#they have faced so much discrimination but have accomplished so much

[blazefire2012]

Does anyone else randomly just remember The Slog and just think that is one of the best minor settlements Bethesda has ever made?

They're a settlement of ghouls, a minority that is shunned for who they have become from no choice of their own, and have made a name for themselves. The name being a bit.... rude without context. But when you ask Wiseman about the name, he mentions people will trudge through the mud, never had to slog through so much mud, to get to them to buy their produce. Berries of all thing. The best in the commonwealth. Becuase they're smart enough, human enough regardless of their current status, to come up with a way to cultivate a staple crop of the people in the area. In a abandoned God damned swimming pool as a controlled hydroponic garden. Which is pure genius in an apocalyptic situation btw.

They've done so much good for themselves, I'm surprised they even accepted the help from the minutemen in the first place, regardless of the "in a minutes notice" protection.

Everytime I think of them, I get so emotional and proud of them for making it as far as they have. Most of them being refugees from Diamond city, kicked out after Mayor McDonough's anti-ghoul campaign, and they have come up with the most genius ways of agriculture the common wealth has seen in a hot minute that even the in game dialog mentions. And they have even made a name for themselves and are able to actually support themselves with something as simple as farming a small harvest crop.

Anyway, it's one in the morning and I'm emotional over ghouls in a video game, Goodnight lovelies <3

#fallout 4 #fallout #fallout ghouls #fallout 4 wiseman #i just love ghouls so much #theyre just amazing #they have faced so much discrimination but have accomplished so much #look at the ghouls in fallout 1 as well #theyve done so much with the scraps they get as a result of who they are #which is really fucking unfair btw #the slog #fallout 4 ghouls #fallout 4 the slog

[ansburg]

not to soapbox but like. diasporic asians growing up the in the west were constantly told we were uncool, ugly, unfit for leading roles, and just so generally other that many of us still struggle with that self-hatred and deal with the material discrimination that comes with looking "different" from the default. so many diasporic asians have stories about how our creative accomplishments or potential were discounted because we were told we didn’t have enough “personality” – a judgment call that can’t be divorced from how racial triangulation has worked to alienate asian people from dominant cultures in the diaspora.

you know how asian people have been treated by western fantasy? we’re either

ugly and monstrous

exotified beyond recognition

or we don’t exist.

(thanks david. it’s not like thedas is the only continent the player can explore or anything. or that boats exist. where does solas get his tea btw? where do the silks in orlais originate from? why are there always asian aesthetics present without asian faces?)

when a game like bg3 comes along and the studio makes a decision to make an asian companion, it’s huge for us. that’s our crumb of representation. karlach is very obviously not “eurocentric” in her features – if anything, westernized beauty standards would have her face redone to comply with market demands.

she has monolids. she has a flat nose bridge. her cheeks are full and round, buccal fat very much in attendance. whatever she may have arguably been in previous patches, that is not what she is now. and pretending like her face – a face that, newsflash, asian people can relate to – is just a toy you can pop features out of because they don’t have enough “personality” to you, or because they’re too “soft," or because you don’t think a face like hers is “warrior-like” (whatever the fuck that means), is insensitive at best and willfully ignorant at worst. her asianness isn’t a setting to opt out of any more than wyll’s blackness is.

lastly, i’m exhausted that it even needs to be said, but being a person of color does not absolve somebody of intercommunity harm. minority status isn’t an excuse to get out of self-reflecting. it’s okay to step back and say, “wow, i didn’t think about how i’d affect members of this community,” without digging your heels in like one mistake on the internet is an extinction-level event.

studies:

#long post #white karlach discourse #though it's a bit of a misnomer — it's anti-asian karlach discourse more accurately but still #that's enough on the subject i can't wait to go home to my lovely wife and also play more t4t astarion/lae'zel simulator

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

this might be weird to ask on a writing blog but do you have any manga recs?

yeah i got some recs! i'm gonna assume you mean less talked about titles rather than more well-known but quickfire popular recs i have are: chainsaw man, fullmetal alchemist, jjba, fruits basket, jjk and hell's paradise. but onto my other recs:

seinen

children of the sea**: a troubled teen named ruka embarks on the summer adventure of a lifetime after meeting two boys raised by dugongs at her dad's aquarium in the middle of a mysterious event taking place in the ocean.

the summer hikaru died: it's been months since yoshiki's childhood friend and secret crush, hikaru, went missing in the mountains for a week. hikaru's the same as usual, with his jokes and silly rambles and yet, yoshiki can't shake the feeling that whoever came back from that mountain, it wasn't hikaru. much to his horror, it wasn't. but rather than face reality and grief, yoshiki decides to play along with "hikaru's" act (body horror)

dorohedoro**: in a world where there are humans and magic users, humans have it rough being virtually treated as second class citizens. day after day, year after year, magic users come to the human realm to experiment on them with their magic. and after having his head turn into a caiman, kaiman, wants to get it back in blood and have his true form restored (body horror)

witch hat atelier*: in a world full of magic and witches, it's always been normal human girl coco's dream to be one. but after accidentally discovering a truth of this world and her mom getting caught up in the spell, coco becomes an apprentice of witch qifrey. (it was recently announced there's an anime in the works!)

skip & loafer**: desiring to become a government official to revitalize her hometown in the japanese countryside, iwakura mitsumi's first step to accomplish this goal is by going to a uni prep high school in tokyo. she's got a foolproof 10-step plan to boot! but of course, life hardly ever goes as plan, not even for a prodigy (mc's aunt has great trans rep)

jousei

sign of affection*: as someone deaf all her life, yuki has dealt with discrimination in both small and broad strokes. nor has she ever experienced romance. this all changes when she meets backpacker itsumi, a guy who goes to the same uni. just as he opens her world, she opens his

debu to love to ayamachi to***: after waking up in a hospital with no memories to her name, plus sized yumeko is told she is there after surviving a suicide attempt. the thing is, yumeko isn't sure why when she's just so beautiful! with a strong desire to live life to the fullest, yumeko decides to do everything the past her was to afraid to do. all the while it is revealed that her suicide attempt was more of an attempted murder... but who could have wanted to kill her?

