#m. long post

[tamedgod]

   a closer look at the overwatch timeline;

   Haru Niya and Xiao Long grew up in very separate worlds from one another, with Haru’s family scraping by to make ends meet, and Xiao living in the lap of luxury under his family’s wealth. Fate brought them together when Haru’s father, Yun, was honorably discharged from the military (post first omnic crisis) and took on a security position for Long Enterprises. Meeting because of their parents, Xiao took to Haru instantly, though the other remained shy. Growing up in the peaceful Overwatch generation, the pair had fairly standard childhoods, Haru’s family struggling less with the help and protection of the Long empire. As they grew older, however, a strain would come between the families when Long Enterprises would come under investigation by Overwatch for illicit activities. Though they were eventually cleared of all charges, the damage had been done, and the Niya family separated from the company. Though Haru and Xiao attempted to remain close, it was clear in later years that they were on very different paths, with Haru beginning to study medicine while Xiao was prepped to take over his family’s empire -- though this work didn’t interest him in the slightest. Eventually, Haru was invited to join Overwatch’s ranks, and after a long heart to heart, she convinced Xiao to leave his family and come along with her.

   Time in Overwatch was both easy and difficult for Xiao; with a penchant for battle and being a natural with many weapons, it would have been easy to make him a soldier. The choice was made, however, to keep him as a scout and informant through his family’s organization, which had ties to many industries and affairs. He was the perfect spy... but he hated it. Having Haru around made it bearable though -- he would do it for her -- and during any time he’d spend at base he’d often watch her work with the other healers and supports. Haru took well to her role, attempting to learn all she could from the more senior members of Overwatch, particularly Dr. Ziegler. She was very interested in learning about how different types of medical processes and healing worked, and took interest in many medical studies because of it, leading her to the papers of one Moira O’Deorain. Experimental as her studies were -- some even ethically questionable -- her work fascinated Haru, and she would often talk to Xiao about what she would learn. The two would go on this way until the formation of Blackwatch, Overwatch’s covert ops, where Xiao was finally going to be taken off the bench. It was exciting, being invited into Blackwatch’s ranks; Xiao would finally get to travel, battle, and put his skills to use.  But -- very selfishly -- a part of him didn’t want to leave Haru behind -- didn’t want to be separated from her again. And so with the knowledge of how she’d blossomed as a healer for the main corps, Xiao pitched his case to Jack and Gabriel... and then to Haru, herself.

   There was hesitation from Haru on joining Blackwatch, but with gentle coaxing from Xiao and the understanding that he’d made the leap of faith to join Overwatch when she’d asked him, she took the plunge. It was like stepping into another world for her, one where she got to meet Moira and work with different methods of healing and see a vastly different side of the work Overwatch needed done. But when given the chance to be a part of Moira’s experiments alongside Xiao and the others, again she hesitated; this was a line she had studied in depth but wasn’t sure she’d ever cross, herself. With Xiao taking so well to his new role, he was prepared for any sacrifice he’d have to make in order to become stronger -- Haru wishes she could be so sure. After another heart to heart with Xiao, the feelings she’d been developing for him helped give her the push she needed to give the experimentation a go. Discussions with Moira led to the agreement that Haru wanted to be able to heal without having to rely on as many supplies as she normally would. Through studies of the Shambali healing methods and taking properties from Moira’s own support apparatus -- and with a lot of blood, sweat, and many, many tears -- the experimentation was complete, and it was time for Haru to put her new abilities to the test.

