#speak up and be brave

[kick-a-long]

I've thought about how to say this or if I should but I figured it might be nice to know you're not yelling into a void. I used to be your pretty standard left leaning anti-zionist. I used to always insist that Jewish people didn't need Israel to be a thing and "if they all moved to NYC tomorrow nobody would even notice" because I honestly thought that antisemitism was this ancient fossil that only edgy middle school boys and 4-channers throw around and if the US became home to all the world's jews they could be safe without the need for any further violence. Which was so horrifyingly naive (especially considering I myself was labeled as jewish by classmates for sobbing during documentary about the holocaust and having physical features they thought where jewish) that if I didn't have some pollyanna 'surely everyone is trying their best to be nice' instances in the past I would have thought I had a stroke or something. The antisemitism that I've seen in people I thought where otherwise good and kind individuals post the events of October has shaken the absolute hell out of me. It makes me feel sick to think they where just laying in wait for an excuse to be more public with their hate. I know now that Jewish people don't just need Israel, they deserve to have a place where they can know for sure they'll be safe and that absolute ghouls aren't going to jump out of no-where. Thank you for being so open about what you experience.

the past is the past. you see it now and you were brave enough to reach out, good for you. always happy to hear that non-jews are seeing the absolute bat shit bigotry against jews too.

speak up about it. antisemites keep gaslighting jews by saying we're making antisemitism up. you can make a huge difference just by pointing out things that are antisemitic to people around you irl. on the internet any neo nazi can pretend to be "just supporting" Palestine by sharing blood libel. pictures, flyers and slogans from the anti israel protests are pretty clearly antisemitic not just obviously genocidal about Israelis (jews, and any type of arab living there.) challenge your friends you know want to end bigotry to look for it.

you can start by looking at news paper head lines that are written to unfairly paint Israelis and jews as aggressors and liars compared with literal terrorist groups (especially the houthis and hezbollah who are literally slave traders, like actually kidnapping woman (including muslims and christians et all) and selling them into sex slavery.)

[hyakunana]

BREAKING NEWS: The most miserable man that ever stepped in DPG is winning and about to make everyone as miserable while looking good at it

[lavendermemoriess]

"mental health matters" until it's lando, apparently. y'all have this idealized version of a driver that doesn't feel pressured or nervous or whatever, and that just doesn't happen!! lando is a real person, he has feelings, fears, he feels pressured, stressed, sad. it's not because he's rich that his struggles are less than, ffs.

anyways, lando is an inspiration and a source of representation for me, because i have mental health issues and it's so important for me to see a person i appreciate using their media presence to speak up about it.

no one could ever make me hate you, lando.

[smokestarrules]

Absolutely inconsolable about this specific piece from the ToH art gallery I am on the FLOOR

(Art by Haley Wong). 

[madaqueue]

i only cried once today after being yelled at/scolded for two hours straight!!!!! i would like my hug and pat on the head for being so good now please!!!!!!!

[genericwizard]

Ok I can't keep it in my drafts this time. enlighten me if you want; why do people think Diluc is like, a good guy?

Let me be clear, I love Diluc, but I also think he's kind of a shithead. I don't think his actions towards Kaeya can ever be construed as reasonable, his decision to seek vengeance alone irresponsible (even if Kaeya encouraged him), and his vigilantism a product of his paternalistic belief that only he knows what's good for Mondstadt (untrue).

Diluc in the present is the man trying to come back from the bad person he has been. But his solution is to force himself to do a job he never thought he'd have and challenge random Fatui factions to a fight so he can torture them in his basement. I think he has the capacity for good in him, and is trying to change, but I don't see why people think that his actions were all totally a good idea and when we say he's "an uncrowned king of Mond" that's not like, frightening.

[bapydemonprincess]

I ADORE SOMA'S INTERPRETATION OF A PREFECT = A MAYOR, BRAVO MY SON

also oh god another maurice copy in that last shot..

