#there's also a like. gendered aspect of this that rubs me the wrong way a little

[anonymusbosch]

oh no, i established myself as Capable Of and Willing To Perform some minor annoying administrative tasks at work and now am being tossed additional requests to perform said tasks

i know that in a strict financial view it makes sense to spend 20 minutes of junior engineer time on mundane-annoying-task than 20 minutes of senior staff engineer time but have you considered: I Don't Like It

[robo-milky]

Oh Miss Yuuen, you should’ve left that “helpless” girl to burn…

TWST chapter cover spoof featuring Yuuen! It’s such a shame the official translations got rid of the commentary…

[Ramble]

• THEY’RE JUST ROOMMATES (in canon) !! Well, it is an ongoing gag for Yuuen to practice flirty musical lines on Cloche (or more fem presenting characters), and it’ll never go anywhere. (If anyone’s curious of Yuuen’s orientation, she’s still figuring that out too)

• In the event that Yuuen and Cloche are transported together… Unfortunately Yuuen accidentally objectifies Cloche at times- Before they get to know each other, Yuuen has the false idea that Cloche is this damsel-in-distress who needs saving, and can do no wrong. Since Yuuen is so much more giving than Cloche, Yuuen subconsciously feels entitled to call the shots and speak on Cloche’ behalf. (Cloche is kinda terrible to Yuuen as well- as Cloche turns a blind eye to Yuuen overworking herself and shrugging it all off as “Yuuen’s choices have consequences, this has nothing to do with me”. Over time they do get closer, and have a little bit of each other’s selfishness/selflessness rub off on each other. Additionally, with Yuuen sharing the burden, Cloche wouldn’t have been infatuated with Rook as a coping mechanism.)

• I think Yuuen and Neige would be really cute! Platonic? As a ship? Either way, I just like Yuuen playing more of a princely role.

• Although Yuuen aims to be a Top Star, she ends up having a bit more traditional values/ideas. (Foils Cloche in this aspect, where Cloche thinks way less of gender roles and rolls with anything without judgement) It’s interesting that although Takarazuka deconstructs gender roles for women, it also reinforces them- so I wanted to reference a bit of that in Yuuen.

• Would be sorted into Heartslabyul if assigned a dorm

[shoegazingmonad]

Hussie's commentary on page 2340 suggests that Bluh panels usually involve a person being exposed to something they'll grow a taste for later, giving the example of Kanaya drinking her lusus' blood as foreshadowing of her becoming a rainbow drinker. So far we've gotten two of these panels in HS2.

Tavvy, Vrissy and Vriska all share a bluh, which sucks because this could either mean whatever's being foreshadowed here applies to all of them or is a case-by-case situation. The combined '8luh,,' would imply it's all three, but I think it's worth discussing other options anyway.

The subject being applied here is suspiciously colourless water with Gamzee's corpse suddenly wrong-side up within the context of the panels before and after, graciously framed to look like the water is spewing from him rather than the sprinklers. Great start.

I shouldn't have to state the obvious here - this is just another one of homestuck's classic bukkake jokes. You could interpret this as them having toxic masculinity shoved down their throats since this is something worth gagging over, or it could indicate gender and / or sexuality changes later. Candy is very focused on cisheteronormativity, so it's possible that Tavros might end up dating a guy or that Vrissy might end up being a guy.

There's also the 'seeds as bombs' interpretation, which is an arguement applied to doc scratch's cueballs but I still think works fine here, as though the seed / bombs raining down on them is an omen of Jane activating her 'contigency plan'. Though right after this we get GC associating bombs with self-destruction / sabotage, so this could mean that they might adopt those tendencies in the future.

My first thought for the water interpretation involves Rose's new species; we know they're aquatic and that Vrissy is (likely) in contact with one of them, and that they seem to be romantically interested in her, so it could signal a developing relationship between the two. There's also connections between drowning and loss of control - the panel does make it look like that's what's happening here after all, which could make it another reference to how out-of-control everything has been getting in Candy recently.

You could also interpret the water as sweat, as though his very essence is rubbing off onto them perhaps in the same way that his aspect tends to rub off onto people. Or as milk - which in the search for a plausible explanation has reminded me that in Gamzee's 'redemption arc' rituals he uses milk in a way John' compares to baptism. It's as though Gamzee is washing their sins away - and all of a sudden the choice to depict 3 characters simultaneously makes sense to me; they're supposed to represent a trinity.

Baptising someone is defined as 'sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three times, once for each person of the Trinity.' Since Tavros, Vrissy and Vriska are all being baptised together at once rather than thrice per person, it's likely they're stand-ins for each trinity member. The order of 'Father, Son and Holy Spirit' commonly uttered during baptism could apply to the order they're in here, with Tavros as Father, Vrissy as Son and Vriska as the Holy Spirit... though as of now, I'm unsure as to how this applies to them at all.

There's the odd timing of this symbolic 'redemption', too. I'm not sure why they're being redeemed now, what for, or by who specifically but Gamzee forgiving them for killing him doesn't seem too unbelievable seeing as he'll probably just be back later.

Yiffy's has a few obvious topics, Jade's doting, embarrassment (what they state the situation to be), maternal love and vulnerability, - something they've shown to take issue with showing in front of others. There's the option that this somehow ties into the previous Bluh's themes of christianity, too.

So back to that for a moment; there's a noticeably devilish aspect to Yiffy's design with the dog ears looking like horns, the general sharpness and the red. I guess you could propose them as an 'antichrist' because of that but it wouldn't fit much with the panel itself, so it's unlikely that it's got much to do with the previous bluh.

Anyway, easiest suggestions for what it means would be that Yiffy'll come to appreciate Jade's affections later, or get over their insecurities regarding vulnerability / public embarassment. There's the narration to go off of too, as Yiffy's described as 'an unconscious patient in the clutches of their sadistic nurse' with the 'nursing' being the relentless kissing. This brings to mind corpse smooching, which frames Yiffy as a possible substitute for Dave?

Jade does say herself that Yiffy exists because she needs her to, and I'm sure that extends to Yiffy as someone she can genuinely love and care for in a way she doesn't seem to be able to with Dave considering how awkward their relationship is in the epilogues (and also the fact that they were somehow so distant that Dave never even learnt Yiffy existed). Perhaps when Jade finds someone else she can love unconditionally and wholly without complaint, Yiffy will miss the attention Jade gave them?

Or maybe I'm going the wrong direction with the corpse smooching arguement, and Yiffy's annoyed that Jade is trying to kiss the life back into them after their scuffle with Jane? I'm a little less sure of a deeper meaning for this one.

[pandoraescape]

Can I request NSFW alphabet for So'lek?👀

{𝐍𝐒𝐅𝐖 𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭: So'lek}

Gender Neutral Reader x So'lek

Archive of our own version: Here

A: Aftercare (What they're like after sex)

So'lek is the definition of a warrior, mighty in his skills and fighting. So it was a surprise to discover him to be so gentle with (Y/n).

They sometimes take to the rivers or pools to wash together, enjoying the soft touches and listening to the wildlife of the Kinglor. Forest

B: Body Part (Their favorite body part of theirs and also their partners)

He loves their Neck.

Lick, kiss, bite, and nimble, he'll do it all to get a reaction from his mate.

Whenever he sneaks into you, he leans into your nape and gives a gentle kiss. His hands around their hips as he leans in their natural scent. 

C: Cum (Anything to do with cum)

One word: Breeding Kink.

That thought alone turns his calm demeanor into a feral Palulukan.

D: Dirty Secret

Ya, the breeding kink, it's not only a kink.

So'lek imagines himself having a family to raise alongside his mate, telling stories about his clan and their traditions and how mighty his people were before the sky people came.

The war he fights is worth it if it means one day he can bring peace to Pandora and his people, but to raise a family with the love of his life.

E: Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they're doing?)

So'lak is an ideal warrior within his clan and is well-known for hunting and fighting.

Many male and female suitors wanted to gain the man's attention.

So'lek was always showered with gifts, food, and fine jewelry from secret admirers.

But other than that, he had no experience in this until his love came to the picture.

F: Favorite Position

Mating Press~

G: Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc.)

Really? This man goofy? Ah!

H: Hair (How well-groomed are they? Does the carpet match the drapes)

Na'vi are all hairless down there; prove me wrong.

