#whatever anyway i'm going to bed. do NOT discourse on this post or i will get your ass

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

that article going around abt firefox's new ad program is annoying bc it's phrased as though "mozilla has finally TURNED on its people and is SELLING YOU OUT for cold hard cash!!" when. that's not what's happening. it is specifically being implemented to discourage tracking behavior, and literally all the data they are giving to advertisers is aggregate and anonymized, which is like, the opposite of what that post wants you to worry about, lol

[ggukkieisintominnie]

This will get me into shit BUT WHATEVER 🙄

I find it funny that ARMYs can sit and Kiki about Namjoon's "toxic male ex" but turn around to call Jimin and Jungkook brothers and us who support them delusional. Like the fuck...

Here is this ARMY doing what we "Jokers" are dubbed to do which is speculating Jimin and Jungkook's relationship being more than platonic. However while we get comments about being jokes and crazy...

... They get this as response. The double standards in this fandom I can't 🙄. Like not only that but the engagement is crazy as well for something that has no valuable prove whatsoever.

Here is another tagging the ex who apparently is known as "emoji guy".

Oh my... sharing or wearing the same shirt allows for ARMYs to conclude that Namjoon is indeed in a gay relationship so why is it when we do the same for Jimin and Jungkook; we are considered delusional.

Jikook has done more than just sharing the same shirt. Jimin went to bed in Jungkook's sweater which the other wore the whole day while carrying out his schedules for the day. But they are the ones boxed as brothers.

ARMYs are insufferable. They legit chose which members in the band are allowed to be suspected as Queer and who are not. Suspecting Jimin and Jungkook to be Queer in this fandom means you have to be skinned alive but hey Namjoon bi king, go off tongue technology Min Yoongi and bisexual icon Jung Hoseok I guess.

It a shame really especially for someone who has showed so much of their identity like Park Jimin to be shunned to heterosexuality because the fandom has such a mindset. Or just because accepting Jimin for anything but straight acknowledges that Jimin's relationship to Jungkook can actually be more than just platonic. Everything Jimin has done from ID: Chaos to Face means nothing to ARMY because they rather sit down and fascinate over the girl in the like crazy MV and the she/her lyrics to songs he has no writing credits on.

ARMYs will never change. It too late to change their backwards views but atleast they should not show up in Jikook spaces and spam with "they are brothers." "I do this with my sibling." comments. Are You Sure wasn't catered for the likes of those who will watch Jimin and Jungkook's relationship and just immediately cast them aside as platonic brothers without seeing and comprehending the beautiful bond they have. And hyping those who are claiming the travel vlog as shippers content.

No they do not have to believe that Jimin and Jungkook are in a love relationship but they also don't have the right to label their relationship as brothers because apparently ARMYs have proclaimed themselves as "who can be queer" police. ARMYs should watch Are You Sure and leave it at that if they don't have anything other than a stupid or an incestuous comment on it.

Like how is Jungkook slapping Jimin's booty something you do with your sibling? How is Jungkook's intense gaze on Jimin's sleeping form reminding you of how your father looks at you when you sleep? How the fuck are those takes normal?

This discourse can go on longer on how they are obsessed with the "rapper girlfriend" trope when it comes to Jungkook's relationship with Namjoon but I decided not to. But the truth of the matter is... ARMYs are annoying. If you are a Taekook, Namjin, Vmin or a Yoonmin shipper you deserve flowers and praise on your comment section but if you are a Jikooker you deserve a spam of "You are delusional" type of comments on your post.

I'm glad Jikook scares them so much. It feeds my soul. And it makes me believe in them so much more. Because Jimin and Jungkook even got "Queer ARMYs" hating on them. Like if they hate is coming from inside the house.... you better believe that shit is good.

