#Confrontational TW

[midnightactual]

PSA: Respect is Minding Your Own Damn Business

Let's have a little chat about what basic respect actually is. Now, this isn't contemporarily political, so don't run away screaming into the night just yet. Stick with me. I know it's hard in the age of TikTok and doomscrolling, but stick with me. Tim Walz articulated a pretty good idea of respect not even a year ago:

[...] because in Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and the personal choices they make. And even if we wouldn't make those same choices for ourselves, we've got a golden rule: mind your own damn business.

This applies anywhere and everywhere in this world you happen to find yourself. I know, I know, it's the zeitgeist to look at this or that and say it's problematic, that it's triggering, that it's whatever. I'm not going to lecture you about the abject failure of purity culture to do anything besides divide people, make the perfect the enemy of the good, and give those who actually are the devout enemies of inclusivity and cosmopolitanism all the ammunition they could ever dream of. I'd be here all day if I was going to do that, and it still wouldn't be enough.

Instead, I want to ignore the forest for the dirt, and focus on some basic concepts that seem to have been forgotten both here and more generally in society:

Just because you like something doesn't make it good.

Just because you don't like something doesn't make it bad.

Liking good things doesn't make you a good person.

Liking bad things doesn't make you a bad person.

Being nice does not mean being kind.

Being kind does not mean being nice.

Someone engaging with problematic material does not mean they are problematic.

Someone not engaging with problematic material does not mean they aren't problematic.

Unless something actually presents a real, tangible physical, emotional, or psychological danger to others with intent to harm or exploit, it is not your business to point it out or "warn" others. It is also not your personal decision as to what constitutes real, tangible danger. You are not an authority. You do not have credentials. You are not held accountable by the public. You were not voted for by the public or appointed by representatives. It's not your business.

I could go on. I think you ought to begin to understand: respect is leaving people well enough alone if they're not hurtin' nobody, and "hurtin' nobody" doesn't include things like "they said a thing I disagree with" or "they said something that was true but it hurt my feelings". That's free speech. Now, I could have a whole entire diversion here about how free speech cannot survive including hate speech—and how hate speech can be much more than advocating for harm, and can include the normalization of hateful actors—but we're not talking about that because we're taking baby steps here.

It is okay for you (or someone else!) to like bad things, even openly, and doing so doesn't make you (or them!) a bad person. Now, hold on, I'm not defending pedophiles or rapists or racists or misogynists or whatever else here, let alone saying they have a right to promote their viewpoints. Don't get it twisted. Those are not simply bad things, and you know I'm not talking about those kinds of matters when I talk about it being okay to like bad things. You know exactly what I'm actually talking about.

You know what I'm talking about includes acknowledging those listed things actually do exist and happen, and that censoring ourselves about their existence or happening doesn't make them go away. You know that what I am advocating for includes being able to discuss the existence of such things (and much more) in a mature, adult way, that is respectful and sophisticated, especially within art. I am not talking about fetishizing it, glorifying it, or whatever else.

You know that in an age where people are self-censoring and saying "unalived" instead of "killed" and "unalived themselves" instead of "committed suicide", and it's considered "cringe", that all this has gone too far. You know that in an age of book bans and government censorship, all this has gone too far and been weaponized by the worst people you know of.

So, let's do something about it. But first, let's go over some examples, because this has been highly theoretical so far.

A piece of fiction that includes infidelity as part of its structure is not in fact promoting or glamorizing or normalizing infidelity. Even if it was, with characters openly saying things like, "Infidelity is amazing!" protesting that particular piece of fiction would not change the rate of infidelity in the real world. To complain about the media would, in fact, be avoidant of the issue—pretending one is doing something while actually doing nothing. This is usually called "ragebait" these days.

I think guns are fascinating machines, even if they are only machines made to put holes in things (usually people). I sometimes watch videos about guns. I sometimes talk about guns. I sometimes think about guns. I have never owned a gun in my life. I have never even handled a real gun—the closest I've gotten was an airsoft M4. Do you see the separation between thinking about a subject, engaging with a subject, supporting a subject, promoting a subject, and actively utilizing a subject? Even someone who owns guns and promotes gun ownership is probably not regularly shooting people with them.

