#believe or not

[ofbreathandflame]

(heavy discussions on sa - this is actually an older post that i made like months ago, and was actually the first draft of the amarantha taboo post, so some things sound similar! just a heads up!)

you know i actually think there is a wider discussion to be had about rhysand's sexual assault - or sexual assault and trauma as it functions in the wider narrative. ive always felt that bc the story puts rhysand in this vulnerable position (i.e. a victim of sexual violence) the story always needs to like...make up for it, if that makes sense? 

what i mean is: the story creates this dynamic where rhysand is a victim; he has no power, control, or say - but it also has a very hard time reconciling to the fact that he was placed in this position. and so there's these weird placeholding pieces of information that often addle or confuse the narrative. and i talked about this before with rhysand's framing of his 'service to amarantha.' i also contributes to the moments of hyperviolence with rhys in the books, as if he constantly has to make up for the fact he was placed into these vulnerable positions in the first, implicitly.

the first book - and other books thereafter - imply that rhysand's court is specificially shielded from amarantha because he aligns himself (action word). rhysand's decision is framed as a 'sacrifice' which implies a choice (that he didn't really have). it always implies that rhysand is the one consciously 'one-upping' amarantha by 'agreeing' to be her 'right hand man' again - notice how despite the fact amarantha is characterized as a sexual deviant, she's rarely the focus. its what rhys 'gave' and not what 'amarantha did.'  

and this is fine if this is the way rhysand chooses to see what happened to him - bc then that's a trauma response. he can't acknowledge it so its better for him to rationalize it - that would have been great writing. 

but thats not how his sexual assault and role utm is discussed. 

other characters view rhys sexual assault as a statement of heroism (which ew) and not a just a statement of amarantha's capacity for sexual violence. tarquin literally says something along those lines. which again is implying that RHYS HAD A CHOICE. we can't frame this as heroism. he was raped, he did not sacrifice something...it was taken. 

in the initial scenario - where we remove the idea of autonomy (e.g. the idea that rhys purposely aligns himself with amarantha) he's a victim. but then - so is tamlin, tarquin, beron, kallias, and helion. in short - rhys being taken advantage of says nothing about him. it's a statement on amarantha's cruelty. but the story isn't satisfied with this bc...how would he be any different than tamlin whose vilified for being directly affected by his trauma, who 'sat on his ass for fifty years' as the book says. 

its the tragedy of how male sexual assault is rationalized in this series. the story literally purposely sets up a mirror position where rhys and tamlin are consistently compared for how they work through some of the craziest trauma ever known to man. the level of trauma the story is asking these characters to 'overcome' is actually quite insane. 

so the story ups the ante, it doesn't want rhys to be 'just a victim,' it wants him to be the MAN TM. bc tamlin and tarquin are 'just victims' so ewww. like even lucien is given another horribly written experience with sexual assault (which it literally has to bend the worldbuilding to accomplish) and then kind of position his complaints abt ianthe as whiny. or how tarquin's trauma is...not 'dark' enough for feyre. these men are often characterized as cowardly or not enough in relation to rhys. helion, thesan, tarquin, and tamlin are all consistently characterized as 'cowards' with little to no initiative or backbone.

so the story does that thing where it provides impossible situations: rhysand is the most powerful being in the world, he's so powerful that even without his 'real' power, he's still light years more powerful than the others when they're powers are ripped away. he can read minds, and has two wraiths that can literally walk through the walls and spy. he's often sent on missions on behalf of amarantha and can waltz in and out of the spring court without any issues (ie. its easy for him to convince amarantha he needs to go to the spring court multiple times. and then when he works for amarantha - he's the mastermind, not her. he's playing her all along and blah blah blah). but then it doesn't know how to write this dynamic with rhys and amarantha. and then it depowers him, while shaming the other men in the series for not doing 'enough' even when the most op character with all of those advantages isn't even able to over power her.

there's little introspection into amarantha as a character and as a villain -- and you'll notice she's hardly ever mentioned after the first book...despite the fact that she was literally the high queen of prythian and was the governing oppressive force for a half-century. as said in this post - the story isn't actually concerned about making a point about male sexual asault.

and that's why i talked about why that amarantha taboo is...kind of important to how the story chooses to conceptualize sexual violence/assault. the choice to create amarantha (and ianthe and maeve too) as these caricatures of sexuality - which is pretty much the case of all of sjm's villains. 

the story doesn't want to fully commit to a tactical scenario, because it doesn't believe that he's a victim in that capacity  - or at least that the victimhood is valid. bc its spends so much time invalidating the male trauma around rhys, the only way to make a distinction between rhys and the others to have rhys "orchestrate" his own assault to save everyone.

