#t^2 post

[ashcremated]

✨🌙✨

[styrofauxm]

Honestly, I am pretty frustrated by the "haha why would anyone hate ace people" responses to Rowling's tweet.

Don't get me wrong, the support is nice. But if you want to be an ally, you have to do so on our terms, not yours. And that means actually engaging with the aspec community, not just posting positivity every now and again. And what those responses highlight to me is what I've known for a while; you guys only support aspec people when it's easy and convenient.

It's easy to support aspec people when it's J.K. Rowling being awful again. It's easy to support us when it's just reblogging an "aspec people are queer" post.

But what about when we are talking about amatonormativity and the relationship hierarchy? When we are discussing the enforcement of compulsory sexuality? When we are pushing for greater awareness and support for aspec identities that are not asexuality or aromanticism? When we are criticizing terminology that you use but harms us? Because I can tell you right now, I rarely see allo people engage with those posts.

Why do people hate asexuality (or any other aspec identity)? Because it challenges the societal norms that benefit them. And that is uncomfortable and scary. So they turn to hate and oppression in order to assure that the changes we push by just openly existing never happen.

That means that to be a good aspec ally, you can't just make a positivity post every now and again, and you can't just laugh about how stupid aphobes are. You have to openly challenge the societal norms that harm us, even if they benefit you. Including but not limited to:

The idea that romantic and sexual attraction is the default state of being (amatonormativity)

The idea that a romantic, sexual relationship completes a person

People in marriages receiving special privileges and benefits

The idea that platonic, familial, etc. attraction are default states of being

The idea that not feeling some form of attraction must be compensated for through another form of attraction

The idea that love (not just romantic) is inherently morally good, while not feeling love is inherently a moral failing

The idea that any one form of relationship is inherently more important or deeper than any other (relationship hierarchy)

The idea that any one thing makes someone human

The idea that not having sex is shameful or infantile

The idea that having sex without romantic love is callous

Gendered divides of sexual and romantic attraction

Other aspec people please feel free to add on/challenge any of this. Allo (not aspec) people please feel free to ask questions.

Additions:

Addition from @blkaroculture

Addition (in tags) from @fluffytimearts

Addition (in tags) from @cjreblogsthings

I've placed some resources for learning more about these topics under the cut.

Amatonormativity:

[PT: Amatonormativity:]

1. Amatonormativity Coining

2. Introduction to Amatonormativity

3. Challenging Amatonormativity

4. Effects of Amatonormativity and Compulsive Sexuality on Asexual and Aromantic College Students

5. Effects of Amatonormativity On Black, Polyamorous Men

6. Essay on Amatonormativity From a Aroallo, Loveless Perspective

Marriage Benefits:

[PT: Marriage Benefits:]

1. Article about Singlism and Marital Privilege

Other Aspec Identities:

[PT: Other Aspec Identities:]

1. Aplatonicism

2. Afamilialism

Loveless:

[PT: Loveless:]

1. Loveless articles on the AUREA website

2. Essay on Amatonormativity From a Aroallo, Loveless Perspective (repeat from Amatonormativity section)

3. Follow-up Essay on Lovelessness and Aroallo Antagonism

4. Results of a Survey of Loveless People (part 2 is linked instead of part 1 as part 1 is mostly demographic information)

5. Guide to Writing Loveless Characters (it focuses on fictional characters so should not be taken as a catch-all for real people, but it still has a ton of good information about lovelessness and loveless antagonism)

Compulsory Sexuality:

[PT: Compulsory Sexuality:]

1. Effects of Amatonormativity and Compulsive Sexuality on Asexual and Aromantic College Students (repeat from Amatonormativity section)

2. Breakdown of Compulsory Sexuality

Relationship Hierarchy vs Relationship Anarchy:

[PT: Relationship Hierarchy vs Relationship Anarchy:]

1. Relationship Anarchy Coining

2. Breakdown of Relationship Anarchy

3. Issues Presented by the Relationship Hierarchy

Oppression:

[PT: Oppression:]

1. Aphobia Masterpost

2. Asexual History and Oppression

3. Asexual Theory 101

Miscellaneous:

[PT: Miscellaneous:]

1. Research on Aromantics

2. Ace in the UK Research and Activism ft. Yasmin Benoit

3. Asexual History and Oppression (repeat from Oppression section)

4. Asexual Theory 101 (repeat from Oppression section)

Books and Video Essays:

[PT: Books and Video Essays:]

An Ace Discourse Retrospective by Jenny Geist

Ace: What Asexuality Reveals about Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen

Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-Obsessed Culture by Sherronda J. Brown

[immortalclarareborn]

[k-meanzzz-better]

They're a little old, Scout...

