#there are so many reasons someone might not want to label themselves or might not be comfortable publicly coming out

[air--so--sweet]

There's a conversation to be had about straight actors in queer roles (though I definitely feel like it's far more complex than the yes or no question a lot of people act like it is), but can we stop treating actors like straight until proven otherwise? Because I'm seeing a lot of conversations about whether its okay for Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor to play queer men, yet neither has ever publicly called themselves straight.

In fact on a red carpet when asked about straight actors in queer roles Paul Mescal said 'Assumptions are dangerous, that's all I'll say on that front.' And whether he's referring to himself or speaking in general terms, he's correct. Assumptions are incredibly dangerous and do lead to people being outed or feeling like they have to come out regardless of what they want. Like did we learn nothing about what happened Kit Connor?!

People doing a job that puts them in the public eye does not mean they have no right to a personal life. They do not owe you anything, and you aren't entitled to knowing their identity. I mean fuck, they might not know their own identity yet.

Billie Eilish talked about this after she mentioned being attracted to girls in a Variety magazine interview and had it treated as a coming out.

'Who fucking cares? The whole world suddenly decided who I was, and I didn’t get to say anything or control any of it. Nobody should be pressured into being one thing or the other, and I think that there’s a lot of wanting labels all over the place. Dude, I’ve known people that don’t know their sexuality, or feel comfortable with it, until they’re in their forties, fifties, sixties. It takes a while to find yourself, and I think it’s really unfair, the way that the internet bullies you into talking about who you are and what you are. [...] I know everybody’s been thinking this about me for years and years, but I’m only figuring out myself now.'

So, yes, there's a conversation to be had about straight actors in queer roles but maybe, before you have it, you should check if the actor you're talking about has ever publicly identified as straight.

Edit: Also while I'm here, someone who is bi or pan or otherwise labelled and attracted to multiple genders is no less valid and no less queer if they predominantly date people of another gender or marry someone of another gender. I saw it suggested Billie Joe Armstrong is an ally rather than a member of the queer community because he's been married to his wife for almost 20 years. No, he is bisexual, he continues to be bisexual regardless who he's married to and for how long.

[afloweroutofstone]

I am not the first to notice this but there is something interesting to be said about how traditional "golden era" hip-hop culture was generally more judgemental towards male rappers rumored to be gay men than it was towards female rappers rumored to be gay, likely because the machismo of rap somehow found it easier to stomach a masculine woman than a feminine man. I am probably the wrong person to say it, but there is indeed something to be said.

In the 1990s there was this huge cultural panic over the idea that one or more of the famous men in rap might secretly be gay (LL Cool J? Diddy? Tupac? Prodigy?), so much so that many 90s rappers and fans still continue to say that they think there's Secret, Hidden Gays. "It might be the industry's worst kept secret," said Charlamagne in 2008. It's not hard to find someone online who thinks that the recent Diddy revelations are proof of his long-hidden homosexuality.

But most of the homophobia in rap wasn't even homophobia at its core, it was basically just the belief that gay = feminine = weak, and thus that gay men could not be taken seriously in any kind of Big Tough Guy competition. Some of it was explicitly homophobia, but lots of it was just misogyny!

This isn't to say that gay women were treated well in rap at the time (they were not!), but there are cases where women thrived in rap despite rumors of being gay, precisely because female gayness was perceived to be masculine while male gayness was perceived to be feminine. The (ultimately true) rumors that Queen Latifah was gay were omnipresent in the late 90s: she played a butch lesbian in a 1996 movie, Foxy Brown loudly accused her of being gay, etc. But she lost virtually zero respect as a result of those rumors (and she still played the Super Bowl around the same time!). I think a big part of the reason for this is because Queen Latifah always presented herself in a relatively masculine way that didn't offend the machismo sensibilities of the genre at the time.

Of course one part of this was less a true acceptance of gay women than it was the belief that the sexuality of gay women in rap could be marketed in the same way that the sexuality of straight women in rap was. Da Brat, who didn't come out as bisexual until long after the peak of her fame in rap, suggested that some people at her record label actually wanted her to come out: "I was always told you want to be fuckable to men and women to sell records— you don’t want anybody to discriminate." There's long been a debate about the extent to which some women in rap are forcibly sexualized by external forces vs. the extent to which some women in rap have chosen to sexualize themselves for feminist/aesthetic/commercial reasons, and I think the fetishization of lesbians and gay women more generally adds another layer to that debate.

The way that no one seems to care about women like Cardi and Megan being bisexual today likely stems in great part from the fact that they are hot, and that being hot and desirable is a deliberate part of their persona. But on the other hand, Doechii demonstrates that bi women with far less sexualized personas are still received warmly in rap today, which is evidence of the seismic shift in how hip-hop treats LGBTQ people over the last 5-10 years. Yet, even today, the butch sensibilities of Young MA fit in with mainstream rap culture far more than the flamboyant sensibilities of Le1f.

IDK I'm just rambling at this point. But I do think someone with more Gender Studies skills than me could formalize this into an interesting paper

[goawaypopup]

Look Outside Posting Part 5: Static

If you didn't bother to go back and check the laptop regularly, you might have missed this.

You wouldn't be missing a whole lot, to be honest. There aren't many answers to be found from the news or social media. But there is something strange to be learned there.

As the weeks continue, photos posted on social media begin to appear as nothing but colorful noise. This seems to specifically happen to the photos that are posted by Witnesses, and Witnesses comment on the photos as if they were normal; everyone else is mystified.

We can rule out a few reasons this might be happening right away. If it were due to some kind of atmospheric interference coming from the Visitor, it would be happening to all data, not just images. If it were some kind of effect from trying to capture footage of the outside at all, the VHS footage and photograph of the Visitor wouldn't be useful.

Rather, I think this is censorship being applied manually on the social media site Sam is using.

With an infohazard readily visible in the sky, and a large contingent of the userbase talking about wanting to force people to look, photos of the Visitor would be a huge safety concern.

A lot of news sites are down a few days in, and I'm pretty sure social media should be no different, but it remains operational over the full 15 days. Like the electricity, and Placide's control over the building's pipes, this likely means someone is still upkeeping the servers. Someone who's already looked, and therefore isn't at risk from any unfiltered photos.

The corrupted images start to appear a few days in, and only become ubiquitous after a while, when very few people remain online who haven't somehow been turned. We don't know for sure that it's specifically and only Witnesses' images being targeted, but what we do know aligns well with that.

Most Witnesses are very visible online. They use the eye emoji to identify themselves, and post about the Witness/Coward discourse or about looking outside themselves. Manually labeling them all to apply hidden account restrictions would still be a superhuman task, but it would reduce the load massively compared to moderating images by hand.

I was pretty perplexed by Witnesses interacting with glitched photos as if they were normal. Even if most of them are kind of crazy and up to a lot of groupthink, people who are cursed are just too unpredictable for me to believe that every single one would play along and keep posting garbled pictures. I think that they CAN see them. If they're already getting flagged as Witnesses behind the scenes, it would be easy to lift the filter for them.

This is kind of an insane thing to implement at a time like this, but whoever is doing this clearly has some interesting priorities in the first place, to be working so hard just to allow people to continue to post images at all.

In a rolly chair in a dimly-lit office somewhere, or possibly entangled in the circuitry of the servers themselves, sits a passionate content moderator, steadfastly committed to the end user experience, come hell or high water.

[lala056]

Exhausting

I have no respect for billford shippers that look down on stancest shippers.

Oh what, you’d have me believe a genetic tie to a partner is somehow worse than being with someone that stabs through your hands, forces you to swallow live spiders, and also SA’s you by having yourself forcibly strip down in public and swing your clothes over your head like a helicopter? (sorry but anyone that forcibly removes your clothes and exposes your body, even if you’re a guy/lacking breasts and it’s just your chest, is committing SA against you. They’re exposing your body against your will plain and simple. Try to write that off how you like but that’s the facts)

The logic behind this baffles me honestly.

There’s a reason Alex titled that kissing drawing as "the worst drawing in the world" and then linked to an amazon BIBLE page (yeah I know that was part of a joke well guess what he frequently uses the bible joke for shipping in general so yeah).

Because he knows it’s BAD, TOXIC, PROBLEMATIC AS YOU GUYS LIKE TO LABEL THINGS. What I see people incorrectly accuse PROSHIPPERS to REPRESENT rather than the actual representation of the LIVE AND LET LIVE CREDO OF SHIPPING.

