#why must all the gays be doomed

[anotherferalrat]

Is it just me or like...

Alien Stage can't have a satisfying ending?

Now that's not to say it can't have a satisfying narrative conclusion but like- I think there's no way we can feel better after Round 6.

Hear me out.

So let's say Till loses Round 7 because the rebels can't save him in time. Ok, I guess you could argue all the dead peeps are reunited in a better place kumbayaaa but 1) I feel like Ivan's sacrifice was then for nothing 2) Mizi's just as miserable as before, if not worse (assuming they aren't caught and killed) and 3) Luka's still in hell and the cycle resets (...for all you Luka stans who need to see the vision).

Now say Till wins. 1) he's alone, his whole cohort/all his friends are fuckin dead 2) now the Luka simps are suffering bc not only is he hated, he's now dead too and similarly to the last one 3) Till's now in Luka's place but now with no one to help him or bail him out. And assuming he lives long enough and the rebels somehow make it out and regroup to come back, what's left of him to save? If bro was fucked up after Mizi's round, he's definitely not chillin after Ivan and Luka's.

Last scenario: the 'This is our Alien Stage' ahh ending, Round 6 was an elaborate plot, Ivan's still alive and he makes it out like the sneaky bastard/aff he is and the rebels are able to escape intact and make a comeback mid-round 7. For them to pull a 'Oh this character died but PSYCHHH actually they were able to be saved at the last possible minute' not once- not twice- but three rounds in a row? Without the revolution making actual progress to end the competition feels kinda cheap plot-wise.

Idk maybe I'm crazy. Maybe there's a situation I'm not thinking of where we can be happy and the story can feel fulfilling. But until then, imma cope with my silly actor au's on ao3 and pretend nothing ever happened ever<3

[lemonking00]

I CANT DEAL WITH THE DOOMED YAOI ANYMORE AHHHHHH

"And I need you to know that we're falling so fast We're falling like the stars Falling in love"

I swear sometimes the way they look at each other-

[pure]

the complete cultural dismissal and misrepresentation of sigmund freud as a thinker is mired in the antisemitism he experienced as a result of nazis threatening his life. academics, scientists, psychologists, students, and laymen are taught to see his work as sort of a funny meme, not worth direct investigation, and people will have an air of superiority when they say “freud bad” despite never engaging with his work. his entire body of work is dismissed due to some objectionable and clumsy clinical conclusions he articulated. and yet, over centuries, everyone from all of these fields steal his philosophical ideas outright, reword them, or embrace them not knowing he came up with them. psychological “repression,” “projection” and “resistance” are concepts pioneered by freud. “everyone is bisexual” was first articulated by freud—yep i’m talking to you 🫵🏿 you know who you are. psychological “defense mechanisms” are a freudian concept. freud came up with the primordial soup that would become anglophone nonbinary gender theory. “homophobes are sexually aroused by gay men” yeah well guess what freud discovered that first. i see some of you women propagate the idea that “men just want a mother that they can fuck” “men want a girlfriend/wife who will also act as their mother” hello that is FREUD. if freud is so bad and #banned then why does everyone steal his swag all the time while dissing him in the same breath. nazis characterized his work as an anti-white “jewish science” and attacked its credibility based on its perceived threat to western civilization. i feel like this widespread vilification and theft of his ideas must have something to do with that nazi backlash being obfuscated over time. 👀

if my favorite female #banned author andrea dworkin can get her books reprinted in 2025 then i have hope that people will actually read freud for the first time in the future. also only one of two people i subscribe to on patreon is a freudhead who you all should follow (he also reads many other authors who have been doomed to the “many have strong opinions of, few have actually read” pile of history, and he’s the strongest tumblr retiree still kicking out there lol).

[calliesmemes]

YET ANOTHER ROUNDUP OF ASOLUTELY UNHINGED COMEDIC RELIEF

ASSORTED SENTENCE STARTERS FROM AROUND THE INTERNET, including quotes from Tumblr, Pinterest, TikTok, and X (formerly known as Twitter), for when a muse wants to be a bit silly <333

CHANGE gendered words and in-universe phrases as needed.

SPECIFY muse for multimuses.

❛ I am not merely a clown; I’m the entire damn circus! ❜

❛ I will bite you if you continue this behavior. ❜

❛ Being a dramatic ass bitch isn’t a personality trait; it’s a lifestyle! ❜

❛ Trauma? Oh … you mean, my lore? ❜

❛ why must I cite sources? is it not enough to just say ‘trust me, bro’? ❜

❛ sorry for being a perfect sweetie and a genius it will likely happen again. ❜

❛ forget about touching grass; I need to touch WATER I NEED TO GO INTO THE OCEAN I NEED TO DIVE INTO THE SEA!!! ❜

❛ I’m attracted to men with muppet energy and no i will not be explaining. ❜

❛ you want me to make friends with people? the thing that killed julius caesar? ❜

❛ what’s your birthstone? mine is rock bottom. ❜

❛ I absolutely hate that I’m not bioluminescent. Pathetic. ❜

❛ ohhhhh my god i have got to stop mourning the past or whatever. ❜

❛ you expect me to act like a normal human being? I’m wearing a turtleneck! ❜

❛ i don’t struggle with same sex attraction I’m actually very good at it. ❜

❛ unfortunately i often find out without even getting the chance to fuck around. ❜

❛ I’m bisexual which means that I’m attracted to anybody who can defeat me in physical combat. ❜

❛ all anyone needs to know about me is that i’m a dumbass and i love women. ❜

❛ sorry but philosophers aren’t impressive i came up with stuff like that when i was 12. ❜

❛ I pay my own bills; I can cuss all I want! ❜

❛ I don’t have rizz; I have sad eyes and a weird presence. ❜

❛ my demons are chasing me and they’re doing the Naruto run. ❜

❛ honey we are ALL doomed by the narrative. it's not that serious. have some fun with it. ❜

❛ dating me is like interviewing a psych ward patient. ❜

❛ being a girl with very large brown eyes comes with great responsibility. ❜

❛ i’m autistic in ways that you can’t even begin to imagine. ❜

❛ being a loser may be a phase to you but its a lifestyle for me. ❜

❛ entering a magical portal in the woods would fix me. ❜

❛ I’m lonely but not in a hot mysterious way; more like in a pathetic way. ❜

❛ life is so unserious just say womp womp and move on! ❜

❛ you’re vibing? In this economy? ❜

❛ just because I’m small doesn’t mean I can’t kick your ass. ❜

❛ my primary motivators are fear, spite, and aesthetic longing. ❜

❛ sorry about the chaos; I needed attention. ❜

❛ WHAT IS UP GIRL you look foreboding and malicious! ❜

❛ baby i can be your problematic bi wife. ❜

❛ i don’t think any of you understand how important i am to the plot. ❜

❛ what if we are both red flags? what then? ❜

❛ any dream can be a prophetic dream if you’re willing to do some really weird shit. ❜

