#discussion of attraction and whatnot

[3scapethevoid]

Coin coin coin coin! :3

Explodes. (Very self indulgent. I'm arepulsal)

I'm genuinely super super proud of this, so I WILL come back and do IDs later, bare with me!

REPULSAL “ATTRACTiON”: Describes the feeling of intense negative repulsion towards another person; aka hatred!

Here are some LABELS!

1: (far left) ALLOREPULSAL: Describes someone who has the ability to experience feelings of intense negative repulsion towards other people; aka hatred!

2: (middle) AREPULSAL: Describes someone who does not have the ability to experience feelings of intense negative repulsion towards other people; aka hatred! This does not necessarily mean they don't want to experience those feelings, they just don't. (The spectrum would be referred to as arepulspec)

3: (far right) HYPERREPULSAL: Describes someone who experiences feelings of intense negative repulsion towards other people; aka hatred, on a level which is higher than allorepulsal.

Below are some microlabels

1: (left) ACRiREPULSAL: Describes someone who has the ability to experience feelings of intense negative repulsion towards other people; aka hatred, but feels wrong, as if this feeling shouldn't happen to them.

2. (right) APOTHiREPULSAL: Describes someone who does not have the ability to experience feelings of intense negative repulsion towards other people; aka hatred, and is disgusted by/heavily dislikes the feeling. Someone who is apothirepulsal may refuse to engage in discussions about hatred, hateships, intense negative emotions, and whatnot to avoid discomfort/disgust.

ANYONE CAN MAKE ALT FLAGS OR OTHER REPULSAL ORIENTATIONS BUT PLEASE DO NOT RECOIN MY TERM BECAUSE IT IS NOT EXCLUSIVE TO ANYONE!!!!

[menlove]

in honor of pride month. how queer (or Not) do you think the bugs are. for science

here's my semi controversial takes okay take them w a grain of salt idk these men (...people?) anyway

paul: I do think he's bi. whether or not he's like out to people around him or even himself who knows but he's. 100% bi. my evidence is well. really everything w john but also just his Consistent flirting with men in so so so so so many interviews. (my joking answer is that he's a lesbian. him and linda are lesbians.)

george: also bi, mostly bc of the stuff surrounding dylan & some of his lyrics. I feel like there's a quote somewhere where he alludes to having done stuff w men but I could absolutely be making that up in my mind lmao. feel like he also could have been sold on the idea that souls are genderless and so not necessarily Be a man in the more spiritual sense. like if he were a 20-30 smth year old today. or I mean even in his actual life I just don't know but I Could See It. 0 evidence for that beyond how many transfemmes I know adore george

john: CONTROVERSIAL ONE IM SORRYYYYY. but he's definitely the one that's For Sure Queer like we all know this. & a lot of people use the bi label bc he had relationships w women & this would be the easiest answer but I'm gonna be really and totally honest... to me a lot of his/yoko's/everyone else's quotes surrounding his attraction to men vs women make it sound Very comphet driven. like his quotes about yoko being the perfect woman bc she was so much like a man/himself in drag. "you think of rock hudson when we do it". him constantly comparing yoko & paul & never really discussing cynthia and in general just disregarding her existence entirely. (which is very shitty btw his treatment of cyn makes me rage, it just also reeks of marriage out of comphet and obligation while he was actually committing himself to paul, whether that was ever fulfilled or not). his general angst around being called gay. etc. to me he reads more as a gay man that never fully came around to identifying that way. but for the sake of not speculating on a dead man's sexuality I'll just say he was Definitely Queer. also given some of his quotes surrounding identity and gender and whatnot I do think he maaay have been gender queer as well but that one is definitely more speculative and vibe based. I could see a modern john or john if he lived being more genderfluid but We'll Never Know.

ringo: token straight I'm sorry buddy. I can enjoy a good fictional depiction of him being bi (shout out to that paul/ringo fic in hamburg that made me chew glass) but as for like. real life I haven't seen a single shred of anything pointing to him being anything but cishet. maybe! but if we're solely talking what I think is Actually going on... no.

[destinyc1020]

My Movie Review: "Challengers" 🎾

**Caution...May Contain Some Spoilers**

Okay okay..... Here we gooo! Another film review.... 😁🙌🏾

Y'all.... I have so much to say about this movie lol. 😅 I'll just be honest, like...I had some mixed feelings about this one!

Okay, so first of all.... I had a great time going to see this movie. My girlfriends and I all went to one of those theaters where you can order REAL food and alcohol, and they bring it right to your seat. 😁 We decided to treat ourselves to this one, and just have a "girl's night out" watching it.

Our little theater was quite packed too! Saw a lot of date-night couples watching this together lol. 🤭 I think I saw another group who was doing a girl's night out.

So anyway....

The movie ended up being an enjoyable rollercoaster for all of us lol. It definitely kept my attention, it wasn't boring at all, and it gave many of us several things to talk about/discuss long after the movie was over! I LOVE films that make you think, and that have you talking about it afterwards. Even if we disagree, it's just nice to see a movie like this that sparked a good discussion afterwards. 😊 Here were my Pros/Cons and random thoughts that I had during and after this movie lol....

PROS

Everyone's acting was solid in this! I already knew that Mike and Josh are stellar actors (I've seen them in other projects before, and both have done theater if I'm not mistaken), but ZENDAYA!! Zendaya babeeeee....She surprised me in this one! Dare I say it?? I think "Challengers" was her best acting job yet on the big screen. 👏🏾 She really embodied that "Bad B*itch"/Boss vibe very well imo. She was definitely believable! LOL 😅

The CINEMATOGRAPHY! Omg the cinematography in this film was so good and on point. I loved how the camera would change perspectives during a match (especially the end match) and would switch and show you the ball's pov, then the pov of the players, and whatnot. It was dizzifying switch and camera change for sure lol, but it was very creative. I honestly think that this film could be nominated for an Oscar just for the cinematography alone. 😊👍🏾

The music .... The music was a pro AND a con (more on that later) for me. It had a really hype techno beat throughout the movie, and that really helped to keep the movie hyped and show the fast-pace of the sport. I really liked it! It was catchy lol. 😅

Zendaya was GORGEOUS in this movie! I kept looking at how flawless her skin was in this. It's so rare that we get "adult" Z in her films lol, so it was just nice and refreshing to see her finally playing more of an adult in a big screen role, and seeing her be the desirable/sexy/attractive one in a film for a change. She really looked amazing in this. 😊 I'd love to see her do more roles where she's playing the object of desire. We need more woc in roles like this.

I loved the subtle ways in which Luca shows that tennis is basically like a relationship in this film. I loved that metaphor. I think the little subtle hints for the movie were quite creative, and it's one of those films where I think it would be good to watch at least twice in order to catch more of the subtleties and how the sport related to their relationships and inner dynamics throughout the film.

I LOVED that scene where Patrick and Tashi met up with each other, and it's so WINDY and wild. Just like their relationship.... Windy, unpredicatable, destructive, yet exciting... Unlike her boring relationship with her husband lol. LOVED the subtleties in this film.

I loooved seeing Zendaya in her "Bad Gal" element. Yaaass! 👏🏾 I love it! I think it's harder playing a villain or someone who's not redeeming honestly.

Hahaha I have to give a shoutout to Darnell.... Good seeing him on the screen. Glad he was able to add another big major film on the big screen to his roster lol. 😜

Zendaya's body was BODY GOALS in this film.... 🔥 Can I just say?? I was like, "Dang.... let me keep going to the gym". 👀 And then, the other thought I had was, "Shooooot....no wonder Tom came back ROTFL." 😅🤣 Lemme stop lol.

I loved the anticipation for the final match, and it really kept you on the edge of your feet lol. 😁

CONS

Now for the cons.... 👀

Was it just me?? Or, sometimes the music in this movie was a bit TOO loud Lol. For example, there was a scene where Patrick and Tashi were talking in the hotel, and the techno music is SO LOUD that I could barely even make out what they were saying (and it seemed important too). Maybe it's just me.... But at times, the music was drowning out the dialog, and I didn't like that. Anyone know what Patrick and Tashi said to each other at the hotel when the music got to be so loud lol? 😅

I STILL hate that "my little white boys" line ...UGH! It's SO CRINGGGGGE! 😫😩🙈

I definitely saw a LOT more sausage and moons than I expected to see in this movie lol... 👀 😅 I meannnnn.... Idk... Is male frontal nudity EVER really necessary?? Let's be honest lol. I honestly don't think so. I kind of wonder why it's even needed?? (I say the same thing about female frontal nudity as well). Idk, sometimes I wonder why certain directors make that choice to add that in, when it's not even necessary 9 times out of 10. I just don't like things being done gratuitously . Like, gratuitous sex scenes for example.