Ever stop to consider that maybe Alex didn’t do stancest or art involving Wendy/Dipper because he simply a) didn’t like those ships, which is valid since everyone has their own tastes, and he did base some of these characters on his own family so it’s close to home for him, or b) knows how toxic and chronically online a lot of haters are? That he wanted to avoid drama for this stream that he’s trying to milk every cent out of for CHARITY? (It's ridiculous how many times he felt obligated to say "REMEMBER IT'S FOR CHARITY" when shipping came up just to try and prevent any meltdowns from uptight fans and viewers. And even then he still didn't do some because he knew the fact of it being for charity still wouldn't fly for some- because a lot of people would rather watch REAL PEOPLE SUFFER to preserve their fictional sensitivities)

Not to mention he still works with Disney (chibiverse hello), any backlash (the form of false pedo accusations or incest apologist accusations being what happens to be thrown around all willy nilly nowadays over fictional bullshit) could get him blocked not only from working with the company ever again, but lose any input he might have over his beloved passion project and baby Gravity Falls itself?

This is a man who has said COUNTLESSLY that he doesn’t care about ships, has even encouraged people to "be weirder" and made omelet hypotheticals for how much HE DOESN’T CARE BECAUSE FICTIONAL SHIPS DON’T MATTER.

Alex Hirsch is a KING.

And it’s sad to see that so many of his loyal subjets are so bigoted and blind to ignore his own feelings in order to justify their own, or to somehow perform the mental gymnastics in order to absolve themselves of "thought crimes" so that they can feel like they aren’t bad people under the imposition of conservative purity culture.

The terms "cest" and "age" are trigger words now. If those show up in any form, pitchforks come out and roofs get burned. Companies overreact and overcompensate. He said Disney people were watching, so of course he’s gonna say and act in what is deemed an appropriate manner because even companies apparently prefer abusive relationships to ones that have a blood tie even if blood ties are wholesomely depicted.

The age old double standards.

And don’t get me started on bringing up Dipper Goes To Taco Bell. Alex and cast know of that story, they’ve made references to it in a video game and such, immortalized it. They engage with all corners of their fandom, also shown by Jason’s "saving the town" reference on stream.

Another thing, anyone notice how they laughed off the Dipper and Wendy suggestion Jason made, rather than exploded? BECAUSE THEY DON'T CARE IT'S NOT THAT SERIOUS - and most likely turned them down because they know there's more drama about characters being aged up and crap so it wouldn't have mattered if they're adults now, there are people who will always see them as "kids".

Point is - If there was such a strong hate on Alex’s part about the darker side of fiction or taboos he’d do all in his power to make sure they were never mentioned again and be active against them. 

He’s a kind, caring man that obviously likes to just get along with people, but he does put his foot down when he feels something is awful. He’s made political posts about presidents he feels are corrupt and spoken out against social injustice. You honestly think he wouldn’t speak out about those taboo ships in frank language if he thought that they shouldn’t exist and that the people who create for them are awful?

Newsflash, he would. Yes, he’d isolate a sadly small part of his fanbase, but he’s shown time and again he doesn’t care about being liked. He cares about what’s right.

And abusing others over which made up character kisses who, isn’t.

If you’re someone that mislabels proshippers too, to mean "problematic shippers", then as a billford shipper you’re one by definition. And yes, I'm including you AU billford shippers too because there is always some degree of toxicity.

Knock the hate and abuse off. People that go off about why their ship is justified and another isn't are the reason people leave fandoms and leave amazing works often unfinished, even Gen writers and artists.

[heartsfromia]

old habits die hard — k. yudai

pairing: non-idol! k x reader

word count: 3,727

genre: fluff, somewhat childhood friends to… lovers (?), college au but at a party (that isnt hosted by jackson wang)

warnings: profanities, mentions of alcohol, idk if this should be a warning but a bit of nichojoo

author's notes: my first andteam fic! recently got into them and have been smitten ever since (o^▽^o) also these fics will be a tumblr exclusive (unlike my svt fics) so they wont be posted anywhere else (now i have to figure out how to put this on my masterlist)

You hated parties.

Such a cliché statement, but it was true.

You absolutely despised parties, and all throughout your first year of college, you made it your life’s mission to avoid attending a single one (excluding mandatory parties that were held under collegial events, because for some reason, supervisors count your absents for those things). It was easy for the first semester since everyone was just getting to know each other, hosting a party so early in the year was only done by those older than you. There was nothing more akin to modern day torture than being holed up in a poorly lit living room with over a hundred intoxicated people, loud incessant music and sweaty body odor stinking up the already small space.

You always hated sweaty people and body odor, and unfortunately, parties were the Grand Central for them.

So the question might have come up: how��did you find yourself at a party?

Simple: Nicholas Wang.

Your best friend, ride or die, and the bane of your existence because the universe had plagued the two of you with opposing personalities. Nicholas knows well enough that parties aren’t your thing and you were stubborn enough that he never tried to change your mind, but he enjoyed them. It was fun, he’s a social butterfly that thrives by interacting with others and he’d always limit himself to asking you to accompany him at least once a semester for a party.

It was the second semester to your second year, so he decided to use his chances now because of much more… important matters to deal with than just partying.

“It’s hosted by Mingyu, Y/N, you know? The guys that rented a whole-ass house for themselves?” You knew who he meant. Kim Mingyu and a bunch of his friends couldn’t find a place to stay once their time on campus dorms had ended, so they decided to find a fairly big house they could room up to ten people to rent. Not only was a huge steal because Mingyu was able to gather about eight other guys to join, but the landlord isn’t strict either, as long as the guys made sure nothing gets damaged (if they did, it was paid out of their own pockets) and to not get the police involved then they were free to do whatever they wanted.

“I don’t really care who is hosting it, Nico,” you mumbled, a resigned look on your face. “Isn’t it a bit early for you to use your pass? It’s barely two weeks into the semester.”

“Uh…” A blush coated his cheeks as he averted his eyes, only piquing your interest now. “So, the thing is… You know how I went skiing for break, I kind of met someone there—“

You sat up, eyes so wide that you worried they’d pop out. This was news; Nicholas, despite being a social butterfly, never was interested in anyone, no matter how many people tried to get closer—boy or girl. You couldn’t help the wide smile that pulled at your lips. “Oh my gosh! That’s awesome! Who are they?” He had always expressed his sexuality as something he never wanted to label, he only knew that if he had romantic feelings for someone, he never really cared for who they were.

“It’s Byun Euijoo, he’s an Engineering major.” Nicholas then went on to explain how the two had ran into each other in the same ski resort the recent break, the romantic cliché of getting stuck in the ski lift for about twenty minutes, and talking until the machine came back on. They then decided to continue their conversation over dinner with hot cocoa and well, to say the least, Nicholas was smitten over the guy.

“But what does Euijoo have anything to do—“ The realization struck. You paused then squinted your eyes. “He lives there?”

Nicholas shook his head, before a sheepish smile etched on his face. “But he did ask if I was going.”

Alas, you found yourself in the party. And to make it worse, not even twenty seconds in the door, someone crashed right into you, their drink and snacks they were carrying had spilled all over you, staining your shirt with an alcoholic concoction and nacho cheese sauce.

“Oh my gosh, Y/N,” Nicholas exclaimed. “Are you okay? Gosh, couldn’t that guy see where he was going?” He threw a glare in the direction of where the guy that bumped into you had gone.

“I’m fine, Nico,” you reassured, however your best friend wasn’t convinced. “Hey, I see Euijoo over there by the food table, why don’t you go talk to him?”

“How about y—“

“I’ll ask around for a bathroom, it’s alright.” He stared at you, brows pulled together. You rolled your eyes, emphasizing, “It’s okay.” You then turned him around so he faced away from him, giving him a gentle push. “Now, go.”

He looked over his shoulder as he walked slowly, but when you gave him a reassuring look, he returned with a grateful smile and disappeared into the crowd, his head popping up right by the food table not long after. Once you were sure he was out of sight, you heaved a sigh, your shoulders slouching. Every time you’d gone out to a party, it’d give you a reason why it is never a good decision. The last time you had gone out, you spent most of your time by the snacks and for some reason, someone didn’t inspect the food provided and you ended up eating something that was way past its best before date, resulting into an intensive couple of hours in the toilet the next morning.

Now your favorite white shirt was stained with alcohol and cheese.

You tried to ask others where the bathroom was, ultimately being ignored at almost every turn.

“Hey, can you point me—“

“Do you know where—“

“Anyone know—“

“Bathroom, where—“

Hopeless.

Obviously you could try looking through every door until you found the bathroom, but the house was three floors, and even the first floor was so crowded, you were grateful to even find the front door again. You wanted to dip—everything in you and the state of your outfit with the stains seeping through the material—urged you to just leave, and hope that Nicholas’ “date” goes well and he won’t need a ride home.

