#he’s a valid choice I won’t hear any arguments telling me otherwise

[anto-pops]

if you had to pick a HL character to go absolutely feral over but it couldn’t be sebastian who would it be?

I mean, the roster isn’t very long to pick from so probably Ominis

Unofficially though @ominisss OC Arioch LMAO

[itsclydebitches]

A weird defence I've seen of RWBY's conflicts has been that it's good writing simply by the virtue that people can disagree on what's the right thing to do in said conflict. Which doesn't work when one decision is being presented as the only valid choice while every other option is either not addressed or demonized. This isn't a story leaving a nuanced set of stances to explore, it's a guy on stage signalling the crowd to boo whenever someone goes against the Protag's decision.

Real quick, I want to talk about RWBY by not talking about RWBY. I’ve seen this argument a lot too and the tl;dr is that just because your audience debates the right action in a conflict  — something that is inevitable given how subjective media is  — doesn’t mean the story encouraged that reflection in any way. As you say, RWBY pretends that those disagreements don’t exist and that This Is The One (1) Right Answer... which entirely defeats the purpose of a morally nuanced situation in the first place. That lack is bad writing because it demonstrates the author’s inability to provide an accurate picture of the conflict while still ensuring we come out of it liking the parties involved. The conflict was too complex for them to manage alongside equally complex characterization, so they just pretended it was far simpler than it actually was. That’s not something to praise. 

But to get to the not RWBY part. I’ve mentioned this a couple times before, but one of the scenes that I think manages these sorts of conflicts really well is the funeral fight in The Haunting of Hill House, episodes 6, “Two Storms.” So warning from here on out for spoilers. Sometimes, the best way to see what’s not working well in one show is to look at another show that does (basically) the same thing successfully and compare the two. 

Normally I’d include screenshots, but Netflix doesn’t allow that :/ So I’m forced to rely on bullet points. 

The basic premise is that the Crain family has assembled in daughter Shirley’s funeral home, the night before they bury their sister, Nell. A lot of secrets are about to come to light. 

The scene kicks off when their father, Hugh, relays the call he got from the housekeeper the night of Nell’s death. She had committed suicide in the family’s childhood home. 

Though everyone knew how she’d died, son Steven is distraught at hearing the details and reveals that a few weeks prior Nell crashed a book signing of his. This shocks the others given that this was very unusual behavior for Nell. 

Shirley likewise reveals that she got a call from Nell who’d been worried about their brother, Luke, but hadn’t spoken to her the night of her death. The implication is that no one did. They’ll never know what was going through her head the night she died. 

Hugh reveals that she did call him. “I talked to her.” 

Stunned by this news, his children demand to know what was discussed and Hugh is clearly reluctant to continue. However, he eventually says that Nell wasn’t just worried about Luke, but also the “Bent Neck Lady,” a specter from her childhood.

The viewer knows that ghosts are real in this show. The kids don’t. Or rather, they all experienced supernatural occurrences in their childhood, are still experiencing them now, but only some of them are willing to admit they’re real. Steven is the diehard skeptic of the bunch and starts yelling at his father, accusing him of aiding Nell’s delusions and ignoring a family history of mental illness. In particular, he declares that this “makes you culpable [in her death].” 

Steven continues to accuse Hugh of “holding back information” about Nell and Hugh shoots back that “If I held back anything it was to protect you kids.” The viewer understands Hugh’s dilemma: the only reason he keeps things to himself is because Steven and the others refuse to believe the truth, with an added dose of this supernatural stuff being very dangerous. Steven asks, “Why do I need protection from the truth?” 

Before their fight can go any further, Shirley tells Steven, “You might want to check yourself before you start talking about the truth.” He published an autobiographical book about their childhood trauma and notably capitalized on a supernatural angle he doesn’t believe in. Shirley calls it “blood money.” 

As the argument about the ethics of his book rages, Shirley defends herself primarily with how everyone else thinks this is “blood money” too. No one took a cut when Steven offered one, proving how despicable they all think it is. 

Meanwhile, sister Theo has been getting heat for being drunk (a coping mechanism for her own supernatural troubles) and Shirley eventually pushes her far enough that she admits she did take Steven’s money and used it to get her degree. “It’s good, fucking money.” Suddenly, Steven has someone in his corner and Shirley’s main defense has crumbled. 

Shirley is furious that Theo had this secret income but was still living with her and her husband. Theo reminds her that she offered to pay rent, but Shirley isn’t interested in hearing that. She demands that Theo move out immediately and uses this betrayal as the new way to protect herself. She’s the victim here. 

Steven, sensing another secret in the works, cautions Shirley to “get off your high horse before you fall off.” 

Shirley maintains her position until her husband blurts that they also took Steven’s money. Shirley hasn’t been running the funeral home well and they would have sunk without it. 

Despite being the punching bag for the second half of this fight, Shirley is offered both reassurance and dignity. Her husband emphasizes that the only reason they’re struggling is because Shirley is a good person. She does too much work pro bono. Shirley also delivers the line, “Do you have any idea how much you’ve humiliated me?” calling into question the husband’s choice to admit this now, purely as a way to prove her wrong. 

Shirley leaves to get some distance and discovers that someone — something — has put buttons over Nell’s eyes. The shock of this keeps the fight from continuing and, as plot intervenes, gives the characters the space needed to eventually start healing and forgiving one another, notably by sitting with the various truths they all now have to grapple with. 

Phew! A long summary, but I’ve put this much detail in to highlight the nuance of the scene. Obviously RWBY would differ in many ways  — less cursing, for one  — but the core elements of any morally complex scene should be the same. The important takeaways here are that no one in the Crain family are “pure” or “evil” and everyone gets their chance to be both right and wrong. Hugh is right that Steven won’t listen to him and wrong in that he didn’t do enough to help his kids. We get Steven and Hugh’s frustration, their understanding of the world at odds with one another. Steven is wrong to put everything on his father and justified in starting his writing career with their story. We watch the scene move from “Steven is Wrong and everyone agrees” to “Oh shit nm, more and more of the family are revealing that they benefited from his money, complicating how “wrong” he actually is.” Shirley is right to point out that Theo is getting drunk during their sister’s funeral and Theo is right to point out that being drunk doesn’t erase having a good point. Theo is allowed to scream at the group and then immediately be offered help when she falls. Shirley pretends she’s better than all of them and is slowly, horrifyingly proven wrong, but is then still extended compassion and is allowed to point out how horribly they’ve just treated her. The husband is right about the money, wrong about keeping it a secret/revealing it the way he did, right in how he tries to diffuse the other fights, and VERY wrong by getting caught kissing Theo down in the storeroom! 

The scene twists and turns in a way that highlights everyone’s points and their flaws, the moments when their perspective should be upheld and questioned. The end result is a scene that has space for the audience to debate everyone’s choices without imposing the single view of This Person Is Obviously Wrong/Right and If You Think Otherwise You’re Not Watching The Show Correctly. The show itself acknowledges the complexity and nuance of these problems. It asks, “Hugh should have tried harder, but what more can he do when his kids literally don’t believe this stuff exists? Was Steven really justified in writing a book about their collective experiences? What does it mean that something his family sees as capitalizing on their trauma also helped them keep businesses and schooling afloat? Was it okay for Shirley’s husband to keep that money a secret, even if it helped them? How might he have told her in a less cruel manner? What about Shirley’s life has led to her intense need to be on that ‘high horse’?” 

And of course: “Who is really responsible for Nell’s death?” By this point the viewer already knows that there is no “really” here. This is too complicated a tragedy to lay the blame at any one person’s feet. Everyone in this room has moments of justified accusations and moments of chastisement because they’re well written, well rounded characters who are neither saints nor devils. The length of the scene (done in a single shot!) emphasizes that if you just wait long enough, even the most perfect looking person will eventually have a skeleton pulled from their closet. No one is above mistakes. 

RWBY has NONE of that. Zip. Nada. Nothing. RWBY gave us a scenario with many of the same, core themes  — secret keeping, secrets unwillingly revealed, blaming others for your mistakes, hurtful actions with helpful consequences, questioning who is responsible for a tragic death  — and instead of even attempting to give us some of the above nuance, RWBY said only that Ruby was right, Ozpin was wrong, and demanding that the audience ignore the nuance they could already see in order to accept the canon. 

RWBY’s scene asks the audience to play dumb and look at the world as a Black and White place, despite the show simultaneously insisting that “the world isn’t a fairy tale” and is, in fact, filled with shades of gray. 

Just not any shades of gray that mess with that dichotomy that now drives the story.  

That’s not good writing. It’s oblivious and contradictory writing that makes the audience frustrated. Not satisfied, surprised, contemplative, or curious. Just frustrated. 

[hellothere-generalangsty]

hey hey hey 📝

Hey you 🥰 Let me tell you straight away there's more than one because I'm a sucker for your fics and I will absolutely read all the one I haven't read yet because I just know they're good. I just know it. Same, my absolute favorite is in blue! 💙

@murdertoothpick

________

young volcanoes

Of course I love this one, Fives' fic AND Fall Out Boy?? I knew you would come up with something awesome but this... This is absolutely wonderful.

I just love the delight, the comfort in knowing that the war is over, and there will be no more fight to the death for the clones. For these men who will finally do something else than die; they will finally live.

It's not until Echo nudged him that Fives sees you approach the ramp with quick feet, colliding into him with a force so strong that he stumbles back a little, and yet, it's the most grounded he's felt in a long time.

Again, I screamed a very real scream when I read that. It's sad; but also beautiful, to be the one person that grounds him and offers him enough comfort and care and that feeling of safety-

'Don't ever let me go,' you press into him, and the way he squeezes you just a little tighter makes you melt.

It does make me melt. I am a puddle. This quote alone cured my anxiety. No but; for real; I just love these silent moments. I am very vocal about my emotions and feelings for the people I care about; but sometimes words aren't enough, or argent quite right so we turn to these silent exchanges - a look, a pression, a touch - something to let you know it's okay. I love that.

