwoofspiritboy Follow

my girl got me a new collar :3 gonna post a pic later on the alt, horny timezone bitches are gonna have to wait

#m woof woofs

14 notes

🌠 lord-marlborough-official Follow

Please be normal about seeing James Stewart and I together tonight. For the last time, honestly...!

🌠 lord-marlborough-official Follow

Even just allegations of abuse can ruin a person's life, literally fuck off with that. You all think you know everything.

🗝️ cross-marked-angel

you fucking wish it was just allegations lol

🌠 lord-marlborough-official Follow

I thought I blocked you, did you make another account?

🗝️ cross-marked-angel

hehehe <3 you're amazing at changing the subject... it's why he loves you 💚

🌠 lord-marlborough-official Follow

High again? @vitamarkedheart can you come deal with her now?

#sorry about this lol #don't believe them for a second #or her for that matter #marly reblogs

4,946 notes

💌 idolofthedevils Follow

HELLO Everyone I must Tell You NOW!!!!11 That none other than Next Month, Devils Willing,,, I will have a NEW FEATURE (๑>◡<๑) for the Pup Hoods that you all so Adore very very Very very much~ for the first time Everrrr <3 now you shall ALLLL have the option to pay for ☆Custom☆ Pup Hoods up on the site, at the LOW low Low price of an extra Twenty Guilders ♡ ～('▽^人) and nouuu Additional Wait :3 doesn't that sound great n amazing n Everything you ever wanted???? Stop moping around, Get it up, let me see you all Happy now ( ◡‿◡ ) you weird Furries with Fursonas may join in the Celebrations naowwwww~

I love you all Forever and ever ♡＼(￣▽￣)／♡ please make me very Happy and very much Richer!!!!! TOO!!!

#business spam #small business #JUST KIDDING FUCKETTES!!!! #you wish you were me #go make monopolies elsewhere ily <3

11,387 notes

🫁 nassauphilia Follow

sometimes I miss the feeling of knowing that at least death is a certainty

🗝️ cross-marked-angel

it can still be one 😘

🫁 nassauphilia Follow

is that supposed to be comforting or a threat??

#and how did u find my vent blog

6 notes

🦌 allybentincksmain Follow

The word of the Western Kingdom today is to have UNPROTECTED SEX 🙏🔥!!! Please enjoy yourselves, suck a lot of dick for good luck 🧡!!

#i love you all <3

6,409 notes

🩸 tail-tangled-of-este Follow

hot take, maybe, but I think they should bring back teaching Messianic in schools. you can't take children to a museum and expect them to be moved at the valiance of the devils when they don't know what the angels wanted.

#i don't remember who taught it to me but i am eternally grateful #maria.txt

65 notes

[fantasy-mixtapes]

Kristen Applebees Season 1 Character Playlist BREAKDOWN

OKAY, SO this one is gonna be an ordeal.

I set a 6-song limit for every other playlist I made, but this is the playlist that started it all. So, I didn't have a limit. So it's 12 songs long.

Which is honestly like a normal playlist length BUT it's gonna be a long breakdown which I will lovingly do because I LOVE Kristen with my whole heart. Either way, this is deffos gonna be a long post so read if you want (i would very much appreciate it obvi but I get this is pushing it).

Genres Included: Folk, Singer-songwriter, Alternative, 80's

1. Save the People, The Mountain Goats

When wilt thou save the people? Oh, God of mercy, when? Not kings and lords, but nations Not thrones and crowns, but men God save the people For thine they are Thy children as thy angels fair Save the people from despair

Starting off strong with my main man John Darnielle. John, as prolific as he might be, did not write this song it is originally from the musical Godspell by Steven Schwartz. I was raised as a theater kid and I remember one summer my mom took out our cable and the only things we could watch on the tv were dvds and vhs tapes of musicals, and the 1973 Godspell movie was definitely one of my favorites. Its like "what if Jesus was around in the 70s and was a hippie clown and also was crucified on a chain-linked fence and beaten by cops" ...ah, good times.