❛ my hobbies include being right, being gay, and being a hater. ❜

❛ i have a phd in Loving The Color Pink And Also Glitter. ❜

❛ being a menace to society is a full time job and I am dedicated. ❜

❛ my life has been a bouquet of oopsie daisies. ❜

❛ i survive on spite, anxiety, and blasphemy. ❜

❛ if you’re not obsessed with me, why would I wanna be with you? ❜

❛ the hottest thing a man can be is a little afraid of me. ❜

❛ my love language is being a hater. ❜

❛ i don’t get enough credit for acting far less insane than i actually am. ❜

❛ the A in my name stands for always right. ❜

❛ Jesus is my homeboy but God has a lot to answer for and I will continue to be rebellious until he does so. ❜

❛ I’ll see a man with long hair and then remember that I’m not above temptations of the flesh. ❜

❛ i’m going to be honest with you I’m not going to be honest with you. ❜

❛ stop asking me if I’m ok I’ll literally make out with you. ❜

❛ part of my masculine charm is that I’m literally insane. ❜

❛ are you sure those are demons bro? or are they consequences from the choices you made? ❜

❛ i do not identify as a boy or a girl. i identify as a nuisance, an irritant, a fool, and a problem. ❜

❛ praying on someone’s downfall isn’t enough i need to participate in it. ❜

❛ we all need to chill. i won’t do it first but it’s something i noticed. ❜

❛ not to sound like a Victorian woman suffering from hysteria but going to the sea would fix me. ❜

❛ the silly goose convention called; they asked if you could be their keynote speaker. ❜

❛ i deserve unrestricted access to old castles and old churches i want to know all the secrets. ❜

❛ doesn’t matter if you’re cringe or based we’re all just here to suffer. ❜

❛ I’m no longer comedic relief I’m now serious panic. ❜

❛ this is getting difficult to romanticize. ❜

❛ done healing my inner child. next up is my inner teen. her highness needs a sword. ❜

❛ i am God’s silliest experiment. ❜

❛ i’m very vulnerable right now if anyone wants to take advantage of me. ❜

❛ sorry i overshared do you still think im hot? ❜

❛ I can yap for days and still maintain my air of mystery. ❜

❛ good luck sending me mixed signals; I don’t even understand normal ones. ❜

❛ not all of your life decisions have to be smart. some can be purely for cinematic value. ❜

[goodolddumbbanana]

What is another word for I HAVE NO MOUTH AND I MUST SCREAM, guys?

I was right. Sun and Nexus are linked!!!!! Omg.... Sun can detect Wither shards and Nexus now is the vessel of Wither storm. That means.... Sun can find Nexus anytime if he wants!!!!

I had some theory about that. Remember back then Sun and Moon killed a Wither Storm? What if the apocalypse event across the multiverse is inevitable,(someone uses the Star, making the negative energy raised, creating Wither Storm, and it consumed all into the void.)

But when Sun killed that Wither Storm and took the Wither Crystal, it broke the whole process. Getting consumed by Wither Storm is no longer the canon event, because they lack the root (wither crystal). And that caused problems. (Just a small but still, the void needs to act themselves because Sun's actions just like he broke a small piece of screw that makes a whole machine stop working properly.

That is why Sun has the ability to detect Wither shards. That is why Nexus can revive in this state of mind and power. Sun got linked with the void and the wither storm too, but when Nexus takes, Sun just pushes.

Sidenote: And does anyone feel sad about the episode today? Seeing Nexus go crazy like that makes me feel ill, he used to be so.... And now he just got back and turned out to be the hulk of his shell. Like I'm not even joking he is an emo boy anymore, because he just looks very sad and miserable.

He never was a good villain to begin with, and now he is not even worth being called an excuse of a villain.

But hey, we get some Doomed siblings crumbs, guys!!!!

Hearing Sun confirmed he still cares about Nexus and even snapped Nexus out of his mind (sass the heck out of him to save him, truly siblings behaviour) it makes me scream!!!

Why they can't live happily???! Why????

The way Sun begged Nexus to let Sun help him, even said they can pretend they no longer exist after that--- the way Nexus shows his hesitation when killing Sun, even with his shattered mind he still takes time to hear Sun out---

Nexus said a lot about making Moon a pretty corpse to send back to the void, then he can belong to him (that sounds really gay off context,man) but he never said it to Sun. (Just kill him, so he can get the hell out of this universe) Even now, Nexus still unconsciously keeps the Sun out of the void, out of him.

They make me sick (emotionally)

[bisclavret]

arthurian cinema: a vibe collection

my rule of thumb when it comes to watching movies is "must a movie be 'good'? is it not enough for it to have a bit of a weird/trippy/artsy/horny/allegorical/gay vibe?" and thank god for that because arthurian cinema has this sort of vibe in spades! so here's an assortment of some arthurian films i've seen + a reason or two why they passed my nebulous yet specific vibe check:

lancelot du lac 1974 is my #1 forever for the doomed repressed symbolism-soaked post-grail pre-camlann so-rigid-it's-camp atmosphere and the interpersonal dynamics between lancelot guinevere and gauvain the likes of which i haven't seen anywhere else outside of the texts

tristan et iseult 1972 is really just avant-garde performance art + the surviving copy is really rank which adds a je ne sais quoi... and congrats to tristan on his top surgery!

morgane et ses nymphes for the "my lesbian roadtrip led me to morgan le fay's realm and now she's obsessed with me" plot and the dreamy hazy eurotrash energies

perceval le gallois 1978 has such kitschy surrealist teletubbies-esque visuals that it has nearly defeated me. i still haven't finished it. it's rare that a film feels like an assault on my eyeballs and yet i am compelled and i cannot look away

sir gawain and the green knight 2002 is a strangely horny stained glass animation that will give you motion sickness while saying bi rights over and over and over. it feels like a religious sunday cartoon. it won a bafta

the buried giant – a beautifully atmospheric novel in its own right – is getting adapted into a stop motion film soon! i already know it will earn a spot on this list so consider this a place-holder

the green knight 2021 for the giants scene (and the 360-degree sequence of a tied-up gawain Losing The Game)

a knight's tale entirely because they dance to bowie's golden years

knightriders for the most charming merlin design i've ever seen and also for the whole knights jousting on motorbikes concept

monty python and the holy grail for just about everything but above all else the bit where they're animated and then the animator abruptly dies of a heart attack and then they stop being animated

excalibur 1981 for everything as well but i cannot overstate the effect lancelot's dream where he wrestles his armor and homoerotically un-stabs himself had on me. i will never shut up about it

king arthur: legend of the sword just kidding i haven't seen this nor do i intend to. i'm just enamored with this 2-second shot of a tree girl and her tree titties and i think that everyone should witness her

[astradyke]

okay yeah let's get freaky with it (not an acceptable way to start a post whatsoever) i cannot stop THINKING about this fucking We're All Doomed cap. like just in the last TWO days...

[ID: photo one is of Phil Lester in the hospital, wearing the We're All Doomed cap. photo two is of Phil Lester in a pool, in which the We're All Doomed hat is laying on the edge of the pool. end ID.]

and then not to mention all the latest videos...

