#but having a mob come for me for stating my opinion

[pinkyjulien]

It's been rotating in my head all morning and since I have to wait a few hours to get my day started, might as well throw my two cents in a proper post

We really should talk about Kerry Eurodyne

Now before you run off, I think it's important to point something out; As a fandom veteran who been here since early 2021, I think others will agree when I say that the discourse surrounding Kerry has always been a hot topic that comes back around every few weeks- but why does it keep coming back?

I'm well placed to know that ignoring a problem and not talking about it publicly doesn't solve anything; everyone is quick to throw assumption and accusations, to make "callout" post, to blow things out of proportions, to take someones's squick as personal attack, and the mob mentality does the rest; everyone follow whoever is going to be the loudest about an ongoing "fandom drama"

This isn't an attempt to show anyone that they're "wrong" or "right"; there is no right or wrong in this recurring discourse. This post is an attempt at opening an healthy and mature conversation! I come in peace gfhgfh

Prefacing this by saying that I'm not a Kerry fan, and I'm not bisexual. So why the hell do I care? Well to be frank, I don't particularly care, I have my own opinions on the character, but I do care (to an extent) about this "community" and I hate seeing what happened to me happen to others, especially new commers who never meant anything wrong. Nobody deserves to be bullied out of a fandom for sharing their opinions on their own blog/space!

Alright this intro was long but let's get on it- buckle up cause this is going to be a looooot of rambling

━

Through the years/months, I've noticed something rather sad; this isn't a debate between bisexual people vs biphobic people, as a lot of people might think and assume; this has always been queer people sharing, sometimes in a really awkward and hurtful way, their interpretation of a character (don't block me yet, please hear me out)

Those who know me knows that I personally care a lot about the canon and writers's visions, so first I want to share some posts about Kerry made by his literal "parents"

Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz, Narrative Designer at CDPR, shared informations on the different romance interest back in December 2020, on the game's release day

When asked about a MLM relationship option, here what he states:

(don't leave just yet)

On a now-deleted comment, RTalsorianGames, original creator of the Cyberpunk tabletop game and by definition original creator of Kerry Eurodyne, stated the following:

Please note that CDPR did in fact consult with Mike himself about Kerry being a MLM exclusive romance!

(Also this isn't a debate about if Kerry cares about V or not, let's not derail this conversation, remember that everyone is allowed to interpret a character and a relationship as they wish)

I wanted to share these tweets to point something really important; there is no "right" or "wrong" label for Kerry, and it all boils down to interpretation < key word

Kerry have multiple states; we HAVE to remember Kerry exist in some kind of cyberpunk multiverse!

We have his 2020 and 2023 self that are confirmed to be bisexual; this is the Kerry Mike and RTalsorian created, the Kerry they have full control and say over; the same young Kerry we see in Johnny's flashback

And then comes his 2077 self, which we see confirmed above as labeled as Homosexual (which again as been approved by Mike himself)

I personally think it's important to start with what his different creators have to say; Kerry is both Mike's and CDPR's character; Kerry is both labeled as being Bisexual and Homosexual

There is a lot of reasons why this change / evolution was made, even tho we all know the main reason; they needed a MLM romance in the game to complete the LI roster. But why take an already established character, a Bi character even, for the Gay romance?

I've seen a lot of people saying that CDPR erased his bisexuality, I understand why it might feel like this, but I don't think it's true or fair! Again, remember that Mike gave his OK for this; he could've at any moment said no, Kerry is HIS baby first and foremost

In game, we learn about Kerry's ex wife and kids; this is something CDPR could've not included at all (and THIS would've been erasing his bisexuality imo) it's not even something that is said out loud, but something to be found by dedicated fans; it's here on purpose, to give depth to the character and to his personal life!

We also see a couple of feminine clothes around his villa; let's not assume anything here, clothes have no genders especially in the 2077 setting, but it can also well point at one-night stand with women and/or multi-gender orgies for example

But, this won't be anything new or controversial, Kerry pushes femV advances in game- this is simply a fact! Like it or not, that's how CDPR's writers, RTAL and Mike decided to evolve Kerry's character for the game; everyone was ok with this

━

Now comes the root of the debate; Is it homophobic to mod Kerry to be romanceable by a femV? and is it biphobic to not be comfortable with this?

No, and no - (don't leave just yet, please read a bit more)

Remember that I'm "just" a gay man, I've had discussion with friends of all gender and orientation about this topic and it's been enlightning to hear the different opinions on the matter!

As previously mentioned, it all boils down to Interpretation.

The discourse recently came back because someone shared their uncomfortableness regarding mods that change Kerry's preferences; in the post tags, OP made sure to say that everyone was free to do anything, to ship anything, and that this was just their opinion; but obviously the fandom didn't read that part and started to throw accusation around, and here we are (I shouldn't have to remind people that we all are free to share whatever on our respective blogs, if it hurts you just block the person, don't jump them)

OP is a Bisexual Man; a lot of other Bisexual Men related to this post and rebloged it, sharing their thoughts in the tags (I also rebloged it, I know it caused a few people to back off and block me as a result, which I respect totally)

Going to pick up my questions back up to hopefully state my opinions and "analyses" of the situation as clear as possible

Is it homophobic to mod Kerry to be romanceable by a femV?

No, it's not

Kerry is bisexual, he was married to a women, and potentially still have sex with women and fem individuals, these infos are all canon in game.

Kerry pushes femV flirts away; but since he experience attraction to women, who is to say that in someone's own canon, their fem OC isn't a V, and doesn't have Johnny involved, changing how Kerry and their OC meet drastically; Kerry could fall in love with her! He could; he's bisexual after all.

Is it biphobic to not be comfortable with this?

No, it's not

Kerry has a clear preference for men; CDPR choose to show this multiple time in the game, during Johnny's flashback we can see him make out with a masc fan, we can see him being vulnerable with Johnny (imo, his lil crush is showing hard)

I personally haven't seen it/heard it in game, but I've been told that after learning about Kerry's ex-wife, Johnny has a vocal, surprised reaction, has if imagining Kerry with a woman is strange to him

However, there is a lot of biphobic things being said in the discourse, and not in the way you might think of

I thankfully never see the full extent of it; I don't see the obviously biphobic takes, stating that Kerry SHOULD NEVER be with a femV, people being nasty and ATTACKING femV/Kerry shippers; this is never ok, these have been blocked for a long time now

But I sadly see the other takes, which always icked me a bit; the takes that say, "you bisexuality isn't worth of respect if it isn't a 50/50 attraction at all time", takes that are sadly biphobic in nature (making it clear that I'm not pointing finger at anyone, nor am I accusing anyone of being biphobic)

This is what it boils down to, I think, this is the root of the problem

As mentioned before, a lot of Bisexual Men expressed their uncomfort when it comes to femV/Kerry mods; it invalidated Kerry's preference. But this isn't about Kerry, he's fictional, he CANT be hurt by anything, by mods or art or whatever; It invalidate Bisexual Men that share the same preference in Men, Bisexual men that related to Kerry for X or Y.

Bisexuality is a spectrum, queer people has been fighting against Bi erasure for years, but also against Bi stereotypes; and I think this is one of them? (Please correct me if I'm wrong)

Bisexuality isn't a strict 50/50 split preference- it can be! But 60/40, 20/80 and even 99/1 attractions are still Bisexual attractions. I've met a lot of queer people who, despite being bisexual by definition, choose not to label as such (prefering to label as straight or gay depending on their preferences) just because of this "bisexual police" imposing a strict 50/50; "How can you be bisexual, you've only dated men/women" etc

This is what is being imposed in the fandom, this is how it might looks like to people; when you attack a Bisexual Man sharing his uncomfort in seeing people not respecting a Bisexual character's preference, you're telling them "Hey, your bisexuality isn't valid if you have a preference". You're telling them "Your bisexuality isn't correct". You're showing them that you "fixed" a "flawed" bisexual character "that got erased as gay for having a preference" by "modding his bisexuality back"

Kerry being written as MLM exclusive in Cyberpunk 2077 isn't bi erasure; he's still Bisexual, he simply has a strong preference for Men. A preference that he always had, but that can also be amplified after his divorce with his ex wife, for multiple reasons; I also don't have to point out how many queer people in real life explored their homosexuality after being in a hetero-marriage for most of their lives! And that's ok, queer love is an ever evolving spectrum, and I think it's awesome we get more fleshed out characters that explore this in depth

I've seen people compare Kerry to Johnny, and I don't think it's fair; for the simple reason that Kerry is a romance option and Johnny is not.

Johnny express a clear preference for women; however he replies to V (and flirt, in some case) the same way regardless of gender! Kerry on the other end, as previously said, pushed femV's advanced away. Something Johnny can't do since he's not a romance option; tho if he was, and if he was pushing mascV advances away, it would be the exact same situation and same problematic!

