#the blogger currently known as

[backslashdelta]

Put your music library on shuffle, then list the first five songs that come up in a poll to let people vote for which one they like the most! Then tag Tumblr friends to keep the game going!

Ngl I cheated just a little because there are a bunch of songs in my Spotify likes that I don't even really know, so I skipped those and just picked the first 5 that I would actually listen to if they came on.

Thank you @fallevs @daisyishedwig and @leydhawk for the tags!!

I'll be tagging @kurthummeldeservesbetter @mdverse @blurglesmurfklaine @gemsofthegalaxy and @cryscendo :)

[unfortunatelyprofounddaughter]

I am the bone in the hand of a man sent by God. I am cursed with a predilection for blood, for I am a child who has known true violence and see it as an act of love. I was born desperate, with a mouth full of teeth and a taste for vengeance.

[nyoomerr]

i think it’d be really funny if for a fic drabble it’s just hot food blogger luo binghe who’s dated every woman on the block scrambling cuz he thinks his boyfriend who hes totally gone for likes another man’s cooking more then his (jokes on him, shen yuan’s talking about HIS videos, he just doesn’t wanna admit it)

picky food critic sy and mean but brilliant chef lbh is one of my favorite pairings in the world, actually

---

Luo Binghe had always taken pride in both his cooking and his presentation. 

When he was younger, the meals he made served as a tribute to his mother. He ate well both because he knew she’d have wanted it for him and because the part of himself that would always be a hungry child of a poor single mother couldn’t stand the thought of being able to eat good food and choosing not to.

Then, when he was a bit older, cooking presented a new, more literal value: money. The daughter of a rich businessman had taken an interest in Luo Binghe from the meals he brought in to school, and Luo Binghe had by then already become wise to the fact that using empty-headed rich kids like her could pull a person out of the station they were born to. Luo Binghe used that girlfriend’s money to put himself through the first year of college; after that, he found someone with deeper pockets and won them over with his cooking as well. 

Well. Perhaps by that point Luo Binghe had learned how to win a woman over with more than just his cooking, but seduction was temporary. A woman would sleep with a pretty man that could promise to be a good lay; she’d only empty her wallet for a man who could measure up as something more permanent, and providing her with good food was the most surefire way to prove a man’s worth as a longterm boyfriend. 

So Luo Binghe cooked for his mother, and for his own hunger, and for the bills he had to pay by means of vapid girls who he cared little for but were easily swayed by good food.

After college, Luo Binghe became a chef, and then a sous chef, and then a head chef of a restaurant that he more or less controlled completely. He made a name for himself beyond being known as the pretty gold digger who’d dated half a dozen rich young ladies, and a wealth of his own that only multiplied when he began raking in advertiser’s money from blogging about his food on top of just selling it.

Luo Binghe’s food was good, and he knew exactly how to use it to position himself advantageously through life until he didn’t need advantages anymore. It had given Luo Binghe his life and his wealth and - most recently - his love, so Luo Binghe had no reason to feel anything but confidence in it.

“Binghe, can we have mapo tofu tonight? I’ve been craving some ever since I saw that video that’s been going around, ah, it looked so good…”

Luo Binghe feels his eye twitch. Nothing but confidence, he reminds himself.

“It’s rare for Shen-ge to want food he saw online,” Luo Binghe says sweetly, without answering Shen Yuan’s question at all.

“Is it?” Shen Yuan asks, not looking up from his phone. He’s currently sprawled inelegantly over Luo Binghe’s couch, giving Luo Binghe a perfect view of the way his shirt rides up, teasing him with a perfect sliver of Shen Yuan’s soft stomach. “I feel like I end up eating the food I see online way more frequently than the average guy, honestly.”

“Shen-ge frequently eats it; it’s rare for him to want to eat it,” Luo Binghe clarifies.

After all, this is how Luo Binghe had met Shen Yuan, the harshest food critic online. Luo Binghe had idly thought the small challenge of getting such a picky eater to endorse his food would have been good for his business, and invited him to try some. 

Shen Yuan had accepted. He’d then proceeded to eat Luo Binghe’s food with an enthusiasm, blissed out expression, and a symphony of erotic noises that had Luo Binghe, known playboy and talented sex-haver, feeling as if he’d just experienced the sexual awakening of a teen facing their first set of nudes.

That was fine, though, because Luo Binghe would simply seduce Shen Yuan the same as any other pretty face that could be swayed by good food, and - 

- and Luo Binghe could let Shen Yuan stay a bit longer, if only to hear the earnest way he praised Luo Binghe’s cooking and wished to hear about what it meant to Luo Binghe and asked if he could help Luo Binghe with the dishes -

- and inviting Shen Yuan back again and again would be strategic, because being the only chef who managed to not only wring a five star rating but a glowing review from such a notoriously harsh critic had been quite good for Luo Binghe’s business after all -

- and adjusting his menus to both suit Shen Yuan’s preferences and lean into heavier, fattier meals was good for Luo Binghe personally, because a lifetime of being a picky eater had let Shen Yuan grow up into skin and bones, which was bad for both Luo Binghe’s tiny remaining morality that was reserved for feeling bad for people who looked hungry and Luo Binghe’s sex life, since someone so skinny wasn’t very good for holding -

- and somehow, in the past year, Luo Binghe’s life has once more given cooking a new meaning: it’s what brought Shen Yuan to him, and got Shen Yuan to stay, in a way far more meaningfully than it ever got those rich young ladies to stay with Luo Binghe in the past.

It has also allowed Luo Binghe to grow into an ugly, wretchedly possessive thing, knowing that Shen Yuan likes his food best, that it’s his food that has filled in the little fat on Shen Yuan’s hips and thighs. A part of Luo Binghe becoming a part of Shen Yuan, and Shen Yuan enjoying it -!

“Well,” Shen Yuan says, “I want to eat this food. So - mapo tofu?”

Luo Binghe grinds his teeth. It makes the possessive parts of him howl that his picky eater boyfriend could be made hungry by another chef; if Shen Yuan had not specifically asked Luo Binghe to make the meal for him, and instead had genuinely sought out the online chef, Luo Binghe might have truly snapped.

…Perhaps this is a level of ownership that Luo Binghe should not feel over Shen Yuan’s eating, if their relationship is to be a healthy one. After all, if Shen Yuan were to ever be apart from Luo Binghe for longer than Luo Binghe could prepare meals for in advance…

Luo Binghe resolves to never be away from Shen Yuan for so long a period.

“Mapo tofu, then,” Luo Binghe agrees, smiling with sharp teeth at Shen Yuan. 

Shen Yuan finally glances up from his phone, beaming at Luo Binghe. 

“My Binghe’s the best after all, ah!” He says, clearly smug with himself, and some of Luo Binghe’s irritation slips away. 

