#(so please tell me if things are like misrepresented or wrong or like harmful and stuff)

[atinyladybug-art]

You've seen my Rec AU vs Canon Interpretation Iceberg. Now get ready for my clefs

I'm pretty sure it's very obvious who Recollection AU Clef is inspired by 😔

Also I am experimenting with my art again! Used a new pen for this one and honestly I really liked it.

Also for Rec AU's clef design, she's also supposed to have more goat features hence the horn and the ears as well as the legs. The idea behind it is that she is the one who made this appearance and took after Meri after her promotion to O5 (thus being able to change his identity/keep it hidden/separate herself from "Dr.Alto Clef"). The eyes are like, sorta, manifestation of the other alters in the system.

But my canon interpretation is that 1. He's a short gremlin who is not knowing of what the shelf looks like. 2. He is stinky and doesn't shower. Also got a rat's tail because I like braided clef but he doesn't give me like, actual fully braided hair vibes and also rats tail is fitting for a rat like him.

[anamericangirl]

"More important question, why are liberals triggered by The Sound of Freedom?"

As a liberal, there are 5 main reasons I personally don't like the film.

Highly fictionalized. While based on a real story it takes dozens of liberties in telling it. Many of the events in the film did not happen in real life as they are shown happening in the film. The movie seems to care more about entertaining than it does about telling its story accurately.

Bad acting. This is an objective point, but the film is just not very good in my opinion.

Its inaccurateness harms its goal. By not depicting the story as it actually occurred, it's giving the public a false idea of what CST (child sex trafficking) is like, and misrepresenting issues like this is never a good thing. The film harms its own goal by misrepresenting the issue it aims to bring awareness to.

Other's did it better. There are plenty of other non fictionalized documentaries that have told stories like this way better than the Sound of Freedom does, and the Sound of Freedom is taking eyes away from better media that did what it wanted to do but better.

It's fueling Qanon quacks. There are people out there that believe some absolutely insane stuff, and they're using this film as proof to back up their insane beliefs. Those people think that the fact that CST is real is proof that Trump was fighting some secret cabal and other nonsensical stories.

TDLR: It's highly fictionalized with bad acting that misinforms people and misrepresents CST, while also drawing eyes away from other films that did what it tried to do but better, and it's making crazy people even more crazy.

Thanks for trying to give some actual reasons. They're all bad reasons that aren't even a little bit true but at least you tried.

"Highly fictionalized. While based on a real story it takes dozens of liberties in telling it. Many of the events in the film did not happen in real life as they are shown happening in the film."

Hey quick question - have you seen the film? What do you know about the actual story it's based on? Maybe this is news to you but for most people it's common knowledge that when a film is made based on a real story, movies always take some liberties and fictionalize parts of it for dramatic effect. It doesn't make a bad film or speak against it unless it is so wrong it equates to lying. But leftists seem to completely forgotten that movies do that when it comes to The Sound of Freedom.

Please, do tell exactly what they fictionalized and why it's bad enough that leftists are coming out in droves to discourage people from watching it (even though not a single one of them have seen it).

"Bad acting. This is an objective point, but the film is just not very good in my opinion."

Bad acting is never an objective point. Again, have you seen the film? If you don't like the acting that's fine. A lot of people think the acting was very good. I thought the acting was fine. Not great. But fine. I've seen movies with better acting but I've also seen movies with worse acting. So not liking the acting is hardly a reason to be speaking against this film so much.

"Its inaccurateness harms its goal. By not depicting the story as it actually occurred, it's giving the public a false idea of what CST (child sex trafficking) is like, and misrepresenting issues like this is never a good thing."

So at this point I'm pretty sure you haven't seen it. You're just repeating what you've heard by people who haven't watched it. That's a very vague claim. Please give me very specific examples from the film that you think gives a false idea of child sex trafficking and why it's harmful. Because I don't think you actually know much about this issue and you're just following the mob.

"Other's did it better. There are plenty of other non fictionalized documentaries that have told stories like this way better than the Sound of Freedom does, and the Sound of Freedom is taking eyes away from better media that did what it wanted to do but better."

What are other movies you think did it better? You can promote those films without attacking The Sound of Freedom. The Sound of Freedom did it very well and you've failed to prove otherwise.

"It's fueling Qanon quacks. There are people out there that believe some absolutely insane stuff, and they're using this film as proof to back up their insane beliefs."

lmao ok this is proof you're just listening to propaganda and don't know anything about the movie. Please give examples you have seen of this as well. The movie has nothing to do with Qanon and even if it did why the hell are you more concerned about a non-issue like Qanon than child trafficking?

It's really weird that this is the movie you'll are choosing to wage war against.

[creepiefarm]

CW ableism towards systems

I wanted to address this briefly, because lately I've seen far too many MH blogs spreading content that both demonizes and misrepresents OSDDID. I am a singlet, but this post was written with the help of and checked over by systems.

First and foremost please educate yourself, that is the first step and easiest way to avoid spreading blatant ableism. I will be linking some resources for that at the end of this post. Listen to systems when they tell you things are harmful or wrong.

When you see a post about OSDDID, how is it being talked about? Are they speaking positively about the disorder, or are they framing it to be "scary" or "edgy"? If the post does speak positivity about the disorders, how is it worded? How does it refer to system alters, or other parts of the disorder? Does it fall into common stereotypes, (i.e. the "evil alter") or treat it like a quirky character trait?

Now more specifically there is a post going around that made me feel there was a need to make this post. The post states you can't headcanon Tim or other characters in MH as being systems

[Image ID: Screenshot of a tumblr post that says: “okay fellas, welcome, you’re here- and before you start spreading around false stuff, here’s a few good reminders! 1. None of the characters from Marble Hornets Youtube Series have DID. Masky and Hoodie are not evil leittle creatures that live inside Tim and Brian!” end ID]

This extremely poor wording implies that, if Tim or Brian have DID, that would make Masky and Hoody evil creatures that live in their brains. Basically stating that alters are "evil", and also dehumanizing them in the process. [There are of course nonhuman alters who should be respected just as much as human alters, but that is not what op is doing by calling them "creatures."] Masky or Hoody being alters would not make them evil, there is no such thing as an "evil alter". This is one of the most widespread ableist beliefs about systems, and something that is so easy to spot.

OP received many comments on why this is gross and harmful, but chose to leave it up. They responded with an "apology" that addressed none of the issues with their statement, was very condescending and basically showed they have no idea what they're talking about.

[Image ID: screenshot of a tumblr post that says: “okay, lads. fellas. regarding my previous post, since a few people found it offensive (?) that I said none of the characters in MH have specifically DID disorder. I understand that people have their own headcanons and this is totally fine! I will not bash someone for healthily using such a hc to create a sense of comfort!

On that note, there are a select few people that I've seen in the past that romanticizes such a disorder- or make it very black n' white (aka Masky is this awful alter). Along with this, Tim canonically has psychosis, or something along the lines of this. In simple terms, romanticizing DID disorder (or any disorder)? not the best! Using such a headcanon as a sense of comfort/in a healthy fashion? totally fine! thank yew and have a good day” end ID]

If you are not well educated on a topic you do not have to speak on it. In cases like this, where I think op probably intended to help, they have instead spread gross ableism to hundreds of people. If someone is creating content that is gross and fetishizes the disorder, call them out on it. But if you have spent any good amount of time in this fandom you know most system headcanons are made by systems. It's a very weird thing to start a post for "new fans" with an ableist point about an issue you have only seen "a select few people do in the past." 

[As a side note, psychosis is not a disorder, it is a symptom. And if we are going with “in canon” Tim was diagnosed with Schizophrenia.]

There is nothing inherently "romanticizing" or "unhealthy" about headcanoning any character as a system. This would not be said about headcanoning a character with depression or anxiety, and I really need you guys to sit and think about why that is. OSDDID and psychotic disorders (also mentioned by op) are notoriously demonized. And spreading posts like this without thinking absolutely adds to that.

It's so important to be able to recognize things like this for how harmful they are. It does not matter if op had other points you agreed with, or if they had good intentions. This is ableism, it's wrong, and it's hurting people.

System headcanons are good, and it's wonderful that so many systems see healthy rep in MH for their disorder. This is not and has never been the issue. Here are some links a system friend gave me that you can educate yourself with. Systems are of course, welcome to add any additional thoughts, thank you for reading.

Common myths and perceptions | Alters | C-PTSD & DID | DID vs OSDD | How to help a friend with OSDDID | youtube channel

[mynamesaplant]

It Changes, like Water (CH. 6)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary: Akari has just met Gaeric for the first time and is still a little rattled by the experience. Ingo tries to reassure her by telling her a story.

Content Warning: Blood, bodily injury, and wild animal attack

Notes: I've made this in honor of Monsoon-of-Art and their PLA mer au (and just a touch from a different au where Gaeric acts as Irida's guardian). Many of the scenes in this fic are directly inspired by their work, there mer stuff more specifically. I've been a big fan of them since I started playing PLA and I've only grown to love all their characterizations of some of my favorite characters in all of Pokemon.

The last one! Woo~ If you've made it this far, thanks so much for the read. I had excellent inspiration and the power of Lexapro and ginseng giving me strength to write the first new fanfic I've done in months. Between school, work, and trying to sort out my depression and anxiety with medications, its been rough. Writing is one of my favorite outlets, as is Pokemon - not having the motivation or time to do much of either… well, I'm just glad to have them back.

Thank you so much to the community of writers and artists in the PLA and Pokemon fandom at large for inspiring me everyday to make more of the content I love. You keep doing you, guys.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! Don't like to read on Tumblr? Read it here on AO3.

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Ingo finished his story and Akari did not look remotely convinced, the mer grimaced.

“I know Gaeric has a – ah, reputation, but from what I gather, he has come a long way since he was a young man. He can still have a poor attitude regarding strangers, I know that firsthand. His devotion to Pearl clan can be a little misguided, but it is just that, devotion.”

Ingo realized that, again, he was making it sound as though he was excusing Gaeric’s destructive behavior. He didn’t condone it, although he knew some others did. The Galaxy Team’s presence and the mystery of the frenzied nobles seemed very closely linked in the eyes of many, even Melli had gone so far as to begrudgingly praise Gaeric for his grit. When Melli was saying something nice about the Pearl clan, that was when you knew something was wrong.

“What I am trying to say, Miss Akari, is that Gaeric has had his own identity crises in the past. He is not a stranger to misrepresenting himself or acting untrue to his ideals. He no longer permits himself to be that way. He was young once, he raised Lady Irida for a few years and continues to be her mentor – I don’t think he has it in him to harm a young, inexperienced pup like you in the way you’re thinking. So please, Akari, do not think so poorly of Gaeric.”

This plea gave her pause, absently scratching the rough coral exterior of the flute with her nail, its blue color matching the darkening color of the sea as dusk turned into evening. Ingo was asking for her understanding, but more importantly to put faith in him and his clan. In her heart of hearts, Akari knew that what she was doing was wrong. She was lying to a lot of people just to satisfy her own curiosities and desires. Now she had dragged Ingo into her brew of lies. He was asking for her trust, and she trusted Ingo just as much as she trusted her captains or Professor Laventon.

“I’ll… try. He’s not nearly as nice as you.”

“You caught him at a bad moment. Gaeric is nocturnal.”

Oh, so she woke him abruptly. That explained his grumpiness at the very least, she would also be pretty upset to be woken up abruptly by some stranger. Akari also knew for a fact that she looked terrifying before taming her hair and washing her face in the morning. His actions… She couldn’t condone his actions, but there were things that the commander did in the name of the team and Jubilife that she found questionable. There was a lot more grayness to the world, Akari was coming to realize. She hopped off the rock she had seated herself on and asked Ingo to run her across the cavern, where a narrow path between the boulders led out to the forest about a mile from Jubilife.