Fives meets Jesse with a proud grin, his hold on you relenting except for the one arm he keeps around your waist. 'Not tonight vod,' he breathes, meeting your eyes as you turn to face his brother, 'I'm going home.'

And Fives' words repeat softly in your head. He's going home. […]

That home is wherever the other is. It is the one thing that perseveres beyond the war. It is the one constant Fives' has ever had the choice to have, the one thing you'd never give up for anything.

This. This is it.

Being someone's home is so personal and meaningful. The trust, the care, the feeling of safety- everything that comes with the fact that you are someone's home.

And for it to be a constant in a life and a galaxy where everything keeps changing?? It's the same energy as Ari's fic It's been a long, long time.

It's comforting, and it gives me hope. This is the essence of Star Wars - hope - and you depicted it so perfectly.

I am honestly amazed and in love with this fic. (And Fives.)

.

at least, percentage wise

This one was a bit painful but also tender; let me explain.

'Hunter sold me as a droid today.'

He continues, 'I know he doesn't think of me like that but...it was hard enough being treated as a clone and now...I don't know what I even am.'

This. Is very painful.

I absutely love Echo, right. I adore him, he's awesome and handsome and kind and funny and he's Echo.

Yet he doesn't know that. He doesn't know who he is anymore- "what" he is.

What. That's so painfully sad. Like I said clones are already caught in this sort of identity crisis because what are they? Clones? Soldiers? Men? Brothers? Humans?

And now. Now Echo isn't even sure he fits the last category anymore. And it honestly pains me when people call him "android" or "droid man" because he already feels so self-conscious about this. And yes- he has prosthetics and robotics implants- but never should he be considered less of a human because of them. He's still Echo. He's still human.

He changed, but he's still Echo.

His next words are whispered, afraid of receiving an answer. 'Tell me you'd love me more if I weren't...' the words catch in his throat, 'this.'

And this is the moment where I tear up because.

This.

I can hear it. I can hear the pain and the fear in his voice and it honestly breaks. My heart.

How deeply rooted is his self-consciousness? How deep does the self-hatred run for him to think so little of himself??

I hate it here it just makes me so angry and sad for him.

My handsome boy deserves BETTER.

'You handsome man,' you jest, blessing him with a short kiss on the lips. 'You ready to sleep now?.'

I love this because I always call Echo "my handsome boy" or "handsome boy" and that's 1. Because he IS handsome like have you seen the man?? And 2. Because I believe if he hears it all the time he will slowly but surely believe it. He will accept that he's handsome and maybe feel less self- conscious about his body and himself...

I just need him to feel loved and beautiful because he is.

And I mean... Soft. Domestic. "You ready to sleep now?" is something you tell to someone in such a casual yet caring way and I am absolutely here for it.

This fic is just- I would react the same way reader did. It's so obvious to me he's absolutely trustworthy and nice and smart and handsome- he's filled with qualities and so many reasons to love him and care for him.

I mean- Echo. He alone is a valid argument.

Anyway, this fic just has me feeling much love for Echo and you made me fall for him again;;

.

push and pull

'Tsk, why won't you do what I say?'

I read that in his voice every. Single. Time. That's just- so him. 100% pure Crosshair content here.

And "the little umbrella" thing? Tech's remark on the food?

These little funny moments are so soft and a nice contrast to the sometimes sad undertone of the fic! I love that!

'I...like being close to you.'

'It's hard enough letting you in. I don't want my brothers thinking I've gone...soft.'

This. This is also very Crosshair. He's not very vocal, and to see him struggle a bit to confess what's really going on and feel awkward and embarrassed about it is just-

Great. In a sweet way. And the way you write him so well, so accurately-

Yes. 100% yes.

.

somewhere only we know

Alright. This fic right here is, I believe, the first one I read from you. At least it marked me enough for me to remember it as the first one.

Anna. This fic right here is. You made me cry. You had me crying while reading it because it's just.

The song alone is already- you know, very bittersweet and nostalgic in a way; and you managed to write something so perfect it's- it's not the fic matching the song. It's the song matching the fic.

I read it again to write this review - with the song on loop obviously - and I got tears again. It's just that powerful.

But your anxiety melts away as he gives you a slight smile, offering his hand to you, 'You'll have to lead the way.' […] He would always trust you, he has never felt otherwise.

I can't even explain how meaningful that it. It means so much to him, and he knows; and you do too. There's a level of trust and intimacy here.

'Just...hold me.'

Don't ask me why, but reader saying this is low-key making me emotional.

'Do you want this?', he murmurs, […].

You take an agonisingly long time to reply, your eyes flit between his, searching for any sign of hesitation, or regret. But you don't find any, as much as Crosshair is good at hiding his emotions behind an impassive and collected facade, you see the silent plea in his eyes, a longing for more.

Tears. Very real tears. The care and respect and trust and love this question alone holds. It's just. So delicate and soft, I just-

And then-

'Are you sure?' he whispers, so close to you, basking in this intimacy.

Girl if you wanted to make me cry you just had to say it, right? Like, don't mind me I'm a sucker for this; being so intimate and respectful of your partner that's like- everything.

Honestly that's what everyone deserves.

He lets out a light laugh, it's beautiful, reverberating deep in your heart, a sound so rare that you try hard to commit it—and the way he looks—to memory.

I promise you...

The candlelight surrounds your face in a halo-like glow like you were sent from heaven. It's a blessing.

...you hold my heart. This is poetry. This is art. This is comforting and lovely. And I am tearing up once again.

Your next words are meek, whispered, hidden away from the outside world, but you bare your soul to him anyways.

You almost don't hear it, but the way the words vibrate against your skin as he spills himself inside you makes it impossible for them not to be heard.

You wrote the words; but honestly I didn't even needed to read them to cry. It's just so vulnerable. They are both in a situation were they are literally and metaphorically naked, and there's nothing else but them - everything else fades away without them noticing and it's just.

Them.

And they allow themselves to be so vulnerable, finally, after all the build-up and the obstacles of the war and the downfall of the galaxy and the chip. After loosing each other and finding their way back to each other.

And finally allowing themselves to be so vulerable, so exposed to each other-

Brb gotta cry some more.

He takes one of your hands in his, pressing a featherlight kiss to your knuckles. 'Just getting you a cloth Cya'rika.'

Your mouth opens in an Oh, and you gingerly nod at him. 'Okay, sorry,' you give him the most beautiful smiles he's ever seen, and there's a part of him that has changed its mind about leaving you even for a second.

I can't even. Explain. How sweet this is. No words can express what I'm feeling as I read this. The comfort. The reassuring tone. The f**king Mando'a nickname.

Your arms open pathetically when he lets go of you, an invite for him to join you under the covers. But he looks at you in pure adoration, a sight that's so peaceful, so domestic, that he finds himself letting his mind wander, imagining that this temporary room was a home, a place where he could spend the rest of his days with you, away from war and the empire.

My heart is aching. A lot. It's so peaceful yet so tragic in a way, but they don't see that. Again, it's just them; this moment of intimacy, of domestic life where nothing else matter but what they are sharing right now.

Somewhere only we know.

.

alone together

This fic is awesome. I love the dynamic between reader and Crosshair, there's this very obvious alchemy between them and you manage to write about it with limited dialogue and amazing descriptions. I am absolutely in awe.

Also- Confident Reader? Love that! Especially in a Crosshair fic! And it's great because we also see a glimpse of Crosshair having self-esteem issues, so there's a sort of shift where for once Crosshair doesn't have the "upper hand" and reader isn't all shy and flustered you know (though I absolutely love these kind of fics too!)

But yeah- their dynamic was really interesting!

.

heartbeat

Another Crosshair fic because I love him and you really write him so well and in-character.

'I like...hearing your heartbeat.'

This little hesitation is everything. And it's so... So personal and delicate.

Someone's heartbeat. That's life pulsing through their body. That's very symbolic too; we usually link strong feelings like love and care to the heart, and to lay there with someone and enjoy listening to that life pulsing-

Yeah I'm getting soft again

'I'm not moving,' he grumbles, pressing himself further into you and sighing in relief.

This is so lovely; him holding on tighter because he doesn't want to move, because he feels good here and that's the best way he found to let you know...

I just love your takes on Soft!Crosshair, you really know what you're writing about.

.

hands meet

I tried to draw Hunter. With the sunglasses and the shirt and him trying to be cool.

I shall do that drawing again because it's absolutely HILARIOUS and I just adore this fic because it's so light-hearted and sweet and funny!

It's a feel-good fic, the one you read when you need to clear your head a bit; and I promise you the laugh I had reading it!

And I just love the dynamic between Hunter and reader; it's awkward yet there's a lot of alchemy and you just know they do like each other a lot and are just struggling to express it directly.

That's very sweet and I love that.

Love it.

________

So yeah! Again, it was longer than expected but I am not sorry because you deserve to know how much I love these fics and how you also hold my heart in your hands with these.

You're an amazing - incredible - writer and I love how you bring these very human and realistic elements to your stories. It just makes them even more relatable and enjoyable, even if sometimes it's painful, and that's what I love so much about your writing.

Also I absolutely love how you incorporate lyrics between in your writings

Anyway- love u Anna, love your writing, you're amazing!!

[cadomoisspokenfor]

Legion Rewatch Notes,

Chapter 8:

The Revolution

Aw man, how unfortunate what’s happened to Clark. I feel soooooooo bad. I mean he was just humble div 3 agent, doing his job, gaslighting marginalized individuals, participating in a genocide. How cruel of those bad bad mutants to injure him so badly. He was only actively about to kill David. What could he possibly have done to deserve any of this?

In other words, the Clark propaganda is not working on me this time. At all.

Maybe don’t participate in a genocide? Idk :/

I normally hate when people type in the passive aggressive way I have been for the past few paragraphs, but goddamn, Clark deserves it.

