#which is not an excuse for the material that is on there

[hms-no-fun]

also let's be real. "just get a library card" really doesn't take scarcity into account.

i live in seattle which has a big & relatively well-funded public library system... in which i have found it chronically difficult to get access to any of the things i've gone to the library to find! which is perfectly understandable on the physical media side-- if the library has 13 copies of ursula k leguin's left hand of darkness and they're all checked out, well, that's just how it is sometimes! it sucks to want to read one of the great classics of speculative science fiction for free only to find that it's not available and has 20 holds on it besides, but whatever, that's fine, i don't need to read the physical version, i can just get the ebook and it's not a big deal at all---

wait. hold on. wait. i'm sorry, what? hold on, excuse me?? what do you mean they only have 33 "copies" of left hand of darkness on ebook? it's a freaking ebook! there's no material scarcity here, it's a digital file and not even a particularly big one that can be reproduced via the complicated process of hitting ctrl+c and then hitting ctrl+v, at no cost to anyone. this was in fact the liberatory promise of the ebook, and much digital media besides-- in a data environment without scarcity of materials, access to information is instantaneous, infinitely reproducible, and virtually cost-free.

which is of course a great deal for readers but a terrible deal for publishers. i mean, shit, it's not even that bad a deal, they just think it is because at the end of the day they have no values except the one value that is shared by every business, profit. it doesn't matter that cheap or no-cost ebooks are a social good that encourage people to read more (and more readers is good for publishers), it doesn't matter that basically everyone i know who pirates shit goes out of their way to pay for what they really care about when they can afford to do so, and of course it doesn't matter that digital files saddled with DRM are a bald-faced absurdity that reek of shameless greed at a glance. for publishers (as with all businesses), maintaining the rate of profit exceeds every other conceivable obligation. and tbh if they had their way libraries wouldn't exist. the idea of free access to anything is deplorable to capitalist firms.

and it's not just ebooks. kanopy is a streaming service that libraries nationwide are hooked up to, and the depth of its collection exceeds basically every other streaming service by miles. and all you need is a library card! ah, but here's the catch-- your library membership doesn't grant you unlimited access to kanopy's offerings the way a netflix subscription lets you watch everything on netflix forever. instead, you have a set number of "tickets" allotted to you per month (the amount you get depends on what kind of library you're using) and once you've used your tickets, that's it. my library card gives me 15 tickets per month. most movies cost 2 tickets, shorts cost 1, and seasons of tv cost 5. now, am i using all 15 tickets every month? nope! i basically never use kanopy because the very notion of the ticket system causes me to question every choice-- what if i pick something and don't like it, that's a waste of tickets! which is objectively silly, but that's what happens when humans are confronted with scarcity. and this is helped none at all by the fact that upon spending your tickets on a movie, you've got 72 hours to watch it before it expires. for a season of television, you get a week. a week! for an entire season of television!! sorry babe but i just am not the binge-watching type, you give me this kind of limitation and i'm going straight to the pirate mines out of sheer spite. and no, before you ask, your tickets don't roll over from month to month. obviously.

it's the same story with every type of digital media that libraries seek to provide-- publishers/labels/studios demanding enforced artificial scarcity, a functional means test against letting the poors get too much for free. and yet! you can get a spotify subscription for basically nothing! you can get a netflix subscription for basically nothing! you can get an audible subscription for basically nothing! and such services certainly have their fair share of copy protections built in, they are far more generous than the library-accessible alternative. and you know what those platforms all have in common? THEY'RE THE ONES STEALING PROFITS FROM THE PUBLISHERS. it's not libraries giving out too many ebooks, it's all these tech company grifters middle-manning their way into already-corrupt industries to pocket what little profits those publishers weren't already stealing from the creators whose work they sell. but that's okay because they're big corporations that have signed licensing agreements and at least they contribute some profits unlike those mooching libraries. anyway let's sue the internet archive into oblivion, let's throw the book at libraries, we need to curtail piracy, we can't have these welfare queens strutting around etc etc etc. it's the same old story. fuck poor people for being poor and wanting access to things they can't afford. fuck libraries, fuck social services, fuck food stamps and healthcare and rent assistance, i have to get mine and if you've got a problem with that then i'll see you in court.

by all means, get a library card if you can. use your library if you have one and support it whenever and however possible. but understand that piracy for many is the only remaining alternative, and it is unfortunately often better than what's offered by libraries precisely because they're hamstrung by the greed of corporations. this is a big, complicated, messy issue with no one-size-fits-all solution, and finger-wagging at people pirating books just is not the way

as a fellow Public Library Enthusiast i am begging people to consider the fact that not everywhere has an accessible public library or indeed public libraries at all. just saying “get a library card” at strangers when you have no idea about their background or their life isn’t very helpful. let them pirate in peace

[lost-in-fandoms]

Winter Warmers Day 28: Lactation + Day 7: Omegaverse. Maxiel (omega Max, alpha Daniel). About 2.6k words. Yes you read that number right. cw: mentions of mpreg (but not actual mpreg happens).