Ingo knew her fears were at least temporarily assuaged but knew more moments like this would crop up with more interaction with the clans. He would do his best to keep Akari at a distance, but between his clans’ own concerns for him and his mental/physical wellbeing and both clans insatiable nosiness to know more about the small pup that followed him around occasionally, he knew it was practically hopeless. His goal now was to soften the blow as best he could for all parties. It was a precarious position, but Ingo had been treading fine lines for many years now. Who knows, there was the remote possibility that this could be a unique experience for positive change in the clans and humans.

Only time would tell and that was just as unpredictable as the ever-changing sea.

<<Last Chapter || First ||

[surplus-of-sarcasm]

ive tried to write women so many times but have failed to the point theres barely any female characters in my stories. and im very aware this is a flaw in my writing because i dont hang around women often and the only long term contact with a female i have is with my family members i dont know how to write female characters on a personal level because i can never relate to them. this sucks ass but correct me if im wrong i think its better to not write female characters at all than write a shitty possibly offensive one even if i dont realize it

Hi.

Okay, here's my take on what you're saying. I know for a fact that the most difficult things to write are things/situations/environments we know so little about. And it's even harder to get it right when it's a more sensitive thing, if yk what I mean. A huge perspective shift like this is definitely a challenge because men and women are quite different.

Here's the thing. I'm not trying to pressure you into writing them, but I'm telling you that even if you have problems with them now, doesn't mean you have to give up on writing them completely. If not writing them at all is your final decision, then that's still okay, still your call in the end, but if you do want to write them, it's very possible.

I know I write both male and female characters, but the first time I ever officially wrote smth that wasn't for school, it was with a female protag because ultimately, I see the world from the eyes of a woman. When I decided to write a male character for a more serious project, I realised I needed to research it. And lemme tell you that again, not every piece of advice in a writing help article is always applicable. It's largely based on the author's own personal experiences. They're more like tips than rules you must adhere to.

Please note that I've spent considerable time around men I'm close to in my family, I had male classmates and currently have a friend who's a guy, so that definitely helps. And it's completely understandable that you haven't spent enough time around women to grasp more about them Ig. My male characters are not exactly copy-paste of these men/boys either, but some of their traits and mannerisms may be connected.

And you not relating to them is completely okay. I'm not very likely to relate to parts of my male character's life that come with him being a man, but what I can relate to is what makes him human. There is definitely an overlap in several traits between men and women. For example, the way I would feel angry abt smth would be different from how a guy Ik would feel angry about the same thing. The key is simply to avoid bad cliches.

Again, I'm not trying to get you to write them if you really don't want to. Forcing yourself to write smth you don't want to definitely won't help, and won't create good pieces of writing. But just in case you wish to in the future, you can practice and research and test it out, and fun fact, part of it involves a little bit of winging it. I've done this for like genres/ideas I haven't tried before, and surprisingly it actually works. But, tbf, it's a lot more difficult when the issue at hand is the opposite gender.

And answering your last question, while it doesn't mean you must give up completely and you will never be able to do it, I can agree that no representation is better than a poorly represented character. Though, there is a chance you might be too harsh on yourself, since Idk exactly what any female characters you've written are like.

And about my reblog on that post abt writing women, Ig it was more aimed at people who've never tried or misrepresent women by applying a crap ton of harmful stereotypes to them. You seem to have made a genuine effort, so that's a pretty good thing.

Sorry for the long post, and thank you for the ask.

[leviathans-watching]

hii! can i request some headcanons about reader / mc comes out to the brothers as nonbinary? i'm really confused with my whole gender identity and it's really frustrating but your works keeps me grounded.

ʕ ̳• · • ̳ʔ

/ づ♡ =͟͟͞͞♡

coming out to the brothers as nonbinary

includes: the brothers x/& nonbinary!mc (no pronouns specified)

wc: .7k | rated g | m.list

warnings: implications of transphobia (NOT from the brothers), threats of violence (NOT towards you)

a/n: thank you for requesting and i’m glad my blog is a safe space! i myself am a cis female so please correct me if anything i wrote blatantly harms or misrepresents the trans/nonbinary community. homophobes and transphobes dni. my inbox is open to chat or request!

pls reblog :))

➳ lucifer nods, tapping his chin. “thank you for telling me. i’m glad you feel comfortable enough to confide in me. i’ll do my best to use your preferred pronouns from now on.” you’re still a little nervous, and he notices. taking your hand, he squeezes it softly. “hey. i’m sure everyone else will have the same thoughts on the subject as i do. if you don’t want to tell them and keep this between us that’s fine too. and if you don’t know yet, that's perfectly fine too. i’ll be here for whatever you decide whenever you decide.”

➳ mammon accepts it pretty easily. “nonbinary, huh? that’s cool. if i mess up and misgender you punch me or something. i’ll try my best though, so i hope it doesn’t happen.” nudging you in the side, mammon grins. “am i the first one you told? oh that’s awesome! i knew i was your first man!” even with all of his celebration he doesn’t miss the way your shoulders untense, the way you let out the breath you were holding in. for once, mammon chooses to be tactful and doesn’t mention it, simply carrying on with his bragging.

➳ levi literally could care less. not like that though, ok? he’s just online quite a bit so he has more experience in LGBTQ+ spaces than his brothers do, meaning he’s pretty used to people coming out or questioning their gender or sexual identity. “that’s really cool! that’s for telling me! this is just like a show i watched called ‘my favorite person came out to me and i still love and support them wholeheartedly’!” he tells someone in his headset to hold on a moment, he’s busy, shooting you a grin while he does so. “what pronouns do you want me to use, again?”

➳ satan has heard of this nonbinary thing, of course, but hasn’t really had any actual experience with someone who identified as it. he wants to be as respectful and accepting as he can be and resolves to do some in-depth research the moment he gets a chance. “thank you for telling me, mc. i’ll do my best to use the right pronouns and refer to you as you wish to be referred to, so please, do not hesitate to correct me if i get it wrong.” looking over at you, he has an idea. “do you have any websites or anything i can look at? i want to be the best ally i can.”

➳ asmo just rolls over to face you, tracing a finger down your cheek. “that’s cool! thanks for telling me.” at your confused expression (you had expected more of a reaction), he laughs, flapping a hand in the air. “what, you think you’re the first person to come out to me? i’ve had countless people i’m close to over the years experiment with their identities. gender is such a fluid thing, and it changes so much with each new decade. i’m glad to see people becoming more accepting than they have been in the last few centuries, though.”

➳ beel is serious about the situation, cutely so. “thank you for telling me. i’ll do me best to support you and use the right pronouns.” pulling you into a warm hug, he holds you for a moment, soothing all of your frayed nerves. you lea into his touch, grateful for it. “and,” he whispers lowly in your ear, “if anyone gives you a hard time over it let me know. i’ll take care of it. and them.” a moment passes, silently, and then he’s pulling away from you, smiling like he hadn’t just threatened to do… something to people who wouldn't respect you.

➳ belphie admits he’s a little out of touch on current human matters like this. cheeks red, he has you explain in greater detail, nodding when he finally gets it. “oh that’s fine. thanks for trusting me enough to tell me. i’ll do some looking into it and educate myself. and i’ll definitely try my best to use the right pronouns and stuff from now on.” for once he’s fully alert, normal sleepiness abnormally gone from his expression. “correct me if i get wrong though, okay? and this doesn’t really change anything between us, so don’t worry about it.”

leviathans-watching’s work - please do not repost, copy, or claim as your own

[whimstories]

Summary: Vague Isekai concept. Marinette is transported into a world she read in a book and comes to fall for the female lead who was drastically misrepresented in the novel. 

A/N: I didn’t expect to write some random scenes today. This isn’t a full story, sadly. I just wanted to post some things I wrote because Marigami needs more content, and this pairing is vastly not given the attention and respect it deserves. 

Enjoy ~ ✨

//////////////////

“But I don’t wish to be just a man’s wife, I want…I wish to be…”

“But you are!” Marinette exclaimed. 

Kagami’s eyes widened in surprise. 

“You don’t need permission or approval, you’re already a politician. A scholar. A warrior. Your sword is more beautiful than anyone I’ve seen. You don’t need to waste your breath wishing.”

“You say that but—“

“Please don’t contradict me. It hurts me to see you doubting yourself so much when you’re already beyond extraordinary.”

Kagami’s cheeks flushed a rosy color and she looked shyly at the ground. “You’re full of praises today.” 

“Make it more difficult to find praise then,” Marinette grinned. “I wish I had half your virtues.” 

“You’re much more virtuous,” Kagami whispered, sounding almost too sincere. For a moment Marinette’s heart stopped, fluttering with warmth and searing pride. But she covered it with a sip of her tea, knowing better.  

Marinette smiled kindly. “So when are we going to interrupt the men’s meeting on that dreadful land acquisition?”

“We shouldn’t.” Kagami sighed. 

“All the more reason.”

“Adrien would be embarrassed and mother would be furious. I couldn’t possibly.”

“Adrien is a bit…slow at times. I think he’d be elated to see his wonderful fiancée standing for what she believes in. He’s that much of a good man, at least.”

“Yes…he is good,” Kagami glanced at Marinette as if to add something but looked away again in thought. “But mother will hear of it. There’s no returning from disappointing her.”

Marinette hesitated, knowing the fear of failing one’s family. “Your mother is as accomplished as you are, yet I find it odd she doesn’t support your dreams.”

“My mother is a traditionalist. She accomplished much, but she’s calculated and conservative. She’s never acted outside the bounds of societal law. She expects the same of me.”

“You make her sound villainous.”

“Another conservative term for her.”

Marinette bristled in her seat and when Kagami looked at her she lifted a napkin to her mouth where a small amused noise burst from her lips. “She’s not so horrible. I admire my mother in many ways.”

Marinette wished she’d move the napkin so she could view the rare sight of Kagami’s smiles but her eyes also burst with a fondness that was equally as lovely. “But you believe your situation will grow worse if you disobey her.” 

“No...I—“ Kagami sat in silence for a while, then her brows furrowed. “I’ve never disobeyed before,” she finished. 

Marinette looked at her sadly but righted herself with a cross of her arms and feigned a huff. “Kagami, fold your napkin.”

Kagami snapped her head upwards, alert. She slowly did as instructed. “Yes? Why, what’s the matter?”

“Stand.”

Still confused, she stood with the good graces bestowed on her education. 

“Walk towards me please and grab my hand.”

Kagami walked a step before hesitating. Her face seemed to freeze in a panic. “Won’t you tell me why?”

“Can you not do it?” Marinette parried. 

Kagami blinked back, clearly challenged but slowly took Marinette’s hands in a gentle hold. They were soft and warm, yet strong and worn from training. Marinette had to ignore her thrill. “Now, look me straight in the eyes and tell me,” she paused dramatically, “you do not regret eating my pastries.” 

Kagami looked surprised. “They were amazing, I’ll cherish them the rest of my days. Of course, I’d never regret it.”

Oh. Marinette was teasing but the sincerity suddenly made her hands feel very warm. Marinette blinked violently to play off the warmth of her face. “A-and that you do not regret wearing that Louis Forton gown to the last gala.” 

Kagami sighed and her lips fought from curling. The dress was truly a complicated monstrosity that even amnesia couldn’t sear from the mind. “That was unavoidable. I can forgive that much.” 

“And that you won’t regret your arranged engagement.”

Her hands flinched in Marinette’s. “I—of course, I—never would,” she said, stilted, and blatantly looked away from Marinette’s gaze that Marinette was surprised. 

She continued, “And that the feeling of satisfying your mother is more precious than the feeling of picking up a sword.” 