He’s not quite as damaged... but he’s kind’ve like old David here, from the over-medicated living with Amy timeline. Again, not quite as damaged as that though.

Clark considers mutants a “threat to democracy.” 🙄 “Moral panic” I guess?

“The second I walk outta this room, i’m going to war.” There’s that word again. Clark could just... not, and they’d probably have more time to figure out how to safely eradicate Farouk. But because he doesn’t and David busies himself with peace treaties, Farouk escapes and continues to be a problem for the next year. Clark has a family. A husband and child who love him to death. And he chooses war over them. This pattern will repeat in other character. Technically this isn’t even the start of it.

Suit change, new cane, same Clark. This really doesn’t change anything, does it? He could go through the rest of the series in the suit he wore before and it wouldn’t make difference. The valiant hero dressing for an expected victory over their long time (relatively) rival, only to be stopped immediately by an unforeseen development. This pattern will repeat... tragically.

Considering Farouk!David woulda just dusted them, it’s probably nice for his friends to see the real him is much less violent. He just stacks em like a Jenga Tower, no need for anything more.

Also, Wilhelm scream from one of the soldiers.

He’s also talking strangely. In an almost too calm voice. Measured. He talks like this a few other times, but I think those times have sadder context. Maybe they reflect on this moment. He talks like how he talked when Farouk was mind-melded with him, but his intentions aren’t evil this time around. I guess this is just his “fully in control” voice.

Clark’s literally shaking where he stands.

The zoom in to Clark’s blind eye is reminiscent to previous zoom in’s to Walter’s foggy eye. I guess Clark has taken on the role of Walter, artificially. Makes sense since he’s now the main D3 representative/antagonist like Walter was before.

“I don’t care if you save me, or the world, if you don’t save yourself.” David will eventually choose himself over the world, and Syd. And Syd will hunt him for it. Goes to show how much things change in s2.

“You know the most dangerous thing about schizophrenia?”

“You’re not-“

“The most dangerous thing is believing... you don’t have it! That’s the trick, the mind killer, your disease convinces you you don’t have it. So, for example, one day in the hospital you meet a girl and she has some friends, and they tell you you’re not sick. You have superpowers. And more than anything you wanna believe it because that means you’re not crazy! That means you can fall in love and live happily ever after. But you know if you believe it, if you surrender to the hope and you’re wrong, then... you’re never coming back.”

“I’m here. I’m real. The power is real. You gotta accept it, otherwise we can’t move on.”

“I was in Clockworks for six years. Drugged, doing nothing. Contributing nothing. And now, finally I can be useful! I can help! Don’t you get it? I am so sick of myself. This only works if it’s not about me.”

“David...”

So... that’s a lot. David believes being crazy means he’s not allowed to fall in love, or be happy. He said the same sentiment to Amy before Clockworks. This whole season and this episode especially push David into his full “I’m not insane, I won’t believe you if you tell me otherwise” mindset. At the very least that’s the stakes we’re playing with. If David fully gives into the hope, even for a moment, he believes there’s no possibility for recovery. No possibility for love or happiness. Why even try after that? It’s life or death for him. “If the choice is between life and death, I choose life.”

I know this is all already known and talked about and circulated 100’s of times over in various fan circles, but it’s probably the most important line for David’s character (the speech, not the Farouk quote). It’s very ableist, yes, but at least in the moment it’s coming from someone who’s just being too hard on themselves, and not ya know, being actively validated by the show.

2 episodes ago David talked about being worried about an “invincible” feeling. The dangers of mania.

We also know from that episode that David is more at peace in a calm, responsibilityless setting (with Syd) than he is out in the real world. David’s gonna take on a ton of responsibility, some of it’s gonna draw him away from Syd. At multiple moments throughout the show David has known his own mental health better than any of the others, and even warned them about potentially dangerous slopes he could fall down without their help. Despite this, David is pushed further down a path he tells them is dangerous and is still blamed for what happens in the end. I feel like Oliver’s line from ep4 is relevant here again, “We are the root of all our problems. Our anger, our confusion, our fear of things we don’t understand.” Everyone wants David to be something other than... David. A hero, a god, there projected image of a perfect partner. Not just... David.

Man, the more I realize about David’s self-awareness in s1 the madder I am at Syd for saying all that ableist stuff to him in s2 as if he wasn’t already down on himself 24/7. “It never occurred to you that you’re the problem not the solution?” It’s occurred to him like 5 times by now and has been shut down by you at least 3 of those times. I don’t understand.

What’s strange is... to my recollection David doesn’t believe he’s invincible at the end of s2. Or that he’s not sick.

“Saint David.”

“I’m not saying that. I make mistakes.”

“Say you’re gonna let them kill me if I don’t let them turn me into something different. Something easy. Something clean.” He sounds sinister here, but it is an indication that he knows he’s not perfect. In fact it sounds like he’s trying to appeal to Chap 1 Syd’s mentality. Your disorder is what “makes you you.”

So what’s the message here?

“We can’t just kill people. Or is that who we are now?”

“That’s who they are.”

The justification for killing here is that they’ll kill them if they don’t. Div 3 will kill Summerland if Summerland doesn’t kill Div 3, is what I meant. David has a similar justification for killing Shadow King in s2. Well, he has a LOT of justifications for it, but that’s one of them. Syd doesn’t hear it then either. She does attempt to kill David herself though. I don’t quite understand where the line is.

“He was gonna kill you, twice.”

“With that kind of thinking wars would never end.”

So... he shoulda just talked to The Shadow King when they were both powerless? Talking is what ultimately ends their fight in s3... hmm...

Cary is more humane to their POW than Melanie and Ptonomy are.

The show doesn’t necessarily say it was Cary’s fault for leaving Kerry. Either way though, Kerry needs some space.

Melanie calls David a “world breaker” and outright says now that he knows that’s what he is, div 3 doesn’t stand a chance. I suppose... knowing that... is why they so readily team with Farouk. They stood no chance otherwise. Even then, at least hide him away till after the intervention.

David’s floating meditation pose is seen more in s2 and A LOT more in s3.

He puts the onus of ending the war on Div 3. As if to say, “If things get violent again, it’ll be on you, not us.”

People keep talking about “gods” “waking up” and “realizing they don’t have to listen to us/them anymore.”

When Clark says it David’s first response is, “Isn’t that the history of the world?” But it’s a red herring (or something else) cause he follows it up with, “People of different nations, different languages, learning to live together?”

Clark is afraid if mutants gain power they won’t show humans mercy or equality. This is a common belief among fascist. The “they’ll treat us like we treat them” argument. Only it’s rarely self-aware, and it isn’t here either. Clark genuinely believes he’s not doing anything wrong. It’s all somehow in “self defense.”

Ah, so Farouk and Syd are connected psychically. He entered her mind whenever she entered David’s. He psychically affects her at multiple points throughout the series.

Syd here is convinced to help The Shadow King by The Shadow King. And while he’s wearing a mask at that. Yeah yeah, this pattern will repeat. But still, Syd gives in relatively quickly here. Perhaps she just... doesn’t fully trust Summerlands capabilities? They are legitimately trying to get rid of Farouk, but Farouk has proven time and time again how dangerous he is. Or maybe the “unmake soup” thing is just that convincing to Syd.

Clark’s still standoffish, but he’s slowly becoming more cooperative.

Syd rolled a 4 on that hero speech. She needed at least a 7.

I legitimately NEVER noticed before that Syd secretly turns on the lab camera feed for Clark to watch. They weren’t trying to show him that.

David gets a chance to look back at his whole life and recontextualize everything.

David straight up halts Farouk’s theme. If Clockworks Podcast is right and he can hear that whenever Farouk shows up, this would be evidence of it. Alternatively, he was halting Farouk, and the music halting was for the audience. A fun subversion of expectations.

David describes him and Farouk as, “The Sun and Moon.”

Division 3 sees it. The monster they saw on infrared. Clearly a separate entity from David Haller. Clearly of a different disposition than David Haller as David Haller has acted very differently and non-hostile compared to when they saw him roaming those HQ halls. The monster and David are not the same. They see who their real enemy is now.

It seems evident there was no chance of David beating Farouk on his own here. I wonder why? Was it true? Is Farouk just too ingrained in his mind? Cary said he was like a, “Computer virus. Learning his systems, bypassing his defenses.” Maybe Syd remembered that, and that’s why she believed Farouk. Cause Cary had already said something similar before.

Clark could've escaped, but he stayed, then tried to help fight Farouk.

I feel really sad Oliver got possessed. It never occurred to me before he could even tell Melanie he remembered her. Melanie’ll just go on thinking he never remembered her for a year.

And thus it’s established. There are “good mutants” and there are “bad mutants.”

No one checks on Ptonomy :(

The Lenny that’s talking to Oliver here is still just Farouk.

Did the orb go back as far as it could? Or was this time specifically chosen? If it was chosen, it was probably because it’s very soon after Farouk had been expelled from David’s head, and before the big race for his body starts.

[peqachy]

Among Us Writing Anyone??

It’s been three days since we left MIRA HQ, each of the crew doing their part to repair any damages to the ship, or, as it’s officially called by White, The SKLED. To be frank, the ship is rather small, mainly consisting of eight different areas that anyone can travel through with ease, the maximum time it takes to get from navigation to reactor is about three minutes when walking and the tasks on the ship are mostly basic material that I was already briefed on by Cyan (otherwise known as Mother). Which leaves one question stirring in my head, How do I medbay scan again? Peering around in a lost manner, I try to spot my partner Black (otherwise know as X). Why is it that he always disappears when I need him mo-oh! Out of the corner of my eye, I briefly catch the sight of the security camera’s light flashing red. He must be in security! Trotting down the hall towards upper engine, I spot Blue walking around by himself. Wasn’t he with Mother earlier? I thought with confusion, but quickly brush it off. She must have left to do a task. I conclude as I continue to trot towards security.

“Ah, Red, where are you going?” Blue asks suddenly, catching me by my elbow as I walk past him.

