#that’s just why i personally am pissed off

[sentientheat]

i don't have a duty to educate. i do not wish to educate random strangers online from my soapbox. i might want to inform my friends and mutuals if i'm feeling like it, but that's it.

i just saw a post that pissed me off because it peddles one of the same old MEMRI content (someone from the Middle East or North Africa calling some group from the Global North stupid/animals/insert your term of insult) and wanted to add my take. because this is my personal blog where i get to word vomit my personal takes.

you care way too much about americans and whether i think americans were insulted or not in all of your arguments. i don't care whether they were insulted or not. i am just saying don't you think there is a point to the circulation of MEMRI content (not the ones that call americans dumb or whatever but the ones picked up by conservative news outlets at gotchas for "the enemy's wickedness/the dangers of islam/these are the immigrants coming here") in swaying the general western public's (not 5 or 10 of my mutuals on tumblr who hate america already, I mean the median voter and what not) perception? and this is a tame screenshot, honestly i'm not mainly talking about this. there are memri broadcasts and screenshots that are more Islamic-fundemantalist in nature that are also meme-ed to death. so i'm asking "why on earth would anti-imperialist folks continue to engage in material that clearly is an imperialist tool if you know anything about the last 20 years of the depictions of arabs/muslims/middle easterners in mainstream US media?"

that just makes you sound like you saw yourself in the picture and didn't like it.

how many times do i have to again say I am not american. I don't live in the united states of america. i have never been to the united states of america. i also don't see myself reflected in this in terms of ignorance as a map-lover either, but this one is literally none of your business. i am from western asia, also called the middle east, and i hate some americans getting to self-flagellate themselves as "oh we are soooo dumb ahaha look at us. hate on us. call us insults. make it ok that we keep bombing the shit out of you or messing with your economies or both bc aren't our neighbors soooo dumb?" or europeans getting to absolve themselves of involvement in anything by pointing at americans as ignorant. that is it. that is the point. I don't care about the feelings of individual americans who felt insulted about this.

definitely top 10 image. like every day we are given so many opportunities to use it. unreal mileage. timeless

[inthelibrarybtw]

you want me to pretend? | three

SERIES MASTERLIST

pairing: college!basketball!captain!rafe x college!student!reader content: fluff, teasing, college au, smau/irl

summary: You were trying to make one problem disappear. You were tired, so you lied. That small lie led you to contact the last person you wanted to ask for help. It wasn’t that you didn’t like Rafe; only that you didn’t want to deal with his constant teasing more than you already did. Also, you two weren't that close, but this one lie was going to bring you two closer and maybe help some truths come to light.

word count: 2.1k

authors note: I just want to thank everyone for all the love this has been getting, I love that you love them just as much as I do. Also thanks to @rafesbabygirlx for helping me decide what to do with this part.

02 | 03 | 04

Wednesday

He was shocked, to say the least. But he would be lying if he didn’t find it appealing. Also, even a bit cute that you had chosen to ask him for this out of all your friends. 

“Wait, let me see if I got it right…” he paused. “You want me to pretend to be your boyfriend for a night?” He asked, still shocked and trying to see if you were joking. But you never joked, at least not with him.

“Yes,” he knew you weren’t joking now so he decided to take the teasing route. 

“And what do I get from this?” he asked with a smirk on his face 

“A free dinner?” 

“Oh come on Y/N I know you can do better than that” he teased making you sigh 

“I don’t know… what do you want?” you start to feel actual panic setting in. How were you supposed to convince him? 

“I can think of a few things” he smirked, he was just making things difficult for fun, you didn’t find it funny. 

“Why do you have to be like this?” 

“It’s fun to see you annoyed” he smiled 

“You are the worst”

“Hate me all you want but we both know it’s all fake or you wouldn’t be here” he had to suppress the urge to boop your nose knowing it was going to piss you off. 

“I never said I hated you, you are just extremely annoying” 

“I like to say I’m charming”

“Full of yourself” 

“Who else am I supposed to be full of?” he lifted an eyebrow, and you sighed defeated.

“Rafe, please… I will owe you one no questions asked” 

“Oh well now that you say that” he smirked again taking a few steps to get closer to you. “I might take you up on that princess” he changed his tone to a more flirty one 

“You disgust me” 

“Ah don’t be like that, I’m your boyfriend now” he wiggled his eyebrows. His smirk was still plastered on his face. 

You felt a sense of relief at those words, he had agreed to help you. 

“Thank you” you gave him a half smile 

“Sure but I do have a few questions though”

“About?” 

“Why did you have to look for a pretend boyfriend?” 

“Long story” 

“Will I ever know?” 

“Maybe but not today.” you paused for a second “I’ll send you my location and let you know what I need you to do that day” 

“Fine by me” 

“Thank you again, really” 

“Thank me after I have charmed your parents” 

“Fine whatever, bye”

“Bye princess” 

“Can you not?” 

“You are my girlfriend now I have to be nice and sweet talk you” he smirked again, he was enjoying this a bit too much. 

“Fake one, and for a night”

“Let me have my moment” You rolled your eyes and walked away.

He saw you walk away with a big smile on his face. He shook his head and chuckled to himself before going back to his practice.

Thursday

Today - Friday

You had been anxious since the moment you woke up. Kelce hadn’t shown up to statistics that day because he had gone out with Nicki according to him to end things finally. So you had been left alone to deal with Rafe on your own. Anyone would expect him to be solely focused on basketball since he was captain, but no, he truly cared for classes and his grades. 

Just today he seemed a bit more chatty and you couldn’t wonder if it was because today was the day. Yes, THE day. 

“So tell me, why don’t you want people to know?” 