my love story with yamada-kun at lv999**: nothing is worse than getting cheated on especially after akane invested a lot of time and energy into her shitty ex's gaming hobbies. but through gaming, not only does akane find herself healing, she managed to get herself a pretty cool boyfriend too

NANA**: 2 women, 2 different lives, 1 name shared. komatsu nana is quick to fall in love and after a series of less-than-lucky relationships, she finally has someone she thinks is the one. abandoned by her mother and her ex leaving her band, osaki nana hasn't had the easiest life. but on the same night, on the same train, these two women meet and their lives become deeply intertwined

shoujo

a condition called love*: when it comes to romance, hotaru's never experienced it besides stories of her friends relationships. but she soon finds herself about to experience the whirlwind of a lifetime when hananoi, the most popular boy in school, asks her to be his girlfriend

a bouquet for an ugly girl***: as her class' resident big girl, hana isn't expecting a blossoming spring in her high school career. and she's okay with that. she has everything she needsー otome games and gardening. but after her class' pretty boy catches her in the midst of changing the class flowers, their lives become a bit more intertwined

uruwashi no yoi no tsuki: yoi is quite popular at her school because of her neat short hair, beautiful face and overall princely appearance. in fact, it's gotten her dubbed 'prince' many times. but when the other prince of the school finally meets her, cupid's arrow quickly knocks him on his ass

shounen

frieren**: a manga that picks up after the journey has ended. the demon king has been defeated and the heroes have saved the day after 10 years of traveling together. 10 years? that's not even a 10th of elf mage frieren's life. but as her companions begin dying one by one of old age, she finds herself desiring to learn more about humans and the short yet impactful lives they still manage to have

dungeon meshi*: when a dungeon raid goes terribly wrong and laios' sister gets swallowed by a dragon, those that remain in his party decide to get it back in blood by saving laios' sister before she gets digested. in the mean time, there's nothing wrong with gordon ramsay-ing miscellaneous ingredients found in the dungeon along the way, right?

and if you like manhwa or would be down for some manhwa recs these are titles i don't see getting recommended enough

concubine walkthrough: a scifi & philosophical spin on the otome isekai genre that asks 'what is reality truly?', 'is your life any less real if you found out all your experiences were a simulation?' and 'what is reality to you?' where protagonist lee yona finds herself stuck in a VR edition of a game she only played once

a wicked tale of cinderella's stepmother: usually when someone wakes up in the body of a villainess, she's the same age as the protagonists. mildred, on the other hand, is stuck in the body of this story's cinderella's stepmother. with no husband and three daughters to take care of, there's only one thing she can really doー build up her daughters' sisterly bonds with one another and make sure they marry into good families (or that they can at least live lives they're happy with)

tricked into becoming the heroine's stepmother: at least mildred got the body of an important character, daisy on the other hand? she's in the body of an NPC you never even see in the story. bright side? this is a story she helped write and after meeting the presently six year old protagonist's father, she and father of the year decide to team up for the ultimate mission: making sure his daughter never meets any of the love interests

inso's law: ham dan-i is in a bit of a pickle when she wakes up and her new school uniform is completely different than the one her mom bought weeks ago. there's a drop dead gorgeous girl next door who claims to be her childhood best friend. even worse, like something straight out of a drama, there are four heavenly kings that rule her school. by the end of the day, dan-i has no other choice but to accept the fact........ her real life has somehow turned into a web novel. even worse, she's a side characterー the main character's best friend

webtoons

plum: in a world where fruit stacking is a major sport, little plum decides to be the very best like no one ever was and moves to the big city to compete in the fruit stacking games along with making some friends and rivals along the way

webtoons that are probably popular enough if they have hardcover copies at my local bookstore but i wanna talk about it anyway

cursed princess club: as the youngest princess of the pastel kingdom, gwendolyn loves her family. her protective papa, her oldest sister maria who often awakes to woodland creatures doing her hair. her older sister lorena who makes flowers bloom with her every step. and her younger brother jamie who's so pretty, he sparkles. and they adore her just as much. but things come to a very reality shattering halt when their father introduces maria, lorena and gwen to blaine, lance and frederick, the princes of the plaid kingdom and gwen overhears frederick call her ugly, something she's never heard in her entire life. somehow, gwen finds comfort in a club full of cursed princesses (and one prince) who teach her how to start loving herself again

key

*) receiving an anime adaptation

**) has an an anime series or movie

***) receiving an anime adaptation & contains a story with a plus-sized protagonist that doesn't involve weight loss

#look she's answering #anon #manga recs #seinen #jousei #shoujo #manhwa #otome isekai #children of the sea #hikaru ga shinda natsu #dorohedoro #witch hat atelier #skip and loafer #debu to love to ayamachi to #NANA #uruwashi no yoi no tsuki #hananoi kun to koi no yamai #a bouquet for an ugly girl #concubine walkthrough #a wicked tale of cinderella's stepmother #tricked into becoming the heroine's stepmother #cursed princess club #plum

[animeyanderelover]

Request: How about Seven Deadly Sins Ten Commandment Meliodas with a royal vampire s/o in an arranged marriage?

Tw: Yandere themes, toxic relationship, possessive behavior, obsession, overprotective behavior, arranged marriage, threats

Arranged marriage with a royal vampire s/o

🐲​Considering that vampires are mere vassels for the Demon Clan during the war, perhaps an arranged marriage was proposed from Izraf, King of Vampires, in hopes of his kind earning more rights by wedding you to the son and successor of the Demon King. The Demon King could easily decline, Meliodas could easily decline, but perhaps there is something the Demon King sees in you thus forcing Meliodas into the marriage or maybe it is even Meliodas who has known you beforehand and for that decides that he can tolerate you enough to accept the offer of Izraf. You have no desire for the marriage but are loyal to your clan and for that have chosen to sacrifice yourself in hopes to aid to the greater good of your kind. Something that Meliodas sees as largely foolish and maybe somewhat admirable. The relationship between you two is very distant though as the marriage is a formality that is celebrated only because it is Meliodas who is now your husband.