“I’m on my way to security to ask Black how to do the medbay scan!” I chirp back in response, noticing how he bites his nude-pink lower lip, “Is something wrong Blue?”

He blinks at my question, “Ah, no, everything is fine! How about I help you with medbay instead since I’m heading there myself.”

“Oh, you are? That sounds great, thank you for helping me Blue!” I cheer, following him like a lost puppy.

“My name is Ein, in case you were wondering,” he says shyly, a light shade of red dusting his redwood colored cheeks.

“Pleasure to meet you Ein, I’m Luca,” I reply happily, observing how his pale olive green eyes dart from my gaze to the floor.

“The pleasure is all mine...” he mumbles quietly, only loud enough for me to hear.

As we enter medbay, we run into Pink and Orange (they’re the resident couple on the ship), “Ah, Pink, Orange, you’re just in time. Red here needs help with her med scan!”

“She does? Alrighty! Come with me dear and I’ll show you the ropes!” Pink says, clapping her hands together in a friendly manner, “Lucky for you, I was just about to do a med scan myself!”

Following Pink into medbay, I glance over my shoulder at Orange and Blue. They seemed to be caught up in a conversation, standing off to the right of the doorway. Odd, doesn’t Blue have a medbay task as well? My brows furrow in confusion, once again feeling perplexed with Blue’s strange behavior as a chill runs up my spine. No, you’re imagining things Luca, he isn’t suspicious. 

Oh, right, probably forgot to mention this huh? As of yesterday, at 11:00 pm, all of the crew was notified of two impostors hiding aboard The SKLED in plain sight. Since then, everyone has been staying in pairs to avoid being alone. Although, in my opinion, it’s a pretty dumb idea seeing as the impostors can easily kill their partner and then come up with an excuse as to why they weren’t with them.

“You’re new to the MIRA ship crew aren’t you, Red?” Pink asks after some shuffling, bringing my attention from the doorway to her.

Instantly, my pale olive cheeks are lit a flame by the sight of her half-naked form, “W---wh--what are you doing?!”

My screech of distress causes her to laugh, a smile causing her dark chocolate colored cheeks to tighten, “Calm down, love, this is mandatory if you want to get an accurate reading on the med scan.”

“It is?”

“Yep! Dressing down to the bare minimum helps the machine get a better scan, which means approval from Home.”  she replies to my question expertly, pointing to a little green button next to a lighter green screen, “This button starts up the scanner. For right now, you and I can press the button for each other, but you won’t always have a partner who can help you with this. Luckily, there is a ten second timer on the scanner that allows you to get on it before it begins to scan, but that may take a few attempts before you get the hang of it.”

“Wow, that’s such a helpful tip Pink!” I chirp with a grin, pressing the button for her as she stands tall on the scanner.

After Pink’s scan, something terrifying happens. At first, I thought it was just a message from X, wondering where we should regroup, but when I looked at my tablet my blood ran cold. A---a body has been reported?! Horror fixes itself on both our faces, Pink’s milky sky blue eyes stare into mine with shock before she hurriedly puts her uniform back on.

“Pink...” my voice cracks with fear, my body trembling as my stomach sinks.

“I know, I know, com’ on, we’ve got a meeting to attend,” she speaks with hooded eyes, her jaw tense as she fixes her clothes.

From the look in her eyes I can tell something is up, but I am too afraid to speak up about it. Just keep to yourself for right now...there’s no reason to be hasty. I think as I quietly follow Pink to the cafeteria, my eyes scanning the brightly lit hallway for anything of suspicion. To my relief, there’s nothing suspicious to speak of. I hope X is okay... I thought, my hands feeling clammy and my face being drained of all it’s color. Oh god, please don’t let him be dead! Looking at the table, I notice Pink and I are the last ones to arrive at the table for discussion. Spotting X on the other side of the discussion table I wave goodbye to Pink before trotting over to my partner, the two of us sharing a hug of relief seeing as we’re both still alive.

“Alright, seeing as we are all present, Black, tell us what you found,” White says coolly, remaining calm in a terrifying situation.

“First, I would like to know where everyone was before I say where the body was found, “ X responds, just as calmly as White.

How are they so calm? It’s almost unnerving. Swallowing thickly, I decide to speak up at least once, “Blue, Orange, Pink, and I were at med bay, Pink was helping me figure out the scanner...”

“Blue, Orange, Pink, can you confirm this information?” Yellow asks, most likely trying to see if my alibi is accurate.

“Yes, this is true, although I’m not sure why Red and Blue were together in the first place. You did split us up into specific pairs for easier management remember?” Orange speaks with narrowed brown eyes towards Ein, obviously suspicious of him.

“I was on my way to find Black in security when I bumped into Blue walking up from reactor. He asked where I was going, so I told him and then he offered to help me,” I answer simply, feeling a need to defend myself even though I wasn’t accused.

“Alright, Red is cleared. Blue, what’s your story?” White nods approvingly, the sigh of relief X lets out not going unnoticed by the rest of us.

As Ein explains himself, I glance at X from the corner of my eye. Stress is apparent on his features, beads of sweat rolling down his pale skin like a spray of bullets. Slipping my hand to the side to have it rest on his, I give it a gentle squeeze of assurance. His partner was just semi-accused, makes sense for him to be nervous now. I thought, my expression contorting into a look of pity. He looks back at me, a small nervous smile on his lips as his hand turns over to squeeze mine back.

“....and that’s how I met up with Red.” Ein finishes, still looking cool and collected whilst explaining himself.

I can’t tell if he’s lying or not. I think nervously, his alibi sounding solid from what I paid attention to. But there has to be pieces that don’t fit together!

“That’s a good alibi, Blue, or at least it would be if I couldn’t prove your story wrong,” Lime says sternly, pointing to Ein with an accusing finger, “While Cyan did have trouble with her card, you stood there and waited for her! After that, Cyan said her last task was aliening the engines while you said your last task was inspecting a sample in med bay! If you’re a true crew-mate, why would you lie about where you were before Cyan was murdered!?” 

“How do you know we left together? You weren’t in admin with us, “ the retort was swift and sharp, a glare fixed on Ein’s face as he defends himself sharply.

“You’re right, when you two left together, I wasn’t in side of admin, but I was emptying the trash shoot whenever I heard Cyan cry out in frustration about the card reader! Not only that, but when I was fixing wires in storage, I heard Cyan��say she needed to swing by the engines to realign them! You have no excuse for not being by her side when you bumped into Red!” Lime nearly shouts, appalled by Ein’s assumption.

“Lime calm yourself, Cyan’s murderer will be brought to justice, “ Brown jumps in, quick to defuse the rage in Lime’s hazel eyes before he can get out of hand.

“Right, sorry, guess I got too worked up,” Lime apologizes with a weary glance over in Ein’s direction, a nasty glare replacing it when he spots Ein’s smirking lips.

“Blue, “ White speaks up over the growing tension, earning everyone’s attentions just as easily as a captain would, “ The evidence we’ve been given is strongly against you, if you cannot get a solid, trust worthy alibi in the next three minutes then we’ll have no choice but to eject you.”

“But Black hasn’t even said where the body was! How are you certain it was me?!” Ein roars back with defiance, a scowl directed towards the silver haired male whom has lead us all up to this point with narrowed blue-green eyes as rugged as raw jasper, “Fine, you want the truth? I’ll tell you the truth! I left Cyan to start up the reactor! The last time I saw Cyan alive and well was when she was talking to Black!”

“Don’t try and blame your murder on me Blue. You’re the last person I saw with her while I was on cameras. Shortly after I saw you two together, Cyan turned up dead in the lower engine room! That’s not just a coincidence! You killed your partner in cold blood and tried to cover your absence by pairing up with someone who was partner-less at the time!” X’s argument was too valid to be over looked, and oddly specific too.

“You’re lying! You’re the one who killed her!!” Ein’s retort is desperate, realization setting in whenever our tablets begin to ding for a vote.

“I could be, “ X pauses to cast his vote against Ein, “But you could be lying too. This situation is more of who do I trust more right now, Blue or Black.”

If X is telling the truth, and Ein truly is the impostor then... Timidly I press the icon for Ein, hitting the green check mark that appears to cast my vote. In a flash the votes are tallied, majority voting for Ein while the rest, such as Pink and Green who vote for X. After the vote were tallied, White and Orange grab a hold of Ein, dragging him to the airlock without hesitation. The entire way there, Ein struggles, shouting and yelling to me to stop them, but I know I can’t. Begrudgingly, I force myself to turn away, covering my ears with trembling hands. Why is this happening? What did we do to deserve this? Despite my covered ears I could still hear Ein’s shouts, the cries for justice only stopping when the air lock opens to release him into space.

Blue was ejected.

[incarnateirony]

hiatus on certain types of meta

Man. That unfortunate feeling when there’s a meta you otherwise like from someone that you *really* like that decided to include the whole “it’s subtext because I don’t see anybody talking about it” rather than “it’s not subtext because almost this entire discussion point is verbalized text”, and that’s SAD because JFC otherwise the post was so good. 

I’m going to have to do some notification clearing.

It saddens me to see people that are usually extremely critical redefining things just because they didn’t find an article being like SURPRISE HE BI instead of assuming the GA *aren’t* primarily slackjawed neanderthals five to ten years behind your presumable galaxy brain, or waiting on signals explicitly for fandom. Fandom outlets will remain as cowardly and two faced and clickbait as ever, and big outlets... like... unless they’re told to market that shit by PR (which would be like EW level shit--presuming of course this was a corporate level decision and not a “we can slip it through” choice, in which case, it’d never hit PR), has it occurred to y’all that the rest of the world been knew? Aren’t out there waiting for an argument point? Arguing woke shit at large? Have antis in their ear to parade it around in front of for personal validation?

