#these people just want to feel like they've won and it's..... infuriating

[walkingbomb]

i feel like i've had a lot of conversations in real life the past few years where the person i'm in conversation with is actively trying to like... win the conversation?

as in, they'll often take opportunities to one-up, or subtly boast about something, or outright try to put my opinion down

is this just me, is anyone else experiencing this?

[rjalker]

A thing I keep noticing in stories about slavery that have been written by white people is that it can never just be "regular" oppression and slavery.

It always has to have some magical or scifi-tech componant to it that makes it work.

The Jaffa in Stargate are only enslaved because they're dependant upon the Goa'uld larva. As though it's impossible to oppress people without literally making them chemically dependant upon you.

Constructs (aka, anthroids) in The Murderbot Diaries are only enslaved because they have brain chips that will fry them if they disobey an order. As though it's impossible to force people to do things they don't want to unless you can literally kill them instantly if they don't.

These kinds of authors don't seem to fundamentally grasp that slavery is a real thing that happens in real life. Without any impossible outside help that only exists in fantasy or scifi. Real people are enslaved and they don't need to have killer brain chips in their heads to do it. They don't need to be surgically altered to rely on their slavers for their health.

It's the same with people who only write abusive relationships if there's some literal actual magical thing keeping the victim from leaving. As though real abusive tactics just don't exist.

It's just really fucking aggravating. I know I've seen tons more examples of this but I can't remember what they were from.

It's like these people just refuse to accept that real oppression exists without the aid of magical brain chips or parasitic aliens. You don't need to be able to literally fry someone's brain if they think bad thoughts about you if you physically or psychologically beat them down and enact real fucking control over their life.

I don't know. This kind of trope just seems like it's diminishing the affect of real slavery and abuse because it's pretty explicitly saying that "if XYZ magical control thing didn't exist, these people wouldn't be oppressed because they'd fight back".

As though real oppressed people don't fight back. As though the whole problem of being oppressed isn't that you lose every time because you lack the power that the people who oppress you use to keep you down.

I feel like it's because A)These people don't want to actually admit how horrible real life slavery and abuse is. B)they see themselves as the main character of the universe, so they think that if they were the one being enslaved, they'd instantly succeed at fighting back and winning, because they either can't, or refuse to aknowledge that when faced with systemic oppression, they'd be just as helpless as every other victim in history. They want to see themselves as all-powerful even in imaginary situations where they face oppression they've never actually dealt with, so they have to add some magical Impossible Barrier over top of the actual oppression to make it justified for why they haven't won already.

They think that if the roles were reversed and white people were systemically oppressed, they'd be the main character who magically leads the uprising with has no casualties. They think they'd magically never get hurt or watch their family or friends get hurt or be traumatized or actually opressed in any way.

It's definitely a form of victim blaming. It's definitely making light of real slavery and abuse. It's very fucking infuriating to have to keep reading in pretty much any scifi or fantasy series that deals with slavery that's written by white people.

so. Writing tip. How about learn how actual systemic oppression works instead of assuming the only way to enslave people is by literally being able to fry their brain?

Like. It's saying "these people have literal murder chips in their heads to enslave them, what's your excuse for not freeing yourself?"

[teler-of-gallifrey]

I have blorbo from my head brainrot (and I'm going to start writing a fic surrounding said blorbi soon), so here's a list of significant force abilities my OC's possess

Jedi Master Randir Species: Timelord/Gallifreyan

Notable abilities: Chronokenisis: The ability to manipulate time, and by extension, space. This can manifest as a few seconds rewinding, which no observer without a backwards consciousness (A timelord trait that is mentioned in like, a single comic. Basically, the ability to perceive time fuckery) would notice, to slowing down or speeding up time, to even, on the higher end, phasing through time, or in other words, vehicle-less time travel, however, this last ability is enormously taxing and not sustainable, with prolonged use of this ability burning up the users body, due to the stresses of running the time vortex through it. Indeed, part of Randirs mastery of this technique is due to being a timelord, as they evolved under similar stresses due to frequent time travel. Still, extensive use of this ability, or use at high levels, is a threat to her... Just more of a threat like running a marathon in summer heat without enough water, and less of a threat like swallowing an incendiary grenade. It becomes dramatically easier to preform when in or near time rifts, and extremely easy when the user is in the time vortex itself; which makes attacking Master Randir while in her TARDIS in flight an incredibly stupid thing to do, as she becomes a nigh on omnipotent time goddess.