For Shen Yuan, he really…

…He’ll really make mapo tofu better than anyone!!

Luo Binghe had made some just the other day actually, for a video for his blog, but he doesn’t bother to make it the same way this time. Food made specifically for his cooking blog is always slightly altered from how it truly tastes best - it must be designed to look good for the viewer, rather than tasting or feeling good. Besides that, Luo Binghe is not above altering recipes before giving them out so that his own cooking would always taste best, preventing copy cats from stealing the clientele of his restaurant. 

And, more importantly, this is the mapo tofu that Shen Yuan has specifically asked for, spurred on by a impotent online stranger who probably made a good-looking meal out of luck and nothing else. If Luo Binghe makes mapo tofu that is only good in a normal way, it won’t successfully prevent Shen Yuan from thinking of that stranger’s cooking ever again, ah!

So: a doubanjiang sauce that Luo Binghe has been fermenting personally, rather than store bought, and scallions instead of garlic greens to suit Shen Yuan’s preferences specifically. Tofu cut into chunks that Luo Binghe knows will be just the right size for Shen Yuan’s perfect pink lips and tongue, and the final dish plated in a way that is messier than is presentable for pictures but will have a better ratio of sauce to food, and -

Shen Yuan frowns. Luo Binghe, who has not seen Shen Yuan frown at a meal he has personally made in all the time he has known him, feels a spike of panic. 

Is his food not Shen Yuan’s ideal, anymore? Has Shen Yuan found another standard that he prefers, another chef to feed him? No one could feed Shen Yuan as well as Luo Binghe can, he’s sure of it, so why -!

“This doesn’t look like the mapo tofu you made the other day,” Shen Yuan says.

Luo Binghe blinks at him. “The mapo tofu that… I made?”

“Yeah? Didn’t I say I wanted it because I got hungry looking at your latest blog post?” Shen Yuan pauses to take a bite of the dish, his eyes fluttering shut and a low noise in the back of his throat escaping him in his bliss. “Ah, fuck it, this is way better than I thought it would be, forget the blog post!”

Saying so, Shen Yuan digs in to the meal in earnest, and Luo Binghe is left to watch him as he makes peace with the fact that he had, in fact, called himself an impotent fool when he thought it was someone else who had made mapo tofu that Shen Yuan liked the look of. 

[transmutationisms]

yeah fuck that anon but their second question is legit do you know how to check for other fundraisers??? I know the one you’re promoting is legit but what about others?? Is there like a database or something?? Sorry if its a dumb question Im just concerned bc I got scammed once by a friend of a friends alleged medical issues :/

i actually have a whole tag where i've been collecting posts about the legitimacy of palestinian fundraisers, how to boost and promote them, and details on the vetting process.

here on tumblr, the most centralised part of the verification process has been this spreadsheet of fundraisers that are checked (details on that process in my tag above) by palestinian users. formerly these users included @/el-shab-hussein and @/nabulsi; currently the vetting is being done by @/mohameddd, who is in gaza. there is more info on this in el-shab-hussein's pinned post, and he is slowly shifting fundraiser posts over to @gaza-evacuation-funds, so that's a great blog to follow for vetted campaigns.

not all verified campaigns are on the spreadsheet. click on the notes of a fundraising post or search their url on tumblr; look for posts or comments from palestinian users who have checked and vouched for them. @/90-ghost is probably the most well-known; he has had to take a step back from tumblr recently, but there are still lots of people fundraising whose campaigns he's shared or vouched for. @/bilal-salah0 is another palestinian who has verified and vouched for people he knows personally or has reached out to. many users who get their own campaigns verified will later vouch for their friends or family members. if you trust the first person's verification, you can also take their word about other people they know.

off tumblr, there are several grassroots organisations that have their own verification processes. this post (also in the tag i linked above) lists the ones i know of currently. victoria of Pali.pals on instagram has also recently established a tumblr presence @/victoriawhimsey. she shares campaigns that she has vetted through mutual friends, contacts in gaza, video calls, etc. you can reach out to her if you have other questions about her process.

if a fundraiser has not yet been verified at all (this happens especially for new campaigns), some people may share it with a note about whether it seems provisionally legitimate. sometimes the person fundraising will link to their other social media accounts, which can help you determine whether they're likely legitimate. some people also try checking by reverse-image searching, although that's a very imperfect test (details on that in my tag above). for a full verification it's generally important that someone who (at the very least) speaks palestinian arabic, and/or is in gaza, is involved. however, this process takes time, and can be harder for people with more internet connectivity issues.

it's always a good idea to do due diligence when someone asks you for money, but to be clear, the vast majority of palestinian fundraisers i have seen on here have verification from the spreadsheet, other verification orgs, palestinian bloggers, or a combination of the above. at the very least, always check the notes of a fundraiser post or search the url; most of the time you will turn up verification info this way.

if you're not sure about someone's legitimacy, just move on and put your effort into other fundraisers.

[van-yangyin]

Following Custom Content I shared the other day, here is EyeTree Head Set that contain a EyeTree head and Eyes of Tree Accessory for all ages. Hope you enjoy this one! 💗

Short brief when this post is published: I'm currently without pc because it's being repaired since it was failing me, so I leave you this publication that I left prepared. Until I have it back, it's possible that I won't be much on my social medias. When I return I'll answer to your lovely asks and replies. @lea-heartscxiv will probably lend me his, but it will only be for occasional times like posting things we've worked on together or new CC if pc takes too long to repair. Thank you for your patience with me ❤

They look at you, they judge you, they discriminate against you. From a planet far away from Sixam, called Lerighett, reside these tree-headed beings with eyes. They're said to be of many varieties and species, though residents of the hidden lands of Heyadee are one of the most frowned upon for being so perceptive and judgmental. If they have more eyes around them, they may be even more judgmental for being able to see beyond your soul. 👁️🌳

Download under keep reading ↓

If you download my CC it means your agree with my T.O.U (English/Español/日本語).

EyeTree Head

General Info:

13 swatches

Base game compatible

Located on Detail Skin, Forehead

all ages

disable for werewolves (don't show good on them)

all LOD's

All Maps (Diffuse, Normal, Specular)

Mesh and texture made from scratch by me

Custom Thumbnails

Compatible with higher and lower game sliders

Known problems: Some parts of the trunk may go deeper into the skin. Since is placed in Skin Details, Forehead, both packages are shown, no matter the gender, but they're written as Male Frame and Female Frame on thumbnail so that they can be easily recognized. Try to use them properly so they don't look bad unless that is the result you want to achieve.