I'll be honest, I didn't really care too much for some of the plotlines and writing in the film.... 😬 I'll also just come right out and say it... I kind of wish that Z had done a slightly different film than this for her big-screen lead role debut. I kind of wish it weren't such an "adult" film with a ton of sexual themes and elements. I kinda wish too that Tashi was not personified in the way that she was. It's one thing to be a very determined and dedicated athlete, but another thing altogether to be the stereotypical cold, icy, attitude-having diva. I also look at this from a woc/black woman's pov as well. Part of me feels like we as Black women are so hypersexualized (and seen as "grown") , and stereotyped as having "attitudes" from such a young age, and it just makes me feel like women/female actresses shouldn't have to get naked or be overly sexualized in order to win awards or get good critical acclaim for their roles. (I read that the film Emma Stone won an Oscar for this year, "Poor Things", had a lot of sex and nudity in it as well....🥴) Don't get me wrong, I'm not a "prude", but when it comes to WOC, I just want better for us since we're already so stereotyped and stigmatized. Like, why couldn't Z's big-screen lead role debut be the Ronnie Spector Biopic film?? Or, why couldn't it be a film like "Hidden Figures" where she's playing a black female mathematician who aids in the space launch? I don't feel like you have to resort to sex or get undressed in your underwear to be taken "seriously" as a "serious actor", but maybe the meaty roles for adult women in Hollywood that don't add that in are really scarce. Anyway, that was my only gripe. 😊

RANDOM THOUGHTS & QUESTIONS

When people claimed that there wasn't any real redeeming character in this film...boyyyyy...they weren't KIDDING!!! 🤣 I don't mind characters who aren't perfect or aren't the best though, so that didn't bother me. My only question was.... Why on earth did Tashi hate Patrick so much?? Does anyone else know?? 😅 I kept waiting and waiting during the movie to see some big REVELATION of something really HORRIBLE that he did to Tashi in order to deserve the type of hate that she dished out to him, but I couldn't figure out anything?? I mean, I know they dated each other at one time when they were younger, but I don't see why she's still hating on this man in her 30's when they dated in their teens and early 20s lol. 😅 She's out here married and even has like a 6 year old kid and is STILL hating on this man.... WHY?? 😅 Can someone PLEASE explain that to me?? Cuz right now, I can only surmise that the only reason why Tashi is so mean to Patrick is because deep down, she's still attracted to him, so she has to hate on him in order to curb that HAHAHA. 🤣 Maybe I'm just a Patrick-sympathizer lol, but I can't really see how he was a bad boyfriend or how he did anything wrong?? Yes, he shouldn't have slept with Tashi (Art's WIFE), but HE was single.... TASHI was the one married, so really, SHE was the main one at fault here as far as I'm concerned lol. 😅

Why did Art and Patrick like Tashi so much?? I mean, aside from the fact that she was gorgeous (obviously lol)....She seemed like such a ballbuster and treated them like crap lol.

Mike has a cute butt lol 🤭

Josh does a really good American accent. I only heard it go out and switch off like maybe once or twice lol. Only slightly lol. 😅

BTW, in case you were wondering...I'm Team Patrick lol.... 🤭 He was just a washed up bum of an athlete lol. I feel like Art and Tashi were way more manipulative. Jmho. I do kinda feel bad for Art though on some level, cuz it was CLEAR Tashi was in a boring, lifeless marriage and didn't really love him anymore lol.

I saw people in our audience gasping and covering their mouths during some of the sexual scenes lol. I could tell a couple of the girls in the theater were fans of Zendaya and had never seen her in such a role before hahaha. Some were laughing at some of the sexual stuff and it was like uncomfortable laughter/giggling lol. The guys included lol. 🤭

I'm not sure what awards this film will be up for, but seeing as how it's a film by Luca, we might actually see Z getting an Oscar nod for this!! Or, at the very least, maybe engaged in a FYC campaign. I can see it. Luca is very well-known...his film CMBYN garnered Oscar nods (including an Oscar nod for Timothee), and Z is Hollywood's Darling atm, soooo idk y'all! We might be looking at "Oscar-Nominated Actress" Zendaya next year! I guess we'll have to see lol. 😊

I looooved that Z was able to work with such a renowned and well-liked film director. I'm glad she got that experience. She's been working with some great directors lately (ie. Luca, Denis, etc), and I love that for her. It seems like FFC was also eyeing her for one of his roles at one time as well. So, I'm so proud of our girl!!! 👏🏾

OVERALL

Overall.... Definitely a fun, joyride of a film. 😊 VERY creatively done. So far, I haven't really been THAT impressed with Luca's films (CMBYN being the other one I've seen), but his films def make you THINK, long after they're over, that's for sure lol. The movie was fun and enjoyable to watch. There were just a few things that I felt could have been better imo.

OVERALL SCORE: 6.5/10

[hometownrockstar]

This is directed at skinny people, fat people u can do whatever you want its chill. Ok so i have discussed this before but there's a popular phenomenon where thin people on here and twitter and whatnot want to show how they are progressive by talking about how they find fat people hot, either through popular text posts or in fandom where they talk abt a character as being hot SPECIFICALLY in relation to their size. And my issue is not with seeing fat people as attractive FOR their fat traits, its just the prevalence of it from skinny people usually sounds very performative and almost chaser-y with how it is almost solely focused on sexual desirability of fat people.

So in my opinion, i dont think skinny people should stop talking about finding fat bodies attractive altogether, but rather show their love and support for fat people and characters in other means as well. Portray a fat character as admirable, charming, pretty/attractive (without solely sexual attraction), or just plain normal, all the kinds of things you portray skinny characters as being.

[normansnt]

A book by its cover (Usopp x male!punk!reader)

This picture inspired me BIG time. Also I love that people are finally realizing how nice punks are🦦🧡 It may be a bit long but like not that long its aight I hope you like it

There are no warnings its just fluff🐥

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Black leather jacket with spikes, badges and whatnot. Spiky h/c hair piercings and tattoos all this with black ripped jeans with again different badges and other things on it and black combat boots. Usopp thought this looked quite scary. He looked quite scary. Well ok it looked badass not to mention the guy was handsome... but anyhow he looked like he was from a dark world which Usopp had no intention of entering

The strawhats docked on an island for supplies maybe a little rest and to reset the log pose they had about 1 maybe 1 and a half days. Robin, Nami and Sanji went shopping the girls for clothes Sanji to carry their bags and to buy food. Zoro went to drink beer and take a nap and Luffy went with him claiming he wants to eat (as always). Brook and Jinbe just wanted to look around town. That left Franky, Usopp and Chopper who wanted to go look for supplies for the ship or Usopps bombs and other things.

Thats where they saw him. The guy who sold every kind of parts for ships, to painting supplies, gases and more. He was a tall dude around 6'6 with h/l, h/c hair which was in spikes (or not you decide if it wasn't just ignore it), he had kind e/c eyes and greeted them with a friendly smile. Franky smiled back and got to business right away.

"Hey guys what can I help you with?" Asked the guy in a friendly tone. "We need some supplies for a ship" said Franky cautiously not to mention that they are pirates. "Oh you guys are the Pirates that just docked, ok what kind of parts do you need?" Said the s/c male. Franky, Usopp and Chopper stood there a bit baffled. Even after the guy knew they were pirates the kind smile didn't leave the strangers face.