“Because I don’t. I’m not gonna tell people I had to look for a fake boyfriend because my parents pushed me to my limit” 

“Ah so there is a reason, and here I thought you didn’t want to share” 

“I said maybe so here I am, plus it seemed fair to tell you since you agreed to help me” 

“Aw thanks” he put a hand over his chest pretending to feel touched. “So tell me more” 

“My mom has been a bit worried I haven’t dated a guy in more than a year and lately she has been more pushy and all that so I lied saying I had been seeing this guy for the past two months to keep her quiet”

“And I’m guessing it didn’t work as you expected…” 

“Yeah, they asked for his name and all”

“Okay wait…”  he smirked “So you said my name?” You rolled your eyes and sighed. There was no point in denying it. 

“Yes but only because you were texting the group chat nonstop and then to my chat so I panicked and said your name” he felt the honesty in your words but he was going to take the chance and tease you. 

“No need to make excuses I feel honored that you thought of me” 

“You love to have something to tease me with” 

“Oh yes I do” 

You kept the small talk for a bit more until it was time to work. You did all your classwork together and finished first. 

“Okay so one more question, how did we meet? How did we start dating? I’m assuming they will ask questions” You turned to look at him; a sense of relief washed over you. He was going to help you. 

“Yeah… let’s just say Kelce introduced us, which is the truth, and…” he cut you off

“He invited you to a game, he introduced us and we hit it off” 

“Sound believable so it’s okay” 

“Now hobbies, I know you like reading but like things we do together” 

“Uh… watching movies, I guess I go to your games” 

“That’s kind of a given, let’s say you are my lucky charm” he teases and you chuckle. You had to admit it, he was being more positive than what you had expected. Maybe the dinner wouldn’t be that horrible.

After the unexpected call, you continued with your stress-baking. It always helped you to take your mind off things and for the hour and a half hour that it took you to bake, you had accomplished not thinking about anything else. You noticed the time and decided to start getting ready. 

You went to your room to get ready. The first thing you did was go through your closet to find something nice to wear, you settled on a floral dress you liked and called it a day. With your dress on you went to do your hair and after that, you sat down to put makeup on. As soon as you started doing your makeup and humming to the songs that were playing you got lost in the process and found comfort in something you did almost daily. 

By the time you were done, it was almost time and the nerves settled in for good this time. As soon as the doorbell rang you felt a pit in your stomach. You took a deep breath and walked down to open the door.

When you got downstairs, your mom was about to open the door. You tried to hurry, but it was too late, and she was already opening it.  

“Hello! You must be Rafe.”  

“I am, nice to meet you,” he said, extending his hand to her.  

“Mom, I was going to get the door.” You finally entered his field of vision. He felt time stop for a second; you looked beautiful. You always looked put together, but today was different—your hair, the dress, the makeup; it was all different.  

“Well, look at you, princess! You look beautiful,” he said as he walked in, kissing the top of your head. You gave him a soft smile. Meanwhile, your mom looked at the scene in front of her, her heart leaping at what she was seeing.  

You felt extremely awkward, but after taking another deep breath, you took Rafe’s hand and guided him to your living room. For Rafe, the house felt cozy, and it made sense that you were how you were if you had grown up in a place like this.  

When you walked into the living room, you were met by your dad reading something on his phone.  

“Dad, this is Rafe… Rafe, this is my dad.” Your dad lifted his gaze and smiled as he stood up.  

“Ah! You are the guy she hasn’t stopped talking about all week.” You hadn’t done it on purpose, but they had been asking a lot of questions about him, and you answered. Rafe just chuckled and squeezed your hand gently, as if marking that comment to tease you later.  

“It’s a pleasure to meet the parents of this pretty girl,” your dad smiled at the comment.  

“Come on, sit down,” your mom motioned to the couch.  

“So, Y/N tells me you play basketball.”  

“Yes, I have been captain since last year. It has been a great experience so far.”

With that, the conversation flowed. You still felt like you were in flight or fight mode, but seeing how Rafe was handling the situation was better than you had expected. You had moved to the dining room to have dinner, and the conversation had continued. Your parents had asked every question they could imagine. Now Rafe was telling the story of how you two had met.  

“We have friends in common, and for a game, she was sitting with them in the stands, and I couldn’t stop looking at her during the whole game." He paused. "I had seen her in a class before and barely exchanged words, but I knew I had to talk to her. So at the end of the game, I asked one of our friends to introduce us, and he did.”  

It was all half-truths; you two had met in a class, and that same week, you had gone to one of his games not knowing he was playing. You all had hung out that day after the game, and from that point forward, you two had, in a way, become friends—more acquaintances since you two never hung out just the two of you or talked outside of college and homework.  

"That’s so sweet! Who is the friend?"  

"Kelce," you both answered simultaneously.  

"We’ll thank him next time we see him for bringing you into her life." At that moment, you panicked; no way that was happening.  

"I’m going to make sure to tell him," Rafe said, reassuring your mom. You turned to look at him.  

"You are a good one, Rafe," your mom said.  

"Well..." you paused. "I’m going to bring the dessert."  

"Do you need help?" Rafe asked, and you nodded. He excused himself and followed you to the kitchen. Once the two of you were out of earshot, he spoke.  

"Your parents are great," he said as you pulled a berry cheesecake out of the fridge. "Oh wow, that looks amazing"  

"They are, and thanks. I take pride in my baking," you smiled, setting the cheesecake on the counter to take out some new plates.  

"You bake?"  

"I do; it’s one of my hobbies."  

"Hmm, you are full of surprises."  

"What can I say?" you replied with a smile, exiting the kitchen.  