Another character that is canonly bisexual is Goro; he replies to V's flirt through text messages the exact same way, he doesn't seem to express any preferences (and no, his "obligation in japan" isn't necessarily a wife, this is heteronormative and another problem all together, not the subject here)

People can express being uncomfortable seeing Johnny with a given gender, or Goro with a given gender; but there isn't any """reason""" to it outside of personal preferences

Kerry situation is problematic because it lies in his clearly, canonly stated preference, how people decide to interpret it, and how it can come off to other queer people who might share sexuality and/or preference with the character

━

Everyone is free to ship whoever however they want

But please; remember that everyone is different. People being uncomfortable with a character bisexuality preference being ""fixed"" shouldn't be too surprising; and if it is, please re-read my post/ You have to be ok with this fact, it's OK to make content that might be uncomfortable for others; this is fiction!

There isn't any Right or Wrong way to be bisexual, to be queer Kerry's bisexuality is perfectly fine; unmodded or modded Everyone is Different; Every Queer experiences is different People relate to characters in different way

Nobody is being misoginist; there isn't any double standard at play

Bisexual people sharing their opinions on their own blogs on how a fandom handle a character's bisexuality isn't biphobic, or an attack to anyone who interpret the character differently!

I promise you nobody is attacking anyone, and a lot of things being said accidently comes off as biphobic on both sides of this eternal "debate"

It all comes down to respecting others interpretations, and agreeing to disagree! Tumblr's filtering system work great, you can easily filter and block tags, or even people if needed

I might've said things awkwardly, and for this I apologise; but don't put words I didn't say into my mouth! If you don't agree, that's fine, and you're more than welcome to filter/block me if needed; but please do not paint me as biphobic or misoginist, same goes to everyone who shared their thoughts on the matter, these are serious accusation and can wrongfully hurt a lot of people

Ship and let Ship, take care of yourselves and remember to curate your space 🙏

#Cyberpunk 2077 #Kerry Eurodyne #fandom discourse #Long post #like-LOOOOONG LONG LONG post ghfhgfh #feeling like sharing my opinions on things a lot latetely don't mind me much #but I think it's important to have an open mind and think for ourselves - to not follow mob mentality #and to understand where everyone is coming from - to try and see opinions from every sides #fandom wank

[girlactionfigure]

26 years ago, Keshia Thomas was 18 years old when the KKK held a rally in her home town of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Hundreds of protesters turned out to tell the white supremacist organization that they were not welcome in the progressive college town. At one point during the event, a man with an SS tattoo and wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with a Confederate flag ended up on the protesters' side of the fence and a small group began to chase him. He was quickly knocked to the ground and kicked and hit with placard sticks.

As people began to shout, "Kill the Nazi," the high school student, fearing that mob mentality had taken over, decided to act. Thomas threw herself on top of one of the men she had come to protest, protecting him from the blows, and told the crowd that you "can't beat goodness into a person." In discussing her motivation for this courageous act after the event, she stated, "Someone had to step out of the pack and say, 'this isn't right'... I knew what it was like to be hurt. The many times that that happened, I wish someone would have stood up for me... violence is violence - nobody deserves to be hurt, especially not for an idea."

Thomas never heard from the man after that day but months later, a young man came up to her to say thanks, telling her that the man she had protected was his father. For Thomas, learning that he had a son brought even greater significance to her heroic act. As she observed, "For the most part, people who hurt... they come from hurt. It is a cycle. Let's say they had killed him or hurt him really bad. How does the son feel? Does he carry on the violence?"

Mark Brunner, the student photographer who took this now famous photograph, added that what was so remarkable was who Thomas saved: "She put herself at physical risk to protect someone who, in my opinion, would not have done the same for her. Who does that in this world?"

In response to those who argued that the man deserved a beating or more, Pulitzer Prize-winning commentator Leonard Pitts Jr. offered this short reflection in The Miami Herald: "That some in Ann Arbor have been heard grumbling that she should have left the man to his fate, only speaks of how far they have drifted from their own humanity. And of the crying need to get it back.

Keshia's choice was to affirm what they have lost.

Keshia's choice was human.

Keshia's choice was hope."

A Mighty Girl

#Keshia Thomas #Ann Arbor #Michigan #Nazi

[dizzydennis]

I need to get this off my chest.

I’ve been vocal about the IDW/Ian Flynn haters in the past. In fact, they’re the entire reason why I mostly left this platform. But it never ends. Whether it’s on tumblr or twitter or even in twitch chats, it never ends!

Don’t you get tired? Just go somewhere else? Just ignore the comics. The argument always comes up of “We can’t ignore it, they’ll ruining Sonic.” You can. You absolutely can!

I very much hate the Animal Crossing series now despite having liked it in the past. You don’t see me constantly writing essays about how bad it is. You don’t see me hating on every bit of news that comes out with it.

Comic books are a monthly narrative. They’re a medium very different from video games. I understand that people want Sonic to be a particular way. I do too, if I’m being honest. But I’m also aware that it’s a different interpretation as has been Archie Sonic, Movie Sonic, Fleetway Sonic, X Sonic, Underground Sonic, and so on. Sonic always changes based on the medium and interpretation. Heck, he changes between games. Sonic being “chatty” in the comics is a different interpretation and part of the entire medium of comic books. It’s how reading works.

I’m not going to claim that IDW or Ian Flynn are perfect. Is Sonic too morally righteous in the comics? Yes. Is Shadow written as an edgelord and against his growth from the game canon? Yes. Does Eggman lacking any back-up plans seem idiotic? Yes. Have the stories gotten a bit too repetitive with them constantly going to the Eggperial City? Yes. Is this something worth exploding over every month? NO!

All media is going to have things that aren’t perfect. You’re allowed to dislike it, but where is the line drawn in how much you need to vent about it?

The reason I want to write this post is how the “opinions” against the comics and Flynn have gotten to this unavoidable, venomous point. I’ve seen haters say how they’re excited to see the IDW sales fall so the comics eventually get canceled. How they want to take this particular faction of the Sonic fandom and dissolve it. I ask this genuinely: What is wrong with you!? Just because you dislike a particular part of a series means you want it destroyed even for those who enjoy it? Grow up. It’s selfish, mean, and just not what fandom is supposed to be about. The insults, the name-calling, the mob mentality, and everything coming out of this negative side of the fandom is really, really gross.

I’ve seen many haters always say that there are IDW-lovers who have also bullied, name-called, and even sent death threats. Now, I have never seen these myself besides retaliating against the haters who go too far. But I have never ever seen death threats over this (it could have been to previous writers and I may be mistaken). Now, I am stating it right here that just because I didn’t see these posts doesn’t mean they don’t exist. If they do, I obviously do not condone that behavior. It is awful! But I also see the haters bringing up these examples to justify any action they take. I’ve lost track of how many times it’s been brought up. First off, you know (if the posts do exist) that it’s a couple of bad apples amongst plenty of normal fans. But it’s brought up so often that I wonder... is it still a legitimate justification for how you’re acting? Even if it was one bad post, how much mileage can you get out of that? Does it still legitimize how you’ve been currently talking about others? Does it make your bullying fair? Your words do hurt and they do get to the ears of those you’re talking about.

And about Ian Flynn. You all need to stop. No, Ian Flynn is not perfect. No, I don’t think his Bumblekast things help a lot; in fact, it muddies a lot of the waters. But it’s a stupid podcast on the side... just ignore it. You do that with what’s actually written in the comic already. However you feel about him, Ian Flynn has contributed a lot to Sonic through Archie, IDW, and the games.

But there’s such a hatred for anything Ian Flynn puts his name on. I have a former friend who hated Sonic Frontiers before it came out simply because Ian Flynn was attached to it. The moment they heard he was the head writer, they wrote the game off. I am 100% sure that no matter how Frontiers or the story within it turned out, they would have disliked it. Just because Ian Flynn was in the end credits. The insults thrown at Ian Flynn, the artists, and writers of the IDW comics are inexcusable. If he has two characters even share a panel, you call it shipbaiting. If two female characters have a fight, you claim it’s written by a sexist man. If a villain is killed off-screen or turns out to be alive, you complain. This last point is exactly how a monthly, serialized story works. I don’t know if you’re unfamiliar with comic books outside of Sonic, but this is how the medium just is. Said villain gets killed and you shout foul about how the one “queer” character was killed. How the writers are homophobic for “leading readers on” and then killing him. There have been racists posts about the fandom praising Flynn over Japanese writers. You make posts ranting and raving how Nite and Don being a gay couple is bad because they’re “nothing characters” and then you post about how Don abandoned Nite... despite the fact that literally ONE PAGE LATER, he comes back to essentially die with his boyfriend.

It makes me wonder if the haters actually READ the comics or if they scan, decide they don’t like something, and then get angry. Sonic is a comic series under mandates and rules, especially after everything that went down with Archie. No, I’m not saying these mandates are excuses for poor characterization or writing, but it does somewhat explain why certain characters are handled in certain ways. The IDW comic writers are people with the freedom to take the characters in certain directions. That’s all. They’re creators working hard.

The defenses you all set up to lean back on Pontac and Graff is also bewildering. Now, if you love the “Meta Era” of games then that’s totally fine. I honestly don’t care which games you like. But retroactively praising the writing of games like Sonic Lost World and Sonic Forces is odd. Yes, Pontac and Graff are human beings and don’t deserve the massive hate and mistreatment they’ve been dealt. But their work is rightfully criticized. We went through over a decade of poor writing and canon being completely screwed up. But some of you will defend them because Eggman said he’d strangle a zeti or that the way he said the sun would crush the heroes justified so much in Forces. Why are you willing to die on this hill? For four games? For four games that have objectively more lighthearted and cookie cutter plots?

