#I love debating alternative views and opinions

[redrobin-detective]

so i found this post of urs on pinterest https://at.tumblr.com/redrobin-detective/so-ive-been-rereading-some-parts-of-red-robin-and/pftgo9w6odsd

and someone commented that ‘op is being dramatic actually everyone was worried about tim and wanted to help and tim pushed them away’ and it made me a little angry bc like yea to some extent thats true but also they legit made him think he was losing it lmao like did we read the same comic

(why am I on pinterest lol) OP is very dramatic but aside from that the commentator also has a point too. Yes! Previous set up from Robin and other comics showed that Tim was having problems with the Batfam. But!!! Like that comment said, they were worried about Tim and very much did not want him to run away. In the 3 issue Batman special of Blackest Night, Dick expressed worry about Tim being away, about how good it was to see him again. If I remember correctly he directly asked Tim to stay in Gotham, I think coded as 'to help with Damian' which Tim dismissed.

That's what makes Red Robin so interesting and what sparked my jumping ship from a Dick to Tim stannie. Tim is an unreliable narrator in his story. Especially in the first arc of RR, you can feel Tim's exhaustion, paranoia and desperation to be right affecting his perspective and actions. I knew the batfam hadn't overtly abandoned him (no matter what I say when I'm being Dramatic), I knew the decision he was making were bad despite his justification. It was watching a trainwreck in slow motion to watch a character be so lost in their own neurosis that they misinterpret a lot of what's happening around them. And it also makes the continuation of Red Robin very satisfying, watching Tim pull himself back together, lean again on the people in his life and be a little more sane. That was what drew me to the series and Tim's character in general. Also what 17 year old emo hasn't accused all their friends and family of hating them?

RR, like Robin before it, is filtered all through Tim's POV including all his biases and feelings and mental illnesses. Reading Red Robin, one only needs passing knowledge of the Batfam to know there is something deeply wrong with this kid and he should Not be on his own. Thats what makes the story so interesting :)

[eponastory]

Gotta apologize again for practically swimming in your DMs lately, but I remembered why people like 'Toph x Aang', and often cited Toph's honesty and lack of glorification to Aang as a reason why she would've been a better romantic interest for Aang than Katara. And I don't disagree with that, Toph is much more likely to put her foot down to let Aang know when he's wrong, which should urge him more to grow. But despite Toph theoretically being a better love interest for Aang, I have a question:

Would Aang be a good love interest for Toph?

Because since you, @longing-for-rain , and other Zutara supporters described Aang's immaturity very well, I have to wonder if Toph would be happy with Aang, knowing how hurtful he can get (Desert, Ember Island, did Aang even apologize for those instances?). What do you think? Do you think Aang has the qualities to be a good love interest for Toph? Could I ask this question for Ty Lee too? Because I see lots of people believing that Ty Lee would've been a good choice for Aang, but would Aang have been a good choice for Ty Lee? You know what, let's just get every popular alternative candidate out of the way, since people ship Aang with Toph, Ty Lee, Zuko, Sokka, and even Azula and Mai. Run the gauntlet (if you want to). Would Aang make a good love interest for literally ANY of the main characters?

Unpopular opinion, but as Aang is written in the show... he's not a good candidate for anyone.

Wait wait wait...

Hear me out before everyone gets up in arms...

This is where we have to acknowledge that Aang is a fictional character and not a real person (we are not going to count LA Aang because technically that would make him an actual person because he is portrayed by an actual teenage boy) therefore everything is written to be as it is. However, because fiction is subjective, we can debate whether or not to treat Aang like an actual person.

So with that in mind, let's begin this deconstruction of Aang's character and how he is not a good fit for any sort of romance as he is written in the show.

Aang's Selfishness

This right here is glossed over many, many times in the show. What I mean by selfishness is the fact that he is unable to look beyond his nose when it comes to other characters and their feelings. In real life, this is a very twelve year old thing to do, but unlike real life there is no one there to call him out on it. Just the writers, and they don't even do that. That coupled with the fact that he is written to be a child, it really doesn't make sense to me. That and he is the McGuffin and 'The One' of the entire show.

Bryke sets it up to be a good show by giving us the premise right from the start, but as the seasons move on, I don't really see any development from Aang. Only the characters around him.

That being said, because you don't get that development, any relationship going forward is going to feel shallow, like most of the relationships (except sukka) feel. Zuko and Katara progress in their relationship well because there was growth from both of them.

When it comes to Aang, he is more concerned with his views than taking a moment to think about everyone else's. Of course, I applaud those who actively seek peace in their lives and with dangerous situations, but Aang is incredibly naive. He doesn't get any better, even when Zuko calls him out on it. We see Aang struggle with the solution, but then Deus Ex Lionturtle shows up and doesn't really encourage that growth.

Because you don't get that growth and him moving past how HE feels, that is where a relationship is going to fall apart. It's not toxic, but if he doesn't change then it can become that way. Again, Aang is not a narcissist. He is just selfish and naive. These are two big things that cost him.

[mayfast]

You don’t think there’s ANYTHING suspicious about a white Italian crying crocodile tears after 30 seconds in the ring with an African woman, the ring of course being the fucking OLYMPIC BOXING RING, which is meant for people who are actually capable of performing well in the sport they’re there to do?

Both of them are women, one is just apparently shit at the one thing she was there to do. Can’t take a hit? Don’t go into a sport where you’re gonna get hit, overwhelmingly in the face. Euros stay seething that they can’t own Africans anymore and have to make shit up.

Greetings,

First, I want to apologize in advance for any grammar or punctuation errors. English is my first language, but I’m dyslexic. Regardless, I will do my best to make this response readable. Secondly, I apologize for getting back to you so late. I visited my siblings and left my laptop at home, knowing that if I tried to respond via my phone, the quality would suffer greatly. Thirdly, thank you for genuinely asking me a question. Don’t get me wrong—I love a good death threat as much as the next person, and I’ve already received plenty of those. But I suppose the way I see it is this: if you disagree with me on a topic, having a screaming match on the level of a presidential debate isn’t going to help either of us. Besides, I like learning and changing. I’m human, and that’s kind of what we’re meant to do. Talk with me so I can see and learn. If you show me why I’m wrong and convince me, I’ll acknowledge it and say, "I was wrong with the information previously presented to me. Thank you for correcting me; I appreciate it." As petty as it sounds, I like being right—not in terms of "my opinion trumps yours," but in knowing I have the correct information and now understand the right thing to do or say. Make sense?

Next order of business: my perspective. Normally, I keep my nose out of political and social issues for several reasons. Firstly, I don’t typically have enough information to give an informed opinion. I don’t see why I should preach my views if I lack the data or experience in the subject matter. Instead, I prefer to listen and learn. Furthermore, I strongly believe in the cookie/diet analogy. Most of the internet is familiar with this analogy, but to reiterate: me being on a diet does not mean you cannot eat a cookie. Similarly, my beliefs should not dictate how you live your life. In simpler terms, I drink water and mind my business.

However, let's adjust the analogy a bit. (I use analogies a lot, and I acknowledge that they are not always perfect, but they help get my point across.) If my diet forbids me from consuming alcohol, it doesn’t mean you can’t drink. I even hope you enjoy it because you’re doing as you please and having a good time. But if you decide to drink and then drive, you are actively impeding on my right to be safe. As stated in Article 2 of the American Declaration of Rights: “Every human being has the right to life, liberty, and the security of his person.” Yes, I am American, so perhaps this analogy only applies to Americans. Again, a limitation of the analogy. In this case, I have enough reason to get involved. It’s not about you drinking or you driving separately; it’s about the intersection of the two. (Bet you didn’t think a dumb jock knew what that was, huh?)

For those who are younger or unfamiliar, intersectionality is “a metaphor for understanding the ways that multiple forms of inequality or disadvantage sometimes compound themselves and create obstacles that are often not understood among conventional ways of thinking.” Alternatively, intersectionality is “a sociological analytical framework for understanding how groups' and individuals' social and political identities result in unique combinations of discrimination and privilege.” Basically, when two identities (like race and gender) intersect, they create a unique perspective, thus an intersection. This concept was identified by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a civil rights advocate.

One of the first examples given to me about intersectionality involved a mechanic shop. In this shop, Black male mechanics did the physical labor, while white women worked as secretaries and in the office. A Black woman faced discrimination when she was unfairly turned away for a job. When she took her case to court, the company argued they were neither racist nor sexist because they hired both Black people and women. However, all the women in the office were white, and all the Black employees were male mechanics. It's a complex situation, right? I'm not sure of the specifics or the case name, but I believe it was real, and she ultimately won her case.

Anyway, what I’m saying is that I have a unique intersectionality that gives me specific experiences. In no way am I claiming my perspective is greater than anyone else's, but it is particularly relevant to the topic of trans women in sports and high testosterone performance. My point of view comes from my intersectional identity as an AFAB cis female, a mixed-race individual (Black, White, and Native American), a former Division 1 women’s athlete, and someone with a Master’s of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, along with other degrees in Biophysics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Psychology. I am currently deciding whether to pursue a PhD, a medical doctorate, or both.

Therefore, for anyone who thinks I am ignorant about the biological aspects of this issue, I urge you to reconsider. I was an accelerated student, graduated with departmental honors, and maintained a physically demanding job. If you have an issue with my presentation of biological and genetic information, please take it up with CHEA or the U.S. Department of Education for providing me with such "ludicrous" information and expecting me to look out for the health of the U.S. population.

Additionally, while on the topic of education and biology, one key concept was emphasized from the first day of schooling: gender is not sex, and sex is not gender. These are distinct topics. Sometimes sex aligns with gender, and other times it does not. Gender is more of a spectrum, which is fine by me. I know where I fall on that spectrum and am at peace with it. I do not claim to know what a woman is definitively. However, I have lived every day of my life—over two decades—as a woman. I may not encompass everything that the title "woman" entails, but I believe I can at least identify some aspects of what it means to be a woman. Wouldn’t it be silly to tell a woman that she has no idea what is included in the title of a woman?

I've scoured the internet and cannot, for the life of me, find the name of the process where you describe things around a concept to define it, despite not having an exact definition. I learned about this in philosophy; if someone could provide the term, that would be wonderful. For example, let’s say I am an elephant, and I see red and white stripes in the tent where I perform, smell peanuts, see the ring where I strike poses, the boss with his top hat to my left, the acrobats above me, and the clowns in front of me. I may not describe everything that constitutes this concept, but you can probably guess that the topic is a circus. The elephant may not be the entire circus, but it’s part of it and knows bits of it. Could you tell the elephant that it’s not describing parts of the circus correctly? I could say, “Elephant, you’re right that those are parts of the circus, but there are different angles to it as well.” Again, I’m aware that my analogies are not all-encompassing and fall short in some details.

So, while the exact definition of "woman" is ever-changing and based on societal, emotional, mental, and other criteria, I do not seek to define this term. It’s not my area of expertise, nor is it my concern. I know what I am, and I am content. I don’t place others in a box with me; I am happy in my own square. Instead, I stick to what I know: the facts and definitions of what a female is, which are based on biology—facts that have been studied with hard data for me to analyze.

Before I continue, I want to reiterate that I am a "cookie/diet" person. Everyone has the right to life, liberty, security, and the pursuit of happiness. I could never hate a stranger I’ve never met. I believe everyone, regardless of race, gender, identity, sexual preference, age, or other parameters, should have peace and public respect. No one should be actively threatened for their opinions within the boundaries of universal truths. For example, if you think someone should die for their sexual preference (excluding minors, as I do not tolerate pedophilia and believe it is something a person must address immediately), skin color, or religious belief/spirituality, that is an infringement on another person’s safety. With that said, I think transgender, nonbinary, and queer individuals should live their lives to the fullest. They are people too, just like anyone else, including me.

Back to my original topic: I can define a biological female in terms of biology. A female is one denoting the sex that can bear offspring or produce eggs, distinguished biologically by the production of gametes (ova). (Note: not all females are naturally fertile due to genetic variations.) Biological sex is an assigned label given at birth based on medical factors, including hormones, chromosomes, and genitals. These are measurable factors assigned at birth. Hence, terms such as AFAB (Assigned Female At Birth) and AMAB (Assigned Male At Birth) help medical providers give their patients the best treatment and diagnosis regardless of gender. Because, again, sex is not gender, and gender is not sex.

It is also significant to mention that the medical factors assigned at birth are not limited to genitals. This is important because, although rare, intersex persons are real. They exist. One of the things that used to irritate me during my undergraduate and high school years was that medical professionals knew of intersex persons, but they never had a significant amount of data on them to establish the medical boundaries of what could be classified as “normal” for them. It’s like knowing dragons exist but not being able to tell you more about them—like Hiccup with the Night Fury page in the first movie. Moreover, individuals with mixed chromosomes also occur, such as those with 25% XY and 75% XX. Even if their sex presents in a binary fashion, their DNA may be ‘abnormal,’ and they may categorize themselves however they please. I use the word 'abnormal' in a scientific manner, not as a slander, but merely because it literally translates as 'not normal.' One of the genes that defines sex presentation is the SRY gene (7).

If I harp on about DNA, I apologize, but as someone who has spent so much of her life studying this specific detail of human anatomy, I can't help but carry on. I have asked a few of my colleagues with PhDs and specialties in hormone activity, mainly about regulation, because I wish to be well-informed. At a basic level, everyone understands genetic variances and that traditional male and female individuals have different chromosomes—XY and XX, respectively. Otherwise, the genome is mostly identical, with differences in SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) and epigenetics (the regulation of genes typically found in the non-coding regions of DNA). DNA influences the production of chemical structures found naturally in the body, including steroids.