[whywoulditho]

not saying the holocaust wasn't bad. but i need people to understand that it wasn't the only genocide that happened in the same period of world history. not because i want you to pay less attention to holocaust but because i need you to ask why it's the only one we ever talk about. it wasn't the longest occured massacre of a marginalized group, it wasn't the most gruesome, it wasn't the one with the most casualties, it wasn't the first and it wasn't the last one. i need people to think about why we didn't pay much attention to all the other holocausts after WWII that happened simultaniously and were just as horrible. it says so much about media, the news we are fed, and that our empathy is BOUGHT by the same people that keep funding genocides all over the world.

[uhohdad]

Ahhhhh ate up the titan pieceeeeee

(But would Konig hear her? Would he come for her? Would he watch stunned for a moment before intervening?)

WARNING: 18+, NSFW, DEPICTIONS OF NON-CONSEXUAL SEX AND PHYSICAL ABUSE. PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION AND TAKE CARE <3

The cries leaving you are raw and hiccuping, intertwined with intelligible pleads in a desperate attempt to find empathy from the deranged boy planted firmly on your front. You’re squirming away from his bruising, slicing teeth, but his jaw is locked around your delicate flesh, finishing his painful bites with long swipes of his tongue.

A shout, from deeper in the trees, the sound of disrupted branches and twigs. Immediately your eyes spring open, your body thrashing twice as hard against Titan.

“Help! Help me!” You call to your last hope, your wail for help shredding the back of your throat.

The far out voice calls your name - and you can make it out.

It’s Konig.

Coming to your rescue, or possibly to kill you.

Titan finishes on a particularly drawn-out, sloppy swipe along his bite marks and lets out a laugh into your marked flesh.

“Konig! Konig!”

Titan’s hand comes up to silence you, his palm covering your mouth with such force your head slams into the dirt.

When he pulls away from your neck, he jams his nose into your cheek just next to his hand, planting a wet, bloody kiss to the side of your face. You grimace and squirm objections muffled under rough palms, but it’s useless to try and stop him. Titan lets out a giddy, maniacal laugh as he sits up, giving your throbbing wrists a painful squeeze.

“This is just perfect,” he says, a cruel grin unwinding on his face. A mixture of your blood and his spit covers his chin and the creases along his mouth.

He meets your blown eyes, firmly pressing the flat of his hand over your lips.

“See this Nine?”

Titans leans in again so he’s only inches from you, tightening his hold to keep you from shaking your head away from him.

“Now we’re both getting what we want.”

Titan’s already looking in Konig’s direction when he bursts through the trees, and in one smooth motion Titan releases his muzzle on you, reaches behind him, and swiftly returns to press a knife to your neck. Your head tries to bury away, but you end up just displaying your bruised, bloody neck for him on a silver plater.

Konig freezes at the sight, boots skidding on dirt as his empty palms shoot up.

Titan laughs, a boisterous, deep laugh that echoes throughout the forest.

“How touching,” Titan says, punctuating his hummed statement by tightening his knuckles around the knife pressed through your throat, “A lover’s reunion.”

You and Konig meet each other’s stare through the holes in his hood. You can’t see his face, but you can practically hear his heart beating through the chest rising and falling with each deep breath. He looks down to your neck, mutilated and bloody before meeting your tear-stained face.

“Lucky you,” Titan purrs to Konig before his voice drops to a near growl, “You get a front row seat to the show.”

Titan laughs, his hold on your wrists tightening as the cool steel brushes against your skin with each of his shakes. He ends on a smug sigh, his grin twisted into something devious.

“Y’know, your Lover’s blood tastes so sweet. Have you tried it?”

Konig’s eyes are flitting around, trying to think his way through the panic, but his mind is clearly failing him.

Titan’s locked onto Konig’s stare as he leans down, crushing your wrists to swipe the entirely of your neck with his slick tongue.

He pulls away slowly, closing his eyes for a moment as if to savor the taste and gives a low hum.