Kagami’s face stilled. Her hands clenched Marinette tightly, but she stared forward in a new sense of wonder. A sense of clarity. Her eyes shone with a wet sheen, like a diamond forming dewdrops. 

She stood a long while, opening and closing her mouth. “Am I allowed such a thing? To not say it?” 

“It would not make you less of a wonderful daughter.”

“But it would make me a selfish one.”

“For a parent, a child could never be selfish. You’ve never been disobedient, so how can you know how she would react?” Marinette said. “And even so, even if she reacted poorly, she is not the one who has to live your life. Endure the choices. It is not your fault you were born a duchess’s daughter, but it is your responsibility to shape what this life has presented you. And so far you have disregarded that responsibility.”

“Then what should I do?” She asked slowly, as if sure no one could have an answer.

“What you want,” Marinette said simply with a shrug and a smile. 

Kagami hummed, staring at Marinette. Marinette could imagine she perhaps admired Marinette’s nativity, and that Marinette’s words meant nothing at all. But it hurt her to see such a wonderful person, a wonderful spirit like Kagami feeling trapped when she had such potential. 

Then Kagami’s face lifted miraculously into a soft smile. A rare and blossoming sight that shone like colors bouncing from her chest. Kagami grasped and lifted Marinette’s hands to her mouth, placing a brief kiss on the tips. Marinette’s face inflamed. 

“Thank you,” Kagami whispered. 

“W-what for?” Marinette laughed nervously, not sure what else to do. “I just told the truth. I hope I wasn’t acting too ridiculous.” 

“You’re never ridiculous. I always enjoy being with you. I’m very glad we’ve met, Marinette.” 

God, this woman is a weapon. I don’t think I can stand. Marinette finally pulled her hands away and contradicted herself by standing with enormous force. 

“Yes, I always enjoy your company too. Gosh, it’s warm. I should go for a walk. Not you though, you should finish your tea. Not that I don’t think you’ll keep up or incapable just—I’ll return, okay?” 

——-------------

“Marinette? Are you there?”

“Marinette sat upright and stared disbelieving at her door. “Kagami?” she whispered and ushered to open the door. Kagami stood, swaying slightly at the entrance. 

“Marinette,” she said the name so simply and with sweetness Marinette knew she was not of the right mind. 

“Come inside quickly.” They walked to Marinette’s bed and sat. “Did you drink?”

“The men wanted to have talks in the parlour. I didn’t back down and joined them.”

Marinette became alarmed. “They didn’t harm you or—?”

Kagami shook her head a little dramatically. “Many of them collapsed after I challenged them to some games. I ordered some maids to escort them then…well, I walked here.” 

“Oh,” Marinette snickered. “I wasn’t aware you were an expert at drinking games.” 

“Neither was I.”

Marinette shook her head. Of course, Kagami would be stupendous at something she never tried before. “Well, drunk or not I’m always happy to keep you company.” 

Kagami smiled sweetly again. “I could not think of better company no matter the situation.”

Marinette’s heart squeezed. Two wondrous smiles in one night, Marinette might faint from sight. “You mustn’t say that when Adrien is around,” she joked.

“But I’m sure Adrien knows it as well. I can hardly bear to leave you for a moment.” 

“What about sword training? I bet you couldn’t tell me I’m better company than your most treasured activity?” 

“Even that…perhaps.” 

Marinette's heart thundered against her chest. The room stilled and she felt she must have heard wrong. Nothing could matter more to Kagami, it was in the book. Kagami’s independence was a relationship of love itself, no matter how glorious she was, no one was enough. Yet…perhaps…

“May I…have your hand?” Kagami asked, staring intently at Marinette’s hand against the sheets. Marinette was busy stopping her heart from stuttering out of her chest and now Kagami said something so ridiculously ambiguous and wanted to touch her—Marinette didn’t think she would survive the night let alone the next few minutes. 

“Can I not?” Kagami asked when Marinette took too long. 

Startled, Marinette exclaimed, “Yes! Of course!” louder than proper and presented her hand upwards as if waiting for a palm reader’s forbidding prediction. She hoped it wasn’t obvious how her handle trembled. 

Kagami took her hand gently, the tips of her fingers tickling the back. Their hands slid over one another at various angles: a hook of thumbs, that courteous raise of the fingers, an intertwining of fingers. Marinette’s nerves made the atmosphere feel heavy and electric. Was this not intimate by all standards? Or was she overthinking? Her heart raced and Kagami seemed to languidly test all the ways their hands would fit as if it was custom. 

Marinette could not suppress her nervousness and leaned forward with a laugh. “Are you looking for something?” 

Kagami’s lids were drooping and heavy, yet her gaze was fiercely focused on her ministrations. She hummed and pulled Marinette’s palm upwards. Her lips pressed firmly, right to the center of Marinette’s palm. She moved the hand towards her cheek with a content sigh and a sleepy smile. 

“Yes, this is what I wanted.”

Marinette’s body screamed. She’s sure her heart stopped, how could she dare to hope to win against such a daring attack? Was Kagami a cozy drunk? It’s good she left those men behind, she would have hated showing herself like this. But to act so intimately—Marinette’s body was on fire. 

After a few breaths and realizing Kagami had a firm grip on Marinette’s arm and looked much too content to be moved, Marinette took a moment to appreciate—at least a little—her position. 

Kagami’s cheek was soft and smooth. It fit perfectly in her hand. Her cheek was a little warm, probably from the alcohol, but it was enticingly inviting. Marinette shifted forward, heat building between them, to get her arm more comfortable. 

“Are you awake?” Marinette whispered. 

Kagami blinked lazily into a droopy stare. Something told Marinette that Kagami might not remember this tomorrow. 

“I’m going to lay you down to sleep.” She looked Kagami up and down. “We should probably get you a little comfortable too.” 

Her grip squeezed Marinette’s wrist in emphasis. “I’m perfectly comfortable.”

Marinette laughed nervously. A clingy drunk, indeed. “I won’t leave you. W-we’ll…if you like, we can sleep together.” 

Kagami nodded as if it was the most natural conclusion. “Yes.”

“Ri-right.” 

Marinette edged Kagami gently to remove her outer garments. At times Kagami would catch her hand for another touch of her lips; Marinette applauded her ability to remain standing. Marinette dimmed the lights before carefully edging her way to one side of the bed. Kagami’s eyes never left her and tugged Marinette immediately down to the sheets. 

“Ah, Kagami!” Marinette exclaimed, happy the dim lights could hide her warm face. 

Marinette’s hand cradled Kagami’s cheeks once more, held close like some precious stuffed toy. “Let us sleep,” Kagami asserted. 

How can you act so bossy when I’m the one taking care of you? Marinette’s mind grumbled. 

“I hope you remember this tomorrow,” Marinette mumbled. 

“I will,” Kagami sighed, close to sleep. 

“If you do, you should reward me for taking care of you.”

“Anything you want.” 

Marinette grinned, sly. “Don’t forget. I really suffered. Honestly.”

Kagami hummed, clearly sleeping a moment later. Her breath tickled Marinette’s wrist and her hair grazed softer than the silk pillows. Marinette’s mouth parted, staring at the soft light in the room illuminating her slightly red cheeks. 

Her chest could not unravel and her gaze could not stray. Her stomach tightened and pooled with heat many times as she laid there. 

Before she could fall asleep, she moved her thumb a few times against that pristine cheek. Kagami breathed deep once and sighed happily. Her lips, softer than a rose, lifted slightly. Marinette grumbled once more, “Suffering is putting it very lightly.”

——---------

Marinette woke up groggy and alone in the morning. 

She stretched high to the canopy and wondered why her chest ached. The maid came in a moment later and said, “Kagami is waiting for you in the greenhouse.” 

Oh. Her stomach flipped. “Was Kagami awake early this morning?” 

“As usual. Not even silly wasted old men can unsettle our lady.” 

Marinette hummed. Kagami probably didn’t want to disturb her. Judging from the time of day, Marinette slept later than usual. “Ah, right. I heard she drank them under the table.”

“It was a true sight!” The maid gushed. “Our lady wanted to speak about business ventures in the northern lands but they only agreed if she won a round of cards. They played various games in which the loser would drink a large cup of sake. It was a dirty rule. But she rarely lost, and never slurred or stumbled when she did. Even this morning they were grumbling over headaches and she didn’t seem phased at all.” 

So she didn’t drink much last night. Is she a light drunk? Marinette giggled. “Our lady is too tremendous.” 

“I was appalled when Adrien didn’t watch over her, but I suppose he knew our lady better than us all.”

“Adrien wasn’t at the parlour?” Marinette asked, surprised. 

The maid was tugging Marinette’s dress into place as she said, “He headed to bed early after the first round. A man leaving his fiancee unattended with a room of stuffy men—I wanted to smack his behind the ears!” 

Marinette supposed Adrien would have attended Kagami to her rooms instead of letting her wander to Marinette’s. Perhaps he was finally accepting her capabilities, but something seemed wrong about leaving outright. 

“How would you like your hair, my lady?” 

Marinette hummed. “Just a few pins today.”

She walked to the greenhouse, the wind playing with her loose strands along the way. She took a deep breath before going past the glass doors. 

Kagami was leaning back in her seat, hair half hazardously in a ponytail and garbed in her training attire. Her clothes clung perfectly, showing off her strong legs and defined waist. The light adorned her hair like turquoise stars dancing on the strands. Marinette had to clutch her chest before it leaped out. 

How does this woman look more handsome than any male model on a cheesy romance cover? 

Kagami caught her eyes and Marinette held her breath. Kagami put down her cup of tea and cleared her throat. Marinette walked forward and gave a small greeting. “Good morning.” 

Kagami’s eyes tentatively caught hers. “Yes. Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

“It was alright.” Marinette sat and a maid poured her a cup. The color was milky and when Marinette lifted it, it was sweet. Peppermint black milk tea, her favorite. Marinette glanced upwards and fought a raised brow as she sipped. She sighed content. “You must have slept wonderfully.”

Kagami cleared her throat. Again. Marinette was fighting a smile. “When have I not?”

“Oh yes, how could I doubt you? Though, I was referring to your full day yesterday. You stuck with the men all day and left the wives and fiancees to their gossip without your input.”

“It wasn’t as scary as I thought,” Kagami said. “The men were as bad as the ladies with gossip and wholly unprepared for my education or opinions. Honestly, I feel I might have bullied them.” Her face didn’t change— as if discussing the weather— but her eyes sparkled and her tone tilted on amused. 

“Is it bullying to be educated?” Marinette mused behind another sip. 

“Only if you’re a woman. The element of surprise is an unfair advantage. Perhaps they’ll be more prepared next time.”

Marinette perked and grinned. “So you’re determined?”

“I feel more at ease. Perhaps I’m really not suited to being a wallflower for the rest of my days.”

“Certainly not. You should inherit and manage the Tsurugi estates and assets without the need for a partner. You’re easily capable of that much.”

Kagami’s body softened in the light. “As you’ve told me.”

“You should listen, I’m wiser than I look.”

Kagami looked down at her cup, losing herself in thought. Marinette looked around the flowers and butterflies in the afternoon. She downed another cup of tea slowly unwinding from her nervousness. 

“Last night…” Kagami started slowly. Marinette hid behind her cup and raised her eyes in acknowledgment. “I acted childishly.”

“Oh? To what are you referring?” 

“It’s hazy,” Kagami bit her lip and fiddled with the edge of her snack plate. “But I rudely burst into your rooms and acted unbecomingly. I want to apologize if I made you uncomfortable.” 

“You were very expressive,” Marinette grinned. “It was very cute.”