LOD Information: LOD0: 7232 poly | LOD1: 3615 poly | LOD2: 1806 poly | LOD3: 903 poly

IF YOU LIKE MY WORK PLEASE CONSIDER BECOME A PATREON OR TIP ON KO-FI. ANY HELP IS ALWAYS WELCOMED BUT ALWAYS OPTIONAL. YOU CAN ALSO COMMISSION ME HERE OR FROM TUMBLR, IF YOU WANT ME TO DO SOMETHING SPECIFIC FOR YOU.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

※Choose download the one/ones you want the most or only download Merged: "_T-E_Merged" or "_AllMerged" where all the files are together.※

✨DOWNLOAD LINK✨ (Patreon ~ Always free, no adfly) [Same link]

✨DOWNLOAD LINK✨ (SFS ~ Always free, no adfly)

Photo in CAS and in-game photo without shaders:

~⭐️~

Eyes of Tree Accessory

General Info:

1 swatch, since use eye texture

Base game compatible

Located on Detail Skin, Crease

all ages

all LOD's

Mesh made from scratch by me

Custom Thumbnails

LOD Information: LOD0: 2880 poly | LOD1: 1440 poly | LOD2: 720 poly | LOD3: 360 poly

Do you want to know what else I'll be releasing this month and on what day? You can support me on Patreon or Ko-Fi and find out in this posts, here (Patreon) and here (Ko-Fi).

※Choose download the one/ones you want the most or only download Merged: "_T-E_Merged" or "_AllMerged" where all the files are together.※

✨DOWNLOAD LINK✨ (Patreon ~ Always free, no adfly) [Same link]

✨DOWNLOAD LINK✨ (SFS ~ Always free, no adfly)

Photo in CAS:

Compatible with LightHead/EyeHead and without LightHead:

~⭐️~

Btw, do you saw my last CC post? ⬇️

HERE

This CC is made in part in honor of the fucking eyes (the big one and the little ones) of Arc the Lad the Twilight of Spirits, who gave me and Lea a hard time many many years ago to defeat them. They aren't the same, but every time I was doing it I was thinking about them. Has anyone else played this game? I loved it and I love it!

Let me know if you find any problem. 🙏❣️ Also if you use this or any of my CC, feel free to tag me so I can see your sims, it will make me very happy to see it!

👀👉MORE DOWNLOADS

Happy simming! 🍀

💛

🛹 You can find me also on Patreon | Pinterest | Ko-Fi | Blogger (Shared with Lea) | Instagram | X (Twitter) | My F.A.Q. | My T.O.U. | MORE DOWNLOADS 🛹

[luminalunii97]

Recently, 227 out of 290 members of Iran parliament voted to execute those who were arrested in the past 8 weeks of uprising. According to Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the number of arrested protesters are more than 14,000 people. Islamic republic has a long history of mass murders. In the 1988 massacres of political prisoners, more than 30,000 people were executed. In 2019 protests, the government killed more than 1,500 protesters during the internet shutdown. They never stop their criminal ways because blood and bone is the foundation of their reign.

These people, who have the dream of freedom in mind, are going to be sentenced to death if international human rights organizations don't do something about it. We're not talking about nameless faceless people. These 14,000 lives have friends and families, pets and lovers. Let's get to know some of them:

This is Hossein Ronaghi. He is an iranian blogger and human rights activist. He's also a computer programmer and one of his activism areas is internet restrictions and how to go around them. He has a long history of political activities and since 2009 protests, he has been a political prisoner on and off. During current protests, he was called to turn himself into Evin prison or his family will be in danger, so he did that. But even though he was there voluntarily, security forces violently attacked him and beat him. Currently he's in prison with broken legs and no medical attention and a 46-day-long hunger strike. His life is in danger.

These are Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloofar Hamedi, the two journalists who covered Mahsa Amini's murder news. This is not the first time the government arrest and punish someone who spread a crime news instead of arresting those who committed said crime. Media freedom is a joke in Iran and those who speak the truth get silenced. A while ago in an interview with Shargh daily, the newspaper Niloofar works for, she addressed sexism in her field of occupation and explained: "sometimes a female journalist would think with herself maybe I should just give up this job, this job has many safety issues and the salary isn't good at all. but most of them stay. Women journalists never give up."

This is Fatemeh Sepehri, a political activist. She oppose Khamenei leadership and demands a democratic future for iran. She's a mother who lost her child custody to sexism. Her husband was a martyr of Iran-Iraq war. Her brother is also a political prisoner. She was kidnapped at the beginning of current protests and is being kept in solitary confinement.

This is Leyla Hosseinzade, former Tehran university student. She didn't believe in hijab and still doesn't. She refuse to wear hijab while in jail and that put her in a dangerous situation with security guards. She's currently on a hunger strike.

This is Faezeh Barahui, a young Baluchi girl who was arrested during protests in Zahedan, has been in prison for weeks.

This is Fetemeh Mashhadi Abbas, a professor in Shahid Beheshti university of medical sciences. She was kidnapped and is now being kept in Evin prison.

This is Toomaj Salehi, Iranian rapper who's songs are mostly protest songs aimed at the regime. He was brutally arrested and is under heavy torture at the moment.

This is Nazila Maroufian, a journalist who's in Evin prison because she interviewed with Mahsa Amini's father.

This is Marzieh Ziari, a women's rights activist in iran who was arrested and her current condition is unknown.

There are many many many more people. This is just a thin list of more known ones. According to HRANA, among all these arrested citizens, 1,941 of them have been identified and their arrests have become publicly known, 438 of them are university students. Children are among prisoners too but their number has not been reported. The wellbeing or placement of some prisoners are not known and that causes a lot of concerns.

[javis-burner-phone]

To Writers in the Pedro Pascal Fandom:

This fandom went full Chernobyl this summer. I need a hazmat suit to get through these tags. I recently saw an anon reach out to a fic writer here.

The anon is right that there's a problem in the fandom space, but they're misplacing blame. I'm writing this post for the non-hateful writers that have tried to feel a part of the community, but ended up feeling left out. I'm posting this on a burner account for obvious reasons that you'll see below:

The hateful posts about "big writers" have absolutely disgusted me, but I can relate to the frustration that many fic writers are expressing. We see very fun and active areas of the fandom where writers are communal, hyping each other up, reblogging fics, but only within certain friend groups. Most of us writers don't have that. Instead this fandom sometimes feels like a desolate wasteland for many of us.

Here's where us writers need to place the blame:

Since the introduction of algorithms, there has been a cyclical effect: popular Tumblr posts are boosted due to everyone's default feed settings and posts from new, lesser known blogs are pushed down.

Over years, this has impacted fandom spaces in a sort of feedback loop. We're currently seeing the late stages of this. This effect pushes most fandom activity towards the already popular blogs by default. (Yes, Tumblr has always shown popular posts first, but algorithms, and the feedback loops they create, have made the effect stronger over the years.)