I’m not perfect in this. For a while, when Sonic Forces came out. I would make post after post about it. After a couple of months, I realized that I simply hated the game and I was harming the experience of people who liked it. I made an apology and I stopped. I still hate Sonic Forces. It’s still my most hated Sonic game, but you don’t see me reacting to the Infinite mini figure getting announced by making weeks of posts saying how badly he was written.

Just get over it. Move on. Stop hating on the aspects of a thing you’re supposed to be a fan of. Aren’t you miserable? Sonic the Hedgehog has been such a positive influence on my life. Sonic has inspired me, gotten me through bad times, and has introduced me to some of the best people I have ever met.

Why stick around and constantly surround yourself with such negativity? Again, I don’t hang around Animal Crossing things anymore and I’m personally better off for it. You’re in a fandom, but are you even fans anymore? You’ll hate everything that comes out simply because a particular writer is attached or because you’ve decided the comics have betrayed your headcanons. It’s gotten to the point where the IDW Haters really have become a joke. People see what you’re saying and it’s affecting the perception of the fandom. Moreover, you’re actively ruining the experience for fans around you and are voicing that you hope it fails.

That’s not what being part of a fandom is about. I am so, so, so tired of seeing negativity about the comics and Ian Flynn. Again, honest opinions are fine and I want people to feel how they feel. Their feelings should be valid. But having your opinions and becoming toxic to the point that you’re notorious for it... is just too much.

I love Sonic as I am sure many other fans do. Hell, there’s definitely love for Sonic with the IDW-haters as well; you wouldn’t feel so passionately about the blue blur if you didn’t care. But just take some perspective and realize what this is doing.

I had a good friend once who I thought would be somebody I could always relate to for good and bad. This friend would get angry if I didn’t agree to certain comments about Dr. Eggman and would be upset if I didn’t reply in a certain way to certain posts. It was like walking on egg shells. It came to a point where I needed to separate myself from that person. They became constantly toxic about all things modern Sonic. It made me feel depressed and guilty just to enjoy the series that I love. Toxicity is something that just corrodes you to the pit of your soul if it goes too deep. I miss this friend, but I don’t think I can ever truly be friends with them that way again. It affects me so often to this day.

Please, feel how you feel about Sonic comics, movies, games, whatever. Just realize how much your distaste for something is affecting you, your friendships, and others. I can’t stand this kind of drama anymore. I just want to love Sonic and want people to love Sonic as well. That’s what fandom is supposed to be about.

#Sonic the Hedgehog #Sonic comics #IDW Sonic #Ian Flynn #fans don't look

[sco07ut]

i’ve got like 20 mins until my bus shows up and i’m bored so, at risk of being mobbed by that specific brand of over-30-cishet-female-mat-baynton-stans, i would like to talk about why i think transfem thomas thorne could actually be a good route for his character growth !

(but it’s below the cut bc it’s long discussion </3)

so obviously being infatuated with alison is an integral part to thomas’ character, aside from being a terrible poet it’s one of his most identifying traits. even in episodes where he’s tried to ‘grow out of it’ (see: s4e2) he’s still back to his original state at the end of the episode (and while this could be chalked up to the fact that you stays how you dies and therefore can’t grow as a person i would like to raise you this: he obviously was not obsessed with alison when he died, therefore i think there’s still some hope for him yet) anyway ! got off track a bit there,

thomas can’t ‘grow out of’ loving alison until he recognises why he loves alison - or perhaps, the idea of alison (now this could lead onto a talk abt why i also think and hc that tom is aromantic but people have covered that before)

let’s backtrack for a moment and review what exactly we know and/or can infer about thomas: he’s unlike the other men we see in the thomas thorne affair, his interests, opinions on romance and accumulated skills aren’t particularly masculine.

he’s very creative (just because he’s bad at it doesn’t mean the drive isn’t there), adores the arts (written word, paintings, songs), he clearly values women for who they are as people (and to a degree, their looks) and bases his affections on that, as opposed to financial gain (squints at francis button), and he clearly hasn’t had any experience when it comes to duels or fights in general and his general ‘layabout’ personality would definitely reflect the fact that rich women in the 1800s had very few responsibilities and obviously weren’t expected to work.

now, all of these aren’t inherently feminine traits, this is obvious, we all know this, i’m not saying that men can’t do these things. kindly don’t take my words out of context, but in the case of a man who lived in the 1800s, they can be seen as pretty feminine. this also isn’t the basis for my argument, i just want to point out a few things before i get into the meat of it !

and slightly less solid reasoning: mat baynton just plays him really fruitily. if you asked me to explain it i don’t think i could, but cmon just look at him

anywa, it’s pretty much an accepted part of the fanbase by now that thomas is bad at recognising what sort of love he’s feeling, and i raise you this: what if the desire he’s feeling for alison isn’t romantic, but is instead, desiring to be her.

(if you’re a lesbian, this is a familiar concept: do i want to date her or be her?)

he could potentially see elements of himself in alison, her own appreciation for art, and maybe even traces of the physical self (slim, white, dark haired? - this could also support the reasons why he was such a strong interest in lucy, who also shares these features, but hasn’t expressed any canon interest in fanny or kitty. mary is a bit of an outlier here but it’s whatever, my hc just has pockets ig). and when we have a great appreciation for someone we can tend to idolise them a little. in thomas’ mind, alison could potentially just be an idealised version of who he wants to be, and in his own confusion when it comes to recognising that fact, he could be mistaking admiration for adoration.

thomas is very clearly an idiot, the entire series is proof of that, and generally unless the facts are laid out right in front of him he doesn’t Get things. when we consider the fact that transgenderism was extremely uncommon and likely incredibly underground, thomas probably doesn’t even know it’s an option outside of the way that literally everyone ponders what it would’ve been like to have been born the opposite sex at least once in their life.

so why do i think this would be an effective way to fix thomas’s weird infatuation with alison?

well, at this point in the series it’s obvious that thomas isn’t just going to stop ‘loving’ her, there needs to be some big wake-up call that makes him stop. however, i feel that the longer ThemThere keep dragging out this part of his character, the harder it’ll be to bounce back from it. right now we’re lucky that thomas is such an avidly romantic character, his obsession with alison is uncomfortable enough as it currently stands but at least we know it’s innocent and emotional. but as the series goes on i just worry that that line could start to blur.

at this point, thomas suddenly moving on from alison seems entirely unfeasible and he would definitely need to have some element of identity rocked to really consider what it is about alison that he’s obsessed with. of course i’d be completely happy if that happened to be the fact that he’s aromantic or aroace but i just think thomas ending up transfem would be an interesting route to go down as an alternative (bc i know some people are very much ride and die when it comes to certain ships. and i’ll admit, i do appreciate a bit of romance between tom n different characters)

i feel like it would also be a better justification for his infatuation with her aside from just ‘too much love’ (thomas thorne=ashfur.?), obviously all obsessions are a bit iffy but i feel like if it came from a place of ‘i really want to be her and don’t know how to express that’ instead of just ‘i want her’ it would be a bit less weird. less creepy i think? and it’s an issue that can actually be worked through and addressed properly with ways of helping thomas transition instead of telling him to simply stop loving alison.

plus it would make all their interactions just so much sweeter !! whenever they talk i’m always on the edge of my seat waiting for thomas to make some weird remark but augh!!!!! they could b girl best friends !!!!

and it’s not like the cast is adverse to playing trans women ! gabriel and ho-tan are such beloved characters, gabriel gets her happy ending and even though ho-tan’s wish is reversed it’s still very much implied that they respect her identity (i do wish they had explored or at least addressed this more though) (however, ho-tan’s femininity is never the subject of a joke like gabriel’s is, so i suppose they even each other out)

anyway my final reason for tom being transfem is that dear god i’m jsut a simple lesbian please please let me have this i won’t ask for anything else i swear

#bbc ghosts #thomas thorne #i know using he/him pronouns for the entirety of a post about transfem tom seems a little counterproductive #but it was mostly just for the sake of simplicity #also apologies for how much this absolutely tears tom. i prommy i love this stupid poet #i was a little hesitant about posting this tbh. i jsut hope it finds the right audiences #usually i don’t just randomly genderswap a character but the current male to female ratio in the ghosts casts is…. tugs collar. um anyway #sorry for being a lesbian (i’m not sorry)

[skeilig]

as long as i'm having delayed reactions to the mp100 fanbook, i also wanna talk about the part where mob says he's still working at spirits & such regularly while he's in high school and, uh... defend my interpretation that he stops working there after ch100 bc i'm attached to this (and i feel like it's canon compliant with the actual manga/the reigen spinoff manga)

so here's why i like the idea that mob stops working at S&S after ch100 (and months before the epilogue):

reigen and mob's relationship until now has been defined by this employee-boss/student-mentor dynamic and they both are afraid that if they drop those formalities they will lose the relationship. reigen, in ch100, explicitly states that he expects their relationship to END once he's no longer mob's master!! the idea that they can let go of this structured excuse to be in each other's lives and CHOOSE to continue being important to each other, under no false pretenses, just as friends, on more equal footing? yeah :') it's nice

in the epilogue, reigen is moved TO TEARS when he see that mob is at his surprise party !!!!! i don't think he would react that strongly if he was seeing mob every week after school, or even a few times a month, and it just makes the moment hit harder if they've seen each other a lot less often in the 6-or-so months between ch100 and 101.

