#so we talked abt my social strengths

[lemememeringue]

my therapist thinks I'm funny. I have never told this man a joke.

[ban-joey]

sending laser beams to my professor with my mind. kenneth you said midterm grades would b up by this afternoon. it is officially TONIGHT and guess what? kenneth i would love to not be clenching my teeth in my sleep tonight. kenneth i will be sending you a bill in the mail. yes i know its probably a TAs responsibility but i blame you personally. i hate school

[hbma]

Simon Riley x F!reader; cw: pregnancy, mentions of birth

A/N This is my first “real” piece of writing. The last time I wrote non-academically was my 2nd year of high school when I was like 16 lmao. I’m american, I’ve never been to the UK, I don’t know anyone from the UK, I don’t really consume UK media (unless COD fics count), so dialogue from Simon might be inaccurate!

Thinking abt a little trend of pregnant women posting vids talking about “before marrying/having children check the size of your husband’s head because it ain’t gonna be nice in the delivery room”. Someone also commented to check the size of their shoulders too

This would apply to reader and Simon.

Simon’s a big man. That’s part of the reason why he’s so attractive to you, and now you’re having his baby. According to the doctor, baby is gonna be big. Existing is getting rough and you’re ready for them to come out.

You’re with Simon, casually scrolling social media when you come across the video. You digest the videos message, and now you’re kinda pissed off. Even a bit fearful. Why’d he have to be so big?

You glare at him.

Simon looks over to you and sees your irritated face. He’s gives you a questioning look and you can practically see the question marks above his head.

“What now?”

“This is all your fault.”

“What?”

“Why do you have to be so big!”

“What?! As if I had a choice! Why?”

“This baby is huge! It’s gonna be hell when i push them out! Should have measured your head and shoulders when I met you.” You huff.

“So now you’re saying you wish you didn’t meet me?Don’t be daft.”

“Of course not! It’s not like that-“

“-You weren’t complaining when we met, or in bed, or when I put that baby in you. In fact, I’d reckon my size is a kink-“

“Shut up Riley!” You cross your arms and turn away from him. He huffs out a laugh.

“Don’t worry, love. When the baby arrives, I’ll be with you every single second.” He gives your belly an affectionate pat.

“I’ll be sure to build my strength so when I hold your hand I crush it.”

“Sure, love.”

He gently caresses your chin, turns your head to face him, and places a kiss on your forehead. Whatever you were feeling begins to dissipate.

(Let’s be fr any threat you make to him he’ll laugh it off) I need him

[sybaritick]

trans Gortash headcanon compilation post

i've said this to like 15 people on discord so I might as well say it all here too because I am right. so here's all my thoughts/headcanons on why he's so fun to write as transmasculine

he is so transhumanist, essentially thinking everyone should be a brain in a vat piloting a robot. and that kind of thing can be very trans-coded... transcending your biology completely by replacing the entirety of your physical form.

what would the Black Hand choose more than taking on the mantle of Evil Masculinity by choice! It's one thing to be a patriarchal asshole because you were born into it-- it's another to choose it intentionally because it confers social status. like my post with "being a man isn't particularly special/mystical to me, but if i had to describe it like it was, it would be about ambition and control and violence-- what great and terrible power!"

that, and if he thought being a man was the path to being a better/more respected unethical arms dealer or slaver or brutal dictator he'd do it just for that. he's the "transitioned for very questionable reasons" representation we need. hell, maybe he even did it to be Bane's Chosen, considering the stereotype Bane chooses men...

also, not to be a geek but grip strength is one of the most sex-differentiated types of muscle strength (reference). given that his weapon of choice is a fucking gauntlet, it's fun to imagine him doing it cuz he enjoys that T effect a little too much

maybe i'm bitter (undoubtedly i am bitter) but my purpose in fandom is "writing fics where there is a trans man that has their natal genitalia but at no point during the fic are they vaginally penetrated by anything". of course i have done this before for another fandom and for OC stuff, but Gortash would be a very good candidate. now ofc i'm not opposed to gortash taking it in the ass and/or pussy in general. i was talking abt durge dp'ing him in both holes just yesterday. but for certain purposes, in my own fic... i'm doing some important, socially progressive work on the diverse set of ways trans people have sex, that totally isn't just part of a particular sort of D/s kink thing,

but jokes aside what I mean is: more transmasculine dom tops. [there are dozens of us.png] do I have to do everything myself around here

lastly, speaking of sex, his artificer ways would absolutely apply to him creating a terrifying and fucked up strap-on/sex toys/fucking machine. picture this steampunk-ass thing.

QED. Feel free to argue/contribute. 🥰

[surrealsunday]

hey jaime, how are you??

i just come by to wish you a happy new year! (kinda late but it’s still january so it still counts 😌) i hope you have a great end of 2023 :))

also with a friend we were talking and we suddenly thought abt punzel!lucas/elu and we were wondering how these two lovebirds were doing and what would they be up to now, according to you 🤔👀 lowkey miss them now ngl sjdbdh (as well as the canon version of course)

can you believe this year is marking the five years of skam france s3, 5 YEARS OF ELU…

BTW HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEW MAXEL CONTENT RECENTLY??? well literally all january we were being fed really well (individually and tgt) 😌 AND WE ALSO GOT MAXEL SELFIES IN BIG 2024 I VANT STOP SMILING THINKING ABT IT (sorry i’m freaking out again sjdbdh) their friendship is just so special and warms my heart sm every time it crosses my mind 💙

anyways i’ll stop my rant bc otherwise i could go on for hours 😭 wish you a wonderful evening/day and sending you lots of hugs and strength and luck 🫶🏻

Marieeeeee hiiiiiiiiii 😊❤️❤️❤️❤️!!! It was so nice to see a message from you! And a happy new year to you too!

I'm ok - I both can't believe it's gonna be the end of January and also can't believe it's still January 😂. Work has not stopped being insane since I took over this new position but I'm thankfully still loving it. And I'm especially loving living in a place where I am no longer dealing with -40 celcius through the winter 😅. I hope your holiday season and start of the new year has been going fabulously for you!

And 5 years? 5 YEARS?! How is that even possible omg 😭😭😭. That calls for a rewatch, I think. My babies 🥹. And the Maxel content yessss! I love you for linking posts thank you! One of my friends thankfully sends me things because I would end up missing them on social media otherwise. Honestly the joy their friendship brings me. 5 years and those boys are still tight. I love them so much. Also the fact that Rocco was looped into their little friend group and we have actual pics of Maxence with Rocco AND Axel? Truly... life has been good to us 😌😂.

And Punzel babies? Well, they're living their happy life together in their flat. Eliott definitely refers to Lucas as his husband even though - as Lucas insists - they're too young to get married. Eliott thinks that's nonsense because he's been waiting what amounts to their entire lives and obviously they're going to be together for life anyways. But for that same reason, he's not too fussed about it - official papers or not, they are married in his mind. They've definitely added to their little fam and have a cat in addition to their pup Pascale. The cat absolutely rules their home (as cats are known to do) and is the only one who can get Pascale to stop being mouthy (Huskies you know 😂). Lucas would definitely complain the cat doesn't like him and play up that they have some sort of nemesis relationship. Only Eliott has caught Lucas curled up asleep on the couch with the kitty on his chest wrapped up in his arms more than once. Eliott would be a little jealous about the fact that he's the one who dotes on the kitty but she still seems to be an utter suck for Lucas... only, he's the exact same way so he can't blame her 😌. Second to Lucas, her fave is Idriss. Because this cat has ✨taste✨. I'm trying to think what they would name their kitty... probably something Rapunzel adjacent because they're saps... but I don't have a name popping to mind just yet.

And of course there are the fun dynamics of their relationship that they will probably always be figuring out. Like Lucas realizing (and relishing) in the power he has over Eliott and the way he can make Eliott's brain short circuit in any variety of ways (like saying something incredibly explicit in the middle of much more innocent activities like cooking dinner). Then Eliott will remember he no longer holds his Punzel in the 'look but don't touch' category and things work out quite nicely for both of them 😌. Basically... they're living their best lives figuring out adulthood and now jobs together ❤️.

Sending you all the love and hugs back!

