#that's fundamentally flawed

[roxannepolice]

There's a special kind of let down when you read a really interesting insight which suddenly ventures into "in capitalism" territory and you - a citizen of a country still dealing with economic, sociological, political and cultural fallouts of socialism - just sit there torn between pure depression and convincing yourself it's good people believe there's a simple solution to structural problems.

Just. I really, really, really need tumblr leftists to get one thing into their heads: the main value in communism is NOT human rights - it's WORK. I know, I know, your concept of socialism and communism relies on what's essentially a social democrat welfare state - which I'm a strong supporter of. But this weird idea that capitalism is the only, single cancer of an ideology that became dominant purely because bad people all agreed to make it dominant that's against everyone just living happy and doing what they want, and that views some people as more "valuable" than others then YOU'RE JUST PLAIN FUCKING WRONG. Real, historical communism wasn't bragging about the way it looks after the citizens unlike capitalism, only that in communism resources go to people who DESERVE it - I.e. workers, not owners. and of course the communist party members who totally weren't de facto owning the resources and were totally democratically elected and anyway they deserved it by the grace of their fervent faith in the cause.

Like, to give you an idea. A lot USAmericans are basically economically forced to join the army - and that's fucked up. But you know what was happening to all men (what? genderism? in my socialism?) who finished school and didn't immediately get a job or a spot in a uni (depending on their finals results elitism much?) in soviet satellite states? You guessed it - the army. Not because they had nowhere else to go but because the other place to go was prison.

[psrj]

the imperial accountant baru cormorant, and the duchess of vultjag

[intheconfessiondial]

12 Months of 12 - July

Here You Come Again

[evenmyhivemindisempty]

My controversial opinion about Hob Gadling is that I believe he’s absolutely the sort of guy that “puts things behind him”, and tries to wash his hands clean of the things he feels icky about. This is implied pretty well in the show, with him blithely moving from soldiering and robbery to printing, from slaving to… whatever it was he was doing in the 19th century instead. That being said, this is not at all the same as actively trying to atone, or even making a concerted effort to be a better person, and I really wish fandom could tell the difference!

[cruelplatonic]

my personal headcanon is the vees were unremarkable nobodies when they were alive. i just love it as a thematic throughline for them. they love to let the public of hell speculate on them being famed and acclaimed since before death, but the the truth is they were a d-list failed influencer that got by on cheap controversey and scamming, a broke junkie who burned every shaky bridge he ever had, and a worn-out broadcast production assistant with more rejected auditions and tossed out script pitches than he could count. nobody missed them when they were gone, nobody cared who they were until they were dead.

[starrysharks]

hotel manager

[bigskydreaming]

Imagine looking at a character whose entire premise is that in every stage of his life, he's made every version of himself into someone that inspires people to such a degree that EVERY SINGLE VERSION OF HIM has people wanting to literally follow in his footsteps in some way or another.....

And coming to the conclusion that like.....the most important things about him are the sum of all his trappings. His entirely homemade developed from scratch could not exist if not for what he already was and brought with him BEFORE crafting this newest version of himself trappings, with his greatest trait throughout all of it being his adaptability; his ability and willingness to roll with the punches and not try to simply weather any opposition or changes to his life but instead reshape himself as needed to better fit INTO whatever new shape his life and the world around him takes. All while managing to carry the most innate, fundamental and necessary aspects of himself from one version to the next. Thus every single version of himself is different but simultaneously every single version of himself is also undeniably the same person.

The strength of this character, to me, will always be that he can be so many versions of himself, he can become so many things, all without ever actually losing or discarding any of the aspects of himself he considers most essential, the things he's not willing to lose or give up just to keep going. Finding that road not taken by most, usually because most never even think to look for it as an option. But one that he's always able to find because the one trick he's mastered in his tumultuous life is threading that needle of not just digging in his heels in an unproductive way but rather being selective about when and where he makes a stand and decides "this is not a thing I'm willing to compromise about" but here are places and ways I can and will change and evolve and adapt in order to make it possible for me to hold onto these parts and keep them as they are.