While Franky was discussing the parts needed Usopp was quiet the whole time something was off with this guy, he looked scary (and handsome but Usopp did not admit that even to himself) but acted very kind and understanding. Not to mention based on what he heard from the conversation he knew what he was talking about. "HAHAHA" Frankies booming laugh got him out of his trance. The guy must have said something awfully funny since he was smiling as well a big smile, a very attractive smile. What? Usopp was very confused at this point. "I could really use someone like you on the ship to help with repairs wouldn't you say Usopp, Chopper?" Asked Franky smiling, the two were just standing there silently. "Sorry how rude of me" said the guy still smiling "I didn't even introduce myself Im Y/N". "Im Franky these two are Usopp and Chopper" smiled Franky while pointing at the two. Usopp and Chopper still didn't say anything. Teddy got down on one knee looked at chopper and reached in his pocket. The too scaredy cats were watching his every move when suddenly he pulled out candy from his pocket. "Do you want one little reindeer?" Asked Y/N with a smile Chopper immediately forgot his fear. Not only because the stranger had candy but because someone finally saw him as a reindeer at the first meeting and not a raccoon. He walked over to Y/N and took some candy. Y/N patted his head. Chopper looked up at him and a bit shyly but asked him: "what are those pointy things on your jacket?". The e/c eyed male laughed and answered: "They are spikes I wear them cuz I think it looks cool" smiled the man than put his tongue out in a rocker way to make the little reindeer laugh. Chopper did laugh and then asked: "Can I touch them?" Y/N smiled and motioned for him to come closer. Chopper liked his spikes very much he thought they are dangerous at first that they hurt, but they didn't. This way Chopper ended up sitting on Y/Ns shoulder. Usopp watched this whole scene with interest. You were THIS nice. Now he feels stupid for thinking you are mean or anything but the way you are dressed deceived him. Usopp was staring at you red faced. It was not only that you were really good looking you had the kindest personality as well and he really couldn't deny it any longer even to himself he liked you, a lot. Y/N looked at him next. "So you're Usopp?" He asked smiling maybe a bit red in the face...? Nah Usopps eyes were lying to him he surely just saw what he wanted to.

"I...uh...YES, I am the great captain Usopp indeed" he said while sweating trying to play it off full of pride. He was kind of embarrassed after a short silence and he was about to apologize when he heard the most pleasant laughter he had ever heard. Y/N laughed at his antics he thought it was hilarious. "Wow alright mighty and powerful captain Usopp" he said whit a mock bow, then they both started laughing Chopper didn't really get it he just sat on Y/Ns shoulder eating the Candy he got while Franky just looked at them with a knowing smile.

After they bought everything they needed (which took nearly the whole day since they had such a great time with Y/N) they had to go back to the ship. Usopp was not happy nor was Chopper and to be fair Franky also took a liking to Y/N so its safe to say none of them wanted to leave him on the island. Y/N was not happy either to see them go he had a great time and enjoyed Usopps funny antics to no end. How ever to recruit a new crew mate was not their job not to mention they had no idea if Y/N was any good in battle.

Usopp was sulking the whole way back. And on the ship as well. They planned to stay on the port of the island for the night then set sail in the morning.

Zoro was on night watch and all of a sudden he saw someone approaching the ship. He stood up to see if the person was actually coming to the ship, but there was no misunderstanding the person was coming to the ship with something on their shoulder and a small bag in their hand. Zoro reacted the moment he saw that that something on the strangers shoulders was an ax.

He jumped off the ship right on the stranger. However, to Zoros utter disbelief, they dodged it. Now that the street light helped him see he saw that it was a guy, wearing a leather jacket with spikes badges and what not. This did not interest him however the thing that bothered him was the ax on his shoulder and the fastness he dodged his attack with it was almost inhuman like.

"What do you want with this ship?" Asked Zoro accusingly. "Listen this is a misunderstanding-" but the stranger did not get to finish their sentence because Zoro attacked. To Zoros disappointed the stranger blocked all of his blows and dodged them with excellence and grace very much like he saw Mihawk do it. The only difference between this guy and Mihawk was that he didn't attack back he just kept defending and of course he used an axe. The rest of the strawhats woke up to this commission outside and watched the fight with shock. Someone holding their own against Zoro with one hand and a small axe without breaking a sweat or attacking back? This was crazy. The moment Usopp stepped on the front of the ship to see whats going on his eyes widened and he looked at Franky. "Isnt that-" "Yes he is" "shouldn't we-" "Yes we should" the two looked at each other then forward at the battle and started yelling "STOP STOP" very loudly Franky jumped off the ship to stop Zoro while Usopp ran over to Y/N to stop him as well.

"Huh?" Asked Zoro after Franky stood in front of him. "Why are you standing in the way?" He asked kind of upset, Franky didn't answer just looked at Y/N and asked "What are you doing here Y/N?".

"Im sorry to disturb your night but after I was going to close the shop I found Usopps bag, and I wanted to return it, so after I left the shop I tried to find your ship based on how you guys described it and well I got kinda lost thats why I only got here this late" explained the s/c male panting lightly due to dodging Zoros attacks. Usopp got red in the face, very red, he left his bag there and didn't even notice since he was busy thinking about Y/N all night. "Thanks Y/N so much somehow I didn't even notice" "Wait you know this punk?" Asked Zoro.

"Wow you're quick" laughed Y/N lightly this made others chuckle a bit as well. "We bought ship supplies from him he was the shop keeper we were telling you about during dinner" yelled Chopper excitedly while running to Y/N to sit on his shoulders. "I don't care what shop you own how did you dodge my attacks this effortlessly?" Asked Zoro still a bit pissed. "Oh thats all thanks to my dad he trained me all my childhood" answered Y/N truthfully. "Your dad? Who is your dad if I may ask the way you move reminds me of someone" asked Sanji. He took a liking to the punk the moment he made fun of Zoro. "Mihawk, Dracule Mihawk" Everyones jaw dropped with their eyes bulging out of their sockets. "MIHAWK HAS A KID???" Yelled Zoro shocked. "Yeah Im kind of used to these reactions however y'all are a bit extreme Im guessing you know him" said Y/N in a usual tone not very phased by their reactions."Join my crew" said Luffy all of a sudden. Nami screamed when she notice Luffy was standing next to her because when everyone came out he was still sleeping. "You look strong and I saw you fight then I heard you are Mihawks son you are joining my crew" said Luffy smiling big. "Oh... eh I really didn't plan on becoming a pirate..." started off Y/N. Then he looked at Usopp who was looking at him with hopeful eyes and then at Chopper who was looking with puppy eyes Franky also tried doing Puppy eyes but it looked rather creepy from a big man like him. It was still hard though Y/N liked this town not to mention his shop. "But you are joining" said Luffy still smiling then headed back to his bed like the discussion was ower "uh..." Y/N stood there confused, then Usopp started laughing, "Yeah Im afraid it isn't your decision " Usopp continued laughing then started to walk towards the ship. With everyone else "Come on Y/N you are our nakama now" smiled Usopp while grabbing his hand and walking to the Thousand sunny. Never judge a book by its cover I guess you could say that for any member of the Straw hat crew Y/N will fit right in.

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WELP

My second fanfic🥳

I wrote this for an embarrassingly long time even I don't know why lol💀

Anyway I LOVE Usopp he is so goofy and no mf in the world will tell me he isn't gay not yo mention Im a HUGE believer of trans Usopp so😗

SO I hope you liked this fic I will write more with time but I have things to do

Ladies, gentlemen and others I hope you enjoyed your reading, good afternoon good evening and goodnight🧡🦖

[dr-futbol-blog]

The Brotherhood, Pt. 5

We cut to the following day where we find McKay, Allina and Sheppard on an excavation with the others further away. It's not early morning so again, we are missing time from between the two scenes. Maybe Sheppard and McKay discussed it further, maybe they didn't, but here we find Valentino "more on his game". Which is to say, seemingly crashing and burning.

The previous night, McKay accidentally let it slip to her that they are not Atlanteans or descendants of the Ancestors like she had thought, but that they had come from Earth only a little while ago. Or he just straight up told her the truth, never having intended to lead them astray. Either way, it's this discovery that has changed her disposition toward McKay, not anything he did or is doing here.

As mentioned previously, her whole life has been dedicated to the service of the Ancestors and it seems like it was as the representative of Atlantis that she was crushing on McKay, not as an actual human being. Given that she got a version of Best Behaviour Rodney, she doesn't even really know what he is like. And now that it appears these newcomers have just taken on the mantle of the Ancestors undeservingly, she's not as keen on him (she, of course, does not know that Earth is the First World from which the Lanteans had originally come to this galaxy and to where they eventually returned so there is an argument to be made for their rightful inheritance of Atlantis, but that's besides the point).

