#all for a BA in gender studies

[non-un-topo]

Worrying I'm developing a case of senioritis, not in the screw-this-I'm-just-not-going-to-do-it way, but in the holy-shit-can-I-please-finally-just-be-done way

[oddballwriter]

Dwelling in the Night

Series Masterlist

Pt. 2 Pt. 3 Pt. 4

Summary: There's a new vigilante figure out on the streets at night. And there's also a new neighbor on the same floor as Steven and the rest of the boys.  

Warnings: Mentions of blood, dead bodies, crime, all that. Reader is a vampire so it's implied that they consume blood and all that. Also, Y/N kills, but the act is never actually written or depicted. Steven being dumb and clueless for reasons of the plot. This is mostly Steven-centric and Marc-centric but Jake's here too but doesn't really do anything for the plot other than simply have some lines that progress the plot. Gender-neutral reader with they/them being used for them. Heads up, it does get a bit confusing in one part but I think it's fine.  

Author’s Snip: I wrote this in one sitting and it's currently 1:30 am. Honestly, anything to stall my studying for an exam for one of my classes. I wrote this fucking unit of a shot involving my love for vampire Y/N's just to do it.

Notes: Please appreciate vampire reader. We need more of that in the x reader community. I as a reader would love for that to happen more often. Thank you.

Word count: 2,600~

I’ll shut up now. Enjoy!

The system took pride in their patrolling. Even if it was still doing work for Khonshu, they were still free in what they did when coming across a criminal rather than being yapped at. It brought a sort of satisfaction of taking, or at least scaring, another threat off the street. But things were getting weird, and slightly disturbing.

Criminals had started to drop like flies with a theme of them being found in dark alleys with bitten throats, but there was never any blood to be found that made sense with their wounds. Just their pale corpses with looks of fear or shock in their glazed-over eyes.

Jake admired the simple tactic of scaring off would be scum by the fear of being the next person in the obituaries, but he had to admit that the method of doing that was unsettling. He just killed them and let whoever came across the scene be shucked with cleaning the mess.

Marc worried that this other party wasn't actually someone necessarily on "the right side" and this was an actual threat to the public that just so happened to have a streak going with having their victims coincidentally being criminals.

It wasn't until they came across two cases that proved that worry otherwise.

The first was a girl they found running around the alleys in a panic. When they went to her and asked if she was okay, she was babbling about something in her panting. "There was this guy! He dragged me into the alleys, he held up a knife to me and was threatening me!" she explained pointing in the general direction, but she kept talking "But this... in the shadows, there were these two glowing lights, like eyes! And this person came out from there and grabbed them." she said. "I just ran off I didn't know where to go! They were blocking off the way to the street." she exclaimed.

It was actually Steven who was fronting then. He helped her calm down and led her out of the alley system and back in to get the perp and maybe help whoever got him away from the poor woman. But when he found the guy, he was like all the others he and the system had heard about.

Dead with a bitten throat, fear on their face, and hardly any blood in the pool for it to make sense.

The second was with Marc himself. He dropped in on a duo of muggers who cornered a young man, getting a left hook in on one of them. But his buddy ran off into the dark and dank alleys to get away. Marc needed to do a few more punches to get the first down and out before chasing after the second, but he swore he could've seen a figure follow after them in the corner of his vision.

He heard the sound of what must have been the guy's scream as soon as Marc moved on.

But when Marc got there, he was already on the wet brick floor writhing and grabbing at his neck. He saw them. A figure in the shadows where the backlights couldn't reach to show them in all say for a silhouette, had ducked into another alley. "Hey!" Marc called to them before chasing after them. But when he turned the corner, they were gone, only seeing a complete dead end.

When Marc came back to the guy, he found him trying to breathe through a gargled, and bitten, throat. He tried his best to help the guy since he was still alive. Unfortunately, bites to the jugular weren't kind injuries to those who are dealt them.

🩸🩸🩸

"I don't understand," Steven mutters as Marc slides back into their flat after patrolling and finding a few more crooks who came across this other person. "Why the injuries to the neck? And how is there hardly any blood?" he questions, "There's nowhere for it to go. There's nowhere for them to go. They just come out of nowhere and pick these blokes off and leave in such a short moment.".

"I don't know. And I don't think I want to know. This freak's keeping the load easier for us by doing whatever they're doing with these guys." Marc says, emphasizing the word 'freak'. "Hey, watch who you're calling a freak, amigo. We aren't exactly normal either." Jake says, mostly joking. "Yeah, sure. But we're not the one who's having our guys come up without a drop of blood left in them." Marc defends.

A crash is heard from nearby, in the flat next door.

"The hell's going on over there?" Marc muttered to himself as a reaction to the sound, but Steven said a name almost instantly.

"Who?" Marc asked.

"It's Y/N. They're our neighbor. They moved in a few months ago." Steven answered. "I've never heard of them." Marc comments before Steven quips back with "That's because you two hardly meet anybody.".

"Give me the body for a bit. I want to check on them. That sounded like something big fell over." Steven requests. Marc shrugs and switches out after briefly instructing "Put the body to sleep when you're done.".

Steven un-summons the suit, steps out into the hallway, steps towards your door, and knocks. After a beat, the door opens enough to have your head pop through, but not enough to show the rest of your flat like a fully opened door would. Which he didn't really mind, you always did this whenever he or anyone would knock. "Hello." Steven greets you with a little smile.

You look worried at seeing him in front of you. "I heard a pretty loud noise come from your flat. Is everything okay?" Steven asked. "Yeah. I'm so sorry. I knocked over a shelf." you answer. Steven is shocked for a bit, "A shelf? My word. Are you sure you're okay? Do you want me to help you lift it back up?" Steven stresses as he moves to the side to peak into your flat to see how bad the damage is. But you quickly pull back in and tighten the width of the open door to a sliver , making him unable to see the inside with a "No!".

He pulls away, startled at the sudden reaction.

You open the door back up to step out again. "I'm sorry about that." you timidly apologize. "It's fine. I can pick it back up on my own. Thank you for offering to help and for your concern." you say. "There's some blood on your hand." Steven notices. You pull your hand behind your back at the realization. "It's fine. I'll clean it up myself." you blurt out as you go back into your flat with a quick "Good night, Steven." before closing and re-locking the door behind you, all before he can properly react.

"Good night?" Steven repeats back in confusion.

"That was weird." Marc comments, exposing that he had watched the whole thing go down. "Yeah. They... are a bit strange. They don't really come out most of the day." Steven explains. "Why were they up this late?" Jake buds in, having seen it all too. "It's nearly four in the morning and they look wide awake and aren't in any pajamas." Jake adds.

The next time Steven saw you, you were bringing a huge box into your apartment a few days after that night.

"Need help?" he asked. "Sure. It's actually really hard to drag around." you admit. As he picked up the other end of the large, and heavy, box and walked with your pace into your flat you spoke. "I'm sorry about the noise and acting weird a few nights ago. I was just embarrassed from having woken you up." you explain. Steven gently huffs, "No need to apologize. I wasn't asleep anyways. I was pulling an all-nighter like you were." Steven reassures. You look at him for a moment, "Oh right. Yeah. I do that a lot. I do better with work at night." you remark.

You two manage to get the box past some things it would have bumped, into and into the space between the space of your bedroom and living room. That's when he sees that there's no bed there in your bedroom area, glancing at the box to see a depiction of a bed frame.

"Changing furniture?" Steven asks. "Yeah. I already sold my old one." you say. Steven quarks a brow, "When? Have you had to sleep on your sofa-?" he asks as he turns towards your living room area before interrupting himself with a "Woah!".

There in the area, where a coffee table should be, was an authentic-looking coffin. "Quite the decor there." Steven comments with a breathy little chuckle. "Yeah. I like the look it had." you claim.

Looking around your flat for the first time, Steven could see it. It wasn't exactly goth per se, but there was a weirdly somber and antique look to your decor. It had that same attic look that Steven's did, but you had an attic feel of that of an abandoned house that was left for the dust bunnies to call home. Almost haunted house-esk with the draw curtains adding to it all.

"Is someone in there?" Steven jokes, mostly to himself. "No." you stutter out, "But it does still open." you mention as you walk towards it to show him by lifting the lid.

And, wow. It was real. It still had the pale pink padding and even the pillow inside of it, still pristine as ever, ignoring a couple of scratches on the outside wood.

"Impressive. How'd you even get your hands on this?" Steven asked. You thought for a moment, most likely trying to recall the answer to that question. "Some funeral places have spares that never got sold. So they sell them for a much cheaper price." you say.

Steven nodded as he took another look at the coffin.

"Well, it really is a nice touch." Steven complimented. "Thank you." you reply with a sigh.

🩸🩸🩸

Again.

And again.

One alley crawler dead and paled out after another.

Finding the bodies seemed to become a normal accordance for the boys when they were out doing their rounds around the city. Whoever this was at least started to lean the bodies against the wall after doing the deed now so that there wasn't just some corpse in the middle of the alley's street.