A little bit of HeavyMedic at the end :3

Scout sometimes doesn't say anything. He just grabs and goes. But it doesn't work with Heavy LOL

So some of my silly thoughts: Medic tries to teach Scout some good manners, but Scout thinks he wants to experiment on him…based.. I too 'm suspicious of doctors -_-

---

Loving the idea of Heavy and Scout having this "big and little brothers" relationship!!! They both need it

Heavy is just trying to live in peace with these two around... He doesn't want to bicker with his lil' brother AND his crazy husband 💀

[fantasticgothicpeachsludge]

They are very special to me

[greasby]

more assorted tf2 drawings...

[dangerousdan-dan]

[dandelionjack]

furiously scribbling down notes. the metanarrative about stories continues on from season one, just as i predicted — the doctor as the storyteller, the spinner of the fairytale, once upon a timelord

every. single. episode in s1/14 revolved around the theme of storytelling or belief making events real in one way or another: the bogeyman that was generated from the misinterpretation of a bedtime story, the questions of diegesis in the devil’s chord and it suddenly becoming a musical, the anglican marines fighting made-up phantoms that have a fatal impact only because they believe in them, *literally everything* about 73 yards — so much it’s too long to go into detail here —, the insulated finetime residents falling prey to their own racist narratives, the chuldur that cosplay the idealised version of the georgian era they saw in fiction, and, once again, *literally everything* about the two-parter finale.

here, Fifteen’s a historian. only ever observing, barred from participation.

remember: Wish World is coming up soon. Lucky Day. THE STORY AND THE ENGINE. ever since the church on ruby road, no, ever since the line of salt at the edge of the universe — coincidences, luck, belief-becoming-truth. the rules bend to the power of story.

basically, to end with this beloved quote of mine from a scene in wes anderson’s asteroid city (2023),

as fellow theory-developer @rowanthestrange said a few months ago under my anansi post:

[kablow]

this is my first phighting! fanart

[immortalclarareborn]

[mizgnomer]

David Tennant Does a Podcast With... Season 3 Guests

All of the episodes are excellent, but the David & Georgia one truly is something special (and lovely, and moving, and sweetly personal).

Catch up on [ Spotify ] and [ Apple Podcasts ] and more

Bonus: David and Georgia on Where There's a Will There's a Wake:

[slavhew]

i reread this scene and i could just. picture it. so vividly.

[kiivg]

.And I get down with crooked men, but I am the boy I've always been.

[periwinkla]

Pokeattorney AU x 15th anniversary skit because I take great personal enjoyment in making fun of Edgeworth

...just as much as Phoenix does. The video in question :

_ pokeattorney AU tag

Btw just for the record whenever I mention the unnecessary feelings bit keep in mind that I didn't bat an eye when I first saw it, but in restrospect it's hilarious and now I just really like to make fun of him for it. Unconfortable Miles hides and/or says things in the most convoluted way possible adding in further embarassment upon himself. And I like to make fun of him for it <3

[elysian-fawn]

꒰ 𝐟𝐚𝐰𝐧'𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐫 .ᐟ ꒱ ౨ৎ ˖ ࣪⊹

𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ⦂ 𝖺 𝗆𝗈𝗈𝖽𝖻𝗈𝖺𝗋𝖽 𝗈𝖿 𝗆𝗒 𝗀𝖾𝗇𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗇 𝗂𝗆𝗉𝖺𝖼𝗍 𝖽𝗋 .

𝑎 𝑠𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑘 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝘩𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑟 ⦂

⟣ 𝗂 𝖼𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝗀𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝖾𝗒𝗏𝖺𝗍 , 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝗀𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗈𝖿 𝗅𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 , 𝗍𝗈 𝖻𝖺𝗌𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄𝗀𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽/𝗁𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗆𝗒 𝖽𝗋𝗌𝖾𝗅𝖿 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 ꒰ 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝗐 𝖾𝗅𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗅𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗀𝗈 𝖺𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀𝗌𝗂𝖽𝖾 𝗂𝗍 ꒱ . 𝗂𝗍’𝗌 𝗎𝗇𝗇𝖺𝗆𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗎𝗋𝗋𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗆𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝖻𝖼 𝗂 𝖼𝖺𝗇𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗌𝖾𝖾𝗆 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗄 𝗎𝗉 𝖺 𝗏𝗂𝖺𝖻𝗅𝖾 𝗇𝖺𝗆𝖾 𝖳^𝖳