The mainstream interpretation is that McKay is trying to score now that he thinks Allina wants him, the incorrigible hound dog that he is, and that Sheppard is watching him crash and burn from the background to amuse himself. Sure, Jan. Sure.

He might be failing because he is simply inept at talking to women and doesn't know what he's doing, but alternatively he's failing on purpose. And if he's failing on purpose, there might be any number of reasons for it, starting from the fact that she's an alien from an underdeveloped society, they're on a job that's pretty important and it would be morally dubious to start romancing what is actually pretty close to being an alien priestess, as he himself pointed out just a while ago. To belabour a point, McKay displayed zero interest in this woman the day before when they spent all of it on a dig together. She barely interested him enough to look at her. He had to be told that she has a crush on him. He had to be told what to do about it. It's much more likely that his attempt to engage here was designed to fail, whether on purpose or subconsciously. And looking at the dialogue, on purpose seems to be the name of the game.

McKay has obviously chosen a moment when they have some privacy to initiate this discussion. And Sheppard's presence, to him, seems to count as having privacy. It's either that he wants and prefers for Sheppard to be there, or he does not mind that Sheppard is there. Either way, Sheppard seems real interested in how this is going to go down. He's clearly willing to jump in as needed even if you interpret him as just wanting McKay to strike out because he's being a dick, or what ever the mainstream interpretation is. Fact is, what they're doing on this planet is way too important for Sheppard to be dicking around just 'cause, so it's much more likely he is doing this for an actual reason like to help the man who asked for his help last night.

McKay and Allina are looking over the stones:

Allina: It doesn't look much like a map. I guess I was wrong. McKay: Mm, possibly. Although, um, well, you know, just because you originally thought it was a map doesn't make your initial assumption bad or incorrect. Well, incorrect, yes, but it was a good guess. Allina: I'm sorry? McKay: You're… very, very smart, and, uh… and attractive and whatnot, and, um… You've got a lot of things going for you even when things don't— Allina: Is everything all right? McKay: Everything's great. Everything's really… Why wouldn't it be?

She's pretending like she hadn't been throwing herself at him previously. It's not in response to his approach, it's in response to his accidental confession last night. But the thing is, McKay isn't even hitting on her. He calls her attractive and smart, yes, but that reads a lot more like someone trying to let a person down easy. He tells her, you've got a lot going for you. He is trying to be kind. Yes, he's embarrassed to be doing this because having this kind of conversation is mortifying (and were it not for Sheppard, he wouldn't be doing this; and that's a fact regardless of how you interpret their relationship). He also doesn't actually think she's smart, not in the way that matters. For one, we can compare this with him finding out about Sheppard's Mensa test later. Sheppard being able to solve a puzzle that he couldn't means something to him.

He looks at Sheppard as he's trying to think of what to say to her. To make sure he's not watching him making an ass of himself? Maybe. But he has to look at Sheppard before he can come up with something to tell her. He glances at Sheppard, and then comes up with "You're very very smart, and attractive".

Both are things that Sheppard is, very smart and attractive. John Sheppard has a lot of things going for him. Why do you have to look at your man to be able to come up with something nice to say to a woman? Besides which, they look awfully similar.

And further, we've seen how he behaves around smart women. The smarter they are, the more condescending he is. If he thinks that you are smart, he will try to make you feel dumb because he has poor self-esteem and because intellect has been his battle field. It does not seem like he comes from a wealthy family which means that he has had to fight to earn his place in Academia. He has had to prove that he is the smartest (and hence, that other people are less smart) to get scholarships, to get his foot in the door. He thinks she's smart like a golden retriever, not smart in the sense that she should ever challenge him in any way that matters.

He just does not care about women enough to see them as distinct personalities that might require individual approaches. He's also saying that her initial assumption, that he would be interested in her, was incorrect. He's flattered, sure, but not into her like that.

Sheppard, who has been symbolically between them the whole time, comes to his rescue. He steps in because he can see by the way McKay is using his hand that he is getting agitated which just, again, is a testament to how well he knows him. And Sheppard gets him off the hook by changing the subject:

Sheppard: You're sure we're in the right place? We've almost doubled the size of the dig site, and we haven't found anything yet.

He's not making fun of McKay. He is playing it perfectly straight, like he saw nothing going on, nothing out of the ordinary. It's all business up in here. And McKay seems relieved because figuring things out, trying to solve something is so much more up his alley--and this is also the reason why Sheppard approached him with a question in the first place. He knows engaging McKay's mind is the best way to help him get over his agitation. We see Sheppard do this continuously, consistently, over the seasons. Here, he's not doing it because they're in some kind of trouble, he's doing it out of kindness.

Relevant to what happens next, we see Sheppard look McKay in the eye and wrap his lips around his canteen while holding it in a firm grip. There are so many suggestive shots in this episode.

They discover an entrance leading underground, a hole in the ground, as it were. McKay is mirroring Sheppard in case anyone had any doubt where his physical interest lies.

What they uncovered is supposed to be the "forbidden chamber" to which only brothers (of the Brotherhood) should enter. That also seems awfully suggestive but the killer is McKay's next line:

McKay: So, who wants to go first? Seems sort of like a Sheppard thing.

Going down first seems sort of like a Sheppard thing. Going down first seems like the sort of thing that Sheppard would do.

Now, the thing is, McKay intends no double entendre, he's not making innuendo. He only means to say that Sheppard is the dashing heroic type. He thinks that what ever is down there, Sheppard would be the best and most capable person there to face it first. He's saying that going down a dark hole freaks him out enough that he certainly does not want to go first, and he would feel much better if Sheppard went in first to make sure that there is nothing dangerous down there.

But Sheppard certainly hears a double entendre. You can see it on his face. We have already seen that he appreciates innuendo (cf. Hide and Seek, S01E03), cannot resist the opportunity to turn something into a sexual reference. Jesus Christ, McKay. They were supposed to be being careful, keeping a low profile. Not making jokes about him eating dick right there out in the open.

He appreciates a good dick pun especially because he clearly likes thinking about dicks (I refer you to the time he canonically cannot take his eyes off of a whale dick pic in Echoes, S03E12) but this is awfully bold of McKay. But note that while he looks up at McKay, he doesn't protest, at all. So he likes dick. So he's enthusiastic when going down on a guy. So McKay knows this about him. He'll go down to the forbidden chamber of the brotherhood first but he probably has to bite down on his tongue not to make a more obvious reference in response. There are times for escalating and this isn't it.

Sheppard is on his goddamn knees while this goes down. McKay makes a reference to Sheppard going down first while the man is on his knees in front of him, looks up at him from that position. So that's a thing that actually happened on this show.

Continued in Pt. 6

[collectionoftulips]

So I was rereading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (still working my way through the reread) and I went with a friend to see the new movie and here are some thoughts on Lucy Gray and Snow and all that stuff, in case anyone is interested, particularly the differences made between the book and the movie.

The first thing that stood out to me was the difference between (from what I could tell) book!Lucy Gray and movie!Lucy Gray. In the book, I think that Lucy Gray is much more of an ambiguous character compared to how she was in the movie (I wonder if it was to help make the main message of the film clearer (in classic 'beat you over the head with the metaphor' Hollywood fashion)). There is so much emphasis placed in the beginning of the book on how Lucy Gray adjusts her appearance, how she makes sure that she looks as good as she can - a tendency that is clearer in the book when she and Snow more overtly also strategise what she should sing when she's on television. The book makes it clear that they have had discussions about what she might or might not perform to get as many sponsors as possible before the event and he is surprised when she ends up singing something other than what they had discussed. To me, it felt like that the book spent more time showing us how similar they are to each other by showing how they manipulate people through impression management. Lucy Gray in the books is okay with singing for strategy, while in the movie, she insists on maintaining some sort of 'authenticity' by only singing when she is inspired to do so.

Something to acknowledge, of course, is that Snow is a character who fundamentally trusts no one. He is aware of Lucy Gray's tendencies and perhaps they are overemphasised to us as the reader because in the book we spend so much time in his head. Perhaps the ambiguity around Lucy Gray is merely a reflection of Snow's suspiciousness, but I like to think that she is similar to Snow in that she knows that there is power to being likeable to the right people and sometimes that's the only card you can play when the odds are stacked against you (Snow's sense of being wronged is obviously much more a product of his own delusion, while Lucy Gray's is much more real). It might be counter-intuitive, but I think having Lucy Gray and Snow be more similar on that level would make the deeper themes of the movie clearer: discussions of 'human nature' is fairly reductive and people have the capacity of both good and evil, sometimes at once, and if you assume the worst in people on your quest to power, you will probably draw that out but also that's how you become a ruthless dictator.