If waiting to see a reporter talk about it WAS the goalpost... are we going with the soap opera reporter’s dark moment in the romance acknowledgement and it being a standard fare breakup with us not knowing if they’d get back together, but that “dEaN wAsnT cAnONicAlLy bI”? ...what about TVG? There were some others -- was it Variety? Or Ew? I don’t remember, there were several acknowledgements so close together by big outlets I can’t even remember if it was a Variety mention or EW, because one did a highkey and one did a lowkey acknowledgment at the same time. Those don’t count? Didn’t count then. For ... reasons. Okie dokie. But this one. This one we’ll run disqualifiers on if *this* one we find an article about. The world addresses it as Been Knew and then we’re surprised nobody throws Dean a blowout headliner party without corporate asking them to exploitatively market it, possibly because they weren’t alerted.

But people aren’t looking for qualifiers. They’re looking for disqualifiers, as if to PROVE THEMSELVES WRONG!!111ONE! And they’re not even finding disqualifiers, they’re just assuming the empty space is a disqualifier, even if that space wasn’t empty only a few episodes ago, about the same thing. This is what we call drilling down LGBT content instead of raising it up. And it’s EXTREMELY fucking sad that people that know better about what “text” is, realistically, have been bloodied into such submission that they’ll just complicitly do it.

Neverminding that... it doesn’t change that text is text even if people aren’t announcing that text. That’s what we call low-visibility text. Low-visibility text is still text. Something not being overt or widely understood does not turn it into another thing. If the show aired Cas saying “I like potato pie” and everyone went deaf to that specific line, it doesn’t change the fact that Cas in the text said he likes fucking potato pie. It’s not subtext if somebody had earplugs in. That isn’t how that works.

Sigh.

Either way I’m not gonna be party to circulating that sort of nonsense, which is going to make the next several weeks of fandom extremely not good for me, but cest la vie, I’ll deal with it. Even if it means essentially boycotting blogs I regularly browse until the topic passes.Though depending on how long it persists I may have to make some hard choices and just drop some follows and engagements. There’s a few blogs I would hate to have to block for being party to this kind of LGBT cinema history damaging deletion so I can only hope it passes and drops dead.

God, fuck, that’s so FUCKING disappointing to see. Like OOH who made this post oh FOUND it it’s one of my favorite bloggers and--

...*closes blog* So anyway.

I’ll probably be avoiding even my usual meta for reasons. Unless something so loudly hermetic blitzes off in 15.8, and I mean LOUDLY hermetic, I don’t think I’ll be writing my normal subject matter or engaging in my normal circuit until this conversation is dead and buried. If I start again at all. 

General meta will still continue, but there’s traffic that comes with the topic I’d rather not be party to right now.

But yes. Yes, it is that important to me. Yes, media history is that important to me. Yes, LGBT issues are that important to me. And no, I won’t surrender all of that history just to meekly cow to the local pressure or just accept it in the air around me.

I hope others do the same self care. And, frankly, LGBT-battle-care, if there is such a thing. To me, at least, decades of battles are not worth throwing to the side to get pretty gifs or lit assessments any more than it is for winning fights with trolls on the internet. I’m willing to set aside talking about my literal religion in one of my few opportunities to do so because realistically, far greater people have bled and even died for this fight, and teaching Jung in mass can wait. I guess if anybody REALLY wants to hear said hermetic shit, they can DM me or I might move it over to pillowfort to avoid the associated traffic.

Inserting apologetics is far less flattering than people think.

But most of all, people, stand for something. If people can deal with being pelted with bricks and set on fire and whatever other horrible shit has happened to the LGBT community, you can deal with a few grumpy challengers that want to throw those bricks and flames right now. And if you don’t?

Well, I probably don’t want to be around that kind of “LGBT content discussion” anyway.

But I promise all of you that not a single fight has ever been won by the LGBT community simply rolling over and accepting that there's a different rulebook or dictionary for the gays. We owned our camp, and our pride, and we won by not accepting differential treatment in our disfavor. We fucking stood. And I'm waiting for the 2019 community to remember that.

If you think anyone that struggled or died in the peak of this fight would be honored at modern lgbt people being first hand and even voluntarily complicit in shoving the community back behind special rules that hurt them and only them that came out of thin air, in that imposed deficit, i really do not fucking know what to tell you.

And if that sentiment struck a cord with a single soul, then think about it.

[lj-writes]

I can’t figure out if you and Mandalorian guy simply don’t know how to read English or if you’re both that far up JJ’s ass, because you and that indigenous anon you got about me are insistent on putting words in my mouth I never said. Like your “Rian’s choices flowed organically from TFA” bs. If you don’t think that Star Wars and its fandom hyperfocused on the Jedi from the beginning you don’t know shit about Star Wars. From day 1 it was Jedi, Jedi, more Jedi, the Force and look, more Jedi stuff

L.J.: You can tell the really bad arguments from the fact that they get mad at you for quoting their own words 😂

After a couple of years we got some shit about the criminal underworld but that was solely because of The Power of Harrison Ford and The Myth of Boba Fett. It took nearly a decade before anything *but* the Jedi and the Force got any serious development. That is why it was and is important for Finn to have the Force. Otherwise he would always have been left at the wayside.

L.J.: You’re mixing up two different things here, the content of the SW movies themselves and fandom’s reaction. You seem to be saying JJ could somehow have raised Finn’s profile in fandom by making him a Jedi. I highly doubt that, though. The likelier scenario is that, If Finn had been confirmed a Jedi in the first first movie, there would have been a huge rush in fandom to devalue the entire idea of the Jedi and Force-users. There is no way JJ can single-handedly make fandom less racist, sad to say.

Interesting how you praise JJ for what you claim is his brilliant attempt at subverting Star Wars while completely ignoring that the so-called attempt, if that is what it really is, would *never* work with a Black character. Shifting the focus from the Jedi and the Force to something else is not something that can be done with a Black character. After John was cast I knew that it was Jedi or bust. It was a relief to see him with the lightsaber and I cried as the ‘sike!’ pull at the end.

L.J.: I have on multiple occasions, even in my responses to your asks, said that JJ could have done better at being more sensitive to the racial dynamics at play with a Black character and also said the bait-and-switch was terrible. But hey, why read my actual words when you can go off in your own head about whatever the fuck you think I said?

That was when I knew that this trilogy would never be good for Black fans. Concerning “well obviously Finn’s story does have places to go but you don’t think those are important”. You’re once again in your usual dishonest way, putting words in my mouth. What I *said* was that JJ didn’t leave a *clear* way forward for Finn’s story. Rey got a specific goal, Finn did not. And you’re delusional if you think otherwise.

L.J.: Finn was left with a choice after the end of TFA, whether to stay and fight or leave the fight. It looks like you’re the one who’s too busy being disappointed about the fact that he wasn’t confirmed a Force user in TFA to give any value to his story in that movie. The disappointment is valid and many fans, especially Black fans, share it. But to say that was the only valuable direction his story could go seems a stretch.

Could you maybe stop talking about and treating JJ like he’s as green as Rian? He’s seen his stuff turned into something he clearly didn’t plan times enough that he should have realized what might happen to Finn if he didn’t give him a clear path ahead. He didn’t start yesterday. He’s been in the business for decades. He knows the game. So I am going to blame him for not setting more things in stone for Finn, because he damn well knows how much the guy who comes after can change everything.

L.J.: I mean that’s totally your prerogative, I’m not on some JJ defense squad 😂 What did you expect, that I’d fight a duel for his honor or something? I have openly criticized many aspects of what JJ did with TFA, so I’m not sure what you’re expecting with that. By all means, blame JJ all you like. He deserves it.

I could also add that you all should really stop pretending that JJ doesn’t have a long line of racist and Antiblack writing and casting in his past, very recent past even. I don’t know why you all suddenly decided he was woke. Especially after Star Trek and the whitewashing of both Khan and Uhura for a start. But because the man manages to sometimes step over a bar that’s lying on the fucking ground, he’s somehow woke and fantastic.

L.J.: I’ll take “things I never said” for $100, Alex. I mean I even said, REPEATEDLY, that everyone should be prepared for the possibility that Finn would be treated badly in IX, so you’re being a raging asshole in my inbox because…?

But have fun stanning a racist, Antiblack guy, I’ll look forward to you two making hypocrites of yourself defending IX after being as sanctimonious as you have about people who defend TLJ in the face of all criticism. Since I know you will be putting words in my mouth again here, you’re that dishonest in your replies, I hate TLJ and all that it did, but you’re both hypocritical in your defense of TFA while being angry about TLJ.

I know you will because you can’t handle a critique of TFA and all the huge fuck ups JJ made there. He doesn’t know how to write a Black character and never did. Whatever though, you’re clearly intent on not hearing what I’m saying, that this whole mess started with JJ and your continuing support of him is not helping at all. You’re willfully blinding yourself to what JJ did in TFA and how much the story discards Finn at the end of it.            

Okay I’ll shut up then. Thanks for the silencing. As for waiting and seeing, that’s what everyone told me after TFA and how it ended. Look where that went. People told me the same thing with JJ’s Star Trek movies and that didn’t go any better did it? So no, I’m not going to wait and see. But I will shut up on tumblr. For good. You all got what you wanted.

L.J.: Again, you’re missing or just wilfully ignoring the parts where @themandalorianwolf and I, among others, repeatedly panned what JJ did in TFA. I can tell that there’s no talking to you, though, since you’re so dead-set against anyone anticipating IX at all and equate any pushback or disagreement with “silencing” lmao.

Again, your disappointment is valid and so is your resignation that IX won’t be good for Finn. But you’re being illogical to the point of devaluing what is good about Finn’s story, and I can’t imagine that’s any more fun for you than arguing with you is for me. if your goal is to disengage from SW and IX then I think hanging around my blog is the wrong way to go about it. :/

[idontneedasymbol]

Sam & Dean, leadership, control, obedience, and choice

Spinning this off into a new post because this got so long -- I love this topic, so I have many Thoughts! (Most of this is focused on the psychological side of it as explored through fictional tropes -- the mythological side of their chosen roles is also fascinating and deserving of its own post!)

