#because THAT’S how makeup empowers me

[darknight3904]

Blank Space

𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪: ɪɴ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴘᴇʀꜰᴇᴄᴛ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱʜɪᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴍᴀʀᴛᴇꜱᴛ ʙᴏʏ ᴀᴛ ꜱᴄʜᴏᴏʟ ᴏɴʟʏ ꜰᴏʀ ɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ꜰᴀʟʟ ᴀᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ 10ᴛʜ ᴀɴɴᴜᴀʟ ʜᴜɴɢᴇʀ ɢᴀᴍᴇꜱ

ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴛᴡᴏ

𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤: ᴀʟʟᴜꜱɪᴏɴꜱ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇx, ᴄᴏʀʏᴏ ɪꜱ ᴀ ʙᴏᴏʙ ᴍᴀɴ. ʙᴀꜱᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴏɴɢ ʙʏ ᴛᴀʏʟᴏʀ ꜱᴡɪꜰᴛ. ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ɪꜱ ʀᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴘᴏꜱꜱᴇꜱꜱɪᴠᴇ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴄᴏʀʏᴏ. ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀʟɪꜱᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ!

You could feel his eyes on you, it had been like this for months. Coriolanus Snow's eyes followed you nearly everywhere you went. From your class presentations to where you sat in the cafeteria with your peers, those strikingly blue eyes were always watching. Arachne had called it "unnerving" and "downright creepy" but what she didn't know was that you loved it. Knowing that you had the smartest boy in the class wrapped around your finger felt empowering, it also helped that you had been in a relationship with said boy for months now.

It had been sudden, the beginnings of the relationship with him. Sejanus was the one who pointed him out to you. Perhaps he was just trying to put in a good word for his friend but before you knew it Coriolanus was bringing you white roses and brushing your hair from your face. He'd present you with little folded pieces of paper, made to look like swans or butterflies and you cherished each one, your desk drawer at home was filled with his gifts. You and Coriolanus had agreed not to walk around the academy flaunting your relationship and opted for a much more discreet version of boyfriend and girlfriend when in public. That promise of secrecy didn't exactly stop hushed gossip and rumors that flew around the school. You'd deny any ideas of dating but you knew so many of your peers saw right through this act. Of course, all this secrecy, just meant he was all the more touchy in private. Even now, as you sat in his lap at your desk, trying to focus on the essay that was due tomorrow.

"It's perfect. You always get good marks anyway."He said, his fingertips dancing around your waist trying to get you to pull your attention from the paper before you.

"Easy to say when you have the highest marks." You pointed out, squirming when his fingers brushed a particularly ticklish spot.

"True, but you've always been a better writer than me. Don't you want to eat some of that food your maid brought in? It smells wonderful." He nodded to the large cart of food that had been sitting in your room, ignored for the past ten minutes.

One thing about your charming boyfriend was that he was always hungry. Coriolanus never turned down any of your suggestions of what to eat and was constantly eager to try whatever your family's cook whipped up when he was visiting you. His explanation for this constant hunger was that the Snow's cook was simply terrible but they couldn't fire him since their grandmother loved him so.

"I guess we can eat." You sigh placing your essay neatly into a folder, and standing to let him up from your desk chair.

You carefully helped your boyfriend place some of the food on your oversized bed. Another thing about him was that he highly enjoyed eating while sitting on your bed with you, of course, you couldn't blame him your bed was irresistibly soft.

"Do you honestly think that Arachne has the best hair in the class?" He laughed

"It's always pinned so neatly! Not to mention how her hair bows always compliment her makeup!" You point out

" I personally believe that there's another who has the best hair." He says, popping a grape into his mouth

"Oh really, who? And don't say Sejanus or Festus because we both know you'd be lying." You laugh, taking another bite of the chicken on your plate.

"It is obviously me." Coriolanus says "Have you seen my curls?"

He's dead serious about the statement but you can't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" He asks, reaching over to poke at your stomach as you giggle at him

"You're just so confident, it's kind of funny." You smile

"Oh please, you act like my looks aren't the whole reason you were interested in me in the first place." He points out.

"That is not fair." You groan, knowing it is true. Coriolanus' good looks had definitely helped him get the girl. It didn't help that his words were equally as charming.

"Don't worry, I know your hundreds of ex-boyfriends don't compare to me." He smirks, pulling you to his side

"It's not hundreds." You snort, sure, you dated quite a few boys in the past but, so far none of them have ever held a candle to your Coryo.

Coriolanus found himself fully enraptured by your presence. From the way you'd double knot your shoes to the soft cherry red lipstick, you wore when he'd take you out on dates that he made sure were cheap yet incredibly tasteful. He felt incredibly reckless whenever he was with you, the way he'd find himself blurting out the craziest things in your presence was simply uncanny. Even now as you sat, awaiting him in bed, he knew you were going to somehow drag some crazy statements out of his mouth even when he swore he wouldn't blab on about god only knows what.

"Hope you didn't miss me too much." He teases when he exits your bathroom, slipping under the covers with you

"Don't get cocky." You laugh, pulling the covers up to hide your chest.

Coriolanus hated that you did that after sex. He had just been inside you, and yet you insisted on hiding what was probably his favorite part of you under the silky sheets that adorned your bed. Sure, he wanted to respect your boundaries and all, but he also wanted to be able to use your chest as his personal pillow.

"Stop staring at them." You scold, trying to wiggle away from his arms that were wrapping around you under the blankets.

"I can't help it, they're so soft." He says, burying his face in your neck, inhaling your scent.

"You're so strange." You laugh, running a hand through those wonderfully curly locks

"You love it." He sighed into your skin.

Months later, one day before the 10th Annual Hunger Games

You couldn't believe it. Coriolanus had blown you off. You had planned a date, a simple one really just a little picnic with some of his favorite foods and he never showed up. He had been acting strange ever since reaping day but when he had agreed earlier to your picnic idea you had been elated. You initially had thought he was just nervous since he got stuck with the District 12 girl but now you could see why he was acting so oddly. The moment you saw him standing in that damn cage at the zoo next to her, holding her hand, you knew exactly what was going on, he was interested in a girl who would be dead in days. His songbird was pretty, she'd give him that but what the hell did Lucy Gray have to offer your Coryo that you didn't already possess? Sure, she was a good singer that was obvious but other than that what did she have? Certainly not riches or manners to win your boy over and yet she was doing it anyway, she was singing her songs and casting a spell over your Coriolanus. You wondered if she was even truly interested in him, what if she was just trying to survive and Coryo was falling for it like an idiot?

It took quite a bit of self-control not to toss something at his head when he entered your room.

"I'm sorry...I know I missed your picnic." He said, crossing the room quickly

"You're only sorry for missing my picnic?" You ask, not rising from your seat

"What are you talking about? I'm here to apologize for standing you up. I was with Lucy Gray she needed food and I wanted to talk to her about strategy for the games." He said

"Really? You were talking strategy with her?" You roll your eyes, pointing to the television in your room which was paused on the broadcast Lucky Flickerman had done earlier that afternoon. Lucky was the focus of the shot but in the background, anyone with eyes could see Coriolanus Snow and Lucy Gray overly close to one another.

"I don't think talking strategy requires wiping her tears for her Coryo." You say

"She's just scared, I felt bad for her." He lies

"So you were just comforting her?" You ask

"Yes. Nothing more." He says

Jealousy reared its ugly head and set a bitter taste in your mouth. Did he honestly expect you to believe that?

"You're a man of many talents, Coryo but you're not a very good liar." You point out before clicking a button on your remote to show him the next thing you want him to see.

You want to laugh at the way his eyes widen at what you're showing him.

"She kisses you here, Coryo. I'm sure you would've continued too if you weren't so caught up in your own desires for that Plinth Prize." You point out, letting the footage play of him and Lucy Gray in the dark at the zoo which had to have been not even an hour ago.

"Are you spying on me?" He asks, offended

"You forget my mother's position in the Capitol, Coryo. She pioneered the advanced cameras The Hunger Games uses each year. Did you honestly think that there wouldn't be cameras watching the Tributes through the night?" You laugh

"So you're watching me?" He asks, clearly upset that you caught him red-handed

"You're the one skipping out on a relationship that is more important than anything that Songbird could offer." You coldly say

"You're crazy," Coriolanus says backing away from you and your camera footage

"You're one to talk, Coryo. Have you looked in the mirror recently?" You laugh, standing up

"Jealousy isn't a good look on you." He says

"And cheating isn't a good one on you." You counter

"That wasn't cheating." He says

"Really? And what do you call kissing another person who isn't in your relationship called?" You ask

"I don't need to explain my actions to you." He says

"You don't have to." You say "I hope she's worth all your trouble, considering she could die tomorrow."

"She'll win." He assures himself

"If she doesn't I'm sure you'll be quite sad, given you're so taken with her." You say, walking over to your desk where a vase of white roses sits, he gave them to you the day of the reaping. You pull them from the vase and walk towards him.

"What are you doing?" He asks as you get closer

"Returning your gifts." You say sharply before tossing them at him "Give them back to Grandma'am I'm sure she'll be glad to have them back in her greenhouse."

"You're acting insane." He says holding the roses gently

"I'm not. I'm just responding to everything you've done." You say coldly

"You know all those past boyfriends of yours, one of them said you were insane. I should have listened." He says, pointing an accusing finger at you

"Oh please. I'm insane?" You laugh

"Yeah, you are. And this," He points to himself and then you "Is over."

You watch as Coriolanus tosses his roses on the floor before storming out of your room, and presumably out of your family's home. From your window that overlooks the front of the house, you see him cast one more glance at you from the front yard.

"Oh, Coryo, you'll come running back."

Part 2

In case anyone reading this is wondering I do not hate Lucy Gray in any way so don't come after me.

The teaser for Part Two can be found here

#coriolanus snow #young coriolanus snow #fanfic #the hunger games #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #lucy gray baird #coriolanus snow x reader #coriolanus snow smut #coriolanus snow fluff #tbosas #katniss everdeen #peeta mellark #tom blyth #rachel zegler #Spotify #Youtube

[glowwithsophia]

The Subtle Art of Becoming "That Girl" in 2024 🌸✨

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Hello beautiful souls! It's me, Sophia. If you are new reader then

Hi! I’m Sophia and I want to empower women to prioritize their well-being while pursuing their dreams🌟

Today, I woke up feeling extra inspired by the #thatgirl aesthetic. You know her – she's the girl who embodies self-love, radiates positivity, and just seems to have her life beautifully organized. Personally, I believe, she's not just a trend; she's a movement towards becoming the best version of ourselves. And guess what? Becoming "that girl" isn't about perfection; it's about progress. It's about embracing the journey of self-improvement, self-care, and love. So, let's dive into a few ways you can bring a little bit of "that girl" magic into your everyday life:

1. Morning Rituals ✨

Start your day with purpose. Whether it's a morning skincare routine, meditation, or writing down your thoughts in a daily planner, find what centers you. If you have been following me for a while then you know how important this is. Remember, it's these small rituals that set the tone for a productive, positive day.