And that's why its always so mind-boggling to me that so many writers can't seem to think of anything else to do with Dick Grayson other than invent some new reason for him to just....not be that person, or to like just take the character whose most basic fundamental trait he's NOT about to compromise on is willingly giving up his spot in the driver's seat of his own life.....and make him just a passenger in his own life and stories.

Dick Grayson at age nine....at age nineteen...at age twenty nine....the one core thread running through all versions of him is the only way he's standing back and letting you call the shots for him or putting him on the sidelines in some way is over his dead body.

HOW he goes about that, what that looks like, who he becomes and what aspects of himself he plays up at some times and what traits he lets fall by the wayside at other times when they offer less in service to his primary goal here....that changes constantly. He changes constantly.

But those changes are almost always (or at least they used to be/should be IN MY OPINION) made with the intention of keeping certain things about him or his life as consistent as possible.

That's the duality of Dick Grayson that I'm here for. The inherent contradiction of him that COULD allow for endless conflict and breaking new narrative ground in all sorts of ways if mined properly:

His eternal willingness to compromise....but only ever in pursuit of doubling down on the ways he's not willing to compromise.

Forever walking that tightrope in ways that only a kid born and raised in a circus could ever hope to.

[balleater]

you know what i am so glad that exu calamity gave us insight into vespin chloras's reasoning and everything because now i can confidently say that the guy who kicked off the point in exandria's history that killed 2/3 of the population and fundamentally changed the way the gods interact with the world had more understandable reasoning than ludinus da'leth does.

[sabotourist]

restoration is still my favorite season...

[iamfitzwilliamdarcy]

I think something people miss the point of in Tolkien’s work is it’s not just “good guys win” — it’s the submission to duty

[da-janela-lateral]

And You and I

[dykedvonte]

Ulysses obsession with the Courier is a special type of sad to me cause the Courier’s part was so important but so unwitting. They had no idea what was in the package they delivered and neither did he. Neither had an idea of what it could’ve done and the Courier was only caring out their job (mind you the Courier could be killed via notes in the express contract if they don’t). To them it was just another regular delivery to the divide and one that they likely thought would help, just like all the ones before.

It’s so tragic for Ulysses to hold so much ire to the Courier when it really was the case of it could’ve been anyone. Anyone could have delivered that package but they did and so he focused the blame on them and it destroys what he is trying to instill in the courier on a fundamental level.

[chamerionwrites]

Intellectually I understand where people are coming from, but personally I do THE biggest double take every time someone boils down conservative Christian ideology (and/or secularized cultural reflections thereof) to a kind of dour puritanism that proclaims happiness is sin/suffering is a moral good/everyone should be miserable all the time. Like I get it! I do. But also, institutionally, I have never met a group of more passionate worshippers and vicious defenders of their own comfort than evangelical Christians. There is a reason the common thread between my various weird triggers more or less boils down to "toxic positivity." There is a REASON my exvangelical tag is #walking away from omelas.

[uncanny-tranny]

The worst lie you can believe and be told is that women are emotional and men are logical, that men's, essentially, men's emotions are logical and neutral while women's are not, and are in fact frivolous and shallow.

[bretwalda-lamnguin]

I like Maedhros as a character, but I admit the usual fandom portrayal of him does nothing for me. I don't see him as a particularly 'nice' person. He can be manipulative, ruthless and harsh. I think he tries to play the clever pragmatist, but he gets it deeply wrong, and I think the oath is largely to blame.

Maedhros has two clear goals, although to him, at first at least, they are one and the same. Defeat Morgoth, and regain the silmarils, fulfilling the oath. Everything he does is in service of one of these goals, but once Doriath gains a silmaril the two goals seem to become contradictory.

A lot of Maedhros’ early actions in Beleriand make sense through this lens. When he suggests sending the ships back, he names Fingon as the first that should be taken. Not only a close friend (or romantic partner) but by now a fellow kinslayer-his loyalty is more assured because they have spilled blood together. He stands aside because the burning of the ships is a spiteful act with no aim, whereas the far morally worse first kinslaying had a logical goal at least.  