I'm sure most people are familiar with steroids, whether from a "don't do drugs" perspective or in the context of cholesterol. Either way, your body produces various forms of natural steroids to help regulate biochemical pathways. The interesting part is that everyone's body produces all of the necessary steroids (at least every healthy body), just in varying amounts. If you notice that these steroids are similar looking, you're right. This similarity helps us classify them and understand their behavior. They are derivatives of each other, but their varying side chains allow them to bind to specific receptors.

Granted, 'binding' is a loose term because, due to Brownian motion and other physical laws, most molecules just float around. Binding depends on various factors such as the shape of the molecules and the energy of their interactions. Additionally, protein turnover rates (which may not directly be the steroid hormones, but affect growth hormones via the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal [HPA] Axis, Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal [HPG] Axis, Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 [IGF-1] Pathway, Steroid Hormone Receptor Signaling, including the ER and AR pathway, and Cytokine and Growth Factor Pathways), which refer to the rate at which proteins are synthesized and degraded, can influence the availability of proteins for binding, though they are not directly related to binding specificity itself. Binding specificity relies more on the geometry and chemical groups themselves. (Long story short, molecules can float into a receptor, but they rarely stick around long enough for a reaction to occur unless it is the correct compound.)

Androgens are hormones that contribute to male traits and reproductive activities, although they are also present in females in smaller amounts. The main androgens include:

Testosterone: The most well-known androgen, produced primarily in the testes of males and in smaller amounts by the ovaries in females.

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT): A more potent androgen derived from testosterone.

Androstenedione: A precursor to both testosterone and estrogens, produced in the adrenal glands and gonads.

Androgens are responsible for male characteristics such as facial hair, a deep voice, and increased muscle mass. They also play a role in libido, bone density, and overall health in both males and females (8).

Estrogens are hormones crucial for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sexual characteristics. They are present in both males and females but are typically found at higher levels in females. Key types of estrogens include:

Estradiol (E2): The most potent and predominant estrogen during the reproductive years.

Estrone (E1): The primary form of estrogen produced after menopause.

Estriol (E3): The weakest form, mainly produced during pregnancy.

Both androgens and estrogens are essential for maintaining a healthy and functioning body, though they operate in different amounts and have distinct functions in males and females. While individual hormone levels can vary due to genetic differences, standard distributions are often used to represent general populations. It’s important to note that athletes, for example, may fall outside these standard distributions in areas like skill levels and genetic traits such as height. Hormone levels also vary depending on the specific aspect being examined, and studies have established typical ranges for these hormones.

Estradiol (E2) is the estrogen most involved in muscle health and building in women. It plays a key role in muscle growth and maintenance by enhancing muscle protein synthesis and influencing muscle mass, especially during periods of hormonal change like menopause. I found this straightforward information on a website, but I’m hesitant to cite this since it doesn’t come from a formal medical paper or research journal.

Results are given in picograms per milliliter (pg/mL). Normal levels for estradiol (E2) are:

30 to 400 pg/mL for premenopausal women

0 to 30 pg/mL for postmenopausal women

10 to 50 pg/mL for men

While these values provide a general reference, I would not rely solely on this information without formal publication backing. For more reliable data, Frederiksen et al. have a formal publication that aligns with these numbers (1). However, it's worth noting that their research was published around 2019-2020, and the publication process can sometimes extend over several months. Additionally, the E2 levels measured in these studies refer to blood serum. Since estrogens and testosterone are also present in other tissues, such as muscle and genital tissues, these values should be interpreted with some caution.

Moving on to testosterone, here are the normal measurements according to a straightforward website I found (uncited here since it’s not from a medical or research journal):

Male: 300 to 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL) or 10 to 35 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L)

Female: 15 to 70 ng/dL or 0.5 to 2.4 nmol/L

Fortunately, I found research that supports these values. For example, a study by S. L. Davison et al. measured androgen levels in 1,423 cis-women of varying ages, excluding those at the extremes of the distribution curve to minimize misjudgment (2). Their findings align well with the cited measurements of blood serum testosterone and provide additional details, such as measurement averages, ranges, and a box-and-whisker plot for various androgens. Their comprehensive analysis is quite impressive.

However, it is worth noting that Davison’s study is considered relatively old by research standards, having been published in 2005. Further supporting evidence can be found in research by Zitzmann et al., which also aligns with the previously mentioned male normal ranges (3). Additionally, Mohr et al. conducted a separate study on males that supports these general numbers (4). It should be noted that Mohr's study did not include men under 40 years of age, which may limit its applicability to younger populations.

Besides this point, what practical usage does this information have? These are just ranges of sex-specific hormones. However, when diving deeper into the performance enhancement effects of these hormones, particularly testosterone, we find a plethora of research dedicated to understanding its impact on athletic performance.

Testosterone affects physical abilities, with one of the main differences being height. For instance, Schappi (11) found that "women were, on average, 166.2 cm (SD 6.5) tall and men 179.2 cm (SD 6.5)." While this study was limited to a population in Geneva, its findings are consistent with data from Medical News Today and Our World in Data, both of which conclude that males are roughly 12-13 cm taller than females on average. Interestingly, this 13 cm difference is two standard deviations outside of the female average. Additionally, a person's wingspan is typically equal to their height, meaning that males not only have a height advantage but also a reach advantage when extending their arms overhead. However, height isn't everything; in some sports, like diving or gymnastics, excessive height can be detrimental.

Still not convinced? Let's talk about strength. Although this study is old, it highlights a well-documented difference. Bishop, Curton, and Collins found that "percentage mean differences in absolute strength between males and females of each group ranged from 75% to 173% for the curl and bench press strength measures, whereas differences for the lower-body strength measures were smaller, ranging from 20% to 64%" (12). This indicates that males are distinctly stronger in the upper body and only partially stronger in the lower body. It's important to note that these data reflect both non-athletes and collegiate swimming athletes, meaning the height categories align well with our previous discussion.

Now, let's touch on VO2 max, an important measure in endurance sports like running, where muscle mass and height may not play as significant a role. Recall the SRY gene I mentioned earlier, which is involved in the differentiation of male and female reproductive tissues. During the first six weeks of development, the reproductive tissues of males and females are identical. Around week seven in utero, the SRY (sex-related gene on the Y chromosome) initiates the development of the testes. In the absence of a Y chromosome and the SRY gene, ovaries develop instead. Fetal ovaries do not produce adequate amounts of testosterone, so the Wolffian ducts do not develop. Additionally, the absence of Müllerian Inhibiting Substance (MIS) leads to the development of the Müllerian ducts and female reproductive structures.

Testosterone also stimulates erythropoiesis, which results in a higher hematocrit (the proportion of blood volume occupied by red blood cells) in males compared to females (13). Erythropoiesis, the production of red blood cells (RBCs), plays a crucial role in determining VO2 max because RBCs are responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs to the muscles during exercise. RBCs contain hemoglobin, a quaternary structured protein that binds to oxygen in the lungs and carries it through the bloodstream to the muscles and other tissues. The more RBCs you have, the more oxygen can, in theory, be transported to your muscles. During exercise, your muscles require more oxygen to produce energy. RBCs deliver this oxygen efficiently, enabling your muscles to sustain activity. VO2 max measures the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise (14). Since RBCs are responsible for delivering oxygen, the number and efficiency of RBCs directly influence your VO2 max. A higher RBC count generally means more oxygen can be delivered, potentially increasing your VO2 max.

In the past, some athletes have tried to enhance their performance by increasing their RBC count through methods like blood doping or using erythropoietin (EPO), a hormone that stimulates RBC production (14). Others prefer altitude training to stimulate the same effect. At higher altitudes, the body responds to lower oxygen levels by producing more RBCs to improve oxygen delivery. This adaptation can lead to an increase in VO2 max when the athlete returns to lower altitudes.

What’s the point of all this research? These numbers represent facts that were measured and observed. While research is ever-changing, these findings were scientifically validated at the time the data was collected. Is it the same today? Maybe, but that's why new research is always conducted—to update and refine our understanding of the facts.

So, if we establish that there are differences in testosterone levels, why is this important? Recently, while traveling, I met a young man named L. We began by discussing his interesting keychain, and our conversation soon expanded to broader topics. Eventually, we touched on my experiences and perspectives on a contentious issue I had been involved in on Tumblr. I shared my background with L and asked for his views.

L, who had no previous experience in sports but expressed a desire to participate, and I both developed similar theories on how to make sports more inclusive without the need to define categories such as "woman" or "man" or to address issues like non-binary participation. We proposed eliminating gender classifications altogether and instead focusing on identifying the 'strongest' or 'best' athletes based purely on performance.

I mentioned that increased muscle building due to androgen effects (as previously explained) would naturally favor individuals with XY chromosomes in muscle-reliant sports. Eliminating gendered sports entirely might render Title IX ineffective, which serves as a protective measure for sex equity in athletics, as well as the amendments to protect gender identity and sexual orientation. However, I will discuss my concerns with Title IX's clumping of these categories later.

L suggested exploring sports events that are more sex-specific, such as gymnastics, where events are designed to accommodate general differences in the center of gravity. He proposed categorizing events based on the center of gravity or allowing athletes to choose from a limited number of events (e.g., four out of eight). L also suggested that weightlifting could be divided into weight classes to ensure fairness.

Overall, L's ideas were creative and thought-provoking, offering innovative ways to address fairness and inclusivity in sports. However...

I want to clarify that my comments about L are not meant to be critical of him personally. L has never participated in competitive sports, so his ideas about sports regulation are not informed by personal experience. For instance, Olympic weightlifting already uses weight classes for both males and females, making L’s suggestion to split events by weight class not a new concept.

To use an analogy (and I apologize in advance for this), if I were a programmer with no background in art, I might develop a program that generates artwork. While I could claim to have created art through the program, it would not make me an artist in the traditional sense, nor would it make my program the originator of any art movements. This comparison highlights that expertise in one field does not automatically translate to expertise in another. Artists of Tumblr, I am sorry I used your craft in vain, but I’m trying to make a point.

With this in mind, I asked L whether my viewpoints made me an "asshole" or a "transphobe." I strive for self-awareness and constantly reassess my perspectives to ensure they are fair and respectful. L, a fan of philosophy, reassured me that my views, while not aligned with his own, did not reflect poorly on my character. He appreciated that I had well-reasoned arguments and was open to discussing and understanding different perspectives. L valued my willingness to engage in dialogue and my intention to support an institution that is important to me while respecting others.

Thank you, L, for your thoughtful feedback and for contributing to a constructive discussion.

Shifting focus away from DNA-related topics, I'd like to discuss another area relevant to my perspective: college sports. College athletics vary in competitiveness and rewards and are governed primarily by two bodies: the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The NAIA generally aligns with the competitive levels of NCAA Division 2 and Division 3, with Division 2 being more competitive than Division 3. NCAA Division 1 represents the highest level of competition, with the most demanding physical and legal requirements. Notably, Division 1 athletes often face legal issues related to the intense demands placed on them by coaches, including overworking that affects their academic performance and personal well-being.

For instance, Division 1 athletes frequently deal with legal contracts that dictate their commitment levels, including the number of hours they can be required to train during the offseason and academic breaks. These contracts, often presented as voluntary, are perceived more as mandatory. Athletes are expected to sign them, and while participation in collegiate athletics is a choice, the reality often feels like being caught between economic or physical hardship. With student debt already so high, the stakes are incredibly high for student-athletes.

I also want to touch on something that came up in a Tumblr discussion. I expressed my concerns that men might enter women’s events not out of genuine reasons but rather for athletic achievement. I was told I seemed paranoid and somewhat transphobic for thinking this way, but let me share a personal insight: very few people truly understand what it’s like to be a college athlete. I'll discuss the actual numbers later, but once you sign that contract, you lose a lot of autonomy over your own life.

Before college, I had a healthy body and made my own choices. But once under the coaching staff's control, they dictated everything—my weight, sleep schedule, dietary habits, and even how much sun I got. I had no say in these decisions; it was all up to them. Any college athlete would tell you the same.

Given the differences in hormones, genetics, and epigenetics that I’ve discussed earlier, a coach’s main goal is to win, often by any means necessary within legal boundaries. Transitioning is not off the table. The athlete’s role is to comply with the coach's demands or face the possibility of being released from the team. If you think I’m being dramatic, consider the media’s sexualization of college athletes. Some coaches will have their women drop to dangerous weights to gain attention from the male audience. You should probably look into Tennessee’s women’s teams. I’ve seen coaches who, desperate to turn around a losing streak to keep their jobs, might consider extreme measures, and since the legal case of Lia Thomas was won by her, this would not exclude pushing athletes to transition. Coaches have been known to dope athletes without their consent, track their location illegally, and manipulate their academic schedules to benefit their athletic careers. The latter happens far too often. But an athlete cannot argue—it’s so easy for the school to find a way to make you ineligible. With a long line of people happy to take your scholarship, you sit down and shut up.

How do I know? I was there. I’ve seen the situations that have happened. Very few of you have the same insight.

I bring up my experience as a student-athlete because I’ve faced the reality where a poor performance could jeopardize one’s ability to afford an education. You might wonder, "So what if you get cut from the team? You can just take out a loan or get an academic scholarship like anyone else." As I mentioned earlier, I was an accelerated student, which meant I qualified for significant academic scholarships—hundreds of thousands of dollars that would have covered tuition, board, housing, and more. If I had taken the academic scholarship, it would have deprived someone else who genuinely needed it. That would have been silly, especially since I had other means to fund my education.

Contrary to media portrayals, most athletes aren’t as academically challenged as they might seem. To participate in high school and collegiate sports, you must maintain a minimum GPA. And while sports outside the major men’s sports—like football, basketball, and baseball—don't offer much financial reward, the reality is frankly more stark from an insider’s perspective. For instance, Caitlin Clark, despite being a top draft pick, earns significantly less than a male athlete in a comparable position. This disparity is something most athletes are acutely aware of.