He grabbed the cheesecake and brought it to the table as you placed the plates next to it. As soon as it was served and everyone was seated, the conversation continued as if nothing had happened. Everything that you hadn’t discussed how to answer came out naturally. During dinner, both you and he saw each other in a different light. You had learned so much about him thanks to your parents' questions, and he had learned so much about you from the way you interacted with your parents and from what your mom had told him about you.  

He understood why it had been a big deal for your parents when you had told them about dating someone. You didn’t know, but your mom had shared a bit of the backstory, and it had made him feel some kind of way. He could see how much your mom cared for you, and seeing you so heartbroken last time had worried her. She didn’t want you to close yourself off before, so seeing him there had assured her you were going to be okay. He was never going to bring this up with you, even though he was curious about what had happened.  

When everyone noticed the time, it was 9:25 PM. Rafe helped clear the table and began saying his goodbyes. You sighed silently; it was finally over, and it had gone great.  

"Rafe, before you go, why don’t you come over on Sunday?" your dad asked right as he was about to leave. Your face dropped; this was supposed to be just one night.

taglist: @zyafics @maybankslover @niaunoffical @marleymarleymarleymarley @rafesbabygirlx @akobx @papercranesandinkstains @drewstarkeyspecs @winterivory @my-name-is-baby @drunkinthemiddleoftheday @drewrry @ursogorgeous13 @pr3tty-pink @lmaowhatt @reeseswirl @xoxosblogsblog @lili-swagalicious @ayy1234567 @rihannamars @congratsloserr @moonywhisp3rs @iamheretoread1234 @rafesdrew @bee-43 @pogueprincesa @cokewithcameron @landososcar if you want to be added send an ask or comment! :) follow and turn on notifications on @inthelibrarybtw-notifs to get updates on everything i write

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INTHELIBRARYBTW ✧.*

[demonslayerunhinged]

cw: I'm going to be very blunt in this overly long post. Some things might rub you the wrong way if not offend you, so if that happens, you know the procedure: unfollow → block → move on.

A few weeks ago…

Three of my posts about Genya, Shizu and Sanemi caught the attention of and were the subject of discussion among a couple of weirdos. After I discovered all the crap they were spewing on their circle jerk of a server, I then went on a rage-fueled posting spree with screenshots and lots of insults towards them especially towards princeblue and pomchihuahua. I made the posts private but if you're curious here's the link.

You're probably thinking: Omg bitch, you're still on this? 🙄

Yes, yes I am. It's so fucking easy to move on from an incident when you're not the one being attacked or are the one doing the attacking. It's just like that saying the tree remembers what the axe forgets or something and it's my blog, fuck you.

Anyway, it really pissed me off that they were taking my post so seriously, despite me putting multiple disclaimers that these were theories. Proof:

And even if I didn't add disclaimers, can no one make theories anymore? Can no one make jokes or shit posts? I mean, I know we're living in a dystopian world, but the last place I want to be reminded about it is on my tiny, obscure fucking Tumblr blog. You don't have to (and honestly shouldn't) agree with everything I post! In fact, I would love to have a different pov and a respectful, engaging discussion. And even if you think Ugh this shit is so ass, just scroll past and forget about me! Unfollow me! Block me! I have made two posts literally begging people to do this because I didn't want to get involved in this kind of shit.

Talking shit about me in a place where I don't have the opportunity to defend myself, deliberately misunderstanding my posts and making assumptions of my beliefs based on said post is one thing. But minimizing the shittiness of your actions when called out, painting me as the crazy person for my justified anger at your shitty actions, and using your minor members as a shield to deflect scrutiny. That's just horrible, if not downright insidious. especially from someone who describes herself as a 'nice' person.

The so-called apology I got from pomchihuahua was so insincere, and it was just a way to brush past their actions so they could make the link to their shitty server public again. I never got an apology from princeblue; all I got were a series of pretentious and condescending messages and a manipulative post where she made me look like I was the crazy one, infiltrating her server and harassing her members who are minors. She also minimized and sanitized her actions by explaining that it was just a private discussion among friends that got a bit heated with a few dickish words thrown here and there, despite the fact that:

1.) It's a public server, so anyone who joins and lurks in that channel would think I'm some asshole that advocates for child abuse and slanders single mothers.

2.) It wasn't just a 'heated' discussion with just a few dicky things being said, not only did they completely misunderstand my post — so much so that it was like they were talking about another post by someone else — but they talked about my blog like it was (and I hate this word) slop. She said stated that she couldn't stand me and that she was seething with hate (the screenshots are in the linked private post) like I killed her dog or something.

3.) She kept stressing that I didn't censor the usernames of the shit talkers who happen to be minors despite her asking me to, all in an attempt to make me look like some kind of minor-harasser. The minors in question didn't censor my username or those of the people who commented on my posts that they bashed. So why should I?

Side tangent but, I've noticed that lately the internet has some kind of obsession with the protection of minors and put them on some pedestal like they're unassuming babies who aren't capable of real harm or aware of their actions. Thus, they should be shielded from the consequences of said actions and shouldn't be called out for them.

I don't subscribe to such beliefs. Not only is it stupid, it's dangerous. This belief is the basis of laws that allow minors to get away with heinous crimes in some communities and even countries. Why should they get to live on, blissfully unaffected, while their victims suffer? Why shouldn't we be allowed to call them out on their shitty behavior? If they're old enough to throw shit at a stranger on the internet, they're old enough to have that shit thrown right back at them. If that makes me a heartless asshole, so be it.

Anyway, I was angry (as you can tell by my online crashout) because as someone who takes a lot of time agonizing over every single post and making sure my words are clear and that I provide the right resources — all these accusations and comments hurt. The situation sucked the joy out of me, ruined my whole week, and made me feel so shitty that I wanted to stop posting all together.