2. Self-Care Sundays 🛁

Dedicate time each week to pamper yourself. This could be a long bath, a skincare routine, or even a cozy evening with a book. It's all about showing yourself some love and appreciation.

I remember back in my childhood my older sister used to always have pamper sundays and I would always try and follow her footsteps however, back then your girl was as lazy as one can be...so zero exceptions. Be better than me girls and make the future you be proud.

3. Clean Girl Aesthetic 🌿

Embrace the clean girl aesthetic with a minimalist wardrobe, clean makeup looks, and a tidy space. A clutter-free environment not only looks good but also brings a sense of calm and order to your mind. Clean home = clean mind + remember clean body

4. Find Your Fitness Love 💕

Whether it's pink pilates, yoga, or a brisk walk in the park, find a physical activity that you love. It's not just about the physical benefits but the mental clarity and energy boost it brings.

5. Nourish to Flourish 🍓

Eating well is a form of self-respect. Fill your plate with colors, textures, and nutrients. It's not just about looking good, but feeling good from the inside out.

6. Learn and Grow 🌱

Embrace new hobbies, read more books, and challenge yourself to learn something new often. Growth is a huge part of becoming "that girl".

7. Stay Organized 📒

Invest in a good daily planner to keep track of your goals, appointments, and to-dos. There's something incredibly satisfying about ticking off tasks and staying on top of your game.

And here's a little secret for you: part of my "that girl" journey includes creating pieces that speak to my soul. I stumbled upon this adorable Etsy shop aka my Etsy Shop [GlowInGrow] that just screams self-care and love. My THAT GIRL planner is something that I did with love and my own hands. For me, it's not just a planner, it's my way of helping others because that's what being her is. Being her means she shares her secrets to help the rest of the girlies. MESSAGE ME FOR THE PROMO CODE *hint*

Also this planner has got you covered from setting your intentions and tracking your habits to planning your meals and self-care routines perfect for anyone looking to add that extra touch of mindfulness and beauty to their daily routine. It's subtle, but oh, so beautiful. 🌟

AND REMEMBER;

Becoming "that girl" isn't an overnight transformation. It's about making small, meaningful changes that align with who you are and who you aspire to be. Let's embrace this journey together, one step at a time. 💕

Last but not least, at the end of your journey of becoming that girl awaits the future who is The Girl!

Stay safe and stay hot...

With Love, Sophia

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#thatgirl #selflove #selfcare #dailyplanner #glowup #selfimprovement #softgirl #lovecore #thatgirl2024 #becomingher #That girl planner #that girl #that girl aesthetic #that girl routine #clean girl #daily planner #self love #self care #wonyoungism #becoming that girl #becoming her #self improvement #glow up #pink pilates princess #soft girl #that girl 2024

[zeusmagnolia]

Breaking a girl is easy but how would you own and keep a smart feminist?

By gaslighting her. By being on her side. An ally. Making her think that her consensual submission to me is actually an act of rebellion against the hegemonic patriarchal systems of oppression.

"It's ok to want to be told what to do"

"It's normal to want to be a dumb little slut with me- I won't tell."

We can talk about how normally a woman never gets to consent to the power which is enacted on her every day- so when she comes into my home and kneels before me and begs me to use her little body for my pleasure and train her how to be a fuck toy for men- it's actually an empowering act, because she is choosing to submit to a man.

"Doesn't it feel nice to be my good little girl?"

Slowly, over time she'll start to realize that nothing feels quite as good as wearing my collar. Other men will disappoint her, they won't hit her the way I can because they are too soft. They won't fuck her the way I do because I know she can take it.

"It's so much work to be smart, baby. You can just be dumb with me. I know what makes you feel good. I know what you need. Now suck."

I'll tell her when to cum, and how to suck, and convince her this is what she wanted. "It's all just kink, angel, you're the one in charge really- you're the one asking for this"

I'll make her shave her body for me, wear cute little skirts and girly make up when she comes over. And one day, when I'm pounding the back of her needy little cunt from behind I'll pull her head back so she can see herself in the mirror- see what she's become: makeup staining her face, her skirt hitched up, a collar with a little dog tag that says "Fucktoy", and a big man stretching her out from behind, breeding her like a good little bitch- and she'll thank me for it.

She'll know deep within her that this is her purpose. She was born with such a sweet little hole and it was made for making men feel good. And it feels so nice to have a purpose...

#zm answers #patriarchy kink #misogny kink

[malfunctioningmeatsuit]

most makeup is NOT art: let's face it

(DISCLAIMER: I am not judging the influencers as people and am assuming good faith. I am instead pointing out libfem nonsense. I do not think other women are vapid and shallow if they follow beauty trends, rather that the current culture surrounding makeup encourages women to conform and suppress. This is an attack on the system, not on women.)

<3

anyways...

Makeup culture has skyrocketed in popularity with the rise of talentless influencers, increasing backlash to patriarchy, and the onset of late stage capitalism. Elementary and middle school girls are doing one hour makeup routines before school. Women who criticize the beauty industry are getting called ugly and talentless.

As the makeup industry racks in more money and more women waste their time and money to hide their insecurities, there has also been a backlash from feminists surrounding makeup culture. Of course with every revolution there are reactionaries and these reactionaries have come up with all sorts of excuses and defenses to cope with or dismiss the exploitation of women with insecurities.

"I do it for myself"

"Criticizing makeup is criticizing women"

"You're such a pick me"

"Makeup is empowering"

"You're just trying to be not like the other girls"

"It makes me feel sexy"

"You just don't know how to do it"

All of these are very common defensive reactions which many other radical feminists have addressed. I am going to be addressing one I do not see talked about as much. I am going to be dissecting the notion that "makeup is art" and highlighting how absolutely untrue and ridiculous that idea is in our current world.

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Look at these images.

These are the gold standard trendy looks worn by popular makeup influencers on TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms. These are women from multiple different cultures and ethnicities. Sadly, they've been dragged into a very toxic and misogynistic culture which masquerades as art.

Look at the faces. They all make the same expression, gazing longingly off into the distance or towards the camera. These are "acceptable" faces for women to make. It makes sense they're making those faces as natural smiles are condemned for being "too gummy" or because they "cause wrinkles."

Their makeup is virtually identical also. Their faces are completely caked with foundation and concealer. They make their lips look fuller because thin lips are considered ugly. They have completely buried any of their unique facial features beneath layers of chemical paste. No moles, no distinct hairs, no freckles, no anything. They've likely been told their natural faces are unacceptable.

This style of makeup is not only socially acceptable, but very palatable to patriarchy. Women are shamed for not conforming to this standard. This is the standard for women, made by patriarchy and capitalism and inspired by the male gaze. To say this makeup is art rather than propaganda intended to make women feel guilty in their natural face is an insult to art and to women. It is an insult also to actual makeup art.

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Now look at these images.

These are incredible images I sourced from Instagram as well as google that show how makeup can be used to create powerful, fascinating, mind-boggling, and gorgeous works of art with the human face as a canvas.

Every single image is distinct. Between optical illusions, social commentary, homages to nature, and brilliant bursts of color, to say this isn't art would be objectively incorrect. The makeup in this art is bold, an expression of individuality, and even controversial. (Makeup that isn't for men's sexual gratification??? Makeup being used for art rather than as a coping mechanism??? Whaaaatt??)

The makeup here is a completely different species than the makeup worn by the influencer women in the first part of this post. Rather than hide their features with makeup for the sake of avoiding being ugly, they do it to play with the appearance of human anatomy. Rather than sexualize themselves, they paint mold and scars and eyes where they shouldn't be.

They revere their bodies and adorn their faces with bright colors out of a love for art and the human anatomy. They see their bodies as wonderful canvases in which they can express themselves on. They are painters rather than influencers. They care about creativity rather than wear makeup because they've been told they need to enhance their sex appeal.

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Liberal feminists call makeup an art as a means of separating makeup from patriarchy because facing the misogynistic truth of beauty culture is a threat to their habits. They also only speak about the style of makeup on the left as art and dismiss genuine makeup art because it shows how toxic and removed from true art beauty culture makeup is.

Tragically calling makeup art is hardly even accurate given the reality of the culture. Makeup is rarely ever used for true artistic expression and for every one artful makeup account on social media there are hundreds of cut+paste beauty influencers. True makeup art is a statistical anomaly and makeup/beauty culture very much shuns genuine creatives.

In my opinion...

Makeup will only be an art when it is divorced from patriarchy.

Makeup will only be an art when true creatives aren't shunned and instead are the voices of the community.

Makeup will only be an art when it stops centering sex appeal.

Makeup will only be an art when women are allowed to opt out of it and men are allowed to enjoy it.

Makeup will only be an art when it is no longer used by women and girls who've been taught to hate their innate features.

Makeup will only be an art when no women feel pressured to do it.

#radical feminist #anti beauty culture #anti makeup #radblr #radfem #radical feminism #radfem safe #radical feminists please interact #beauty critical #radical feminist theory #radical feminist safe #radical feminist community

[humanpurposes]

maybe you're interested in what i have to say, maybe not.

I feel really disheartened that someone expressing their dislike and skepticism for a trope managed to spark such a volatile few hours on here.

For Em's original point, liking or not liking the bimbo!reader trope is a matter of preference. Calling it anti-feminist can still technically be an opinion, and if you disagree that's fair. For me, bimbofication can fall into the illusion of Choice Feminism, that being a woman and making a choice does not make that choice inherently feminist when it could be contributing to harmful stereotypes or unrealistic standards. For example, the pursuit of beauty standards. Me bringing this up isn't to say that wearing makeup, spending a lot on skincare, or making physical alterations to your body is morally wrong, but we don't exist in a vacuum. We should do what feels right, but we can still question why it feels right. I'm a woman. I like to think I'm intelligent. I also like to think I'm hot as fuck. None of these contradict one another.

I would still hope that we as writers can critically assess what we're actually putting out. And most of us are operating in the HotD fandom where problematic tropes are kinda the norm, but then when I read a dark fic, I am under no impression that what I'm reading is healthy, acceptable or empowering outside of fiction.

Characterisation and accuracy is something I have a lot of thoughts on but we've already seen how well that conversation goes on here. All I'll say is that I personally think that Michael Gavey would hate a bimbo character, especially because he seems to value intelligence (or academic performance at least) over visual appearance or social status. But we all have our own interpretations of the character, and it's Ewan Mitchell in glasses, that's the main reason why most of are writing for this character.

Anyway, the really cool thing about freedom of expression is that we get to like and dislike things. I can understand that if you're someone who enjoys reading or writing this trope that the original post might have made you feel angry or upset, but we as adults can control how we react to people who disagree with us. Some people on here take Tumblr way too seriously and take it way too personally when someone disagrees with them. I've said it before, but "don't like, don't read" can be applied to opinion posts. Someone posting an opinion about a trope on their own blog isn't an attack on anyone, but condemning people for that comes across as very hypocritical to me. Write what you want, no one is stopping you.

