#All conspiracy theories and no facts make gullible people something something

[theabstruseone]

There’s a “documentary” called Room 237 (2012) that exists solely to allow some fans of the film The Shining (1980) share their theories about what the TRUE meaning of the movie is. Most of it is fan wank over-analyzing the film from perspectives that completely differ from the on-the-record sources of director Stanley Kubrick and the book’s author Stephen King. And I don’t mean normal “death of the author” stuff but looking into the deep symbology of using the number 237 instead of 217 from the book because of yadda yadda bullshit bullshit when it’s just the hotel used for exterior shots requested it because they knew people would refuse to stay in the “haunted” room 217, so it was changed to 237 since that hotel didn’t have a room with that number.

But I didn’t want to talk about that. I wanted to talk about one of the best IMDB trivia entries of all time from the segment that goes deep into the conspiracy theory that Stanley Kubrick faked the Apollo 11 moon landing footage and The Shining was his confession. And it is this:

During the segment of the film where they are claiming that "The Shining" is a symbolic representation of the faked moon landing, the narrator talks about changing the room number from 217 to 237. He shows the key which reads, "ROOM No 237" and says that there are only two words you can make with the capital letters, room and moon. However this is untrue as you can also spell moron.

[bogleech]

Guess I have to make a main thread about this. Someone decided to fight with me in the notes on this post just yesterday about Gaza and made select responses of mine into a callout thread here, where they say my anger towards the IDF is all a cover for antisemitism. This didn't make any sense, because they said they were also against the IDF killing civilians, and I repeatedly said that Jewish people aren't to blame for the IDF or represented by the IDF in any way, putting us supposedly both on the exact same page. What gerry leaves out of their own screenshots, and I'd actually forgotten, is that at first they came at me from an angle that I was disrespecting the victims in Gaza.

So this implies they feel gaza is being subjected to a genocide, and a pretty big one, since they're upset my language made it sound "smaller and tamer." When it becomes obvious that I do in fact consider it a serious genocide, that's when they switch over to saying that my criticism of Netanyahu or the IDF is inherently an attack on Jewish people.

Notice I never actually said "zionists" in this screenshot, even, but that I defined "regular humans" as humans who don't want to kill innocent families. That would automatically include Jewish people since they overall do not wish to kill anyone, but have in fact spent quite a lot more time trying not to get killed. I believe there may be entire books about this fact! I think there's even whole museums about it, if I'm not mistaken?!

So then they pivot to saying I'm an antisemite because I said the IDF and its supporters can "burn in hell," and they say "invoking hell" is an antisemitic dogwhistle, which is definitely news to me?!

So I tried to clarify, again, that I'm only angry at the people who are themselves killing civilians and the "pro-genocide maniacs" who defend the killing of civilians, which they responded to as if I had "lumped them in" with those. You can just see right there that I didn't make any assumption that they were a part of that at all. Thanks to their earlier comments I still thought I was speaking to someone 100% against the IDF's actions, but every time I said that the killers and their advocates alone are bad, they've framed it in some new way as me just not liking anyone Jewish. So now that you have that context:

...In a response to an ask, they finally just say they hated me to begin with and set out with the intention to "bait and sealion" me (their own words!!) into saying something they hoped would be antisemitic, which they believe was successful despite me never saying anything about Jews other than "this isn't their fault." They saw what they admittedly wanted to, so strongly, that they show me saying "this isn't the fault of Jews" as evidence that I blame Jews. But speaking of people "going mask off"

In multiple more recent posts and asks, this person appears to say that they simply do not believe the IDF is really targeting children or ambulances or relief aid, that "none of those are true," and the deliberate targeting of any children is supposedly just a conspiracy theory??? So I guess they did successfully troll me and I feel like a real gullible dumbass, because the only reason I continued responding to this person in the first place was that they said they were in fact against the ongoing massacre. Instead, these comments sound like they think the IDF is being unfairly vilified by dishonest propagandists, and that's why they hated me enough to try and fish for callout fuel. That's the nastiest fucking thing anyone's yet pulled on me about this and it's not one that I'm just going to ignore. I should have smelled a troll early on and just blocked them, but it's SO hard for me to suspect ulterior motives. I always go in thinking people mean well, and that there's just a miscommunication we can work out. I almost feel like this individual noticed that and tried to exploit it?!? Unfortunately I'm sure this kind of thing will happen again simply because I don't intend to obediently shut up about what's being done to Gaza. It's not logistically possible for the death and destruction to all just be accidental collateral damage. Don't let anybody ever fool you into thinking the IDF is the face of the Jewish community or vice-versa, just as you can't let anyone fool you into thinking Hamas represents all Palestinians. Especially don't engage this person, stop doing so if you have been, and block them.

[anadrenalineslut]

honestly, the kaylor conspiracy feels, to me at least, less like am earnest belief that a gay relationship is happening

and more that kaylors don't want taylor to be happy. not because they hate her, but like

taylor has a reputation. she writes banging break up songs and heart wrenching anthems about failed relationships.

and honestly? being in a secret relationship with a married woman for six years sounds absolutely fucking miserable to me. it would be great songwriting material though.

and i think they hate joe, less for being 'in the way of' their ship and more that they think if he's the one

if this time it works for taylor

she won't write those songs we love anymore.

like, you and i know that's not how it works but, anyone who would rather believe that taylor's been in a secret gay relationship she can never actually be truly happy in sounds gullible enough to believe that taylor being happy means no more sad songs.

Wow, you know this makes so much sense, bestie, holy shit.

I think you might be onto something here because yeah, being in a relationship with a married woman for six years does, in fact, sound fucking miserable. It actually tracks with a lot of what their song analysis is with folkmore and midnights.

For example, they completely ignore the rest of the dear reader bridge to claim that "if you knew where I was walking, to a house not a home all alone" is some big declaration that Joe is not a real relationship despite the fact that the entire song is about the 1989 era and her forced closeting and the bridge specifically points to how she's getting TRASHED and praying to "prefer hiding in plain sight." And it's because the reading of dear reader like this is so much more heartbreaking to them because it proves that Taylor is not "actually" happy! She's miserable! Look how miserable she is guys, she's all alone in her house with nobody waiting for her!

Even though they hear would've could've should've and understand that she's not literally singing about something that is currently happening, that understanding flies out the window when they hear music that goes against their "Taylor is actually miserable!" narrative and I hate to make assumptions about the motivations of other people's actions, but if you critically look at all the kaylor midnights theories- it makes your anon make A LOT of sense. You're so smart, bestie, holy shit.

Like, I'm almost positive that's why they believe that sweet nothing is about her mother, not about Joe, even though she literally WROTE IT WITH JOE. Your line about "great songwriting material" is especially relevant to this analysis, I believe, because sweet nothings is literally exclusive to a romantic relationship but because the song lacks a certain... "passion" let's call it (more like toxicity) they believe there is NO POSSIBLE WAY it's about her current relationship because well, the song is just so... boring to them. It doesn't have the passion of songs like "the way i loved you," "so it goes...," "state of grace," "stay stay stay," "holy ground," "if this was a movie," "red," or even "style" or "wildest dreams." And it's like... yeah, no shit all of those songs are about unhealthy relationships babes.

Like, they will take songs like "i think he knows" for example and look for something that completely changes the meaning of the song (i think he knows i want you... even though, she literally just means he knows that she's horny FOR HIM) because they want the album to be sadder than it actually is. They want Taylor to not be happy because they truly believe that her best songs are written when she is in the most awful relationships imaginable. They claim the song is about Joe (or calvin???) knowing that she wants karlie?????? which doesn't make any sense because she is literally singing about his boyish looks turning her on ???????????? and like, bestie, HOW???????? she's literally so happy and horny in that song.... it's not a sad song at ALL.

Or the dumbest one of all time "call it what you want" originally being "karlie would you want to" even though, once again, they ignore the rest of the lyrics to make the narrative make sense. The song is literally written to HER FANS and THE PUBLIC, telling them she doesn't care what they say about her relationship because it's theirs and they created it themselves???? I'm trying hard to keep this response as short as possible but it makes so much fucking sense when you think about all their dumb ass interpretations of songs, especially ones that call them out or that are happy love songs about Joe.

I think you're right about this theory, tbh, anon because every single song i'm thinking about that they claim is proof that joe is a beard is literally just them reading the song as much more miserable than it was originally intended or refusing to acknowledge the happiness that Joe brings Taylor specifically. Like, the kicker is she HAS been giving us sad music for the past three years specifically!

She's so happy with Joe but folkmore and midnights were sad pieces of work as a whole, even though her songs to Joe in those pieces are some of the most beautiful love songs (i saw a kaylor say invisible string was boring... girl, just say you're not in love and go!) i've ever heard. It's nice to have a friend, sweet nothing, invisible string, long story short, willow, lavender haze etc etc are all very happy love songs but she's also taylor swift and she has a lot of past trauma to work through.

It could be that they just cannot relate to happy taylor so they have to interpret the songs that are happy as sad shit in order to still feel connected to Taylor? Maybe they feel like they cannot relate to her if she's happy and they're not? IDK but I wish they'd quit it.

Take the music for what it is, not what you want it to be.

[geekns]

you sound like the qanon conspiracy freaks who were convinced there were litter boxes in classrooms for kids to piss and shit in lol. was gonna try engaging in a meaningful dialogue with you but since you’ve got your head so far up your ass you’re interpreting genuine kindhearted asks trying to help you as vicious hate and bullying, im not even gonna bother. i just wanted you to know you sound like you ingested horse antiparasitic to treat covid. also ps who the fuck is anne? are you just making up a person to blame everything on bc you can’t admit that you showed your entire ass and multiple people have come to clown? okay anyway you’re too bitter to waste the rest of my high on so byeeeeeeee!!!!

I have not ever been involved with the QAnon movement. Have no fucks to give, never thought any of it was real. In fact, I think it was controlled opposition. I don't fit inside your tiny box, Anne.

I haven't received any genuine, kindhearted asks in a very long time.

If you thought you were being kind, you are absolutely delusional. I am not here to conform to your hot takes. Who do you think you are, what gives you the right to tell me how to live, what to think, what to feel? I'm not here to be your echo chamber.

Oh yes, the Rona.

You want to know what. I feel sorry for you. That "horse antiparasitic" has been prescribed to humans for decades. The only reason the Rona Vax was able to be pushed into production is because the doctors and the MSM and the government lied to you. If they were to admit that a drug, one that's worked for decades, could work in this instance as well, then they wouldn't have been legally allowed to use people like lab rats.