[id: photo of Phil wearing the We're All Doomed hat]

(there are definitely more but i'm multitasking so i can't sleuth out the videos rn)

like, when i am trying to describe Dan and Phil as a phenomena to my friends i always mention the fact that Phil is like THE consistent hype person for Dan (vise-versa but focusing on Phil here). "Dan is leaving me" is obviously an insane video about their relationship but also spends a substantial time promoting We're All Doomed; "I TRY TO GIVE DAN A HAIRCUT!!" is basically just YWGTTN promo. What Dan and Phil Text Each Other 2 (iirc) Phil encourages Dan to talk vaguely about upcoming stuff, etc. like Phil is ALWAYS so crazy supportive of what Dan does

from the mukbang "I wanted you to be happy [...] you did loads of shit on your own" (quoting from memory)

but something about the We're All Doomed hat feels DIFFERENT to me fundamentally because it's just... such a casual thing? they're no stranger to using their old merch, or wearing merch in videos after its release, but Phil literally cannot be separated from this hat as a guy who never seemed to be that crazy about hats to begin with. but it's just such a casual presence in his life, like a must-have object, it goes with him everywhere from Türkiye to the A&E, just this constant support for Dan's solo work.

when Dan says in Basically I'm Gay: "And for someone who has dealt with the same kind of self hatred I have, one person accepting you makes all the difference." (quoting from memory again),

it's like. there is such a love confession in the sheer act of seeing someone's creative work, something they poured their life and soul and savings into, and holding THAT in your palms -- and loving it. Phil was part of the WAD pre and post show, Phil was listed in the credits, even in Why I Left YouTube Phil's presence is there in the fact that he was patient as Dan tried to pursue Dan Is Not Okay, even at the potential risk of them postponing moving. don't even talk to me about how Phil was involved in Dystopia Daily, not only as a guest but also working on the set too.

holding something that has as much meaning as We're All Doomed does to its creator and not only loving it in the moment, not only relentlessly promoting it, not only being part of the premiere, but also continuously wearing its merch -- it's such an embrace from Phil of not only Dan as a person, but who Dan is creatively, and the ways he expresses himself.

and considering all the thematics of We're All Doomed, the hope and the new era and the self acceptance... yeah. fucking YEAH.

we talk a lot about different kinds of love and all the different ways they love each other, and i think this has always been the loudest and what i've personally been most affected by. the way that Phil Lester became a safe and accepting place for Dan Howell back when he was eighteen, and how he never fucking stopped being that place for him since.

[lavalamps-and-ladydoors]

Do you think about this much? I can't tell if it crosses your mind often.

oh wow. buckle up my friend.

As Dan says in the Amazing Dan reaction video, "I was desperate to create my own brand on YouTube", you can see that desperation in his earlier videos especially pre 2012. I mean a lot happened that year, they move to London, start hosting a joint radio show and their brand becomes 'Dan and Phil'. Even past the phandom, shipping, privacy invasions, conspiracies ect, they were still known as Dan and Phil. Like they won the Radio 1 Teen award for best vlogger, even though they don't vlog and are two people.

They embraced it with the books and TATINOF, but looking back you can tell it was weighing on both of them, Dan especially. We now know that II was supposed to be the end, that it was both of them giving it their all, giving the people what they wanted before they stopped posting jointly. Honestly after seeing what they went through throughout those first 9 years it makes total sense why Dan would want that.

All of this makes the WAD era that much more gut punching. It must have meant the world to Phil to see his partner do this show. A show that was born out of so many 'failed' projects, pain, and injustice. He got to see Dan saving his own life over and over again, see him be authentic, help so many people. And throughout all of this Phil is having his own chronic health issues, the greenening, stresses ect. But we see him support Dan through it all, the texts in WDAPTEO 3+4, the orange heart tweet, promoting Dan's book when he wouldn't do it enough himself, he'll always be Dan's biggest cheerleader. They just love each other so much and its beautiful to see.

I love to see how Dan credits Phil in his solo projects. Most of the time it's not how one would expect someone to be credited. This type of work obviously happens all the time but Dan puts it into words and makes sure that we know at least a fraction of what Phil is doing.

'Special thanks to amazing phil for production assistance" (Basically I'm Gay)

'Archive Historian - Phil Lester' (Why I Quit YouTube)

'Creative Producer- Phil Lester' (Dystopia Daily)

'Remote Crisis Manger- Phil Lester' (We're All Doomed Tour)

I feel that people has underestimated Phil for so long, I remember people would hate on him for being less 'edgy' than Dan, for making different kinds of videos, even when he came out half the posts I remember seeing were comparing their videos and not appreciating that this man just came out. to millions of people...

I'm just so grateful to be in an era where they don't have to hide their appreciation for each other, where Dan can call Phil a power bottom, post pictures in a joint Halloween costume, and be genuinely proud that they beat Jesus/Jedus in a RPF shipping poll??

While the hiatus sucked I'm honestly glad it happened. I'm just so excited to see what Phil does next and when there is an eventual Phil solo project, I'll know Dan will be cheering him on the whole time🧡

[radaedan]

...We cannot trust any power mightier than humanity, nor place our hope in their beneficence. No mighty being of such a kind and gentle nature has ever existed save for that person [Xbalanque], one who would never commit appalling evils. I myself am no exception, and that is why we must outlaw all... - Holy Sovereign's Notes (VII)

Watch when it'd be revealed that Xbalanque actually committed appalling evils. What then, you gay ass dipshit (affectionally).

My obsession for toxic doomed yaoi shall never be undone. Love how Xbalanque was viewed as a literal saint by Och-Kan.

But I digress, my whole suspicion with Xbalanque started with how perfect he appeared to be. He was clever, outtricked a dragon sage from a far-advanced civilization, bargained with a god, united the by-then scattered tribes for a single cause of slaying Xiuhcoatl, probably incredibly charismatic, incredibly strong, managed to ascend to the Pyro Throne without costing his humanity, was humble and smart enough to make a system where his archonhood would pass through countless generations instead of keeping it to himself, knew the future, was beloved by all and affectionately nicknamed "Lanque", and according to Och-Kan's (gay) note above, he was incredibly kind & gentle that it was impossible for him to commit evils.

And he did it while being a human (and though various sources contradicted each other, Mavuika said that he was a Natlan native while in some weapons lore it's stated by the characters that he was an outlander.) The characters with comparable feats that I can think on top of my head are Remus, Egeria, Zhongli-Guizhong Assembly, and Ormazd (Gurabad lore is INSANE tbh, it's literally GoT level of historical fuckery I can't believe Hoyo actually dared to put it in their game. But it's balanced by the fact that it's only known through world quests & scattered notes☹️). They were either gods themselves or had a divine aid. Xbalanque only got Ronova & Waxaklahun's help later after he slain Xiuhcoatl.

Listen, I don't know about you, but he just sounds to goddamn perfect. You know how the narrative overperfected Mavuika to the point she has no apparent flaws ? I think it applies to Xbalanque too. We only know him as a historical character so this isn't such a glaring issue compared to Mavuika. Perhaps his one and only flaw is his oversight of appointing Och-Kan as the next ruler after him, letting all the chaos in Och-Kan’s reign ensued.

...Or is it ? Perhaps he was fully aware of it ? He knew the future, after all. He knew that Och-Kan would fuck up Ochkanatlan.

He saw the tainted one [Och-Kan], defiled and devoured by the black abyss, yet nonetheless fighting to the last for humanity's sake.

- A Thousand Blazing Suns, Mavuika’s signature weapon.

And he just... accepted it ? Mf just saw Och-Kan being tainted by the Abyss and suffered for millenia and just went...

"I shall leave hope for the future. So long as the flame does not die, there shall still be 'hope.'"