ANYWAYS, I don't feel like I need to get into why this is a perfect Kristen song - I feel like it really gets to the divide between the way that Christianity is taught to kids vs the way it is enacted by the adults that do the teaching.

2. Father Texas, Birdtalker

Father Texas on his toes Tells me where and when to go He's a savior, liturgy man He's a stickler and a soap monger Shove it down your throat Holy answer man He says obey and I'll love ya Now I'm doing just to prove And I'm walking out of fear But the devils done

Ok so I was raised Catholic, which I feel like is a whole different flavor of religious trauma compared to Evangelical or Baptist vibes - which I feel like the Helioic religion gives. Either way, this song slaps and really gets to that Evangelical vibe.

3. Big Houses, Squalloscope

I build bridges with these arms I will not build a fortress In the circle around the kitchen table I say my "amen" because I feel blessed Secretly hoping, while joining hands, that you can't feel my trembling fingertips

Here's young Kristen Applebees - Chosen One of Helio- who just wanted to help people. She meets her first non-religious friends, plans to convert and save them, and then straight up dies on the first day of school. She comes face to face with her literal god, is disappointed and grossed out by him, and then is magically (and violently) revived.

Can you imagine her returning home, trying to answer her parent's questions about the first day, making it through dinner, crawling into bed, and just lying there? AHHHHHHHHHHH

4. Under The Table, Fiona Apple

I'd like to buy you a pair of pillow-soled hiking boots To help you with your climb Or rather, to help the bodies that you step over along your route So they won't hurt like mine Kick me under the table all you want I won't shut up, I won't shut up Kick me under the table all you want I won't shut up, I won't shut up

Speaking of those family dinners, as the days go by and Kristen gets closer to her party, how do you think she's gonna react to whatever comments her parents make about them hmmmmmm? The result of coming out of your social shell and realizing how bad the people around you really are.

5. Cleric Girl, Sisyfuss

I need my cleric girl tonight So she can bless me in this plight Dress me in crucifixes so they die on sight I need my cleric girl tonight

This is just a fun song I see as Kristen finds her groove within the party, kinda around the DJ brains fight. Also it makes me think of the prayer chain thing that she had the whole party on at some point.

6. Cornflake Girl, Tori Amos

She knows what's going on Seems we got a cheaper feel now All the sweeteaze are gone Gone to the other side With my encyclopedia They musta paid her a nice price She's putting on her string bean love This is not really, this, this This is not really happening

There's something about a Tori Amos song that never fucking misses. This song, for me, kinda gets at the part of growing up when you really start to uncover the truth of things for yourself, instead of listening to the things you were always told. Kristen buys the book of world religions and reads about the atrocities people did in her god's name. She is also told that the "cool camps" she was going to were run by an actual fanatical cult. Yikes.

7. Eldest Daughter, Isabel Pless

Bring me your battered, your bruised, and your scarred Florence Nightingale, to your broken hearts Bring me your bleeding I'll stitch it up with a bow Tugging at the sword in the stone The dormant hero in me is yet to be known Dying to prove myself again, but I don't know how Wanna lay my weapons down Lay my weapons down Want everyone to adore me even though People's emotions are out of my control Smothering fires Letting flames claim my hands I would do anything to be needed Over and over again.

Okay, the thing about this song is that we get the root of it here in season one, and it shows up really lightly, but God almighty, do we get one hell of a payoff in the next two seasons. Damn. The first time I listened to this song I cried. It's on several of my dnd character playlists - because, for some reason, I can't stop making dnd characters with self-saccrificing tendencies. HM! I WONDER WHY?

But anyways, yeah... something something, Christian households raising their eldest daughters to be surrogate mothers and laborers, something something Kristen is a cleric while her brothers are paladins, something something Women being healers

8. Angel Eyes and Basketball, Foot Ox

There are flowers growing all around A massive animal inside of me And it's so ugly, and I'm so broken And I'm so ugly, and it's so broken I am calling all of my friends To pull me out of this hole But they're so caught up in their own shit And I'm so caught up in my own shit

Ok, this is full Christian guilt. I also really like the way this song is one of those upbeat but devastating ones because it makes me think about her inspiring speeches to her party members just being her ranting about how horrible everything is, and then they get +1 to attacks and extra hitpoints. Living La Vida Loca.