Energy Kenisis: Mental control over energy. This is a finicky power, as it interacts with thing on a sub-molecular level. It can allow for imitations of abilities like pyrokenesis or force lightning, however, it is more taxing and less powerful; in a fight between an energy kenisis wielder and pyrokenetic, the pyrokenetic will almost always win unless their is a massive discrepancy between the skill of the two. It is better used at misdirection (as Dooku will tell you, it is absolutely infuriating when you keep trying to blast a retreating opponent with sith lightning, only for it to just curve midair and strike a point 10 feet to their left, because they've made a massive energy deficit there) or nip problems in the bud, as it can impair or completely inhibit the ability of someone to manipulate the force or use similar abilities.

Psychometry: technically this isn't true force psychometry, rather, it is a force heightened sense, as timelords already possess limited psychometric abilites. This ability is far weaker then that of psychometric masters like Quinlan Vos, but less volatile, and still a handy party trick.

Jedi Knight Eerna Mailee Species: Twi'lek

Notable abilities: Force Symphony: The ability to detect shatterpoints, processed as auditory input. Can be very overwhelming at times (that Skywalker is very loud).

Pyrokenisis: Mental control of fire. Xe never wanted to use it as a weapon; fire as a weapon is horrifying and cruel; However, as the war wore on, it proved to be a very effective weapon against an enemy made of metal.

Light Kenisis: The ability to control light and dark. Can be used to light up a cave or abandoned star cruiser; or to create a dark that blocks out even infrared sensors on midday, but that your allies can still see through (mostly) unimpaired.

Force empathy: A not to uncommon power, however, Eerna makes especial use of it in combat as an intimidation tactic, projecting feelings of dread, fear, and panic into the minds of Xir enemies. This has won battles before they've even started on at least two occasions, though it requires organic leaders to be present, as the droids are incapable of surrender (the feelings Xe projects are often Xir own). Before the war, during Xir padawanship, Xe often used it in a different way, helping settle disputes by bridging the emotions of the different parties (it didn't solve everything, but it's a lot easier to work together when you realize the people you've been thinking of as your opponents are really more like you then they are different)

Xe also have a technique Xe refer to as "Balrog", combining Pyrokenisis, Light Kenisis, and emotional projection.

Jedi Knight Ringnaven Species: Human Notable Abilites: Lycanthropy: They're a werewolf. This isn't a force thing, their home planet is just a setting I use for one of my D&D campaigns and they're a werewolf. Big. Tough. Pointy ears. Dislike of wolfsbane. The Works.

Spellcasting: They're a wizard, took it as supplementary education to their Jedi schooling. Cross discipline skills are very handy, and force enhanced spellcasting is a sight to behold. They're an abjuration wizard. They also have a familiar that usually takes the form of a turkey vulture and Palpatine hates that bird. He knows it's irrational, but he is absolutely convinced that it is onto him. He even tried strangling the bird once and pretending it was an accident but Ri was just like "Oh, don't worry. He's actually an elemental spirit from the Ethereal plane, he didn't die, he was just banished to his home plane. Look, I can conjure him back up, see!" and then re-summoned the bird. (it should be noted that this exchange is after the time travel. Both the bird and the Jedi in question are onto Palpatine [sort of])

Not an ability, but their lightsaber is actually enchanted, it's a +1/+1 item and the kyber in it serves as their spellcasting focus.

Jedi Padawan/Youngling/Initiate Tân (I'm not sure what rank he'll have, for reasons) Species: Timelord (clone of Randir) Notable abilities: Chronokenisis: Like Randir's, though they are younger and less skilled in it, and thus prolonged or advanced usage of it poses more of a threat, especially as he tends to push his limits more and with less regard for their own safety, for traumatic backstory reasons. Can be used in conjunction with force empowerment, but they will get yelled at by Randir after due to the aformentioned lack of regard for their own safety.

Force empowerment: The ability to lend your strength and vitality to your allies. Tân is a pacifist, once again due to traumatic backstory reasons, however, due to living in a post Order 66 world, not participating in the fight isn't exactly an option, nor is it one she would want to take if it was. Her way of helping to protect her loved ones is to lend them her own power, and they have gotten very good at it, to the point where their mastery of this ability rivals that of even some masters. It's most effective when used with someone he's familiar with, especially Lírë, or the other DT series prototype clones (what's this?! More allusion to the traumatic backstory?!).

Force Healing: another substantial way to help fight the empire without actually taking up arms.

Blacksmithing: It's a fun hobby

Jedi Padwan/Youngling/Initiate Lírë Species: Timelord (Randir Clone) Notable Abilites: Chronokenisis: Yet again. As with Tân, she's not quite a master of the technique yet, but she more then makes up for it with her lack of self preservation skills. When combined with Tân's skill in the technique, she was even able to hold of Dooku for several minutes until help arrived, though the feat nearly burnt up their bodies and almost caused them both to regenerate.