And guess what? Now the people who were gullible enough to take the jab are paying the price, and it's horrible. Turbo cancers. Blood Clots. Heart attacks. Strokes. Bell's Palsy. Sterilization. The list keeps growing and growing and y'all still think you weren't sold snake oil? Wake up!

There had never been a vax for the common cold and the one they have provided still doesn't prevent the disease from being contracted or from spreading. That's a bunch of science fiction, germ theory doesn't even hold water and hasn't done so for 100 years. They were trying to prove it during the Spanish Flu and failed.

I feel so sorry for everyone who is living through this dystopic nightmare, even moreso for those people who are still hypnotized and refuse to acknowledge what they allowed to happen to themselves.

Anne is short for anon.

Specifically hateful anons. It's a term that the Reylos coined because so many people were hating on them. It's been in Tumblr usage for years. It's got "Sure Jan" vibes. An Anne is almost always a Karen. Someone who irrationally expects to get their way and be thanked for their tantrum. And what y'all have most definitely been acting like today is Karens.

I haven't shown my ass, WTF is that even supposed to mean. I mean, do you want me to moon you like in Braveheart or something? It's not my thing but I could probably find you a clip.

No, I'm not surprised that the brainwashed clowns showed up, haters gotta hate after all. It's like you guys get off on making yourselves look as idiotic and small as possible. I've always been perplexed: why do you think it's okay to tell people that they're full of "hate" if they don't agree with your delusions. Why would it ever be okay to tell someone that they should kill themself? Be forced to put up with abuse? Be raped? Does it make you feel powerful??? Because you sound pathetic.

So good, go away, rethink your life, since drugs seem to make you act like a fool that can't be taken seriously.

[mineofilms]

Two-Step Flow Theory for Idiots

One of my many mantras is… “Do not get upset over which you cannot control.”

STOP and think about that for a second. What do you actually control? Not what you believe you control, but what you know you can actually influence in your favor by your will... The world is changing… We are living this change… Change is never pleasant… The INTERNET gives everyone a voice, and that voice is loud… However, just because something is loud does not make it good or right. Volume is not a measurement of quality and it never was, ever…

“There’s a concept called “two-step flow-theory” and what it says is that there are precious few original thinkers in the world and because most people feel like they have to have an opinion on everything because that's the world that we live in at the moment but very few people can be bothered to do original thought and do the research. People just take on the opinion of whoever their favorite thought leader is…” ~Chris Williamson

"Two-Step Flow Theory" is one of those ideas that some folks think explains how information spreads, especially in the age of social media. In the world of “two-step flow theory,” there are these so-called "influencers." They're the ones who are “in the know,” or at least they want you to think they are. These “influencers” are like the gatekeepers of Cool Kids Information. They get their hands on the latest news, trends, or ideas, and they decide what's worth sharing with the rest of us peasants. Here's the kicker though… These “influencers” are not necessarily the experts in the field, a field or any field. Nope, they're just regular people with a knack for gathering attention. They could be your aunt sharing conspiracy theories on Facebook that the Earth is Flat or that self-proclaimed guru on Instagram who's always trying to sell you life-changing mentorships, products or discounts on their Only Fans page. “Two-Step Flow Theory” wants you to believe that these “influencers,” aka salespeople, are the standard for trendsetting. That their opinion is not only the correct one, but also if you do not follow their suggestion you will fail if you do it on your own. They preach, you must NEED their help. For a price… According to this theory once the rest of US, gullible masses, get a taste of their digital wisdom, we consume it. We take their word as the gospel and run with it. What this theory conveniently forgets to mention is that we're not a bunch of mindless zombies. Well, a lot of us aren’t. I have also seen many that are…

We still have our own critical thinking skills, don't we? We still use LOGIC don’t we?

“Two-Step Flow Theory” essentially suggests that information goes from “influencers” to the masses without much reflection or skepticism. It paints us as passive consumers who are easily swayed by what our so-called, “leaders” tell us. Let's be real here. We're not just sheep following the herd. We question, we fact-check, and we don't blindly accept everything that comes our way because someone who appears cool on the INTERNET says so. In today's world, where everyone has access to information at their fingertips, it's time to realize that we're not that easily influenced.

Look at all the binary sentiment lately. Just define CONTEXT for example…

'Context' – often overlooked… The linchpin of meaningful conversation… Dictionary-defined as the circumstances surrounding a statement, 'context' is your golden ticket in understanding what's really meant. Without it, conversations turn into chaotic word games that go in circles or nowhere at all, but will drive you mad.

• Sometimes Start Fights… • Sometimes End Friendships… • Sometimes End Marriages… • Sometimes Creates Drama Where None Existed Before… • Supposed to Create Logical UNDERSTANDING…

In this first age of social media sensationalism, 'context' often gets buried beneath the pursuit of shock value. The pursuit of hearts, likes, follows, subs, comments, feedback, engagement and attention. The pursuit of us vs them, good vs evil, right vs wrong, left vs right, zero vs one, gay vs straight, black vs white, man vs woman, Jew vs Muslim, Life vs Death. To engage in meaningful discussions, 'context' must take center stage. It's not just background details; it's the key to unraveling the maze of misunderstanding communication at all. Intention and Context may not be one in the same, all of the time, or even some of the time. If you do not have an understanding of the contextual value of something the opinion you may have from that lack of understanding may not actually represent what you want it to represent. This has to be one of the worst ways social media has impacted our lives, our thoughts, our communications as of late…

—And It’s Maddening—

In a world where information flows freely, it's crucial to maintain a healthy dose of skepticism. Don’t you think it is about time we give ourselves more credit for being critical thinkers who do not simply follow the lead of self-proclaimed “influencers?” So, remember, you're not just a passive follower – you're a discerning individual who can separate fact from fiction, no matter how influential the source may be.

—If it’s Too Good To Be True it Usually Is—

According to the “Two-Step Flow Theory” the majority of these trendsetters lack original thinking abilities. In today's society, where it is expected to have an opinion on everything, people tend to adopt the viewpoints of their preferred “thought leaders of the week club” instead of engaging in original thought and conducting thorough research themselves. Monologues/Reaction videos from other "Two-Step Flow Theory” practitioners; which is what other thinkers say and regurgitate as the thinker’s beliefs, as their own original ideas without even looking into the validity of said concepts. That is exactly the kind of people you do not want to follow to learn anything about on any subject. They have their own goals, which is to convince you of whatever it is they are spreading out there as truth.

Truth is a point of view to them, not a real tangible thing.

When someone forms an opinion based on a very limited or small sample of data and makes assumptions to generalize their viewpoint, it's often referred to as "hasty generalization" or "jumping to conclusions." This is a type of logical fallacy where someone draws a broad conclusion from a limited or unrepresentative set of evidence, which can lead to inaccurate or biased beliefs. It's important to encourage logic, critical thinking and evidence-based reasoning to avoid falling into this cognitive trap.

“Two-Step Flow Theory” practitioners will use pseudo-logic and pseudo-intellect to jump to conclusions. They will make assumptions based on the very little. Often present rhetoric as semantics. Debate using subjective feelings and use that as pro-evidence for their argument to be correct, even when it clearly is not correct. Hurting someone’s feelings because what you said in the debate is true, but they do not like that answer. They will attempt to argue but that argument does not make your point of view any less true. It’s still true. Context is key and this is another thing “Two-Step Flow Theory” practitioners will do. Take things out of context and use it as "their evidence" against you. Again, they present rhetoric, pseudo-logic, pseudo-intellect as evidence, semantics, and (airquotes) “FACTS” against your logic, even if your logic is sound and your evidence is correct.

Two-Step Flow Theory for Idiots by David-Angelo Mineo 11/9/2023 1,238 Words

[whatsupbomb]

🧐Who is your destined partner based on Sun/Moon in your natal chart 🧐

❗PART 2️⃣❗

For male partner, look at your Moon

For female partner, look at your Sun

I will use exaltation planets of Moon/Sun signs

Check persona chart of exaltation planet for more information about your partner, meeting with him and who'll introduce him to you

LIBRA (Saturn): independent, self-reliant, careful, thrifty, humble, accepting, helpful, clairsentient, protective, he likes wearing jewelry on his neck, especially, choker, also likes to hide his neck with scarves, doesn't like cold weather, often catches a cold, he's trying to keep himself in shape, likes wearing tight clothes that reveal his muscles, his looks are formal and provocative, he likes to show who's the boss by revealing his naked body to his colleagues, he's not afraid to be the leader and take responsibility for many people, he's the leader at his job, everyone follows his orders, might argue with his boss until he agrees with him, demands respect and decent pay from his boss

SCORPIO (Uranus): multitalented, courageous and risky, has unique views on the world, his opinions differ from opinions of the most people, he likes to prove that he's right by sipping facts, probably wears glasses because he likes to learn lots of various information, into conspiracy theories, well-developed logic, many people don't understand why he's often taking risks, that's because all his actions are calculated, good at math and philosophy, leader in his class, inspires his colleagues to get creative, uses every given opportunity to become famous, that's why he attends lots of classes in his childhood (my Scorpio classmate used to attend art school, skating, singing, cheerleading, sewing classes)

SAGITTARIUS (South Node/Chiron): very creative and imaginative, loner, sad, melancholic, intelligent and smart, good at his hobbies, probably makes money out of them, business mind, likes to help people and make their life better, they're attracted to his healing aura, he faces difficulties with a huge smile, he had to fight a lot to be noticed and appreciated, many people are jealous of his willpower and accomplishments, he doesn't let many people into his life because they tend to ruin what he's created out of jealousy, his ideas are unique and useful, he likes conducting experiments, his parents provide him with everything he needs for his elaboration, he gets bored easily

CAPRICORN (Mars): heartbreaker and crush of many people, he gets anything in his life because he knows his worth and value, his parents love him very much, they taught him to never settle for something that he doesn't want, he has a positive outlook on the future, probably hates psychics, astrologers and tarot readers since they can predict his future, he's losing his mind when something doesn't go his way, he plans every step in his life, it's hard for him to relax and go with the flow, probably has alcohol addictions, problems can seriously damage his mental health, after that it'll be hard to save him, money spender, his partner has to prove that he deserves to be spoiled, has multiple jobs because money solve everything in his life, detached from his soul purpose, interraction with people on a daily basis will help him realise his purpose

AQUARIUS (Neptune): sexually attractive, flirtatious and sweet, sacrificial, gullible, brave, can stand for himself, protective of helpless people, disappointed in love, ability to talk to the animals and tame them, he wants people to obey him, it's hard for them to betray and leave him, cherishes his good reputation, strict with his subordinates, fights for justice, it's easy for him to convince people and make them do his job, might be lazy sometimes, he'll always help you if you ask him, people going against him receive bad fortune, he's blessed with the ability to lead people to success

PISCES (Venus): reclusive, secretive, mysterious, leading a spiritual life, sensitive to sound and light, experienced many losses and deathlike situations, selective in terms of friends, paranoid and suspicious, hypersensitive to foreign intrusion, he can see entities from another dimensions, can broadcast messages from the dead, foretells danger to the people in his surroundings, often perfoms cleansing rituals, in his childhood he got superpowers from his ancestor after surviving the tragedy, likes wearing perfumes, he knows how to attract the right partner into his life, he can feel when someone is made to be his partner, he won't cheat on you if you clearly express your love to him, he doesn't require a perfect partner, actually, he likes to help his partner with a household and finances, he's reliable and responsible

[texasthegreatdestroyer]

Welp initially I held back for Mack's sake, but not anymore.