🐲​As Meliodas is fighting on the battlefield though as the leader of the Ten Commandments, both of you do not spend as much time with each other. A part of you is almost relieved yet another part knows that you have now duties to fulfill as you need to convince Meliodas to loosen the control his father has over your entire kind or otherwise Izraf will try to fight for the freedom of the clan and you doubt that your kind would stand a chance. Meliodas is aware that this is the main reason why you agreed to the arranged marriage but he dismisses your pleas most of the time as he reminds you that he is the one who has all of the power and control even outside of this marriage. There is no affection nor any love between the two of you so you decide that maybe you should first of all work on the marriage before asking him for any help as he has no obligation to help you. Meliodas isn't much better than his father after all. So you decide to work to gain his love and affection.

🐲​It is quite difficult though as you don't know what to do besides obeying and doing everything you know to please him and keep him satisfied. You do not try to deny it when he asks you if your new strategy is trying to fix the relationship only to then ask him to help you but he doesn't seem to be angry about it, perhaps because he thinks that it'll be useless. He has never loved anyone after all so you aren't going to be any different. He is mainly just entertaining your effort and you are fully aware of this yet you try your best nevertheless. Hard work always pays off though and this saying seems to come true for you as you accomplish what no one has done before you. You worm your way into his heart, something that even Meliodas can't understand. Dark eyes observe you closely, his brows slightly furrowed as he ponders what it is about you that has allowed you to gain his black heart. You have achieved what you had planned to do. Are you aware of the costs though?

🐲​Any rude words or discriminating actions taken against you are suddenly severely punished by Meliodas who has mostly ignored it so far as long as no one would have laid a hand on you. Now nothing is left unpunished anymore as he establishes brutally the rule that as his spouse you should be treated accordingly unless someone wants to face his wrath. He becomes much more possessive as you aren't allowed to walk around unless he can accompany you and whilst the war keeps him busy and he spends time on the battlefield which you often use to sneak outside, he always finds out. You can see that he is displeased with your ignorance of his words. You could get hurt after all. Not only from his own kind or from other clans who might plan to target you but maybe even from your own kind. The distrust that Meliodas holds against everyone is glaringly obvious as the only person he trusts with you is he himself. That is why he is so against the idea of letting you be left alone in the care of someone else.

🐲​You know that whilst Meliodas cares about you though, the same doesn't count for your clan. You plead him for help nevertheless as this is the main reason why you agreed to wed him. Meliodas has always known them. It is only because of the recent awakening of his obsession that his feelings start dramatically shifting about it. He owns you right now. You might not see this marriage as anything more than a way to help your own clan but he sees it as something more now. You are now free of any duties you had to your clan so you can stop begging and pleading for their sake. You have other duties now that you are married to him and those duties are much more important than anything your clan might have asked of you. He asks of you to now focus on him and as your new role as his spouse but you know that the question is more of a demand. Meliodas not only seems agitated when you bring up your clan once again, he is. Your head is filled with the vampire clan to the point where you deny him after all.

🐲​When Vampire King Izraf plots a secret rebellion and the Demon King finds out, your worst fears come true. All of them are defeated by the Demon King and as a punishment and an example for traitors, your entire clan is ordered to be executed. Immediately Meliodas stands up but instead of defending your clan from their grim fate, he only demands of his father to spare you. You are no longer part of the Vampire Clan as you have become a part of the Demon Clan by marrying him and you have been restricted and guarded closely by him which means that you had no part in plotting any of this. He argues with his father yet he is not budging and eventually you are excused and all silent whispers about you are mercilessly silenced by Meliodas. Your desperate pleas for him to save the rest of your clan are all ignored and in tears you realise that you should have never agreed to marry this monster for it would have been more honorable to die together with your clan than to be forever stuck with the possessive prince.

#yandere nanatsu no tazai #yandere nnt #yandere seven deadly sins #yandere sds #yandere meliodas

[website-enjoyer]

i was struck recently by an example of how reactionary online attitudes towards sexual deviance have become. i was chatting with a group of english professors the other day, and they started talking about the novel Bear. idk how well-known this book is outside of canada. the cover looks like this:

i haven't read it myself but reader, she fucks the bear. it's a literal bear. it was originally written for a collection of pornography and went on to win the Governor General's Award, which is given out by the highest level of our federal government, selected by a panel of the most established authors. i'm not saying that we should uphold the canadian government as a decision-maker about anything (death to canada), or that the 1970s were somehow better than the present. i've just had people try to get me to participate in ostracizing other trans people over so much less than this... and here these successful professors were, talking about how they used to teach this book as the first one in their introductory english classes (reading this with minors!!!11) and about how feminist it is. do they risk career damage or social death by talking about this? no, the only people who face social consequences for talking about anything fictional that's this deviant are the ones that are already marked by discrimination as sexually dangerous. so what exactly is accomplished by doing this? well. haha.

#books

[hundredsspoons]

Ok that last post made me think about Trigun characters and Animal Crossing

Knives would have a perfectly curated town. Of course the museum is complete. He has every type of flower, but they're all sectioned off so the colors don't clash. He practices Villager Discrimination against ugly villagers. Bought Raymond on ebay. Surprisingly fond of Isabelle. Will time travel whenever he wants, for whatever reason he wants.

Lagato doesn't actually care about AC. He has a town for the sole purpose of getting fruit/items/etc. for Knives. When Knives got upset that he wasn't putting effort into his town, he decided to put an hour aside each day to properly decorate it like it's a part-time job. Still can't remember any of his villagers' names. Made his avatar have blue hair like him.

Vash has a super cute town. Doesn't usually let villagers move out because he loves them all. Sometimes he makes headcanons about villagers that they want to travel, and then he'll let them go so he's not "holding them back." Always attends KK's concerts. Cried a little at the first one. Not against time travel, but not motivated enough to use it usually. Will use it if he forgets a villager's birthday though. Always receiving stuff from Knives's town. Knives once attempted to force him to re-terraform his entire island because he didn't like it. This resulted in a serious fight. Always makes sure his character is gucci'd down to the socks.