Konig doesn’t have anything to say, still frozen, as if the slightest provocation would cause Titan to slice open your neck.

You can’t blame him.

“Have you tried it, Funny Girl?”

His lids flutter halfway shut, and his finger swirls over his teeth marks, gathering a slick mixture of blood and saliva. Your head is already instinctually stretched as far as you can, and with each wiggle you risk slicing yourself on the blade, so there’s not much to do when Titan brings his finger to your lips.

Your shallow breaths and the blood pumping in your ears deafens you as he makes his teasingly slow descent. You have no choice but to stare Titan in the eyes as he presses his finger to your bottom lip and slips his finger into your mouth. The taste of salt and metal immediately flood your mouth, his finger carefully brushing against your tongue.

The rest of Titan’s hand suddenly clamps down around your jaw with enough force his knuckles are shaking.

“Suck.”

Your eyes pinch shut and thrust tears from your waterline, streaking down your temples and into your hair.

You barely have room to sob without carving yourself, so instead of nodding in response to his order, you obey.

Trembling lips sealing around the base of his finger, applying suction. He keeps a cruel grip on your cheeks as he begins to slide his finger in and out your mouth, forcing you to work the blood off.

“Taste good, Nine?”

You can only let out a muffled cry through your pinched cheeks, letting Titan’s finger fuck your face, smearing the warm mixture over your tongue.

He laughs at you, his pointed, blood stained canines displayed proudly as he pulls his finger away with a pop.

He turns to Konig with a wicked smile, his voice low and smug.

“Too bad you won’t get to taste it fresh.”

MORE TITAN DRABBLES FOR YOU, FUNNY GIRL

KONIG X READER HUNGER GAMES AU

[sparky-is-spiders]

Jonmelanie would communicate near exclusively in arguing and nobody would find out that they were dating for three years.

[eddis-not-eeddis]

I recently made friends with a foreign exchange student from Myanmar, and I wanted to ask her out to eat, but she confided in me that she doesn't really like American food, so I went looking for a decent Korean restaurant (because we bonded over our mutual love of Korean dramas, music, and food) and LORD BE PRAISED! There's one within our mutual radius!

[kowabungadoodles]

dumping some thoughts in the tags

[enhanced-operatives-division]

Junicrane/Starstruck Ramble

I will not be brief, all under the cut

To clear some things right off the bat:

No corpse, no proof with Juniper. Obligatory this is set in a canon where he's alive and adjacent to the agency in some way.

Reggie & Juniper are just gay to me, but I don't mind any interpretation of their sexuality

The games are set in 1967/68 to me (based on a couple bits in game) which is before it was legal to be gay in America at least (1971), which is relevant to how I interpret canon as being somewhat grounded in reality, despite unrealistic elements.

This is just an insane amount of headcanons/elements of and AU all culminated into one post. I will talk about some headcanons like they're just facts because they are established in my head, and it saves me over explaining literally everything, however I will explain some parts a little bit for clarity.

Alright. Actual beginning of the ramble:

Juniper is a character to me who had gotten so lost in his job as an actor and a social presence that in the end his whole life revolved around that 'role'. Because of this, by the time he's put into the situation where he's around the Agency, he basically knows nothing about himself, though he doesn't realise at first. Furthermore, what little identity he had has changed in so many ways. He's no longer a beloved famous actor in the prominence of public light, he's legally dead and he tarnished his career just before he was supposed to die, with the bonus of that making him lose the majority of his estate. From that, he also has horrific facial scarring from the electrical burns from literally having his face fried. I believe a friend of mine made a post about this a while ago (I also think they were the first to think it up also), but, to me, Juniper has a permanent trimmer in his right arm (aka his dominant hand) from the electrical current and it is messing with his nervous system.

All in all, he's not doing great, but he's too proud to admit that he's not doing great, because if anything, what's left of his ego is all he has as a defense since he's deep in unfamiliar water.