He was still finding the people this person 'saved' too. With them saying the same thing each time. Talking about a person in the shadows with a pair of glowing eyes being the only visible thing about them and then having gotten whatever criminal tried their luck yanked away into the said shadows with a scream echoing as the victim ran to safety.

They never see the actual person though. They don't seem to wear a costume like they do. No mask. No suit. Their only identity keeper they have being that of the shadows that exist beyond any light sources. The only sign of it being them is just the animal-like glow of their eyes. And one brutal calling card for those who came to see where they were.

Tonight was different.

Marc heard the sound of gunshots and rushed to the scene. But he found someone running for their life trying to leave already. He grabs a hold of them, thinking it was a person escaping a forceful mugging till they tried to aim a gun at him. Thankfully, he manages to subdue them.

"That thing tried to get me!" they shouted frantically as they attempted to get loose. "You gotta let me go, man. I don't want to be another body found around here." they beg.

"They tried robbing someone." a voice rings through.

Marc, and also the person he was holding down, looked towards where it came from. He notices the eyes first, with their white pearly glow surrounded by the rest of their shadowy form. The eyes almost looked like the system when they wore their suits, though it was dimmer, just enough to pierce through the darkness, and looked more like the glow was coming from the irises than the whole eye.

"I stopped them before they could pounce. This one was holding more firepower than most. I didn't want to have to risk it." the voice spoke again.

It felt a little haunting. The glow was almost disarming somehow, and their voice was calm and collected as it naturally echoed through the walls of the buildings, and sounding almost familiar. Marc stood there just staring at them till the person he was holding started thrashing harder in his hold, "Let me go, that thing's going to fucking kill me! I swear to god!" they pleaded.

"You're in his court now. You aren't my issue anymore." the silhouette says looking towards the person from where they were before looking back up at Marc.

"Sorry about me leaving my actual catches around." the silhouette apologizes. "I have nowhere to put them." they add as an explanation.

"Why kill them?" Marc questioned, speaking before really thinking. "You kill some of yours don't you, Moonknight? I don't see why you're judging me." the silhouette remarks. "I meant in the way that you do. I just kill them and leave them. You do... something to them." Marc speaks, hesitating for a second at the latter end.

The silhouette stays silent for a second seemingly striking their eyebrow from the way their eyes move. "I have reasons to do it that you probably wouldn't like to hear." they say. "We're doing the same work either way. My method is just more intense than yours tends to be." they comment before slipping back and disappearing into the shadows.

Marc calls out a "Wait!" but gets nothing in return.

He's just left alone with a scared shitless would-have-been mugger and more questions.

🩸🩸🩸

"Hey!" Steven calls out as he does a brief jog over to you in the hallway. "About time I catch you out in the day." Steven jokes. "Oh. Hello, Steven. Yeah. I needed to run some errands." you say, giving an explanation for the rare occurrence. "Good thing you've come back. It's been overcast all day and would rain at any minute." Steven comments.

"Anyways. I knocked on your door yesterday but you didn't come to the door at all." Steven mentions. "Oh. Really? I'm sorry. I'm usually asleep in the day because of my all-nighters." you claim.

"Really? You've got to be the hardest sleeper then. You're like the dead in there. I knocked hard for a while." Steven explains. "So I've been told." you nervously laugh. "You must be real tired if you usually sleep in the day then," he comments. "Yeah. But I have to deal with it." you say.

"What did you need?" you ask.

"Oh. Nothing from me. I was told to tell you, by the landlord, that there would be a check of the fire alarm system next week and that some might go off." Steven explains. "They tried to knock on your door the day before I knocked, but I guess you were asleep." Steven says. "Yeah. I probably was." you reply, "I'll send them an e-mail or something telling them about my sleep schedule." you mutter to yourself.

"Well, nice running into you. Go get yourself some rest." Steven says as he bids you goodbye by patting your shoulder. "Be sure to wrap yourself in something warm too. You're a bit cold." he adds.

[samlee2224]

Can we hear about your milgram oc 🥺🥺

( no pressure ofc )

I have 12 Milgram OCs! But now there are only 8 ( or 9 ? ) people who have stories. I'll introduce them to you!!↓

(I use Translate app and my little abilities, hope you can read and understand it.)

In Samleegram, We have 2 prison guards and 10 prisoners

Prison Guards

[000]

Name : Es (エス)

CV : Sakamoto Maaya (坂本 真綾)

Gender : Unknown

Age : 15

Birthday : Unknown

Height : 153 cm.

Bloodtype : Unknown

Image color : #8EC6BB (Monte Carlo)

Es bright and cheerful, They is close to almost every prisoner. They always make free time to talk with prisoners. But no one knew that they was secretly recording prisoners' information all the time.

They patrolled at night every day. Many people think it's because they works hard. But actually they was just trying to find a way out of here.

Es often gets teased by Ar for being short. So they asks Jackalope for a new pair of shoes. That makes them 160 cm tall. which is higher than Ar. LOL

((Es rarely wears a hat because it makes seeing difficult.😢 Es always cooks for everyone to eat, sometimes some prisoners come to help them. (but Ar doesn't help.)))

__________

[000]

Name : Ar (アル)

CV : Uchiyama Yumi (内山 夕実)

Gender : Unknown

Age : 15

Birthday : Unknown

Height : 159 cm.

Bloodtype : Unknown

Image color : #8EB8C6 (Polo Blue)

In fact, Ar was the assistant prison guard. Its main duty is to interrogate prisoners. They was verbally violent during the interrogation. In this prison, there was hardly anyone to like them. (← It should be like that)

Ar is very foul-mouthed and has a temper. (💀) Do you see that whistle? They usually blow it when prisoners don't behave as they please. ( Why does it sound cute..? )

((Ar doesn't often wear hats either. But it's because he's just lazy. Sometimes Ar wears Es’s hat because Ar can't find their own.))

__________

Prisoners

[021]

Name : Kinoshita Haru (木下 晴)

CV : Kitamura Eri (喜多村 英梨)

Gender : Female

Age : 22

Birthday : January 6

Height : 173 cm.

Bloodtype : A

Image color : #F59795 (Wewak)

Haru hardly speaks to anyone. She usually communicates by writing on the board. She also isn't good at facial expressions, which makes some people think she's strange.

Haru often smokes with Masato (024) regularly. And She seem to be trying to approach Akihiko (26) for unknown reasons.

She used to like to sing and play music, she used to set up a band with a close friend before. But why did she stop doing it? Hmmm? you'll have to wait until this part of the story is revealed.✌️

((I intend to design Haru to look like a man. Due to her past story But she is a woman. However You can use the anypronoun with her that she/her he/him or they/them. She doesn't seriously about this.))

__________

[022]

Name : Murata Kei (村田 軽 )

CV : Murata Ayumu (村瀬 歩)

Gender : Male

Age : 14

Birthday : August 19

Height : 154 cm.

Bloodtype : AB

Image color : #BCCCD1 (Link Water)

Kei is the youngest prisoner. He has dark circles under his eyes that are clearly visible. It's because he almost didn't sleep. Even though he went to sleep, he had a nightmare anyway, so he thought it was better to take that time to study.

He often said that he was not guilty , Never kill people , Milgram caught him wrong. And he wanted to leave here very much. 'My father will definitely find me.' He always said that.

Kei looks particularly close to Hinata(023), maybe because of his similar age, he often follows her like a chick(?) Everyone in prison always sees them next to each other.

((He used to ask for cosmetics from Es, so Es thought that in fact, he might love beauty?))

__________

[023]

Name : Tsugiyama Hinata (杉山 日向)

CV : Hanazawa Kana (花澤 香菜)

Gender : Female

Age : 15

Birthday : March 23

Height : 148 cm.

Bloodtype : A

Image color : #F4CFC5 (Coral Candy)

Hinata is a friendly person and always talks to others. Everyone sees her cheerful and looks polite all the time. But once in a while she accidentally slipped out of a rude word. Make everyone shock…

She bandaged her arms all the time. Ritsu (028) volunteered to change the bandage for her often, but she often refused him and did it on her own. She didn't want anyone to see the that wound.

Hinata didn't have the attitude of wanting to leave milgram at all. Hinata thought that this place was much more comfortable than her house. If not sticking to the vote that she didn't like it.

((Hinata doesn't like the uniform that Milgram provides. Because it makes everyone see the bandage clearly.💢))

__________

[024]

Name : Kimura Masato (木村 正人)

CV : Hirata Hiroki (平田 広明)

Gender : Male

Age : 43

Birthday : February 20

Height : 187 cm.

Bloodtype : O

Image color : #78BC8E (Bay Leaf)

He is the oldest person in milgram. He lived a sluggish life as if he had completely lost faith in this world. Sometimes he acted like a father of children in prison.👴

Masato talks to Ritsu(028) most often. discussing life problems, adult edition (sounds depressing). He often smokes with Haru(021) on a regular basis, even if the other party lets him talk to a single swim.

Masato didn't pay much attention to milgram, But if he could choose, he wanted to get out of here, Because he still didn't complete his duty.

((He thinks it's not bad to have free cigarettes.))