   Xiao’s experimentation had finished long before Haru’s, the man working missions and falling quickly in step behind Gabriel, taking to him as if he’d never had a real role model before him. Missions were fun for the first time -- exhilarating and unpredictable -- and they were about to be even more enjoyable with Haru joining him in the field. Their first mission was an interrogation -- the enemy in question having knowledge of an arms cache for Talon -- and it went... too well. With Xiao asked to run point and actively torturing the man, Haru was asked to use her new abilities to forcibly heal him --- and then repeat until they broke. This process took hours, With Xiao beating, bleeding, maiming the man with ease, his new Death Touch ability a poison to the man’s system, only to be healed by Haru before irreparable damage could be caused. Not only did this shake Haru mentally, but it turned out there were repercussions to long term use of her new abilities, her hands and arms beginning to sustain burn scars from the constant use of her  new cauterization ability. When the man finally broke, and the cache was overtaken, Haru returned to base without a word, biting her tongue and holding in her tears until she was alone. The cracks in her foundation with Xiao were beginning to stretch. Missions continued this way, with Xiao growing bolder and Haru growing quieter. There was a tangible strain between them that neither of them seemed willing to address --- though they could see it in each other plain as day. It wouldn’t be until one botched mission that the cracks would become irreversible.

   The mission was supposed to be simple; take an already caught Talon executive into custody, and let the higher ups figure out where to go from there. The executive had stolen some of Blackwatch’s private files -- information on their operations and some of their units. This mission was meant to be simple; no bloodshed, just an escort. This would wind up not being the case, however, as the Blackwatch unit was ambushed, and despite Xiao and the other’s best efforts, the criminal escaped. Reprimanded for the lack of foresight, Blackwatch set to work on covering up the mistake, seeking out the missing target before any further harm could be done. They were hopeful to catch him before he could link back up with Talon, but they’d been too late. By the time the Talon base had been overtaken and the fugitive caught once more, the files were gone; and when Haru received a phone call from her mother later that night, the last straw finally broke. Her younger brother, Drem, had been found murdered in her family’s home -- it turned out one of those missing files had been Haru’s own. Her parents were both quickly moved into the custody of Witness Protection, and her brother’s body was properly disposed of. No evidence. The damage now was unfixable, and Haru would unleash fury upon Jack, Gabriel, and Xiao. In her heart there was no repairing this, and even though she was reassigned back to Overwatch’s main corps, her relationship with many around the organization would never be the same. Her path and Xiao’s divided further than ever before.

   Time passes and the fall of Blackwatch -- then Overwatch soon after -- comes about, the explosion preceding the passing of the Petras act the presumed final nail in the organization’s coffin. The law now stated that actions done in the name of Overwatch were a crime, and the former agents began to scatter to the wind. Xiao returned to his family’s enterprise, falling head first into the illegalities they dealt in that had been so hidden from the eyes of the law. He was a successful and now infamous criminal kingpin going by the title of “World Eater”, and stayed on Reaper’s radar in order to do work for Talon. He’s had little contact with anyone from his past -- whether due to guilt or to protect his new occupation, no one knows. Haru traveled, first with Angela for a while, then on her own. She couldn’t see her parents -- couldn’t face them. And so she traveled, miles and miles across the globe, to use her cursed power to heal those in need. The burn scars on her hands and arms became permanent reminders of the past -- ones she still holds on to when the recall comes through.

[lesbianweed]

[arkashas]

Hannibal and Will + rejecting potential murder buddies

and the reason why:

[mythicalcoolkid]

I love the "glasses are disability" thing because it applies to basically every complaint abled people have about disability

"You're not even that bad, why would you get that?" Have you ever used a magnifying glass for small details or zoomed in on a picture

"Why do you have that accommodation TODAY?" Why do you wear reading glasses when you're reading

"It seems like your 'needs' are inconsistent." Yeah and you wear sunglasses when it's sunny and not all the time

"But you can technically walk without that." Yeah and if I put the page really close to your face you could read it, it would just hurt and be hugely impractical, inconvenient, and limiting

"But you COULD go without it all the time, you don't NEED it to live." And maybe you could technically see without your glasses, doesn't mean it's comfortable or practical day to day

"If you REALLY had a hard time seeing you would have glasses." Have you ever known someone who couldn't afford a new pair of glasses? Or eye appointments? Someone who needed vision therapy or special prism glasses? Someone whose vision only gets bad during migraines or seizures? Someone with astigmatism that glasses can't help? Someone who didn't qualify for LASIK?

"You only use it when you're out in public." Have you ever gotten up to use the bathroom at night without putting on your glasses

"Decorating it is just trying to get attention, and it's a medical device so stop glamorizing it." Do you hate any patterned or colorful glasses frames too? Art with characters who wear glasses? People who make OCs with glasses? Glasses chains, prescription sunglasses, aesthetic fake glasses with tinted lenses?