Wolfwood says he only plays AC because the kids at the orphanage pester him to (but you know he finds it calming). He makes the goth, halloween-themed town with the edgy fake corpses in the basement. Never bothered to get all the flower types. Vash helped him get all the fruits though. Gets super pissed off when Redd sells him fake art. Uses a guide because convenience is king. Doesn't bother with time travel, too much effort. He plays pretty normally by himself, but when he goes to the kids' towns, he makes sure to trample all the flowers and hit all the townspeople with his net. If the kid starts crying though, he does his best to fix it; he doesn't actually like hurting their feelings. He never uses medicine to fix his face after getting attacked by bees.

Meryl was the first person to complete the main island "quest." She doesn't get why people time travel: doesn't that take away from the feeling of accomplishment when you complete it the good old-fashioned way? Did time travel once when she missed her favorite villager's birthday though. All her buildings are very sensibly located. Reloaded her island choices until she got the color of the airport she wanted and a layout with the town hall near the center. Terrified of tarantulas. The first time she got Tarantula Island, she accidentally closed the game without saving. Always has a cute, custom-designed outfit on.

Milly doesn't actually play AC very much. She time travels as she pleases, and as a result, her entire island has turned into an overgrown meadow. It gives Meryl and Isabella a heart attack. Brings gifts whenever she goes to her friends' islands. When she goes to Wolfwood's or vice versa, they spend the entire time hitting villagers. You know she's rocking that ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) face and the froggy outfit. Tarantula hunter supreme.

Roberto does not have a switch. Milly, his niece, begged him to try out her AC once though. He cut down trees until the bees came for him. He doesn't understand the appeal of this game.

#trigun #trigun stampede #animal crossing #animal crossing new horizons #this is all accurate the charavters came to me in a vision and told me

[fanfic-lover-girl]

Why I don't care much about Draco calling Hermione a mudblood

I have stated many times that I don't care much that Draco calls Hermione mudblood across various posts I have written. Now rude Hermione stans will simply say or have simply said I am a misogynist or just a brainless Draco stan and move on feeling morally superior. But I have three very basic reasons why JKR is at fault for me not caring.

Being muggleborne is not a disadvantage

As much as I love Draco, whenever he mocks Ron about his socioeconomic status it bothers me. Partly because I can relate to having a family who financially struggles. But I see how Ron's poverty (the Weasleys should not be poor but that's a different convo) affects him. He gets second-hand clothes. He does not have proper school supplies (eg Charlie's broken wand). He only gets the things he wants when he accomplishes something (getting a broom when he becomes prefect). It has caused him embarrassment. I can probably go on. I feel sorry for Ron.

But how does being muggleborne affect Hermione? Well, there are some cultural concepts she would not know, eg the mudblood slur. However, against all logic, Hermione is the top student even showing up purebloods like Ron who GREW UP in the wizarding world. Besides Draco calling her a mean name, what prejudice does Hermione face?? If anything, she is favoured too much (eg time turners). And then Bella tortures her in book 7...only for Hermione to simply walk it off. After a chandelier fell on her. Wow, I should feel so much sympathy for Hermione! JKR gives me so many feels for Hermione's plight as a muggleborne girl!

I would infer that Hermione's yearning to prove herself with good grades partly stems from being muggleborne but I can't recall if this was an explicit part of her character or something JKR left up to our interpretation. I get the vibe that Hermione was like this even in muggle school.

Muggbleborne discrimination is not the biggest concern

Aside from certain purebloods, the wizarding world treats mugglebornes as regular wizard citizens. There is definitely pureblood favouritism - how the hell is Mr Weasley head of the Muggle Artefacts department over any muggleborne? And JKR is quick to point out muggleborne bigotry. If Lucius or Draco so much as glares at Hermione, we know it.

What's the bigger concern for me is the discrimination that JKR insidiously lets go unchecked. JKR lets her so-called good characters engage in casual bigotry against muggles and magical creatures. She only has one developed muggle family. So any abuse the Dursleys suffer is under the guise of them getting their dues. We see the Order of the Phoenix members have basically no respect for muggles. And it's played as comedy. We see magical creatures have no rights. JKR makes Hermione's elf campaign into a joke. She makes the goblins unpleasant so the readers don't have a bad taste in their mouths when the golden trio betray them.

Hagrid attacks Dudley, a defenceless child, in book 1. Traumatizing this 11-year-old kid for years to come. And the readers are meant to applaud this and/or find this funny.

Compared to the suffering of muggles, Hermione's struggles are nonexistent and hardly worth my time.

It seems to bother Hermione very little

As I mentioned before, Hermione lacked knowledge of certain prejudices. So when Draco called her mudblood, she didn't even know what he meant. And in future interactions, it seems more like an annoyance to Hermione, not something that impacts her self-worth. And that's a good thing! Draco has no power over her! She was never Draco's helpless victim. Good for her! Just because a bully tries to belittle you, it does not mean it has to hurt you.

While that's great for Hermione's mental well-being, it kind of impacts my ability to care too. If Hermione cares little, why should I?

In a nutshell, Draco calling Hermione mudblood means little in the grand scheme of things. It's wrong and Draco should be punished for it (why is Draco not punished for publicly using slurs in a school?). I certainly don't think Draco is in the right for using slurs. But it hardly helps to endear Hermione to me as a reader when it comes to this aspect of Draco's bullying.

#hermione granger #draco malfoy #ron weasley #harry potter series #mudblood #muggleborne #muggle discrimination #magical creature discrimination #anti jkr #anti hagrid #anti rubeus hagrid #hagrid has to be the hp character I despise the most #the dursleys #hermione deserved better writing

[cock-holliday]

I get, and you’re really not WRONG that people “should care about x without it affecting them” but honestly it’s just not always sustainable. Maybe it’s giving people an out but I’ve seen much greater results from allies who recognize how something is also hurting THEM or hurting someone specific in their life.

Yeah it would be lovely if people cared because they should care but then they burn out or their priorities are elsewhere—often trying to keep afloat with their OWN problems, and worst of all is the “ally” who pities you or supports you because it would make them look bad not to.

My struggles are not a charity case. It is not a call for you to come build houses with me, get your picture taken, and then forget about it because it’s mission accomplished. It is not a call for you to drag yourself out to the street because you’re afraid of looking like a bigot if you don’t.