@Yooniesim Bitch, leave my name out your mouth if you don't have the fucking balls to unblock me before you tag me, you fucking pussy. Imagine being on such a high horse when you don't allow those you lie about to to respond.

Let's air your dirty laundry, shall we? You fucking had the audacity to put my personal situation in your mouth as a way of showing fake sympathy that you clearly didn't fucking mean as you went on to tell Mack to drop me as a friend. Because yeah, for someone who "sympathizes with my plite" you have a real funny way of showing it by under that same breath telling people to completely isolate me. That's definitely what you should do to someone who's presently experiencing trauma. Nah bitch. You're a manipulative, gaslighting cunt. The fact that you had the audacity to put my situation in your mouth and try and hold a dick measuring contest of suffering is fucking yikes from me my guy. You don't know shit about me, you've literally never talked to me, and you don’t know my situation, so sit the fuck down and shut up. Literally, you don't have to fake caring about my problems, my guy, because quite frankly I don't give a shit about yours, and unlike you, I'm not afraid to tell it to your face. You're a gaslighting, manipulative bitch, and I genuinely feel bad for any friends or family who call you their friend because you're an awful person. Imagine being all Virgina George and shit, and telling someone who respected you, who viewed you as a friend "I don't like this person, therefor you should drop them or I'll drop you." Mack doesn't have to address me because I'm a grown ass adult, capable of making my own decisions and owning my shit. Mack isn't my mommy, she's not responsible for me. "Tex misgendered someone!" Bitch has fucking it/she/he in their bio.

Oh, but I'm misgendering people. Yall are so fucking stupid. Funny how a little bit of research can prove how much of lunatic gyaru is. The only way I could have possibly migendered them is by calling them they/them, and it's a gender neutral term, so I now care even less. "B-BUT TEX WAS ALSO ABLEIST!" By doing what? Shouting "REEEEEEEEEE!"? I said that before I even knew they were autistic. Why? Because it's also used to mock people who are triggered, as I clarified in several posts that I thought was the case. I'm also Nurodivergant myself, so like. Fuck you. Even if It was somehow ableist, which it isn't. I don't have to answer to you as to what ways I choose to fucking speak. Maybe stay in your own lane. The only other thing I can think of is me calling them a lunatic, and I mean they are. They literally think myself and Mack are the same person, and they've been bitching about me when literally anytime I've fucked with them was because they'll cry and whine about me for a fuckin week after I stop interacting with them, so I'll jab back because it's fuckin funny. Sorry yall don't have a sense of fucking humor. Maybe get one.

Speaking of~ can we just point out the fact that Yoonie couldn't be arsed to do basic fucking research or reach out to anyone in this situation? Like fucking hell. You're quick to point out the shit I do, and take anything Gyaru says seriously, but you'll ignore their unhinged tirades, spewing tin foil hat conspiracy theories about how myself and Mack are the same person, something you know damn well isn't true, something I made a post about disproving and one I've known you've seen because you commented on the fact when talking with Mack about my personal shit, you dumb fucking broad. You also believed claims of ableism from a fucking lunatic who tried to bait me into calling them an r-word and FAILED, so they had to look for something else to get me at, and like the gullible little moron you are, you bought it hook line and sinker! Won't lie! That's some funny shit! Guys, I literally made a post about how gullible the fucking Sims 4 anti paywall community was, and Yoonie is a prime example of who that post was directed at. Because yall don't do basic fucking research. You just go with it to boost your fucking egos. Literally Yoonie, if you gave a shit about half the shit you claim to give a shit about (racism, transphobia, ableism, etc.) You'd actually take the time to fact check yourself and not direct people to false allegations that makes it to where shit like that doesn't get taken seriously when it actually does happen. Call it what it really is. You don't give a shit about those who are oppressed. It's literally just an ego boost for you. I can see now why you defended Saurine's stupidity. Because you're just as guilty of it. Literally, all you needed to do was fucking message me about it and I would have had a civil conversation with you and explained the situation, but no. Instead, you didn't bother to fact check any of the stupid shit you said and then you went to bitch to Mack because I indirectly hurt your fee fees. Fucking go cry about it you baby back bitch. I've literally never seen someone so fucking spineless.

The rest of her tirade is about the Trump vote thing, and I literally couldn't care any less than I do now. It's old shit that was addressed months ago by Mack, and it's sure as hell not my problem. Plus I really don't give a shit about the political opinions of the people who voted for the man who is currently destroying our economy worse than it has been in a long fucking time. No one's better than everyone else. Yall are just as much bigoted, spineless losers with skeletons in the closet that you claim me to be. The question is who's going to be the next big sensational bigot to bitch about. It could be you next, and I honestly have to sit and laugh, because that's the shit there that is the reason why the exclusive creators will continue to use yall as fucking door matts. Yall have no priorities and literally bitch about stupid shit just to bitch.

Oh, and before anyone wants to cry to Mack about how Im a big ol meanie and she needs to disavow me. She already has. I'm blocked and she disavowed me privately. As to rather or not she decides to do it publicly is her choice, and I wouldn't have it any other way, because I'm sick and tired of having to walk on egg shells because of it back firing on her because yall seem to think people can't take responsibility for their own shit, so everyone else has to do it for them. Like fuck off with that nonsense. I'm not gonna sugar coat shit to please yall. You either like what I have to say or you don't. Unlike half this community, I don’t give a shit about my reputation. It's more stress than one realistically needs. I like speaking my mind and that's pretty much it. Don't like it, then bitch about it, or block and move on. Yoonie can go fuck themself. They want to cry and bitch about how I hurt their feefees, they can have fun with that. Considering they're an awful person, It low key gives me life. Anyways. I'm done. Originally I was going to write a doc about this and then leave the community, but nah. Fuck it. By the end of this, I'm going to be known as the community shit stirrer, and I live for it! Anyways! That offer for the Beverly Hills Mansion still stands. Sksksksksksksksk.

-Texasthegreatdestroyer mother fuckin signing off!

Oh, and P.S. If Yoonie tries to claim she never had me blocked, well uh. I'm not dumb unlike her. I grab screenshots of shit automatically. It's been this way for awhile now, as I've tried to respond to posts from mutuals only to find that that I can't because they're a reblog of hers, so I have to find the source. Also it duped screenshots in the post. Oh well.

[therealladylucifer]

The more I learn about right-wing conspiracies the less I start to hate the followers of those conspiracies. Because when you really get to the core of it, the conspiracies are based on fear and fear-mongering. And while the right-wing conspiracists are spreading their beliefs, they probably don’t have that much influence outside of their personal circles so the people who are on the receiving end of their misinformation likely agree with them already or otherwise just ignore them. I’m not saying that they’re not spreading their beliefs at all or that these people are not at fault, but they aren’t at the core of the issue here. They’re a symptom of a larger issue wherein their fear, gullibility, or paranoia is taken advantage of for profit. So you have media like Fox News, PragerU, or Infowars that are functionally just corporations masquerading as news sources. A lot of far-right conspiracy media is funded mostly by it’s supporters, because most other corporations don’t want to be associated with something so unpopular. And these insidious ‘media outlets’ see people who feel threatened because people are calling for change, or because they think their religion is disappearing, and they basically tell them that they’re right. They’re like children getting shoved down the slide on a playground and running to their mothers, and what these ‘media outlets’ are doing is basically hugging them and telling them “it’s gonna be okay, you didn’t do anything wrong it was all that mean bully’s fault”. And when someone validates you and tells you that you’re right like that, you buy into it. And some of them eventually resurface and realize what happened, but a lot of those people are extremely stubborn and afraid of being proven wrong or facing the consequences of their actions. So they keep burrowing deeper until they literally cannot go back, because whatever theory they’ve latched onto is such an important part of them that it’s basically fact to them. “The sky is blue, grass is green, I’m a human being and the moon landing was faked”. And I know generally there’s not a lot we can do for them but it honestly makes me feel so sad for them that their fears or beliefs are being taken advantage of in this way, basically used to convince their supporters to buy products or donate. It is quite literally structured like a cult (Scientology is an excellent example of this type of manipulation) and the people who are peddling these lies have perfected the art of targeting and turning those who would be most susceptible to their deceit. 

I want to be clear, I’m not defending bigots, terfs, racists, etc. here. I’m not saying the people who buy into these conspiracies are blameless because they were manipulated. Bigotry of any kind is inexcusable. I just think it’s deeper than the way some Democrats make it out to be some mysterious phenomena that we can’t fix (i.e “some people are just morons” or “why bother, those people are stupid or crazy for thinking those things”) instead of addressing the root cause

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Florida has just become the first state in the Union to mandate that high school students learn about the crimes of communism.  The subject is indeed very important, and too little known. The problem is that the new legislation, like other recent Florida measures, itself recalls certain evils of communism.

As of this coming school year, high school students who wish to graduate from a Florida school must pass a class in U.S. government that includes "comparative discussion of political ideologies, such as communism and totalitarianism, that conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy essential to the founding principles of the United States."  

Any high school teacher is going to sigh at the awkward circularity of the "principles essential to the principles" formulation.  As Orwell tried to remind us in "Politics and the English Language," though, vague formulations demand our critical attention.  This weird phrasing serves a sinister purpose, one that becomes clear later in the law.  The point is that the United States is to be defined as free and democratic, regardless of what Americans or their legislators actually do.  American is free and democratic because of a miraculous investiture from the past.  Complacency is therefore patriotic, and criticism is not.

The law presents "totalitarianism" as an ideology.  Totalitarianism is not an ideology, so Florida teachers are henceforth legally required to teach nonsense.  To be sure, one can find historical figures who referred to themselves as "totalitarian" in a positive sense, but in general the term has been used as analysis and critique.  In use for about a century now, "totalitarianism" has generally been used as a category that brings together regimes with very different ideologies, drawing attention to underlying similarities.