Kagami huffed in her seat, fiddling with her long braid with rosy cheeks. “Please don’t say it like that.” 

“What? You said it was your first time drinking. I was very honored to experience a new side to you.” 

“I told you that?” Kagami grumbled lowly, head tucked. She timidly glanced upwards. “What else did I say?” 

Marinette pretended to ponder, filling the space by reaching for snacks and sipping her drink. “It’s not so much what you said but what you did.” 

Marinette glanced at Kagami and she stared resolutely at Marinette as if missing any micro movement would place her life in jeopardy. Marinette stuttered in her teasing. She thought Kagami would be embarrassing but was she perhaps…curious about Marinette’s reaction?

“U-um…” Marinette stuttered and stirred too much sugar into her tea. She didn’t flinch even as the overwhelming sweetness hit her lips. “You did say you enjoyed my company. Nothing else.” 

“Mm, I do,” Kagami said simply. Then she sighed. “I invaded your space and acted brazenly. I suppose I’m starved of affection,” giving a self-deprecating chuckle. 

It was a heartbreaking sound. “No—no! I was happy you felt close enough to come to me. In fact, I’d—well I’d…” Marinette gulped a breath, realizing she was placing a blade over her head. “I wish you’d be open with me more often. I didn’t know if you’d welcome such affection.” 

“You’re alright with…? Rather you wish we were more affectionate?” 

It was Marinette’s turn to clear her throat. “I’ve always held hands and hugged my close friends. I assumed Kagami only made the rare exception to humor me, so I distanced myself.” 

“Well. I will admit you are my exception.”

Marinette’s face burst red. Then Kagami stood and moved her chair so it was inches from Marinette's. She looked up confused and when Kagami sat she offered her hand face-up, her expression calm. 

“Is this alright?”

Marinette covered her mouth with one hand, unsure how her face betrayed her, but placed the other within Kagami’s. Kagami entwined them in a strong grip that tingled up Marinette’s arm. 

Kagami’s face bloomed into a soft smile and she relaxed deep into her seat as if a weight left her shoulders. Marinette could not sip or eat the rest of the afternoon, feeling she had consumed too much sweetness for the day.

——

[plumrabbit]

DA Fandom and moving forward - Calling In vs. Calling Out

Hi everyone,

As a PoC member of the DA fandom, I felt I have been quiet for long enough on the issues that have been presented recently. I am not here to argue against or on behalf of any individual or group, I am only here to present some information that I hope will be helpful moving forward. This is a long post, but it’s my hope that if you read it and want to help contribute to making this place better for everyone, then you will be willing to try to put what is said here into practice.

Since I am a relatively small blog, I wanted to start with a little personal introduction that will segue into the topic at hand. My name is Liz (you can call me Jade too, that’s part of my middle name), and I am a mixed race, “ambiguously brown”, aspec person from Canada. I grew up around mostly other immigrant families, attended predominantly non-white schools that were run by mostly white admins, and completed my degrees at a very white university in a field that does not have much racial diversity. I have experienced racism first-hand many times including, but not limited to, name-calling/slurs, fetishization/exotification, being followed by staff, people second-guessing my name, jokes about hurting/killing people of my race, etc. as well as witnessing racism directed at my friends and peers. I know exactly what it’s like to be exhausted and feel unsafe or othered.  There is, however, one thing I need to point out about the multitude of instances of racism I’ve experienced - most of them were caused by ignorance, and not malice. Yes there are absolute assholes out there, but personally I can count those people I’ve encountered on one hand (I am not speaking for everyone, though). The vast majority of racism, bigotry and general harmful acts come from a place of ignorance, particularly on left-leaning tumblr (to clarify, this discussion is centered around well-meaning people and not the actual lost causes). When I say ignorance, I don’t mean a lack of education or intelligence, I mean not being able to see or understand an issue from another person’s perspective. It’s not quite the same as empathy either (where empathy means you are able to feel another person’s emotions), but fighting ignorance does require empathy. It also requires knowledge on the context of the specific situation, and that I believe is the crux of the problem.  I think the main reason why this is issue is particularly prevalent in the DA fandom is a result of the too-close-to-reality-to-ignore inspirations that have been confirmed by the devs. Yes, it’s fiction, but there are also a lot of people that see themselves (mis)represented in the themes and characters. And what one person sees as disrespectful, another person may not see at all. This can come full circle, too, for example: one person sees themselves and their trauma represented in a character, another person sees their race misrepresented in the same character. Person 1 uses the character as a comfort character or coping strategy. Person 2 thinks using that character in certain situations is disrespectful. Neither one sees the other’s perspective.  This is where intersectionality starts to come into play, and requires empathy and effort to address the intentions and emotions of the other person. Perhaps person 1 is LGBTQ+ and has been traumatized by being as such, and uses Dorian as a character to explore their trauma. Perhaps person 2 is Brown, and racism towards their people is their trigger, and thinks person 1 did not do Brown representation justice in their creative works.  Looking at this more specifically, person 1 may have put Dorian in sexual situations. Person 2 feels that the way it was conveyed was fetishist or exotified. Person 2 doesn’t know person 1′s intentions. Person 1 is not aware of certain descriptions that are racist (e.g. using food to describe a PoC’s skin tone). Perhaps person 1 was self-inserting and wanted to feel desirable on their own terms, but this gave person 2 that squick factor.  Now person 2 wants to address this issue, and I think this is where a call-in (not a call-out) would be appropriate. Here is a good infographic that compares the two: 

(Original source)

Note that there is quite a large difference in the language used. Going back to the above example, person 2 could privately message person 1 asking them why they chose to represent Dorian the way they did, with specific examples, and using call-in language (and I’m going to get back to this in a minute). 

The point of this post and infographic isn’t meant to tell marginalized groups how they should be bringing up issues (though it is a good guide if you are concerned about being polite, particularly to a first time offender), it’s intended to demonstrate to people unintentionally participating in harmful behaviour what a call-out vs. call-in looks like. For PoC and other marginalized groups, yes it does take emotional labour to use call-in language and to try to understand someone that wounded you (here is a good read that incorporates the concept of emotional labour for call-ins, and discusses asking yourself if you are ready to do so). For the people who have unintentionally hurt a marginalized individual or group, please understand that someone calling you in is not an attack, it’s a chance to explain why you expressed something the way you did. 

That being said, we may have reached another hurdle. What if you call someone in, and the person called in does not want to discuss the fact that they were inserting their personal trauma? I think this is where things start to get a bit messy, but I am of the opinion that if you’ve unintentionally triggered someone else’s trauma through ignorance present in your work, you owe it to them to at the very least mention that you were inserting your trauma, without having to bring up specifics (anyone is allowed to set boundaries). From there, the discussion can be hopefully be opened up to learning from each other, and reaching a consensus. Sometimes that consensus requires the creator to edit or remove their work. As an addendum, if you are a creator that unintentionally hurt someone with your work that didn’t have an ulterior personal motivation, it’s your responsibility to understand why what you did was wrong, apologize, remove the work and do better next time. I know some people cherish their OCs, but you are allowed to change your perspective and make adjustments to your character without erasing them entirely. Now we’ve reached another potential obstacle - what if an offender doesn’t respond to your call-in? First of all, ask yourself, did you actually call them in, or did you attack them? Here is a good opinion piece from a Black professor on this matter. I’d like to clarify that I am not trying to tone police, I am speaking as someone that used to go ham on ignorant people on Facebook and Reddit, and has since changed their tactics and has even gotten through to Trump supporters (some of this stems from my spiritual growth as well, but that is not the point here).  There is another issue to address here now as well - what if you have tried, repeatedly, to call someone in and they just don’t change their behaviour? Alright, then it’s probably time to call them out. But again, ask yourself, did you truly try to get through to them? If so, well, at the end of the day, some people are, unfortunately, lost causes. In summary, a call-in is meant to come from a place of wanting to help someone who has seemingly gone astray, because you are worried about their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours towards a marginalized group. You know that if they made a mistake it isn’t them, isn’t their heart, and you want them to be able to understand why what they did hurt others, and give them the chance to correct themselves. It comes from a place of love and acceptance, because you don’t want your friends to harbour negative beliefs.  Finally, I want to give a real example of this in action. My cousin is a photographic artist, and was recently called in to discuss the nature of one of her pieces. Her subjects are usually people, and they come from a wide variety of backgrounds. To help support BLM (she does a lot of work to help fight racism in general), she auctioned off one of her pieces. The subject of the piece happened to be a Black woman. She was called in by Black members of her art community to discuss how people bidding on an art piece that featured a person from a marginalized group perpetuated the ogling and monetization of Black people. She gave a response that acknowledged that her piece did perpetuate this issue, because she wanted to raise awareness of this historical harm, and recognized that her intention was ignorant of this perspective. The Black community also acknowledged that the piece itself was not harmful in any way, only that the surrounding issue that they were painfully aware of needed to be brought to light. The auction went ahead, and the piece sold for ~$1000, all of which was donated to BLM.  I think as a fandom we should be cognizant of when a work itself is harmful, or when the intention is harmful. Sometimes they overlap, sometimes they don’t. Both are talking points, and we should not be afraid to discuss them, but this requires respect from all parties. We also do need to be able to recognize what is strictly fiction, versus what has real-world impacts. My askbox is always open and my DMs are open to mutuals if you would like anything clarified or expanded upon. Or, if you’d just like to discuss a topic, vent, or have any questions about my own beliefs, you are welcome to reach out. I am happy to discuss anything, as long as there is mutual respect. 

[chattingwiththelightkeeper]

Great Expectations

This fine sunny day as I was finishing up my morning run in the brisk air with Felix Mendelssohn softly filling my ears, a quote from Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations suddenly came to mind, “I have been bent and broken, but I hope into a better shape”. That quote fits how I view my life as I have had some heart-wrenching experiences but far more amazing ones to fuel my soul. Looking back, I would not change any of what has happened, even the trying times because it has all made me who I am today, and gosh darn it, I love who I am and where I am. Since the quote in my mind came from Great Expectations, that title led me to think of the expectations people have when they are exploring or newer to the D/S lifestyle. While everyone is unique, I wanted to share a few things I believe those who are new or less experienced in the lifestyle could expect on their journey.

Exploring the lifestyle will be transformative and lead a person to gain new insight into who they are. Not everyone who explores the lifestyle will decide it is the right fit for them but no matter the outcome of a person’s expedition into D/S, it will lead to a deeper level of understanding.

There will be amazing people to be encountered on your travels through the lifestyle. Many of these folks will be positive, some will be inspiring, and others unfortunately will be twattwaffles. Think of the people you will meet here like the title of the old spaghetti western movie The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Just remember there are many more ‘goods’ than the latter two.

Since a ‘Charles’ brought these thoughts to life for me, there is another Charles to remember on your voyage in D/S and that is Darwin. How a person thinks about the lifestyle, what they enjoy, or consider limits will evolve as one grows with the lifestyle. Experience has shown me that even things a new person might consider untouchable at the start of their trip may change over time. Things that in the beginning were “No thank you that is not for me” may morph into, “Hum, maybe I would like to explore that”. Additionally, I want to say there will be some who will experience a change in their role as they mature. Through the years I have seen countless people come to the lifestyle as dominants or submissives change the role they find fits their soul as they develop a better understanding of themselves. Dominants have become submissives and s-types change into d-types with some discovering they are a switch. This does not happen to everyone or a majority but it does happen so if you find yourself aligning more and more with a new role as you dive deeper into the lifestyle, there is nothing wrong, it can and does happen. Please explore and discover because it is 100% acceptable to adapt to a new role should you discover it fits your soul.