9. We Fell in Love in October, girl in red

Smoking cigarettes on the roof You look so pretty, and I love this view Don't bother looking down, we're not going that way At least I know I am here to stay We fell in love in October That's why I love fall Looking at the stars Admiring from afar

Ok, I know this is cheesy. BUT TO MY CREDIT: both the song and the season came out in 2018. Also, you know Kristen would stream the fuck out of this song.

10. Running Up That Hill ( A Deal With God), Kate Bush

And if I only could, I'd make a deal with God And I'd get him to swap our places I'd be running up that road, be running up that hill With no problems

AGAIN TO MY CREDIT: I made this playlist in 2020 - two years before Stranger Things brought the song back to the general psyche. No shade, of course, to the stranger things; it's a perfect song to choose, and the scene effectively made me cry.

But anyway its here because at her bones, Kristen would die for her friends and has and will (unfortunately) continue to. Speaking of

11. Arms Tonite, Mother Mother

I cry in the afterlife I cry hard because I have died And you're alive I try to escape afterlife I try hard to get back inside Your arms alive

Kristen's dying count is more than double most of her friends at this point - and golly gee just wait till season 2!

Can I roll a nat 20 and then be alive?

12. Glory (Bunker Sessions), Bastille

And all their words for glory Well, they always sounded empty When we're looking up for heaven Looking up for heaven Way down here upon the ground When we're lying in the dirt There's no looking up for heaven Looking up for heaven

I really love this bunker session version of this song; the strings and the piano just give it a lovely honesty. Gorgeous song. Perfect way to end this season

[knot-ee]

" So this is Dracula's castle... "

FATHER as some vampires called him. The first of first. Olrox has mixed opinions to put it lightly. Olrox had complicated thoughts about being a vampire. Vampirism and colonization were two sides of the same coin -- taking and claiming what one believed was theirs, poisoning the natives or the humans in an irreversible manner. Still, from what he heard about Vlad Tepes and the portraits and charcoal sketches he had seen of the father, he was a creature worth of reverie. Rumor even had it he stopped killing for the sake of love and family.

Olrox had difficulty believing it that such an infamous creature was capable of devoting his life other than killing but being a vampire was a lonely life. Love made it all worth it. Olrox knew it first hand. So when he heard Dracula amassed and army against the human race due to tragedy befalling his wife, he understood it. The grief. The injustice of a loved one being murdered and by religious zealots no less. Humans never changed. It was always about raping, killing, pillaging, and forcing religious and customs.

The church deserved it, Dracula's wrath, but to kill all humans? Dracula was a vampire grieving and Olrox.. wanted to sleep, to drink, and to fuck. By the time the Tepes woman's death reached his ears and then by the time he heard and read of Dracula declaring war, the war was nearly at its end. Vampires were capable of all sorts of things but speedy communication, unless through the use of lower beings, was was not one of them. More than anything Olrox wanted to meet Dracula or at the least see him. Politics were a glib affair though.

With the riches he accumulated as an intelligent and conniving vampire (and dastardly handsome) he packed the essentials and commenced the extremely long journey leagues and leagues away. He had used man servants until they grew too fearful or hateful, then pitiful vampires, and then... he was left to his own devices. Forced to purchase an ugly carriage Olrox was on his own. The wilds were... wild. Quiet and chaotic at the same time. Dreadfully boring. He slept in the back by day and traveled by night. He only stopped through meager peasant run villages when his hunger grew strong and his curiosity.

He fed on blood and information but fear and hate mongering was strong. People feared the night creatures unleashed by Dracula's servants. To gain favor and entry, more than once Olrox had to dirty himself by killing lingering creatures. People were foolish enough not to question he was a vampire. More than anything they were enchanted by a foreigner. With sun tanned skin and green eyes of gemstone they concluded there was no possibility he was a vampire. Amusing peasants.

