#in fact in some of the places they've made changes i think they should go further but that's just me

[riseoftherose]

ok update on atla netflix: started final episode, it opens with the attack on the north. its pretty freaking great. frame for frame accurate w the show, and (other than some so so costuming choices, or a few fight-bending scenes with lower budgets) the only changes so far have been for the better

its- wow

its good

katara needs to go apeshit have have some more backbone fr, yue's costuming is god awful im so sorry amber midthunder queen you deserved better, and the overall customing for the northern watertribe is giving lowkey halloween/live action fmab but everything else??? top tier

[bbanghiitomi]

| when things don't go your way

synopsis: what do you call someone you're not dating but someone in your arms? hanni asks that question herself often but always comes to the same answer: which is you.

— nonidol!filmstudent!phanni! × nonidol!journalismstudent!fem!reader

ლ⁠(⁠^⁠o⁠^⁠ლ⁠) ლ⁠(⁠^⁠o⁠^⁠ლ⁠) ლ⁠(⁠^⁠o⁠^⁠ლ⁠) ლ⁠(⁠^⁠o⁠^

honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ

y/n, are u not coming to see me?

i miss you already...

haven't seen you for a month.

how's ur org doing?

received.

you find yourself smiling as you read her messages, it seems like just the casual hi and hello's, the simple updates that friends are supposed to be sharing with each other aren't enough to satisfy the pham's need to be able to see your face, hear your voice and touch you. she's right actually, the last time you've seen each other was a month ago, before your journalism organization started being busy once again and her life has been a lot more boring ever since. there have been lots of restless nights where you think to yourself that there's no such rest as good as hanni's hugs, you really need her embrace, her arms around your waist.

god i miss her…

you can't help but think to yourself whilst you sit in one of the journalism organization room swivel chairs, working in front of a computer for the next online publishing of the university's news publishing website. it's almost 9pm, the lights are dim and the last person who you were with inside the room was the radio broadcasting group's director — danielle marsh, who then left with the sports writer kang haerin. they've been going in and out together for the past couple of months, which went unnoticed by some members of the faculty as it was seen as “typical” and very on character for them to do so.

you weren't new to that thing too, it's pretty obvious they've got a thing for each other and they're pretty open about it if anything.

unlike you.

just seeing the two made you miss hanni so much more, and it's quite selfish to think of such things because everyone, including the sane part of your brain knew that there's nothing between the two of you except for friendship — worn like a cloak to hide a secret. you can't remember why this whole arrangement between you and hanni started, when did you start sharing kisses? when did you start taking her home? what was the reason you visited her place even if it was late at night? why were you even so adamant about being there for her when she needs someone? why did both of you agree not to put any meaning behind these things? those thoughts were at the back of your mind, it shouldn't matter actually and when you think about it you try not to pry yourself about how it should matter that much — at the end of the day, things are not going to change.

if the walls of your room could talk, your secrets would no longer be something shared between you and hanni.

well, you've been on thin ice for such a long time — at this point, you assume that everyone in your organization and her club already has an idea about your relationship with hanni and are quite in a stump about it but that's too far from the truth, in fact — there were hardly anyone who notices the little things you do. everytime you think about her, the shared secrets together, the things about you that only she knows — you can't even find a reason to hate yourself for entertaining something people won't find appealing. it's been so long, why would you even go back to where it all started to stop this from escalating even further when you could just go with it until the end.

you know, you're going to hold onto this till the end, thinking that there will be that time where you and hanni can settle things down and accept what needs to be accepted and leave what needs to be left behind.

maybe, things will get better eventually…

you just hope you can stick with this until — you can finally call her… yours.

honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ

hm…

i'll think about it.

miss me already?

the org's doing just fine, hbu?

sent.

you drop your phone on the table as you close the tabs of the computer and then turn the computer off. you stay on the chair for a few more minutes, waiting for her reply as you fiddle the hem of your shirt with your fingers. quite nervous, confused as to why you were nervous — you can't help but just laugh, not having any explanation as to why you're suddenly acting like a giddy teenager girl over your so-called "friend".

crap… you think to yourself, it's really late now but you were hoping to see her again, at least even for just an hour or-so.

i wonder what she's up to now.

honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ

oh! the club's doing well!

we just finished our project and were hoping to release it soon.

you know how giddy i get about it, right?

i wish you were here with me so i can tell you all about it.

received.

you feel the familiar heat crawling up to your cheeks, you tap at the screen only for a few seconds and then pick it up. you wonder why, even before you kissed her, no matter how many times you tried setting yourself up with other girls — it wasn't effective at all. behind those words you told other people is hanni lingering at the back of your mind, the image of her face clear in your eyes until you just gave up, leaving yourself falling into her arms.

just how many times have i tried?

i can't even remember.

you thought then just gave up.

honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ

yeah…

i wish i was there, where are you anyway?

i mean, maybe i can come and see you.

right?

sent.

you stare at her message for a few seconds then you stand up and grab your bag that's been left unattended on the floor for a few hours since you first started working on the articles. you have absolutely no idea about what you're doing, it's just you doing whatever once again and doing it in the most random time ever but that's just because you missed hanni so much.

it won't hurt, right?

spending just some time to see her again.

honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ

wait, really?

i mean…

that's great!

but what about your roommate?

will minji not look for you?

received.

that's the thing, minji has been your roommate for almost two years — yes, that long. she's practically like your sibling at this point, one that you can always trust and lean on when you need a shoulder to hold onto or someone to cry on. minji used to be also a part of the film making organization in your university. she used to work with hanni on some projects for school until she left to focus on writing her own stuff on her own accord. so, minji is someone hanni already knew before she met you.

minji knows your thing with hanni and is at first troubled by it, but then it's not like it's something unethical, right? it's just secrets and a relationship with no label, it doesn't hurt anyone aside from you and hanni. that's the thing, minji feels bad that you subject yourself to self-harm — which is a relationship where you have no right to feel jealous about. she knows it sucks, how many times have she asked you: “what’s really between you and hanni?” and you always answer her. “nothing, we're close friends.” even though she's seen you cuddling with hanni on your couch, awfully closer than normal.

she worries your mother might find out even before you make it official between the two of you,

you know, she knows you're screwed if it were to happen.

minji has basically given up prying her way into your business but still tries to watch out whenever you feel sad or frustrated. she's always there when you need her — she's obviously a great friend that even your parents trust.

honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ

nah, don't worry

i’ll tell her.

she’ll be alright.

where are you?

sent.

honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ

great, i’m here at my condominium

just, you know? waiting…

hope you come here asap

;)))

received.

you grab your backpack and sling to your shoulder, making your way past the rows of computers lined and exiting the room. you see the dim corridor, your eyes follow along the lines of doors and the straight path to the stairways, and under the dark hall the pictures of when you first met hanni lingered at the back of your mind, right at the end of the corridor.

r u carps, min?

hey minji,

bro

i won't be home 2night

take care of the dorm and heat up the pizza

i got some money under the flower base and just take it to order sum whatever…

lov ur roommate, y/n

sent.

and with a blink, you come back to reality and start running your way to the stairs and reaching the ground floor — rushing as soon as possible to get to the open parking lot where your scooter is parked, you open your top box with your keys and immediately place your bag inside before locking it once again.

r u carps, min?

dude wtf?

why now? ur mom will be here tomorrow.

y/n?

hey!

BRO!!!!

ur such an asshole

you know that?

come on…

ur dead

received.

as the engine ignites, all your worries are pushed back behind before the motor accelerates and you finally find your way outside the campus then to her condominium.

“you’ve been away for so long.” hanni grumbles, arms wrapping themselves around your torso, you laugh at her expression, a cute pout adoring her pink lips and her eyes full of stars inside of them. it's almost like she has the universe in her pupils. “only for a month by the way, i’m guessing you really feel lonely here.” you tell her, raising your brows at her direction with a smile on your lips. she nods, snuggling closer to your body on the bed, she feels like a koala the way she couldn't let go of your figure.

“of course! aside from my parents, you're really the only one i want here with me.” she says, well it's nothing but the truth but hearing it made something inside you tremble. it's something you cannot understand but something you feel very deep inside, you only smile at her.

she could bring anyone she wants here.

and you would still not be able to tell her nothing, because you have no right to do so.

she's free to do whatever she wants to do.

and that must be your fault, right?

you place a hand on top of her head, patting her soft hair under your palm. “seriously, this is why you feel lonely. having a friend or two here other than me wouldn't be so bad.” you express out of genuine feelings, though it's nice to know you're the only one she wants, you can't help but feel guilty that you're making her wait or expect too much to the point she's not allowing anyone inside of her life aside from you.

at the end of the day, you only want her to be happy.

but that's not the case, for a relationship that doesn't have any label — hanni seems committed to it.

you haven't even said anything but she's already sure she's yours, and it honestly makes you feel bad even if it is a mutual feeling you two both share.

“i really only want you…” hanni buries her head on your neck, snuggling close for warmth and you can't help but wrap your arm around her, to keep her close as if anyone was going to take her away from you if you don't. “it's okay, i won't be away for any longer anymore. i promise.” you whisper, you feel hanni nod her head and feel her lips against your skin as she speaks. “promise me you’ll be here with me forever?” you look down on her, eyes directly on her cheek, her face hidden on your neck. “i will.” you smile at her.

maybe, you are really that tired that when you open your eyes it's already 9am in the morning yet hanni is still wrapped around your arms. the sun shines so much brighter on days like this, it must have been her presence beside you and everyday should have been like this if things were different.

there is still a chance for you to change it.

you start to see it.