__________

[026]

Name : Matsui Akihiko (松井 昭彦)

CV : Taniyama Kishou (谷山 紀章)

Gender : Male

Age : 18

Birthday : April 1

Height : 169 cm.

Bloodtype : A

Image color : #FFBF65 (Rajah)

I haven't made much of his story yet. But as you can see, He's not very friendly.

Akihiko often quarrels with Ar regularly (He actually quarrels with everyone but.. uh… with Ar the most.)

__________

[028]

Name : Itsuki Ritsu (樹 律)

CV : Furukawa Makoto (古川 慎)

Gender : Male

Age : 35

Birthday : June 30

Height : 182 cm.

Bloodtype : B

Image color : #3359BF (Cerulean Blue)

Please marry m- NO, I mean, Ritsu always takes care of others, maybe because he's a doctor, so he's trusted by everyone.

He is very close to Masato(024), probably because Masato is the male of his age closest to himself.

((Look at his smile ^^ 🥺))

__________

[030]

Name : Higuchi Ryota (樋口 僚太)

CV : Uchida Yuma (内田 雄馬)

Gender : Male

Age : 20

Birthday : October 12

Height : 174 cm.

Bloodtype : O

Image color : #C1D48C (Deco)

Ryota doesn't have any other information yet, I'll update it later!

__________

Thank you for reading to the end!!

[emma-dennehy-presents]

Celebrating Black Queer Icons:

Tourmaline

Tourmaline (formerly known/credited as Reian Gossett)is a trans woman that actively identifies as queer, and is best known for her work in trans activism and economic justice. Tourmaline was born July 20, 1983, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Tourmaline's mother was a feminist and union organizer, her father a self defense instructor and anti-imprisonment advocate. Growing up in this atmosphere allowed Tourmaline to explore her identity and encouraged her to fight in what she believes in. Tourmaline has earned a BA in Comparative Ethnic Studies, from Colombia University. During her time at Colombia U, Tourmaline taught creative writing courses to inmates at Riker's Island Correctional Institute, through a school program known as Island Academy. Tourmaline has worked with many groups and organizations in her pursuit of justice. She served as the Membership Coordinator for Queers For Economic Justice, Director of Membership at the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, and as a Featured Speaker for GLAAD. Tourmaline also works as a historian and archivist for drag queens and trans people associated with the 1969 Stonewall Inn Uprising. She started doing this after noticing how little trans material was being archived, saying that what little did get archived was done so accidentally. In 2010 Tourmaline began her work in film by gathering oral histories from queer New Yorkers for Kagendo Murungi's Taking Freedom Home. In 2016 Tourmaline directed her first film The Personal Things, which featured trans elder Miss Major Griffin-Gracy. For the film Tourmaline was awarded the 2017 Queer Art Prize. Tourmaline served as the Assistant Director to Dee Rees on the Golden Globe nominated historical drama, Mudbound. Tourmaline has co produced two projects with fellow filmmaker and activist Sasha Wortzel. The first was STAR People Are Beautiful, about the work of Sylvia Rivera and Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries. The second was Happy Birthday, Marsha, about Marsha P Johnson. Happy Birthday, Marsha had all trans roles played by trans actors. Tourmaline's work is featured or archived in several major museums and galleries. In 2017 her work was featured in New Museum's exhibit Trigger: Gender as a Tool and a Weapon. In 2020 the Museum of Modern Art acquired Tourmaline's 2019 film Salacia, a project about Mary Jones. In 2021 the Metropolitan Museum of Art acquired two of Tourmaline's works for display in Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room. Tourmaline is also the sibling of:

Che Gossett

Che Gossett is a nonbinary, trans femme writer and archivist. Gossett specializes in queer/trans studies, aesthetic theory, abolitionist thought and black study. Gossett received a Doctorate in Women's and Gender Studies, from Rutgers University, in 2021. They have also received a BA in African American Studies from Morehouse college, a MAT in Social Studios from Brown University, and a MA in History from the University of Pennsylvania. Gossett has held a fellowship at Yale, and currently holds fellowships at Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge. Gossett's writing has been published in a number of anthologies and they have lectured and performed at several museums and galleries of note, including the Museum of Modern Art and A.I.R. Gallery. Gossett is currently working on finishing a political biography of queer Japanese-American AIDS activist Kiyoshi Kuromiya.

I originally intended to do separate profiles for Che Gossett Tourmaline, but could not find sufficient information about Che Gossett, beyond their credentials and current academic activity. That means that this will be the last of these write ups for a bit. I plan on picking it back up in October for the US's LGBT History Month and UK's Black History month. With time to plan ahead and research more I hope to diversify my list geographically and improve formatting. I plan on starting to include cis icons as well, like Rustin Bayard. If you come across this or any other of these posts Ive made this month I would love feedback and suggestions for figures you would like to see covered.

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

https://www.tumblr.com/ecoterrorist-katara/743680863675580416?source=share

I know that you have already talked about the "female gaze" more than once, but what do you say about this?

Let's get the easier parts out of the way:

1 - The showrunners consider Aang the angel on Katara's shoulder on The Southern Raiders because Avatar is a kids show and the moral of the episode was "Hey, kids, even if you ever meet a truly horrible person don't immediately respond with violence, it could backfire horribly or push you to do something you'd regret later" not because they think she's an object that Aang gets to posses and control - hence them having Aang give her advice on what to do, but not try to prevent her from leaving nor judging her for not forgiving her mother's killer.

2 - Katara's point was NOT central to Zuko in that episode, at least not at first. By the end of the episode he understood and felt compassion for her and her family, but at the start he was only looking for a cheat-code to make Katara stop hating him because it reminded him of his screw ups. It was Zuko being entitled and trying to avoid consequences.

3 - "This thing is like the PLATONIC version of a thing that sometimes happens in romance" If it's platonic (you said it, not me) then it's not a "win" for your OTP. Zuko and Iroh's falling out after Ba Sing Se has lots of dramatic, super intense and heartbreaking moments, just like romances do - but their storyline is obviously not a romance and they are explicitly treated by the narrative as father and son.

4 - "Katara isn't hiding any side of her personality from Zuko" Katara doesn't hide any side of her personality for ANYONE - family, friends, rivals, enemies, strangers. Highlighing that she is herself with Zuko is pointless because she is herself with everyone, including people she does not like, which was the category Zuko fit into at the moment.

Now, onto yet another absurdly long take by this annoyed feminist that has had enough to the "Male Gaze VS Female Gaze" bullshit.

(Check this previous post before reading the rant in case you don't know these terms or what they mean/were supposed to mean)

Zutarians gotta learn that just because a trope is popular, that doesn't mean it is present in every story, and that NO TROPE appeals to a whole group of people, no matter how much they keep insisting that their ship is the "female gaze" - like that thing could ever even exist.

To give a practical exemple so people understand what I mean: Imagine that a woman wrote screenplay about a lesbian romance, which is then filmed by a female director, and edited by a woman. The actresses playing the lead roles also have their own perspective on the story and characters. The movie is then shown to 200 women, every single one of them has their own opinion on it.

Which of the women I mentioned above is going to speak FOR HER ENTIRE GENDER, and decide if that romance fits "the female gaze"? Do we take a survey and whatever points are repeated the most are taken as objectively correct due to being how the majority feels, and thus any differing opinion is treated as lesser and "not what women like" regardless of how many women feel that way? Do we only listen to the proffessional criticts in that audience of women and completely disregard the opinion of any woman that didn't study anything regarding cinema and writting?

Even if somehow it is decided that the movie fits into the "female gaze" - if all those women rewatch the movie years later and some of them feel differently about it, would that affect the definition? If their grand-daughters watch it 50 years later and don't agree with their grandmother's takes on it, does the definition change? If the movie is shown to other groups of women, from different countries, and they all have their own opinion on it that is radically different from that of the first group, which group of women gets to say "OUR culture's way of interpreting this story is the TRUE way women feel about it, everyone else doesn't count"?

If the movie is then shown to 200 men and they all like it, does that turn it from "female gaze" to "unisex gaze"? Does it become "Male Gaze" if the guys get aroused by it, even if the movie was designed to appeal to women and not to them AND there was no exploitation involved? If the 200 women then watch a movie that has scenes that are considered as having been made to appeal to guys, but some or all of them ALSO enjoy it (story of my life), does that make it change from "male gaze" to "Female Gaze"?

Gender is simply ONE out of many, many, many things that can impact how one views fiction - and it doesn't exist in isolation, being affected by generation, culture, language, religion, class, etc. The "Female Gaze" doesn't exist. It CAN'T exist because humans are more complicated than that. It is a concept that is almost fully divorced from reality.

Also I can't help but notice that, because of the way these terms work in the assumption of absolutes, no room for nuance, "MALE Gaze" is meant to describe lazy writting/film-making that is sexist towards women and cases of full on exploitation and abuse in which men were the abusers, and sometimes the label even gets attached to harmless things as a form of bad faith criticism just because guys like it - but "FEMALE Gaze" is NOT about lazy writting/film-making that is sexist towards men (say stories that full on say that a guy hitting a woman is bad, but a woman hitting a man is funny, or using "guys always want it" as justification for scenes of female characters forcing themselves on the male characters).