The urge stuck, pushing your body towards the door as if it had a mind of its own (and it was thinking, “fuck this”), but a voice pulled you out of your thoughts.

“Looking for the bathroom?” A relieved smile appeared on your lips as you turned around to see your saviour of the night, but it immediately dropped when you saw he spoke to you.

Koga Yudai (infamously referred to as “Kei” for reasons unknown to you) had the gentlest of smiles etched across his pink lips when he appeared before you. He looked different—grown, mature, and obviously attractive as hell. A lot had changed since the last time you saw him; the last time being grade school. Of course you were well aware that he went to the same university as you, but he was in a completely department and the chances of your paths crossing was low.

But never zero, I guess.

He glanced down to your mess of a shirt, a teasing grin on his lips. “Damn, Y/N, you really know how to party.”

You rolled your eyes. The relationship you and Kei had in grade school was friendly, being a year above you limited your interactions but back then, he used to live in the same neighbourhood as you. Your mothers met each other often during community gatherings and events, your fathers also worked in the same area in the city. Being friendly with each other was inevitable, but Kei took it a step further by teasing you every so often.

“Do you know where the bathroom is, Kei?” You asked exasperated, not wanting to play along with his teasing. The smell from the cheese and pungency of the alcohol was seeping through your shirt, invading your noise and sticking to your skin, if he didn’t show you the bathroom in that very moment, you were sure a homicide was going to take place.

“Yeah, I’ll show you the one near my room so we can get you change of clothes.” He didn’t give you any opportunity to protest or ask further questions before he turned and walked towards the stairs. You followed him like a lost puppy, eyes darting and dodging those in your way. The two of you reached the third floor which was a lot less crowded than the other two.

“We keep the third floor empty of party-goers,” he stated, answering your thoughts.

As you reached a closed door, you asked, So, you live here?” He turned to look at you, nodding, before pushing the door open to reveal the bathroom.

“Head on in, keep it locked, alright?” He told you, stepping aside for you. Before he closed the door, he said, “I’ll be back with a shirt for you.”

“No, Kei, it’s—“ The door closes before you could finish. You sighed, staring at the closed door in a daze, your heart fluttering against your ribcage. You were grateful Kei barely looked at you, hopefully he didn’t notice the way your cheeks were flushed a bright red, and your heavy breathing (that wasn’t from the two flights of stairs).

God, they’re still here? You thought they’d be gone by now, it had been almost a decade since you realized your crush on Kei. A decade where the two of you never saw each other after he said his goodbyes because he and his family were moving to Tokyo for his dad’s new job. You were sure that would be last time you’d see him, giving you enough time and distance to move on from your puppy love.

I guess the feelings were stronger than I thought.

A knock broke you from your thoughts, causing you to jump slightly and then panic because you didn’t lock the door as Yudai had asked.

“Y/N, I brought the shirt.” A sigh of relief escaped your lips, and you pulled the door open. You were met with a look of confusion from Kei. “You didn’t lock the door.” It wasn’t a question, rather a statement.

“Yeah, I was occupied.”

His brows furrowed to that of worry, his lips pressed in a tight line. Oh boy. “Y/N, you’re at a party. Tons of people are here and this bathroom is open for anyone, who knows what would’ve happened if it wasn’t me that came? No one would’ve known you were in here and you could’ve been cleaning yourself up, forgetting to lock the door and someone could just waltz right in—“ He rants dramatically, using his arms and his face contorting, but instead of scaring you, a laugh left you, stopping his nagging. “This is no laughing matter, Y/N.”

“I’m sorry, Kei, it was an honest mistake,” you reassured him, but his scorn prevailed. “You haven’t changed, huh?”

His eyebrows shot up at that, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the door frame, the shirt he brought draped over his crossed arms. “And what’s that supposed to mean?” He asked with a raised brow.

“You still nag ‘til my ears bleed,” you said, over exaggerating.

A look of offense briefly passed his features. “No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do, you always have!” You grinned. “When I scraped my knee when I rode a bicycle, you told me it was my fault because I didn’t want to wear knee pads. In sixth grade, when I flunked a math test, you nagged at me because instead of studying, I chose to binge watch Barbie.”

Kei’s mouth opened to defend himself, but closed again, thinking back to those days, then finally said, “Okay, maybe I nag a bit but it’s mostly because you don’t listen.”

“Yeah, yeah, can I please have the shirt so I can change? I think the cheese they used for the nachos is a combo of cheddar and blue cheese.” The two of you cringe, and he hands you the shirt before closing the door.

You were to turn to pull your shirt off when the door swung open, a scream escaped your lips as you jumped, turning to find Kei with a shit-eating grin. “Lock it, Y/N.”

“Alright!” A laugh echoed from the other side when you turned the key. You took your time to peel the stained shirt off of you, the state of it causing you to pout as you contemplated whether or not you should give a chance and laundry it or to just toss it out altogether. It genuinely concerned you how much thought you were putting into that decision because the shirt had been with you for years, and it fit you the way that could only be done through constant wear. You doubt you could find another.

So you decided to rinse it, at least get as much of the stain and cheese out with the bar soap available, and then let the washing machine back home deal with the remains. You also grabbed a wad of toilet paper, running it under water before wiping the skin of your stomach and chest. Unfortunately, no matter how much you scrubbed it, the smell of alcohol wasn’t disappearing.

Giving up, you folded your shirt neatly, tucking it away in the small bag you brought before picking up Kei’s shirt. You gripped the shoulders, allowing it to unravel. It was a flannel made of cotton, thin enough for the warm summer night but wasn’t transparent either when you held it against the light. The best part though was the smell; a mixture of softener, musk and woodiness that seemed all-too familiar but you couldn’t put a finger on what it was. One thing you remembered about Kei was his genuine interest in perfumes and all things scented. You remember there was a point you were hanging out in his house and his mother came barging in into his room, angry because Kei had borrowed her perfume and forgot to put it back.

You smiled fondly at the memory, all those days suddenly felt so close—closer than they had ever been for the past few years, but just as far.

You slipped the shirt on, the material feeling soft and warm against your skin. Despite its larger size, you felt it fit you just right.

Once you were done, you pulled the door open and stepped out, pulling at the flannel and tucking the front part into your jeans. “You look really good in my shirt.”

Another scream, but this time, you smacked his arm. “Stop that!”

He threw his head back at your reaction. “You’ve always been easy to scare.” You rolled your eyes, glaring at him, but he ignored the look as he nodded his head towards the left side of the hallway, opposite to the stairs back at the party. “Come, I know these things are really your scene. I’ve got snacks in my room.”

When you were about to follow him, your phone vibrated in your pockets.

Nico: yn where’d you go? i waited by the bathroom and it wasnt you

“Boyfriend?”

Your eyebrows pulled together at Kei’s question, but you shook your head. “No, it’s a friend I came here with.”

“Oh.” A look of relief passed his face, but it was so quick, you almost questioned if you’d imagined it.

You: hey im with kei rn, im okayyy You: pls have fun with euijoo without me 🤭 Nico: alrightt text me if youre ready to go Nico: but take as much time as you want 😇 You: same to youu

With a satisfied grin, you slipped your phone back in your pocket and followed Kei to his room. It looked just as you had expected; a tidy mess. He had always been the type to keep his room tidy enough that his mom wouldn’t nag at him to clean his room at first glance, but you’d look closely you would notice the pile of laundry on a chair, the mess of textbooks on his desk and his untucked sheets.

One thing for sure, the smell of the room could easily distract you to the point you would never notice any of all that.

You noticed the two scented candles lit by his desk, igniting the space in a warm yellow, wavering a bit with your entrance. The layout looked just like what you’d expected in a college student, which meant that there was a small TV screen, mini fridge and a rice cooker. “Not too bad, Koga.”

“Sorry for the mess,” he apologized with a chuckle. “My bedroom is usually off limits on nights like this.” You stared at him expectantly. “You are an exception, Y/N.”

“Such an honour,” you teased, laughing. “I didn’t know you lived here.”

“Yeah, I was one of the first few people Mingyu approached to join,” he informed, and you nodded wordlessly. “Anyway, why are you here? As far as I remember, you never liked crowded places, let alone a party with drunk college kids.”

“My friend, Nicholas, the guy I came here with asked me to come with him as a—I wouldn’t say wing woman, but he was invited by someone he’s interested in and didn’t want to arrive alone,” you droned on, even though what you were explaining didn’t have any correlation why you’d willingly put yourself in a situation you were uncomfortable in.

And Kei knew that. It was exactly what he had asked. “Still putting the needs of others before your own, huh?”