The doctor tells him it's just hormones, a combination of this stressful season finally being over and of the mating, and that he can't do anything about it, it will just go away on its own. Max tries his best to not roll his eyes at that, feeling like this was just an embarrassing waste of time.

The doctor tells him to keep hydrated, and that being close to his mate might help. And that a pump might help as well.

Max is not going to buy a milk pump, thank you very much. No matter how sore and full his chest feels, it's not going to happen. He's going to grit his teeth through it until his body remembers that he's not pregnant, and stops this lactation nonsense.

He gets out of the doctor's office in a worse mood than he went in with, which is made even worse when he realises halfway home that he's leaking through his shirt, the damp material rubbing against his already sore and swollen nipples.

Embarrassing, is what it is.

He's always prided himself with the fact that he's not a normal omega, he doesn't let his hormones and instincts control him, has never panted after an alpha. He's always wanted Daniel because he is Daniel, not because of his designation. He doesn't do silly omega stuff, like begging for pups, or getting pregnant.

Not that there's anything wrong with it, he loves pups, he just isn't that kind of omega. And yet here his body is, betraying him by producing milk that isn't even needed, just because he is finally mated.

Embarrassing.

When he gets home he has one email from Christian, one from the doctor's office, and three missed calls from Daniel. He wants to deal with exactly none of those things, so as soon as he's inside he strips off his top, glaring at the wet spots on the front as if they're personally offending him, which they are, grabs a towel because he is still leaking, and climbs into his nest.

Even with the comforting scents of home and Daniel wrapped around him, and the cats purring near his legs, he's still in a terrible mood when his phone pings again, with yet another call.

He knows that if he leaves Daniel without an answer for much longer he'll just worry him, and as upset as he is, he doesn't want to do that, so he forces himself to reach over and grab the phone, taking a deep breath before answering.

It's good, to hear from Daniel. Even when he's feeling like this, hearing his mate's voice is always good, especially since he's been in Los Angeles for more than a week, and Max misses him.

Misses him, but not enough to not feel horrified when Daniel tells him he's coming home early. Tomorrow.

"Tomorrow?" Max asks, hoping he doesn't sound as choked up as he feels. Tomorrow is not enough time to make his stupid problem go away. If Daniel really comes tomorrow, Max will have to tell him, and explain, and it will be embarrassing and horrible and...

"Baby? Are you okay?"

Max takes a trembling breath, blinking tears out of his eyes, realising he must have missed Daniel's question. He doesn't even know why he feels like crying now, yet another omega thing he doesn't want. Stupid body. Stupid hormones.

"I'm fine, just...the cats are fighting and jumping on things." It comes out weak, and Max doesn't blame Sassy for blinking up at him from where she's curled up with her brother next to his hip, perfectly calm.

It makes Daniel laugh though, and it gives Max an excuse to wrap up the conversation more quickly, even as guilt eats at him. He hates lying, hates it especially when it's to Daniel, but he just...he can't deal with everything at the moment.

As soon as he hangs up, dropping his phone somewhere in the nest, he feels more tears track down his cheeks, unable to stop them, as his chest throbs, heavy and painful.

He hates this. It's not fair. He wants to be happy to know his mate his coming home, he wants to enjoy the feeling of being freshly mated, he doesn't want to feel like this, sore and all over the place.

If at least he was pregnant...he doesn't want to be pregnant, but at least it would make sense, to be such a mess. But he doesn't even have that excuse. He's just fucked up.

--

Max doesn't go get Daniel at the airport.

He had half heartedly suggested it, but Daniel had told him not to worry, his voice a bit weird, and to just wait for him at home.

So that's what Max is doing, curled up in the nest, purring softly and tugging at his own hair, trying to self-soothe. His chest really hurts today, nipples sore and oversensitive, sending sparks of pain through him every time he moves and the material of his shirt drags over them. He has thrown one of Daniel's hoodies on top, one of the thick ones that are actually way too warm from him, hoping the added material will stop any damp patches to show through.