“are you sure i can come to you and minji’s place today?” hanni asks, looking up from her plate of food, she tilts her head as she asks, eyes meeting your own pair. “well yeah, you know minji would never mind.” you say, bringing your utensils down before smiling at her direction. “besides, it’s not a busy day today.” you add.

you take the helmet in hanni’s hands and help her wear it on her head, making sure it's strapped tight. as your hands let go of the helmet, you notice hanni staring at your face and you raise your brows at her. “what?” you ask. hanni giggles and shakes her head. “nothing, i just… feel giddy about being with you today after what felt like forever.” she says and you almost saw the entire galaxy inside of her eyes the way it shines, the wait the light sparkles, you can't help but be mesmerized.

you nod at her and place a kiss on her cheek. “of course, it's not everyday we get to be like this together.” you huff and hop on the motor, hanni follows and wraps her arms around your waist.

when you get to your shared apartment’s front door you notice the weird aura of the place, you hesitate to open the door as you stand still looking at the wooden entrance, hanni peeks behind you and wonders why you haven't touched the doorknob.

now… i must be paranoid.

it's oddly quiet or somehow, there's a strange presence looming around the place and you don't know what it was.

you take the doorknob in your hand and feel its cold surface, sending shivers on your spine. you twist it and enter inside, slowly stepping a foot and looking around to see if anyone beside minji is present, hanni follows quietly but is still confused. your eyes widen when you spot your mom standing by the living room and seemingly pacing around, in panic and quite in a rush, impatient.

you feel a rush of adrenaline pumping in your veins as you immediately take a step back, pull hanni outside then close the door gently. “w-what’s wrong? is there an intruder inside?” hanni asks, worried that there might actually be an intruder, which ironically turned out to be your mom. you laugh sheepishly and scratch the back of your head. “uh no? i just remembered that minji wasn't around and… we can go grab food somewhere before coming back—” your words are cut off when the door opens to, none other than minji.

“minji..?” hanni looks behind you, to the door as minji stands with a hard expression on her face.

“where have you been?” minji asks, her tone is strict and impatient for an immediate answer, her eyes bore behind you and then dart back at hanni. “and why is hanni here?” she adds to the pile of questions.

you turn around and shake your head. “ah, i didn't know you were here… crap, i was at her place yesterday and i thought i’d hang around with her here ‘cause you wouldn't mind, right?” you shrug, minji kept her serious face but sighs, rubbing her temple with her fingers. “y/n, i won't of course. but you know who will?” she says, clearly frustrated.

hanni squints her eyes at minji. “who?”

“her mom, she's here today, waiting for y/n inside.” minji answers, you flinch at the idea before turning your head at hanni who frowns and looks away. “i didn't know she'd be here!” you whisper aggressively, rubbing your face with your hand.

“dude, i messaged you yesterday. you didn't even bother reading it.” minji argues, which was the truth but you were riding your scooter to hanni's place when you received the message — it was the reason you didn't have the time to read it.

with your face buried on your palm, you grumbled. “dude, i was riding my scooter that time…”

hanni sighs and places her hand on your shoulder, you put your head up and look at her. “i’m leaving for now i guess, you'd be in more trouble if she sees me.” hanni says, giving you a small smile.

you furrow your brows, you think to yourself that there must be a way — there's something you can definitely do, doesn't matter what there has to be something!

you stare at her, pursing your lips before reaching out for her hand and shaking your head. “no, you'll stay. don't worry i’ll take care of this, please just stay.” you tell her, minji’s expression turns into confusion — as if, your ways of salvaging you and hanni's relationship seemed absurd to minji's level of understanding.

“wait? y/n are you crazy? you're gonna get you both in trouble!” minji says, already scolding you even before the trouble happens. you look at her and shake your head, holding hanni’s hand tight. “no, that's my mom — i know her, we’ll be alright. i promise.” you look back at hanni to give her a small smile again, caressing the soft skin of her hand under yours to soothe the unstable feeling stressing her out.

the door opens once again but this time it's your mother who exits and her eyes dart at the three figures standing. “y/n? where have you been, young lady!” she yells, you laugh and look at her with a sheepish expression before pulling hanni slightly closer beside you. “i stayed somewhere only for a night. i swear, no troubles.” your mother seems to notice hanni’s presence beside you and raises her brow towards hanni, her scary aura unchanging.

hanni took a deep breath, opening her lips as if about to say a word but she fails miserably when your mother glares at her. “and who is this girl?” your mother asks, her voice asking irritatedly. you look at hanni before wrapping your arm around her torso, getting a look of doubt from your mother but mostly directed to hanni, who gulps a lump inside her throat. “hi — i’m y/n’s —”

“she's my girlfriend, mom.” you grin at your mother, hanni and minji both looked shocked at the sudden revelation — you were confident, this time you’re sure and there's no way you’ll take it back again, not this time or never again. hanni looks at you and her eyes shake when it meets your mother's gaze.

“oh, what..?” minji mutters, feeling her head spinning, she blinks in confusion and looks at the three people all facing one another. hanni blushes, aggressively gripping the hem of your shirt, looking up at you as if you said something crazy which is indeed crazy, out of character even.

“oh, really?” your mom adds, her voice softens but her eyes remain the same.

hanni looks at your mom, nodding her head gently.

“yes, i’m your daughter’s girlfriend, ma'am. nice to meet you…” hanni smiles, still quite hesitant, like a curious cat dipping its paws in something it doesn't know — but in hanni’s case she has her hand sticking out for a handshake.

somehow, your mother's eyes softened or is hanni just deluding herself into believing so?

she hopes, your mom did — because she shouldn't be seeing things, she's still sane after all!

yes, your mother did soften her gaze.

hanni may not be that crazy after all.

just a little, just for you.

“yeah! you're okay with it, right mom? hanni’s a very nice girl and she lets me sleep at her place when i stay at school late and she cooks me breakfast and she helps me with my homeworks. she helps me clean my room, helps me with my laundry and —” even before you finish rambling about how hanni basically keeps your life stable your mom raises her index finger to your way to shush you down before she steps forward to take a closer look at hanni.

your mother looks at hanni’s hand and reaches for it before shaking it, feeling hanni’s sweating and trembling hand. “nice to meet you, is my daughter too much work? i know she's a little handful sometimes.” you slump your shoulders as you mother jokes, hanni laughs— you notice the change in her voice, feeling your girlfriend starting to relax herself. “she isn't, i’m happy to be helping her.” hanni answers, feeling her cheeks flush and her blood boiling on her face.

“that's good to know, she's very dependent.”

minji nods and huffs. “yes, she is!” you roll your eyes at her.

you mother lets go of hanni’s hand and turns away to walk inside the door, but before she enters she calls for minji. “help me arrange the table.” she says, to which minji followed almost immediately.

hanni feels like laughing, there's a certain type of warmth blooming inside of her when she realizes what just happened. she blinks only for a bit, trying to do something to make sure she isn't daydreaming or dreaming whilst asleep — and she had just confirmed that she is indeed awake, none of what happened was fake and the warmth of your arm proved it.

“hanni.” you call out to her. hanni puts a hand on her mouth and looks up at you, starstrucked to actually see your mother up close.

“i’m your girlfriend?” she asks, to make sure you're not bluffing.

you smile and nod, giving her the type of gaze that means “i love you”.

“you are, you're my girlfriend.” you tell her.

hanni feels like crying this time, there's something about it that she can't explain — something about finally being able to hold onto something that isn't a thin thread of hope for something that will break apart in no time, without her knowing. something about finally being able to actually express her feelings without holding back sends waves of relief inside of hanni.

why has she not thought of this earlier? why didn't you tell her that earlier?

hanni embraces you in a tight hug, her face buried in your shoulder as she sobs. “oh my god…” you feel her speak. you laugh, petting her head. “hey now, i promise i’m not lying.”

hanni sniffs and looks up at you. “i love you.” she whispers, eyes covered with tears and cheeks are bright red, before breaking into a wide smile. “i love you too.” you tell her back before giving her a small kiss on her lips.

[creature-wizard]

"Paganism isn't a Burger King or a Chinese buffet, you can't just pick and choose what you want" is bad rhetoric, and here's why.

I recently got an anon message telling me that paganism isn't like a Burger King or a Chinese buffet; you can't just have things your way or pick and choose what you like, and that "everything was organized a certain way for a reason" and that you "change the system at your own risk."

I pointed out that this is an incredibly historically-uninformed take, because there's never been a time or place in history where paganism was pure and unchanging, and there were many reasons for things being the way things were, most of them just not that deep or mysterious. (For example, politics.)

Anon sent a follow-up message stating that they were talking about cultural appropriation, which... strange if true, given that I hadn't been posting anything about appropriation recently.

In fact, it seems that the post this person was responding to was a post about pop culture witchcraft, given that the OP of that post got an anon message with the words "Chinese buffet analogy" and "pop culture paganism" in the same sentence. (It seems this person doesn't understand the difference between witchcraft and paganism. Common beginner mistake, but also, oof.) Said post wasn't encouraging any kind of appropriative behavior, but go off I guess, anon.