#me when i overshare #hotd fandom

[soracities]

Hi! So I tried not to say anything about some anti makeup posts I saw on your blog but I need to say this. I think you're very wise and I agree it's very important for us to love ourselves as we are. But some people like myself doesn't care about 'empowering' of makeup or whatever but we just have fun with it and we just love it. I say we because I know there is a lot of people like me. Yeah, we are feeding capitalism or whatever, but world is beautiful and it's also terrible so people trying make themselves feel good, have fun, ect. I see a lot of people who don't wear makeup and i'm happy for them! I didn't wear makeup until i turned 20 i think and felt good.

One thing I wanted to add is in response of post about feminine girls. I think everything needs balance and sometimes people tend to overreact in their opinion and divide everything in black and white. Personally I never cared how women around me looked and what they were wearing. But I would like to have same treatment, and not to feel silly for wearing pink or feminine clothes.

Sorry, I don't know English very well so maybe I can't translate my idea entirely. What I'm trying to say i think everyone should do what they like and leave each other in peace.

Sorry for this essay, just wanted to share my point of view.

Hi, anon! I'm sorry for the delay in getting to this, but I appreciate you writing this (and your English was fine, don't worry)

I think the main argument of those posts (and my own feelings about this) is not about makeup on its own, or even judgement about who does and doesn't choose to wear it--what they are criticizing is a particular part of the society we live in which puts a huge emphasis on women's beauty and appearance in order to fulfill an idea of what a woman "should" be, and the role that makeup plays in that as a result. Because whether we like it or not, whether we believe in them or not, whether we feel pressured by them or not, these expectations do exist. How we personally respond to them does not change that.

I personally don't have an issue with makeup or the concept of it (in almost every culture on earth, humans have been using makeup of some kind for literally thousands of years)--but what I do have a problem with is when we treat makeup, or other traditionally "feminine" forms of expression as neutral things when they are not. A comb or a hair tie is neutral--it's just a thing. Lipstick and eyeliner are also just things, but only when they exist by themselves--and in reality they don't exist by themselves: they exist in a world where we value women on their physical appearance before we value them for anything else--lipstick and eyeliner exist to emphasise parts of your appearance, to make you look a certain way--and in a society where we put so much importance on women looking a certain way, they aren't just ordinary things you toy around with for fun. You can have fun with them, but it doesn't change their role. They can't be treated as exceptions from the world they are used in.

I think sometimes people assume that being anti-makeup is the same as being anti-women-who-wear-makeup, which misses the point (and also suggests a very dangerous idea which I think, sometimes, is why people respond so angrily to these criticisms: because if we believe that being anti-makeup = being anti-women, then therefore makeup = womanhood, and this is simply not true). Whether you wear these things just for fun and to enjoy yourself isn't what is being talked about because these criticisms are not about you on a personal level: they are about looking at a society that is as image-obsessed as ours, and asking why makeup has the role that it has when 1) it is almost exclusively aimed at women--women who, as a group, have been historically marginalised, and whose value, historically, has almost always been measured in terms of their beauty before anything else and 2) the makeup that is emphasized, the trends and styles that come and go, are often not so much about self-expression (if they were, people would be freely wearing all sorts of wild colours and styles: when we talk about "makeup culture" it's not the same kind of makeup used in the goth, punk, or alt scenes for example where makeup plays a very different role) but almost always about achieving or aspiring towards a type of beauty that is valued or expected: to make you look younger, to make your eyes brighter or larger, to make your lips bigger or sexier, your cheekbones more prominent etc--again, on their own, these things may not be a big deal, but they exist in a world where having these looks means you are valued in a certain way as a woman. And when this exists in our kind of world, where the power dynamics we have automatically mean women's perceived power is through beauty, and where we insist so much on women being a particular kind of beautiful (and this starts in childhood) we have to ask and investigate WHY that is--why this type of beauty and not another? why (almost only) women? who benefits from this? who suffers as a result?

The argument of "not all women" wear makeup for empowerment misses the point of these criticism, because it is focusing on a person's individual choices in a way that suggests our choices can define the world we live in, and they can't. We are deeply social animals. Therefore, how we appear to each other and to ourselves is a socially influenced phenomenon. This applies for race, for sexuality, and for gender. How women are perceived at large, in different social structures, is a social phenomenon influenced by the societies we exist in and the values of those societies. These criticisms are about the society we make those choices in and how that can affect us. For you, makeup may be something fun and enjoyable and that's fine. I'm not saying that's untrue or that people don't feel this way or that you are wrong for feeling this way. It's also not saying that you are brain-washed or oppressing yourself for it. But it doesn't change the world we live in. Someone feeling perfectly happy to go out with makeup or without makeup, and feeling no pressure to do either, is great--but it doesn't mean there aren't a lot of women who do feel pressured into wearing it, and that pressure is a social one. It doesn't change the inequality that exists between how women's physical appearances are judged compared to men's. It doesn't change the fact that almost every childhood story most kids hear (that aren't about animals) have a "beautiful princess" (and very little else is said about her except that she is beautiful) and a "brave" knight/prince/king/whichever: the princess (or maiden or whatever young woman) is defined by how she looks; the male in the story by how he acts.

It also doesn't change the fact that so many young girls grow up hearing the women around them criticize various parts of their bodies and that they carry this into their lives. It doesn't change the fact that we expect (in Western countries at least) for women to have criticisms about their appearance and they are "stuck-up" or "full of themselves" if they don't. It doesn't change the fact that magazines photos, red carpet photos, films, tv shows etc., feature actresses who are beautiful in a way that is absolutely above and beyond exceptional (and who either have had work done cosmetically, or are wealthy enough to be able to afford to look the way they do through top-class makeup artists, personal trainers etc) but who we think are within the "normal" range of beauty because faces like theirs are all that we see--how many famous actors / entertainers can you name who look like they could be someone's random uncle, or "just some guy" (writing this, I can think of 5). Now how many actresses, equally famous, can you think of that are the same? Very, very, very few.

The point of those posts, and why I feel so strongly about this, is that we have a deeply skewed view of beauty when it comes to women, because, as a society, we place so much on how they look in such a way that it is not, and was never meant to be, achievable: therefore anything that contributes to how women look, that markets itself in the way that the makeup industry does in this day and age, needs to be questioned and looked at in relation to that. No one is saying don't wear eyeliner or blush--what they are trying to say is that we need to be aware of the kind of world eyeliner and blush exists in, what their particular functions as eyeliner and blush do in the world that they exist in, that we exist in, and how this does impact the view we have on makeup as a result. Your personal enjoyment may be true to you and others, but this doesn't change the role of female beauty in the world because, again, our personal choices don't define the world in this way. Often, it's the other way around. And we cannot deny this fact because, while it may not affect you negatively, it does affect others.

I absolutely agree with you because I don't care how other women around me choose to dress or express themselves, either--that's their freedom to wear what they want and enjoy themselves and I want them to have that freedom. But my view is not the world's view, and it's certainly not the view of a lot of other people, either. I don't care if another woman loves pink and wearing skirts and dresses--but, like makeup, pink, skirts, and dresses, are not neutral things either. They're tied to a particular image of 'femininity' which means they are tied to a particular way of "being a woman" in this world. I'm not saying, at all, that it's wrong to wear these things. But I'm saying we can't treat them as though these are choices as simple as choosing what kind of socks to wear, because they aren't. They are choices that have baggage. If a woman is seen as being silly, childish, or treated unequally because she enjoys cute tops and ribbons and sundresses, that's not because we are demonizing her choices, or because being anti-makeup is being anti-woman (again, it is absolutely not): it's because we as a society demonize women for any choice. That isn't because of anti-makeup stances--that's because of sexism.

You mentioned that you want to be treated the same as anyone else for wearing feminine clothes--but the fear that you wouldn't be isn't because of the discussions critiquing makeup and other traditionally "feminine" things--it's because we live in a society where women are constantly defined by how they appear on the outside, and no amount of our personal choices will make this untrue. Whether you are a girly-girl or a tomboy, you'll always be judged. And, in reality, when women follow certain beauty standards they do get treated better--but this doesn't mean much in a society where the standards are so high you can never reach them, and where the basic regard for women is so low to begin with (not to mention the hypocrisy that exists within those standards). This is what all those criticisms towards makeup and "empowerment" are about: it's about interrogating a society that is built on this kind of logic and asking why we should insist on leaving it as it is when it does so much damage. It's saying that that if we want everyone to truly feel free in how they choose to present themselves we have to go deeper than just defining freedom by these choices on their own, and look at the environment those choices are made in. And that involves some deeply uncomfortable but necessary conversations.

Also, and I think this important to remember, views on makeup and the social place of makeup will also depend on culture and where you are, and the beauty expectations you grew up with. And when it comes to the internet, and given American dominance online, a lot of these posts criticizing makeup and the way makeup is being used to sell an idea that wearing it is "empowering" to the woman (which is basically saying: you are MORE of a woman when you wear it; you are stronger and more powerful because, in our society, beauty is portrayed as a form of power: it tells you, you can battle the inequality women face by embracing the role beauty plays in our lives but it doesn't tell you this emphasis on beauty is part of that inequality), are based on the way makeup is portrayed in mostly English-speaking Western countries. My views are shaped by what I grew up seeing, and while a full face of makeup (concealer, primer, foundation, mascara, highlighter, contour, blush, brow tint, brow gel etc) may not be daily practice or even embraced in a place like France or maybe other places in mainland Europe (but that doesn't mean they don't have their own expectations of feminine beauty), they are daily practice in places like the US and Britain, and this is what most of those posts and criticisms are responding to.

We can argue as much as we want about makeup, but when you grow up in a society where women feel the need to put on makeup before going to the gym there is something seriously wrong. Embracing makeup and enjoying makeup is one thing, but it cannot be a neutral thing when so much of it is about looking like you're not wearing makeup at all, or when we assume a woman is better qualified for a job or more professional when she wears it. It cannot be a neutral thing when a singer like Alicia Keys goes makeup-free for a red carpet event and it causes a stir online because people think she looks sick (what she looks like is normal--I would argue above normal--but wearing makeup to cover up "flaws" is so normal now that we genuinely don't know what normal skin is supposed to look like because the beauty of these celebrities is part of their appeal: they are something to aspire to). It is absolutely very normal for me, where I am, to see young girls with fake lashes and filled in brows: it's not every girl I pass, but it is enough. I'm not saying they are miserable, or brain-washed, or should be judged. I can believe that for them it's something enjoyable--but how am I supposed to see something like that and not be aware of the kind of celebrities and makeup tutorials that are everywhere on TikTok and YouTube, and that they are seeing everyday? How am I not supposed to have doubts when people tell me "it's their choice!" when the choices being offered are so limited and focused on one thing?