[femmefatalevibe]

hellooo,

i need help. in my friend group we are 4, and i’m the most introverted. my friends are super sweet like our friendship is so open and we talk abt everything but the thing is, they’re so much more outgoing than me and like even when we go out or to parties and hang out with other ppl they always shine, like they’re so fun and funny and all the attention is on them, and they’re just genuinely being themselves. i hate to say it but i’m so jealous and insecure from that. i love them to death but i just feel like the side character when we hang out and idk how to change that…

i hate the way this sounds, i’m not bringing them down at all i love them and they make me so happy but i can’t help but comparing and noticing how i often just end up drifting along with them… idk what’s wrong with me, i don’t know how to be comfortable to be myself at all times or how to be a version of myself who’s so confident, careless, fun and outgoing like them, i just don’t know what’s wrong with me i just feel like the duff (designated ugly fat friend) when i’m with them, even tho that’s not how i perceive myself normally at all but i just feel like i’m awkward and weird compared to them i get so uncomfortable and anxious i don’t know what to do

sorry if this is all over the place, love you lots !! 🤍

Hi love! I'm sorry to hear that you're going through this. Social anxiety and any related insecurities can feel like a bitch lol. Know that you're not alone! Most (if not all) of us feel this way from time to time or at some stage or season(s) of life.

When you doubt yourself like you were at a party or while typing out this ask, consider this mindset reframe: Think about this situation from a purely logical POV. All four of you are good friends for a reason. You see each other as equals who all bring unique qualities and personalities to the friend group. Being different allows you to contribute a unique (and necessary) energy to the friend group. Feeling like you're less than others leads to self-fulfilling and unnecessary misery.

Before hanging out with your friends again or going to a party, take some time to consider your best qualities, personal strengths, and talents. Focus on these qualities and allow yourself to validate how these aspects of your personality make you unique, not incomplete. Fake confidence until it becomes innate. Remember that your presence is valued. Tell yourself that you're the hottest person in the room with the most confident attitude and important things to say. People will begin to believe that you're confident and secure with yourself when you give yourself permission to internalize this reality for yourself.

Sending love! Hope this helps xx

[kayrllylikesblitzwing]

Hnnnghhhhh I should be drawing transformers …

BUT I LIKE THE ZOMBIE MAN.

HELLO I’m posting some ocs because recently I’ve gotten into a new rp server and it’s like one of those usual “oh kids go to highschool and they have powers and it’s alllllll monitored by the government” BUT they allow aliens too so it’s pretty neat

I brought in a TON of my old ocs who I used to use Back In The Day when I roleplayed on my hero academia roblox servers which HAS to be the most haunting, most horrible Experience of my entire life thus far. But basically I redrew a lot of my characters who I added to the new server im in and gave them a basic little sketch design and NOW im going to INTRODUCE THEM TO YOU

The girl in red is Fuji she is very mean and very manipulative and very evil and her ability is basically she can just glitch. Like it’s so funny the universe thinks she’s an error so she constantly like fades out of existence and stutters and lags and stuff but still remains. She can glitch through walls, lag and glitch other people, and even insert something like a trojan virus into others, where she can control them remotely, albeit she won’t have control of her own body while she controls them…. PRETTY COOL, pretty EVIL!

NEXT the weird SpongeBob looking thing is literally god. I’m not joking!!! In the lore of my own universes this guy, Sir Boxers (which, fun fact, had a close friend name him and it stuck perfectly!!!) is legitimately god he has the ability to warp reality and do legit whatever he wants. Ofc for the sake of the rp I have to tone down his power so we made this super crazy dramatic backstory that he was like the reigning but benevolent king of his dimension but then he got usurped by some evil force and sent into another world, trapped in a weaker, smaller vessel that can’t do as much as his other godly form, and he’s like trying to return to his dimension to restore order… it’s a funny thing LOL he’s just a joke character

Next is T-0FF-E3 of TOFFEE, and I HAVE DRAWN AND POSTED HIM BEFORE!!! I just didn’t like his design cuz he was too skrunkly so I bulked him up. I already talked about him but basically he was a regular dude and when his powers started showing up he just like mutated into a machine. Super nice, doesn’t know his strength, I love toffeee

Next is Liberty and I very Love Her!!! She’s a little bit of a mess because she’s both like a gym bro but also a cat girl so she’s pretty funny LMAOO she’s extremely competitive and almost aggressively supportive but also has the ability to turn things into weapons!!! As long as she can put both of her palms on something she can turn it into a weapon but that does NOT mean she can use it effectively, because a) the more elaborate the weapon, the more energy she needs to use on it to create it, b) the mass of whatever she makes the weapon on doesn’t change so if she makes like a weapon out of something heavy she might not be able to pick it up and c) she has NO EXPERTISE in any weaponry WHATSOEVER lol

Next is… Romeo 😍😍😍 he’s fucking disgusting! Little Zombie Boy “died” when he was an infant of like some sort of tumor in his brain but even though he was medically dead his body just persisted on its wild Basically his ability is he has full control over every single individual cell in his body and can use his his abilities to manipulate his flesh and stuff however he pleases and can just put himself back together if he’s torn apart. He’s like that trope where people talk abt bats and they’re like THE BATS ARE MORE SCARED OF YOU THAN YOU ARE OF THEM becuz Romeo lowkey is scared of everyone NOT socially inept but he just doesn’t like to interact and because of his strict upbringing

Next is Coronette and OKAY SHES ONE OF MY ALIENS Coronette was initially a part of a species I made for transformers where this group called the crixstaline were Cybertronian minicons that escaped to another planet, initially just to colonize it but then they sorta mutated with it… anyway Coronette is similar to that but I removed all of Cybertronian stuff from her stuff and made them just a species of PURE crystal theyre so cool they have their own language and like customs and stuff and UGH I might post their lore Bible one day it’s so cool anyway. Coronette is a princess from Crixstal, which is a planet that fell to foreign alien influences, and she hates earth and is stupid and dumb and wants to go home but doesn’t know WHY she can’t go home (planet was destroyed L BOZO) and she’s an iPad kid

TWO MORE second to last is CHIP and first of all I would like to say he is named after my dog and I have three ocs named after my dog two are named Chip Mooney and one is Chip Gebelhoff and the second Chip Mooney is based off Neil cicierega—

BUT ANYWAY this is the ORIGINAL CHIP other than my dog Chip used to wear red but I made him blue bcuz it fits him better and because I wanted a rainbow with my characters designs Anyway chip has the super power of onomatopoeia which means that when he says words like Pow or Boom they actually take affect in the world around him. This is disastrous and deadly and after he unintentionally nearly killed his father by activating his powers on accident, he has become mostly selective mute. He’s really guarded with how and when he talks and he’s JUST like those redditors who write like scripts of how they’re supposed to like interact and talk with people so he specifically doesn’t accidentally say a word that might trigger his power’s affects anyway he has my favorite ability

AND FINALLLLY we have Whizzer he’s a little guy the youngest oc of the line up. HES AWESOME he’s actually a remake of one of my OLDEST OCS EVER, who was an umbrella academy oc. Whizzer has a weird little astronaut bubble head not just to protect himself from anything, but to mostly protect others— FOR YOU SEE, whizzer’s ability is that his lungs are SO POWERFUL, if he breathes, he can basically desolate an environment of all of its oxygen and even take the oxygen out of other peoples lungs. He wears his little bubble so he doesn’t suffocate no one but also so he doesn’t breathe in nasty stuff like smog or bugs all of the time cuz that??? That would be bad.

ANYWAY. That’s my oc post have a wonderful day!!! Will blitz post soon❤️❤️❤️

[heartkaji]

HIIII FIRSTLY I WANNA SAY love ur writing and to take care of yourself MWAH okay here we go

She/her pronouns but I don’t mind they/them,,, female and straight🫶🏼🫶🏼 f/o character will be Togame Jo from windbreaker (HEHE IM GEEKED)

1. Who fell first and who fell harder?

2. At what moment did they fall in love?

3. How was your first kiss like?

I’m 5’3 girlie but I will not hesitate to confront someone who hurt people I care abt. Can’t throw hands but I’ll throw insults🫵🏼 idc who u are mess with the people I care about I’m after you. MOVING ON LOL Strengths is being understanding, friendly, respectful, and having a lot of empathy,,, I WILL cry if I see someone else crying/upset (even if it’s not directed toward me). I’m serious abt boundaries too. Cross it once,, a warning but twice?? Yeah no get out of here💀I love to joke around and tease my friends. I love seeing their reactions😭Weakness: stubborn, getting rather loud at times(when I’m really excited), snaps easily when patient is thin, a little gullible. I consider myself an introvert that has a high social battery. Once it gets low enough,, u won’t hear from me for like a 2 days💀💀 need to recharge yk.