My main muse, Yoruichi, is the tropenamer for the TVTropes entry "Ambiguously Brown". She's right there on the page. I have seen people in the wild make statements like, "If you think Yoruichi is brown and not black, you're a racist." We could argue back and forth all day on her ethnicity, but the truth is it doesn't matter. If it mattered it would've been stated. Some possibilities are perhaps more likely than others, but she can be whatever you want to imagine her to be. Likewise, some people think she was in the form of a cat for a century; some dubiously canon sources promote that idea, and some people run with it. I'm not one of them. I've stated my opposition to that take here, in my own personal space, but do you know what I've never done? Gone and jumped down the throat of someone who took up and propagated that idea with a public callout wherein I trash them as a racist and a misogynist who actually secretly hates Yoruichi and wants to tear her down and dehumanize her. I haven't done that because that would be insane to do in like 99.99% of cases, and the remaining 0.01% would almost certainly be "ragebait".

Now that I'm finally talking about muses, let's really dial in on roleplaying.

I don't go police what other people do with Yoruichi because even if I do style myself an expert on her (let's be real: the expert on her) I don't have any authority to tell other people what to think about her. I can present my ideas and other people can take them or leave them, but that's on them, not on me. It's not my business to tell others what to think, how, why, when, where, or to whom. It's only my business to state my opinion in my space. My opinion might be informed by facts and evidence, or it might simply be my opinion. My opinion might be as close to factually correct as could be, or it might be as far away as could be—and even if I had all the facts on my side, roleplaying is a transformative activity where people can do what they want.

It would be wrong of me to go out and hit other people with my opinions like a cudgel. It would also be equally wrong of other people to come here and attack me for my opinions. This is why being a hater or an anti is stupid: content doesn't just flash into your mind unbidden. You usually have to go out and look for it, and even if it comes to you, you have to choose to look at it or read it, and then you almost always have the option to block, unfollow, say you don't want to see the post, or simply exercise some self-control and choose to ignore it.

The only time you reasonably ought to say something if you see content you don't care to see is if something has been said which is factually untrue, and even then you're not Snopes: it's not your job to be public fact-checker. In the case of roleplaying, this occurring is even less likely.

So, your opinions! It's okay if you don't like something! You can make your dislike known in your space. You should, in fact. It's your responsibility to establish your boundaries and to curate the content that you see. That's entirely on you. Whatever you have to do to make your space comfortable for you? Go right ahead! No one can complain.

The moment you step outside your space though, all bets are off. If you put one toe over the threshold in order to tell someone else to not make certain kinds of content, not do certain things, not talk about certain things? You're in the wrong. You're the problematic one. You're the bad guy—yes, the bad guy—because what you are trying to do is censor other people for the sake of your own comfort.

What gives you the right? What could ever give you the right? Nothing. You're not entitled to be the Thoughtpolice for any reason whatsoever, unless as long-ago specified there is some real, tangible danger occurring.

When you act like you're the one who gets to decide what is and isn't acceptable for people to put forward, you're fundamentally being a disrespectful asshole. You're inherently acting like you're the adult, and the stupid children over there need to be yelled at to stop doing whatever—or else.

When this happens in real life, we call it "being a Karen". Well, don't be a Karen here either. Nobody wants it. If you can't articulate a real, tangible danger, keep your mouth shut and stay in your lane, because that's the fundamental basis of respect. You know as much too, which is why everybody and their mother writes some variant on "muse does not equal mun" in their rules.

If you can't adhere to that most basic definition of respect, you don't belong here.

[gampix]

Guilt.

[demidoodlefox]

Bad times

>>>><<<<

When you keep snuffing out the light for not shining the way you want...

Each textbox color represents a Pillar.

Surprise, they're all terrible! Even the nice ones. They just weren't malicious. None of them enjoyed doing it. They all genuinely believed it was 'for the best'.

>>>><<<<

Confrontation AU Masterpost

[defectedsources]

𝚅𝙰𝚁𝙸𝙾𝚄𝚂 " 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙵𝚁𝙾𝙽𝚃𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 " 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚂!

below is a list of starters from both sides of the conversation , with prompts geared toward scenes involving some sort of confrontation. prompts rage from friendly to not so friendly. please consider following for more prompts and please do not steal!