Anyway 2moro's we officially hold a funeral to Are You Sure 😭😭😭😭 peace ✌

[whoishotteranimepolls]

Ok I know there's already anlther DYB ask for Akainu and no one ever votes for it but I have to send my own anyways because the fact that anyone finds this man attractive is baffling to me

So first of all, look, I get why people find villains and stuff hot even despite committing horrible atrocities and I'm not gonna be like "oh but he killed ace!" or whatever even though that was a complete dick move (like insulting the whitebeard pirates was so uncalled for dude chill) but also he Did commit genocide. Like there is a reason the O'Hara incident had only one survivor. Like it wasn't only him but he did order the destruction of that ship

But ignoring that, because, again, I understand characters can be hot in spite of or because of the atrocities they committed, he's just... not attractive? Like I'd get finding him hot despite the stuff he did if he had an entertaining personality or was physically attractive but he really Does not.

Like his personality is basically just Absolute Justice personified which just kinda makes him a dick and not in a particularly fun or entertaining way

And appearance wise? He just has nothing going for him. Like he's better post timeskip with the scar, the facial hair, and the cigar, and I like his hawaiian shirt, but he's still not hot aside from the literal sense. Like, I guess he's an old/older big buff dude but like. One Piece has characters thar fit that description that are actually attractive? Or at the very least more attractive than fucking Fleet Admiral Sakazuki

So he's just very "go girl give us nothing!" a complete asshole with 0 appealing qualities. The only good thing about him is he mentored the best marine in the series but that guy isn't even canon and it doesn't really make Sakazuki any more attractive. And straight up, barring Ryokugyu, all the other admirals, both pre and post-ts, are genuinely hotter than Akainu

Also I don't find this relevant but people seem to bring it up sometimes in DYB so I guess I'll do so too? That man would NOT be good in bed let's not kid ourselves. And that's if you could even get him there since he's way too busy doing paperwork and when he's not doing that he's probably killing pirates

Like idk I think Sakazuki fans just need to take the L here

Defend Your Blurbo #59

Please remember this post is about curiosity and genuine fandom discourse. Be kind with your answers because this is not a debate essay, this is a discussion between fans

Meet Sakazuki, aka Fleet Admiral Akainu from One Piece. He ate the Magu Magu no Mi, a Logia-type Devil Fruit that allows the user to create, control, and transform into magma at will, turning the user into a Magma Human.

This will probably be our most controversial dyb to date. He is perhaps one of the most despised characters in one piece due to his unforgivable sin of killing a beloved character. So this one's going to be interesting, but I do know he has fans who are thirsty for him, including me. So, One Piece fandom defend your blorbo.

[juniperhillpatient]

🔥Azula and makeup

Oooh what an interesting topic! I switched to my laptop for this one I was like "I have too much to say I can't be on my phone" LOL

I have two categories of thought here & I do think there's value in separating those categories

Canon & character design

Let's start with the obvious. Azula is an anime - I'm sorry, it's western media someone will yell at me for saying that - a cartoon villain. It's just part of her trope/design that she's conventionally attractive / has red lipstick/eyeliner sharp enough to kill a man etc. If you've ever seen any piece of media ever, you HAVE to get that. So, to an extent, the conventionally attractive design is just kinda...there for obvious reasons.

However, because Azula is a PRINCESS & we do see how choices like hair & clothing are symbolically important - this doesn't mean it's entirely a waste of time to analyze the importance of makeup for Azula's character.

Azula has to look presentable at all times as part of her political role. We see her with lipstick & makeup even at a very young age in flashbacks (& YES the flashbacks are canon please don't start that discourse on my posts again omg) & that's sad in a way but it makes perfect sense considering her important role in the court.

In fact, the only time (IIRC) that we see Azula without makeup is when Zuko interrupts her at night when she is trying to sleep! Oh, & maybe in the scene where she is visiting the spa (& Zuko interrupts her! - lol damn, Zuzu leave her alone (jk). These are domestic scenes when she is alone / sleeping / getting ready to become more presentable. In general, Azula treats appearance with the utmost importance.

It's highly relevant that Azula's appearance begins to fall apart during her breakdown. Her lipstick is sloppy. She cuts her bangs. Her outward character design reflects her inner turmoil.