Is that the "big writers" faults? No. Are friend groups to blame? No. In fact, we should have more friend groups in this fandom. That's how fandoms used to be. There were dozens of overlapping friend groups that would have long reblog chains and mainly interact with each other. New people could find other new people pretty easily and make their own groups.

Now new people/smaller blogs are far less exposed to other new people/smaller blogs by default. *That* is the problem.

Eventually, I found my people. I feel a part of the community and you can too.

You just need to make 3 virgin sacrifices and find the lochness monster in order to do so. What I mean is, it takes a lot more effort than it used to. Be ready for that:

1. Sort by "Latest posts" when searching fandom hashtags. Imagine if Ao3 used an algorithm to show popular fics first instead of sorting by most recent fics. New writers would be screwed, right? That's what Tumblr does. Support posts that resonate with you, but have low engagement. Leave likes, comments, reblogs! Guess what happens when someone that feels isolated in this fandom gets a bunch of notes from you? They're gonna check out your blog. They may want to connect!

2. DM people. Is there a lesser known blogger whose posts you like? Ask to be mutuals! Start a conversation! If you can't be social it's gonna be near impossible to build community. Sorry if you have anxiety, but that's the truth. Warning: half the convos will fizzle out. Move on to the next person as soon as you sense this.

3. Don't try to connect with bigger blogs for friendship. I've tried and as long as you gush over them, they respond, but the interaction ends there. DMing them works, but the convos almost always feel one sided and fizzle out. I'm mutuals with some bigger bloggers, but I had to add their usernames to my filtered content list in account settings. This means they can see my stuff, but I can't see theirs. Seeing them have fun in their friend group just reminds me of my failed attempts to connect. Maybe filtering them isn't fair, but that's how I deal with my negative emotions. No, they are not rude for not befriending me. I don't feel entitled to friendship.

(edit: I got a weird anon about this part. It's more difficult to befriend people who already have close-knit connections here. It's not impossible, but I've had much better luck with fellow isolated fandom members. The secret ingredient is our shared desperation lol. Befriend whoever you want ❤️)

4. Join/start a small PPCU discord server. The big servers will just make you feel more isolated, but the intimate ones are way more communal and it's easier to make stronger connections there than on Tumblr. 

These tips are for people that actually want to find solutions instead of spreading hate and complaining.

I'm saying this as someone that averages 50 notes on most of my fics after a year in this fandom(edit: saw this poll and thought I'd clarify. I get 50 notes now, but for 8ish months I got 5 on a lucky day. This post is for people who still feel isolated because I know how it feels.) It takes way more effort than in the early 2010s to feel a part of a fandom, not because of cliques, but because of the feedback loops the algorithm creates. 

I understand the frustration, but I'm not going to spread vitriol just because the fandom ecosystem went to shit. 

[makingqueerhistory]

hi, i sent an ask ages ago asking you to not platform certain transphobic genocidal bloggers as if they are in good faith. and i've never seen a response but you've reblogged the post in question multiple times since. so i'm just wondering what's up w that

Yes, I remember you, you were on anon before, nice to see you again! If I am correct what you are refering to is me answering a question that came from someone who was a zionist asking about my stance on Palestine. Well here is the thing, I try to approach most questions asked of me in this project as if they were in good faith.

I knew it was unlikely to change anyones position, but a part of being an educational resource is trying not to write off anyone.

The question being referred to was from a zionist, which I knew upon trying to check for the context as the question itself confused me a little in its phrasing. I also am aware that engaging with zionists is not always the right choice. I don't know that it was the right choice this time, but I can walk you through my thought process and you can make your own judgement.

I specifically decided to answer that question on that day because it had been sitting on my heart for a minute. When it came in, it immediately made me uncomfortable.

I knew it might cause a bit of a backlash (which it did), but I realized that it was an opportunity to make clear my stance on free Palestine. I have made a couple of posts, but because I try to stay in my lane they had not been as direct as I wanted to be on here (though other social medias had more obvious moments), and I had not had such a direct question yet. I knew for me it was important to clarify that from everything I have learned and explored in both history and current events, a free Palestine is a necessary and urgent call. I also wanted to take a second to reframe the question.

I had gotten backlash for posting some amazing Jewish people because they are pro-Palestine, and I wanted to take a moment to make it clear that I learned to love and dedicate my time to free Palestine from Jewish people. In all the intentional obfuscating it is often portrayed as if Jewishness is synonomous with zionism which is a dangerous claim and an untrue one.

It's also necessary for me to say, I did not know that persons entire past. I knew that they were a zionist from a cursory look on their blog, but I learned after posting that they were rather notorious. If I had known their reputation before, I may have chosen not to answer. But I also think there is worth in answering a question honestly, no matter the asker.

If you still disagree with my choice, I understand and respect that. I am still not sure I made the right choice, but if I am being truthful, I have seen the impact of the answer I gave and it seems to be quite positive. Most people were glad to hear a clear stance from me, and the person in question got added to many blocklists on that day.

[essektheylyss]

The reason that Ashton learning about the Luxon is interesting is not because it would change their stance on the pantheon (considering the Luxon is not of the pantheon and therefore any change in opinion on, say, Pelor, would be a false and reductive equivalence), but because their stance on religion as a whole is currently reductive in a deeply unproductive and, frankly, potentially dangerous way, and the Luxon's existence flies in the face of that.

Ashton has a basic but narrow view of how the gods operate: someone asks for something, and the gods answer. He may acknowledge that generally the answer is given as part of an exchange, but might also feel that the extent of his suffering is worth more than the offering usually made. This is a very valid and understandable position! They suffered under some destructive force of nature, and later under the general indifference of the world, and if there are gods who claim to do good in the world*, and suffering persists, how can those gods be considered just?

This is, I must make very explicit, an incredibly complex and old philosophical question in the real world even where the existence of gods is not a material reality, and not one that's going to be solved by a bunch of fandom bloggers, no matter how enlightened one thinks they are. It is also a question that is straight up not a concern in a lot of faiths, so by necessity, one cannot equate "in this context, are the gods just?" to the question of whether worship, as a practice, is just.

In any case, Ashton's concern is more personal than philosophical—his stance is borne not of any intensive questioning of the justice of gods, but because he's been hurt, and he wanted to be helped, and wasn't**. And this is valid, but the extrapolation to "the gods can die for all I care," does attempt to make that equivocation. In suggesting the removal of the source of worship of a large portion of the world, which at least something of the means to act upon that suggestion, they're implicitly taking the stance that their anger alone is worth more than the mundane benefits that collective portion of the population receives from their worship.