Before ending up around the agency (I have multiple interpretations of this, so I'm just going to bring it up generally), he'd never actually seen Reggie, and his only impression of him is a single voicemail, which was his only reference he had to later impersonate him. Juniper probably has very little feelings other than the ones he projects onto him because of Phoenix and that, at the very least, he's physically attracted to Reggie to some degree (that's like the beginning of how everything else would tumble into place in this sort of interpretation at least).

And on Crane's side? His feelings towards Juniper are probably very intense and muddled. On the one hand, he adores musical theatre, and that's his now ex-favourite actor. The thought of just casually being around him blows the bit of fanboy in him away at first because THAT'S the GUY, plus the inklings of a celebrity crush which still poke at him. And then there's the rational side of him, which knows Juniper has committed absolute atrocities on the side of Zoraxis, and hates him for that. Then there's how much Juniper comes off as an asshole at first because he refuses to cooperate with anything the Agency tried to put in place. He finds Juniper endlessly frustrating, and yet he's stuck working with him since, afterall, he's the one who knows the Agency's history with Juniper the best. I imagine him acting a lot like how he does IEYTD 1 around Juniper.

At this point, I'm just describing the pitch for a romcom.

I think the start of their relationship with one another largely started with Juniper trying to wind Crane up. It was a way of getting his attention, and I don't think Juniper knows why he's so dead set on that at first, because I don't think he realises he has a crush on 'this grump' at first. (I think that's actually the fun part about these two, because it's almost like a role reversal of the celebrity crush dynamic. This ex-big name actor has a TERRIBLE crush on an average joe and it is KILLING HIM.) But of course the Agency keeps them together because Juniper is at least conversing with Crane, so it's a start.

Through one way or another, they actually get talking casually, at least mildly at first. It takes Juniper a long time to fully deconstruct the wall he's built, and the thing is, Crane isn't the one trying to deconstruct it, at least at first, because yeah, Juniper realises if he wants Reggie to actually like him in any way, he can't keep winding him up. So they talk. Small talk at first, something rhythmic and almost easy to keep to a script. And over time that turns into actual conversations. Genuine ones in which Reggie rips out the occasional one of his jokes which Juniper is endlessly endeared about. The way he smiles just before he makes them, like he wants to chuckle at what he's about to say before he says it. That's probably when Juniper realised that he does have some vague crush on him, and that it wasn't going away.

This is what kickstarts John I can't-buy-you-things-to-impress-you-so-acts-of-service-it-is Juniper to do little things for him. It mostly starts off as him trying to make Reggie his tea how he likes it. However, the nerve damage in his arm makes that hard, as the weight of the kettle and trying to pour is hard all of a sudden. And he refuses to accept that, so he tries for a very long while. Long enough that Crane would go to investigate what was going on. And when he does see Juniper leaning over a cup with the kettle as he uneasily tries to pour it, and when Crane asks Juniper responds so matter-of-fact that his intention is nothing but genuine. And it catches Reggie off guard because Juniper hadn't done anything like that up to that point, and his very apparent vulnerability is so clearly on show.

It shifts something between them.

From that point on, conversations are longer, more familiar. Both of their attitudes soften, and Reggie makes more jokes. Juniper learns how to better use his left hand while strengthening his right back to a point where it could be used again. Slowly, they're both spending time with one another not because they have to, but just because they can. Little bits at first, not too far outside what they already were doing, but those little bits turned into long bits to a point where the other person's company was genuinely desirable.

As time passes, Juniper probably realises that he doesn't genuinely know much about himself or what hobbies he's into, because he never really had the time when he got big, and his home life in his youth wasn't bad, but it wasn't picturesque. I think Reggie would pick up on it, and absolutely try to introduce him to some things he's into. Some things stick, other things don't (corn husking very much stays Reggie's passion, and John will go with him sometimes because it's him, but it's not something he strongly cares for). Crane introduces him to a lot of music, and it's something that becomes a staple between them, with tracks they listen to more than others (tragically, I know relatively little about 60s music so I couldn't really say what). Occasionally they dance, never anything intense, think slow dancing, but the closeness is nice.