Okay that's all I have for now

PART TWO

2. My personal subjective headcanons & thoughts

It's been a while but I remember seeing a post about how Fire Nation military personnel were rare & Azula, Mai, & Ty Lee were going against FN gender roles. IDK the post was a whole meta but I couldn't find it now, so sorry. The point is - Azula is canonically a freaking military general/diplomatic mastermind AS WELL as a proper princess!

I personally love the idea that Azula has a masculine side - not trans per se, but I guess it could be if that's your HC but it's not mine - that enjoys boy clothes, suits, no makeup, etc. She likes to embrace that side of her gender. But, she's never felt comfortable or had the room to do so under Ozai's reign & expectations. I personally headcanon Azula as queer/sapphic whatever & I like the idea that as well as sexuality, once she gets away from Ozai she could start to explore gender a bit!

At the same time, I think that Azula does love her feminine side. In my stories, I tend to focus on her exploring different types of fashion. I feel as if in a modern AU she would have strong opinions on different high-end brands. I just know that she would have a huge collection of amazing dresses.

I feel that Azula going without makeup or with less makeup would be a huge step for her (in any universe) because she is SO used to everyone seeing her all put together. Azula starting to become more relaxed about her appearance would be - in my opinion - a HUGE step for her in healing & beginning to become more comfortable with herself.

ANYWAY

sorry, this literally went beyond "Azula & makeup." I REALLY started to ramble lmao sorry I am just sitting in bed drinking my lil glass of cabernet sauvignon watching How I Met Your Mother & getting way too passionate about Azula & gender -- I'm done rambling for now tho LOL xD

TYSM for asking <3

[nnugatoryextravagance]

wait are you pro para? I was scared of reblogging pro para stuff because I thought you were gonna block me in particular 😭 Idk if Ive ever seen you rb pro para stuff so I just assumed

Ok this got longer than I meant it to so uhhh read more tab blast GO

My stance will forever be as long as you aren't commiting federal crimes, enabling someone committing those crimes, or directly hurting anybody (human or animal) I generally cannot be assed what you get up to on your free time unless you get me unwillingly involved

(I hope to god its obvious what I mean by "committing federal crimes" in this context here by the way, indulgences of the underaged variety to be clear, the number one thing I will never tolerate under any circumstances and I refuse to waver on this)

I don't try to actively indulge in "pro para" content however or want to call myself that in those terms or whatever because 1. I admit I'm still relatively unfamiliar with the term and have extreme trust issues and I've been online long enough to know exactly how not so great people can potentially use that term in horrible ways and I'm not looking to risk putting myself in danger again (while I'm still in the middle of recovery no less) (I'm cripplingly paranoid) 2. I still refuse to get myself involved in potential discourse if I can help it (I'm cripplingly paranoid) and 3. especially because im honest to god so fucking tired of delegating my opinions to this-and-that buzzwords that can mean anything depending on whos looking at me because- not trying to make you or anyone else feel bad, genuinely, because I know why ya do it -but assumptions about me are the bane of my existence and have done nothing but start shit for me and I am exhausted, I much prefer being asked directly my opinions on things instead, I'm not the type to intentionally hide these things (unless its for my safety obviously)

Anyway I feel like I aged 25 years making this post I'm going to go take my pain meds and go to bed, apologies for the fuckin essay length post I have a lot of thoughts about things and stuff

if anyone wants me to clarify anything or vice versa when I'm more awake and in better charge of my mental faculties feel free to go to my inbox I guess, but for now I need sleep its midnight as im posting this lmao.

[phoenixyfriend]

Re; Ahsoka and Quinlan being the same age, now I'm picturing Ahsoka, Quinlan, and Rex eventually ending up in a weird sorta thruple where Quinlan comes in and out of the relationship but the door is kinda always open for him? And Rex spends a lot of mornings eyeing the tangle of orange and brown skin on the other side of the bed like he has no idea how he ended up here but he's (mostly) okay with that tbh

Context: Commander Buir in chronological order

YES okay so this is wild to me that people are invested in this but like half the time-travel fics with Ahsoka in the same age-group as Quinlan have me wondering if I should ship them. Let me just. Ho shit.