Civil war contradicts Maedhros’ goal-his aim is to defeat Morgoth and get the silmarils, not be high king, so he willingly steps aside for Fingolfin. Likewise, Thingol is not his enemy yet, so he laughs off his scorn. He has what he wants, the lands and resources to make war on Morgoth. Doriath is of little concern to him, and if Finrod can bring them into the alliance, all the better.

The quest for the silmaril breaks this unity of purpose. Celegorm and Curufin, driven by the Oath, overthrow Finrod and kidnap Lúthien. Maedhros cannot complain overmuch, he does not want the silmaril in other hands. Finrod and Lúthien had become rival claimants for the jewel and were thus enemies. He cannot punish his brothers. His failure to do so however permanently alienates Nargothrond and Doriath, with Maedhros’ letter to the latter being the final nail. It is at best deeply foolish and at worst blackmail. Lúthien’s quest may have given Maedhros hope Morgoth can be defeated, but he does not rebuke Celegorm calling for Doriath’s destruction.

I think this may also be behind his and his brother’s failure to see through Ulfang and his son’s treachery. By this point, the Fëanorians see desire for the silmarils as the main source of treachery. Ulfang and his sons have no desire for the silmarils, so they must be loyal. They fail to see that they might desire other things and be loyal to Morgoth for completely different reasons.

Maedhros is so devoted to one singular goal, and ruthless in his pursuit of it that he fails to see it has become two contradictory goals, to his ruin. By the end his attempts to regain the silmaril are actively helping Morgoth. I also think that he does treat others, including Fingon and Maglor, as pawns in his game. I do think of him as somewhat manipulative, even though I also think he very deeply loves Fingon and Maglor. Fingon’s love saves him from Thangorodrim and by the end he is completely dependent on Maglor. He drags them down into ruin all the same.  

[subskz]

thoughts on free use with skz?

hmm i think chan, hyunjin, and felix might be into it the most!

channie wants to make himself useful to you in any way that he can, so ofc that extends to him letting you have him at any time and any place! that kind of devotion to your pleasure has channie written all over it~ he’d be so adorable abt it too, every time you sneak your hand under the waistband of his sweatpants out of nowhere, or grab hold of his ass and tell him to bend over, he reacts so timidly, like he doesn’t know exactly where you’re going w this. even more than the arousal he feels for what’s to come, it also just makes his heart race to know he’s wanted by you the point where you’ll take him at any time of day, sometimes multiple times a day. he’ll sit there trying his hardest not to squirm as you run your hands all over his body like you’re inspecting him to see if he’ll be of good use to you, feeling up every curve and muscle, pinching his nipples and squeezing his pecs and hips and thighs as if he’s a toy on display for you. he gets so red and stuttery, asking if he’s okay for you, promising he’ll do anything you want, whimpering so sweetly over every little way you tease his body, sometimes even yelping out when you stimulate an esp sensitive spot. he’s always so responsive and easy to fluster, that’s part of what makes it so much fun. it takes everything in him not to curl into himself and shy away from all the attention…even if he jumps and jolts and makes the most embarrassing noises, he wants to be obedient above all and let you have your way w him

he’d never forget to prep himself every day that ur free use agreement is in action! he takes it very seriously bc he just wants to make you happy, to hear you praise him for being such a good little toy, always ready to be played with <3 his stamina is also pretty good, you can ride him over and over again and he’ll keep pushing himself for you however many times you see fit, even when he’s completely spent and climaxed more times than his dizzy head can count. he’d also be more than willing to do the moving himself if you get tired and order him to satisfy you instead. he’s a natural at sevice topping, even if he doesn’t always last as long as he hopes to, he’ll let you drain every last drop of him and them some (or if you really wanna make good use of him, putting a cockring on him to keep him hard for you as long as you’d like 😽) i think his favorite thing would be when you’re reading or working or watching tv and you have him on his knees eating you out while you barely even pay attention to him. when he does manage to get an affectionate headpat or “good boy” out of you, it makes him beam with pride bc he knows that he earned it by doing well! he can’t help but let cute, happy lil noises slip out each time you do, feeding off your praises that he’s so starved for and working his mouth w even more enthusiasm no matter how tired he gets. he could stay like that for hours~