#anti sjm #anti rhysand #anti feyre #anti sjm: rhysand #anti feysand #anti sjm: amarantha #anti acomaf #this was actually something ive thought about for while #i can never quite put into words the weirdness in narrative framing around #amarantha #in which the story can never just allow rhys to actually be a victim without having to moralize his actions #believe or not #it actually would be much more compelling if rhysand's behavior were framed #as trauma responses. he doesn't have to be moralized #he just has to make sense in the given frameworks of the story #or the story could just drop the morals an just allow these characters to be shitty in a grimdark way

[meri-meri-mwah]

It's so weird how people think Ada is like this manipulative villainess who use Leon every single time when that's...not even half true?? If anything, that woman has done more good than bad and I feel like some people aren't ready for that conversation.

Ada isn't a villain, but a morally grey character who's more complex than ever because there's very few details about her as a person outside of the femme fatale act she puts on. Hell, till this day, we still don't know what her true motives are, but she ain't trying to destroy the world like every other villain in the franchise.

As far as her relationship with Leon, I think people just likes to stick with her persona in Resident Evil 2 Remake and make it seem like she's trying to manipulate him every single time. Yes, she WAS going to manipulate Leon throughout the game, but she changed her tactics when she recognized that Leon is just a good man trying to do good things for people. Even at the end, Leon TAUNTED Ada to shoot him. Saying stuff like, "Go ahead. Shoot me. I bet you can't do it." Leon probably knew there is some good in Ada and GUESS WHAT? Leon was right. Ada couldn't shoot him. And before she fell to her "death", she told Leon to take care of himself. For all we know, Ada probably wasn't expecting on seeing Leon again after Raccoon City but here we are. Many years later and she STILL actively helps Leon whenever she can.

If there's anyone Ada is manipulating, it's usually the bad guys she "works" with. She gave Wesker a weak/fake sample after the events for Re4 and turned on Simmons when he suggested shit that Ada did not want to do (that man was so obsessed with Ada, he literally created a CLONE just to get what he wanted).

This is getting long, but I need some people to realize that Ada is NOT the evil woman some of y'all want her to be.

#ada wong #leon kennedy #resident evil #resident evil 2 #resident evil 2 remake #resident evil 4 #resident evil 4 remake #resident evil 6 #I'mma need some folks to stop coming after the queen #complex characters exist and Ada is one of them #believe or not #Ada is a good woman at heart #but she got priorities and evil men to manipulate

[wasteofpain]

rewatching the opera scene from iwtv made me realize how it's the perfect example for why it's harder for louis to let go of his humanity than it has ever been for lestat and what it means to say that louis is a black queer man before he is a vampire, while lestat, in his own eyes, is a vampire and only a vampire, above all human conceptions.

while lestat gets to walk into the place with the confidence and style vampirism and whiteness have afforded him the right to, louis has to stay back and play the only part somewhat acceptable enough to excuse his existence in a place designed for people who look like lestat.

vampirism or not, louis is not given the privilege of walking in anywhere like he belongs there. most places are blatantly segragated so that he is not allowed to exist in the same ways lestat is. louis still has to stand back far enough to signal his place in the hierarchy (not that he or the white people there could ever forget it), tend to lestats needs and stand up while lestat sits comfortably to enjoy the show. only when the lights are out can louis join lestat in secret. all of that has to be done as if it's routine and the anger inside him can boil but never spill, because no vampirism will ever change the fact that he is a black man.

even in regards to queerness, until it becomes about the undeniable relationship between him and louis, no one cares enough about lestat's unashamed flamboyance to do much, even if it bothers them.

he's french after all. maybe it's a french thing.

as a rich, white, european man, if there's even the slightest place for denial they will deny it. but in the other hand, louis is not afforded that as a black man.

despite it all, lestat sees louis struggles as unecessary hang ups he must get rid of to evolve. he believes he has somehow destroyed the power of racism on louis through sharing the gift with him because lestat does not understand how deep the roots of institutionalized racism go. even with all the love he holds for louis, lestat cannot look past his own ego or the whiteness he barely aknowledges and louis is left pointing exasperatedly at the obvious while lestat sighs and rolls his eyes, or at best acquiesces.

#believe or not #i like lestat #interview with the vampire #amc iwtv #iwtv #louis du pointe du lac #lestat de lioncourt

[arcticpuppeteer]

#hype is real #believe or not #AM7 tour #AM Turkey #AM Istanbul

[titleofpersonage-p01]

#palestine #free palestine #israel #israel is committing genocide #i understand both sides of the argument in the comments #but the fact that this can even be some what believable is concerning in itself #always remember that an “us vs them” narrative is dangerous #we cannot deny that innocent lives are being slaughtered #i just want this war to be over #but thats not something thats going to be easily done

[justalittlebluetiefling]

#i don't believe that people for serious reasons sort their books any way but by author #and then obviously by release date/series within that #i am being told that i am being JUDGY #also if you sort your books any other way HOW DO YOU FIND THEM #i really need to know #polls #can't believe i forgot to include genre in here

[arrgh-whatever]

#and to my bpd followers #believe me you're not a burden #bpd #borderline personality disorder #bpd awareness

[hunny-k]

This is the funniest way you could've put it

#he's such a LOSER at BEING RETIRED #amazing #keep going bud i believe in you #have fun with your movies yes sir

[lesbxdyke]

I could think of no better way to share the news than this!

