#don’t. detract. from. those. posts.

[mildew-dread-mold]

ok. genuine question. do east asians with lighter skin (chinese, japanese, korean, vietnamese, and more) count as people of colour?

#i googled it because i wasnt completely sure #(as a chinese canadian) #and i’m honestly horrified at people saying we don’t count specifically because we don’t get harassed or killed #we do! it’s terrifying! #and i get it if maybe we don’t count as poc but that’s not a valid fucking reason and my questions are left unanswered!!! #as an east asian who's identified with the poc community for a while (maybe incorrectly?? but that's why i'm asking) #now i just feel alienated by a community i think we should be in allyship with??? #colourism and racism fucking suck and i don't want to detract from people being harassed and murdered #but frankly the way i've seen some of them talk about light skinned non-whites and especially east asians is fucking disgusting #might make another post in a sec elaborating on those last two points #but i do genuinely want to know

[thermospoetryandstars]

red white and blue

inspired by ‘Throat’ by Ellen van Neervan

written 31/05/2023

I was born

with blood on my hands

white skin is so easy to stain

is that our problem?

we made ourselves the perfect canvas for arterial splatter

thick and vibrant

straight from the aorta

got so sick of our acres of monotonous purity

we sank our white teeth into the ‘other’

bled their colour onto court papers

a “masterpiece” of oil paints

always oil

look what we transformed

isn’t it beautiful?

there’s blood clots

under my fingernails

caught myself nibbling

we never leave it alone long enough to let it dry

reopen inflamed wound after wound

can’t let it turn brown

why are we so obsessed with red, anyway?

I was born

with blood on my hands

is that my crime or ours?

I didn’t ask for this

what happened to my

choice

to my

autonomy

shouldn’t my own

skin

belong to me

I don’t want my

face

to look like the billion others

with the hungry eyes

I was born

my mother tore her own flesh

to get me out

the doctors told her to push harder

the umbilical cord wrapped around my pallid

neck

my father tells me

the day I was born my

skin

was

blue

I’m so sick of those colours

sick enough to vomit

spit and heave onto the sidewalk

everything they fed me

everything I believed

they fed me

I was born

I heave

I can’t take it back

I heave

I can’t give it back

for every mouthful I spit

I suck in another lungful of air

even now

I’m still greedy

I heave

again

up my throat crawls

the last thing my stomach offers

two apple seeds

face it

I was born

and nurtured

as a sapling grown on stolen soil

so rich with iron

i’m plump with it

on summer days

every australian stares at the sun with open mouths

insatiable

tell them:

chew into my ripened fruit

you raw naked holy beasts

eat

for a chance

to taste your own humanity

know

that red

is the only

colour

our flags share.

#my poetry #my thermos poetry #it’s hard to write about race as a white person #because really im not the demographic that needs to be listened to #i was hesitant to post this because i don’t want to detract from the real issue #this isn’t a ‘woe is me learning that white people did Crimes :((‘ #this is a reconciliation (hah) with a history that until recently has deliberately not been taught #and a conscious understanding of my own subconscious biases #including those i dont yet know #i cannot speak for a demographic im not apart of #but i do not want to make the entire story about me or white society #this is all i can offer at this point in time i think #until i become more educated #all i can offer is my own perspective in poetry #ah well #ellen van neervan #throat inspired #great poetry 10/10 #excellent queer indigenous artist

[astrobei]

hi i love your fics and I was wondering if you had any byler fic recs

thanks

hello there! in all honesty, i have not had the time to read a lot of byler fic as of late, but it’s been a while since i posted some recs so i’ll drop a few that i’ve enjoyed recently! as always, i do endorse every fic in my bookmarks to the highest possible degree, so always feel free to look through those for new reading as well <3

say it with your hands by pseudologia (@hellfiremike) — will is a new employee at the movie theater mike works at, and mike starts thirsting over will’s hands to a degree that’s downright detrimental to his employment status

GOD. this fic. i gushed in their dms immediately after finishing it because this might be my favorite modern will characterization of all time, and this is coming from someone who has a million and one takes on modern era will byers. this fic just checked all of my boxes — from the summertime romance to mike’s painfully in-character teenage angsting to will being a frequenter of star wars reddit threads and an enjoyer of sufjan stevens. and the TENSION. oh god the tension. i’ve read all their fics probably three times over each, and i also highly recommend like i am home again, a college au set during a halloween party which made me stare at my phone refreshing ao3 hourly until it updated, and can this be a real thing (can it?) wherein mike and will reunite in a gay bar. enough said

landslide by chamb3rs — the party’s senior year of high school

i don’t often reach for chaptered fics since i usually have such limited reading time, but i’m sooo so so happy i stumbled across this one. there have just been very few fics that have touched me like this one did. i blew through this in one sitting a few weekends ago and subsequently experienced the full range of human emotions (and then some) all in the span of a few hours. everything about this was perfect — the will pov, the weird liminality of transitional periods, the party and byhop family dynamics, down to my favorite portrayal of theeeee jennifer hayes in any fic ever. on top of all of that, this fic perfectly captures the heartbreaking euphoria of being in love with your best friend, and all the ups and downs that come with it. i crawled out of the ao3 tab covered in blood and my chest was hurting and i was shaking and i had damn near chewed my own arm off — and then i sent the link to my friend 10 minutes later and watched her experience the same exact thing like a train wreck in slow-mo HAHAHA

what a time to be alive by passerine_in_jade (@newlesbianprideflag) — will disappears and haunts mike from the upside down

i’m forever a total sucker for a good haunting metaphor, so it’s absolutely not a surprise that this fic is appearing on this list. the premise for this was so so so cool and interesting, and it’s another chaptered fic i’m glad i had a little extra time to read. the way the author had me rooting for mike and will the whole time even though half of the pairing was offscreen for a large majority of the fic is a highly commendable feat. mike’s unyielding loyalty to will and will’s constant faith in him felt so true to their canon selves, and there were so many moments that were so quiet and intimate and tender that i really felt like i was intruding on something. good good stuff

that’s what you get for falling in love by harriet_vane — will gets his first boyfriend in college, and mike, ever the ally, has very normal feelings about it

i want to preface this by saying that this fic is rated m, mostly just for mentions/allusions to sex, and one largely non-explicit portion of a scene in the last chapter. if that’s not your cup of tea, it’s easy to tell when it’s coming up and to skip past it without detracting from the plot, but i think it would be a greater detriment to not rec this fic at all, because it has quickly made the list of my favorite byler fics of all time. something about this take on jealous mike especially resonated with me — his inner monologue is simultaneously hilarious and depressing, and his obliviousness regarding his feelings for will feels so true to life without being overdone or cartoonish. you can tell just how much they really care for each other, and the conflict in this actually made me start crying because it felt so visceral and so fundamentally them. you can tell this author really understands their characters, and the love put into this fic is soooo palpable. it’s the kind of fic where you want to bonk their heads together to knock some sense into them, but you are helpless to do anything but hold on as you’re swung along for the ride.