I: Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)

He holds them close. Wanting to feel their lover's body on his and remember how soft/rough their skin feels.

Loves rubbing their backs as they explore their body.

J: Jack Off

Sometimes, when stressed, he'll jack off in his mauri near the base.

But since he's mated, he no longer doses or needs to.

K: Kink (One or more of their kinks)

We know what kink he has, but what about Y/n?

Oh boy, you can't deny that they have a voice kink for this man.

Every time this fucker would whisper deeply in their ears. Promising sweet thing makes their legs jelly.

"I'll be quick, ma yawntu" and "Just like that, that's it."

Yup, you gone.

L: Location (Favorite places to do they do)

Home is where he's most comfortable, and sometimes in his spare room at the base (thank god that the rooms are soundproof).

M: Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

So'lek may look like a hard man to get a reaction from, but in truth, one thing can make him putty in Y/n's hands.

And that one thing hunting.

As the sun set, So'lek set out to hunt for his evening meal. The forest was quiet except for the occasional rustling of leaves in the wind. Suddenly, a sharp sound broke the silence from the nearby bushes. So'lek's instincts kicked in, and he slowly made his way toward the source of the noise, his senses alert and his body tense. As he approached the bushes, he saw a figure emerging from the shadows, a familiar smile on their face. It was his mate. Before he could question them, they jumped from their spot, running to the side to hide behind a tree, peeking at him with a giggle.

They're teasing him. Immediately, Solak understood what his mate wanted to do, and with a slight grin, he began to join a different hunt. Where his love was the prey.

N: NO (Something they wouldn't do, turn-offs)

Abosutluy no mating if someone is near.

He gets to look at their body, no one else!

O: Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Ah, you kidding, right?

Y/n is 100% a...bottom.

.....sorry, but you can't lie to yourself, even if not lieing here.

P: Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual?)

When normally mating it is slow, however, he someone wanted to say, I don't know, roleplay on being pray~

Oh boy, Y/n won't be walking for a while.

Q: Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

On some days, he would do them, but he doesn't really want to since he loves taking his time with his mate.

R: Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

He doesn't take any risks; he doesn't want either of them to be caught in such a vulnerable position.

S: Stamina (How many rounds can they go for? How long do they last?)

This man has the stamina of a Nantang; he can go until the sun goes down, and he'll keep going!

T: Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

Nope

U: Unfair (How much they like to tease)

So'lek takes the opportunity to use his voice, knowing his mate loves it.

Whenever their mate is busy with something, he sneaks up behind them, places his hands on their hips, and begins to growl deeply. He smirked as he saw their neck turning red.

V: Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

Let's just say the others, Human and Na'vi, can never unhear what they hear if they come close to So'lek's mauri.

W: Wild Card

Listing, the muscle on this man can make anyone in some way, not gonna lie!

Y: Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

 He has a standard sex drive when it comes to his urges. He has control of how he handles them and how he deals with them.

Z: ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterward)

Before they sleep, he ensures that both he and Y/n are comfortable and even visits the bath pounds to get clean.

[possessionisamyth]

okay, hi, im back extremely briefly but just hear me out this time!!!

So pre-time skip Sanji goes up to Usopp and asks the age old question "how did you know you were trans?" At first, Usopp's hackles go up for a split second. She hasnt been able to physically transition anything, just socially, and it's hard enough getting anyone outside her crew to believe her. Therefore, this does rub her the wrong way until she recognizes Sanji's tone as being genuine and not condescending. She notices the hesitancy in his posture and the concern in his eyes before she takes up her usual role of lightening the mood.

Usopp explains how it's kinda funny actually. That Ninjin from her village had a pet cat who absolutely hated all men except for Usopp. At the time, Usopp bragged about being one of the world's greatest animal tamers, but it was the hint she needed to start really looking at herself. Sanji interrupts with a hand on his chin in thought and says something like "okay, yeah, animals confirm your gender" and Usopp stops him right there. She then explains that it was actually Luffy's spiel on being themselves and following their dreams that made her take the leap with the social transitioning aspect she struggles with off of Going Merry. She asks Sanji why the question, but Sanji says he's just curious cause he's only really ever run into drag queens and Usopp was far from being the type (even if her wardrobe got a little too silly sometimes). The subject changes to ideas for dinner before Sanji walks off to do his chores. Yet, the conversation sticks in the back of Usopp's mind like a little footnote.

At some point she is able to slowly start physically transitioning, and during this she catches Sanji saying things that are just kind of strange in a familiar way. She doesn't acknowledge it though. She's honestly surprised she notices half the time considering all the other shit they got going on.

Then the group is separated, and Sanji is on drag queen island for a long time. He has a lot of talks with people that make him both extremely uncomfortable, royally pissed off, or terrified and questioning. By the time his tenure on the island starts coming to a close, Sanji faces some very hard truths about how he's treated people and how he's treated himself. So, understandably, when she shows up to meet everyone at Sabaody she's a little nervous. She doesn't let it show though. She was just happy Ivankov's kindness didn't come with a drawback. She also has a little vial for a friend with her cause like, it's easier to skip where you can right?

When she runs into Zoro and he doesn't bat an eye while they get into their angry banter, Sanji starts to relax. Everyone came back different, which means they did what they were supposed to do. Get stronger to take on the new world. She thanks the sea that she isn't attracted to any of the motley men on their ship. It was a real scare with the drag queens that she might find herself pitching for the other team after the transition, but her love for women remained in full force.

This thought occurs the exact moment she sees Usopp. Three words hit Sanji like arrows piercing through her body at the sight of Usopp, which is Strong, Busty, and Beautiful. Usopp's hair was so long now??? Did her smile get even cuter???? Why the hell was she wearing the world's tiniest crop top under those suspenders??!!???

Usopp's eyes light up with something knowing that makes the nervousness return to Sanji in droves. Then Usopp smiles and says "long time no see", and her voice?!!!! Gone is that strange warble from the lingering edge of puberty, and it's been replaced with something smoother right at the bridge between a tenor and an alto in rhythm. Sanji is GONE. She is MELTING. She is BLEEDING ALL OVER HER NICE NAVY SUIT. Oh wow, she's feeling light-headed all of a sudden. She passes out. Wakes up to see she's in Usopp's arms? Passes out. Wakes up to see she's in Usopp's arms? Passes out. Chopper realizes what the hell is happening, and Usopp is switched out for a giggling Luffy. Sanji stays conscious this time.

Fishman Island happens, and things are calmer among their crew as they leave. Well, as calm as they can get for the strawhat pirates. Usopp finally finally gets a chance to corner Sanji in the kitchen because she's excited! Shared experiences and all that jazz. Sanji is both distracted and shy because Usopp is still wearing that tiny crop top that just barely covers her assets as well as showing off her abs AND Sanji didn't think she'd have to keep talking about the transitioning thing. She thought she'd be sort of done unless she ran into someone from her past about it, but she likes listening to Usopp talk about it. While Usopp is talking about all the hurdles on the island she was stuck on, Sanji remembers the little vial she asked for from Ivankov. Sanji asks Usopp to stop mid-story and gives it to her explaining that if she ever wants to just stop taking her shots, she can have Chopper administer that. No pressure obviously. Usopp can do whatever she wants and Sanji will respect her for it.

Usopp is extremely touched by the gesture, and tells Sanji she'll have Chopper hold onto it in case she does want to just go the quick way in the future. They sit in amicable silence for a little while before Usopp narrows her eyes at Sanji and asks "wait, does it change Everything?" Sanji says it does. Usopp pointedly looks down. Sanji hunches forward. Usopp repeats, "Everything?" Sanji now red faced with embarrassment shouts, "YES! EVERYTHING!" Sanji already went through mourning the loss of being about to take a piss anywhere without a second thought before being stabbed with like ten large needles. She was used to squatting now! The bleeding on the other hand...

Usopp sets her chin on Sanji's shoulder, and Sanji looks over in time to catch the smile on her face. She thanks Sanji again, and Sanji sort of nods and hums because there's that nervousness again since Usopp is so beautiful and she's SO CLOSE TO HER. The singular not short-circuiting part of Sanji's brain does speak up as she tells Usopp she's really proud of her. That she feels kind of like she cheated being gone and going the easy route and just being able to step into something Usopp had to work for. That if their roles were switched, Sanji wasn't sure she'd ever feel brave enough to do half the stuff Usopp did to get to where she is.