Translated: "Damn okay, hope for the future though."

Also context: Ronova gave him the vision of the future immediately after Xbalanque slain Xiuhcoatl, even preceding Waxaklahun. Assuming his response was made in front of Ronova, the fact that he could immediately form a decision that would impact his friends and the whole Natlan- and not all of it was positive, especially for his friends- that fast was... fucked-up ? Mf didn't even consult anyone, he just made up his mind right then & there. Also, it kinda reminded me of how Mavuika constantly clamored about "Nobody fights alone" and yet if the traveller isn't present in Natlan, she would fight Gosoythoth alone with no helps with the heroes of Natlan whatsoever.

(Credit to the poster. But if it’s a stolen meme, please let me know the original poster !)

Perhaps him giving "hope for the future" was his way to defy fate, but to me, Xbalanque sounded very fatalistic in this one. Did he just accept that his friends' futures were doomed & didn't find any ways to... you know, defy it ? Did he even tell his friends about this ? "Btw, you guys will get absolutely fucked over by Och-Kan, and I'll make sure it'll pass because the future needs hope. I hope you guys don't mind XD." I'm reminded of Lianca's saying of "seeking her own path." This became ironic with Xbalanque, because he already knew their paths & where it would led them into, their doom.

Idk, maybe it's just me nitpicking, but when the narrative constantly praised Xbalanque and then we have evidences that contradicted his "gentle & kind nature"... perhaps there's something more with his perfection that we currently know of.

To finish this short yap off, let me quote one of my favorite namecards in game. "Natlan: Fleeting Dreams".

Before one could become a sage among dragons, or a king among men, the ploys of one's ambition would have long since turned to naught but dreams. Yet to be incomplete is good; superior, in fact, to perfection.

This namecard always gives me feelings, the kind that makes you keel over and put your hands on your head. Oh Och-Kan, if only you didn't obsess over perfection... perhaps you could be good... at the very least he realized this in the very end...

(The namecard is what inspires the title of "Perfect was the enemy of good" btw😁)

EDIT: How could I forget the most blatant piece of evidence:

Fathom the words of Xbalanque, perceive his thousand-year-old lie. The utmost wisdom births the utmost paranoia, and as he held time and death in his hands, he doomed Natlan to an endgame without any solution.

- Obsidian Ancient Name

I know some of you would say: "But Radaedan, the description is made by the Abyss, of course it would mislead us!" Yeah, I consider that possibility too, but I think this description is a meta lie(?): when the narrator is unreliable so you can't take their words as absolute truth, but so you take them as lies, but if you dig deeper, some of their words are actually truth. Yeah, it sounds crazy, but what does the Abyss actually gain by lying to us at this point? They're defeated, and it's not that they're like a kind of villain that get stronger by the people's belief. And narratively speaking, we don't know any of these Pyro Archons personally. Heck, we even only got Xumucul & Ndenge' names from the AQ, while Cochanina was only mentioned in Mualani's signature weapon lore. How tf we should feel dread by this lie? Unless... it acts as a checkov's gun?

The whole ancient name is so sus.

Even the horror and despair, which humans can never transcend, are mere emotions "simulated" for your benefit once it has understood all that Natlan is.

"Simulated" for our benefit??? Does that means the Abyss know we play Genshin Impact for our entertainment?😭

Lend your ear to Xumucul's roar. Hear the hatred that festered in the heart of the unrivaled warrior a thousand years ago. How he regrets lifting his weapon before the tombs of his companions in days bygone! For if this battle could never have been won, then he was no leader, but a cruel, lonesome king. Look upon the tears of Cochanina — witness her thousand-year-old despair. Resolute she was to the end, but fire, sword, and death never ceased to ravage her homeland. At the last, she would kneel before the icy coffins, and reflect upon the image the rain-puddles painted of her: If it cannot be rejected, why not embrace it? Feel Ndenge's fury, and know his thousand-year madness. He fought for Natlan all his life, shed and spent his fiery blood, only to learn the truth of war from the Sacred Flame once he had attained the throne. He was not a hero, beloved by all — he was but a blind, ignorant clown, for humanity can never hope to conquer the true master.

Compare the descriptions of these past archons with Xbalanque's; while they're described as being furious or despairing, we aren't given any description of Xbalanque's emotional state. Heck, it even can be read that these past Archons are despairing because of Xbalanque's lie.

Think upon Mavuika's plan... No. It can warp history and memory, but it cannot twist your personal experiences.

Now this is so, so, so, sus. Doesn't Mavuika’s plan only consisted of awakening the heroes' ancient name? Where does the "warp history and memory" even come in? And the "but it cannot twist your personal experiences."... why does it sounds like Mavuika’s plan have some Irminsul erasure shenanigans, and we, as a descender, the only ones who know the truth?

Even the boy who cried wolf finally tells the truth once a real wolf appeared. Perhaps the Abyss also tells the truth in this instance.

[cosmerelists]

Favorite Musicals of Each Order of the Knights Radiant

We’ve already considered their favorite boardgames. But what about when it’s time to go to a musical? Which musical is preferred by each order?

1. Skybreakers: Les Misérables

They think Javert is the protagonist.

Szeth: Is it not strange that the musical continues for so long after the death of the protagonist?

Nale: Ah, but it is only thus that we see the real tragedy.

Nale: As all of the lawbreakers go on living, without punishment, due the the lawman not being willing to fulfill his duty.

Joret: It’s so horrifying.

Cali: Yes, hence the title.

2. Bondsmiths: West Side Story

It’s about two warring gangs being brought together.

Dalinar: Although it is sad, it is nice that it ends with all of the previously estranged people bonding over their loss.

Navani: And it really is through music that two warring sides can be brought together--perhaps even feel love for each other.

Dalinar: Yes. 

Dalinar: Wait, what? 

3. Edgedancers: Little Shop of Horrors

Or at least, it’s Lift’s favorite.

Lift: I dunno why Wyndle doesn’t like it--it’s about a plant!

Lift: A hungry plant too, so it has something in common with both of us!

Wyndle: I--

Wyndle: Never--

Wyndle: That--

Wynde: IT WAS SO HORRIFYING, MISTRESS!!!

Lift: It’s kinda in the title, dude.

4. Stonewards: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

They were surprised at how invested they got.

Badali: It may not be warfare, yet the efforts of these children are so inspiring.

Zu: They truly do fight until there is only one standing.

5. Elsecallers: A Little Night Music

Jasnah just thinks it’s neat.

Jasnah: I have to respect the effort of composing each song in 3/4 time.

6. Lightweavers: Phantom of the Opera

It’s about art, tortured souls, disguises...

Gaz: I gotta feel bad for the Phantom.

Shallan: What, because his love for Christine is doomed?

Vathah: Because it would suck to live in a sewer?

Gaz: Well sure.

Gaz: But also that one-sided mask.

Gaz: He must always feel like there’s something there in the darkness, something just out of his sight.

Shallan: ...

Vathah: ...

Gaz: N-Not that I would know anything about that, ha ha!

7. Truthwatchers: Lion King

They went for the costumes and ended up being  blown away by the story.

Rlain: If Simba had just told the truth about his father’s death, all of that could have been avoided.

Stump: Yeah, well, kids are pretty stupid sometimes.