I want SOLIDARITY, not morally obligated support. I want cis men who feel trapped by gender roles to join me. I want poor folks who hate cops for how they treat them to come join me. I want straight people who have faced marriage discrimination to come join me. I want it to be real for you, because it IS!

“An injury to one is an injury to all” doesn’t mean, “UWU we’re all one race the human race so I guess I care.” NO, it is that struggles for liberation are interconnected and trading one form of oppression for another does not even free those who stand to temporarily gain from it. All means all because it IS my fight and it IS your fight, and banding together to fight both our fights is a much stronger bond than liberal ass volunteer activism.

#then thing is so many people DO care even when they can’t relate #then get told it’s not their fight or they think it’s not #or they have no idea what to do #caring doesn’t make the stakes high enough #it has to MEAN something to them #and people from the oppressed group do not have to find the meaning for them #but often people are involved in SOMETHING else #and think ‘i gotta focus my time on x’ and it doesn’t mean they wouldn’t fight for y #connecting x and y is essential

[princesssarisa]

Character ask: Mary Bennet (Pride & Prejudice)

Favorite thing about them: She's funny. Her pretentious would-be intellectualism and her attempts to show off her "wisdom" and "talents" create humor whenever she appears.

Least favorite thing about them: Her pompous insensitivity when Lydia runs off with Wickham. When her whole family is facing the threat of permanent disgrace, her response is to quote Frances Burney's Evelina and preach a sermon about female virtue.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I sometimes try to seem smarter than I really am.

*I like books and music. (For their own merit, though, not because they make me "accomplished.")

*I'm often insecure about my looks.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I'm not a middle child.

*I'm not preachy. (At least I don't mean to be.)

*I don't play the piano.

Favorite line:

“Pride is a very common failing, I believe. By all that I have ever read, I am convinced that it is very common indeed; that human nature is particularly prone to it, and that there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some quality or other, real or imaginary. Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.”

brOTP: Mr. Collins, if they had the chance to be real friends, since he probably has the most in common with her of all the characters.

OTP: The clerk that Austen wrote she would eventually marry.

nOTP: Any member of her family.

Random headcanon: She's allergic to feathers. This is a completely random headcanon, with no basis in Austen's writing, based on the slapstick gag in the Wishbone episode "Furst Impressions" where Caroline Bingley's gaudy feathered headdress makes Mary sneeze when they first meet. That Wishbone episode was my childhood introduction to Pride and Prejudice.

Unpopular opinion: She's not unfairly discriminated against because she's a nerd. She's not mocked for being socially awkward; she's mocked for being a pretentious, annoying know-nothing-know-it-all. Now, this doesn't mean we can't sympathize with her; after all, the reason why she puts so much effort into being "intellectual" and "accomplished" is to make up for her homely looks in a society where only marriage can secure her future, and she's a showoff because otherwise she would always be ignored in favor of her pretty sisters. Nor does it mean her father's dismissive attitude toward her isn't mean-spirited, or that she doesn't deserve to be viewed with more sympathy and depth in new adaptations and fics. But it's okay that she's a comic character, and it wasn't "internalized misogyny" on Austen's part to make her one. I don't headcanon her as being on the autism spectrum either: I understand why other people do, but to me at least, her stilted, verbose way of speaking seems cultivated to show off her intellect, not natural. (I don't mind when anyone else headcanons her as autistic, though.)

Song I associate with them: None at the moment.

Favorite pictures of them:

Tessa Peake-Jones in the 1980 miniseries:

Lucy Briers in the 1995 miniseries:

Talulah Riley in the 2005 film:

#character ask #pride and prejudice #mary bennet #ask game #fictional characters #jane austen

[divine-nonchalance]

The 12D Creators, Channeled by Daniel Scranton

We are here for you. We are The Creators. We are a twelfth-dimensional collective of nonphysical beings, and we are here to help. 

You have been on a path for a very long time. Your path did not begin when you woke up in this lifetime. Your path began so very long ago that it would be difficult to quantify it in a number of years. The journey is always changing because you enjoy variety and you enjoy challenges. You do want to fathom how old you really are so that you can understand how wise you really are, how masterful you really are. In order to do that, you must see yourself as being bigger than this singular incarnation would indicate.

You are meant to see yourself as a multidimensional, eternal, infinite being. You are meant to see yourself as light and love. That doesn’t mean that you need to destroy your ego or bury your ego, but it does mean that you need to use that sense of self that the ego is to expand, to move into your natural self. Your true self is Divine. Your true self is everything, and therefore, when you at least open up to that idea, you can take yourself and your life less seriously and start enjoying the fun ride that you are on. 

Now, we know that you have to make it fun, because it’s not always presenting itself to you as a giant amusement park. But when you consider how much you have already done, how much you have already achieved as an eternal being, you must realize that making this life fun and enjoyable is a small task by comparison to how much you have already accomplished. You need to give yourselves more credit and elevate your sense of self without getting caught up in spiritual ego. Spiritual ego would tell you that you are the savior, that you are better, or more spiritual than everyone else. 

You don’t want to get caught up in that egoic trap either. We are all Source, and we are all one, and there is nothing higher than that. And you don’t have to figure out who you’ve been in every dimension and in every lifetime in order to know yourself. You do want to feel for the love that you are in order to know yourself more completely, and that’s something that is a lifelong pursuit. You want to know yourself as love in the face of hate, in the face of discrimination, in the face of abandonment.  These are real challenges. These are the things that your life is really about. And yes, as a result of doing all of that work of just being yourself in the face of whatever is in front of you, you do get to ascend.

You get to know yourself as more, experientially and in a more permanent way, than you do when you just choose love in a particular moment. Now, people there on Earth often get caught up in what they are supposed to do, but it is so much more important for you to focus on who you are supposed to be, and then let the doing come from that. But don’t see the doing as what life is all about. You can also see the expression of the true self as being significant, because it is, and that can be expressed in a smile, in kind words that you speak, in compassion that you feel or healing that you send. 

Relax and know that you are loved because you are love, and don’t get so caught up in the details of your life, of anyone’s life. You don’t even need to get caught up in the human condition, in the human struggle, that you sometimes see all of humanity embroiled in, because it’s all good. It’s all serving the greater good. The highest good will always be served whether you ask that it be or not.