So, okay, I've explored a lot of possible dynamics but there's something really engaging about how Quinlan, trained as a Shadow before the Sith came back, could react to a War Padawan. Ahsoka isn't really infiltration material yet, she's very much a frontline fighter, but she's got a lot more experience with a kind of consistent dark atmosphere that most Jedi don't. They get exposed to plenty of dark stuff, sure, but not the kind of all-encompassing "this is my life for the last two years" thing that is usually reserved for the long-term field agents like Shadows and Watchmen.

The War Padawans, for all that they were supposed to be just normal Jedi Padawans, were living in the kind of consistently negative environment that's normally experienced by those Knighted Sentinels.

So Ahsoka, while still generally pretty young in these AUs, is a very odd kind of person to be around, because she's spunky and vivacious and snippy and affectionate and snarky and knows how to break every bone in your body from harrowing experience as the only thing standing between death and thousands of brothers.

And Quinlan, I imagine, really likes that about her. She gets it, and she's still an energetic and loving and trying to do her best to be a good person despite everything. He gravitates towards her and she... well, she's not blind. She can tell he's interested. And she's not upset about that.

ANYWAY, ONTO REX

So, Rex is... technically twelve. He hasn't exactly got a whole lot of experience with romance. He is also, up until the point of time-travel, legal property of the Senate and the Jedi Order, which means that Ahsoka, or at least her community, owns him. He was indoctrinated to serve her and that community. She also outranks him, for all that she usually lets him take the lead in the field due to experience. He's older than her physically and maturity-wise, but she's also had a grow-up-faster-than-you-should adolescence, and she has superpowers.

What I'm saying is, the power dynamic is fucked up.

(Unironically I spent hours last night realizing that it balances out a lot more than C*dywan does, which I'm censoring because by god do I not want discourse on this post. I like both ships, and don't want to argue about what's the most problematic. It's Star Wars. The only unproblematic ships are Bail/Breha and Owen/Beru.)

Here's the thing, though, because the main thing people seem to argue here is the age/maturity difference as a problem area:

The age difference in actual time is four years, which is smaller than the two main ships of the franchise (Han/Leia and Padme/Anakin, to be clear). The age difference in maturity is ??? We'll say that the clones started aging normally after they hit twenty, so the age difference in maturity is six years... which is still normal for SW ships.

(This is why I don't have any issues with the ship in a post-O66 context, once they've had a few years to move past the traumas and whatnot. The age stuff all evens out with time, they're a good team, and neither was grooming the other. It's not objectively any more problematic than most SW ships at that point, and I'm okay with that. They deserve to be happy if they want.)

But they get yanked away from all that structure of who owns what, who reports where, who has which rank, who's legally a person in the eyes of the Republic when they end up on Dagobah. Once they've registered when they are, the only remaining complications are:

He grew up in a cultlike environment and was indoctrinated to serve her (but has been replacing that indoctrination with genuine respect and affection for her as a person because they've worked together for two years).

She has superpowers (contextually not a big problem: we see several Force-Sensitive/Non-Sensitive ships that don't consider those powers a complicating element)

He's several years younger than her (canonically less of an issue than it could be: Cut got married and has kids) and has next to no experience with what a normal romance looks like except for hanging out on the edges of whatever the fuck his General has going on with the Senator

She's several years less mature than he is (...something of an issue)

So a lot of this is mostly okay. She feels weird about the fact that she's got more knowledge of romance and all that it entails. He feels weird about the fact that, despite her being older, he looks at her and sees someone that's still a little young, not quite a shiny. Except she is older than him, and he's seen her behead four people in a single move, and they've saved each other's lives more times than either of them can count anymore. He respects her, and the fact that she's babyfaced doesn't change the fact that, in terms of who they are as people and warriors, they're on a level playing field.

She still looks at him and mourns his lost childhood, and he still looks at her and takes a moment to see past the too-big eyes and adolescent proportions.