“Still meddling yourself into things that have nothing to do with you, huh?” You bit back, stunning Kei for a second before a soft chuckle left his lips. “I don’t… mind, if the whole cheese thing didn’t happen then I’d probably be having fun by the snack table right now, maybe even talk with Kevin from Stats. I saw him by the kitchen earlier.” You knew you were rambling to deflect, and despite the years that passed between you and Kei, he was still well aware of your old habits.

And he’d always listen. The two of you had sat on the floor close to his bed, the mini fridge beside the door, and he had already propped his arm up, resting his chin while you rambled on, justifying why you did come to the party. He never interrupted, because sooner you would realize what you were spewing wasn’t entirely true and blush, embarrassed for letting yourself talk so much.

“Yeah, I get it, Y/N, but the line between selflessness and self-sacrifice is almost invisible, what you’re doing is sacrificing your own comfort for the sake of others,” he pointed out, “you know you’re not a party person, but you still go out of your way because someone asked you to.”

“That would mean I shouldn’t leave my comfort zone,” you retorted, the back of your neck beginning to heat up. “I’m not eleven anymore, Yudai. I get you had been protective then, but I’m an adult now. I can choose whether or not I want to put myself in uncomfortable situations.”

He was quiet for longer than you expected, and you feared that you’d said something wrong, maybe even offended him. But then you caught the twitch at the corner of lips unfold into a smirk. “You called me Yudai.”

The embarrassment was almost immediate. Your cheeks flushed a bright red, heating up not just your face but your entire body. Nobody—as far as you knew—called him Yudai, all of them called him Kei, even back when you went to the same school. The only people that called him Yudai were his parents, and well, you. It started as a way to tease him, like being called your full name, but doing it so often, it became a habit.

It slipped, in the midst of your minor altercation, you were overwhelmed by the emotions of being treated like a kid to even realize.

“I almost thought you’d forgotten.”

“How could I? The faces you’d make when I called you Yudai were priceless,” you said with a laugh. “Especially when I did it in front of your friends.”

“Not even my mom embarrasses me like that,” he adds, causing the two of you to laugh harder. “I’m sorry if I offended you, I’m well aware you’re not a kid anymore, and yeah, I’m glad you don’t want to keep staying within your comfort zone even if it’s hard.”

“But…?” It was clear something else.

“Just… I guess, it’s a bit hard for me to grasp that you really don’t need me anymore,” he admits, a faint shade of pink appearing in his cheeks. “I know you’ve always been able to handle things yourself, but it always felt, I don’t know, comforting I guess, whenever you included me in the things you were going through.” He paused again. “You’ve matured, Y/N, is all I’m saying.”

His words tugged at your heart, the truth behind them revealing itself in the maze of your memories. Yes, Yudai had always been a nagging Nancy, most the problems gone through during your time together were always accompanied by his reprimanding. However, he never scolded you without providing a solution or way out.

Sure he might’ve yelled at you for scraping your knee but he’d do so while plastering on a band-aid he had prepared beforehand.

Yes, he had talked your ear off when you failed math, but he made it his mission, amidst his own studies and extracurriculars, to tutor you so you can retake the test.

Even now, you’re wearing a clean and comfortable shirt that doesn’t smell like a science experiment gone wrong.

There were different things you wanted to tell him, thank him, say that he made your life easier, but instead you opted to say, “You really haven’t changed.”

Laughter shook his body. “What can I say? Old habits die hard.”

“What habit? Nagging ‘til our ears bleed?” You teased.  He shook his head, the smirk lingering on his lips as he locked eyes with yours.

“The habit of always wanting to be there for you.”

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

what are Leona's strengths?

[Referencing this post!]

Hey, so 💦 I wanted to address some of the recent asks I've been receiving. I'm glad that people seem to have really enjoyed the original post on Leona's flaws. However, I want to make it clear that I do not intend to make summary posts on every Twst character's strengths/flaws. I feel like it's a false dichotomy to label traits as good or bad to begin with. Something that's good in one scenario might be bad in another. Other traits are neutral but may be bad in extremes (either too much or too little of it). I don't like the idea of strictly sorting things into these black and white categories.

Additionally, I don't want people depending on these posts instead of taking the time and energy to think about it themselves. I feel like once I start responding to these types of "What are [X]'s flaws/strengths" questions, I'm going to be asked to do it for everyone in the cast, and I just don't want my blog to be flooded with this when I'd rather be discussing other things. You as an individual should have your own interpretations of these characters instead of looking at someone else's summarized thoughts on the topic.

The same goes for anyone intending to write these characters; don't entirely rely on someone else's interpretation to inform your own. Reading a list of traits from a list won't help you understand or write them any better; you have to look at the canon materials or other fan works, interpret them through your own lenses, and develop your own takes on the characters. You have to learn the skills and put them to practice, consider the situation you're writing and think about how this would change things. That's not something you're going to achieve by asking for very generalized advice. The only thing I could reasonably pass on is to do your own research and avoid falling into the characterization extremes (ie making them "too nice" or "too mean"). You'll have to determine everything else out for yourself.

I apologize if this was something that people were looking forward to reading… I received many other asks expressing interest in this and was very overwhelmed by them, on top of everything else in my inbox. I just don't feel that things like this should be spoonfed to us, as it is not conducive to critical thinking and independent thought.

I did want to reply to a couple of these asks I received, but ONLY because those had a little more to discuss besides just asking that I make a list of flaws/strengths for an individual character. Please keep an eye out for those if you're interested ^^

[jewish-vents]

Apologizing in advance because this might get you in hot water or start discourse because the person I'm venting about is a person who got insanely popular for (((you know. reasons.))) but I can't keep it to myself I am so tired. I am so fucking tired. I'm so tired of half the jumblr blogs I follow bending over backwards to defend this one lebanese blogger who calls all the Jews she doesn't like "fascists", uses "zionist" as a slur despite this not being a gentile's word to throw around for derogatory purposes, defending every vile thing that comes out of her mouth about Jews because she's young so apparently it's ok to be antisemitic if you're not old or something. Many of these same people would say Jews or Israelis have no right to feel radicalized or even angry by the thorough, disgusting demonization we keep facing on the internet, and if we dare say so much as "the Ottoman empire/Islamic expansion of the 7th century is a form of colonialism too" then these jumblr blogs immediately label us evil Islamophobes or whatever. I've just turned 16 years old and my family is all Iraqi. Soon enough people will be publicly calling for my rape and murder because I'll be in the IDF. People who have never, EVER had that same energy towards Russian Soldiers (and if you don't care about Ukraine, Imagine I refer exclusively to Russian air force members who specifically bombed refugee camps and hospitals in Syria, where, surprise surprise, thousands of the victims were also Palestinians). Oh but none of you have the energy to call them names because they're not Jews, and Russia is big and scary to you so you'll never speak up against it!

People want me dead if I say anything about hypocrisy or how tired I am of being treated like this is Germany in early 1939 every time someone finds out I'm a Jew online. People will call me a white colonizer Karen. Interesting. Do you call other Iraqi people white, or just the ones who descended from the Jews who had to leave to stay alive? And what the fuck did I colonize exactly? I'm so fucking sorry that my grandparents and their parents were kicked out of the only country they knew and no other country in the WORLD would accept them except Israel because they were brown Jews. I know a lot of people would prefer if my grandparents - who were little kids at the time - were killed, so there'd be a few less (((colonizers))) in Israel. People always talk about "well I still have my grandparents' deed to this house someplace Israel took from me therefore it should be mine" and everyone just agrees. Well where's your advocacy for MY rights to reclaim my property in Basra and Baghdad? Where's your advocacy for other Jews who barely escaped with their lives as their property was stolen? Oh that one doesn't matter, right? because those (((evil))) Jews got what was coming to them, right?

But go on. I'm SO glad you're all defending another run of the mill antisemite who minimizes Jewish experience and Jewish pain, whose religion did literally just as much damage to our people as christianity did, colonized just as much land and killed just as many natives as christianity did, and destroyed our holy sites just as much as the Romans did. People like her are allowed to be as vile as they want to Jews and the most baffling part is that OTHER JEWS will trip over themselves running to defend her because "oh she's literally just a little baby!" (even though she's an adult woman) and if actual underaged kids like me complain that we've been getting harassed and threatened with rape by adults because of our ethnicity, to those jumblr bloggers who I assumed would be on my side, it might be a little bit sad, yeah, but it's not nearly as tragic as someone being slightly mean to a lebanese person whose religion is actually demographically significant in the world. because, you know. Jews, Jewish lives, Jewish existence and Jewish safety mean fuck all to both most Christians AND most Muslims. All that most of them want to do is convert us, kill us, or do both. People can go ahead and clutch their pearls about me saying that as much as they want, all of it is still true. These are BOTH messianic religions concerned with spreading by any means and converting as many people as possible, and I'm tired of this website acting as if christianity is somehow horrible beyond any hope of changing while islam is good and pure and never harmed anyone or whatever. No. BOTH of them did irreparable damage to every minority group they came into contact with.