⟣ 𝗆𝗒 𝖽𝗋𝗌𝖾𝗅𝖿 𝗂𝗌 𝖺 𝖽𝖾𝗌𝖼𝖾𝗇𝖽𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗁𝗈𝗇 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗌 𝗆𝖾 𝖺 𝗉𝗋𝗂𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗋𝗅𝗒 𝖺 𝗉𝗋𝗂𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗌𝗌 ꒰ 𝖺𝗌 𝗂𝗍 𝗀𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗌 𝗆𝖾 𝖺 𝖻𝖾𝗅𝗂𝖾𝗏𝖺𝖻𝗅𝖾 “𝖾𝗑𝖼𝗎𝗌𝖾” 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗏𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗈𝗎𝗌 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂 𝖽𝗈 𝖺𝖼𝗋𝗈𝗌𝗌 𝗍𝖾𝗒𝗏𝖺𝗍 ꒱ 𝖻𝖾𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝗂𝗍’𝗌 𝖺 𝗋𝖾𝗀𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍’𝗌 𝗆𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗁𝗒 𝖻𝖺𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗂𝗍’𝗌 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝖾𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝖺 𝗍𝗋𝗎𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗁𝗒 , 𝗂𝗍'𝗌 𝗏 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗏𝗈𝗅𝗎𝗍𝖾𝖽 ꒰ 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 : 𝗂 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗇𝗈 𝗂𝖽𝖾𝖺 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝗍𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝗂𝗍 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝗇𝗌𝖾 𝗌𝗈 𝗂’𝗅𝗅 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗂𝗍 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗍𝗈 𝗆𝗒 𝗌𝗎𝖻𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗌𝖼𝗂𝗈𝗎𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖿𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝗅𝖺𝗇𝗄𝗌 ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ ꒱

⟣ 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗋𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝗀𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗂𝗌 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝖿𝗈𝖼𝗎𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝗋𝖾𝖿𝗅𝖾𝖼𝗍𝗌 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗈𝗉𝗎𝗅𝖾𝗇𝗍 , 𝖿𝖺𝗂𝗋𝗒𝗍𝖺𝗅𝖾-𝖾𝗌𝗊𝗎𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗏 𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗍𝖾𝖼𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾 !

[bayetea]

there's something really bizarre about what may or may not be excessive wariness of adultifying black girls that's resulted in not only treating hazel like some moronish baby but sweeping oversimplification of the person that she is. by refusing to observe hazel in a more mature light (and by this I only mean taking her seriously) there's a pervasive dumbing down of her character in the fandom that really does not occur as much for other characters. she's 14 in hoo. not 13. she's 15 in toa. for comparison the second youngest member of the prophecy 7 is jason, who was 15 himself for the first half of hoo and does not experience nearly as much character infantilization by the fandom at large

as a hazel enjoyer it's all pretty disappointing; I see so much to appreciate and unpack in the frankly gothic nature of her story but when I go looking for hazel fanworks (not just fanfics but fanart, headcanons, hazel ships, textposts to reblog, etc) I can't help but sense an unwillingness to just THINK about how her experiences might impact her. there's little more regard for hazel in the fandom than her merely being nico's cute and sweet little sister. and she is cute and she is sweet that much is true. she also grew up during jim crow while black and was violently bullied and killed herself and her mother when she was 13 years old. genuinely I don't understand reading horrific parts of her story like this and thinking that she's just a cute and soft tweenaged girl and not much else

like let's just be candid about this - abused and neglected children are forced to grow up fast (something that will almost inevitably have consequences in their adulthood). they are forced to be mature in ways that other kids aren't. hazel is not written like a "normal" 14 year old in part because she is not a normal 14 year old. you don't spend your life consciously wasting away in asphodel surrounded by ghosts and rejoin the living as a normal teenager. she was mistreated her entire life by everyone but sammy and then she died. and upon her resurrection the nature of her quest is more horrific than anyone else's - she has to "redeem" herself for helping gaea+giving her mom asphodel in the eyes of the underworld judges by killing herself again. that's literally what going on the son of neptune quest is for hazel; freeing thanatos = he takes her back to the underworld. there could not be a more literal confrontation of her discordant mortality than this. the only reason her life doesn't end that way is because of pluto's leniency towards his own children, and the narrative does nothing to justify something so objectively unjustifiable. even positing this as pluto's self-redemption of his failure to protect her in her first life, rather than hazel's own self-redemption, would have been something but hoo simply doesn't resolve this glaring conflict about its messagings on the unchangeable nature of life/death. but that's a post for another day

I cannot emphasize enough that hazel is every bit as deep and angsty as popular SadBoy™ characters like nico and leo but the interest in her sorrow and complexities is simply not there. this is not an insult to nico/leo themselves but a notation of how SadGirls™ (especially black girls) will never receive comparable acknowledgment of their miseries or the way said miseries have impacted them. hazel is deeply contemplative and world-weary and struggles so much with alienation from the world around her - alienation from the modern world as a person of color from the segregated past, alienation from the living as an undead girl, alienation towards her own powers because they ruin lives, including her own. if you just observe her character and her story I think you'll find more meaning about how life is a thing to be cherished than anywhere else in the franchise