@zmediaoutlet​ wrote:

I really do feel quite strongly about this, which makes those metas where people insist on calling Dean ‘controlling’ actually a bit infuriating to read. Sam makes decisions; Dean follows. It’s not that way 100% of the time, but it is true way more often than the reverse. It’s part of the deepest core of their natures–which is explained by the archangels they were meant for. Dean is loyal, and Sam rebels. I watched ‘The Vessel’ a few nights ago and was struck so hard by how Dean announces that he shall be the one who goes back to the past. He will be the one who puts himself in danger, because he’s expendable. He states it as a fact, almost bullish… and then still waits for Sam’s permission before he and ‘Castiel’ actually go. It’s just such a fascinating dynamic, made more so by the change-up of roles.

Again yes to all of this. Dean as "controlling" I take as a misinterpretation (--alternative interpretation, though this is a case that I feel strongly enough about the characterizations that I struggle to see the alternatives) of their communication styles -- and Dean's style in particular is molded, not just by John's militaristic upbringing, but by his relationship with Sam.

Dean can be controlling -- especially with innocents in supernatural-emergency situations, it's vital to give orders forcefully enough that you can expect them to be followed. But with Sam, that's rarely what it's about. Dean gives statements of intent to Sam knowing they're not going to be blindly followed -- since he was a little kid, Sam hasn't obeyed him without question. Moreover, Sam has always known that Dean won't actually act without his say-so. (e.g. "After School Special”, in which at 14 Sam is fully capable of letting Dean know what he wants -- Dean is raging "I'll rip his lungs out" about the bully, but he doesn't actually do anything, lets Sam handle it on his own. And it's not played as a "big brother finally lets his little brother out on his own" moment -- Sam is talking to Dean with confidence that he can handle it himself and that Dean won't intervene. He knows Dean has his back if needed, but he doesn't expect Dean to do anything without his agreement.)

Some of the reason this can be misinterpreted is because of their differences in communication and thinking styles. Sam is the kind of person who likes to go into a discussion or argument informed, fully armed -- he doesn't like to talk about anything until he's had time to think it out, to come to a conclusion and come up with counter-arguments, etc. While as Dean is less of a thinker, more of a doer; he wants to talk about what he's thinking/feeling because verbalizing it out loud is how he understands it himself. (Or by acting it, hence him being way more prone to expressing himself through physical violence than Sam.)

The reason this works is because they both understand this about each other.

A lot of their conversations start with Dean making a statement of opinion phrased as an absolute, and then Sam presents his side, softening that absolute. One of my favorite examples is at the end of 11x08:

SAM Dean, we need to seriously discuss me going to the Cage.

DEAN Okay. Not happening. Good talk. ...Sam, even if these visions are real...

Which on its surface can look like Dean is ending the conversation, shutting Sam down. Except that's not what's happening -- that's clearly not how Dean means it, because he immediately continues the discussion. He's not issuing an order to Sam that he expects to be followed -- he's stating his position, clearly telling Sam where his own opinion stands, giving Sam a starting point for his own argument. Which Dean is counting on getting from Sam, because Sam nearly always does.

This isn't perfect communication; it can lead to misunderstandings, and especially when they were younger, Sam could take it as Dean not respecting or listening to him. But they’ve worked like this for a while, mostly effectively. Dean can speak his mind so bluntly, figure out what he’s feeling, with the confidence that Sam will stand up to it. And in the end, Dean usually comes around, unless he can convince Sam otherwise, such as by coming up with an alternative plan.

The one area that this does completely break down is in regards to Sam himself -- the one time Dean will unilaterally go against Sam's "command" is when Sam's own life is at stake, in which case Dean's loyalty to saving Sam comes above obeying him.

And even then, it causes massive cognitive dissonance for Dean. One of the worst tailspins Dean has is in s7, after going against Sam's decision and killing Amy. Dean believes it's the right thing to do, and the right thing to do for Sam; but disobeying Sam and then lying to him about it makes Dean so guilty he can barely function. While as Sam can lie to Dean about the Book of the Damned for weeks without any obvious signs -- Sam feels guilt incredibly strongly, but not about disobedience, not when he thinks he's doing the right thing. Rebellion in itself isn't a sin for Sam -- as you say, it's one of his defining characteristics.

Then @chiisana-sukima​ had a related but different angle:

I would say that mythically, Sam is a King and Dean is his Minister of War. And I also agree that doesnt invalidate what Jared is saying because I think Sam rightfully doesn’t trust what he’s King of. And that a big part of Sam and Dean’s relationship is that Sam trusts Dean- and uses Dean- to be a check on Sam’s power, and a lot of their conflict is about that issue. Sam only wants and needs a check when he’s wrong, and he’s not always wrong. Sometimes he’s right and Dean is wrong (for example: MoC), so Sam can’t just lie down and do whatever Dean says, but he also can’t trust himself. It’s a hard position to negotiate.

I think this is all true -- and yeah, Sam gets very frustrated when he believes he's right and Dean still isn't coming around. Especially because Dean generally digs his heels in hardest when it has to do with Sam’s life/sanity rather than a moral question, which Sam does not believe is a valid argument (s9 got into this some, but as that argument happens perpendicular to the mostly-unspoken one about Dean violating Sam's bodily autonomy to save his life, it doesn't fully get resolved? And then the Mark temporarily upends their dynamic -- Dean starts giving orders actually expecting to be obeyed, and Sam flips from mission statement: saving the world to saving Dean.)

Dean sort of does double-duty as "Minister of War" and also Sam's bodyguard? Along with comparing it to Maiden Rose (which I would love to hear more about! maybe to discuss in person, as @owehimeverything​ has actually read it but prefers talking to writing meta) -- we've compared it ourselves to the even-less-known manga G-defend, in which the central (m/m) ship is between a commander of a sort of SF SWAT-team garrison and his bodyguard. The bodyguard is out of the main chain-of-command; he reports directly to the commander and obeys him in everything except matters pertaining to the commander's own safety, in which as bodyguard he has the authority to decide whether a given action is too dangerous for the commander to take. It's the source of some conflict (not a lot, because G-defend is one of the fluffiest BL series to exist, but...)

Sam and Dean's relationship doesn't map perfectly to these examples (in part because all the writers have a somewhat different take on their dynamic, so it can be inconsistent between eps; and I also think it's because this kind of power positioning is really common in Japanese fiction but less so in American fiction -- like, it's fundamental enough that we respond to it really strongly, e.g. Kirk & Spock; but especially without a clear command structure like the military to justify it, that kind of relationship can feel weird to Americans -- like there's something wrong about Dean being 'subordinate' to Sam when they don't have actual ranks, that it's an imbalance that must be corrected, rather than a mutually satisfying and stable arrangement.) But I have some hopes that if the story starts exploring “Sam as leader” more intentionally, it might drift more in this direction (even if by accident!)

My own view is that I do think people who say Sam is submissive to Dean are right. He lets Dean control a huge proportion of the relationship imo (for example: Dean has Baby/Sam has no car. For another example: Dean uses physical violence on Sam way more often than Sam does on Dean, and generally Sam just pretty much takes it). But power is complicated, and my view is that the operative word is let, and that they are both aware that Sam is delegating something that is his onto Dean.

On the one hand, I don't totally disagree? But on the other, neither of these specific examples seem to me like Sam ceding control. Sam doesn't own a car, but he has full access to transportation. If Dean isn't chauffeuring him, then Sam usually can take the Impala -- but if he can't, he simply steals another vehicle (or possibly they have extra vehicles in the bunker?) We've seen Sam driving multiple cars whenever he wants to go somewhere but Dean is out/Sam doesn't want Dean to know.  I take Sam's not having a car of his own as him not having much interest in personal possessions (e.g. not personalizing his room in the bunker)(and maybe mixed with a little of feeling "unfaithful" to Baby, given that the only time he ever got a car of his own he was soulless? Sam's relationship with Baby as compared to Dean's is fascinating in its own right...)

And Dean's physical violence is problematic for sure, but I have a hard time seeing it as controlling when it never seems to influence Sam? I can think of three times Dean has punched Sam when both were in their right mind (other than sucker punches or getting into a full fight) (in 2x03, 4x04, and (uggggh) 7x03...season starts are rough times?) and Sam doesn't actually agree to what Dean wants any of those times, or seem more than mildly annoyed by it. (I could go on a long tangent here too, the short version is that I think these moments are the show getting confused about what level of violence it operates at. Sam & Dean are rough-and-tumble sorts such that if we actually saw them hitting each other more -- in anger or in sparring -- it would come across as less significant?)

All that being said, Sam does let Dean take the wheel on smaller things (like choosing music) in part because he doesn't have strong opinions on a lot of it (really, given the scope of the issues Sam often is grappling with, he likely has such constant decision fatigue that he vastly prefers Dean to make the basic choices like where to go for dinner.) And I think a key thing here is the "let" -- Sam could get his way (often with just a word; Dean rarely refuses anything Sam asks for outright) but doesn't feel the need to. So I guess I see it as Sam sometimes agrees to submit to Dean, but I hesitate to call him “submissive”? (Or maybe that’s just a matter of definition?)

Meanwhile, when Sam starts working for the BMOL, he's directing their hunts for two weeks and Dean doesn't see anything amiss in it -- Dean is swinging the machete, but Sam is picking the target; Dean is driving, but Sam is the one telling them where to go. And that's how they both like it, and while it's not perfect (especially if their communication breaks down otherwise -- their biggest issues happen when one of them is keeping a secret and so the other is working with incomplete information), it's largely functional, a mutually satisfying and effective personal and professional partnership.

(And yes, this is one interpretation and there is plenty of room for others! But it's one I see strongly enough that I find it kind of baffling when I come across meta holding that Sam not choosing the music shows that Dean is controlling, or that Dean agreeing to work with the BMOL is Sam overriding Dean's will, when I see both as mutually willing choices, not signs of dysfunctionality.)