[patricianandclerk]

I just noticed that when the 'bad angels' confront Aziraphale, before they get rough with him, like... there's this moment Sandalphon actually looks SAD. And he'd not seemed particularly close to Aziraphale earlier, but it just goes to show, they've got emotional responses to the whole situation with him, they aren't happy to be proven right to have been suspicious. And I just love that.

It’s interesting because like, I completely understand the instinct to cut off all empathy with the angels because of their like, more violent tendencies in places, and particularly when it comes to the actual trial thing, later, but like.

The thing I find super engaging about the forces of Hell and Heaven, as presented in the television series, is that they’re so plainly individuals with their own unique personalities, loyalties, and motivations. Unlike the book, where Heaven is mostly presented as an uncaring Host, a sort of vague embodiment of cold uncaring, and where Hell is mostly the same, with Hastur and Ligur kind of serving as like, a vague pair of henchmen to further Hell’s desires, like...

We see more of them. We watch them. We see their little quirks.

Ligur saying, “Nice sofa,” on the Daytime couch. The four of Hell’s main denizen boredly watching Crowley giving a too-enthused presentation, and Hastur actually being invested enough to ask a question. Hastur overreacts, he screams, he yelps; Hastur doesn’t understand most humour, and gets frustrated when faced with it; he hurts himself when it all gets too much. Ligur’s chameleon, matched to his eyes, is constantly changing colour; Ligur doesn’t get sarcasm but tries anyway; Ligur enjoys violence and says demons can’t trust one another, but shares his cigarettes with Hastur. 

Dagon stands around with legs spread, hands on hips; leans into Beelzebub to whisper in their ear, moves slowly and deliberately; has an exact knowledge of What’s On File. And Beelzebub! Beelzebub is cold, and quiet, and severe, and they buzz when they talk, but we see other things, too - we see the netting on their vest and on their feet, their fucking WWII medal in pride of place, we see them let Gabriel do the talking, only jumping in to add to what he’s saying, and then Gabriel defers to them. Like? This is one of the big things about the two of them being two parts of the same organisation to me - they don’t act like the leaders of two armies. They seem like bosses of rival departments who both just really don’t get their own jobs sometimes, and wish it were a bit fucking simpler. 

Beelzebub and Gabriel seem to have some kind of rapport with one another, which we know can’t have happened through backchannels, and so must have been conducted through some sort of above board thing - Gabriel and Beelzebub are open with one another about their frustrations, their feelings, about the pressures of their job. They tell one another, Christ, this is gonna be hard! They team up to shout at an eleven-year-old like the two most infuriating PTA parents you can imagine. 

Gabriel loves suits, but doesn’t remember to undo the fucking stitches on the vents; he goes jogging in the park for no reason other than, presumably, he enjoys it; he claps after an angel has finished giving a report; he quotes the Sound of Music in conversation because God said She liked it; when Crowley says that God plays mindgames, he doesn’t look angry that Crowley rebelling, he looks betrayed and distressed, because he’s worried it might be true. Sandalphon is meant to be some vague thug as the “muscle” to Gabriel, but instead we see him hovering at Gabriel’s side, offering him helpful hints in conversation, affirming what he says; we see Gabriel and Sandalphon beam at one another when they exchange the unfunniest joke I’ve ever heard; we see Sandalphon’s little bow, the way he grins to show his grill; we see Sandalphon and Gabriel hold hands when Aziraphale/Crowley lets out that streak of flame.

We see Uriel, severe and cold, falter. We see Uriel get visibly frustrated when Aziraphale chooses not to keep up with everybody else; we see Uriel’s feint in the script, as if she’s going to stab Aziraphale, and then doesn’t; we see the way Uriel scrambles back from the flames, and touches the arms Gabriel throws out, as if to protect Sandalphon and Uriel both. 

We see Michael, who studies conversations as if she’s looking at a chess board, who is quiet and contemplative when everyone else is talking, and only adds something when she has a question that nobody else is asking; who - compared to Uriel and Sandalphon, who are more blunt and severe, and to Gabriel, who is more blunt and stupid - is subtle, and almost gentle, when reminding Aziraphale of his duty to Heaven. We see her endless patience with the demons - with Ligur, who doesn’t understand sarcasm, and with Hastur, calling her “wank-wings” for no reason at all - and the fact that she’s so obviously used to them being like this, but not enough to actually complain. 

Even the Metatron comes across less as the obviously biased but supposedly Unbiased Voice of God, and more as a doddering old fool that nobody talks to anymore. They are just. Out-of-touch, confused, impatient. And the same for the little demon, and the avocado demons, the background angels on their hoverboards - you get the impression that all these people have their own lives to be getting on with, that they have rich existences outside of the mischief of the main plot. 

They all have their own unique costumes and looks and ways of holding themselves, but they all have their own personalities. And that means they have their own feelings.