I carry more on my lower half bc I have thick thighs/calfs. I have a mole right above the right corner of my mouth. I’m sure I have other moles on my body too. Hair is thick and semi curly… still trying to figure it out ngl—🥲 my hair is so thick I actually have an undercut. Summer is my enemy BOOO

Ok my perception of togame🫡🫡🫡 I first thought of him as… rather intimidating and scary. First of all, he’s a man.(I’m a man-hater from what my friends say🤨) Secondly, he’s tall as heck. But once I saw his backstory I was literally so sad like :((bro just wanted his best friend to be looked up to. Now all I see from togame is that he’s a big softie😭 I believe in soft!togame agenda GRRRR. He’s a big guy with a big heart, and does his best to love (even if his decisions aren’t the greatest but that’s OKAY I CAN TEACH HIM I SWEAR—*gets shoved off the stage*) scary to everyone but the ppl he cares about.

…that was a lot of word vomit I apologize😭😭 lemme know if I did anything wrong💔

[ ★ ⸻ @munchieschomp ]

★ OVERVIEW !

MUNCHIES OMG HI MY LOVE !! i always love seeing you in my notifs doll 💓💓 ALSO UR SO FUNNY I LAUGHED READING THIS 😭😭 anyways, you and togame scream feisty gf x calm bf. you’re giving the stereotypical short girl with short temper (not to say you have anger issues, but you definitely take no bs) and togame is the more level headed, mature person between the both of you.

Q3 — WHO FELL FIRST & WHO FELL HARDER ?

you fell first !! omg so this is how i imagine it : you and togame are friends & one day you get into an argument. it’s more of a one sided argument though, you’re hella upset at him but togame is calm as fuck. it confuses you sm because you’re SO used to people matching your energy in arguments — you yell, they yell. you hurl an insult, they hurl one too. but togame doesn’t do that. he’s apologizing and trying to explain himself but you keep talking over him </3 either way after the confrontation ends you’re left feeling bad about how you spoke to him, but also really warm and fuzzy—he didn’t raise his voice at you, not even once ? you find his self control intriguing & soon you’re beginning to notice him more & more. more sooner than later you realize his kind heart & soft smile has you falling in love 💘

Q10 — AT WHAT MOMENT DID THEY FALL IN LOVE ?

the moment you called his nose cute :( LMFAOO okay so this is how it began : togame’s over at your house late at night for a biology project but your textbooks are long forgotten. instead the two of you are watching scamilton (an illegal remake of the play hamilton) and trying not to laugh. you’re lazily feeding him popcorn & your thighs touch more than they should, the denim of his jeans brushing against your bare skin. you rest your head against the headboard while togame is focused on the movie, corner of his lips tugged into a grin. you let your head turn to take a glimpse at him: his face bears a mix of focus & suppressed laughter, lips pressed & nostrils flaring with every hushed chuckle. you’d never seen the curve of its shape this close, & so you talk without thinking: “your nose is so pretty, jo.” you catch him by surprise, he turns to you with raised eyebrows. he’s not sure where that came from but the room is dim & the light from the laptop illuminates half of your face. fuck, you’re so pretty. but you don’t say anything further & neither does togame. your eyes flit from his eyes to his nose & down to his lips & god his chest is heaving but you’re both startled by a sudden shout—you and togame’s attention turns back to the play on your laptop. damn, better luck next time lovebirds </3

Q16 — HOW WAS YOUR FIRST KISS ?

AHKKKHH GIGGLING because i can see you and jo being the type who are always ALMOST KISSING !! the moment is always right BUT IT NEVER. SEEMS. TO HAPPEN. you had your first kiss in a very unconventional way. being the very terrible girl you are (tsk tsk) you insulted a senior because he made one of your girl friends cry. now he’s hunting you down along with his clique. running down the halls your first thought is to hide away in one of the lockers—fortunately for you you’ve stopped right outside togame’s. you know his combination so you fit your small body in & close the door in hopes you can avoid the impending doom. the door cracks open & you think your fate is sealed, but lucky for you it’s just jo—he greets you with a confused look & you respond with a finger over your lips, a silent plea for him to shush. you can hear hurried footsteps down the hall & your eyes widen in fear— they’re already here ?? togame’s about to part his lips to speak & potentially blow your cover so you pull him by the collar—you weren’t sure what you were doing, in fact you were really hoping you could shut him up & make it look like he was just using his locker, but you tug a little too hard & now his lips are on yours 💔 he tastes like raspberry chapstick & artificial sweetener :( you hear your hunters run past but jo doesn’t pull away at all🤞

[ O1 ⸻ complete ]

© ─ heartkaji ; do not steal, copy, edit, translate or reupload

[binders-and-beanies]

Favorite orientation leader moments this year :)

-OLs being asked why they decided to become an OL and one girl said “bc my OL was awesome and I wanted to be that person for someone else” (I was her OL)

-my school does this candle lighting ceremony thing at the beginning of the school year where u light each other’s lil candles n it’s meant to symbolize like the passing of the torch from alumni/upperclassmen to incoming students. And the aforementioned OL was standing in between me and one of her students, so I lit her candle n then she lit the student’s candle n we both like burst into tears at the symbolism of it all. Which we then had to explain to the student n then jokingly harassed him abt being the next OL to continue the cycle

-my boss saying that im like the best at dealing w situations where i disagree w someone and that I won’t go along w smth that doesn’t sit right w me but i also know where to direct the energy in ways that can actually change smth

-my boss saying that when he’s speaking to us as a group he always looks for me bc he knows I’ll always give encouraging energy back

-the strengths based leadership training we do where u do all these activities based on ur top 5 strengths and how they work w each other’s :) it’s hours of talking abt things ur good at n how it shows up which is a confidence booster + my social work major ass eats it up like lowkey might have future clients do it

-the facilitator of the aforementioned training travels the world abt it and yet not only remembers me from last year but remembered what my strengths were + gave me a hug

-everything that’s physical like the ropes course and all the games that involve running around. Both leading and playing it’s so healing to do activities involving the body that are inclusive bc I don’t realize how much I want that until I have it

-also related to the ropes course: my coworker saying “I would trust this man with my life” after i saved them from almost eating shit

-“every time I talk to you I’m like damn I love that guy”

-literally going from day 1 not knowing each other’s names to day 2 psychoanalyzing each other and trauma dumping

-interactions w very cishet men that are gender affirming. Such as when I did well at smth physical and a dude said “bro you were cookin back there” I <3 rejoicing in masculinity w men who are very different than me without having to act like them. I told them that in those words too and they’ve acted increasingly dudebro with me ever since

-my students who followed directions from the literal minute I sent out my welcome email

-we get paired up with a “clipboard buddy” and decorate their clipboard that they use during orientation based on their interests. My buddy from last year is still using their clipboard i made them, and the one he made me is in my “sentimental items drawer”

-^ my clipboard from last year has finn adventure time on it and my clipboard this year has jake adventure time on it. Second one made by a different person who didn’t know about the first one

-the (insanely hot) DEI facilitator asked me how many tattoos I have and I said 55 and he said FUCK

-getting to talk abt disability during said DEI workshop and feeling actually listened to and appreciated

-told my boss I would love to do his job when he retires n he said my degree would work for that, if not here then at another school

-giving a presentation abt dyspraxia :)

-OL hunger games simulator

-we were all on a bus and I yelled “guys that’s my ex’s house” and everyone booed and gave thumbs down

-being a menace with a megaphone (singing badly)

-inflicting the cha cha slide and cupid shuffle upon my students + other cringey games where I get to make them run around and be stupid

-students who take an interest in having in depth conversations w me! Esp the undecided majors actually rly wanted my help in finding some sort of direction academically

-transfer studentsss I <3 them I remember feeling like there was no place for me here as a transfer esp bc of my age, and orientation kinda changed that n now I’m doing that for other ppl

-explaining smth to a student and assuring him he wasn’t the only one having that problem and he said “that’s genuinely a huge weight off my shoulders”

-showing ppl where their classes are!! Sometimes guiding ppl around can be awkward but other times it’s my fave way to connect n they’re so appreciative it’s like ah that’s why I’m here. Been thinking abt applying as a year round tour guide n one girl was so grateful for the help and the good vibes that I literally submitted the application during my break