[bigskydreaming]

@nyxelestia

So we had this very same argument more than a year ago, and it looks like neither of our viewpoints has changed so I’m not sure what good this will do, but you have a lot of influence in the TW fandom yourself, esp in corners I won’t go into, so I’m gonna try.

Please, for the love of god, stop mitigating abuse with abuse apologism arguments in defense of characters. That is what you are doing, and I will not let you pretend otherwise because you are putting textbook abuse apologism on paper, time and time again, while calling out abuse in other aspects of canon. And this dichotomy means all those who believe you and accept your POV when you point out abuse in one instance are equally inclined to believe you when you point to where Derek Hale abused various characters and say ‘not abuse, because he was a victim himself, he had good intentions, and other characters did way worse.’

All of those last three things are true. None of them actually alter his actions. None of them are mutually exclusive with abuse.

You can not look at abuse through the POV of the abuser. You can not do it. You have to look at it through the lens of the person being abused, because they are the one that needs defending, they are the one the harm was done to.

So when Derek beat the crap out of Scott in the ice rink in Season 2, does the fact that Derek was abused himself magically change the harm done to Scott? You could write essays about how Derek’s life experiences led to him making the choices that told him it was a good idea to beat up Scott in front of his newly minted pack, and a lot of what you have to write might be true and valid. But will any of that, in terms of Scott, change the reality of what Derek did there and how it would contribute to shaping his own life experiences and perception of reality? NOPE.

If I abuse a teenager, as a grown adult, I don’t get to point to my own childhood abuse and say ‘okay but its not that bad because look what happened to meeeeeeeeeeeeee.’ Yeah that shit may be terrible, but so is abusing a teenager. The one does not give you a pass for the other. The one may inform the other, but it doesn’t give you freedom to keep perpetuating the cycle and constantly passing the buck down the line. It might all be true, but explanation DOES NOT EQUAL EXCUSE.

You can point to Derek’s training with Scott, and with Isaac and with Erica and Boyd and say ‘well he had good intentions. He was trying to toughen them up, teach them to survive, and he was doing it the best way he knew how.’ Again, all of that may be true. Its all still irrelevant to the simple question of: did he use his position of greater power, knowledge and experience to harm them, while telling them it was for their own good?

The only thing that matters in determining if it was abuse is if the answer to that question is yes or no.

Every time Scott reacted to Derek’s hurting him during training in S1 with shock, anger and pain - its because he didn’t know Derek was going to do that. Asking someone more experienced than you for help isn’t giving them permission carte blanche to do whatever the hell they want to. Breaking Isaac’s arm to make a point is still breaking Isaac’s arm, no matter what the point is. 

And it doesn’t matter that Derek thought he was doing it to make them stronger, better able to survive. It doesn’t even matter that the beta trio wouldn’t have even needed that ‘training’ if Derek hadn’t recruited them to begin with. It doesn’t even matter that every season post S3 showed us DEREK realizing his own earlier methods had been fucked up and even saying as much to the Alpha twins and to Liam when training and advising them.

All that matters is Scott, Erica, Isaac and Boyd looked to Derek for advice and guidance and help, and Derek delivered that to them in the form of pain and said that’s the best you’re going to get, learn to deal with it, this is your life now.

I can’t even tell you how horrifying this particular line of thought is to me given how much those exact words or a near paraphrasing of them shows up in the trial arguments of every father caught abusing his son and saying ‘it was for his own good, brat needed to be tougher, its a cruel world I’m preparing him for.’

When Derek was ‘merely’ an accessory to what Peter did to Scott in the locker room, when Derek used what he knew (or at least strongly suspected) to be a lie about a werewolf cure to manipulate Scott into helping him, when Derek scared the shit out of Scott in the parking garage and broke his phone - you can point to all of that and say, okay but every other character has done way worse.

And? Your point is?

It is never okay to distract from or explain away harm or culpability in causing harm by pointing wildly around the room and saying ‘well everyone else does it too.’

Again. Might be true. Does not change the fact that harm was still done.

Despite what I just said there, I’m going to indulge that ‘everyone on this show does just as bad’ argument for a second. Let’s bring it back around to Scott. Aka the one character I stan for more than any other.

Let’s bring it back to that scene anti-Scott people love to bring up any time Stiles or Derek or someone else is criticized for hurting other characters.

The scene I hate more than any other, where Scott throws Isaac into the wall of his house in response to learning Isaac wants to date his ex girlfriend. When an alpha reacts violently to his abuse survivor beta saying something he doesn’t want to hear.

I loathe that scene so much, because I full on do not believe that is something Scott would do, I do not believe it made sense for his character, I do not believe it fits any characterization he’s received prior or since, to have him portrayed, even for an instant as ‘an alpha reacting violently to his abuse survivor beta simply saying something he does not want to hear.’

But no matter how much I hate it, or how much I don’t think that fit Scott, you will never ever catch me saying that ‘an abuse survivor beta being thrown into a wall for saying something his alpha doesn’t want to hear’ isn’t a description of an abusive scene, that it isn’t gross and awful and should not be excused.

The reason I can still comfortably stan for Scott and refuse to see him as abusive all while still calling out the actions of characters like Stiles and Derek as abusive is I recognize that the actions of any character on this show must be evaluated on two levels. Through the lens of that character’s characterization, and through the lens of how the writers are choosing to write that character in any given moment. These are fictional characters, yes. Which means they can only say and do what the writers write for them in any particular scene, unlike in real life, where a person throwing another into a wall is solely that person’s responsibility.

But by differentiating my focus, I can do both, I can hold the scene up as something awful and something that I do not need to defend Scott for and WILL NOT, while at the same time putting the blame on the show for being so tone deaf as to write that happening while lighthearted music plays to convince us there’s nothing wrong with this, its just boys being boys.

The reason I do not blame the writing instead of Stiles or Derek when calling them abusive, is because the instances I’m basing their abuse on are frequent, showing up in multiple episodes, in recurring patterns, written by multiple writers. When Stiles lashes out violently at Scott because he holds him personally responsible for what happened to his dad in 5B, that’s not an aberration or a mischaracterization to me, because it pulls straight from the Stiles archives, it is all behavior he has demonstrated before without accountability, without remorse. When Derek trains the beta trio with shock and pain in S2 while saying its for their own good, that’s not an aberration or a mischaracterization because its consistent with what Derek has done and said and believed before, while not having yet been something he’s shown remorse or alternate ways of thinking on yet. 

All of that is different from a one-time occasion where Scott behaves in a way that I do not believe fits with his prior or later characterization.

(And yes, Scott has done other harmful things to people, like using his claws on Corey in S5, but literally nobody has ever pretended this wasn’t as harmful or as dangerous as it was. Scott is called out in canon for it. Lydia gives him shit for it. Corey avoids him and mistrusts him because of it. Nobody is saying ‘oh other characters have done worse, when in fact, they actually have, considering Corey’s interactions with Theo and the Dread Doctors. But even the show regards that as irrelevant to the fact that Scott fucked up with Corey and everyone knows it, and thus its tangential to what I’m describing here.)

And let me be perfectly clear. This is not me saying that there is ANY validity to the argument that ‘if it only happens once, its not abuse’. If it happens once in real life, you should still run the hell away, lest it turn out to be a precursor to more. Because the person who hit you ‘just that one time’ is still going to be the same person tomorrow, whereas in fiction, the character who did it ‘just that one time’ is not necessarily going to be the exact same person when penned by a different writer in the next episode. When it happens in fiction, you’re justified in evaluating if it happened because that’s who the character is, or if its because that’s who the person writing him at the moment feels the character is in this moment.

So if you want to defend Derek’s actions via the angle that he is a fictional character written by humans with their own flaws and biases and blindspots, if you want to use that argument to claim that you don’t think he would have acted a certain way here, or that you don’t think it fits with everything else we know about him to have him behaving a certain way there? That’s one thing. But only if you do it while still acknowledging that what he DID do, on screen, was still abusive, and should be described as such.

If you want to defend a character who has committed harm against another, because yes, that describes just about every character on the show - find a way to do it that doesn’t mitigate the harm they actually caused, or unilaterally absolve them of it.

When I say I don’t view Scott as abusive because of that Isaac scene, and because I recognize the writers’ complicity in it, that is not me saying ‘well that’s not really abusive because Scott’s obviously a victim himself.’

You will NEVER catch me saying crap like that, because underneath those actual words is the implicit subtext:

‘Well its different when the person hurting Isaac has also been abused. Its not as bad. I’m okay with characters hurting Isaac as long as they’re characters I like more, and I can point to their own abuse as a factor.’

You will NEVER catch me saying ‘well Scott has done all kinds of good things for Isaac, he loves and protects him, he lets him stay in his house, this was only one time’ - (FROM AN IN STORY PERSPECTIVE).

Because underneath those words is the implicit subtext:

‘Well everyone fucks up and as long as someone loves and supports someone MOST of the time, when someone like that harms Isaac, its not as bad as if it were say, Jackson or one of the twins. I’m okay with characters hurting Isaac as long as those characters make it up to him at other times and Isaac KNOWS that this character didn’t really mean it and really loves him.’

And you will NEVER catch me saying ‘well every other character on the show has done just as bad, and its far from the worst thing that’s ever happened to Isaac’....

because underneath those words is the implicit subtext:

‘As long as whatever happens to Isaac isn’t as bad as the thing that happened to him before this or after this, its not that bad, he can take it, he’s been through worse. And as long as what a character does to Isaac isn’t as bad as what another character did, well, its not really abuse, its not like it was Derek throwing a glass at his head or Allison stabbing him with Chinese ring daggers or whatever, so why are we even talking about this instead of that, we should only ever focus on the WORST things to happen to a character, anything less than that doesn’t matter.’