With my thought today starting with a little ‘Dickens’, I want to discuss a little sex. When the lifestyle is mixed with bow-chick-a-wow-wow, expect it to be more intense than vanilla coitus. Please understand that it is fine and dandy to discover that you love the pleasures of kinky fuckery but the rest of the lifestyle is not a ‘fit’. If this is the case, I believe that there is great importance, not impotence, to grasp that you want kinky fuckery but not the rest of the lifestyle. People often misrepresent themselves as a lifestyle role (like dominant or submissive) because they enjoy that role when having sex but outside of doing the rumpy-pumpy they are not ‘lifestyle’. Do not mispresent yourself as ‘lifestyle’ if you just enjoy kinky sex because there is much, much more to the D/S lifestyle than sex but there is nothing wrong with just loving kinkerific shagging, just understand the difference.

When it comes to the lifestyle and relationships, I guarantee that to begin with, until the lifestyle becomes ‘normal’ for you, they will feel much more intense than any vanilla attachments. Expect to love deeper, harder, and stronger than you have experienced in the past and it is truly a joy. Sadly I want to warn you that Newton’s third law applies here, to each reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction. Disagreements may feel more intense and should a relationship terminate, the heartache will hurt more but you can and will heal. Experience has taught me that while the wound may feel more painful, it is simply a new pain since this part of you has not opened up before but you will heal.

Expect the lifestyle to have a game going on the side of people ping pong. What I mean by this is people will ‘ping’ into the lifestyle, explore, look around, and even make friends but then suddenly, without warning, ‘pong’ they go poof, disappearing into thin air. Stay around long enough and you will see some of the same people ping-ponging in and back out.

At times it may be a struggle to accept that the lifestyle is for you. Personally, my biggest lifestyle challenge was embracing D/S. How could I be a good person and enjoy things like tying a partner up, inflicting pain upon them, and holding them accountable? Once I was able to accept that everything happens with freely given and informed consent, I was able to allow my soul to come home here. So you may struggle to understand how this lifestyle seen as ‘deviant’ by many in the vanilla world fits your amazing self. Know that you are amazing and still will be embracing D/S. Just because all of this is not for everyone or accepted by the ‘mainstream’, does not make it or you wrong, immoral, or weird.

Speaking of vanilla beans, aka people who are not in the lifestyle, understand that not all will be accepting of the lifestyle. There will be great friends, who are vanilla, that love, support, and adore you but you must never tell them of your involvement in the lifestyle. Some in your circle will embrace you for embracing the lifestyle (Go you for finding you!), others who will not understand it but it will not cause you to alter your relationship with them, but coming out as lifestyle to some will hurt, fracture, or end a friendship. I feel it is more than acceptable to keep D/S as an awesome and amazing secret, sharing it only with those magnificent and marvelous friends where it will not change your friendship dynamic one iota.

Zealots exist here in the lifestyle and I expect you will bump into them. I am not saying these are not good people but tread carefully and be aware of them. They are often effective preachers who will want to convert you to their form of D/S. Some in the lifestyle feel that their way of practicing things is the only way, a ‘true way’. These evangelists have their malarkey called ‘twue’ as a lifestyle inside joke. There will be other zealots who will implore you to ditch all of your vanilla friends because how could you be ‘friends’ with someone where you cannot reveal your genuine self. The thing about life is some friendships can be 100% open and yet there are others where somethings are kept to ourselves. Remember while there are wrong ways to practice the lifestyle, or parts of it, the only right or true way is what works for you.

Lastly, the only person who can keep you safe as your journey in the lifestyle is you. Sorry, it is not god, he is busy turning the lights out in Texas and trying to drown Kentucky and West Virginia currently. All sarcasm aside, safety is your responsibility and no one else’s. Many parts of ‘play’ in the lifestyle can cause permanent harm and/or result in your death. Before you play with anyone, understand how things are done properly, invest in learning everything you can about how to protect yourself, know your safeword inside and out (I believe dominants should have a safeword as well), and do not do jack squat with anyone you do not trust with your life. No one is going to keep you safe but yourself, never forget this.

I expected that this would have been a bit shorter but I do not think there was any harm done in covering a few extra things. I am certain that I did not explore many of the expectations that many have when coming to the lifestyle but I hope what I did put together will be helpful. No matter your experience level, remember to safety is your responsibility. Alright, time to take my hard hat off after that safety note and get to work in the home office.

As with all of my writings, please see this disclaimer.

©TLK2021

[swiftiephobe]

thoughts on edit discourse, aka “you all realise this is meant to be fun?”

okay so buckle up swifties because i have some THOUGHTS about the whole edit discourse, the idea of needing to support editors by reblogging their posts and where i think some of you are a bit... misguided in how you approach sharing content on tumblr.com. this is a long post (i have put it under a cut because it is that long) because i am incapable of saying things concisely and i cannot think of another way to get my points across without having them misrepresented. i know a lot of people might ignore this because it’s a long ass essay, and that is valid <3 i just wanna get these thoughts out there. i do appreciate anyone who chooses to read this and try and understand my point of view. i love editors and the content they create. i do not love the idea that people have to run their blogs and engage with content on this website in a very specific way in order to be acceptable to the community.

also this isn’t directed at any one person in particular. the attitudes i am talking about are pervasive in a large portion of the fandom, and i’ve seen them building for quite a while now. i’m happy to have a respectful discussion about many of the points i’ve made here, as i know a lot of you will disagree with them. the purpose of this post isn’t to “attack” people, it’s to provide a different perspective.

i wanna preface this by talking about when i first started posting edits. i don’t do it a lot now mostly because i’m busy and don’t often feel like it but back in 2017/2018 i really got into editing. i remember when i first taught myself how to make gifs in photoshop, and i made my first gifset, and i was so excited to post it because i was so proud of myself for having created something. so i posted it, and then i kept making and posting gifsets. most of them didn’t get many notes, and frankly a lot of them were not very good because i was still learning, but i still posted them because it was nice to have created something. 

one day i posted a gifset and tagged it with some appropriate tags, including tagging some big source blogs. well, one of those big source blogs actually reblogged my gifset! and i was so excited by that. i even went and sent that blog an ask profusely thanking them for reblogging my edit. it’s a bit embarrassing to think about having done that now, but the point is i was so excited to have a blog that i considered “important” reblog my stuff, and of course that led to more notes on the gifset which made me happy. that gifset ended up getting about 150 notes, which still isn’t a lot but it made me happy at the time.

why am i telling this story, you might ask? because i want to put it out there that I GET IT. getting that reblog on that gifset made me, a baby editor, very very happy. ecstatic, even. the fact that i can still remember it now shows how much it meant to me. i was already proud of myself for having created something that i thought was good, but getting that extra bit of external validation to tell me that what i had created was actually good felt special. so i understand why editors want people to reblog their work. it makes us feel good to see that others are enjoying what we’ve made enough to want to share it with others.

so i kept making edits, some of them got a lot of notes while others really didn’t. i continued to learn new things about editing, i played around in photoshop and got excited every time i realised a new thing i could do with one of the tools. some of the edits i made were a lot of work, and i was very proud of them, and i still am very proud of them. a lot of those edits that hold a special place in my heart did not get many notes. one edit that i made (which was a url graphic for another person) took hours and a lot of hard work trying to figure out how to make my idea happen, and i think now it has less than ten notes.

sometimes i look back through my edit tag and i see edits like that one, that i loved making and thought turned out very well, but have relatively very few notes. and honestly? when i look at them, i don’t feel sad about the number of notes they have. sure, i think “well, it would’ve been nice if more people had seen this”, but for the most part i still feel damn proud of myself for having made it. i feel happy looking at them because they remind me of when i was making them and how much i enjoyed the process. 

at the end of the day, editing isn’t something i do as a job, for the sake of meeting a quota or reaching a benchmark of external achievement. it’s a hobby, something i do because i enjoy the process of creating something. i post my edits here so that they can be hosted publicly on my blog, and yes while getting notes is very very nice, it’s not my primary motivation. this year i’ve mostly been making edits for albums that i have enjoyed, some of which have practically no audience on tumblr and so don’t get many notes. and that’s fine. i don’t make them for other people.

which i suppose brings me to a point that i feel like will upset some people, but... the way some of you talk about editing, sometimes it seems like you don’t even enjoy it? i know that’s ridiculous because you all do, and many of you are crazy talented, but when i read people posting about how getting less than 100 notes on an edit makes them want to give up and never post an edit ever again, i frankly have to wonder if you even enjoyed making the edit in the first place, and if not, why did you do it? it just seems like a lot of you have a warped idea that the end goal of making an edit is notes, when in my opinion it really should be for fun. we’re in the taylor swift tumblr fandom. this is meant to be fun, remember? it’s okay to be upset when something you thought was great doesn’t receive as enthusiastic a reception as you were hoping for, but it happens to everyone and it doesn’t mean you, or others, are doing something wrong. if you enjoyed creating something, and you are proud of it, that’s what really matters in the end.

something else i’ve noticed is the extreme policing of how people interact with edits, mostly the notion that you HAVE to reblog edits and anything else is offensive and unacceptable. and sorry, but no. everyone runs their blogs in a different way. some people use their likes as bookmarks for things they want to reblog or queue for later. some people have a specific aesthetic they want to keep for their blog so don’t reblog every single thing, but they still want to acknowledge that they saw your edit and liked it. people have a million reasons why they don’t want to reblog something, and since it is their blog and their space, all of them are valid. 

when you post something to a public social media website, you have to accept that people are going to interact with it in the way that suits them most (this is of course excluding hate or stealing, those are not acceptable). if you are seeing a like on your edit and somehow extrapolating it into some “this isn’t good enough” statement, you are reading way too much into it. if people are liking your edit, it’s because they like your edit. is it nice when people reblog your stuff? yes. but people aren’t obligated to do so.

this also applies to the idea of keeping comments in the tags. i agree that commenting in the tags on edits is proper etiquette, and it’s something i always do. but the absolutely vitriol i have seen directed towards people who comment on their reblogs is not okay. i’ve seen people talk about blocking people who comment on their edits. it’s not nice. if you see someone say “i love this!” about your edit and your first thought isn’t “that’s so nice!” but instead “this person said this in the wrong place so i hate it”, please get your priorities straight.

i think most of the discussion surrounding edits starts off in a good place. it’s good to remind people that reblogging edits is the best way to support them, and that it will make people happy. i think that message has been made clear time and time again, but now it’s turning into something more aggressive. you all say that the fandom is “dying” because people don’t interact with edits (as a side note, edits aren’t the only valid form of content in the fandom. funny text posts, theories, discussions and ask games all contribute to the feeling of the fandom being alive just as much as edits do), but all that these rules you’re trying to implement do is scare people away. people will become more and more afraid to interact with anything, for fear of not interacting enough, not interacting in the right way, or not interacting with the right people. and that, ultimately, will do a lot more harm to the fandom than people liking your edits.

[sahlo-folinah]

Hi there!

Welcome to my tumblr, I’d just like to preface this by saying: I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing, nor do I understand how to do tumblr. I feel like a boomer on here. Like, guys I don’t know how to operate the app and I’ve watched videos.

So, with that being said, I want to write on here anyway, and what better way to do that than to write for people who want to be… wroted for.

I’m incredibly new to this, so please bear with me—if this gets any attention at all. If not, then this is for you, void.

A small introduction:

Name: Sahlo or Folina! (just so you can call me something, I guess!)

I’m a writer, and have actually completed a Master’s as of this year! I also have a bachelor’s degree in psychology, as an aside 😊

My goal is to ultimately become a published author, and to do that I need to practice the whole writing thing, and I want to make it a routine. So here we go!