If we were to summarize, and give you our teachings in a nutshell, we would say – be curious about yourselves; be curious about life. Be curious about exploring who and what you really are, and don’t worry about mistakes or missteps. Don’t worry about getting it wrong, because as we said, it always serves the highest good, and you can tell whether you are moving towards that highest good or not by how you are feeling in the moment.

We are The Creators, and we love you very much.”

#daniel scranton #danielscranton #channeling #channeled #channeled message #channeledmessages #channeled messages

[richincolor]

Review: Men of the 65th: The Borinqueneers of the Korean War by Talia Aikens-Nuñez

Publisher’s Summary: Honor and Fidelity. That is the motto of the 65th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Borinqueneers, the only Puerto Rican unit in the United States Army.

Since the regiment’s creation in 1899, the men of the 65th have proudly served the US through multiple wars, despite facing racial discrimination. Their courage, loyalty, and patriotism earned them hundreds of accolades, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014.

But the honor and fidelity of the men of the 65th came into question in 1952, in the midst of the Korean War, when ninety-one Borinqueneers were arrested and tried for desertion and disobeying orders. How could this happen in one of the most distinguished and decorated units of the Army?

In this telling of one of the forgotten stories of the Korean War, author Talia Aikens-Nuñez guides us through the history of the Borinqueneers and the challenges they faced leading up to what was the largest court martial in the entire war. Rediscover the bravery of the men of the 65th through Aikens-Nuñez’s thorough writing and the soldiers’ firsthand accounts of the Korean War.

My thoughts: Talia Aikens-Nuñez brings together quotes, images, and so much more to tell this story that is likely to be new to a lot of readers. The narrative flows well on its own, but the addition of the many images, maps, and other graphics help bring a lot of context.

The 65th was a unique unit and though they had more than their fair share of challenges, the author devoted the majority of the book to the extraordinary things they were able to accomplish in spite of the difficulties. Aikens-Nuñez sets the stage by explaining some of the history of Puerto Rico and the United States. From the beginning and throughout many quotes from soldiers in the regiment are included that really point to the humanity of these names on the page especially when discussing the racism that they were dealing with over the years. There are also direct quotes from officers and other leaders like MacArthur expressing admiration and appreciation for these men. That is why the court-martials at the end of the war do not add up.

The evidence is laid out from the early days of the regiment. The second chapter is one of the most interesting and showcases a military exercise prior to the Korean fighting. The 65th, or Aggressors, were up against soldiers from other units in the US military called Liberators, but there were distinct advantages for the Liberators. The planning and execution of the exercise was intriguing and the author kept it suspenseful.

This book teaches a lot about this particular group of people, but it also helps readers understand quite a bit about how the Korean conflict came about and progressed. This might fill in a lot of blanks left for students who get little information about Asian history beyond World War II.

The book ends with a look at the court-martials and the many things that contributed to the injustice. Because the book is so tightly focused on this group of people, there is very little about the people of Korea which surprised me a little, but it makes sense given the purpose of the book.

Recommendation: Get it soon. This will be a great option for anyone with an interest in war, Puerto Rican history, the Korean war, or racial relations in the US military. I really enjoyed learning about the Borinqueneers and believe their story will speak to many young readers.

Publisher: Zest Books Pages: 136 Availability: May 2, 2023 Review copy: ARC via publisher

#young adult #nonfiction #book review

[a-dragons-journal]

Tone: /neutral informative

Words like Folx are significant to some BIPOC communities.

The X in Folx is used in retaliation of colonization, enslavement, and genocide.

The spelling references historical figures such as Malcolm X who changed his surname from"Little" (the name of the white family who enslaved his ancestors) to "X" in 1952, to recognize and protest the history of Anti-Black violence.

The spelling of Folx also references words such as "Latinx" and "Xicanx" which were also made in protest of colonization.

As is common with language that is significant to BIPOC communities, the term was co-opted by non-BIPOC communities and the meaning was lost, misconstruing it in quite a transphobic way, simultaneously refusing any attempts to discuss racial injustices (for the sake of white fragility) and unfortunately this is why many people are only aware of the appropriated meaning of the word Folx.

This happens often with English adapted by BIPOC for political purposes, non-BIPOC find it and erase the culturual significance in order to maintain the status quo of colonization.

As for the gender aspect irt "folks is already gender neutral" yup, it sure is! And so is Folx, but it's not really about being "more inclusive" or singling out nonbinary people as "other" (that's what the appropriated version does) the original word Folx is really about taking up space in the face of colonization, asking everyone to notice, in order to bring attention to and discuss injustices such as the historical erasure of culture specific genders and the linguistics-based discrimination towards BIPOC which structurally oppresses, ridicules, and penalizes BIPOC for adapting English to hold any cultural significance.

We're uncertain the full context of folken/folkel but we assume it might be for a similar purpose of attempting to bring attention to lesser known subjects/injustices in a way that purposefully takes up space and rustles feathers.

We know you're unlikely to take our word for any of this, erasure has lead to a lack of linkable sources, but we hoped that we might be able to at least shed some insight as a BIPOC alterhuman system.

This is all very informative, and I genuinely do appreciate the information and your time, but you are unfortunately correct that I can find literally zero sources corroborating it (including in searches specifically looking for its use in Black and BIPOC history) - the one source I can find is Cosmopolitan, which is already not exactly a stellar source:

It was popularized in the ’60s and ’70s by Black liberation activists and early feminists. Malcolm X famously adopted the letter in place of Little, the last name of a slave owner that his ancestors had been forced to bear.

(Source)

and the sources they link there... do not actually say anything about it being based on Malcolm X's name change, only about it being aimed toward being "more inclusive" (or at least more demonstrably/visibly inclusive) of marginalized people. It seems like these are two unrelated pieces of history that they're just kind of throwing into the same paragraph to imply connection, even though they don't have any evidence of a connection actually existing.

So, it's entirely possible you're correct, and it's interesting to consider, but considering that every source I can find disagrees with you - I'll keep it in the back of my brain, for sure, but it can't really hold much weight as the words of a single anonymous person on the internet, y'feel?