It bears noting here that this is specifically about his anger, and not his suffering, because the death of the gods won't change his history. In fact, nothing is going to change that! This is really where Ashton's anger lies, but the anger isn't actionable there, which is why it comes out elsewhere. When funneled in a reasonable and willful direction (such as towards Ludinus) anger can be very productive; this isn't to say that this emotion is the problem in itself. But directing it toward the gods will have a pointed negative impact on much of the world, and will likely not stop those worshippers who are enacting harm from finding other ways to do so, which means it's a net loss in terms of what Ashton wants, which is to keep people from harm.

And drawing attention to the anger is also relevant, because, well, that's where we get back to the Luxon.

Ashton's Rage mechanic is based explicitly in dunamis and, by extension, the Luxon itself. The ability is linked narratively to their fall at Jiana Hexum's house and subsequent patching up by Milo, who dumped a potion of possibility into their head. When Imogen and FCG have entered his mind, the description is similar to the description of concentrating on a Luxon beacon.

There's an argument to be made that dunamis itself more than the beacons individually is what comprises the entity known as the Luxon; the potions were distilled initially from a beacon, and we've seen other forms of the same thing, such as the purple gems in Aeor. We also know that the Luxon is an entity that may go back to before the Founding***, because Essek, a noted skeptic, found evidence of its existence as such in Aeor, an arcane society that attempted to kill the gods themselves.

The Luxon as a divine entity*** has not, as far as anyone has claimed, directly spoken to a mortal, follower or otherwise. The Dynasty believes it has sent messages that their umavi can divine and interpret into scripture, and in theory clerics that follow it can receive information via divination the same way as any other cleric, but none of these involve direct speech, and overall it's not clear that it is in fact an entity capable of communication as mortals would imagine communication.****

This is notably different than the Pantheon as a whole. The primary boon that the Dynasty believes the Luxon has given them, based on their ability with the beacon to escape Lolth's dominion, is to wield more control over one's own destiny. If we proceed under the assumption that this is how the Luxon brokers any relationship to mortals, then we end up back to the idea that the ability that Ashton has gained from the dunamis that was used to seal their wounds was control over, and the ability to act upon, the anger that they harbor.

It's in fact exactly what Ashton asked for, both in his past and now, in this past conversation with the party, suggesting that he'll actually hear out any god that actually suggests they want him. It's also clearly something they still want, given that they went looking for it in Issylra. No matter how disaffected Ashton may claim to be, his actions betray the fact that he does in some way want the acknowledgment of an entity larger than he is.

So whether or not Ashton changes their tune on the pantheon doesn't matter in the long run. What learning about the Luxon would do is force Ashton to confront the fact that, first, gods as a whole do not necessarily conform to the limited knowledge they've based their views on, and second, that maybe a god already gave them what they asked for.

And Ashton is still perfectly at liberty to ignore that without consequence—the use of dunamis has never been contingent on belief or worship, as evidenced by the numerous wizards who use it regardless. But it does raise the question for Ashton both of his own worth in the view of something larger than he is, regardless of whether he thinks the gods have already discarded him, and also the very premise on which he chooses where to direct his anger.

It's up to Ashton, as it's always been, to actually decide where to go from there.

*I won't interrogate this at length here because I don't think it's relevant, but I also don't believe the Prime Deities have ever claimed that their purpose, if they can be said to have a purpose, is to do good. Even the temples of Vasselheim orient themselves more toward the purpose of maintaining balance and order rather than any concept of "good", and many of the pantheon who are not explicitly included among the Betrayers have neutral alignment.

**For further commentary on the flaws in Ashton's assumptions around relationship to a god, see here.

***The question of whether or not the Luxon is A God is also irrelevant here, because it has been worshipped as such and confers power comparably to the Prime Deities, so we'll proceed without worrying about it.

****For further commentary on the nature of how the Luxon communicates and enacts its will in the Material Realm, see here.

For further commentary on the general tone of this post, see here.

[backslashdelta]

💖📥🌙

Hellooooo thank you for the ask!!

💖 What do you like most about your own writing?

Answered here!

📥 What is your fave fic to receive comments/messages on?

That would definitely be my baby It Was Only A Kiss <3

🌙  What time of day do you prefer to write? Why?

I don't know that it's necessarily a preference, but I generally tend to be more productive at night so that's also when I tend to get more of my writing done.

fanfic ask game

[txttletale]

Please I'll never be able to stop saying whatevsies now

if you follow this blog long enough you will pick up all sorts of curious and peculiar mannerisms, in what is currently known as The Blogger's Trick

[spiderbitesandvampirevenom]

ok guess its time to make a

pinned post

or whatever (below the cut)

enjoy my poasts? show me on cshpp or vnmo (i am currently moving so it is appreciated)

anyways this is the new home of the blogger formerly known as absolvedGravitas! i got nuked. now im back! i'm a native american genderfluid dyke (she/her) in my early 20's and i've been on tumblr on and off since like... 2014 or so. i'm deeply annoying and i'm not sorry. if you see me using we/us to refer to myself its not a system thing i just like using the royal we. reblog nsfw stuff (mostly artistic nudity) so consider yourself warned.

got my history BA (emphases on medieval Islamicate & colonial studies) in may of 2024 🎉

real name rights belong to mutuals only if you use it and we arent mutuals im blocking you <3

yes i have a nsfw sideblog but you need to ask me for it

^literally me (my fursona is a wabzhashi/marten)

unless were mutuals i prolly wont answer your dms but my ask box is always open

i dont actively vet followers but know that if i catch you following me as a minor i WILL block you

i'm not gonna type up a whole DNI because they never work but just know that i block very liberally and i dont tolerate bigots. if you believe in transandrophobia/transmisandry or don't like the terms tma/tme we won't get along. i check the dni of my followers and block hypocrites so. make damn sure before you follow that im not in your dni.

if you have "[insert identity label] DNI" (for example, "bi lesbians dni") in your dni we wont get along. go away

also please go away if you're into incest ("fauxcest") i'd rather not associate with you.

my main tags are:

#spinning my web - original posts

#caught in the web - asks

#social spiders - mutuals moment!

#👽 - aliens and space stuff

character tags:

#has anyone seen my wife? - posts that remind me of eldfrithr, one of my D&D characters

#dirgeposting - posts that remind me of my BG3 character Dirge

the main takeaway from this post?

my house, my rules

I dont owe you anything and if you act like I do you can go fuck yourself. This is my blog and I'll do what I want with it.

this post will get updated if and when i feel it needs to be

[shroomiethefrogwhisperer]

I wholly believe that I could have a sitcom. Why? My life is both crappy and hilarious at the same time, also known as ✨️peak comedy✨️.