you would have to be careful though bc chan may push himself too far for you sometimes. so regular checkins to make sure he's still okay, or even sometimes deciding yourself that he can't go any further is important bc he doesn’t always do what’s best for him. you don't wanna hurt him after all ㅠ on off days, he may not ask it of you, but he needs to be spoiled rotten!! even if channie is willing to do almost anything to please you, he’s a softie at heart and loves nothing more than to be looked after in the gentlest of ways, esp after exerting himself so much for you during the week. he'd even offer to let you use him in the precious few hours he has for sleep, which you can honestly turn into an excuse to just fuck him to sleep so u can be sure he gets enough rest…tricking channie into being cared for 💗 he really gets off to the idea of being like an object of your pleasure, but his shyness interferes w that sometimes, making for the most endearing reactions ever. a meek lil “ah, wh-what are you doing?” when you pull his dick out, as if he’s not half-hard for you already. or a breathless giggle when you bring your fingers up to his plush lips in the middle of a conversation, acting sheepish for a moment before eagerly taking them into his mouth. or whining softly that it’s too embarrassing when you order him to stay shirtless for you at all times, only to get wildly turned on when he feels your eyes on him across the room. bc he’s so shy, this dynamic would definitely be limited to home and private spaces—even if the idea of you taking him in public, undressing him and wrecking him for everyone to see (maybe even joining in to use him too) makes his heart positively race. it’s more of an unattainable fantasy for him, but just having you whisper things in the middle of a scene that play into that fantasy is enough to satisfy that humiliating desire in him. esp if you mixed compliments in w it, telling him how everyone would want a chance at using his pretty body~ poor channie doesn’t have it easy being the world’s shyest exhibitionist ㅠ

hyunjin wants to completely belong to you. what thrills him the most abt free use is you having control over every little detail abt him bc he’s yours and you alone know what’s best for him, especially when it comes to his pleasure <3 on days where your dynamic is in action, he loves to let you choose what he wears, how he styles himself, even what he’s allowed to say and do (w certain limits ofc, hyune can still be a lil shy sometimes) he’s tried to obey one more than one occassion when you order him to stay completely undressed for you so you can take him at any moment, but even just walking around shirtless all day got him way too embarrassed and antsy ㅠ so he prefers you picking out his outfits for him, it feels more intimate, like a secret between you and him that he carries even when walking around in public. esp when it’s clothes that give you easy access to his body~ underwear that allows you to pull his dick out without having to remove it first, baggy sweaters that you can pull off of his torso w ease or slip your hands under to feel him up, short, dainty skirts that you can flip up to expose his underwear or unzip to make fall to his ankles when he least expects it, etc. he would absolutely wear a harness or loose shibari pattern underneath his clothes too ❤️‍🔥 he gets worked up extremely easily w you, just a few touches in the right places and he’s positively melting as if he’s the one seeking out pleasure instead of you. so needless to say, his sensitivty makes it very convenient for using him whenever the urge strikes hehe he’s always ready for you

i think hyune would fantasize a lot abt u sharing him w others, but realistically he may not actually wanna do it bc the hopeless romantic in him can't be overpowered, not even by his lust. he’s too devoted to you and he takes your relationship very seriously...we all know how he feels abt even hypothetical scenarios that involve looking at ppl other than ur partner 😭 he just wants to be your perfect doll tailored just for you. all that being said, the thought of being passed around between you and a group of others admittedly still excites him in a way he can’t explain. he may even shyly confess it to you one day so you can play into the fantasy a bit—get possessive over him, ask him why you’d ever let anyone have what belongs to you, degrade him for being such a whore that even you fucking him at all hours of the day isn’t enough to satiate him. he absolutely loves when you remind him who he belongs to. tell him that his dick is all he’s good for as you ride him until he’s cum more times than he can count, tell him that he’s molded to your shape when you peg him, tell him that he only exists for your pleasure when he gives you head. it’s intense, but it makes him absolutely crazy, he loves the possessiveness aspect of this dynamic the most. he wants to be covered w your marks at all times, all over his neck, his thighs, his stomach, his chest, like he’s a canvas for you to paint red and purple as a constant reminder that you own him. also…somnophilia 🙏 he’s already such a heavy sleeper so it makes for the perfect opportunity to incorporate it into the dynamic. when he falls asleep w that specific pair of shorts on to let u know anything goes, he’ll often wake up dazed n disoriented to find your mouth all over him, or that he’s deep inside of you just seconds away from climaxing, or with your fingers stretching him open to prepare him for your strap. and ofc his personal favorite, waking up to find his face coated w drool and juices as you grind down on it, using his perfect lips to your heart’s content. all the while, ur teasing him for being so ready to be used that he doesn’t even wake up to it, he just lies there and takes it all like he was made for <3