Instead, Female Gaze is meant to either neutral or POSITIVE. "This appeals to women" is used for praise, "this appeals to men" is used as criticism. Women are harmless, men are dangerous. Women are helpless victims, men are evil abusers. Women need to be protected and put on pedestal, men need to be hated and feared. Female desire is inherently pure, male desire is inherently objectifying. And, of course, any woman that disagrees is bad and a traitor and needs to be "called out for being anti-feminist" (aka be condescended to or full on attacked).

This is sexism, pure and simple. Anyone can be a victim, anyone can be an abuser. Anyone can like any kind of story, trope, genre, ship, etc. Desire is a morally neutral thing, and it doesn't become "pure" or "inherently corrupt" depending on the gender of the person who feels it.

The "Male Gaze VS Female Gaze" thing is nonsensical at best and perpetuates a dangerous double standard at worse, and I'm so fucking tired of it never being questioned because people are afraid of being labelled misogynistic.

[codename-adler]

tell me everything abt Dakota Emerson

16: Dakota Emerson (21) USC Trojans Striker

Dare I say Allison's biggest competition? Drop-dead gorgeous bi icon blondie turning heads all around, and she'll kick your ass too. But she's also an academic monster. Allison would absolutely loathe her.

Dakota's education goes like this: Double BA in Gender and Sexuality Studies + Political Science; then an MA in Political Science and International Relations; then a PhD in the same fields; plus a side Minor in Legal Studies, as well as a Minor in Queer Studies and Gender & Social Justice. (i do not know the US school system, i did my best)

The only ones who got her beat are Gabby and Namrita. Needless to say, Dakota is their #1 fan always. Absolute fangirl behavior. They would have been a dangerous trio of brainiac bffs if it weren't for Dakota's overbearing enthusiasm and awkwardness when it comes to those two. But Dakota's been at it since she was a Freshman, so they're more used to it now. She's still a lot.

But apart from Gabby and Namrita, Dakota is so fucking impossible. She's got a comeback for everything. She does not take your shit. She'll tear you a new one if you even insinuate something degrading or hateful. It's a good thing she is dedicated body and soul to her studies and Exy because she does not have friends (yet). She doesn't really mind nor care, but once she gets one or two close friends for the first time, she'll understand what she's been missing.

She's so deep into studies all the time, a whirlwind, a fucking handful. She is very stressed, but that does not keep her from acing everything and looking flawless all the time. It's very irritating for the others, to see her succeed so well and still looking like that. She always has a heavy-ass manual with her she can beat you up with.

Don't you fucking dare compare her to Hermione Granger or she'll make you rue the day you were born without even putting her hands on you.

She's very hot and cold. Hot for smarts and cold for losers and bigots. She's fired up every game, every presentation, but her icy stare is scary af when it lands on you. You just know you fucked up.

Of course, her competitive trait and overachieving personality come from strict, demanding parents. Only child, she could never escape their scrutinization. She didn't grow up overly rich or poor per se, but if she wanted something, she had to get it herself. All the funding came from her; all the scholarships she received were thanks to her own hustling. She never got help. A severe, absent father and a criticizing trophy-wife mother; she never had the choice to be anything but the best. Jeremy and her actually bond a lot over that, once Dakota lets her pristine facade down a little bit for him to peek through. Fortunately for her, though, and miraculously, she was able to forge her own drive, aiming to surpass her parents, and well on her way to to just that and more, but without the usual burnout or mental breakdown. She's tough. Wish that was me. Although she's 110% all in for both Exy and her studies, the balance of mental and physical work probably has something to do with how well-adjusted and thriving she is.

Oh and she sings also. Because why would she stop there. She's so good it's annoying. Designated lullaby singer on away games.

Striker position because it's the flashiest and one that runs the most around. The crowds love her. She really knows how to hype 'em up.

Dakota is very well-spoken, informed, serious, true to herself and unapologetic. She can be intimidating, exhausting, dizzying, impressive, relentless and ruthless. Her eyes are really something. Big brown pools of knowledge. She got big dreams, big brain and big muscles. No ass no titties unfortunately. Oh well. That's never stopped her before. Her aura is big enough to compensate this slight lacking.

Inspos include: Angèle (singer), Manon Demissy (SKAM FR), Samara Weaving (specifically in Ready Or Not), Hannah Dodd, Amy March, Jo March, Annabeth Chase.

-- Trojan OCs lineup here --

[1ore]

Hi, I've been following you since Ye Olde Esk Days and you've always been a huge inspiration for me as a fellow gender-questioning neurodivergent lesbian both in art and science.

I've been wanting to reach out because I'm considering enrolling in Enviroinmental Sciences (or something in that ballpark) in 1 or 2 years and wanted to ask how your experience studying it has been to you as a person with an artistic bakground? I am afraid my ADHD might get in the way of maths, and that I might not be "smart" enough to pursue a degree in STEM, despite the fact I've always been interested in scientific subjects and in the conservation efforts around the area (and the river) I grew up in. so, yeah, I don't really know what else to say xmx I hope this message wasn't too much, and thank you for taking the time to read it. Your art and its message has always meant a lot to me! (also, happy Pride month!)

ONE OF US! ONE OF US!

So, funny enough, math anxiety is part of what what led me to Environmental Science in the first place. My degree is a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science, not a Bachelor of Science, because IIIIIII didn’t want to take more semesters of calculus and organic chemistry than I had to 🤪 I struggled with math in highschool, and by the time I went back to school, it had been more than 5 years since I last took a math class. I was also more interested in the interdisciplinary parts of Environmental Science, so a BA let me put more credit hours towards classes in policy, law, social science, humanities, etc.

As far as I know, having a BA hasn’t held me back. I’ve been accepted into internships and other programs doing “real science” just fine. Maybe this won’t always be true, but I’ve figured out that I like teaching and engaging people in science more than I like being in academia, so that works out fine for me.

As for my experience with ADHD and math/science courses, I have euuuauuuehhh a lot of thoughts. This gets dense, sorry.

First, my ADHD came with a side of anxiety, which manifested as a compulsion to do well academically regardless of how much my mental health suffered. Doing busy work felt like hell on earth for reasons that were then mysterious to me, but disappointing my teachers felt Worse. So I became really good at, like, academic minmaxing, not so much learning or taking care of myself. It’s hard to articulate. I want to say I was muddling through these classes as a professional test-taker and not a student, and also not applying myself fully. But at the same time, I felt like I was well beyond my breaking point? This made more sense to me later when I got the diagnosis LOL. my capacity for doing the things I’m supposed to do, the way I’m supposed to do them, is lower than other peoples’. So either I do what I’m not supposed to do, or I do it “the wrong way.” <- meaningless.

I say all that because coursework is a poor metric of how “good” you are at science or math, or whether you'll enjoy doing them outside of the classroom. We know this LOL but I want to reiterate it. I learned how to get really good grades without learning how to reason my way through why xyz methodology is justified, or how to ask questions and be curious about what’s happening around me. It’s corny but it’s true. on one hand I still struggle with these, because I’m still working under the assumption that whatever’s going on in my head is the “wrong” way to do it. But ADHD does a lot of heavy lifting for us with lateral thinking and being able to make connections that other people can’t always see. If you want to do Science ™ (as in academic research,) this is an awesome tool to have in your toolkit.

There’s also a whole world of environmental work outside of academia that demands its own skillset, which coursework may or may not teach. Like, if you want to do hands-on restoration work or interpretive work or field technician stuff, this is less “can you spit out the balanced equation for photosynthesis on command” and more “can you operate a woodchipper” or “are you comfortable with public speaking and customer service.“ This is another part of what attracted me to envirosci--how wide-ranging the job market is. The backdrop of science is the same, but your day-to-day responsibilities can look wildly different.

Also, if it’s any encouragement, being an arts person has been a huge plus in my experience. My most recent employer told me outright that the artsy scicomm stuff in my resume is what made them think “oh, we need her.” Art and science are wives LOL a lot of the skills you hone as an artist are invaluable in science, especially if you’re doing any kind of communication work. (<- has seen some poorly-written papers and incomprehensible figures in her time)

Going along with that, back when I was yea high and wanted to do art professionally, I remember people telling me that you only go to art school for the professional connections. A lot of STEM careers are locked behind having a specialized degree, but I think this advice is still applicable here. Being a “good student” hasn’t helped me as much as abandoning my anxiety and sending cold emails, showing up at peoples’ guest lectures and office hours, participating fully and sincerely, etc. The stuff I did outside the classroom was more meaningful to me, in the end. (That said, I was lucky to have several classes that were more skills/training-oriented for things like GIS, field botany, conducting environmental assessments for NEPA, etc. You can swing projects for classes like these as opportunities to build skills or create portfolio pieces.)