Because, what's the point? Why post anything if all I'm going to do is spend my time and energy not just worrying about the content, but also about being shredded by assholes who won't even attempt to understand my words?

I have this weird belief that my blog will only be seen by those who like it or if not want to understand what I'm saying and would give me the opportunity to explain myself. I know it's stupid, but that's just how I wish my blog was. This whole situation just burst the bubble of that belief and now makes me so paranoid about everything. Even now that I want to continue posting again, I'm still hesitatant. Every time I see some untitled/unnamed blog follow me, I think that it's either one of princeblue's followers hate stalking me for more posts they can rip apart on their stupid server.

One thing pomchihuahua said in her defense that really irritated me was that Shizu reminded her of a family member and that's why she attacked my posts and why she made the counter post defending Shizu.

Yes offense, but that is insane. Like the you-seriously-need-professional-help kind of insane.

Don't believe me? Let's recontextualize her explanation:

Say Shizu is a mass-produced doll that being marketed as a single mother with the blurb on the back of the box. A girl, let's call her Suzy, has one of these dolls. It's her favorite doll, and she believes the story on the box is the one true story for this doll because Shizu looks like her mom and the story mirrors her mom's life.

When she goes out with her friends who all have the same Shizu doll and agree with her about the story for it, she sees another girl let's call her Kacy, playing with the Shizu doll, but it's different; the girl put on different clothes on the doll and Suzy could overhear the girl telling her friends that this Shizu doll is a businesswoman who's travelled to space or something.

Suzy gets enraged, she starts shouting to her friends — loud enough for Kacy to hear. She calls Kacy names, talks about how Kacy doesn't understand Shizu, that Shizu can only be in the clothes she came in, and that the only story that matters is what's written on the back of the box. Kacy is a bad person for dressing Shizu in different clothes and giving her a different story.

When asked why she acted this way, Suzy explains that Shizu reminds her of her mom, so anyone dressing the doll up differently or giving it a different story makes her defensive, angry and causes her to lash out.

Now tell me, does Suzy seem like a well-adjusted individual to you? Doesn't it seem like she needs to talk to a therapist? Like my guy, are you good?! Are you running a fever?! Do you need a Kit Kat?!

I don't give a fuck if a character reminds you of someone or if you're emotionally attached to them. That DOES NOT give you the right to attack or talk shit about people because of some 2d drawings. And if you think this is perfectly acceptable behavior, then you need to take a long, hard look in a mirror for some self-reflection and to remove the brick that's lodged in the back of your head because you obviously have some sort of brain damage.

Who are you to tell others what they should and shouldn't like? Who are you to tell others how they should and shouldn't interprete these characters? Who are you to think that your analysis/interpretion is the only correct one? Who are you to attack people just because they happen to have opinions that differ from yours? Who are you to control people's behavior to fit your own narrow, close minded and boring point of view? Just who THE FUCK do you think you are?

This is the kind of shit that makes fandoms so inhospitable and draining. When a couple of dry, basic, joyless, overly serious, overly sensitive, fun-sucking, Sarah j mass/Colleen Hoover/steel-wrapped-in-velvet-reading, no-life-or-rose-toy-having, Club Chalamet-looking, terminally online losers who get high on the smell of their own farts decide that they're the only ones who understand a character or a piece of fiction and treat any other interpretation or analysis like it's a personal attack. Then to make themselves feel better, make counter virtue signalling posts that do nothing but allow them to express their smug, self-affirming, self-righteous moral superiority.

I'm tired y'all, the world seems so shitty right now. Every day it' seems like the world it's like we're sliding back into the dark ages. I wanted this blog to be a safe space where I can just yap about stuff I like and stuff, and connect with people who share similar interests. Not a place to get policed, dragged and scrutinized over every fucking sentence or action when there's already enough of that in real life. I'm done with over-explaining and disclaimers, I refuse to tie myself into knots to accomodate the stupidity of imbeciles who're too lazy to read.

If you bite me, I bite back. As you can tell from my other posts i'm not above insulting and name-calling. Don't expect civility from me when you didn't offer one in the first place.

Like can a bitch breathe? Christ.

*Side note: I know I made this post which is similar to what I'm complaining about, but I just used the screenshot as to rant about the misunderstood complaints in the fandom. I mentioned the bullshit excuses she made when she was called out. But that was it. I didn't attack the OP personally, shit talk about her other posts or make assumptions of her beliefs. I didn't even mention her name at all in her post. So it doesn't count ha!

[dwarf-vader-of-middle-earth]

As a trans man, the shit I've received for being myself is insane.

I've gotten from women the "all men are bad" shtick far too many times for me to bother counting. I've been told that I'm perpetuating the patriarchy by existing as a man and that I'm only transitioning to be part of the patriarchy and to, therefore, perpetuate abuse against women.

I've been told I'm abusing women just by merely existing as a man.

I am constantly fed the "testosterone makes you aggressive" line and I've been told more times than I can count that testosterone will give me cancer, I've been told I can't touch a woman ever again or else I'm no better than "all men", etc.

First off, nobody is inherently good or bad for what they are. It's the actions we as individuals take which define such things. "Good" and "bad" are highly subjective and relative in and of themselves, and I would know. I fucking studied to be an ethicist.

My whole thing is to be as altruistic as I possibly can be.

That's one of the main drives of an ethicist. To be altruistic. To discover what THE greatest good is. I don't necessarily strive to benevolent, though that would be ideal. But any ethicist knows that benevolence is a personal act which is not universally or even entirely individually achievable due to individuality and free will, as well as many nuances of the worldly conditions and happenstances we encounter as human beings.