❛ i can't believe you hid this from me. ❜

❛ that's it. we need to talk about this. right here. right now. ❜

❛ don't see how we can get around talking about this anymore. ❜

❛ you can't just keep avoiding me! ❜

❛ i'm not leaving until we talk about this. ❜

❛ come on just . . . talk to me. ❜

❛ all this time . . . and it was all a lie? ❜

❛ i trusted you. ❜

❛ did you think i wasn't going to notice? ❜

❛ start talking. now. ❜

❛ when are you going to stop lying to me? ❜

❛ i just wanna talk. ❜

❛ can we talk about this? please? ❜

❛ i came to talk this out. ❜

❛ you and i can work this thing out. ❜

❛ enough lies. tell me the truth! ❜

❛ i just wanna know what happened. ❜

❛ you can tell me. ❜

❛ just . . . start from the beginning. ❜

❛ are we gonna talk about this like grownups? ❜

❛ can you just be an adult about this for once?! ❜

❛ i didn't think it was gonna be so hard to talk about it. ❜

❛ i don't wanna talk about it. ❜

❛ i said leave it alone! ❜

❛ it's not that simple. ❜

❛ can we just . . . not talk about this right now? ❜

❛ i didn't want to see you get hurt. ❜

❛ okay fine. you wanna talk about it? here it is , ❜

❛ i kinda hoped you would just ignore it. ❜

❛ okay , fine just . . promise you won't get mad. ❜

❛ i don't wanna lie to you. ❜

❛ i wish it were that simple. ❜

❛ we passed the talking stage a long time ago. ❜

❛ the truth is more painful. ❜

❛ the beginnings , still a little hazy. ❜

❛ stop saying i'm not taking this seriously! ❜

[tvuniverse]

9-1-1 -> 6x10-11 // 8x15 (potential) coma dream

[domibomz]

MORE ANASTASIA! The design belongs to my wife @ghostsessioned ! Did you know she finds skulls to be the least interesting bone in the human body ?

[cometomecosette]

An incredible find! Two lengthy clips from the Original Broadway Cast of Les Mis, 1987.

The Runaway Cart/Who Am I?/Come to Me/Confrontation.

And the Epilogue.

Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, Terrence Mann as Javert, Randy Graff as Fantine, Judy Kuhn as Cosette, David Bryant as Marius, and Frances Ruffelle as Éponine.

Wow!

[jojo-schmo]

Estas son las mañanitas

Que cantaba el rey David

Hoy, por ser tu cumpleaños

Te las cantamos aquí

Despierta, Jossie, despierta

Mira que ya amaneció

Ya los pajaritos cantan

La luna ya se metió~

🎶🎶🎶

[dunmeshistash]

Good day, Dr. Meshi!

Do you perhaps know where this panel is from?

Thank you very much!

Hello! Chapter 78 page 9, Flamela is the one explaining

[chalalalalalalalalalalala]

reddoons refusing to acknowledge that banning himself was essentially suicide is FASCINATING.

woogie said it himself today: nobody ASKED for red to be banned. kab just wanted to kill him once! no more than that! it was red himself who made the decision to get himself banned there, turning what could’ve been a simple quick drop and move on into full blown assisted dying. and the thing is, when you start to look at it properly it becomes kinda clear that he had reasons for it:

- he had no secure team thanks to the destruction of the mice, and watched everyone he’d hung out with ally with kab

- red was kind of followed by the stories kab had spread about him regarding why they’d fallen out

- he’d alienated himself during the mace trials and thus didn’t have 4C etc

i think reddoons’ obsession with making characters who crave friendship and take drastic measures when those friends abandon him should be studied under a microscope. the headcanon that outsiders!red and lifesteal!red are one and the same is looking REALL juicy rn

BUT ANYWAY the nail in coffin was definitely the ultimatum for woogie. i’m sure i remember someone phrasing it as “reddoons dies or kab destroys everything you’ve ever cared about” and that kind of. excludes red from the everything woogie cares about. he’s just an accessory, a dog, who follows beaten and bruised and loyal.

even dogs lay down to die eventually though.