finally, i try not to just rec fics written by my friends, but my recent reading list would be incomplete without these two wonderful additions:

the way you love me by strangeswift (@strangeswift) — byler exes (absolutely heartwrenching edition)

i’ve been hearing abby talk about her ideas for this fic for the better part of a year as she worked on it, and she actually edited and posted the first two chapters while i was visiting her! and by god is this world a better place with her byler exes concept in it, because if you want angst, you’ll never have to look further than her ao3 page. something about the way she writes will in this fic just makes my heart shrivel up and die in my chest — his quiet resignation, the bitterness (always love a good bitter will byers moment) and the Longing that never quite went away. mike’s characterization is also top notch, and you can really feel the chemistry between them during every interaction. at the time of me posting this list, chapter 4 is not yet up, but trust me when i tell you guys it’s going to soooooo be worth it. :-)

the end is here by bookinit (@bookinit02) — a speculative byler-centric season 5

if you’ve been following my blog for any amount of time, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that haven’s canon rewrite series is hands-down my favorite series across any pairing and fandom. her creativity with her season 5 concepts never fails to astound me — from the scripts she’s been working on as an alternative to the episodes she rewrote for s1-4, to her ideas for possible plot lines, and just incredible writing all around. i’ve had the privilege of reading through her scripts before she posts them to her blog (definitely go check them out) but special privilege bias aside, it takes soooo much skill to create such a visually powerful story in a medium that allows for such little narration, and the corresponding chapters just totally pushes it over the edge. pre-s5 required reading for every byler, and 100000% my new canon if the show doesn’t pan out

this definitely is not an exhaustive list because i have a million and one fics on my to-read, and one day i will get around to reading them all, but i hope there is something on this list that strikes your fancy!!

#mutuals specifically there are so many fics i need to catch up on im sorry #once i’m done w school im coming for you all truly #anyways i hope there are some here you guys like! sorry it’s not the longest list and sorry i babbled #actually no i’m not #i have a lot of feelings abt fics i like. #these r all fics that likeeeeee. make me want to Write #which is the highest compliment i can personally bestow #byler #byler fic rec #suni reads

[thatswhatsushesaid]

i think it is extremely weird that parts of this fandom have just definitively decided that the principle antagonist is an irredeemably evil monster because he has his minion burn down a brothel (where said antagonist was born and abused and watched his mother suffer and die) with people still inside it, then hires a bunch of sex workers to rape his rapist dad (who raped so many women that he lost track of who his victims were, and ended up approving of a marriage between said antagonist and his own half-sister as a result) to death

when the protagonist’s chosen means of killing the people who razed the only home he’s ever known and murdered his foster parents involves 1) choking a woman to death by forcing a table leg down her throat, 2) forcing that dead woman to bite off a man’s genitals, and 3) forcing that man to eat his own legs. this plus the protagonist’s multiple day-long murder-torture bender where he kills and tortures a bunch of other wen sect disciples in front of each other, and owns doing this because it was fun and would have been too boring to kill then quickly. like jiang cheng and lan wangji find wwx by following the trail of bodies he leaves in his wake ok, that’s pretty awful

if wei wuxian can do these things and and still be considered good, then that only makes it harder for me to understand why jin guangyao is denied goodness

fun fact: when i describe both of these characters to people who are totally canon-blind and know nothing about mdzs, cql, or any of the other adaptations, the initial response from most people isn’t “hmmm but what was the protagonist’s interiority while he was making that woman’s corpse eat that man’s junk? was he very sad about it? that will surely tell me whether his corpse desecration and autocannibalism is morally defensible or not.” most of the time what they say is “ray what the fuck are you reading, both of those guys sound like evil people, i don’t care what their motivations are! also get help”

it just seems weird!! that certain corners of this fandom have decided that goodness is not only a quality that wwx intrinsically possesses (something i don’t necessarily disagree with fwiw), but that he gets to be defined by this goodness above all else. wwx gets situated at the centre of all subsequent discourse as the moral lighthouse of the whole novel—even though he has done objectively heinous shit entirely to satisfy his own desire for vengeance. doing all of those things does not detract from his fundamental goodness, in their estimation. or if it does, it doesn’t detract enough to significantly impact his role for them as the goodness barometer in the novel.

and that’s fine with me actually! if this is where the bar for what it means to be good in this novel is set, then it should logically follow that jin guangyao’s heinous actions can similarly be ‘offset’ by paying the appropriate ‘goodness tax’ through his other canon actions (e.g., loving and remaining filial to his mother, saving and protecting lan xichen, saving nie mingjue, funding the rebuilding of the cloud recesses, caring for his orphaned nephew, etc). he has done yuckydisgusting things, yes, but so has wwx! and as we all know, wwx is not evil! so jgy isn’t evil either!

…but this isn’t what happens in these conversations, because jgy seems to begin all fandom discourse at a goodness deficit that is depressingly reflective of the goodness deficit he experiences in the novel post-canon. (or, honestly, at the beginning of his life as meng yao.) and unlike wwx whose character gets to be defined principally by his goodness in spite of his genuinely horrendous acts of violence, jin guangyao’s whole character becomes defined by his horrendous acts of violence in spite of his goodness, even though the text demonstrates clearly that their capacity for both good and evil is evenly matched.

tl;dr it would be nice if the goodness goalposts would stop moving around so much in these discussions. maybe we should just get rid of them entirely.

#mdzs meta #salty peak sect 🧂 #jin guangyao #he did crimes??? good for him 😌 #i’m tired

[lionkin]

I’ve seen this new holothere term for physical nonhumans, and it’s nice that there’s a term some might find helpful and may make conversations in the community easier to parse, but personally I kind of prefer not having a specific term for being physically nonhuman, at least for me

It feels like calling myself a lion holothere detracts from me just being a lion? It also feels somewhat othering in a way, as I don’t think there are terms like this for non physical nonhumans? Unless we are just considering words like therian and otherkin to mean that but I don’t think this is the case? That being said, I prefer nonhuman overall… to be fair, this is kind of why I just consider myself a lion and not specifically a lion therian or kin (despite the url) but there is enough overlap in experiences that I feel comfortable in the community

The term holothere was probably made by physical nonhumans for physical nonhumans, and I have no qualms with it existing, especially if it’s helpful to some, I would definitely just prefer not to be called that, personally.