Olrox was even forced to dress in some simple clothing lest people believe he was a prince from afar or whatever their little minds could think of. He hated their villages, their ugly smiles, and their clothes. Olrox was no peasant. He would never dress as such. Even being modest the vampire was dressed well above anyone else he met. The colors of his dress were not extravagant but the cloth was still beautiful and of high quality. Cream colors with hints of forest green to contrast his flesh and match his eyes. The villagers were tripping over their feet to get a good look at him and he was then forced to wear a veil which brought even more curiosity and suspicion. Weeks passed and he grew closer and closer.

He could see Dracula's castle in the horizon by the time he arrived at the last village. No entry was offered to him for fear of night creatures, but he was given news that the war was over. As for Dracula's fate... the villagers did not have enough information. Vampires against humans. Vampires fighting vampires. And Olrox has been too late to see the entire mess. It was bothersome. How far had vampirism reached that there were armies fighting each other leaving entire cities in ruins? The last leagues of his travel were exceptionally dreadful.

His horses struggled to continue their nocturnal schedule and were constantly frightened by the wandering night creatures. He was forced to release the creatures lest they ride off with the carriage when he bathed and had to hide his trunks of possessions. The rest of the journey was made on foot. Drams of blood, a single change of clothes, and a sword at his belt. Dracula's castle grew closer and closer and on a full moon, Olrox had finally arrived. There was no fanfare. Only death and silence. Olrox sighed with disappointment. It was no doubt grand but... sad.

The heels of his now well-worn boots echoed off stone floors. Dracula was defeated an the so-called transporting castle looked defeated too. Was it alive? Did it feel loss? Olrox dragged his tanned fingers against the cold stone, then the cold wood of the railing, up, and up, and up flights of stairs. Olrox was hungry and tired. And disappointed. But he felt it -- a heart beat, life, blood. There was a human around, alive. Thoughts of Dracula disappeared as he let his curiosity get the best of him and proceeded farther into a home which was not his.

@wrathphoenix

[genericpuff]

Dude…You.. are truly a mean spirited person by the way you attack Rachel and her comic. I was hoping to see actual valid criticism on this blog that are good takes and respectful…but all I see is a savage, hate-mongering being; projecting your own personal fears on fictional Greek gods, with loads of malice; accusing RS of so many things that’s not even an issue in the slightest.. like bro are we reading the same story?? Bc I’d assume you’d dislocate your shoulders from all the reaching you do, to just cherry and nitpick the comic so much; at this point I think you’re dedicating your life’s work to shitting on this comic with asinine accusations?? hell, I get the comic aint perfect but the way y’all shit on it damn near has the same level of hate you’d normally have for a fucked up, white supremacist manifesto…. have you ever sought inner peace or?? what’s the problem,,,

Your views are truly horrid and y’all are why ppl are scared to come out with their own series bc of malicious people like you getting kicks of punching down an author and mocking them instead of being more civil with your views. Probably haven’t considered creators like RS with ADHD have RSD too huh… maybe haven’t considered how ppl with RSD got symptoms where it’s pretty difficult to take criticism…lmao.. aaaaand yet you antis are just as barbaric as obsessive LO stans and y’all just won’t leave well alone smfdh

Heaven help you fr. Hope you cease your obsessive hate for a fictional story and seek actual help than pouring all this hate on a book and pointing fingers at issues that’s nonexistent in the series.😒

Ooh yay it's been a while since I've gotten an ask calling me out. Love to see it :3

So here's the fun thing - I do have way less "spicy" takes on the comic (because let's face it, the definition of "valid" in this context is often... very subjective, I've seen people call the most respectful criticisms and reviews of LO "hate" plenty of times before) but I also just enjoy dunking on it because it's fun and it's how I engage with this comic that, believe it or not, I did genuinely used to love. I don't talk this much shit about comics I've never cared about. Boyfriends and Let's Play are also both godawful but I never loved them quite as much as I loved LO back when I used to read it religiously, so I just don't feel like talking about them as much as I do LO. Saturday nights used to be my favorite night of the week but they became dreadful after a while as my love for the series' drained relative to its decline. Now I have to find other things to look forward to on Saturdays, so I've gone ahead and made my own things, things that have rejuvenated the feelings I used to feel reading LO.