OK. I thiiiink that’s everything I have for you? I hope that answers your question. If not, I can give it another shot. I'll also leave you with this answer from beloved mutual Heedra re: what Environmental Science as a major is like. I can't believe it's 6 years old because it's part of what put Environmental Science on my radar in the first place LOL

[bengiyo]

I Told Sunset About You Rewatch Ep 1 Stray Thoughts

We're doing a retrospective for @the-conversation-pod soon, so I want to get a rewatch in (I think this is my sixth) before we record. Figured it might be fun to jot ideas down.

Let me just say that the quality of the opening song still hits like a ton of bricks right as this starts. I had not experienced something like that before.

Telling us from the first scene that it's always been about Oh-aew.

RIP LINE TV. Pour one out.

Thinking about Teh's relationship with his mom this time, she was praising Teh for making it into this school with high marks.

Oh we finally know what MoRaoYuLok means! (We look so funny)

Skyline is just such an affecting song.

I often forget that the first float we saw was with the young actors.

Really like the camera zooming in on Teh after Oh agrees to play Yongjian. We've seen them in frame together for about four minutes of the friendship montage, and now Teh suddenly feels alone.

The tragedy of their breakup hits every time. You can see it coming immediately as soon as Oh is selected and Teh tries his best to support him through the play.

I often think about how Teh wasn't even selected to play a tree in the play.

Oh, Teh, he was always in the wrong when it came to Oh. Oh hoped they could share a passion together and Teh only saw someone stepping on his dream.

Hello again, Tuty the Homophobic Dog.

Oh, Teh, why do you have to get salty about your mom praising your brother for being able to help you afford school?

Tarn, you will regret telling Teh to go after someone else because you don't want him to waste his time waiting for you.

I love the bass beats at the mention of Oh-aew.

Sometimes you briefly forget how beautiful PP Krit is, and then you see him again and you're like, "Right, I didn't imagine that."

Gosh, Teh was always petty.

Very sad foreshadowing about Teh later waking up early to study with Oh.

This whole scene of The deciding to mess with his hair is almost Japanese in styling. It's rare in Thai shows where they hold a shot and let the actors enter and exit the frame, trusting the audience to remember where things are.

Lol, Teh is so embarrassing sometimes. Even the teacher had to call him out about the hair.

I'm still fond of Khunpol's acting as Bas after all this time. He was new to Nadao at the time and was very nervous to work so closely with PP.

He's always good at saying things to hurt Oh, but then instantly regrets it.

Oh, Bas. If it could have been you it would have been you so easily.

I sometimes wish we'd dug more into Oh's family relationship, because it feels like Teh often said things that reminded Oh of his dad.

Truly this is a beautiful shot of all of MoRaoYuLok together. Teh positioned between Bas and Oh is exquisite.

The score for this show really is just so fantastic. Underlines every moment beautifully.

Billkin is really beautiful when he has to show sympathy for PP's character crying.

PP's legs? Undefeated. Closest challenger was Todd Techit.

Goddamn these two make each other ugly cry so easily. Even on this gorgeous beach!

Poor Bas. He noticed so early.

Oh always cuts to the emotional core of their problems.

Billkin's eyebrows are doing so much work.

Ending on what Teh might say to Oh from the interview and having him not exactly say those things to Oh? Crushing.

Ke Yi Ma? Ke Yi.

Billkin singing Skyline just blasts you at the end. My goodness.

Something that still surprises me each time I come back to this is how much these boys cry at each other about each other. Normally you'd expect some kind of machismo or gender dynamic where one of them is maybe stoic, but no, these two know each other too well for that. Their relationship just feels so huge. Really the only other two characters that have close to this feeling are Pat and Pran, and Our Song explicitly asks if it's okay if they're not as huge as something like this.

[tsel-bas]

Dollies Behind The Scene(mos) (A Sidesystem!)

Warning, headmates may not turn out exactly as describes. Anything and everything can be changed to fit your system. Bit of a warning for potential uncanny (valley), off-putting, and weird themes not necessarily tied to appearances but rather descriptions/actions. Basically a 'don't judge a book by it's cover' situation.)

Name(s): Arson, Ashton, Keelan

Pronouns: H3|H1m, It|Its, Rawr|Rawrs

Gender Identity: Demiboy, Ilovebeingcringeic, Colorglitchgender

Sexual/Romantic Orientation: Gay

Preferred Terms: Masculine

Age: 22

Role: Eepyxenorole, Innate Typing Quirk

Type: Willogenic

Source: @/tsel-bas

Typing Quirk: (As many numbers/symbols that h3 can replace letters with.) "H1! 1'm @/r$0n! 1 u$u@lly typ3 l1k3 th1$ but 1 d0 pr0v1d3 tr@n$l@t10ns!" ["Hi I'm Arson! I usually type like this but I do provide translations!"]

Description: A fairly normal looking scene kid, who enjoys all things bright and colorful. However, this one also likes all uncanny things and acts almost like an eldritch being in h1s free time. Lurking around in shadows and being so quiet, that it often frightens others. Rawr always seems to know what others are thinking before they even speak, causing mild discomfort in some who interact with h1m.

Faceclaim:

Name(s): Sammy, Sock, Martin

Pronouns: They|Them, XD|XDs, Gloom|Glooms

Gender Identity: Transneumasc, Weirdkidgender, Scenelector

Sexual/Romantic Orientation: Gay

Preferred Terms: Neutral, Mascline

Age: 19

Role: Transxenorole, Punkxenorole

Type: Willogenic

Source: @/tsel-bas

Typing Quirk: Occasionally replaces S's with Z's. Always providing a translation. Prefers to use the tq but is able to not use it. Almost always adds an emoticon to the end of their sentences. (Ex. XD, :3, :D)

Description: Quite literally a walking rainbow goblin that reminds everyone of their 'cringe' phase in high school. However, they always seem to notice things others do not, always finding small details or other things unnoticed by XD's peers. Such as sights, smells, and sensations others do not experience. According to gloom, they can sense and sometimes even see spirits/ghosts and actively tries to speak to them or get them to possess XD. Their favorite game is Phasmophobia or any other ghost/spirit/being hunter game. Sometimes gloom walks around like they're possessed, causing feelings of uncanniness or discomfort in the individual. When XD's eyes don't reflect light, they look dead and empty, almost as if they're soulless behind XD's colorful exterior.

Faceclaim:

Name(s): Dolly|Dollie, Phoebe, Graylynn

Pronouns: She|Her, Mew|Mews, Kandi|Kandis

Gender Identity: Transfem, Dollgender, Porcelaindollgender

Sexual/Romantic Orientation: Sapphic

Preferred Terms: Feminine

Age: 21

Role: Roleflux,

Type: Willogenic

Source: @/tsel-bas

Description: Dollie is a sentient, porcelain, ball-jointed doll who does her best at anything mew is assigned or takes on. When sitting still, she doesn't move anything but kandi's eyes, causing a never ending sense of paranoid to those around her. Mew is the size of a doll, which definitely doesn't help the uncanny and paranoid feelings kandi causes. Due her being made of a fragile material, mew has some issues getting around, as kandi gets hurt very easily. That is why she uses a cane to get around headspace. This may affect the body when mew is fronting, but it may not.

Faceclaim:

Name(s): Lyric, Celeste, Cibrina

Pronouns: Shy|Hyr, Star|Stars, 🌙|🌙s

Gender Identity: Paragirl, Dolldroidic, Cosmollaby

Sexual/Romantic Orientation: Sapphic

Preferred Terms: Feminine

Age: 24

Role: Thailean

Type: Willogenic

Source: @/tsel-bas

Description: Lyric is another ball-jointed doll like Graylynn, however, she is also an android. Shy loves all things space and astrology. Stars presence can be unsettling, like staring into the vast void of space. 🌙, like Graylynn, sits very still, watching others from afar. Studying them and their mannerisms because as a doll, she does not think or act the same as others. Shy is robotic in every way. From stars calculated thinking to 🌙s emotionless expression

Faceclaim:

Name(s): SweetTail, StarFall

Pronouns: Shx|Hxr, He|Him, Sweet|Sweets

Gender Identity: Bigender, Catgenderfluid, Purrgender

Sexual/Romantic Orientation: Orientationless, Queerplatonic

Preferred Terms: Masculine, Feminine

Age: 8 human years (Adult in cat years)

Role: Legacy Holder

Type: Willogenic

Source: @/tsel-bas

Description: SweetTail is the guardian and leader of hxr sidesystem. He protects everyone and treats them like family, despite their off putting vibes. Sweet, like some of the others, sits quite still and stares at other beings. This causes many to be uncomfortable, as if they think shx will attack them. However, that is not the case, he is actually very kind to sweets headmates and does everything in hxr power to care for them.

Faceclaim:

[kaliaknight]

“FORTUNE AND GLORY, KID. FORTUNE AND GLORY.”

INTRODUCING…

NAME: Kalia "Kali" Harlow Knight

GENDER & PREFERRED PRONOUNS: Cis woman {She/Her}

AGE: 27

BIRTHDAY: September 4, 1996

ZODIAC: Virgo Sun, Leo Moon, Libra Rising

SEXUALITY: Bisexual

FACE CLAIM: Madelyn Cline

LABEL: The Loveable Rogue

OCCUPATION: Grifter / Bridesmaid-for-hire

HOMETOWN: Goose Creek, SC

CURRENT RESIDENCE: Brooklyn, NYC

CHARACTER PLAYLIST: HERE.