What does each of them want? Power? Peace? Solidarity? Time to jog? Brackish water to swim in?

Like. Sure, they want to win the war. They want to win it for different reasons - Hell consider themselves revolutionaries who want to overthrow their oppressors; Heaven consider themselves the Good Guys, and think they need to win because it’s Good.

But as individuals, what do they want?

Because Michael doesn’t come across as wanting to cut Hell off at the knees. Michael comes across as wanting this over as quickly and efficiently as possible, and I don’t think she cares about victory - she comes across like she’s planning for a compromise. Gabriel says he’s uncompromising, but look at him with Beelzebub, look at their ease together. He says they need to fight, but when they do, will he be able to do it? Could he actually kill Beelzebub, if they were face-to-face? It’s one thing to kill Aziraphale, he betrayed them, but killing Beelzebub... They get on.

I’m not saying they wouldn’t still fight the war, I’m not saying one or the other side would win, but--

Would they be SATISFIED, if they won? Would they be happy, after? How would the losses feel on both sides? Because this wouldn’t be a matter of no feelings of loss. This doesn’t come across as two soulless armies that want to fight because They Fight - this comes across as 10 million angels and 10 million demons, who know that they HAVE to fight...

But do they want to?

Would they want to, if they knew it wasn’t an option? Some of them would... But how many? What percentage? How many would want to run away? How many angels, for that matter, actually hate the demons? How many demons actually  hate the angels?

Who would these people - and they are people, we’ve watched them be people, no matter what else they’re supposed to be - be, if God hadn’t set them up like this, to watch them destroy each other?

[hiriajuu-suffering]

Texas Midterm Elections 2022

Disclaimer: I'm Libertarian, not a Democrat. You saying I'm a snowflake liberal just shows your internalized notions of white supremacy, whether you, yourself are white-passing or not.

it's been awhile since Texas Democrats have put forward a gubernatorial candidate that could really challenge the redness of the state.

too bad the smear campaign against him seems to be effective. Abbot, Patrick, and Paxton have too much corporate fascist money. all riding on the prosperity Rick Perry is really responsible for. the state government is growing more Islamophobic day-by-day.

The DFW area is a little too misogynistic for a female liberal to take the helm, that's the mistake left-leaning politics made last time

Lizzie probably represents more of what I want to see out of Texas policy than other major political race going on, but the smear campaigns and tough on crime puffing chest rhetoric are really infuriating. calling Hidalgo and her office out as enabling criminal behavior when they're using non-enforcement and nullifying status as a political tool is just disingenuous. I feel much safer in Houston than I did 4 years ago, not to mention how much I respected Lina when we were both high schoolers in Debate on how she competed in Student Congress.

I know the gubernatorial race indicates the lieutenant and attorney general races as well. I actually have less problems with crony Abbott than the Islamophobic Patrick and Paxton, I need Collier and Garza to win to preserve my rights, personally.

The races that are really important for rights preservation in general: turn our courts bluer to show Texans aren't crazy fetus-worshiping zealots like Abbott is.

As a Libertarian, I've always supported Tom Oxford, but he's going against the better judge in his race in Erin A. Nowell

Who else matters to me? Well, I hate Dan Crenshaw with a passion, since he represents all the concentrated racism in Montgomery County. The Nehls brothers represent everything wrong with Texas because they've tried to arrest people for exercising free speech against Republican rule. I had hope Jacey Jetton would be decent, but he's just another Republican puppet, so vote for Daniel Lee on that alone. However, my state district got rezoned to one of the few Republicans I actually agreed with, Phil Stephenson, but he got primaried by the neoNazi Stan Kitzman and won, so I'll be voting for Larry Baggett since Mike Miller has no chance of getting my district because of how anti-3rd party my local politics have gotten.

Is it so much to ask for Republican candidates that respect my 1st Amendment rights, as a non-white Muslim American? or ones that don't want to actively control women's bodies as an extension of toxic patriarchy? Beto O'Rourke stands for something, and even though I don't totally agree with his policy leanings, it's better than treating brown, black, and feminine bodies as less than. Fletcher stands for the rational Texan that I feel represents the informed political consensus of the greater Houston area. Lina Hidalgo has been unafraid to enact the right policies for Houston in spite of the predictable backlash she knew she would get for it and I trust her more than Mayor Turner at this point.

Dan Crenshaw, the Nehls brothers, and Stan Kitzman would prefer we go back to a pre-Civil Rights era Texas, with white supremacy as the law of the land. People like Jacey Jetton enable that behavior through their loyalty and worship of Republican institutionalism.

Local politics are ruled by extremists and cushy moderates, we might never achieve real directional consensus if don't hold Republicans accountable for the anti-American values they've co-opted during the Trump administration.