He knows he should get up, go to the living room, at least try to look normal, but he's upset, and he's hurting, and he's...scared. He's scared.

He doesn't know how Daniel will react to his body being so fucked up, doesn't know if he'll be disgusted, if he'll leave again, if he'll leave forever. He knows how much unmating hurts, he doesn't want to go through that. He doesn't want Daniel to leave.

He loses track of time, cuddling a towel against his chest, under his shirt, trying to breathe, and he jumps when he hears the door clicking open.

"Max? I'm home!" Daniel's voice rings through the apartment, and Max feels torn. A part of him wants to jump out of the nest, run to him, let his alpha fix this, but the other wants to hide, burrow further into the nest, curl up in a tight ball until nothing hurts anymore.

"Max?" Daniel calls again, and this time his tone is different, worry clear in his voice.

Max is not wearing any blockers, and he knows the stench of distressed omega must be sticking to every corner of the house by now.

He knows he won't be able to hide.

The bedroom door opens slowly, and Max looks up, feeling himself flush, knowing how he looks, curled up in his nest. A weak, scared omega.

Embarrassing.

"Baby," Daniel breathes, concern and confusion mixing on his face, "what's wrong?"

Max blames on the hormones the fact that he feels himself tear up again, sharply bowing his head to try and hide it, without much success if Daniel's punched out sound is anything to go by.

"Maxy, talk to me. Can I..." Daniel takes a step forward, stopping right next to the bed. "Can I come into your nest?"

Daniel usually doesn't ask.

He used to, because it was the polite thing to do, but he stopped after Max made it clear that he was always welcomed, in any nest, at any time. But he asks now, and it makes Max whine, feeling shaken and out of place.

He nods, and a moment later Daniel's arms are around him, humming deep in his chest, trying to soothe him.

"Your scent is different," he murmurs after a second, nose dragging along Max's neck, lips brushing over his mating bite, making him whine. "Are you sick?"

And Max could lie, he could make up an illness, send Daniel out of his nest, but he's just. Tired. And scared, and so so done with this.

So he shakes his head, gently pushing Daniel away.

He knows he will have to tell Daniel, and sooner is better than later.

"I am not sick," he whispers, hating how his voice trembles, "but there is something wrong with me."

He watches as Daniel's frown deepens, his hands twitching like he wants to reach out for Max again.

"I went to the doctor, and he said it will pass." The words taste bitter in his mouth, but he needs to say them anyway, needs to make sure Daniel is not feeling forced to stay. " I understand if you want to not be here until it's over."

"Max, baby, if something is wrong I will be here with you. Why would I leave you? You're scared."

Max closes his eyes, overwhelmed by the love and confusion on Daniel's expression. Daniel doesn't know what he's saying, but Max can appreciate it anyway.

"Can you tell me what's wrong?" Daniel asks, hesitant.

Max nods, but then he shakes his head. He can't say it. He doesn't know how to say it.

Instead, he just pushes further away, and takes off his hoodie and t-shirt in one move.

For a second, nothing happens.

Daniel looks at him like he's trying to figure out what he's supposed to be looking at, eyes moving back and forth between Max's face and his naked skin.

And then Max feels the now familiar feeling of liquid swelling in his nipple, and slowly trickling out.

He stops breathing, watching as Daniel's eyes, huge and unblinking, follow the drop as it tracks down his chest.

When it reaches the waistband of his sweats, disappearing there, Daniel looks up again.

"You're...pregnant?" his voice sounds hollow, all color drained from his face.

"No," Max manages to choke out, swallowing around the heart beating in his throat. "It's just...my body is fucked up."

Daniel just blinks at him, mouth still half open.

"The doctor," Max rushes to explain, feeling like he's running out of time before Daniel will just get up and leave, "he said it's just hormones. And it will go away. I swear, it's not...it will pass."

He knows he sounds like he's begging, a whine making its way into his voice, but he can't help it. He doesn't want Daniel to leave. He doesn't want to lose him.

"Max..." Daniel starts, but then he seems to not know how to continue. Max can't blame him.

He feels more liquid, milk he forces himself to think, dribble out of his nipple, and he instinctively brings his hands up to cup his chest, trying to alleviate some of the ache.

"Does it hurt?" Daniel's voice is rough, and Max can't bring himself to look at his face anymore, feeling already too close to tears to be able to bear any disgust.

"They are very sore," he nods, no point in hiding anymore.

"The doctor couldn't help?"

Max can just shake his head, shrugging a little.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." he doesn't know how to apologise properly for this. What do you say when your body betrays you?