In addition, the patriarchy does not see me as a man. I've referred to myself as "Schrodinger's Gender" before because I am not given the right to participate in patriarchy (not that I want to at all) because of the fact that I was born with female anatomy and with a female label slapped on my existence from birth. I'm not a man to patriarchal men, despite the fact that I entirely present male, act male, and live as male, and will continue to do so forever. But again, I don't want to be patriarchal. I don't want to participate in or perpetuate patriarchy. I'm all for equity as a whole.

But to TERFs in particular, I exist as an affront to womanhood because I've betrayed such an existence. I've defied the sanctity of women, for lack of a better explanation, by transitioning to male and giving up this "sacred existence" of womanhood. I made a reply some long while back explaining better when the ideology of the "divine feminine" was being tossed around how this contributed to the perpetuation of hate against trans men as well as threatened trans women because it classified them as men which they are not. They're women. Trans women are women PERIOD, and anyone disagreeing is free to block! I'd be glad if you did!

To transphobes, both men and women, I am a traitor and a wannabe. Men see me as the wannabe, attempting to participate in a "men's world" seeking the privilege cis men have, and women see me as the traitor and wannabe equally, having again betrayed women by transitioning, and trying to fit into a "men's world" and have the cis man privilege all the same by transitioning.

What's more? Testosterone never made me more aggressive if I'm honest. It doesn't inherently do this, and my personal theory of why folks associate testosterone with aggression is because cis men are so heavily perpetuated as being angry and violent that nobody stops to assess men's mental health the same way they do women's, so said aggression caused by hormonal shifts (increased testosterone) is never addressed and handled properly. Again, personal theory, I have zero evidence to back that up.

To be totally truthful, I had a lot more aggression before I went on T because I could not handle living the life I did, being forced to exist as someone I'm not.

I vividly remember sitting in my 6th grade science course FUMING in my seat for days upon days on end as I stared at the ceiling ignoring the lessons, ready to explode like a goddamn bloated lithium ion battery, all because I was so pissed that I had to live as a woman when I felt so much like a man.

Since starting testosterone, my overall aggression has become so incredibly well-managed that I took an entire turn from who I was and became a kindhearted, open, joking and loving dude that a lot of folks value for my kindness. I handle the aggression I do still have in healthy ways by working with therapists who've taught me incredible outlets such as creative writing, journaling, art, exercise, etc. Every day I wake up and hug my kitty gently and kiss him half to death, every time I come through the door it's the same thing, I'll literally find a stranger and compliment their cool shirt or outfit if it catches my eye, etc.

The whole world became beautiful and admirable to me once I transitioned because I was able to open myself to other emotions besides anger and hate. This is part of why I love photography and architecture and history of societies long past. There's a beauty in everything, there's a passion to be had in everything, and I think that's wonderful.

And overall, I'll be fucking DAMNED if I ever abuse somebody. I endured enough of that shit by the acts of both women and men, especially women if I'm honest, that I'd never dare perpetuate such a cycle myself. There's a reason I've volunteered endlessly to help animals in need find homes, there's a reason I've cooked for homeless people and given things to strangers in need, there's a reason I'm always trying to help every single individual person I come across regardless of whether I know them or not and it's because I've experienced so much cruelty from others that I want people to know there is good in this world and I will be that good until I'm fucking dead if I have to, even if I'm the last light to fade from this earth.

Plus, I don't want to touch anyone without their consent. Doesn't matter who that person is, if I'm offering a hug, high five, fistbump, kiss, anything. Unless I'm given permission from the person themselves, I'm not gonna touch anyone. That's just creepy, it's annoying, and I personally freak the fuck out if someone touches me without my consent and I'll go into fight or flight immediately if they do. So yeah, I won't touch anyone, man, woman, enby, agender, etc. unless I'm given their express permission first.

The point is that the women who tell me these terrible things about being a trans man, and trust me I've received far more transphobia at the behest of women instead of men, are the exact folks who believe all men are inherently evil, which, again, nobody is inherently good or evil. We're born neutral beings with a clean slate and free will to act as we desire. They're the very folks who think that men = bad and women = good. And I'm fucking tired of it all. I truly am.

There is nothing bad about transitioning to male, and anyone is free to see me however. I don't need their approval or disapproval to exist.

But trans men are not inherently evil, or patriarchal, or abusers. No man ever is. And all the same, no women are inherently pure, good, perfect, and holy. No woman will ever be.

I've met cis men who are the kindest dudes who'd go to the ends of the earth to help troubled children that nobody else wanted to deal with and so they find ways to constructively assist those kids. Cis dudes who stand by women in need to put shitty men in their places by calling them out and railing on them for their abuse. Cis men who've taught folks self defense and saved the lives of women and children by doing so because said knowledge got them out of terrible situations and allowed way for the law to finally put their abusers where they belong.

Likewise, I've met cis women who have pulled bribery and manipulation to get off scott-free from legal situations including abuse against men. I've met cis women who've beaten me and many others up physically to the point three folks I know went to mental hospitals multiple times as the result of one woman with myself almost being a 4th, and one is still in the hospital a decade later due to this. I've met cis women who've psychologically and physically abused their boyfriends and their children, you name it and I've seen it all.

We're flawed beings because nobody is perfect, but the whole point is to be the best good you can be. And anyone, no matter their gender, sex, sexuality, etc., is capable of this.

Gender and sex do not determine worth or moral value, nor do they determine health, emotional standing, etc.

Being a good person is an active choice to make.