Here's another fun fact, in case you're new to Tumblr and don't know how it works - this is just my account that's dedicated solely to LO stuff. There are other things that I do besides shit-talking this comic and using it as fuel to create my own interpretations of it, but you don't see that here because this blog is, again, purely for my LO related stuff. I also have a day job that's completely unrelated to webcomics, and draw webcomics that aren't related to LO. I spent like.... 6 hours playing Slime Rancher today. I know it doesn't look like I have a life outside of this when you sift through my anti-LO-themed blog of queued posts all in one go, but I do lmao

Sorry I don't have a more satisfying response than "it's fun!" I have a great time in this community, everyone in it has been genuinely sweet and caring and accepting. Many of the people in this community are genuine friends now, who I go to for things outside of LO, from comic discussion to real life talk.

You know which community doesn't make me feel safe or welcome? The core LO community that's come at me in my inbox, snuck into our fan groups to spy, and even outright made bots to breach our privacy. As soon as I had even the slightest bit of criticism for the comic, back during the trial arc, they decided I wasn't "one of them" and I realized I was terrified of being an "anti" because I knew how anti's were treated by the community. I had to find ways to accept my own feelings as they were changing and having the antiLO/UnpopularLO community accept me the way they did... really changed my perspective on the whole "fandom" thing. I can take part in both sides in the anti/unpopular community - praise and criticism. Maybe consider for a second the only reason the criticism is so loud... has to do with the fact the comic itself isn't worth praising anymore.

All that aside, it's fine if you don't like my takes or don't agree with how I choose to spend my time! There are both better and even worse takes out there from other people just as pissed as I am about the turn LO has taken. None of those people, myself included, do what we do to "make" others hate the comic or hate on Rachel. None of us are encouraging outright bullying directly at Rachel, we're literally just curating our own space for discussion and memes and art and writing surrounding this dumb little comic that many of us did find enjoyment in back when it first started. And I don't think any of us are saying that because we don't like this comic, that means we're gonna automatically trash on anyone else's just for existing? Because, again, none of us encourage direct bullying, and if anything, all these accounts have inspired more people to take up comic creating through AU and fanfic content of the source material that they wish could have been better. If anyone's legitimately "scared" to go into webcomics because of a few strangers' opinions on the Internet about a massive commercial comic that's completely unrelated to their own work and far above what most creators will ever make... well, I don't know how to fix that or help with that. Maybe apply your own advice that you're giving me in your ask and stop caring so much? I'm just a person engaging in one of their many hyperfixations on the Internet and there are others who happen to share in my interests and enjoy my takes, whether or not that includes the saltier ones. There's nothing special enough about me to warrant any sort of finger-pointing like what you're doing. I'm not a monolith nor am I the end-all-be-all to webcomic creation or discussion lmao

It's honorable you want to defend Rachel, or people with ADHD/RSD. I can't shame you for that. But coming onto my blog that's themed around antiLO/unpopularLO content and doing the same thing you're claiming I'm doing (which I'm not because again, it's not like I'm going directly at Rachel with any of the things I say or do and I would never encourage anyone else do that either lol) is a little... hypocritical, don't you think?

But - sass time - what do I know. I'm just someone who's also ADHD. Autistic with RSD too! Guess we'll just have to agree to disagree, as none of us can speak on behalf of the entire neurodivergent community.