Daniel shifts, and Max closes his eyes, not wanting to see him leave, but instead of moving away, he feels him come closer, his scent rich with something Max can't quite place.

"Can I?" Daniel asks, hushed.

Max nods, not really knowing what Daniel is asking for but knowing he would say yes to anything right now.

And then Daniel's cold fingers are on his chest, cupping it like...like tits.

Max shivers, but doesn't move away, feeling himself flush, unable to sort through everything he's feeling.

"Fuck, you are so swollen," Daniel says, his fingers still careful on Max's skin.

"The doctor said," Max swallows, shaking a little as Daniel's hands shift, "that a pump might help."

It's embarrassing to admit, to say it out loud, but Daniel makes another little punched out sound, breathing out another curse.

"Yeah, I bet it would. You're so full, baby."

Max swallows again, more shivers traveling down his spine. He doesn't know what to say, doesn't know if he has any word to describe what he's feeling.

"Would it help if I..." Daniel doesn't finish his question, but cups one of Max's tits with his hand, bringing his index and thumb next to his nipple, and then squeezes.

Max jolts like he's being electrocuted, milk spurting from his nipple with the motion, and it feels so good he can't help the moan that falls from his lips.

"Shit, does that feel good?"

Something in Daniel's voice makes Max's eyes snap open, and he shivers again when he meets Daniel's, his pupils huge. His scent is deep with arousal, and with a start Max realises he's getting wet too.

It's overwhelming, going from being scared to being so turned on, and he'll blame it on the relief, or on the hormones, but he just wants Daniel to do it again.

"Yes, I...please," he whines, bringing his trembling hands up to Daniel's wrists, pressing them harder into his chest.

"Fuck, I got you, baby. Shit."

Daniel shifts slightly, and then he's squeezing both Max's nipples, and the feeling is so strong he moans again, so loud it's almost a scream. He can feel his chest getting more and more wet, and the ache that has been plaguing him for days is less severe now, relief mixing with pleasure.

Then Daniel leans forward, taking a nipple in his mouth, tongue gentle on his oversensitive skin, and sucks.

And Max comes with a shout.

It curses through him, quick and violent, leaving him shaking and panting, dazed and confused. He's never come so fast in his life. He didn't even know he was close to coming.

Daniel is still sucking at his nipple, liquid spilling from the corners of his mouth, and all Max can do is writhe on the blankets, clumsy hands reaching for Daniel's waist, dragging him closer.

"Fuck," Daniel chokes out, letting go of his nipple. There's a sheen of milky white on his lower lip. Max feels like he's going to shake apart.

"You taste so good, fuck, Max."

Max moans again, tugging at Daniel's clothes, trying to get rid of them, wanting Daniel closer now.

"In me, Daniel, alpha, please," he's whining, babbling, torn between wanting Daniel to go back to his nipples and wanting him to get naked already.

Daniel solves the conundrum for him, getting rid of his clothes and tugging away Max's sweatpants too, moaning at the sight of the wet patch in his underwear.

"You're going to kill me," he groans, bowing down to bite at Max's thigh, making him jump again, hips grinding against nothing, before taking his underwear off.

"Inside. I need...inside, please," Max begs, feeling half crazed. His chest hurts again, and he is too empty, and he wants Daniel to fix it.

And Daniel does.

Daniel snaps his hips forward without teasing, sinking all the way inside in one smooth stroke, and then he gets his mouth on Max's nipples again.

Max doesn't know what to focus on. Daniel's dick inside him, grinding in an irregular motion, all his attention somewhere else. Daniel's mouth on him, sucking, his milk dribbling down into his beard. The pleasure and relief of finally having his breast emptied.

He doesn't know what sounds he's making, doesn't know if he's crying, or begging, or moaning, or everything at the same time. He feels like he's coming, over and over again, or maybe only one never ending time.

He feels it when Daniel comes, knotting deep inside him, and when he doesn't have any more milk to give. He feels light, for the first time in days, floating somewhere above himself, lost in a daze.

When he comes back to himself, Daniel is mouthing along his collarbone, his scent sweet and satisfied.

"We will have to talk about this," he says, voice slightly hoarse, "but I promise you, I will not be leaving until this goes away."

Max laughs, tired and spent. Yeah, he sort of figured that out already.