-during final debrief someone said “I mean this with love. You all are the stupidest people I’ve ever met”

-my insanely cool boss telling me I did a good job n patting me on the shoulder. + his sappy farewell speech

[pumpkinnning]

this is such an interesting question ! i find him fascinating now but i didn't like Nico at all when i got into f1 - bc i got in via an extremely pro-Lewis part of the fandom. but also tbh i just found his vibes really offputting. thinking about why has been really interesting

i think class is a big reason why. as a French person he really reminds me of a specific type of Southern European ultra-rich douchebag, the smooth elegant tanned and botoxed to hell who winters in Ibiza kind. when i was a kid my dad's job included shmoozing a lot of these guys so we went on vacation with them and their families sometimes (which was nice, not complaining, but also really weird, gave me a crash course in my god really rich ppl can be a special kind of pathetic) and Nico fits the vibe to a T. these are the guys that non-Europeans might see as a bit gay or effeminate. but the thing is, masculinity is a construct, and a very culture/class specific one. this type of guy can wear fine italian leather shoes, fancy colorful shirts, be very charming and affectionate w his family, has his pet charity projects, loves wellness hippie shit. but he's almost always gonna have conservative opinions and wow can he say rancid shit abt women/gay ppl/immigrants when pressed. he's not being gnc. at all.

in these circles open displays of macho aggression and physical strength and showboating ala American masculinity are considered vulgar and working class. high class dominant masculinity is first and foremost demonstrated by culture there. intellect, refinement, a certain kind of genteel affect and of course, being from the right kind of background that allows you to feel entitled and look down on others. that's what i saw first when i saw Nico, even though clearly that's not actually him. i can imagine that's also valid for some EU f1 fans/media that aren’t ultra rich. 

and ofc i know f1 is full of rich people. but tbh as a French person American style billionaires and their over the top antics don't feel real to me. and that is an ideal of being rich that generally presents itself as more attainable, meritocratic. everyone can do it, we're just regular guys who got started in a garage vibe. false, but it makes them more relatable, and 'average' people a lot less angry. (useful!) old money Western/Southern European vibes that show status through culture, though ? you will never be one of them. and generally you won't even know why but they will, and they will make you feel vulgar and worthless and ashamed about it. it gets under ppl's skin like nothing else. 

of course probably a lot of non EU fans can see Nico as typical coastal/city elite liberal disconnected from "real" masculinity/life/etc too it's not exclusive i think he has the kind of vibe that is hateable by a lot of different people for different reasons

that said Nico’s family is not exactly old money, right - at least his dad, who also seems like a very down to earth guy. idk about his mom. if he grew up btw Monaco/Ibiza/a fancy international school he was probably surrounded by ppl who were a lot more old money than him growing up, though. the kind that think getting your money and prestige through sports is fun and exciting like a circus attraction but you know, at the end of the day, tacky. and hearing him talk more, he does give a bit of a social climber trying too hard vibe. which, again, this is complete speculation, but could add to the impostor complex doesn't fit anywhere vibes. and now tbh Nico seems to me more like the type who just wants to fit in and prove himself rather than the type who wants to assert status superiority (aside from on the track). 

never been but i can imagine the world of f1 is excessively full of all sorts of status posturing. lots of boring privileged types from all over the world that want to buy into the thrill and macho, risky allure of sports, the meritocratic "i earned all of this through my own sweat tears and aggressive daredevil behavior" vibes. investing in drivers and mechanics like others invest in horses. at the same time the prestige, technological advancement aspect and insane amounts of money involved in f1 keeps it classy. i also think a lot of (male, older) f1 fans have similar fantasies when they watch, getting a bit of that prestige by proxy.

and when you have someone like Nico who is trying too hard (and not in the right way) and is awkward and a bit too earnest and overthinks things and doesn't easily fit in a clear cut category...i think it kind of exposes that the whole thing is a farce, actually, and i think that's (part of) why he is so hated

bottaslicious:

what is it about nico rosberg that irks people (men, mostly) so much

overall he’s intelligent, a good driver, good-looking, considerate of fans, generally manages to avoid saying shitty things

like i could see some people hating him over the fact he’s a second generation driver and had a foot between the door automatically (which is bullshit tho, a good name gets you only so far before it works against you since you have to prove you’re worth more than your legacy) and comes from a privileged background. still, it’s not like keke would’ve been easy on him, we’re talking about a man who had to pave his own way into f1 (there was a point pre-f1 when he was both the driver and press and wrote the articles of his races himself so yeah keke literally built the road he was walking) and got shit from every possible source - a man who taught mika häkkinen the value of money by giving him allowance so there was this f1 star at the beginning of his career living in monaco in an apartment furnished with one table, one chair and a bed - a man who very clearly said he wouldn’t want baby nico to become a racing driver. so yeah, keke has definitely been supportive of nico always but there is no way he’s let him just have what he’s asked for.

obviously there’s a lot of hating him bc he’s a threat to a driver they support because what better way to love your fave than to shit on their obstacles but it’s not like it explains it all; there’s just something about nico that rubs people the wrong way, especially men.

idk how much of it is linked to nationality - it’s always easy to support your country and nico’s just not your simple bratwurst. lewis’ fave thing in the world is to say nico’s not german, lewis’ fans with tinfoil hats love to scream “NAZI” every time nico does as much as sneeze at his direction, in finland nico’s nationality is basically a question of personal preference. he’s from everywhere until someone says he really isn’t.

if you take away his nationality and the fact he’s a second generation driver he’s just like any other chump from the grid yet he seems to arouse more intense opinions, everything from total hate to very aggressive “meh i don’t feel one way or another”. so. idk. maybe it was just a really bad timing for him.

I think about this a lot tbh.

I’ve probably only talked to a handful of people in real life about F1 and whenever the subject of drivers came up they were all completely baffled when I said I liked Nico. Even the ones who didn’t care much for Lewis didn’t really understand it. It’s funny because of all the drivers I support he’s probably also the one who I find it the hardest to articulate my support for, so whenever it comes up in conversations I find myself saying things like:

- He had to overcome all these expectations growing up because he was Keke’s son and the only thing you can say in terms of preferential treatment is that he was exposed to racing at a very early age and had a dad who understood the business but that will only get you into a kart when you’re a kid, it won’t keep you in F1 for so many years and with such great results. Nico earned his stripes and he did it with humility and grace. 

- He’s very intelligent and probably even a bit too smart for his own good. Like Daniil (also a real polyglot) who sometimes seems to overthink things and drive from the head instead of the heart - which can be great in some respects but more often than not it simply isn’t enough, especially in those oh so very crucial make-or-break moments. 

- I love the idea of him working so fucking hard to get to where he is despite not being as naturally gifted as Lewis. And he isn’t. He knows he isn’t. But he has oodles of talent and even more determination and drive and I respect that and admire it so fucking much. I stopped doing so many things because I wasn’t the most gifted kid doing that particular thing at that time and it was sort of like - well, what’s the point then? This is the point, you only need enough talent to build on and idk, I think that’s so awesome. 

BUT

All the while in the back of my head I know exactly why all those points won’t convince anyone. 

Yes, he’s intelligent but he isn’t particularly funny (actually that’s the most authentically German thing about him). He’s so literal sometimes it’s off-putting. He handles everything with grace but sometimes it’s way too much grace. Interviewers do all but spit in his face and he’s still playing at being a regal diplomat - but then every so often he drops the diplomacy, like he did in the interview this last weekend when he called Martin out for saying he’s too nice when before the problem was that he’s too mean, and it’s such a fucking delight to watch. You can see it in the comments that people make about him on twitter or in forums, suddenly they love him for a brief moment. Or when he let people hear the emotion in his voice when he said he wanted to go to the end in Abu Dhabi in 2014. Whenever he lets himself be genuine people find it so easy to love him - but he just does it so rarely. 

Yes there were expectations because of Keke but when people get to know him he’s so unlike his father that even if he became champion there would still be some disappointment in him for not having Keke’s personality and panache. 

And ultimately… yeah, the nationality thing matters. It matters because it makes him seem disingenuous. 

If Nico had raced under the Monegasque flag I think people would find it easier to understand him. 