The fundamental difference between Lucy Gray and Snow in the end is that Lucy Gray believes in the good in people, and Snow does not.

So why am I going on about this? Well, partly because these thoughts have been floating around in my head, but also in terms of the romance aspect of the film, I thought it might have some potentially interesting implications. Mainly, do I think that the romance between Lucy Gray and Snow was genuine? Yes and no.

Yes in the sense that they did have a connection and whatnot, but also no for a few reasons. Firstly, because I think one of the main aspects of why Snow becomes attracted to Lucy Gray is because his vanity is flattered. He likes the idea that this now immensely popular girl likes him, that he managed to win her over, that despite that he's Capitol and part of the Games, she trusts him. He likes the idea of the romance, once he gets to District 12 (I'm not there at the rereading yet though) it's not like that he has a lot else to do, and it would make sense for him to try carve something out with Lucy as a backup as it looks like his future in the Capitol for all intents and purposes is toast.

Secondly, I think Lucy Gray is genuinely intrigued and attracted to Snow. But she's also someone who was deeply betrayed with the Reaping, deeply traumatised, and still reeling from the breakup that caused her to be in the Games. Then this handsome, charming man shows up who seems to care for her and goes above and beyond expectations as her mentor. At the start, she is very aware of the fact that he's Capitol is in the back of her mind. She also knows that she needs to keep him on side while she is in the Games (as she clearly sees that he's more invested than 99% of other mentors and she is gaining advantages from that investment that other tributes could only dream of). But over time, he demonstrates that he wants her to survive and he helps her out. When he then shows up in 12, she is surprised and she never expected to see him again. But he seemed to be a good person from everything he did for her in the Games (some of it she could barely guess at), and she's now basically forced to live in the same district as her ex and the girl who made her compete in the Games. He shows up, seemingly offering this fairytale and she happily goes along with it - after all, she likes him well enough. But she also has very little sense of who he actually is and she's (probably) still hurting a bit too much from her previous relationship for it to be a relationship where she is truly and deeply in love.

And then when she realises that he set up his seemingly only friend to be killed, she realised that her dream prince is actually not the kind of man she thought that he was, and that everyone is expendable to him. She is the apple of his eye at the moment, but eventually the shiny romance of it all will fade, so the best thing to do was to escape.

I don't know, maybe I just like the idea that Lucy Gray and Snow were people who had potential and that they were essentially two people who the world had broken in two, clinging to each other, and if it wasn't for Snow's narcissism and ruthlessness, if he had essentially been a better person, they could have really had something.

[tomwambsgans]

mmmm not enough nuance going on in discussions of the sticker scene methinks. no offense i just don't think it's a fair reading to say tom is literally claiming ownership as though greg were an object. like, i do think there's a lot to be said for how desire and attraction for other people in general just IS intertwined with notions of ownership and possession? for example to physically possess something in some languages, such as irish gaelic, translates directly to that thing simply being with you. in fact it turns the object into the subject. you don't have greg, greg is "at you." the body is a thing. trust, and affection, and devotion are intangible things, but still things. furthermore to love someone amorously, erotically, passionately, etc SO rarely includes "just wanting that person to be happy whether it's by your side or not," or whatever. no. it's selfish, it all is. this is the core of it. you want to HAVE them. respect and trust that that person still wants you back even when they're not physically by your side and whatnot are healthy and ideal, but they come later.

ntm the capacity for mutual ownership. tom is greg's as much as greg is tom's, or i think would at least like to be. i'm reminded in particular of this essay by harry hay, which postulates that part of gay healing is that we recognize that we have a unique capacity for subject-subject love as opposed to subject-object. now what i'm getting at here is NOT that "tom is gay therefore he innately has to feel this way" or some bioessentialist-esque shit. but literally just that the nuances of tom's possessiveness toward greg (which is inextricable from his repressed/closeted homosexuality) + specifically how everyone on here is reading that scene *without* said nuance just.. yeah i just think it would be an interesting read for some of yall.

anyway what i think is far more significant about the way connor described those chekov's stickers is that it's about coveting. you don't automatically just GET something that you put a sticker on. the sticker is a bid. it's your mark that you WANT that thing. more than that--covet... is really specific language to use here, and that's on purpose. it's like... biblical. intensely desirous connotations. honestly best way to get this across is just straight up what comes up when you google the word:

so yeah, i don't think greg is happy to be specifically Owned by tom nearly as much as he's happy to be something that tom yearns, aches, hungers for.

[kayzero]

So like. Julius Caesar and Pope Gregory XIII don’t exist in the Pokémon universe. So there’s no reason for the Julian or Gregorian calendars to exist. Angels don’t exist in the Pokémon universe either, so the Enoch calendar, but the story behind that is Uriel came down and gave Enoch a calendar with exactly 13 weeks in all four seasons for 364 days.

Black and White confirmed that the Pokémon universe has four seasons, and it’s entirely possible for a human to have created a calendar splitting Arceus’ eighteen Plates throughout the year, each month containing 4 five-day weeks.

And if they did, the months could look something like this:

[ Image ID: A list containing all eighteen Pokémon types split between the four seasons. Spring has Normal, Fairy, Poison, and Electric types, with Electric underlined. Summer has Grass, Bug, Fire, Steel, and Fighting types, with Grass and Bug italicized and Fire underlined. Autumn has Psychic, Flying, Ground, and Dragon, with Flying Underlined. Finally, Winter has Rock, Ghost, Ice, Dark, and Water, with Ice and Water underlined. / End ID. ]

Explanations under the cut.

Summer and Winter have five months because of math Fire and Ice are the Summer and Winter Types. These are explained in-universe as the Supreme (Type) Months, the months in the dead middle of their respective seasons without any dimming or bleeding into the next season. And this is TRUE in the Pokémon universe because (most) people aren’t stupid enough to cause ecological disasters when causing an ecological disaster awakens an all-powerful legendary Pokémon that’s angry at you specifically for causing an ecological disaster! Global warming doesn’t exist! People are afraid of Cappy the Polar Ice Cap Legendary smacking them out of existence!

I’m open to discussion and suggestions about where to shift each type.

Italicized types were considered for a different season, and will be explained more thoroughly.

Underlined types probably won’t be changed without an Astounding Logical Argument that makes me feel stupid for even considering anything else.

Spring:

Animals give birth in the spring and Normal Type Pokémon are based on normal animals.

Fairies are associated with. Um. *flips notes* n. nature. i’m gonna be real with you in every planned-but-not-written explanation of a human sensing fairy type energy i describe it as “smelling wildflowers” and that’s all that went through my head.

Poisonous animals like frogs and snakes and the like. They hibernate. They come out of hibernation in the spring. Yay! This could easily be Winter for the same reason PLUS the fact that you store poisons in cold, sometimes freezing, temperatures.

Electric likely will not change. Thunderstorms happen most frequently in the spring months, because of the moisture and the heat present in the air. Electric could have easily been a Summer Type but I figured that because it rains more frequently in the spring because of snowmelt (“April Showers … May Flowers”), it would be easy to rationalize thunderstorms happening more often in the Spring in Pokéland.

Summer:

Grass and Bug were both considered for Spring because of the whole winter melts away and grass blooms and whatnot and then of course once the plants bloom it attracts the bugs. If I were going to change these two Grass would go to Spring and Bug would stay in Summer maybe.

But I ended up choosing Summer for these two because the summer sun makes the Grass grow and also all the other plants and then the heat and humidity brings all the Bugs to the yard. and they’re like. your sweat is tasty. why do bugs swarm humans we’re so much bigger than them.

Fire is unlikely to change. It’s the Sound of Summer. Summer hot. Sun go brr. Heat Wave Waves Heatingly. Etcetera.

You use fires to forge Steel. Or something along those lines. Honestly I just pulled that out of my butt, I was thinking about Heatran and like Heatran is a legendary and sub Steel. Volcanos or whatever.