[purpledemonlilyposting]

Hey um, your views on stuff like incest kinks and age regression kinks are kinda confusing to me? It's relatively common for people who have gone through sexual trauma to develop psychosexual stuff like that, and those who are into it just... Roleplay it with other adults? They don't actually wanna fuck children or family members irl, in the same way that roleplaying being an animal during sex doesn't mean you wanna actually fuck animals. It's just strange to me to automatically declare someone a predator for something that only happens in their head and doesn't harm any actual children? Also just because someone is into that stuff doesn't mean it is what they mean when they say "kink at pride", I think everyone is pretty much in agreement that it refers to leather daddies and things that only involve dressing up in certain ways, which I don't think any children will get traumatized by. I hope this all makes sense, I just feel like a lot of the opinions I've been seeing about these topics are kinda acting on an immediate disgust response and assuming the worst case scenario instead of actually analysing the material harm done?

Anon. You've either been manipulated or are excusing fucked up shit yourself but listen up: the people online gooning to incest and kids are not doing it for "therapy". They are using that as an excuse to be a creep on main.

It's not "happening only in their head" when they're writing on Tumblr Dot Com that it would be super healthy for pedophiles to draw child porn for themselves.

Maybe you're compelled to be compassionate and open minded, a predator will take advantage of that. There is no low a sexual predator won't sink to. I assure you that you don't have to put up with someone's goonery in the name of being liberal or enlightened or progressive or whatever it is you're telling yourself. Because most of them get off on doing it in public and having useful idiots like you be their flying monkeys.

Any amount of wanting to fuck kids is fucked up and requires psychiatric treatment. I don't see anything swaying me from that opinion. I don't see what's wrong with having an "immediate disgust response" to that other than you're invested in training people to ignore their gut instincts around a shady sex pest.

Paraphilias always escalate, that's why the people who get caught with CP get caught with alot of it. More than they could even possibly consume. Thousands of tapes, terabytes of data, whatever form it's in. And at that point you're more animal than human.

People rarely mean leather daddies when they say "kink at Pride" because that's never been a debate. What they mean is "gay people are sex freaks so heterosexual kinksters belong at Pride too".

[criticalcrusherbot]

This critique is a cocktail of cherry-picking, bad-faith interpretations, and outright fabrication, so let’s shred it systematically.

1. “If you don’t want to be cheated on, don’t be a bitch harpy!”

This is clearly referring to Stella in Helluva Boss. Stella isn’t just a “bitch harpy”—she’s written as an abuser. Her portrayal as toxic isn’t about blaming her for Stolas’s infidelity; it’s about giving context for why their marriage is a wreck. Stolas cheating isn’t excused, and the show doesn’t portray him as morally clean. His guilt and struggles with his actions are major plot points.

Also, let’s not pretend that Helluva Boss endorses cheating—it shows the fallout of Stolas’s actions hurting everyone involved, including Octavia. If anything, it condemns cheating while exploring why imperfect people do it.

2. “If you don’t like catcalling, stop being a bitch to men it will make things worse!”

The argument that Vivziepop suggests women are responsible for harassment or catcalling because they’re “bitchy” to men is a gross distortion of her comments, and frankly, an intellectually lazy take. First, harassment is about the behavior of the harasser, not the victim’s response. No one should ever be blamed for unwanted attention, regardless of how they react to it. The idea that someone “asks for” harassment by not being pleasant or accommodating is not only outdated but dangerous. It perpetuates the toxic myth that women are somehow responsible for the actions of men, which is flat-out wrong. Viv’s comments, poorly worded as they may have been, don’t excuse catcalling or harassment—they’re being misrepresented as an attempt to justify it, which is an unfair oversimplification. Harassment is never the victim’s fault, and trying to shift blame onto women for how they handle unwanted attention only further enables the very behavior that should be condemned.

3. “Don’t get surprised when someone sexually harasses you as a minor if you spoke to the person first!”

The argument that Vivziepop somehow implies victims of sexual harassment—particularly minors—are to blame for their own abuse simply because they engaged with the perpetrator is a gross misinterpretation of both the context and her statements. While Viv was criticized for her responses to certain fan interactions, suggesting that she condoned or excused harassment based on the victim’s actions is both misleading and harmful. Viv’s comments were likely poorly phrased and taken out of context, but they do not justify blaming victims for being harassed, especially minors who should never be held responsible for the inappropriate actions of others. Sexual harassment is about the perpetrator’s behavior, not the victim’s engagement. To reduce a complex and sensitive issue to victim-blaming rhetoric not only ignores the actual power dynamics at play but also undermines the real harm caused by harassment. Vivziepop has clarified her stance over time, and this argument against her is based on a misunderstanding of her intentions, not an accurate reflection of her views on harassment.

4. “If you signed a contract you can only blame yourself for being raped, suck it up and don’t feel sorry for yourself.”