I never wore makeup as a teenager and I still don't, but a lot of that is because I grew up surrounded by people who just didn't. Makeup was never portrayed as anything bad or forbidden (and I don't see it like that either)--it was just this thing that, for me growing up, was never made to be a necessity not even for special occasions. I saw airbrushed photos and magazines all around me, for sure, and I definitely felt the beauty pressure and the body pressure (for example, I definitely felt my confidence would be better if I wore concealer to deal with my uneven skintone, and I felt this for years). But I also know that, growing up, I saw both sides. No makeup was the default I saw at home, while makeup was the default I saw outside. And that does play a part, not just in the choices you make, but in the choices that you feel you are allowed to make. No makeup was an option for me because it was what I saw everyday, even with my own insecurities; but if you do not see that as an option around you (and I know for most girls my age, where I grew up, it probably wasn't) then how can we fully argue that the decision you make is a real choice?

If I wanted to wear a cute skirt outside, for example, and decided to shave my legs--that isn't a real choice. And it cannot ever be a real choice, no matter how much I say "this is for me" or "I prefer it like this" because going out in public with hairy legs and going out in public with shaved legs will cause two completely different reactions. How can I separate what I think is "my choice" from a choice I make because I want to avoid the negative looks and comments? And how can I argue that choosing to shave is a freely made choice when the alternative has such negativity? If you feel pressured into choosing one thing over another, that's not a choice. Does this make sense?

This is how I feel about makeup most of the time, and what I want more than anything else is for us to be able to have a conversation about why we make the choices we do beyond saying "it makes me feel good" and ending the conversation there. Again, I'm not saying people need to stop wearing makeup or stop finding enjoyment in wearing it, but I think we tend to get so focused on our own feelings about this and forget that there is a bigger picture and this picture is a deeply unequal one. That is what this conversation is about. I hope this explains some things, anon, and if I misinterpreted anything please feel free to message me again. x

#i think in essence what i'm trying to say is that #some things are true in a microcosm but you cannot make a universal application for them bc the microcosm isn't representative of the whole #and it is dangerous to assume that it is or that it can be bc you're erasing the bigger picture when you do that #it would be like a poc saying they never felt the pressure of skin-lightening creams which is amazing but it doesnt change the fact that a #whole industry exists selling skin-lightening products BECAUSE there is a demand for them and that demand exists BECAUSE there is an #expectation that they SHOULD be used and this is because there is a belief that lighter skin = more beautiful. regardless of how messed up #and damaging that logic is that doesn't mean it doesn't exist in the world #and therefore those industries exist to maintain that belief because that belief is what drives their purpose and their profits #and we are doing no favours to the countless poc who DO feel pressured to subject their skins to these products or who come away with #a deeply damaged sense of self-worth (not to mention the internalised racism that's behind these beliefs) bc of constantly being told they #are less than for being darker than a paper bag which is RIDICULOUS #saying its all down to choice is not far off from saying you can CHOOSE to not be affected by the pressure but like....that's just not true #you can't choose to not be the recipient of colorism any more than you can choose to not be the recipient of sexism. and its putting a huge #amount of pressure and responsibility for an individual to just not be affected by deeply ingrained societal pressures and expectations whe #what we SHOULD be doing is actually tackling those expectations and pressures instead #they are leaving these systems intact to continue the damage that they do by making everything about what you as an individual think and #believe but while we all ARE individuals we dont live in separate bubbles. we are part of and IN this world together. and it acts on us as #much as we act on it. but like.....i think i've gone on enough already #ask #anonymous

[bubblegum-gloss]

How to be beautiful ໒꒱

Just know I'm not expecting you and that you don't have to become a confident bad bitch out of sudden and it's okay feeling unmotivated. I know sometimes even getting out of bed it's exhausting, don't punish yourself and think you're doing it wrong. This is YOUR journey, everyone has different ones, no one can judge you. Besides, I believe in you <3

♡ Find your definition of beauty. I know the "beauty is in the inside" speech seems overused, but it's true! Beauty is spirit! It's everywhere! Find out what you find beautiful. Is it as simple as a child's laugh?or is it big noses or long hair? Animals and the sun light? Honesty and kindness? Find out what traits you want for yourself, what you find beautiful in other people, what makes you feel fulfilled and what you want in your life!

♡ Focus on what you like. Stop watching that TikToker you know you hate. Don't reply to that racist tweet, believe me, it won't change their mind. Instead, watch an old cartoon you used to love as a kid or read a cringy fanfic just for the laughs. Stop giving importance to the immature people calling you ugly for insignificant things like pimples or wrinkles. When I was feeling bad for not receive the approval that I wanted from certain people, it helped me a lot hearing Melanie Martinez say "Try not to expect shallow people to love you, they don't even have the capacity to understand how amazing you are"

♡ Appreciate and make other people feel good. This is just as simple as saying "thanks" to any person offering you a service (like a waiter, for example) or doing a nice detail for a friend just because. This also includes keeping a gratitude journal, or just think about all the good things that happened during the day before falling asleep.

♡ Culture yourself. Something that always defined me is my curiosity, my hunger to be better and become even more knowledgeable. It's something I'm proud of and I wanna popularize. Learning for fun! Don't read a large, boring and complex book that doesn't interest you because you think you have to. Reading a short book, that may not be as "intellectual" for others but that you find interesting is valid! And learning whatever makes you happy it's also valid!

♡ You may also learn about your hair type and skin type (it's okay if you can't afford expensive products, you may just avoid bad habits) and about nutrition and exercise. (I personally exercise to show love to my body and keep it healthy, not entirely for my physical appearance or weight)

♡ Don't limit yourself. It makes me so sad when I look at comments of girls saying that they can't use the makeup or wear clothes they like because of their body, acne or even SKIN COLOR (I'll never understand why dark skin would be a disadvantage, believe me: your skin is beautiful and it's not a obstacles for anything) Please, your body is not a problem. People who tell you you can't wear crop tops because of your belly are not worth it! And don't put yourself into a box. I'm not someone who complains about aesthetics (most cases they are subcultures, which are not dumb and they should be respected) but it's a problem if you're turning yourself into an stereotype, like the whole bimbo "feminism" thing (that I'll keep repeating: ITS NOT EMPOWERING)

That's all I have to say for now! I really hope this contributes something for you and I hope you do great. Sending blessings for you all! ♡

#loassumption #pink blog #dream girl #law of assumption #manifestation #becoming that girl #beautification #beauty #beauty tips #that girl #it girl energy #self development #self love #self care #spiritual journey #self care reminder #girly #it girl #hyper feminine #divine feminine #radical feminists do interact #dream life #loa tumblr #loa success #loa blog #loa #master manifestor #law of manifestation #manifesting #glamour magick

[rewritingcanon]

Sorry, this might be a long rant but those anons and replies you were getting got me going. TERFs always say how trans women are “cosplaying” or “performing” what they think a woman is. But, and I say this as a cis woman, don’t cis women do that too? I’d argue that it’s not even performing womanhood, it’s performing femininity, and isn’t femininity a performance at the end of the day? Cis women wear makeup, jewelry, dresses, etc. usually to express their femininity, but it’s not inherent to being a woman. Being born a woman doesn’t automatically come with a gene that makes you interested in traditionally feminine things or ways of expression, it’s all socialization. People associate gender affirmation only with trans people, but cis men and woman do it too? Men will go to the gym to build muscle or get hair transplants to feel more masculine, and women will do things that make them feel more feminine. It’s all a performance that we put on for society. Cis women get cosmetic surgery to adhere to female beauty standards all the time (even JKR, allegedly) but suddenly it’s a problem when trans women do it?

It sucks because I do consider myself a radical feminist but TERFs make it hard to exist in that space. I think TERFs and I would agree that women getting plastic surgery is actually not an empowering or feminist choice and only further feeds an industry that profits off of making women (especially women of color) feel insecure. However, I don’t blame women for getting work done, because they’re essentially the victim in the scenario. Why would I blame someone who is groomed by a society that tells them certain parts of them are bad and need to be changed? It’s pointless and self righteous, and it only further puts the burden of being the “perfect victim” on women. I feel the same for trans women (and men). I don’t like that we live in a society that pressures people into undergoing sometimes very serious procedures to be more palatable. But that’s hardly their fault, is it? Can I really blame anyone for being worn down and making a decision to try and make their life in a toxic world easier? Specifically for trans women, it also involves their safety because they (specifically trans women of color) are the most at risk members of society, especially when it comes to violence. The more they ‘pass’, they are keeping themselves safe.

It’s just so crazy to me how TERFs can acknowledge that the patriarchy is toxic to women in ways that affect their daily lives and how they present themselves, but can’t seem to understand that it also affects other groups of people in those ways as well. Trans women aren’t our enemy, they’re just trying to survive, just like we are. How can I fault anyone for that?

Again, so sorry for the long rant but I got heated lmao

no dont apologise babe i completely agree LOL. its so sad because when i first came across radical feminism it was about their takes on sex work and the porn industry in general and i really agreed with a lot they had to say so i kept deep diving and THEN i came across the terfism. and to this day idk whether that is intrinsic to radfem ideology or if terfs are just saying it is. either way, its sad because i feel like radfems are sort of overshadowed by terfs in their spaces and get a bad rep to their name because of how many bigots use that space to promote their hateful rhetoric instead of promoting their good takes on patriarchy.

that original post about jkr got a lot of terfs/self proclaimed radfems in the shits too and i would scroll through their profiles and read what they had to say about the oppression of ciswomen and actually agree with them. and then they would turn around and argue the exact opposite about trans women which was absolutely mind-boggling to me. you tell me these people can discuss so many nuances about cis-womanhood but refuse to acknowledge similar nuances in transpeople? crazy. and very disappointing.

your point on plastic surgery and gender affirming surgery is interesting. ive never thought about it that way before or thought to compare the two. i agree with what you say about cis women getting plastic surgery btw, i also dont think it’s empowering women at all but i wont blame them. i think the difference between that and gender affirming surgery is that there are more grey areas like gender dysmorphia (although not everyone who gets this surgery has to have dysmorphia) and also what you said about safety in passing! im cis too so i dont pretend to know how gender dysmorphia feels like (i know dysmorphia is also not a trans-only thing either though). maybe the experience of that is because of socialisation and the knowledge that one’s physicality is preventing them from being socialised ‘correctly,’ and maybe that would disappear if strict ideas of gender (and what ‘man/woman’ “look” like) disappeared as well, but i don’t pretend to know lol. i dont want to make it out to be some big illusion of patriarchy or anything.

either way, you’re right. we are oppressed by patriarchy in similar ways, ways that are exacerbated for trans women (and more so for non-white trans women). even trans men are oppressed too, but im not so sure how they fit into terf rhetoric. i think they may just groups trans men in with cis women? although ive never seen a terf come on here and speak up for the oppression of trans men either so. lol.

sorry for taking so long to answer this i was pondering it for a long time 😭👍

#intersectional radfems who arent terfs ily 🫶 #i wish i could send this anon to the inboxes of all those stupid terfs that got on my arse a month ago 😔 #harry potter #hp #anti jkr #anti terfs #radfem #ask #anon #rewriting

[understandingbimbos]

so what i will be doing here is reposting my notes unaltered via screenshot, transcribing them, and then describing how i feel now. What do we mean when we say a bimbo is dumb? Are there multiple ways to be dumb?