In many countries, sports like golf or tennis might offer better financial prospects, which could explain why over 60% of NCAA tennis players are international. The point I’m making is that many student-athletes pursue sports to avoid college debt. At least 90% of my teammates were in the same situation, with many majoring in pre-med or health-related fields. It’s almost like understanding the body’s functions can indeed enhance performance.

Sorry for the snark, but this is something that has bothered me throughout my college years. The persistent stereotype of college athletes has been evident from the moment I met my academic peers. Being unfairly judged and excluded based on preconceived notions about my extracurricular activities has been frustrating. I made it a point to excel academically, partly in response to this bias. Contrary to what some may believe, athletics often integrates cutting-edge research. For example, many training programs are designed to align with circadian rhythms—lifting in the morning when testosterone levels are highest and practicing in the afternoon when coordination and reaction times are optimized. It’s about applying principles of biochemistry and biophysics to enhance performance.

I want to discuss being a college athlete for another important reason. It seems reasonable to address the issue of lawmakers and other individuals making decisions about areas where they lack firsthand experience. Take, for example, women’s reproductive health and abortion. It’s a well-known issue where decisions are often made by those who don’t experience the consequences firsthand. Similarly, when it comes to transgender athletes in sports, the situation is analogous.

To illustrate, let’s look at some statistics. According to the NCAA, in the 2021-2022 year, there were over 520,000 collegiate athletes. This number is consistent with this link's  reports from the NCAA and NAIA combined. In high school, there were approximately 3,850,771 male athletes and 2,954,034 female athletes. It’s important to note that these figures might include multiple team members and varying grade levels, and some high school athletes participate in multiple sports.

The likelihood of playing at any collegiate level, not just Division 1, is much lower, with about 298,424 male athletes and 239,611 female athletes making the cut. This translates to approximately 7.74% of high school males and 8.11% of high school females having the opportunity to offer an informed opinion on this matter. According to theKids Count Data Center, in 2021, there were 258,418,544 people over the age of 18. This means that for every college athlete, there are roughly 500 individuals who can impact their experience.

This approach highlights an important issue: ensuring equality for nonbinary athletes. They deserve the opportunity to showcase their talents and pursue college sports without facing prejudice or having to conform to the standards set for men’s or women’s teams.

One key aspect of Title IX that many people may not be aware of is that college sports programs must reflect the sex distribution of the student body. When there is a significant imbalance in sex representation—such as more females than males at a school—the ratio of sports scholarships and teams must be adjusted accordingly. As a result, many universities are now adding more female teams to meet these requirements, rather than cutting male programs, which often generate more funding. Interestingly enough, I find it odd that the sex ratio is what influences gender opportunities in athletics, because as we’ve learned, sex is not gender and gender is not sex. Why does sex ratios influence gendered sports?

I propose creating a nonbinary category in sports, with Title IX regulations adjusted to reflect this inclusion. This would ensure that schools offer fully funded nonbinary athletics teams with the same benefits as traditional teams, including scholarships, housing, media coverage, and outreach programs. This way, a trans woman or gender-fluid athlete would not face issues related to hormonal treatments or eligibility, as they would have a designated team that understands their unique challenges. By doing so, we can provide a supportive environment where nonbinary athletes can thrive and connect with teammates who share similar experiences.

If I didn’t care about the well-being of nonconforming genders, I wouldn’t have invested hours researching NCAA guidelines and the CFR to develop solutions. I’m committed to finding resolutions rather than merely voicing complaints.

Now, you might be wondering if I’m advocating for a "separate but equal" approach. Let me clarify: as a Black woman in sports, I’ve experienced firsthand the disparities in treatment and opportunities. Women’s sports often receive far less attention and funding compared to men’s sports. The funding for most college sports programs primarily comes from men’s teams—football, baseball, and men’s basketball being major examples. Additionally, women’s games are frequently scheduled at inconvenient times, like mid-day on a Tuesday, while men’s games are typically held on Friday evenings, attracting more viewers and creating fewer conflicts with academic commitments.

Despite my frustrations, I was thrilled to see the South Carolina vs. Iowa women’s basketball game in 2024 become one of the most-watched college basketball games in ESPN’s history. It felt like a long-awaited recognition for women’s athletics. While the 9.9 million views from the previous year were a notable achievement, it’s clear that women’s sports still have a long way to go in terms of equality and visibility. I’m getting beside the point. Those who would argue that sports are completely based on being unequal, that there are those who are genetically taller or stronger than others, make the point of regulation seem completely unjust.

I assume everyone here is familiar with the standard distribution curve, or the normal z-distribution, which is based on deviation away from the ‘normal.’ Athletics can be understood within this framework. With the Olympics at the very right side of the curve, the top 0.1% of their sport. Top-performing college athletes are well beyond three deviations from the mean. In fact, they are so far above the curve that they are considered outliers. If we examine the case of Lia Thomas, I ran the numbers, comparing her swim performance to the previous top three medalists of the 500-meter freestyle for the 2016-2024 seasons. Lia almost fell perfectly on the mean for the top three medalists, even landing slightly higher within the first deviation of the previous gold medalists within the past eight years.

A "freak of nature" would fall into the +2 or +3 categories. This is also what helps tip off the NCAA about drug enhancement usage. Again, what really threw most of the nation off about Lia Thomas was that she won in her first year in the women’s category. But what fails to be recognized is that her numbers were in the normal range for winning. Granted, this led to other speculations about her being ‘too perfect’ in the category of normal, but that’s not the point nor does it have any data relevance. She did lose a valuable 15 seconds from her personal best after undergoing hormone therapy. I won’t call Lia, when she swam in the men’s category, a bad or prime athlete. Lia, like many athletes affected by COVID, had an extra year to compete, which happened to be her last year of collegiate athletics. Looking at Lia’s numbers and rank alone is not a good indicator of her potential as a swimmer. Lia was always a good swimmer in longer-distance freestyle, even before she transitioned. Looking at Lia’s ranking as a sophomore pre-transition, she was ranked 65th among males for the 200 free that season. For a sophomore, that is not bad at all. I personally ranked a bit higher my sophomore year, but there’s always the number of people in your sport to take into account. I would estimate that if Lia had continued to swim with the males without hormone therapy, she most likely would have been on the national podium nonetheless. What irks me is the lack of data that I can find on Lia’s junior season when she was undergoing hormone therapy while competing in the male category. I know many statements place Lia as ‘bouncing’ from a low-ranking male to a top-ranking female, but I don’t believe that is the case. If someone could point me to the data set, I would love to examine it. Regardless, Lia’s lower rank in her junior year would be explained by the lower levels of testosterone, mitigating towards that of an AFAB (assigned female at birth) woman. If Lia was an ‘average’ champion her senior year, then that low rank position in her junior year is where a women’s average national champion would rank among AMAB (assigned male at birth) men.

Now, someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I doubt that much of Lia’s shift in rank her junior year could be attributed to a change in technique. She did lose muscle mass and gained the typical body composition of a female. So, really the only significant alteration was her testosterone suppression. Clearly, testosterone does something. Granted, due to the private policy of athletes' health, I don’t think much of the public has access to her health records, including her T levels. But if they were under 5 nmol/L, the NCAA would not have allowed her to compete, which she did. So clearly, they were above that level. Regardless, Lia lost muscle mass and bone density post-hormone therapy. Granted, for a non-contact sport in water, how prized is bone density?

If you really want to get into the chemistry of it, females with higher fat content float more easily due to buoyant forces. “In fact, it is the density of lean muscle tissue that differentiates it from fat. The density of mammalian skeletal muscle tissue is about 1.06 kg/L. This density can be contrasted with the density of adipose tissue (fat), which is 0.9196 kg/L” (Etchison). Normally, in any other sport, this is a hindrance, as fat adds to resistance via pulling in a downward motion, which your muscles would need to act counteractively to not only keep you up but also move forwards. Back to distributions, sorry for the weird tangent.

These physical attributes that are so valued in sports—heights, testosterone levels, skeletal structure—have distribution curves among females, or at most people have heard of as percentiles. This is a natural distribution. I don’t think I need to explicitly state that, in general, males are taller, stronger, and faster (due to testosterone). As a female athlete, these are facts I accept without feeling inferior. However, a height of 6’4” or 193 cm will land very differently on the distribution scale of males and females. I mean, Lia’s own teammates wrote a letter urging the school not to pick a fight with gender and sex, as they classified the two as separate and unrelated. While others wrote that Lia was a perfect example that transgender athletes should have an equal opportunity in a safe and positive environment (which I’m not disagreeing with), they are no longer biologically in the binary. Lia’s gender was not the same as her sex during her years of competition.

Next, my other issue with how Lia was regulated was that the NCAA measured her blood serum testosterone. "Evidence that the concentration of testosterone in the athlete’s serum has been less than 5 nmol/L (as measured by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry) continuously for a period of at least thirty-six (36) months before the date of application" (NCAA Guidelines 19.4.6.C.2). As we have already discussed, 5 nmol/L is already double the standard maximum amount for females, but half the amount males have.

Then let’s discuss the paradox presented. Clearly, testosterone plays a role in performance. However, Lia’s gender and hormones matched those of a female, even though other aspects of her sex did not match that of a biological female (genitals and chromosomes). However, if women’s sports shouldn’t be policed by hormones, genitals, or chromosomes, what defines the original intent of Title IX by the separation of sex? Even when cases in the past have disqualified cis women, whose genitals also align with their sex, if their hormones were too high—cases like Caster Semenya, Dutee Chand, Francine Niyonsaba, Margaret Wambui, and Annet Negesa. Did you know about those cases? Did anyone care then? The typical causes were hyperandrogenism, more common in women of African descent. As a mixed woman, I’m well aware of this. And how have those cases been handled before Imane Khelif? The IAAF, now World Athletics, required these women to either undergo surgery or take medication to bring those T levels down. So, do we go back and award those women their medals and prize money?

Taking this tail-chasing a step further, Lia Thomas didn’t undergo a sex change (understandable, as surgery and hormone therapy would be a lot while competing and preparing for law school), but we regulated her hormones. Her testosterone was just as natural as Imane Khelif’s. If hormones don’t define what a woman is, why was it okay in this case? To further complicate matters, Imane Khelif is a boxer, which is high-contact. Fine, sure, sports sometimes include contact; it’s just part of them. But as you read earlier, testosterone affects tissue, not just blood serum, strength, VO2 max, and other factors like bone density. It definitely affects net force for strikes. One major reason the sports were originally separated wasn’t because women didn’t deserve an equal stage, but to account for the natural differences in anatomy and physiology, such as net strike force and bone density.

People get hurt in contact sports nonetheless; however, those injuries occur along the standard curve due to natural differences between athletes. Without regulation, there is a shift in the curve that would make serious injuries far more common, with death being on the far-right side of the distribution.

Genetic differences and unfair genetic advantages occur all the time in sports. All the time. I was a Division I athlete; do you think I didn’t recognize that? That I wasn’t used to craning my neck up to talk with volleyball or basketball players? That is laughable. But even between the same sports, with men and women, there is a natural distribution. Females are 95% of the time shorter and less muscular. Swimmers, divers, runners, jumpers, throwers, rowers, basketball players, tennis players, fencers, and water polo players—it's all the same.

So, what do we regulate? Hormones? Chromosomes? Genitals? Gender? All of these are out of the question.

Once again, I propose an enhanced visibility program for equal opportunities for non-conforming individuals. The interpretation of Title IX is problematic. The LGBT+ community and others agree that gender is not the same as sex. But for some odd reason, gender and sexual orientation are protected under the title of sex. We should not pick and choose when definitions are convenient. We need to make a distinction and protect these categories individually with more specific definitions. Women: Chromosomes, genitals, gender, and hormones align. Men: Chromosomes, genitals, gender, and hormones align. Non-Conforming: None of the categories need to align.

This model would allow parents to feel more at ease about their children participating in primary education without worrying that their children’s opportunities are being stolen. Every category can have distinct role models. Yes, there can be a genderqueer Simone Biles. This reduces the backlash from societal norms. There would not need to be heavy regulation of sex or gender for the non-conforming group. Thus, they would not have to change to compete. And there would be respect for athletes who do not want to compete against non-standard competitors. Some athletes are fine with whoever is in the competition, while others are not, and whether we like it or not, we have to respect their wishes as well. They are people too, just like trans athletes.

Title IX, enacted as part of the Education Amendments of 1972, represents a critical piece of legislation designed to prevent discrimination based on sex in educational programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance (9). Since its enactment, Title IX's scope has broadened to incorporate evolving understandings of sex, gender, and sexual orientation, and I’m not opposed to protecting each category. This evolution reflects both judicial interpretations and regulatory updates aimed at providing comprehensive protections. However, this broadening also raises concerns about the implications of conflating sex, gender, and sexual orientation under a single legal framework.

Title IX mandates that no person in the U.S. shall be excluded from participation in, denied benefits from, or subjected to discrimination in any federally funded education program or activity based on sex. This includes provisions for ensuring non-discriminatory practices in areas such as athletics, admissions, and employment. Again, this is completely reasonable.