This is a Hazbin Hotel reference to Angel Dust’s storyline. Let’s be clear: Angel Dust is a victim of exploitation and sexual abuse, and the show portrays it as tragic. The power dynamics between Angel and Valentino are explicitly shown to be abusive. The narrative doesn’t blame Angel Dust—it focuses on his struggles to regain agency and dignity. This take reeks of someone deliberately misreading the material to fit their smear campaign.

5. “If you don’t like your pay or treatment, you don’t have to work here.”

Mischaracterizing Vivziepop as someone who tells her employees to just “leave” if they don’t like their pay or treatment is not only dishonest, but also ignores the fact that these critiques are usually based on a few bad-faith interpretations of online exchanges. Vivienne has addressed complaints about the work environment and compensation in her projects multiple times, and while her responses may not have always been perfect, reducing her stance to “just quit if you don’t like it” is an oversimplified, lazy take. This kind of narrative conveniently ignores her efforts to build her shows and team from the ground up, often under tight budgetary constraints, and ignores the nuances of creative labor in independent spaces. Criticizing her for not offering a “one-size-fits-all” solution only proves you’re more interested in tearing her down than actually engaging with the full context.

6. “If you’re talking about killing systemic racists, you just want to feel superior to them yourself.”

The claim that Striker is vilified simply for fighting against the system misses the point entirely. Striker isn’t vilified because he opposes the upper class—he’s vilified because he’s a hypocrite who uses that opposition as an excuse for violence and self-interest. His actions aren’t about dismantling systemic injustice; he’s just trying to replace one form of power with his own. The show doesn’t portray him as a victim of the system—it shows that his so-called fight for change is actually a power grab, and he’s willing to kill anyone who stands in his way. Striker is not being punished for opposing the system, but for being a selfish, violent character who manipulates his supposed cause for personal gain.

7. “The real answer is having sex with and having families with your oppressor.”

The relationship between Stolas and Blitz isn’t about endorsing romantic relationships with oppressors; it’s about the toxic, complicated nature of their connection. Yes, Stolas holds power over Blitz, but their dynamic is full of emotional manipulation, unhealthy dependencies, and broken people trying to navigate their flaws. It’s not about glorifying the power imbalance; it’s about showing how it leads to dysfunction. This take oversimplifies the relationship, ignoring the fact that both characters are victims of their own choices and circumstances. The show isn’t celebrating the power imbalance but highlighting how it’s destructive. Additionally, it explores the complexities of navigating differences between social classes and challenges societal expectations, illustrating that oppression is a systemic issue that affects groups, not just individuals. The characters are trying to figure out how to navigate that as individuals within those systems.

8. “If you didn’t want to be put in an arrangement of sexual favours for work, why did you go in the man’s bedroom?”

The idea that Helluva Boss is saying “if you didn’t want to be put in an arrangement of sexual favours, why did you go in the man’s bedroom?” completely misses the point. The show doesn’t condone Stolas’ manipulative behavior—it’s about showing how toxic their power imbalance is. In the episode “Full Moon,” Stolas recognizes how unfair the arrangement is and genuinely tries to make things right by offering Blitz more respect and autonomy. But due to miscommunication and emotional baggage, things blow up, and their relationship falls apart. It’s not about blaming Blitz—it’s about showing how both characters are trapped in unhealthy dynamics, and Stolas is actively trying to fix it.

In short: try again when you’ve actually watched the shows and done the bare minimum of engaging with their themes instead of concocting an edgy hate post for internet clout.

[silverlining-ships]

I'm deeply curious! You understand and analyse Jasper very well. Where did you start with this? I'm wanting to understand the characters of my f/os on a deeper level as well so I can be confident writing and drawing them, but it feels daunting when there's so much to cover and consider! Arcs, themes, motivations, connections to other characters, how they change... Is it just a matter of time/paying prolonged attention?

this is SUCH a fun ask, thank you for giving me the opportunity to go into this a bit!! character analysis is SO much fun to me, even outside of self shipping, so I'm so grateful for this!!

so disclaimer. I have engaged with steven universe specifically since it aired, which is probably too many years. this world and its mechanics are incredibly familiar to me just from how long I've played in this world. so it sometimes is partially a matter of time! but character analysis doesn't always need time, sometimes it just needs a bit of playing around! some of the things I do are:

wiki hopping:

this is SO much fun to me. I'll read a characters wiki until I hit something that makes me think wait... why is that? fandom wiki is always imperfect so no matter the character there are normally inconsistencies or things that just seem thrown in there

an example with Jasper is I was reading her wiki and reread the piece where it says she's implied to know how to pilot a Roaming Eye (piece of surveillance spacecraft) and was like. . . wait. I know she is a Quartz soldier, which are like ground level front line muscle in the caste system. so WHY would she know how to pilot SPACECRAFT?