(...I also confess I don't actually see how "folx" versus "folks" would accomplish any of the goals set forward here either, but that's wholesale just my opinion, so whatever on that one; in the context you're setting forth, my opinion as a white person frankly isn't terribly important.)

#rani talks #filed under: posts that have a 50+% chance of getting me angry anons #(/joking. ...mostly.) #asked and answered #anonymous

[jaylaxies]

When women, men, girls, and boys have equal rights, opportunities, and control over their own lives and the growth of society as a whole, gender equality has been accomplished. It has to do with the fair distribution of social resources, power, and influence. Being compensated equally for comparable work in the workplace, regardless of gender, is gender equality. It also implies that a woman won't face discrimination if she takes a break from employment, say, to go on maternity leave.

i may or may not have taken some shit from my own books but they'll never know hehehehe- /j

also omg three assignments non-stop? girl you deserve a break????☹️💔 i wanna hug you rn, you shouldn't be pressuring yourself like this. as always, i wish you the best of luck in doing those. you can do it!! hwaiting!!! - 🌵

wait you're so sweet ☹️💔 i am hugging you rn 🫂 and yes, they give us a lot of work and that's exactly why i haven't been to write and post much lately but hey, im finally working on tatbifb again! thank you sm, i really appreciate you doing this 😭💙 take care of yourself <3

#🌵 anon

[daughter-of-melpomene]

temperance & diligence qs for eli pls!! <3

Thanks so much for this!!

TEMPERANCE:

How good is your OC at self-control? Are there some things they struggle to resist more than others?

Eli is very good at self-control. He has to be, he’s always telling himself, because he’s terrified of going too far or hurting somebody else, physically or emotionally, if he ever loses control. However, on the occasions when the BAU team deals with particularly awful or wicked unsubs, it takes a lot out of Eli not to spring at the person and just deck them in the face. He doesn’t consider himself a terribly violent person, but it’s hard to restrain himself sometimes when he’s dealing with the closest thing to a real-life monster.

Is your OC generally calm and unperturbed by others? Or are they quick to get angry or frustrated?

Eli doesn’t have a particularly quick temper. He doesn’t really get mad or frustrated unless a case is getting particularly stressful, someone insults the people he cares about, or when he faces or encounters any kind of discrimination.

What is your OC's attitude to alcohol? Do they enjoy and occasional (or very frequent) drink? Or do they look down upon inebriation?

Eli has nothing against alcohol, and he has no problem indulging in a couple beers or glasses of Jack every now and then. However, he’s really more of a social drinker (he doesn’t really drink unless there’s people around him who are drinking too), and though he has nothing against being drunk, he hasn’t had enough liquor to actually get drunk since college, and he doesn’t intend to again; he’s terrified of overindulging and spiralling into alcoholism the way his mother did.

Does your OC struggle with any addictions or compulsions? If so then how does this affect them?

Eli does not struggle with any addictions; however, he does have the potential for alcoholism within him because of his mother, and does his best not to indulge too much because of that.

Does your OC prefer quiet or solitary activities or are they a party animal who enjoys being the centre of attention?

Eli definitely prefers to stay in and have a quiet night rather than go out and party, though he isn’t averse to going to the bar with the rest of the team to celebrate a successful investigation. He certainly does not prefer to be the centre of attention; he’d rather play a supporting role than be in the spotlight for anything.

DILIGENCE:

Does your OC have a particularly strong work ethic? Do they believe that hard work is good in itself? Or do they prefer to relax whenever possible?

Eli has an incredibly strong work ethic; having grown up constantly being told that he would never accomplish anything worthwhile, he is constantly determined to work as hard as he can and prove he is capable of doing good things. Aside from that, though, he does genuinely believe in the value of hard work, because he’s gotten where he is in life not by luck or by the skin of his teeth, but by working his ass off and earning everything he has. So while he recognizes the value of relaxing and taking care of yourself, he also has a lot of respect for people who know how to work hard.

Does your OC believe that they can control outcomes in their life through their own efforts? Or do they see themselves as a helpless puppet of forces beyond their control?

Eli believes that he can control the outcomes in his life through effort, because he has to. The idea that fate is just a puppet master pulling his strings, that nothing he does really matters in the face of the universe’s controlling forces, scares the shit out of him, so he chooses to believe that whatever happens in his life is the direct result of his own actions and the work he puts into things.

Does your OC work better on their own or with others?

Eli works pretty well both ways, but he prefers to work with others, because he knows his own shortcomings and appreciates having other people around whose strengths can make up for them.

Does your OC enjoy their job or profession for its own sake? Or is it merely a means to an end?

While Eli doesn’t always necessarily enjoy his job, considering the horrific crimes he has to deal with on an almost-daily basis, it certainly isn’t a means to an end for him. Taking down killers and putting them away has been a dream of his since he was young, and he relishes getting to do that and get paid doing it.

Is your OC particularly tidy and organised? Or do they tend to be more messy and chaotic?

Eli is generally a fairly organized person, but he also has no problem going long stretches of time without cleaning his apartment and just leaving his things where he dumps them on the floor. About every two weeks or so, though, he’ll look around and be like, “Oh my God, I’m living in a sty,” and clean his apartment until it shines and everything is put away where it’s supposed to be. So I guess the final answer is: he’s a solid mix of both.

General Taglist: @hiddenqveendom, @auxiliarydetective, @foxesandmagic, @artemisocs, @reyofluke-ocs, @guardiansofheroes, @stanshollaand, @ginevrastilinski.

[ SEVEN CAPTAL VIRTUES OC QUESTIONS ]

#my ocs #asks about my ocs #oc: eli logan

[justanindecisivepisces]

checking your privilege

privilege (noun): a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group

As stated in my first post, when considering my expectations for Ireland I did not set many for the country, however, I did set some for myself. One of the biggest things I wanted to do while on this trip was too heavily consider the changes I was experiencing and why they stand out. Change is scary and a typical response to difference is to put it in a negative light. I have caught myself on multiple occasions starting to state that something I am facing is "weird" or "strange". Something that I have tried my best to do in order to combat this is to change my wording to something less negative. For example, "this is different from the U.S. and makes more/less sense because of x, y, and z". Not only have I noticed this when comparing privileges between the U.S. and Ireland, but also when acknowledging my own privileges while traveling abroad. I have noticed many many privileges, but for the sake of not writing a book I will limit each section to three points.