"There are secretly lots of people just using aids for fun and attention." There are secretly lots of people wearing fake glasses or colored contacts for fun and attention, it does not affect you

"We need to find fakers, they're stealing disabled resources!" Someone pretending to need glasses is "taking" a seat in the front from someone who might need it more. That sucks and they shouldn't do that. But I'm not going to scrutinize every person who wears glasses to see if I think they really need that seat. You personally are not the arbiter of who is (based on the random times you've seen them) secretly not disabled

"My friend has that and doesn't act like that." Does every pair of glasses in production, or even every pair close to your prescription, work for you? Is your vision identical to every other nearsighted person?

"If you can do X why can't you do Y? Some people with that can do Y."/"But if you have that how can you do X? People with that can't usually do X." Some people are nearsighted and some people are farsighted and some people are both. Some farsighted people can read some without glasses and some can't. And good distance vision doesn't mean you don't ever need glasses, it's just an entirely different reason you'd need glasses

"You're too young to need that." And there are young people who need bifocal lenses

"Why don't you use this DIFFERENT aid though, it would look like you didn't even have an aid." Why doesn't everyone in the world wear contacts

"Why can't I/my friend/my kid play with it?" Do you let random strangers and children try on your glasses at the grocery store

"I was just trying to help, I thought you'd need a push/you were in the way." Are you cool with me suddenly pulling your glasses off your face to clean them, or because the glare was distracting me

"You'll eventually stop using it though right?" Are you planning on no longer needing glasses someday

Disabled people are free to add

I am aware this is not a 1-to-1 perfectly accurate post. Do not come into the notes trying to "um actually this isn't a perfect comparison." I know. Just don't

[lovethistoomuch]

I've been on a bit ob a Russell Crowe movie binge in the past few weeks and since he is almost sixty now, many of the movies I've watched were consequently older movies. and when I watched them, it struck me again, how much hollywood has changed in the last few decades when it comes to depicting men.

take Gladiator for example from the year 2000. Russell Crowe plays basically an action hero in it. he is a big, muscly dude, who is very strong and uses that strength to defeat his enemies. and this is what he looks like:

looks like a strong man, right?

in the same year, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine looked like this in the first X-men movie:

in 2013 the same character played by the same actor looked like this:

it's a bit much, isn't it? I mean, he looks so skinny.

and if we go even further back: look at what the womanizer character Face from the A-team looked like in the 80s show vs the 2010 movie reboot:

maybe the difference isn't that big but it really startled me when I watched that movie for the first time. in my mind there was no reason why Face should be particularly muscular since he is the charming one not the one known for being particularly strong.

if we go even further back, look at the charmin womanizer character Hawkeye in M*A*S*H from the 70's.

I know he's a doctor and there is no reason for him to be ripped but I got the feeling if they did the show now, he would be.

I don't know what my point really is I'm just saying I got a bit nostalgic when watching these men. I cannot be the only one who'd rather see more of this:

than this:

also, as a sidenote: Russell Crowe gained a lot of weight for the nice guys and he is a fucking powerhouse in that film, like, when he punches someone, you really feel it because of the weight that is behind it and the shere mass of his body.

(even if this may look different, he's about to break Ryan Gosling's character's arm. I couldn't find a gif of him punching someone but I swear it looks painfull as hell.)

so, in short: can we get big, heavy action guys back? cause I'm tired of seeing these skinny, despite being muscular dudes who look dehydrated as hell and on steroids.

and can we stop making characters ripped just for the sake of it? cause I'd rather cuddle with a guy looking like Hawkeye than one looking like Face from the new A-team movie.