In the context of bimbo, dumb usually means "ditzy" -- flighty, playful, and scatterbrained. But "dumb" may also mean shallow, vapid, simple -- focused entirely on superficial and material things. Obnoxious, crass, trashy (classless) behavior could also be considered "dumb". Point is, there's a lot that goes into the presentation of stupidity. General physical clumsiness and aloofness can also be a way for a character to appear dumb. Or subservience and submissiveness. Or childish naivety and innocence. Sometimes a bimbo will be all of these, or only one of these, or maybe even none? Who's to say? What someone considers intelligent or unintelligent usually has to do with their own personal biases, or in this case, turn-ons. It varies from person to person. (Recklessness is an another example of what could be considered "dumb")

I still agree with this wholeheartedly. The debate of whether a bimbo should be dumb or not, or how dumb a bimbo should be, is ultimately pointless because in the end a bimbo will always *appear* dumb. You could even argue that what we've commonly come to accept as "the bimbo look" is actually an extension/reflection of purported "dumbness," a physical expression of stupidity. After all its this same projection that largely formed the concept of the "bimbo" in the first place. The assumption that a woman is -- slutty because she wears revealing clothing, stupid and impossible to take seriously because she's young (see: giggles) or has large breasts, and vain because she wears makeup or has an interest in fashion. "Bimbo," as we know it today just takes this up a notch. "Large breasts" become fake breasts in general. Lip fillers. Dyed hair. Tattoos. Rhinoplasty. Fashion Nova. Botox, acrylics, high heels, waist trainers. Misogyny projects idiocy and promiscuity onto these traits, procedures, items, and practices.

Again, let's take Adam Warren's Empowered for example:

Is Emp a bimbo? To the uninitiated I think the answer would be an obvious resounding "yes". Those familiar with the series may find the question more complex (it isn't). She's not a dumb woman by any means and has her fair share of successes and badassery, but she's also an inept curvy crybaby blonde with big thick lips and a very "slut-tastic" "do-me-riffic" costume.

Her extreme insecurity can render her meek or oblivious. Constantly getting captured and tied up makes her look like a klutz. And I'm not sure this should count, but she likes sex with her boyfriend A LOT.

She's also considered a bimbo in-universe. Not by anybody that knows her closely, of course, but its very widely assumed (as is often the case IRL).

It's less a matter of "can bimbos be smart?" or "bimbos should be dumb" and more a matter of how do you prefer a bimbo's intelligence (or lack thereof) be expressed? What do we mean when we say a bimbo is "hyperfeminine"? What defines femininity?

I think there's two ways to gauge this. Physical femininity - big ass, big tits, clean shaven, soft full lips, etc. Physical femininity can also be expressed through choices in makeup, color, or clothing. Take for example -- drag queens, who can express femininity very clearly while lacking some of the usually associated physical attributes. But then there's also, feminine behavior, the second way to gauge this. Feminine behavior is usually defined by… weakness. Submissiveness. And it's probably why it plays such a big role in this fetish. Feminine behavior can also be associated with gracefulness, gentleness, kindness -- being emotional, dependent, loyal, social, etc -- which are also themes commonly found in bimbofication works. Generally, one of the two (physical femininity or behavioral femininity) will be expected of a bimbo, if not both or a combination of varying degrees (for example: exaggerated soft pouty lips, slutty clothing, and submissive behavior - but a flat chest).

I don't have much to say about this. Yes, I still generally agree with this. It pairs well with my last point and the toolbox theory/sliding scale of bimboism (really not sure what to call it yet) The drag queen example is a little clunky though. I could've just used effeminate gay men in general as an example, and worded it a lot better...

Why does a bimbo act the way they do? Why the look? What does a bimbo want?

For love. Or maybe it's attention, is there really a difference either way? A bimbo wants to be happy, and what makes them happy? Being adored. A bimbo wants to be able to light up a room through their looks, their personality, or maybe both. Some bimbos are happy making others happy. Some bimbos find happiness through what others do for them. Sometimes the love, adoration, and validation of others is enough. Sometimes it's for self-validation. But whatever a bimbo does, they usually do for themselves.

Honestly, it depends entirely on the bimbo and the context in which she exists. A mean, manipulative, bitchy bimbo may act the way she does because she wants the respect or power she thinks she deserves. She values herself highly and thinks everyone else should too. A nice bimbo, ironically, might also act the way she does for the same reason -- because she's high value and pities low value people -- she rather attempt to share her value and be kind to those less fortunate in life.

This one has two because I struggled to come up with a satisfactory answer. Reading it back now I don't really see the point of this question. I still believe bimbos do things for themselves, that's kind of essential to me. I think its because of all the (terrible) bimbofication stories I've read where the man's pleasure is paramount. I do think this applies in general but those stories are really what motivates this "rule" for me. Bimbofication, for me, is not about control. I know it is for some people and that's fine but, and I've said this before, for me its more like MC author Pan (aka panwhowrites) said. Ironically, he's not a bimbo author and as far as I know doesn't really like bimbo stuff but what he said once that applies to bimbofication art and writing to me is that his biggest turn on and interest is female arousal.

The second answer I gave is bad because its half-expressed from my memory. It's based off this:

"Bimbos gravitate toward chaotic good, but are easily shaped by their environment: a bimbo that hangs out with mean girls, might easily assume that bullying is just good fun and doesn't hurt anyone; a bimbo that is spoiled by her sugar daddy can easily become a brat. a bimbo is shaped by her interests and environment like anyone else, don't write a walking self-parody stereotype."

which comes from further 4chan notes I never posted but hopefully will soon.

#understandingbimbos #bimbotxt #bimboization #bimb0 #bimboism #bimbohood #bimboification #bimtheory #bimbo theory #bimbification #bimboz #bimbo tf #bimbo examples #bimbo reference #bimbo rubric #empowered #adam warren #elissa megan powers #stupidity #4chan

[opabiniawillreturn]

how is makeup a patriarchal tool? are all forms of art a patriarchal tool as well? i despise men to my core as much as anyone else does, but i think it is absolutely delusional to say makeup is a patriarchal tool. sure, some makeup was created by men. but what about rihanna’s makeup line? ariana grande’s makeup line? selena gomez’s makeup line? how are you going to say you don’t criticize women when you are trying to determine if colors are patriarchal? just say you’re bad at makeup and envy beautiful, loving women. also fuck this idea that being hyperfemme is a bad thing. i love love love love being a bimbo & shitting on pick me terfs :)

makeup is part of the beauty industry. it's literally a product designed to cover women's faces and paint us the "right" way according to current beauty trends.

just because women make a makeup line doesn't mean it's not a patriarchal tool. internalized misogyny is a very real and very prevalent thing. that's like saying "how can it be misogynistic to call women bitches when women call each other bitches." you're completely ignoring any nuance or class analysis in this issue

I never said I don't criticize women btw. nice try though. maybe don't come into my inbox saying you hate men while also staunchly defending the patriarchy + literally calling yourself a bimbo.

it's also interesting to me how "makeup is empowering" and "nobody is forced to wear makeup" and "nobody cares if you don't wear makeup" until a woman criticizes the makeup industry, then she's an ugly bitch who just can't draw wings

#ask

[princessprettyprivilege]

So I kinda having a problem now that I am seeing lots of blogs of high maintace and beauty... The thing is, the advices are good, but they mostly make me feel bad about myself, like the blogger would do a whole paragraph about how good they are and why, and I feel... kinda triggered? Or incapable? I can't explain exactly, but it kinda blocks me in my level up journey, like I saw a "stand out" post and when I saw that I was nothing more than a boring bettie to the blooger view, I don't feel good, like, she is so much better and exotic than me. How can I not feel inferior while leveling up to beauty and high maintace?

Ah, I see. I try to be as kind as possible without inclusivity because my life and social experiences taught me that beauty, high maintenance, this type of life is not for everyone and I’d be doing a disservice to myself & those that want to be here by opening the floodgates to everyone.

I had a realization a few nights ago with pretty privilege that it’s trialing what works for you through social experiments and if you try to implement info from someone who’s never been like you, your results will not be alike, then that leads to a viewer asking more and more questions what you covered, etc. since they aren’t receiving the exact same results.

I fully understand what you mean and how you feel, since the “holier than thou” posts are meant to shock, and some of the viewers that are shocked will feel empowered to do better while the other viewers will be put off and feel worst off. If it triggered you, the post/poster did their job.

At the same time, I know some bloggers in this community get annoyed with people asking the same questions that they found online, trying to dox them to prove their authenticity, expecting things to be spoon fed to them, prying into their lives with invasive questions and copying them then taking credit, so the blogger reacts like that. I’m reaching a point of only providing my search terms so the spoonfed viewers research themselves.

I’m not trying to call bull on whoever you’re referring to since I don’t go out searching for other pretty privilege or high maintenance content on tumblr, but there are role-players who try to prove their authenticity by doing too much.

Anyways, how can you not feel inferior when leveling up your beauty?

Take only good advice from those pages or stop following them. Keep in mind though, their behavior has already told you how they feel about you and people like you, unprovoked!!! Even with good advice, their dose of superiority on an otherwise great plate sours the entire dish.

Follow influencers who motivate without turning people against each other. I have no reason to wonder what’s going on behind me.

Stop moving the goalpost for yourself or allowing others to.

Keep your goals in mind, viewing leveling up as an escalator, since an escalator doesn’t allow people to join you on your step riding up like an elevator does. You each have your own step. Step off when it’s your time to!

Do everything with a purpose, not out of habit. Habits make us feel all warm and cozy but become shackles if they’re unhelpful. I wear a full face of makeup not only out of habit, but because my made up face changes my life, makes me feel good, and it’s fun turning a blank canvas into art.

Look for professional makeup artist books online that dive into beauty and the beauty OF beauty!!

Maximize the pretty!! 💖💖

#high maintenance #pretty privilege #princesskhalyiah #pretty privilege notes personal #princess khalyiah asks #my asks 🌹

[nackrosor]

"Lady Strange"

Part 1/?

Pairing: Eddie Munson x metalhead!Reader

Warnings: uhm, none yet I think

Series general plot: heavy metal is one of your biggest passions and you like to express yourself by wearing heavy makeup and mostly black clothes, chains and spikes. Your parents however force you to hide your personality because they care about keeping up pretenses and don't want people to label you as a freak. Something or someone unexpected might come in your life and shake things up. ;)

Chapter synopsis: Robin introduces you to her new group of friends.