AND FURTHERMORE post revival red has been fascinating in his approach to the topic. like, he refuses to accept that that’s what he did; he wanted a bit of peace and quiet and the only way to get it was to loll himself in his eyes. and he paints it as a sacrifice and martyrs himself because otherwise he’s just a tragic, sad man who had nothing left to go on for. he was stuck and took the only way out he saw and thought he’d found peace and freedom in death but nope! he’s back!

watching his shift on his opinion of death is interesting too; red went from saying how peaceful it was and how it was like he retired to going “oh fuck! that sucked!” and realising real life is so much more interesting. like when he said to subz today that there was nothing after death except emptiness (which is exactly what he was running from), why did he sound so angry about it? what (or who) was he expecting to find there?

[midnightactual]

I've been having A Morning today, and I realized I'm out of fucks to give on the issue I wanna talk about and I'm just gonna talk about it directly without too much setup or further delay.

so, if you'll allow me to use an oxyacetylene torch to cut out a remark I stumbled over from another fandom while scrolling my feed so that I can use it as an introductory talking point:

The people that say they "miss season 1 Caitlyn" miss the version of Caitlyn that existed in their heads. To them, Caitlyn was just arm candy for Vi, the hot and supportive female love interest (or to the oblivious hets, gal pal). This doesn't characterize Caitlyn in season 1 at all, she's already a very proactive character and butts heads with Vi, but it was easier for people to think of her that way.

now, I don't go to Arcane aside from finding CaitVi art evocative of Kūkaku and Yoruichi, but this construction is of great utility to me in a modified context. let's go ahead and make that happen:

The people that say they "miss canon Yoruichi" miss the version of Yoruichi that existed in their heads. To them, Yoruichi was just arm candy for Kisuke, the hot and supportive female love interest (or to the YoruSoi fans, partner in crime). This doesn't characterize Yoruichi in canon at all—she's already a very proactive character and commands Kisuke—but it was easier for people to think of her that way.

"But Langley, by swapping Kisuke in for Vi in this reformulation, aren't you de facto admitting UraYoru is canon?" Shut the fuck up before I gut you like a fish, Strawman.

Yoruichi ordering Kisuke around while he serves her in her first appearance in chapter 51:

Yoruichi complaining that Kisuke has made work for her in chapter 130:

Kisuke apologizing to Yoruichi, not Ichigo, for making that work in chapter 182:

"But Langley, how do you know he's apologizing to Yoruichi?" First, his, "So you know... about me?" perfectly fits Yoruichi's, "That fool... He didn't tell you everything, did he? I should've known." Kisuke already knows he's made work for Yoruichi. Second, look at how Yoruichi's reaction in 182 differs from everyone else's and doesn't resemble her expression in the closeup of her eye in 130, while everyone else's does. She's not surprised and seems somewhat annoyed (and we know she hates ceremony). Third, Yoruichi is no longer pictured from that moment onward for the rest of the chapter as Ichigo foolishly assumes it's all about him, which is a curious omission when she could've been used for comedy if it was actually an apology to him. Kubo can't cheat: Yoruichi is probably annoyed Ichigo is so conceited and oblivious, and he'd have to show it if he showed her, so he simply doesn't show her.

even if you somehow don't agree, here's Yoruichi directly ordering Kisuke around in chapter -97:

we could explore some more nuance like Yoruichi yelling at Kisuke (twice!) in Captains Meetings where they are nominally of equal rank, but let's go ahead and now state the fundamental truth:

Yoruichi is and has always been Kisuke's master and commander!

anybody who believes Kisuke wears the pants in this relationship, past or present, is lacking in basic media literacy and critical reading skills. Yoruichi was always in charge, from moment one. if somebody didn't get that, TBTP should've been their clue to reevaluate their thinking on the matter, and no, the relationship between them did not change after TBTP. ask yourself, logically, why it ever should have. it shouldn't have. Yoruichi is still more powerful and has far more social standing. (also, by the way: Urahara Kisuke is a fake name, with Kisuke specifically having been a term for errand boys in the red light district of Yoshiwara. it was almost certainly given to him by Yoruichi. no, I will not further unpack that at this time as this post is long enough already)