Renarin: Although by running away, Simba did get to be raised by two awesome gay dads, so that’s nice!

Stump: ...

Renarin: What?

8. Willshapers: Scarlet Pimpernel

It’s about rescuing innocent (?) aristocrats from being imprisoned and guillotined!  

Eshonai: It is truly inspiring to see a group of humans working so hard to free other humans before their unjustified deaths.

Venli: That Madame Guillotine song is really catchy though.

Eshonai: Yeah, you almost can almost understand the killing there.

9. Dustbringers: Wicked

They appreciate the overall message.

Malata: Yeah, there really are two sides to every story!

Ral-na: And just because a power is popularly deemed destructive, that does not mean it is so.

10. Windrunners: Also Wicked

Although their reasoning is...different.

Bridge Four, in their barracks: SO IF YOU CARE TO FIND ME / LOOK TO THE WESTERN SKY

Bridge Four: AS SOMEONE TOLD ME LATELY / EVERYONE DESERVES THE CHANCE TO FLY!

Bridge Four: AND IF I’M FLYING SOLO / AT LEAST I’M FLYING FREEEE

Bridge Four: TO THOSE WHO’D GROUND ME / TAKE A MESSAGE BACK FROM MEEEEE

Bridge Four: TELL THEM HOW I AM DEFYING GRAVITY / I’M FLYING HIGH, DEFYING GRAVITY!

Kaladin (wiping away a tear): It’s just such a good song.

[cloud-makers-make-pollution]

INTRO POST

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊ ੈ‧₊˚ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊ ੈ ✩‧₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊ ੈ✩‧₊˚✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊

hi!!!!!

so uh

name : aishani :)

sexuality : pansexual (i believe)

pronouns : she/her

age : im a minor (14-18) (pls don’t be weird)

country/language : UK/English but at this point my relationship with Duolingo has lasted longer than that of actual people

socials :

instagram

pinterest

spotify

im pro palestinian

if you’ve got a problem with any of that, with all due respect, fuck off.

‧₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊ ੈ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊ ੈ‧₊˚ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊ ੈ ✩‧

likes/interests/current or previous hyperfixations

musicals : Les Mis, Heathers, Hamilton, SIX, moulin rouge, EPIC, Mamma Mia, Wicked, semi Percy Jackson and the Lighting thief (???), im attempting to get into West Side Story and Hadestown at the moment

music (the listening version) : Madilyn Mei, Queen, ABBA, a little bit of this, a little bit of that, if you genuinely want to know look at my Spotify I spend more time on my playlists than I do my homework, im a bit of a nerd so obviously classical music has some bangers that go cRAZY, eg gopak like what the fuck why is it such a vibe

music (the instrument version) : I play violin, piano, I sing, and I play a little bit of the ukulele. im now on a mission to learn guitar and/or a woodwind instrument (not brass never brass please god no)

sport : badminton, karate, running from my problems and sprinting away from deadlines

fandoms : Les Mis, Arcane (vi my beloved), Marauders/Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Shadow and Bone/Six of Crows (this is a malaria free environment can we keep it that way)

hobbies : reading extensive amounts of fanfiction, writing (badly), I like to call myself a musician however im unsure about how far that statement goes, drama, specifically musical theatre, sleeping, starting projects and never finishing them, making random spotify playlists, falling in love with every other person I meet and then proceeding to make it everyone else’s problem

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊ ੈ‧₊˚ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊ ੈ ✩‧₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊ ੈ✩‧₊˚✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺

dislikes

homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexism, trump supporters, terfs, pedophiles, groomers, mushrooms, white supremacy, fear, geography, spiders, just weirdass insects in general, hamsters, and finally, people who eat with their mouths open

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊ ੈ‧₊˚ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊ ੈ ✩‧₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊ ੈ✩‧₊˚✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺

moots!!!

@noahher this is Noah Noah is great we have many conversations and he gave me a pet ferret called Freddie

@k-is-for-potassium they’re awesome literally icon material

@bleep-bloop-boo FELLOW MADILYN MEI ENTHUSIAST IS COMPLETELY AWESOME

@feernflower I tag them in every tag thing I get even though I’ve never interacted with them properly (I’m sorry you seem so cool) and they’re a marauders fan who posts cool stuff go look at it

@nothing-but-glitter-and-lashes HELLO this is my sister she’s great and her blog is cool (I’m in your walls)

@ladymoonstardust aux armies!!! vive les gays!!! the revolution must begin!!!!! exceedingly cool les mis person, and with whom one hath a number of enlightening conversation, more often than not to do with the wonderful beings in that one musical about the land of croissant

@sing-me-sweetly-to-my-doom 🫵🫢🫵😮🫢😮!!!! (ily please don’t forget that <3)

“if my self worth is high then im egotistical, but if it’s low then I hate myself, and if it’s vague and undecided then im mediocre, and that’s not an option”

[lostbrazilian]

Ok so, i've finished SotE a few days ago and i fucking LOVED IT and i need to talk about it, particularly about Miquella. Because the thing is, i really like what From has done with his character but also i've seen a lot of discourse about it and i need to get my 2 cents in before i explode

So uh, long ass essay and spoilers below

First things first:

Character assassination my ASS

Fromsoft actually did fucking character necromancy the way they added depth to otherwise one-note characters. Even if unexpected, what we learn in the dlc makes a disturbing amount of sense and ultimately elevates the game's lore in my "humble but objectively correct" opinion. That being said, while Miquella is undoubtedly a irredemable villain by the time we fight him, his character is also much more than just the "gay evil twink" ppl make him out to be

Elden Ring's demigods, while powerful and often monstrous, are also very clearly people: they have feelings, ambitions, ideals and tragic elements about them, which is why many of them are very likeable or at least compelling characters. And Miquella is a prime example of this, because the driving force behind his character, and ultimately the reason of his downfall, is his compassion

Miquella saw the flaws of the Golden Order from a young age, mainly how it oppressed others and was powerless to help his sister. And everything he has done since has been in an attempt to bring about a better, more compassionate world for all. And while the way he manipulates others and removes their free weill is a clearly nefarious aspect of his plans, that doesn't mean his kindness wasn't genuine, for two main reasons:

First, many of Miquella's followers go on to stand with him even after their charm has been broken, which makes clear that many are koyal to Miquella not just because of brainwashing, but also because they genuinely believe in his end goals. And while we'll never have confirmation of this, i don't think the denizens of the Haligtree, or Malenia for that matter, are all under Miquella's spell. At the very least the majority of them must've willingly chosen to remain loyal to him (plus, his charming powers must have a limit of some kind, otherwise he wouldn't need to become a god to rule the lands between)

Secondly, St Trina's very existence proves that Miquella's love and compassion is not only genuine, it's strong enough to manifest as a whole ass second being, which in turn makes her abandonment all the more tragic. It's possible that Miquella himself was always driven by ambition, and that he saw his other half as a "weakness" to be expunged; Or perhaps casting Trina away was a necessary evil, a selfless sacrifice in the name of a greater good. Regardless of the reason (i tend towards the latter), the end result is clear: It was grave mistake

For without love, there can be no Compassion. Miquella's Age of Compassion would be doomed to become an era of subjugation and endless war, where those who resist Miquella's charm would not be allowed to exist. It's an end result that Miquella himself would definitely NOT want, but it's the one he uwittingly locks himself into after he casts away his humanity. Hence why St Trina begs us to kill Miquella, as she understands his ascension would essentially result in a fate worse than death for him

So, TL;DR: I think Miquella genuinely wanted to create a better world, but in his quest to do so not only did he forcefully take away the free will of others, he also wound up becoming a heartless monster that, if unchecked, would bring about great suffering to the world and himself. It's classic "good intentions, bad outcome" tragic writing and ultimately it makes Miquella a very memorable and compelling character, even if he is ultimately a villain

[mountainscouts]

I think Gary shouldn't be just a perfect overachiever gentleman that soothes Stan's depression. I don't dislike it but I also want to see Gary not have everything in his life in order, allow him to get angry, question Mormonism (racism, homophobia), pressure him with familial expectations (don't set bad example for his siblings, must marry a woman, etc), let him cut loose and party. Conversely, Stan isn't 24/7 doom+gloom. He can be stable, proactive and self-reflecting even before dating Gary.