I’ve also seen a rise in posts about supporting holotheres, which is great, but I don’t know, it just doesn’t feel like they’re talking about me. It’s a shame because it’s supposed to be a good thing, but I suspect folks will not be making posts about supporting physical nonhumans alongside supporting holotheres because they will find it redundant, and there will be less support for those of us who do not like this label, and I feel like I can’t be alone in feeling like this? Perhaps I have misunderstood something, but I would like to hear how everyone else feels about it

#therian #therianthropy #nonhuman #alterhuman #otherkin #sorry for the long post

[esther-dot]

I feel really bad for the originator of the Ashford theory, reading those posts you screencapped. It's not a 'crack theory' (unless they're putting it down because Jonsas took a serious hold of it), since structural foreshadowing is a basic storytelling tool. Hiding poetry in history, which seems a past-time GRRM particularly enjoys--- it's not just there to be there, but to lesson us in reading the past and make us understand the current story more deeply.

We should be confident in our analyses, regardless of whether we share a ship in common (I am do believe in Jonsa, but this goes for everyone), because storytelling can generally be trusted to be intentional. Anybody who wants to act like being incurious is more intellectually justifiable because it's less emotionally fraught is not worth spending time on. It is actually disappointing when stories are not considered and thoughtful (which is not a testament to so-called 'complexity'; The Little Prince is considered and thoughtful)--- fault in reading too much into things usually lay in perspective, less in doubt of substance.

Then again, Originator of Ashord Theory being possessive as claimant probably points more to dismissing it as crack because other people have taken ahold of it in a way they didn't like. If I am perfectly honest, were it not them having noticed it, someone else would have later (and someone else on Reddit did).

It's exactly the sort of thing I look for when I am engaging in a story because it is a tool I see used often. It was what attracted me to Jonsa, not that I was looking for evidence.

(about this ask)

The issue definitely wasn’t a lack of confidence in their own reading, they’re a tumblr BNF! I think Jonsas have written so much about it and so convincingly, it’s become widely viewed as a Jonsa theory and eclipsed the original intent which is their problem with it. Sometime ago someone shared an AltShift video here (a YouTube BNF), and he had included the Ashford Tourney as evidence for Jonsa, so I do think the goal of the blogger now labeling it “crack” is to detract from the Jonsa of it/for shipping reasons, not because they don’t believe in their own work.

As for the broader idea, I certainly agree that pre canon characters and events are written to add depth to the canon events. We can all expect that and look for parallels and contrasts with assurance that they are conversing with each other. It seems to me that every part of the fandom attempts that in some way, we simply come to different conclusions about what those things mean. I can look at something and accept a Jonsa interpretation but also understand, there’s another factor here too. And while I agree that many things are intentional in ASOIAF, I’m also aware that things can subconsciously influence and slip into a work. I recently watched this clip of Spielberg being told, he didn’t recognize this on his own, that he had included his parents love story in a film. Anyone might think, it had to be deliberate, but it wasn’t!

So, not saying anyone should be less confident, I just think it’s good to be aware that after a parallel is recognized, our interpretation of it is where we can all take off in different directions. For example, Jonnel and Sansa is perhaps the most beloved Jonsa foreshadowing (if it isn’t the Ashford Tourney 😅), and I absolutely think it’s groundwork for canon events. The question isn’t if it is, but how. Will it be a parallel, only, the point of the marriage this go around is to right a wrong? Give the girl her home back? (If say, Robb’s Will is recognized). I’ve questioned that simply because it seems like a big task to get everyone on board with Jon being legitimate and becoming their Lord and/or their King only to have them then immediately turn around and all accept he’s actually a Targ and will marry his “sister.” I wouldn’t be mad if that’s what Martin did, but when I think about how much agency he likes to give non POV characters, I’m a little skeptical he’d pull that turnaround off.

So then I think, well, maybe the idea is that unlike Jonnel, Jon will refuse Winterfell again and insist it is Sansa’s again only to ultimately be rewarded in the end by marrying her when she has the power to choose, and she chooses him? People have been very outspoken about how dumb they think the idea of Sansa being QitN is, and maybe that’s too much of a leap for the North because Martin does like his realism, but considering all the female heirs talk going on, Martin is certainly going to say something there, and Jon will have some complicating factors that might make Sansa more favorable to people.

Basically, Jon is a good person, he’ll do right by the Starks, is that the entire point? Look at the way the older generation of men treated women, this generation will be better? Or will Martin use the extraordinary circumstances to benefit Sansa / female heirs? Create an entirely new normal for the North? The story will talk to itself, but what exactly is it saying? That we can endlessly debate!

#dot chat

[screamingiminlovewithyou]

Sometimes when sad/bad things happen I feel like there are always fans who detract from the issue by trying to seem like the Most Righteous And Socially Aware Fan. Instead of coming across as empathetic, they come across as extremely egoistic, like all that’s really wanted is to garner respect from everyone, especially those most affected by whatever’s happened. Please don’t think I’m saying this about people who show genuine care- it’s fairly easy to discern when someone’s words are rooted in authenticity. I just feel like there is a certain subsection of fans who thrive when something happens because it’s an opportunity for attention, a viral post, etc. It just makes me sad.

#it’s just sad to see you know

[trashlie]

Manifesting Stalkyoo~

Just to get it out of the way: PLEASE KNOW THIS IS ALL IN GOOD FUN! I don’t want anyone to take this in a weird way or like it’s some ridiculous demand I’m making lmao. I’ve just been having a delightful time talking to other Stalkyoo shippers and just romanticizing silly things we want to see so again: THIS IS JUST FOR FUN! I know fandom has been weird about shipping stuff because of the... ugly past lol so I feel a weird need to remind people that my shipping is just secondary enjoyment of ILY and that I will continue to love and read ILY wherever it goes. 

With that out of the way lol please also note there are spoilers all the way up to 224, so if you don’t FP episodes, this post is not safe for you! (unless you like spoilers. i don’t judge people, I like spoilers, too) 

Look, I’m not good at writing fanfiction. I’d love to, but I always feel like it’s difficult for me to portray characters the way the original writer does. I think about it, every now and then, dabble in a little idea, something I might like to see, before the storyline plays out in a different way, but I just never trust myself, so this is about the closest I ever get to that. And even still, I think of these little musings, these silly little “oh I’d love to see ______” very inline with fanfiction, wherein I acknowledge that what I’m hoping for or imagining is very likely to not happen. It’s just the fun of exploring story and the what-if’s and little AU tangents where ONE little thing tweaks. 

For me, the fun of shipping is just playing with those character dynamics, which is another reason fic is so difficult for me - I enjoy my pairings, my characters, within their circumstances. That’s not to say AU fics are unfathomable to me (I LOVE THEM), but more so that it’s hard to write something knowing that I don’t know everything, that quimchee will pull out a surprise and I’ll be like oh my god I should have realized! And again, I guess that’s where musing is fun. You get to play out those little what if’s for yourself, get to imagine a scenario that probably will never come to pass. That’s the fun of fic + canon, to me! Not once has quimchee done something with her characters and their story that really surprised me in an “oh i don’t like this” kind of way. I can say “Oh I’d love to see xyz scenario play out” but when instead abc plays out, I’m not mad. 