All the while ignoring every other ethnic cleansing and genocide perpetrated anywhere in the world, right now in 2025, because those ones are perpetrated by Christians, Muslims, and the "good" and "benevolent" Communists in China. All those MILLIONS of people dead? don't mean shit. Because they're not as sexy as saying "look! Jews bad!" and patting yourself on the back for being a *good* Jew who agrees with an adult lebanese woman about how all Jewish kids who are angry at being treated like garbage for their ethnicity are fascists, while she, an actual antisemite, keeps getting patted on the back for "working against biases she held her entire life". Newsflash assholes, me, my friends, and kids like us have been working just as hard to unlearn our own biases, too, and we are still literal kids! Kids whose entire families grew up traumatized from the horrid way they were treated BEFORE they even came to Israel, just because they were Jewish, just because they weren't good enough, just because "well you're a sneaky Jew so you must be hiding something, right?" But even Jews on tumblr don't give us the same grace. I wonder why that is. Maybe the horseshoe is just a circle at this point. I don't know.

.

[lady-lani-1707]

Sorry I've been inactive, lots of things have been happening in my life. This post is going to be more of a rambling, but I hope to get back to my longer essay like posts, so please bear with me ;)

So so overjoyed that the supreme court has finally defined what a woman is, and before the trans activists try and guilttrip and threaten to end their lives reminder of what were gaining as women (p.s. sorry this is rushed but you might want to screenshot this incase my post gets taken down again)

The whole reason for this was because companies were wondering if to fill their FEMALE quotas they can use transwomen.

Reminding you what TRAs have took from us.

They've stopped lesbians from grouping male free events. They've made it so that female rape victims should include males in their rape centres. They've made female patients get male doctors. They certainly love crying transphobia at any single sex space like female only gyms. They've harrased and made rape threats to so many women and wished death upon them all for being "terfs," aka wanting a female only spaces. People have lost jobs over this. Women have been targeted throughout this. They've tried and fought to take any semblance of fair and just, and they've changed the definitions to include themselves into everything. Women historical figures who had to pretend to be men to get successful are now being claimed as transgender icons instead of proof of misogynistic society. They've claimed that lesbians and women would never have got their rights if it wasn't for them. Instead of making their own space, the trans movement has done nothing but tear down the centuries' worth of work women have done. Single sex spaces are more than just buildings and places. It's not 'just' a toilet. Males, including transwomen are the most dangerous and violent category of the human race, both to each other and to women. Every minute of every day, there is a woman being hurt at the hands of the man. Not every man, but most violent crime is done by a man.

I thought they knew that sex and gender are different, but clearly that doesn't matter.

If anything, this is a male rights movement. It's allowed them free roam. They don't even need anything other than stating they're a woman. In some places, we've abandoned the need for any attempt to at least pass a woman to make us feel unsafe.

Even so, even if they pass as us, it's nothing but lying. I'm sorry but you can never change your sex. Everyone must love themselves how they are. You can dress how you want, get whatever surgeries you please. But it's no more valid then someone pretending to be a doctor to access staff spaces in a hospital. Every single human being is either male or female, even intersex people either produce sperm or eggs - and that's completly upto the doctors to know how to classify them. Reminder that intersex people with disorders of sexual development are not your little pawns to pass sex as fluid when it's not.

Most people are born with 2 arms, just because some people aren't because of complications and health problems, it doesn't change the human species standard, does it?

Anyways, the point is don't let them try and guilt trip you with the usual "transwomen don't do anything they're such a small minority". For such a small minority you've certainly allowed male rapists into female prisons and had children with healthy organs get themselves mutualied and sterile before they're old enough to even have lived as their sex and made an informed choice.

For every dangerous terf you claim there's a woman who's lost her place in her sport or is regretting getting surgery before therapy. They do not stop and think about how they're affecting others. "Transwomen are now forced to be strip searched by male police officers" and women were forced to be searched by males first. Such a selfish and demanding bunch that had such a grip on the world with their constant confusing of labels.

It is really simple. Your neovagina is a inverted penis and your "penis" is a elongated clitorous.

I don't mean to say trans people suffering from gender dysphoria don't exist, I am just telling you straight up about how you're being taken advantage of and constantly affirmed for money. Sorry I have to be harsh with my words but wake up. The sooner you accept yourselves how you are the better. You are a medical patient for life because of your ideology. To the trans people who accept their biological sex and don't lie about, I'm genuinely sorry that the activists are making you look bad. Reminding you that your rights are actually not being taken away, if you read the law it only defines women amd this will only make some companies be stricter on single sex spaces and not take surgeries completly of the table. This is not going to affect your day to day life at all if you're a rational individual.

And to the women, I'm sorry it had to take us so long to recognise our sex based rights that we've fought for. We deserve events and spaces free from males who can pose a danger for us. Every other group is free to congregate and have special places for themselves but us. Call it what is is, the male rights movement.

But we fight, and we win, and we're half the population.

Victory to the female people.

- Lani, your lady

[pvpmogai]

radically queer, non-radqueer

a term and flag for those who consider themselves to be radically queer, but not a part of the radqueer community or to fit in how the label is currently represented/perceived.

why might someone not want to be a part of the radqueer community?

the radqueer community is full of constant infighting, harassment, discourse, and callouts, especially over very small things (such as an anti-c unknowingly liking a post made by a comp-c getting harassed for "supporting pro-cs", or someone acting "weird" and getting labeled as a "secret anti" automatically and having baseless callout posts made about them, etc)

the rqc is known to harbor genuine abusers and terrible people. no, im not saying "everyone who labels themself as anything other than 100% strictly anti-c is actually abusing 1000000000 kids and animals daily", im talking about people who genuinely abuse others but label it as "conabuse", people who disguise genuine bigotry (especially nazism) as "transharmful transitioning" or being "cisharmful", etc. theres also a huge amount of xenosatanists, basedqueers, etc who are openly pro-rape, which is self-explanatory - despite how extremely anti-contact the community is, they for some reason are perfectly fine with xenosatanists/adjacent folks because "i have no empathy so i think rape is okay" (as someone with low empathy, this is not fucking true) or "well theyre still a valid part of the community and they should be supported".

theres also a fixation on coining terms, to the point where the same terms are coined many times over - many popular bloggers do this, and then their terms get labeled as the "originals" simply because theyre popular, and people who recoin or make alt flags for their terms are harassed for "stealing" because of how aggressive and reactionary the community is. we, and some of our friends, have experienced this personally - ive had many of my terms recoined and had the recoins claimed to be "originals" (such as transeverything, nulldisabled, transBPD, and more), and one of my close friends has been harassed for creating an alternative flag for a term that pup didnt even claim was hir original idea.

theres also a huge prioritization of what you bodily/chronologically/etc are over what you internally are. most people in the radqueer community see transIDs as something you call yourself just for fun but really arent, something you just "want to be" but will never remotely be. its honestly just completely transphobic - especially since, yes, people in the community do this with transgender folks as well and call trans men "ciswomen transmen" or act like someone whos AMAB will always be a man who "wants to be a woman". people are told that if they dont put their chrono-age in their bio theyre "trying to trick people", if they dont put literally everything they bodily are then theyre lying to everyone. this goes against the entire point of transIDs.

theres of course much more problems, but these are some of the major ones.

why would someone still be "radically queer" if they arent radqueer?

supporting transIDs, paraphilias, microlabels, contradictory labels, youthlib, etc is radical to wider society. these things arent widely accepted to many people, and the act of supporting people who are widely unsupported is radical.

the problem is, most radqueers are not very radical. many radqueers now are anti-para, anti-endo, anti-contradictory labels, anti-transid, etc. being radically queer is not being radqueer; most radqueers now are not radically queer in the slightest. being radically queer is about radically accepting, supporting, and uplifting marginalized non-harmful identities, which is not at all what the radqueer community is doing.

finally, stripe meanings:

black stripes: being radically queer and inclusive, while not being part of the radqueer community

cool colors: seeking to fix harm and help others access more productive solutions to dysphoria around bigoted identities, nonconsensual desires, etc

warm colors: loving and supporting people, supporting consensual contact, and not harassing or hurting others even if those people are doing something wrong

white stripe: unity and compassion between radically queer folks, even if you may disagree on some things

info about the coiner and why i coined this:

hi! im gene, of the dna system, and i joined the radqueer community around 2021 (although i didnt start coining until early 2022). after a lot of drama happened 2023, i left the community and became extremely anti-radqueer. and then in late 2024, i joined the radqueer community again, but the community was completely different than it was when i first joined. to put it simply: the radqueer community fucking sucks now and i cant stand being in it. i dont see myself as a part of that community anymore, but i still am very accepting and supportive of people in a way i believe to be radical. several of my friends felt the same way, and we started calling ourselves "radically queer" instead of "radqueer" and that felt a lot more right than being in the very shitty radqueer community. and then i made an official flag for it :3

[claysafreakingcommie]

Hello, I have a question as a fellow radfem!^^

I’ve been struggling to find the right people to talk to about this, since most of the radfem spaces I’m in are strictly trans exclusionary and I worry that asking questions like this might get me pushed out. I haven’t really shared my views on trans people yet, which is probably why I’m still welcome in those spaces.