And that little footnote Usopp kept in the back of her mind for a while pops up right then, so she interrupts Sanji mid-spiel to ask her "how did you know you were trans?" It's a role reversal of a conversation from what felt like so long ago. And Sanji pauses. She's quiet for a little while until she speaks up and says she got a hint for it back in Little Garden. This confuses Usopp, but Sanji continues on and explains how Usopp didn't have any trouble calling herself a girl, and after Brogy and Dorry just accepted it, how happy Usopp looked and how relaxed she was.

Sanji says she wanted that freedom. The freedom to really be herself without any strings attached, and that she envied Usopp but didn't actually understand what the emotion was until much later. To Sanji's chagrin, Usopp pulls away with a hand on her chin in thought and says "okay, yeah, giants affirm your gender". And Sanji stares at her incredulously before Usopp starts giggling. The giggling is contagious. Sanji starts laughing herself, and sure it's nearly 11 at night, but that doesn't matter. There's an understanding here. There's a love here. They'll both be moving forward on the right foot into the future.

But for now, it was time to go bed. Sanji asks if Usopp wants to shower first since she's unsure about the hot water situation. Usopp, as if she's completely forgotten who the fuck she's talking to, says they can just shower together now if Sanji wants to. It's no big deal. Sanji proceeds to start bleeding all over her nice blouse. Usopp promptly freaks out and calls Chopper. There is a long lecture about blood transfusions needing to be SPARINGLY PROVIDED WHEN SOMEONE DOESN'T HAVE A DISEASE. Usopp says they'll figure something out. (They do because the pair start dating around the middle of Punk Hazard).

[blubushie]

I hate how many characters get transmasc'd. its not that i hate trans ppl or whatever, its that it 99% of the time happens to popular male characters with an afab fanbase. And that those male characters also get woobified and infantilized. Its happening with scout tf2 and its happening with daisuke (from Mouthwashing. hes a relatively innocent/morally good character who is described as a ray of sunshine, incompetent at his job on a flight crew, but willing to learn.) They both get mischaracterized as uwu flowercrown-wearing meowmeow blorbos and, obviously, get trans-masc'd. it feels like the fanbase just doesnt want to admit they like a male character but dont want the backlash of genderbending, so they just make him trans. thats just Man Lite! Thats not really a guy, just a cute girl with short hair we call 'man'! that means its okay to like him now, not when he was an icky cis guy! idk if im making any sense. i hate how people stereotypically trans male characters' gender. its like they cant like a man wholeheartedly unless they 'soften the edges' by making him 'less of a man' via transness, whether they realize it or not.

Bad bait but in the off chance it's not:

Have you considered that a lot of these are trans men who are seeing themselves in a character and headcanoning to share something more physical with them?

I do agree somewhat with the latter part of that paragraph but I do not like how you phrased that. I'm sure there's something there but I find it more concerning if people are doing that out of the sense that trans men are "men lite" and not real men. Because they are real men. Maybe I'm being sensitive but "That's not really a guy, just a cute girl with short hair we call 'man'!" rubbed me the wrong way, hyperbole or not.

That said I think the vast majority of people doing this are either doing it for a diversity aspect of a largely cis cast, or for point #1. People see a character similar to themselves and want to share more similarities with them so they feel more represented and less alone.

A more common trend I've noticed is that characters who are canonically personalised as immature (at least in comparison to their peers) are the ones getting the trans headcanons. I personally would like to see more Very Mature And Masculine Men headcanoned as trans, but also this varies by fandom widely, and while I want to see them it doesn't mean I hate other trans headcanons. In TF2 it's mainly Scout, but I can reckon that's because he's the youngest on the team and a lot of the fanbase (especially here on Tumblr) vibe with him on the level of young and brash and cocky. And again, this varies by fandom. The character that most people will trans HC varies widely, though it's often the character that the majority of the fanbase has something in common with.

I'm gonna be honest mate anytime someone has to start a paragraph with "I don't hate [demographic] but-" the next thing to come out of their mouth immediately makes it sound like they don't like that demographic. And you sound like you don't like trans people all that much.

Work on that whether you're cis or trans, cuz you sound like you got some prejudice going on either way.

[ilynpilled]

I like your jaime opinions but you have such bnf takes on jb and marriage that kind of baffles me

bnf takes 😭😭? cmon man. im just not that interested in that. like i am just not crazy about the marriage/children endgame aspect, simply out of preference. do not care for that kind of clean happy ending for any of my faves, i think it would emotionally resonate with me less. i also internalized what george had said about what romances he likes to write and read and the “we’ll always have paris” example he used. i do like some kind of tragedy or bittersweetness in romantic stories too. and the love was and would still always be there and all that. i do want some kind of departure, some key choice and sacrifice perhaps. i see the possibility of jaime dying too, which could achieve the same, but not executed the way it was in the show. i do not at all deny the possibility of interpreting the set up for what u guys r saying either, i think you can find foreshadowing for it (certainly has more of a basis than a majority of what ppl skew as marriage foreshadowing for other ships), i just dont feel crazy about it as a “happily ever after” scenario, dont think it would fit:

like i see this. i even thought that stage direction (if it was that and not a directorial choice that was not in the script) in the lion and the rose could be alluding to a union. the one where loras and jaime discuss the cersei-loras marriage and the dialogue ends with “you will never marry [cersei]” “neither will you” and then brienne enters the frame while the camera is on jaime. followed up by the cersei brienne convo. grrm wrote it after all. this is the technique he kept using with olenna regarding joffrey’s murder as well.

i am just fine with if all this just indicates future romance between them, and is being used to emphasize their desire for each other that they both repress in different ways (oathkeeper itself can be read as an engagement metaphor: “He will bring a rose for you,” her father promised her, but a rose was no good, a rose could not keep her safe. It was a sword she wanted.”, “Ser Galladon was a champion of such valor that the Maiden herself lost her heart to him. She gave him an enchanted sword as a token of her love.”) i do not think it would be made lesser if the relationship does not necessarily operate within the boundaries of westerosi society. i dont care if the marriage is a symbolic one rather than a literal one (like a knighting.) i do not think that would take away from the romantic relationship. we will see. i know jaime deals with failure when it comes to fatherhood but i am still pretty lukewarm when it comes to that kind of ending for him. i would prefer that remaining a tragedy. could that change? idk.

brienne too is a complex character. her relationship with her desires is complicated. part of her does crave marriage and a child etc. again, it is not as simple as her not at all desiring any aspect of the role she is assigned due to her gender. it is a role that society made for her, but also did not allow her to fit due to how she looks. so that is already very loaded and highlights the contradictory nature of this strict binary. but she also is a knight. she likes it. there is a reason she is a little relieved as well. she has agency to be what she wants to be. she is operating outside of society’s moulds in her own way. is there a way to make these things compromise? maybe.

if you want an “anti-bnf” 😭 opinion from me i do absolutely want their relationship to be consummated, and i disagree with the ppl who want it to be/read it as just a courtly love/chivalric romance type deal in that sense. sexual themes permeate the dynamic, and i wouldn’t like it if george, who does not shy away from dealing with sexuality, didn’t deal with this one relationship, ESPECIALLY because Brienne is an unattractive woman. would unironically rub me the wrong way if she ended up being the one ‘major’ female character, with a key romance, who is also an adult, to not have that. do not want her to be desexualized in this context. i am also tired of the relationship being “purified” in this sense in a lot of general discussion bc i think it often ventures into backwards territory. i would not be really happy with them only getting sex metaphors (which there are plenty of already) + i do believe it would actually mean a lot for both of their characters too.