I also fully admit that I tend to compartmentalize my shipping thoughts and whims separately from my general commentary, and I guess for the previously mentioned reasons: this fandom has an ugly, nasty past with shipping and even still, there are a lot of people who demand romance from ILY and don’t seem to care about the actual story at play or even weirder, seem to think that it detracts from the romance they think should be happening???? (”when is she going to choose one of the brothers it’s been so many years and episodes waaaah) And I guess, yeah, I get a little self-conscious, because (and this is feels so embarrassing to actually word) I acknowledge a lot of people read my commentary and my opinions! And I’m so happy for that, I love being so communal with everyone! But I do get worried someone is going to take something out of context and be like “omg can you believe she’s one of those weirdo romance demanders” or something lmao, hence this weird long useless diatribe. But yeah, basically, I’ve been talking with people lately and god just thinking about my shippy feels and how much I love the current story - one step forward, three steps back; the struggles to open up; the struggles to deal with feelings in the face of much heavier, scarier elements; etc. etc.

Sometimes you just wake up and you’re like: I WANNA SCREAM ABOUT STALKYOO so you do it because you have a birdbrain and you know is screaming afljkfkjafkjakfjaf LMAO 

If you’re reading this, chances are you aren’t new to my blog so you’ve probably read the likes of my Foundations of Stalkyoo, Why I Ship Stalkyoo, and Further Thoughts on Stalkyoo (I just never shut up huh) posts, so I’ll try not to like, completely repeat everything but if it happens well. It can’t helped, can it? lol 

Anyway something I’ve been talking and thus thinking a lot about is where we stand with Stalkyoo, now that we are getting more confirmation of actual budding feelings. I always reiterate that anything can change, but I also like to remind myself that something quimchee has said in the past (and this is loosely paraphrased) is that whenever it does come to a pairing, it will be made obvious before it gets there, because this is NOT a primarily romance-focused story which means there aren’t as many storylines that deal with just the will-they/won’t-they and the likes, and I think likewise, there won’t be a real love triangle the way most fans tend to think of them. So often a love triangle gets boiled down to someone being torn between two people for whatever reason and i just don’t get the sense we’ll be seeing that? Thus, I do feel like we might well be moving into a territory where we will see some kinds of scenes setting up, or maybe better put, enabling the possibility of a relationship between Shinae and Nol? 

But first. I always say I don’t really try to predict things because I’m always proven wrong, but I still like to try for fun lol, just because that’s part of the joy of reading an on-going story, I think! I’ve waffled a lot on it, but I still feel like when we reach our big time skip (not the first one taking us to graduation, but rather the one that jumps us a few years ahead), there has to be a REASON. Narratively it’s hard to imagine what that reason might be beyond the likelihood that we’ll see our three main characters on separate paths. It’s the only thing that makes sense, because otherwise you end up with a lot of story happening off page, right? If Shinae were to go to Japan with Kousuke, we’d end up missing their reconciliation and Kousuke earning her trust (or if it were to go the opposite, becoming cold acquaintances). Thus, I think Kousuke will go to Japan, but Shinae will take Rand’s advice begrudgingly and take up Yui on her “offer, while Nol will probably go to college abroad. He wasn’t denied admission to Oxford - it’s just not guaranteed there will be a spot for him. 

I know people take umbrage with the idea of Shinae taking up Yui’s offer, but hear me out. I don’t think it’s meant to turn Shinae into some kind of conniving, cunning person in the likes of Yui, as much as just introduce her to this world, give her a better understanding of how people in this society and business work and thus, start to get an idea of how Yui works. While I don’t think it’s easy to ever be one step ahead of Yui, I do think developing an understanding of her world helps to at least defend herself from Yui - start to see traps in advance and how to avoid them, find ways to evade her clutches, that kind of thing. I do think the idea of Yui holding that over Shinae’s head is terrifying and it’s feels more dangerous than going to Japan with Kousuke, BUT again, the idea is that she would become better equipped to defend herself and fight back. 

Of course, I don’t think Shinae in this moment is prepared to make that choice, and it may be a choice that comes after Yujing’s big scoop is revealed. Perhaps realizing how much more dangerous and powerful Yui (and the Kims) is would make her see what Rand was trying to tell her. I think she hasn’t fully figured out just what is going on with Yui and Rand, either - why would he be pushing her against his wife? But I think the information Yujing has compiled could help her see that bigger picture. If someone like Rand has spent twenty-five years struggling in this battle with her, how could Shinae ever hope to stand against her with even less understanding, with no sense of WHO Yui is or what makes her tick. 

The thing about this that I always struggle with is: how would Nol regard that? We know he feels vehemently about Alyssa idolizing Yui and taking advantage of her connection to the Hiraharas - and yet he stayed with her, knowing that she benefits from him (but that he does, as well). Would he feel the same, if he found out who was enabling Shinae to go to school? Would they talk about it, since Shinae knows how he feels about it? Would he be able to understand, when even he himself doesn’t seem to realize that his father finds himself trapped by the Hiraharas? That’s... stuff I can’t try to predict, because I think everything is possible. 

I promise I’ll get to that a little more.

The narrative benefit of separating the main characters is, of course, that first off, no major development happens where we can’t watch it. Sure, they’ll go about their lives and things will happen, but I don’t expect it to be major things that would make us go WAIT WHAT?! Otherwise, what brings us back itnto the story after time passes? For a long time my idea was that they’d all go their separate ways and maybe even their relationships would be a little damaged, so that when they come back into each others’ lives, part of the story is recovering that, reconciling with the past and maybe finding new futures together. 

Especially regarding Nol and Shinae, I’d wondered if we would see him leave without reconciling with his friends, and that we’d see him and Shinae meet again after some years and Shinae would have to contend with their unresolved past, with feelings she never had a chance to really identify, let alone explore, and the aching beauty of having to figure out who each other after now that they’ve grown and changed, and if there is room in each others’ lives for one another, if they fit in with who they’ve become. And don’t get me wrong - i do like that kind of bittersweet ache, haunted by the ghosts of what never came to be, having to relearn each other. But the more I’ve talked about this (especially a lot with @bittrbuttr, the more I realized that’s not exactly what I want with them. 

Like, it’s good and achey, it really pulls at your heartstrings. But I think that better suits an actual romance story, where the focus of the story and plot is on those feelings and untangling them, on finding their ways back to each other. I don’t think that’s the story of ILY, though. 

I keep dancing around my point and I apologize, but we all know I’m nothing if not circuitous and I promise we’ll get there! 