The phrase "Scope of Title IX" refers to the range and extent of Title IX's applicability, including its limitations and exceptions. It outlines the contexts in which Title IX's provisions apply, such as educational programs and employment practices. However, societal changes and legal developments have prompted a broader interpretation. Notably, the U.S. Supreme Court's 2020 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County recognized that discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity constitutes sex discrimination. This ruling has influenced the interpretation of Title IX, leading to protections that encompass sexual orientation and gender identity. This is where I have questions about the interpretation. As we have discussed several times, sex isn’t the same as gender, nor is sexual orientation. So why does this fall under the same category? We have early distinctions between the two by John Money in the 1950s and 60s. We also have the Transgender Rights Awareness movements of the 1960s and 1970s, which emphasized that gender identity is not strictly determined by biological sex. Let us not forget the academic development and recognition between the 1970s and 1980s, where gender studies emerged! Scholars like Joan Scott and Judith Butler explored and expanded the idea that gender is a social construct distinct from biological sex. Butler’s work, particularly in the 1990s, was influential in articulating gender as a fluid and socially constructed phenomenon.

I agree completely that the ruling in Bostock v. Clayton was a step in the right direction. Gerald Bostock being fired due to his sexual orientation was discriminatory. His being gay had no impact on his job performance as a child welfare coordinator. However, the court’s ruling that firing someone for being gay or transgender is inherently tied to their sex contradicts the concept that sex and gender are not related. It’s not about sex; it’s about presentation. They aren’t being discriminated against based on sex but rather on sexual orientation and gender identity. How do you know I care about this topic? You have me reviewing 172 pages of Supreme Court files….

So, to put it plainly, sexual orientation and gender identity need to be protected but should not be classified under Title IX as they are unrelated to sex discrimination, as seen in the code of federal regulations; 34 CFR 106.61(10). Additionally, Bostock’s case was related to employment, where it is clear that no sex difference would affect job performance. As an asexual individual, I find it important to recognize and protect distinct sexual orientations alongside gender identities. I was raised in an environment where it was firmly believed that women should be barefoot and pregnant on the farm, and homosexuals needed to ‘repent’. I think that’s all poppycock. But this regulation of Title IX doesn’t align with the previous information on sex and gender.

So now that that’s all said and done, let me review my arguments clearly: Gender and sex are not the same thing. Testosterone affects performance. We have cases that regulate gender as if it’s the same thing as sex and then contradict each other, such as Lia vs. Imane. Are we policing testosterone or not? Why is a large group not directly involved in this debate having such a significant influence over the voices that are actually affected? Title IX shouldn’t protect sexual orientation and gender identity because these topics are unrelated to sex. Finally, we need to address this issue by creating a third, non-conforming category that has equal rights and access to both male and female sports. And crocodile tears? I know this sounds silly, and nepotism happens, but doesn't it strike you as odd, that a trained fighter, some one who should be use to getting hit goes down in under a minute? I'm not saying she was or wasn't dramatic or not, but I am saying that's not normal.

Once again, I’m not an asshole, nor am I transphobic. I drink water and mind my business and, as so lovingly pointed out by other accounts, I do like to write fanfiction because I find it a good way to escape the real world. But if you think you can judge a person’s entire personality and intelligence based on a hobby, I seriously believe you should reevaluate yourself. Do I find the case of Imane suspicious? Yes, for the reasons previously discussed. Would I find the case of Imane suspicious if we had a third category for athletes to compete without needing to conform to the standards of each sex? No. Furthermore, I find it very disappointing that Russia’s whistleblowing on Imane, which could directly endanger her life, is unacceptable. Also, I enjoy learning. If you think I’m wrong in my stance, please, by all means, provide me with some papers to read so I can be better informed. Show me your data and how you’ve interpreted it. It’s important to communicate ideas so we, as a collective people, can move forward. As you might have noticed through my essay, I lean towards a moderate political stance and am always open to hearing other perspectives.

Last note: If you write an insulting or derogatory letter to me, just know I have siblings. “KYS”? “TERF”? Really? Please, get a little more creative with your insults; I want to feel something. I have a father who disowned me for believing it’s okay if people aren’t heterosexual. So, up your game. If you post a death threat with an anonymous tag, you should be ashamed of yourself. Your behavior is unbecoming, and you know it. If you’re going to hate me, do it with a tag; let everyone know you disagree with me. I wouldn’t hate you for it. In fact, I’ll ask for your opinion because I think understanding different viewpoints is important, and I want to see what you see. But if you hide, I cannot see you as anything more than a ‘liberal blue-haired’ screeching.

Hanne Frederiksen, Trine Holm Johannsen, Stine Ehlern Andersen, Jakob Albrethsen, Selma Kløve Landersoe, Jørgen Holm Petersen, Anders Nyboe Andersen, Esben Thyssen Vestergaard, Mia Elbek Schorring, Allan Linneberg, Katharina M Main, Anna-Maria Andersson, Anders Juul, Sex-specific Estrogen Levels and Reference Intervals from Infancy to Late Adulthood Determined by LC-MS/MS, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 105, Issue 3, March 2020, Pages 754–768, https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgz196

S. L. Davison, R. Bell, S. Donath, J. G. Montalto, S. R. Davis, Androgen Levels in Adult Females: Changes with Age, Menopause, and Oophorectomy, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 90, Issue 7, 1 July 2005, Pages 3847–3853, https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2005-0212

M Zitzmann, E Nieschlag, Testosterone levels in healthy men and the relation to behavioural and physical characteristics: facts and constructs, European Journal of Endocrinology, Volume 144, Issue 3, Mar 2001, Pages 183–197, https://doi.org/10.1530/eje.0.1440183

Mohr, Beth A., et al. "Normal, bound and nonbound testosterone levels in normally ageing men: results from the Massachusetts Male Ageing Study." Clinical endocrinology 62.1 (2005): 64-73.

Rostom M, Ramasamy R, Kohn TP. History of testosterone therapy through the ages. Int J Impot Res. 2022 Nov;34(7):623-625. doi: 10.1038/s41443-021-00493-w. Epub 2022 Jan 24. PMID: 35075296.

Etchison W. C. (2011). Letter to the editor response. Sports health, 3(6), 499. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738111422691

National Center for Biotechnology Information (US). Genes and Disease [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Center for Biotechnology Information (US); 1998-. SRY: Sex determination. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22246/

Kelly DM, Jones TH. Testosterone: a metabolic hormone in health and disease. J Endocrinol. 2013 Apr 29;217(3):R25-45. doi: 10.1530/JOE-12-0455. PMID: 23378050.

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html

https://www.ecfr.gov/on/2024-08-01/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-I/part-106/subpart-D/section-106.41

Schäppi, J., Stringhini, S., Guessous, I., Staub, K., & Matthes, K. L. (2022). Body height in adult women and men in a cross-sectional population-based survey in Geneva: temporal trends, association with general health status and height loss after age 50. BMJ open, 12(7), e059568. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-059568

Bishop, Phil & Cureton, Kirk & Collins, Mitchell. (1987). Sex difference in muscular strength in equally-trained men and women. Ergonomics. 30. 675-87. 10.1080/00140138708969760.

Nassar GN, Leslie SW. Physiology, Testosterone. [Updated 2023 Jan 2]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526128/

Robach, P., Calbet, J. A., Thomsen, J. J., Boushel, R., Mollard, P., Rasmussen, P., & Lundby, C. (2008). The ergogenic effect of recombinant human erythropoietin on VO2max depends on the severity of arterial hypoxemia. PloS one, 3(8), e2996. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0002996

[thronelessking]

Relationship headcanons I was tagged in, double feature just for Soma bc i could

name; Eileossayd

nickname; Ellie

gender; Dragon. He calls himself a man because the word is fun for him to say.

romantic orientation; shrug emoji, he's only ever fallen in love with one singular person and never found himself loving anyone else ever again.

preferred pet names; if Rae ever gave him one its lost to the long flow of time.

relationship status; widowed, he's working on fixing it.

opinion on true love; the concept of it isnt beyond him but he views it in a very clinical light. Some things simply bond and stay together for life and to him that's just biology. No he does not realize this applies to him and Rae’s relationship. Why do you ask?

opinion on love at first sight; see above

how 'romantic' are they?; his idea of romance is showing up on your doorstep and telling you about the cool stuff he learned and showing you.

ideal physical traits; unfortunately if you aren't Rae, then the next runner up to his favored appearance is his own. He finds nothing special nor interesting about people physically otherwise.

unattractive physical traits; he's gained a poignant disdain for the color white and shades of blue that don't match his own. “Is this how you're going to reveal that he thinks his son looks bad?” Yeah.

unattractive personality traits; He has no time or patience for anyone who lacks any respectable intelligence in his eyes.

ideal date; doing experiments, a while afternoon of theological debate, quiet research with a partner, teaching and or being taught something. Nerd.

do they have a type?; Rae

opinion of public affection; does not pay attention to nor participate in it.

Bonus feature for Mirb:

name; Mirabelle. This is a stolen alias, all of his names are. Good Luck.

nickname; Mira, but only one person gets the ability to use that.

gender; weird shapeless thing playing at being a vaguely tangible human shape.

romantic orientation; opportunistic, he'll be anything you want so long as it gets him what he wants.

preferred pet names; he doesn't have any but he thinks it'd be real funny if he was given one.

relationship status; whether or not Cornelius and Mirabelle are aware they're married to each other is up to scholarly debate

opinion on true love; doesn't care for it as a concept, that's not his domain of power nor area of interest. Love is an exploitable tool that should be taken advantage of.

opinion on love at first sight; see above

how 'romantic' are they?; depends on your definition of romantic. He thinks it's romantic to be doing whatever he's doing to Cornelius but also Cornelius does actually like to get stabbed and made out with all while bleeding out so like y'know.

ideal physical traits; he has no preferences, every trait is a good trait because he's just as likely to steal and wear a lover's face as he is a strangers. He thinks Cornelius’ soft and pliable fleshwarp body though is exceptionally charming.

unattractive physical traits; see first sentence above

unattractive personality traits; he despises people who espouse the virtues of mercy and kindness. While he has no issue with taking advantage of such people, he'd rather not be around them; his faith thrives off cruelty after all.

ideal date; on a dinner date that you foot the entire impossible bill for. Alternatively, a date that's too graphic to be displayed in public.

do they have a type?; Cornelius 

opinion of public affection; enforces it because he thinks it's very funny for Cornelius to endure the swathes of rumors that come from the fact a hot guy made out with him in public and yet they're still not married.

tagged by: @crimsontroupe hey guy

tagging: taps you with the magic stick that lets you just do this.

[anarchistfrogposting]

is anarchy often posited as something we’d need to transition to by starting with less “radical” alternatives to capitalism like social democracy? or is the general goal a swift revolutionary change? i’m aware that revolution versus reform seems like a huge point of contention in most leftist communities but i’d love to know your thoughts on what you think is feasible and/or acceptable when it comes to how we get to anarchy !

To get one thing out of the way, maybe never I feel, has any political model been criticised more immediately and heavily than anarchists of social democracy. It’s not diametrically opposed to anarchism per se, but I think as one of the dominant leftist movements throughout socialist and communist history, I think early anarchist theorists found it rather abrasive. The argument stands that if you want to abolish a state, you cannot ever use the state apparatus to do it. You can (and I say this with intense caution) use the state apparatus to help you, maybe. But you can never abolish the state through the state, as it fundamentally and above all else, exists to keep itself running.

I think a big part what you’re asking is whether there’s a similar perspective shared between Marxism and Anarchism regarding the utilisation of a socialist transition state to achieve the endpoint communist society. This is, like you said actually a very contentious debate, even between closely related strands anarchist theory; even between two people of the exact same self ascribed ideology.

I think it’s important to recognise that the passion for debate and ideological diversity of anarchists is a fundamental part of what it means to be an anarchist. There is no such thing as an anarchist orthodoxy (although some might disagree ;) ) and critiquing your own understanding of your theory and constructing your own theory is a fundamental part of being an anarchist.

But for starters, anarchists believe in a thing called spontaneous revolution. The material conditions of society become such that the working class rises up in a drastic revolution that overturns the state, and that this process occurs spontaneously- I.e. was not designed to occur at that time and place, simply encouraged.

The debate centres around what happens after the revolution. What and where is society afterwards, and what is our ultimate goal?

I would personally argue that anarchism post revolution is only really adjacent to socialism.

Bringing it back to the fact that anarchism is first and foremost a lens of sociopolitical and philosophical analysis, what happens after the revolution is simply just a continual process of eliminating old hierarchies and stamping out new ones; it’s a continual process of renewal and development. There is no end, and there never will be. Some Anarchists who share that view even suggest that the revolution never ends; that the initial uprising and the post-uprising society are both aspects of the same revolution, but that the initial part of that revolution just happened very quickly. I think it was Lenin (?) that said that political change happens very slowly all over the course of decades, then all of a sudden in the space of a week. I don’t personally have an opinion either way.

The legwork- the heft- of the effort will have been done before the revolution. It has to be; the ends of revolution are to place power in the hands of the working class anarchist praxis pre-revolution intends on letting that power be returned to the people as opposed to sitting in an (unstable) vacuum. Anarchism has to create the structures that society falls back on after the revolution.

Baring this in mind, I would argue that in a way, the anarchist socialist transition state is in some long stretch of the definition the society pre-revolution. those structures and systems that are fallen back on after the uprising happens will be in a greater part fully formed pre-revolution, and the seeds of the fall of statehood have already been planted; the transition has already occurred.

Apologies if this is written in a convoluted fashion; I’m a little baked. Thank you for your curiosity!

[tolkien-feels]

Did Tolkien specifically state that elves were heterosexual or is it just some people?

(Like, I'm in no way trying to be rude, I just wanted confirmation since one of my friends ships Russingon, and the other said that elves were heterosexual)

Oh that's a minefield. I'll try to answer this as unbiasedly as I can, but keep in mind I am both 1) queer myself and 2) not interested in shipping as much as I am interested in other aspects of fandom. If either of these things makes me lean towards one side or the other, I will leave to your discretion as you read this.

I'll try to be as succinct as possible but we'll see if this doesn't end up long.