But they really, really care about each other, and maybe part of them is starting to recognize that there's a bit of a crush before they time-travel, but neither one wants to make a move. There's a lot of baggage on both sides, a lot of "but they're a child" and "but they're (literally vs functionally) below me in the chain of command, I can't take advantage of that" and all that fun stuff. It's the kind of situation where two people circle each other for ages without making a move, because actually making that move is terrifying on account of not knowing whether the other party knows they can say no, on top of the usual "what if it ruins our friendship?" thing.

What happens on Dagobah, though... is very tropey. They're sort of stranded until Ahsoka can fix the ship, and that takes time. The area is also very heavy with the Force, dense and heady with the energy it carries, and it's... actually really not great for Ahsoka. She keeps feeling like she's back on Mortis, and has nightmares from the trigger there, but also keeps hallucinating because she wasn't ready for the thickness of the energy (like Yoda) or still new enough to the Force that she couldn't feel how dense it all was (like Luke). She can't work on the engines as constantly as she'd like to get them out of there, and while Rex is a competent mechanic, he's not as skilled with it as the girl who jumped headfirst into lessons with Anakin.

Rex spends a lot of time holding Ahsoka and wiping her brow with a wet cloth while she's feverish and out of it. Yes we're going full Florence Nightingale romance here, let me have my fun.

They get the communications relay working earlier than the engine, find out the year is wrong, panic a bit. All is well. (It's not, but they're holding it together for now.)

Ahsoka keeps working on the engine when she's lucid. Rex keeps hunting up game and edible plants for them while she does. They cuddle at night, because it's not cold but it is empty of the people they care about, and they kind of want that reassurance of someone they trust and love at their back.

(Morai visits.)

(Daughter shows up in the nightmares, tells Ahsoka that age will not come for her beloved until the time is natural for it. The phrasing is dumb but she does manage to convey that the accelerated aging is no longer an issue, if it even was after they hit adulthood. Ahsoka is relieved.)

And, you know, emotions happen. She takes his hand while they're leaning up against each other. He kisses her forehead while she's having a bad spell. They cook together and tell jokes to keep sane and spar. They hug each other through nightmares and panic attacks. There is much blushing. There is much cuddling.

Once, they kiss.

They break apart, flushing and stammering and being very awkward about the whole thing, and make excuses to leave and panic about the fact that they!! Kissed!!!!!

A couple hours later they find each other again, and have a long and complicated discussion about why they like each other (war makes bedfellows, there's trust and affection and all that fun stuff) and why they're hesitant (age stuff, maturity stuff, prior indoctrination), and make the decision to take it slow. They cuddle, and kiss, and blush a lot because both of them are basically just dumb teens having their first real relationship.

They eventually leave the planet, make it to Coruscant, etc. It takes a bit for anyone except Obi-Wan to realize that something's changed between them. Most people didn't know them before, and Anakin's observation skills are currently at a very low ebb. But they sit together and hold hands, and flirt when they spar, and once or twice people find them kissing (both standard and Keldabe) in a corner while holding hands and then just smiling at each other like loons.

They end up rooming together because nobody has the heart to separate them after hearing about all the war stuff. Like yes attachment's bad, but these two do seem to understand loss of loved ones and recognize that they could lose each other at any time and death is natural and they won't lose their entire shit about it, and if even General Kenobi is anxious as hell about being separated from the people he fought side-by-side with for two years, then maybe it's just... really normal for those two to want each other's company, and everyone can just turn a blind eye to the romance happening.

They share a bed, but they only ever sleep in it. Like, there's some goodnight kisses and cuddles, but everything is very G-rated until they've had time to settle into being true equals instead of just the "well, I guess the power dynamics balance out? Maybe?" of before.

And just... yeah. Rex does not believe that he's in this good of a position whenever he has the time to think about it. He's got a girlfriend! A really pretty, smart, strong, skilled one! Who thinks he's a cool dude! How the fuck did a clone like him manage that? He wasn't even legally a person a year ago, how did he end up in bed with one of the most amazing people he's ever met? He spends multiple nights just staring at her while he tries to fall asleep, asking himself how he got here and just like... marveling at her. She's worth marveling at. He's in love and she's amazing and he has no idea how to handle it at all.