It isn’t just that he very clearly isn’t German but that he tries so hard to be. All those posts during the World Cup/Euro just felt so staged, even if they probably weren’t. He wore a black armband after the Germanwings tragedy and while I’m sure he genuinely felt for what happened there was something… idk, it didn’t seem right somehow. It felt like a conscious move and there’s something about national grief that’s like familial grief, like the grief of the nuclear family. You can feel terrible for your friend’s family, or even, say, your cousin’s nuclear family, if they’re going through a tragedy but you can’t sit shiva with them. 

Nico’s Germanness feels like it was constructed by someone who read a Wikipedia page on how to be German. Like an undercover spy trained from infancy, all to prepare him to one day assimilate into the target culture. I bet if you asked Nico about German history or politics he would know more than Hulkie or Vettel (well, possibly) but their knowledge is probably a lot more personal than simply factual, it’s based on memories and feelings and the history of their own families and towns and their friends’ families and so on. 

One of our most powerful evolutionary traits is to be able to spot those situations where something just isn’t quite right, even if we can’t put our finger on it. That’s why we have such varied accents and dialects, so you can immediately tell if someone is a stranger. It’s probably why you can pick out tourists in a crowd in your hometown even if they’re dressed the same as everyone else. And Nico… idk, it’s almost like he triggers some sort of uncanny valley response in people. 

And yes, I agree, men seem to respond to him very strongly and not in a good way. I would think that some of that is probably the lack of bravado and his body language with other men. Like the way he shows affection by tucking his head into the other person’s chest and folding his body into theirs, he’s comfortable choosing to take a submissive position and some guys see that as a sign of weakness. He “lets” people get away with calling him Britney, with saying that he’s pretty… even though you can see it annoys him. He’s still so openly affectionate with his father, he embraces his legacy instead of running away from it. It goes against the whole “every son must kill his father” thing.  

Idk, why is it that with Nico I find myself rambling on for hours but I never feel like I explained myself at all? 

[corrodedcoffinkid]

what abt something (maybe with wayne) about eddie getting diagnosed?

this ask hit home for me because i struggled so much with the diagnostic process as it is extremely demeaning and dehumanizing so i’m doing two versions of this- early diagnosis and late diagnosis

Early diagnosis

Wayne sits in the waiting room chair, his 5 year old nephew in his lap. Eddie’d usually be busy kicking and screaming if they were in a waiting room, but not today. He likes it here. Last time he was here, a nice lady let him play with toys and let him read books to her. It’s not scary here.

His name is called, and Uncle Wayne walks him to a room with that same nice lady. Were they going to play again? To his amusement, Wayne plops him down on the floor next to a pile of blocks. “Now, son, you be quiet and play while the doctor and I talk.”

Eddie places a finger to his lips, and nods in agreement. Be quiet and play- he can do that.

“So,” the doctor smiles at Wayne. “How have you and Eddie been since you were last here?”

Wayne shrugs his shoulders. “Some days are better than others. Been real attached to me lately, he hasn’t slept in his bed alone since I got custody.”

“What about potty training?”

“You can forget about that. No progress, he’s still in pull-ups.”

The doctor nods thoughtfully. She flips through some papers, before nodding again and looking back at Wayne. “I’ve spent these last two weeks going over Eddie’s case. Some would argue the trauma is causing his behaviors, oddities, and slow development… but I don’t think so. I think you’re right, Mr. Munson, Eddie does have autism.”

Wayne sighs sadly. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

“This doesn’t change Eddie. Now, there’s a reason behind his behaviors. This diagnosis will help him succeed, I promise.” The doctor flips to a page in her binder. “Here, I’ve detailed all the strengths and weaknesses I’ve noticed in Eddie from my time with him. He’s definitely got developmental delays, but the fact he was talking and walking by age 3 is very promising.”

“What about potty training?”

“You’ll have to work harder than most parents, Mr. Munson.”

“Thought I was already working harder,” Wayne laughs sadly. “What about school?”

“I’m getting there. His reading level is quite advanced for his age. His social skills, though… they’re not great. With the severe trauma he’s been through, I honestly don’t think he’s ready for kindergarten.”

“So, we hold him back?”

“In my professional opinion, yes, we should.”

Just then, Eddie starts to cry quietly. Had they not been so observant, they may not have noticed. Wayne jumps up, and runs to the boy’s side. “What’s the matter, son?”

“I wan’ you to hold me! I wan’ you!” Eddie cries, opening up his arms and grabbing for his uncle. Wayne nods, and picks the boy up off the ground. He sits back down in his spot same as before, except now Eddie is in his lap.

The doctor gives Eddie a sympathetic smile before looking at his uncle. “Separation anxiety is common in traumatized children as well as autism.”

“Forgive him,” Wayne sighs softly, “Rough night last night.”

Eddie doesn’t pay much attention to their conversation. He’s ready to go home, to take a nap. He misses his blankie and he misses all his toys. Sniffling, he hides his face in his uncle’s chest.

“Why was last night so tough?”

Wayne shakes his head. “Boy’s fingers touched a wool blanket and he flipped out. Full on screaming, kicking, crying type of fit he threw.”

“Sensory issues are a very important part of autism.”

Oh, how Wayne knew. They talk for a little while longer, then he gathers Eddie’s diagnostic papers and heads home. Eddie cried the whole way home because his carseat is in the backseat and not in his uncle’s lap. Though, the boy is very easy to soothe once they’re home.

Wayne takes a deep breath. He reminds himself that Eddie is still Eddie and always will be- just with a few challenges they’d have to get through together.

Late diagnosis

“I’m… I’m autistic?”

Eddie stares at the doctor with wide eyes. Wayne rubs his back comfortingly. “Son,” he says softly, “It’s nothing we didn’t already suspect.”

“I’m fifteen years old and nobody cared enough to diagnosis me until now?” The words come out of Eddie’s mouth before he realizes their impact. He knew damn well they had been scraping together the money for this diagnosis for years. “I-I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that.”

“It’s fine, Eddie,” Wayne says. “Let her talk to you about it, please.”

Eddie nods hesitantly. “Okay…”

“During our one-on-one interview, I noticed many warning signs. For starters, you tend to avoid eye contact heavily. Most of my emotions were completely lost on you. Whenever I tried to talk to you, you’d divert and begin talking about your guitar or your music or your campaign.”

Eddie can feel his blood boiling.

“Your social skills just aren’t anywhere near where they need to be.”

His fists clench. There’s nothing wrong with him.

“Your uncle mentioned you weren’t fully potty trained until first grade, which gives us an example of a major development delay-”

Before Eddie can control himself, he’s jumping up and yelling, “Shut up! There’s nothing wrong with me!”

“Eddie,” Wayne gently grabs him by the arm. “Go out to the car and wait while I talk to the doctor.”

“But-”

“I said go.”

Head hung, Eddie goes to the car. He’s not sure how long his uncle was in the psychologist’s office. At some point, Eddie started to cry.

By the time Wayne gets back, Eddie is sobbing into his hands.

“I’m a freak, just like they say at school!”

Wayne pulls the boy in for a hug. “You’re not a freak, Eddie. You’re different, but a good different.”

“I’m a stupid freak!”

That night, Eddie cried himself to sleep next to his uncle. Why did he have to be different?

[pinejay]

i had this dream the other night abt somehow having a newborn baby who turned out to be a genius and it's been haunting me ever since. every so often my brain is like "so i gotta check on my genius baby–" before being like o yeah that was a dream i don't have a kid. it's driving my nuts

so at the beginning of the dream i was doing quite a mediocre job of raising it, like on day 2 i forgot to feed it until the very end of the day so it definitely didn't get enough milk. whoops. but pretty soon u could tell it was developing intellectually super fast, started talking within just a few days. completely surprised me by requesting out of the blue to watch some old disney channel teen girl soccer movie to observe the social interactions.

at first i didn't panic and just attributed their intelligence to the fact that i would talk to them like another fully conscious adult from the very beginning even when they didn't say anything back. and we watched the movie together and it was weird but nice. they were also growing physically bigger pretty fast. continued to do a mediocre to okay job of raising them, at one point i was like "wow how long has it been now? 8 days?" and they were like "no 15 days. i've been alive for 15 days" and in my head i was like aw shit i already forgot their birthday. i'm such a bad parent. then later i did talk to them directly abt my shit job feeding them at first and they were like eh it sucked but you're feeding me well now so it's fine. very shrug the shoulders abt it

then i got it into my head that i had to teach them morality and not to look down on others just bc they're smarter in this way, so they don't do evil with their powers or whatever. like i was rly panicking over the fact that i can't just model healthy human behavior and hope they mimic me and learn how to be a good and reasonable human being that way, bc they were already asking questions and bringing up concepts i absolutely did not introduce to them. they were pretty reasonable already so i wasn't too worried but i did still think it was worth it to directly have a conversation abt it.

for some reason i decided the way to address this was to bring up julius caesar lmao. not that i actually know that much abt history so this was a stressor for this dream version of me as well, bc dream me didn't know any more than conscious me. i basically approached them like "so... u know how julius caesar was like i came, i saw, i conquered?" and they were immediately like "oh yeah i know all abt that! did u know the battle where he purportedly declared that wasn't actually..." and went on to explain some interesting historical wikipedia content while i desperately searched for a way to bring the conversation back around to explaining that everyone has different strengths and abilities and we're put on this earth not to compete to be the best but to enjoy ourselves and help other ppl etc etc and conquering isn't the end goal of life, without dismissing their passion for history lol. and that's when i woke up.