Appreciate the crit though, thank you for taking the time to write <3 Sorry to hear my blog didn't turn out to be what you expected but... I don't recall ever setting those expectations in the first place. At least not when I started. Now that Rekindled's a thing I suppose people aren't gonna expect blatant trashing when they find it but that's why I'm also trying to move away from purely trashing on LO so that I can put my time and energy into more productive stuff (even if that "productive stuff" is making a comic that started as an LO-spite project LOL)

But at the same time... I mean, is it really that surprising? Like I guess this can serve as a general "heads up" to anyone else who's new here, but I do not go easy on LO and have a lot to say about it (and I'm very loud and disgruntled about it) but I figured most people would realize that's the amount of spite needed to redraw the whole thing as I'm doing right now LMAO Like c'mon, you think someone who only dislikes LO mildly would really put in all this work? 🤣 I do it because I can't stand to see where it's gone, and I want to give myself and others who were disappointed alongside me the closure we all deserve. Trying my best, at least (～￣▽￣)～

That's all for now! Have a good one :' )

[deadoveater]

Lacey Fletcher was not a nonverbal autistic. She finished school, though she was homeschooled for some years, she was in a sports team in her teens, and her only documented mental condition eas social anxiety. The last time her neighbours saw her was when she was jogging in the morning, as she often did. Maybe she has a case of high masking level one autism, which is not even close and wasn't usually even suspected in girls back then anyway.

Initially, these monsters stated she had a locked in syndrome, which the coroner said was bullshit - seems right, they would likely not even be able to feed her ever once, really, she'd need a tube for that, they could not keep her alive long without ER skills and equipment.

Then they switched to claiming she had autism suddenly and out of nowhere, which I bet some church ghoul doing their coverup who affiliated with autism speaks or other group peddling fear mongering to the point of pitying parents who want their autistic kids dead, and they thought it would give them pity points, but this is purely my conjecture.

That all makes it even worse hinting their abuse was the main thing keeping her there in the first place. She had no signs of being bound when she was discovered, but if you keep someone in one spot and malnourished for a couple of months, the atrophy will keep them there afterwards, and signs of bondage disappear quickly.

The fact that her shirt was lifted above her chest, she had no underwear or pants, in the living room, and that her parents were church people who insisted she had to be homeschooled for social anxiety that they were resentful of, all that makes me think there was likely sinister abuse going on there and maybe she just completely broke after being r+ped, perhaps by her father.

fuck I completely forgot about her being completely naked. also the fact that she was pulled out of school right before she wouldve entered high school and that the neighbor saw her for the last time when she wouldve been 21yo... your theory makes so much sense.

I also dont believe she had a locked in syndrome (not an excuse for what they did to her anyway) because like you mentioned, the coroner found couch stuffing in her stomach like??? how tf would she eat it if she couldnt move?

ntm the fact that her mother was a cop in the past, had been working for a prosecutor when lacey was found, and was active in the community, and her father also working for an ngo for smt like a civil war... a lot of serial abusers tend to have positions of power over vulnerable people and pose themselves to be a v virtuous person... their lawyers also blamed lacey saying shit like "she controlled them" like I get that its their job to protect their client but it just makes me wonder the kinda shit they were feeding their lawyers. also the fact that they said that she controlled them makes me believe the claim of her being non verbal is absolute horseshit too.

so many things dont make sense at all about this case. and just 20yrs make even less of sense as their punishment. Im not even a religious person but these monsters deserve to rot in the coldest and hottest place there is in hell. may lacey fletcher rest in peace.

[granulesofsand]

Satanic Panic

I saw a post about Satanic Panic, so I felt the need to write an overview of what actually happened for those who don’t know.

What is Satanic Panic?

Satanic Panic can be viewed as either part of the Memory Wars or as an entirely separate entity. If viewed as aligned with the False Memory movement, it might be seen as proof of False Memories and a near complete lack of the existence of ritual abuse. The other takes Satanic Panic as still harmful, but removes the blame from those claiming to have experienced it.

I believe that a crucial part of enabling healing is giving survivors the benefit of the doubt. People who are speaking out about abuse might be doing so for the first time, and are particularly vulnerable to disbelief even if they have told their story before. Talking about maltreatment takes a lot of courage, especially when a stigma already exists around the topic.