...yeah no I have a lot of feelings now.

[apathetic-revenant]

Hey I just wanted to say, Fuck the discourse. Those people aren't thinking and they have their heads up their asses. I'm sorry you're having to see or deal with any of this. I hope you create those stories one day sug

lord I was so nervous about getting hate for posting that, you have no idea how relieved I was to see this instead. thank you.

hell man, I’m not a confrontational person, I really don’t want to be a jackass to anyone, but this has been wearing on me bit by bit all week and I realized today that it’s getting to me more than the usual internet nonsense, and realized why it’s getting to me.

I understand the frustration with the lack of representation in media right now, but representation is never going to be one-size-fits-all. that’s why we need more of it in the first place, because no one show--and certainly no one relationship in one show--no matter what the creators do or what they make canon, is going to fulfill everybody’s needs.

this is especially going to be the case with something like Good Omens. this is a book that’s been out, and had a dedicated following, for almost thirty years now. that is a lot of time for a lot of people to bring their own meaningful interpretations to these characters, but now people are acting like there was One True Gay Answer all along and doing anything other than making that explicitly canon is a moral failing on Gaiman’s part.

it just...it makes me nervous. it really does. I can imagine it happening to me too easily. I can imagine, too easily, writing something that I didn’t think was romantic but someone else sure did, and getting the jokes, and then getting the anger for not making it canon. I mean, I understand that shipping is going to happen, and everything goes in fanfic, and that’s fine, people can do whatever the fuck they want out there--but when we get into the territory of people insisting that a character being [x], well, that’s obvious, the creator could only be a coward for not making it canon...it starts sounding like “I know this character better than you do so if you think they’re something else you’re wrong” which sounds a lot like “I know you think you know you’re ace but I don’t believe that so you’re wrong.”

and I’m sure that most people don’t mean it like that. I understand the importance of reclaiming material that doesn’t include room for you in it. I understand the importance of carving a space for yourself in the stories you enjoy. but if you’re not careful you can wind up pushing other people out of that space in the process.

I have been through the experience of interpreting or relating to characters as ace only to get told canonically or close-to-canonically that “ha ha, no, don’t be silly, of COURSE they’re not” multiple times. I’m used to it. it hurts. if Good Omens had done that, it would have hurt. I wouldn’t have been surprised. I would have shrugged and said, welp, that’s what usually happens. but it would have hurt all the same.

but I also would never ever have wanted the show to do the reverse and say “oh they’ve never been romantically attracted and anyone who thought so was wrong.” that’d be terrible and hurtful to all the people who thought that over the past thirty years. coming down canonically on any one particular interpretation of Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship would always have left someone hurt.

I can’t imagine that the authors ever anticipated the book becoming as popular as it did, let alone becoming a miniseries getting discussed on tumblr in 2019, and they didn’t exactly write it with the representation needs of thirty years in the future in mind. but they’ve been warm and open to a fanbase that did see the characters as a couple, and Gaiman’s been very upfront about the series and his intentions and why he made the choices he did from the moment it started production. he’s never been flippant or dismissive about the feelings people have towards the book or the interpretations they bring to it.

I think he had a hard balance to strike there but I think he did the best he could. I know a lot of people see him saying “I didn’t want to rule out them being ace or aro” as “I’m not willing to say that they’re gay.” but I saw a creator I admire saying “I acknowledge that you exist, and the way you relate to this material is valid.” and I cannot begin to tell you how much that meant to me. I almost cried.

I want my writing to be diverse. I want, and intend, to have as wide a spectrum of characters as possible, with a wide spectrum of relationships among them. but I also want space to write about things that are important to me, that I don’t get to see in media very much or at all. and this past week has made that potential space feel smaller and less accessible. 

anyway that was probably a way longer response than was really necessary, but it’s late. I need to go to bed and not think about this anymore.