[yrbutchgf]

hey, i'm feeling a bit insecure in my identity rn and i was wondering if you have any... tips, or anything like that. i'm a lesbian who feels more comfortable in a masc role, and i think i would identify as butch... but i feel like i'm too emotional. i cry SO often. my mental health has been less than stellar for the last 10 years or so lol, so that plays a part, but i'm also just a crier. things that make me cry: criticism, heated discussions, presentations, movie/game/book endings, all music with violins, some music without violins, christmas commercials, those miniature food clay charms... literally everything. and it's always in public too, which is embarrassing enough as it is. and i know that doesn't have to mean anything for my gender identity, but the whole "boys/men don't cry" thing kind of did a number on me lol. i always feel like a little girl when others watch me cry, even though i want to be the protector. sorry for rambling, but i feel like you always have good takes on butchness and stuff like that, so i was wondering if you have any tips on feeling more secure in my butch/masc side :)

ok before i say anything else, thank you, i’m honestly really flattered you think that highly of my takes lol <3 i do try my best, i’m glad i’m able to help people to whatever extent i do with my posts. also, bit of a length warning -- i always set out with the intention of writing succinct responses to asks, but it always gets away from me, and this time "getting away from me" meant "turning into a manifesto." well, oops. c'est la butch/femme.

now to start this answer off: i definitely relate. i’m also pretty emotional. when i get stressed i get really shaky, especially in my hands, and then after that my body turns on the waterworks. i also have a fairly exuberant personality in general, and i'm very expressive with my hands & body language. the only times i’ve ever really fit the stoic archetype have been on accident, usually when i’ve felt uncomfortable in a social situation and it’s come off as strong silence. at the same time, i also don’t like when people see me cry or be emotional in general, especially in public. it makes me feel vulnerable in a way that i don’t like to give most people, and the fact that i can’t fully control when or if i do is uncomfortable. and i think disliking that feeling is totally normal, or at the very least it’s a common boundary to have. regardless of sexuality, gender, or presentation, there’s a social urge to cover up when we’re feeling our feelings, but even beyond that there is, i think, a reflexive, self-preservation level urge to cover up what can be easily damaged. so to an extent, i think it’s natural to shy away from vulnerability.

at the same time, the urge to push down one’s tears is not necessarily a HEALTHY urge, only a COMMON one, because you’re right: emotionality has no bearing on your gender or what roles you can take up. some of my best butch and masc friends are also extremely emotional people, and they’re very open about it, and in a lot of ways that openness almost feels to me more masculine or more butch, because they’re embracing their feelings, and that’s obviously a really hard thing to learn to do, so it’s powerful, admirable, and also to be honest, it’s attractive! the ability of someone to be brave enough to be vulnerable can in many situations make the people around them feel more at ease, and i think it can become a very steady, very stabilizing sort of masculinity. in other words, someone who is very comfortable in their tears is also very good and healing to be around. so i think in a lot of ways, when you learn to own your emotions rather than push them away, that can very easily augment your butchness rather than take away from it.

now obviously everyone views butch/femme differently, whether as genders/sexuality labels/dynamics/what have you, but for me no matter what at the center of these terms there is always this nexus, this core focus, of care. in the dynamic, butch/femme is about butches & femmes caring for one another in complementary ways both in- and out-side of romantic relationships. so when we talk about butchness standalone, you and many other people reach for words like “protector,” and i don’t think there’s anything necessarily wrong with that, i think protection can and often is a key role, but my point here is, where is that urge to protect coming from? it’s from love, from caring about the people you love. and i think it’s important to remember that and to frame it that way, because when you do, it becomes pretty simple: your emotionalism is more than anything a sign of that urge to care/protect/provide in you, or a driving force to those urges, however you want to frame it. far from taking away from your butchness, your emotions are at the very foundation of what it can be. i talked about this in the butch/femme server a bit, and thren @lesbiandaemon said it perfectly:

i genuinely think i (and many others!) would feel so much safety and security being w someone who allows themself to be vulnerable and earnest abt their emotions and it definitely augments butchness, from my perspective as a femme. i envy and care deeply for the butch whose emotions and vulnerability are on display, there's a strength in that imo, even if you've been made to feel self conscious and dysphoric and "less than" bc of that. i think of phrases like "the strength to remain tender", "the violence it took to be this gentle" in the lens of trauma but if that applies and you're ok w it, i think it could also apply here too [...]

whether ppl know it or not, sometimes the way one carries themselves can be projected onto others; there's already an example in how anon mentions the "big boys/men don't cry" thing, vulnerability being shut out and dismissed/disparaged isn't going to make anyone more eager/open abt their emotions. and like, going back to the butch/femme dynamic, it does feel so much more stable and steady if someone has the courage to acknowledge and let themselves feel their emotions, it's very welcoming and validating, knowing that someone can have a strong image and show their tenderness, knowing that you're safe and free from mockery/scorn to do the same when someone protective of you knows how it feels and will care for you because they feel touched to their core and have let you know in more than one way.

and i want to add an important caveat here: obviously not everyone who cares very deeply is going to be outwardly emotional or show it in the same ways. that’s true for all kinds of reasons. i think a lot of the stoicism we see in traditional depictions of butches can come from how people relate emotions to masculinity (that is to say, how people view masculinity as inherently based around a distance from one’s “softer” side), but also, honestly, i think this may also have roots in the historical coping mechanisms that a lot of butches took on in the face of a world that was unkind to them.

in stone butch blues, for example, there’s a lot of talk about this idea of “hard” versus “soft,” or “going stone,” especially when jess is first getting into the bar scene and she’s still fresh-faced to violence. and going stone in this context isn’t just about sexuality, it's also about how so many butches learned to stop letting people in even at a basic emotional level. for them, hardening up was an inevitability of circumstance, not an inherent facet of their personality or a building block of butch identity. i’m sure plenty of old-school butches would be glad to know it’s no longer inevitable or necessary for a butch to close themselves off completely in order to survive.

of course there are also plenty of butches who are just naturally reserved with their emotions, and that’s also fine -- that doesn’t mean they don’t feel things, or that they don’t care. they care -- all of us do! some of us showing it more or less than others doesn’t reflect badly on any of us, whether we’re of a more stoic or a more open variety. but some of us really can’t help showing it, and that’s okay. that’s just how the love spills out. the right person won’t see that as weakness or a crack in the fine china of your masculinity or whatever, they’ll see it as a lovely and endearing part of your whole and warming butchness. so embrace your emotions. do your best to honor the role they play in butch/femmeness. try to love your emotions, or at the very least not to be afraid of them. and remember: you are strong. your tenderness will not destroy you. in fact, it’s what built you to begin with.