and finally, to think that this chapter of their lives ends, permanently, by the end of the manga, makes me feel like i've been stabbed in the chest but IN A GOOD WAY, like, isn't that what it's all about... mob is growing up, he has to leave this behind in some real way, and so much stays the same by the end of the manga that i want to hold onto this one major change to demarcate it... he and reigen both changed each other for the better, but in a fundamental way their self-improvement means they don't need each other as much now, in a healthy but still kinda heartbreaking way. mob has a much larger support network and is comfortable with himself and is truly living reigen's words of advice every day, and reigen is living more honestly and also has more people to depend on, thanks to mob. i love seeing that a relationship changing for the better can mean you are actually less involved with each other and that doesn't mean you care less... on the contrary, it means you're probably putting more thought into maintaining the relationship and more actively demonstrating that you care by making a point to spend time together! it's a more mature version of a relationship, which is why it's a good endpoint for this coming of age story... in my opinion :-) sorry ONE

#mp100 #mp100 manga spoilers

[nerdy-talks]

best underrated anime in your opinion??

Another wonderful Anon with another difficult yet welcomed question (´｡• ω •｡`)

I will try to follow the same layout as I did with the manga recommendations ask. These are the anime series that instantly come to mind that, in my humble opinion, are underrated :

Underrated Anime #1 :

91 Days

Why aren't more people talking about this series?! I've watched 91 Days at least a half dozen times, and it never gets old. This anime is set back during the Prohibition Era and follows a young man determined to avenge his family who were murdered by top members of a mob/organized crime family. In order to get close to them, he inserts himself into their world and works his way to the top. I genuinely love this anime so much. It's really sad, but is beautifully written and executed. I highly recommend watching the English Dub, mostly because I think the English voice actors do a perfect job with the accents and turn-of-phrase used during that time period. If you enjoy Crime Dramas, then please give 91 Days a chance. It's a 12 episode anime, so it's definitely manageable. Just be prepared for the ending. Despite watching it several times already... I'm still conflicted lol

Underrated Anime #2 :

Gangsta

I was so disappointed to find out this anime was discontinued, especially since it ended on a cliffhanger. From my understanding, the main cause was due to the production studio going bankrupt. Despite this, I really enjoyed Gangsta enough to hold onto a tiny shred of hope for a second season (I just won't hold my breath lol). Gangsta takes place in a town called Ergastulum and follows two "handymen" who conduct an array of different jobs. This anime is geared towards a mature audience, since it has prostitution, drugs, and other adult-themed elements in it. One unique detail is that one of the handymen, Nicolas, is deaf. If you enjoy darker themes and thrillers, then I'd suggest checking out Gangsta. It's 12 episodes long... Just keep in mind this anime does not have a second season, and may not ever be continued.

Underrated Anime #3 :

Kakuriyo Bed & Breakfast for Spirits

Little known fact about me : I adore supernatural themed anime. Series like Kamisama Kiss, Gugure! Kokkuri-san, Fruits Basket, and others all fit my taste perfectly. Kakuriyo Bed & Breakfast for Spirits is no different. This anime is about a human girl named Aoi who has the ability to see spirits. One day, an ogre appears and takes her back to an inn called Tenjin-ya that is run and patronized by ayakashi. Upon arriving, he reveals that Aoi's grandfather had made a deal with him. In exchange for forgiving the old man's debt, Aoi is to marry the ogre. Refusing the proposal of marriage, Aoi insists on working at the Bed & Breakfast in order to pay off the debt and ultimately earn back her freedom. This is such a wonderful anime. All of the characters are so cute and charming. And I'm a big fan of Aoi! She's not one of those useless or annoying anime protagonists. Quite the opposite, actually. I am currently watching Kakuriyo Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, and I'm loving every moment of it. It's 26 episodes long (I'm at episode 18), so a bit longer than the other series I've mentioned. But if you enjoy Supernatural Romance anime with some Comedy sprinkled in, then I highly recommend Kakuriyo Bed & Breakfast for Spirits (:

Underrated Anime #4 :

Aoharu X Machinegun

This is one of the many anime series that I wish would be blessed with a second season. Aoharu X Machinegun is about a high school student named Hotaru who mistakenly accuses her new neighbor, who happens to work as a host, of scamming her best friend. To defend the honor of her friend, Hotaru agrees to play a game of airsoft with the host, Matsuoka. In the process, Hotaru causes an extensive amount of damage before ultimately losing to Matsuoka. He then forces Hotaru to join his airsoft team, stating that it was the best way for Hotaru to pay off her debt. Plot twist : Matsuoka and his teammate, Yukimura, have no idea that Hotaru is actually a girl, a secret she needs to keep after learning that girls are not allowed on their team. This is a really enjoyable 12 episode anime series with a good amount of action, comedy, and some more intense/emotional scenes. So if you're interested in Airsoft or like Comedy and Action anime, then you might wanna check out Aoharu X Machinegun.

Underrated Anime #5 :

Servamp

You can't go wrong with a vampire anime, right? How about vampires that take the form of animals? Servamp fits both criteria. This series is about a boy named Mahiru who takes in what he thinks is a stray cat, only to inadvertently make a contract with a vampire, named Kuro (aka Sleepy Ash of Sloth). Shortly afterwards, Mahiru gets thrust into this once unknown world of vampires when Kuro's brother appears and vows to wage an all-out war against Kuro and their other siblings. I'd say this is arguably one of the better vampire themed anime currently out, at a total of 12 episodes. So if you enjoy Supernatural elements, Vampires, and little touches of Comedy and Action sprinkled in, then I recommend Servamp.

Honorable Mention :

Hakuoki (sometimes spelled Hakuouki)

I am happy to say that unlike some of the other series I listed here, this anime in particular was completed with a total of 3 Seasons, a set of OVAs, and 2 films... Not to mention all of the games for this franchise. This series takes place during the Edo period and follows a young lady named Chizuru. She travels to Kyoto to search for her father, only to be taken into custody by members of the Shinsengumi after witnessing them cutting down individuals who appear to be possessed. Upon realizing who Chizuru's father is, a man responsible for creating an elixir that turns those who drink it into invincible blood lusting beings called Furies, the Shinsengumi members decide to keep Chizuru close, expecting the girl to aid them in their search for her father. Hakuoki is a beautiful anime with even more beautiful artwork. If you enjoy Historical anime with Fantasy elements, then Hakuoki may appeal to you. Note : Hakuoki is also an otome game, so the anime can give off "reverse harem" vibes at times. But if you can overlook that if you're not into otome, then it can still be very enjoyable to watch (:

#anon <3 #ask #answer #answered #anon ask #thank you for the ask anon! #Hakuoki #hakuouki #servamp #aoharu x kikanjuu #aoharu x machinegun #91 Days #gangsta #kakuriyo no yadomeshi #kakuriyo bed and breakfast for spirits #kakuriyo bed and breakfast #anime suggestions #anime recommendation #anime recommendations #underrated anime

[writercole]

My dog woke me up and yes, it's not quite 2 AM as I start typing this, but I have several thoughts weighing down my mind and I need to get them out.

My oldest child had high school orientation this week. They opened with the pledge and a prayer. We did not stand.

No one confronted us. No one asked why. Which, frankly, surprised me as I'm in South Louisiana. But I'm still crafting an answer to the question that never came.

I didn't stand for the pledge of allegiance because the tenants of that decree are no longer being upheld. Liberty and justice for all have become words that are just recited.

The neighborhood that I live in, the Northside, is socioeconomically low. It's a neighborhood full of blacks and other POC. I love my neighborhood.

More than once, I've had to school my own mother on the way she talks about my neighbors and my community. Because it is a community. But this community is more policed and has less tax revenue because of its makeup. Is that liberty and justice for all?

The high schools in our district are installing weapon detectors. Our politicians are more worried about policing genitals. Is that liberty and justice for all?

Our most vulnerable citizens, our children, go to school every day and we never know if they're going to come home. They go home not knowing if they're going to eat or have lights on. Our government is trying to cut funding for school meals while letting gun lobbies do anything they want. Is that liberty and justice for all?

We spend more on healthcare than any other nation in the world but have some of the worst maternal mortality rates, infant mortality rates, and rates of preventable and treatable diseases. Because we cannot get doctors to accept state-funded medical insurance, the private insurances have priced themselves out of the middle class, and the amount that it costs for the uninsured to have treatment is unattainable for most people. Is that liberty and justice for all?

People go to church and praise and worship their gods, and that is their right. But on Monday mornings, these same people are decrying the 'woke left' for trying to teach things like...tolerance and history. They say that other religions are heathens and terrorists and do everything they can to stop them from holding positions of power. Is that liberty and justice for all?