Also this is such a minefield, like I've said, that I will disable reblogs because I really don't want to deal with discourse at best and actual queerphobia at worst.

The first thing is that traditionally, shipping has never relied on whether an author would approve of it or not. So "You can't ship this because the author says you can't" is not an opinion that would have been given much weight for much of fandom history. "Could this theoretically be canon?" is an incredibly recent development, especially when it comes to queer relationships. So your friend could and should ship whatever they want!

In terms of authorial intent, better read people than I could point you in the direction of a small library of literary scholarship debating how Tolkien portrays gender and sexuality. It's a complicated, nuanced topic.

As for what he's actually said... That's difficult to answer. I don't believe there's a sentence out there that says "Elves are exclusively heterosexual." Does that mean that they aren't? Well, not quite.

Maybe Tolkien didn't think anyone would assume anything but that they were heterosexual, and didn't particularly think he had to clarify that point. Or, alternatively, he did not think they were in fact exclusively heterosexual but was not comfortable with exploring that due to a myriad of factors, so he chose not to address it at all. There's no real way of knowing this, especially not without dedicating a lot of time to studying it, which I have not.

In terms of "Has he ever portrayed a queer relationship?" Eh. Also difficult to tell. There is a lot of ambiguity in how Tolkien portrays a lot of relationships, including heterosexual ones. I could make a case why a lot of his canonical, heterosexual couples are purely platonic, and a case why a lot of his commonly-read-as-friendship, same-gender relationships are romantic.

Also, just because Tolkien did not portray something "on screen", it does not mean it doesn't exist in his world. The Hobbit has no female characters, but presumably, there should be women in the world. So that's also not the way to go about it.

There are a few texts where Tolkien discusses how elves view marriage and sex, but 1) their role in canon is debatable; 2) they contradict each other and also other canonical or semi-canonical sources; 3) they tend to be framed in terms of customs (=what was socially expected among elves) rather than unbiased worldbuilding (=what Tolkien knew to be true.)

This distinction would not usually matter, except many people have proved Tolkien often enjoyed playing with the gap between reality and tradition. The most important texts about elves and love also tend to have a frame narrative of having been compiled or translated, so that's also another layer.

This isn't an intellectual exercise. This is actually important. In general, when Tolkien lays down a custom, you can immediately think of something in direct contradiction to it, and he often draws attention to these contradictions in the text itself. So it's actually very important, when reading these texts, to remember they are fallible by design.

This may all seem like I'm trying to rule lawyer. I promise you that is not what I'm doing.

Here's what I'm doing: I'm showing that to get to an answer, you have to dig so deep that I find it extremely unlikely that this is an important, unchangeable aspect of canon.

Tolkien did change canon over the course of his life - making dwarves more heroic, for example, and working on fleshing out female characters. If he lived forever, and came to think actually he wanted to have openly queer elves, he wouldn't have to break canon nearly as much as he had to in order to revise other things that he did revise.

Honestly? Sexuality in Tolkien's worldbuilding is almost a non-issue. The etymology of the name Maedhros probably bothered Tolkien much more than his love life. You need to break canon much harder to have bearded Aragorn than to have queer elves. If we're sticking to strict, strict, strict canon, we are going to run into contradictions all over the place (ask someone about how nonsensical Tolkien's math is), and I tend to take cues from the text to see what is important to pay attention to.

This is of course subjective, but like, I find Russingon much more canon-compliant (although I don't ship them) than if you were to tell me Fingolfin, who was married in Aman, married someone else in Beleriand. That is enough of a taboo among elves that it comes up, explicitly and implicitly, at several key points.

Now, I still wouldn't care, because I don't need Tolkien's permission to do what I want, but I would say that breaks canon much more definitely than the mere idea of queer elves.

(If anything, Maedhros and Fingon might run into a different taboo - they're too close kin to be in a relationship. But that's a rule Tolkien can't seem to make up his mind on. Which kind of proves my point.)

Having said all this... I would tentatively say Tolkien did not mean for any elves to be queer. But that understanding is informed more by my understanding of him as a person than by my understanding of canon, because again, this simply isn't something that comes up in a clear way. Or if it does and I'm just forgetting something, it's obscure enough that I don't think it really matters as much as issues people routinely ignore in the fandom at large (eg linguistics, or elements drawn from medieval literature.)

So while I do think people are justified in assuming no, there aren't queer relationships in Tolkien, I also think that's got to be the weirdest hill to die on unless you are bringing your biases to the text.

EDIT: Adding @pearlescentpearl‘s reply because it belongs here

Weighing in with a supporting thought! IIRC the clearest thing Tolkien ever said about elven marriage is that it’s *for the sake of children*, which is incredibly congruent with many of the histories Tolkien liked to study. Whether you were straight or queer, having children was incredibly important for a number of reasons and having children within some kind of formal acknowledgement of a union was useful for a. the pooling of resources, and b. the allotment of resources to descendants (inheritance). so for elves, if the purpose of marriage is ultimately for children, and the making of children involves both parents pouring in the strength of their spirits to nurture the baby, a marriage didn’t have to mean ‘I am romantically and sexually attracted to this person’, although undoubtedly common. it could also mean ‘this is the person I’ve chosen to procreate with and no other reason’, which still leaves plenty of room for one or both to have queer relationships outside the formal union they make children with, which is also congruent with a lot of historic practices

[nerdnag]

Claude von Riegan: ENTP

“No matter how hard you look, you won’t see what I’m scheming.”

Described by both himself and others as a schemer, Claude is an energetic and highly motivated trickster who loves to test people’s limits, yet recognizes when it’s time to take a step back and apologize. In short, he ticks all the boxes for ENTP.

Full analysis under the cut!

DISCLAIMER: MBTI is not a scientific tool and should not be abused as one. My analysis is of a fictional character for fun only. Also: This analysis is just my own view and opinion, and I’d be really interested to hear other perspectives on the character!

DOMINANT: EXTRAVERTED INTUITION (Ne)

“Um, naturally, I have no immediate plans for this stuff! I suppose I just felt like broadening the ol’ horizons a bit. When devising schemes, it’s best to have as many options at your disposal as possible. Expanding those options is kind of a hobby for me.”

The ENTP thrives on different ideas and connections between them and will keep generating new ideas as long as there are plausible links between them. This is vividly clear in the quote above, but there are plenty more examples. Claude has a fascination for all kinds of mysteries and wants to solve them: He also tends to go off tangents in different directions: "By the way, they’ve discovered a new kind of poison mushroom. When you eat it, your body exudes a mysterious steam! Um, or so I hear…"

Dominant Ne also shows in his brilliant scheming abilities. He’s able to brainstorm various alternatives for how to tackle a problem, and can quickly come up with a new plan if the initial one fails. His intuition further helps him to pick up details and draw conclusions from them: “Never discount a wild hunch. Sometimes they're closer to the truth than you'd think.”

Furthermore, Claude enjoys debates and discussing his beliefs with others—even having those beliefs challenged. He never says no to input from others, which only broadens his horizons. This is also in line with Dominant Ne’s tendency to be open-minded. “Say... Mind if I pick your brain? What would you do in my shoes?”

He’s also good at keeping multiple ideas and plans in his mind at the same time, and at planning even for failure, as shown by Hubert’s comments after chapter 14 of Verdant Wind: “Ordinary fools run headlong into combat, without even considering the possibility of defeat. But to consider one's chances, and to prepare for plans to go awry—that takes real intelligence.”

He tends to come up with and use unconventional strategies, such as partnering up with the Almyrans—which many people in Fódlan see as ‘the enemy’—or developing poisons that don’t come into effect until two days after ingestion, so that the effect can be carefully planned to occur at the right time. According to himself, however, he can lose himself in his own mind at times: “Bah! I almost disappeared into the bottomless swamp that is my mind.”

AUXILIARY: INTROVERTED THINKING (Ti)

“Somehow I can't seem to stop thinking about you. It's almost like a crush. I have a crush on your secrets, sweet Flayn!”

The ENTP wants to understand things in a logical manner - and not for anyone else’s sake, only for their own. It doesn’t matter if the conclusion is in line with the general opinion, it just has to make sense for the ENTP. The ENTP creates their own legal system.

In several of his support conversations, he’s asking questions and listening intently to the other person’s responses, wanting to absorb their ideas and make connections between them on his own. His C Support with Ignatz starts with Claude simply watching Ignatz in silence, then when Ignatz notices and says he was thinking about the goddess, Claude says, “Fascinating! Please, go on.” Another example is his C Support with Marianne, where she runs away when he asks where she was born (after she’s said she was adopted). He stands there alone, saying to himself, “She's hiding something, that much is clear. But that just makes me all the more desperate to know her secrets!“ 

In his B+ Support with Byleth, Claude brings up the question of whether gods exist. He starts out by talking about how he’s never really believed in a god, because you can only really rely on yourself: “You can't win a war by leaving your fate in the hands of a god. Only tangible facts can really decide a war.” He then goes into a monologue about how there are facts that seem to weigh in favor of fate and maybe even some kind of god after all. It’s clear to me that he’s reasoning with himself about what to believe based on a collection of various different things (i.e., based on what Ne has given him).

In Claude’s C Support with Ignatz, Ignatz mentions how stories about the goddess always glorify her, at which Claude immediately suggests an explanation for it: “They probably hope to rake in more followers by glorifying the goddess as much as possible. That would be why the church tends to quietly shove all of their more questionable records under some secret rug somewhere.” This is Ne and Ti in action - not only does his brain instantly come up with a connection, it also leans heavily into his own personal logic (as mentioned in the previous paragraph).

It’s also important for him to confirm facts for himself rather than simply trusting another’s word for it: “Legends about the saints abound. It's hard to tell fact from fiction. I like to confirm whatever I can, with my own eyes, to find the truth in those legends.”

TERTIARY: EXTRAVERTED FEELING (Fe)

"I hope you don't feel like I used you… because I sort of used you."

After taking in all the different perspectives, details and facts with Ne, the ENTP runs it through their logic filter (Ti), then checks it against their empathy (Fe). This is how they understand other people. In Claude’s A Support with Hilda, he accuses her of fake-crying to make people think she’s a delicate flower. He confesses he realized it’s fake because his eyes often wander in her direction, and Hilda herself says that maybe it’s because he’s not so different himself, because he’s always fake-smiling. This, to me, shows that Claude analyzed what he saw Hilda do and compared it to himself in order to come to a conclusion.

The ENTP also tends to have somewhat of an interest in drawing emotional reactions out of people - possibly because they like analyzing people. This is prominent in Claude’s support conversations with Lysithea. He knows she is scared of ghosts and often uses that to make her tick. He also knows she hates being treated like a child, and… Well. “Still studying, are we? Isn't it past your bedtime? If you don't get your sleep, you're never going to grow big and strong! Now, come along, princess. Brush your teeth and get yourself ready for bed. I could read you a story, if that helps?”

But Fe also wants harmony, and in the end, the ENTP doesn’t really want to hurt other people or go too far. Remember what I wrote in the Ti portion about Claude’s C Support with Marianne, and how he wanted to figure her out? Well, that was his immediate impulse, but in the B Support, he apologizes to her: “Asking you about your family like that was pretty insensitive of me. No matter how curious I am, that's no way to treat someone. I'm sorry.” (After she’s said it’s alright, he promptly goes on to ask about her past again, however.) The Fe may not come easily to the ENTP, but it’s there - and for Claude, it’s clearly in the tertiary position.

I feel like I also have to mention the fact that the B+ Support with Byleth about gods (mentioned above under Ti) unlocks after… a certain special-someone to Byleth has died, making it seem like it’s Claude’s way of offering emotional support to Byleth by connecting it to his Ti: “Even in distant lands across the ocean or over the mountains… They have gods who see the world as a whole, who don't care about Fódlan's borders... Who don't meddle in our affairs. Who don't grant life or take it away. And maybe, sometimes, they'll make a miracle happen. A god like that... That's the sort of god I think I could believe in.”

INFERIOR: INTROVERTED SENSING (Si)

“If you let it rule you, Fódlan never changes. And if it doesn't change, it'll just fall apart.”

In many ways, Si is the opposite of Ne. Ne looks to future possibilities while Si looks to the past. However, the Si is part of where Claude’s ideals come from - his goal of uniting all of Fòdlan to begin with, and then the whole world. This goal stems from his upbringing and how he was always seen as an outsider: “Ever since I was a child, I’ve always been seen as…different from those around me. An outsider of sorts. I’ve been resented and hated.” He aims to destroy prejudice (and, as a result, people’s reasons to hate him) by ridding the world of boundaries; this is a kind of obsession for him that glimmers in the cracks of several of his support conversations, most noticeably those with Byleth.

Si can help Ne explore the future by learning from past experiences, and the ENTP tends to enjoy exploring historical meanings and implications: “This monastery is packed with a thousand years of history. (...) Those pillars, these walls, even the floor... They've all seen more than we can possibly imagine. Our distant ancestors may have walked these very halls. Doesn't that excite you?” We also see several examples where he dives into the history of Fódlan in order to understand the present and the future and make sure he doesn’t make the same mistakes as his predecessors. 

At the same time, Ne and Si can create an inner struggle between the past and the present, where the ENTP is in a tug-of-war between wanting to respect history and tradition, and changing things for the potential of a better future. One example of this can be seen in his B Support with Hilda in Three Hopes: “Is my way really the right path forward? It feels like I'm rejecting everything Leicester used to be up until now. Like I'm tearing something important away from the people who need it most.” Then in their A Support, he acknowledges that they don’t need to change *everything*, just the important parts: “[W]e've taken the Alliance in a brand new direction (...). Of course, not everything has to change, but the things that do need to get decided soon.”