[kieralopez]

“SOMEONE LIKE ME CAN BE A REAL NIGHTMARE - I'M COMPLETELY AWARE”

⊹₊  ⋆  (  jenna ortega,  cis woman,  she/her,  23)  i  think  kiera lopez just  walked  by!  wow,  they  really  are  a jenna ortega   lookalike!  they’ve  been  here  in  new  york  city  for  2 years,  and  seem  to  always  have  their mothman plush.  i  heard  they  made  their $500k  as  a  actress,  and  are  often  associated  with  wearing all black, dissecting film for the fun of it, and getting lost in an oddities shop.  let’s  hope  the  world  doesn’t  find  out [redacted]! muse 20

INTRODUCING…

NAME: Kiera Lopez

GENDER & PREFERRED PRONOUNS: Cis Woman (She/Her)

AGE: 23

BIRTHDAY: October 13, 2001

ZODIAC: Libra Sun, Scorpio Rising, Gemini Moon

SEXUALITY & ROMANCE: Bisexual / Biromantic

FACE CLAIM: Jenna Ortega

OCCUPATION: Actress / Aspiring Screenwriter & Directer

HOMETOWN: Roswell, NM

CURRENT RESIDENCE: New York City, NY.

CHARACTER PLAYLIST: HERE.

UP NEXT: “NIGHTMARE” BY HALSEY

BIOGRAPHY: tw overdose mention, death mention

Born Marina 'Marnie' Lopez, the young girl legally changed her name to Kiera as a way to drive some distance between herself and her family when she turned 18; Feeling a bit suffocated and needing to re-invent herself. It’s funny though, since her eldest sister raised her, you can see so many similarities (the sarcasm, the intelligence and mannerisms) even though she claims they’re so vastly different. Kiera currently attends university online for film studies. She’s aiming on becoming a writer and director - mainly within the horror realm. This love for horror derives from a young age, and she tends to be a bit of a movie snob because of her studies. You can catch her at the movie theatre almost every Friday. It also doesn't help that Kiera is in the film industry; Having had been in commercials and having had small roles in movies ever since she could remember. A way to keep the lights on for her family. Despite coming across as someone with a good head on their shoulders, Kiera is genuinely a firecracker. Prone to anger and acting on impulse, her tongue tends to be sharper than she realizes. She’s caused a lot of trouble on purpose growing up; some situations meant to weigh on her sister, whilst others were her attempt to try to find herself and fix her own issues. To this day, Kiera is working on figuring out who she is through the broken pieces her mother left behind, and still causes some trouble here and there. Sometimes for fun, other times just to bring an off-balance start to another's day if they rub her the wrong way. Kiera is very artistic and sometimes comes across as pretentious. She loves to paint and sketch, but doesn’t want to make a living out of it. Instead, her artwork is loitering the walls of her apartment. She also likes living on her own, seeing that she lives in an apartment and tends to frequent thrifting in her spare time. Kiera is currently working on finishing up her BA for film at NYU; of course, having landed a full-ride scholarship. She's still working in the film industry - a friend of hers knowing the director to a horror film in which she landed one of the lead roles. She's excited about what's coming next in her acting career, but she still feels a little off with her secret boiling just under the surface. With the loss of her mother, who she was estranged to, only about a month ago due to an overdose - Kiera is now finding it harder to keep her sadness at bay over the loss of a 'normal' childhood (with a parent that genuinely cared).

EXTRA-EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT HER!

Kiera never had a genuine perception of a family. Due to the fact her mother figure in life was her eldest sister and no father figure in sight. As a result, she’s not great at formulating healthy relationships on any plane. She has a mentality of leaving before she’s left, and hurting others before they hurt her as a fight or flight response to deep emotions and attachments in a any sense. She is aware of this aspect of herself, and hates it, but isn’t sure on how to really get better; it sort of became more of a last resort form of acceptance, seeing that she harbors feelings of not being enough to make her mother finally break the addiction, or even get her father to stay - she now owns up to being the source of her own problems as opposed to fixing the root issue that lays deeper. She’s overly self-critical, especially if she loses or if she feels she could’ve done better. There's an air of competition to her in academics as well as in the workplace - she's always striving for good recognition in these fields. She loves to learn new things, and takes up skills rather easily; and if she thoroughly enjoys the topic (ex: horror films), than you can forget it - she'll cream everyone at trivia. She loves to thrift, and always goes out of her way to support small businesses. Kiera is also very cynical with her outlook on the world, though her activism is borderline anarchist because she's just fed up with everyone and everything. Wise beyond her years, she is known to be quite pretentious in her tastes of music, movies and books, and can rant about all three for hours. Also very smart, in general? Graduated with high honors and has street smarts. Though, she does tend to be sarcastic towards others but she utilizes the excuse of being brutally honest to avoid being labelled mean. Kiera is super open-minded and prides herself in being a safe space. Even though she tends to escape into the night life, and has been sneaking into joints since she was 14 to party, she does have boundaries; she won't try any hard drugs, and knows her limits in alcohol. Even if she seems completely gone, she's not - she can't let herself get that way out of fear of a loss of control. Kiera can be sweet to those who she deems as good people in her life, but she's a type of black hole that kinda brings chaos wherever she goes. She's prone to huge mood shifts, and is known to be fierce for her small and young stature. Will 20/10 ruin good thing if she gets her hands on it. She’s just trying her best, okay? Life is unpredictable and messy, and she’s becoming more aware with that everyday. That’s all without mentioning her need to create battling her need to destroy.

PERSONALITY:

+ Adaptable, Driven, and Innovatory

- Detached, Explosive, and Sarcastic

[alistairssock]

Every day I grow increasingly disappointed and mad that the body options in BG3 are so limited when it comes to their bodies

I complain a lot about all the male companions having rippling abs (first off: why??? second off: the hell¿¿¿). While most the female companions have hourglass shaped bodies with uber perky tits facing the sky. Except Lae'zel and Karlach. Lae'zel being weird and lanky yet strong, gitting her being githyanki and a warrior. Check. It's good, I really like that about her, it makes her interesting and unique. Her tits are even slightly diffrent than the others. Karlach? I could never slander Karlach. She's perfect. Hope she can continue to piss off whiny gamer boys who are afraid of muscular women taller than them. Or awaken something in them. Either option is fine.

But the main thing that bothers me is that we're living up to this insane beauty standard that is so implimented into our society that it's so to speak impossible to un-stick from video games. It's a sick and twisted cishet gamerbro fantasy, rubbed into our faces. It's lazy and boring, and lacking of flavor and I'm so so tired of it. And don't get me started how unrealistic most their bodies are compared to what they do and how they've lived and who they are. That could easily be a whole other wall of a text post.

Thing is, I wouldn't mind this as much if the 'standard' bodies were just one of many options. If these body types were just one of many and not the default on every single character model. There could be a custom option/sliders to adjust the character's bodies to your own vision and preference. Though, I do wish it would come with a lot more diverse bodies to begin with (baseline for npcs, and that isn't much to ask for, they clearly have the power, but are not willing to wield it). Hell, even a height slider would be good. Not all player/non-playable characters abide to the standard set body options; that is simply ridiculous when you think about it.

It does however bother me extra much because it's such a cowardly trap both Dragon Age - and probably also other fantasy games (and let's be real, most video games in general) - and now Baldur's Gate fall into. Men are square and burly, and women are hourglass shaped and dainty in comparison, no matter the race option (cough, cough I'm looking at the dwarves mainly). Dare i say The Ideal Male Body and Sexulised Version Of What Most Women Look Like. The only two genders. They do have given us muscled options, for which I'm grateful. But they are mostly just "would you like to be bigger and taller?", and that's it. Essentially same body, just streched out and slap some muscle in it, no problem. But seeing as it's in a fantasy world very much like our world (as in...people are people, living their people person lives), there should be a lot more bodily diversity. Fat people should exist, and they shouldn't be limited to antagonistic characters. We all see why that is wrong and fucked up, right?

It is progressive in it's ways, of course. The fact you can mix and match genitalia to body is a huge plus in my book. Pronouns are also super epic. Not much to complain about on that front, not many gives us these options. It's a small step for gaming, a huge step for humanity, or whatever.

It might be a lot to ask for to have options that include and embrace every aspect of the human experience. I do want more disabled characters in all shades and colours, I do want more fat characters in all shapes and sizes, I do want better and more hair for poc characters. The list goes on forever. So while I'm grateful for what we have and know and acknowledge and mourn it's not a perfect game by far (by wishes and just as a fact), I do appreciate what has been offered us so far. I just need to get this all off my chest, air out some thoughts

[zhoras-bitch]

I'd like to hear about your vendetta with TCH xD

I am so sorry for taking so long to answer! It’s completely on me, I’ve just been busy and I knew that once I went into the rant mode, it would take a while, so I had to put the ask away for a while. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into, please, take a seat lmao.