Police corruption is higher than it was in the 1940s and the mob didn't have to lift a finger. It's filled with hatred and bigotry, racism and misogyny, power trips and harmful ideology. These departments are left unchecked, free to rape and pillage all they want under the guise of law enforcement. Is that liberty and justice for all?

Our lawmakers are collectively trying to enact laws that will hamstring our children and keep them from knowing what actually goes on in the world, will keep adults in this country from knowing what goes on in the world. While we have the highest standards perceived for our education, when ranked based on actual data and not an opinion survey, we don't even crack the top ten.

I wrote to our senator about this KOSA bill and he basically said 'fuck you I'm doing it.' Our congressman didn't even deign to give me an actual response, just an automated message to let me know that they received my email.

That is definitely not liberty and justice for all. Not to mention, porn is restricted by government ID here in Louisiana. Yet, my 14 year old still has access to it. It's all over twitter, discord, tumblr, and dozens of other sites that would have exemptions to the bills aimed at protecting kids from that kind of material.

Instead of sheltering, we need to educate. We need to teach kids bodily autonomy and not force them to hug their family. They need to know the proper terms for their body parts to be able to report sexual assault and molestation. They need to know that there are things that adults should not be doing.

We need to enforce the laws already on the books protecting children from rapists and child molesters and sex trafficking before we try to keep them off of the internet. Because the whole world has access to the internet. It's either all children, or just our children. The latter seems most likely.

In IT, when there's an issue for one user, the error is identified to being a single user error. Not an error with the entire network.

In order for me to want to participate in pledging my allegiance to a country - which, by the way, is something communist nations do, indoctrination at the kindergarten level - you have to make me believe in the words that I'm reciting.

"One Nation" if you're cishet and white.

"With Liberty and Justice for All." If you're not a minority group or female.

And don't get me started on the 'under god' portion.

#cole rants #political

[omnitheist27]

NEW Goku vs All (Tribute)

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@the-ravenclaw-werewolf​, @purplemochi20055​, and @hulkchloron99​

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Hey everyone, just posting some commentary on what I think The 40 would react to this video of Son Goku soloing every known fictional character.

Note: I won’t be using all of the 40 character’s reactions.

Also, rest in peace Akira Toriyama.

----

Prince Zuko: I’m not surprised we won’t be able to defeat Goku. That Saiyan is far too powerful to fight at this point in time.

Midoriya Izuku: Perhaps if we were to face him before the Z timeline, we would have a chance. But the chances I believe are less than 15% given that he’s still incredibly fast and strong to take down.

Korra: Personally, even with the Avatar State, I couldn’t beat him if he were to use the first Super Saiyan transformation.

Midoriya Izuku: Yeah...but still...watching All Might being taken down so easily really opens my mind to what kind of power people can possess out there in the multiverse.

Prince Zuko: I agree, as even I’m still having trouble fathoming people being more powerful than the Avatar and even the spirits of my world.

----

Gojō Satoru: Ugh! Damn it Saitama, why did you have to kill me!? I could’ve taken him down easily even if he’s using Ultra Instinct!

Saitama: Eh...sorry about that.

Gojō Satoru: Oh you better, 'cause I won’t miss if you tried that. Invincible or not.

----

Kageyama "Mob" Shigeo: Uhhh...I think I’ll step this one out...

Saiki Kusuo: Nobody would blame you for it.

Serinuma Kae: Yeah, Goku’s power level just keeps on rising for some unknown reason. Despite being born as a low-class Saiyan...maybe I should read Leviathan Orb again...

----

Killua Zoldyck: Gon...

Emma: Sorry you have to see that Killua.

Ciel Phantomhive: I’m not surprised that your friend lost. Given that he’s on a time limit and destroying his body by using such a technique.

----

Mankanshoku Mako: OH COME ON! Ryoko would totally beat that Saiyan monkey!

Okumura Rin: Even if I were to use my full power, I wouldn’t be able to beat Goku.

Yukihira Souma: Imagine having to cook constantly to feed that monstrous appetite natural of the Saiyan race.      

----

Kamado Tanjirou: Ah...I wouldn’t have won against Goku after what he’s capable of.

Shiota Nagisa: I would’ve just left that battlefield.         

Suzuki Iruma: I...no comment.

----

Ishigami Senku: With the way Goku is fighting and the power he wields, I say that the chance of loss is 10 billion percent.

Fujioka Haruhi: That’s a very steep calculation...but as a non-combatant, I would have to agree.

Edward Elric: Trying to get close would be suicidal considering how fast he is and could sense me coming many miles away. Even if I manage to get close to using destruction alchemy on him, I’m not sure if it would go as I intended.

----

Kobayashi: Geez, not even Tohru could beat him.

Spike Spiegel: The best course of action for me is to give up and stay away.

Levi Ackerman: So long as Goku isn’t killing anyone, I won’t bother him.

Heine Wittgenstein: I second that opinion.

White Blood Cell / Neutrophil (U-1146): I wonder how the cells in his body function to create such power?

L: I would definitely say with 100% that Goku is someone to be wary of.

Fujinuma Satoru: Not even the power of "Revival” would help against this Saiyan at all. 

Feliciano Vargas (North Italy): Even all of the Earth’s military forces won’t do anything against a Saiyan that reaches his full power. If anything, the only option would be to nuke the hell out of him and destroy the whole planet at that.

----

#youtube #commentary #the_40 #crossover #rip akira toriyama

[olderthannetfic]

I was going to write in and rip into how much I hate BNFs. But then I realised I don't actually hate BNFs as people. They're just people like me. What I fucking hate is the glorification of BNFs and other fans putting them on a pedestal.

I remember you got an ask a long while back where anon was saying they wished they were a BNF because everything they do seems so much more important than what anyone else does. Their opinions, their headcanons etc are more important and, even worse, just blindly accepted by many other fans. This was probably the thing I couldn't stomach most after the anti mob mentality I found when I came to Tumblr. I find it so gross how people fawn over BNF's and treat them like some sort of experts or oracles, as if they have secret hidden source material knowledge that everyone else does not.

Tbh, I read your blog in browser and logged out because I don't want to log back in to my account and see some BNF bs on my dashboard. I've had enough of actually being on Tumblr.

That recent anon talking about how a BNF threw a tanty because some other BNF updated a fic on the anniversary of their own fic is hilarious. The fact that these people think they are that important, and the fact that other people enable their self-aggrandizement is just sad.

I understand that there are BNFs who became BNFs because they produce genuinely fantastic content, but personally, these are few and far between. Most of the ones I've come across are just gatekeeping their husbando and seem to get off on a powertrip that some unwitting people give them that attention and consider them the only one true expert on the husbando.

I've hyperfixated on the same character for almost half a decade and have spent that time roaming a whole bunch of social media platforms but always avoided Tumblr because I heard it was toxic. Eventually, I gave in and joined here too because curiosity got the better of me. And uuughhh....the BNF thing just put me off so much. The way people put them on a pedestal.

I read through some of these long af meta posts they put out and I thought nope, completely disagree with you on your take on blorbo and just stopped reading those posts and continued to write my own fanfics the way I wanted to and eventually just got off Tumblr for the most part. But this fawning over BNFs just makes me roll my eyes to high heaven.

Apologies to any BNFs reading this. Ya'll cool but some of you need to realise you don't actually know anything the rest of us don't.

--

The term has been used lots of ways over time. Long ago, it was mosttly for infrastructure builders (because concoms and zine eds are highly visible compared to a lot of online infrastructure builders). In the LJ era, it was mostly fic authors because fic itself was what the community focused on most.

I'm sure there are people who'd consider me a BNF by now simply for my tumblr turning into some sort of hub.

The main problem is really the elevation of some rando's opinions to Eternal Truth. The so-called BNFs themselves come in all flavors from entitled babies to people who refuse to admit that they are a BNF.

"You should have known about my fic anniversary" is something I've seen from fans whom nobody has heard of too. Entitled, ridiculous people are all over the place, and they're often enabled by those closest to them. We just tend to hear about them when they've gotten popular.

The mistake is to treat BNF-dom as an objective state that can be diagnosed with some definitive test.

All it really means is "Some people think you're more famous/influential than the fans around you".

[confluence-and-drift]

I dunno, life is feeling a bit empty right now.

Part of it is likely due to seeing all the horrors coming out of occupied palatine contrasted with the dumb-cunt mouth noises bleating forth from our so-called leaders as they egg on the bloodthirsty zionist regime. As a rule, I do seek out both sides and varying opinions on issues like these but ngl this has been insanely one sided. And there's only so much zionist snuff videos or zionists celebrating the wanton barbarism they're carrying out, one can watch without wanting to throw up.

Despite what the western media says, Even the left-wing they have in their rancid little society are vile and genocidal. Any sane individual there has a serious chance of being lynched by a hate mob due to how they're a miniscule percentage of the populace. It's a cultivated cruelty.. It ought to be studied so we can ensure that never again will a society be allowed to degrade to such disgusting depths. But my sympathy for their self-inflicted societal self-mutilation falls short of what I feel for their victims.