In any case, this kind of restaurant rhetoric isn't even good for safeguarding against cultural appropriation. It doesn't actually explain why cultural appropriation is a problem, and functionally just tells people to stay with what they they've been taught and don't question it. If anything, it reminds me of conservative Christian rhetoric telling people that they can't be Christian and pro-LGBTQ+ because "you can't pick and choose which parts of the Bible to follow." (And I think we can all agree that we're better off when Christians decide to ignore this kind of sentiment.)

And speaking of conservative Christianity, people trying to get away from that kind of crap are generally not the kind of people who appreciate being stuck in shitty little boxes and being told they have to follow the rules Or Else. If you use this line on them, sooner or later they'll probably decide that this whole notion of cultural appropriation is a bunch of xenophobic, dogmatic crap, and they're not going to care anymore.

And if it does work on them? If they do internalize it? Congratulations, you've just taught them that policing people's practices for Not Being Pagan Enough is the way to go. This is how you get people harassing each other and putting each other down over total non-issues. It also means that they're less likely to think critically about their own beliefs and practices, and realize that maybe, just maybe, they're actually kinda shitty.

We should be able to explain to people that being mindful of cultural appropriation is about respecting other people's boundaries, access, and general welfare. We should be able to explain the actual harm that cultural appropriation does. Here are some examples:

The high demand for white sage among neopagans has contributed to overharvesting of white sage for commercial sale. This has resulted in ecological damage and made it more difficult for Natives to access the herb.

Ancient astronaut theorists twist and distort myths and traditions from numerous non-white cultures to make it seem as if they support a pseudohistorical narrative in which aliens supposedly built structures such as the Great Pyramids and Puma Punku. This narrative is linked with far right conspiracy theories in general. Those who speak out against the appropriation of their cultures' myths are regarded as unenlightened or agents of the conspiracy.

Commercializing aspects of marginalized culture to sell to the masses is essentially a form of exploitation; large companies benefit while they get nothing. Basically, if you wouldn't support intellectual property theft, you shouldn't support this kind of thing.

Said commercial products typically reinforce harmful stereotypes and misconceptions about said cultures.

In reality, there's no reason why people shouldn't pick and choose what they want provided they are minding boundaries. If somebody wants to worship Freya and Mercury and ignore other Norse and Roman gods, it literally hurts nobody.

There are many things that paganism is not. Paganism is not an unchanging monolith. Paganism is not decreed to us by an infallible authority. "Paganism" genuinely isn't even a very useful term to talk about Europe's rich tapestry of polytheistic beliefs with. But one thing that it is, is up to us, the living practitioners.

[buddiebeginz]

You know I think I find this kind of thinking even worse than people who just never liked Buddie to begin with. People who claim to love Buddie or who were Buddie shippers and who are now trashing Buddie just to prop up Buck/T*mmy are literally some of the worst.

I think everyone should be allowed to like and ship who they want. I'm not a multishipper so I don't ship Buck and T*mmy and I'm not the biggest fan of T*mmy in general but I do see the significance of him in Buck's story.

What I don't get is how so many of you have become so enamored with a ship from very little buildup that you don't care anymore about how important Eddie coming out and Buddie becoming canon is. Also that you'd go back on all of your opinions on Buddie and the history they've shared.

The fact is Eddie coming out as gay is incredibly important. Just as Buck coming out as bi is ground breaking in it's own way and increasing much needed representation for bisexual characters, a character like Eddie coming out would also be ground breaking. Eddie is older, a veteran, Mexican, a single dad, struggles with mental health issues, a firefighter, fits a model of stereotypical masculinity, etc. There are so many people who would be helped to see a character like Eddie have a queer awakening in ways that are different than Buck's.

Buddie becoming canon is also equally as important as the coming out storylines for Buck and Eddie. I know people keep trying to say it's not and keep hating on anyone who dares to talk about Buddie along with Buck's bi awakening but it all matters.

It's not that Buddie has to happen for Buck and or Eddie to be queer but it should. I could write a novel on the history that is shared between these men. They are so much more than just friends honestly not sure how anyone can even see them that way. If you compare them to any other friendship on the show there is so much more there. They also know one another and are there for one another in ways no one else is. Buddie already has this epic love story built up it's why so many of us are waiting for them to reach that next level of their relationship.

Buddie would also be groundbreaking in their own way if they make it a canon ship. We have never really had a slow burn queer romance especially not with two men figuring out their sexuality later in life like this and on a primetime show. It's also not just about Buck and Eddie it's about Christopher too. We've watched Buck and Eddie basically co-parenting together for six years. It would be so amazing and important to have Buck actually recognized as Chris' other dad.

I just don't get how you can watch these men loving and supporting and fighting for one another over six long years and then trash their relationship because one of them kissed someone else and call this new guy basically his soulmate. We don't even really know T*mmy or how a relationship with him and Buck might work out because they're not even in one they're just dating.

I don't get anyone who can't see how Buddie being canon could literally change how queer ships are written in the future. We deserve to have our ships written with the same passion and care as straight ships have been. Also don't say you love Buck and then say you want his endgame love to be some guy you don't even really know. He deserves an amazing love story like the other characters have had on the show. He deserves Eddie who has fought and screamed and chosen him time and time again. Who has literally made Buck Chris' other dad, even put it down legally in writing for all intents and purposes because that's how much Eddie trusts Buck and how much he means to him.

I know the show runners/writers don't let fandom stuff influence all the decisions they make but it has some sway because I fully believe our love for Buddie has helped push things to where they are now. It does seem there is a plan already in place for Buddie to be canon but things can always change in shows I mean Tim said he was still writing and filming episodes. All I know is if the more vocal Buck/T*mmy (endgame) shippers do anything to help derail Buddie happening I'll never forgive you. I'm sure I sound ridiculously dramatic here but this isn't just about me not getting to see a fictional ship. Buddie going canon and Eddie coming out mean so much more and I'm sorry some of you can't see that.

[beardedmrbean]

Hey Grunkle Nunya, I was wondering if you could explain to me how people are seeing Israel as the good guys in the Gaza situation, because I can only ever find Palestinian civilian body counts and blown up hospitals and stuff, and it honestly does look like a genocide from the standpoint of someone who generally doesn't research politics and conflict. I know the way I worded this looks like I'm being inflammatory but I mean it genuinely. What am I missing?

Asking anonymously because currently, asking questions about the Gaza conflict makes me either pro-genocide or anti-jew to the people with no critical thinking skills. I can't physically handle the toll of being accused of supporting genocide (Israeli or Palestinians) because of a mental disability I possess.

I apologize if this still sounds like bait, I am just poor with words and you are rich with knowledge.

It's war so everything gets muddy, especially with the body counts the gaza health ministry puts out.

I do not believe those at all, they put them out faster than should be possible even at the best of times, they also make no distinction between hamass militants and civilians so that's another issue with them.

We're going to make up a scenario here.

If you're looking for why Israel went in, imagine if New Jersey were another country, one that regularly sends people into the surrounding US states in order to kill Americans and generally sow chaos, and they've been doing it for 15-20 years with no sign of stopping at all ever or even dialing it back.

No real rhyme or reason to most of their attacks, occasionally they'll get pissed off about something or other and fire off a few thousand unguided rockets, just point the at the surrounding states light the fuse and hope they land somewhere where they kill people, no specific targets just anything they can hit and cause damage with and blaming the US when their own rockets fall back down on them.

Again doing this continually with no indication that it's ever going to stop or anything will convince them to tone it down.

Instead they do a coordinated invasion and just start killing everyone they see, which they went to Sesame Place right near the border with them and Pennsylvania instead of anywhere with any military value because the plan was to kill the most people they could while encountering the least possible resistance.

The US finally says, ok we're done with you and all of this and the organization behind most of the previous attacks and this current one which happens to also be the elected government of NJ is now in the crosshairs and we're going to keep shooting till they're gone one way or the other.

That would also be where Israel said we're done with you, hamass is going to cease to exist after we're done one way or the other.

So then it's full scale invasion time.

24 hour notice was given, saying this is where we are hitting, get out, 24 hours turned into several days, couple weeks I think, there were some air raids and strategic bombing and what not, a hamass rocket hit a hospital and Israel got blamed, the usual.

Obviously mistakes were made at times on both sides at the start and continue to be made, incredibly fluid thing wars are, things change on a dime.

And then we run into issues with the fact that hamass uses civilian buildings as weapons caches, staging grounds, command centers, pretty much anything you can thing a building would be useful for if you're fighting a war, which is a massive violation of international law as well as a war crime because they're hiding behind civilians.

From 2014

Great line toward the end

There is no indication that Israel deliberately targets civilians, as Hamas does. But

The argument is brought out that this kills civilians too, which yes it does, it shouldn't unless there's a misfire from one of the guided munitions in use by Israel, for one simple reason

Which they don't need to do, not if hamass has made the place into a valid military target by keeping rockets in the school.

They try at least.

In the first couple weeks before the ground invasion started there were reports coming out of gaza where the residents were saying that hamass had either taken the keys to their vehicles or disabled them making civilian evacuation that much more difficult, on foot and such kinda screws things up.

Allegedly threats were made to civilians as well.

As for the numbers, the side that's getting invaded is going to have more of those, as for the accuracy of those numbers, there's a reason why every news agency that cares even slightly about credibility includes 'according to the gaza health ministry' to the number.

As to the genocide question, there is no genocide, mass casualty attacks =/= as genocide and someone saying they'd like to wipe gaza off the map does not indicate a official government stance regardless of if the work for the government or not.