Here’s the thing: we know that Nol and Shinae are not in the space to become romantically involved. The feelings are there. They are drawn to each other, we know Nol finds comfort and peace in Shinae and that he always struggles to really push her away. We know that Shinae cares so deeply about him that no matter how much he hurts her, she still wants to try, she still wants to be there for him. I find the hope-tinged pain of 223 really poignant in that way - she wanted to SEE HIM, in a moment that was so special, she wanted to share that joy and get a glimpse at who he REALLY is, and he was unable to do that for her. But still she hopes for the best, still she intends to keep trying, to be as persistent as he was, even if she has to find a different approach. 

They are so important to each other, and I’m hoping that might be a catalyst? 

I understand what Nol’s struggle is. It isn’t easy to be vulnerable, to feel weak, especially when those parts of him have been used against him the last 6 years of his life. He is full of so much self-loathing and isn’t comfortable with his own weakness and vulnerability, thus he can’t show it to Shinae, he doesn’t want her to see him like that. He’d rather let her think he just doesn’t need to see what exists between them, that he doesn’t need to see her indulging because it’s enough to just bring her joy - and that itself hurts enough! But I want him to at least be honest about it - tell her that you don’t want her to see that part of you. Will it change things? Probably not significantly, but it puts her one step closer to understanding doesn’t it? 

And so the thinking is - or rather, the hope - is that maybe Nol will realize this? 

We see some of it in 224. Upon Dieter’s arrival, instead of a hey welcome back or anything, it’s an immediate “Did you bump into Yoo?” and when Dieter reassures him that she’s fine, it’s just stuffy, he knows a. it’s not fine and b. he feels bad. I think he felt that regret immediately, when he noted that she’s angry and he took off the blindfold and she wasn’t there. Nol is so used to pushing people away, it’s his first line of defense, but when it works? When he succeeds at driving that wedge? Again it’s that battle of will vs want - he thinks that pushing her away is the right thing to do for her sake, but he doesn’t ACTUALLY want it. 

It’s so difficult to go back to how things used to be having gotten a taste of something better. It’s so difficult to push out everyone when you’ve allowed yourself to indulge in being loved and cared about, and and I think that’s what Nol’s biggest hurdle is. 

Don’t get me wrong; there’s a lot of hurdles with him lol and clearing one doesn’t exactly make the others any easier to clear. But something we’ve seen from Shinae and that I think the story has tried to impress upon is that things are easier when we aren’t alone. Burdens shared are burdens that weigh a little less. We’ve Shinae and her father talking about being a team - about sharing that burden so it’s not so hard for just one of them and distributing that burden more easily. We’ve seen it in Shinae opening up about her problems with her friends, her insecurities that made her doubt her friendships. Her realization that as scary as situation as her sister breaking into her home was, it was made more bearable with a ragtag group of goofs who will protect her. 

Nol needs to learn to share that burden. He’s spent so long treating himself like an island, he hasn’t had the opportunity to remember that it’s easier to endure something when you aren’t exhausted from shouldering that burden all by yourself. There is strength in numbers. He’s been so run ragged from just trying to endure, trying to get by, trying to survive and how is he to ever fight back against Yui when he’s exhausted just from treading waters? 

I mean, ultimately Nol needs to learn to love himself, but I think it’s easier to tackle allowing others to love him, first. Allowing himself to share the burden, to show those weaknesses and let people have his back. Be able to slump over and know that someone will help keep you standing, you know? And maybe through that, he can find it in him to start loving himself. Of course, he has other problems he needs to address; in order to love himself, he has to forgive himself, and I hope that Yujing’s article can help in that area. I’m sure he carries the guilt of his mother’s alleged suicide, and maybe he was even made to believe that. It wouldn’t surprise me if the time he spent in the mental facility only served to make him feel worse about his existence, made  him believe he was the root cause of the bad. Maybe even, like Nana, he had an argument with his mother before he death and felt that if they hadn’t argued, maybe she would never have made that choice?

Clearly that’s still a little complicated for us to fully dig into, but as horrible as learning that maybe her death was not a choice she made is to learn (I cannot imagine having made this peace with someone I loved reaching a point so dark they made that choice, only to find out that it was, possibly, murder. How do you deal with that? What do you do with all that new grief, that new anguish?), I think maybe, if he learned that she didn’t choose that, it might help free him from his shackles of guilt. 

But I think until he can learn to forgive himself, until he can make that peace, couldn’t letting people love him help? Wouldn’t it be better for him to move forward knowing that he has people who will not only defend him, but who can ease the weight of his burdens? 

As dramatic as Nol and Shinae separating on these rocky grounds, unable to fully reconcile, makes for a good, dramatic romance, I think it’s much better for Nol to move on as a team. To let himself rely on others isn’t something he can learn over night, of course, but isn’t it better for him to enter a scary phase of his life knowing that there ARE people who he can talk to about it? There ARE people he can eventually let see those weak parts of him? 

So my ultimate hope for Nol’s extension is that in that time, he and Shinae find that peace after all. I still can’t help but feel like the three-day-extension is significant, because why else include it, if it was to pass without event? Especially because, depending on how it works (is it 3 additional days INCLUDING the 22nd or 3 days extra, beginning the 23rd?) we’ll hit the holidays. That just feels... too significant, right? 

I want Nol to grapple with his feelings, let his fear take over a little. Is he really as ready to lose Shinae as he tries to be? He seemed to regret hurting her, hanging his head after Dieter reassured him she was fine, even though she refuses to come back in to the room. And I can’t help but feel like it’s significant that she’s still lingering in the waiting room. My thinking is that Nana will get involved - she knows that Nol is upset about someone, she knows other friends have been watching over him, she knows there’s a friend who isn’t coming back in. She can read him well, so it’s not like it’s difficult to read that maybe they had a fight, that he was brusque and brushed her off the way he tries to do even to Nana. Will she go out there to see who this friend is? Will they talk? I feel like they HAVE to - not just because the fandom has waited for it, but because I think Nana can probably glean that Shinae (”Yoo” lol) must be someone important, if he’s acting like that. 

And look. Did Nana see the blush? *I* saw the blush, I’m not getting over that. I’m sorry but he lmao pushed her away, regretted hurting her, and he’s still getting flustered because he pictured her mouth. BUDDYYYYYYYYYYYY. YOU’RE A MESS. 