Like throughout my life I've followed and even been part of many political campaigns, but this is the most blatantly one-sided one yet. And yet decades of propaganda rot the reasoning abilities of much of the western political sphere to the point that "what about hamas" seems a witty retort rather than the feeble brain dead bleating of a fucking idiot that doesn't understand power disparity that it is. What a truly fucked up state of affairs.

On top of that, due to various factors I've been quite isolated recently and the need for human connection is eating at me which probably isn't helping my mental resilience. Not to mention money stuff, but that's hardly new.

I guess I just needed to rant /write it down.

#personal

[laura-the-locust]

I've been doing some thinking about xenophobia, and the limits of tolerance. For the purposes of this post, I'll define xenophobia based on its etymology: it is the fear/distate/hate of otherness.

I have broadened the scope of the definition, because in the end racism, queerphobia, ableism, and many others boil down to one basic concept: "someone is existing in a way that's foreign, and I don't like it."

[The rest under the cutoff, this balooned into an essay]

What is interesting to me, is that there are lots of people who recognize the issue with xenophobia, only to turn around and do it to somebody else. From people who loathe racism, but are homophobes, through LGB folk, to queer people who are disgusted by polyamory. In the end, it seems that they value tolerance, but only up to a point, and the difference is mostly where that border lies.

And on every layer,* there'll be people who point out the similarities: poly people are otherized in the same way trans people are, who are otherized in the same way non-straight people are, et cetera. Because, again, it's all the same thing. Different people have different cutoff points for what they are willing to tolerate.

Or is it really tolerance? Or merely sticking out for yourself? Internalised whatever-phobia aside, a trans man isn't reluctantly allowing for the existence of trans people, he is trans, and has a vested interest in trans rights.

Tolerance is, at least to me, when you don't participate/are something, and maybe it even disgusts you, but you allow for other people to do/be it. For example: my dad is straight, and thinks I'll go to hell for being gay, but he tolerates it, and doesn't bitch and moan that gay people ought to be thrown in jail. He doesn't tolerate me being a trans woman, so he thinks I'm gay when I'm with a guy, and deadnames me.

In my opinion, tolerance requires you do not like the thing you are tolerating. Another example is how one responds to "cringy" behaviour. Are you part of the mob that makes the weird kid from a tiktok the Twitter's main character for the day, or do you simply cringe, shrug, and move on? The latter is tolerance. And the best thing, is that tolerance can be learned! You can train yourself to walk away, even if internally something disgusts you.

So let's bring up the "weird kids" you may have come across on the internet, especially on Tumblr: Xenogender people. Otherkin. Tulpamancers.

A warning light just lit in some of you's heads. "Is she gonna defend them?" First of all, you are the person this post is about and aimed towards, glad you're still around. Second of all, yes and no. Well, yes to xenogenders.

My point is, is that those communities are one of the most controversial, at least from what I saw in the little echo chamber in which I live. I don't really seek them out, they just pop up occasionally when I use the web. But I have seen tons of ridicule come their way, from people at any stage of the tolerance ladder.*

(For this next part, I will assume we all believe xenophobia to be unethical. If you do not, consider this: if punishing Otherness is okay, or even desired, unfortunately for you, you and everyone you love are Other in some way to the Majority. Yes, yes they are. Bigots are extremely good at finding differences to hate, it's their whole thing. Good luck.)

So let's go over what some of those criticisms are:

"Those people believe in something that's unproven, or provably incorrect!" Okay, reddit atheist (not ad hominem, just an insult). While I find the project of encouraging rationality to be important, being wrong isn't a crime, nor should it be. The only circumstances where ignorance should be forcefully fought against, is when it causes the ignorant to do harm. You know, like thinking gay sex causes AIDS.

"But those people are harmful!" Are they? Or does their existence simply make you uncomfortable? You know, like some people don't want black folks around their neighborhood. As stated previously, lack of tolerance is a skill issue on your part.

"But they are harming themselves!" Aha! A valid concern! Let's stop here for a moment.

This sort of starts another topic: what should be the limits of tolerance? Because "being weird" isn't it. Harming others is obviously not to be tolerated.** But with harming of the self, we are going into autonomy territory.

First of, bodily autonomy is, broadly speaking, good. Pursuit of freedom is one of my axioms, and if you think maximizing freedom is not desirable, I cannot have a conversation with you.

But what, if any, should its limits be? Self harm is bad, right? But... why? Well, physical self harm can and often does follow the same mechanism as an addiction, especially when used as a coping mechanism. This means escalation, which may result in permanent injury (which lowers quality of life) or even death (the utility of which is zero at best)(Yes, I am a utilitarian).

Okay, so if self delusion doesn't result in bodily harming yourself or others, it's fine, right? Sure, it's upsetting to think that someone is wrong on the internet, but is it really worth fighting over?

I'd argue that every time you go to someone that has "ghe/ghem | I am the reincarnation of Winston Churchill's cat" in their bio and tell them about how much they are not that, and reincarnation isn't real, or whatever, you are actually doing more harm. That catkin is not changing their mind. Do you honestly think that you are the first person that informed them that gheir views do not find evidence in objective reality? Obviously not! Ghe heard that already most of the times ghe spoke about it to anyone outside gheir community! And all you're doing is adding on to a pile of hate that gathers dust in gheir inbox, and possibly pushes ghem one step closer to doing something really inadvisable, even suicide.

"So what, delusions are okay, as long as you don't harm anyone?" Delusions are something one should work through with one's therapist, not with a NEET*** from Utah who has his own religious trauma he should be dealing with instead.

In conclusion: leave "weird people" alone, don't yuck other's yum if it doesn't influence you, and get a therapist. We all need one these days.

Footnotes:

*People don't always support minorities according to the steps I've laid out, but they usually do. Your non-binary mutual probably isn't racist.

**the specifics on when violence is permissible are a whole doctorate thesis on their own, but the general sentiment stands. Violence usually results in suffering, which is axiomatically bad.

***not hating on NEETs, I'm one myself. But you wouldn't have enough time to hate on christians on reddit if you had a job.

#trans #queer #mental health #in this essay i will #xenophobia #racism #queerphobia #transphobia #otherkin #neopronouns #cringe culture is ableist #ableism #polyamory #this is the most tags I've ever used but this shit is long already so whatever

[tayfabe75]

I love your thoughtful opinions on things! It would be great to read some more of your thoughts. 

What do you think happened with the collab, do you think the reason was only because of the hate? And do you think they might release it anytime soon? I mean, it's no secret anymore that it exists, and now a lot of people really want to hear it, like there is the logic in just releasing it now.

And what do you think about Matty's verse? I read that people think his lyrics are terrible, but I really liked them, I think it matches the vibe of the song. And "then she called me a gentleman" will haunt me forever 😭

Sorry if this was too many questions 😅 these two just live rent free in my head 

Hi anon! Oh, trust me, these two live rent-free in my head, too. Or, perhaps I should say that the Fearless Love Gaze™ acted as an advance rent payment for some indefinite period. Probably a while. Also, never too many questions! I love answering questions.

When it comes to speculation, I live in a very weird nebulous state where I can see several different viable realities at once. Before I give my opinions I want to preface a little bit…

I don't base any of my opinions or speculation on gossip sites (including longtime assumptions regarding who this or that song is about - you'd be shocked easy many are to debunk, actually). I mostly speculate based on lyrics first and foremost, things that I can prove Taylor or Matty have said or done (with the understanding that they are also unreliable narrators when necessary, as 'Dear Reader' suggests). That said:

What I think happened with the collab:

My best "inside-the-box" guess about what happened with the collab was what I stated previously, but the "cliffs notes" version is that it seems most likely to me that Matty would have requested to pull the collaboration because of the hate campaign against him. As the lead singer of The 1975, he's something of a spearhead or mouthpiece for their band and tour, and dating Taylor put him at the center of our current cultural Panopticon. They might've broken up, gone on break, or distanced themselves from each other for optics.

However, I prefer my best "outside-the-box" guess: Taylor and Matty never broke up. They just want us to think that they did. In actuality, they are proud partners in crime currently writing their Kayfabian 'Love Story' (with the help of Brad Troemel and I would wager to guess, many others). They're pulling a Robbers-style heist on the media and celebrity culture as we know it, and they have us right where they want us: engaging in discourse about the collab.

What I think might happen with the collab:

If my first guess is accurate - Probably nothing will ever come of it. I personally hate this scenario, and not even because I don't get to hear the collab of my dreams, but because then it means the hate mob won. Taylor is about as close as Americans get to having royalty, and I guess that means she's what, beholden to medieval values of her many subjects (fans)? Look at how they rejoice in this strange cultural alliance with the NFL that came as a result of a 'betrothal' to the All-American football Prince. However, the video for Bejeweled mocks this idea. Alexa, play Lavender Haze!

The only kinda girl they see is a one night or a wife I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say. No deal, the 1950s shit they want from me

Meanwhile, Taylor has likened herself to Juliet since at least 2007/8. The entire point of writing 'Love Story' was to change the ending so Romeo and Juliet could be together.

In this scenario, we probably will get the collaboration! When? Whew, well…

Disclaimer: Wild speculation ahead!