"But Langley, what do you mean Yoruichi is more powerful?" Don't you think it's interesting that Kisuke's Bankai has been revealed, and was completely ineffectual, whereas nothing about Yoruichi's zanpakutō is known at all? Isn't this especially interesting when Shikai reveals how someone wants to be perceived, and Bankai reveals who they really are? Isn't this even more especially interesting when the only other two Captains whose Bankai we don't know are Jūshirō and Aizen, and we at least know their Shikai? (And how do you know Aizen actually even has a Bankai anyway, and didn't just cheat one up with his Shikai for his exam?) What is Kubo saving Yoruichi's reveals for if they're nothingburgers? (I could go on: Aizen, Gin, and Kaname run from Kisuke and Tessai in TBTP, and they don't try and jump Yoruichi to prevent her from rescuing Kisuke and Tessai, directly resulting in their defeat a century later, meaning she's at least as strong as Kisuke plus Tessai. Also, don't give me some bullshit that it was all according to plan, because they lost and 2/3 of them died. No, Aizen's plan wasn't to end up in Muken for 20,000 years.)

"But Langley, if Yoruichi is Kisuke's boss, why does Aizen treat Kisuke as the main threat and not Yoruichi, and why does Yhwach make Kisuke one of the Five War Powers and not Yoruichi?" Well, Strawman, I hate to tell you this, but: Aizen and Yhwach are both conceited assholes who make at least a half-dozen completely incorrect observations each, which are well-documented in the manga. I can produce them for you on request if desired, and will eventually make my own whole other posts about them. They also both self-admit to making mistakes. They're also both liars. And finally, as we see in CFYOW, Yoruichi is clever enough to conceal her true self from suspicious guys like Shinji (as well as Kensei and Shūhei) and Tokinada, as well as rival Mayuri at intelligence gathering and readily defy Shunsui. Is it really that shocking that Aizen—who didn't go to the Daireishokairō despite having perfect camo, every opportunity, and a need to do so for 100 years, and only read up on two subjects when he did have access to it—and Yhwach—who self-admitted he was a fool for sending Quilge to delay Ichigo—wouldn't notice her? No. It's not shocking at all. Neither is actually nearly as curious or infallible as is widely believed in fandom.

and that segues us nicely to the point from the outset: "The people that say they 'miss canon Yoruichi' miss the version of Yoruichi that existed in their heads."

I am not glazing Yoruichi when I tell you she was in a grand sense the real opponent of all the antagonists of the series. I am telling you a cold, hard fact that was always there from the very beginning. Kisuke works for her, and Ichigo sort of gets assisted in doing what he wants to do by Kisuke. this is contra Aizen, who imagines Ichigo as "working for" Kisuke in chapter 175, because that is how he—he, Aizen!—would do it, meaning he has hilariously completely missed Kisuke working for Yoruichi due to his own inability to imagine working for someone else. in fact, per chapter 421:

computer! zoom! enhance!

Kisuke clearly isn't amused and didn't come to play, because if he had, he would say, "That thing? That's an awfully rude way to refer to Yoruichi-san." Don't believe me? Notice how he first clarifies what Aizen is referring to, then comes to a realization himself about why Aizen would make that assertion.

you see here that Aizen's "A winner doesn't ask how the world is" has completely blinded him to who he's even fighting, because Kisuke is just the one handling his case as it was Kisuke's mistake that Aizen ever even became a problem. that doesn't mean Kisuke is in charge. to draw a reverse James Bond analogy for you, Kisuke is like Dominic Greene (heh) in Quantum of Solace, and Yoruichi is like Ernst Stavro Blofeld/Franz Oberhauser in Spectre. or, if you prefer a direct Bond analogy: Ichigo is like James Bond, Kisuke is like M, and Yoruichi is like Her Majesty the Queen. so who is losing because he was too focused on "how [the world] should be?" Aizen. who's got the logic of a loser now?

"But Langley, what are we talking about again?" This blog right here, midnightactual, is actually the most canonical take you've probably ever seen on Yoruichi, because it's the only one I've ever seen where her importance as the leader of the protagonists has ever been understood, let alone centered. I have never seen anyone else put forward that take. No one. It sure seems not one single other person has ever actually read the evidence I just presented to you and understood what it truly means.