I don’t expect her to fully intervene in like, trying to make things happen way lmao I think it’s more like... Nana knows better than anyone that Nol is a difficult person to love. I say this with affection, because it’s true. He pushes people away, he deflects from himself, he never opens up, it’s hard to read what’s going on in his head. And Nana also knows of the darkness that looms. She was right there when he pleaded guilty, concerned about his reasoning. She’s listened to him talk about how maybe everything would be better if he didn’t exist. She knows that the darkness has a strong grip on him. So who better than her to encourage Shinae, to thank her for her patience and tenacity, for sticking with Nol even with the way he acts? I’d like to see a little bit of that comfort between them, some reassurance that Shinae is, in fact, making the right choice. She oscillates so wildly between her extreme emotions; sadness and melancholy that caring is not enough and how it sometimes comes out as anger when she can’t find a better way to channel it. We know she doesn’t really regret planning that birthday celebration - she’s just hurt. And I think it would be a big help to have Nana tell her how much it means to see Nol with friends who care about him despite how prickly and difficult he is, how she worries about him and is glad there are people who care about him. I think it would really encourage Shinae that her resolve is right - that she just has to find another way to approach him, that it’s worth the effort. 

And at that same time, yes, I want Nol’s fear to kick his ass. I want him to realize he faces the very real reality of losing someone who cares so much about him, who is willing to put up with him because of how much she cares and how special she is to him - and that she wants him to see it, too. I want him to fear losing the comfort and peace she brings him. I want him to have to finally face head on his want vs what he thinks he deserves, and see what a future without someone like her is like. Can he bear to return to that kind of loneliness? Can he bear losing her concern? How it feels for her to take notice of him, to probe, to listen? 

Like, at the risk of getting really corny and dramatic, that’s what it comes down to. I don’t want Nol to come back in a few years and decide he’s ready to face all of that. I want him to move on from this point knowing he’s not alone. I want him to be able to face prison knowing that he’s not so alone, that there is someone who will always be there to support him. I think that’s what makes the most sense. Leaving on their current circumstances works great if it’s a romance and that’s the main story - but making up, talking, being honest? That makes more sense for THIS story, where Nol starts to grow NOW, where he starts to make those important steps that will help him find his way to healing, and more important, that will help him face the forces that taunt and haunt him.

He doesn’t have to be completely honest with Shinae, because I don’t think he’s ready. I don’t think he’ll tell her that his mother took her life, and that he believes it’s his fault. But I think it would be enough to tell her the truth he couldn’t stay to her face - that he doesn’t want her to see him like that, that it’s still hard for him to open up that way, that it’s still SCARY - but that he doesn’t want to push her away, that he’s sorry he keeps hurting her. We could even go more dramatic with a callback to the hospital scene - that he’s sorry he isn’t good enough and is undeserving of her (AND LET HER REASSURE HIM THAT’S NOT TRUE THAT HE IS). BUT JUST. IDK I WANT HIM TO FACE IT. ADMIT IT.

He doesn’t have to tell her he likes her. That’s fine. Just reiterate what she means to him! One moment he’s telling her she’s special to him, that he cares about her, next moment he’s telling her it’s okay he doesn’t have to look he’s fine like this. STOP JERKING HER AROUND ;~; lmao like don’t get me wrong. I GET IT. I UNDERSTAND HIM!!!!!!!!!!!

But I also want to see them move into our time skips with a sense of understanding and peace, you know? I don’t want want Nol to face his fears alone anymore. I want him to let someone stand by his side. I want him to accept how good it feels to rest on her shoulder and know that it’s okay, she’s there.

I HAVE FEELINGS OKAY I JUST. I WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO FIND T HAT STRENGTH IN EACH OTHER, TO BE STRONGER TOGETHER. 

And to call back to my earlier point lmao I like to think if they get to that point, then maybe he would understand, if Shinae accepts Yui’s offer. Maybe he would see how it’s different from Alyssa, that Shinae made a choice to protect herself, that it’s not about the idolatry, it’s not a self-serving choice, but one that protects her and enables her to fight back. Knowing that they are on the same side, that Shinae isn’t a doe-eyed naïve girl about to be taken advantage of again, but one who wants to fight back against the people who hurt her and others like her. 

We’re about halfway to 3/5 of the way into this story, and I think that’s a good point for Shinae and Nol to join forces. 

AndlookthisiscompletelydaydreamingbutiftherewasaChristmaskissIwouldcertainlynotobject

PLEASE I JUUUUUUUUUST i want to see them on the same page, I want to see them moving forward TOGETHER. I don’t want Nol to keep walking on his own. I don’t want him to just accept Shinae at his side, either; I want him to CHOOSE to let her choose his side. ;A; 

GOD. PLS. BARKS AT THE MOON I’m just ready for them to bE A TEAM I’M READY FOR NOL TO BE SELFISH AND TO GO AFTER WHAT HE WANTS I WANT HIM TO CHOOSE COMFORT AND SECURITY OVER PUNISHMENT I WANT HIM TO REALIZE THERE IS STRENGTH IN COMPANIONSHIP. I know being close to him puts her at risk - but he needs to see that no matter what, she’s at risk, and isn’t it better if she’s in danger with someone who can help, than to be all alone with it? I WANT HIM TO FACE THAT FEAR OF HIS AND FIND THAT MAYBE HIS DESIRE, HIS WANT, HIS NEEDS ARE EVEN BIGGER. That it’s better to find peace with her than spend the whole time afraid. Isn’t that the thing? He’s always afraid - afraid of someone else getting hurt, afraid of another opportunity being stolen away, afraid of the next time Yui will find a way to hurt him. BUT TO BE ABLE TO FIND COMFORT WITH SHINAE? 

Please. Just open up - be honest!!!!!!! But most importantly APOLOGIZE. Apologize for hurting her, apologize for pushing her away.

I realize, based on what she said on the hospital roof, that maybe he won’t make that choice, that maybe her persistence has to be a long game, that she does have to wait for him to forget to put the mask back on.

But wouldn’t it be so nice if he chose to move forward with her, instead of alone, to face their nightmare and battles together? ;~; 

#I Love Yoo #ILY Brainrot #ILY FP #ILY Spoilers #Stalkyoo #Aegi #Shinae Yoo #Nol #Nolan Oliver T. Lochlainn #LMFAO THIS IS SO LONG-WINDED but i think no one is surprised anymore? #I just!!!!!!!!! #i have this very specific want in mind and if it doesn't happen that's okay because i'm sure it will lead to a better story lmao #BUT I CAN'T HELP BUT LIKE. WANT THIS PARTICULAR THING TO PLAY OUT for the sake of the story #for the sake of the second season #for the sake of what it means to fight against those who harm others just for joy #i'm such a firm believer of shinae and nol being a team and i want to see them be a team together FOR REAL #i want to see nol find it in himself to lean on shinae and find how much stronger he can be if he doesn't have to shoulder a burden alone #it's so much easier to share the weight together when you aren't the only one to carry it right? #and when you aren't run ragged just from sturviving #when you have the time to rest and recharge knowing you are safe #aren't you able to become even stronger? #to face even more? #I JUST WANT THEM TO BE A TEAM ;A;

[emotionallychargedtowel]

I’m still working on a longer Utsukushii Kare post from a psychology angle, which should be done soonish. In the meantime, I did a rewatch to help with that post, and ended up with some stray thoughts about a few things from S2E1.