[sotorubio]

I'm really confused cus ppl are attacking tiff for taking control of her life, saying she doesn't need to be rescued. I thought that's a good thing? But people are saying it's fake feminism because she was so mean to lola before. But isn't that the whole point of skam? People have this "shame" in their life that they grow from? Like how everyone wanted lola to be forgiven for stuff she did to other people in s6, (eliott, lucas, daphne, etc ,) because she had her own struggles but had grown /was growing from it? But with tiff we're not supposed to support her? It's hilarious how people have decided there's a right and a wrong way to react to clips and it you don't fit the "right" reaction box then you're some kind of heathen 😔

well if we're talking real life ofc something like that is a good thing, finding ur strength after going through trauma is always good n a common "feminist" trope is that a girl recognizes that she needs no man or whatever. i haven't been that active on here recently so i haven't seen the reactions to it but this season has not been a feminist one in the least no matter how many catchphrases they throw in there

above all this season is abt a cis, white, straight and rich girl so. failed step one. ppl need to understand that if feminism isn't intersectional it's worthless n this doesn't just mean they should've picked someone else for the role (which they should've, but there's more to it) u can't make a feminist season abt a white girl if ur gonna villanize all ur woc especially the black women. u can't make a feminist season abt a cishet, rich girl if ur gonna make the bisexual poor girl ignore the fact that this is the person who played w her trauma just a year before. u can't make a feminist season abt a rich girl if the previous season she was overworking her privilege to show how classist she was (which the fans love to forget bc they don't see poor ppl as oppressed lol) and again u can't make a feminist season abt a white girl if all her Cool Feminist Moments only happen when she's talking to a black man such as her snarky "that wasn't an invitation" when aurélien tried to kiss her or her physically attacking him bc he? cares abt their daughter? being consider a Powerful Mom Thing

if all this didn't exist sure it would be considered feminist for her to not need saving, but when we put it in the context of literally everything else we can see that this is yet another poor attempt at taking a cliché feminist phrase that u could see written by a male avengers movie director for woke points. ppl need to understand that tiff has huge amounts of privilege over both aurélien (being white) n max (being cis) so her being a woman doesn't even automatically place her social status "beneath" these men. even just outside of fandom shit ppl should understand that supporting certain women will inherently be anti feminist, just bc ur cheering on a woman doesn't make u feminist.

then second abt the shame thing & lola. the "shame" in all skam seasons has always been smth "innate" due to the lack of a better world. smth that the society shames u for. the isak seasons r abt being gay bc society makes ppl ashamed of gayness, but u don't think being gay is a "shame" do u? neither is being a muslim, but the sana seasons r abt that bc again the "shame" is smth society perpetuates. the fact that tiff was "mean to lola" (she was a classist, she told her to kill herself, she made her trauma n mental illness into her own little joke) is not her "shame" bc that was her choice....that's smth she chose to do she isn't misunderstood or oppressed bc she hates poor ppl lmao. if they made made a season abt the nico character would u say his shame is sexual harassment? i doubt it. bc that's not smth he's involuntarily shamed for that's an action he chose to take.

also tiff n lola's "forgiveness" or lack thereof isn't comparable. first of all i'm not sure why u mentioned lucas? she never rly did anything to him but he on the other hand has a shitload to apologize for to her. abt eliott & daphné i also don't quite understand bc as for daphné they had a mutually toxic sibling dynamic, both failing at communication n treating each other badly but like.. even in that situation daphné was literally stalking her sister so again not sure what blame lola has on her here. n for eliott i also don't get what she should've apologized for like if u mean the club clips then u r in the wrong place bc lola didn't even do anything bad other than be rude which every other character is also guilty of smfjlskd

like see the difference? tiff & lola's conflict wasn't mutual, tiff chose to harass n stalk her based on nothing at all, she was only able to do that bc of the privilege n power she (a white cishet rich girl) has over lola (a bisexual mentally ill poor girl). i don't see how those two r in any way comparable.

so i guess that's my explanation for it. as for ur last point i do agree i don't know why it's anyone else's problem how others react to clips but even then i do think we need to understand that skam remakes take pride in their "diversity" n "representation" so sometimes certain reactions actually r objectively wrong. like saying "i liked this clip" or "i didn't like this clip" is all cool n no one should get hate for that but if ppl watch a clip where certain stereotypes r used unironically n their decision is to actually enforce the harmful message n not waste any of their three braincells for critical thinking bc It'S jUsT FiCtiOn then u r not immune to me thinking ur a brainless idiot

[1rintooru]

Haikyuu!! as their Zodiac Signs

Starring Oikawa Tooru as cancer

Soo there are a couple of fundamental traits associated with cancer’s: They are loyal, protective, intuitive and caring. On the flipside they can be overly sensitive, moody and prone to be vindictive. I’ll start with the good and see where and how they apply best to him.

Positive Traits:

Loyal:

I can totes see Oikawa as being a loyal person and this reflects itself in a couple of areas in his life. Firstly, his long-term friendship with his childhood best friend Iwaizumi. The two seem to have very different approaches to life, people and how they confront problems. Despite their differences, they balance each other out and take their friendship seriously. Iwaizumi is probably one of the very few people he’s authentic with since Iwaizumi can clearly tell when he’s being genuine or not. He’s also incredibly loyal to volleyball who would have thought and even though he may have had his doubts when he felt burnt out, he’d always end up returning back to the sport. He is so loyal and one-track minded when it comes to volleyball that it apparently got in the way of his previous relationship, so it’s clear that it’s a priority. Cancers are known for being extremely loyal partners and even may stay in relationships that are unhealthy because of this. I have a hard time imagining Oikawa as this playboy because he’s very much an all-or-nothing kinda guy.

Protective:

Hmmm I didn’t really see Oikawa as protective at first. But I do think he’s quite family-orientated since he coaches his nephew (along with other children) and is seen to spend time with him. But this dude is so protective of his pride like get a grip. Even though shiratorizawa was the better option, he refused to go because of his “worthless pride”. This guy holds onto certain beliefs and ideologies that really do more harm to him than good and they can show themselves in really toxic ways- like him overworking himself or almost beating kageyama up like chill tf out

Intuitive:

All waters signs are innately intuitive and cancers are no exception and I think Oikawa exemplifies that well. Oikawa is excellent at reading his teammates as well as his opponents. He can manipulate opposing teams by spotting their weaknesses but also has the ability of bringing his team together and bringing out the best of his teammates. His intuition gives him a lot of social grace as well (even if he acts like a child a lot of the time). He really does have the gift of gab and can probs sweet talk his way out of anything- he knows what social mask to wear for which occasion. Even Iwaizumi has said that he’s only seen Oikawa smile genuinely once. That’s not to say that this bish is fake, but he is highly adaptable und will tailor his actions based around those around him- he’s a social chameleon and there’s only few exceptions where he’s truly himself.

Caring:

He cares a lot about a lot of things. It probably seems like all he thinks about 24/7 is volleyball which is partly true, but he does care about others a lot as well. Again, his friendship with Iwaizumi showcases this really well, but also his connection to his family and his nephew in particular. He can be savage classy, bougie, ratchet on the volleyball court, but outside of it he actually seems really polite?? Like he takes time out of his day to interact with his fangirls even though they probably can be overbearing at times or even get in the way of getting to and from practice- yet he still takes photos for them and is appreciative when they offer him bentos?? And unlike Kageyama, Oikawa truly is a teamplayer and brings out the 100% of his team- even when they lose, he is never resentful or regretful. I’ve also felt that his teammates are not just his teammates because he seems pretty close with all of them and they all have banter back and forth. Oikawa is truly great at making sure these bonds and interactions are harmonious. To bring out their strengths but also bc I think Oikawa would be sensitive to conflict.

Negative traits:

Overly-sensitive:

Yeah, for sure. He tends to take things personally, even impersonal criticism or objective advice. He’s the type of guy who probably remembers something innocuous you said only to bring it up again months later. He was also really bent out of shape when kiyoko ignored him it’s not that deep dude. Cancers are not really the aggressive type, so I doubt you’ll get into an explosive fight (it can happen ofc, but they’ll probably think abt hurting you than actually doing anything) but they are so effing petty! They will resort to childish antics, petty remarks and are prone to being passive aggressive. These are all qualities that we have seen Oikawa exhibit, so I’m not even going to elaborate more.

Moody:

I think this fits him well. He does manage to put on a good social mask and depending on the situation, he can maneuver his way through life with his charm and social skills. However, he isn’t like ushijima, akaashi or suna who tend to not let outward factors affect their emotions. He’s a very reactive person and feels deeply to what is happening around him. A lot of cancers (esp in my experience) have the tendency to go MIA and retreat into their shells. I haven’t seen Oikawa do this as frequently, I think. For him, home is where the heart is and his heart is with volleyball. He doesn’t really brood or fall into a cycle of self-pity- he’s just too ambitious for that. Instead, he’ll throw himself into the sport to improve and he does this obsessively to the point of injuring himself. He doesn’t want to see himself as a victim and he certainly doesn’t want others to view him that way either. He’ll only open up to those he truly trusts and even then, it’s usually through passive aggressive insults, bitter remarks and barely hidden insecurity.