↪ UP NEXT: “A GIRL IS A GUN” BY HALSEY

BIOGRAPHY: TW FOSTER CARE, YOUNG PARENTS/PREGNANCY

Kalia was born to a young high school couple who couldn’t keep her. This marked her life path of being in the foster care system ever since being a baby. To this day, being a part of the system is something that Kalia keeps a secret. Though, if anyone would ever ask her about it, she just remembers the houses being over-crowded and like everyday was the Hunger Games for resources to live. Even with being in the system, Kalia was overly intelligent. It was to the point where she would skip classes because she was bored of the material; this being true even of her AP courses. When a peer called her out for being 20 minutes late, her teacher took her side and mentioned her 110% average in the course (yes, she got so bored - she’d do all the extra credit). Her work in her studies granted her a full ride to NYU, which she took, seeing that she was going to age out of the system and be on the streets. Her knack for stealing and con-artistry comes from her latest foster home. Her “uncle” started with teaching her sleight of hands with cards on street corners, then it was pick-pocketing in stores; Lastly, he taught her how to act intune with her emotions. “It’s all about crying. Do that - and the world is your oyster,” is what he would always tell her. And, well, she got good at that real fast: pretending to feel when she really couldn’t care less. She played with people’s empathy, and that made her untouchable.  Going off to NYU in NYC was a huge change from her neck of the woods in Goose Creek. To her, it was a new opportunity to challenge her con-artistry - to see how far she can really go. Don’t worry, she has a bridesmaids-for-hire company that she runs with her roommates; So, she makes an honest living somehow after graduating NYU with a BA in communications with a minor in business studies.

EXTRA-EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT HER!

Kalia is a hell of a time. From going to interactive museums, to finding the hottest nightclub in the city - she's definitely someone you want to have around during the weekends or nights you just want to let loose and have fun. She comes across as very enigmatic, which her friends claim adds to her allure. It's very rare that she opens up to people, and tends to facade emotions even with her 'closest friendships.' Not much of a relationship type, she tends to ghost more than anything. Hookups are her go-to, and she tends to love to lead people on for her personal gain. Though, even if there isn't anything to gain from someone, she still accidentally tends to lead them on. She's just hot and talking, okay? She can be very neurotic at times when she's stressed or has to make a decision. She's very Rachel Green-coded in this sense, seeing that she does wind up crying over these situations. She loves the finer things in life and won't accept a life she doesn't deserve; hence, the whole con-artistry side of her. For the most part, she just facades being wealthy and cons rich men of their money. If anything, we support her wrongs in this house. She loves to watch Hallmark rom-coms and she wants to learn how to cook and bake but burns everything she touches. She tends to be funny without trying. She's just a wild ride that never stops, okay? Okay.

PERSONALITY:

+ Adroit, Enthralling, and Apolaustic

- Enigmatic, Mercurial, and Impetuous

[kamarixchopra]

" Baby, you can find me under the lights, diamonds under my eyes. Turn the rhythm up, don't you wanna just, come along for the ride? "

⌜  tyla  ,  22  ,  cis woman  ,  she/her ⌟  ╱    is  that  DANCE THE NIGHT  by DUA LIPA,  i  hear  playing?  oh  that  has  to  mean  KAMARI CHOPRA  ,  is  about  to  clock  in. i  hear  they're  a  SOPHOMORE  who's  been  away  studying  SPORTS MEDICINE  at   USC. it  sure  is  a  shame  they've  grown  up  to  be  rather  PASSIONATE  and  CALCULATED. word  on  the  strip  is  that  they're  back  home  for  the  summer  and  working  as  a  FRONT DESK RECEPTIONIST  at  THE FITNESS FACTORY,  to  earn  some  extra  cash,  in  order  to  buy  a new car  but  don't  tell  them  i  told  you  that  !  

►GENERAL INFORMATION

FULL NAME: Kamari Mali Chopra NICKNAME(S): Kam, Ari, Amari LABEL: The Academic Athlete AGE: 22 DATE OF BIRTH: February 5, 2002 ZODIAC: Aquarius Sun, Aries Rising, Capricorn Moon GENDER & PRONOUNS: Female; She/Her NATIONALITY: South African HERITAGE: Indian, Zulu, Mauritian, Irish SPOKEN LANGUAGE(S): English, Russian (very little) OCCUPATION: Dancer/Dance Instructor || Front Desk Receptionist at The Fitness Factory RELIGION: Christian (raised but now distanced) SEXUALITY & ROMANCE: Bisexual; Biromantic

► APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: Tyla HEIGHT: 5'3" WEIGHT: 121 lbs. DOMINANT HAND: Right HAIR COLOR: Black EYE COLOR: Brown SCARS: Little ones all over body due to wear and tear from sports TATTOOS: None.

►PERSONALITY

POSITIVE TRAITS: Charismatic, Athletic, Sociable, Passionate, Humorous, Driven, Open-Minded, Reliable, Thoughtful. NEGATIVE TRAITS: Fiery, Confrontational, Calculated, Flighty, Self-Critical, Impulsive, Impatient. LIKES: Early morning runs, holidays, the first fall of snow, the smell of a new pair of sneakers, thrifting, nailing a new routine on the first try, basketball, soccer, hockey, the cheering of a crowd, the adrenaline rush of a rollercoaster drop, glitter on one's eyes, funky hairstyles, out-of-the-box themes and ideas. DISLIKES: Being laughed at, losing a competition, not being able to get someone to crack a smile, when people start boo-ing others, when people try to peacock too hard, corny pickup lines, online dating.

►MENTALITY

PHOBIAS: N/A DISORDERS: N/A ALLERGIES: Seasonal (Pollen), Bees

►BACKGROUND

HOMETOWN: Johannesburg, South Africa CURRENT RESIDENCE: Los Angeles, CA/ Denver, CO EDUCATION LEVEL: BA in Sports Medicine from USC FAMILIAL CONNECTIONS: - Simone Chopra - 44, Mother, In Contact - Sherwin Chopra - 40, Father, In Contact

►FAVORITES

FOOD: Pizza DRINK: Sex on the Beach MOVIE: Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen TV SHOW: Perfect Match, Too Hot to Handle BAND: Madonna, Dua Lipa, ABBA SONG: Levitating - Dua Lipa

► EXTRA INFORMATION

JUNG TYPE: ENTP ENNEAGRAM: The Enchanter (3w2) TEMPERAMENT: Sanguine MORAL ALIGNMENT: Neutral SIN: Pride VIRTUE: Drive ELEMENT: Fire CHARACTER PLAYLIST

"When the night's here, I don't do tears. Baby, no chance."

► BIOGRAPHY

Kamari was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, to two over-the-moon parents. Though she only spent her younger years in South Africa, her hometown still holds some of the best memories of her life. From dancing around with her mother in the kitchen, to singing with her father in a hammock. Her parents moved to Denver, CO, due to her father's job in the tech industry. He worked so hard to go back to school in order to provide once Kamari was an announced pregnancy. Little did he know that would uproot his family to America. Though, Kamari was excited as the 5 year old she was, that she was going on a plane and starting anew. Kamari easily rooted in Denver. Her charisma made her lots of friends, and her intellect made her somewhat of a teacher's pet. She was in Honor Society once she hit high school, and her dating life was overtly active. Even with her mother's worry, it was her father telling her mother to let her live her life how she wanted. Dance was all her idea. She excelled in any and every type of dance class she was enrolled in, and she always wanted to learn more. From belly dancing to tap classes, Kamari was absorbing it all like a sponge. It was to the point that she was put into competitive dance courses and competed for all of her high school years. She even went on to tour with a couple pop stars before going off to college. When granted a full ride scholarship to USC, Kamari was ecstatic. Her parents, though excited and proud, also faced some sadness with watching their young girl go off into the world without them. Kamari took up sports medicine as a major in order to appease her parents as she continues to dance on the USC dance team. Nowadays, Kamari is in Denver, CO, between semesters. She works as a dancer still - going on tour with some of the stars when offered. She also works as a dance instructor at the same place she took lessons as a kid; her side gig being that of a front desk receptionist at The Fitness Factory.

► PERSONALITY

Kamari is a party girl through and through. She's usually the life of the party, as well; Always able to peel people from the walls and getting everyone in high spirits with dancing. Kamari is a winner. She's so used to picking up various sports and skills and just being good at it. She's not used to losing, and that might be a downfall but to Kamari, it keeps her in tip-top shape. You can usually find her with a couple people around her desk; Gregarious to a fault and also a major flirt, Kamari attracts people to her like a magnet. She tends to lead people on both in a romantic sense, but also in a friend sense. Everyone thinks they're Kamari's best friend, but little do they know that they aren't. But, if you genuinely are one of her close friends, Kamari is reliable and a great person to go to when one's stuck in a rut. Kamari is basically FUN personified, okay? Okay.