"But Langley, doesn't that mean you're probably wrong?" Does it? Maybe if you go in for some Bayesian nonsense. But if I'm wrong, prove it. Explain the evidence in a way that makes more sense than what I've said. I'll save you some time: you can't. If it was possible, I would've already seen it done before saying this publicly at you. By all means though, feel free to try.

so, to actually get to the point I want to make after doing all the setup necessary to make it understood: I think most people want to see a Yoruichi blog where Yoruichi is nothing but the good-natured hedonist most of the other characters believe her to be (as seen in CFYOW), with a side of nudism (essentially an anime-only invention), where she knows her place as Kisuke's hot feisty sidekick (pure fanon) and fucks either him or Soifon (despite a way stronger relationship sitting right out in the open)

if someone wants to muse her that way, good for them if it makes them happy

if someone out there wants that take from whomever might provide it, good for them

you won't find that here. not now, not ever.

I simply want two (2) things to be very clear to you: 1. if anyone looks down on Yoruichi as merely an unimportant eye candy accessory to the real plot, they're illiterate, and 2. if anyone looks down on me for having developed this take from actually looking at the evidence, and having forthrightly defended it in the face of decades of the glazing by literally millions of people of other often largely undeserving characters who are not by any stretch of the imagination the Greatest Of All Time, then they can go straight to Hell.

To anyone in either enumerated camp, the Unfollow button is right there. Click it at your convenience.

To anyone else, thank you for coming to my TED Talk! I hope you found it informative and fun!

[demidoodlefox]

Wait, medieval techniques?! INSIQUITION?!

INSIQUITION?!?!?!?!

...It doesn't matter them to had felt bad about it anymore. It mattered little since they (Gabriel, most likely) started the rumours abour him. But now...they can't get any worse. They couldn't have fucked up more. (It will probably get even worse. Whenever I say this, it does.)

They are profoundly, absolutely, utterly fucked up people.

I frankly don't believe that they actually cared about Lucifer as much as they think they did. They cared about his behavior and "fixing" him. They had an idea of "Correct" him. That was what they cared about. But not the real him. Never him. He was seen and treated like a nuisance at very best.

And they have the audacity to call themselves Lucifer's family.

To think that he will accept them back. That they can compete with the Sins.

They never accepted him in first place. They were never a family to him. They (Most likely Gabriel) made his life worse for no reason because they (he) could. What makes them think they deserve his attention? Deserve him? He doesn't owe them anything.

They better go above and beyond to make up. If it is even possible to undo all this crap. (Funny. It is not like they are actually will be there for to be forgiven anyways. It is most likely that they want something. I don't think it is just Lucifer.)

He doesn't owe them anything.

Oh you're gonna hate them even more in the next piece i'm working on.

[bigskysufi]

A legit moment in the original Tara Markov storyline (corrected)

Garfield: It's your fault Terra died. You groomed her!

Slade: lol she didn't love you or me cuz she was nutso. Want some fries?

[musingmedia]

Do you have any comments? You bitch!

[moomary]

why do i get attracted to fictional men i know would manipulate me and why am i okay with it🧚‍♀️this post is about sunday from honkai star rail

like imagine him telling you you have to stay with him because the strong (powerful?) protect the weak or whatever he says with his philosophy. like it sounds chivalric and stuff but also we all know hes kind of a lunatic and whatnot, so he’d use it solely to convince you that you need him, you weak little thing—you would not survive if he didn’t keep you safe.

you’re just like the little baby charmony dove he and his sister nurtured in their youth: a precious, vulnerable thing without the ability to fly.

sunday had seen that baby bird try with all its scarce might to learn. he had then seen it plummet to its death. he had picked it up, had watched it writhe pitifully in his palms before it breathed its last breath; if only he had kept it safe and sound. if only he hadn’t let it try what he knew it could not do.

that baby bird was never meant to fly. and neither are you, darling.

but like omgggg giggling and kicking my feet. scary powerful morally questionable man who provides protection 😍 😍😍😍😍 he can lock me up idc i love him

[strawglicks]

flint getting themselves into trouble cuz its funny