WHEW. OKAY THIS ASK HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY ASK BOX FOR A WHILE NOW BECAUSE ITS JUST SO. SO PERFECT. where do i even begin?

okay, i have such a specific view of gary that is essentially this, seriously. when it comes to stary, people tend to gloss over gary as a character and while i can't really blame them for doing that, considering that gary is just a guy who has in total less than 3 minutes of speaking roles in his only episode, it's something i've noticed. while i wish that more people would explore him as a character with as much depth as stan, i've kinda just accepted that it won't ever be the case. BUT because of that, i've sort of hyper focused on these types of details about gary and built on his character more in that regard, going that exact direction you went in your ask.

gary, to me, is a well-polished & put together mess when he gets older. the church is such a fascinating and important facet of his life, and the fact that his character is so inherently & quintessentially mormon is a very accurate portrayal of a lot of mormons from SLC. with that, any type of interpretation of him that deviates from typical norms and values in the church is actually asking for a lot of character dissection. i understand that a lot of people would rather not, but i WOULD. and HAVE BEEN...

gary to me is gay, and i can't really see him otherwise. he finds this out– or at least has a feeling that he might be at a younger age, so already his sexuality giving him leeway in questioning the church and its beliefs. this starts leading him to be more self-aware of his societal and familial role, juggling his own beliefs, the church's, and by extension his family's. with this baggage, i guess, i'm sure it'll extend beyond that to his sense of self. what does he want to be? what does he want to make of himself? how can he feel so trapped, but by the loving arms of his family? so much to build and unpack here!!

speaking of his family, i truly believe they're ignorant folk, conservative, and traditional (inadvertently confirmed by how many children they have and how they all interact with eachother- even if that's just a joke, it proves my point that the harrisons are a decent portrayal of mormon families yet again). gary, being the middle child and if one wanted to write him as "the special one", makes for these dilemmas even more interesting honestly. from setting a good precedent for his siblings, following the path of his older ones, cramming extra-curricular activities as a means to both please his parents and even distract himself from his issues, to having to attend church meetings— it all piles up, all while his own contradictions are fed more and more at the incessant exposure of daily life.

the reason why he's considered a polished mess is because he's your typical "looks like he has everything under control, actually under insane amounts of stress" character. i firmly believe that the harrisons have no ill-will, but i think the way that they raised their children falls strongly on the line of emotional neglect. their children were never taught any life lessons that'd help actually help them like- you know, regulating emotions. i've mentioned this in a previous post (and also elaborated on gary showing anger specifically) but i personally believe that while gary is a kind, and generous person to his core, there is an incredible amount of repression deep within him— a product of being raised with many, "boys dont cry"s, "love thy neighbor"s, and "forgive and forget"s. kindness specifically is actually an incredibly important aspect to mormonism, as it's a key part of the lifelong and ever present journey to celestial afterlife. but that's the thing: objectively speaking– this is just a way of control.

so when one wants to break free from this way of thinking, to lose this control, to break away from all they've known— their very livelihood— it's not going to come in the form of an overnight epiphany. in gary's case, considering how tight he is with his family versus his budding progressive views and drive to have more free reign over his self, it's going to be one hell of a struggle.

to touch on your point of him not getting everything he wants, i think that's another fundamental reason why he would question his standing in the church as well— depending on What he doesn't get. perhaps he doesn't want to serve his mission, but does so anyways. or maybe he simply had a bad day, but he can't allow himself to get upset, convincing himself that "things could be worse" as a way to make himself feel better, barring himself from healthily expressing his feelings. repeatedly saying "its okay" is going to be his downfall lol

and, i too would love to see him cut loose and party eventually- without a second thought that he'd be disappointing anyone.

okay now for stan. oh yeah that guy— no i'm just kidding, i'm also actually very picky about stan as well. :P most of your points about him align perfectly with mine. i don't like it when people woobify him to a point where his only/a major part of his character is his pessimism and depression, and while they are a part of him, it seems to be a big theme when people talk about stary. i definitely love the whole "i can fix him" thing gary has with him (because of gary's primordial urge to "fix" things and be persistent until he can't anymore) but that's definitely not all that they are!! (also gary's initial thought of "fixing" stan would already be faulty from the get-go anyways- but he will learn)

with stan, i think people tend to make him already pretty "helpless" in general fandom, and while he has shown to be more vulnerable than his peers, hes still pretty resilient. i do think that he would need a little bit of a push when it comes to his mental health, but that's only because he's found a way to cope with these issues- none of which are truly healthy. he's moreso content with being in a stalemate with himself and while he does wish he could do more, it takes a lot out of him to get out his more personal comfort zones.

kinda gives him another reason as to why him and gary are narrative foils, i just realized :P!!

but yeah!! i really loved this ask, and i probably really should indulge more in this aspect of gary >_<. its something i truly think about, and those who are close to me DEFINITELY know this! thank you for the ask and sorry it took so dang long haha. also thank you to those who read this behemoth, genuinely didnt expect to yap this much

[paradoxcase]

The Traitor Baru Cormorant, Chapter 3

I don't think this is how disease immunity works. Also, logically, if the people in the Masquerade were all actually immune to this plague, they wouldn't have brought it in the first place. I guess this plague must be similar to the flu, since it seems to be a virus that they have a vaccine for, that still regularly reoccurs in spite of that

I think "federati" is meant to invoke "foederati":

(Although the Masquerade's interest in Taranoke doesn't seem to be particularly military.)