Vindictive:

Cancers are not vengeful in the way that scorpios are, but they can hold onto a grudge for years and become extremely resentful. This is esp the case if a cancers insecurity is “attacked”. (I use that term loosely btw). Oikawa hated kageyama from the beginning bc he “hated geniuses” and refused to teach or help him- this is oikawa’s inferiority shining through. He didn’t want to give kageyama, who is already gifted with raw talent any more advantage over him. Yeah, oikawa is extremely talented and skilled but he probably thinks that those with the natural gift for volleyball will always be a step ahead since they’ll learn new techniques and get better as they improve. Rationally speaking, oikawa and kageyama would learn a lot from each other, but oikawa is vindictive and won’t help someone he sees as an enemy. At least not without throwing some petty jabs. It also would have made more sense for him to go to shiratorizawa if he was concerned with being the best of the best, however it was personal for him. He has a longstanding rivalry with ushijima and it wouldn’t have made much sense for oikawa to join because it’s personal for him. He wouldn’t just throw away his personal beliefs and ignore his vendetta just because logically it would make more sense for him to do so. He’s very much a heart over head kind of guy so a lot of how he acts and responds are going to align with his own value system.

[jade-doodles-questionmark]

On Alexander, Angelica and Eliza

Heres some long-ass personal interpretation based on the musical that nobody following this blog signed up for lol. Not gonna be touching on history coz i’m no expert and there’re ppl way more qualified for that. and it’s good to keep things separated.

there’re obviously many similarities between the two A’s. Both are witty, outspoken, center of attention, and a bit of a flirt. To me, the most interesting trait shared by both is their awareness: They know exactly where they stand socially, and subsequently, how to play by the rules to climb up. This clear awareness is where I got the idea for the staircase drawings. “i’m a girl in a world in which my only job is to marry rich/ my father has no sons so i’m the one who has to social climb for one” is a demonstration of Angelica’s awareness, just as “As a kid in the Caribbean I wished for a war/ I knew that I was poor/ I knew it was the only way to rise up” shows Alexander’s.

it’s different for Eliza - i know as the show proceeds, she gradually becomes more ambitious and active, but in Who Lives Who Dies Who Tells Your Story, what she asks, instead of how to rise up, is: “Have I done enough?” this quiet insistence is why i always see her as someone who does things because she thinks it’s a right thing to do, no matter whether that thing in question would benefit her personally or not. sure, she gives off "cinnamon roll" vibes, but girl’s no less strong or badass than Alexander or Angelica.

More under cut coz I’m incapable of being concise:

Angelica:

what always strikes me as interesting about Angelica is the contrast of what she says vs. what she does.

In The Schuyler Sisters, the majority of her lines are about empowering women, which, I think, is where the depiction of Angelica as an angry feminist comes from in some fanfics. But in Satisfied, we see she plays squarely by the rules of patriarchy and social classes (the three fundamental truths part). 

Similarly, in TSS, she says "so men say I'm intense or I'm insane", seemingly unbothered, if not lowkey proud, by these comments, but in Satisfied, she talks about the resulting gossip if she were to marry Alexander. 

I saw a post which expressed that Angelica thinks like Alexander but acts like Burr, and I agree. She has a sharp mind and is unafraid to speak out, like Alexander, but she’s also got things to lose, like Burr. Having family responsibilities means that she does not, and cannot, act without restrictions and hesitations like Hamilton. She doesn't necessarily wait it out like Burr, but she does think things thru, because the important decisions she makes carry enough weight to not only affect the future of herself but also of her family.

I had mentioned in an old post that Satisfied is basically Angelica assessing cost & gain for each of the options she has, for all the parties involved. even though that song's ending has mixed feelings and it's DEFINITELY a heartbreaking song, Angelica's choice did maximize the gain for everyone at the time: She was able to maintain her bond with Alexander and married rich to ensure her material comfort. Alexander was able to marry a Schuyler and elevate his status. Eliza got the boy she loved and was happily married. She even foresaw some possible challenges the newly wed Hamiltons were likely to face (“He’ll never be satisfied”).

She knows she lives in a world of patriarchy; she isn't happy with it, but she knows how to take advantage of the system as much as she can. She knows how to be the center of attention, be charming, and appeal to ppl. She knows what kind of husband is beneficial to have. She knows how to influence politics in her own way (take a break). Part of why I found Satisfied so sad is that her mind and her heart wish for two different things. Angelica is a realist, over everything else. She can be a feminist, but definitely not an angry one.

Alexander:

I talked a bit abt him in an older post on Maria - and a lot of what I said abt Maria applies to him. If the challenge Angelica was facing is invisible societal restrictions on women, what Alexander faces is purely regarding survival. Having needed to fight and compete for resources, I imagine he's at least somewhat influenced by the philosophy of social darwinism. I also said, in the same post, that I don't think he'd be really inclined to help ppl in the same difficulty he used to be in, for the same reason. If he could make it this far with his own hard work, how would it be fair to make things easier for others now? Would those ppl even deserve their success now the bar has been lowered? It's not exactly a right way of thinking, but it's also hard to blame him. after having to compete for resource w others in order to climb up, it’s hard to change the mentality.

I've seen a music analysis (by Howard Ho on YouTube) on Hurricane, and it concludes that when Hamilton was singing that song, he wasn't exactly recalling the past - he's been mentally living in that reality and never truly left. (There's similar remarks that Hamilton's past in the Caribbean had always plagued him despite his power and position in Chernow's biography, but we're only analyzing the musical here.) He never fully turned off his survival mode.

To clarify: by survival mode, I don't literally mean he fights to survive. He didn't exactly show a strong will to survive and was quite willing to give up his life for noble causes, up until he met Eliza. What I meant is, he remembers being destitute and helpless, he remembers seeing deaths of trivial importance, so he fights to be as far away from destitution and helplessness as possible, he fights to have the opportunity to die a glorious and noble death. Because to be able to die for something matters is still a privilege. No matter how high up he rose to position, his insecurity that he may end up losing those never faded away. This raw energy, I guess, is what gradually turned the others in the musical to be more like him.

Eliza:

Eliza seems to be the one who's the most content abt their situations out of the three. After all, one of her motifs in the musical is "look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now", and the other one is “that would be enough”. 

ppl usually say Helpless and Satisfied should be listened back to back (and nothing wrong with that), but comparing these two songs, Helpless doesn’t explore as much of Eliza’s character as Satisfied does Angelica. Throughout Helpless, she’s spent most of the song narrating what happened and falling head over heels for Alexander. As for her first appearance in TSS, she doesn’t have as much of a voice and show of character in comparison to Angelica, Burr, other Peggy either. 

The first moment we truly see her thoughts is in That Would Be Enough. It’s also in this song, her two other motifs (”that would be enough” and “narrative”) are introduced. Unlike Alexander and Angelica at that point of story, she’s happy with her life, wants it to remain that way, and doesn’t ask for more. 

i dont mean she’s not ambitious like the other two - she’s driven, but by other things. she doesn’t think of legacy, material comfort, status, position, etc. as important as Angelica and Alexander, as we can see in Burn. it’s not that she doesn’t know the rules - girl’s not playing the game at all. 

unlike the two A’s, Eliza’s growth happens in the second act. Angelica’s barely in the second act, and in the same act we see Alexander’s most trusted weapon, writing, contributing to his downfall. but for Eliza, she turns from the observer in Helpless, the supporter in That Would Be Enough, to the only one on stage in Burn, and to being the center of stage in Who Lives Who Dies Who Tells Your Story. in the second act we see her going thru the series of most crushing heartaches: Reynolds Pamphlet, death of Phillip, and death of Alexander, but we also see her strength. she’s a good person, but ppl usually forget that being nice takes energy and strength too. it takes strength to support, to forgive, to mourn the passing of your loved ones, and to preserve their memories and legacy. she shines and grows after overcoming the loss and heartbreaks. Angelica says in Satisfied “she’d say 'i’m fine' but she’d be lying”, i don’t think she’s giving Eliza enough credit for her mental strength there lol. 

side note: this is where i got idea for the eliza art from a few days ago - kintsugi represents the idea that your wound becomes your history and forms part of who you are, rather than something ugly to be ashamed of. I think it fits well with Eliza’s development.

Congrats! you’ve made it till the end! don’t know why u’d do that, but thanks! 

if u’re reading this feel free to send me a simple art request to compensate the time u took reading my bullshit