It's a war, innocent people die in war, it's a unfortunate reality of a even more unfortunate situation, especially if your on the side that's on the defensive folks in Israel have less to be worried about it's a lot harder for hamass to get to them, true at the best of times for hamass anyhow since it's not like they have a air force of any sort.

This whole thing did not need to happen, if it weren't for the fact that there's a group that has refused any reasonable offer and some that were incredibly slanted in their direction as well people at a music festival would have gone home when it was over and had great stories to tell.

Neither side is innocent, but at least for the one Israel complete and utter annihilation of everyone in Gaza isn't the goal, they just want hamass gone.

Not to say there aren't shitheads that want everyone in gaza gone in Israel and in the IDF, but that's not the stated goal of their mission.

If it was gaza city would look more like stalingrad after the nazis were done with it.

Choice of location is made purely because 99% of the area was razed, that is all so.

As for all the ceasefire stuff, the one they had going ended because hamass couldn't manage to keep their end of the deal up even though they were given several do overs, they just had to keep launching rockets and shooting civilians at bus stops.

No reason to think they would do anything different if another one were declared, they tend to be the ones that start off the shooting when it happens.

I don't know if I've made anything clearer for you or not, jumble of information and I've tried to leave politics and religion out of the whole thing setting it up as just 2 groups of people, and it's late so my brain is going a bit slow so I likely missed stuff.

When it's all over there's probably going to be enough war crimes to nitpick over on both sides.

I just hope there's also a lasting peace

[mxaether]

MITCH MARNER -VS- TORONTO MEDIA/TORONTO FANS/HIMSELF/EVERYONE (a playlist for when you love a thing so much, and it bites you)

track list and selected lyrics for each under the cut ❤️

1. I Want You So Bad I Can't Breathe - OK GO i want you, yeah, i want you/ i want you, yeah, i want you bad/ so bad i can't think straight/ so bad all my bones shake / so bad i can't breathe 2. Careful What You Wish For (the doctor said to) - Jack Harris something is missing/this predisposition/i feel like i'm living inside of my head 3. Who Made You A Monster? - Hael tricking the world to trust you/but everything that you say/is some kind of sordid lie/who taught you how to lie so well? 4. GOSSIP - Maneskin, Tom Morello welcome to the city of lies/where everything's got a price/gonna be your favourite place -- so sip the gossip, drink till you choke/sip the gossip, burn down your throat 5. Don't Be Nice - Watsky false modesty is a guilty habit/some people simply have it/but the fact is i would not have spent a decade doing this/if i did not believe i was at least a tiny bit ridiculously filthy at it 6. JEKYLL & HIDE - Bishop Briggs sweet and then you're sour/changes by the hour/never know which one i'll taste 7. End of It - Friday Pilots Club it's cruel you know/the way they've been treating you lately/get you real messed up on the daily 8. Nowhere Kid - Des Rocs inside of a maze you hide away/where nobody cares who you are/caught in a lie you can't escape 9. All For Us - Labrinth, Zendaya guess you figured my two times two/always equates to one/dreamers are selfish -- i'm taking it all for us, all/doing it all for love 10. Cruel Devotion - Night Club do you want me? tell me true/on my knees and now i'm begging you/loving you is such a cruel devotion 11. Who Are You, Really? - Mikky Ekko i have nothing left to prove/cause i have nothing left to lose/see me bare my teeth for you/who, who are you? 12. Heartbreak Feels So Good - Fall Out Boy is there a word for a bad miracle?/nobody said the road was endless/nobody said the climb was friendless 13. Some People - Dan Mangan cause it's too easy to be righteous when you eat what you've been fed/some people don't question what they've read/some people should 14. SELF-SABOTAGE - Waterparks i'll self sabotage/if you like when we talk i'll dislocate my jaw/what the fuck is wrong with me 15. Matches - Huxlxy bring me the ashes/set me alight/i'd rather burn than say goodbye 16. SICK - Chandler Leighton never let anyone see your guard down/too proud, just stop, keep my frozen/iced out, i'm six feet underground 17. Black Wave - K. Flay shaking in my own cage/what do i believe? i believe/waiting on a black wave/living under bad days 18. Middle Finger - Bohnes you show me love and then spit in my face/making your money off all of my pain 19. still feel. - half-alive when i'm furthest from myself/feeling closer to the stars/i've been invaded by the dark/trying to recognize myself when i feel i've been replaced 20. Rather Die - Barns Courtney i came to kill 'em, now i'm/wipin' the spit from my eyes/i take a beating but i/i'll never give up 21. Lake Effect Kid - Fall Out Boy oh i've got the skyline in my veins, forget your night time/sumer love on a gurney with a squeaky wheel/and joke us, joke us til Lakeshore Drive comes back into focus/i just wanna come back to life 22. Stronger - Kanye West n-now-now that, that don't kill me/can only make my stronger -- do anybody make real shit anymore?/bow in the presence of greatness/cause right now thou hast forsaken us 23. Bulletproof - La Roux, GAMPER & DADONI i won't let you turn around/and tell me now i'm much too proud/all you do is fill me up with doubt/this time, baby, i'll be bulletproof 24. What Do You Want - Nico Vega you can go ahead and hate me/for bringing in news, but you could still choose/ain't going to be a party/but you turn it all down, down, down/say, what do you want?/what do you want from me? 25. I'm Gonna Win - Rob Cantor you've seen me before, you'll see me again 26. Hero - Martin Harrix, JVKE

a thousand voices whisper noise/they plan my fall from grace/whoa-oh, i know/you say you want a hero, you don’t

[on-wednesdays-we-eat-the-rich]

So I'm having thoughts about LOTR. Specifically the ending. And the fanfiction that rewrites the ending. Bear with me.

So we all know that LOTR ends with Frodo leaving Middle Earth and going to the Undying Lands, right. And we all know that he does this because all the events of the story have had such an impact on him that they've left him quite traumatised and not really able to live life the way he used to. And we can probably all guess that this is a reflection of how Tolkien may have thought about his trauma after fighting in the First World War.

The ending makes sense considering the time the book was written, because in the 1940's and 50's, people didn't know as much about mental health and disability as they do now, and there weren't as many ways to help people manage disabilities other than institutionalising them or like. Giving them cocaine or something idk. So it's reasonable to assume that because Tolkien didn't see many ways that people could live with disabilities and be happy, he couldn't write them into LOTR and instead basically just put Frodo in Middle Earth's equivalent of Heaven and said "there you go, you're all better now".

I like this as a sort of tragic ending. I mean, you can't deny that someone being so drastically changed by an experience means they can't enjoy the things they grew up with is pretty tragic. The ending does make sense. But I kind of hate it.

I don't think it was written badly or anything, and I'm not trying to dismiss Tolkien's experiences that influenced this ending. My issue with it is that, when you look at it through a modern lens, it has vaguely ableist connotations. Specifically the idea that disabled people (Frodo) can't live full lives and be happy in the real world (Middle Earth) and can therefore only be happy when they're "cured" or when they die and go to Heaven (the Undying Lands).

Now obviously LOTR is an old book and it's important to consider the time it was created when analysing it, as you would do with any other piece of classic literature. A lot of old books have some outdated language and concepts in them, simply because that was normal back then. And until very recently, we probably wouldn't have thought the ending of LOTR was in any way problematic. And it might not have been, because it's not really the fact that Tolkien wrote that ending that's an issue; it's the fact that the way the world worked back then made it near impossible to even think about any other ending.

Since the book was written, though, there have been a lot of advancements in science and research into disabilities, and there are now much more effective ways to treat and manage them. There's medication and therapy for physical and mental issues, and there are lots of accommodations that we can and should put in place to make life easier for everyone. Back in the 1940's, Tolkien wouldn't have had these things, and therefore didn't consider them to be options when writing about what happens to Frodo at the end of the story. But now, we do have them, and it's this progress that has discredited the idea that disabled people can't be happy in the real world, and subsequently made LOTR's ending seem outdated by today's standards.

Now this is where the fanfiction comes in.

LOTR readers these days, who are aware of the progress we've made as a society and the new ways people view and treat minorities, often write fanfiction that puts things into Tolkien's universe that wouldn't have otherwise been there because of when the books were written, from openly queer characters to characters living good, happy lives with disabilities. And I think this is a good thing and it's really nice to see, especially in regards to Frodo's disability. I like seeing people work out how he might accommodate himself in the world of Middle Earth, and how the other characters would help him with that. I like that sometimes people have to get creative when figuring out how he would cope with trauma and chronic pain, because obviously Middle Earth doesn't have a lot of the things we have in the real world.

I like that we can finally give Frodo a chance to recover in a more realistic way than just sending him to the afterlife. I like that we can finally allow him to live.

A lot of Tolkien purists complain about new adaptations and fanfiction because "it's not what Tolkien wrote so he wouldn't like it". First of all, why do we still care about the opinions of a man who's been dead for over fifty years? What are you going to do, summon his ghost to haunt all the fanfic writers? Hold a seance to find out exactly what he thinks? Good luck with that.

Second of all, I honestly believe this is something he would approve of. He went on living after the First World War, but he didn't get to live with the disability accommodations we have today. And because he didn't, neither did Frodo. We can't give Tolkien the life many disabled people have now, but we can give it to his tragic hero. We can make his story a little less tragic. And if Tolkien was here now, of all the tropes we're using in LOTR fanfiction, it wouldn't surprise me if "Frodo stays in the Shire" is one he could get behind.