So, their strategy for eugenics seems to be to just... not permit people to get married until they've been approved in some way? That's not remotely going to stop people from having children. Like, the actual IRL eugenics movement understood this and was non-consensually sterilizing people. I don't think the Masquerade just pretends that extra-marital sex doesn't happen, because if they did they probably would also just be pretending that gay sex doesn't happen

That is kind of a weird contradiction in the Masquerade's ethos - on the one hand, everyone is supposedly equal and can achieve any position through merit, but on the other hand, everyone is also doomed to be a good, useful person or not based on their genetics. It seems like they would have some sort of aphorism ready to resolve these two ideas since they both seem to be very central to their national identity, and you don't have to be smart to see that they're in direct contradiction, but for some reason Cairdine Farrier doesn't have anything to say to this

So I guess, from the rest of the chapter, that the "wolves" are the Stakhieczi and he is anticipating some war with them (and with someone else). Also interesting that he is now calling it "the Masquerade" when I think one of the first things he ever said to Baru was that calling it that was rude

So I guess we are meant to understand that "Treatymont" is an Aphalone name given by the Masquerade, and probably that also means that the other English placenames on the map, "Wintercrest" and "Oathsfire" are also meant to be translated Aphalone names

"Jurispotence" is a fun word, faux Latin modeled after "jurisprudence" but instead of meaning "knowledge of the law" transparently means "power of the law"

I like how effectively this communicates that they use family-name-first in Aurdwynn - it actually is kind of hard to clue people in when your fantasy country does names in a way that isn't a personal name followed by a family name because people will just assume that that's how it is by default. I think the only other book I've seen do this was K. J. Parker's Scavenger trilogy, but the way he introduced it there was so awkward. You kind of have to have people who are family in order to communicate this clearly, and those books just didn't really have a lot of characters that were related that way, I think actually none that were part of the relevant culture

Baru definitely said back in Chapter 2 that she had learned what the punishments for this were in the school, so I'm a little confused, here

Actually, these punishments are a little strange in general. They consider gayness to be a genetic affliction, but usually if you are considered to have bad genes it seems like the "punishment" for that is that you're not allowed to get married or presumably have children. Like, later on Cairdine Farrier talks about people who are "inferior" by virtue of being more susceptible to melanoma is just like "well, we'll just have to only breed them to each other". Like, the Masquerade seems real fond of violating people's bodily autonomy, but it doesn't seem like they're actually out there committing mass genocide to remove people with inferior genes. And even if they were, these punishments don't actually seem to be death sentences, they're punitive violence. If they believe that gayness is hardcoded in your genetics, why do they think that punitive violence will stop you from being gay? It's not clear how these punishments are actually meant to further their eugenics goals. It can't be that they think this is the only or best way to sterilize you, because there some real obvious ways to very effectively sterilize men that don't involve hot irons. At this point, this kind of seems like just a gratuitous punishment to show how evil the Masquerade is

Anyway, I guess if Salm does come back at some point, he will probably have suffered this

So I guess we will not be getting a reprieve from the violent homophobia?

I really really really much prefer the Locked Tomb approach to gay fantasy by saying "Diversity win! The Evil Empire is super gay!" to this approach of "The Evil Empire is super homophobic and hates my gay protagonist." I know you probably get drawn and quartered on tumblr if you say "I wish the protagonist of this book were not gay" but in this case I actually do almost wish she was not gay and we got to hear about whatever the author wants to say about homophobia from a non-POV character. I guess it's similar to how I don't like to read about aro or ace viewpoint characters having bad experiences as a result of their being aro or ace, and actually wasn't able to continue reading Loveless because of this, it's too close to home. I don't know, how do you guys feel about this?

Also, if any of you guys who has read this already can provide like, advance content warnings of any chapters were Baru maybe gets stabbed the crotch, that would be appreciated. Like, I'm still absolutely going to read it, it doesn't sound there will be any discussion of asexuality or aromanticism anywhere in this book, I'd just like to know beforehand

There's also, I think, kind of a disconnect between the Masquerade's homophobia and the use of the words "sodomite" and "tribidist", I think. The original connotation of these words isn't about who you are attracted to, it's about what you do - historically, Christians didn't care much about who you were attracted to, they just cared about whether or not you had gay sex. And even in the modern day, you will find plenty of conservative Christians who say things like "love the sinner, hate the sin" which basically translates to "we don't hate people who attracted to the same gender, we just hate people who have sex with people of the same gender" which is like, same difference for most people, but if they actually do really believe that, that does mean that the set of people they want to persecute is actually slightly different than the set of people we'd consider queer. That's the context for the word "sodomite", where it just refers to the action, and "tribidist" seems pretty analogous. But the Masquerade doesn't seem to actually see it that way. Lao was suspected of being a tribidist despite the fact that I don't get the impression at all that she was suspected of having had sex with anyone, and here is Baru worrying about being found out about who she's attracted to when she hasn't had sex yet, either. Earlier, Diline had said that whatever he was planning to do would "fix" Lao "before it enters the hereditary cells" - is "entering the hereditary cells" something that is supposed to happen after you have sex? Or is it just something that is supposed to happen when you get older? If it's just the latter, it's not clear why the book is using these particular words, unless it's just to invoke particularly old-school homophobia

Well, if this is going to get all intriguey and fantasy of manners now it might make up for whatever crotch-stabbing is probably occurring in the future

I won't say it's too early to be coming up with conspiracy theories because the last time I said that, my conspiracy theory that Corona was not actually a necromancer turned out to be true, so

I think it would be pretty fun if Cairdine Farrier turned out to be the Faceless Emperor

And really, who else would he turn out to be? He's obviously not who he claims to be, and we don't know anyone else from Falcrest, or the name of any other high-ranking title there. If it turns out he's secretly the Imperial Officer of Foreign Affairs or something, the reveal isn't impactful, because we've never heard of that guy and have no idea who he is or what his powers are. It doesn't really make sense for him to turn out to be anyone else, does it?

[localfanbaselurker]

I’m watching Voltron: Legendary Defender for the first time and here is what I have had to say per each season (this is 1-2) (3-4) (5-6) (7) (8)

Pre-Watch Knowledge

->big transformers type robot

->pretty alien girl that looks like princess yue from A:tLA

->they are the epitome of color-coded characters

->space??

->there was crazy people in the fanbase that sent cupcakes laced with something to the creators

->queer baiting (this one in particular got me)

->klance.

->^honestly I only knew that because people were comparing it to zukka and I wanted to check it out

->my friend really likes it

Post S1 thoughts-

->that cliffhanger was crazy imagine they weren’t renewed for a s2

-> i went on tumblr after and youre telling me they made that show IN TWO YEARS?? EIGHT SEASONS. IN TWO MF YEARS?? that is insane. props to the writers bro they fr must of known what they were doing.

->all of these characters already scream “doomed by the narrative”

->my fav characters are pidge and lance

->I definitely did NOT expect yue Allura to be British

->bonding moment.

->^like yeah okay i get it now

-> the healing pods are a very interesting concept. Like, what if you get some ailment that it doesn’t recognize?? Do you just die??

-> genuinely felt so bad for Not Yue. Allura. Allura when they had to remove her father’s memory thing. Like yeah I know the castle was corrupted or wtv but bro imagine. Your entire race is dead. your mom, who you previously knew alive is now most likely dead. You already had to go through losing your father once, and now you have to lose him again. Any sliver of hope you had of staying connected with him is gone, because the entirety of his essence is now gone. She’s stronger than me, I would have never given him up so easily. I admire that about her.

->I also made the horrible mistake of going on ao3 after

yk for gits and shiggles… and when I go to a new fandom I always search by hits to see the classics first yk

…

WHY are you guys so 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂… I genuinely shed a tear what. I was flabbergasted to say the least.

On that note the top 23 were about redguy/blueguy getting smoochy-smoochy with each other so I guess that should be a hint as to what you guys like

->the description of the show says the robot (voltron) is operated by “five teenagers” but that shiro guy has to be AT LEAST 25. He is pushing 30 you can’t convince me otherwise.