Keep in mind I’ve only read 4 chapters of book 2 (I will finish it… eventually…), so this is all about book 1.

TL;DR I hate TCH for not being what I wish it was. It combines aspects that I love with aspects I vehemently despise, and it frustrates me endlessly. Kieran is fucked up in ways that are entirely uncompelling to me. Radiance is fucked up in ways that are extremely compelling to me, but they are not the main character. It would be easier if I could just tear TCH to shreds like the shitty books of the Choices library, but unfortunately… it’s an objectively a good piece of writing (I say, clenching my teeth so hard blood starts running down my chin).

The writing is so poetic. The soundtrack is perfect. Visually, the book fucks so hard. The secondary characters are fantastic. Leaf is the love of my life. The fae and the twisted fairy tale are some of my all time favourite tropes/aesthetics. I should adore this book. 

…Then there is the romance.

(OK this is the part where I go into the petty complaints. Please don’t come to me explaining how these things make sense narratively, I KNOW.)

Kieran and MC are every trope I hate in romance novels. Cold, brooding LI with anger management issues (which are considered sexy for some reason). MC, who is in every way inferior to LI dynamic-wise (as in peasant-prince, mortal-immortal, strong-weak etc.) Also that trope when being good and compassionate makes a character naive like a freaking five year old. That kink thing when LI is so tall and strong and MC is so small and weak and LI overwhelms them physically and that particular brand of ‘sexy’ violence they do in the ‘BDSM’ scenes. Withholding (or failing to communicate) information about their world that is crucial for MC’s survival, like ‘Hey btw MC, since you’re human, you should probably know that most fae are racist dipshits who treat humans like pets, brainwash them and force them to do their bidding with magic. FYI.’

And a bit more on the anger management issues thing (ugh, this is the hardest part to articulate but let’s try). The way Kieran is written — at least in the first half of the book or so — just didn’t make me feel for them. Them lashing out makes sense given their backstory, but it’s some combination of those reactions being so overblown and the way they themselves reacted to those outbursts afterwards (not trying to make things right or showing some indication of remorse or trying to do better) just rubbed me the wrong way. I just, don’t like when people use trauma to excuse being shitty towards others, and that’s what the narrative was kind of doing with Kieran to me. Like, I understand their curse took away their heart, but did it take away their ability to say ‘sorry’ too? Because I don’t remember that part. And of course they change for the better in the latter half of the book, but that initial irritation really spoiled the well for me, and I just can’t enjoy his character anymore. (I told you this is petty.)

Also, in a book full of gender non-conforming fae in flowing silks and glittery makeup, they force me to romance the most conventionally masculine, minimalistic black suit wearing tall and dark one that looks like 90% of the romantic fantasy LIs? Insulting (jk).

In contrast, Radiance checks all the boxes on the list of things I do like in fictional characters. (I mean, I love Aerin, so this should come as no surprise.) In the ’dark is not evil’/‘light is not good’ dichotomy, I am always more fascinated with the latter. The Sun Court’s ostentatious purity and nobility masking their true rotten, egotistical and manipulative nature drives me insane in the best way possible. And Radiance is the embodiment of all those qualities in a human form (with cute fluffy hair!). They are a manipulative, calculating, power hungry bitch in sheep’s clothing and they are so good at being that, which, hot? They are also a product of their fucked up upbringing, which promotes them from ‘there’s something wrong with them <3’ to ‘poor little meow meow’ levels of brainrot to me. They turned their sister into a bear for power. They also love her deeply. My point is, every time they are on screen, TCH is a 12/10 book for me. Then it cuts back to Kieran's bullshit and I'm forced to remember the book is not about them.

So that’s the gist of it, I think. Thanks for the ask! It took forever, but it was strangely vindicating to write out? Lol.

[themuseumofwitchcraftandpaganism]

She Who Hunts by Dr. Carla Ionescu

I have mixed feelings about this book, but I know a lot of people like it. I'll start with the good and then the bad.

It's one of the only books completely centered around Artemis that I've found. Dr. Ionescu proposes the fascinating idea that Artemis developed out of Egyptian and Minoan roots and backs it up with many different aspects of her worship: visual art, myths, temples/ceremonies, and texts. This, as far as I know, has never been proposed before nor has all of Artemis' historical worship been compiled in the same place. I learned a lot and am grateful for the research she put in. At the beginning of each chapter is a devotional hymn or poem from a different time period which I thought was a lovely touch. It's also a quick read at only 108 pages of content.

It's at an intermediate to advanced level; Dr. Ionescu references a lot of other authors with the assumption that her reader is already familiar with their writings as well as art that I wasn't aware of. She doesn't provide pictures either, like other academic books I've read, so it was hard to follow what specific visual elements she was referencing. I agree with her argument that Artemis has Minoan roots, but the Egyptian argument was a bit of a reach in my opinion; maybe if she provided pictures, I would have followed it better.

Then there comes the issue of gender. Dr. Ionescu has a lovely section about Artemis and masculinity, which I thought was enthralling, but then goes on to contradict it a bit herself. She says that men in the late ancient Mediterranean neglected Artemis and she was purely a female goddess even though earlier in the book she talks about Artemis' role in male coming of age ceremonies and having male priests. She also makes the generalization of "all women want to live in the woods to escape the patriarchy." And while I'm sure this is true for some people, it just rubbed me the wrong way as a nonbinary person. Artemis is a goddess who's incredibly connected to gender and the patriarchy, and while I agree with some of the points about gender in the book, I feel like Dr. Ionescu's general handling of gender and the patriarchy was very black and white; it could've been much more complex and added another level to her analysis.

Summary:

"Filled with examples of ritual, symbolism and an extensive collection of Artemis myths and folklore, this work is a comprehensive compilation of all things Artemis, and her fundamental role in the communal, political and ritual development of the Greco-Roman world. The goddess of the hunt is more than just a virgin in the woods. Her worship can be traced to a time before the Minoans, and her rituals include all facets of the human experience, starting from birth rituals to rites of passage, to death and beyond. Her protection for those who honour her is all encompassing, her vengeance for those who cross her is swift and fatal.

While classic scholars focused mostly on Olympian deities such as Apollo, Athena, Zeus and Dionysius, this book provides vivid and detailed evidence that the goddess Artemis has been underrated for much too long. Dr. Ionescu's work is a labor of love and research, born out of her long-standing certainty that Artemis was the most prevalent and influential goddess of the Mediterranean."

Where to read it:

Your local library!

Amazon $20.19

Thriftbooks $25

Artemis Research Center (signed copy) $35

[rollercoasterwords]

also something that's been bugging me about queerness in barbie is that the only kind of gnc barbie we have is literally called Weird Barbie™, and is the butt of the joke the whole time. like you cannot tell me that when her looks change towards the middle of the movie she is not meant to look like a butch

ok yeah i have more time this morning to. try and talk through some of thoughts re:queerness + barbie lol

i def agree the "weird barbie" aspect was one thing that did rub me the wrong way. i get that it's a sillyfun joke or whatever but at the end of the day she really is the only representation of visible gender nonconformity in barbieland and that gender nonconformity is portrayed not as a choice or something which others might aspire to, but rather a fate to be avoided at all costs, and that's never really questioned or pushed back against aside from the barbies later apologizing for calling her "weird barbie," which...doesn't really change the way her gender is viewed in barbieland, just says the barbies will maybe stop actively making fun of her for it lol. i had to look up a pic of her second look because it's been a few weeks since i saw the barbie movie and like--yeah i guess her second look is supposed to be barbie butch lol she's got the dykey boots and the awful gay haircut so. guess i spoke too soon it's not that there are no masculine women in barbieland it's just that the only masculine woman in barbieland is a clownish caricature whose appearance is meant to be one big joke!