As such, totalitarianism can also be a tool for self-critique, since it draws attention to political temptations that make different systems possible.  The most important book about totalitarianism, by Hannah Arendt, presents Nazism and Stalinism as possibilities within modern politics.  When in Origins of Totalitarianism Arendt wrote about conspiracy theories, she was writing not only about Nazi and Soviet practices, but also about a human failing.  When she wrote about narratives where we are always right and they are always wrong, where we are always innocent and they are always guilty, she was describing a universal risk.  When she wrote of people who were simultaneously gullible and cynical, for whom “everything was possible and nothing was true,” she got uncomfortably close to contemporary American reality.

By defining totalitarianism as a foreign ideology to be contrasted with American principles, Florida legislators have denied students not just the knowledge of what the term actually means, but also the possibility to appeal to a rich body of thought that might help them to avoid risks to freedom and democracy.

Unlike totalitarianism, communism is an ideology.  Its ideological character is visible in its approach to the past: communists transformed history, an open search for fact and endless discussion of interpretation, into History, an official story in which one's own country was the center of world liberation regardless of what its leaders did.  The party was always right, even if what the party said and did was unpredictable and self-contradictory.  The most important communist party still in power, the Chinese, takes this line today.  To question the revolution or the inevitability of the system is to fall prey to "historical nihilism."  In April 2018, a Chinese memory law accordingly made it a crime to question the heroism of past leaders.  What we have is good and right because we inherited it from glorious dead revolutionaries, and we must not question what the government tells us about our glorious dead revolutionaries.

We have our own official story of revolution. The Florida board of education has recently forbidden teachers from defining American history "as something other than the creation of a new nation based largely on universal principles stated in the Declaration of Independence."  That narrow formulation rules out most of reality but crams in a good dose of mysticism.  Nothing is ever entirely new, and nations arise from many sources aside from principles.  The board of education’s claim is political rather than historical: Everything good comes from the past, and we must not question what the government tells us about its righteousness.  If there is only one story, and you have to tell it, that is not history but History.  The point is not that the American Revolution is the same thing as the Chinese Revolution. The point is that we are treating it the same way, describing it in dogmatic terms that we enforce in memory law. And that is deeply worrying.

The same spirit is in evidence in that Florida communist law.  Deep in the past, it instructs us, is where we find freedom and democracy.  Freedom is not something to be struggled for by individuals now, but magically "inherited from prior generations."  That phrase should give pause to anyone who cares about freedom.  If you seriously think that freedom is something that you can inherit, like a sofa or a stamp collection, you are not going to be free for long.

In the law's logic, democracy is not actually allowing people to vote, but some silent tradition that somehow exists whether or not real Americans can vote in reality.  Despite what actually happened between the eighteenth century and now (slavery, let's say, or voter suppression), we must close our minds to everything but those mythical "principles essential to the principles."  The facts give way to an underlying logic, impossible to articulate, that demonstrates that my country is better.

The Florida communism law requires that someone (it is hard, given the awkward phrasing, to say who) must "curate oral history resources."  The curation will involve the selection "first-person accounts of victims of other nations' governing philosophies who can compare those philosophies with those of the United States."  There is something humiliating about turning real people into poster children for American exceptionalism.  Refugees from other countries past and present have individual and complex stories, which cannot usually be reduced to tales of American superiority.  Edith P., a Holocaust survivor, speaks of waiting for hours every day in front of the American embassy, which denied her family a visa.  American schoolchildren read about Anne Frank, but no one tells them that her father applied for an American visa.  Leon Bass was an African American soldier who saw a German concentration camp.  He had something comparative to say about "governing philosophies," but it would not survive curation.

America today is not an especially free country.  Our own non-governmental organization Freedom House, relying on our own preferred notions of freedom (civil and political rights) ranks us in fifty-eighth place.  In other words, it would theoretically be possible (and it would certainly be valuable) for the Florida board of education to solicit testimonies from people from fifty-seven other countries where people live more freely than here, who could explain why they have not moved to the United States.  They could compare their countries' "governing philosophies" with that of the United States (favorably, unfavorably, who knows: they are free people).  But we know that this will not happen.  Such an application of the Florida communism law is unthinkable, because the Florida communism law is not about freedom.  It is about repeating that America is the best country in the world.

Self-absorption is not anti-communism.  Anti-communism would entail listening to history rather than History, and educating individuals who can make up their own minds.  You don't get freedom from the flock.

Another familiar communist trick can be found in a recent directive by the Florida board of education.  The trick has to do with leveraging victory in the Second World War.  Beginning in the late 1960s, a certain version of the Second World War became an important part of communist ideology.  In the Soviet Union, and also in today's Russia, any wrong done by the system was explained away by the fact that the Red Army had defeated the Germans.  The fact that Nazis were evil made the Soviets good.  The fact of having resisted the Nazis made one's own system unassailable.  This communist technique has now, uncannily, resurfaced in official Florida pedagogy.

In the recent school board directive, we learn that "examples of theories that distort historical events and are inconsistent with State Board approved standards include the denial or minimization of the Holocaust, and the teaching of Critical Race Theory, meaning the theory that racism is not merely the product of prejudice, but that racism is embedded in American society and its legal systems in order to uphold the supremacy of white persons." This repeats the Soviet (and Russian) logic.  We don't deny German crimes, and therefore we are innocent of any crimes ourselves.  Indeed, anyone who suggests that we look at our own history: well, they are like Holocaust deniers!

Another sad resemblance concerns voting. Freedom involves educating people about the past as it was so that they can make up their own minds about what the future should be.  Democracy involves giving people the vote in the meantime.  The Soviet Union held elections, but they were ritualistic and fake.  When Soviet power extended across eastern Europe after the Second World War, local communist parties rigged elections.  Thus authentic anti-communists would make sure that their own elections were not rigged, and that all citizens could take part.  But the Florida communism law was passed in circumstances that suggest a lively interest in making voting more difficult.  In 2019, the Florida legislature enacted pay-to-vote legislation that effectively disenfranchised people that Floridians, in a referendum, had voted to enfranchise the year before.  The Florida communism law came into effect this 1 July, hard on the heels of a new Florida voter suppression law.

I have spent decades teaching and writing about communism, and I certainly think that young people should know about communist systems and their policies of mass killing.  But declarations of superiority do not amount to a pedagogy, nor to an anti-communism worthy of the name.  The content of the Florida communism law, and the Florida voter suppression law, and the board of education directive on race, do not suggest that Florida lawmakers and administrators have learned much about what was wrong with communism.  

These measures reveal American weaknesses that make American tyranny more likely.

* * * * *

When I went to High School in Florida [many decades ago] all Seniors had to take a class called “Americanism vs Communism.” As I recall, most students slept through the class. I thought that it was insulting propaganda - using an inadequate text that was filled with poorly written boilerplate and boring poorly made films.  If the right wing wants to inflict propaganda on teenagers it should invest in decent writers and film makers.  They are very poor in the literacy department.  I was 16 at the time and unsophisticated but I could still tell that what i was being taught was a waste of my time.

[sparkles-and-trash]

My fav 3 versions/interpretations of South Park characters thing!

I’m so sorry this took much longer than anticipated, I was gonna do it Friday but then I had a panic attack for the first time in forever because my CFS have been real bad lately and I was in such bad shape my BFF had to come and smack me back to life, and Sunday was suddenly full on breakdown day, a bad BPD episode and yeah, it was rough, but today I’m doing better and I realize nobody really cares about my personal issues lol but I just have a need to excuse myself here and I realize that’s kinda dumb but here we are ANYWAYS I hope these are okay, and that these are in no way the RIGHT interpretations, just my personal favorites! 

Kyle:

suggested by the wonderful  @otherluces <3

#1 

I’m not gonna lie, I love nerdy, preppy Kyle. Sweater-vests, collard shirts, doesn’t realize how attractive he is Kyle, oblivious to people having crushes on him Kyle, set on Harvard to become a lawyer and fight for justice and argue for a living, yanno? 

#2 

I also really like the more dorky and nerdy Kyle, where he has really niché interests that he gets totally invested in and talks about 24/7, loves reading and studying, but not just to get good results, but because he genuinly enjoys it.

#3

The last version I can think of with him, is the tall, lanky and kinda hard to read Kyle. He keeps a lot of his feelings to himself, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have them. He plays basketball, he’s good at it too, and while he does well in school and everyone expects him to go into law, he has some totally different dream he keeps to himself for now. He kinda perks up a bit when in smaller crowds, esp with his cloest friends, but he still carries a lot of secrets that some time needs to come out.

Tweek:

suggested by my new fren  @soft-craig-and-tweek ^^

I like Tweek in so many ways these were hard to pick, but I’mma try to narrow it down a bit and not go totally off haha

#1

I actually quite enjoy the jagged, tired Tweek, the one who with help from friends and family manage to get off the meth his parents feed him secretly, but who still struggle with withdrawal, dark bags under his eyes, kinda pale and with sharp features, but he’s still a sweet and kind boy, a boy who wants to make the right choices and change the world to a better place, but who still has a darkness he carries, and the fact that he never gives up that fight is what makes him so special 

#2

and okay I have to be honest, I do love myself some sunshine boy Tweek. This Tweek still has issues, he is maybe even more anxious than the last one, but he’s also just as vibrant and energetic as he is anxious! He is an artist, he paints with bright colors, he composes beautiful, hopeful melodies, he feels everything so much,  and he is a contagious and exciting person to be around. Cannot dress for the life of him. So much mis-match and odd outfits, but it kinda works? 

#3

The last one I’m gonna mention for this wonderful boy, is the more alternative Tweek. He writes obscure poetry, he watches too many conspiracy theory videos on youtube, he draws the monsters in his mind, and he writes the scariest, most hauntingly beautiful stories on the internet, and people online love him. He has no idea how to deal with being popular in that sense, because irl he is the type to not belong to a certain friend group, but he does go along well with most people on a surface level. Dark circles, shaky hands, crooked and cute smiles, baggy t-shirts and ripped jeans. When he first opens up to someone, he really, really does, and he will always support and be there for you. If you deserve it, that is. 

Nichole: 

also suggested by  @soft-craig-and-tweek <3 

#1

I love nerdy Nichole who isn’t afraid to show it! Maybe she’s a streamer or youtube gamer even, I can def see her writing fanfiction, and being hella good at it too! Makes quite a name for herself online, and hangs out with the boys a lot irl, has game nights with the boys from Board Girls (even Cartman sometimes), is funny in a sarcastic way, but never mean. 