THE FLAMES OF YOUTH IGNITE WITHIN FIGHTING TYPES and that’s why they’re in the summer. If you try to fight in the winter you like. Cramp up or something right? Is that bias? I hate winter it causes my body pain.

Autumn

Psy. chic? Fall Season is. appropriately. brain. y. (this is literally my favorite type i was NOT going to put it into the Evil Winter Season. die winter. i hope the global warms faster i’d rather drown than freeze.)

Flying was unlikely to change... however, migration plus tornadoes sneason was my initial thought. But Tornadus-Therian Searion is actually in the spring and migration is a two way street, the birds come back in the pringles. I might just. Switch Flying and Poison. If you Aggron Agree with switching Flying with Poison let me know in the comments.

You know how you run out of spaces and a type just HAS to go into a slot? Luckily I only had one of those. Unlucky it was Dragon. You smart folks probably have a better idea as to what Dragon should switch into but unless you have a good reason as to why the second Type should switch out, don’t @ me (or do @ me I like the attention).

Winter

Mountains are wintery and snowy because they’re so tall. And do you know what mountains are made of? …You do? Can you tell me, I’m lost, I thought they were made of chocolate but they don’t melt in the summer time so that idea’s washed…

Ghost was originally in the Fall, because Spooky Halloween, except not only could October totally be in the Winter now that I’m in charge of the calendar, and if it can’t, then Halloween doesn’t have to be a Fall holiday, it can be a winter holiday!

Ice? Ice. Baby.

Do you know how Dark it gets during the winter? How quickly it gets Dark? Even if we eliminate Daylight Savings (and we are eliminating Daylight Savings) the Equinox still happens in Winter. Days are still shorter. Darker. Sneasel type.

Water is unlikely to change. Like, it was initially in the spring because “oh look the ice is melting it’s time for spring” no bitch that shit cold. the ocean is cold. even during the summer the lakes are cold. it’s at the end of Winter towards the Spring side of things but That Shit Cold.

and that’s it that’s all i have does anyone have ideas for month names or day names aren’t the months named after like. emperors or something. should we name the months after legendaries. If someone comes up with a month name that’s a palindrome that starts with Ho and ends with oh I’ll give you $10. Call that a fiction commission.

[milksockets]

Is it just me or do you think the modern BDSM scene has become too bland and I guess gentrified to a lowest common denominator in the past years? There used to be really creative shit, combining haute couture fashion, medieval dungeons and wrought iron restraints, futuristic ideas and implements with that great 90s clear colored plastic, lots of dressing up and intersections of art and sexuality and beauty and dominance and whatnot. But not it just feels like everyone does a tee hee hee shibari or e-girl ballgag with the ahegao eyes and calls it a day. Or the cringey daddy dom "I watched Peaky Blinders and despite being half the height and twice the weight as Cillian Murphy I style myself as a sigma male gentleman" shit. I feel like no one is pushing the bounds and making any sort of art or something approaching that at this point. It's just become a bland aesthetic.

it's not just you.

however, i am not someone who is embedded within the "bdsm scene," as i discovered long ago that i find it humorless and not in line with my interests. i absolutely appreciate aesthetics that would be commonly associated with fetish (obviously) but i do not tend to view it through a lens of authenticity or anything. that's not necessarily what you're saying, i just think it's a useful disclaimer. in terms of people's self-expression of their personal identities or roles, i don't particularly care, though i myself don't relate to it or find it attractive.

i entirely agree that it's all gotten extremely underwhelming, and i feel that way about fashion photography + the like, too. it's a super depressing feeling that "the best days" might be behind us, which is a perspective that relates to many, many more things than what's being discussed here.

[luxqaer]

Happy #MellyMonday

Time for another commission blog. It is a very prideful one indeed. And that is FC Melia holding a demipansexual flag. Done by @jokarioart

There is a lot to go into the art itself, but it has an interesting backstory that goes along with this art. Half a decade ago @sir-teatei-moonlight made a headcannon about Melia's sexual orientation:

In it, Teatei says that Melia is a demipansexual. A demipansexual is defined as a sexual orientation for people who would only be attracted to any gender as long as a lot of trust is built among their partner. So Melia can be attracted to anyone of any gender or sexual orientation, but unless she is given a positive sexual experience by those people, she is not attracted to anyone not assuming she has crushes or whatnot.

At the time, I found this to be a great way to describe Melia in general from the way she displays attraction in XC1. Only really having a crush on Shulk, only getting rejected, then wanting to become like Fiora right when the game ends. Not only that, Teatei explains in his blog that Melia has been sexually aroused several times without noticing. Something common with asexuals, but demipansexuals also experience that phenomenon as well.

You can read more about demipansexuality elsewhere because it is a really interesting sexuality to get into coming from a pan-curious person myself.

Here is the flag of demipansexuality. Basically, the colors (pink=female, yellow=non-binary, blue=male according to sexuality wiki) representing the everyone coming from the pansexual flag and the black triangle representing the asexual part (not wanting sex unless having full trust in the partner to have one).

Upon really liking the headcannon, pride month came up around the time Adri was opening up commissions again. I hit her up with the idea, and here we are. First pride month Melia commission (this won't be the last one from her).

Talking about the art itself, Adri did such a sweet job with the sassy pose she gave Melia and her holding up a stick flag. It really shows the positivity of the LGBTQ+ community and how they portray fanart. Adri is transfemme after all, so she had the freedom to do it.

In fact, I gave her permission to make a trans version of the art for free as well (I wasn't a part of this commission). Adri headcannons Melia as transfemme and I definitely can get by it! Anything for the trans community is welcome around me, especially. Or any of the LGBTQ+ community for that matter. 😊

Adri is on Tumblr and also has a Patreon as well. She is taking commissions, but she isn't advertising them right now. I highly recommend checking out her work as she continues to improve her art with each art piece. Love you Adri!

That is the commission blog. Next week, I will discuss the Van Gogh of my Melia commissions. See you then!

[its-been-rose]

Every time I go into the “followed tags” section and I see yet another post from like July or September of 2023 talking about how HOT and SEXY and ATTRACTIVE Henry is and it has like 1,000 notes, I wanna take off my nonexistent hat and stomp on it like I’m in a looney tunes cartoon

Is that really all anyone has to say about him? Does no one want to psychoanalyze his body language with me? Does no one else lay awake at night tearfully pondering the cycle of hurt and violence he’s forced into perpetuating? Does no one want to discuss the real-world realities of living with parents who are completely unfit to raise children??? Is no one going to offer him a gentle pat on the head and a glass of chocolate milk?? What is this world coming to?????

Like he’s 18 it’s all kosher and whatnot and I’m a rabid simp for Marie so I can’t judge that hard and it honestly doesn’t make that big of a difference to me I’m kinda overreacting lol but like-

[despazito]

(sorry if this sounds adverserial, just earnestly want to share a counterpoint re that post) Idk if having all male blorbos is a v important indicator of misogyny (imo, it can show internalized misogyny, but not necessarily the outwards kind) and it's a bit mean to imply it invalidates someone's orientation, dunno if that was your intent? For example, I'm not into men at all, but I find myself obsessing over fictional guys in a "faux-crush" kinda way. For me as a lesbian, I think that's a combo of conceptualizing men/masculinity in a safer, abstracted way while also coming at the topic with a language framework influenced by comphet. It can come across as attraction when it's more like, fondness and hyperbole. Or in closeted cases, like the strategy of picking a random guy celebrity to "have a crush on" to save face. I think we're on the same page in that interests Can reveal unhealthy gendered biases (misogyny bad, obvs) but I think that that criticism, even in cases where its clearly applicable, is something that should be met with a criticism that's compassionate.

People are allowed to like whatever and I can understand where people are coming from when they say it's more about a #gender thing or whatnot esp with the lack of butches in media. Sorry I'm just tired of my experience with having female blorbos, logging onto the Women's website where everyone claps for Women but the moment it's media the discussion just defaults to men. And don't even get me started on the fic disparity...after over a decade of witnessing this phenomenon on Tumblr I feel like I'm going insane so apologies it's just a sore spot for me

[emblemxeno]

Engage was fantastic but even if it was subpar i think i would take just about anything over 3H at this point. i honestly do not like the person i become in 3H-centric spaces because seeing people outright defend rhetoric that's uncomfortably close to shit that actively threatens me in real life as being Good Politics makes me feel like a cornered animal and even just trying to communicate that i'm not comfortable with it makes people interpret that as me trying to Debate them about the honor of their anime girlfriend or whatever and it just ends up upsetting me even if i just disengage there. literally anything that doesn't attract the kind of people that try to tie their real-world politics to which video game character they like is an improvement honestly

It really becomes a dicey discussion considering how people go far to defend a fictional character to the point they're ignorant to how real people are affected by similar happenings.