This seems like something that could be impacted by a translation so I don’t want to make too much of it. But at the party, Kiyoi is asked twice if Hira is his friend, and (in the Viki subtitles at least), he responds by saying, “Well...” but he’s always cut off by people talking over him. Is it possible he’s actually thinking about telling people Hira is his boyfriend, or trying to?

When Hira talks to Kiyoi about watching the “special report” he was in with Anna, he says “she’s so pretty,” and as a result “it feels a bit complicated.” He seems to be talking about Anna here. Has Hira ever referred to anyone besides Kiyoi as being attractive before? I can’t think of a time that’s happened. Kiyoi seems unhappy about this development as he makes a semi-subtle mad face in response. I can think of a few things Hira might mean by “complicated” here, all of which relate to liking Anna or rooting for her even though it could (in his mind) detract from his total worship of Kiyoi.

There was something about the way Kiyoi kicked Hira (when he was trying to distract him from his “so cool I could fall in love with you again” comment) that seemed odd to me the first time I watched the episode. This time, I figured out what it was--he does a little hop just before the kick. Then I remembered Yagi Yusei was a soccer/football player before he got into singing/acting and it made sense. It was a soccer kick!

Things from this episode that no one (that I’ve seen) has made gifs of yet, but that should really be gif’ed:

The awestruck look on Kiyoi’s face when he pulls back the curtain and sees Hira in the last outfit he tries on (the one with the brown coat that he ends up wearing to the party). It’s a bit subtle--he’s trying to hide it, of course--but he does a full head-to-toe checking-Hira-out eye thing along with it.

The half confused, half distasteful “Eh?” expression on Hira’s face after he’s told to “think outside the box” about sleeveless shirts.

The aforementioned Hira saying Anna is pretty, Kiyoi looking annoyed thing.

I guess I should try to learn to make gifs at some point? In the meantime I definitely don’t mean to sound less than appreciative of those who do. Seriously, thanks, gif people.

#utsukushii kare #utsukushii kare season 2 #utsukushii kare 2 #hira x kiyoi #my beautiful man season 2 #my beautiful man

[theshadowrealmitself]

Don’t wanna detract from the angst of the other post but also the humor in those picking up the hero mantles not knowing all the personal stuff that went into the first hero’s journey into putting it all together

Like, Miles randomly finding out one day that the very first thing Peter tried to do when he got his powers was to go into underground wrestling, and his Spidey suit was just. based off of his wrestling suit

#listen I love the wrestling decision so much #it’s canon for all Peter Spideys to me #superheroes #supervillains #superheroes and supervillains in general #no fandom

[safety-pin-punk]

Hey Im just gonna brain dump here for a sec so bear with me as I develop this

I just saw a post (and added it to the queue) that talked about disability cards in Europe. And one of the comments ‘How do people with invisible disabilities get accommodations?’ Made me think of another post I saw a while ago talking about how there should be a community for punks that don’t necessarily fit into the cripple punk community, but still are not necessarily fully healthy and able bodied. (I’d tag the op but Im not sure they would appreciate the attention, so I wont)

For example, I have an autoimmune disorder (among other things). My body will never function the way its supposed to, and that causes me a lot of problems in my day to day life. But Im not physically disabled or in chronic pain from it, and I really dont feel comfortable identifying as cripple punk.

The person who coined the term cripple punk said that “Cripple punk is exclusively by the physically disabled for the physically disabled”. And I think thats a great thing, people with physical disabilities deserve to have their own space and community (and if you haven’t heard of the cpunk community, you should check them out if it applies to you). But because cripple punk is a community focused on physical disabilities, those of us with invisible disabilities are left out.

So, Im going to support the idea of a community for those of us who have invisible disabilities or chronic illness. For those of us who aren’t fully able, but are not part of the cripple punk community. For those of us that want a space and community to talk about our issues without shame or pity and not detract from the issues of those with physical disabilities. And I think the name from the post I read with the original idea should stay.

Not to say these communities shouldn’t or can’t overlap. Really, they should. We should be communities that can band together when we need to, but still allow for separate spaces for separate issues.

Im in support of Sick Punk, and if you have a problem with it, then get off my blog

#sick punk #punk #punx #invisible disability #chronic illness #invisible disabilities

[fagdykefriendship]

i keep looking at babel reviews and seeing some criticisms that i disagreed with so idk. posting time.

i can definitely understand not liking babel, the pacing was a bit off and i can see how people thought some characters felt flat (victorie for me personally didn’t get much development or much of a relationship with the main character which i was disappointed in) but overall i think babel as robin’s story is very well written and even the pacing can be attributed to a storytelling choice rather than poor writing

- rf kuang has a way of writing that feels more akin to history telling to me. i think this is why sometimes she’s more “tell” than “show”. i get why this is something people dislike but for me personally it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book.

- griffin’s backstory was barely touched on, but that’s the point. history moves in circles, which is something kuang has said she likes to write about. to the history books, griffin is nothing more than a footnote. but he’s also another iteration of robin’s story. essentially you don’t need to know exactly how griffin got where he did because you see the same thing happen to robin.

- i don’t feel like the characters were ‘walking stereotypes’. i saw a reviewer i actually like say this, someone who was not just some burt hurt white person throwing around buzz words, which was jarring to me.

- letty is in no way a stereotype of a white woman, she has a personality, but the point of her ending was to show the impossibility of having your anti racism be based in the fact that you’re friends with nonwhite people. you have to see the systemic wrongs, and letty never does. i don’t think she’s a stereotypical white woman, whatever that means, she’s just. a typical white woman.

- ramy is also not stereotypical to me. i don’t really see in what ways he would be. his way of navigating the world as a brown person, as someone seen as exotic, was interesting and certainly not stereotypical; he played into stereotypes deliberately for his own gain, but that’s different.

- victorie is underdeveloped for sure, she’s the one i would say is most flat as a character. the very late reveal of her backstory was a little strange to me.

- the pacing of the book seems to be purposeful to me. similar to in the poppy war, things start out small and then quickly spiral out of control. this is deliberate in my opinion and not a consequence of poor writing.

- i can definitely understand people disliking the more “boring” parts of the book that go into explaining etymology and translation but personally i found those super interesting and also important, since they exemplified how translation is not a neutral act. babel’s explanations and analysis of etymology show how colonizers use language as a weapon.

spoilers below the cut

- the ending is meant to be predictable. i mean the institute is called babel. of course it was going to fall. robin, after seeing there was nothing for him in canton because it had been destroyed by the british and then seeing his only family torn apart, letty betraying them, ramy and griffin both killed, was never going to live. honestly he was never going to live from that first scene in oxford where he helps griffin with the stolen silver. it was meant to be an inevitability, not a plot twist.