#2

Popular girl Nichole is also a favorite for me, but not in the “classical” sense. I imagine her to be a sporty, maybe on both the basket and volleyball team, captain for the basket one, she’s a born leader, she’s kind and fair, but can also be strict, and people always trust her to be honest and true.  

#3

Artsy Nichole!! I imagine her in bright yellow dresses and with her hair flowing and free, with flowers in her hair, freckles on her face, a big, genuine smile, a loud laughter that is so contagious, she loves spending time with Jimmy because they have a very similar humor, and she’s a theater kid, she sings like an angel and can act, oh boy can she act, she can make anyone laugh or cry in just a blink of an eye, she’s just a human sun-ray and I love her a lot 

Butters: 

suggested by @kinguidamundo, thank you so much!! 

#1

I love edgy Butters soooo much??? Like, he’s still a kind and bright boy, but he can also stand up for himself a lot more, he likes fashion a lot, he gets tattoos and piercings, he explores tons of ways to express himself, he’s a yes-dude, he goes out on dates a lot, but isn’t ready for a “real” relationship yet, but he enjoys meeting people and testing out himself around different types of people! Also he is a bi icon change my mind jk u can’t 

#2

I have a weak spot for the kind of soft and timid looking Butters too, who wears pastel colors and have big, innocent eyes, he is genuine and kind, but he carries something darker inside, something he isn’t sure how to deal with, something that scares him, but in reality it’s just normal feelings, anger, resentment and fear, but he’s lived his life ignoring them so much they catch him off guard at times. He learns to live with them slowly, and he does so with lots of help and patience from friends and loved ones. 

#3

Okay, last one, totally self-indulging here, but yeah, happy sunflower boy is also a big favorite. He is more confident than the previous version, but in a gullible way if that makes any sense? He believes the best in people, and if he is proven wrong, he’s willing to try to help them become better people, if they want to or not! This is honestly the version I love most with Stan, Butters being the ray of sunshine in Stan’s life and Stan being the realism to keep Butters grounded and them both supporting each other so much? Fuck yeah that’s the good stuff. 

Clyde:

suggested by @horrorpumpkin, ty sm friend! <3 

#1

Himbo Clyde!!! Jock dude who genuinely loves sports, he’s a team player, and while he might not be super intellectual, he is very socially smart, he is kind and empathic, he is funny and likable, he always tries his best to make everyone feel included, and while he loves chicks a lot, and is a sexual dude, he does it with nothing but respect and admiration for the ladies! 

#2

Bisexual disaster Clydeeee <3 obv being bi isn’t a personality trait, but he is very open about it, he wants to be confident and good at flirting, but goddamn is he a MESS! He’s also a huge supporter of every single relationship his friends is in, he loves love, in all shapes and forms, he is emotional and kind and awkward in an endearing way. 

#3

Can’t leave out crybaby Clyde, can we now? He’s a bit of an awkward bean as well, but he owns it a bit more. He is kinda like a puppy, a cute, excitable and emotional puppy who loves his friends, video games and lazy movie nights, kinda chubby, he loves baking and does it a lot with Tweek, he is also a huge nerd for Harry Potter and totally geek out over it with Kyle and Nichole sdhlksgdhl

Kenny: 

suggested by anon! 

#1

First up I guess I should put my high school AU Kenny. I know it’s controversial, but I imagine this Kenny to be more on the quiet side, but not really in a shy way. He’s just a bit of an observer who doesn’t speak unless he really sees fit, and while he still has his crude humor and is kinda rumored to be sleeping around a lot, he actually struggle with intimacy issues. He never imagined them to include sexual stuff, but turns out they do, and balancing being sexually open and curious and having these issues ain’t easy on the boy, let me tell you that. 

#2

This one is kinda heavily inspired by Luces, but I love him as kind and loyal, but also a bit more chatty and charming, but not for his own gain. He wants others to feel good about themselves, in social settings, his friends, during sexy times, he is selfless and good, but he is also living for the moment, he is a likable and wonderful guy, but he does still only REALLY open up emotionally to people he really trusts. Not traditionally attractive, but interesting looking in a way. Lots of freckles, bit of buck teeth with a big gap between his front teeth, messy kinda curly hair, long straight nose. Always wears baggy hoodies and worn out jeans, shrugs and gives that lopsided smile when people ask him about anything personal.

#3

Mysterious Kennyyyy. You think you know him, everyone does, but in reality, very few have seen the real him. He likes people, and he likes to help them, he’s always down to listen to people’s problems and help them, he wants to inspire kids like himself to never give up and think there’s only one path for them, because he knows there is not. Volunteers at the animal shelter with Stan, works part time at Tweek Bro’s and is good buddies with Tweek. Had a early sexual debut, slept around a bit and got his heart broken unexpectedly when he was a Freshman, so there are some walls there now, but he ain’t usually one to turn down someone who’s up for it and whom with he has good chemistry either. 

[storygirl000]

ML Fic: Funhouse Mirror

Ao3 link here.

Summary: An akuma traps Alya in a pocket dimension with another version of herself. 

A far less pleasant version of herself.

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

A/N: This was inspired by one simple question: “What if Alya met the version of herself that always seems to pop up in salt fics?”

Everything Other!Alya does in this fic is based off of actual salt fics I’ve read.

00000

“Behold! Soon, you will all see what you could have been!”

Alya watched from the rooftop, camera focused on the villain before her.

From what she had gathered, Alix’s older brother had been akumatized once again, due to another fight with his father over the former’s weird conspiracy theories. This time, he’d been attempting to claim that the ancient Egyptians had perfected a form of dimensional travel.

From that argument had sprung the Dimensioner (god, Hawk Moth needed to come up with better names), who for the past fifteen minutes had presumably been sending random citizens to alternate dimensions.

As she watched, Ladybug and Chat Noir sprung onto the scene. They exchanged some banter with the villain, the villain demanded their Miraculouses, they fought, yadda yadda yadda. Same routine as always.

Alya remained focused on making sure that her camera recorded everything for the livestream she was hosting on her blog. It was rare that she could get this close to the akuma, and she wanted to catch every minute of it.

In fact, she was so focused on him, she didn’t notice one of the blasts Chat Noir had deflected was going towards her until it was too late to dodge it.

Her eyes widened. “Oh, fu-”

The light enveloped her, and everything went white.

00000

When she came to, Alya found herself floating in a white void.

She cursed under her breath and checked to make sure she hadn’t dropped her phone. She hadn’t; in fact, strangely enough, it was still livestreaming.

“Who are you?

Alya blinked. That voice sounded awfully familiar...

Probably because it was her voice.

She whirled around, and sure enough, another version of her was floating there. She seemed mostly the same, but she looked more...sullen? Alya didn’t know how to describe it.

“Are you...me?” she asked.

The other Alya nodded. “Looks like it. Man, this is surreal.”

“Did you get here the same way?”

“Rampaging akuma? Guess so.”

Alya smiled. “Oh, this is so cool! What are you like?”

The other Alya smirked. “Well, I’m an aspiring journalist, and I have a great best friend who I love hanging out with...”

Alya nodded. “Yeah, Marinette’s amazing!”

The other Alya froze, and her eyes narrowed.

“I’m sorry, did you just say Marinette?” she asked, her voice taking on an icy tone.

Alya gave an unsure nod. “Um, yeah?”

Other!Alya sighed. “I guess you haven’t wised up to her true nature yet.”

“What are you talking about?” Alya asked, a sinking feeling starting to overtake her.

“You know! She’s a bully, she refuses to help anyone even when they ask nicely, and she’s joined up with Chloe of all people!” Other!Alya rolled her eyes. “I ditched her a long time ago.”

Alya couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

There must be an explanation for this, she thought. Wait...this Alya comes from another universe. Maybe Marinette in that universe has a completely reversed personality or something?

“So, who is your best friend?” she asked.

Other!Alya smiled. “Only the best girl in the school! Lila!”

Alya almost choked on something.

“She’s super cool,” Other!Alya went on, ignoring her counterpart’s negative reaction. “She saved Jagged Stone’s kitten, she’s met Prince Ali, Austin Moon dated her for a while, and she interned under Lois Lane herself! And she says she can get me a job with her!”

There were so many things wrong with that story that Alya couldn’t process them all. She could process one thing, though: her counterpart was gullible as hell.

She was starting to have doubts about her “evil alternate Marinette” theory.

“Um, did you ever check and make sure that her stories were true?” she asked. “You know, like a real reporter?”

Her counterpart glared at her. “Do you have any proof that she’s actually lying, or are you just buying whatever bullshit Marinette feeds you?”

“I have plenty of proof that-”

“Whatever,” Other!Alya interrupted. “It’s probably all doctored, anyways, seeing as how you sided with Marinette on this issue.”

Alya had never wanted to stab someone this badly before.

���Ugh, first Marinette, then Ladybug abandons me, and now this!” Other!Alya groaned. “And I had plans for today, too!”

“Wait, Ladybug abandoned you?” Alya asked.

Her counterpart growled. “I was a casualty in her falling-out with Lila. She had the nerve to call the Ladyblog a piece of tabloid garbage! I only post the truth on there!”

Alya silently decided that this other version of Ladybug had a point.

“Whatever.” Her counterpart dismissively waved her hand. “After I get out of here, I’m finally going to prove to everyone that Marinette’s a liar and Chloe’s still a terrible person!”

“How?” Alya asked, suddenly worried.

Other!Alya smirked. “You know how they’ve been lying about how Chloe’s allergic to soy?”

Alya just nodded, not bothering to tell her that they weren’t lying about that – Chloe had known she was allergic since the fourth grade.

“Well, my mom’s taking me to visit the hotel while she prepares Chloe’s meal,” Other!Alya explained. “While I’m there, I’m going to sneak some soy into her meal and see how she reacts!”

Alya’s heart dropped into her stomach.

“You’re going to try and murder her?” she croaked, not quite believing what she was hearing.

Other!Alya scoffed. “Please, she’s not really allergic.”

“And what if she is?!”

“Then that’s one less bully on the face of the Earth,” Other!Alya replied, a wicked grin on her face.

Alya wanted to throw up. How could she – how could any version of her – be so cruel?!

Thankfully, before she could commit murder herself, the familiar glowing red ladybugs flew through the void, sending her back to the rooftop.

She was still too in shock to really do anything – except realize that she’d left the camera on and livestreamed the whole thing. She quickly turned it off.

Then, numbly, she started heading home.

00000

The next day, she walked to school, still reeling from what had happened last night.

She’d barely made it past the gates when she heard someone yell “ALYA!”, followed by three bodies tackling her in a hug.