[muninnhuginn]

just generally musing to myself what makes thematic and plot sense for the link clink ending after reading some other people's takes the past few days. no real conclusions here, just some thoughts tied together with a string.

I've seen arguments that what needs to happen is that Lu Guang needs to accept Cheng Xiaoshi's fate and move on without regrets. This idea that the past has to remain as-is and you have to move on is a thread that the show has played with quite a few times. It's written into the very rules underlying the dives. The most obvious instance being the earthquake arc, where Cheng Xiaoshi was unable to save Chen Xiao's mum, but he *was* able to deliver the messages and thereby help CX gain closure. It's laid out by Lu Guang that it *was* worth it to deliver the words, and Cheng Xiaoshi takes this conclusion with him when he confronts Emma. (Of course, the fact this lesson was given by *Lu Guang* casts a different shade over the whole affair. I don't think it can be entirely discarded, given LG even admits he's going against his own rules, but it reads more like something he's trying and failing to convince himself of.)

So, the past has to stay as it is. We see a few different approaches to this idea in s2 - of people refusing to move on and trying to change the past. Qian Jin wants to force his wife "not to cheat"; he wants to alter her behaviour because she didn't act as he wanted. Li Tianchen wanted to change how *he* acted back then, even if indirectly, because he sees himself as his mother's killer, and thinks this is the point at which his tragedy was locked into place. They both thought their 'tragedies' were down to a single event. It's not that simple.

Lu Guang wants to personally protect Cheng Xiaoshi by controlling all scenarios. Not exactly taking his will, but limiting his choices. There's probably a whole post to be made on how QJ/LTC/LG each approach the agency of the ones they want to protect, but that's not for now.

Anyway, Li Tianchen as the foil to Lu Guang. At the end of s2, he has in theory let go of Li Tianxi but in practice he's just burying himself deeper by following Liu Xiao. Trying to entirely shun the past so he can believe that he still has some element of control. Both LTC and LG are at the extreme ends of clinging on vs letting go and that means the correct answer has to lie somewhere in the middle. Not shunning the past, but accepting it, and using that resolve to move forward.

So, Liu Xiao. We don't have much on him but what we do have is his belief that uncertainties should become certainties. He's deterministic and set explicitly as the counter to Lu Guang, whose own aim is to change events rather than lock them into place. They both want to *control* all aspects, but for differing reasons. In fate vs free will, it makes sense that our protagonist is on the side of free will, but it's interesting that he's presented himself so much as the opposite previously. He and CXS haven't exactly switched places, but to the audience, they've definitely taken on traits of the other.

Liu Xiao's whole spiel about how all options will eventually lead to the same outcomes, with him set *against* Lu Guang, very much seems like it's a setup for a "defeat fate" type plotline though. It's hammered in that there is no escape, no other option. Are we expected to accept this? It doesn't seem so. It's something I'm struggling to reconcile somewhat with the earlier messages about accepting the past, but maybe that's not quite it. Maybe it's about control vs freedom?

Trust fall. Every dive with LG and CXS is an act of mutual trust where they need to act in tandem. Dives go astray when one party acts without the other. For CXS, this is about him acting against LG's instructions (texting Emma's parents, staying in the earthquake dive). For LG, this is about him withholding info because he doesn't trust how CXS will react.

Lu Guang needs to put his trust in CXS before his withholding of information creates an unresolvable rift. He needs to stop trying to control CXS in order to keep him safe. We saw how that spun out for Li Tianchen and Li Tianxi. LG needs to put the choice into Cheng Xiaoshi's hands and let him decide his own fate. It reminds me of how Cheng Xiaoshi laid everything out for Emma and let her decide whether to live. It was only outside interference that prevented her, but she did make the choice to survive. And she did it by remembering those small moments. By accepting that tragedy happens but there are still people that make it worth it.

For LG and CXS, they need to mutually trust each other and that's how they'll find their way through.

[its-a-me-mango]

Kevin responded

Ok I do feel this is a good response, at least there's accountability for the experiences of past employees, which is great. I understand that running a small business with little to no experience is bound to cause some major issues with management, but again it's good to see it being addressed now. Hopefully more and more employees, past and present, come forward to share their experiences with Glitch so we can get a more updated view on how it is to work there.

I've never believed Kevin was this big evil bad guy that's ruining the company. I always felt things like that were silly, I just felt he'd made some not so great decisions both recently and in the past, so I do commend him for addressing them publicly and seemingly advocating to change and improve, gotta respect the guy for taking criticism and for defending his employees.

One problem with this.

The main issue was with Celeste being let go without warning, I get Kevins reason for making this statement was to defend his employees (honestly I stay well away from twitter so I haven't seen any of the harassment they've been getting, I had no idea it was that bad), but the fact there's no mention is???? ???? ????????? Please tell me I'm not the only one confused.

Don't get me wrong, this has 100% boosted my views on Glitch and I'm thankful to get some apology for any previous wrongdoing and clarification on shitty rumours, I do genuinely take back any negative comments I've said towards Glitch that were related to past employees and I apologise for being overly critical at the time, I do still think those criticisms were valid but it's good to see their criticism being addressed and improved upon in recent years, so I do really respect them for that.

Obviously this could just be PR work to defend themselves but you know what, fuck it, I’ll take their word for it, if this has upset Glitch/Kevin enough for them to respond then I’ll take their word for it.

I understand Celeste is more of a private matter that won't be addressed publicly, Jasmine is technically more responsible for this but again, Jasmine is an employee at the end of the day and she works for Kevin and Luke's company so, you'd think there'd be some acknowledgement of this. Glitch is still a growing company that's bound to make mistakes but I still feel this one should be addressed, I'm not going to be 100% satisfied unless Celeste says anything else but I can accept if this is all we get, knowing Glitch is not this horrible place to work for does give me peace of mind. For now, it's good to be getting this all resolved piece by piece.

See told you all this can be fixed, I get bragging rights now /j

[nono-bunny]

Obey Me Nightbringer lesson 36: aka Lucifer third wheeling on MC and Mephisto's date

No but fr I always get so happy whenever he appears, this lesson is such a blessing!! There was even a small romantic moment!!! Thirteen and Raphael have also been having their moments lately and I genuinely feel that with how close we're getting to season 3, they might finally debut as LI!!!! Honestly I just mostly want Mephisto,,, But Raphael and Thirteen are really fun characters too and I just know they'll be great romancebles too

This post has been in my drafts for a bit so now lesson 37 came out and!! Oh my god I am so jealous of Belphie, I wanted to make a deal with Mephisto wtf :'(

Anyway after this lesson I feel a bit more confident about season 3 being the one to finally introduce Mephisto, Thirteen and Raphael as LIs, because they really all seem to be perfectly placed for it rn- Mephisto joined us on a mission to save Lucifer, Thirteen has once again established herself as a trustworthy confidant to MC, and Raphael is showing doubts toward the Celestial Realm... All of them are the closest they've ever been to the MC rn (at least in NB, I'm still in early season 3 of OG and have to constantly use rainbow lights hhh) while we're super close to the end of season 2... Idk the cards just seem to align!!! I'm honestly really hoping I'm right on this because fr the past two lessons only further reinforced for me how badly I wanna romance Mephisto lol

Also, I was half expecting Simeon to get sentenced too but obviously that hasn't happened yet and Barbatos, Solomon, us and Simeon himself are the only ones who could possibly know rn about how his future is to fall sooo. Makes sense that he didn't but... It really made me think of him lol.

Also I genuinely think THIS is the moment where the timeline diverges too much for us to be able to go back to our future. Everyone is at the edge of some sort of breakthrough that contradicts how they start off in OG, and like. Obviously Lucifer is gonna make a pact with us by the end of the season, and? Either that ends NB and continues the OG story which will be about dealing with the fact that all of the cast now has different memories of the past which now includes us, which is why OG is still active (unlikely, I think it's pretty much abandoned and they're just keeping it up for as long as possible rn which. I'm cool with, NB is much more fun, they should just add an archive in NB so the OG stories aren't lost and take it down imo), or... We find out that our future no longer exists, which is how we return at the start of season 3 of NB after departing at the end of season 2- there's no going back anymore after how long we've stayed and how much we've changed.

[galaxygirl8880]

Hi hi

Remember this post??

I like- really want to write the fic

And I'm thinking of naming it something along the lines of "Alone and Asleep"

Actually maybe a series

Idk I suck at naming things

But anyways I have an alternate idea about how this au could go-

---

Cale's memory goes *blip* after two thousand years.

He only remembers his past life, really blurry memories of the people living in the villa, and the fact that he's supposed to take care of it. (and figure out a way to wake up the sleeping residents)

So he just sticks to a routine, ignoring the intense feelings of sorrow when he goes to each room to dust or change their sheets.

Especially the kids rooms.

He makes little to no attempts at gaining his memory back, figuring that he's content with his life as it is. What if it's like his time as Kim Rok Soo? He wouldn't want to remember that.

Although possibly he may have to find another place to live once they wake up. His job will be done after all. His current bank account status should be more than enough to buy himself several castles-

The grocery runs to the nearby village aren't really too eventful. Sometimes the villagers look at him with sadness, which he doesn't particularly like.