[0fps]

WUTHERING WAVES ❖ battle beneath the crescent

[alivedean]

"Try the food, though." bonus:

[ahsung]

EXTRAORDINARY ATTORNEY WOO (2022) dir. Yoo In Shik

[milimeters-morales]

PROWLER MILES USED TO SMILE EXACTLY LIKE THIS. THIS WAS HIM. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE CALL A FUCKING AMBULANCE IM LOSING IT

[wolsim]

“That's a good date. October 31.” Queen of Tears (2024), dir. Jang Young-Woo, Kim Hee-Won

[genderkoolaid]

tbh my opinion isnt so much that trans men cannot have male privilege. its that the way we understand male privilege is based in cis women, specifically otherwise privileged (esp. otherwise-gendered privilege, i.e gender-conforming/straight/perisex) cis women's understanding of gender as something static and inherent to who you are, rather than something fluid which is, in part, constructed by society and placed onto you separately in every moment.

can a trans man experience (cis) male privilege? yes. can a trans woman? yes. and so can a cis woman! hell, a femme perisex cis woman with a gender neutral name could if she's assumed to be a cis man on a resume. male privilege is not an on/off switch. the idea that it is stems from cissexist understandings of male/female as entirely separate and static categories which everyone can and must be understood through. trans people in feminism are expected to constantly defend and deflect accusations of being Privileged Male Oppressors by promising cis perisex women that our experiences are just like theirs! we don't have any scary opinions that don't align with their worldview! we swear we won't ever make them have to reflect on how being cis+perisex has biased them and potentially made their analysis of gender at all inaccurate! trans experiences are only considered valuable to cisfeminism to the extent that they reaffirm what cisfeminists already hold true. thats why they only ever want to talk about a very simplistic narrative around wages pre/post-transition. its extremely unthreatening to cis people because it presents transness in patriarchy as just going from one cis role to another; it doesn't ask cis feminists to expand their paradigm to include the ways in which trans people are treated as a class and their own complicity in transphobic oppression.

which is why trans men have been getting fucked over by trans-affirmng cisfeminism. because by virtue of having our gender acknowledged, we are expected to forfeit our place in the feminist movement and adopt the role of outsider along cis men*. and its also why trans women and MTX people get fucked over the minute they cannot or refuse to describe their experiences through the one or two approved narratives. cisfeminism cannot tolerate transness-as-transness. it has to be compressed and reduced and diluted into something that fits within a cis-centric framework. we aren't allowed to have nuanced and intersectional conversations about trans men & other trans folks relationship with male privilege, the things we have to sacrifice to there, how fleeting it can be, the fact that for some of us being read as "biologically male" is actively more dangerous than being read as female... if it isn't familiar to cis women, then it means you aren't really oppressed.

*cis men should not be outsiders in feminism either btw but thats another post

[tamedgod]

RISE OF THE PARAGONAL MOTHER

   When a new Paragon is born, it is always a beginning — a brush of paint on a fresh canvas to shape their equally new world around them. Çyreni, born with eyes of silver light and fair raven hair, wanted a society filled with beauty, and She quickly set to work. Instinct and brilliant creative mind made Her paint beautiful blue and purple trees, deer-like creatures with antlers made of crystal, and, of course, humans — all of them unique. But where there is creation, there is also destruction, and as life was breathed into this new world, Death came through the doors along with it. It was He who would explain to Her the duty She must keep as the Paragon of this world, and all She must endure as its creator. Wanting to please Death, who then introduced Himself as Dosha, Çyreni agreed to the terms — though She knew not the true stakes. It was painful, watching her creations pass and leave Her side — taken to a realm She could never cross into. But Dosha would always reassure Her, His haunting mouth whispering words of approval, respect, and adoration. Because of this, She endured, and in time would fall in love with Him; He, the only other creature who would live as long as She. Though their time together was always brief, Death traveling to and from His realm and Çyreni working to breathe more life into Relogae, they were happy. Worshipped like gods by mortal men, their trysts would last decades, centuries, millennia — the two ruling over the realm with benevolence. But, with every passing year and every passing soul, Çyreni would grow tired. She would watch Him take, soul after soul, here and gone, and She would become sad. The two could spend so little time together, and as more time passed Dosha’s words would no longer be enough to soothe Her. And when the first war in Relogae broke out, She’d grow sadder still. She’d watch as He came, a heavy heart about Him, to reap the battlefield, and suddenly Her sadness was a spark. A new feeling would begin to overtake Her, the spark fanning into a flame as creatures, landscapes, and people continued to die around Her. And when He came to take Her sister — a being She created to stay by Her side forever — the flame would become a wildfire, Çyreni unleashing Her fury upon Death in the only way She knew how — by giving Life.