“Guys?” Alya asked, startled. “What-”

“We saw your livestream last night!” Marinette told her.

“That other version of you...” Nino shuddered. “She was all kinds of messed up, man.”

“I can’t even begin to imagine how you must be feeling right now,” Adrien added.

Alya gave a small smile. “Thanks, you guys. I’m fine now. But can you promise me something?”

“What is it, babe?” Nino asked.

“...if I ever start acting like that for real, slap some sense into me.”

Marinette giggled. “Will do.”

And with that, the four of them headed for class.

[beauty-funny-trippy]

Of Conspiracies, Myths and Monsters

As in the ancient myths, conspiracy theories (like: QAnon, a covid hoax, a rigged election, etc.) are stories that attempt to make sense of the world, and are especially popular in times when the world seems out of balance or is changing rapidly, like now.

When we find a story that confirms our own world view, we latch on to it, like a life raft in a chaotic sea. It doesn't necessarily have to be true, it just has to match our general beliefs.

If we distrust or dislike a group of people, then we're likely to believe almost any negative story we hear about them. In fact, we want to hear these stories because they give us more "evidence" that what we believe is right. And we have to be right, because the alternative would be agony —what if we're wrong? (Oh, the Horror!).

Most conspiracy theories are really modern-day fairytales for adults. And like traditional fairytales, their entertainment value comes from the intertwining of drama and villains with a hint of reality. And if we truly want to believe something (like,"They" are bad), then just a hint of reality is all it takes to make the lies believable.

But their real lure is emotions. If they can exploit our fear or anger (like when an election doesn't go our way), then they've got us hooked. Because when we're outraged, we become much more gullible, and believe just about anything that will justify our anger. For, once the flames of rage are lit, who among us looks for reasons that our anger is unjustified?

On the contrary, if we feel anger, then we firmly believe that there must be a legitimate reason for it, and assigning blame becomes all-important.

While some conspiracy theories are harmless (like, a flat Earth), others can be harmful, even fatal. Recently, the police officer that was killed while defending people in the Capital Building was laid to rest. He was murdered by real people over a make-believe story about a rigged election. He is dead—a family devastated—because his attackers believed a fairytale.

These types of conspiracy stories are designed to divide us, like the age-old false claims that skin color, sexual orientation or gender, somehow, magically, determine a person's worth or character.

Conspiracy theories, racism, discrimination, etc., are designed to tug on our primordial fear of "the Others". They are like make-believe monsters that hide under a child's bed. We become as little children, fearful of a monster that never-was.

However, if we jeopardize the health, safety or rights of others, if we promote hatred and division, if we sow the seeds of bigotry and violence, then indeed, the monsters are real, ...and they are us. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀~T. E. Jones

[hi-im-dazey]

Doomscrolling tips

Hi.

Shit is weird right now, again, some more.

And it is going to get weirder. The next month or so (this isn’t going to magically go away after the inauguration), and even after that, it’s still going to be weird and might get weird in a whole new way.

Here’s some tips to safeguard yourself, and your mental health, and how to be proactive online without driving yourself nuts.

- If you sign any petitions, just sign them. Don’t allow your name to be seen, don’t “chip in $$”, don’t post a comment, don’t share them, publicly, on your SM. If you want to get others to sign, DM friends that you know would want to sign them, share them as friends only, or share them in a space where no one can find your real info and you have a layer of anonymity.

- Don’t sign any petitions that you do not recognize the hosting site for. Random ones you are not familiar with can be phishing sites or want money to include your signature. Ones your reps send you are almost always campaign fund begs once you click through. Stay with Change.org (but don’t give them any money) or the official government petition site, https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/

- USE RESISTBOT, resistbot is getting slammed right now, because, of course it is, and you may end up on “hold” unless you can chip in a donation, but you do not have to and they will get to you and the queue is rarely very long.

Instructions on how to start using them are here https://resist.bot/ they will generate and automate letters, electronic and physical and deliver them to your reps at the federal and state level. They have also just added city level so you can write your Mayor too.

Donations go to cover operating costs like hosting, storage and postage and such. They offer a skip the line when they are slammed for ANY donated amount (I think as low as a dollar, but I am not sure, it might be 5$) but as I said before once you are in the queue, they will get to you pretty quick. And when they are not being slammed, it’s instant no matter if you have donated or not.

When you use resistbot, keep in mind that your information is given to your reps, and once there, your reps keep it on file, but resistbot itself does not use your info for anything else.

You do not have to write a massive tome either, a resistbot message of, Oh, I dunno, something simple like “Invoke the 25th”, “Arrest him”, or “Remove Trump” for example, are fine. And most of the time, your rep will respond, often addressing your concerns directly.

- Do not engage. When you are scrolling through twitter or facebook or whatever, do NOT engage with people spewing incorrect information or conspiracy theories or faux-news. Report them.

Right now twitter and facebook are having an “Oh shit, we helped cause this” moment and being pretty (twitter more so than facebook) active on responding to these reports and removing and blocking this sort of stuff. And removing a public platform for someone spreading disinformation is a great way to stop the spread of it. If you see nonsense, report it.

On twitter, the most useful one right now is the political one, and spreading false information about a political event, person or party, or a civic event. On facebook just do your best with their crappy reporting tools.

BUT, most importantly, do not engage; do not angry face react, do not retweet with disparaging comments, do not argue with them, report it, block their account and move on. This is for both your mental health, and physical safety.

- Retweet sourced and cited information, straight from the source if possible. Once you have established that you have found a good source, follow that twitter. Like all the op-ed commentary you want, but try to only circulate citable fact. Hyperbole and humor might help you feel better right now, and that’s fine, but right now the truth needs to be circulated far and wide so it overwhelms the people spreading the stupid shit.

- If you are having a problem with knowing if what you are reading is true or not, then install the Media Bias Fact Checker extension for your browser. This will give you a real time overlay of how truthful articles you see on facebook and twitter are, and if you follow a link to an article, it will give you a run down on the factual trustworthiness of that site.

You might have a left bias or a right bias site, but as long as the site also says Center, as in left center, right center, it usually has a good factual rating.

So you might go to let’s say NPR and this extension will tell you Left Center HIGHLY FACTUAL. Meaning they are very stringent about checking their sources and run multiple fact checks before publishing.

Wire services will often be listed as Highly Factual with no bias as they tend to be very “the 5 W’s” on reporting. So look for AP and Reuters if you want only facts and no bias. If you have any questions about Media Bias Fact Check, look here https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/

- TAKE BREAKS, stop scrolling, do some stretching or take a walk. Knit a little, make a paper airplane, doodle a tiny cartoon, watch a show, find a new song to add to your playlist. Have some water, eat something healthy, then eat something comfortingly unhealthy.

- If you start to feel like you want to argue with a stranger on the internet, open up a text file, copy their spew into it, go to town responding,IN THE TEXT FILE, then save it, wait 24 hours, open it back up read it again. Then delete it. Do not publish it.

Arguing with idiots on the internet achieves nothing except getting you into an argument with idiots on the internet. Get it out of your system, re-read it once with fresh eyeballs, then delete it for your mental health.

- If you really do find something you feel you MUST RESPOND TO, then do this: gather reliable, factual, citable, linkable, information that proves them wrong beyond a shadow of doubt, AND MAKE A SEPARATE POST ABOUT IT on your own SM, without tagging them.

Fight lies by spreading the truth. Don’t fight the liar. Oftentimes you aren’t even dealing with the liar, you are seeing a person who was gullible and brainwashed by the liars. So, present the truth in a non confrontational way that does not call the brainwashing victim out directly.

They might be a lost cause, but you can more effectively fight the spread of lies by showing the truth then by getting in a slap fight with them on the family facebook group.

If the person responds to your post, thank them for reading, and encourage them to provide equally factual information that they feel supports their argument ON THEIR OWN SM. delete any subsequent comments from them.

[juuls]

I wonder if it’s ever occurred to any QAnon believers that Q, from whom they get all their “inside information” about federal politics and politicians.... might actually be a Russian?

Did they dismiss the idea as ridiculous? Are they knowingly in cahoots with a Russian Q, if so?

.... Actually, I’m probably ascribing way too much thinking and reasoning power to them, aren’t I?

My ex-husband is a QAnon follower (last I ever heard) and is a “red-blooded American patriot (with lots more guns than he needed for our hunting, ofc) who wants to ‘drain the swamp’ ” and I can 100% believe that he would fall for covert Russian bullshit that has been proven time and again to interfere with US politics.

I would not be surprised. Q being a Russian makes complete sense. I mean, look, the guy in charge of finding the KGB mole in the FBI, back in the day, Robert Hanssen, turned out to be the same exact mole he was ‘looking for’. He wasn’t caught for over twenty goddamn years.

This shit happens. The Cold War didn’t stop—it just changed. The U.S. has decent enough (comparatively) relations with Russia these days, but let’s not forget they were proven to be involved in getting Trump elected (even if no one did shit with that knowledge, just spun it to try and say they were trying to get Hillary Clinton elected for some reason?— Trump’s the easy one to control, not Hillary; why would they want her as President??). I’m not trying to villainize all of Russia, because that’s not something we need (can’t we all just get along? :/) but their track record, even in recent years, is enough to sink most of the rest of the countries in the world.

QAnon gives a bad name to legit conspiracy theorists (I can’t believe I just said that). QAnon only cries foul and believes what they’re told to, and they aren’t in fact the free-thinking, albeit somewhat off-their-rockers, people who were their predecessors.

The conspiracy here is REAL. But it’s not what they think. QAnon IS THE CONSPIRACY, and it’s one of the worst (or best, in terms of its effect on the world) and most destructive and debilitating ones to exist; one that’s proving to be a threat to the very nation and freedom that these QAnons believe they’re actually protecting.

They’re gullible, doing exactly what their glorious leader and self-appointed lieutenants, insiders, and obsessive educators of the ‘facts’ tell them to do, tell them to believe. They’re the protagonist in a real life version of a Dan Brown novel, or so they think; deciphering puzzles and putting together clues left and right, getting a high and rush when they ‘discover the truth the sheeple are too oblivious to notice.’

They think they’re defending freedom, truth, and the American Way. They have a messiah complex that is exactly what Q wants in his followers, and they believe they’re protecting the rest of the world... but in truth, they’re just patsies.

It would be pitiful and sad if whoever this Q person(s) is wasn’t ruining the world, doing the exact opposite of what their followers think they’re doing. It would be funny if it wasn’t so effective.