Word count: 3,4k.

-PART 2 -

[A/n: okay so, this time I want to challenge myself with (hopefully) a longish series. I'm still planning things out (I don't know how many chapters I'll write, yet. I'm also still considering whether to make y/n a plus size reader or leave it generic; you could actually help me on this one by telling me what you'd prefer. Anywaaaay, this is only the introducing chapter so there's not much happening but I hope it intrigues you enough to make you come back for the next part. Ah, one last thing before you read; keep in mind that for the sake of this story I had and I'll have to change some details from the original plot of ST. All that said, go ahead and enjoy!!! xxx]

Heavy combat boots fall hard on the ground, your o-rings chain clinking against the metal buckle of your leather belt marking each one of your steps as you walk down the stairs of your porch and move on the sidewalk. Heavy metal music blasts at high volume in your ears from your worn out headphones, head tilting slightly back and forth in a hardly restrained headbanging while the song hits one of your all time favorite breakdowns.

Nothing empowers you more than listening to the high pitched electric guitars singing their heavy melodies accompanied by the chest-filling sound of the bass guitar and the rushed banging of the drums while you take your daily walk down the street. And today it feels particularly reinvigorating after you have been confined to your room for three whole weeks, no empowering walks for you except the one to reach the school and come back home right after, though you wouldn't exactly call it 'empowering'. In fact, it's the complete opposite of it. It feels degrading and you despise it. Yes, you absolutely hate going to school. Not because of the place per sé, you're a good student and have never particularly struggled with studying or getting good grades. Nor for your schoolmates who barely even glance at you. No, it's because of how you are forced to pretend you are someone you're not when you're there, because you're obliged to put on a good Christian girl face, clean from any impure makeup and wear the most plain of clothes your mother purposely chose for you so you can show everyone how completely normal you are. Definitely not a freak who listens to 'satanic music' or hides her face under dark heavy makeup and only wears black with the exception of silver chains and jewelry. You're not allowed to express your true self at school, nor during any big public event. Your parents can only accept what they call your eccentricities - but even then not without resentment - when you're at home or in places where no one who knows them can recognise you. "Hard to find such a place in a small city like Hawkins", you have always pointed out to them, also stressing out the fact that literally no one in town would be able to tell who you are when you're hiding under such a heavy make up and completely different clothes from those you are used to wearing in public. 

Only with time and a long series of reiterated assurances and promises, you have successfully ripped out a grant from them, that allows you to go out for a walk, wearing your favorite black lipstick or one of your spiked chokers, or hang out with your friends showing off your latest band tee or ripped jeans. You had to assure them to make your friends promise not to tell their own parents about your... quirks. As if there ever was the need to. You only have one friend who can truly be considered as such and a bunch of acquaintances and every single one of them accepts you for who you are, unlike your parents. 

"Y/N!!!"

You stop in your tracks when you hear a familiar voice call your name, screaming so loud that it even exceeds the chaos in your headphones. Before you can turn around, you feel two strong arms wrap around your middle and engulf you in a bear hug, making you gasp. 

"I'm so happy to see you!!" Robin screams excitedly, jumping up and down, arms squeezing around your stomach. Your headphones slip from your head, coming down to graze the ground, held up by the wire and hovering in the air. 

"Jesus! Robin-", a choked sound comes out of your throat as you try your best to keep your feet planted on the ground. "I'm about to puke." 

"Oh fu- sorry!"

She instantly lets you go, flashing you an apologetic smile when you turn around to face her, hunched forward as you catch your breathing. 

"Don't do that ever again!" You warn her, hands drawing comforting circle patterns on your sore tummy, while you eye her obliquely. 

"I'm sorry, I'm just too excited! I'm so so happy to see you!"

"Rob-" you sigh, failing however to repress a smile, "we've seen each other this morning in front of school".

"Yeah, barely! You had to run to class and I was running late for work. We couldn’t chat! And I missed you so much! When was the last time we hung out? Friday the 8th? God, that was ages ago! I know your parents are strict but hot damn, they really have overreacted this time..."

"Yeah, tell me about it..." you scoff, rolling your eyes. The last face off with your parents which resulted in you being grounded for almost a month and in not being allowed to use the telephone until only yesterday, had originated from the stupidest of reasons. They punished you because you dared put a light layer of red lipstick to go to school. Unbelievable, right? Yeah, you can still feel the rage boiling inside your veins at the thought of the particularly heated discussion such a triviality has caused. 

Robin sympathetically rubs your shoulder, showing you an upside down smile. You sigh heavily, brushing off the memory with a shake of your head and return her smile, squeezing her in a side hug. "Don't worry about it."

Robin knows how problematic your relationship with your parents is. She is the only real friend you have, after all. Being social and getting to know people is already a hard ordeal for you but doing it while feeling like you're split in two, having to hide a huge part of your personality, is ten thousand times more difficult. Wearing plain clothes, no make up, keeping your hair simple, basically following all the stupid rules your parents made up to keep pretenses and show how good and totally normal their daughter is, makes you feel like you're lying to people and you hate that feeling. It prevents you from even approaching any of your school mates and having a chat. What would you talk about? You can't share your passions and hobbies with normies, they would immediately call you a freak. The 'freaks' on the other hand, wouldn't look your way not even by chance. After all, you look like any other goodie two-shoes that considers them devil's worshippers, so why would they talk to you? As a result, you are always by yourself when Robin is not around, especially now that she’s graduated.

"Oh!!!" 

Robin's face lights up as she gasps like she has remembered something important all of a sudden and she instantly grabs your hand, turns around and starts to drag you the other way. 

"Wait-" 

You fumble with the wire in an attempt to pick up your headphones with your free hand while also trying to keep her hurried pace and not trip on your own feet. "Where are we going?" 

"I can finally introduce you to my new friends! Oh I'm so happy!!! You'll love them!"

"Shit, Rob! I'm not ready-" 

You protest in a groan, already feeling a bubble of nerves threatening to close your stomach at the idea of meeting new people. Robin however keeps dragging you, hand practically seared around yours while she raves about each member of this new group of friends she has made and has only been able to mention to you in the past few days. Except for a few names that ring a bell, you literally have no idea who she's talking about. 

"They're gonna love you too!!! Especially the kids, they'll think you're so cool! Oh and Eddie! He'll think you're the coolest!" 

That name sounds way too familiar to you. You don’t know a lot of Eddies, especially not being around your age. Only one pops up in your mind, his face making you shiver involuntarily. But there’s no way That Eddie is actually part of the group, right? You don't know him well, you have barely spoken a word to each other in one of the classes you attend together but you have always fantasized about talking to him, entering his circle and befriending him. He is one of the few people you know listens to the same music you love. When you saw him for the first time, wearing his jeans jacket with a big Dio patch sewn on its back, you wanted so badly to run to him and rant about how you love the band and how happy you were to know that someone else besides you knows them. All you did that time however was scream internally and gawk at him from afar, just like you still do every time you cross him in the halls or at lunch. 

When you notice Robin has stopped walking, you are standing right in front of a quite large group of people. You nervously throw a glance at each new or familiar face, until your eyes meet with Eddie's and a wave of chills runs through your whole body, making the hairs stand on your arms. It really is Eddie Munson. How could Robin omit this essential detail?

"Guys, this is Y/N!" Robin announces excitedly, flaunting her hands at you to show you off. "Y/N, this is...Nancy, Max, Steve… well, you know Steve already, Dustin, Lucas and Eddie!" 

"Hi", you manage to say in a feeble voice, lightly nodding your head while your eyes swiftly pass from smiling face to less smiling face, coming again to a halt on Eddie's. His gaze is roaming up and down your figure, hovering over your fishnet covered legs and your spiked choker circling your neck, before setting on your face. 

"Y/L/N?" his brows furrow, head tilting to the side as he squints at you. 

"Munson...", you acknowledge him with a nod and a small smile, trying to suppress the somersault he has caused in your stomach by saying your name. He remembers who you are? How's that possible? 

"You know each other?" Robin asks, quizzically looking between the two of you, a dangerous glint flickering in her eyes. 

"We share one or two classes, that's all", you mutter as calmly as you can manage, twirling the wire of your headphones around your fingers in a nervous tic. 

"I can barely recognize you...", he takes a second thorough look at you, eyebrows rising to his hairline, "...are you sure you're really Y/L/N?"

"She's the real Y/N!" Robin chimes in, throwing an arm around your shoulders. She smiles at you proudly and you smile thankfully back at her. "The one you see at school is not her... I mean it's still her but not really her, you know? She doesn't like to wear those plain ass clothes at all, she's forced to look like that so people won't think she's a freak!" She stops abruptly, wide eyes darting from you to Eddie, "not that you're freaks! What I mean is that her paren-"

"We get it, Rob. Don't worry", you pipe in to save your friend but also to stop her from blurting out your family issues in front of everyone.   

When you turn back to face Eddie he is staring at you, a soft frown on his face. He looks like he's about to say something but he's preceded by someone's bored voice coming from the back of the group. 

"Weren't we headed somewhere?" 

"Oh, shit!" Robin gasps, turning back to face you with a wide smile, "we were going to the mall for a quick errand. You're coming with us, right? Right??" 

She tugs at your arm, pouting like a child asking her mother for a new toy, eyelashes batting at you. 

You shake your head with a knowing smile before throwing a quick glance at Eddie. His gaze is still set on your face, big brown eyes beaming at you. Would he like it if you went along with them? You wonder. 

"Alright", you concede eventually, causing Robin to grin and flush you tight against her. You smile as you squeeze her back, planting your chin on her shoulder. You can't help but look up at Eddie in the process and... Is it a smile you see creeping over his lips? Or is it only a trick of your mind? 

He takes a strand of his hair and moves it over his mouth, his eyebrow quirks up as a smirk forms on his lips. He gives you a light nod before he awkwardly turns on his heels and follows the others who have already started moving toward the mall. 

Robin takes your hand in hers and together you catch up with the group in a light jog. 

- 

At the mall the gang has almost instantly dispersed, splitting up in a bunch of smaller groups. You of course have stuck with your friend, siding her and Steve while walking down the hall presumably toward Scoops Ahoy. The two are animatedly discussing the latter's romantic life, about which you only know what Robin has let out during her rants, so probably enough for you to follow the discussion, however all you can focus on is Eddie's warm voice coming from behind you. He is talking with Dustin about something, you can't understand a single word they're saying, you can only hear them bicker for a moment then laugh, then start bickering again a moment later. 

You smile to yourself. Their friendship seems so similar to your relationship with your brother. He is older than you, you used to annoy each other all the time when you were little but have always shared a bond you have with no one else. You cried a lot when he left to follow his dream of traveling around the world a few years back. He's the one who introduced you to pretty much all your passions, metal music for starters. You keep in touch however you can but you miss him dearly every day. 

"Hey." 