#babel #babel spoilers #rf kuang

[mellarked-katnisseverdeen]

your recent post about your THG reread and katniss’ thoughts on gale just makes me sad that they ever tried to make them into a love triangle at all. I don’t know how true the rumour is about Suzanne Collins originally not having a love triangle and being told to include one during rewrites/editing, but I swear gale works so much better as a character if he really was katniss’ cousin or platonic friend who helped her survive. The love triangle just detracts from his good qualities and what he really meant/means to katniss, while also needlessly distracting from the potential of peeta and what he means to her too

Yea. I don't have very many real, genuine issues with the way the OG trilogy was written but of those very few and small things, this is on that list.

I think everything Gales character needed to do very much could have been done without his romantic interest. He could be the same kind of path offered to her without it being romantic. In fact I think it would make it even less muddy to see what Gale and Peeta represent that way. The way she sees and wants to approch the rebellion and beyond that even more importantly.

And yes. It allows for more interesting and less issues character wise. We could have Gale, Katniss and Peeta be an AMAZING trio! Gale and Peeta could have a super interesting and close friendship and work together well! At the same times still having this very stark disagreement on things. All of that is all possible if Gale's character didn't have to have romantic feelings for her.

#Platonic Everthrone #Katniss Everdeen #The Hunger Games #gale hawthorne

[troythings]

important psa regarding a dc comics fan artist

to any of my followers and especially people who like dc/wonder woman/teen titans, youve probably heard of g|**-ch*n or seen her work, she draws animated inspired art. i really wouldn't call it that since it's most likely tracing, whatever. but a lot of her stuff sexualizes women and especially underage girls (supergirl, batgirl, starfire, raven, the list goes on). and boys. she's apparently also one of those perverted degenerates who sexualize the de-aged wonder woman from the JLU episode "kids stuff" and has also applied this art style to other female heroines that weren't in the episode.

gee, she sounds very dedicated to her "art." anyone else seeing a pattern?

if you look at her accounts here you can see her complain about being reported on dA for this kind of thing, as well as reblogging weird shit like "as anime gets older, the girls get younger" and "dating women is like squaring numbers. if they're under 13, just do them in your head."

want proof?

"but lolis aren't children, they're just drawings!" cope and seethe pedo, because at the end of the day, lolis are drawings of people that have underage bodies.

"but it's not hurting anyone because it's not real!" shut up. you hurt children just by mere reason of your existence. get out of our spaces.

i say this as someone who was unfortunate enough to be exposed to her art as a young girl online and then realized what she was later on. i tried to see if other people had the same concerns, but couldn't find any. someone has to do it, so im posting this as a psa here. it is not acceptable or okay to sexualize kids in a comics/ animated medium that can be found by younger viewers. don't repost her art, don’t share it around or give her a platform. do not give that waste of oxygen another second of your attention.

because really there's only one group of people that like that kind of art. she might make "normal" drawings, but that doesn't detract from what kind of sicko she is. don't let any of that fool you, and trust your gut if you see something questionable online.

#dc comics #justice league #justice league unlimited #detective comics #tw pedophila mention #not a shitpost #donna troy #wonder girl #wonder woman #troia #koriandr #starfire #rachel roth #anti lolicon #anti grooming

[hmsharmony]

As requested by anon, turning my response into a post that does not enhance exposure for the OP. My original thoughts from my reblog are below (with the second paragraph edited to clarify I was not referring to OP when I said someone I thought highly of), and I will be deleting the reblog.

This broke me.

I don’t know it it’s the dehumanization, or the trading in antisemitic tropes, or seeing it be reblogged from someone I thought so highly of.

But I read this and broke down and sobbed for almost an hour.

More than 1,000 Israelis dead, and it doesn’t matter because they’re “colonizers”? (How do you colonize your homeland? How do you colonize when you have no mother country? How do you think SWANA became Arab? What happened to all the indigenous communities that existed before Arab conquest? But it’s simple, right? It’s not complicated? Jews were exiled and ended up in Europe and somehow that makes us Europeans, even though one country after the next murdered us and exiled us again, told us to return to Palestine when we couldn’t, because the occupying powers prohibited it or made life so difficult that the Jews who were brave enough to stay had to rely on support from the diaspora to survive. Never mind the majority of Israelis who came from surrounding countries in the “Middle East,” where they lived for hundreds of years after being forced out of Israel/Palestine. Talk to me about the demographics of Israel. His many are Ashkenazi? Mizrahim? Sephardi? How many were ethnically cleansed from surrounding Arab countries? How many were Holocaust survivors left to die in DP camps until Israel was established, because countries still wouldn’t let Jews in after the war ended and they saw what was done to us because we were never European? Tell me the history of this land. Tell me how Jews went to being the majority population to such a small minority. Tell me when there was last sovereign rule in the land before 1948. Tell me why for 2000 years we’ve said next year in Jerusalem. Was it some conspiracy to justify the taking of the land from Palestinians, somehow devised before Palestinians even existed?

Tell me about the Hebron pogrom. Tell me about the ethnic cleansing of Jews from Jerusalem. Talk to me about the war of 1948. How many countries attacked? Which came to the aid of Israel? After its conclusion, when Jordan annexed and Egypt occupied the West Bank and Gaza, respectively, why was a Palestinian state never established? Explain to me why Palestinian refugees are the only ones that the UN cannot resettle, why surrounding countries refuse to grant Palestinian refugees citizenship, instead forcing them to live in refugee camps.

Talk to me about Hamas. Where do they store their weapons? What did they say in their charter? What have they done to improve life for Palestinians? Why do they shoot rockets from densely populated areas when other areas exist?

Because it’s simple, right? It’s not complicated?)

This take is vile and devoid of humanity. My heart has broken today. I know you don’t care. But know that this rhetoric will not help Palestinians. Know that it will only make it harder for the people on the ground fighting for Palestinian liberation (yes, including in Israel, including Israelis, many of whom were viciously murdered by Hamas) to achieve that goal.

As I’ve said before and will continue to say, none of what I say above justifies denying Palestinians’ claim to self determination. None of it detracts from the fact that the siege against Gaza is a war crime, and if by some miracle Gazans are able to evacuate but they’re not allowed to return to their homes, that would be an ethic cleansing, and nothing Hamas did can justify that. It does not detract from what the Israeli government has done, now and historically, to Palestinians. But you cannot say one ethnic cleansing is abhorrent while another is fine, simply because of the ethnicity or nationality of those being cleansed. And to lie about Jewish connection to Israel, when history and dna and archaeology all make clear this is where ethnic Jews are from, to justify that ethnic cleansing is horrifying.

#israel hamas war #issues: antisemitism