——————————————————————————

As a simp for many anime men, my motivation seems to revolve around them and the fantastic shows they reside in at the moment, so here’s what I can offer people here:

- Requests for content – this can be from a range of the anime’s I’ve watched, which I’ll list below. I’m comfortable writing most things, and I’ll probably be heavily focusing on romance and character arcs/studies.

- The content can be NSFW, although I’m unfamiliar with this so request at your own peril. It would be nice to try it out though, I guess? Nothing gained if nothing ventured! If you are a minor, I WILL NOT WRITE THIS FOR YOU. I also encourage you to stay away from this type of content.

- I’m mostly familiar with oneshots, although if you want headcanons I can try that, too.

- My writing tends to be long winded, so I apologise if your oneshot turns into 7000 words.. or multi-part series.

- I am very open to writing angst related pieces, although please be aware of trigger warnings etc. I will not write self-harm, eating disorders, incest or pedohilia, however. Not to group them so brazenly, but I have limits/a lack of knowledge surrounding the issues, and do not want to misrepresent them in my writing.

- I am an avid supporter of all walks and faiths of life, so I will not tolerate any racism, sexism, ableism, or ignorant/offensive comments here, whatsoever.

——————————————————————————

With that being said, here’s the list of anime’s I’ve watched (which I’ll also tag, hehe):

- Attack on Titan (NO SPOILERS pls I am begging I am behind and have only watched up to season 3).

- Jujutsu Kaisen (the current obsession).

- My Hero Academia (if you can tell from my two posts on this blog lmao).

- Vinland Saga (a banger).

- Tokyo Ghoul.

- Bungo Stray Dogs (not all, but I’m starting it and so far I am very impressed).

- Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun.

- One Punch Man.

- Dr. Stone.

- Demon Slayer.

- The God of Highschool.

- The Promised Neverland.

Okay the list is getting too long so just ask me if I’ve seen it (as I also wouldn’t mind recommendations).

Let’s get that bread guys. Idk how to format posts. This will go very wrong.

[hellomynameisbisexual]

5 Ways That Bi Erasure Hurts More Than Just Bisexual People

December 2, 2014 by Milo Todd

This year, Bisexual Awareness Day/Celebrate Bisexuality Day was on September 23rd.

That same day, the National LGBTQ Task Force thought it’d be a good idea to post an article entitled “Bye Bye Bi, Hello Queer,” in which leadership programs director Evangeline Weiss said “she is ready ‘to say bye bye to the word bisexuality.’

She said it does not describe her sexual orientation, and she encouraged readers to cease using the word as well as she felt it reinforced a binary concept of gender.

Let me drive that home a little more. The National LGBTQ Task Force not only thought it would be a good idea to publish an article insulting, misrepresenting, and forsaking the bisexual letter in their own name, but did so on Celebrate Bisexuality Day.

Rude.

And a fantastic example of the constant, ongoing erasure bisexual people have to deal with. This one just happened to be incredibly blatant.

What happened as a result of that article? People got pissed.

People got so pissed that the Task Force not only removed the article from their website, but posted in its place this non-apology (it keeps being referred to as an apology, but I’m not so easily pleased): “Having listened to a wide array of feedback on the timing and content, we recognize that this blog offended people. For this we sincerely apologize. It has been removed.”

In other words, “Sorry you got pissed off. Hopefully you’ll shut up if we take it down.” Which, as far as I can tell, isn’t much of an apology for a blatant disregard of an entire community of people.

Misunderstanding of the bisexual community has been the crux of biphobia’s history and the ongoing battle to erase bisexuality from the LGBTQIA+ community.

It’s a scary time to be bi, especially when your lesbian, gay, pansexual, and queer siblings and allies are calling for your blood simply because they’ve fallen victim to the mainstream agenda without realizing it. (Say what?! Jump to #5.)

It’s time for a change.

It’s time for all of us to properly understand one another and to — hope of hopes — become allies for our incredibly similar endeavors. To help initiate that friendship, I ask you, dear reader, to go through the following three steps.

Step 1: Look below. If I’ve played my cards right, virtually every reader should find at least one category with which they identify.

Step 2: Approach your designated section(s) with an open mind, an unprejudiced heart, and a desire to further enhance your own community/ies. It’s difficult for people to learn new things and see different views if they automatically approach them with resistance, which is often the case with bisexual topics.

Step 3: See how bi erasure hurts you as a person and, while you’re at it, likely hurts the people you care about. Because it really is happening.

So here are five ways in which bi erasure is hurting people of layered identities.

1. Female-Identified People and Feminists

Bisexuality is one of the only non-monosexual* identities currently recognized in the English-speaking world. If bisexuality is kept underground, it suppresses our limited, precious resources for open discussion about non-monosexuality. This hurts female-identified people and feminists regardless of their sexual orientation.

To this day, female-identified people can’t get a fair shake. Pay is unequal, birth control access is limited, and objectification is a daily thing. Non-monosexual women in particular are often not taken seriously because they’re seen as sluts, greedy, or unable to make up their minds.

Also, the general fetishizing of women is particularly intensified in the bisexual realm by (straight-identified) men, turning the very act of women’s sexual freedom, empowerment, and self-expression into nothing more than something for male gazes. (This is most often seen through the relentless prompts for female-female-male threesomes and masculine catcalls in bars when two femme-appearing women make out.)

By participating in or casually allowing bi erasure to happen, we’re ignoring the specific plights and abuses of bisexual women, thereby contributing to the ongoing problem of female inequality, objectification, and silence.

As feminists, we can’t pick and choose which women to fight for. The complexities of womanhood — and all of its cultural suppressions — are an all-or-none deal.

*Note: Non-monosexuality usually refers to someone who is interested in more than one sex or gender. (In other words, somebody who isn’t gay, lesbian, or straight.) Another way to say “non-monosexuality” would be “polysexuality” to help keep it from sounding negative.

2. Male-Identified People and Male Liberationists*

Just like with female-identified people and feminists, bi erasure hurts male-identified people and male liberationists regardless of their sexual orientation.

Allow me to make this pretty basic: Men continue to be fed the message that being gay is bad. Being gay means you’re not really a man, which means you lose your dude membership and the bulk of your male privilege. And since gayness equals the slightest shred of attraction to or intimacy with another male, all manners of bromance must be squashed.

In short, many guys live in a state of silent terror in this regard.

Bi men are afraid of being banished from the world of lady-loving, gay men are worried about losing all of their connections to hetero land, and nothing is worse for a straight man than being called a fag.

Constant monitoring, constant filtering, constant stress: Is this really the kind of world we guys want to keep living in?

By being able to talk about bisexuality — remember: one of our only non-monosexual identities — male-identified people can begin to break free from the masculine ideal.

Bi talk helps bridge the gap between being a man (straight) and not being a man (gay) and realizing, hey, having some manner of attraction to or intimate interaction with another guy is totally okay, masculinity unscathed.

Gay men can begin to regain their identities as men, bi men can finally start coming out, and “fag” will lose its strength as an insult from one straight man to another.

*Note: Male liberationists are more or less seen as allies to feminists and vice versa. Both will argue that patriarchy is bad, but while feminists talk of how it’s bad for females, male liberationists talk of how it’s bad for males. Examples include the inability to romantically or sexually love another male, the emasculation of men of color, and the physical, verbal, and mental abuse that comes from society’s expectations to be stereotypically masculine.

3. People Who Identify as Trans Sexual, Trans Gender, Genderfluid, Genderqueer, or Gender Non-Conforming

This one’s pretty easy. Some people on the trans spectrum identify as bisexual. But then they’re told they can’t or that it’s an insult to their trans siblings because bisexuality is believed to be trans-exclusive.

The problem with bi erasure is it adds to the ongoing problem of cis people — LGQ or not — telling trans people what to think. Cis people have a bad habit of thinking they need to speak for people on the trans spectrum even when trans people are quite capable of speaking for themselves. This is even more frustrating when it comes from a community supposedly meant to support them.

Despite the personhood for which they’re continuing to fight, trans people can receive backlash from the lesbian, gay, and queer communities as their identities and bodies are turned into political battlegrounds.

Sometimes, they’re used without consent by some cis individuals so that points can be made for non-trans-specific agendas, and sometimes they’re ironically used in the attempts for cis identities to help better the trans worlds.

For instance, automatically dismissing bisexuality as trans-exclusive and guilting any person on the trans spectrum that wants to identity as bisexual, if I may make so fine a point.

As blogger Aud Traher writes, “If you want to support trans people like me, don’t erase me or speak over me or cause me harm out of self-righteous biphobia. Look into yourself and deal with that internalized biphobia and then help others get over theirs. Don’t advocate for the destruction of a community in the name of ‘saving’ it. And, especially, don’t do it in my name.”

4. People Who Identify as Gay, Lesbian, or — Yes — Straight

Quite simply, it makes gays and lesbians (and straight people) look bad, too.

Bisexual people get a bad rap for apparently upholding the gender binary by saying they love only (cis) men or (cis) women, but isn’t that pretty much exactly what gays, lesbians, and straight people are saying when they identify as gay, lesbian, or straight? That they’ll only love either (cis) men or (cis) women?

But where’s their rampant backlash from the rest of the community for upholding the gender binary? I’m just sayin’.

Even when these groups extend their definitions to include trans people and people on the gender non-conforming spectrum, it’s often still as long as those trans people exhibit some manner of gender representation that falls into the lover’s category of desire.

Now, I’m honestly not trying to rag on gays, lesbians, or even straight people. They have as much right to identify how they want as anybody else. And there’s nothing wrong with feeling primarily attracted to only, say, cis or trans men if your brain simply tells you that you only like guys. That’s fine. Go ahead and do that. I’m not saying you can’t.

What I am saying is you can’t be spewing bi hate or letting bi erasure slide because 1) it’s incredibly one-sided and unfair, and 2) in the end, it’s making you look bad, too.

What do you think will happen if bi erasure is a success? You’ll be next, dears.

*cue Jaws theme*

5. People Who Identify as Queer, Pansexual, or Another Fellow Non-Monosexual

In late October, Lizzy the Lezzy — who I quite enjoy, by the way — shared a photo on her Facebook timeline explaining sexuality in terms of guests at a BBQ.

This would be all well and good if it didn’t include a glaring misconception about bisexual people, especially when compared to pansexuals. While bisexual people were defined as getting both hot dogs and hamburgers, pansexuals were defined as getting hot dogs, hamburgers, “and a salad.” Oops. What year is this again?

I’m going to make something very plain to you, dear reader: Bisexual people don’t just love (cis) men or (cis) women. That’s not how the ballpark definition goes. The “bi” in “bisexual” does not indicate a binary. Well, okay, it does indicate a binary, but probably not the one you think.

Instead of “bi” meaning a love for only cis men or cis women or otherwise putting men and women at two opposite ends of a spectrum, “bi” means a love for identities bisexual people identify with themselves and identities that they don’t.

Or, as the popular Robyn Ochs definition goes: “I call myself bisexual because I acknowledge that I have in myself the potential to be attracted – romantically and/or sexually – to people of more than one sex and/or gender, not necessarily at the same time, not necessarily in the same way, and not necessarily to the same degree.”

Look at that very closely. That’s still a binary. That’s still “bi.” And there isn’t a thing wrong with it, no exclusion to be seen.

When compared with the general concepts of pansexuals and queers, our orientations suddenly sound pretty darn similar: We love everyone.

Bisexual people get a bad rap for apparently being transphobic. While we’ve already seen a little bit in #3 as to why we aren’t, I want to further drive the point home here. A large portion of the transphobic accusations toward us come from the queer and pansexual communities, which in turn seem to derive from some serious misinformation and misdirection by the mainstream.

For the record, queers and pansexuals are cool. I like them. But the fact of the matter is that the misconception of the “bi” in “bisexual” as meaning an attraction to only (cis) men or (cis) women — and therefore upholding the gender binary — was created and imposed upon bisexual people by the mainstream. You know, the people that want the gender binary to stick around.