These people, mostly whites, mostly men, and a lot of them millennials and Gen X (though Boomers and Zeds aren’t all innocent either), think they’ve been abandoned by the system. In some cases this is true but that is a totally different argument that’ll just make me cry, get frustrated, and get pissed off about because I heard this shit way too much from my ex who belonged to 4/8-Chan and Anonymous.

They believe they’ve been disenfranchised and so they’re trying to take back power. And unfortunately this Q is dangling exactly what they feel has been taken from them unjustly or not: power, inside knowledge that plays on their egoism, the ability to take back what they think was theirs and to control the future of a country they think is going to the dogs and “pussies” and BIPOC and more, and the chance to play hero.

They want to be the messiah. They want to indulge in their protect-the-homeland militia, shining city on a hill, dreams. They want to ‘save the world from itself’.

Hero (and inferiority) complexes are real.

Q just so happens to know this.

And these ‘great minds’, these people who call everyone else ‘sheeple’ and telling them to wake up...

Yeah.

Whose eyes is the wool actually pulled over?

Whether Q is Russian or not, their organization of QAnon, the ‘champion of truth and shining a light on conspiracies’.... is really just the biggest conspiracy theory of them all.

[robert-c]

The GOP Has Become a Cult

The good news that Trump lost and Biden won is tempered by the fact that the GOP is still mostly kissing Trump’s ass for fear of incurring his (and his base’s) anger. These cowardly and completely unprincipled opportunists deserve to be voted out by any Republican who still believes in the rule of law and values of our republic. Then there are the truly scary Republicans who embrace every baseless conspiracy theory, and who are closet (and sometimes very overt) racists and religious bigots.

I would like to characterize them as uneducated and ignorant, but I personally know that some of them are college educated. That doesn’t mean they have any more credibility, it just means that even intelligent and well educated people can fall victim to misinformation that supports their deeply held biases; biases that may have been exacerbated (if not created) by earlier misinformation.

That misinformation supports this “all or nothing” extremism because the facts have been twisted so that it appears there is no room for negotiation. The spread of conspiracy theories and misinformation seems founded on a massive distrust of government, which spread to essentially all authorities.

I suppose we could blame it on LBJ (my personal pick for second worst president ever). He heavily pressured the Warren Commission to find that there was no conspiracy (especially foreign) to the JFK assassination. When you start an investigation with the result you want to find in mind it’s hard to convince people that it’s honest and objective, even if that turns out to be the actual result. Couple this with the fact that Johnson was a very manipulative man who made his reputation in Congress through the “back room deals” he brokered. It was practically an invitation to create conspiracy theories. He compounded this breach of trust and credibility with our escalating involvement in Viet Nam, where he encouraged inflation of enemy body counts and other misinformation in order to make it appear we were making progress toward winning. The end result was a general distrust of government.

Less than two decades later Ronald Reagan turned deliberate misinformation into a populist campaign tactic by tailoring his lies (e.g. the so called “welfare queen” that never really existed) to match up with prejudices already held by his target audience. This married a political party (GOP) to a tactic that carefully took advantage of the distrust of government. It was much more effective than Nixon’s vague references to a “silent majority”. You might think that fostering the distrust of government would have been bad for their party’s agenda, but when all you want to do is roll back programs of previous administrations and resist new ones, it doesn’t hurt you the same as if you actually had something new to accomplish.

So here we are in the aftermath of the most successful misinformation campaign this country has ever seen. Roughly 35% of the voters (70% of a particular party) believe the election was fraught with massive fraud, though absolutely NO EVIDENCE has been submitted that substantiates such a widespread criminal action.  Worse still is that the primary “evidence” appears to be that a lot of people think there was. Contrast this with these same people’s dismissal of actual facts of corruption, obstruction of justice, etc. by labeling them “fake news”. This is the thinking of cult members.

As everyone knows, cults can attract intelligent people as well as those who are gullible. In a world where the basic institutions have been tainted with both actual misconduct, as well as the unfounded generalized distrust, cults offer something to believe in with certainty. That is why people are so willing to blindly and completely buy in – literally their whole view of the world and themselves in it depends on it.

Hopefully everyone knows that no matter how “crazy” or fringe their beliefs, cults are potentially dangerous, even to the rest of us. And this cult may very well take down our democracy. Let’s not get too comfortable with the idea that Trump lost and the Capitol rioters are being prosecuted. “Trumpism” has not been vanquished. For those not familiar with historical detail; Hitler and the Nazi’s tried to overthrow the government in 1923. It failed and Hitler was arrested and sent to prison. And less than 10 years later he’s named Chancellor of Germany. Within months all other parties were outlawed, and criticism of the government was tantamount to treason. All the while the actions were portrayed as patriotic, making Germany great again.

We are far from out the woods with these people.

[anxiouslynumbme]

Best Prepare To Grieve

7x10, Daisy dealing with Jiaying's death.

Hello! So this is late and slightly more unedited than usual, 'cause I kinda had to post it before tonight's episode, so fair warning and all. Also this is heavily focused on Daisy and May, with a little Daisy/sousa. The higher dosage of Daisy and Sousa will be posted to my other fic (Tell me it's okay.)

Title inspiration: Hayley Williams - Leave It Alone. If you don't know it, go check it out. Actually, listen to her entire album. It's such a wonderful piece of art. Also the song ‘Simmer’ works for both Jiaying and Daisy. But especially Jiaying: If my child needed protection From a fucker like that man I'd sooner gut him 'Cause nothing cuts like a mother

Okay, I'm gonna stop now before I start rambling about the genius of Hayley Williams.

Ao3.

If you know love You best prepare to grieve Let it enter your open heart and Then prepare to let it leave

**************************************

Daisy didn't expect it to be easier, but with the number of people she had lost, and the amount of deaths and loss she had experienced; she wanted to believe it wouldn't hurt as much. But it hurt the same. Always.

Daisy had noticed a change in the way she handled tragedy over the years. How she used to deal with sadness as a kid, crying and daydreaming of a better future. As a teenager, she was the typical angsty, cynical soul who hated the world. A rebellious determination hit in her 20s, she found solace in conspiracy theories and exposing the truths.

And then Coulson had found her, and she'd latched onto the opportunity behind the man, desperately trying to find her parents, to know who she was. But Coulson had given her much more than what she had been looking for. And at first, the loneliness and pain had lessened with the team. She was happy. She belonged.

But as much as S.H.I.E.L.D. had given her; it had taken just as much. And it had taught her to deal with afflictions by avoidance, isolation, and a whole lot of anger.

And Daisy wished so much that was the case by seeing her mother's death again, Daisy wished she could sweep it under the rug and carry on. Just put under it there, with the recent death of Enoch. But she couldn't.

Daisy felt like a little kid again. She just wanted to cry and never stop, her heart was squeezing itself so tightly in its cage, her ears ringing with its heavy pounding. She couldn't breathe.

Daisy's breathing was short and shallow, her heart rate dimming in the engulfing anguish and shock, her chest constricting with the unbearable weight of loss. Daisy was frigid with the retching grief swirling through her veins. How was it that she never knew her mother and it hurt as though she did. Everytime. She had always been an orphan; she never had a mother, this should've been easier. Daisy wanted it to be. Desperately. Daisy was deprived of a mother's love since she was born; she was used to this. And yet, if felt like she was being drained of her blood by Nathaniel all over again. He should've had finished the job.

What Daisy resented the most was the brief, naive sliver of hope that was momentarily lit within her heart. A hope she had learned time and time again to crush, to never let it simmer too long or too bright. Daisy had learned not to hope a long time ago.

But seeing her mother again had weakened her resolve; it melted that icy wall she'd built around her for so long. Because the Jiaying that had stood in front of her was so unlike the traumatic memories Daisy had tried to block out. And for a split second, Daisy let her mind wander: it wandered so stupidly, with an innocence she shouldn't have, gullibility that should had been long gone.

Jiaying's presence enfeebled her state of mind and her guarded heart. Because after all those years, Daisy still hoped. What if Jiaying could stay? What if bad luck decided to let her have this one? What if she could get to keep this untainted and healthy version of her mother? What if they saved her sister and managed to find some way to stay together? It was so brief, a nano-second of hopeful naivety.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. And now you're breaking down all over again.

No, she wasn't breaking down again. Because as much as pain and sadness were familiar. Anger was too. And Daisy could easily channel this darkness that was threatening to swallow her, into fury. A familiar and safe territory.

It had been a while since Daisy had felt this kind of rage. She hated it. It was so easy to lose herself in that bottomless pit of hatred and self-pity. Daisy didn't want to give herself in it again; she'd almost lost the people she loved the last time she had went down an emotional spiral.

But it didn't matter, because Daisy wasn't going to let this go, her blood was boiling beneath the surface of her skin, her nerves prickled and itched with the fury that kept building up by each passing second. Quake was unraveling inside her, her powers thrumming with the need to be let out, it hummed and hammered, silently begging to be unleashed.

"Daisy."

May's wary voice traveled to her ears, but refused to reach the rest of her senses. A numbness began to settle over her as she quietly wiped away her muted tears.

May placed a hand on her shoulder and Daisy's eyes closed at the contact. Daisy couldn't handle comfort right now.

"Where is he?" her voice came out distant and cold.

"Daisy."

"How did he escape, May?"

"Garrett, I'm sure. He has Simmons."

Daisy's heart lurched in silent panic. Of course. Of course, he has her best friend. Daisy pulled away from May, standing up briskly.

“Deke is there too. He was already on the Zephyr.”

"Do you have any idea why he wants Simmons?"

"Daisy, you should take a breath," May said, putting a hand on her own chest.

"I'm fine, we have to act quickly and find her. Malick is unhinged; we don't know what he'll do," Daisy said monotonously, vaguely pointing at Jiaying's corpse. "We should move her first."

"I got it."

Sousa's voice was jarring, to say the least. Daisy was unaware of his presence in the hallway, and she didn't why, but she couldn't look at him.

"Thanks," she told him, marching forward and leaving Jiaying behind, not really caring where her legs were taking her.

"Daisy, where are you going?" May's word fell on deaf ears, Daisy needed to get out, it felt as though her lungs were collapsing in her chest.

Daisy almost sprinted outside. Her steps carrying her forward until she was stood in front of the water falling down harshly at the center of the Lighthouse. A scenery that used to bring her comfort; it was a place she sought out in her time of need, need of serenity and quiet. But her safe haven didn't provide much safety or peace, nothing could change the scene playing over and over in her mind.

Jiaying's face, the cracking sound of her neck breaking. The thudding finality of her lifeless body hitting the floor.