How we view shows, how we react in fandom, is not divorced from reality and how we behave in the outside world. Its not okay to talk about things like abuse as though they’re academic and abstract and the way we view a character abusing another in fiction has nothing to do with the way we view a person abusing another in real life. 

Because even with the awareness that shows operate on two levels, the actions of the characters and the writing behind those characters - when fandom’s priority when viewing a character they like abusing another character they like is to say ‘well its not that bad, other people do way worse, they really love that character and didn’t mean that’.....when they prioritize finding IN STORY excuses for the abuser’s behavior, even when they could just as readily direct their concerns at the writing instead....

How many of those same fans do you think, if confronted with an abuse victim in real life, making allegations against someone that fan likes or trusts - 

How many of those same fans do you think will fall back on finding loopholes or ways to mitigate the harm or justify the actions of that person they like and trust and don’t want to believe could really be abusive?

And why do so many people feel comfortable insisting this has nothing to do with the fact that their time in fandom encouraged this behavior by teaching them it was okay and in fact normal and expected to only view abuse through the lens of the abuser, rather than that of their victim, ESPECIALLY if its the abuser they’re more predisposed to liking or have more of a prior connection or attachment to?

[thebrandtag]

Be Careful when you need escort in Dubai via /r/dubai

Be Careful when you need escort in Dubai

<p>r/dubai </p>

<p>WARNING to all tourists, foreigners and ever residents who seek escort services in Dubai from Craigslist, Backpage or Twitter.</p>

<p>u/throwawaydxbwarningOct 22, 2015, 1:01 AM</p>

<p>GUYS read this very carefully and think twice before even contacting an escort in Dubai.</p>

<p>UPDATE: Alright, so some SP’s manifested themselves through PMs saying that this thread will seriously damage their business and my guess here is that those are the reliable ones and not the fakers. I hope I’m right. If so is the case, why don’t you follow a method used in North America and some South East Asian countries where you actually take a photo of yourself, not necessarily naked, but at last one that can corroborate your features with you holding a paper with the current date and nickname on it CLEARLY WRITTEN so that people know you’re not fake and make sure you update the date written on the paper quite frequently. This will root out a major part of the problem here.</p>

<p>Now back to the matter at hand.</p>

<p>1st incident: About a month ago, someone conveyed to me upon his return from Dubai that he called what seemed to be a lovely WHITE CAUCASIAN British young woman communicating with a British accent. She answered him and they agreed on the details. Once he arrived there, he noticed something was off but decided to go anyways. Door opens and the lady is hiding behind the door. He goes in and she turns out to be an African lady. He refuses and attempts to leave. She holds him physically and asks him to give her the money. A lot of pushing and shoving ensues and she rips his shirt wide open. She was desperately trying to get her hands in his pockets and snatch the money. He was finally able to push her but his arms were all scratched and he was slightly bleeding in certain places.</p>

<p>2nd incident: Another classic, SAME MODUS-OPERANDI, a co-worker went to Dubai and again, nice hot American Latino lady communicating with an American accent. He shows up there, I think he said it was in a classy area, Marina I guess. Door opens, she is behind the door. He barely steps in and she a very fat African with fake blond hair. He tries to get out and she grabs him. They physically fight, she’s half naked and she threatens to scream in the hallway and pretend to call the police. He was a big guy and quite fit so he had no problem pushing her away but she managed to damage his cloth.</p>

<p>3rd incident: This is one is a CLASSY scam someone told me via email after he posted a rant on Craigslist Dubai about how frustrating it has become to find a reliable person and how CL has become a scam jungle. His story has to do with a Twitter scam though. Check this out guys, especially those who are Arabic speaking. He says he wanted to try an authentic Arab escort, so after thoroughly researching, he noticed that most Arab ladies are reachable via Twitter. He is of Arab decent so he speaks the language. He sends the lady a message and she explains it’s 1500AED for a full night (from 9pm to 3am in the morning). She asks for 500AED advance in the form of Etisalat prepaid card. After giving her the card via Twitter, she blocks him. He opens another Twitter account and contacts her, she says she’s sorry and that she blocked him by mistake because she’s overwhelmed by guys who are not serious and didn’t know how to unblock him. They agree to meet at 9pm at Emirates Mall. She then tells him that it’s not nice and shameful to take the 1000 from him in public and that it would be better to if he got the rest of the money in Etisalat cards and gave them to her right then. He senses a scam so he refuses but apparently she was brilliant at arguing with him but still does not budge. He asks her for her phone number so he could talk to her and verify over the phone. She refuses and argues the reason why she can’t. Anyhow, he ends up making a mistake and gives her his phone number so she could call him. She then she switches to nasty bitch mode and starts threatening him that he wasted her time and that she could have had one client at least by now and therefore she wants her money otherwise she’s going to the police with her story and that she’s got powerful friends and they will hunt him down. He blocks her, deletes both twitter accounts and dumps the phone line.</p>

<p>Now obviously there are some reliable escorts in Dubai but they are extremely difficult to find and the fact that there’s no review forum does not help things at all.</p>

<p>So being someone that travels frequently to Dubai and I do care about the safety of others and the reputation of a city that I like, here are some important things to bear in mind if you are going to call an escort.</p>

<p>1- Do not call or contact via Whatsapp unless you have double checked the photos in the CL or BP ad on tineye.com or google reverse image to make sure that the photos are not stolen from other websites. It’s not a 100% reliable method if employed on it’s own, but it will help root out 90% of the scammers.</p>

<p>2- Do not accept communication by Whatsapp only. Request a phone call to hear and question them. If they say they’re from Italy, ask her questions try to pretend you speak Italian etc.</p>

<p>3- Avoid having your profile picture on your Whatsapp account when you contact one. Don’t use you home country Whatsapp, use an Etisalat prepaid and activate Whatsapp on it.</p>

<p>4- Do not accept to go anywhere or have her come to you unless she sends you a live photo with her holding a paper with some personalized inscription written on it. Face photo is not a must but at least so you can see the skin color and body shape. If they refuse or try talking you out of it, DON’T GO. You’re the customer, she has to comply with your demands.</p>

<p>5- Before knocking on the door, examine the floor and memorize the exit stairs, elevators are not a reliable choice if she’s grabbing you. There could be two of them, be careful!</p>

<p>6- If everything has checked out to be OK so far and you are at her doorstep, DO NOT GO IN, I repeat DO - NOT - GO - IN until she shows her face and body. Keep a distance from the door. If she insists that you come in and refuses to show herself, RUN. It’s not worth it.</p>

<p>7- Do not keep anything valuable on you. Take only your money and hid it in your socks.</p>

<p>8- If she catches up with you or grabs you, don’t be afraid to show hostility and fight back. If she threatens to call police don’t chicken out, she won’t do it and she can’t do it even if she pretends to. Those African ladies are all illegals and there residencies are expired.</p>

<p>9- Don’t be afraid of her threats or that she will shout or accuse you of rape. Again, she can’t and she will not for the same reasons mentioned in the previous point.</p>

<p>10- AVOID ALL THIS TOGETHER BY KEEPING YOUR JOHNNY IN YOUR PANTS and wait till you go back home. You are better protected in your home country and usually know your territory better. If you’re a resident and you get the urge, be patient and try to find someone reliable by applying what is mentioned previously. Don’t rush, examine the ads, reverse check the photos, call the lady, speak to her, ask her for proof etc.</p>

<p>11- If you REALLY want to have sex with a hooker you could, you know, just meet one of of the thousands of hookers in any one of the hundreds of bars across the city? courtesy of DownRUpLYB</p>

<p>I hope this will help. Be safe guys and don’t put yourself in a bad situation. Dubai is an international city and they cannot weed out all the rotten ones. To the tourists, enjoy your trip to Dubai.</p>

<p>85 Comments</p>

<p>u/halfbaked_zed</p>

<p>•</p>

<p>Oct 22, 2015, 1:42 AM</p>

<p>I am a black escort with a fake golden wig and I find this offensive.</p>

<p>u/throwawaydxbwarning</p>

<p>•</p>

<p>Oct 22, 2015, 1:55 AM</p>

<p>I’m sincerely sorry for that. I live in the west and I’m not entirely Caucasian myself. I live in a society that has put all racial arguments behind its back decades ago so please don’t take it personally and think that I’m playing any racial card here. I’m just stating the facts. If it was a caucasian white woman, I would have mentioned it equally. However the matter of the fact is that both guys had the exact same experience with African women. Please enlighten me as to how I should put it so it would not be offensive. I did specify “African” and I honestly don’t see any other way to identify them. If I knew they were Nigerians, Ugandans or so on, I would have mentioned it. As for the wig, again, both stated the same fact so I had to include it and it was not meant as a derogatory term at all.</p>

<p>u/greenleaf187</p>

<p>•</p>

<p>Oct 22, 2015, 2:00 AM</p>

<p>whoosh</p>

<p>u/halfbaked_zed</p>

<p>•</p>

<p>Oct 22, 2015, 1:58 AM</p>

<p>But we also want love and money, is it my fault that when I post my real pictures, I don’t get responses on CL. Hence, I had to do this. I am sorry, but I had to.</p>

<p>Also, I can show you my valid residency permit.</p>

<p>And we don’t try to attack anyone, we just want some cuddles and hugs. We are just a bit aggressive about getting them, that is all.</p>

<p>u/[deleted]</p>

<p>•</p>

<p>Oct 22, 2015, 1:08 AM</p>

<p>Okay.</p>

<p>u/Safwanish</p>

<p>•</p>

<p>Oct 22, 2015, 1:24 AM</p>

<p>that’s all I could think as well after thoroughly reading each word on this thread.</p>

<p>u/[deleted]</p>

<p>•</p>

<p>Oct 22, 2015, 1:09 AM</p>

<p>There’s a word to describe your ‘friends’ - gullible.</p>

<p>u/SuchWowReddit</p>

<p>•</p>

<p>Oct 22, 2015, 1:32 AM</p>

<p>haram</p>

<p>View more comments</p>

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