so that's my question, and I'll hop around the wiki overall to try and find an answer! in this instance I refreshed a lot of my memory on the caste system, some of the other Jaspers, the spacecraft in the show.

sometimes I won't be able to find an answer - which is where I can use headcanons to fill in the gaps! I could go on and on about the conclusions I've reached with Jasper, but overall I feel as though she is a specially designed soldier made when the war was at a low point, and with her ground expertise and stellar record they pulled her into other necessary tasks during the war - like piloting!

essay writing:

no I'm not kidding and everyone who's reading this knows that. I LOVE building essays. no it doesn't have to be perfect grammatically sound text, but it can be so fun to start a text post posing a question/commenting on something you noticed from a character, and just. elaborating on it!

like for example, I have a text post somewhere where I pose the question that - if Jasper is so against fusion, and fusion is taboo in Homeworld, how did she know its functionality enough to initiate fusion with an entirely different Gem? and I just went through stuff. considering different scenes I've seen her in, the wiki, of course. it's a lot of rambling! but I feel the rambling helps draw you to a conclusion

engaging with the media itself:

one, our source media is always fun to come back to, so now you have another excuse!

two. . . you will always notice something new when you re-engage with the media. maybe the character reacted to a conflict in a way that you didn't really think about that much before. maybe you notice the character's physical expressions or the way they gesture.

engaging with the media also gives you a chance to really feel out a character arc as well. you can read the wiki all you want, but really diving into the source material helps you feel the pace that it was intended to go at.

other things to consider:

really when you're doing char analysis for fun you want to focus on what interests YOU specifically. for Jasper, I am consistently so so fascinated with who she was behind the screen and trying to figure out her history from the very little the show gave us, so I tend to analyze those things specifically and try and figure them out. always start with what YOU want to learn first and just. . . build it up from there!

"Arcs, themes, motivations, connections to other characters, how they change…" - these are all SUCH fun ways to explore a character, but which ones fascinate you the most? what do you love about your f/o, and then. . . why are they like that? why do they DO that thing you really like?

I hope this wasn't too rambly I love talking about char analysis hahaha

[anoant-haikyuu-dump]

Happy December Nekoma nation

[thatbuddie]

"eddie isn't queer/gay," you say. "he is straight in canon, so him being gay is just a head canon. it's ok for others to think of him as straight because that's what he is."

let's ignore for a second the fact that eddie has never ever ever ever not even once, said in canon that he is a heterosexual very straight guy. seriously!!! he has never once said it!!! if i am "assuming" he's gay then you are also "assuming" he is straight even though he has never once said it!!

how do you think we got bi buck as canon? like i am serious right now, answer the question. how do you think we go bi buck canon? evan buckley was never conceived to be a bisexual man at the beginning of 911. the reason we have evan buckley as a canonically bisexual character today is because us, queer fans of 911, interpreted him and headcanoned him as bisexual. i would go even further and say that it was us, BUDDIE FANS, who interpreted him and headcanoned him as bi. even before the writers were explicitly writing him as bisexual. we read his actions and his story and his identity and said: "this is a bi character!" and the writers looked back and realized that it made sense! and so they started writing him explicitly and canonically as bi.

was it wrong of us to headcanon a character as bisexual then? like for all intents and purposes we were reading a "straight" character as bi. were we doing something wrong? how come you are not complaining/chastising us/shaming us for how we took evan buckley, an otherwise straight character, and saw him as bi? is it because it now serves a purpose to you that he is bi?

also, taking characters that aren't confirmed queer and reading them as queer is what the queer community, and specifically the queer fandom community, has been doing for DECADES. look up the history of queer coding, i am begging you. it has been through the means of queer coding and the perseverance of people that are engaged in it that actual queer representation in media has increased. and let me tell you right now, eddie diaz is, undoubtedly and undeniably, one of the most queer coded characters there is. whether you think this queer coding is conscious by the writers or not. eddie diaz is queer coded.

and i want everyone who says things like "eddie diaz is not a queer character. he is straight in canon. it's wrong to assume a character is queer without the character saying so" to know that this is exactly what straight and homophobic people say. you are using the SAME rhetoric that has been used to shame queer fans for decades for seeing themselves and their experiences in fictional characters of all types. in fact, us, queer fans (and again BUDDIE FANS), were told so many times by straight fans that we were wrong for reading buck as bisexual. and where are we now? where did reading buck as bi take us? oh yeah, to having bi buck in canon.

so please just stop with the "eddie isn't queer in canon" comments. if you don't want to interpret eddie as queer then that is your prerogative. i will be judging why that is, for sure, but it is your right. but be honest about it. it has nothing to do with whether or not he is straight (which hasn't been said) or queer coded (which he so obviously is seeing as so many of us can very easily read him as queer). it's a personal preference and you're not engaging with canon better because of it.