► PLOTS

They're just girls, breaking hearts: Gimmie Kamari's girl group of friends! They're always out together and they gossip and shop together. Definitely a group that turns heads wherever they show up. Fun and wild vibes, all around! - OPEN (x3)

Jealousy, jealousy: Someone who is Kamari's frenemy who also is jealous of her and vice versa. These two attempt to one-up one another and their friendship is basically running on competition. - OPEN

Girls just wanna have fun: These are the friends who reach out to Kamari when they're in a funk and need to let their hair down. Definitely a balancing act of a friendship. They help to ground Kamari when she gets to be too much. - OPEN (x2)

My favorite bra lives in your dresser: Kamari is head over heels for this person, but they claim it's just casual. Kamari is starting to get frustrated and this person can tell. She's trying to be the cool girl in this situation, but she's ready to raise hell and confront them. - OPEN

Getcha' head in the game: This is someone who tags along with Kamari to games. They also tend to play basketball or even kick a soccer ball around with her. Very wholesome vibes of enjoying one another's company and friendly competition. - OPEN

My kink is watching you ruin your life: Exes on bad terms. We can talk about the specifics, but Kamari genuinely hates this ex's guts. It's almost a screaming match every time they cross paths. - OPEN

[ardenxyuen]

— BASICS

Name: Arden Ahn Yuen Age / D.O.B.: 36 years old / 1988-04-15 Gender, Pronouns & Sexuality: female/ she/her / bisexual Hometown: New York Affiliation: Media Job position: Journalist at The New Yorker Education: BA from NYU Relationship status: Single Children: None Positive traits: Curious, assertive, smart, quick-witted, fearless Negative traits: Careless, nosey, judgemental, impatient, merciless

— BIOGRAPHY

A true New Yorker; that’s the way Arden always described herself. Completely enthralled in the city from the youngest of ages, the girl grew up swearing like just about any angry passerby. Every nook and cranny was known to Arden as she moved with her mother from one part of the city to another, always looking for a cheaper rent (or running away from the mother’s yet-another-ex). Whilst it lead to the girl having a very turbulent childhood, in a way, Arden was happy about it. Or, at least, that was what she was telling herself when she had one too many at one of her favourite bars. 

Despite the challenges – or because of the challenges – Arden grew up to be a very naturally curious person. Ever statement made to her was followed by “but why?” from her, much to her teachers’ and peers’ displeasure. However, her inquisitive nature made it all the easier for Arden to figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up. Studies at the NYU came easy with the right grades and even better scholarship, and shortly after graduation, Arden finally decided to see more of the world. Becoming an investigative journalist was the right move for her, and after finding the right job, the young woman was happy to travel the world at someone else’s expense.

With her twenties fun, turbulent and interesting, Arden returned back to New York with more experience, a failed marriage and even more not-so-failed explorations. A bit after finally giving her dues to the company she worked for, Arden finally decided to move on, accepting an offer from the New Yorker. Settling down in Brooklyn – where she always felt most comfortable – Arden found herself immersed in the life she hadn’t experienced as much. The darker side of New York, or much darker than she had seen before, was pulling her in, feeding her curious nature, and the woman was quick to get herself lost in it. 

— WANTED CONNECTIONS / PLOTS

TBC

[gefdreamsofthesea]

The Andersons Do Not Get Enough Shit For Their Bullshit: My Thoughts on Feri.

First of all in case this post breaches containment, a little about myself. I'm Gef, I'm a thirty-something white cis disabled Canadian lesbian. I have a BA in Religion and Culture from Wilfrid Laurier University and an MLIS from the University of Western Ontario (I think it changed its name since I graduated). I also have minors in Medieval Studies and Women's Studies but they don't give you pieces of paper for those. My spiritual journey looks something like Catholic - New Ager - eclectic Wiccan-ish - Dianic-ish (the TERFy kind) - Heathen - Vanatru - now I kind of just read about witchy stuff, goddess-y stuff, and I collect divination decks. This isn't the first I've heard of Feri, but this is the first time I've sat down and read up on it.

I would just like to take a moment to recap what I've read so that everyone is on the same page:

Heart of the Initiate: Feri Lessons

Fifty Years in the Feri Tradition

Evolutionary Witchcraft by T. Thorn Coyle

The Wikipedia pages for Feri and Victor Anderson

A couple articles on feritradition.com

I read The Spiral Dance ages ago and am currently rereading it but am not including it here.

I think that's all the basics covered, let's get to the meat of the discussion.

I'll start with what I found appealing about the tradition. Both the founders and initiates stress that Feri is an ecstatic tradition, not a "fertility religion" like Wicca. It is a tradition of the poet, of being in your body, of dancing with the gods. It's also pretty explicitly queer (but see below): God Herself catches Her own reflection in a mirror and makes love to Herself, creating all the other deities in the pantheon. Coyle in particular talks about the Gods and Guardians (think like the Guardians of the Watchtowers in Wicca) as being genderfluid. The tradition practices ritual possession where the genders of the deity and their host don't matter.

Regarding Evolutionary Witchcraft specifically. I found the exercises (which involve a lot of breathing and awareness) to be useful and I think they would be of use to any witch. I also love the way she speaks of the Earth element in particular, as I think a lot of Pagan books are like "Oh Earth is money and other boring mundane stuff" whereas she talks about Earth as money but also as safety, security, the place where you incubate things (like in a cave), and the tomb. Despite my issues, I think I would recommend it.

Having said all that, I feel like the Andersons do not get enough shit for their bullshit.

Based on his students accounts, Victor sounds like a bit of an asshole at best. He's described as "a taskmaster" and that "One could ask for clarification, but to even hint that one disagreed with him, or worse yet, to contradict him, would result in an immediate and permanent order to leave," which is maybe just me but I wouldn't want to study under a teacher who didn't allow for disagreements or questioning, that's a cult leader thing. His wife Cora comes across as a yes (wo)man "my husband is a great shaman and an expert on x, y, and z." Now honestly I feel like people should hype up their spouses, but this is a constant throughout their writings.

Honestly though, I didn't get the chance to know them personally. Maybe they were awesome people irl. I'm just going off what I've read, but even if they were both very nice people, I still have some major issues.

One of these issues are the Andersons' claims about their own religion. Feri dates back to the Stone Age (uh huh), Feri's origins are in Africa (sure). Victor claimed to be a kahuna and an expert on Vodou. Apparently, once Victor read something he thought was true, he decided it had always been true. I should note here that near as I can tell, his source for info on Hawaiian religion is that Huna book by that white guy writing about what he thought Native Hawaiians believed. I've heard people justify this by being like "oh well Victor was being poetic and not literal" but that doesn't change the fact that it's straight up bullshit. Poetic lies are still lies. So yeah you'll often hear "Feri draws from a variety of traditions" but I'd say in some cases it's less "influenced by" and more "appropriated from" (I do feel the need to mention that some initiates have moved away from, say, using Hawaiian terms for their concepts).

I mentioned the deities in passing but Feri has its own pantheon. Most of the deity names are Welsh and many deities go by several names or are seen as similar to named deities in many cultures (the Blue God, for instance, being compared to Krishna) and they also have secret names that only initiates know. One important aspect of the Blue God is the Peacock God, at first I was going to include him under the section on appropriation, but Feri practitioners have apparently been in contact with actual Yazidis who have given their blessing re: Feri worship of Melek Taus but I'd prefer to hear it directly from the Yazidi that they are cool with it.

Okay so way back at the beginning I mentioned Feri was very queer but I really should amend that to say "unless you're asexual" because oh boy sex is inescapable in this tradition. It's implied that sexual activity between initiator and initiate is a thing that happens but there's an alternative ritual called the Intentions of the Heart where you do (non-sexual) ritual things and then "your first act of sexual intercourse" post-ritual is your initiation. The foundation of Feri practice is the Iron pentacle, where "sex" is at the top. There is also the Pearl pentacle, seen as the "higher energy" version of Iron, where sex becomes love. In Evolutionary Witchcraft, Coyle makes a few unfortunate statements about the relationship of sex to love that imply you cannot have love without sex. I don't really see a lot of room for asexual practitioners in this system, which is a shame because I know of some wonderful queer initiates of this tradition. I would be interested in an initiate's view on this because I know queer practitioners have talked about using an amethyst pentacle, for instance. I should note however, that Coyle states that not everyone needs or wants initiation as it involves marriage to the deities and responsibilities to the tradition, but as I said the tools and techniques she talks about are fine to use.

I did actually like Evolutionary Witchcraft so even if the tradition is not for me, I do what I usually do: take the bits I find useful and leave the rest.

[stephaniejuhnay]

I watched a video the other day of top ten community episodes (and the five worst), and realized how nearly impossible that would be for me to do bc 90% of the show is so good to me. But I’m gonna try. I’m also gonna cheat bc it’s my post and idc.