Make the choice to be that good person. Don't be a transphobic piece of shit.

cis women treat trans men the way they complain about men treating them, and sometimes worse.

I could elaborate, but I'm out of spoons rn tbh.

[ginnyw-potter]

Sticking to one's knitting

@ginnystrophyhusband prompt: ex

Ginny stared at the newspaper viciously, hoping it may spontaneously burst into flames but it didn’t. She hadn’t even bothered to sit down yet.    “What do they mean?” she complained as she gestured towards the paper. “Ex-Chaser? Ex? I have been off a broom for a week! I am pregnant, not retired!” 

Looking for support, she turned to Harry who was buttering his toast by the table. He met her eyes and let out a little sigh as he smiled. 

“Are you smiling because you think it’s funny I’m annoyed or because you just remembered I’m pregnant?” She crossed her arms. “Think carefully before you answer.” 

He put his knife down and stood up. He walked up to her. “You always tell me not to think about the load of dragon turd they write because it’s just gossip. Where is that Ginny now?” 

She resisted pouting and turned her body towards him. “Hibernating,” she said, refusing to meet his eyes.

Her eyes darted up anyway to meet Harry’s amused look and she broke immediately. She smiled, letting out a huff and planted her forehead against his chest. 

His arms wrapped around her and he softly brushed a hand through her hair.

“It’s just that… if one single person asks me if I am retired today, I’ll be pissed—and I may actually burst out crying,” she admitted reluctantly.”

“You can’t cry, Gin,” he offered. Before she can ask why, he continued, “You need to see where you’re aiming your hexes.” 

She did not reply, instead enjoying the feeling of Harry’s fingertips massaging her scalp.

“What do you want to do today?” he asked. “Diagon Alley is off the table for sure.”

“No flying, no shopping, no coffee…” she rattled off. She looked up. “What else is left?”

He shrugged. “Reading, knitting, I’m here…”

“Oh!” Her excitement suddenly grew. “I am going to go knit with mum.” She stepped sideways away from him to go upstairs and get dressed. 

“But I’m right here…” he objected mildly. 

“Yes,” she told him. “Very nice. Tomorrow.” She grinned at him. “Make me some toast, will you?”

She got dressed, had some toast and then she flooed out, leaving Harry to clean up the table—but he said it was fine because he had nothing else to do.

She walked into her parents’ living room after a short knock on the door and found her mum already knitting. “Can I knit with you today?” 

There is a flash of recognition on her mother’s face and she nodded eagerly, patting the space behind her. “What do you want to make?”

“I think perhaps I can start off with some baby socks, but perhaps also a hat? I don’t know.” 

Though her mother taught her how to knit, she never quite did it of her own volition. Her mother helped her get started and then they knitted away all day. They took turns getting up to brew more tea so there was always a warm tea pot on the living room table to pour from and only stopped to have lunch when Mr Weasley came out of his shed when he got hungry. 

They chatted the whole time. Her mother had so much useful advice and Ginny took it all in. Her mother clearly enjoyed passing on her wisdom to her daughter. 

She didn’t realise how much time had slipped by until she heard Harry’s voice in the kitchen, asking her father where she was. He stepped in a moment later and Ginny thought it was probably quite a sight. There were balls of wool on the couch, on the table, in a basket beside the couch... Among them knitting needles, scissors and notes from her mother where she had written down patterns. 

It occurred to her that he didn’t have someone to speak to about having a kid. She wondered if she would have to put her dad up to it to guide Harry a little. 

“It’s almost time for dinner,” he told her. “Was just wondering if you were coming home or staying here.” 

She shook her head. “I didn’t realise it was so late. Let me finish my row and then we can go.”

“No problem, that’s okay.” 

“Harry,” her father said. “I’ve been fiddling all day with some wiring I can’t seem to understand. Would you care to take a look?”

“Sure,” he replied, and then he followed Mr Weasley out of the house. 

She finished her row and thanked her mum for all the help. They tidied up a little, returning the yarn they weren’t using to the cupboard and collecting the pieces of paper. 

“This was nice,” her mum said. “You can finish that at home but don’t hesitate to come back whenever you like.” 

Harry returned a moment later. “Ready?” 

She held up the small basket that held the baby sock, ball of yarn and needles. “Yes.”

“That’s an adorable little sock you got there,” he remarked. 

She smiled at it. “I also made a little hat.” 

She waved goodbye to her parents and stepped into the fireplace and flooed home. She set the basket down in the living room as Harry stepped out behind her. 

“I’ll get started on dinner,” she said and opened the door to the kitchen. 

She paused in the door opening, looking at the set table complete with unlit candles as the scent of the food pleasantly bubbling away in the oven hit her.

He was right behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and placed a kiss on her cheek. 

“What if I hadn’t come home?” 

Harry shrugged. “I don’t know. Probably would’ve found another Weasley to eat it.”

She prodded him lightly. “I’m not a Weasley.” 

“By name, but very much by blood,” he told her. “Are you hungry?”

He released her and the candles were lit by a wave of his wand. 

“When am I not?”

He smiled broadly at her and pulled her chair back. “Come on then.”