anyway aside from weird barbie there simply is an absence of masculine + gender nonconforming women in the movie and a complete lack of any lesbian representation. and like--this is not to say that i expected the barbie movie to have representations of like, butch lesbians lol nor do i think the barbie movie had any sort of responsibility to provide those representations. it's just that i think it is very telling when observing the rhetoric surrounding barbie's critical reception which absences + omissions can be overlooked for those who still praise the film for capturing some kind of universally relatable experience of 'womanhood'. i also do think that had the creators of the barbie movie wanted to make any sort of incisive critique about the cages constructed by gender roles, it's kind of impossible to make that deep of a critique without even acknowledging the fact that masculine women exist (by their own choice, not the mistakes of children "playing too hard"). so, again, it's not necessarily that i think the movie had to have masculine women (it's barbie; i wasn't expecting it to), more that it's interesting to see it get praised for its feminism while, again, completely omitting any discussion or even acknowledgment of gender nonconformity in women.

and like. i have seen people talk about how barbie was "lesbian-coded" or headcanon her as a lesbian, etc, and while that's all nice and fun for those people, i think it is very clear that barbie was not intended by the filmmakers or actors to be read as a lesbian. there is no indication of any sort of romantic or sexual desire towards her fellow barbies, no chemistry between her and america ferrera. it's fine to have fun hc'ing her as a lesbian etc, but i'm not going to give the movie any sort of credit for making her "lesbian-coded" just because she rejected ken. i see absolutely none of my experience with lesbianism reflected in barbie or her story; it's nice enough if some lesbians do, but to claim that barbie provides any sort of sweeping representation for lesbians is again a form of rhetoric that tellingly omits the experiences of any lesbians who aren't, like. hyperfemme women with no interest in sex or romance. and quite honestly the typical representation of lesbians in media is already femme women who are either rendered sexless or objectified in their sexuality, so even if barbie did express some sort of lesbian desire, i still wouldn't be particularly impressed with her as a form of lesbian representation.

and i suppose someone could say i shouldn't make that critique because all the barbies are sexless, but quite honestly i think the film implies quite a bit that kens experience sexuality. in ken's big song he moans about "being a virgin" forever, and there are jokes scattered throughout that imply the kens have some ability to experience at least romantic, if not sexual, attraction (such as the barbies flirting with other kens to make them jealous of each other, etc). i think it is interesting that this ability to experience attraction is relegated solely to men in the movie; sure, people could use the "it's just the way kids play" excuse, except you're delusional if you think there are kids out there who aren't making their barbies kiss + fuck + date each other. in fact, we'd arguably see more barbies experiencing some form of attraction as opposed to kens, considering that kids tend to play with barbies more often than ken. yet attraction remains firmly relegated to the kens throughout the film, and oftentimes is portrayed as a negative thing; it makes the kens pushy, shallow, jealous, etc, while the barbies are above anything so trivial as attraction, valuing first and foremost their pure and sisterly bonds of female friendship. like, i think it's a perfectly valid critique to say that the barbie movie implies that there is no place for lesbian sexuality in feminism--at the very least, it overlooks any place that lesbian sexuality might hold.

anyway. going back to the kens. as opposed to the barbies, who are visually gender-conforming both within barbieland and the real world, the kens are portrayed as distinctly more feminine than real-world men or real-life masculinity. i don't think this is inherently a bad thing; i think portrayals of feminine men can be great when it's not done as a punchline. but i did feel pretty frequently throughout the film as though that femininity was played up mostly for laughs, and it made me a little skeptical about, like. the tone the film is taking overall towards gender nonconformity in men.

like. jokes like "beach you off" (which i thought was funny! i laughed!) are specifically playing into the audience's implicit understandings about homosexuality. the joke here is that the men are arguing, but in arguing they sound as though they are threatening to perform a homosexual sex act. homosexuality here is referenced for comedic effect--how silly that these men sound as though they want to give each other handjobs! of course, part of the comedy comes from the contrast between emotion + action (it's funny to imagine someone angrily giving a handjob, an activity that is usually not angry), but whether intentional or not i also think part of the comedic effect is coming from the contrast between like....the fact that these are two masculine, ostensibly 'straight' men who are threatening to give each other handjobs, an action that the film expects an audience to view as implicitly 'feminine' due to its homosexuality. there are similar implications in other instances of homosociality between the kens (and of course there's allan haunting the fringes of all this implied homoeroticism), where i feel as though part of the silliness is meant to be coming from this contrast between the kens' masculinity and their 'feminine' behavior. and like....i think the fact that gayness is largely used to make the kens 'funny' is supported by the fact that kens all very much fit the same kind of masculine stereotype visually. where the barbies have at least some body diversity, the kens are all pretty uniformly muscular + thin, because there has to be that contrast between their visual masculinity + their feminine behavior in order for it to be comedic, y'know? and i become skeptical when the film seems to draw on gay implications for its comedy, yet refuses to actually include gay characters itself. yeah, yeah, the barbies are all sexless--except they are also very, very heterosexual and specifically paired off into barbies and kens, despite the fact that uniform heterosexuality does not reflect the way that all children play with barbies. like, i don't think it would have broken the whole "it's the kids playing!" idea to have some barbies with barbies and some kens with kens. so either it just did not occur to the filmmakers to do so because they genuinely think all kids make their barbies straight, or (what's more likely, in my opinion) they didn't want to include any gay relationships in barbieland. and, again--not saying i expected them to or that they had to. but when i see people talking about how "queer" the movie was, i'm just like....huh. the gestures towards queerness feel similar to the gestures towards body positivity, where the film casts fat women to play barbies + has fatness exist in barbieland but then still has barbie freak out over getting cellulite. like, sure, the film includes a lot of queer subtext, but what work is that queer subtext doing? and why was it left only as subtext? this is why i sometimes feel as though the film is laughing at queer people more than with us. i don't necessarily think it intends to be mean-spirited, but the queerness of barbie feels more like window-dressing than real representation to me. and i feel like anytime i see people voicing these sorts of critiques there tends to be a backlash of "it's a hollywood movie made by mattel!! it had to work within those limitations!! you have to let it be what it is!!" which i find confusing because i'm like....i...am letting it be what it is? that's why i'm not calling it particularly queer or feminist lol.

[queenharumiura]

Ship game. Mukuro x fem!Tsuna

[My KHR ship game] ||Accepting|| @signorinavongola

My understanding of both Tsu-chan and Mukuro are weak, so I'll probably get some things wrong. This will be shorter than the others because i'm not confident at all and therefore uncomfortable with speaking at much length about it.

Hate it |Am Neutral to it| Ship it| love it! |

Long stressed explanation short: As per usual I don’t know Tsu-chan nor Squaletta very well, so I’m liable to get things incorrect. If you weren’t aware, I’m also not personally fond of Mukuro either so I purposefully don’t really think about him much, so there’s a higher chance of me getting things about him wrong. As such, I probably won’t go too in depth with this one as I honestly feel a little bit uncomfortable to talk about the two of them together in regards to dynamics.

Translation: If I get anything wrong, please forgive me. I’m doing my best based off what little I know and I’m stressing out.

-

I am mostly neutral because I am not entirely sure how things would go due to variables of- Tsu-chan is not exactly a canon character in the sense that I cannot use canon to accurately depict events and how scenes unfolded between characters. Some scenes obviously had to change in the event of her being female and how characters interact with her due to her gender change is something we can’t ignore either. The reason why I also chose ‘Hate it’ is because I don’t like Mukuro (lol). I also am super on the fence with the whole ‘is trying to take over bodies of others’ aspect of him. It promotes a kind of dynamic that I personally am not a huge fan of.

Does this mean I hate seeing it on dash? Absolutely not. Does this mean that I think it’s a bad ship? Not really. It’s just not personally my preference for ships is all. I fully support anyone who likes the ship and finds it fun. It’s just not for me is all.

As stated above, I am not a Mukuro fan (call it the strong Hibari bias in me). I do appreciate him as a character, and I know he adds a lot of value to the story, to the progression of certain character growths and the like- but I just don’t vibe with him. I can understand that he had a rough past, I can get that he’s nuanced, I can understand a lot of things, but ultimately, I view him as a bit of a risk. For his ideals, he is liable to doing things such as taking over bodies and not caring for the state that the body will end up in.