Characters include 1, Me: Asexual Teen Blogger Beginning Cosplayer Homeschooler, 2, My Weirdass Besties: A. Pansexual Gymnast with Mommy Issues, B. Heterosexual Dragon Enthusiast Introvert, and C. Genderfluid Chinese K-pop Stan who loves the band Ghost, 3, My Parents: Business Director Mom who is divorcing my Dad, ADHD DnD DM who is allergic to cats and yet pets every cat he sees, and 4, my Grandma: Old Christian lady who used to be a Seamstress who laughs at my mom and my sex jokes.

And featuring Siblings: Anger Issues Gamer who is currently obsessed with FNAF, and Feral Cat How To Train Your Dragon Obsessive Sociopath who has a hyperfixation on Squishmallows.

I need a title.

[cozyfoxy]

The Brackenwood Murders Chapter 1

Summary: After nine murders of gay men in Brackenwood, detective Phil Lester is called in at last to help them catch the killer. Dan Howell is always eager to get a scoop for his blog, so he is often in Phil's way. What has the potential to be an easy enough case proves to be much more in depth than Phil expects, especially when feelings come into the equation.

Read on AO3

“The small town of Brackenwood was shaken this Friday evening when four children stumbled upon a dead body near Juniper Park. The four children, between the ages of eight and eleven, were riding their bikes when one of them spotted what they thought to be a lost shoe sticking out from under the brush, near the walking trail. When the children went to investigate, they realized that there was someone wearing the shoe and ran to find their parents. The police were quickly notified and are currently investigating.

“The body was identified as that of local Jace Pickens, aged nineteen. Jace was born and raised in Brackenwood and was a very active member of our community. Between his studies to become a high school professor and his part-time job at his father’s hardware store (Picken’s Hardware), he also found the time to volunteer at the local Baptist church every Saturday and Sunday, working with children who needed a little extra love. At the bottom of this post, you will find a link to Jace’s obituary. There, you can donate to the Picken’s family, offer condolences, or send flowers.

This is the ninth murder of local gay men in the past six years. All murders have been nearly identical in date, method, and victim type, though the local sheriff continues to ignore the possibility of a serial killer. However, it has been confirmed that for the first time ever in Brackenwood history, an outside source has been brought in to help investigate the murder. A renowned detective who is most well known for solving the string of murderers in Crumbleford all on his own is coming to our small town in the next few days. It’s wonderful to see these murders finally being taken seriously."

Currently, the police are trying to pin the murder on Logan Schmidt, aged twenty, Jace Picken’s longtime partner. Schmidt has alibis, as he was three towns over at his college campus, but they still want to pin it on him. It seems as though the police of Brackenwood want to get rid of the case rather than actually solve it. After six years and nine murders, they’re clearly anxious to have someone to blame besides themselves. Perhaps now that they have an actual detective, they will get off of their lazy, homophobic asses and do something to protect the community here. Follow for real-time updates, and until then, please stay safe out there. It’s just barely October now, and the Brackenwood killer could strike again.”

Chief Brewer groaned loudly and slammed his fist against his desk, sending a few stray papers flying. This journalist, blogger, whatever anyone wanted to call him, always got under the man’s skin. Not only did the author of the post always know more about their investigations than he should, he also had a bad habit of bringing his own views into his posts. Whether Cheif Brewer liked it or not, the blog was quite popular in their town, and everything posted on it would spread like wildfire.

A soft cough from his open door grabbed his attention from his wallowing. He looked up to see a smart-looking man, dressed in a navy blue suit. The man wore glasses that perched carefully on the bridge of his nose and held a dark brown briefcase in his right hand and a slightly damp umbrella in his other hand. Ah, Phil Lester was here at last.

“Detective Lester! Please come in and shut the door behind you if you don’t mind.” Chief Brewer exclaimed, jumping up to shake the man’s hand.

Phil smiled in silent thanks and stepped in, shutting the door carefully before shaking the balding man’s hand. He quickly realized that Chief Brewer was overly tired; deep purple bags were prominent beneath his eyes and coffee in his breath. Phil released the older man’s hand and took a seat, eager to get started on his new case.

“Alright Chief, I’d like to ask you some questions before I start my investigation. Mostly about what you have already figured out, but also just about the town and its people. I grew up just a few towns over, but I haven’t been up this way in years.” Phil explained, crossing his long legs after making himself comfortable.

Brewer cleared his throat and nodded, taking a seat at his desk across from Phil. “Of course, detective Lester, ask anything you need. We want to get this all taken care of as soon as we possibly can.”

“Please call me Phil. Formalities aren’t really my thing. Yes, I’m sure you do, but we can’t rush too much. This is a complicated case, and it has been going on for years based on my own research and understanding. My first question is, of course, why you neglected to call an outside source in for so long.” Phil asked, resting his chin against his fist.

Brewer flinched back slightly at Phil’s nonchalant tone, the back of his neck burning. He didn’t like being scrutinized. “Yes, of course, Phil. Well, we didn’t see it as something that needed help from an outside source. Most years, it was one murder, and that one murder would be the only one in Brackenwood for that year. Not much happens here, you know?”

Phil raised an eyebrow. “So, though each murder happened around the same time every year, with the same victim profile and the same murder method, you didn’t think it was a problem that needed help? The bodies are always found around the same vecinity too, Brewer. The men were raped before they were killed, but it wasn’t a serious problem.”

"Listen, Phil, no disrespect, but this is a small town. We try not to scare our residents unless there’s good reason to. It wasn’t until Jace Pickens was killed and found by some of our children that I accepted that we needed help. We don’t have many leads; whoever this killer is knows how to avoid being found.” Brewer explained, anger tightening his voice.

Phil nodded and ran his fingers through his slightly damp hair. “Okay, so I need any leads that you already have. Including a list of people who you have ruled out. Are there any significances that you know of for the dates of the murders? Do you have a profile of your murderer?”

“We do have a profile, yes, but I will be the first to say that it’s not very well put together yet. We believe the murderer is a male in his late twenties or early thirties. He is a local; that much is clear. He would have to be to avoid us for so long. One thing that my team doesn’t agree with is that he’s got an accomplice. I don’t think he works alone.” Brewer explained, opening a worn-down-looking folder, overflowing with papers.

Phil hummed, leaning forward eagerly, “Why do you think he’s not working alone? And you never answered my question. Is there any significance with the dates?”

Brewer pulled out a piece of paper and slid it across the desk to Phil, “Because the murders are all almost identical. The keyword being almost. The murder weapon is almost always a blunt object; my team thinks it could be a metal bat. But three of the murders were just different enough. On these three bodies, there were larger bruises. Bruises that were consistent with someone being beaten by fists. I can’t say for sure that it was two people against one, but I do have a hunch that just won’t go away.”

Phil took the paper that was given to him, looking at it curiously before looking back at the older man in front of him and asking, "What’s this?”

“That’s a list of important dates in this town for the homosexual community, specifically in October. I can’t take credit for it, it was written up by a local journalist of sorts. We normally don’t take him too seriously, but at times his posts are helpful.” Brewer explained, fidgeting with the sleeves of his jacket.