Through all of it, Juniper is battling the worst crush of his life, and he can't stand it, because I think he struggles to read people since he doesn't have anything like a script or a director to refer back to, so he has no idea if Reggie likes him back or if he's just desperate for that to be true. I think because of that any sort of confession between them would be incredibly raw, not only because of the time they live in making it hard for them to be truthful about how they love, but because it's a complete show of Juniper who's worked to be this better person. I don't exactly know how that would go, mainly because I don't have one set version of their dynamic, this post is just a generalisation of main consistent points.

Reggie does like him back, because he's gotten used to Juniper being just this guy, not a figure in the public eye, not a Zoraxis lackey, and not any sort of Agency operative (despite being under their care to some degree). He's someone he genuinely cares for, because they've given one another the time of day to learn one another, and I think because Reggie was a field agent, he was a lot better at reading Juniper than Juniper was at reading him. Eventually Juniper's company becomes something he could see around him for the rest of his life, and I think he accepts that he likes Juniper a lot more gracefully.

I think any affection directed at Juniper would at first be met with him feeling a little muddled. Reggie was a very physically affectionate person when he could be, and sure the initial flirting with one another came with the occasional little touches, but everything now was so deeply intentional. I also don't think Juniper would almost ever get over the novelty of being able to kiss him, or many other gestures, because it made the fact that they were together so very real, and it was great. I do think it comes easier to Reggie, and it's a big way of showing how much he cares, so it's important for Juniper to try and show it back because he knows how much it means to the other.

I like the idea of them eventually living with one another, too. I think Juniper would have always had a quiet little daydream of sorts where he does just live a domestic quiet life, and he can with Reggie (well, as close as they can get between the Agency and Zoraxis always being at odds), and he loves that, and he loves him, and it's immense.

I think they cook for one another a lot, it helps Juniper work on his dexterity in a controlled environment, which means a lot because it's a huge point of insecurity (that and his scars). He does improve, and Crane is proud of that and shows it and it's great. I also think they'd probably cook together too, because they can deal with being in the kitchen together and they work well with one another. It's probably a good way for them to unwind because over time they can do it in relative silence.

As I said before, I also think music is a staple in their household, and that Reggie listens to things on vinyl almost all of the time because he likes the background noise. Sometimes Juniper will catch him chuntering along to the music which he finds endlessly endearing. I wouldn't put it past his dramatic ass to also join in to fluster Reggie, but I also don't think Reggie would mind that terribly because Juniper has listened to the music enough to know the lyrics, and that's huge to him.

I don't think they are without rough patches, no relationship is, but I think the good part about them is that they're willing to talk about it (... eventually). They're used to long conversations, and while they're often less fun conversations, they're needed and they know that, and it works out.

Alright. I think I'm done for now. I haven't mentioned everything, but this definitely got the worst of it out of my system. If you ever want to hear any specific thoughts my ask box is open but other than that, behold my general dynamic for these two which has been festering in my head for years. I think they're great

[solbellaria]

Because of the Shelby situation I'm getting dream smp videos on my fyp and dear lord some of these people are not right in the head. Why are you comparing domestic abuse to the servers lore and Hamilton the musical??

[shinobicyrus]

There's something so fucking grim that Elon Musk can be such a shitty father in public and there is a not-insignificant portion of both the people and elected officials that are not only saying that this isn't an awful thing to do to your own child but and praising him for it, all with the suggestion that this should be happening to more queer kids.

[giantkillerjack]

Uh-oh! You are like, SOOO awkward!!

You're so awkward that it is occasionally mildly uncomfortable for people!

You're so awkward that sometimes people are confused by you and then there are awkward silences!

You're so awkward ...... that ultimately no one is harmed!!