Conclusion

ENTP is the MB type that makes the most sense for Claude in my opinion, seeing how he’s practically a machine gun of ideas and enjoys scheming and working things out for himself - with his feet still standing on a practical ground. Possibly he could also be an ENFP, which is a type I considered for him while writing this analysis; an argument could be made that his strong ideals indicate auxiliary Fi. However, the internal logic of auxiliary Ti coupled with the sometimes clumsy emotional intelligence of tertiary Fe seems more accurate to me in the end. 

Curious to hear what you think - and which character you’d most like to read about next!

[pebblysand]

I was going through you favorite character list, and I was pleasantly surprised to see you call Hermione as who you'd consider the bravest character in the series. Especially since Harry is your favorite and boy is courage defining of him! Would you mind elaborating some more why you think so? Or if this opinion has changed if ever? I'm really curious on your thoughts about Hermione and courage.

hi! wow, that's a very old post, i'm impressed! it's such an interesting question as well, so thanks for asking!

as this goes beyond my fics and is more about canon in general, i will state at the outset that i am not a meta person. i think there are so many different ways to view/understand a character depending on where you're standing (in your life and as a person) that i really don't think i hold any bigger truth on the potter series, or on hermione in particular. i also do not pretend to have anywhere near the amount of knowledge of canon required to write good meta and frankly, there are people who know A Lot More and do this much better than i ever would. i've been tempted in the past to write peaky blinders meta but i think this is because a) i know the show much better (i could probably quote it from memory) and b) it's a show, not a book. since school, to be honest, literary analysis has always bored me. so, in short: i'm a fic writer, not a meta-er - keep that in mind. i'll answer your question but just know this is my general vision and understanding of hermione's character - nothing more. just a jumble of random thoughts, lol.

i however think question is very interesting and while i don't think my opinion has changed since then, i do think i drafted the post you're referring to a bit quickly and didn't care for my words very much. i used "brave" as a general expression as we often do, without really giving much thought about the difference between courage, and bravery.

i think, per this definition, you're probably right: harry is the bravest person in the series. we see him many times stand up against oppressors, put himself in dangerous situations to save himself and others, etc. he does these things because it's right, because he feels it in his gut, because: it's who he is. but harry is someone who a) holds very little regard or fear for the consequences of his actions (i.e. he just acts in the moment and doesn't care if he's punished) and b) feels like he doesn't have a choice. a lot of harry's actions, as perceived by himself, would be explained by: 'well, i didn't have a choice.' when he stands up umbridge, he probably thinks 'well, i wasn't going to let her say that, was i?' or, when he fights with voldemort - 'well, it was me or him.' to him, there is very little choice in fighting. it's just who he is and what he has to do to survive. there is no alternative to consider.

i don't think it makes him any less noble. firstly, because, as dumbledore often points out, harry makes a lot of other choices, which are very noble. they're not necessarily brave in the way that they don't put him in danger, but he is kind. he is thoughtful. he loves people and other humans despite everything that has been done to him. he disapproves of his father's actions in ootp. he enjoys the company of people who are underdogs, like luna or neville. he could have had a very different life, made very different friends, been much more of an arsehole. those are very important, beautiful qualities in a human being. it's not necessarily brave, but it doesn't have to be. secondly, i also think that while to him, there is no choice in the brave acts he takes part in, objectively, that's a much more debatable point. because, of course, looking at it from the outside, he could have let everyone else die. he could have run away. but, he didn't. and harry himself probably thinks he couldn't have done it any other way, but of course, that's a very biassed point of view. and, tbh, that's something i definitely explore in my writing, and something i'm very interesting in. how much of a choice did harry really have in the risks he took? how much of a choice do you have when you have a gun to your head? honestly, i don't know. i don't have answers. but that's an absolutely fascinating concept to explore and play with as a writer.

however, still per the above, i believe hermione is the most courageous person in the series. because hermione not only has a choice, but she knows she has a choice, which in my opinion sets her apart from harry. they are both willing to sacrifice everything (including their lives) for the cause, but have very different reasonings. hermione is intellectual. she draws lists in her head of pros and cons. she is incredibly clever and analytical and she wasn't born into this. she didn't have to make the choices she made, there was never a gun to her head to begin with. she made all of her decisions consciously and thoughtfully because they are right. hermione looked at the options she had, and decided. she could have very easily gone with her parents to australia, she could have gone to muggle university, lived a normal life, but she didn't. and i don't think for a second that it was because magic intellectually interested her. she is interested in a million different things that would have brought her the same amount of satisfaction. she did it because she wouldn't have been able to live with herself and with the choices she made otherwise. she chose to fight despite her fears. she chose to stay with harry despite her broken heart. because those were the Right Things. there is a line in castles where harry says: "There are tears in her eyes and he’s suddenly struck with memories of last year, when he realised that she could cry herself to sleep every night and still get up every morning and carry on." and, i think that's what's so, so interesting with hermione. she is the ultimate figure of choice in the series, in my opinion. and, i'm also fascinated with that. because: why? why do you make that choice?

anyway, this is all i'll say for now as random ramblings, but i do want to state for the record that i will be writing fic about this. there is a ROAR fic brewing about hermione, and choice, and friendship. i'm hoping to finish it and publish it early next year :).

[sweetestpopcorn]

If you believe that Daemon considered affairs a normal thing and didn't feel guilty, do you think he also cheated on Laena in canon with Rhaenyra? Most bloggers defend him with "They were faithful pair", only emorional cheating arguments.

🤦🏽‍♀️

Look I don’t know where you got the “SP believes that Daemon considered affairs a normal thing” but unless you can show me where I have said that, please come to me for my opinions, not to asks on other people’s blogs who are talking about me. Much what has been said elsewhere is a complete distortion of my takes and what I have said.

Edit because some people don't understand how the words you use make it that there are different meanings: There is a difference between "considered affairs a normal thing" and "considered himself having an affair because he was a man - and affairs for men in Westeros were nothing anyone would frown at if they were not too over the top (enter Aegon IV) - and he wasn't getting all he wanted at home". The first is a show-only idea introduced by Matt to Renada I see people stating all the time - that everyone had lovers even women - which has no validity in the books. While some women had affairs they were very much hidden and their reputations were tarnished if they were caught. The value almost everyone placed on virginity in asoiaf cannot be overstated. Read one book and you will get what I am talking about. The second idea, however, is supported by the asoiaf books. That for men in Westeros an affair was neither a big problem nor something that would mean they didn't love their lady wives -> e.g., Corlys and Rhaenys and how the narrator presents them in Fire and Blood. For women it was a completely different story -> e.g., Laenor had affairs and no one cares, Rhaenyra's affair was considered high treason and if found out she would have severe consequences - and indeed with him we do not see Rhaenyra being unfaithful and I cannot for the life of me see a proud man very much of his time who liked virgins like Daemon think it very cool that his wife was getting with someone else.

Moreover, about Daemon's affairs in Fire and Blood while married to Rhaenyra, we only have any evidence/mention of them during the Dance. Before, the two had an exceptionally boring marriage. But it's stated as fact that Daemon did betray her with Mysaria and I don't see much debate about this by the narrator of Fire and Blood. If people want to believe he went to Mysaria's room every night as the court records attested to for milk and cookies I am not stopping them but I don't see any merit/strength to that argument. What is more, with Nettles, I raise both possibilities the book itself raises: that they were lovers, and that they were not lovers, and I have discussed the merit of each possibility.

I am not going to whitewash Daemon into a YA hero. He was a grey character. He used women. If some of you think all of this were "rumours" and lies go ahead but that is not my point of view and I am dealing with what is written in the books when I analyse characters.

PS: Even in our world people have trouble understanding emotional cheating and there isn't a consensus on this. Do we really think that in an alternative universe mirroring Medieval Europe this was even something people considered cheating?

PPS: As I have said, if there is no mention it's either because it didn't happen or he was extremely discrete.

[amnotaqueen]

The Performance At My Family Function

So my grandfather passed away and we were gathered at my grandma's place first, then the next day we attended the memorial service. There is a marked difference in how my Narc Husband interacts with me and how he interacts with my family members. Basically, he has very little time for me, barely any real interest in me. I do not get any attention. The only time I'm spoken to is in a superficial 'good morning' or 'hey' greeting or to ask- no, tell me to do something. He does not show affection to me unless it involves sex. If he's not attempting to have sex with me, then there is no kiss, no caress, no playful anything with me. Matter fact, his only attempt to spend time with me is when he wants to have sex. He ignores me when I want to talk about something, anything important to me. He dictates what we can talk about or what conversation he will entertain with me. My concerns mean nothing. My thoughts mean nothing. My suggestions mean nothing. My boundaries mean nothing. Most he will say is 'I have heard', when he has in fact heard nothing really, to make me shut up and leave him alone. When it comes to raising our special needs son, he does not want to hear any input from me. Now, if we travel together, meaning we are stuck in the same vehicle for hours together, he may attempt small talk. The small talk usually involves him promoting what he believes to be his superior intellect and his infallible opinions which he tries to spin as facts instead of opinions. Everything goes ok at these times, as long as I don't contradict his opinion, disagree with him, or suggest a viable alternative to his way of thinking, He is not open to my opinion or a different view than his own so it then becomes a debate. He can't calmly hear a different view point. He can't respect a different viewpoint. His voice becomes loud, he may even start yelling, barking at me, sucking his teeth, or insulting me, name calling, just becoming more unraveled and childish. If he can't get me to agree with him, or let him have the last and final word as if the last word has to be the legitimately RIGHT word, then he will start ignoring me. If I challenge him with a question he cannot answer without giving an answer that proves he is incorrect or flawed in his view, then he will ignore me. If I don't agree to think like him, I do not exist. Of course, in the beginning, it was not this way. When he love+bombed me, it was different than it is now.

Now, with my family this weekend, he was a social butterfly. He turned on his charm. He was not shy about approaching anyone. He was exceedingly outgoing, exceptionally friendly. He laughed with people, engaged with them, seemed to take a personal interest.

I've come to realize that he is most happy when he is surrounded by people. The more, the better. He feeds off of the energy of others.I can't say that I believe he actually cares about any of my family members. They are supply. They supply him with the attention he needs. Everywhere he goes, he is striking up conversations with people., saying any little thing that he thinks will get a response from somebody. To me, he seems desperate for attention. 'Look at me! Look at me! Talk to me!' It's hard to see him going out of his way to chit chat with any stranger but barely talks to me, his wife, in any meaningful way. So, he can win people over because most people's first impressions are that this is a nice guy, so friendly, and we need more like him. They couldn't be brought to believe that he is a bully, snob, inconsiderate, selfish, cruel hypocrite of a person. They are love-bombed, so to speak, just as I was in the beginning.

He needs his supply. If someone comes between him and his supply, that face his wrath. Even our son who has special needs. He makes decisions based on his need for supply, never based on our son's needs or my needs. Our son has behavioral issues that require that we manage our time and efforts in a way that minimizes problem behaviors and helps keep him safe. But all my husband tends to think about is maximizing his attainment of supply, not minimizing difficulties for our son.

This weekend my husband wanted to go out to eat with some family members. Our son's problem behaviors became an issue. He had a meltdown and was going to pull my hair because he has difficulty self regulating when extremely disappointed by something not going his way. Plus, he was not eating right due to our travel and was overstimulated and over tired. Well, his behavior embarrassed my husband and threatened to shorten his time getting his supply (socializing). Angered by this, he took our son out to the car (we had been eating in a restaurant) I thought to talk to him. They stayed gone for a long time to me, over 10 or 15 minutes. When I went to check on them, they were sitting in the back seat of the car And he was lecturing him.( Right before taking him outside, my son became upset because the sandwich he was eating was falling apart. The tomato and lettuce kept sliding out. This has upset him before, because he likes his sandwiches to look a certain way while he eats it or else he gets upset.) Well, when I saw our son, he had red and swollen areas on his right cheek. I asked my son what happened to his cheek. He said ,'Daddy slapped me'.My husband did not directly answer me when I asked him how his cheek got swollen and red. He tried to act like he hadn't noticed anything wrong with his cheek. Twice my son told me 'Daddy slapped me.' I was so hurt. So upset at his harshness with our son with a disability. He thinks he can literally whip and hit him into compliance. I know better and disagree, but my husband does not acknowledge or respect any input I give. I am nothing. Just someone to tend to his needs and if I can't do that then I have zero value.

Just tonight he just walked out of our hotel room. Didn't tell me where he was going. Stayed gone a couple hours. I knew not to text or call him asking why he just left without saying anything or asking where he had gone. He would have just ignored me. He came back into the hotel room in the same manner he left, without a word. Don't know where he went. Best not to ask or verbally engage him. He enjoys getting me all upset and hurt because he has mistreated me and watching me desperately trying to repair our relationship while maintaining some sense of personal dignity knowing that he won't allow any reparations and couldn't care less about me having any dignity in our marriage.

[thegreatimpersonator]

ajay didn't yet. but i remember how she loved midnights and reviewed it authentically while there were so many people making fun of taylor as a person or how "bubbly" her music sounds. like they used to say she writes music now for "tiktok" or to cause some sort of debate and not because it's stuff she actually cares about/is going through.

another point is.... without naming names... some youtuber who literally gave a medicore/bad review of folklore and melodrama, who i tried to watch from an objective point of view, wants me (or others) to trust his opinion in general... like? if you hate inide or alternative music, fair but it's obvious you're projecting your own hate for the genre or the artists. and like you can kind of see him secretly laughing and happy in his reaction that TTPD was getting backlash lmaaaooo like he wanted his companion to hate every song so bad, like dude where are you even here? just give it a zero and go home, no need to actually listen.

Oh i always enjoy ajays videos, there's this authenticity you don't find with everyone!! And oof, there's really no point in even having a reaction channel of you're going in with preconceived notions. Like sure we all approach media with certain biases but if you really dislike everything she does why even bother pretending to give it a try?