[its-no-biggie]

started reading worm - gotta say im a little underwhelmed so far

its a bit..... juvenile? especially considering the non-warning at the beginning about how if youre looking for a trigger warning you should just steer clear - that kinda thing is gonna set my expectations yknow...... (it also puts kind of a bad taste in my mouth, but thats neither here nor there.) i am only on arc 2, so im absolutely expecting a dramatic escalation at some point, but as of now i find the depictions of bullying cartoonish and the action scenes underwhelming in their intensity.

i also find the protagonist kind of insufferable...... thats most of the problem honestly. her views about right and wrong are hopelessly naive, and her sense of superiority paired with a victim complex makes the way she thinks about other people downright painful to be immersed in. and in first person, no less. im not opposed to this as a setup for future character growth, but if there has been even a single attempt to endear me to this character thus far, it has not worked in the slightest.

and so far the setup is pretty generic - we have a young, unremarkable protagonist, who is getting bullied to a frankly ridiculous degree, so that when they eventually unlock their hidden potential as The Chosen One, they can bask in glorious victory over their tormentors without ever having stooped to their level. its a pretty straightforward ya power fantasy. and there's nothing wrong with that as a premise, but a straightforward revenge fantasy like that (whether you plan to follow through or you're going for the bait-and-switch) requires me to be rooting for the protagonist. which im really not...... but if the point is that the protagonist sucks and shes not going to get the satisfying revenge she wants, why has there been so much page time spent on just how cruel these girls are being, and how much they would deserve whatever's coming to them? its kind of frustrating!

and i mean, part of me does want taylor to snap, if only because she refuses to use her powers on her bullies and i want to see her flimsy morals buckle under the strain. but im not really invested in the degree to which shes suffering, because shes just so ANNOYING about it. like ohhh my god we get it! you would have SUCH a witty comeback if you could just get a word in edgewise. your bully only got such high regards from the teacher because she stole YOUR amazing work. youre so much better than the LOSERS youre stuck getting paired with for group work. its constant! maybe this character type wouldve appealed to me as a middle schooler with no friends and a superiority complex, but now im finding it completely insufferable to read, and as a result im not invested in her desire to get back at her bullies at all. which may be the point? i hope its the point. its fine if these scenes are frustrating on purpose, as long as theres payoff for it later.

im just having such a hard time getting a read on this story...... i think because the writing style is pretty amateurish, im a bit unsure what to think. i want to believe theres going to be a well-written development to really kick things off, but i also dont want to get my hopes up.......

so anyway. this isnt even really a criticism, im not saying its necessarily a bad start (although it is undeniably a slow one), im just engaging with what ive been presented so far and speculating about where its going from here. i'll definitely be pleased if the juvenile worldview and self-important attitude of the protagonist are being set up here to be knocked down over the course of the story, and id say im about 70% confident it's heading in at least that general direction. gimme that sweet sweet loss of innocence arc pleaseeeeee this girl is pissing me OFF

[chaoticbuggybitchboy]

So done with all the defeatism nonsense. Life keeps going. My girlfriend has her first job interview later this morning. I’ve got to fold my laundry. My friends and I have a d&d session later this week. We’re still going. You’ll keep going. I’ll drag your asses into the future kicking and screaming because they want you to lay down and die. And I’ll be damned if any of us do what they want.

[possibly-evil]

ACK NO I DIDN'T MEAN TO PISS PEOPLE OFF!!! OF COURSE CYAN IS A COLOR!!! What u were saying was people see orange and red as different colors, and cyan and blue as the same color. And I totally get why that's annoying, but I just wanted to defend that cyan (in my eyes) is more like a version of blue, rather than its own separate thing. ofc it's still a color :3

usually when I think of blue green I think of this:

so I suppose cyan is a more neon version of that. ofc blue-green is like a separate thing from blue or green, but it's a tertiary color, rather than orange, which is a secondary color. So, it makes sense that people usually view red and orange as more distinct different colors.

I am so sorry if this came off as condescending in any way. I agree with you, they are different colors, but cyan is more similar to blue than red is similar to orange (in my opinion). I am. so sorry. that this made you mad. you can block me if you want like genuinely I am so so so so so so sorry that I annoyed you. you seem like an awesome person who's passionate about colors!!!!! keep doing what you're doing :3

you ever feel crazy knowing people see these two

as seperate colours but these two

as the same

[ellifromspace]

these are the murderbot artworks Tommy Arnold did for the Subterranean Press omnibus editions of the series, and a photo of Kevin R. Free, who narrates the murderbot audiobooks. when fans complain about the casting for the tv show, there is a very real basis for it in these past official/canonical aspects of the book series

[theokusgallery]

I was reminded of that again. Okay if you think having empathy is essential to being a good person I will kill you. With warm thanks from your local zero-empathy haver

[lozerboylucas]

How it feels to finally find content for transmascs that isn't purely based off of being fetishized for being trans and having certain genitalia or being treated like some pathetic puppy dog

(Aka being treated like a normal person. With respect and decency. Guys.)

[ieatsprunkis]

Okay to explain further more, I am well aware that it happens to other fandoms, it’s just that I couldn’t explain properly since I kinda wrote this in the night plus I was kinda pissed off that people are willingly searching up porn drawings of a fandom they’re in and try to “fix” the drawing for their own sake, so that prevented me from explaining properly, so please excuse me I’ll probably edit this and specify on what I’m trying to explain here lol, I’ve gotten another person to say that it’s not only the Sprunki fandom so please if anyone else does see this and is about to say that it happens to other fandom, just know I’m well aware, no need to point it out I also did try to say that it happens to other fandom is in this line, “Why do you willingly search up rule 34 of whatever fandom you’re into and fix the damn drawing?” I’m sure y’all kinda didn’t think I was hinting that it happens to other fandoms and that I am AWARE, so please, don’t tell me that it happens to other fandoms, this little reblog should be enough, so please give mercy on me

boo

I always wonder how people who hate rule 34 function because I seriously saw a video on “FiXiNg SpRuNkI RuLe 34” and it’s like, why are you even trying to “fix” it when you know damn well at the end of the day the original drawing is still up for people to view and indulge in, and if you hate rule 34 so much then why the fuck do you even view it at all? You’re only making yourself more mad and being an idiot. I swear, I’m gonna question my life if I see another video that “fixes” rule 34. And the fact that I see “fixed” rule 34 drawings on some platforms(mainly DA) is ridiculous, and especially that the people “fixing” rule 34 drawing are MAINLY minors is just…Why do you willingly search up rule 34 of whatever fandom you’re into and fix the damn drawing? PLUS YOU'RE A MINOR! THE ARTIST THAT POSTED THAT DAMN PORN DRAWING OF A DAMN SPRUNKI WASN’T MEANT FOR YOUR OWN VIEWING! IT WAS MEANT FOR THE VIEWING OF 18+ PEOPLE RAGHHHH! anyways yeah this is my thoughts on artists that “fix” rule 34