A cascade of brown waves blinds you for a moment and you stop in your tracks, eyelids blinking rapidly to refocus your sight. In your reverie you have fallen back without realizing, coming shoulder to shoulder to none other than Eddie who is now staring at you, his back bent forward, head poking out from your side. 

"H-Hey", you echo him, taken aback. "Sorry I was- uhm", you cast a quick look around you and realize you're the only two left; no Steve, Robin or Dustin in sight. "W-where are the others?" 

"They went inside", he nods toward the ice-cream parlor behind him, "I think Robin forgot something during her shift yesterday". 

"Oh... Oh! Right!" you smack yourself on the forehead, slightly shaking your head, "I think she mentioned it this morning. I completely forgot." 

He eyes you curiously, arms crossing on his back. 

"You were somewhere else just now."

"Was I? I-I guess I got lost in my thoughts..."

"Good thoughts?" 

"Mostly."

He hums at you, eyes falling on your lips only to dart back to your eyes. He's waiting for you to keep talking, you assume, but you keep your mouth shut. Having him in front of you, looking at you so intently, focusing his whole attention on you is a new experience you still have to get used to and which you can't quite wrap your head around, yet. His presence is enough to make you tongue-tied and keep you more silent than you’d like to be. 

He takes a step closer and your breath hitches when his fingers graze your collar bone as he takes your razor pendant in his hand, a whispered “cool” leaves his lips making you feel strangely proud of yourself. 

"Wait, is this-?”

His hand brushes your jacket’s lapel aside, eyes narrowing as he reads the logo on the front of your tee. He abruptly stumbles back a moment later with a stunned expression printed on his face.

"Def Leppard?! You know Def Leppard?!" He gawks at you, visibly taken aback.

"Uh- yeah, they're one of my favorite bands...", you admit, biting your bottom lip. You want to say more; for once you have the chance to rant about your passions with a person who understands but nerves, of course, gets the best of you. The sudden serious look Eddie gives you makes you even more nervous. 

"Okay, tell me the title of three of their songs”, he snaps his fingers repeatedly, “quick, quick!" 

"W-What? Why?"

You frown at his words. Is he seriously questioning your sincerity? 

"I'm having a hard time believing someone like you knows and appreciates a band like Def Leppard." 

"Someone like me? What's that supposed to mean?", you snap back, a tinge of hurt gnawing at your stomach, "and I'm literally wearing their t-shirt!"

"You could pretend to like them, for all I know."

"What? To what purpose? I was just walking by myself when Robin found me. It's not like I was going somewhere to show it off or something."

"Don't get offended sweetheart...", he gives you a teasing smile as he shrugs dramatically, "I simply have a very bad case of trust issues."

A deep sigh escapes your lips as you shake your head, trying to ease your nerves. It's new to you this feeling of having to prove your sincerity, to have your passions questioned and you don't like it one bit, especially because it's Eddie who's doubting you. Is it some kind of test for him? 

"Alright...", you mutter, challenging him with your stance, "...but you tell me three and I tell you three. Different ones, of course. I also give you the upper hand. You'll start by telling me their most famous ones so I won't. Deal?" 

He squares you up and down, an amused smirk creeping over his lips.

"Deal."

"Go ahead, then."

He turns his back to you, taking a few steps away then twirls around and crosses his arms on his chest as his narrowed eyes set back on your face. "Rock! Rock!, Billie's Got a Gun, Switch 625". 

"But they're not the most famous-" 

Eddie immediately interrupts you, pointing a finger at you. "Say your three."

You clench your jaw and narrow your eyes. "Rock of Ages, Photograph, Action". 

You feel a triumphant smile forming on your lips when you see a shadow of genuine surprise pass across his face but instantly freeze when he takes another step forward, staring hard down at you. 

"Lady Strange." 

What is he playing at? What's he trying to prove? You don't know but have no intention whatsoever to let him win at this game. 

"Comin' Under Fire."

"Have You Ever Needed Someone so Bad."

"Let It Go."

"Answer To The Master."

"Action! Not Words."

"It Could Be You."

"It Don't Matter."

"Bringin' on the Heartbreak."

The grin that spreads on his lips brings one on yours as well. You're standing right in front of each other, eyes locked, neither of you willing to put an end to this very strange moment of silent mutual respect. Perhaps even the beginning of something else? 

"What the heck are you two doing?" 

A voice startles both of you, making you jump and pull away from each other. You turn around to see Steve, Robin and Dustin staring at you; the two guys have a frown on their faces while a pleasantly surprised grin spreads on your friend's. 

Your mouth opens and closes as you try to come up with a plausible excuse apt to explain why you and Eddie were only about two inches away from each other's faces until a moment ago. 

"I was challenging Y/N with a staredown to see if she's cool enough to mingle with us." 

You turn toward Eddie, a confused look on your face. What kind of shitty excuse is that? 

"And is she?" Dustin asks uncertainly to his older friend, throwing a dubious glance at you. Your quizzical gaze lands on the kid's face. Is this a thing between them? Testing people with staredowns or something?

Eddie walks up to him, wraps an arm around his shoulders and turns around, starting to drag a confused Dustin with him down the hall. He glances back at you from behind his shoulder as he states, smirking, 

"I need to test her some more."

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[freakoutgirl]

It's very funny how people interpret "girl" and "woman" and are steadfast in the view that the term "girl" is associated with airheadedness and infantilization whereas "woman" is empowering and righteous.

I'm not even necessarily arguing with people who see it that way, but it's just interesting as a person who does align more with the term "girl" more than "woman" not because I don't respect myself but because "woman" feels more gendered to me. "Girls" get to play and run around and aren't yet defined by their proximity to men. "Women" wear makeup and are mothers and work office jobs. (Before I'm misinterpreted I mean to say that's the expectation of "women" not the reality of womanhood). Even the word "woman" can't be divorced from its relationship to "man."

Not saying I'm correct and other people are wrong, and this post doesn't have a thesis to it. I just don't really like this trend on here of people putting down "girlhood" because of some videos on tiktok I guess. "Women calling themselves girls is infantilizing and puts down our own talents and intelligence." Why does girlness equate to stupidity in your mind?

I do get that men have used "girl" to demean us, but they also have with female and woman and dyke and lady and sweetheart and and and

[helenaheissner]

Love During Robot Fighting Time: Chapter 11

Hello, lovelies! Hope y'all are doing well :)

Don't forget you can read three chapters ahead on this story, twenty chapters ahead on "A Dream of Summer Rain", and two chapters ahead on "Magical Girl Exorcist Squad", by becoming a paid subscriber on my Substack or my Patreon!

Thank you so much for your continued support of my work! Every little bit helps me to keep going :)

And now, back to our regularly scheduled nerdy romcom shenanigans!

***

Zeke

24 Hours Earlier

I walked down the aisle of a RadioShack in Northridge. I’d meant to come here earlier to scavenge for parts, but I’d let myself pass out on the couch again texting with Kate all night. It was like… The third night in a row where that had happened. She sent me a meme, then I sent her one back, then she sent me another one… 

This had been happening basically nonstop since we hung out earlier in the week. And it was… It was… 

It felt great. 

But there was a part of me that wasn’t okay with how great it felt. Kate was part of the competition, and besides… Part of me felt like I was betraying Faith by hanging out with Kate so much, by starting to… 

The other night we’d been watching Gundam and laughed at the same profoundly stupid bit of unintentional comedy. She’d laughed first, as if she’d stumbled upon her favorite sort of inside joke, and it was just infectious. She giggled, and I started laughing with her, and it fed into each other, and we wound up having to pause the show so we could both laugh. Her dad wound up knocking on the door and asking if we were both okay, and that just made us laugh harder. 

The night had worn on, and she kept stealing glances over at me. I don’t think she knew I noticed, but… She was looking at me with these great big puppy dog eyes, sparkling blue even in the dim lighting of her bedroom. 

She’d done all this for me. She’d invited me into her home, into her bedroom no less, and gotten gussied up for me. I never used to notice stuff like that, until Faith came out and she started dressing up more, had us start doing that as part of our gimmick. Now I… I realized that Kate didn’t have to dress up and put on makeup and do her hair for me, but she had. And she couldn’t stop staring at me, smiling whenever I smiled. 

When she stopped laughing, she was leaning against my shoulder. I didn’t do anything to correct that. She was… Not what I’d expected. She was warm and soft and sweet, with a beautiful smile and a beautiful laugh. We found the same stupid stuff funny, and talking to her was… Easy. 

Easier than talking to Faith. 

I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. 

Objectively, I knew I’d been repressing some latent attraction to Faith for a while now, but she didn’t like guys, and besides, we worked together and lived together, so it would just be awkward if anything went wrong. 

And when I looked at Kate that night, I… I felt something, and I was worried it was stronger than what I felt for Faith. But that’s ridiculous- I had to be projecting my feelings for Faith onto Kate. I didn’t know her nearly as well, and… 

That was when my phone rang as I walked down the sterile white tile floor of the RadioShack, combing through shelves of electronics. It was Kate. Because of course it was. 

“Hey,” I said. “What’s up?”

“Well… I… Ran into Faith today,” she said, in her practiced, high-pitched voice. She was getting better at it, and I was proud of her for working at it so consistently even when she still wasn’t ready to completely admit she was trans.

I stopped dead in my tracks. “Did you?”

“Yeah. She came into my parents’ shop,” Kate said. “I was, uh, in girl-mode.”

“How… Did that go?” I asked, choking on my own dread. 

“Really well,” Kate said. “She gave me some pointers on my voice. We talked about work, clothes, and cute girls.”

“Oh!” I said, a massive surge of relief going through me. “That’s great!” 

“Yeah, we both decided that she and I should try to get along if you and I are gonna…”

She trailed off, and I swore I heard my pulse racketing up with each second I waited for her to finish that sentence. Finally, I bit the bullet and said, “Gonna what?”

“... I’m not sure yet,” she replied. “What do you want me to say?”  

The words nearly choked me, but I managed to spit them out: “I’m not sure yet either.”

“That’s fair,” she said. “Well then… We can figure it out together.”

I smiled. “I like this plan.”

“I’m excited to be a part of it,” she finished for me.

“Yeah,” I said. “And hey- if nothing else, I like having you as a friend.”

“Same,” she said. 

And honestly, in that moment, it was all she needed to say. 

***

I noticed Kate’s hands trembling as she left the battle box, and I leaned forward inside the dugout as she walked- practically ran- back into the pit. 

“We should check on her,” Faith said. 

“Yeah,” I said. 

We both stood up and rushed after her, dodging Team Flipper wheeling their bot through the tunnel for their match with Team Jolly Roger. We made it to the end of the tunnel before I heard a familiar voice call out, “Guys, wait up a sec!” 

I froze, and so did Faith. 

I turned around slowly, and so did Faith. 

Olivia was walking towards us down the tunnel. 

My eyes went wide as I put myself between my best friend and her ex-girlfriend. “What do you want?”