There is a kitchen in the villa that he tends to avoid, unless it's for cleaning. Then he leaves that place spotless. Perhaps one of the residents asked him to clean it? Either way, he uses a kitchen right next to it to cook his meals, (sometimes finding it hard to even make himself eat once per day) even thinking about using the other kitchen makes him shiver.

Cale tends to gravitate towards lemon tea.

He hates bitter things.

He makes periodic checks on the current king or queen of Roan. They've become familiar with his presence as he makes sure the children aren't learning anything bad or being neglected. (They're quite fond of him for some reason-)

The greenhouse is where he spends most of his time. Journaling his discoveries on poisons and all sorts of plants. The ones that are used to wake up coma patients are the majority of plants in his journal.

The butterflies are quite friendly. He's lonely

---

Ah.

They're waking up.

He's been all over the place, listening to the steadily growing noise all over the villa and making sure they don't fall over after being basically dead for so long. (He almost attacked the red head who stumbled into the greenhouse, not being used to noise that was not his own)

His first priority are the children, of course.

Cale answered the many questions to the best of his ability. Why they called him "young master" or "Cale-nim" was beyond him.

As they gathered into the dining room to hear what had happened, Cale had to work hard to repress the feelings that made him want to burst into tears.

When he'd explained that they'd basically been in a coma for years, they were understandably pretty shocked. There were tears, people who wanted to take a moment to themselves to process, and questions. So many questions.

How long has it been? Over three thousand years.

Were you also asleep? No.

Why are you acting so off? He's acting normally.

What did you do then? Took care of you.

Do you remember us??

....no.

----

So this is another route this au could go, different from the original post-

Apologies because this is a bit all over the place-

(I wanted to mention something else but forgot ;-;)

[da12thkind]

Tumblr and The Old Internet Re-Awakens, An Opinion Essay

This is going to be a super long post about my thoughts on the current state of the internet, with a chunk of what I'm about to say having been stuff I've already said elsewhere on other sites. To save your dash, I'll be putting a READ MORE break.

The fact that Twitter and Reddit have basically been destroyed by their own hubris is both hilarious and sad. It's funny because "ha ha rich man's hubris" but also sad because this is very emblematic of the current direction many social media companies that have been at the top for too long are going.

Ever since the muskrat purchased Twitter, it was clear from the beginning that something seriously wrong had happened, with worse decisions to follow. Something I hadn't realized was just how extensive the ripple effects of this would be. Reddit is now being destroyed by their leader's desire for more and more money, as if they needed any more.

I've been having this conversation with my friends via Discord and with strangers on the Starmen dot net forums. The writing is on the walls. The internet is moving towards a future that caters to advertisers more than its users. If there's even the slightest hint of getting more money by screwing over users, the higher ups of a given site will be chomping at the bit.

Where does that leave us?

Well, with Reddit and Twitter both now in a state of complete and total self-destruction, albeit rather slowly, we have seen an influx of new and returning users. Fantastic! I love when an old place gets new life breathed into it.

That being said, I don't believe that Tumblr is the bastion of The Old Internet, far from it, and many of you would agree.

Instead, I think that the resurgence in Tumblr's popularity could be just the first step towards the return of The Old Internet. We have the power to go back to the days of making our own websites. Information on web design and web programming are available online for free, in addition to many places offering free hosting services for a basic website or blog that don't need many bells or whistles (just don't go to GoDaddy).

Tumblr, in my opinion, once you know how to use the advanced editing tools, can make for a great "Baby's First Web Blog." There are some users on here that have made GORGEOUS blogs that will absolutely blow you away.

What about peer-to-peer communications?

We've seen that Discord has been another victim to the plague that is internet gentrification. They've removed the discriminators for usernames, had a store put in, and so many other little changes that have consistently annoyed the end users.

That being said... Discord is not going to be falling apart anytime soon. It's still a fantastic way to connect with many people at once and have quick access to all your different communities.

However, you could make the case, and I certainly try to, that internet forums fulfill the same thing. It is true that forums for many topics have drifted into the void of internet history, but is that not simply the nature of the internet? Communities sprout up, thrive, have an internal way, break apart, and start anew. We've seen that with many Discord servers, albeit rather small ones.

I will still hold my ground that forums should be revitalized if we truly want to go back to the days of old.

What does the future hold?

I... don't know. Despite my vast horde of opinions, research, and second-hand accounts of what The Old Internet was like and how The Current Internet is becoming, I cannot say for absolute certainty that we will see a total collapse of these tech empires. At the very least, however, I do believe that they will become hollowed shells of their former selves.

I have yet to talk about YouTube and its history, and, to be quite frank with you all, I simply must avoid that topic for now. All I will say is that I implore my fellow content creators, specifically those that create Video On-Demand content for YouTube and TikTok, to look into creating your own websites to host your content in the event that something happens to these empires, too. If you don't have offline copies of your videos, do so when you can.

That will be it for now. Thank you for reading this essay. I love your faces. Stay safe.

[things-about-cars-in-posts]

So I had my dad talking to me about cars today, telling me how I should basically avoid getting any cars except those made by Japanese companies because of how shitty other countries manufacture their cars (mileage and life span)

Do you have any thoughts on this? I don’t know much about cars and I thought of this blog while I was having this conversation so that’s why I send here

Do I have thoughts on this. Do I have thoughts on this. Babygirl (gender neutral) I have thoughts on aspects of cars you wouldn't even conceive of. I have thoughts on aspects of cars that aren't even real. Up the ante, folks! Ask me which cars are most bisexual!

That aside, for my opinion: Italian food is good. But of course, when I eat out in Italy, I don't go to any random place because "this country does this well", because I'm not ordering from a country, or a region, or a city, but from a specific joint - and some of them suck, some dropped or rose in quality, some are exceptionally good/bad with certain things, hell, some serve foreign food and then what's the adage matter now! That's why Yelp doesn't have country reviews.

Much the same, Japanese cars are usually pretty reliable, but Nissan spent the last two decades making a case against that claim (especially with their CVT transmission, a known ticking time bomb they've done fuck all about for years) with the help of whatever's left of the shell of Mitsubishi, and Infiniti is just the luxury brand of Nissan so ditto for it... indeed, another point to make, some cars are just based on, or outright are, cars from other brands. Infinitis are built by Nissan, and usually based on the equivalent Nissans. Except the QX30, which is just a Mercedes GLA - which probably was part of the same deal through which Mercedes got to sell the Nissan Navara as the X Class.

And there's a lot of cross-nationality brand partnerships like that, past and present, like the four-decade-long Mazda/Ford one, or the time Saturn had such a crappy engine they had to get Honda to give them a proper one. And by the way, the guy who posted that? He owns a different Saturn which took 360k miles of bare minimum care like a champ, because reliability can vary wildly within a lineup, and also a Volkswagen that's been a thorn in his side, which definitely wasn't the experience I had with mine, because mine is over twice as old, and a brand can completely change over time too! (You'd think they were run by people or something.)

In fact, reliability changing over time and models is the norm - not as drastically as, say, "older German cars were unstoppable tanks and now they're overly fit-prone electronics messes where everything is costly to buy and dastardly to replace" (which, however, is actually a notable trend), but usually in terms of "in this model, through these production years, this component was overly keen on failing" (as per my Accord post). Part of how Toyota (and by extension its luxury brand Lexus) rightfully earned its reputation of King Reliability is such cases in their production being especially few and far between, and none notable enough to become an automotive meme like Subaru head gasket failures (and no, the Camry dent doesn't count). So, say, Hondas may not be less reliable, just a bit less consistently so (but even there, Honda interiors tend to hold up much better than Toyotas', yadda yadda yay for nuance).

So if you are buying a used car (as you should) it's always important to research for potential common problems (for instance, pre-90s Toyota frames are to rust what the letter X is to Elon Musk) and thoroughly inspect the car, to check that nothing is broken and that it's been properly serviced.

That last part is very important, because reliability is not a tickbox, it's a spectrum, and a function of how a car was built and how it was maintained. Carelessness will kill any car sooner or later. Every car has fluids that will at some point need changing, wear items that will at some point need replacing, and the occasional part failure. Even yours. So even when it comes to your car, keep up with that stuff, or it will eventually catch up to you. (And if regular services would tax your finances, look into how to perform them yourself - you'll find it's a lot easier than you thought, you'll give it a shot and it will be very rewarding and save you a lot of money!)

And also, if a hinge starts squeaking, if something starts sagging, if some trim breaks, if you get a dent or scratch, take care of those too. Not because they make your car work less or worth less, but because they foster an indifference that snowballs into neglect. Working on those little things will keep you feeling like your car is nice and your loving effort is going to keep it nice, dammit - in much the same way as it's important to take care of yourself and your environment for your mental health, to keep yourself feeling like you are making it and with your loving effort you are going to keep making it, dammit.

Links in blue are posts of mine explaining the words in question - if you liked this post, you might like those!

[boxfullaturtles]

I want to know all the things about your KH AU. Please just tell me things, because I love it.

oh Kingdom Hearts AU, how i have neglected you…. UnU what can I say about KH AU hhhmm (aside from having Raph's ref sheet half done and then getting distracted by a million other things lol) let's see........

Donnie loses his heart at some point. Not because of a Heartless or other enemy, but because he pushes himself too hard and too far.