Phil nodded and smiled calmly. “Have you considered him a suspect yet?”

Brewer paused before shaking his head, “No. We don’t even know who he is; he uses a fake name and has strong security measures in place. We’ve tried to get into his computer system, but it didn’t work.”

“Interesting. I will surely be looking into that. One last question for now, and then I’ll be on my way. While I solve the case, what safety measures do you plan on implementing?” Phil asked, focusing intensely on the man in front of him.

Brewer stuttered, “Well, we have talked about setting up a curfew. We’ve already advised any gay men to stay inside and avoid any of their... activities.”

Phil cleared his throat softly. “First things first, I’m appearing on the local news station tonight to explain what my presence means and what we are doing to protect not only the gay men of Brackenwood, but their families as well. You’ve been in this line of work much longer than myself, you should know that pressure can make a criminal act out. This murderer might be frightened by me and act out. Everyone could be in danger. We’ll set up a curfew; everyone must travel in groups, and we’ll have your deputies stationed around Juniper Park at all times. But that won’t be public information. That’s all I’ll need from you for now.”

“Yes, um, thank you, Phil. I just hope this will be over with sooner rather than later.” Brewer said, standing up and shaking Phil’s hand one more time before Phil left the room, writing a note messily in his notebook.

“Brewer doesn’t care about the men dying; he just cares about the image of his town.” ~ Dan was sitting in his desk chair, typing eagerly, when a soft knock on his bedroom door startled him. “Come in!” He called out, not pausing his typing.

PJ walked in, closing the door behind him. “The news is going to be interviewing detective Lester down at the park. Wanna go down and watch?”

"Yeah, mate, I wanted to go anyways. We can get food after.” Dan suggested, saving his document before closing his laptop.

PJ chuckled, “Sounds good. Our readers will be expecting an update soon, so we need all of the information that we can get. Have you gotten anything out of Levi?”

“Not really. He’s been a little distant lately. Chief Brewer has been putting a ton of pressure on everyone to solve the case. Nice to know he finally cares.” Dan chuckled, pulling on his favorite Halloween jumper, a cat with ‘Boo!’ written above it.

Dan’s best friend rolled his eyes. “We both know that he doesn’t care. If he did, then maybe Liam wouldn’t be dead.”

The brunette tensed and looked down at his feet at the mention of Liam’s name. Liam was the third victim of the Brackenwood killer. Liam was also Dan’s first and only boyfriend, the first guy that ever stole his heart. The only guy that ever made Dan drop his walls and fall without fear. Dan hadn’t felt love since the night that Liam’s cold body was found, his lover’s mouth still open in a silent scream. Dan couldn’t help but think that Liam was screaming for him, but he wasn’t around. He was out getting high, just like he had promised Liam he wasn’t going to do.

“Hey, hey Dan. I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have said that, I just... I fucking miss him too, mate. If Brewer wasn’t such a piece of shit, then he would’ve caught the killer after the first murder. Dan, I’m sorry. Hey, don’t do that; you’ll hurt yourself.” PJ rambled, quickly pinning Dan’s arms to his sides when Dan began to bite his pointer finger.

Dan took a deep breath and looked at PJ with an emotionless expression, “I’m not mad at you. Let’s just go; we can be the first journalists to post about Lester’s plan.”

PJ watched Dan carefully before releasing his grip on him, backing away. “Yeah, that sounds great. But tomorrow, we’re both taking it easy. Got it?”

“Yeah, yeah. Come on.” Dan mumbled, walking past his best friend with a huff.

PJ closed his eyes for a silent moment and sighed. This time of year was always hard on them both, but this year seemed to be even more so for Dan. PJ couldn’t wrap his head around it, but Dan was angerier, more distant, and crying more. PJ could hear him sobbing at night, but he didn’t dare bother him about it; Dan would just deny it anyway. He walked to Dan’s desk, feeling his heart swell in his chest at the old photo of the three of them laughing while carving pumpkins together.

“Are you coming, Peej? Or should I leave without you?” Dan called from downstairs; the sound of jingling keys and an opening door filled PJ’s ears.

PJ rolled his eyes. “Oi, calm your ass down! I’m coming!” He yelled before rushing down the stairs, “You have no fucking patience, Dan? What’s wrong?”

In front of him, Dan was shaking violently, much like the day that Liam’s body was found. PJ felt sick to his stomach. “Dan? Dan?! What’s wrong?” He asked again, running over to his friend. In Dan’s hand was an open envelope, thick from whatever was inside. On the outside, written so messily that it was almost illegible, was Dan’s name. PJ reached out, for Dan or for the envelope he didn’t know; he just wanted to help in any way that he could.

“What’s in it?” PJ asked so quietly that he barely heard himself. The room felt unusually cold, though their heat was on.

Dan swallowed thickly and thrust the envelope to PJ, inviting him to look for himself. PJ reached in wordlessly, pulling out a small stack of polaroids, immediately recognizing Liam in the first picture. The red-haired man was laying on a mattress, naked, tied up, and gagged with tears in his green eyes. In the second picture, Liam was sucking someone’s cock, wearing a blindfold. The last photo was the most intense, with Liam tied up by his wrists and his ankles, with a masked man fucking him from behind. Liam’s mouth was hanging open, and he stared directly at the camera in a way that made PJ want to vomit.

“What…?” PJ whispered anxiously.

Dan shook his head quickly, pacing the small space in front of the doorway. “Read the fucking note, Peej.”

PJ took a shaky breath and unfolded the note, written in the same sloppy handwriting as was on the envelope.

“Liam wasn’t the man you thought he was, Daniel. I don’t often feel remorse for what I do, but I see you at his grave sometimes, crying out for him like he can hear you. He wasn’t studying on Friday nights; he was getting fucked by every man that wanted him. He was never faithful. to you, not once. No man that I’ve killed was innocent. They all deserved what I did to them. So please stop trying over an unfaithful asshole; he’s not worth it.”

PJ looked up from the note, his fingers shaking against the paper. No, it had to be a lie. Liam loved Dan more than anything; Liam was PJ’s best friend since childhood. Liam wouldn’t do something like that, right?

Dan swayed from side to side, “PJ... I think I’m going to be sick.”

PJ dropped the paper and the pictures just in time to catch Dan when he fainted, gently setting him onto the floor and onto his side. He sighed and ran his finger’s through Dan’s hair gently in a way of comfort. As soon as Dan came to, they would need to go to the police. As shocking and as terrifying as the note and pictures were, they could be evidence.

[ered]

in case you've missed it, and I'm assuming most of you have, we're having a presidential election here in Finland. First round is currently going on, so I thought I'd give you a quick run down of our candidates!