The air started to crackle around Daisy, her powers causing shudders to glide through her bones. Daisy was aware of the ground shaking beneath her, cargo and boxes of contents unknown to her, started to jolt and oscillate uncontrollably.

"Daisy!" It seemed May had followed her.

"Don't worry, May. I'm in control."

"Are you?"

"Yes!"

With a deep breath, Daisy focused all of her energy on one specific container, finally letting the infuriated vibrations out. Releasing her powers directly towards a few useless objects. One after the other, they exploded, and with each one Daisy felt her raging insides slightly subdue. But it wasn't enough. It wasn't Nathaniel.

"Daisy, talk to me." May came to stand next to her.

Daisy breathed in sharply. "What's the plan? Do we know - "

"Daisy, stop avoiding this."

"I'm not avoiding anything, May. Simmons was kidnapped, again! And I'm guessing Malick is not taking her to Hawaii, so..."

"I know that," May gritted out.

"Good. So he probably took her because it has something to do with Fitz, which is just great because we have zero informa -"

"Daisy, I can feel it!" May's voice almost came out in a yell.

"I'm sorry?" Daisy asked uselessly.

"Daisy," May said. "You are in pain. And you are so angry. Please talk to me."

Daisy nodded her head in annoyance, her hands darting to her waist. "Okay, then, why didn't you shoot to kill, May?"

"What?"

"Why didn't you kill him?" Daisy snapped. "Why didn't you let me - ?"

"Your anger was too much, you would've put everyone in danger!"

"No, I wouldn't have! I know exactly what I'm doing."

May paused, taking a step closer to her. "Daisy - "

"What, you wanna talk about something else? Like the fact that apparently I don’t exist now, or the fact that I had to watch my mother die again. Killed by the hands of someone who was abusing my powers! He used my powers to kill her, May!"

"I know," May said softly, striding even closer to Daisy. The consoling noise of the water around them grounding Daisy.

"Honestly, what Did I expect?" she snickered. "She dies later anyway. . .might as well, right? At least now I won't be alive, I guess - I honestly don't how this works anymore."

"Daisy, don't do this. Don't shut down."

"Wow, that's rich coming from you," Daisy bit out, her frustration flowing freely.

May was quiet, which irritated Daisy even more. She simply stood there, staring at her, but not with pity. It was pain. May was hurting too.

Daisy rolled her eyes. "Right, your ambiguous powers are making you extra sensitive, huh? Sorry about that."

"I don't need powers to feel your pain, Daisy."

Daisy stiffened, her feet instinctively taking a step back. "Well, sorry about that too."

"Daisy," May followed her, a palm trying to reach for her arm again. Daisy let her. "I can tell. Always. And that's why I know you will be okay."

"Will I?" Daisy wondered, her tone small and broken. "you know sometimes, I have these moments where I look around, surrounded by you guys, and I feel safe. Content. But then this dread always hits, hard. And I'm just. . .constantly afraid of losing you. Death just follows me, wherever I go."

May blenched, her frown deepening as her hand squeezed Daisy almost sternly. "Don't. Don't say that."

"No, no, it's always been like this," Daisy continued loudly, her hands flailing in front of her restlessly. "it's the same thing, always. Anyone I ever dared to care about goes away. God, even the idea of my parents I couldn't have. Just the mere damn idea of them. And the universe is twisted enough to keep dangling her, dangling that hope in my face!

"I've imagined meeting my mother over and over again, and not once did I - " Daisy's voice broke off, a hollowing ache in her chest. "She's unreachable. There is no world where I could have her. I don't even know why I keep - why I even thought - "

Daisy was cut off by May's arms enveloping her. Her grip strong and kind and steady. Safe, so safe. Daisy gasped roughly, her body sagging against May, finally inhaling oxygen just a bit easier again.

Daisy's legs gave out from under her, May immediately lowering both of them to the ground. May's arms closed her in, almost caging her from the cruel world around her. Like a mother would. And suddenly Daisy was assaulted by the memory of almost losing the woman who was currently keeping her from completely shutting down . May had almost died; Daisy had believed she died. And all of a sudden, that same wave of stifling pain crashed over her again, and Daisy clutched May to her, gripping her tightly.

"You almost died too," Daisy wept, not fully aware that her mouth was freely voicing her turmoil. "You almost me left me, too."

"Shh, I'm right here."

But Daisy was unable to hear anything but her racing, terrified thoughts.

"It won't stop. Ever since Trip, I keep losing. I lost the one person who understood me," Daisy's breath caught in her throat as she thought of her first, lost love. "I lost my - "

Her father? Because he was. In every way but blood, Phil Coulson was her father. And he was gone. And Daisy knew she might never completely move past his death; she might never be whole again. There really was nothing without him.

"It's okay, Daisy."

"He's gone, May. Coulson is gone," Daisy sobbed. "It's not him. He will never be him."

"I know, Daisy, I know." May held her harder. Solid against her.

"Please don't leave, May," Daisy grasped May's waist, her head pressing further in her chest. "Don't leave me."

"I'm not going anywhere," May rasped, her words firm and full of conviction. "I'm right here, okay? I'm always with you, Daisy."

But she wouldn't be. There was no way to ever ensure that, to ensure her loved ones’ safety, her family's survival. Daisy was going to lose them, or they were going to lose her. Death was inevitable, loss was too, and it didn't help that the odds were always stacked against them.

Enoch was right.

But Daisy didn't say anything, and decided to let May's words seep into her anyway, because Daisy was on the verge of a panic attack and she couldn't afford the loss of control right now. So for this moment, Daisy decided to believe May.

******

Daisy's eyes snapped open, her groggy mind trying to comprehend her surroundings. She had fallen asleep, slowly Daisy lifted her head up and away from May's chest to look into her wide awake eyes. Glancing around, Daisy realized May had moved them to a wall near by.

"How the hell did I fall asleep?" her voice was scratchy and low. "Did I, like, pass out or something?"

May grinned. "Honestly, I think you might have."

"Oh, how long?"

"Not long enough."

Daisy exhaled slowly. "Well, I'm sorry."

"It's all right. You needed it."

Daisy gazed at May's warm smile and noticed her eyes were a little red, realizing that May might've been crying with her. Gratitude and affection rushed through her. They had often joked about it, how Coulson and May were like her parents, but deep down, Daisy had always been speaking from the heart. They were.

Daisy caught May's hand in hers, "Thank you. I don't say it enough,"

May's brows knitted. "For what?"

"For taking care of me, for showing me how to survive and basically teaching me everything I know. For saving my life."

"You never need to thank me for any of that.”

S.H.I.E.L.D. did take a lot of from her. But it had also gifted her with something so rare, so utterly precious. Irreplaceable. It was tangible and real and hers. Daisy would take all the pain in the world if it meant having them. Having this family, keeping it.

"Er, hey."

This time, his voice wasn't as jarring, in fact, somehow Daisy was waiting for it, her ears welcoming its irresistible warmth as her eyes finally met his.

"Hi."

"We should start working out a plan and figuring out exactly where they are," May said, her body suddenly rising up to its full height, Daisy following right after. "I'll see you back inside in a few minutes,."

With one last gentle smile, May was walking away from them.

"Are you okay, sounds very pointless right now. So I'm gonna ask if there's anything you need from me."

Daisy's lips instantly quirked to the side. "Not right now, no. But thanks."

She wanted to ask him how he moved Jiaying, where exactly did he put her. Daisy wanted to see her, but her heart seemed to whimper in fear at the thought. Would she be able to do it? Daisy needed to focus on the mission, and maybe later, if she actually survived, there would be time to say proper goodbye to her mother.

"For now, all we need to focus on is getting Simmons and Deke back," she told him as they both started walking back.

Sousa sighed, eyes flitting away from hers. "I know. It all happened so fast. I couldn't stop him."

"You were with her?"

"Yeah, and I didn't have time t - "

Daisy stopped in her tracks. "Hey, it wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could've done."

Even though Sousa knew she was right, she could still sense some lingering guilt in his eyes. But Daisy could more than understand why he felt that way. Because how many times could she have killed Nathaniel? How many ways? Instead, she did nothing but watch. Helpless to stop any of it.

"What happened wasn't your fault either," Sousa said softly.

A part of Daisy didn't like the fact that he seemed to be able to read her so easily after knowing her for such little time. But the other, much bigger part of her, was just so grateful for him. Grateful that she didn't have to talk much for him to understand. So grateful that he was here.

Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts. 

Daisy peered at Sousa."Well, I guess it doesn't matter if it is or not. Guilt sticks with you anyway it can."

Sousa nodded. "Sometimes, it can be an irrational feeling."

"But in this case, it's justified. He didn't even want Jiaying. If she hadn't been here at all, then she would've - "

"No, you can't think like that," Sousa interjected quickly. "it'll drive you crazy. There was no way for you to know that. It was out of your control, Daisy."

Daisy could feel her insides recoil at the incessant image that wouldn't leave her mind. "He'd told her. Before he killed her. She - she knew who I was. She was trying to protect me."

Sousa stepped up to her, his palm kindly touching her arm. And Daisy didn't flinch away from him.

"She had died honorably. I know things were bad in the future with her. But this was your mother, Daisy. And she had done what she was always supposed to do."

The silent tears slipped before she could stop them, Sousa's hand rubbing her arm soothingly. 

"You know, I'm really glad you kinda pushed me into talking with her."

Sousa smiled warmly. "Really? 'Cause it didn't look like it."

Daisy snorted. "Well, I wasn't at the time. But now I realize I needed the push. . . So thank you."

"Anytime, Daisy."

The way he'd said it, as if he were cementing the idea that he was going to be there for her, anytime. And Daisy wanted to believe him so badly. But she couldn't let herself hope right now, not so soon after. Everything got taken away from her, and Sousa was no exception. Sooner or later.

Daisy sent him a simple nod in response, their legs moving forward again. Daisy didn't want to go inside; the air was probably still thick and heavy with the recent calamity, the devastation. Devastation she was still feeling.

But Daisy didn't have the luxury of mourning right now. Her friends were in trouble, which of course meant the world was in trouble. She needed to push through, as always.

She could let herself think that seeing her mother again brought her nothing but this suffocating sorrow. But Daisy was choosing to view it differently. She was glad that she was lucky enough to have seen Jiaying like this. To hear her say, my daughter, one last time. Daisy was glad she had the chance to look at her mother's beautiful face, and not see years of torment and hate clouding her eyes. Daisy was never even supposed to see her again; she was lucky in that sense.

Or at least that was how Daisy needed to look at it, in order to be able to move on. Because thinking of it any other way could so easily crush her.

Daisy got to see her again and that was enough. Because maybe asking for anything else was too much.

It always was.