Oh damn!!! What a vile crime you have committed! What an unforgivable thing it is to make a fellow human briefly confused!

Why, if *I* were ever briefly confused and kind of uncomfortable as a result, I'd be devastated.... by the absolute net zero change in my happiness and health! - From which I might never recover!! Yes indeed! No punishment can ever be enough for you!!

So you better absolutely hate yourself for it.

Better be SO MEAN to yourself about every single missed social cue so you don't forget your horrible crime! Meaner than you'd ever dream of being to someone else for the same thing! This is YOUR responsibility!

You need to show the world that you KNOW you are bad by punishing yourself constantly! After all, think of all the people who BENEFIT from you punishing yourself! - No, really! Think about it! Think about who benefits from your pain.

Think of alllllll the definitely-good people that your definitely-necessary self-torment definitely helps! I mean, you can't just cut off their definitely-life-sustaining supply of your suffering, right?? Sure, everyone else has a breaking point, but you're probably the only person in human history who doesn't, right? Best not to question it probably. Sure, it's a symptom that billions of people with trauma have had, but who knows? You could be a one-in-seven-billion exception. Anything's possible!

Instead, better just accept that idea that bullies carry like guns in holsters - the idea that people who have trouble with social cues deserve to suffer. Better carry on the burden they placed on you until you drop. Aid the cause of the callous by enforcing shame and suffering upon yourself extra hard; try your best to do their work for them. They're very busy.

Better not recognize that you need patience and kindness to heal from your trauma. Better not find out that it was trauma rather than personal weakness filling your head with self-hating thoughts. Better not find out it wasn't your fault.

Better not find out that awkwardness is not inherently harmful or unkind, and, in fact, the people who act like it is *are the ones enacting harm and being cruel.*

Better not get righteously angry when you realize just how much unnecessary damage this has done to you. After all, if you get mad, you might realize you deserve better. You might even feel brave enough to DEMAND better! You might build boundaries that keep you safe! You might make other people think they deserve to feel safe too! And we obviously can't be having that, so...

Better not show yourself even a little kindness a little bit at a time.

Better not make a habit out of it after all that practice.

Better not get confident.

Especially if you can't first wipe out every trace of awkward. (And you probably never will. Because people who experience absolute social certainty at all times tend to be insufferable assholes that enforce the status quo. And you just don't have the stock portfolio for that.)

Better not be confident and awkward because then you might confuse and delight people

- you might accidentally end up making other people feel less shame for their social difficulties

- you might make isolated, traumatized, and shy people feel like they deserve to be included in social situations

- you might even make them feel they can be themselves around you

- you might start loving the effect you have on a room

- you might enjoy conversations more

- you might forgive yourself and bounce back from shame more easily and frequently

- you might come to enjoy some of those moments of harmless confusion you cause because NOBODY expects the Confident Awkward, and that can genuinely be an advantage in social situations

- you might stop apologizing so much.

- you might find that socializing is like a video game: it requires practice but also a safe space for it to be fun and positive.

Or if you can't become assertive and confident, better not remain awkward and shy and quiet, and then love and forgive yourself anyway!

Why, it would be carnage!!

In either scenario, you run the risk of finding out that it's not your fault that safe spaces full of kind people can be really hard to find, create, and nurture. You could end up building a skillset that helps you do those things if you're not careful!

If you start giving yourself even the tiniest amount of grace at a time, you will find that you've accessed a gateway drug with extreme long-term side effects:

- You might realize that it was never your fault that it took so long to like yourself.

- You might realize that you were always worth talking to, even when you didn't like yourself and communication felt impossibly difficult.

- You might realize that you'll still be worth talking to even if communication becomes harder as you age and/or experience disability.

- You might come to know that you deserve to be heard even on bad days when words come slow and blurry.

You might discover that you were always deserving of kindness, first and foremost from yourself.

So. As you can see, it's FAR too much of a risk to start granting your awkward self free pardons for your many heinous and harmless crimes. Better to just leave it there.