As a gender abolitionist (which I am), it makes sense to oppose the concept of transgenderism, since the term itself is rooted in gender. And if we believe gender is a social hierarchy that needs to be abolished, then yes, I get why many radfems are critical of transgender ideology.

But what about transsexuals? That’s where I feel conflicted.

While I fully understand that biological sex is immutable, chromosomes can’t be changed. But I still believe transsexuality is valid in its own right. Not as a mental illness, but as a legitimate and personal experience that some people go through.

I’ve used the label trans-exclusionary radical feminist before because I do believe biological women should have their own spaces and I don’t think trans women should compete in women’s sports. But at the same time, I feel uncomfortable with how quick TERFs are to dismiss TIRFs or even people like me who just want to ask questions. They’re often called libfems or even misogynists, which feels overly hostile.

So my question is, why do trans exclusionary radical feminists think the way they do? And why is there such a strong rejection of nuance, especially when it comes to transsexuals?

This is actually such an interesting question and discussion to have. I think there is a problem within the radfem community which leads to the immediate rejection of opposing opinion on the topic of transgenderism (which is a valid defense response, but frustrating nonetheless). This is—like you said—a rejection of nuance, as I find this matter quite complicated.

I am a generally open minded person, and I find that it is incredibly important to review any and all perspectives on a matter before coming to a conclusion.

It is something I empathize with heavily; I think that most women turn to TERFism not out of fear of trans people, but out of a fear of men. So therefore, I have heard out countless arguments and reasonings from the perspectives of TERFs, and they are entirely logical. I believe, though, empathy is often just as necessary.

I believe that rather than criticizing transgender individuals themselves, we need to investigate the underlying systems that make it so prevalent. Of course, I am a gender abolitionist, and therefore reject the idea of gender as a concept—but its status as a construct does not deny its prevalence in society. Of course our perceptions of gender are based of preconceived ideas, notions, and stereotypes—but, who are the perpetuators of such notions? It is society itself, the patriarchy, and the everyday people who choose to adhere, so there is this; transgender people are not the enforcers of this harmful system (how could they be, given the rarity of this condition?)—they are simply participants, even victims of it, just as we are (albeit, in different forms—trans women who pass can be affected by misogyny—but it is not the same.)

Now, of course the experience of a female is much different than that of a trans woman, that much should go without saying. I notice that, in queer spaces especially, there is a push to blur the lines of and intrude upon womens’ spaces, along with the terms and labels they might use—it’s very complicated. But again, this push is societal; it is not necessarily due entirely to trans women or trans people.

I think the reason why womens’ spaces are so often intruded upon is just that misogyny is a seemingly universal language, and we have been so frequently silenced and denied things like community. So this is just another surge of it, another manifestation, where identity politics meet liberal inclusionism and idealism.

Also, I am someone who recognizes deeply the effects of intersectionality and the way it interacts with oppression. The nuance of intersectionality is important and necessary in any feminist analysis, so, like I said, the effects of misogyny may absolutely impact the trans community (trans women for passing as such, and trans men for their anatomies), however, again, it is frustrating to see biological women denied access to exclusive spaces and communities and shunned for desiring such.

Femaleness is the basis of misogyny. So yes, the misogyny we experience is unique and particularly oppressive. Yes, it comprises of the ways we are oppressed for presenting as such, but it also subjugates us based on our anatomies and our socialization. It is so strange for me to see people online compare this to the experience of trans women and conflate them as one and the same—they aren’t.

I will say this: I am not transgender, and therefore am not familiar with any such experience. What I hate most is the demonization and erasure of certain experiences that are only due to a lack of understanding. I don’t entirely understand this experience, but I can still empathize with it. Many are kind and misunderstood, but they are absolutely all human. We don’t live, yet, in a world where gender is an afterthought, or where we must not struggle to compartmentalize ourselves into ideas of what we should be. but because that world does not exist yet, there remains a population of people who long for an identity that they cannot have. I, too, know this feeling in other contexts.

Cisgender people embrace gender every day; and yes, as do trans people. This is a manifestation of the negative effects of gender on society. I wish for a world where people don’t need sex changes to feel security, but we create a society in which conforming to these expectations is commonplace.

So while I am firm in my stance that trans people deserve respect, I also loathe the demonization of women who hold reservations toward them due to safety. As I have stated, a fear of men is rational and something that has been instilled into women for generations, and it enrages me to see women shamed for displaying this. In our society, maleness leads to violence. I am generally withdrawn from the idea of bio-essentialism and believe this is due to a socialization as men—which is held by many trans women. Do not let people tell you when it is socially acceptable to protect and separate yourself. I also believe strongly that females are entitled to our own spaces, and the distinction between biological women and trans women needs to be recognized when discussing feminism because again, when these lines are blurred and conflated, misogyny is present.

So, a summary, because my thoughts are all over the place: don’t be the people who hate what they don’t understand—respect is owed to everyone, (gasp) even trans people. Misogyny impacts bio women first and primarily… by definition. We are the focus of it. The erasure of female spaces and labels is a form of misogyny. Gender affirming care shouldn’t be life saving care, but it is, for now. And that’s okay—we want to keep people alive. This is why I say I am neither TERF nor TIRF, my thoughts are nuanced, scattered, and I still have more thinking to do.

The bottom line is: transgenderism exists because we allow a society of binary. Stop demonizing the people who fall under the category, and instead the institutions that uphold it. However it is important to separate the fundamental ideas of female experience and transgender experience; they may interact, but they don’t overlap. Feminism is, at its core, female.

Okay, final thought before I wrap this up, because I feel like I’m rephrasing the same information. My fatal flaw is my empathy, but I think it’s more of a gift than an issue. I have empathy for practically everyone, and I acknowledge trans people. I respect them and their experiences which make visible the way that the patriarchy hurts everyone—but my feminism will always be female.

If you agree or disagree, tell me your thoughts. I love discussing new perspectives, especially regarding feminism. Plus, it’s so much more classy to respond with your opinion in a nuanced way, as opposed to leaving mean names in my inbox. That’s lame.

—Also, on the topic of autogynephilia—obviously disgusting. But if you spend time in the most perverted corners of the internet, you’ll see the most perverted and depraved people, too. Still, assuming that all trans women are autogynephiles is not a valid generalization to make. Gullible is written on the ceiling. Still though, fuck kink!

[valeriehalla]

Hello! I was reminded of your webcomic Goodbye To Halos recently and wanted to let you know it had a pretty big impact on me. I read it during my teenage years and I think it really helped me to contextualize and make sense of some feelings I was going through about - well, teenage stuff. Change, I guess, mostly. Changing bodies, changing genders, changing role in society, changing relationships with others - your comic helped me process a lot of my fears about those things.

Your comic was probably my first exposure to nudity that was neither sexual nor comedic. It really stuck with me how your comic has characters in states of undress fairly casually. Not like "walking down the street" casual, they're always in a safe place like a bedroom or a bathroom or something, but still. As someone who was raised Catholic it was really powerful to see nudity portrayed as so... not-shameful. Nudity is just a state the characters pass in and out of; they're nude after taking off their clothes like they would be wet after taking a shower. There's no shame in it. And that's really the way it ought to be, right? We were all born nude, it shouldn't be such a Thing as society makes it out to be.