[rhijp]

May 31: Ueno and Akihabara

Today we traveled by way of the ginza line a few stops over to the famous Ueno Park: Japan’s equivalent to Central Park in New York City. Upon arrival at the park, we first headed to a Shinto shrine dedicated to the Tokugawa shogunate of the Edo period.

After spending some time at the shrine we walked through the park briefly in order to reach the Tokyo National Museum.

At the museum we were able to view historical artifacts of all shapes and sizes from Japanese history.

(Top left: Masterpiece of artist Tanomura from 1829; Top right: Vessel from the Jomon period circa 11,000- 500 B.C.; Bottom left: Some cool katanas; Bottom right: three epitaphs found for the same tomb.)

My favorite exhibit at the museum was the painting below. The scene depicted in this work is the idealized life of the day. The people in this painting are sitting in a house surrounded by nature as they enjoy art and literature. I personally find this painting to be very soothing and can agree with the artist that a life in nature surrounded by the arts and friends would be an excellent time.

After leaving the museum we headed to Ameyayokocho to get our lunches as smaller groups. Here I was able to try potato noodles for the first time in a soup made using crustacean (I frankly have no idea which one), spam, tripe, and a peculiar mouth-numbing spice originating from China. It was a welcome experience and although “mouth-numbing” probably does not sound very appetizing, it actually made the dish incredibly interesting in the best way possible.

After we finished lunch we headed to Akihabara via metro. This section of Tokyo is the center of otaku culture in the city and was certainly an interesting site to behold (although it was a bit too much for me to fully enjoy). Here, we spent time exploring the streets and visiting shops after we split up for the day.

Academic Reflection:

Today’s readings primarily focused on otaku culture. Otaku is usually a somewhat derogatory term typically used to describe a certain type of post-modern fan of certain sub-cultures found in media such as manga or anime. Based on the reading, being a true otaku means that a person takes their love of media to a level which I would rather not describe on this post because of certain people reading. Because the focus of an otaku’s desire is towards a fiction they cannot obtain, they will try to create a reality where they can obtain some level of what they are searching for. This could, perhaps, take the form of cosplay or fan-fiction among other things.

In my opinion, Akihabara is an excellent example of otaku desire of an alternate reality being displayed in the real world. Each building was covered in and full of artwork, figures, and other objects reminiscent of each fantasy work. Even the sides of the streets were full of girls working for so-called “maid cafes” where young women (probably a bit too young if you ask me) try to seduce men into buying drinks as they fulfill their otaku fantasies. While I am certainly not the most qualified to join the debate on whether otaku culture is healthy or not, I would air on the side that one must not get too deep into this culture if they want to be able to truly enjoy the real world around them.

I am going to be honest today was a bit much for me, but I greatly enjoyed it nonetheless as it was a great opportunity to take a glimpse into the worldview of others.

More tomorrow!

[slavy77]

“There’s no use arguing with a fool, for his ranting and raving prevent you from making a case and settling the argument in a calm way.” - ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭29‬:‭9‬ ‭TPT‬‬

I used to really love listening to the news on talk radio. Many years ago morning radio shows on my commute often intrigued my mind. I think it was just listening to how other people thought. The different ways people think is very interesting to me.

The morning shows led me to talk radio and the news. I liked it because I wanted to know what was going on in the world. When I first started I thought all the news was just news - plain facts…I was quite naive.

Over the years as I gained knowledge, sprinkled in a little wisdom, I started finding myself annoyed with the news of the world. I started getting frustrated with so many things. It wasn’t so much the actual events and movements, it was the reactions of the people. The actions of the so-called “leaders” of this country and many in the world that really got me frustrated.

The inability to listen, understand, compromise and coexist was astounding.

It was pick a side, ride and die. Which in my opinion means complete loss of common sense.

Often I’d offer a point of view on a post, blog or conversation only to end up with heated responses. I started to realize it wasn’t worth it. There are certain people with whom there is no reason to argue because they are closed minded or on the Ride & Die plan.

I’m not saying I’m right in any case. I’m not saying I have all the answers, but I am a common sense person. When I offer a thought, I’m not hoping to change that person/group’s mind, just give an alternate way of thinking. I’m not about forcing any thoughts on anyone.

These days I try not to offer my thoughts unless asked (well unless you read these all the time). Certain topics are not worth discussing because of the commitment by those people who believe them. I will try to sit quietly and live by an example. When asked, I will be open to hearing more. I will consider the point and I will weigh it against what I know and feel.

I don’t have to argue my points, just live a life that lines up with what I believe. I want to be an example of a God-fearing man (lots of work to do) and be there when others need help to live that way. There are times to debate and times to wait. Wisdom will help you know what the time is.

[save-the-villainous-cat]

Hello ik all your recent posts have been related to horny jail but I have a snippet idea

BASICALLY HERO AND VILLAIN ABSOLUTELY DESPISE EACH OTHER, BUT ONE DAY THEY MEET EACH OTHER AT A MUSEUM IN THEIR CIVILIAN FORMS

And they both like art and they bond over analysing different things at the exhibition AND THE CLASSIC FALLING-IN-LOVE-AT-A-MUSEUM TROPE

Fast forward to when villain steals hero's favorite paintings as a birthday present and hero connects the dots and they both find out each other's alternate identities like that

IDK IF THIS EVEN MAKES SENSE BUT DO WHATEVER YOU'D LIKE WITH IT, LOVE YA <33

The hero made that face again.

Slightly leaned forward, eyebrows drawn together, biting the inside of their bottom lip. The villain thought they were closer to a masterpiece when they were analysing than any other painting or sculpture in the pretentious catalogue they had gone through.

“That’s my favourite Rembrandt,” the hero whispered and they took another step towards the painting, lying on their dinner table. Judging by their expression, the hero was incredulous. Their scarred fingers reached for the painted canvas but the hero didn’t dare to touch it. It was a relic to them.

“Yeah, Aristotle. You said you loved that the most,” the villain mumbled. Towering over the painting, the hero’s eyes widened and when they scanned the art for their favourite details and, indeed found them, the hint of a smile graced their face. The villain cursed their own stupid heart for stumbling.

“This is incredible. Do you see how soft his hand is positioned on the bust? How his internal struggle is even portrayed with the usage of shadows? Oh my god, it looks just like the real one.” The hero turned around and their hands grasped around the villain’s arm.

And that was the moment. The moment, when the villain was sure even Rembrandt would have miserably failed to capture the whole beauty of the hero’s smile with his art.

The villain’s whole body seemed to change its temperature from teeth-shatteringly cold to scaldingly hot when the hero pulled them closer to their stolen birthday present. Their excitement a radiating heat, filling the room.

“I mentioned this weeks ago. In a half-sentence. I can’t believe you remembered that it’s my favourite,” the hero said.

But how could the villain ever forget? How could they forget the sparkle in the hero’s eyes when they had talked about it? When their voice started to shake out of raw bliss?

Of course they had remembered. They didn’t think that picture, that painting would ever leave their mind.

“You said it’s the contemplating that catches you every time. The way Aristotle is looking at Homer’s bust and how the comparison between them is a battle of inner beliefs. Homer as the poet of the Iliad and the Odyssey on one side and then Aristotle, the philosopher who acquires his knowledge through observation. Spirituality versus rationality. You said you like opposites.”

“I do,” the hero said and the villain ripped their eyes away from the painting, only to catch the hero looking at them. Taking in a far too shaky breath, the villain tried to calm down the beat of their heart. To little avail.

Their attempts were finally completely ruined when the hero squeezed their arm.

“Who painted that?”

The villain swallowed.

“Rembrandt,” they answered as meekly as they could force themselves to.

What were they supposed to say? They couldn’t casually mention how much they loved the hero’s different view on things. When they had met in the museum for the first time, they almost had a whole debate over the meaning of a painting.

And then, when they met for the second time and had opposite opinions on art yet again, the villain almost thought the hero would drive them crazy with their positive interpretations of Starry Night. But the hero didn’t.

They bettered the villain’s view.

However, now the hero only rolled their eyes and smiled. They were completely oblivious to the villain’s pounding head.

“I know that, silly. But who painted this copy?”

There were three options.

Lie.

Tell the truth.

Jump out of the window and move to another city, change their name and forget the love of their life, dying lonely and regretting their past, knowing that everything could have been different.

The last option was…ruled out immediately. They cleared their throat.

“Funny story, actually. That’s not a copy.” The villain shifted uncomfortably when the hero let go of them, their gaze darting between the villain and the painting.

“Oh.” The hero waited a beat and the villain read on their face that they knew. “I think I love opposites more than I expected. To a greater extent, it seems.”

It turned out, the villain did too.

[darklydeliciousdesires]

Paradise Circus - Chapter Two.

Since y’all loved the first chapter so much, have another! 

Previous chapters - One

Tag list - In the comments

Words - 2,938

Warnings - 18+ content throughout. NO MINORS, PLEASE!

“So, let me get this straight. You claim to love animals, yet you have no qualms about the abuse they suffer in the name of the meat and dairy trade?”

“Yeah, yeah I do. I think there can be a separation there, because certain animals have always been intended to be eaten. We’re carnivores, we’re supposed to eat meat. Imagine how the evolution of man would have been affected had we not been a carnivorous species.”

“I’m sorry, Tommy, but I have to correct you there. We’re omnivores, and back in the times of early man, they weren’t presented with an ample choice, an abundance, in fact, of dietary alternatives to animal products like we now have, so your point is moot, really, if you think about it.  

“Also, you say certain animals have always intended to be eaten, but that differs vastly from culture to culture. Do you agree with the dog meat trade in China, for example? Have you heard of the festival they have out there in Yulin?”

“Yes, I’m very aware of Yulin,” he was able to interject with when she paused for breath.

“Dogs are snatched, people’s pet dogs in some cases, and locked in cages before being horrifically tortured and then eaten. Surely, you’re not comfortable with that?”

“Of course, I’m not, but...”

“But you have no qualms about a cow being led into a slaughterhouse, terrified out of its mind, smelling death in the air all around, wondering where the safety of its pasture is, or their friends are, before it’s slaughtered?”

“Um...well.”  

“And there, see? There you have it.”

Oh yes. Tommy had it, alright. He had the measure that Darla was perhaps one of the most self-righteous people he’d ever met. In fact, during a lively debate, she bordered on sanctimonious. He remembered that she could be a little superior when she was younger, but now? It seemed extremely amplified to him. It wasn’t the only example of that side of her nature, either.  

“Now, you call yourself hard left in your views, but can you not see that the extremist tactics of said hard left are often just as bad as those upon the hard right of the political divide? Believe me, I have no love at all for the right wing, or their propaganda, it fucking disgusts me, to be honest, but I cannot in good conscience condone some of the approaches of the hard left to being heard. Except for punching Nazi’s, that I whole heartedly condone. But torching innocent people’s businesses, their livelihoods during riots, for example, I ain’t cool with that,” he reasoned, Darla draining her wine and being just as quick to jump in as he expected he would.  

“Extreme actions are often all people have left to resort to, out of frustration of not being heard, of being repressed and down trodden by right wing fanaticism. If talking worked - and believe me, we’ve tried it – then we’d keep on keeping on, but doesn’t give a lot of room for much else in the name of voices being heard. You being a centrist is perhaps worse than hard right. At least they’ve picked their side. You? You perpetually sit upon a fence.”  

“I didn’t claim I was a centrist,” he began, feeling frustrated. “I just said I don’t condone mindless extremism being resorted to. I lean to the left, but not the hard left. You forget I’ve seen the results of that, what I’ve fought for out in Iraq, against those who are the very embodiment of extremist in their views.”  

“Then you’d have to agree that at times, you have to fight such power with an equal, opposing force, would you not?” She put to him, niggled at the way he seemed almost blasé in his opinion.  

“No, I wouldn’t. I believe the left can and should do better than lowering themselves to the actions of the right. Anyway, do you want another drink, or are you gonna bust my balls even harder, because they’re pretty banged up already.”

She couldn’t help it, how expressive he looked when he said it, chewing a little aggressively on his toothpick too. She snorted with laughter before falling apart, watching as he slowly began to smile. It cut the tension nicely. “I’m sorry, I just get really into debating. Comes with the territory, being a lecturer. And yes, please.”  

He got up, leaving her to sit and cringe, closing her eyes as she had to concede that this was perhaps the worst date she’d been on in a while, and with the guy she least expected it to go badly with. They were so different on virtually every topic they discussed. In fact, not just differing. They were poles apart. The meat eating and left/right divide weren’t the only subjects they’d clashed on that evening.  

How could two people who had gotten along so well throughout their childhoods be so glaringly mismatched? Because they were no longer children, Darla surmised. They’d grown, been shaped by their very different lives as they’d become adults. It wasn’t like when they used to share a gigantic bag of Ruffles and watch WWF wrestling on a Saturday afternoon any longer, both cheering for Macho Man Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan. Their only disagreement back then had been who was scarier; The Undertaker or Papa Shango.  

Even musically, they were so different in their tastes. She loved indie rock, trip hop, grunge, RnB and drum n’ bass. He preferred rap, classic rock and metal. “I can’t bear Nirvana. Kurt Cobain was a great lyricist, this much is true, but his vocals were just so flat. And his wife! God, don’t start me on her. She sounds like a bag of feral cats being hit with bricks.”  

Darla had virtually needed a winch to pick her jaw up off the floor at those particular assertions.  

The only common ground they did seem to have was that regardless of their many and varied disagreements, they both couldn’t help but find the other extremely pleasing to their respective eyes. He was wearing one of those black vests that showed off his huge, ripped physique, all tattoos and brawn, exactly her type of man. To Darla, he was utterly mouth-watering. Her outfit choice of a high neck top and a pair of shorts of a respectable length, but short enough to show off her fantastic legs had Tommy equally transfixed. She truly was a stunning looking woman.  