It isn’t to say that I don’t understand his motives, because they’re certainly understandable. He doesn’t want what happened to him to happen to others. I, unfortunately, am an emotional bean who is feels guilty very easily. I cannot use others in quite the way that he does. The moment he was shown to possess kids or possess injured people to use them against others- while totally understandable and a viable tactic- I just don’t like it. I don’t vibe with it. I just cannot get over it. MY CHILD FUUTA!!!!!! The emotional turmoil that child went through. I am truly a Haru-mun, I never could forgive him or like him because of what he did to Fuuta. That’s quite literally it. He also took over the body of another child as well so I’m like BROOOOO LEAVE THE KIDS ALONE!!!!

Then there is Birds who was very much willing to want to use Haru/Kyoko against the others and possibly ruin their lives. It matters not to me that it may not have been explicitly upon Mukuro’s orders or what. Inherently, the fact that he’s doing so, it makes it feel like he knows it’s okay to do so while under Mukuro’s wing. Perhaps the mentality of the necessary sacrifices for the greater good and it does rub me the wrong way (yes, I’m biased, and it may very well largely be because of Haru. SUE ME).

I’m well aware that people really like him, and that’s totally fine! Like I said before, as a character, I like him. He’s got a lot of nuance and dynamicism to his writing. He’s got a lot of depth to him in regards to his motives, machinations, his pitfalls, etc. That said, from an emotional and moral stance, he rubs me the wrong way and I don’t like him very much. I don’t hate him, no, but I will just stare at him from afar and squint. Would I defend him from any slander? Absolutely. I truly have my allegiance to the girls and to the kids. I hate Iemitsu and Cervello more than I do Mukuro for instance.

[[hm? This sounds familiar? Yep more copy pasted things from a previous answer because my assessment of Mukuro still applies]]

Oh- I also forgot to mention. My favorite character, my very FIRST one was Lanchia. Do we now understand why I truly just cannot vibe with Mukuro? After what he did to Lanchia’s famiglia? How it left him with a lot of guilt and trauma? MY FAVORITE? NAHHHHHHH NAAAHHH!!!!

So yeah. That’s why I don’t like him. Don’t hate hate him, but also HISSSSS!

The only time I like Mukuro is when Rikku is writing him and that’s because I’ve known him for years and he mostly just trolls around with Haru. I enjoy troll humor, so he’s the only one that I am okay with. The others will always secretly get glared at by me.

Don’t forget that I also write Hibari. As a loyal Hibari mun, I have to hate the pineapple head LOL.

ANYWAYS.

I honestly think that a ship between Tsuna and Mukuro is really hard to work with. He hates the mafia after all, and she is the next boss of a really big mafia famiglia. Sure, he in a sense accepted becoming one of the guardians, but his hatred towards the mafia is still really strong if you properly read the source material. That kind of ingrained hatred and grudge isn’t easy to overcome. Working together is one thing and being romantically involved with someone in the mafia is another.

The fact that he does state a few times in canon that he’s just waiting for the right time to take over Tsuna’s body is another source of concern that shouldn’t be overlooked. Mukuro, for the sake of his goals, is willing to go to far extents. Reborn in canon has even reminded Tsuna before ‘don’t forget what Mukuro has done.’ He may be one of the mist guardians, but he’s still done some really bad things. He is still capable of doing bad things. There are those who still have their guard up around him (ie Reborn and Gokudera), and that is certainly a hurdle that would have to be crossed.

Does this mean that Neo thinks he has no redeemable qualities? 1000% no. He’s a very complex character and his values are pretty simple to figure out if you really try to look at him. He does have the ability to care for others, but his goals are simply more important a lot of the times. His ability to be cut-throat is a very important aspect to balance out the more positive and innocent members of Vongola 10. Mukuro pretty much symbolizes all the bad and harshness of the mafia itself while the majority of the others symbolize what the Vongola were truly meant to be: protectors. When you need to protect something, sometimes you have to be willing to make hard decisions to protect the majority and Mukuro embodies that.

It takes a lot of strength and bravery.

I suppose that may be a reason to take notice of him.

Again, Mukuro is a very complex character, and depending on circumstances and how certain events in canon went, it can vastly change how he interacts with other muses. It would have an impact on his dynamic with others.

Honestly? If you were to ask me, Mukuro does not actively look for love. He is not interested in love but rather his ideals. He wants to eradicate the mafia. He wants to make sure that what happened to him can’t happen to others again. He may use some drastic means at times, but I have to respect the motive. For a guy who is driven for this kind of goal, more often than not, they won’t have the time or emotional space to even consider love. Even if they did love someone, they usually don’t act on it until they completed their goal.

Obviously, the Vongola is still going to exist, along with the Cavallone famiglia and the Shimon… so his goal to destroy all the mafia will never actually come to fruition.

Not only that, but he is such an intwined pair with Chrome, that it’s very hard to separate the two from each other. It’s hard for me to consider him a ship pair with anyone when Chrome is basically his other half. They are the parallel between Daemon and Elena.

Do I think it’s impossible to ship Mukuro with Tsuna? No… but it would be really difficult and I honestly cannot really think of how it would go because of how complex he is. I think if he were to fall in love with her, one thing that he’d like about her is probably the fact that she doesn’t like the mafia. She’s only here because she’s forced into it, and she’s been trying to clean up the mafia using her influence. That is some positive points in her favor.

I think also, in canon, Tsuna has shown to trust in Mukuro’s abilities and his judgement on some matters. I think though he’s never forgotten what Mukuro has done in the Kokuyoland arc, he has come to respect and trust in Mukuro. The fact that Tsuna does so is both super naïve but also a pleasantry—to know that he too can be given other chances. Seeing how Chrome is able to thrive with the Vongola’s company is also a big positive. As his pair, her happiness and ability to survive in the Vongola’s environment is important to him. In canon, her ability to synergize with his illusions had a profound affect on him, like it was somewhat healing his heart. (Again, parallels between Daemon and Elena).

So it’s very important to him that Chrome is in an environment where she can be happy. So, MAYBE if over time he calmed down and acclimated to the Vongola, maybe he could spare some emotional space to fall in love. I honestly do not know. I don’t understand Mukuro that well, as you can see.

I won’t make any comments about what reason I think Tsuna would have to fall in love with Mukuro. I think those reasons would greatly depend on how he acts around her and what dynamic they have. I don’t have a good idea of what their dynamic would be because I don’t really study Mukuro much (as the professional Mukuro hater I am lol jk). I will not reference RP interactions because the vibes I get from the two Mukuro’s you interact with are different, so it’s hard to really say.

I think that’s all I’m going to try saying on this ship, because I sadly have no good ideas.

No secondary section because I don’t ship them, and I don’t understand their dynamic to even suggest cute ideas for their dynamic.

[pinkkittysaw]

I agree with your tags on that rb btw angel!! I don’t shame anyone’s decision to have a kid. Hell, every mother in my family except for one has had at least two kids before 22. And that’s fine!! I think at least for me my gripe is the social media aspect of it. So much of the content coming from family vloggers / family tiktokers is making profit off of children without the kids consent or even having children for the sake of views… or putting kids personal info / medical info out there… and I do feel like a lot of what we see paints a certain lifestyle that statistically is unattainable for most young families (unless they convert to Mormonism akdjskdj that’s a whole other topic) idk something about the social media aspects of it rubs me the wrong way in a “Christian fascism conspiracy” kinda way LOL.

But I did see some tags on that post that are just shaming young families and that’s just not right.

- aleks

for context, i deleted a reblog to this tumblr post here but i will share the tags of that post under the cut since i took a screenshot of them then deleted the post after i got this ask

i definitely didn’t mean to imply that you didn’t agree with my tags. my problems with the post were honestly from other people who reblogged it, not with that you said in particular /lh

i agree with you on your points in regards to the social media aspect of it all and the harmful effects of “influencers” showboating their children online for views/interactions. i think it’s very weird…to say the least.

obviously this is a lot more nuanced than a simple brush stroke of, “it’s all bad or it all isn’t”. there’s a million and one factors and a million and one scenarios to each individual situation and that’s why it can be difficult to articulate points on a particular situation, especially on social media.

i do think the people on social media who paint staying at home and having kids as something that should be ideal for every “woman” and romanticize it as well are also harmful. especially if said people making these posts are earning an exuberant amount of $$$, when that’s not the case for most people today.