That's just my little input on what impact your art has had on me. It was a good thing that I read it when I did. I wish you luck on all your future endeavors.

that's extremely kind of you, and very well-said, and thank you, and also that's absolutely wild for me to read.

i actually had to remind myself just now that there was in fact a sequence of (counting) eight pages where enae had her tits out. i didn't think a ton about it at the time. i do remember debating mentally whether to slap a "warning this page has boobs in it" label on the social media posts: i chafed at the idea, and i think i didn't do it? or only did it for some of them? i didn't want to because to even put such a warning immediately prompts the reader to think "oh something Sexualle is going on here," putting them on high alert and making it into a whole Thing. and it was not a Thing.

i always thought that some day, if ever i found the right moment, i wanted to have a page where fenic was fully nude. my idea of the "right moment" for that was that it would have to be at a juncture in the story where it made sense for her to be nude, and also where it would feel to the reader like there was absolutely no "point" to her nudity. the one page in the comic where fenic is topless was sort of a prelude to that idea: that might have been the moment, if there had been any reason at all to include her lower body in those panels, which there wasn't, so i didn't.

it's a fine line to walk. i think it's fairly obvious that there were many panels in that comic where the reader absolutely was meant to think "wow this character's attractive" (if they could get past my art back then lmao). i peppered those in liberally, sometimes because it was personally fun for me to draw, but always because it just seemed, i don't know, honest? for this story about young queer adults who are sort of omnidirectionally horny for one another to have a gaze reflecting that--for the reader to feel like they're "in on it" too, not in a leering sort of way, but as if they're just, like, sharing in it with the characters themselves. but then to have that, and then to also have full-on nudity, and for that nudity to feel at home with that sensation, but also purely incidental, and not in and of itself sexual, is a lot of objects to juggle, especially if one indeed (like me) wants it to not feel like there is a "Point" being made. so, it's cool to hear that it worked for at least one person. sorry for writing 999 words about this

[intersex-questions]

"Can I identify as intersex if I have no intersex traits?"

"I want to be intersex but I'm not."

"Can I transition to be intersex?"

Questions and feelings like these aren't uncommon. The short answer is, well, no, you can't identify as or transition to be intersex. And, reasonably, many intersex people get frustrated and tired of perisex (non-intersex) people asking them this. But wondering these things, especially if you are experiencing distress or dysphoria over them, is completely okay. I would just like to say that I, as an individual, am okay with any questions of the sort and encourage them, but please do not go around asking any intersex person you find these sorts of questions.

Being intersex is an experience that one is born with or develops over time due to their own natural body and not by the influence of things like being on HRT for trans+ reasons. Some examples include being born with different genitalia than what's acceptable in the widely-spread understood (but false) binary model of biological sex, or experiencing different levels of hormones that are commonly associated with only one of the binary sex.

A lot of people, before realizing they're intersex and have intersex variations in their body, want to be intersex without fully understanding why. I used to be like this. I use to desperately wish that I could be intersex, as it would explain why my body was the way it was, and explain the experiences that I had had for so many years. It turned out I was intersex, and this explained why my body was different from other's!

However, if that isn't you, that's okay. Still, you can't label as intersex. Intersex is more of an experience than it is a label you can simply choose or not choose to be. Although, yes, people who fall under being intersex do not have to call themselves that if they don't wish, much of society at large will still consider them intersex. It is an important term for many to have as it allows them to find community, resources, and explanations to their lived experiences in bodies that are naturally out of what many consider "the norm".

However! The good news is there ARE labels and communities for individuals who "want" to be intersex. (Although avoiding the phrasing wanting to be intersex is important as one cannot become intersex, thus the phrase is generally accepted as offensive.)

Let me introduce you to the term altersex.

Altersex is an umbrella term that can be defined in a few different ways, although I'll be using a personal definition, as many definitions online are unreliable.

Altersex - An umbrella term to describe having or wanting primary or secondary sex traits/characteristics that do not align with the binary sex model that a significant portion of society has adopted. It is primarily used by those who are not intersex and are trans+ and wish to or transition specifically to have a body that does not fit the aforementioned sex model. It can also be applied to fictional characters whose sex is not intersex but still doesn't match the binary sex model and/or human binary sex model.

The term absolutely is open to individuals who wish to use it to explain how their body has changed due to trans+ transitioning or due to being intersex! It's simply not as common, but anyone can use it. An example of someone who might use it in that way could be a trans+ person who has been on testosterone HRT and experienced clitoromegaly because of it, and wishes to have a label/term/community that explains and expresses how they no longer fit binary sex standards.

Some common examples, feelings, or reasons as to why someone would label as or fall under the altersex umbrella includes:

Someone who was born with a vulva/vagina, but wishes to have mixed sex characteristics and wants a vulva as well as a penis

Someone who desires to remove all external genitalia of theirs (gender nullification)

Someone who wants to have genitalia that is nonhuman, such as fantasy genitalia like alien genitalia

Someone who wants to have breasts but have a penis

There is an infinite number of ways to be altersex! Again, it's an umbrella term. Some common queer identities that might align with altersex experiences though include:

Being bigender

Being genderqueer

Being cisgender but desiring to physically transition (significantly seen with femme gay men/achilleans and butch lesbians/sapphics)

Being xenogender

Being nonbinary

Being gendernull

Being genderfluid

Being multigender

Being genderfucked

Being both transmasc and transfem or FTMTF or MTFTM

Of course, that isn't exhaustive! Moving on from that, here are some labels underneath the altersex label.

Salmacian. Salmacian is a label I see most commonly and I think is most relevant to this post. Salmacian refers to one who desires to have mixed sex characteristics. People with salmacian or salmacian-adjacent experiences often do ask if they can transition to be intersex, as there is not much awareness around the label and community. Salmacian is one of the most common altersex experiences. Aphrodisian is an alternate but less commonly used term. Salmacian is also incredibly common of an experience amongst bigenders, and vice versa. Other more common alternate terms for it are bigenital, bisex, or ambisex. Here is a link to some salmacian resources!

Xenogenital. I think xenogenital is what I see most next to salmacian. Xenogenital is a broad term that refers to anyone who desires to have nonhuman sex characteristics or traits. This is very common among those who are xenic/xenogender and those who are otherkin. Some examples include:

Wanting alien genitalia

Wanting animal genitalia (often referred to as faunagenital)

Wanting plant genitalia (often referred to as floragenital)

Wanting genitalia that can change, morph, and/or retract (often referred to as morphisex)

Wanting cyber/digital genitalia or mechanical/robotic genitalia (often referred to as cyberex and machinex respectively)

In conclusion...

Although, no, if you are not intersex, you cannot become or transition to become intersex. Some people wish or desire to be intersex because it explains their intersex experience without them realizing, but for many people, this isn't case. And that's okay! Altersex is a label/term/community that embraces anyone who wishes to have or currently has genitalia and sex traits/characteristics that don't fit the commonly used binary sex model. Altersex has labels/terms underneath it, such as salmacian/bigenital and xenogenital, which are most common.

Additional notes

Some people claim being altersex is inherently intersexist. This is completely wrong! Wanting to have a body that fits how you feel and makes you happy in it is not wrong. The only thing that is intersexist is if you phrase or frame being altersex as "desiring to become intersex", as intersex is a lived experience and something you cannot become. If you realize that you are altersex, and people try to give you a hard time for it, ignore it. If it's online, simply block them.

You also never owe anyone information about your body, regardless of what they try to tell you. You do not owe strangers information on if you are intersex or perisex. On if you are altersex or not. Even people you know are not owed this information. Just like how you never have to explain your queer identity to someone, even if they feel like you owe it to them, and even if you know them, you don't. You are you, and what parts of you you share with others are up to you!

I believe that the intersex and altersex community have a lot in common and many shared experiences. I think that, not only do the two communities relate to each other, but, in some cases, people will be both intersex and altersex at the same time.

If anyone has any questions, sees any errors with this post, etc., please let me know! I'm always happy to correct or edit wrong information/typos, and I'm always welcome to any questions that are in good faith. I am not open to discourse about debating the validity of any labels, identities, or experiences. I am not open to debating intersex experiences. My blog is primarily for intersex people, but it's absolutely welcome to anyone with any questions, especially to intersex-adjacent experiences.

[transmascappreciation]

Science has finally allowed us to peer deep into the minds of the disturbed and witness the thought process of a transandrophobe

Step 1-"Transmisandry" sounds kinda sorta like the made up shit cishet men whine about

Step 2-Men, whether hormonally, 'biologically' or mentally, are all the same, which is evil, so them using "transmisandry" can only mean that they're secretly misogynysts

Step 3-Actually some even skip the mental gymnastics in step 2. It's just the uncomfortable reality that trans men would ever want a space for themselves with their own word for their specific oppression, while still wanting a say in abortion debates (a thing which actually AFFECTS them due to many sexual assault cases) and a place to share with their fellow queer people, but as men they're suddenly even more dangerous now that they got a taste of testosterone, than the people who's psychology and neurology was formed by testosterone their entire prior life. But it's only the label that decides whether you're allowed in or out. Butches at least are still female enough on the face of it🙄 and don't even get me started on someone having any sort of beard. Fucking blasphemy to those people.

step 4-Yes, this has to be its own separate point. The possibility that they might want to be let into women's spaces is so disturbing that they are seen as wanting to erase women's spaces alltogether. "You may have suffered as a woman, but at least you get to be one"? No sorry birthdayboy, only works when we bash you for who you are, not a good enough reason to enter OUR safespaces

Step 5-Woefully cobbled together strawmen, nitpicky whinery and cherrypicked anecdotes about how trans men are sooooo terrible

Step 6-admittedly rare, but not rare enough, some will go around saying they wish trans men were killed or raped into detransitioning, or that more killed themselves. This is sometimes said "jokingly"

Step 7-hiding behind transfem indentity and behind transfeminism when called out

[dcdreamblog]

How did supervillains during the war years fight the mystery men of the time, and not end up either being treated as Axis agents by the governemt, even if they weren't, or drafted to some World War 2 version of Task Force X?