THE GREAT AWAKENING

   She would wait for Him — every time, everywhere, when a body would fall. Before He could take anything or anyone to the next plane, Çyreni would snatch them from His grasp, bringing them... a second life. Or, rather, a second kind of life. Plants and fungi would grow from the bodies like a plague, moving them and holding their sentience — their souls — hostage in their own minds. Dosha grew concerned, warning Çyreni of the heavy universal laws She was trying so desperately to fight, but it did not stop Her. The mass of growth forming from the dead would inspire Her further to Create, and so She began to change everything. The trees, the deer, the rivers, the rocks — everything began to gain its own sentience, the logic and morality of it escaping Her as all She wanted was to live with Her creations — Her family. She wanted them all to spend this eternal life with Her, forever. Humans became morally and ethically confused as the prey they would hunt and the trees they would chop came to life. More battles and wars of all kinds began anew, but alas, all was okay! Because Dosha couldn't take them — because Çyreni would seal their sentience in that second life She'd give them, never allowing them to leave. They could kill each other all they like; they need not eat nor sleep in their second lives. There would be no more fighting once they were all living their next lives... with Her. These infected bodies worshipped Çyreni like She was the Only. She was all they could see and all they would need. This grand event was later referred to as the Great Awakening, and would bring about what many would call the Age of Light.

ÇYRENI'S STAR

   And just like that, suddenly He stopped appearing. Çyreni would look and look when the bodies would fall, but Dosha would not come. A grave sadness fell about Death, one He seldom felt, and one He knew must be overcome. Despite the love they had once shared, Dosha's duty was to what He was — He had been foolish to pretend to be anything else. And so, He stayed away, hidden on His plane, amongst the countless souls taken during his ageless duty. He traveled to all corners of the realm, searching for other Paragons and deities of power — seeking to restore balance to a plagued world. A Paragon with bias and without understanding was dangerous. And so, when the group He'd formed came together, they brought forth a new creation; Çyreni’s Star. If there was only one thing Death could not do, it was taking the eternal life of a Paragon — they were the only souls He could never touch. But He could — hold them. Lock them away... lock Her away. A balanced world without its Paragon would be better than an enslaved one with Her. And thus began a great battle; the Paragonal Mother, Çyreni, against the King of Dreams, the thirteen Aeges Mages, the Father of Battle, the Divine Conduit, Çyreni’s own blood, and Dosha, Himself. None could slay Her, but together they could — and would — subdue Her. Once She was sealed into the Star, the Twice Lived creatures all began to drop, one by one, their souls finally free. It was then that the Star would be given to Siro, the King of Dreams, to hold and to guard for eternity. And thus, the Age of Light would come to an end.

BIRTH OF THE LONG DYNASTY

   Though Çyreni was gone, the scars She had left behind would never truly heal. The sentient creatures She'd created had to learn to survive and live in this new societal structure they had entered, though many humans still shun these so-called Beast-Kin even in the present age. Dosha was tired — even His own holiness not fully withstanding the battle... and the loss of His beloved. Because of this, He would travel, truly leaving His plane for the first time to walk the planet in the guise of a human named Bei'Faux. He learned every creature's name, new and old, and began to write. Bei'Faux's first book, Bei'Faux's Bestiary, was spread far and wide, entailing all of the beautiful creatures and plants living in Relogae. He would settle down only once, marrying a mortal woman and beginning a family — the Long family. They were to take over the old throne at the royal capital of Lodrorn in the heart of Pavisia, a great country to Relogae's west, when the time was right. His power would slowly trickle down the family line as the dynasty grew — one could tell they were Death’s children by the light of their golden eyes. All was peaceful for a small age, this relatively young world turning as it should — until a familiar face would come through the Long Palace’s halls.