He does create a Heartless. I don't know what kind of Nobody he leaves behind

The rest of the family do end up finding--and fighting--Donnie's Heartless. How do they know it's Donnie's? Well, aside from Mikey being able to sense Donnie's Heart, buried and smothered in Darkness, there's a certain...Donatello flavor to the way the Heartless looks.

I have not finished designing the Donnie Heartless.

How do they get Donnie back? I dunno. Maybe it involves the piece of his Heart he left with Shelldon.

What's in the half of Donnie's lab that no one ever gets to see? That's a secret. For now.

Casey's Future Leo only had one Keyblade and it wasn't Arc Hope, so Future Leo didn't have portals. In fact, Future Leo's Keyblade didn't seem like it fit him at all. A heavy hitter with a reverse grip didn't really fit his fighting style. But he made it work.

Future Mikey was so powerful that his Keyblade kind of just...floated around him, like an extension of himself. He wielded it kind of like how Sora's Final Form uses Keyblades in KH2.

Casey Junior gets a shock when he sees the present day Keyblades. And an even bigger one when Leo portals. And then the biggest one when Leo gains Synch Blade and dual Keyblades.

I love the design of Before the Fall so damn much. But I don't think it fits Leo very well overall. I think after the Krang, the whole thing is weighing heavily on his Heart and he can't let it go. So while he has a lot more faith in his family (After the Rise), he's struggling with keeping that faith in himself. It's letting doubt and Darkness creep into his Heart and it's going to take some work and character development for him to overcome this. Before the Fall is a little too heavy with Darkness for him.

When Leo DOES find himself in a better place, Before the Fall will change. To what? I haven't decided yet. I just don't think Leo should be forced to carry a burden like that Keyblade. He deserves something better.

April's Keyblade is the only one I haven't figured out a name for yet.

In the silly TMNT AU Competition comic I did, Donnie mentions a "Worlds We Are Banned From" list. This is a real list. They have been forbidden from returning to some worlds for...reasons. The reasons may or may not be because of shit they've done.

Raph and Leo sort of co-lead the group, but Raph still acts as the big brother most of the time, trying to wrangle his siblings into behaving. Except when he's acting out too, and then it's April's job.

April getting a Keyblade was an accident. Donnie accidentally did it when they were little.

What's Draxum doing in this AU? Why did he make the turtles? What are the Foot Clan doing? How does The Shredder work? Fuck if I know. What, you think I planned this or something?

Yes, there is magic that alters their appearance depending on what kind of world they land on. Most of the time, it's like a surface level glamour that only affects the eyes of the inhabitants (this is my headcanon as to why no questions why a duck and a dog are following Sora around 90% of the time, they look human on worlds with humans). There have been a few worlds where they've had to deal with physical transformations. Suffice it to say that those have been an absolute riot for everyone.

And...that's all I got. For now anyway. There is still some stuff I'm working on, but it's sort of taken a back seat to everything else...

[starberry-cupcake]

A lot of things happened between me making the Strange World poll and me looking at the results, then I sat on my hot take about it for a while, after which I ended up thinking about how it reflects Disney as a whole right now and how that impacts media and culture, and now here we are.

Basically what I got from it was 1) that a huge portion of the people who voted didn't know the movie existed, even if it's been available online (legally or otherwise) for a year now, 2) that the biggest amount of negative votes are from people who didn't see the movie (either because it's a Disney movie or because they heard it was bad) and 3) that a vast minority of the negative votes are from people who actually watched it and didn't like it.

So, most of the problems people had with it were not "movie problems" but "Disney problems".

I made the poll because I read that Bob Iger (aka the person people should have been dissing all these years instead of Eisner, who hasn't been in Disney for almost 20 years now) had said that the problem currently going on with Disney movies is that they're more focused on having a message than on being entertaining.

Strange World was, to me, the best example to test this, because it's a movie that packs a hell of a lot of important things for Disney to portray in a story, does it pretty well in my humble irrelevant opinion, and it did incredibly poorly in the box office (it apparently picked up in streaming, but it's still considered a "major flop").

Box office, even if still the way studios measure success, isn't really a valuable measurement of it anymore. After 2020 nobody goes to the theater as much as they used to, worldwide. People who pay for Disney+ always prefer to wait for the movies being added there and people who don't can find HD quality options elsewhere once it does.

Still, the general media perception is that the movie is "bad", regardless of numbers.

However, other animated films that came out at a similar time, which also tackled some important themes and representation, have been praised for those things by the same audiences that didn't acknowledge Strange World.

Why would the same people wax poetic about something like Nimona, for example, and hate Stange World with a passion? I mean, they're not comparable in plot or the fact that Nimona was an adaptation of a previously released source material, but why would something with the "message" Iger is talking about (mainly representation, especially queer representation, and a core essence about something socially or culturally impactful) be universally despised and another thing with it be universally loved?

My poll isn't representative of a huge portion of the viewership but it's telling me that the problem wasn't fully on the film itself but on Disney.

On 1) their lack of support for the film (and it's message, considering things happened without Disney acknowledging them, like teachers who showed it to students receiving professional consequences) and 2) of the image they currently have as a company because of all they've done.

I'm not the first to observe that Disney ended in a place between conservatives wanting it to be a patriotic beacon of oppressive values and reasonable audiences wanting it to be more aware of its impact and responsibility in representing stories (as well as the dangers of it, as a company, monopolizing media and treating employees with disrespect, something Abigail Disney, who doesn't have a place in the table, has called out many times and attempted to help with).

Caught in the middle of this are people trying to tell stories, some of them with more impactful messages than they get credit for, because they're reduced to be seen as cog wheels of the mouse. People who were trying to change things from within, even with the pressure put on them from outside, not only because of the company leadership wanting to be on the good side of every type of audience possible to get more money, but also because of the god awful production decisions they're forced to undertake upon this leadership's view, also to make more money (to make characters that can be marketable, to consider that they have to make dolls, munchlings, pins, costumes and ears of this character, to release the films at crazy dates, etc.).

Also caught in the middle of this is Jennifer Lee, who is the first female director of Walt Disney Animation Studios feature film and was chosen after Iger very reluctantly let go of known abuser John Lasseter who was immediately later employed by Skydance because being a known abuser is less bad for animation studios than making movies that flop. But we already knew that, in the past few years we've known of accusations against Aaron Ehasz (ATLA, Dragon Prince), Bibo Bergeron (Road to El Dorado, A Monster in Paris), Skyler Page (Clarence) and Patrick Mchale (OTGW), to name the first that come to mind (who people still wax poetic about and who are still releasing projects).

It took ages for Disney to actually fire Lasseter, even with everything going on against him, and having Lee stepping up was a welcomed surprise that very clearly has impacted the content and type of movies Disney has been making. Still, Lee herself has shown how insane the rhythm of work has been for them at Disney because of the deadlines and decisions pushed by the management, very clearly evidenced in the documentary they did about the making of Frozen II, which she co-wrote and co-directed, while being director of Disney Animation.

It would not surprise me in the least if Lee is blamed for this "chain of flops", since her addition has brought more of these so-called "messages" to the movies.

When I read Iger say his statement, I wasn't surprised, he has always been this way. His way of treating Disney has been to purchase IPs in order to use them to get box office numbers faster. To not care about the quality of a film but that it's part of a pre-made something that makes people want to see it in theaters or stream it day 1, not caring if it's good. Star Wars, Marvel, the live actions, the god awful sequels nobody asked for, even the ride overlays at the parks with 0 new narratives, it's all part of this plan.

It's easier to get people in theaters day one to watch the live action Little Mermaid people have been arguing about online for years than a new movie about a family in steampunk clothes that nobody knows about.

He doesn't care about the essence of a story or about what people like about it, it's about trying to get the attention of the most amount of people possible, especially people who wouldn't otherwise see this film or pay for this hotel or buy this merch (this is why the Galactic Starcruiser failed imo).

But, considering movies like Strange World did flop and people do regard them as bad, I had to ask. To see if, indeed, people just don't care anymore.

Iger says entertainment is the essence of Disney and I don't think it ever was.

A lot of the movies Walt Disney oversaw during his lifetime were considered flops (Pinocchio, Fantasia, Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty, the package films...they don't remind you that very often) and he kept making them. He famously gave up his own money and belongings for uncertain projects and went bankrupt several times because of that. He ruined his Ford sponsorship because his team developed a non gasoline sustained transportation medium that Ford feared would compete with the automobile. If his aim had been purely entertainment with no other incentive, I don't think these things would have happened.

I think the essence used to be creativity, to be completely honest.

Disney is missing creativity, but not because it lacks creative talent in its ranks. It's because those creatives are stifled (and overworked and undervalued) by a leadership that is money hungry and has turned the studio into a company that eats what's in front of it like pacman.

The sad part is that when people look at the movies in which these creatives try to break free and have them mean something, what people see is the greedy face of the leadership and throw away the whole suitcase.

In tow, leadership uses that as evidence that these movies, the ones that mean something, are the issue and what doesn't work for Disney. They use people's dismissal of the movies because of the company as proof that the movies are to blame for it all.

So, basically, Strange World flops and we get announced Toy Story 5, Frozen 3 and Zootopia 2 while also laying off 7000 employees at the same time.

Whatever people might individually think about Disney (as a studio, as a company, etc.), they have been making media for 100+ years. Every generation alive today has existed while something by Disney was playing in a theater somewhere. Fairy tales and folk stories that used to be told orally or read to kids have coexisted with the Disney stories (originals or versions of the prior) for a century.