[xxplastic-cubexx]

this cliff took more lives than i could on my own im losing it

[scrumptiousstuffs]

I know we all mostly focus on Khaotung but were there any questions about Kant or was First as pointless in the interview as his character is in the show?

Here is my answer - FUCK OFF

I have tried to ignore these sort of ask so many times. But it just keeps flooding my inbox. The amount that I keep deleting or ignoring these stupid asks is making me want to hire Bison and Fadel just to murder you lot.

You won’t get what you want from me. Just block me. I don’t know why you insist on trying to push your own narrow-minded views on me but like I have said before, you will not see me shading any of the boys here.

Get a life anon.

[trickstarbrave]

THIS IS ANOTHER PROBLEM I HAVE WITH IT AND A ITS A MASSIVE ONE.

when i was in baby's first fandom (naruto in the 2000's when we had to watch fansub episodes in 3 parts on youtube) it was standard culture to hate and dunk on mary sue characters. but what a "mary sue" is, no matter how many ways people tried to define it, it always boiled down to "female character a bunch of men think is too smart/strong/talented/outgoing/charismatic/anything that could be a benefit". hell, oftentimes people would fucking define characters that are too angsty and sad and depressed as mary sues. unless you have the most bland, nothing kind of character that leaves 0 impact on people, your character was at risk of getting called a mary sue. and if they WERE labeled a sue, you were getting HARASSED.

people would call you and your character an egotistical slut who should be killed. people would try and dox you. people would be cyberstalking you. people would dig up any potential pictures of you to pick apart and mock your appearance. people would create fake accounts, try to befriend you, and then use anything they found out about you against you. why? for the crime of having a character online they found annoying. for liking something and pissing them off. this crime has no pardon and no defense. you have to be ready to give a fucking thesis defense of why your character is not a mary sue, and oftentimes people won't give a shit anyways and continue to harass you until you deactivate all your accounts.

it existed as a term to mock people for writing a certain kind of character since its inception. and while i don't think the original incarnation of mary sue from star trek that came to define the trope was entirely 100% mean spirited and was instead a parody of an existing problem that was kind of annoying but also that a lot of people were guilty of, people RAN with it. it was used to police fandom spaces, oftentimes by men who dislike that women and girls existed in said space doing things they found annoying like wanting to feel special and pretty or finding male fictional characters attractive. it was the perfect reason to harass them because you didn't need to define clear behaviors, you just needed to say "your character sucks because I said so" and there was no real way to refute it. it was social suicide.

you had to keep you head down and stay in line or actively participate in the mockery and harassment of other fans in order to not have those eyes turn against you.

i think the only way you can define a mary sue that isn't a stupid definition is "a character whos abilities or personality warp the story in ways that actively harm the narrative in order to center them in it". but it would honestly be better to just SAY THAT. it is a clearly defined flaw that people can then address. it is a writing mistake, not a character flaw. you can add character traits and take them away from a sue as much as you want until you ship of thesus them but they will remain a sue until you learn more about how to construct a coherent narrative. it also makes it a lot harder to rally behind attacking someone based on a vague criteria that absolutely has misogynistic motivations at this point. it is hard to have such vitriol when you clearly define what exactly the flaw is in a piece of writing, because that's all it is: a flaw. a thing you got wrong that you can correct. when a character has been labeled a sue, there was no redeeming them, you basically had to scrap the whole thing and have a whole internet community with different sue definitions picking them apart forever and never being satisfied.

i am glad that many, if not most fandoms have moved away from this. the only fandom i see really using this term at all anymore is star wars because, again, misogyny.

i think the term "mary sue" is so nebulous and steeped in misogyny that the world at large would be better if people just weren't allowed to use it. because it is a conversation ender, not starter. it is basically saying "this character sucks". sure you can give YOUR personal definition of "mary sue" and then elaborate upon why the character is one, but this often doesn't adequately explain why these traits are problematic and is just a more round about way of saying "i think this character sucks because they have xyz traits"

conversations would be better if instead people just had to come out the gate of "i think this character is a bad character because of xyz traits, this is how they are a detriment to the narrative" rather than just going "mary sues=bad, these are the traits i think makes a character a mary sue or not, the character has these traits, therefore character=bad" as though you can just make a checklist of bad traits a character can have. or a dumber argument i see is people saying shit like "there are levels to a mary sue" you mean sometimes characters have one or two traits that annoy you. why dont you just talk about those traits, why you have a problem with them, and then justify that opinion without having to wrap it in unnecessary layers of arguing if a character is a mary sue or not.

[moldy-flowers]

The interesting experience of being pro Sasuke, anti konoha, pro tobirama, anti Naruto ending, pro Sasusaku, anti Itachi, pro Sakura, anti SasuNaru, pro Tobirama×Izuna, anti Madara, pro karin, anti Orochimaru, pro Uchiha and anti Hashirama. And also as much as I hate the guy danzo was kind of hot when he was younger...