As I've said, "Slut!" feels cyclical to me. In 2014, Taylor described herself as being a "lightning rod for slut-shaming" and she's been quoted as saying, "People often greatly underestimate how much I will inconvenience myself to prove a point." I get the sense that she could coax the world into slut-shaming her more overtly (just after they all streamed the hell out of "Slut!", how poetic that would be!), as right now the public is very interested in this whole "betrothal" storyline going on with a certain football star. The world, so it believes, took away her "bad bad boy shiny toy with a price" and if "Slut!" is any indication, she still wants it: "we'll pay the price, I guess"

That would be he perfect time to drop the rumored music video to accompany it (especially if say, they happen to have some kind of archival footage from 2014).

Again, this is all under the assumption that this is all an elaborate Kayfabian ruse. Let the fans choose her Kens and "play Barbies" until she burns down the dollhouse… While this sounds perhaps callous on its surface (especially for supporters of her current pairing) but… she already told us: This is why we can't have nice things.

But Mark my words: Taylor choosing Matty over a beloved "Chad" in such an overt way could be the catalyst for the cultural reset we desperately need. But that's a different tangent… back to "Slut!"

My thoughts on Matty's (alleged) verse:

I am going to take a wild guess and assume you saw people making fun of the lyrics on Twitter, aka the place where all benefit of the doubt goes to die. What people who simply read the lyrics and judge them to be "bad" are missing is… the melody! Matty's verse is longer than its replacement by one line, but you can kind of sing along with Taylor's second verse, let me try to help by putting them side-by-side with Taylor's lines:

Lights blink // Send the losing // code, he's my mind // waiting What // there we think // the sticks happens // and stones to rhyme // they throw I // Froze drink, drink // mid-air Fortune timing // Everyone's wants him Days shrink into long nights now // that was my crime (sing fast!) Plus 44 // the wrong place on an American phone // at the right time Cat eye // and I running down // break down her cheekbone // then he's But it's elegant // pullin' me in (sing fast!) I tell her, "You are not a slut, // in a world of boys You're just relevant" // he's a gentleman

It's also hard to judge the lyrics without hearing how Matty would sing them, right? Like go ahead and make fun of the 'relevant' line if you must, but I bet his inflection is what makes it.

So, are the lyrics "good"? Well, here's what I will say: it's much easier to criticize someone else's art than to share your own. Regardless of whether or not Matty did pen these lines, gotta admit, I like them (especially correctly paired with the melody). They seem specific to the point that they are likely inside jokes that only Tatty would fully understand, particularly the word most often criticized: "relevant", which I think Matty gave a clever nod to on Chicken Shop Date.

Apart from that, these 'new' lyrics feel Tatty-coded in that they might be self-referential. Considering most people still don't believe 'About You' is actually about Taylor (despite Matty heavily insinuating that it is on multiple occasions, for instance: 1, 2, 3), I won't even bother going into possible parallels…

Anyway, even before the alleged "leak", I felt quite confident that this song was about him (and that The 1975 were always meant to feature on 1989). The "leak" did nothing but validate my suspicions.

#answered #tatty #maylor #taylor x matty #song: “slut!” #topic: leaks #topic: collaboration

[floosies]

Salvatore

pairing: mob!jake lockley x oc!fem

warnings: slow burn, pining, cursing, mentions of violence, smut, mentions of dr*gs 18+ ONLY

(A/N: I thought it would be nice to do a double to make up for how long it takes me to write these chapters. I apologize btw)

tagging: @lex-the-flex

"...tell me that your thoughts are all of me sweetheart, all day long I wonder why we're far apart..."

5.

The day after that shit meeting Rogers and Barnes decided to have a somewhat private get together to talk about it. Alicia hadn't expected to be there and she didn't expect to see Rogers' wife. The men stated that they needed the opinions of two outsiders with experience which was fair enough to Alicia.

"It was a fuckin circus and then for her to bring up the rogue sister for solid evidence, give me a fuckin break." Barnes said as he poured everyone's drinks from his bar. The blonde man shrugged, "we've told her that the girl isn't reliable. After that stunt she pulled two years ago, Romanoff is lucky we didn't kick her out then and there." He was talking about the time her sister gave false information on a potential problem to keep her client safe. She worked for hire and had no real alliances except for her sister.

Still the way Jake spoke to Alicia left a sour note, "he just doesn't get that these things come with the territory." Before either of the men could say anything Rogers' wife and her friend said something, "not really. If we're being honest here its mostly an inheritance issue. People who didn't inherit this life suffer the real blows." He smiled at his wife, "she's right Alicia. I didn't inherit any of this, but your uncle helped me get to where I am now-" "I did, but c'mon pal if ya hadn't stepped in Brooklyn would have been a mess by now."

Barnes could tell she wasn't happy with that answer and neared to where she was sat, "he shouldn't have gave you that kind of tone but he has a right to be upset. He started with nothing and he's trying to get in good with europeans who were handed down their wealth." She knew he was right but she wanted to sulk some more. Rogers interjected again, "for that same reason we gotta talk to him. He's built a good reputation with our clients and he's sharp, we need that." They nodded and then Roger's wife joked, "he'd run you out of New York if he didn't like Alicia."

Her face burned from the embaressment, "we're not school kids and he doesn't like me." Rogers laughed loudly and her uncle rolled his eyes, "Jake is practically a lost puppy around you. He has my blessing though." She rolled her eyes as they kept joking about her that night.

-

The men did as they said they would. It had been some time since they'd traveled up north from Brooklyn. They arrived to the Heights finding Lockley in his office finishing up a conversation with an elderly woman who thanked him in spanish for his help. Both Rogers and Barnes smiled and greeted her as she left.

After she left Barnes closed the office door, "look at you being a good guy." Jake chuckled, "old ladies love a good kid." He continued as he grabbed some glasses and poured brown liquor into them, "she helped raise me, she just wants someone to keep an eye out for the kids who play around her building." They nodded along, Rogers speaking up, "someone who cares about their community. You really don't see that anymore." He mentioned as he took his glass and sat on the small couch in the office.

"Is that why you're here? To sweet talk me into some other bullshit idea." Jake asked as he drank his liquor. Barnes smiled, "no we've hurt you enough." They laughed, "we just wanna make sure you're comfortable." He looked at both of the guys, "don't tell me you're thinking of me as a threat." Barnes shook his head, "you're a friend Jake, we just don't wanna lose a good business partner because someone fucked up. It can all be fixed." He sighed out of exhaustion, "listen you don't have to worry about me being trouble. I think i'm gonna step back mostly from the side job to do the legal thing. This place needs a lot of help."

So they agreed that a move like that was understandable and if ever needed any help, Brooklyn's bosses would be there. Money or just making appearances. However it didn't end there, "Jake ya gotta do me a little favor though." Shit. There it was. He prepared himself for the worst, "alright ahora que?" Barnes put down his now empty glass of liquor and stood up getting ready to leave, "apologize to my niece. I know ya did nothing wrong but she cares about you and I know you're a puppy dog with her so just make up already." Rogers shook his head with a small laugh as they headed out leaving Jake to figure out what the fuck that was about.

-

Alicia didn't sulk as much as her uncle claimed she had been doing. Most of her time was being used to work on a presentation she wanted to give for the next meeting. Then again, she had been on the phone with Roger's wife talking about all the things she didn't agree with her uncle allowing. In the midst of one these conversations she heard the doorbell to her house ring. Looking at the camera footage she saw Jake standing at her door with a vase of flowers.

Hanging up on her friend she went to open the door. As soon as she opened it he started talking, "I came to apologize, it was wrong for me to lash out on you about things that didn't have anything to do with you. I don't want you to be mad at me." She looked at the flowers, then at him, "okay." He looked confused, "okay?" A laugh left her lips, "just come in already we'll talk about it this inside." He was confused but he still went inside.

Her home was unlike the one her uncle owned, "you're less flashy than your uncle." She took the flowers from him and set them on her coffee table, "well his wife designed their house." She then gestured for him to sit beside her on the couch of her main living room. "He's married?" She nodded, "after what happened to me he found out she was pregnant and relocated her to a home he had purchased in Greece. It was supposed to be their summer home." He looked kind of taken aback, it was cute to her.

She had a question for him now, "how did you know I liked wildflowers?" Jake looked around trying to avoid her gaze, "I asked around." For a man with a short temper he wasn't acting like the big bad wolf. Still she didn't want to let him win that easily, "so about that apology-" "I was pissed off and you were just trying to help. I don't wanna lose our friendship over this kinda thing." With a playful gaze she replied, "and who said I was going to go away that easily?" He smiled at her reply, but he hadn't noticed his hand on her knee.

They we're much closer than they had been beforehand, "I mean you did slap me pretty good." She giggled, "I should have slapped you again when you got in your car. I wasn't done." He let out a breathy laugh, "i'm sure you weren't. You're something else you know that?" By the end of that sentence there wasn't anything said, their gaze met one last time and then his lips met hers.

She hadn't felt or let herself feel this way with anyone for a long time, at all really. Yet she didn't want the moment to end, his lips felt right kissing hers. Her frame suddenly finding itself sat upon his lap as they continued their now make out session. His hands found their way to her hips gripping her tightly to him.

He wanted to do this right, he carried her up the stairs to her bedroom. The kissing turning into the removing of clothes between the two. His lips kissing over her chest and neck while his hands caressed her back. He hadn't realized til that point how badly he'd wanted her.