Privileges that I have: 1. Speaking English Since English is my first language I am very fortunate that I can travel almost anywhere in the world and not have to worry about being able to communicate the the people there. Even if English is not the first language of the locals or even other travelers, it is required in school for most other countries. 2. Not experiencing discrimination based on my appearance A HUGE privilege that I have is that I am a white woman. Especially when being in a new area, in this case a new country, it helps that I do not stand out. Whether this be because with a lot of hard work I could pass as a local, or something even more important like my safety. 3. Security Knowing that because of my identity, where I live, and who I have in my support system I will most likely never experience insecurity when it comes to housing, health, etc.

Privileges that Ireland has: 1. Accessible public transportation The biggest thing I have noticed in Ireland is that public transportation is EVERYWHERE! Not only is it everywhere, but it is extremely inexpensive and easy to navigate. 2. Diversity Something extremely cool that Ireland has is an extremely diverse congress. Not only is it diverse in race and ethnicity, but gender and sexuality as well. This is also something that is often mentioned and looked at in a positive light! 3. Daylight! One of my FAVORITE things about Ireland so far has been the amount of light in a day. The sun rises around 5 am and sets around 10pm, giving a large span of daytime each day. This allows so much time to explore the wonderful country.

Privileges that America has: 1. Splitting the bill I will NEVER take for granted being able to pay separate. EVER. AGAIN. This is something that was extremely hard for me to get used to since being in Ireland. Trying last minute to figure out who would pay and how we were going to pay them back has been quite stressful. 2. Women in history While women have been often left out of U.S. history, hence things such as the #SayHerName movement, I do not believe it is nearly as bad as I have seen in Ireland. Hardly any mentions of women, even in extremely tourist locations, and if they are mentioned they are sexualized or it somehow benefits a man. As a woman living in the U.S. I am 75% confident that if I accomplished something amazing it would be recognized and recorded. If I were to be a woman in Ireland it would probably be less than 20% confidence. 3. Housing The housing crisis in Ireland is incredibly upsetting. Learning about the way that landlords practically auction off apartments, and being lucky to get one with rent less than $2,000 is unheard of, leading to a massive population of unhoused citizens. In the U.S. there can be times when housing can be difficult to locate but never to this caliber.

Recognizing privilege is challenging, and not something that is ideal as it will make you question the way you go about your daily life at times. This is, however, extremely necessary when it comes to making progress in society. While only nine privileges were listed, this could easily be written into a never ending book. I challenge you to take this into consideration in your own life. How will you check your privilege?

Go raibh maith agat as léamh. (Thanks for reading)

MH

[myflowertree12]

From the Heart: Personalized Women's Day Gift Ideas for that Special Woman

Welcome to a celebration of women and all the special ladies in our lives! Women's Day is a time to honor the strength, beauty, and resilience of women around the world. What better way to show appreciation than with personalized gifts that speak straight from the heart? In this blog post, we will explore creative and thoughtful gift ideas for every important woman in your life. Let's dive into the art of giving personalized women's day gift ideas that will leave a lasting impression on Women's Day and beyond.

The Importance of Women's Day

Women's Day is more than just a date on the calendar; it's a global celebration of women's achievements, progress, and empowerment. It serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight for gender equality and recognition of women's contributions in all aspects of society. This day honors the resilience and courage of women who have paved the way for future generations to thrive. It provides an opportunity to reflect on the challenges that women still face worldwide, from discrimination to unequal opportunities. Women's Day is a call to action for greater inclusivity, respect, and support for women from all walks of life. Let us continue to uplift and celebrate the extraordinary accomplishments and potential of every woman this Women's Day!

Why Personalized Gifts are Meaningful

Personalized gifts hold a special place in our hearts because they go beyond just the material aspect. They show that you've taken the time to think about the person, their likes, and what makes them unique. It's a way to add a personal touch that can't be replicated by any store-bought present. When you give someone a personalized gift, you're saying, "I see you." Whether it's a custom-made piece of jewelry with their initials or a photo book filled with memories, these gifts speak volumes about your relationship and how much you value the recipient. It shows thoughtfulness and effort which often leaves a lasting impression. The beauty of personalized gifts is that they are one-of-a-kind. No one else will have the exact same item, making it truly exclusive to the receiver. This uniqueness adds an extra layer of sentimentality and makes the gift even more cherished over time.

Creative Gift Ideas for Different Types of Women:

When it comes to selecting the perfect Women's Day gift for that special woman in your life, considering her unique personality and interests can make all the difference. For working mothers who juggle career and family with grace, a personalized planner or a stylish tote bag could be both practical and thoughtful. For stay-at-home moms who deserve recognition for their endless dedication, custom-made jewelry or a spa gift certificate could offer some well-deserved relaxation. Sisters hold a unique bond, so why not surprise her with a customized photo frame capturing cherished memories or matching personalized charm bracelets? Best friends are like soulmates, so consider gifting them with personalized wine glasses for your next girls' night in or matching friendship necklaces to symbolize your unbreakable bond. Personalized gifts show that you've put thought into choosing something meaningful – no matter the occasion!

Working mothers For the incredible working mothers in our lives, Women's Day is a perfect opportunity to show appreciation for their hard work and dedication. These women often juggle multiple roles with grace and strength, balancing career demands with family responsibilities. When choosing a personalized gift for a working mother, consider items that can help make her busy life easier or more enjoyable. Personalized stationery sets or custom-made desk accessories can add a special touch to her workspace while keeping her organized and motivated. Another thoughtful idea could be a customized photo frame or keepsake box where she can display cherished memories of her loved ones, serving as a reminder of what truly matters amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life. Whatever you choose, remember that it's the personalization that adds meaning to the gift - showing that you took the time to tailor it specifically for her. This Women's Day, let's celebrate these multitasking marvels who inspire us with their resilience and love.

#women's day gift ideas