So when I was 17, my cat went missing and I'd given up hope of ever seeing him again.

Until on Monday, 27th of May, 2024, my friend sent me a FB post asking 'isn't that your mother?' about the person named on the microchip.

Here he is! 16 years old, and found safe, twelve whole years after he went missing!

Yesterday (Tuesday the 28th of May, 2024) I went to the rescue that had him, and I reclaimed my boy, renaming him Artie! (He'd originally been called 'Cat' because my mother and I couldn't decide on a name)

He's home safe with me now, currently inhabiting my bathroom and purring up a storm every time someone goes in there!

I'll be doing slow introductions between him and my current cat to give them the best possible chance of living in harmony!

Here's some pictures of Artie once we let him out of the carrier:

#personal #okay to reblog #my cat #cat people #honestly i can't believe this #like it happened to me and it still feels so fanciful and unreal #like something out of a children's story book or something #he's such a good boy! #he purrs like a motorbike and loves his brushy!!!

[dendrochronologies]

maya angelou saying the funniest thing anyone has ever said about editing, which i can never let myself forget EVER AGAIN [x]

#OK. YOU'RE RIGHT. SO WHAT? DON'T EVER MENTION THIS TO ME AGAIN. IF YOU DO I WILL NEVER SPEAK TO YOU AGAIN. #i used to think about this interview all the tiiiiime i can't believe i let myself lose track of it!!!!!!! #maya angelou #FAVE #editing #*r #god i've read this a thousand times and i still laugh every time it's so GOOD #'OK. YOU'RE RIGHT. SO WHAT. DON'T EVER MENTION THIS TO ME AGAIN' #notifications are off for this besties 💗 #i will eventually turn reblogs back on but 20k notes overnight was a little too much pls slow down ✋️ #also pls do not follow me unless you are desperately in love with me. i can't make silly little personal posts with so many of you here!!!!

[nori-kakyoin]

megan thee stallion wearing a bruno bucciarati inspired dress the the crunchyroll anime awards

#I STARTED HYPERVENTILATING WHEN SHE WALKED OUT #I COULDNT BELIEVE MY EYES #this was the best possible surprise #bruno bucciarati #jjba #jojo's bizarre adventure #jojo no kimyou na bouken #golden wind #bruno buccellati #megan thee stallion #crunchyroll awards 2024

[miss-galaxy-turtle]

Jew here with a friendly reminder that:

Criticizing Isreal ≠ antisemetic

Supporting Palestine ≠ antisemitic

Believing in the Free Palestine cause ≠ antisemitic

BUT ALSO

A random ass Jew just living their life oceans away has nothing to do with the Isreal-Palestine conflict

Palestinian Jews exist

Jews that support Palestine exist (I am one of them)

Calling out ACTUAL antisemitism ≠ supporting Isreal

#can't believe i still have to say this #isreal #palestine #free palestine #isreal palestine conflict #jewish #jewblr #antisemitism tw

[whatkindofnameisella]

can you believe that we have fanfiction. that we have websites dedicated to fanfiction. that there is a place that you can go and read tens, hundreds, thousands and thousands of pieces of writing that strangers have made. people who are not "writers". people who come home at the end of the day and have feelings and say, i am going to put that into words. i am going to share those words. short, long, sweet, sad, horny, funny, wonderful words. we are all just human and we all love to make and remake and share that with others. can you believe that.

#ao3 #archive of our own #fanfiction #sometimes i can't even believe how much i myself have written. like i think i am not a writer. i am not doing enough. i do not write enough #and i look back and i have 34 (34!!) works on ao3 and reams of unpublished work on my computer and so long left to live. so i think #we will be okay. #writing

[cracklewink]

table for one

#dungeon meshi #dunmeshi #laios touden #dungeon meshi spoilers #a little bit #i finally got a chance to finish this #i cant believe ive never drawn dunmeshi fanart considering ryoko kui is like #my favorite artist ever #I forgot to say also the throne is laios’s monster form hehe #scopophobia

[skipppppy]

Broke: Giovanni is Ash's father

Woke: Giovanni has mistakenly believed Ash was his hookup mistake for like a decade and is about to get the surprise of the century seeing that not only are they not related, but the employee he fired a few years ago for being too stupid is now living with him and being a more active father than he was

#i'll never believe this theory but it has too much comedic potential #hanamusashipping #pokeani #pokemon #pokemon anime #team rocket #ash ketchum #jessie x delia #delia ketchum #professor kukui #giovanni #ash's dad #musashi

[lucdoodle]

thought that one Alastor scene would look cool in comic lettering, so i drew this

#i almost can't believe it's only my first time drawing adam #despite him being one of my fav character #he's such an asshole i love him your honor #the last panel is really a 2 seconds before disaster kinda thing aiugzhekjiu #hazbin hotel spoilers #hazbin hotel #alastor #adam #hazbin hotel alastor #hazbin hotel adam #comic #myart