She couldn't process how this was happening but she didn't want it to end. He finished undressing her and took no time to place himself between her legs then lowering onto his knees. His mouth latching itself onto her core and then his fingers teasing into her. It'd been so long since she felt this kind of pleasure. Her hands gripped the bedsides as she whimpered and moaned.

He knew she was close but selfishly he wanted her to come undone on his dick. She watched as he undid his jeans, her eyes following his happy trail as he got ready and wondering if he was going to fit. Quietly he whispered into her neck that he'd be gentle as he slowly entered her.

It was all so gentle yet there was a sense of urgency. His lips started kissing her where ever they could. Her arms held onto his shoulders as she felt the weight of him against her and it felt so good. The way she chanted his name only made him want to give her more to know it was him that was making her feel like this gave him a sense of pride.

She knew she was close and he did too, "c'mon preciosa...feel so fuckin good." Moaning out his name she came undone, her head resting on his shoulder as he kept thrusting his climax not far behind. Coming undone while holding onto her, he ended practically colapasing beside her on the bed. The two laid catching their breath and trying to understand what just happened.

After a few minutes of silence, she spoke up, "I didn't think that would happen that fast." He turned his head looking at her, "i'm glad it did though." Then he pressed a kiss onto her shoulder. Turning to look at him with a grin on her face she asked him, "so what happens now?" His hand caressed her cheek and softly he told her, "whatever you want."

(visuals of what i picture alicia's home as:)

#oscar isaac #oscar issac smut #oscar issac x reader #mob!au #jake lockely x reader #jake lockley #salvatore

[marisramblings]

Media Criticism and the Validity of Bad Opinions (9/22)

I think I’m experiencing personal growth when it comes to criticism of media and storytelling. People become so attached to media, and I do too don’t get me wrong, but it’s to the point that any opinion that isn’t a glowing review is met with disdain and ridicule. Some of this is just the internet being the internet, but it’s uncomfortable seeing people be brought out to the metaphorical stocks to be mocked and jeered at. Things like tv shows and books are designed to be interpreted. Everyone will come away with a differing opinion and view. People aren’t going to like the same things you like, some will even dislike what you like.

I have argued and debated with people on stuff like this, but these actions now feel stale and annoying. I’m not saying we can’t disagree with a “bad” take or write thousand word responses, but we could probably do so without being pretentious. Seeing someone make a whole comic making fun of someone for “misinterpreting” Mob Psycho 100 made me annoyed. Imagine being so mad about a random person having a negative opinion that you sketch and ink a comic. Thousands of people were making fun of this person because “clearly they don’t understand the show” and liked One Punch Man more. Why does it matter?

I just saw ORV twitter shit on some tiktokkers because they perceive Dokja to be less invested in Lee Gilyoung and that he was pushed aside in favor of Shin Yoosung. Left their usernames and everything. “They must be webtoon readers”, “did they even read the novel?”, etc. I read all 551 chapters of that novel. It is not some perfect story free from critique. There are issues I had with it. Shockingly, there will be people who interpret things differently than you or me.There are people who read every chapter more than once and still dislike ORV. That is their right.

I understand the urge to go to bat for the stories and characters you love. Objectivity is something I try to avoid with fiction. It’s not a science, there is no certain method that must be achieved to understand. There are general storytelling ideas like consistency, but even that can be thrown out depending on what a creator is trying to achieve.

Every show, book, movie, etc can and should be critiqued. The stories I love the most and think are perfect can be critiqued. Having a critical eye is necessary to enjoy fiction. There are some great discussions to be had with people who disagree with you on how to perceive a character’s actions. Yes, there are bad takes. Takes that completely ignore the story or criticize one character’s actions but laud a different one for the same or worse. There’s a whole separate issue with creator intent, execution, and reader interpretation. You can intend to show that abuse is bad, execute it poorly, and your audience comes away thinking Fifty Shades of Gray is a how-to guide on safe, kinky sex. (I’m not saying that was E.L. James’ intent). If a lot of people have the same interpretation well…it’s complex. Ricky and Morty and Bojack Horseman fans will understand. The writers have to outright state that you shouldn’t idealize the characters, and people still want to be like Rick Sanchez.

Bad takes are allowed to exist. People are allowed to misuse terminology and kill your brain cells. It’s fucking frustrating, but at some point you’re just bugging people for having an opinion. I still do this, but I try to just vent about takes I’ve seen instead of starting arguments under a post. If you’re first reaction to seeing a negative opinion is to insult someone or question their intelligence, you’re an asshole. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been called stupid, patronized, or cursed out because I disliked an aspect of something. It’s one of my first posts. Even when I find a take to be complete trash, I try not to insult their intelligence. It’s mean. Sometimes, you got to just say the mean things in your head.

#mari’s rambles #omniscient reader's viewpoint #media criticism #literary analysis #literary criticism

[justadaddybear]

When Keshia Thomas was 18 years old in 1996, the KKK held a rally in her home town of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Hundreds of protesters turned out to tell the white supremacist organization that they were not welcome in the progressive college town. At one point during the event, a man with a SS tattoo and wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with a Confederate flag ended up on the protesters' side of the fence and a small group began to chase him. He was quickly knocked to the ground and kicked and hit with placard sticks.

As people began to shout, "Kill the Nazi," the high school student, fearing that mob mentality had taken over, decided to act. Thomas threw herself on top of one of the men she had come to protest, protecting him from the blows. In discussing her motivation after the event, she stated, "Someone had to step out of the pack and say, 'this isn't right'... I knew what it was like to be hurt. The many times that that happened, I wish someone would have stood up for me... violence is violence - nobody deserves to be hurt, especially not for an idea."

Thomas never heard from the man after that day but months later, a young man came up to her to say thanks, telling her that the man she had protected was his father. For Thomas, learning that he had a son brought even greater significance to her heroic act. As she observed, "For the most part, people who hurt... they come from hurt. It is a cycle. Let's say they had killed him or hurt him really bad. How does the son feel? Does he carry on the violence?"

Mark Brunner, the student photographer who took this now famous photograph, added that what was so remarkable was who Thomas saved: "She put herself at physical risk to protect someone who, in my opinion, would not have done the same for her. Who does that in this world?"

And, in response to those who argued that the man deserved a beating or more, Pulitzer Prize-winning commentator Leonard Pitts Jr. offered this short reflection in The Miami Herald: "That some in Ann Arbor have been heard grumbling that she should have left the man to his fate, only speaks of how far they have drifted from their own humanity. And of the crying need to get it back.

Keshia's choice was to affirm what they have lost.

Keshia's choice was human.

Keshia's choice was hope.

[oaxleaf]

ok but do you think basira will stay in touch with melanie and by extension georgie after the apocalypse? i mean by the way basira spoke to jon the last time she hasn't gotten over the need to compensate she's underdeveloped since the beginning of season fourth so i think she'd throw herself into community reinforcements and all while melanie would most likely just want to forget what just happened and get on with her own life

okay, so, i am currently working on a post-canon fic where i sort of explore some of the possibilities of the girls' lives after the apocalypse (hopefully published next weekend, fingers crossed), so i'm really gonna get into it there, but here's a bit of my ideas

i think it can very much depend on how the world looks like when it's all over. whether all the surroundings return to normal or whether the world has fallen into full post-apocalypse mode. i mean, all we really know is that a mob killed simon fairchild, which does confirm that no magic memory-wipe takes place and i think also implies that everything sort of keeps being in a state of chaos

really, this is relevant because i think that melanie and basira do work together during times of active crisis. if they are both forced into a situation where they have to work together for a common goal, i think they could hold on to a relationship. basira's always based her opinions of and relationships with people mostly off of actions, anyway

however, i have a really hard time seeing them interacting much once things turn into some state of stability, even if the stable state in question is kinda awful. i don't think they'd have much desire to, either. like you said, i think melanie mostly just wants to move on and finally get the chance to heal. she's been fighting hard for it and i'm not sure whether she could do that with basira around. their personalities and ways of viewing the world are just to incompatible. and georgie would obviously follow her, becauase she puts so much value in melanie's healing, too

as for basira, i'm not quite sure what she would do. i don't really see basira's arc as completed? at least not in the sense that a lot of her fundamental flaws are still very much present. i could see her engaging in rebuilding the world as part of a community effort, or setting out on her own to try and find a way to help, but no matter what i honestly have her having quite a hard time building or rebuilding any meaningful relationships for quite a while after everything happens

i'm not sure whether they would deliberately cut contact or whether it would naturally fade out or if they'd keep each other updated in some very vague 'i care about you because we went through this fucked up thing together but i'm not sure i can bear mentaining a proper relationship with you anymore' kind of way. no matter what, i do think there'll come a quite significant period sometime after the world has been turned back where they sort of distance themselves from each other. that kind of seems invetiable to me. maybe they reconnect sometime in the future, after a lot of growth and healing, but i have a hard time seeing them mentaining an open and positive relationship in the immediate aftermath of things

#great question anon! thanks! #there's so much i could speculate about post-canon for the girls in general #tma #the magnus archives #melanie king #basira hussain