->for now it’s kinda giving atla except the war is intergalactic and lasted 10,000 years instead of 100.

->all the other characters seem to have a pretty clear background, but we haven’t yet heard about Keith’s backstory, so I want to know (I know now, this was my initial thought)

->shiros backstory/ptsd is very interesting, lots of angst possibilities i see

-> I had an inkling that pidge was…genderly different. (At first I thought she was transmasc)

Post S2

-> WHERE is my man. Where did he go.

-> Pookie please come back. Now. It’s not a suggestion.

->KEITH BACKSTORY I PREDICTED THEY WERE GONNA SHOW US YAY I LOVE BEING RIGHT

-> he’s galra! Soooo much whump opportunity

-> the whole “Allura doesn’t hate you she’s just a little upset to find out ur part of the race that killed off her entire peoples and family and okay maybe she does hate you” scene with keith and hunk is really giving that scene in atla: the southern raiders where zuko thinks katara hates him and sokka reassures him (badly) while he was just trying to get laid w suki.

->^ that’s gay

-> the aliens they met are going to be very important, aren’t they?

->^ oohhh so this is where the “langst” stuff comes from? he’s just kinda insecure i think, but it can’t possibly just be this episode that has that tag so high, unless flanderization is just really popular with you guys, but already suspect that unfortunately

->^Allura high key ate with this

->the “Blade of Marmora” people are definitely gonna be important later

-> the mall episode was soooo fun! fav s2 episode for sure!

->^gay. It’s literally giving “two bros chillin in a hot tub. five feet apart cus they’re not gay”

-> I know of 2 ships now. klance and allurance. I only see the former though, the latter seems more like a running gag/unrequited crush thing (for now i suppose)

-> Coran is an icon. I love that whimsical man. he’s beekeeping age per say.

-> I need pidge to find her brother and father man I feel so bad for her PLEASE DOBT TELL ME THEYRE DEAD ILL LITERALLY DIE.

-> pidge is sooooo cool i love her so much she’s literally the pookiest of the pookies

-> Who tf is gonna be the black paladin now. Keith sure as hell isn’t ready for that. maybe Allura?? Cus yk she kinda already leads them a little bit

These are thoughts I had compiled over a while now. I am on S5E3 as of now (07/03/24) but I wanted to document my thoughts either way. I will post on the tag “laura’s first vld”

[fierceawakening]

Because it’s on my mind , I wanted to talk a bit about what I remember of baeddelism when I’d was going around.

Full disclaimer I am not a trans woman, nor am I doing research on the era. So I neither claim to be unbiased nor do I claim to accurately remember everything. I just want to set down what I remember so I have it.

My recollection of how it started was that a trans woman user on tumblr noticed an etymological chart on I think Wikipedia, which said that the English word bad is related to an Old Norse word baedle, which was a term for an effeminate male. In that culture such people were seen as evil or creepy for doing woman things, and their doing so was associated with what we might call black magic.

A group of trans women on tumblr really liked this, and embraced the insulting ancient term in a similar way to how many people embrace queer. “You call me bad for being AMAB and a woman, I call that fine with me.” Baeddel started popping up in lots of trans women’s usernames.

(I do not know if the etymology is accurate. Nor do I know if the ancient term referred to people considered feminine men, considered gender confused, considered to have women’s temperaments or souls, etc.)

What you also saw with this group, though, was an emphasis on being assigned male (as they phrased it, CAMAB for Coercively Assigned Male At Birth, a phrase that has been criticized as ripped off from the intersex community, where people are recognized as physically ambiguous at birth by doctors but a binary assignment is picked anyway.) This was a little surprising at least to me, as the movement I was seeing was away from terms like MTF or FTM that emphasized assigned sex.

So you started seeing the mocking trans men phrased as mocking AFAB people. “Theyfabs” was popular, the idea being that trans masculine people say we don’t fully identify as men because we don’t want to get kicked out of women’s spaces, a neat trick we get to do that trans lesbians don’t.

But our AGAB is fixed. It’s something a doctor says and that gets put on a birth certificate. Once you have it, it doesn’t change.

Which leads to seeing people as inherently evil or inherently good. If you’re (C)AMAB you’re a victim, doomed to be mislabeled a predator. If you’re (C)AFAB you’re privileged, destined to get all the pussy be accepted by lesbians.

But whenever people make a trait destiny, the lends itself to Manicheanism.

So how do you get from “we trans women are cursed to never be accepted” to “we must be put first?”

Well, there’s already an echo of that in leftism anyway, and most gay and trans USians are leftists.

Leftists really like (for good reason imo, I count myself somewhere between “pretty lefty Dem” and “less extreme progressive”) the idea that a lot of social inequality is about certain groups being left out of the discussions and events that shape policy and culture, so the thing to do is listen to those voices first.

Couple that with “around birth you’re sorted and that sorting matters, but for us trans folks that sorting is wrong and painful, and you get, from virtuous to vicious:

Transfem: assigned male, rejects patriarchy/opts out. Most virtuous.

Cis woman: assigned female, oppressed by pstrarchy. Fights oppression but not by leaving high social starts behind. Pretty mid, unless they’re a TERF.

Cis man: assigned male, benefits from patriarchy. Doesn’t reject it, as he’s got a fairly cushy deal and why meds with that. Kind of gross, as shown by unwillingness to refuse the system.

Trans man: assigned female. Opprsssed by patriarchy. Deals with it by doing everything possible to reject assignment. Essentially begging for status and not caring who knows ir. Selfishness incarnate. Pretty fuckin evil.

Some people might think this couldn’t possibly be how any transfem person thinks—isn’t being trans about internal feelings, not relationship to patriarchy?

Usually, yes! But I think the emphasis on ASAB, coupled with the (correct) idea floating around that you don’t need dysphoria to be trans, led these people to focus less on internal sense and more on politics.

My evidence for this belief is that you started to see a lot of posts by these particular transfems saying things like “Ever wanted to be a girl? You can just be one! No particular internal states required!” You started to see a lot of talk by these blogs about trying to look for and crack eggs, talked about less like “I’m going to go look for nominally cis men who seem unhappy and tell them transition is possible” and more like “I’m going to plaster this everywhere to recruit.”

As I see it, the reason everyone is suddenly so chatty about transmisandry is not that we just made it up. It’s that these people had a stranglehold on discourse for a long time, and transmascs who saw it could either openly reject it and be labeled MRAs, silently ignore it and not be heard, or believe it and internalize that choosing not to just live with our dysphoria (when transfems get to have HRT for theirs!) makes us literally evil and selfish.

It often takes a while, when someone is no longer being abused, for them to come up with language to describe what happened. The reaction can be immediate, but can sometimes be a few years delayed. That’s what I think happened here. You’re seeing us talk about transmisandry now because we’re feeling safer to say “no, that’s fucked up, we aren’t just sex gods at the dyke bar, listen to us.”

Do I think that everyone around currently who thinks “transmisandry as a term implies misandry is systemic, and we shouldn’t do that” ascribes to this weird valence flipped “assigned male good, assigned female bad” gender essentialism?

No, but I think it’s reasonable to wonder if someone might, and thus reasonable to say “don’t tell people to stop using that word. Replace it in your head with ‘transphobia,’ shrug, and find another hill to die on.