When people think of Snow White, chances are they believe the Grimm story ends with a kiss because the Disney movie has it. When people think of Cinderella, chances are they think she had mice helping her with chores because the Disney movie has it. When people are asked who is the antagonist in Sleeping Beauty, chances are they say 'Maleficent'.

A lot of people hate that, children's lit academics hate that with a passion, comments upon comments in youtube video essays blame Disney for changing things in their movies, for making stories less gruesome and yet not progressive enough, not historically accurate and yet not designed creatively enough, etc.

But the fact remains that they have been building storytelling we grow up with for 100+ years. And, to me personally, that means it's worth looking into and criticizing in depth, however extra it might seem (or maybe it's my line of work that's driving me to it).

The consequence of this century-long presence in storytelling, that is both inspired by folklore and provided to childhood in forming years, is that its evolution (in narrative, in depictions, in representation, in subject matters) not only is influenced by the vision of a society at a given time, it also influences society itself in tow.

You can study the evolution of anything in Disney movies (like princesses or villains or cultural settings) and see how changes represent a view of something at a certain point in time, as much as you can do with versions of fairy tales both oral and written.

At the same time, you can draw parallels on how the things that are not depicted, represented or done so in a problematic way can influence the perception of identity of a person since their formative years.

In this sense, like it or not, Disney has become a cornerstone of both media depiction of cultural storytelling and a formative narrative tool for people in their childhood. And that's a major responsibility to throw out the window by reducing its importance as "entertainment" alone.

Still, when a movie like Strange World tries and fails, and leadership uses it as an excuse to blame for any of their wrongdoings, it's hard to move forward and create steps ahead for cultural and social representation in what has become such an integral piece of narrative influence.

[imperialstark]

like smoke rings in the air

a/n: lol i meant to write this in may. anyway steve may or may not be obsessed with tony after the events of breathe me in. that's between him and god.

breathe me in (prequel fic. tony's pov)

choke on me (sequel fic. tony's pov)

Steve has a problem by the name of Tony Stark.

It starts in Stuttgart with Steve on his knees, Tony his savior, soaring through the air in a riot of noise and color, like an archangel at the end of days.

Later on, when Tony leaps from the Quinjet, proud and defiant, Steve doesn't even think twice about jumping after him into the unknown.

Maybe that should have been his first sign that Tony Stark was nothing but trouble.

He's trouble with those whiskey-warm eyes, and that smart fucking mouth, but Lord, forgive him, Steve wants to sin for once.

Steve's finally stripping out of his uniform and gearing up for a shower when Tony makes the decision for him. Tony comes after they've defeated the Chitauri, gone through Hell together. He hovers in the doorway looking uncharacteristically contrite and something in Steve aches. Tony's heart had stopped in those few terrifying seconds after the Hulk had cradled him to safety. What was he even doing up?

He says as much and Tony deflects quick and sharp like a knife to the gut. "After the second time you get used to it."

It's said so nonchalantly, like it's a fact of life. Tony Stark's heart stops from time to time and it's no big deal. Why is Steve worrying? Still...it bothers him, how little Tony seems to care about his own wellbeing.

"You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play. To lay down on the wire and let the other guy crawl over you," he had said earlier in blaze of righteous fury.

It leaves a bitter taste in his mouth, just thinking about it. Tony had laid on the wire. More than.

He's man enough to apologize, to recognize when he's wrong. Maybe it's the adrenaline of the past 36 hours or the latent realization that all of Manhattan would be a smoking crater if not for Tony, but Steve has the sudden, near violent urge to make things right.

Steve snaps back to the present, face twisting as Tony says he wants to apologize for being an ass, like Steve hadn't been going toe to toe with him in the first place.

And for some godforsaken reason, that pisses Steve off. Reminds him of the old days, before the war and the shield and everything that came with it, when everyone treated him like he was made of glass. Innocent. Fragile. Good for nothing.

"It wasn't just you," Steve blurts out, hoping it doesn't sound as strange as he feels. This is supposed to be an apology and all he wants is to prove Tony wrong.

Somehow, it works. They banter back and forth and Tony estimates that he's no longer a lab rat and it feels good. The kind of banter he had with his men a lifetime ago. And maybe...if this little team of theirs doesn't fall apart...

His stupid heart still has hope, it seems.

"You know...what you did today, that took courage," Steve says, his voice slipping into something softer that makes his cheeks heat. The ribbing was easy. Routine. This is something else entirely.

"Don't even mention it. Please," Tony says quickly...not the reaction you'd expect from someone with a notorious ego.

Steve frowns and wonders how much of Tony Stark is real.

"If you're not gonna let me apologize to you properly, at least let me do something for you, or buy you something. I'm great at buying things."

His first reaction is to balk, but he swiftly shuts it down. He had judged Tony before and look where that had gotten them. The least Steve could do was hear him out. "Like what?"

"I don't know, like a vintage car or something. A blowjob. Whatever floats your boat."

It's ice water in his veins, like the floor's disappeared underneath them, and Steve is headed straight towards another watery grave. A thousand thoughts fly through his head—is it a joke? A threat?

Steve hopes times have changed at least in regards to that. But why would Tony bring it up so publicly if it was still a crime to want a man the way society said he should have wanted a woman? Unless...unless it was real. Because if it was real...

By the time Steve formulates a response, he already sees the fear in Tony's eyes.

"It was a joke," Tony says weakly, and Steve hopes his disappointment isn't that clear.

"I'm sorry," Steve says, glancing down, suddenly all too aware of his half-nakedness. He needs to go into barrack now before he dies of embarrassment.

"Wait," Tony says, grabbing Steve by the arm. It sets Steve on fire in the best way, the ice in his veins melting away. "It...it wouldn't be a chore or anything."

Steve swallows, looking Tony up and down. There's a nervous, flighty look in Tony's eyes like candle light. "You mean that?" Steve says.

But Tony wasn't a candle. He wasn't even a spark. Tony Stark was a goddamn powder keg, and Steve wanted to be the one to light the match.

"I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it," Tony confesses. The ice, the cold, is gone, and Steve wants to burn, burn, burn.

"Yeah?" Steve says, and his tongue darts out, wetting his lips, suddenly parched.

"Yeah," Tony breathes.

What happens after is forever emblazoned in his brain. Tony, looking at him with those fucking doe eyes. Yanking Tony in by his shirt collar, kissing that smart-ass mouth until all it's good for is moaning like a whore into Steve's. Tony sinking to his knees, Steve's pants around his thighs and his cock finding a new home in Tony's mouth.

And then Tony runs.

Sometimes Steve thinks Tony was born with wings at his feet, that he came out of the womb running and hasn't stopped since.

Steve feels like a wolf sometimes, chasing after Tony, nipping at his heels with sharp teeth. He doesn't mind the chase, but he doesn't love it either. He just wants Tony. Tony in his arms, in his bed, with Steve's teeth clamped around his throat.

Okay, so maybe he does like the chase. Just a little. But if Steve likes it, then Tony loves it; a hare evading a snare.

Tony runs and Steve thinks to Apollo and Daphne; So close to heaven you can almost fucking taste it, nectar gliding hot and heavy like honey down his throat, only for it to be snatched away.

Two years pass and he's not any closer to solving the Tony Problem and it haunts him. Even on missions. Especially on missions.

"How about her?" Natasha says, swiping through one of the five billion dating apps that seemed to permeate this new era Steve was in.

They're in Turkey this time, waiting for SHIELD to extract them, but there had been something wrong with one of the helicarrier's turbines prolonging them indefinitely. What else was new. Natasha had of course decided that was the perfect time to make him a Tinder, of all things.

"Out of the kindness of my heart," she had teased.

The woman on Natasha's phone was...fine. Stunning even, with long golden hair, high cheekbones and a tall, svelte figure but her eyes...

Her eyes were pale blue, like shards of ice. Steve shivered involuntarily. He had had enough of ice.

He wanted heat and fire, someone who burned him alive. Someone like—

"Not my type," Steve says and he's telling the truth... and maybe he wants to mess with Natasha. Just a little bit.

"...Is it because she's blonde?"

Yeah. That was the issue. The woman was blonde and she had blues eyes and wasn't Tony fucking Stark and that made all the difference.

"Too pretty," Steve says instead.

"And you're too handsome," Natasha says. "It's a match made in heaven."

"Heaven, huh?

"Or, Hell. Honestly, take your pick."

Steve snorts and scrubs a hand down his face. When he closes his eyes, he's no longer at there extraction point, a nondescript hostel devoid of any other guests and he's back on the helicarrier...with Tony.

Tony had been eager, with roaming hands and a wicked tongue that had Steve coming hard enough to see fucking stars. The new navy-and-white suit he's wearing is one of Tony's designs and he can almost pretend like Tony's hands are all over him. He'd leave it on and Tony would sink to his knees again, kissing Steve's boots and up his calves, ever the tease. Nuzzling against his thighs and lathing at Steve through the kevlar.

"I missed you," Tony would say, doe eyes back in full force. "I missed this," with his hand around Steve's—

"Did you go to sleep?" Natasha asks, and the fantasy's over.

Later on, when the helicarrier finally picks them up, Steve does his usual routine. Strip. Shower. Jerk off, thinking about Tony. Rinse. Repeat.

"I want you," Tony would say.

"I could give it to you," Steve thinks. "If you'd let me."