(i don’t want to be negligent of the fact that women aren’t the only gender who can and do give birth but often times when consuming media where these social norms are praised, cis women are often the target audience specifically although these social norms do effect all people who can give birth)

social media heavily influences people, i definitely won’t deny that.

there are people and institutions in place that are abusive and preach/push this rhetoric that staying at home and raising a family while still being young is the most fulfilling/best/only option one can have. i don’t want to take away from anyone’s experience from the harm that’s caused.

i am very much a proponent of educating people on sex, birth control, pregnancy, financial independence/literacy because unfortunately, some of these stay at home moms/wives/girlfriends are put in abusive situations and have nothing to fall back on to help themselves rebuild their life.

I GET that is the point with a lot of posts like the one i initially reblogged are ultimately saying.

I GET that they’re criticizing world views that have kept women in an oppressed position for so long.

(not to say that they aren’t still oppressed in today’s society but hopefully you (general) get what i mean with my point)

my biggest biggest problem with all these posts is that they don’t critique the harmful institutions that create scenarios where domestic violence/misogyny/ general harm may arise, they just broadly critique all young parents (and mothers especially).

that’s truly my main issue with it all. not every young parent was forced to have children and to imply that the only “valid” (for lack of a better term) reason for people to have children that young is if they were in a position where they were forced to is also…wrong.

my mom had me when she was in her teens (later teens but still) she wasn’t forced or coerced into choosing to keep me, does that then make her decision “wrong” or make her a shameful person for choosing to keep me? even though she was young? and “didn’t have a future” like so many people in the reblogs love to say. i should surely hope not.

not everyone’s life stories look the same. i too wanted kids. back when i was eighteen i genuinely thought my future was going to contain three little kiddos and a husband. it was only little over a year ago, that i realized that wasn’t really the life i wanted to have, at least for the time being (granted, the time gap between 18-21 isn’t really a large one). me choosing to not pursue a life with children does not make me a better or worse person and that’s the root of what i think all these posts are about.

“you’re inherently wrong and bad for choosing to have kids at a young age” except now it’s repackaged to seem more feminist than before when really, it’s the same exact branding of shame that teen moms have been getting for years and it’s that same shame that prevents people from reaching out and getting the resources they need.

it doesn’t matter what my personal views on teen/young adult pregnancy are because there are always going to be young parents regardless of the amount of education we give them. some people just want to have kids at a young age and that doesn’t make them inherently bad people.

if people who make posts like that want to critique trad wife culture, christian conservatism (which is indeed a whole other can of worms), other systems in place that take advantage of vulnerable girls/women and force them into give birth at a young age, i’m all for it. i just wish they wouldn’t go about it in the most obtuse way possible because then you get a thousand people in the tags being like “i feel sorry for my friend who’s having a kid” “you’re young and stupid too why bring a kid in this world”

the shame that these posts create and endorse is what i have a problem with, not the actual message behind it.

ANYWAY, this was all very long winded but i wanted to make sure i got out everything i wanted to say. also this was more of a general post on my whole thoughts on the matter, not specifically to you aleks /lh

i never meant to imply that you held the beliefs that i was criticizing in that initial reblog and i apologize if it came across like i was.

[northwest-cryptid]

Alright time for me to return to my roots of being "the science person of tumblr" and point out just how funny and accurate this actually is.

Okay so, for starters I stopped when I came across this meme and really gave it more thought than necessary because of the fact that, the idea here; the joke being stated is essentially that a transphobe will see glass and call it sand because glass comes from sand and transphobes don't recognize or respect change in someone's gender.

This kinda rubbed me the wrong way because while I totally understand and agree with what's being said here, you gotta understand as well than not every trans person wants to become glass in order to well, be glass; some of them will always stay as sand but identify as glass. To shed the metaphors for a second, there's no need for a "man" to go through some kind of physical transformation if she identifies as a woman, if she is a transwoman she's a woman; hard stop. I don't need someone to go through surgery or HRT if they don't desire to, that's up to them I'll respect their identity either way because there's no reason not to. Their physical being doesn't determine their gender I mean... wasn't that kind of the point of what we've been saying for a long time? "What's in your pants" doesn't matter.

Now for full clarity, I don't believe that's what the original poster/creator of this meme was trying to say. The core of this is that transphobes can look at someone who is clearly a woman and say "you were once a man and will always be a man" because they're shitty transphobes who are gonna be assholes like that, you know?

However I don't know if the OP intended to use such a great example, because when I thought about what I was talking about previously; it dawned on me.

Sand IS transparent, intrinsically so according to a quick google search. In fact, more than that; when sand (such as common yellow sand which is actually majority quartz) is heated, it melts and changes it's molecular STRUCTURE, but the actual molecules do not change.

The main change we see when we heat quartz into glass is that the molecular structure changes, in other words the quartz/sand was glass the whole time, it literally does just LOOK different now.

Quartz/sand has a very rigid structure which is why it forms a solid crystal we see as sand; while when heated it becomes something more like a liquid, just a sort of solid liquid. It's typically the impurities in the sand (so not the quartz itself, which is transparent and literally the same as glass as far as I'm aware) that scatter the light causing the coloration we see.

To put it simply, not all of sand is quartz; just the majority of it, while all of glass is quartz, of course there may be other methods I'm not aware of but as far as heating quartz into glass goes the statement stands. However the aspect of sand we "turn into glass" is literally just quartz, nothing changes outside of it's appearance.

In other words, if you're trans and you want to align physically more with your gender that's totally fine and I support you 100%; but for those who wish not to go through any physical alterations I want you to also realize you're no less your gender. If someone thinks you look more like quartz than glass it's only because they're not smart (or respectful) enough to understand that you've been glass the whole time you just prefer to keep your rigid structure, but then I don't expect transphobes to understand geology... or metaphors for that matter.

[scary-noodlesblog]

can u do a jane nsfw alphabet plzzz

Im sorry this took so long 😭

Jane The Killer NSFW Alphabet

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

She absolutely adores running her partner a bath after. And then taking a bath with them. Its probably her favorite thing ever, she loves the intimacy of it

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

She loves her partner's lips. Jane likes to kiss them, nibble them, feel their lips on her skin and wrapped around her clit. Jane's favorite part of herself is her hips honestly, the way they sway drives some people crazy, including her partner.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

I headcannon her as a lesbian queen, but in case ultimately i am wrong...she swallows. And eats pussy like its her job. Either way, she's eatin

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Lowkey a dominatrix at heart, no matter her partner's gender identity

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

She has a decent amount of experience, probably with several gender identities, if shes not a lesbian, shes pansexual

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Missionary, unless with a AMAB partner, then cowgirl. She likes to be on top

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

Her praises can be a little funny but ultimately she's pretty serious, but shes not afraid to make her partner laugh

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

Little to none. She's either completely shaved or has like a landing strip

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

Jane adores intimacy, if she can make it more romantic in any way she's gonna do it. Candles? Already lit. Essential oils? Lay down baby shes got you

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

I feel like she didnt have really any interest in sex until she got a partner

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

She likes to be the dominant one, thigh riding, restraints, overstimulation, body worship (giving and receiving)

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

The bedroom or bathroom. Or if her partner doesn't live with her than anywhere in their house

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Her partner. Her partner is the only motivation she needs

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

I dont think she has a knife kink. I feel like that would be a no go for her after the shit she's been through with Jeff

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Loves to give. But also loves to ride her partner's face

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Shes slow and sensual everytime unless requested otherwise, and even then she's a service dom so she's making sure her partner's okay every time

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Depends on the day. There are days where she only has time for a quickie that day, but she makes it up to her partner later

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

She's fine with experimenting, hell maybe even let her partner on top for once, but enjoy it while it lasts cuz its not often

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Jane can usually go 1-2 rounds. Maybe 3

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Oh she has a collection of dildos, vibrators, grinding pads, etc. Like hundreds of dollars worth

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Teasing mixed with praise mostly

"Tell me how good this feels pretty baby"

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

She's decently loud, when she cums you can hear her if you're walking by the room for sure

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

Her favorite toy is her strap-on. Its 7.5 inches long and about 2 inches thick, the strap rubs her clit just right so she gets off too

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

Like i said, i think shes completely shaved, and scared like most of her skin. (Assuming she can grow the hair back anyway)

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Now that she has a partner, its there. Probably like 4-5 times a week

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

She doesnt fall asleep immediately. She likes to read or scroll on her phone while she cuddles her partner