Fundie Satanism

That said, the Satanic Panic was weaponized by Christian groups expecting to gain power from it. Some genuinely believed Satanic Ritual Abuse was a primary concern, others knew it was only a face for the politics.

Fundamentalist groups wanted to have the kind of attention they were no longer getting, and the instatement of mandated reporter laws and influx of unsupervised children gave them a fighting cause. They saw that child abuse was becoming popular in media, and they used it as leverage to frighten well-meaning folks into their way of thinking.

Satanic was the word for non-Christian, and Christians were quick to disown anything that hinted at rot within their own organization. Christianity was still popular, and nobody wanted to believe they could be involved with a group that caused harm. So they took any religious abuse, and some non-religious abuses, and slapped Satanic on it.

Satanic Ritual Abuse

Ritual abuse refers to maltreatment that is both standardized and associated with symbols or ideologies. At the time, many kinds of organized (involving multiple perpetrators and victims) and/or coercive (intentionally manipulative) abuse were grouped under that name. Extreme abuse was also called ritual abuse, and we still don’t have a solid definition for that one.

Given that all ritual abuse would have been considered Satanic, fundies basically screwed over anyone who was abused in this specific way. Ritual abuse as we know it now did and does happen. An abuser doesn’t have to believe in their symbolism or ideology to misuse it, and many forms of religion and other structured beliefs can be applied to hurt and intimidate people.

RAMCOA

Ritual Abuse, Mind Control, and Organized Abuse are grouped together under a metric ton of buzz words. The survivors of this collection of abuses are left with research that is out of date, chock full of misinformation, and unable to communicate with people outside of the community.

I know the words are conspiratorial. I get that the books have fear-mongering content. I need people to understand that there is no better option, and pretending bad things don’t happen doesn’t make them go away.

Government Mind Control

Mind control is manipulation with intent. Coercion. Using psychology to get your way. Implanting false memories would be mind control. Again, it doesn’t sound good because cultural contexts have evolved over time and clinical language for this kind of abuse has not. Not all mind control is abusive at all. McDonald’s using targeted ads is mind control. But also training children like dogs is mind control.

There have been government-sponsored projects on mind control. There probably still are. Governments do sketchy things like that for military advancement and because they don’t face consequences, and there was a time where government employees admitted to it. Similar to McDonald’s and their hot coffee campaign, there were some strategic moves to look better to newcomers.

The government has sponsored lots of things they don’t want to acknowledge, and people are still suffering the effects. People in poverty, black and brown communities, and so on can probably agree that government is not synonymous with benevolent.

One of the things the government did was talk to criminal organizations. I don’t know if this is news to anyone, but it was a good way to get information and resources. There were wartime experiments on drugs and interrogation, and those were mind control.

Enough survivors agree about their experiences that it doesn’t seem worthwhile to dismiss them, so until there’s better information we would do well to try to understand them. You don’t have to agree full heartedly to sit with people in their own stories.

Cult Mind Control

I would describe a cult as any group that uses unhealthy practices as a defining feature of their cultural norms. Not everyone agrees on what is or isn’t a cult, and that mostly fine. This is the definition I’m using because it makes the most sense to me in context.

Cults members are not the only ones to use or receive mind control tactics, but the post I saw mentions cults this way. The specific technique is called Trauma Based Mind Control, which is the application of psychological responses to danger and overwhelm for the purposes of an abuser.

TBMC is the primary method for what the RAMCOA survivor community calls programming. Programming is the use of cues associated with PTSD triggers to achieve a desired response in a subject. When programming is done to a small child (under age 6-12, depending on the source), a common response is Dissociative Identity Disorder.

HC-DID

Abusers create alternate self-states within one body to react to the cues given. Depending on how knowledgeable the perpetrator(s) is/are, a child might have a very structured system of alters with little control allocated to them. These systems are designed by and for abusers to create long term obedient subjects.