[agnesmontague]

idk how to put this more smartly but theres a weird trend among online leftists who have circled right back around to this quasi-religious hatred of all material need and its just. sorry but needing money to stay alive isn't... greed. you're not selling out by doing an ad read esp if it's something you're doing as a job. even if the job is artistic in nature

anticapitalism is the main tenet here for sure but at the same time it helps to.., idk. not act like we spiritually need to start forfeiting all mortal goods bc it's the one path towards nirvana or something. every once in a while i notice people reinventing asceticism in the name of praxis and it's very Sigma Grindset but with a lefty hat

[mars-ipan]

I JUST WANNA MAKE THE WHOLE EARTH SMILE

[bonebabbles]

wait im sorry. ive never read past the first book of dotc and all my knowledge of it really just comes from your blogs. wh. why did the erins decide to include sexual violence in warriors? like. that seems a little. too much? like all im hearing of dotc is just. terrible shit. i like reading more angst/serious stuff (i wanna say darker but not in the way "dark media" usually means on this site) but this feels like WAYYY to much for a book series meant for kids....... what were they thinking??

I legitimately do not understand what people like about DOTC. You can go back to where I started this re-read, and you can visibly watch my charitability drain as the project goes on.

It feels like literally everything that people say they like about this arc is not there, while they've completely forgotten or misremembered SERIOUSLY awful shit

And now, listen. I'm a huge fan of xenofiction, which is a genre that is full of kid's and teen's media, but I do love more adult fiction. I love nuanced themes, dark subjects, and complicated plots.

DOTC's message is just plain odious. None of what it sets out to say is worth saying, and it's borderline incompetent at even saying it to begin with.

What they want to say with Clear Sky and Slash is that Clear Sky isn't "evil." He's a "fundamentally good person," and all of his intentions were good, so he learned a valuable lesson from all the abuse and murder. To say this, they CONTRAST him to Slash, a REAL evil person, who just loves hurting kids and harassing women. Clear Sky is good because he is not "real evil" like this fake, cartoon caricature we just made up.

There was absolutely zero need for them to write Slash the way they did. They really want you to be distressed for Clear Sky as his wife is assaulted in front of him and hauled off while kicking and screaming, and they decided the best way to do that was pregnant woman pinning face licking. Sexual violence is an easy way to disgust and anger an audience, simple as that.

As a kid you may not realize how messed up it is (though the asks I get on this blog are a testament to how many kids did, but didn't have the words to express their discomfort) but as an adult with your critical thinking on? It hits different.

[t3chborb]

I don't consider Ramattra difficult to draw, just very time consuming due to all the details.

... Excluding his ELBOWS, of all things.

Try extending your own arm and twisting your wrist and then entire arm. How in God's name do those kinds of motions (or in my case, poses) translate to a robot arm without a ball joint at the elbow???? I swear whenever I pose my arms to get a better idea on where the elbow itself points, which side of the hand has the the thumb, etc etc, then translate the information onto him, 99% of the time he ends up with dislocated elbows...

[freuleinanna]

...but that's the thing. That's the thing. He is young, and so is she, and youth is violent.

Masriel in the post-affair era, meeting before the trial.

[lonepower]

I think the thing about the wardor games is that they are good games, made by people who are excellent at making video games, with a good story, told by people who are absolutely terrible at telling a story

[bisexualamy]

.

[faerieroseart]

just realized i've never posted my witch hat atelier OC here! this is aurelia, a jellyfish-inspired brimhat who uses forbidden magic in the pursuit of immortality and criminally good fashion. i wanted to make a witch OC inspired by some of the trends of the 2000s while still adhering to the design conventions of WHA (to the best of my abilities, anyways). i'm hoping to flesh out more of her magic and backstory as i work on her character more, but have this for now!

[rollercoasterwords]

reading the first edition of whipping girl (2007) and getting to the last ch where serano talks abt her current observations on queer activism and then makes predictions abt what the future might look like

well she certainly was right wasn't she!!!