SỈRO’S EXILE

   Siro, the King of Dreams, was a lesser deity of Çyreni’s own Creation and one of Her most faithful disciples. They had been a difficult one to turn during the divine war — yet arguably the most pivotal. Despite the love shared between Çyreni and Dosha so long ago, Siro themself would grow close to the Paragonal Mother, using their divine control over sleep and dreams to influence the masses and further spread Her celestial plague. It took much sacrifice and the agreement that they would get to keep the Star in order for Siro to come to terms. The King of Dreams was crucial in subduing Çyreni, their power to induce sleep one of the only things that slowed Her down enough to enforce capture. Dosha had had His doubts about Siro, but entrusted them with the eternal protection of Çyreni’s Star nonetheless, as agreed. The flaws in Death’s plan would become apparent, however, as a hundred years later Siro would come through the doors of the grand Long Palace, a strange, silvery glint in their eye. They spoke strangely, speaking in riddles with undertones of threats, talking about the fall of the kingdom. Then, suddenly, they would strike out, grabbing Dosha by the throat and looking Him dead in the eye. It was then, as Siro was ripped off of Him by palace guards, that Death would recognize Her within them. One by one the guards, His friends, His family would fall into slumber, Çyreni abusing Siro’s power through their body to force a private audience with the other. She told Him there was nowhere He could run where She would not find Him, and nowhere He could hide Her away that She could not escape. After a moment of struggle, Siro came back to their senses, shocked and horrified by what they had done. Allowing the residents of the palace to reawaken, it was with newfound uneasiness that the warriors from the divine battle would once more reconvene. After a long, grave debate, the heroes would decide that the Star was to be split amongst them and locked away, and Siro would be banished. Sentenced to isolation on the isle of Yqq, a protective ward was placed upon the surrounding sea, turning its waters black. These new Void Depths held monstrosities beneath the dark currents, and would keep unwanted visitors away — and Siro locked inside.

DOSHA'S DISAPPEARANCE

   It wasn’t long after the King of Dreams’ exile that Dosha would become filled with despair. Another hundred years passed, and with his blood lineage on the throne, He would leave the palace with His piece of the Star, journeying only once to the isle of Yqq to visit His old comrade. He would never speak of what He saw there, and He would not return to Lodrorn. He would walk, miles and miles and miles, only stopping in the eastern mountains when the frail human guise He’d worn for all those years could no longer go on. He would rest in a small village called Froska, hidden in the snowy alps, and begin to write once again. This time the book was called The Relogaen Archives, and was to be a written history of the realm, but it was never finished. One day, Dosha would simply disappear, and His piece of the Star would vanish along with Him.

WHERE OUR HEROES BEGIN

   The Long dynasty eventually became a scourge to Relogae, some descendants of Death abusive of their power. In Relogae's current age, the birth of XiaoLong as the next Dosha encourages his family to wage war — to take over any corners of the realm that could be subjugated under the might of the long lived Long dynasty. On the other side of Relogae, the more industrialized country of Urvini massacres the Beast-Kin living on the island nation of Tiurs, turning its sights to the west to move through the mage kingdom of Aegesir and onto a full blown conflict with Pavisia. Amongst all this battling, humans and Beast-Kin alike are displaced, including a tribe of Rtali felines to the north of Pavisia. It is here we meet Haru'Niya, the oldest daughter in a small family struggling to survive their tribe's diaspora. It is here that the first piece of a Star is glimpsed, passed on to the young cat — and it is here that Life and Death would meet once again...

[lesbianweed]

Izutsumi || Dungeon Meshi 1x19

[arkashas]

1.05 | 2.01 | 3.08 | 1.09

[astrariums]

Boo will not have you embarrassing him in front of his friends - so you ought to know the rest of the company you keep.

[undercovercannibal]

Hannibal 2.01 “Kaiseki” | 1.03 “Potage” | 1.08 “Fromage” | 1.09 “Trou Normand1” | 1.10 “Buffet Froid” | 1.12 “Relevés” | 1.11 “Rôti” | 2.08 “Su-zakana”

+ Will using Hannibal's assessment of him to lie to and deceive him

2.10 “Naka-choko”