Top 10 Best (aka my favorite) Community Episodes:

Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design - I wish I could watch this episode for the first time again because of the ride it took me on. I said it on here before but if there was only one episode I could recommend to someone from the series, it would be this. It’s so outlandish and fun that it’ll hook you into watching the series to understand how this school and these people got to this point and are just okay with it. Kevin Corrigan was a gem in this also. Anywho. The rest of these are all equally at 2 for me even tho I will be numbering them. Just understand that I love them all EQUALLY.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - another episode I wish I could watch again for the first time. To tell that story in mostly bottle episode form was brilliant. Also, the acting was top notch. Again, not a lot for them to work off of in terms of action and movement, so for it to be SUCH a compelling episode with them just sitting around the study room table is just a testament to the brilliance and vision of Dan and the writers and the cast. And the Russos for directing this masterpiece.

Remedial Chaos Theory - I know this is going to be a shocker, but this is an episode I wish I could watch again for the first time. Darkest timeline intro. Cigarette gag. Pizza dance. Toilet olives. Arguably Troy’s most iconic gif (he has many). What else do I need to say?

Cooperative Calligraphy - again. Bottle episode brilliance. And the twist of it all! I remember watching it and being dumbfounded by the end. But also so heart-warmed at how the group overcame. It’s always the heart in this series that wins no matter how insane the premise might be.

Basic Lupine Urology- if I’m remembering correctly, this might be the first episode I watched live after restarting the series. I started when it aired but didn’t stick with it until til my mom caught Aerodynamics of Gender on a plane and said “Steph you gotta watch this episode of this show I just saw.” And the rest is history. But yeah. The deep regret I had watching this episode bc I’d deprived myself of 2 years of this show…no one was taking the swings community took and pulling it off THIS well. Super conceptual, super low stakes made to be incredibly important, and easily some of the best jokes of the season, maybe the series.

Epidemiology - I literally was stunned that they pulled off that concept so well. I think I watched again after finishing it the first time because I couldn’t believe it. This was also when we got the start of the dean’s iconic costumes, a cornerstone of this show. Also, I was legitimately scared the first time watching this! 😂

Critical Film Studies - I think this was some of the best story-telling on this show. A really sweet story at the heart of it (which is the show as a whole) wrapped in a hilarious and really creative premise paying homage to one of the most obscure movies ever.

Paradigms of Human History - for a long time, this was my favorite episode bc I couldn’t believe what they pulled off. I still can’t honestly, which is why it’s second on my list (remember I said these are all #2 after Conspiracy Theories). When they came back and did it again in Curriculum Unavailable, I was thrilled and once again stunned. (You can count Curriculum Unavailable as part of this list I guess). Leave it to Dan to spin the clip show concept.

Contemporary American Poultry - this episode is amazing and rightfully called one of the best of season one. This episode laid the groundwork for establishing just how whimsical and insane Greendale could be, and made everything that came after it believable. It was also so incredibly heartwarming and the start of a lot of jokes that were called back.

Basic Intergluteal Numismatics - similar to the reasons I love Basic Lupine Urology. The commitment to the genre, the callback to the ACB, a one off joke from 2 seasons before, the fact that it’s still a cold case. I love it so much.

Honorable Mentions:

Modern Warfare, A Fist Full of Paintballs, For a Few Paintballs More, and Modern Espionage - I feel like the paintball run is in a league of their own and unfair to put in a top 10 list. Clearly they are amazing and amongst the best episodes of the series. And yes I purposely left out Advanced Introduction to Finality. That was not paintball. 😭

Football, Feminism, and You - this is when the show hit its stride for me when I finally went back to watch. The pacing, the writing, the actors finally figuring out who their characters were for real, Troy’s politically conservative shamefully outdated fight raps. It’s a perfect episode of television to me and to find that so early in a series is pretty amazing.

Aerodynamics of Gender - the episode that got me back into the show. I owe it so much. Also gave me one of my favorite Troy line: “worth it.”

Regional Holiday Music - again, Harmon’s (and his writers’) mind in pulling off these highly conceptual episodes that feels real to the world they built and grounded. I’m forever in awe.

Basic Human Anatomy - YES. A season 4 episode made this list. Jim Rash wrote the hell outta this episode and it was the brightest spot on season 4.

Five Worst Episodes:

I won’t elaborate on these too much bc the basic idea is that they were not good and felt contrived despite the writers trying to maintain Harmon’s world and the actors giving it everything they had. Yes they’re all from the gas leak year.

Advanced Introduction to Finality

Heroic Origins (I like to pretend none of those origins took place bc too many plot holes)

Alternative History of the German Invasion

Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations (we deserved a better Jeff/William conflict and resolution and so did Jeff)

Conventions of Space and Time (this was a great concept that in Dan’s hands could’ve been brilliant)

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Erin Reed at Erin In The Morning:

Earlier this year, representatives from Ohio and Michigan were caught in a recorded conversation detailing their plan to end transition "for everyone" by curtailing transgender rights "one bite at a time… incrementally." On Wednesday evening, Ohio Republicans appeared to take the next step in that plan by passing a bathroom ban for transgender youth and adults in schools and colleges, sneaking it into a bill that had already passed the Senate on dual enrollment for students who wish to earn college credits while in high school. If the Senate concurs and the governor signs the bill into law, Ohio will become only the seventh state with restrictions targeted at transgender adults in bathrooms in the United States. The bill, originally penned as House Bill 183, covers K-12 schools and colleges. It would bar all such institutions from allowing transgender people to use the bathroom of their gender identity. Additionally, it prohibits these institutions from maintaining multi-occupancy all-gender restrooms. The provisions could have a huge impact on transgender students in the state, as many schools do not have widely available gender-neutral restrooms.

“Please, don’t support a world where I have to use the restroom in a parking garage instead of the one that I sit right next to while studying, where my girlfriend’s trans coworkers have to leave the building they work in at night just to relieve themselves, or where students at my old high school have to go across a busy intersection just to pee,” said Cam Ogden in a testimony on the bill earlier this year, highlighting that separate gender-neutral restrooms are rarely equal in availability or circumstance.

The bill appears laser-targeted at making life more difficult for transgender people in the state, which may align with Republican plans to end transition "for everyone" in Ohio. Earlier this year, Representative Gary Click, who was responsible for the state’s gender-affirming care ban which was blocked in court, was caught in an audio segment with other Republican legislators explaining plans to ban transition "for everyone.” In that meeting, he stated that any such plan needs to be done "one bite at a time… incrementally." While legislators in that meeting were discussing gender-affirming care specifically, Click connected the bathroom ban with his belief that simply being transgender is "a lie” during last night’s hearing. He also inaccurately claimed that transitioning increases depression and anxiety. In reality, studies show that transitioning alleviates depression and anxiety for transgender people.

Ohio Republicans snuck an anti-trans bathroom bill into a dual enrollment bill that would bar multi-gender restrooms and require trans people using bathrooms in K-12 schools and colleges to use facilities aligned with the gender assigned at birth.

[finishinglinepress]

FLP POETRY BOOK OF THE DAY: How To Leave Your Family by Maeve Holler

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Maeve Holler is a writer, editor, poet, and educator. Her work has been published by Tolsun Books, The Boiler Journal, Leveler, Scalawag Magazine, The Cardiff Review, Wildness, and elsewhere. She is the recipient of the 2020 Alfred Boas #Poetry Prize and was most recently nominated for a 2022 Pushcart Prize. Maeve holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Miami and a BA in English & Gender and Sexuality Studies from Tulane University. She currently lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, and works as a Communications Manager for World Coffee Research.

PRAISE FOR How To Leave Your Family by Maeve Holler

The resounding paradox in Maeve Holler’s first book of beautifully crafted poems is this: You love your #family; you don’t leave them. In a rogue’s gallery of family portraits, Holler leads us into a world all her own, one unlike any we have seen before. This is a stunning debut.

–Peter Cooley, Louisiana Poet Laureate 2015–2017, author of The One Certain Thing, World Without Finishing, Night Bus to the Afterlife, and others

While reading HOW TO LEAVE YOUR FAMILY, one begins to imagine how a reader of the early collections of C.D. Wright and Maurice Manning must have felt. Dazzled, surely, but also bowled over by the power of a freshly minted voice, by the courage of its singular vision. This debut by Maeve Holler is a fever dream with its own overheated logic—stormy, excessive, Gothic, raucous, revelatory. The poet has created a multigenerational saga with its own vocabulary for a family wrecked, reconstituted, redeemed, and, in the end, tenderized by the young woman who watched and listened and lived to tell the tale.

–Holly Iglesias, author of Sleeping Things, Angles of Approach, and Souvenirs of a Shrunken World

“I try to fight sound with tangibility,” the poet Maeve Holler writes, “but studying the tactile can only help so much.” How wondrous, then, that in these blessed pages, a century’s worth of a family’s history is recounted in celestial color, sublime imagery, and language that shimmers even as it scars—rendered with exquisite tenderness. HOW TO LEAVE YOUR FAMILY teaches us “the alphabet of silence;” what confounds—what astounds, then—is how loudly its echoes resound.

–Jubi Arriola-Headley, author of original kink

Please share/please repost #flpauthor #preorder #AwesomeCoverArt #poetry #read #poetrybook #poems