Simply put because at the time that sort of corruption simply might not have occurred to anybody. Which sounds naive, this is the US government we're talking about but there's two different ways to explain what I mean.

(A propaganda/wanted poster for the "Injustice Society" 13 of the most dangerous and high profile villains of the era) As far as being treated as Axis agents, well that's just not how that system worked. While the first generation of costumed villains were recognized as being especially dangerous compared to the regular criminal they were considered just that, more dangerous criminals. While truly bizarre villains like Solomon Grundy or Per Degaton probably rated a higher layer of security, neither was ever arrested and held by the legal system during the war itself. More "mundane" criminals like Icicle, Sportsmaster or The Fiddler were treated as those whose means and skills made them especially dangerous not some sort of existential threat. People still got arrested and charged with crimes during the war without being labeled as Axis sympathizers . The idea that anyone who committed a high profile offense would be marked as a Nazi would just be a tad outlandish. Even to this day supervillains are charged as regular criminals most of the time because that's what they are. The vast majority of supervillains are guilty of assault, robbery, murder, regular run of the mill crimes committed via superhuman ability. As for your more specific "what if" well...Task Force X as it was constructed is illegal as hell. Yes, yes I know. The government does illegal and shady stuff all the time but every moral horizon has to be crossed by someone at some point. The idea of taking convicted criminals and using some sort of violent threat to turn them into secret agents of some internal government affair is the sort of thing that sounds beyond the pale until someone actually does it. Not to mention the technology to control supervillains just didn't exist at the time. It's not like a remote controlled explosive was going to be miniaturized and then surgically implanted in the early 1940s and any handler that was sent along was going to become an instant sacrificial lamb for whatever sociopaths you sent out with them. The government had no way to coerce them and certainly had no reason to trust them. On top of that there were no specialized government organs for dealing with superhumans at that time. the DEO wouldn't be founded for decades and Amanda Waller herself had yet to be born, much less begun working her way up in politics. The only official service that could use superhuman agents and deploy them for military purposes would have been the military itself...or the All Star Squadron. Which would have IMMEDIATELY blown up in their faces. This isn't like the Creature Commandos, a tiny gaggle of superhuman assets that could be kept totally in the dark because the Squadron had no inkling they existed. Superheroes tend to be the sentimental sort. I should know, I work in a building surrounded by the crap none of them could throw away and that means most of them checked up on the people they put behind bars every so often. If supervillains started going missing en masse (which wouldn't have needed that many of them, there were only so many at the time) then the Squadron would have started sniffing around and the Squadron infamously ALWAYS found what it was looking for no matter how far down the military tried to bury it. More than one crooked army officer found themselves dragged into the waiting arms of the free press because the Squadron happened to trip over a tiny thread left out of place. The idea just didn't work. Which is probably because the idea STILL mostly doesn't work despite what the people taking kickbacks would tell you.

[theweeklydiscourse]

tw: mention of CSA and abuse

just saw your recent reblog about Nosferatu and idk what is your actual take on it but i've to disagree with the op saying <this is not a story about grooming nor abuse... it can be,> the movie is very obviously and directly concerned about sexual abuse and the uncomfortable eroticism only enhances the horror of the whole situation. i just find posts that constantly need to mention "it's not about abuse it really isn't!" entirely dishonest and intentionally denying the very obvious theme of the movie just so they don't have to face the fact that they liked a ship that is as noncon as it gets. it is essentially a grooming rapist/victim relationship which obviously makes people uncomfortable to admit which is why they don't want to acknowledge that. and that explains the vehement push back against the SA narrative (which isn't a simple interpretation but very much what literally happens in the movie). i just think that people need to just start being honest with themselves like there's nothing wrong if you end up liking an absolutely fucked up dynamic and the whole “death and the maiden” of it all but please stop with the "this isn't a story of abuse" takes because that is actually harmful. not the shipping but denying the fact that this is a movie about abuse because it has led to some very horrible takes of rape apologism with people saying "it's not abuse because she called to him so it can't be" like... no. just no.

There are a few issues at play in the current discourses surrounding Nosferatu. First, one side makes sweeping generalizations about what the film is definitively about, and then the other side counters it with its own sweeping statements. This predictably gives way to certain over-corrections in the discourse that try to find an absolute answer to subject matter that is up for audience interpretation. I actually had a similar thought occur to me when I read that quote in that particular post, and I say that as someone who is really into the "Death and the Maiden" dynamic. We're talking about a film that provides more than enough support for multiple interpretations and it's frustrating that people reject other people's ideas so they can have the *one ultimate correct* take on it.

This issue is exacerbated by the current internet climate of moralizing textual interpretations and the lack of understanding surrounding the genre Nosferatu belongs to. Gothic fiction often features taboo subject matter that is considered by many to be off-putting and disturbing, and usually, that leads to the judgement of those who enjoy it. The reason that people are overcorrecting by saying that it's not about abuse is responding to the denial of the existence of themes of repression, desire and love in the film. It's a phenomenon I also find irritating. Viewers who are totally unfamiliar with the kinds of themes and subject matter gothic fiction deals with seem to be imposing only one possible interpretation of the text while acting like people are immoral for thinking otherwise.

I also consider Robert Eggers's words in my own reading of the film. In an interview, Eggers noted that his approach to the film was informed by the trope of the "demon lover" and even referred to the relationship between Ellen, Orlok, and Thomas as a love triangle. The film is explicitly erotically charged in a manner that can be taken either way, and I believe that both interpretations are valid ones. Outright denial of interpretations of Ellen and Orlok's relationship as abusive seems foolish to me. But I also get why people might be uncomfortable fully acknowledging the more twisted nature of their dynamic. Nobody wants to get labelled as an abuse apologist over fictional matters or shipping, and there are times when merely engaging with darker subject matter gets people labelled as such. However, people need to stop being so absolutist about these things and learn to substantively engage with differing viewpoints.

I think that the online tendency to moralize fictional preferences plays a large role in people's resistance to being honest with themselves about liking taboo subjects or twisted dynamics. There's nothing wrong with liking it, but it's hard to do so openly without incurring some form of criticism and contempt. Denial gets us nowhere.

[taylortruther]

My unpopular opinion within the fandom is: sometimes it just made a good line... Which Taylor said about "I stay out too late" in SIO though.

I think being seen as "sharing her diary" has made some fans see her as someone who is great at expressing themselves in writing, which is true, but thinking everything is diaristic play-by-play also devalues or underestimates her ability as *just* a writer.

I think one of the reasons Folkmore was soooo good for so many people was because it was true feelings but there wasn't the public guessing game and paternity testing when they were released. The fanfare was about the music only and the surprise drop, and yes her best writing yet and new style. So people could hear cardigan on the radio without the announcer being like 'do we think this about Joe or an old song about ex...' which annoys a lot of people who think listening to Taylor = stanning/ knowing all the details of her life.

Folkmore showed people who dismissed her albums as burn books that she is a good writer, and a lot of people went through her older stuff and found things they liked. But I think the diaristic label has helped and hurt her in equal measure. I'm sorry, I'm rambling. I think about it a lot because I mean, I am in the fandom so yeah I do like analysing lyrics and finding parallels or 'this is about so and so', I DO enjoy the gossip side of it, and I enjoy the friendly debates over possible muses because people share their own experiences and interpretations and connections they see, and unless they're demanding everyone believe them and shut up - it's just really interesting to see how we all perceive the world around us.... But sometimes, I think it's just a really good line and is there because it rhymed and had feeling? Not implying it's completely meaningless, but .... Idk I've rambled and now my brain is scrambled lol.

i agree and also i think part of this is because lots of people aren't familiar with songwriting or writing fiction. if you were you might understand how inspiration can have many influences and also that sometimes you just want to have fun lmao