And some queers and pansexuals ate the propaganda they were fed? That’s terrifying. It starts to show just how large and sneaky the mainstream’s gender binary monster truly is.

By defining and erasing bisexuality on the grounds that it upholds the gender binary, pansexuals and queers are not only reinforcing the binary they so sorely wish to dismantle, but they are losing important focus on where the problem actually resides: the mainstream’s insistence to force the gender binary on non-mainstream groups such as bisexual people.

Further, holding bisexual people responsible for the abuse they’ve suffered is simply wrong. All that’s doing is blaming the victim. But, by recognizing and respecting bisexual people as they truly are, bisexual people can not only help dismantle the gender binary and put a new definition on the concept of the spectrum, but finally be allowed to team up with pansexuals and queers to crush mainstream abuse on non-mainstream identities.

Doesn’t that sound nice? I think it sounds nice.

TL;DR

Dear non-bisexual identities, please stop shooting yourselves in the foot and then wondering why you’re missing toes.

We’re here for the same reasons you are: for the right to love whoever we want and for the right for others to do the same.

So let’s finally be friends. We’re never going to get anything done if we keep spending our time putting each other down.

[maximuswolf]

New to /r/Satanism? Click here for our FAQ and Q&A! via /r/satanism

New to /r/Satanism? Click here for our FAQ and Q&A!

Link to previous Q&A sticky: Sticky 1, Sticky 2, Sticky 3, Sticky 4, Sticky 5, Sticky 6, Sticky 7

Unlike many other subreddits, we at /r/Satanism enjoy nearly complete freedom of speech. The tradeoff for that free speech is that sometimes you will be exposed to ideas or opinions that you don't agree with. Keep in mind that bad behavior and not bad ideas will get people banned from this subreddit. As Satanists most often believe in stratification, the voting buttons in /r/Satanism can be used to that end. Because of this, moderators like myself likely will not remove links to sites that you would expect to be removed from other subreddits.

FAQ:

Note: This FAQ is written by moderator of /r/Satanism and Agent of the Church of Satan, /u/modern_quill. I am trying to remain unbiased and fact-based in these Q&A responses, so if you feel that I have somehow misrepresented your organization or philosophy, please let me know and we can work together to make the appropriate corrections.

Q: What is Satanism?

A: This is a simple question, but it has a complex answer because it depends on who you ask. Satanism as a philosophy and religion was first codified by Anton Szandor LaVey in his 1969 publication of The Satanic Bible. Some people refer to this secular Satanism as "LaVeyan Satanism" as a nod to Anton LaVey. The Satanic Bible borrows from the works of Might is Right by Ragnar Redbeard, Ayn Rand's Objectivism, and Frederich Nietzche's Der Wille zur Macht. This is the most widely practiced form of Satanism and is championed by the Church of Satan (CoS) to this day. At its most basic definition, "LaVeyan Satanism" is about living the best life that you want to live, and bending the world around you to your will to achieve that goal. A Satanist sees themselves as their own God. There is, of course, much more to Satanism than that very basic definition, but we expect people to do their own research as well. Most LaVeyan Satanists will simply call it Satanism, as there is only one form of Satanism from the Church of Satan's perspective. Members of the recently formed secular organization called The Satanic Temple (TST), by comparison, see Satanism as political activism. The Satanic Temple often makes news headlines with their efforts to establish a separation of church and state and do not include The Satanic Bible as part of their organization's canon, but rather The Revolt of the Angels by Anatole France. Later, some people in the United Kingdom split from The Satanic Temple to form the Global Order of Satan (GOS). There are also theistic Satanists, some believe in a literal Satan and some do not. Ask a theist like /u/Ave_Melchom what they believe and they'll likely share their thoughts with you, but you probably won't find very many theists that share the same philosophy. There are also more esoteric organizations such as the Temple of Set (ToS), which was formed by former Church of Satan member Michael Aquino after infighting within the organization in 1975 caused many theistic members to split away and become Setians. /u/Purple-Tatters and /u/CodeReaper moderate /r/Setianism subreddit and are a wealth of information on the subject. There are also organizations that fall into a more neo-nazi ideology such as the Order of Nine Angles (ONA or O9A), here is additional reading on ONA, and self-stylized "Spiritual Satanists" of the Joy of Satan (JoS), which are often not tolerated by other members of this subreddit. The words, "Fuck off, Nazi!" have become somewhat of a meme on /r/Satanism.

Q: If Satanists don't believe in Satan, why call it Satanism at all? Why not Humanism?

LaVeyan A: Modern secular Satanists see humans as just another animal within the greater animal kingdom, no better than our avian, reptilian, or mammalian friends. Our technology and our intellectual advancements may have placed us at the top of the food chain, but it has merely encouraged humans to be the most vicious animals of all. To us, Satan is a metaphor that represents our strength, our pride, our intellect, our carnality, and all of the so-called sins as they lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification. The Hebrew word Satan simply means adversary, and Satanists take that adversarial stance to a great many things in their lives; the way we approach an issue, the way we tackle a problem, the way we overcome an obstacle. While Humanists may try to live like Bill & Ted and be excellent to eachother, a Satanist recognizes that emotions like anger, even hate are natural to the human animal and we shouldn't feel guilty for such natural inclinations. While Christians may turn the other cheek when wronged, you can be sure that a Satanist will have their revenge, with interest.

Q: Do you sacrifice or molest children/animals? Do you drink blood?

LaVeyan A: No. Sacrifice is a Christian concept that was projected on to innocent Satanists during the "Satanic Panic" of the 80's and early 90's by charlatan law enforcement "consultants" and Christian religious "experts". One trait common to Satanists is their love of life as Satanists view life as the greatest of indulgences; children and animals represent the purest forms of life and imagination that there are. In fact, the abuse of children and animals is forbidden by the Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth. Also, why would we want to drink blood? Christians are the ones that (symbolically) eat the flesh and drink the blood of their savior. I'd rather enjoy a nice scotch.

Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth

Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked.

Do not tell your troubles to others unless you are sure they want to hear them.

When in another’s lair, show him respect or else do not go there.

If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat him cruelly and without mercy.

Do not make sexual advances unless you are given the mating signal.

Do not take that which does not belong to you unless it is a burden to the other person and he cries out to be relieved.

Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained.

Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself.

Do not harm little children.

Do not kill non-human animals unless you are attacked or for your food.

When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask him to stop. If he does not stop, destroy him.

More FAQ Below - (10,000 character maximum per post.)

Submitted October 16, 2020 at 03:27PM by modern_quill via reddit https://ift.tt/343kGzm

[kyokorambles]

Writing Characters with Mental Illness

This is just a general guide and please feel free to correct me and or add to the list! This is meant to be used as a cheat sheet for authors who would like some general guidance when it comes to the above topic.

I just read a statistic that stated  46.4% of people in the USA will experience some form of mental illness in there adult life time. That’s almost half of us! Yet its not something we to want to talk about, and it seems to be under-represented in mainstream media. 

If you are looking for a piece of fiction that focuses on a characters struggle with mental illness, you will have better luck with self published works or fan fiction. While some authors get it just right, I see more often then not authors that ether romanticize it, misrepresent it, or my personal pet peeve of making it a personality quirk. 

Here is a list of my personal Do’s and Don’t for writing mental illness. Again, feel free to correct me, add to the list, or share your thoughts! 

Things I try and avoid: 

Avoid Romanticizing or Eroticizing mental illness. This not only sends the wrong message to your readers who are from the 53.6% of the population that are not effected by mental illnesses, but it perpetuates harmful stereotypes. No one is going to swoop into your life and ‘fix’ you, and we need to stop setting that expectation… Panic attacks are not endearing or cute, self harm is a serious red flag, not something that makes you beautiful or unique. The person is suffering dont invalidate that. You know what is romantic and beautiful? Partners/friends/family that are encouraging you to seek professional help and going with you to your first doctors appointment, SO’s who help there partners fight there illness by reminding them to take there medication, eat, or rest, Partners who hate your self harm scars as much as you do, but remind you that YOU are beautiful and they aren’t something to be ashamed of. This last one is just as important but reversed. SO’s who remind you that your struggle is valid even if you don’t have battle scars that others can see.

Avoid writing outside of your understanding. This does not mean you have to suffer a mental illness to include one in your work, but research is key. Ask a friend who might struggle with it. If you don’t have one, just ask Tumbler. I am sure someone will be happy to give you an inside scoop. 

Avoid making the entire story about the mental illness. It’s not that you can’t… but remember that your MC is not there mental illness so its a good idea to have the main plot unrelated to their head space. Good news is that people live there lives every day with mental illness! So it’s far more realistic to write a main plot of Rags to riches, Voyage and return, or what every you fancy, and have the characters struggle with mental illness as a subplot. 

Avoid making any mental illness a quirk. Just like making it seem ‘romantic’ its just as harmful to write red flags off as part of a characters personality. When we do this we are minimizing the issue. The teenager that is constantly in there room and isolating themselves? The coworker that seems to constantly be frazzled and jumping from project to project without really completing one? The ‘wine aunt’ who pops in and out of the family and is always sloshed? Those are not “just the way they are” “There personalities” or “quirks.” They are red flags and again 53.6% of the population will probably assume that if the rest of your work is well written, you know what you’re talking about so it must be like that in real life too. 

Things I try to include: 

Accuracy!! I follow the ‘write what you know’ rule personally and I also shamelessly project onto my characters. I am brutally honest about the good, the bad, and the ugly and lay my characters bear to show exactly what is going through their brain so the reader is with them every step of the way. Sometimes that means showing them being irrational, selfish, afraid, or doing hurtful things to others/loved ones. if your MC is the one with the mental illness, then sometimes it means showing the reader an inaccurate picture of the situation through your MC’s pov and that is ok. Unreliable narrators are a thing and a useful tool! 

Do show them learning to manage and thrive with there mental illness!  Maybe they manage with coping mechanisms they teach themselves, maybe with medication, maybe they learn ways to recognize and redirect there behavior after going to therapy. You can do this in so many ways, but I always make a point to show that characters may still have bad days, weeks, or even months, but that they learned how to deal with there issues in a healthy way. A lot of personality disorders, mental illness and the likes have no cure. There are tons of treatment options to help manage, but learning to live with it and make it work is something that doesn’t get enough light. 

Subtlety is king and adds a whole new depth to your work. Here is the thing. When your depressed your are not thinking “man I am so depressed” most of the time. Some people don’t even realize that the way they feel isn’t ‘normal’. Ever head of show dont tell? I am sure most of us have gotten this critique on our work at one time or another, and this is really something to take to heart. Its one thing to say “I am depressed” it is another thing to walk the reader though what life is actually like when you are depressed especially if they have never been depressed. Take time to show how little things pile up over time until its ‘too much.’ Show the character as they hit there braking point after a hard fought struggle. 

Show how mental illness comes into play in a relationship both romantic and platonic. You can do this without romanticizing it I swear. As important as it is to depict mental illness accurately, it is just as important to show how trying to help someone with there mental illness can be a real struggle. There is a big difference between someone swooping in to ‘save’ the character, and an SO stepping up to help support the character. Also depicting healthy boundaries/support in platonic relationships is something we don’t see often.

These were just a few things that flew into my mind and pet peeves that irk me when I am reading a story. Just do your research and avoid harmful stereotypes and your piece will really stand out. 

Keep in mind that there is a lot of misinformation on the web. Some sources I like to use for mental health research are listed below but just remember to get your information from the most reliable source available.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition: DSM-5~  This is where you can find toooons of information about how almost all mental disorders are categorized, diagnosed, and the recommended treatment. I have a paper back copy that I picked up for under $30 on Amazon but there are free PDF versions available for download.  This is perfect if you want a holistic look at the topic, but can be overwhelming if you are not used to this sort of reading. 