Like you said, what happens in 3H is real shit that happens to real people in real life. The kind of war in 3H isn't something that can be written off as Extremist Anime Shenaningans done by Anime Waif Who Has a Point, there are actual real life instances of terrible people spreading lies and extreme perspectives in order to justify military occupation of nations and force them to assimilate. And it's done in the name of "a better world" which again, is fucking yikes for how this war is among the most indefensible in FE, possibly the most-partly because it is more realistic.

And echoing your point, that's also why I'm partial to Engage's plot, as well as pretty much every other FE plot, over 3H's, because there's no overt grandstanding by the writers or the fandom at large about how the entire war is some kind of deep metaphor for clashing ideals and war's cruel tragedies and whatnot. Like, I don't need a game to use characters as mouthpieces to explain a point, a character's backstory and auxiliary content like supports and special conversations do plenty to give context as to how they feel about war without set commentary each chapter.

3H overexplains without committing to anything, and that results in a war story where the war isn't criticized in any way except to make the player sad a few times, the emperor who started the war gets away with having no responsibility because she's treated as a victim who had no choice, and all of this culminates in a very touchy and insensitive depicition of this type of war story, on top of how 3H already fumbles with other serious subject matter.

[artofkhaos404]

It's so bizarre to me that I never see anyone talking about or addressing this, so I will.

TX2 is a popular upcoming emo/pop punk artist. He is phenomenal singer, has a great sound- mountains of potential. There's a couple songs by him I enjoy. However, all that being said, he makes me sick.

He makes frequent jokes about depression and self harm on his YouTube channel- creating skits that treat these real and horrible issues like humor. While doing this he also fuels the stigma of associating the emo subculture with self harm.

He is releasing a song called "Walking Dead Man." The subject of it is a friend of his that died of an overdose. Needless to say, this is a very deep and sensitive topic. The loss of a soul should be revered and honored. Every decent person can agree it's a serious conversation to have. Not a joke.

Yet here he is, releasing comedy skits centered around the song with captions like "IS THIS THE SADDEST EMO SONG OF ALL TIME?!" It's disgusting. One of these skits showed a friend of his listening to it and responding "I think I have depression!"

What an oversimplification and invalidation of mental illness. Also during these skits he makes comments like "You're not emo if you've never hurt yourself!" If this is supposed to be satire, it is not clear enough. I chalked it up as an attempt at satire and self depreciation humor until the release of his recent skits on the topic of overdose. It's disrespectful, it's hurtful and it's toxic.

Another thing that bothers me is a song of his called "Randy McNally (No Love Like Christian Hate." I think the title alone says enough, but I'll continue.

I would like to start this discussion by directly quoting the lyrics of the song:

"There's no love like Christian hate. Let's all count down 'till judgment day."

"I know you want us fags to burn in flames."

"Put a bullet in a kid's head, they think they got the sickness if they're not dressed up straight."

I don't talk about politics much on here because I'm an Anarchist. I believe that it's best to stay out of that mess and most productive to work on changing the world how you can in your own life, without the involvement of government. Now, that being said, you already know how I feel about politicians. I'm not at all familiar with the politician he is speaking of here. That's not what I have an issue with. What I have an issue with is this MASSIVE generalization!

He's accusing my people of hate when he's the one releasing a song disrespecting me and my Jesus! There's one verse where he says in a mocking tone "Do you think Jesus loves me?"

YES TX2, I DO!

I'm aware there are Christians who act hateful towards the LGBTQ community. Some Christians believe homosexuality is moral and some believe it isn't. Regardless of what you believe, there's two main commandments God gives us in the Bible. Everything about our lifestyle can be summed up in two rules: Love God and love each other. So the people wanting to shoot gay boys for wearing a skirt? They're not true Christians. The Bible strictly forbids murder in the ten commandments. That's not Christianity! That's using my Jesus to justify your violence.

And by the way, I'm a big supporter for cross dressing. I wear suits and whatnot all the time, it's what I feel best in, and I think everyone (gay or straight!) should wear what they feel best in.

Now, there are Christians and Muslims alike who respectfully don't participate in or don't support homosexual people's lifestyles. That isn't hate. There's nothing hateful about choosing not to participate in something for religious reasons IF you do not hurt or be hateful towards those who do. It's all about mutual respect. If people choose not to support LGBTQ in order to better serve their God and live their life, you need to respect it. Just like Christians and Muslims should respect the fact that some people are attracted to the same sex or have pronouns that are not typical "he" or "she."

So, in summary, he is recklessly defending trans rights yet he is being disrespectful towards and dumbing down the struggles of the mentally ill. He is propagating and worsening already crippling stereotypes for both Christians and emos, all the while acting like some social justice savior. You don't have to bring some groups of people down to lift other groups up.

Equality, not revenge. Love, not hate.

That's true social justice.

That's uncensored, raw, authentic punk.

That's what I believe.

[evolutionsvoid]

Hydras are already pretty good at deception, seeing that they are cephalopods that have fooled many into thinking they are multi-headed reptiles. However, their efforts in disguise and trickery only grow as you delve deeper into this family, as it seems their bag of tricks are bottomless! For example, let us look at the painted hydra. From the name alone, I bet you folks think this member lives in the rainbow mountains. Good guess, but they do not! Honestly, they tend to live where other hydras roam, pretty normal forests, marshes and whatnot. Even then, the name "painted hydra" still causes confusion because most times people see them they are actually pretty drab. Just boring ol' greens and browns! What do you mean "painted?" Painted like dirt? Most people think this because they only see these hydras when they are hiding or resting, pretty much in a dormant state. You will only truly see their painted moniker when it is time to hunt! Unfortunately, though, if you do see this you don't really live to remember it...

First, let us discuss the painted hydra itself. Compared to your regular hydras, they tend to be about the same size or a little smaller. The real difference you will see is the number of knobs, bumps and frills that run down its mantle. A pretty cluttered and gaudy looking beast! However, these actually have a purpose. You see, painted hydras are ambush hunters, who use their incredible color changing abilities to blend right into their surroundings. The browns, greens and other natural colors they use are to match the vegetation around them, so they melt right into the scenery. These various growths and frills help break up their silhouette, and can independently change color to further disguise themselves as rotten logs, dead leaves or moss covered rocks. These structures can even stretch and shrink to further this effect! When given the time to settle into a hiding place, a painted hydra can vanish right before your eyes! That is a pretty nifty trick! But it turns out that isn't the best one they got!

Painted hydras lie in wait along game trails, near water bodies and other places that attract wildlife. They want something big and tasty to walk on by. They don't bother with the small fry, as they tend to target larger creatures, be it herbivore or predator. They can sit there for hours, if not days, on end, waiting for the right victim and right moment. When that opportunity finally arrives, their four upper tendrils will rise up and...start changing colors. Indeed, the painted hydra does not attack when the victim is in front of them, it instead deploys its tentacles and has them drop their disguise. Instead of blending in, they turn to bizarre bright colors and shifting hues. Rings of coloration pulsing down their lengths, flowing in psychedelic fashion. The rest of the body will remain perfectly disguised, as these four brightly colored serpents dance and weave through the air. The prey will see these limbs and....just stand there. All they do is stand there and stare, and that is because they fell victim to the painted hydra's trap! These flowing colors aren't just for show, as they seem to have a hypnotic effect on those who look at them. The pulsing swirling display captivates victims, leaving them motionless and dumbfounded. They can't do anything but stare blankly at the tendrils, too entranced to run or realize that another set of hidden tentacles are slowly reaching for them. The upper two pair of tentacles have swollen heads and reduced "beaks" to help put on this show, but the lower two pair are more designed for grabbing and holding. They have larger claws, sometimes hooked, to snare their captivated audience and drag them to the hydra's mouth. Enamored by the colors, prey doesn't realize they are being constricted and brought before a vicious drooling beak. Thankfully, death should come quickly, as the painted hydra sinks its razor beak into the neck or head to finish prey quickly. This whole show is to make the hunt as easy and hassle-free as possible. Why bother wrestling with an enraged bear when you can render it harmless and finish it off with a single blow?