(in alphabetical order, party in parentheses)

Mika Aaltola (independent): Has mainly worked in academia and apparently has experience in international politics, which is good for the job. I honestly know next to nothing about this dude, but he seems to positively radiate Just Some Guy energy. What would be interesting about him winning: I have no idea. Chances of winning: Ehhh - but it wouldn't be the first time we get a president from outside the daily politics.

Li Andersson (Left Alliance): current leader of the Left Alliance, former Minister of Education. What most people seem to say about her: "she's clearly the best choice, but has no chance of winning so I won't be voting for her." What would be interesting about her winning: first Left Alliance president Chances of winning: Unfortunately slim. Left Alliance is a small party and half of the country still seems to think they're Evil Communists.

Sari Essayah (Christian Democrats): she's also the leader of her party. Most known for being a former racewalker and religious. What would be interesting about her winning: How the hell did it happen??? Chances of winning: zero.

Pekka Haavisto (Green League): Former Minister of the Environment, International Development, and Foreign Affairs (three different terms, not all at once). He was born in 1958 and hasn't done much beyond politics. He's been in the presidential race twice already too, both times losing to our current president, Sauli Niinistö. What would be interesting about him winning: first gay president. Chances of winning: he made it to the final round twice already, so maybe third time's a charm? He has been polling first this time around.

Jussi Halla-aho (Finns Party): a prominent rightwing blogger, a Slavic linguist by education, and the current Speaker of the Parliament. He's "immigration critical" in the same vein "gender criticals" tend to be. He's is considered something of an intellectual in the rightwing circles despite having the vibes of an anthropomorphic raisin, and has amassed a cult following - who literally call him Mestari (master, but in Finnish the vibes are more a master of a trade and not some dude who spanks you in the bedroom. What would be interesting about him winning: finding out if I can immigrate to Denmark. Chances of winning: none if I can help it, but like I said, he does have a very solid fanbase.

Hjallis Harkimo (Movement Now): best known for being the owner of an ice-hockey team or something. His real name is Harry and for some reason he has been elected into the parliament twice. I assume it's the famous allure of a "successful businessman" or because he's something of a celebrity? Who knows. What would be interesting about him winning: How did it happen? Chances of winning: slim.

Olli Rehn (Centre Party): Served as the Minister of Economic Affairs for like a year under our most fuck-witted prime minister in recent history. Not much else to say about it. Somehow seems older than Pekka Haavisto tho he's actually younger. What would be interesting about him winning: absolutely nothing. He's so dull it's almost offensive. Chances of winning: who knows? Maybe he'll be a dark horse if all other candidates fall flat.

Alexander Stubb (National Coalition Party): Former Prime Minister, and former Minister of Finance. He's ehhhhhh not the worst possible option, honestly, and is on the more liberal side of the Rich Getting Richer party. What would be interesting about him winning: how will he be different from our current (National Coalition Party) president, I guess Chances of winning: last I checked, he was polling second, so I guess it's a possibility?

Jutta Urpilainen (Social Democratic Party): Former Minister of Finance. Social Democrats are one of the biggest parties we have, but they took a while deciding on who to pick. She's alright. Social Democrats are usually fine, and she'a long term Social Democrat. What would be interesting about her winning: uhh... possibly the first president to have released a Christmas album? Chances of winning: I just don't think she's that popular, to be honest. But she might make it into top three at least, like I said, it's one of the biggest parties behind her.

[hellspace-of-random]

TL;DR: Do not harrass random Jewish people, remember to say you are anti-war/genocide instead of anti-Zionist, do not deny the recent rise in antisemitism and remember to talk to your organisers/fellow protestors about antisemitism.

I feel like the time has come for a reminder to everyone in the Pro-Palestine movement, including myself, to be careful with our language and slogans. I say this as someone who will continue to advocate for an end to the genocide and for Palestine's freedom despite the issues I wish to raise.

First things first- please stop asking/harrassing random Jewish people online or irl for their opinion on Israel, especially if you do not do this with non-Jewish people. Example: the US government is known for gun control issues. Would you ask random American strangers about their opinions on gun control unprompted? The Chinese government is known for homophobia issues. Would you ask every random Chinese blogger you find about their opinion on gay rights because 'you can't figure out if they're pro-gay or not'? If answering yes to either of those makes you unfairly prejudicial, don't do the same thing to Jewish people about Palestine. Hate the current Israeli government, not the random Jewish person down the street trying to live their life.

Secondly- I think most of us thus far have identified as anti-Zionists. However, from what I understand, 'Zionism' has many meanings, including the Jewish right to protection and self-determination, and DOES NOT equal support for the current Israeli government's actions. The anti-zionist movement also started from a place of wanting to stop a Jewish country from forming so Jewish people would be easier to kill, not for any humanitarian reasons. All I will say moving forward is that I am anti-war and anti-genocide, and I believe that expresses where I stand clearly enough.

I believe the Jewish people at the rallys I attended saying that they didn't experience antisemitism as a result of October 7. HOWEVER, the world is a very fractured place and I also believe that while antisemitism was rampant before, the number of people using Palestine as an excuse to be antisemitic is increasing and Jewish people are becoming increasingly at risk. Denying the increase in antisemitism in recent months is not helpful; we must show that there are ways to be pro-Palestine without antisemitism by rooting out the people using us as a shield, and calling problems out where we see them.

From what I can tell, BOTH Palestinians and Jewish people have indigenous roots in Levant. Palestinians have the right to stay there and live peacefully, and Jewish people have that same right for the same reason. All we should want is the occupying forces and its supporters to leave Palestine so they have space to breathe and rebuild. Ordinary citizens, Jewish or not, should not be affected. Assuming every Jewish person is a supporter is antisemitic, and arguing for the dismantling of ONLY Israel without mind to any of the other hundreds of countries (some having also committed genocide) on Earth is also antisemitic. Either Israel (with a change in government that is controlled by Jewish people) stays, or the entire world should be borderless and the US, the UK, China, etc should also be dismantled.

In sum, what the current Israeli government is doing is wrong. It is enacting violence with intent to destroy Palestine, by definition a genocide, and ignored multiple peace treaty attempts and orders to stop. However, when you go to rallies, please watch the language and slogans your organiser is using. If there's anything you think might be suspicious (a good test is would it sound right if 'Israel' was replaced by another nation with terrible practices like US or China. and obviously if it mentions Jewish people outright don't use it), ask your organiser to stop using that phrase. Talk to your fellow protestors so they can add their voices to yours.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, and only the things that I, a non-Jewish person, have been made aware of. The best we can all do is listen to both Jewish and Palestinian people, think critically, and make judgement calls when we see them. Freeing Palestine is important, but so is protecting the marginalised people around us. None of us is free until all of us are free!