The Mayo Clinic website ~ is another wonderful tool that is a lot easier to navigate. Rather then searching the site directly you can type the name of the disorder you are trying to get info on with the words ‘mayo clinic’ directly after into google and it will usually pull it right up. While they pull there info from the above source, they sort and organize it based on relevance. 

The National Institute of Mental Health is another good one to check out. NIHM’s site is very user friendly with lots of good information and resources. 

Public health is not one I have used but it has been recommended to me in the past. 

I hope this gets you pointed in the right direction. I plan on doing several of similar ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ for common mental health issues so feel free to let me know if you want anything specific.

[ask-canterlot-musicians]

Shoulda known better

Hey everyone,

I was not at all sure how the previous comic would be received. Given that I was blowing a pretty massive hole in the Scratchtavia ship, I figured some folks were going to be super nettled. As I usually do, I anticipated a bad result.

The response could not have been more positive. It was heart warming to see how well you all responded. I am humbled. With writing, especially writing of this nature, I find that I am rarely making decisions for the characters. Instead, it often feels like they are telling me what is the right call. And in this case, though I knew it might not be a crowd-pleaser, it felt like the right thing to do.

Now, here is something that is important, and I could use your help on.

This is something that I want to represent correctly. As you guys have so wonderfully put it, there is no “wrong” way to feel (or not feel). But there are wrong ways to represent different preferences and sexualities. I want to make sure, going forward, that I do not misrepresent aromanticism, or any other orientation, incorrectly. (this includes terminology because I’m not sure I’m using the right words here).

So, there are two things I would ask of you. Firstly, if you find that I am portraying something incorrectly, or in a way that casts a negative light, please inform me. It is not my intention to cause any offense or harm, and I would like to know where I err so that I might avoid it going forward.

Secondly, I realize this is extremely personal, but if any of you have experiences that you feel might help me better express aromanticism, demiromanticism, etc, please feel free to share them. I realize that this is a lot to ask, and I would only have you share if you are 1000% comfortable with it. I would never share anything without your permission, but I hope that this might be an opportunity for all of us to learn.

To sum up, this is a difficult topic for me to do. It is a sensitive topic for many, and I want to give it the respect it deserves. I hope that you will be patient with me if I make a mistake, and help me to better understand. Thank you all so much for being so bloomin’ wonderful.

Yours,

Esuka

[uneryx]

Renee Gets Salty About Dark Magic

This post got long, and got away from me, so I’ll tl;dr it

1. dark magic is a metaphor for consumption and materialism and is ultimately bad because it harms others unnecessarily and is not a sustainable resource

2. the elves were dicks for banishing humans but (especially if humans sucked all the magic out of the land themselves) they were kind of justified, even if it was an extreme measure

3. Eating meat is not the same as dark magic if you’re looking at things from an animistic point of view, which the elves likely do

4. it’s okay to like problematic characters and you don’t have to portray Ezran as a monstrous enfant terrible to feel okay about thinking Viren is justified in what he does.  In fact, pretty please stop doing this, everyone in all fandoms. It’s fine if you don’t like the protags but that doesn’t mean you get to say Ezran or Rayla or whoever is EVIL. It’s called Ron the Death Eater and it’s a fandom trope that has pissed me off for going on fifteen years. Deliberately misreading the text isn’t cute. Stop doing it.

5. The show isn’t over, be patient, you’ll probably get to see some comeuppance for stuff anyway. And if you don’t, there’s always fanfiction. 

6. For the love of baby adoraburrs please tag posts that go in the vein of “the writing is bad because Viren is portrayed as a classic villain/elves good humans bad/the protags aren’t held accountalbe” with “TDP CRITICAL” I would greatly appreciate it because I’m getting super annoyed with posts that deliberately misrepresent canon to uphold a favored side and it’s affecting my enjoyment of the show. Now! Actual long and discourse-heavy post under the cut!

 Ugh I don’t want to start a big ol’ argument with people because I’m still on vacation and don’t want to spend the rest of today arguing about cartoons on the internet, but this has been on the kettle for a while and I feel QUITE STRONGLY about some of these things, so just... let me express my views here and don’t come for me because I’m about to talk about religion and sociology. 

Dark Magic is a metaphor for unchecked consumption and capitalism.  1. The theory i’m seeing floating around that got my dander up is that the elves and dragons drained the western half of the continent of magic to keep magic away from humans. I think that, based on what we’ve learned from canon, this is highly unlikely and would be weaker writing than what I think actually happened. Instead, Dark magic was going on for a good solid 800 years (Rise of Elarion is 2000 years before canon) before Sol Regem faced off with Viard (1200 years before canon). The division of Xadia was another 200 years after that. Humans had a solid honking millennium of unchecked dark magic. It is quite likely that the reason the west is entirely devoid of magic, and that humans were banished there, is because they sucked all the magic out of that half themselves. Poor innocent baby humans nothing. They got a taste of power and progress and, like real world humans, let that get WAY out of control.

2. “But Lujanne eats bugs, she’s a hypocrite for saying Claudia can’t squish bugs for pancakes” I want you to go down to your local new-age/witchy bookstore and find yourself an animist that eats meat. You are going to get glared at SO HARD if you whip out the “you think animals have souls but you eat meat!” chestnut. Because here’s the thing.

Eating meat/animal products is an act of life, necessary to sustain the life of someone else. We don’t vilify wolves for eating deer. You gotta eat to live your life, and the human (or, we can assume, bipedal humanoid) diet includes a need for complex protein chains, quite often found in animal meat. 

But the reason that we find cannibalism repulsive in western society is because it’s eating another human, despite the fact that humans are made of meat. It’s eating something that we consider sentient, dignified and possessed of a soul. Of course, the taboo also derives from the fact that you can contract prion disease from consuming human meat, but people in 11th century Normandy didn’t know that.  It is quite likely, especially given what we’ve seen of magical creatures and Ezran’s ability to talk to animals, that elves view non-human/elf creatures as sentient and possessed of a soul. If that’s the case, then OF COURSE they would see dark magic as horrific.

But eating meat is not on the same level because, as we see from the assassins, death is a part of life, and sometimes necessary. I imagine that hunting and taking a creature’s life for food is an act that is done with respect. The creatures are honored or thanked before they’re eaten or turned into leather. Highly ritualized to dignify that creature’s life.  Dark magic doesn’t do that. Dark magic sucks the whole life out, without so much of a how do you do.  It’s treating a person like a thing. It’s sucking all the life and essence out of someone so you can shoot fireballs or make fluffy pancakes. Lets be real - you don’t need to do either of those things, so the creature thus died in vain. 3. “The elves are selfish bastards for hogging all the magic.” I agree. Granted, their attitudes may have cooled in the ensuing centuries. It’s a new dawn, the era of Zubeia. We might see elves getting over their uppity selves and working to help teach humans magic. We might also see the show explore that kind of prejudice as Callum learns more magic. In fact, I hope we do. However, two wrongs dont make a right.  If Japan bombs the absolute fuckshit out of Hawaii, that does not make it okay to flash-fry Nagasaki with a weapon that blights the land and its people for years and years afterward.

To the elves (who are magical creatures and therefore totally usable as spell components), that’s what dark magic is. Suddenly, haha oh fuck, the humans have a fucking NUKE that every elf and dragon in Xadia is vulnerable to.  If a weapon was devised that ONLY a certain portion of the population was affected by, you better bet your sweet bippy that people would panic and make it forbidden and illegal, and severely punish the people who created it. ESPECIALLY if those people were already marginalized. Sucks, don’t it? Doesn’t mean the writing is bad for portraying people having a realistic reaction to something that is harmful to them. The elves aren’t justified in hogging the magic, and I hope future chapters will explore that. But the elves ARE a liiiiiittle bit justified in freaking out. I hold they could’ve come up with a better solution than BANISH HUMANS, but they didn’t. Makes for interesting story conflict, doesn’t it? 4. “Humans NEED dark magic!” / “Calling dark magic a shortcut is dumb” Did they tho? Did they really? Really really? We, modern day humans, don’t NEED smart phones (which rely on several rare earth minerals and are causing untold ecological disaster in areas where they’re miend). We, modern day humans, don’t NEED coal power (which is controlled by coal companies, who keep telling us that we totally do, despite many scientists saying that renewable energy is ready to go whenever). We don’t NEED blackberries from Mexico year-round, or a whole hell of a lot of the things we have come to rely on and consider part of our every day lives. All of these things are unnecessary and shortcuts to progress.

The only - ONLY! - good, necessary thing we’ve seen in canon that dark magic was required for was using the magma titan’s heart for saving people from famine.

A lot of the complaints about sustainable energy and efforts to heal the planet as climate change become increasingly a crisis stem from the fact that doing things RIGHT, in a way that is sustainable and doesn’t strip every last resource out of our home, is that it takes time. It takes SO MUCH TIME to do things properly. Yeah, we can keep going with our coal and our gas-guzzler cars and our fracking and our rare-earth metals... but we ARE going to run out. And then what?  Dark magic is the same principle. Eventually, you’re going to run out of resources. 

5. Where I think the show is going My main beef with those (and there’s a lot of ya, so I’m not intending to single anyone out) who say that the writing is lazy for dark magic bad elfs good is that the show is not over. Wonderstorm is doing their damndest to give us the saga. And they’ve said, out right, that there WILL be books, if nothing else.

You can’t judge a story’s merits when it’s only been half told. Right now, what the show has done is it has shown us the worst and best of the elves (for example, Khessa’s purity test vs Rayla refusing to kill Ez so she doesn’t perpetuate a cycle of violence) and the worst and best of the humans (ex: Viren forcibly turning thousands of people into monsters against their will vs Viren risking his life in order to save thousands of people from famine). The show has done well to demonstrate that there is good and bad in everyone, and it’s the choices you make and the respect you show others’ autonomy that makes you a good or bad person. The dominoes are in place. The saga has only begun. Being mad that Ezran burned an army (that he likely knew from Soren was invulnerable to fire) or that Aanya shot Kasef in the face (when Opeli would have told her that Kasef conspired behind Ezran’s back to usurp the throne, which is AN ACT OF WAR btw) means you aren’t looking at the big picture. There WILL be consequences for those actions in later seasons, mark my words.

I’m sorry if you’re a Viren or Claudia stan, but they have made choices that hurt other people, and it is in no way shape or form Ezran or Callum or Rayla or ANYONE ELSE’S fault that they made the choices they did. Instead of being mad at the show for not portraying your fav as an innocent victim, be glad that you got such a wonderfully complex set of villains who, quite likely, will get a bomb-ass redemption arc. In fact, I’ll bet you anything that Viren’s walk back from the edge has already begun. The dude fucking DIED, and he’s not going to be eager to get in there and get all grabby with the power any time soon. 

That’s what good writing IS - conflict. Tension. People making morally questionable choices. We like it because every day people are hypocrites and morally questionable. You, and I, and everyone we know. Nobody’s perfect and getting cranky and painting the protagonists with the broad villain brush so you can feel good about liking a problematic fave is... some peak tumblr bullshit, tbh.  It’s okay to like characters who aren’t perfect. How fucking boring fiction would be if everyone was perfect.

Now if I can ask my mutuals to please tag their criticisms of the show that go in the vein of “the writing is bad because dark magic is portrayed so negatively/they don’t hold the protags accountable/elves good humans bad” with “TDP critical” I would greatly appreciate it. It’s getting to the degree where things are becoming very not fun and making me cranky.  Thank you, Renee out.