lix is a mix of both! he loves being of service to you, and he also just loves the idea of being owned by you. aside from physical touch, i think his favorite way to show love would be acts of service, so that makes free use right up his alley~ not to mention he seems like he’d have a pretty high sex drive…dont be fooled by his innocent looks! he’d be ready to go at any hour, even more so than hyunjin 😽 he’s like your sweet lil housecat who stays home all day looking pretty, cooking and baking, and waiting for you to give him affection whenever you see fit—sometimes, even seeking you out for it. with lixie i think on certain days he’d need to be allowed to initiate w you in this dynamic, bc he can be even more itching to go than you are and constantly wants to remind you that you can take him any time you want~ he leans into the role so naturally, you’d think he was waiting for smth like this his entire life hehe. aside from cooking and doing you lil favors, he loves to give you massages. not necessarily always in a sexual manner but they can turn that way pretty quickly. he works his little hands so well, even the most innocent touches can feel so sensual, and the satisfaction that comes from releasing all that tension in your body makes it very tempting to put your pretty boy to work in a different way. before he knows it he’s lying there w his tongue hanging out as you ride his face, pawing at your thighs like he’s continuing your massage~ he likes to wear a collar on free use days to let you know that anything goes, with a cute lil tag that says his name or smth cute like “kitty” or “plaything ♡” when you hear his bell jingling around the house, you know you’re in for a very fun day

he loves when you fuck him while he’s cooking!! it excites him like nothing else that you just have to take him right there and now, and like a good toy he has to be ready to service you. he likes it when you interrupt him when he’s in the middle of anything, honestly, it’s the most thrilling part of the dynamic to him and it makes him feel so proud when he’s able to be useful to you at any given moment, bc what you want is always more important than what he’s doing. lix would definitely be the type to wear a plug all day so he can be prepped any time you want to use him, one of those cute fluffy tail plugs to be exact. he’d be very into the catboy role 🥰 when he feels you tug on his tail w one hand as the other sneaks under his apron, his brain immediately turns to mush and he bends over the counter, not even bothering to hide his lil giggles of excitement or how he grinds back against you so eagerly, begging for you to take him. he tries his best to keep cooking for as long as he can as you’re fucking him and it’s so adorable to watch him fumble w the utensils and ingredients until eventually he’s just clawing uselessly at the counter and you have to stop him so he doesnt hurt himself and just slumps against it ): like hyune i think lix might have a fantasy of being passed around between you and a group of other ppl hehe…and unlike hyunjin he’d actually be willing to try it, as long as it’s smth you’d be into too! he’d definitely only want you to share him w your friends though, probably not strangers bc he still wants to feel a lil safe and secure abt it…he’s not quite that bold yet. the thought gets him so nervous and shy but wildly turned on at the same time, being doted on and touched and put to work by so many ppl at once would be like his own personal heaven~ he wouldn’t mind being roughed up either, as long as you guys are praising him and encouraging him the whole time for being such a good toy!! hearing all the coos and murmurs of approval as he’s being fucked senseless makes him happier than anything. it would also make him absolutely crazy if you talked abt him as if he wasn’t there through it all, just making comments amongst yourselves abt what a perfect little slut he is, how well you’ve trained him, how much he likes it when he’s filled in every possible way <3 you catch him smiling so dreamily every time your friends speak fondly of him bc he just feels so good satisfying so many ppl at once, he just wants to be useful! and he does admittedly bask in all the attention a lil bit, he can’t get enough of all the hands on him. he’s definitely the type to reach out for you and gaze straight up at you while someone else is ruining him bc he still wants to feel closest to you hehe