Most of their lives, the painted hydra will remain in this camouflaged state, finding it easy to hide from predator and prey. However, this disguise may change under specific circumstances. If a foe sees through their ruse and attacks, the hydra may not have time to unleash its hypnotic display. If overwhelmed by a dangerous predator, it may flush out its camouflage colors and instead burst its whole body with a blinding flash of colors. This instant switch tends to startle opponents, as the brightness overwhelms the senses and hurts the eyes. Folk theorize that this defensive flashing also contains traces of their entrancing hunting method, as the vivid panicked display scrambles the brain long enough for the hydra to flee. The other time they drop this act is when trying to win over a mate. When males come across a wandering female, all their beautiful colors are instead put into making the most extravagant display possible. Pull out all the stops and unleash every trick you know! Frills out and tentacles dancing! These displays last for minutes, switching between different phases that each have their own colors and patterns. What the female is looking for, we don't know, and we might never find out. It turns out viewing these dances is also not safe for other species, as the frantic flashing of colors and swirling hues can cause seizures in those who stare for too long. Which is funny to think of when female painted hydras watch this blinding show and just slither away unimpressed.

Like other hydras, the painted ones aren't too well liked by the public. Their ambush style of hunting and hypnotic colors have probably claimed quite a few hikers, wanderers and hunters. I think another reason they are disliked is because their fantastic colors are impossible to harvest! Folks really love colorful feathers, scales and hide, thus a painted hydra's skin would be perfect for decoration or clothing! However, when they perish, the things controlling their colors pretty much turn off and their bodies turn a murky mess of browns and blacks. So your efforts in hunting one just gives you a nasty looking pile of rubbery tentacles and hide. At least artists can try to mimic their colors in paintings and murals, and I have seen some costumes and garbs that try to capture this look as well! I will admit, it is a pretty hard one to pull off! Go too far and you look like a rainbowy explosion of dye and cloth! I think this style is best left to the Furceros! Painted hydras are even frustrating to practitioners of Thericorium, as no one has figured out the ingredients and patterns necessary to gain their glorious skin. If one could actually gain the hide of a painted hydra, it would be a powerful tool! However, the process is quite complicated and not a single soul has pulled it off yet. It is pretty fitting, I think! A dazzling show of colors that is forbidden to see or gain!         Obviously I find the painted hydra a fascinating critter, as I do for most creatures, and its mesmerizing color shifting has always left me intrigued. What must one of these displays look like? What a show of color and rainbows it must be! To read about it is one thing, or seeing a camouflaged specimen, but I really want to know what its entrancing ability looks like! It feels like a hole in one's research if one doesn't witness their most iconic part! Now I know what you are all thinking! I can sense it! People be going "ooooh, Chlora, ya fool! You are going to tell us you walked right up to a painted hydra and got hypnotized by it!" NO! Of course not! Goodness, how little you people think of me! That I would do something so foolish and dangerous! And besides, if I got mesmerized by its colorful display I wouldn't remember what it looked like! Kind of defeats the purpose! As a well trained and ingenious researcher of nature, I knew ways I could see this forbidden show for myself!

During one of my research trips, I found evidence of a painted hydra nearby and thought that it would be the perfect time to spy this display. Now of course, I needed to catch it while it was hunting, so I could see it using its colors on its prey. At first, I thought it would be best that I hide in some bushes or behind a tree, spying from afar. My thought was that the hypnotic effects only worked on those the hydra was focusing on, pretty much requiring a full front view of the display to be caught by it. If I was a distance away and at a bit of an angle, I figured the combination of the two would prevent the effects from taking hold, like watching an enchanting play from the worst seats imaginable. However, it was still risky in my mind. If I somehow was still affected, I was still kind of exposed, and who knows what other critters may take a bite out of a conked out dryad. So I figured the answer was my ever useful pit blinds! If I was concealed in a hole, it once again would change the angle of the viewing but also keep me safe if things went wrong! So I located a probable spot where the painted hydra would hide and hunt, then dug out my watching nest a good distance away. The ground was pretty rocky and tough, so it was a bit harder then I expected. Then I got the branches and leaves to cover it up, making it invisible to all outsiders! My tiring efforts were paid off, as it was one of my finer pit blinds! As I sat for a rest, though, I got thinking more of the scenario. If I did succumb to the painted hydra's display, I would not remember it and thus come out of this empty handed. In that case, it was better to get a tinted view of it rather then none at all, if you know what I mean. Tinted goggles was what came to mind! Such tools were used around basilisks and gorgons, surely it would work here. Yes, it would mute the scene, but it would give me peace of mind and maybe I could take them off for a brief second to sneak a peak of the full show. There was a town not far from my location, it would be easy to go there and pick up a pair!

Getting to the town was easy! Getting my goggles was torture! I went to the local shops to see where I could get some, and they directed me to the glassblower. They made such eye wear, so I figured I would just stroll in and out with ease. Naive little me didn't remember that humans have a bizarre sense of humor and love pulling one over on dryads every chance they get! I asked for him to whip me up a pair, and he just stood there dumbfounded! I asked what was the issue and he said he didn't know how to make goggles for me! Easy, just get some tinted lenses and some leather and make it into something that covers my eyes! Seems straightforward to me! Not to mention he had plenty of ones for humans just lying all over the place, so clearly he had the talent! But he swore he didn't know how to fashion them for dryads, and that is when the joke dawned on me. He was acting like he didn't know where my eyes were! Ugh! This wretched joke again! I told him he was looking at them, but he still played dumb! "I don't see them," he said, over and over! At last I gave up on the fool and just purchased the lenses and some spare leather to cobble together my own. Honestly, folks pull these lame pranks out at the weirdest times! So that was an exhausting argument, but I at least could finally hike back to camp. I figured I would stop by my pit blind before I retreated to my tent so I could make sure it was still sturdy and so I could stash my makeshift goggles there. Best leave them where I need them! I was so tired during my visit to the blind that I almost didn't notice the hiding hydra in its hunting spot! It was here! Right where I predicted! I dove into my blind the second I spotted it, and got myself into position. This was the moment I was waiting for!

Of course, the painted hydra is an ambush hunter, so it is more waiting for prey than anything else. I got cozy in my blind because I knew it would be a minute before the action started, and there was no point in being uncomfortable. I held off on donning the goggles until prey showed up, as it was pointless wearing them until then. It was a little chilly out, so I pulled a spare blanket from my pack to bundle up in. I just had to wait! I was pretty tired from all the day's work, but I couldn't miss out on this display! Excitement ran through me from cap to root when I saw a deer come strolling by! It was lazily grazing while making its daily migration as the sun began to set. With the painted hydra fully cloaked in camouflage colors, the deer was oblivious and heading right its way. This was it! I tossed on the goggles and got myself ready! Soon the deer would get close enough and the painted hydra would begin its colorful show! It would happen any minute! Any second! The deer was sure taking its sweet time, though, pausing nearly every step to scan the surroundings and nibble some vegetation. But it would happen soon, I could feel it! It was moving so slow, but it had to be inevitable! I just needed to sit and wait. So I waited and waited and waited and then suddenly snapped to! I was startled by my own movements, nearly breaking my own blind in the process. I gathered myself quickly and checked to make sure I didn't interrupt the show. I pulled the goggles off and found that the deer and hydra were GONE! Nowhere to be seen! And that was when my knotbrain realized I FELL ASLEEP! Tired, wrapped in my blanket and wearing tinted glasses resulted in my dozing off as I waited for the action! So I snoozed through all of it! Oh I was so angry at myself! What a stupid way to foil my own efforts!

So there, I didn't fall victim to a painted hydra, I just did something even more embarrassing! Wait, why am I telling you this? You know what, Eucella, I think we can cut this part... Chlora Myron Dryad Natural Historian ---------------------------------------------

“Painted Hydra”

Not going to lie, the tendril colors didn't quite turn out the way I wanted. Less mesmerizingly psychedelic and more circus tent looking. Oh well, ya get the gist.