Not every DID system is formed this way. Most are naturally developed with the induction of trauma in a child’s life. Some organic systems have complex structures anyway, but not for anyone but themselves. These systems are polyfragmented, or C-DID systems.

The level of control and organization found within a programmed system is almost always more than those found in organic systems. In the RAMCOA community, this is called HC-DID. The key difference isn’t true complexity, but the type of prerequisites to qualify.

Highly Complex DID isn’t particularly difficult to groom in a child, but it does require intent. Cult groups, as well as other high control groups, are quite capable of figuring it out by sheer cruelty and observation.

Why Does It Matter?

Making blanket statements about what abuse is and isn’t real doesn’t actually help anyone. While people prone to worry who didn’t experience RAMCOA might feel temporarily safer, it’s likely they’ll figure out they were lied to.

People who did experience it struggle with doubt and disbelief from others, and may have been told that nobody would care. This field is still considered taboo, and there are victims of torture and adjacent who are ashamed or afraid because of the state of the larger population.

I survived RAMCOA. My family and friends survived RAMCOA. Not all of my friends survived RAMCOA. Watch yourself.

[alleenickel]

trigger warning below the cut for: suicide, conversion therapy, abuse, transphobia, parental abuse

Please donate and/or spread this around. Her story needs to be told.

The fundraiser can be found at the YouTube link. The document, including Eden's suicide note, can be found here.

Transcript

On March 12th, 2023, it was announced that a young trans woman by the name of Eden Knight had passed away. Officially, she had taken her own life.

This was a murder.

Shortly before the reveal of this information, Eden released a statement wherein she described the experiences that led up to her decision.

Her parents, deeply conservative religious fundamentalists, were unwilling to accept Eden's trans identity. They made the decision to hire a team to detransition their daughter: Michael Pocalyko, CEO of private investigation company Special Investigations, former Republican political candidate; Ellen Cole, managing director [of Special Investigations]. Together they manipulated Eden into believing they were "fixers", who could repair Eden's fractured relationship with her family. Together they manipulated Eden into leaving her trans affirming home to return to her home state.

Further isolating Eden from any support, she would be introduced to another individual who convinced Eden to stay with him in DC as he would begin the process of grooming her out of her trans identity. By the time Eden became fully aware of what was happening, she had already been made completely dependent on this man- isolated and financially controlled. She felt left with two choices: to detransition or die. Death or death. In the obituary statement given by Eden's parents, they continue to refer to her by her old name and by the pronoun he.

This was a murder.

I rarely make videos like this on my channel, because for the most part, I try to use this as a space to talk about my beliefs in an attractive and entertaining way. Engaging with certain political realities can already be an extremely dire and depressing prospect, and I try to use different angles to encourage critical thoughts about the world we live in. Certainly this video will not resemble the tone or style of anything released before or after it. I don't care about any of that right now.

Conservative politics- conservative culture- have murdered this girl. Eden is only one story in an endless chain of queer identified and marginalized people targeted by conservative politicians and environments. It is why all ad revenue for this video will be going to Trans Lifeline, an organization dedicated to helping these individuals.

Conservatives do this because their only true concern is power, and when they see their children behaving in ways they see as strange or unfamiliar, they fear a loss of power- a loss of control of the cultural, and therefore political, narrative. These people would rather see their children die than face the reality of change. Despite constant media fear-mongering, these are the groomers who destroy lives. And when they find out about these tragedies, they laugh.

Eden deserves justice. Justice which can only take the form of fighting back against the people who have done this, and the systems they hold control over that allow these tragedies to go on. Much of what I said here is based on a document I've linked below, written by those closest to Eden, which provides more information- and I can only echo the sentiment expressed in their documents to pressure as many journalists as you can to tell this story. While I know there is a degree of risk in talking about this at all, there are powerful people connected to this story who have gone unnamed for the sake of my own self-preservation. If you'd like to learn more there is a clear avenue to do so.

Only as a collective can be shared in story, share our rage at what's happened, and bring justice to her name. I wish I had a comforting resolution to sign off with. That will have to wait.

End transcript