In order to sweeten the mood, when he arrived back at the table, Darla decided to steer the conversation in the direction of the past, of a simpler time, when they had much less in the way of derisive division. After that, the night seemed to be redeemed somewhat, but she was a little deflated by the fact she knew that there would be no second date. They were just too different as people, not enough common ground to agree upon and way too many ideals that conflicted to make it anything other than the kind of clash that just wouldn’t work.

The way he looked, though. God, the way the man looked, and the way he looked at her. She could only describe it as quietly predatory. It wasn’t overt at all, but she damned sure couldn’t discount the want in his eyes as they continued to drink and talk, feeling her head spin a little for the five large glasses of wine that she’d had, Tommy in much the similar state after the same number of beers, plus a couple of shots he’d had at the bar, trying to bolster himself as he realised that what he’d once hoped would be a good night with her, had turned out to mostly be anything but.  

His longing for her, though, it still lingered. In fact, it was likely amped up by the Jameson’s. Perhaps the shots weren’t the best of ideas he could have had. Or were they?

Teetering on the line between not fully drunk, but not exactly sober, he eyed her from across the table, her eyes, hazel with a green flare illuminating her irises, locked upon him, lost within her own lustful thoughts. That body. She was consumed by the wondering of how it would feel to have such a weight on top of her, to feel him, let her hands tour every last rise, dip and curve of those enormous muscles. As for Tommy, all he could imagine was how those long, silky legs would feel gripped on around him as he drove into her without reserve, and it was beginning to distract him.  

“So, let’s be real. Tonight? Awful. I mean, you’re a nice guy, don’t get me wrong, but you see the thing is, we’ve grown apart. We’re just too different now, aren’t we?” Darla stated as they walked away from the bar together. It was crowded and she needed a little peace, so had called her Uber to meet her down at the next block. Her app told her he was three minutes away.

“I think that’s a fair assessment. It’s been good to at least catch up, though,” he replied, scratching the back of his head, feeling awkward.  

“Though I do think the night isn’t a complete bust. Or rather, we could do something to change it so that it isn’t.”  

He caught her drift, but couldn’t help being playful. “Oh? What did you have in mind?”

Lifting her chin, she fixed him with a look, one that made a shiver tear straight through him. “Come back to my place and you’ll find out.”

“I think that can be arranged.”

Their shared stare was weighted, heavy with intention, yet they didn’t act. Throughout the ten-minute Uber ride back to her place, they sat separately, silent, just fizzing with anticipation not yet touched upon, the brush of Darla’s leg as she uncrossed them against his hard thigh making the hairs at the back of his neck stand on end.  

They were moths, edging ever closer to the flame.  

The air thickened in density between them after exiting the cab, Darla opening the brownstone front door and walking the short distance to her ground floor apartment, her heart pounding as she felt him behind her, letting herself into her home and turning, her back against the door as he closed the gap.  

That was the moment they finally let their wings singe, mouths captured in a kiss, the desire flowing like a burst river bank, nothing left to contain it. Not that either of them wished to. Immediately, she sated herself upon the consuming need to feel him, delicate, gold ring adorned fingers exploring his muscles, the thick meat of his traps, his biceps, his abs as she reached to pull his vest over his head, kissing him once more as her hands smoothed down his broad, hair smattered chest.  

God, the man could kiss. Those lips. Full, sensuous, gorgeous. He kissed her with every ounce of urgency coursing through him, guided entirely by his loins, nerve endings beginning to throb with awakening as he lifted her. Entwined, he carried her to her bedroom, Darla kicking her heels off enroute, the mattress soft against her back, the press of him hard as he caged her against it. She spoke to her Google home, telling it to play her Massive Attack playlist, before her mouth returned to his.

Her head swam, inebriated with wine and rampant longing, only losing the heated tangency between them to undress one another impatiently, his hands gliding over her legs, so silky and long. She smelled of orange blossom, a scent that flooded his nose as he laid open mouthed kisses upon her elegant neck, her soft moan causing a jolt to run through him, his mouth finding her nipples and sucking them in turn. She arched against him, whispering his name, her eyes a hazel bonfire as he paused, staring at her.  

She was even more beautiful while under the heady duress of her arousal, Tommy admiring her, flushed lips agape, panting softly, pulling him back to her, claiming his mouth with more scorching kisses. The passion within him bordered on insanity, his lips leaving hers to tour her body, Darla feeling heat buzz beneath her skin as he kissed her chest, breasts, arms, torso, hips, oh, how he lingered over her hips, licking each dip, blowing cool air over the wet trails, watching goosepimples rise up in response.  

The rousing scent of her womanhood caught his nose, his mouth moving to kiss her inner thigh, parting her legs, watching her sex spread for him. It was a sight that went right to his cock, stiffening more to see her, fingers stroking the bare flesh, his tongue to follow. She gasped, that first wide, flat lick of his tongue catching the entirety of her slit, pushing between her petals, circling her clit and trailing back down to probe gently at her opening.  

The small strip of pubic hair remaining upon her neatly waxed mound tickled at his nose, the further he pushed his tongue inside her, Darla shuddering as she felt herself so thoroughly licked upon the inside, her hands fisting at the sheets beneath her. Pleasure streaked down her spine, pooling at his tongue, his groan at feeling her dampen his mouth so deep and gritty, it made her stomach turn pleasantly, intensifying when he returned his licks to her clit, thumbing the hood, making it stand out to each careful flick of his tongue.  

“Oh my god.” She whispered, eyes fluttering shut, her long nails trailing his scalp as she writhed against the heavenly ministrations of his mouth. He licked at her with all the precision and skill as she’d touch herself with her own hand, her body humming with ecstasy, hardly able to believe how good he was. At the bar, they’d clashed, but now? They merged together so effortlessly, their bodies so in tune with each other.  

Her arousal escalated sharply as he began to quicken his tongue, thirsty against her, sucking her bud gently, increasing the pressure little by little, until she was crying out. 

“Fuck, Tommy! Oh fuck, I need you, need you inside of me,” she gritted, her head thrown back, thighs shaking as his big hands smoothed over them, his mouth emerging from between them, tongue swirling over her stomach as he kissed his way back up her body.  

“Is that what you want, huh? Want to get dicked down, beautiful?”  

“Mmm, right now.” She demanded, and with one easy slip into her heat, there he was, exactly where she needed him to be. Her mouth dropped at his size, her soaking walls stretched wide by his thickness, almost every last inch of him invading her. His brow furrowed, a long breath leaving him as he kissed her neck, settling atop her as they began to move against one another. It was slow and rolling, the exquisiteness burning them both to their very marrow, Tommy arrowing into her with long, powerful thrusts, a slight rotation of his hips making stars shoot through her groin.  

Oh, that man. He knew how to fuck.

In life, they were mismatched, but in bed, it was perfect. Utterly perfect.  

The feel of him rutting against her, dragging wetness from her cunt with every thrust, her dew bathing his cock entirely had Darla softly mewling in utter delight, moving fluidly against him as she panted against his thick shoulder, his mouth finding her and stealing hot kisses from her beautiful lips.  

He was tight and heavy within her, imposing and unimaginable in size and prowess, the power and rhythm of his fuck making her dizzy and drunk on him, his big hands grasping her delicate face as their tongues entwined, his teeth grazing her lower lip in a soft bite, his moans gone to utter gravel. She was sexual bliss, absolute erotic heaven, his hands tangling in her beautiful ombre curls, fingers weaving through dark brown and blonde, losing himself to her.  

A grumbled groan welled in his throat, hips jerking and sending him deeper, her walls fluttering around him instinctively, a whimper spilling over her lips as he dragged sparks through her core, pleasure taking root and coiling around the base of her spine, like a vine about to ascend.  

He began to pound into her with unhinged vigour and boundless determination, syrupy bliss stirred in her loins, Darla’s hands running down his back and delighting in the feel of every rise and fall of his chiselled, bulky muscles, drinking him in, savouring him while she had him there, relentless between her thighs.  

The sounds of Paradise Circus, one of her favourite songs filtered through the air as he bore down into her strongly, his cock hitting her deep, bright glimmers ignited, her nerves snapping as she felt herself ascending.  

His moans were primal and unabashed as he spiralled towards the same climactic state, fucking her with powerful intent, sensing her release was just as imminent as his. He held his weight up on his forearm, reaching between them and pressing his thumb to her clit, rubbing tight circles until she clenched strongly and cried out, breathless in her beauty as she came hard, his cock erupting as his sun shone over her horizon, blinding him, reducing him to nothing but a trembling wreck on top of her.

“Have you got the energy to do that at least another three times to me?” she panted, Tommy arching an eyebrow at her.  

“Only three?”

Yes. He’d most certainly be staying over that night.

A/N - Now, here’s the really, really important part. Did you enjoy it? If so, please don’t just redundantly click that heart. Reblog it. Also, I love to engage with my readers, so a little comment would not go amiss either! Doesn’t have to be long, just reach out. I’m all about building community here and there is nothing more lovely than readers and writers supporting one another!

[imthepunchlord]

What’s your opinion of Alya as a character? Personally, I can't help but view everything that isn’t Origins as filler. Like sure, by setup, Alya makes Marinette more confident, but other than not, I've only see her as the equivalent of a stalker for LB who for some reason Mari does nothing agaisnt? Despite the danger Alya presents? No Chloé bullying, would Marinette even remotely retain their friendship?

Funnily enough, I more view Origins as the filler/odd ball as what we see in there just doesn't match the characterization we see in the show.

Like, Origins claims one of the big reasons Adrien wants to go to school is to make friends. Yet, for the rest of the show, he makes no effort towards any of his classmates, at most they come to him for hang outs, and the only one he goes out of his way to hang out with is Chloe. So Adrien "wanting friends" to me is an OC moment. I see nothing else in the rest of canon that shows me he really wants friends. Glaciator did not help at all.

And with Alya, that's really the only time we see her go out of her way to stand up to Chloe, but the rest of canon, it's Marinette alone who actively stands against Chloe. If anything, for a lot of canon, Alya just lets Chloe go and tolerates her inactions against others. Marinette's the only one who actively goes against Chloe. So Origins, her stepping up to help Marinette against Chloe, that can be counted as an OC moment.

That also brings out a wonder about Marinette and her relation to Chloe. Before Origins came out, I thought they were more just rivals, one that Chloe initiates the worst of, and Marinette just finds her to be annoying and has to intervene before Chloe takes things too far. Watching a lot of s1 before Origins, I really had no idea that Chloe was Marinette's long time bully that was the biggest source of putting her down confidence wise.

Anyway, on my opinion of Alya, I am like... neutrally salty. I still like her enough and recognize her as a character with potential, and I know she'd be great if she was allowed to learn and grow. She actually has a lot of potential for growth and a few arcs that can be explored.

Like, there are two ways you can play off her being a hero and excited about it.

You can explore this idea that she thinks being a hero is all grandiose and amazing, but then gets hit by how heavy and difficult it is. By how demanding it is, and does she have the mettle for it?

Or you can skip out on that heavy angst for a different sort: Alya loves being a hero so much that she is struggling to balance her double life, as one is literally living the dream while the other now seems so boring and time wasting when she could be doing expected hero duties!

She is also now my main go to alternative for the earrings, largely because she can be clever enough to pull it off, and I find it offers her the most growth, as well as Tikki, a double bonus. And between Rena and Scarabella, I like Scarabella way more. She has an actual outfit and doesn't look like her body gets too out of proportion.

So, for the most part, I do like Alya still. But canon wise, I am very wary of her role and the outcome of her actions. And the biggest shame is that she could've been great if allowed to be; but that means Marinette will have an easier time and can't have that.

Now outside Origins, which can be debatable of how much to count as it clashes with the show, it is a wonder if Alya and Marinette would be close friends still, and if Marinette would be all that comfortable with Alya as she cares greatly about secrecy and Alya is a threat that.

At most, it'd be more in character for Marinette to get closer with Alya to try and redirect her attention, or as Ladybug try to put down ground rules. And it's not too far off to believe them not being all that close friends as most that we get of them are just the confession schemes, which work more off Alya's own ideas than Marinette's.

They actually don't have a lot set up in common to be friends. It's not like uniting against Chloe together, Alya doesn't actively involve herself with Chloe. Marinette doesn't really talk heroes with Alya. Alya doesn't really get into fashion with Marinette or involve herself with her creative ideas. A lot of their friendship just comes down to trying to confess to Adrien.

And when you think about it, that's not exactly enough for them to be friends.

Talking it out with a buddy last night, it really hit me that in actuality, Marinette, Rose, and Juleka should've been more friends instead.

Marinette and Rose both love pink and plants, and perfume making can go hand in hand with fashion.

Juleka actually wants to be a model, and based on Mr Pigeon, she has some interest and experience designing. At least, that hat design seems more Juleka's aesthetic.

As for Alya, Nathaniel immediately comes to mind as a solid alternative as we know that he also loves heroes. Just imagine him and Alya creating their own herosonas together and Nathaniel can the more level headed counterpart to Alya getting ahead of herself.

There's also a big possibility for an Alya and Sabrina friendship, play off Sabrina separating from Chloe and on her own, she could stand more for justice based on her father; though Alya's sense of justice is a little... all over the place. So Nathaniel would probably be the best bet for most logical choice for Alya's best friend.

So yeah, when you think about it, Alya and Marinette don't have a lot to them to be solid best friends like the show wants us to believe. It'd be more realistic based on their interests for Marinette to be closer to Rose and Juleka and Alya to be closer with Nathaniel.