Olivia was taken aback, but she stopped in front of me and said, “I just-”

“Actually, I don’t care,” I snapped. “Just get out of here-”

“Let her talk,” Faith said in a hollow voice, slowly walking forward with her eyes aimed strictly at the floor. 

I heaved an angry sigh through my nose, and then moved aside and let Faith face Olivia. 

“Hi, Faith,” Olivia said. 

My eyes bulged with shock at the sound of Olivia using Faith’s real name, and Faith’s head snapped up and she locked eyes on Olivia instantly. “Hi, Liv.”

“I just wanted to say,” Olivia said, “That it was a good fight. And I’m sorry for how I acted before. And how I acted tonight. I didn’t mean to go all ice queen on you, I just… I froze up when I saw you, saw how… Beautiful you looked. I felt horrible. And I was too cowardly to face you, to say anything to you. I guess… I dunno, I guess hearing Calloway decide to put a target on my back made me realize I’d gone too far. Like, if that idiot thinks I came off as a heel, I probably came off as a real heel. And I’m sorry. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but… I hope eventually that maybe you will.”

Faith was too stunned to speak. She let her jaw hang loose while she stood there, but eventually, she managed a gracious nod. 

Relief surged through me once again, to an almost incomprehensible level. 

“That’s all I had to say,” Olivia said. “Like I said, good fight. I’ll see you both around.”

And with that, she walked away. 

Faith still didn’t say anything, but once Olivia had vanished from sight, she turned around, and I saw the happiest, purest smile I’d ever seen from her spring to life on her face while tears of what had to be joy leaked out of her eyes. 

“You okay?” I asked. 

“Yeah,” Faith said. “I think… I think I’m okay.”

“Good,” I smiled. 

“Let’s go find Kate,” Faith said. 

She darted off down the tunnel, and I chased after her. 

We scoured the pit looking for Kate, doing a full circuit before we came back to the empty swath where her workstation had been. We looked, and looked, and we couldn’t find her. 

“Excuse me? Zeke? Faith?” came another familiar voice. 

I heard Faith mutter ‘milf’ under her breath as Mrs. Calloway came up to us. 

“Have you seen… You know?” I asked. 

“Yes. She’s in a state, though. I think you should talk to her, Zeke,” Mrs. Calloway said. 

“Uh… I… I dunno if I’m qualified,” I said. “Faith though-”

“Both of you, then,” Mrs. Calloway said. “Please, come with me.”

Faith nodded, and so did I. 

We followed her out of the arena, and into that side parking lot once again. It all came back to here. A damn parking lot. Wasn’t sure what to do with that information, but I had more important things to worry about. 

Mrs. Calloway guided us over to Kate’s black pick-up truck. Mr. Calloway was there, leaning against the back of it. Kate sat in the trunk, curled into a fetal position, head on her knees, not moving or saying anything. 

Mr. Calloway walked up to me and put an arm on my shoulder. “She asked for you specifically. Please be careful with her, young man.”

I nodded, the unspoken implication of ‘if you hurt her, I’ll kill you and make it look like an accident’ ringing loud and clear. 

“Same to you, miss,” he said to Faith. Fair enough- Kate must have told them about her and Faith’s… More antagonistic relationship. 

I leaned against the back of the trunk and looked at the person… The girl curled up inside it. Her eyes were wide and glassy. “Hey.”

She grunted.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. 

“I…,” Kate trailed off. “I did it again.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. “You won a fight- isn’t that a good thing?”

“Not that,” Kate said, finally blinking and making eye contact with me. Those eyes, those beautiful eyes, they just… Looked so defeated. “I went too far. I… I did what I always do, but I went too far this time.”

“But you hate Haverfield,” I said, furrowing my brow. 

“Yeah, but when I did what I did, I felt like… I felt like somebody else. And I didn’t like that person,” Kate said. “It felt like someone else’s skin was on me and it felt disgusting. I felt disgusting. It doesn’t make sense- I used to do this all the time and felt nothing.”

“Nothing?” Faith said, climbing into the trunk with Kate and sitting down next to her. 

“Yeah, it was just… Something I did. I would go hammy and act all tough and antagonistic and… And…”

“Macho?” Faith offered. 

“... Maybe a little.”

“A little?” Faith cocked an eyebrow. 

“... A lot,” Kate said. 

“And now when you do that, it stings, doesn’t it? Like you’re putting on a mask that doesn’t fit you anymore?” Faith said. 

“Yeah,” Kate said. 

That was when it clicked for me- just how much of an act Kate’s heel routine truly had been, and that maybe… She hadn’t actually enjoyed it that much, she just didn’t know how to stop. Like there hadn’t been any other options she’d been aware of, but now… 

I climbed into the trunk too, and Faith and I flanked Kate on both sides. An instinct, and impulse, ran through me, an electric understanding that I needed to put my arm around her. Every part of me wanted to, but… Something stopped me. Like it was a line I was too afraid to cross, that now wasn’t the right moment, that-

Kate tilted to the side and leaned against my arm. My eyes bulged and I blinked rapidly, unsure of what to do. Faith’s face went through an identical journey, and I could see gears turning inside her head. 

Then she nodded at me, and gestured to my arm, the electric sensation came back, guided my arm around Kate’s shoulder and brought her close, held her tight. She was warm, and she was big, but she felt so damn small. I knew she was strong, but at that moment, I knew she was letting herself be fragile and vulnerable. 

It was crazy, how much she’d opened up to me, and so quickly, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. She needed someone outside her family, someone who she could trust implicitly as she figured out her true self and started showing it to the rest of the world. Faith had known me for years when she’d come out, but Calloway and I… We’d mostly just avoided each other. I’d kept to myself last season- Faith and Olivia were the power couple face of our team, I was just a weirdo hanger-on. But Kate had been alone. 

And she’d opened up to me. Not entirely on purpose, but… The real her, underneath the surface, was a lot more delicate than the rough and tumble exterior would suggest. Showing that to someone, let alone someone who’d cursed you out in this exact same spot, must have been terrifying. But as far as she was concerned, I’d done everything right, and she’d made a friend. She trusted me. 

I had to do everything in my power not to betray that trust. And I had to do everything in my power to keep that beautiful, fragile girl who was finally stepping into the light after a lifetime stumbling around in the dark safe and happy. 

“What’s going through your head right now, Katie?” I asked. 

Her cheek was pressed into my ribcage. Her parents had stepped away, her dad looming with his back turned a dozen yards off while her mother had darted off somewhere else. For practical purposes, it was just the three of us. “I feel like I don’t deserve to go by that name.”

“Don’t be ridiculous- of course you do,” Faith said. 

“But I… I’m not good at being a girl. I act all and angry and aggressive and loud and obnoxious to get attention-”

“I hate to break this to you, but none of those are inherently masculine traits,” Faith said. 

“And it served its purpose for you,” I said. “It got you where you needed to go. But you don’t need to be that person anymore.”

“Then why did I fall back on it like that?” Kate whispered. “Why did I fall back on being an asshole without even thinking?”

“You were… You were upset,” I said. “Haverfield got under your skin. It happens.”

“It shouldn’t happen.”

“So, what, you expect to be perfect all the time?” I asked. “That’s not how it works.”

“He’s right,” Faith said. “You’re… Look, you’re never going to be a perfect picture of femininity all the time, but neither is anyone else.”

“Maybe I… Maybe I want to be,” Kate said. “Do I deserve to be? To have that opportunity? Why should someone like me get to be that, ever?”

“Because it’s what you want,” I said. “And you’re good at it. Look, I know you’re not… A hundred percent convinced yet, but you’re really good at being a girl. It comes naturally to you. And you’ve just gone right for it. It’s the same with this job- you told me you had to put yourself through community college and save every penny to build your robot, and you did all that yourself.”

“I had help.”

“Everyone always does,” I said. “What’s important is that you went for what you want on your own terms. That’s who you are and I… I admire that about you.”

“You… You do?” She said, looking up at me with those big, hopeful, sparkling blue eyes. 

“Yeah,” I said. “I… I spent my whole childhood doing whatever my parents wanted me to do. If I didn’t obey them completely at all times, they came down on me like a ton of bricks, always telling me how I’d only be good enough to hack it if I did exactly what they said. Even when I finally disobeyed them and joined the robotics team in college, it wasn’t even my idea- Faith and Olivia asked me to join because they wanted someone else to help out. You’ve got a drive that most people don’t, Kate. And it’s really something special. So, if you want to be Kate, I know that you’ll go for it. And you’ll be…”

“... What?”

“Even more amazing and beautiful than you are already,” I said, astonished at my boldness. When the hell did I get this articulate? I believed every word I was saying, but I usually had more of a filter than this.  

That was when I noticed Faith had scampered off somewhere. It was just Kate and I in that trunk. Her father had gotten even further away, giving us… 

All the time and space we needed. 

“I… I think I don’t want to be Keith anymore,” Kate said. “I thought I did, but he just feels… Like someone I don’t need to be anymore, and like someone I don’t know why I ever wanted to be.”

“So, what do you want?” I asked. 

“I want to be Kate, even if I don’t deserve to be her.”

“You deserve it,” I said. “You’re not a bad person. You just get a little carried away sometimes. Everyone does.”

“Thank you,” she said, snuggling my chest.

An iron spike of shame tore through my heart, shattering the bliss. There was a part of me, an irrational one, that felt like I was betraying Faith. But Faith wasn’t into me like that; if she was, she surely would have told me by now. There was nothing to betray. And she’d given us space just now to… 

To… 

“There’s one other thing I want,” Kate said. “But I’m not sure if I should go for it.”

“I feel like you will anyway,” I said, my heartbeat skyrocketing. 

“I really wanna kiss you,” she said. 

I gulped, my chest tightening and fireworks going off in my mind. “I… I wanna kiss you too,” I said, the words slipping free before I could stop them. “But I’m not sure… I don’t think now’s the time. You were just having a panic attack, and I’d feel like I was taking advantage of you.”

“Okay,” she nodded. “That’s very reasonable. I understand completely.”

“Thank you.”

“But… I think I’m catching feelings for you, Zeke,” she said. “I didn’t expect to- I didn’t even realize I liked guys until pretty recently. It’s all so new to me still, but… You helped me realize who I am. And you’re so kind and respectful and goofy and laid-back and… And handsome and it… And you…”

My impulses betrayed me, and I kissed her on the top of her head, the lavender scent of her shampoo wafting through my nose. “How’s that for a compromise?” I said. “Because I think I might be catching feelings for you too.”

“And you’re smooth, too,” she said. “Dammit. That’s perfect. This is… For right now, this is perfect.”

 “We can figure the rest out together,” I said. 

She smiled at me, as if it were all I’d needed to say. 

“Can we stay here like this a little longer?” she asked. 

“As long as you want,” I said, holding her close. 

I knew I needed to get back to Faith, but… Goddammit, in that moment, I never wanted to leave this spot, never wanted to let Kate go. 

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